Beneath the Moors and Darker Places

In addition to his stellar Necroscope series, Brian Lumley is highly regarded for his short fiction, for which he has won the British Fantasy Award. Beneath the Moors and Darker Places, a companion to The Whisperer and Other Voices, collects nine lengthy exemplars of the best of Lumley's short works, many of them unavailable for decades in any form.The Cthulhu Mythos of the immortal H.P. Lovecraft provides inspiration for much of Lumley's work, including "Dagon's Bell" and "Big C," both included here. The explosive creation of a new volcanic island off Iceland in 1967 led to "Rising with Surtsey," a homage not just to Lovecraft but to the great August Derleth. "David's Worm"--which takes an interesting view of "you are what you eat"--was published in a Year's Best Horror Stories and later adapted for radio in Europe.The collection also includes the macabre "The Second Wish," published here for the first time with the author's original, intended ending, and "The Fairground Horror," first published in The Disciples of Cthulhu twenty-five years ago and not seen since save for a small press edition.The title tale, Beneath the Moors, a complete short novel, has been unavailable in the United States since its first publication by Arkham House in the early 1970s. It is considered to be one of Lumley's strongest short works; Tor is proud to restore this and the other pieces in this volume to Lumley's growing readership.

From Publishers Weekly

This volume of workmanlike shorter fiction from Lumley collects nine early, largely Lovecraft-inspired pieces by the British author of the popular Necroscope series (Necroscope IV: Deadspeak, Forecasts, Oct. 29, etc.). Such homages to H.P.L. as "Dagon's Bell," "Rising with Surtsey" and a long-out-of-print short novel, Beneath the Moors, reflect the master's narrative technique and subject matter, though in style they owe more to the plodding pastiches of August Derleth, Arkham House's founding editor and Cthulhu Mythos promoter. Yet one should note that the author is not fixated on the Mythos or purple prose, as witness "The Sun, the Sea, and the Silent Scream," which uses the same Greek islands setting as "There Are No Sharks in the Mediterranean," a tale that appears in a companion story collection, The Whisperer and Other Voices (2001). "The Fairground Horror" is a classic juxtaposition of something grisly with a cozy environment, while "A Thing About Cars" draws on the author's experience as a British army military policeman. If like his mentor Lovecraft, Lumley has only a modest gift for characterization, he also, like the Providence gentleman, exhibits a real, often compelling sense of place. Some of the stories have been available only in versions edited to the point of mutilation, and it's good to see them restored to their proper form. Although this is a distinctly mixed bag, it's definitely worthwhile for its intended portion of the horror audience. (Feb. 15Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

In "The Second Wish," published for the first time with its original ending, a reformed rake discovers the dangers of visiting ancient temples in Eastern Europe, while in "Dagon's Bell," a newlywed couple encounters the darkness that dwells inside their haunted seaside residence. These two tales, along with the short novel Beneath the Moors, until now unavailable in the United States, and six other tales comprise a faithful tribute by veteran fantasist Lumley ("Necroscope" series) to horror author H.P. Lovecraft. A good addition to most libraries' horror collections and a title with special appeal to fans of the Cthulhu mythos. [See also The Children of Cthulhu, reviewed above. Ed.] Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Nightmarish in a manner obviously inspired by Lovecraft, these pieces have all been previously published, several in Cthulu mythos collections, but have long been hard to find in the U.S. Lumley's additions to the mythos' pantheon of god-monsters are nasty, gruesome things, best not revealed in the dark, in which their power lurks. Lumley writes handily if not usually as ornately as Lovecraft, and succeeds at spine-chilling creepiness more often than not. The first few pieces here are juicy indeed--worthy additions to the mythos and the horror genre alike. The title story, a hefty novella, is a weird case-file concerning the adventures underground of Professor Ewart Masters. Those stem from a car accident and an ancient sculpture that looks mysteriously new, and conclude, most satisfactorily for horror mavens, with the question remaining, Are the characters mad, or is there truly some mysterious elder race living beneath the moors? Read these tales too late at night, and you, too, may wonder. Regina SchroederCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

About the Author

Brian Lumley is the author of the bestselling Necroscope series of vampire novels. The first Necroscope, Harry Keogh, also appears in a collection of Lumley's short fiction, Harry Keogh and Other Weird Heroes, along Titus Crow and Henri Laurent de Marigny, from Titus Crow, Volumes One, Two, and Three, and David Hero and Eldin the Wanderer, from the Dreamlands series. An acknowledged master of Lovecraft-style horror, Brian Lumley has won the British Fantasy Award and been named a Grand Master of Horror. His works have been published in more than a dozen countries and have inspired comic books, role-playing games, and sculpture, and been adapted for television.When not writing, Lumley can often be found spear-fishing in the Greek islands, gambling in Las Vegas, or attending a convention somewhere in the US. Lumley and his wife live in England.

Reviews

News