I mentioned several months ago that I got into the work of British horror writer John Glasby. Although not well known in the U.S., Glasby wrote horror and science fiction for several decades and published extensively in the British pulps, particularly Badger's digest Supernatural Tales. Here are three of his books that I've read this year.
The Undead: formerly published as The Unpossessed in the 60s, this story takes place in a dilapidated manor in the English countryside. Former home of the evil DeRuys family, it has had a troubled history having been the site of black masses. In the modern day, the old squatter Pendrake has died leaving the old manor vacant again. Angela, a descendant of the DeRuys bloodline has arrived to claim the property and a long dormant menace begins to awake.This is a short book and I sped through it thanks to it's relentless pace. It is a mostly conventional tale of vampirism, but Glasby challenged some conventions in this little action-packed masterpiece of gothic atmosphere.
Dark Conflict: also published by Badger several decades ago, this one is about a strange mask and headdress, which, according to legend, has the power to change the wearer into the mask's original shaman under the full moon. Simon Merrivale obtained the mask and falls under the sway of a satanic cult and its lycanthropic leader. Only Merrivale's friends Blake and Nayland can save him from a horrible fate. While The Undead had an ideal balance of atmosphere and action, this one is more uneven and has the feel of being hastily written. A couple more thousand words would have filled this book out to give it a more complete feel and make it reach it's full potential. It's still a decent read and reminds me quite a bit of Dennis Wheatly's The Devil Rides Out.
The Dark Boatman: along with both novels, a few stories from this collection were originally published in Badger's Supernatural Tales digest. Most of the five stories here were inspired by Lovecraft and highlight Glasby's skill as a Cthuhlu mythos writer.
"The Dark Boatman" is a gothic story of a man who inherits a castle and tells of the ancient coin he finds that holds a terrible repercussions for the coin's owner.
"Aunt Amelia" is a ghost story of a young man who goes to live with his aunt, which had me guessing what would happen.
"The Deep Black Yonder" is about a man who rents an ancient house only to discover something evil bubbling underneath him.
"Dust" is my favorite of the lot who visits his uncle and joins forces with him to fight an eldritch monster. The reveal at the end has a nice touch.
'"The Keeper of Dark Point" is about a man searching for his lost brother on the coast of Devon and the things he encounters will shatter his mind. I liked this one but it is predictable to anyone familiar with Lovecraft. I'll give Glasby a break considering this was done at a time in England when Lovecraft wasn't well known yet (even before Ramsey Campbell took a crack at it).
Overall, I haven't met a story of Glasby's that I didn't enjoy. All of these books are easily available on Amazon and several of his stories has been reprinted for Wildside 's Black Cat Weekly, so I encourage anyone who loves vintage British pulp horror to check it out.
Written by Nick Montelongo
The Undead: formerly published as The Unpossessed in the 60s, this story takes place in a dilapidated manor in the English countryside. Former home of the evil DeRuys family, it has had a troubled history having been the site of black masses. In the modern day, the old squatter Pendrake has died leaving the old manor vacant again. Angela, a descendant of the DeRuys bloodline has arrived to claim the property and a long dormant menace begins to awake.This is a short book and I sped through it thanks to it's relentless pace. It is a mostly conventional tale of vampirism, but Glasby challenged some conventions in this little action-packed masterpiece of gothic atmosphere. Dark Conflict: also published by Badger several decades ago, this one is about a strange mask and headdress, which, according to legend, has the power to change the wearer into the mask's original shaman under the full moon. Simon Merrivale obtained the mask and falls under the sway of a satanic cult and its lycanthropic leader. Only Merrivale's friends Blake and Nayland can save him from a horrible fate. While The Undead had an ideal balance of atmosphere and action, this one is more uneven and has the feel of being hastily written. A couple more thousand words would have filled this book out to give it a more complete feel and make it reach it's full potential. It's still a decent read and reminds me quite a bit of Dennis Wheatly's The Devil Rides Out.The Dark Boatman: along with both novels, a few stories from this collection were originally published in Badger's Supernatural Tales digest. Most of the five stories here were inspired by Lovecraft and highlight Glasby's skill as a Cthuhlu mythos writer. "The Dark Boatman" is a gothic story of a man who inherits a castle and tells of the ancient coin he finds that holds a terrible repercussions for the coin's owner.
"Aunt Amelia" is a ghost story of a young man who goes to live with his aunt, which had me guessing what would happen.
"The Deep Black Yonder" is about a man who rents an ancient house only to discover something evil bubbling underneath him.
"Dust" is my favorite of the lot who visits his uncle and joins forces with him to fight an eldritch monster. The reveal at the end has a nice touch.
'"The Keeper of Dark Point" is about a man searching for his lost brother on the coast of Devon and the things he encounters will shatter his mind. I liked this one but it is predictable to anyone familiar with Lovecraft. I'll give Glasby a break considering this was done at a time in England when Lovecraft wasn't well known yet (even before Ramsey Campbell took a crack at it).
Overall, I haven't met a story of Glasby's that I didn't enjoy. All of these books are easily available on Amazon and several of his stories has been reprinted for Wildside 's Black Cat Weekly, so I encourage anyone who loves vintage British pulp horror to check it out.
Written by Nick Montelongo
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