Richard Davis – The Jon Pertwee Book Of Monsters

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Richard Davis (ed.) – The Jon Pertwee Book Of Monsters (Methuen, 1978: Magnet, 1979)

George Underwood

Illustrations by Nicholas Hockley
Introduction and Epilogue by Jon Pertwee

Tim Stout – Night of the Sand Wolf
Philip Welby – The Nondescript
David Campton – Spawn
Guy Weiner – The Glendale Monster
Catherine Gleason – Ming
Glenn Chandler – The Intruders
Roger Malisson – The Lambton Worm
John Halkin – The Eyes Have It
George Evans – The Samala Plant

Blurb:
"Do you believe in monsters?" is the question that Jon Pertwee - whose connection with some very strange creatures indeed is well known - asks in his introduction to these gripping stories. Even if you don't believe in monsters at the beginning of this book, who knows what you might believe at the end ...? For here you will meet such strange and terrifying creatures as the house that eats all those who live in it: a monster polluted by pollution and a plant that selects its friends and victims very carefully ....

A compelling selection of stories which will enthral and entice readers

We already met thing-in-the-pool minor classic The Nondescript in Richard Davis's posthumous collection The Female Of The Species & Other Terror Tales, wherein David A. Sutton posits that Davis and sometime Fontana Horror author 'Philip Welby' were one and the same entity. Of the five stories read thus far, it's the most effective of a slightly flat collection. George Evans' The Samala Plant puts every one of the demon flower clichés to good use.

John Halkin - The Eyes Have It: Hypnotic eyes appear on the TV screens of every home in the land. Among the few to defy the spell, Jackie Wilton, an apprentice carpenter at the BBC who has worked on sets for Top Of The Pops and Dr. Who. Jackie learns that Brian Jackson of the BBC's special projects workshop has developed a system whereby he can replace actors with computer generated holograms. The computer, Toby, has ambitious plans of its own.

Glenn Chandler – The Intruders: It is THE FUTURE. Dave Bell, an authority on all things ancient Egypt, leads a team of space archaeologists to Europa, a satellite of Jupiter, their mission: to excavate mummy tombs. Unfortunately for them, these 'mummies' are giant, hyper-intelligent spiders who feed on energy and can hurl a man from one end of the galaxy to the next.

George Evans – The Samala Plant: The Tropical Paradise of Samala on the Indian Ocean. Ace botanist Dr. Bernard Fenwick and his kids, Peter, 20 and Sarah, 17, discovers a strange, tentacled carnivorous plant. Despite Sarah's protests that the plant hates her, Dr. Fenwick has it shipped home to nurture in his Surrey hot house.

The plant thrives in Fenwick's vitamin-enriched soil. It soon stands taller than his doting "father" and the ever-waving tentacle sprouts a sucker.

Charlie, the family cat, despises the green giant and picks a fight ....

Roger Malisson - The Lambton Worm: Northumberland folklore. young John Lambton hooks a six inch hideously ugly worm while fishing , and disposes of it in the village well. On returning from fighting in the Crusades, he learns the worm has grown into a huge and terrible monster with a taste for human flesh. John, determined to right his wrong, seeks the help of the local wise woman.

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Nicholas Hockley

Tim Stout - Night Of The Sand Wolf: Escaped convict Kieth Amos arrives before a huge green dome in the forest. On further inspection, he finds a front door and the nameplate 'I Brell - architect.' The reclusive Mr. Brell proves a genial host and provides the "broken down motorist" bed and board for the night. After a splendid meal, Brell gives the fugitive a guided tour of his pride and joy, the hothouse, home to the world's largest collection of cacti. He is especially proud of the 'sand wolf' - apparently native to the Kali Hari desert - as his is the only known specimen of this carnivorous cactus in the civilised world. Amos has cause to remember this monster for the rest of his days as, on retiring to bed, the walls close in and the "house" tries to eat him.

David Campton - Spawn: An alien space ship lands in the brook releasing an intelligent jelly to spy on humans. Ten year old Jeremy Taylor, a sneaky little 'perfect' pupil and the bane of probationary teacher Miss Dorothy Blane's existence, brings a jar of this interesting "newt spawn" to school. Sammy, the school hamster is the first to realise something sinister is afoot.

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Guy Weiner - The Glendale Monster: A giant alien slug oozes from Loch Cladna and attacks the Glendale Hotel, absorbing the survivors of the resulting inferno in it's jelly belly. Even the army can't stop 'The Glendale Monster.' It is left to a seasoned drinker, Angus the poacher, to save the day in a space-slug versus whiskey man fight to the finish. Almost an infants version of The Slime Beast minus the bad sex interludes.

Catherine Gleason – Ming: Finally, a gentle fantasy tale of Hennessy and her cousin Jimmy who rear a pet dragon in the garden shed. Ming makes short work of the school bullies.

And that's it for John Petwees's Book Of Monsters, a pleasant diversion for sure, no 'bad' stories, but we are in the business of terrifying the small! Philip Welby's contribution and the two demon flower power stories come closest to achieving that aim. Spawn, otherwise glorious, lets itself down badly with an ending strictly for softies.