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Post by dem bones on Sept 14, 2008 19:54:24 GMT
Kurt Singer - The Star Bumper Horror Book #1 (Star, 1986) Robert Bloch - The Grinning Ghoul Roger S. Thomas - The Bradley Vampire Robert H. Leitfred - Seven Seconds Of Eternity Mildred Johnson - The Mirror Peter Phillips - Death's Bouquet Harold Lawlor - Which's Witch Alvin Taylor & Len J. Moffat - Father's Vampire Robert Bloch - The Man Who Cried Wolf! Arlton Eadie - The Nameless Mummy Judge Marcus Kavanagh - The Man They Couldn't Hang Isaac Asimov & James MacCreagh - Legal Rites Michael Ballantine - The Devil And Sharon Tate Kurt & Jane Singer - The Exorcist: New York Style Malcolm Jameson - Not According To DanteVery bizarre mix of acknowledged literary classics, pulp madness, SF, "true" stories and real obscure stuff - including the truly dire Taylor/ Moffat collaboration which sits very strangely in a collection that includes a report on the Manson murders. Singer had already run these stories over the collections Weird Tales Of The Supernatural, Tales of The unknown, Ghouls And Ghosts, The Satanic Omnibus and They Are Possessed before compiling them into the first two volumes of the Target Book Of Horror Stories in 1984! Alvin Taylor & Len J. Moffat - Father's Vampire: "It began to give a very boring account of its life in a small Hungarian village going into some detail regarding it's various conquests of girls and the amount of wine it could consume in one evening." Interview with the fat, really tedious vampire. When the undead - exhumed by a compulsive collector - attempts to bite the youthful narrator, the boy fends him off by claiming to be a Drud (Druds drink vampire blud), whereupon the craven Count locks himself in his coffin. And That's it. Amazingly, this originally appeared in Weird Tales for May 1952. Robert Bloch - The Man Who Cried Wolf!: Charles and Violet Colby move to a cabin in the wilds of Canada, home to Violet's Canuck ancestors from whom she's inherited a headful of superstition. So, when a wolf glares in at her through the window during the night of a full moon, she immediately assumes "loup garou!". Charles - who assures her it's nothing of the sort and tells her off for being such a babbling imbecile - knows more about the situation than most. He's been secretly seeing Lisa, the "half-Indian, half goddess", and together they play on Violet's fears hoping to drive her insane. But then the killings begin, with chewed and torn corpses littering the county and it transpires that Lisa really is a werewolf - Colby witnesses her metamorphosis with his own eyes. With Sheriff Crogin of the Mounties on the case and vigilantes searching the woods, will Colby save his wife or leave her to be murdered by his lycanthropic bit on the side? Roger S. Thomas - The Bradley Vampire: Set in the 19th Century. When a beautiful vampire begins to persecute his friends, a handily placed Hungarian knows what to do. Unusual staking aside, this one has little to recommend it. Another from the death-throes of Weird Tales, this time the May 1951 issue. Peter Phillips - Death's Bouquet: ( Weird Tales, Sept. 1948) The narrator, an agent for a Paris-London bookseller, despises his client the widower Lebrum and casts a lusting eye over his vineyard and 'mute 'daughter Heloise. Lebrum, however, is fiercely protective of both and Heloise hasn't been near a boy since Theophile Morin went missing three years back after her father caught them together. After a heavy night's drinking, the rep's body briefly becomes the earthly receptacle for Theophile who shows him how he came to be murdered by the old man. The sadistic bully Lebrum creeps up on him just as he discovers the boy's secret grave and walks him into the barn at sword-point: "And he talked. Of his surpassing, but unreciprocated love for his daughter; of her particular beauties and the agonies he suffered when she deigned to notice young men; of the loving punishments he had inflicted on her body" - yes; go on, go on: out with it, man! - " ... I won't recall details. It was infinitely pathetic, but infinitely disgusting...." Harold Lawlor - Which's Witch: ( Weird Tales, July. 1952) Roy Murray, a journalist on the local rag, and wife Ann are inveigled into the world of modern witchcraft as he researches material for his daily column, The Jaundiced Eye. Maria Loyos doesn't fit his stereotype of the haggard old crone - she's a highly intelligent, doll-like young blonde who answers the door to him in yellow shorts and bra - but he mustn't let that get in the way of his prejudices. Maria takes grave exception to the resulting "humorous" item belittling her beliefs ( "the Chic Witch of Gallows Hill) and decides that a demonstration of her darker powers are in order .... With Ann paralysed from the waist down and Maria threatening that his daughter will be next for the treatment, it's all shaping up quite nastily until Lawler pulls his punch and gives us a despicably happy ending. Arlton Eadie - The Nameless Mummy: ( Weird Tales, May 1932). Professor Peter Venn, curator of the Helmstone Museum, is toiling in the Egyptian Gallery, paying particular attention to a mysterious mummy casket, when the beautiful woman appears unannounced and instantly gives him the hump by demonstrating that she knows miles more about his specialist subject than he does, and her a "mere slip of a girl"! Oh no, not so! She is, in fact, Cleopatra and the mummy is also a big wig from Caesar's day! As a reward for Venn's assistance, she slips off her dress to reveal underneath "what seemed to him like a fancy-dress costume of an elaborate and rather daring nature, consisting as it did almost entirely of flashing jewels. Jewelled was the fringed girdle which encircled her slender waist ....", and embarks on her story, "a picture of Egypt more vivid and moving than a lifetime poring over musty records" she reckons, before sniffing the green powder that will finally put an end to her wandering. Kurt Singer - The Star Bumper Horror Book #2 (Star, 1986) Wilkie Collins - A Terribly Strange Bed Frank Stevens - Psychic Alert Saved Film Star G. G. Pendarves - The Dark Star Carl Jacobi - Portrait In Moonlight Richard Middleton - The Ghost Ship Horace Leaf - I Am A Psychic Detective Seabury Quinn - The Cloth Of Madness Lord Lytton - The Haunted And The Haunters W. B. Seabrook - The Ouanga Charm Princess Catherine Radziwill - Green Jewel Of Death Amelia B. Edwards - The Phantom Coach Pat Scholer - Ghosts Come To Hell Mark Bartholomeusz - Wages Of Envy Clyde Clark - White Lady Of The HohenzollernsMore rabid recycling from Singer. These stories are all culled from his earlier collections Weird Tales Of The Supernatural, Tales From The Unknown, Ghouls And Ghosts, Gothic Horror Book, The Satanic Omnibus and They Are Possessed and comprised the third and fourth volumes of his Target Book Of Horror Stories (1985)
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Post by dem bones on Jan 19, 2021 18:54:36 GMT
Robert Bloch - The Grinning Ghoul ( Weird Tales, June 1936). A psychiatrist accompanies his patient on a night visit to a cemetery, aiming to convince him that his belief in ghouls is delusional. Not one of Bloch's best. Robert Bloch - The Grinning Ghoul: ( Weird Tales, June, 1936). A story of stark horror in the subterranean depths beneath an ill-fated tomb. Prof. Alexander Chaupin consults an alienist in regard to his recurring nightmare concerning the things feasting in the caverns beneath Misericorde Cemetery. The psychiatrist, concerned he has a madman for a client, agrees to accompany him on a nocturnal excursion to the burial ground. Agree with Dr. Strange. Lovecraft pastiche complete with obligatory Mythos trappings.
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Post by helrunar on Jan 19, 2021 20:23:07 GMT
Wasn't "Bho-Blok" only around 19 or so when he wrote that? Born April 1917... I haven't read the tale but imagine it's a bit of a romp.
H.
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Post by helrunar on Jan 19, 2021 20:25:09 GMT
The Taylor/Moffatt thing sounds dire. In a rather insipid vein.
H.
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Post by Dr Strange on Jan 19, 2021 22:17:42 GMT
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Post by Dr Strange on Jan 19, 2021 23:02:02 GMT
Alvin Taylor & Len J. Moffat - Father's Vampire: "It began to give a very boring account of its life in a small Hungarian village going into some detail regarding it's various conquests of girls and the amount of wine it could consume in one evening." Interview with the fat, really tedious vampire. When the undead - exhumed by a compulsive collector - attempts to bite the youthful narrator, the boy fends him off by claiming to be a Drud (Druds drink vampire blud), whereupon the craven Count locks himself in his coffin. And That's it. Amazingly, this originally appeared in Weird Tales for May 1952. Is that the first appearance of the "drud" idea? I'd assumed it was an invention of Lionel Fanthorpe. Wait a minute... it's not actually him again is it? LATER: No, it's not him - fancyclopedia.org/Len_Moffatt (though I can't find anything on "Alvin Taylor"). Also stumbled on the original Weird Tales illo by Vincent Napoli. Somehow a fat vampire just doesn't seem right -
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Post by helrunar on Jan 20, 2021 3:35:56 GMT
The "drud" looks like Tor Johnson. Thanks for the scan!
H.
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Post by dem bones on Jan 20, 2021 12:43:02 GMT
The Taylor/Moffatt thing sounds dire. In a rather insipid vein. H. You're not wrong.
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