Peter Haining – The Witchcraft Reader

[dem bones]

Peter Haining (ed.) – The Witchcraft Reader (Dobsons, 1969, Pan 1972)

Josh Kirby

Peter Haining - Introduction

Keith Roberts – Timothy
A. E. Van Vogt – The Witch
Fritz Leiber – The Warlock (Schizo Jimmy
John Brunner – All The Devils In Hell
Richard Matheson – From Shadowed Places
Theodore Sturgeon – One Foot And The Grave
Robert Bloch – Broomstick Ride
Ray Bradbury – The Mad Wizards Of Mars

Blurb:
Eight stunning stories of Witchcraft by today's acknowledged masters in the entralling twin fields of science fiction and sorcery.
The first of these weird and gripping tales is firmly set in the present and from there the stories accelerate through various aspects of Witchcraft - including Black Magic and Voodoo - far into the future to find the ancient craft still alive ...

Keith Roberts - Timothy: (Kyril Bonfiglioli [ed.], Impulse, Sept. 1966). East Midlands. Bored with her lot on Granny Thompson's farm, young Anita casts a spell to nightly animate the gaunt scarecrow in the neighbouring field. Over the spring, Anita educates Timmy, who proves a fast learner, and takes him for walks to Deadman's Copse where they recite Shakespeare ("Timothy's withered lips were just right for the raging utterances of old mad Lear."). There is even a suggestion that the pair have become lovers. As Summer approaches and Gran - who has sent a familiar to spy on the girl - insists she desist her mischief, Anita reluctantly decides to lift the spell. Problem is, Timmy is now so human, he's capable of a broken heart. Their last tryst proves deeply upsetting for both parties as Anita explains she only gave him life for something to do, and Timmy begs her not to leave him. How better to start the collection than with such a beautiful, crushingly sad story? It's like The Snowman for the terminally depressed.

Fritz Leiber - The Warlock: (Aka, Schizo Jimmie, The Saint, Feb, 1960). Those who get too close to Jimmie Walsh wind up either incurably alcoholic, hopelessly insane or dead by their own hand. The narrator takes it upon himself to rid the world of his dangerous pal. He eventually succeeds, only to learn that Jimmie was even more of a Typhoid Mary character than he suspected.

Robert Bloch - Broomstick Ride: (Super-Science Fiction, Dec. 1957: Bogey Men, 1963). Sci-horror set in the far future. Much to the amusement of Forbes and his men, the Pyric people are a race so primitive they still favour Witchcraft, Black Magic and Mumbo Jumbo over science. Don't they realise that the broomsticks they ride are powered by engines? A meeting with the Kal reveals the powers that be prefer to keep them in "ignorance."

Their fact-finding mission accomplished, the Earthmen blast off for home. Forbes' report will include a recommendation that the Federation impose civilisation on these jokers as a matter of urgency. Meanwhile, a Pyrian in horned headgear, dangles an effigy of the spaceship over a brazier.

[helrunar]

This one sounds like a gem. Thanks, Kev.

"Timothy" reminds me of an old play from the 1920s (or earlier) that was filmed during the silent era, but frustratingly, I've forgotten the title. I saw some of a video of a stage production on American public broadcasting back in the 1970s. No doubt it will come to me when I'm not trying to think of the title.

Bloch, it would seem, adapted the story mentioned here for his 1967 Star Trek script, "Catspaw."

cheers, Helli

[dem bones]

May 9, 2018 22:13:20 GMT helrunar said:

This one sounds like a gem.

cheers, Helli

It's a good one for sure. Haining's story introductions refer back to his days as a local journalist investigating modern witchcraft, which would ultimately provide material for his first book, the unutterably adorable expose, Devil Worship In Britain (Corgi, 1964). Hadn't realised til now (God bless isfdb) that Keith Roberts wrote a series of stories featuring Alice, so must seek out some more. I far prefer Ray Bradbury's The Mad Wizard Of Mars (Maclean's, 15 Sept, 1949: Aka, The Exiles) over Fahrenheit 451, which concerns much the same theme. And then there's this 56 page epic.

John Brunner - All The Devils In Hell: (Science Fantasy #44, Dec. 1960). Patrick Khan, 28 year old publishers editor, falls foul of Deirdre Slade, the most beautiful woman he, or anyone else has ever seen, when he resists her charms to marry his best friend, Fiona. Deirdre traded her soul for the power of irresistible desirability, so denial of her spiteful whims is not in the script. Fiona, who instinctively identifies Miss Slade for what she is, ponders that, at any given time, there must be a single "...most evil person. The pole. The extreme," and fears it may have found them in Piccadilly's White Bear.

On the eve of the wedding, Fiona is struck by lightening on Hampstead Heath and reduced to a vegetative state. Patrick Khan confronts Slade who, furious at his obstinacy, retaliates with voodoo. His subsequent illness defies medical science. To all intents and purposes Khan is in decent health, but his body is subjected to wave upon wave of agonising pain. After a taunting phone-call from She Who Must Be Obeyed, Khan takes a knife from the kitchen drawer and pays her a final visit. Ending came as a surprise because it didn't, if you get my meaning.

[Jojo Lapin X]

Is this the same Keith Roberts who wrote PAVANE?

[dem bones]

May 10, 2018 19:38:34 GMT Jojo Lapin X said:

Is this the same Keith Roberts who wrote PAVANE?

It is according to ISFDB.

[Jojo Lapin X]

May 10, 2018 21:09:25 GMT dem bones said:

May 10, 2018 19:38:34 GMT Jojo Lapin X said:

Is this the same Keith Roberts who wrote PAVANE?

It is according to ISFDB.

Ok, cool!

[helrunar]

OK, I found out what the Keith Roberts story "Timothy" reminded me of. Hawthorne's tale "Feathertop" was included in a Peter Haining anthology I once owned (back in the early Seventies, of course--at some point, I should clarify that I HAVE read other books and seen other films since that long ago time!), The Ghouls.  It was included because a stage adaptation, The Scarecrow, was filmed in 1923 as Puritan Passions. It included a Mephistopheles-type character called Dickon (a popular name for the Devil in old England), re-named Dr Nicholas in the film.

This Wikipedia entry provides a synopsis of the play.  There was a staging of it that was videotaped for the US public broadcasting series Great Performances at some point in the mid Seventies:

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Scarecrow_(play)

The Roberts tale sounds from your synopsis as if he gave the concept a few new twists. I've put this book on my shopping list.

Thanks,
Steve

[dem bones]

Thanks for that, Steve. Will dig out The Ghouls over weekend and give Feathertop a go.

You can download a free PDF of Impulse (Sept 1966) featuring 'Timothy' HERE

Misleading that Pan promote this one as 'Science Fiction,' though I guess that's what sold at the time. Of those read to date, it's only the Bloch and Bradbury contributions qualify.

Richard Matheson - From Shadowed Places: (Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, Oct. 1960). Safari hunter Peter Lang's big racist mouth lands him in trouble with a Zulu witch-doctor. Once arrived home in New York, the hex kicks in. Fiancé Patricia begs her father, Dr. Jennings, for help, but when even near-lethal doses of morphine do nothing to ease the agony, she turns to last hope Dr. Lurice Howell, a young Afro-American anthropologist initiated into the voodoo cult as a child. Lang is far from happy to receive a black guest to his death bed, but relents when Lurice strips to just a skirt of belts and places an LP on the Dansette. Lifting the curse requires that the Ngombo get down and dirty with the victim, something which does not sit well with Pat, although even she concedes that sometimes the ends justify the means.

[cauldronbrewer]

May 9, 2018 20:46:08 GMT dem bones said:

Keith Roberts - Timothy: (Kyril Bonfiglioli [ed.], Impulse, Sept. 1966). East Midlands. Bored with her lot on Granny Thompson's farm, young Anita casts a spell to nightly animate the gaunt scarecrow in the neighbouring field. Over the spring, Anita educates Timmy, who proves a fast learner, and takes him for walks to Deadman's Copse where they recite Shakespeare ("Timothy's withered lips were just right for the raging utterances of old mad Lear."). There is even a suggestion that the pair have become lovers. As Summer approaches and Gran - who has sent a familiar to spy on the girl - insists she desist her mischief, Anita reluctantly decides to lift the spell. Problem is, Timmy is now so human, he's capable of a broken heart. Their last tryst proves deeply upsetting for both parties as Anita explains she only gave him life for something to do, and Timmy begs her not to leave him. How better to start the collection than with such a beautiful, crushingly sad story? It's like The Snowman for the terminally depressed.

Roberts wrote an entire series of stories about the young witch between 1964 and 1970, collected in Anita (Ace Books, 1970) and then reprinted by Owlswick Press in 1990 (with one additional story from 1980). I own the latter, and it's a beautiful book that includes illustrations by Stephen E . Fabian. I don't remember too much about the stories themselves, except that Anita is an archetypal sexy young flower power witch, that Granny's dialogue annoyed me (loads of phonetically rendered dialect, almost as bad as Dem's beloved Sergeant Costello), and that "Timothy" is more melancholy than some of the other tales.

[dem bones]

May 13, 2018 1:36:58 GMT cauldronbrewer said:

Roberts wrote an entire series of stories about the young witch between 1964 and 1970, collected in Anita (Ace Books, 1970) and then reprinted by Owlswick Press in 1990 (with one additional story from 1980). I own the latter, and it's a beautiful book that includes illustrations by Stephen E . Fabian. I don't remember too much about the stories themselves, except that Anita is an archetypal sexy young flower power witch, that Granny's dialogue annoyed me (loads of phonetically rendered dialect, almost as bad as Dem's beloved Sergeant Costello), and that "Timothy" is more melancholy than some of the other tales.

Many thanks for that, Mr. B. Can only agree Granny's dialogue does tend to slow things down, if Timmy is anything to go by. Anita's "archetypal sexy young flower power witch" credentials didn't come across in that particular story, but you now have me even more determined to hunt down more of her adventures. The Witchcraft Reader is still working its magic. Usually we can rely on Peter H. for at least one turkey per collection, but seven of eight down and it's not shown up yet.

She was old, old and afraid of the Sea and the Night. For the ancient witch-thing she was had reason to fear those things that the young people could not understand. They were wrong in that - and in not fearing her.

Paul Orban

A. E. Van Vogt - The Witch: (Unknown Worlds, Feb. 1943: Zacherley's Vulture Stew, 1960). "You actually confess to the ghoulish deed of disfiguring a dead body for the purpose of stealing its money"? Actually, it's far worse than that. Craig Marson, High School principal, is bent on off-loading Mother Quigley, wife Joanna's manipulative and downright creepy Grandmother, to a retirement home. Joanna won't hear of such a thing, although she might feel otherwise were she to know what the old bat has in store for her.

Mother Quigley is nearly done with this shrivelled, worn out shell and requires a young, healthy body to replace it. Having administered the required evil potion, she will be free to take full possession of the girl from midnight! Ma Quigley's one concern is, now that fool Craig is on to her, he'll try to interfere.

And so it proves. Craig's first thought is to pack Joanna off to a hotel for the night while he locks the witch in her room and torches the house. He'd not counted on the situation turning a whole lot weirder.

[helrunar]

Thanks, Kev, for finding that beautiful drawing for van Vogt's The Witch. I've thought of tracking that one down a few times over the years. I first encountered this story as the source for the Night Gallery episode (with the brilliant Jeanette Nolan in the title role), "Since Aunt Ada Came to Stay."

The story was also adapted (without discernible credit to van Vogt) by Ian Martin under the title "Triptych for a Witch" on the CBS Radio Mystery Theater series (mid 1970s), with the legendary Margaret Hamilton as the Witch. Her poetic soliloquy at the climax of the story gives me shivers every time I listen to it (the show is on you tube).

cheers, Steve

[dem bones]

Paul Orban (Unknown Worlds, Feb. 1943)

Thanks for the additional info, Steve. Unknown Worlds carries a second, very striking Orban illustration for The Witch: he was obviously among that select band who actually read the stories they were commissioned to provide art for.

Theodore Sturgeon - One Foot And The Grave: (Weird Tales, Sept. 1949). Peculiar things happen in the woods, and the ordinary oft becomes the extraordinary..

Lee Brown Coye:

'Peculiar' is an understatement. The Archangel Khamael, centuries imprisoned by powerful sorcery, telepathically guides Claire and Thad to the glade in Fingley Wood where his skull is chained through the eye socket, there to recite the Hebrew phrase that will finally release him. Inexplicably, the pair have each acquired a cloven hoof, which gives them added incentive to achieve "The Camel"'s liberation. Dr. Ponder and Luana - with whom Thad is madly in lust - also seek the skull, though their motives are open to question. A deranged hermit and Khamael's electric blue familiar complete the cast. The story is so heavy on symbolism that this reader, admittedly far from the brightest, grew hopelessly overwhelmed. Along the way Ponder casts scorn on the mass delusion that sees mankind distinguish between "good" and "evil," while explaining away - again very plausibly - the origins of the witchcraft, Pan, werewolf, and vampire myths. But then Ponder is a rotter and not to be trusted. The story is so heavy on symbolism as to ultimately overwhelm this reader, who is, admittedly far from the brightest.

[cromagnonman]

All of the earliest Anita stories originally ran in Science Fantasy magazine, for which Roberts eventually became involved in an editorial capacity. If that wasn't enough he also drew many of its striking covers like these:



And the stories continued to run even after the magazine was disastrously rebranded as SF Impulse even though they were now anachronistic and at odds with the new and preferred editorial direction. A further couple of stories turned up in The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction at the end of 1970, with another appearing belatedly there as late as 1981.

There was a copy of the Ace collection on offer at the recent London pulp fair but at £20 it wasn't finding any takers. Sure its an uncommon book but nowhere near as rare as the Millington hardcover from 1976 with its groovy platform-heeled cover. The Owlswick edition is very nice - and that one new story is a real incentive - but the Millington is the one I'd like on preference.