Dimiter by William Peter Blatty

Dimiter

by William Peter Blatty

Published by Tor/Forge, 2010

Its forty years since William Peter Blatty turned the horror world upside down with his remarkable book The Exorcist and its 27 years since the sequel Legion, his last full length novel. With that in mind the publication of a new novel is therefore something of an event, especially when this is the novel the author describes as the “most personally important” of his career.

First things first, Dimiter is not a horror novel, yes it’s horrific in parts but the atrocities are all man made. Instead, this is described as a theological thriller, a complex thought provoking book that has evolved over a thirty year period.

This is also the most difficult review I have ever had to do. The book is almost impossible to describe without spoiling the plot. In essence the story is one long exposition with numerous plot twists and turns that carry on turning until the very last page. In simplest terms it’s the story of a disparate group of characters and their interactions with Paul Dimiter. Dimiter is a remarkable character who develops throughout the book into a complex messianic figure, the other characters are all somehow touched and changed by his presence.

That’s about all I can say without giving anything away. In short it’s an old fashioned espionage story (think John LeCarre) but with a complex theological standpoint. In parts, beautifully written, with the first section a breathtaking sequence of extreme torture and moral questioning that will leave you shaking. Unfortunately the rest of the book doesn’t quite match the majesty of that first section. In fact, the protracted writing period (over thirty years) has left us with a somewhat disjointed book. There are huge stylistic variations in certain areas of the book that make for a strange and often difficult reading experience.

At times the prose is powerful and emotional but at others it gives way to an clunky, unengaging, Q&A interview format that throws the reader back into reality. I think it would benefit from repeated readings. There is so much left unclear until the very end that it can leave the reader confused, even after the revelations are made it is still  difficult for the reader to make the connections, particularly as information is only drip fed throughout.

So all in all a good book if not a great one. It is certainly a book which raises some interesting theological points and does it by way of deeply spiritual metaphors, a parable which will haunt the reader for some time but overall it falls short. After the first seventy pages I thought it may be one of the best books I had read in many years after the next seventy I was scratching my head in confusion and so it went on. Powerful, important and different, yes but ultimately Dimiter is flawed.

Rating 3.5 out of 5

Darkness, Mist and Shadow: The Collected Macabre Tales of Basil Copper edited by Stephen Jones

Darkness, Mist and Shadow: The Collected Macabre Tales of Basil Copper

Edited by Stephen Jones

Published by PS Publishing, 2010

Every now and then a book is published which defines the Horror genre. A book which transcends normal publishing to become a landmark. PS Publishing’s mammoth collection of Basil Copper’s short stories is just such an occasion. Of course such an important book demands a thorough review by an expert and who better than Johnny Mains. Regular readers will know that Johnny recently published Back From The Dead: The Legacy Of the Pan Book Of Horror Stories and mighty impressive it was too. His knowledge of the Pan Horror books and the contributors who appeared within those pages (including Basil Copper) is second to none. I was delighted, therefore, that Johnny agreed to review the book and it is a pleasure and honour to feature him on these pages.

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Darkness Mist and Shadows: The Collected Macabre Tales of Basil Copper reviewed by Johnny Mains

Basil Copper – a gentle soul with the gift to terrify. For the last fifty years, since his first short story was published in the Pan Book of Horror Stories, his macabre writings have stood alongside the best work of his contemporaries – and this achievement has been recognised by PS Publishing who have brought out the two volume behemoth that is Darkness, Mist and Shadow: The Collected Macabre Tales of Basil Copper.

These two books, the first with an introduction from Stephen Jones, and the second a critical assessment from Kim Newman bring together every macabre and supernatural story Basil has ever written – from the well known to the privately printed. While Basil freely admits he is all written out, his legacy is assured.

Standout stories from volume one: ‘Camera Obscura’, arguably one of the greatest short macabre stories ever written by a British author – depicting the punishment Mr Gringold bestows upon moneylender Mr Sharsted. This story was also taken up by Rod Serling and filmed for his series Night Gallery (Series 2 of NG is now available to buy). ‘The Academy of Pain’, a cruel revenge classic where Carstairs who collects torture implements discovers his wife is having an affair. ‘Amber Print’ is a breathtakingly brilliant story concerning the film Das Kabinet Des Dr. Caligari – where two collectors locate an extremely rare version of the film and as the story unfolds it’s clear to both men that they wish they hadn’t. Basil himself is a dedicated cinephile – and his passion for Caligari jumps out of the page and the story is not easily forgotten. Other stories of note include the Black Magic magnum opus ‘The Great Vore’, ‘The Flabby Men’ and the Lovecraftian and terrifying ‘Shaft Number 247’ which originally appeared in Ramsey Campbell’s New Tales of the Cthullu Mythos.

From the copyrights page it is clear to see that apart from Herbert van Thal, editor of the Pan Book of Horror Stories, and who first published him – the champion of Basil’s early work rests squarely on the shoulders of Peter Haining. It was certainly Haining, while working at NEL who brought out Basil’s first collection Not After Nightfall and published stories such as ‘The Academy of Pain’, ‘Dr Porthos’ and ‘Amber Print’ in his own anthologies.

August Derleth must also get a mention here too – his publishing company Arkham House bringing out two sublime collections From Evil’s Pillow plus And Afterward The Dark .

Volume Two of Darkness, Mist and Shadow may contain stories by Basil that are not as familiar, but by no means less powerful. My favourite of these come from the privately printed Knife in the Back – a book with a print run of 150. I’ve been lucky enough to own a copy of Knife for the past couple of years and can say without hesitation that while ‘Camera Obscura’ may be his greatest piece of short fiction, his second is ‘The Silver Salamander’. Compton is rich, successful and is having an affair with Joyce Appleyard. He buys her a very expensive antique bracelet in the form of a salamander as a small gift. But that doesn’t stop him from having serious stomach pains, and he goes to see his specialist who tells him an operation is needed. At the hospital he sees that the person carrying out the operation will be a certain Dr. Appleyard…

The reason I love this story so much is that you think it’s going to be a classic revenge tale – and it is, kind of… but Basil pulls the rug out from under your feet – and it’s a neat trick and satisfyingly rounds off a brilliant collection which also includes ‘When Greek Meets Greek’, ‘Out There’ and ‘Death of a Nobody’.

As much as Peter Haining was Basil’s ‘champion’ in the first volume – the accolades must fall on to Stephen Jones who has singlehandedly made sure that Basil’s work from his later period appeared in anthologies such as Mammoth Book of Frankenstein, Shadows Over Innsmouth, Mammoth Book of Dracula, Dark Terrors 6 and Don’t Turn Out the Light. In 2008 Jones edited a bio-bibliography on Basil called Basil Copper: A Life in Books with PS Publishing – and it is clear to see the respect and affection that Jones has for Basil. And when Basil said he always wanted to see his macabre short fiction appear together, Jones approached PS who thankfully agreed.

The books are supplemented with sumptuous illustrations from Les Edwards, Bob Eggleton, Dave Carson, Allen Koszowski, Randy Broecker and Gary Gianni. The cover art to both books are by Stephen E. Fabian.

A considered purchase, yes, but a purchase that will reward you with every story you read. If you are a fan of Basil Copper – these books are a welcome addition to any collection and if you are discovering Basil Copper for the first time, what are you waiting for? Buy the books now before they become extremely sought after collectibles.

Rating 5/5

Darkness, Mist & Shadow – The Collected Macabre Tales of Basil Copper [Vol 1]

Edited by Stephen Jones

Publication date: April 2010

Price £35.00

Jacketed Hardcover

ISBN: 978-1-848630-67-3

Darkness, Mist & Shadow – The Collected Macabre Tales of Basil Copper [Vol 2]

Edited by Stephen Jones

Publication date: April 2010

Price: £35.00

Jacketed Hardcover

ISBN: 978-1-848630-68-0

Darkness, Mist & Shadow – The Collected Macabre Tales of Basil Copper [Volumes 1 & 2 Deluxe Set]

Edited by Stephen Jones

Publication date: April 2010

Price: £100.00

ISBN: 978-1-848630-69-

Hellfire and Damnation by Connie Corcoran Wilson

Hellfire and Damnation

by Connie Corcoran Wilson

Published by Sam’s Dot Publishing, 2010.

I have to be upfront and say I was a little suspicious of this book. It appeared to have some great reviews on the back from the likes of William F. Nolan, Scott Eddleman and Gary Braunbeck (and if anyone knows good horror its Gary Braunbeck). These seemed slightly at odds with the homespun production values and I have to say the slightly garish cover. Was this a case of excessive hyperbole?

In Hellfire and Damnation Connie Corcoran Wilson takes us on a trip through the nine circles of hell by creating a series of stories (or in some cases a single story) to illustrate each. Many of the stories are also based on true life tales of crime and horror adding a little extra spice to the mix.

Standouts for me were –

Hotter Than Hell – where we hear the tragic tale of Big Jim Bingham as he awaits his fate on death row. A series of tragic letters to his son reveal some deep and powerful truths behind both his and his sons actions. It’s typical of the book, having a King like sense of down home characterisation where real life just touches the boundaries of something darker.

Amazing Andy, The Wonder Chicken – This surreal, if not in fact completely bonkers, tale concerns a chicken who loses his head but goes on to become a star bringing all the pressures of fame down on his owners. At times humorous and at others stomach wrenching but always inventive  and well written.

The Ghost Girl of Howard “Pappy” Litch Park – features strange goings on in the eponymous park when a father threatens a fellow visitor and things get out of hand. It bears all the tragic hallmarks of a real world tale but is told in an interesting and thoughtful voice.

We also get to meet ghost children (Rachel and David), the zombie prostitutes of Pompeii (Love Never Dies), serial killers (Going Through Hell) and fantastically creepy clown Pogo (Living In Hell).

A couple of weaker stories exist among the fifteen ( Queen Bee, Effie We Hardly Knew Ye!) but otherwise we are taken on a roller coaster trip with laughs (Hell to Pay features an amish mobile phone owner) and tears (On Eagle’s Wing’s a tragic tale of child abuse). Even the weaker stories are well enough written though and given the variety of styles at play here your personal favourites are likely to differ.

All in all a thoroughly enjoyable, well written anthology. Gary A. Braunbeck’s blurb on the back claims that, “never have the 9 circles of hell been so much fun”. As I said Mr Braunbeck knows his stuff, this is a journey into hell that will intrigue, disgust and excite you, often at the same time, excellent stuff. Just shows, don’t judge a book by its cover!

You can find out more here.

Rating 4 out of 5

On The Banks Of the River Jordan by John Reppion

On The Banks Of The River Jordan

by John Reppion

Published by The Swan River Press, 2010.

I recently reviewed Ramsey Campbell’s Creatures of The Pool, a celebration of all things creepy about the city of Liverpool. It really brought home some of the strange history of that city. It’s a history that has also been researched by author John Reppion who’s recent 800 Years Of Haunted Liverpool (available here) explored all the dark corners of the city in detail, unearthing more than a few skeletons along the way.

Inspired by the tales he encountered but frustrated by the need for factual accuracy in that book, John has now published a short work of fiction that succesfully merges fact, myth and imagination to bring the history alive. Written in the form of email correspondence between the author and (real life publisher) Brian Showers the story develops from interesting fact to increasingly scary revelations. Its an excellent little tale made more powerful thanks to its foundations in fact. I’m a sucker for horror that blends the real and unreal, blurring the boundaries along the way and this story does it very well indeed.

Published by The Swan River Press as part of their Haunted History series, which includes other tales from the likes of Gary McMahon, Mark Valentine and Reggie Oliver, this is a fairly thin booklet which manages to cram a lot into its  20 pages. Anyone with an interest in the ghostly goings on in Liverpool or just an appreciation of a well written ghost story will enjoy this tale. I look forward to more fiction from John Reppion (website here), assuming the spooks didn’t get to him first.

Rating 4 out of 5

Houses On the Borderland edited by David A. Sutton

Houses on the Borderland

Edited by David A. Sutton

Published by British Fantasy Society, 2008

Another look into the hidden work of the publishing arm of the BFS with a book of novellas inspired by William Hope Hodgson’s – The House On the Borderland. I say inspired but it’s a rather loose connection, anyone coming here looking for satanic pigs or drug induced trips into the cosmos will be disappointed but if, like me, you preferred the first part of Hodgson’s  masterpiece, the unsettling ghostly tale of a strange dwelling you will love this collection.

We start with Today We Were Astronauts by Allen Ashley a scifi/horror story that takes us to a remote lighthouse during the global pandemic of the moon plague. This is a suitably unsettling tale as the claustrophobia in the lighthouse is amplified by the general sense of detachment from the rest of the population (if there is anyone left). Throw in some “mind block” machines which transfer the entire consciousness of people and you have the basis for an entertaining and satisfying tale.

The Listeners by Samantha Lee is probably the closest in terms of connection with Hodgson’s tale. This time a mysterious house, a connection to fairies and some clever time shifts in the plot create a nicely creepy tale. It manages to be both traditional and modern at the same time.

The Schoolhouse by Simon Bestwick is focused on two buildings Drakemire School and The Pines, a psychiatric hospital. Needless to say the events in both places are intimately connected and old acquaintances are renewed which should not be. This is an extremely dark and powerful piece. The tales of abuse at the school and the torment this has caused in later life leave nothing to the imagination in their gritty realism. Its a story that will stick with you long after you may wish to forget it.

The House On the Western Border by Gary Fry sees a mother and daughter making the break from a failed relationship to a remote cottage in Anglesey. This is probably the most traditional ghost story here but it is still very successful, managing to evoke elements of both The Shining and The Exorcist in its portrayal of a haunted building and troubled relationships.

Paul Finch takes us into the gritty hell of the eastern front with The Retreat. I am a huge fan of Finch’s historical stories which manage to bring elements of both fact and folklore together to create excellent tales of horror. In this case the horror is twofold as we see the depravity of a group of German soldiers on the Eastern front seeking refuge in a remote cottage from the horrors of war. As you may expect, the cottage turns out to be less than ideal as a sanctuary and it’s not long before they begin to realise things have gone from bad to worse.

Finally David A. Riley takes us into the hell of drug and drink abuse in suburban squalor in The Worst Of All Possible Places. Again we find ourselves in a place with altered identities and a strange dream/drug like confusion as the protagonist realises things are not all they seem and the already tragic circumstances he finds himself in become much worse. It’s a great, hardhitting  tale of paranoia and strangeness.

And there you have it six excellent novellas. Paul Finch continues to tick all the right boxes for me with his blend of horror and myth so for me this was the best of the bunch but all the stories here are worthy of your attention and personal preferences will surely be well served by the variety on offer. So once again I urge you to visit the BFS site, become a member or simply purchase and enjoy this fine collection of horror.

Rating 4 out of 5

H.P. Lovecraft In Britain by Stephen Jones

H.P.Lovecraft In Britain

A Monograph by Stephen Jones,

Published by The British Fantasy Society, 2007.

This is the first in a series of reviews looking at some of the publications from the vaults of The British Fantasy Society. As well as supporting the genre we all love in many ways (join here to support this work) the BFS has for many years been publishing some excellent and important books but these have largely gone unnoticed.

With H. P Lovecraft’s work, these days, being synonymous with horror/weird fiction it’s hard to believe that there was a time when his fiction wasn’t available in the UK.  Stephen Jones was tasked with putting together the mammoth Gollancz collection of Lovecraftian strangeness that is Necronomicon, The Best Weird Tales Of H.P.Lovecraft. His quest to create the definitive collection led him to  the backroom of the Gollancz offices where he was given full access to correspondence showing how Lovecraft’s very first UK collection, The Haunter Of the dark And Other Tales Of Horror, came to be published.

The letters, mainly between publisher Victor Gollancz and Lovecraft’s friend and literary executor August Derleth, reveal the fascinating and often tortuous steps to that publication, his first non-American collection in 1951. Stephen Jones then follows subsequent publications to show how Lovecraft was gradually accepted by the UK public, especially during the late sixties/early seventies before bringing us right up to date with the story of that most recent collection.

It’s fascinating both in its revelations about the working practices of the publishing industry and the many characters involved but also as a historical document of a publishing event which still has an impact today.

Clearly as a limited edition, collectible chapbook this is not cheap and also fairly short but it is obviously a work of passion by Stephen Jones and is beautifully presented and illustrated by Les Edwards. Perhaps not a book for everyone then but for those with an interest in Lovecraft or the fledgling UK horror publishing industry it remains an excellent and fascinating piece of work. You can purchase a copy here.

Rating 4 out of 5.