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Post by hippriest100 on Oct 14, 2023 7:58:47 GMT
Hello
I am new here and found this site through my continued desperate searching for a story I read in my 1970s youth. I'm pretty sure it was featured in one of Richard Davis' "Spectre" anthologies but have begun to doubt my memory.
The story concerned a Faustian pact between an ordinary man and the/a devil, and concluded as follows. When the "hero" is condemned to hell, he experiences intolerable heat. After a few minutes he almost begins to adjust, but is suddenly subjected to unbearable cold. Again, he thinks he is starting to get used to it when the unbearable heat returns and he is in agony again. He is condemned to this back-and-forth for all eternity.
It was only a short story but I simply can't remember any more details. If anybody could help me I would be most grateful, especially if anybody could point me to any anthologies containing the story. It's stayed with me for decades and I'd love to read it again!
Thanks in advance!
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Post by dem bones on Oct 14, 2023 14:08:52 GMT
Hi — I don't recognise the story from Spectre's 3-4 (don't have a copy of the first one), which is not to say it isn't in there. Just a wild guess, but might you have read it in one of Michel Parry's Mayflower Books of Black Magic? From your synopsis, it sounds like a good fit.
Will keep looking.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 14, 2023 15:03:34 GMT
he experiences intolerable heat. After a few minutes he almost begins to adjust, but is suddenly subjected to unbearable cold. Again, he thinks he is starting to get used to it when the unbearable heat returns and he is in agony again. He is condemned to this back-and-forth for all eternity. Your description sounds very much like he has been cursed by a witch. lol In any event once you have determined what the title of the book is, let us know as I would be interested in reading it. |
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Post by hippriest100 on Oct 15, 2023 7:41:08 GMT
Hi — I don't recognise the story from Spectre's 3-4 (don't have a copy of the first one), which is not to say it isn't in there. Just a wild guess, but might you have read it in one of Michel Parry's Mayflower Books of Black Magic? From your synopsis, it sounds like a good fit. Will keep looking. I'm 99% sure it was from Spectre 1 as I distinctly remember the yellow on the cover. I've found a pic of the contents page online but can't tell from the titles which story it might be: maybe "Edward" by Mary Danby? Or "Negotium Perambulans" by EF Benson, or "Ships That Pass" by Sutro Miller? I really don't know. I'd love to find it! |
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Post by hippriest100 on Oct 15, 2023 7:41:56 GMT
he experiences intolerable heat. After a few minutes he almost begins to adjust, but is suddenly subjected to unbearable cold. Again, he thinks he is starting to get used to it when the unbearable heat returns and he is in agony again. He is condemned to this back-and-forth for all eternity. Your description sounds very much like he has been cursed by a witch. lol In any event once you have determined what the title of the book is, let us know as I would be interested in reading it. I'll be sure to let you know! |
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Post by dem bones on Oct 15, 2023 10:10:17 GMT
If it's Spectre 1 we can rule out;
Mary Danby - Edward
Gahan Wilson - Yesterday's Witch
James Turner - The Model
Penelope Wallace - The Waiting Men
E. F. Benson - Negotium Perambulans
Joseph Payne Brennan - The Willow Platform
Edgar Allan Poe - The Black Cat
Bram Stoker - Crooken Sands ...
... so it has to be one of ...
Julia Birley - Watch the Birdie
Elizabeth Fancett - Cassius
Sutro Miller - Ships That Pass
The Miller is a reprint from his H For Horrific: Six Ghost Stories which I've not got; the Julia Birley and Elizabeth Fawcett stories were likely commissioned for the book. I realise this doesn't help much, as, unless someone reading this has a copy, we still can't be sure. (Can't get bloody Hip Priest out of my head now).
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Post by 𝘗rincess 𝘵uvstarr on Oct 15, 2023 12:05:37 GMT
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Post by samdawson on Oct 15, 2023 12:11:11 GMT
I think Henry Kuttner wrote an entire volume of deals-with-the-devil stories. Several of them quite amusing, so if his name came up somewhere it could be one of them
Separately, while I'm here, can I thank whomever it was who mentioned Molly Zero as an example of a book written entirely in the second person singular. I'm rather fond of Keith Roberts' work and hadn't heard of that one. I've now remedied that
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Post by 𝘗rincess 𝘵uvstarr on Oct 15, 2023 12:40:53 GMT
Separately, while I'm here, can I thank whomever it was who mentioned Molly Zero as an example of a book written entirely in the second person singular. I'm rather fond of Keith Roberts' work and hadn't heard of that one. I've now remedied that I mentioned it, but didn't think of it. I shall pass this on. There, I just did. |
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Post by mrhappy on Oct 16, 2023 5:37:18 GMT
If it's Spectre 1 we can rule out; Mary Danby - Edward Gahan Wilson - Yesterday's Witch James Turner - The Model Penelope Wallace - The Waiting Men E. F. Benson - Negotium Perambulans Joseph Payne Brennan - The Willow Platform Edgar Allan Poe - The Black Cat Bram Stoker - Crooken Sands ... ... so it has to be one of ... Julia Birley - Watch the Birdie Elizabeth Fancett - Cassius Sutro Miller - Ships That Pass Unfortunately, it isn't any of these. Watch the Birdie concerns a bird watcher witnessing the death of a sinister photographer. Cassius deals with a childhood friend who may or may not be a ghost. And Ships That Pass is a gentle tale of an old sailor returning a piece of cloth to the statue of his former captain. Mr Happy |
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Post by dem bones on Oct 16, 2023 9:34:28 GMT
Unfortunately, it isn't any of these. Watch the Birdie concerns a bird watcher witnessing the death of a sinister photographer. Cassius deals with a childhood friend who may or may not be a ghost. And Ships That Pass is a gentle tale of an old sailor returning a piece of cloth to the statue of his former captain. Mr Happy Thanks Mr Happy. I don't recognise it among the stories in Spectre's 2-4 or The John Pertwee Book of Monsters either. |
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Post by hippriest100 on Oct 18, 2023 10:40:10 GMT
Thanks to everybody for their comments and research, it is much appreciated. I'm reluctantly having to accept that I must be mistaken in thinking it was from the Spectre range, although I am positive I borrowed volume one from my local library as a child. I also borrowed the Space series but it clearly can't have been included there. The search continues!
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Post by hippriest100 on Oct 18, 2023 10:41:51 GMT
(Can't get bloody Hip Priest out of my head now). There are worse songs to have stuck in one's head, although try not to start singing the "falsetto" section in public! |
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Post by Michael Connolly on Oct 18, 2023 12:32:15 GMT
Thanks to everybody for their comments and research, it is much appreciated. I'm reluctantly having to accept that I must be mistaken in thinking it was from the Spectre range, although I am positive I borrowed volume one from my local library as a child. I also borrowed the Space series but it clearly can't have been included there. The search continues! Was it "The Devil We Know" by Henry Kuttner? |
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Post by hippriest100 on Oct 26, 2023 9:25:58 GMT
Thanks to everybody for their comments and research, it is much appreciated. I'm reluctantly having to accept that I must be mistaken in thinking it was from the Spectre range, although I am positive I borrowed volume one from my local library as a child. I also borrowed the Space series but it clearly can't have been included there. The search continues! Was it "The Devil We Know" by Henry Kuttner? I don't know that story. All I can remember is it was about 10 pages at most. |
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