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Post by dem bones on Oct 20, 2007 10:39:59 GMT
Alan Hunter "In previous Biscombe Tales, it was told how Mr. Oakley returned to his father's home village. There he met the enigmatic Mr. Disvan who, with the other regulars at the Duke Of Argyll, seemed to be at the centre of many mysterious events. As time passes, almost without noticing, Mr. Oakley finds himself drawn closer to the strange heart of Biscombe life." From the introduction to Biscombe Tales. The hardcore Biscombites include Disvan, Dr. Bani-Sadr, Mr. Bretwalda and his formidable sons, Mr. Limbu, the landlord of the Argyll and, of course, the hapless Oakley, who, for all his "newbie" status, shares in their weird adventures, some of which involve the supernatural, others bordering on SF. The Tales are deceptively slight and you don't always realise quite how horrible a situation was until long after you've finished the story. This is undoubtedly due to Whitbourn's masterly way with laugh-out-loud funny dialogue, and insane plots. These might involve the head of Oliver Cromwell, rifts in space time, parallel worlds or a bizarre haunting. In I could a Tale Unfold, Mr. Oakley purchases a desk at an auction. Once the property of Waverley District Council, the desk is a transmitter for the dark and depressed thoughts of the legion accountants who've sat and worked at it. Oakley grows his hair, goes goth, begins writing dreadful poetry and - worse - acts aggressively toward the patrons of The Duke Of Argyll. Something clearly has to be done and fortunately Mr. Disvan, the Sex Pistols-quoting philosopher of the Biscombites, is on hand to intervene. The Young Dude Disco in Goldenford (Guildford) is the setting for Every Little Breeze, the tale of Louise Saxon, a victim of "raudive voice phobia" - that is, she hears voices on her tape recorder that oughtn't to be there, hence her need to surround herself continually with rock and pop music blaring at eardrum bursting decibel levels. But just what are the disembodied voices telling her. Originally, there were 25 Biscombe tales plus the confusing explanatory vignette The More It Changes, but I'm not sure how many of them saw publication. Rosemary Pardoe collected four - His Holiness Commands, Let The Train Take The Strain, It Has Been Said, No Truce With Kings - in "Biscome Tales" (Haunted Library, 1989), followed by three more - Rollover Night, I Could A Tale Unfold, The More It Changes - in "Rollover Night" (Haunted Library, 1990). The Ghost Story Society ran Every Little Breeze in "All Hallows"#2 (1990), and Richard Dalby included Peace On Earth, Goodwill To Most Men in "Mystery For Christmas" (Michael O'Mara, 1990). Waiting For A Bus and Roots were published in the 3rd & 4th Books Of After Midnight Stories by William Kimber in 1987 and 88 respectively. As to the rest, I'm afraid you're on your own unless somebody can enlighten us. Later John has his own site at www.btinternet.com/~john.whitbourn/index.htm
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Post by williemeikle on Apr 1, 2008 15:34:29 GMT
I loved them all, and I've got these two Ash Tree Press hardcovers: BINSCOMBE TALES" (collected short stories) Sinister Saxon Stories. Vol. 1 Ash-Tree Press 1998 Contents: Introscript by John Whitbourn; Introduction by Professor E. Griffiths; ‘Another Place’; ‘Wating for a Bus’; ‘Till Death Do Us Part’; ‘ ’Only One Careful Owner’; ‘All Roads Lead to Rome’; ‘The Will to Live’; ‘Hello Dolly’; ‘Reggie Suntan’; ‘Here Is My Resignation’; ‘A Video Nasty, or, The Sins of the Fathers’; ‘Peace on Earth, Goodwill to Most Men’; ‘Binscombe Jihad’; ‘His Holiness Commands’; ‘Roots’; ‘The More it Changes "MORE BINSCOMBE TALES" (collected short stories) Sinister Sutangli Stories. Vol. 2 Ash-Tree Press 23 April 1999 Contents: Foreword; 'An Overview and Cheerio, or A Sutangli Speaks!' by John Whitbourn; 'It Has Been Said . . .'; 'No Truce With Kings'; 'Let the Train Take the Strain'; 'Rollover Night'; 'Yankee Go Home'; 'Canterbury's Dilemma'; 'Every Little Breeze . . .'; 'Oh, I Do Like to be Beside the Seaside (Within Reason)'; 'But After This, the Judgement'; 'It'll All be Over by Christmas'; 'I Could a Tale Unfold'; 'Up from the Cellar, or, England Expects!'; 'Stories I'll Never Get Round to Writing'. Realms of Fantasy Books has them for sale here: store.realmsoffantasybooks.com/bitasisastjo.htmland store.realmsoffantasybooks.com/mobitasisust.htmlfor around $50 each... a bargain I'd say Willie
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Post by Johnlprobert on Apr 1, 2008 19:40:59 GMT
Those two collections are amongst my favourite Ash-Tree books. I think some of the stories found their way into Amy Myers' 'After Midnight Stories' series from William Kimber (and Robert Hale for volume 5)
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Post by cw67q on Oct 26, 2011 22:42:46 GMT
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Post by Shrink Proof on Oct 27, 2011 16:08:56 GMT
No problem - the URL you posted took me straight there.
The books look fascinating, btw...
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Post by cw67q on Oct 28, 2011 18:16:03 GMT
Thay really are great fun Shrink proof. And thanks Dem for relocating my post, I did have a quick look for a whitbourn thread, but managed to miss the target (doh!).
- Chris
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Post by dem bones on Oct 28, 2011 20:06:00 GMT
it was buried in the Ghosts & Scholars/ Haunted library section, chris, but Mr. Whitbourn deserves his place in 'Favourite authors'. Weird thing, i got Haunted Library's Popes & Phantoms booklet which had me genuinely excited about the novel, then i kind of forgot all about it until i spotted a paperback on a stall. Maybe seven years on and it's still malingering unread on the shelf, no idea why.
From Willie Miekle's list, i've read only ten Biscombe Tales in all, and of those, the two that really grabbed me were Peace on Earth, Goodwill to Most Men (can't remember the specifics but ... winged demons attack troublemakers at Midnight Mass?) and, the very first i tried, I Could A Tale Unfold, the only demonic possession story i can think of made me laugh like there was something seriously wrong with me. Mr. Disvan and the Bretwalda bruisers are truly the type of people i wish drank in my local.
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Post by Shrink Proof on Oct 31, 2011 15:53:58 GMT
Thay really are great fun Shrink proof. Chris OK, you've convinced me. Order placed, postie awaited....
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Post by cw67q on Oct 31, 2011 20:08:04 GMT
Thay really are great fun Shrink proof. Chris OK, you've convinced me. Order placed, postie awaited.... I'm sure you won't regret it (at least I hope so ). - Chris
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Post by Shrink Proof on Nov 1, 2011 14:35:43 GMT
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Post by Shrink Proof on Jan 20, 2012 19:56:35 GMT
Definitely money well spent. 101% recommended!
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Post by dem bones on Jan 20, 2012 20:41:56 GMT
John Whitbourn - Popes And Phantoms (Gollancz, 1994) Ashley Pearce Blurb FROM HIS VILLA IN CAPRI, ADMIRAL SLOVO LOOKS BACK ON A PAST FULL OF DARK MAGIC, CORRUPTION, AND RANDOM VIOLENCE: AS A BRIGAND ON THE HIGH SEAS, OR AS EMISSARY TO THE BORGIAS, OR EVEN MR FIX-IT TO THE POPE, SLOVO HAS LIVED LIFE TO THE HILT — BUT NOW IT IS TIME TO PAY,
"A masterly sense of fantastic landscape and baroque plotting, with the added bonus of a rounded cast of exotic characters" - The Dark Side
"Everything you never knew about history but were afraid might be true. Machiavelli, the Borgias, Martin Luther — what is really down there in the crypt of St Peter's — at last, secrets buried for centuries brought to light! Don't wait for the Illuminati cover-up, buy, it now!" - Colin Greenland, author of Take Back PlentyThink you'd likely enjoy this one then, Mr. Proof. As mentioned above, i've still not got around to it despite laughing myself damn near stupid at the two self-contained stories included in a Haunted Library booklet as a taster. Its time will come!
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Post by cw67q on Jan 21, 2012 9:43:12 GMT
Definitely money well spent. 101% recommended! Delighted you feel that way Shrink - Chris
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Post by Shrink Proof on Jan 21, 2012 19:24:49 GMT
John Whitbourn - Popes And Phantoms (Gollancz, 1994) Think you'd likely enjoy this one then, Mr. Proof. Oh hell. The problem with this site is that I find two books worth checking out for every one I actually manage to get to read. A nice problem to have though...
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Post by Swampirella on Oct 28, 2016 2:20:42 GMT
Just spent over 30min searching through the site to find a reference to this author's name and book details that I saw the other day and then forgot everything except that the author's first name is John Almost bought it a year or two ago; now I can put it back on my "will probably buy soon" list....
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