A body drained of blood is found on Hampstead Heath. Three nights later, a white face is seen pressed against a window in Highgate. In Hampstead tube station, something titters in the shadows of the platform. In Surrey, a phone rings. The agents of the Westenra Fund are on the case… The origins of the organization … Continue reading The Westenra Fund
Manly and Me
It's Manly Wade Wellman's birthday, and I want to talk about him. Have you ever read Manly Wade Wellman? You'd remember if you had. His stories ran the gamut from science-fiction to horror, and the latter were, as the man said, a bit Johnny Cash meets the Cthulhu Mythos. He wrote about Sherlock Holmes and Professor Challenger fighting the Martians and … Continue reading Manly and Me
The Supernatural Sleuth
Yes, I can help you. But I can promise nothing!- Anton Zarnak Anton Zarnak is a man of mystery. With a jagged streak of silver running through his black hair from his temple to the base of his skull and his exotic features and peculiar mannerisms, Zarnak is almost as outré as the enemies he … Continue reading The Supernatural Sleuth
Dig the Dead
“The church of St. Mawgan, in Kerrier, was formerly at Carminowe, at the end of the parish. It was removed thence to its present site on account of the ghoulish propensities of the giants, who used to dig up the dead from their graves. The in-habitants tried in vain to destroy them by making deep … Continue reading Dig the Dead
Untold Stories
"What are you complaining about, J? You're getting paid, aren't you?" That was Derrick's go-to whenever I started to moan about something - a bad review, a crap project, an editor I wanted to punch, that sort of thing. He knew just when to deliver that line, too. Just as I was building steam and … Continue reading Untold Stories
Men From the Ministry
Today's entry in the Royal Occultist Compendium delves into the bureaucratic wrangling of the Ministry of Esoteric Observation and Containment. The Ministry of Esoteric Observation and Containment was formed in 1907, following the disappearance of Edwin Drood, the then Royal Occultist. Drood, a firm believer in the rational sciences and the observation, classification and regulation … Continue reading Men From the Ministry
Twice As Many Stars
Tomorrow when the farm boys find this freak of nature, they will wrap his body in newspaper and carry him to the museum.- Laura Gilpin, "Two-Headed Calf" I've got a handful of favourite poems. Most of them are weird or grotesque in some way, but beautiful nevertheless. In fact, their beauty is inextricable from their … Continue reading Twice As Many Stars
Nothing for Nothing
It's in the trees! It's coming!- Professor Harrington Magic always has a price - and someone must pay it. While Julian Karswell never uses those exact words in the 1957's Night of the Demon, they are nonetheless at the heart of the film. Directed by Jacques Tourneur, starring Dana Andrews, Peggy Cummins, and Niall MacGinnis, … Continue reading Nothing for Nothing
Dr. Voronoff of Wych Street
Let's start the week off right with a few more odds and sods from my commonplace books. This time, its all about non-existent streets, monkey testicles and lost plays. Wych Street. Decrepit Elizabethan housing, projecting wooden jetties, and the mysterious 'bookstalls of Wych Street'. Demolished in 1901, but...what if? I think this one stuck in … Continue reading Dr. Voronoff of Wych Street
The Cavalier Occultist
Today's entry in the Royal Occultist Compendium takes a look at one of the earliest holders of the office - Prince Rupert of the Rhine, 1st Earl of Holderness, Duke of Bavaria, soldier, admiral, scientist, slave-trader and sportsman. Rupert was the holder of the offices of Royal Occultist during the turbulent period of history known … Continue reading The Cavalier Occultist
