"The Adventure of the Voorish Sign"

by Richard A. Lupoff

originally published Shadows Over Baker Street, 2002

Holmes and Watson are visited byLady Fairclough, whose husband has disappeared and whose brother has married a sinister foreign woman.  Their marriage ceremony was off, too, being presided over by a mysterious priestess who made a bizarre hand gesture that Lady F. cannot even replicate. This vague info is enough to tip off Holmes, who leads them all to the Lady's family home, known as the Anthracite Palace.

There, her new sister-in-law unabashedly invites them all to take part in a ceremony sponsored by her religion, the Wisdom Temple of the Dark Heavens.  Everyone agrees.  

Holmes fills Watson in on his secret library of occult tomes, which skips the usual titles but does contain the complete works of Arthur Machen(!).  And he explains his certainty that the mysterious hand gestures is surely the "Voorish Sign", a magical pass of great power and evil.  

Ceremony time!  Holmes and Watson sabotage the attempt to summon some extra-dimensional horror, and dynamite the castle, escaping in time with Lady Fairclough and her brother.

An amusing enough tale, but pretty minor stuff.  Interestingly, Lupoff portrays Watson ala Nigel Bruce's interpretation, as a bumbling boob, rather than the more traditional Doyle-esque Watsons.

"The Caller of the Black"

by Brian Lumley

originally published The Caller of the Black, Arkham House 1971

Titus Crow is farting around Blowne House one night, when a frightened man named Cabot Chambers shows up, begging for help.  It seems he's under a black magic curse, placed by "that fiend" Gedney, the leader of a "devil cult" which Chambers and some friends made the mistake of dabbling with.

Crow agrees to help.  A short time later, Chambers calls for him to come at once.  Crow arrives just in time to see a hulking black shadow toss Chambers out of a window.

Crow goes back to his files and books and starts to learn of something called "The Black", being the sentient blood of the GOO Yibb-Tstll.

Crow sets a trap for Gedney by slandering him.  Gedney responds with the same curse of "The Black" he used on Chambers.  He comes to Blowne House one night to place the curse.  But Crow has learned that running water not only drives off The Black, but causes it to turn on it's summoner.  Crow turns The Black onto Gedney by getting nekkid and hopping in the shower.

An amusing occult adventure with the insufferable Titus Crow.  Reminds me of an early 60's "Doctor Strange" comic.  Except Doc never got nekkid as far as I recall.  Did he?  Did he even shower, by the Hoary Hosts of Hoggoth?  If so, how come he never lured Dormammu into the shower?  That woulda put ol' flame-head out pretty damn good!

"The Adventure of the Antiquarian's Niece"

by Barbara Hambly

originally published Shadows Over Baker Street, 2002

Holmes and Watson are visited by a Mr. Burnwell Colby, an American.  Colby has been living and studying with the Delapore family at Depewatch Priory in Shropshire; "a crumbling Gothic pile."  It seems Delapore senior is an authority on folklore and legends.  Colby has fallen in love with the man's niece, Judith - a feeling reciprocated.  But he has received notice by mail to eff off from Delapore senior.   He has also received notice from Judith that she fears her uncle and grandfather.  Believing something is fishy here, he has come to Holmes for help.

Holmes is intrigued.  Delapore has been the subject of investigation in the past - connected with the disappearances of several children.    Besides - there are traces of blood on Delapore's letter to Colby.

Holmes and Watson visit Carnacki, the psychic detective featured in William Hope Hodgson's stories, and learn that the site of Depewatch Priory has been considered problematic since the 1300's - a place of sinister legends of demons and ghosts, and with a history of murder and mayhem.  Watson first hears of shoggoths and other related horrors from Carnacki - but Holmes appears to be familiar with such folklore.

The next day, Colby returns, tells them the problem has been solved, hands them a large amount of money, and abruptly bails.  But Holmes notices he writes out an address with the opposite hand - the day before he'd been a rightie.

Holmes and Watson journey to the Priory.  While waiting for Holmes in a rented room, Watson receives a visit from Carstairs Delapore, and goes into a dream.  In it, he witnesses a black ceremony, hears the name Shub-Niggurath, and has visions of half-glimpsed, tentacled, shadowy things.  He apparently finds himself in the body of Carstairs Delapore, but at the last minute is rescued by Holmes and Carnaki, and Judith, who apparently has rather extensive sorcerous knowledge.

An interesting and rather frustrating story.  Hambly has good characters, and writes suggestive Lovecraftiana like no one since the Ol' Man hisself.    On the down side, this story seems rushed in the last portion.  It would be interesting to see Hambly write a longer, novella-length Lovecraftian tale.  This one is well-done, but a bit thin in the end.

 
 

"Down To The Boots"

by D.F. Lewis
originally published Dagon no. 26, October-December 1989

And old woman who lives near the fens sweeps up and waits for her husband to return from fishing.  She doesn't actually expect him to.  The menfolk tend to go off fishing, as if compulsively.  They don't come back.

He doesn't come back.  But his boots and clothing wash up.

This story is beautifully written, to be sure.  But it's actual Lovecraft connection is unsure.  Are the menfolk Deep One hybrids?  A little more clarity would have helped.

"The Mystery of the Hanged Man's Puzzle"

by Paul Finch

originally published Shadows Over Baker Street, 2002

Holmes and Watson travel to Newgate prison, for a meeting with condemned prisoner Harold Jobson, who is to be hanged for burglarizing a home, beating two servants to death, and murdering and burning Prof. Langley, a chemist, and his daughter.

Jobson gives Holmes a crude, grid-like drawing, and tells him that his troubles are just beginning.  Puzzled, Homes decides to investigating, leading Watson with him to Pickle Herring St., Jobson's old home.  There they are followed and nearly assassinated by a ruffian.  Searching his coat, they find two names and addresses - Holmes', and a man named Randolph Draker.  They pay a visit to Draker - who turns out to be fished-out and covered in barnacles. He drops dead in front of them.  Clues lead them to an American businessman named Julian Rohampton.  He directs them to an Obed Marsh.  But a visit to Marsh's place leads to a surprise - a gatling gun being pointed out a window!

Spying on the house, Holmes and Watson follow a mysterious character out of the house, to the London railway, and ultimately into the labyrinth of sewer tunnels under London.  There they discover Rohampton's secret lab, the still very-much-alive Prof. Langley, and a sinister plot to turn the entire human race into Deep One hybrids, via poisoning the water supply!  Much action ensues, involving gatling guns, explosions, and death by alligator for the evil Rohampton!

Pulpy fun but an energetic read.

"The Great White Space"

by Basil Copper
originally published Valancourt Books, 1974

I must say I am indebted to Jeffrey Scott Sim's writings on The Great White Space, for, among other things, saving me from re-reading it.  However, in all seriousness, I direct readers to Mr. Sim's page and his essay on the novel, which can be found here. 

Let's start with the synopsis, which I have stolen verbatim from Mr. Sim's site (without his permission):

Set in 1933, the story is presented as an account by Frederick Plowright decades later. He harks back to his days as a commercial photographer, an adventursome fellow prone to working in strange places under strange conditions (the title of his motion picture documentary: To the Ends of the Earth) who, as a result of his professional and personal reputation is called upon by an American scholar to take part in his most daring yet expedition. Secretive Professor Clark Ashton Scarsdale offers him "the adventure of a lifetime".

What Scarsdale proposes is a journey to a remote region-- its whereabouts cloaked under the misleading designation, the Great Northern Expedition, intended to confuse outsiders-- where lies the vaguely described Great White Space, which he suspects is the focus of weird cosmic events impinging upon our world and possibly threatening it. The previous year Scarsdale attempted the trip with inadequate means, failed to gain his ends, now means to do it right. Scarsdale's scientific team, gathered for training and preparation at a rented English estate, include his respected rival Van Damm, along with colleagues Prescott and Holden. These five men, when ready, will venture around the world, delving into ancient lands and wilderness, eventually reaching and exploring a series of mysterious caverns.

This they do. Incredibly well equipped by the standards of 1933, they travel in remarkable tank-like tractor vehicles to the lovely archaic city of Zak, where they pick up as guide the dwarf Zalor, an unpleasant fellow obviously up to no good. Following a long motorized trek across country to the lesser village of Nylstrom-- at the edge of what passes for civilization in those parts-- Zalor attempts to sabotage the expedition, is forestalled but escapes. The team of five continues on into the bleak Plain of Darkness, concerned by disquieting portents associated with Zalor and his unfathomable hostility.
Arriving at the towering Black Mountains, the expedition spends days driving into fearsomely difficult country, until at last they attain their immediate goal, the astonishing gateway to the caverns, an opening 500 feet high carved by unknown builders in eras lost to history. A menacing inscription in stone, translated by Scarsdale, bodes ill for their safety. Nevertheless they proceed, in two of their inexhaustible, battery-powered vehicles, into the underground world of perpetual darkness.

They travel for dozens of miles along an obviously artificial corridor, with numerous creepy openings in the walls. During this run they make a frightful discovery, coming upon the dead body of Zalor, in such condition that Holden suffers distress akin to temporary insanity, and is never quite himself again. This grim puzzle perplexes: how did Zalor get ahead of them, and what reduced him to that hideously violated corpse? After this Plowright seldom questions the large amount of armaments the professor insisted on carrying.

In time they come to the limits of Scarsdale's earlier exploration, exiting from the tunnel into a vast cavern chamber, really a subterranean world, illuminated by dim phosphorescence. A sullen lake bars the way, but Scarsdale has come equipped with rubber rafts. Abandoning the vehicles, the team paddle across with all the gear they can haul. As they cross they first hear the sound of a distant pulsation, a curious and disturbing sound ever afterward with them. Having crossed, the spookiness of the novel intensifies, the weirdness mounting spectacularly.

On the far shore they quickly confront another vast portal like that at the entrance to the caverns, and beyond it, up a long flight of huge steps designed for feet other than human, they enter a cyclopean hall lined with big jars. Opening one, they're sickened and fascinated by the loathsome, insectoid corpse that pours out. Investigation reveals that other jars are similarly occupied.

Leaving what they term the "embalming gallery", they trek on to an ancient city of cubic stone, perfectly preserved but utterly abandoned. This awesome place is known to Scarsdale and Van Damm from their arcane studies, being the legendary city of Croth. Everything about it is weird, including the obvious implication that it was never a human habitation.

From this point the aspect of menace looms large. While most of the group investigates beyond the city, Holden, left behind to guard the camp, experiences a ghastly adventure on his own. Something creeps through the city toward him; he catches a glimpse of it; the brain-stunning sight causes him to let loose with his machine gun. His comrades rush to his aid, but by then the apparition has vanished, albeit leaving behind a slimy, stinking trail. The expedition carries on, making for the spooky pulsating sound, smothered in fear.
They enter a new tunnel, advancing again in pitch darkness past a maze of side passages, until the pulsation mounts to a mighty throbbing, and a strange light once more pervades the gloom. There Holden unexplainably collapses. With Van Damm left to care for him, the remaining trio approach with consternation and awe the region which is no less than the fabled Great White Space.

I will not go into the details here of the extended climax. They do reach the Great White Space, and what they find there, and the horrors lying in wait for them, make for grand terror and excitement.

I read The Great White Space about 8 years ago.  Sims, I have to say, likes it a lot more than me.  Frankly, the summary above covers, as I recall, about 95% of the novel.  The "grand terror and excitement" takes up little more than a few pages at the end.  In other words, there's a lot of sizzle, but not much steak here.  I was frankly getting bored by the end, and found the book a letdown.  

"The Adventure of Exham Priory"

by F. Gwynplaine MacIntyre
originally published Shadows Over Baker Street, 2002

Holmes and Watson receive a visit from a Mr. Norrys.  Who looks "fishy", if you know what I mean.  

Norrys has inherited Exham Priory, and is convinced that unearthly things are taking place in the cellars.  The three of them journey out there.  On the way, Holmes explains what really happened to him at Reichenbach Falls - it seems Moriarity forced him into a cave where he encountered the star-headed Old Ones, before escaping.

In the cellars at Exham Priory, they are beset by the disembodied voices of men from every era of time.  Including Watson's late wife.  Prof. Moriarty, now a reptilian mutation, shows up to gloat that "the stars are right", but Norrys wrestles with him, falling into a portal from which the Elder Things are about to emerge, shutting it down.  

Despite a nice setup and a genuine Conan Doyle tone to the writing, this is a pretty minor tale.

"Born of the Winds"

by Brian Lumley

originally published The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, 1975

"I am, or was, a meteorologist of some note - " so begins the tale of David Lawton, noteworthy meteorologist, who went to rural Manitoba for a vacation/convalescence, and ended up getting hisself in biiiig trouble.

David has put up at the home of Judge Andrews (I guess his first name is Judge?).  Andrews is a reclusive scholar with an extensive library (uh oh!).  There, Lawton comes across the works of Samuel Bridgman, an anthropologist with some nutty theories about certain air/sky deity worship among indigenous peoples, especially those of the Canadian area ... especially those concerning a deity called ... ITHAQUA!

On top of having weird theories about these entities, Bridgman apparently died, right in the Manitoba area, about 20 years back, under mysterious circumstances.

But that's not all.  Andrews is getting visits from a strangely-aged woman, who, it turns out, is Lucille Bridgman, Samuel Bridgman's widow.

It turns out - the area near the Judge's home is a site of cultish activity, related to Ithaqua, of course, every five years.  During one such event, Bridgman and Lucille became stranded in the woods.  They made it back, but Sam lost his life in the process.

Lucille is here now looking for their son, Kirby, who was always a strange boy and who now, at 21, has run off - she believes to join the Ithaqua cult here in Manitoba.  Lucille and David investigate the nearby ghost town of Stillwater (named for the band in Almost Famous?), and then camp out in the woods (and the snow).  There, David learns some odd things about Lucille, such as she is impervious to cold.  And she talks in the worst kind of pulp-speak imaginable: "Do you recall the Wendy-Smith expedition of `33? What do you suppose he found, that poor man, in the fastness of Africa?  What prompted him to say these words, which I know by heart: `There are fabulous legends of star-born creatures who inhabited this Earth many millions of years before Man appeared and who were still here, in certain black places, when he eventually evolved."  Yeah, she talks like that.

So, after spending a few night survivor-ing in the snowy woods with Ms. Nutcase, David finds that, indeed, Kirby is in town, and with the cultists even now gathering for their annual Ithaqua-fest. And that's not all - you see ... Kirby is Ithaqua's love child!

Well, despite Lucille's best attempts, the ritual goes off, Ithaqua shows up, Kirby shows up, Ithaqua stomps Lucille, prompting Kirby to turn into mini-Ithaqua and slug it out with him.

Lawton and Kirby's bodies are later found, frozen...

Basically, this is "The Dunwich Horror", theme-wise, retold as being Ithaqua-focused.  Lumley seems to like Ith a lot - this story was the springboard for an entire trilogy with Ithy-baby lurching around like a comic villain - as he does here.  The whole last portion could have come from a Godzilla movie.  A later Godzilla movie...

Not a terrible story but nothing special.  That it was nominated for a World Fantasy Award baffles me...

"The Curious Case of Miss Violet Stone"

by Poppy Z. Brite and David Ferguson
originally published Shadows Over Baker Street, 2002

Holmes and Watson are summoned by Thomas Stone to investigate his sister, Violet.  Three years ago, she went swimming in a lake in Greece, and came out not herself - amnesiac, emotionally absent, and unable to eat food.  She's been wasting away for three years but, impossibly, is still alive.

Holmes and Watson find her debilitated but functioning.  She grabs Holmes arms and demands that he take her "diary", which is full of technical diagrams and instructions, and have some things made by machinists and lens manufacturers.  After reading the diary, Holmes suprisingly agrees, telling Watson that the girl's touch made him aware of a race of advanced beings, living in earth's distant past, who could send their consciousness forward through time to study different eras.  It seems Violet is a victim of the Great Race.  But this, an early experiment in the process they will later perfect, has gone awry.

Holmes has a strange device manufactured, and returns to the Stone home with it.  He secludes himself in her bedroom, with no witnesses, and does something with the machine.  Violet's consciousness is restored to her body, with no memory of her strange experience.  Holmes never explains what happened.

Though entertaining and with an interesting concept, this story is little more than a trifle.

"A Study in Emerald"

by Neil Gaiman
originally published Shadows Over Baker Street, 2002

Dr. Watson, back from Afghanistan, is introduced to the eccentric Sherlock Holmes.  They take lodgings at Baker Street.  Inspector Lestrade drops by.

A murder has been committed.  At the crime scene, they find a mutilated body and splashes of green blood.  The word "rache" has been written in blood on the walls.  The body is that of Prince Franz Drago of Bohemia, a royal who came to England for some fun, both licit and illicit.  And, by the way, he is not human.

Holmes takes some ash from the fireplace, and mentions that "rache" is German for "revenge".  He and Watson pay a visit to Queen Victoria who is, by the way, not human.

Holmes assumes a number of disguises over the next several days, none of which he explains to Watson.  Finally he announces they are attending a performance at the Drury Lane Theater.  The play depicts the coming of the Great Old Ones, and their human servants as heroes.  Posing as a theatrical agent, Holmes convinces the company that he can get them a tour in "the New World".

As Holmes suspects, the company is a group of Restorationists - out to overthrow The Great Old Ones and restore man's mastery over the earth.  Caught out, the group is broken up and flees.

This is a solidly-written Holmes pastiche - Gaiman clearly knows his Conan Doyle - with a clever twist - the GOO's are already in charge and Holmes is their tool.     Thank you to DrKnowItAll (hinest, that's how he signed himself!) for pointing out that it is Moriarty who is the hero of this one, NOT Holmes.

"Beyond the Reef"

by Basil Copper
originally published Shadows Over Innsmouth, Del Rey books, 1994

Weird things going down at Miskatonic U.  A giant stone cross suddenly crumbles apart.  A body is found in the river.  A set of tunnels are found under the university leading out towards Innsmouth and the sea.  Dean Darrow and surveyor Andrew Bellows poke around the tunnels, but a vision of black, serpent-like creatures sends them fleeing.  Inspector Oates pokes around Innsmouth, and gets an unfriendly welcome. 

Oates learns that some evil race from beyond the reef, off of Innsmouth, is attempting to burrow its way into Arkham.  Drastic steps are taken to prevent this from happening.

Despite my rather terse summary, this story, though pulpy as hell, is also a lot of fun.  A fairly gripping Lovecraft pastiche which actually manages a bit of originality - insofar as Copper likes to devise his own monsters. This is one of the more entertaining HPL hommages I've come across.  

"The Terrible Old Man"

by H.P. Lovecraft

originally published Tryout, July 1921

The Terrible Old Man is a strange elderly man "so old that no one can remember when he was young, and so taciturn that few know his real name." He lives alone in an ancient house on Water Street in the town of Kingsport. Even among the locals, few know the details of the Old Man's life, but it is believed that he captained East Indian clipper ships in his youth and had accumulated great riches throughout his life. Those who had visited the property had seen bizarre collections of stones in the front yard and observed the Old Man carrying on conversations with mysterious bottles on his table, which make "certain definite vibrations as if in answer." Most locals take care to avoid the Old Man and his house.

The story focuses on three robbers (Angelo Ricci, Joe Czanek and Manuel Silva), who are "of that new and heterogeneous alien stock which lies outside the charmed circle of New England life and traditions." They take little heed of the locals' cautionary whispers about the Terrible Old Man, but are immediately interested when they learn about his supposed hoard of treasure. They act immediately on their avarice according to their natures, and go to the Old Man's house to commit robbery. Ricci and Silva go inside to "interview" the Old Man about the treasure and its hiding place, while Czanek waits outside in the getaway car. Czanek waits impatiently for a long time. He is startled at one point by an outburst of horrific screaming from the house, but assumes that his colleagues have been too rough with the Old Man during their interrogation. Soon after this, however, the gate of the house opens, revealing not Czanek's colleagues, but the Terrible Old Man, "smiling hideously" at him. For the first time, Czanek takes note of the Old Man's unsettling yellow eyes.

The mutilated bodies of the three robbers are later found by the seaside, "horribly slashed as with many cutlasses, and horribly mangled as by the tread of many cruel boot-heels." The people of Kingsport talk about the discovery, as well as about the abandoned car and the screams heard in the night, but the Terrible Old Man shows no interest in their gossip.

 Another very minor HPL tale, one of the few set in Kingsport.  Nothing terribly special about this one, and its inconclusiveness doesn't really help.  And it includes one of HPL's diatribes against "foreigners" (sigh).  Some nice atmosphere, but that's about it.

"Red Goat, Black Goat"

by Nadia Bulkin
originally published Innsmouth Free Press, 2010

In Indonesia, Ina Krisniati (Kris) takes a job as a nanny to the Gunawan family.  She finds the mistress of the house domineering and unfriendly.  The children, Putri and Agus, are strange.  Wild goats roam the property.  They speak often of The Goat-Nurse, who seems to be some kind of powerful spirit.  Kris sees strange apparitions around the house at night.  Mrs. Gunawan's father-in-law visits, and they argue about some kind of deal she has entered into.

The Goat-Nurse, some kind of monster, attacks the house.  Hordes of wild goats converge on the house and the family...

A potent and atmospheric story, with some effective moments.

"The Horror at Oakdeene"

by Brian Lumely

originally published in the short story collection The Horror At Oakdeene, Arkham House, 1977

1935.  Martin Spellman has taken a job as a nurse at Oakdeene Sanitarium. Spellman hopes to become an author and plans to use the cases as inspiration for a book.  

Spellman becomes interested in a patient named Wilfred Larner, who cracked up over his occult studies, especially involving something called "The Black Book", which is actually Larner's own translation of the Cthäat Aquadingen.  Spellman begins to explore this translation.  

Larner asks Spellman to bring him a portion of the book called "the Sixth Sathlatta", calling it "a matter of justice".  Spellman tries out this ritual, and dreams of the being Yibb-Tstll, a cloaked, winged figure.  Larner begins to arrange a ritual with the help of several other inmates, while Spellman continues to dream of Yibb-Tstll.    

The ritual goes off, with Spellman cooperating under the control of Yibb-Tstll.  A sadistic ex-nurse named Barstowe is found dead on the grounds, mutilated.  Five of the thirteen participating patients are suddenly cured, though five others, including Larner, are found dead.  Spell has lost it completely and becomes a patient.

This is definitely one of Lumley's stronger stories, and shows his maturation as an author.  It is written in voice distinctly his own, and not particularly Lovecraftian, though the nature and structure of the story is clearly, heavily HPL-influenced.  Even though I find the "anus-headed" Yibb-Tstill both unpronounceable and frankly gross, Lumley's does manage to give his creation a certain vague air of menace.  All in all this is good Lumley.

"Art in the Blood"

by Brian Stableford

originally published Shadows Over Baker Street, Ballantine, 2003

Mycroft Holmes is lounging at the Diogenes Club when Holmes brings him a curious case - a seaman named John Chevaucheux, who has an unusual problem.  He reports that Captain Dan Pye, of the ship Goshen, a man apparently known and important to Mycroft, has died - from a curse.  Holmes shows a small figurine, with humanoid, fish, and octopoid features to Mycroft, as Chevaucheux tells his story.

He shipped out under Captain Pye.  Also on the voyage was a man named Sam Rockaby, who came from a small village in the South East of England, where the old houses and buildings often have grotesque faces carved into the walls.  Rockaby claims to be of "older" blood, and to have knowledge of the origins of these faces, and other strangenesses of the regions, including those of "the Elder Gods" and "the Others". 

The voyage is a difficult one, and the crew are beset by seasickness and St. Anthony's Fire.  They see visions of terrible sea monsters.  Rockaby gets crazier and crazier.   

Despite some losses, they make it home.  But soon after Capt. Pye summons Chevaucheux.  He is on his deathbed, and his flesh is turning into a kind of octopoid skin.  He passes the figurine to Chevaucheux, who shows Mycroft and Holmes that he, too, is now suffering from the same affliction.

Mycroft instructs Holmes to find Rockaby, and to round up every figurine and hurl them into the ocean.  From a now almost hopelessly insane Rockaby, Holmes and Chevaucheux learn of a coastal cave, with faces even more grotesque than those found in the homes stare from the walls, and seem to be alive in some way.  Chevaucheux loses it, transforming into a worm-cephalopod before tossing himself into the sea.  Holmes returns to Mycroft with his puzzling tale and its unfathomable implications.

This is the second superior Mythos-ian tale I've read by Stableford, who I always thought of as a hard-SF author, and now know I want to read more by.  Despite is frustrating ambiguities, this is a potent tale, and Stableford effectively evokes Lovecraftian creeps in his description of the sea voyage and elsewhere.  Good stuff!