Basil Copper
Encyclopedia
Basil Copper is a prolific English
writer and former journalist and newspaper editor. He became a fulltime writer in 1970.
In addition to horror
and detective fiction
, Copper is perhaps best known for his series of Solar Pons
stories continuing the character created as a tribute to Sherlock Holmes
by August Derleth
. Married, Copper is a longtime resident of Sevenoaks
in Kent
.
Copper had his very first short story "The Curse" published when he was 14 years old; however his first professionally published short story was "The Spider" in the Fifth Pan Book of Horror Stories(1964). His first book was the Mike Faraday novel The Dark Mirror (1966).
The first of Copper's stories published by editor August Derleth
was "The House by the Tarn" in Dark Things
(1971). Copper went on to have a long-lived relationship with Derleth's Arkham House
, which published his collections From Evil's Pillow
(1973) and And Afterward, the Dark
(1977) and his novels Necropolis (1980) and The House of the Wolf
. His work drew praise from Donald Wandrei
who said of him:"He beguiles the mind as he lures the imagination beyond the outposts of reality." Copper's work was also championed by editor Peter Haining
.
Copper's best-known macabre tales include: "The Academy of Pain", "Amber Print", "The Recompensing of Albano Pizar" (dramatised by BBC
Radio 4) "The Candle in the Skull' (read over Hallowe'en on BBC Radio 4), "Better Dead", the acclaimed Lovecraftian novella "Beyond the Reef", "Bright Blades Gleaming" and "Ill Met by Daylight".
Copper is also noted for his Cthulhu Mythos
story "Shaft Number 247" in New Tales of the Cthulhu Mythos (1980).
Copper's novel The Great White Space (1975) features a character called Clark Ashton Scarsdale who appears to be an affectionate tribute to Clark Ashton Smith
.
Though his important work is in the domain of the macabre, he has also written the long-running novel series featuring hard-boiled Los Angeles
private detective "Mike Faraday" (58 novels from 1966 to 1988).
Copper's interests include swimming, gardening, travel, sailing and historic film material. One of England's leading film collectors, his private archive contained almost one thousand titles (at 1977). He founded the Tunbridge Wells Vintage Film Society and has often given talks at various film organisations in London. He has been a member of the British Film Society and the Vintage Film Circle of London.
Copper's work has been translated into many languages, reprinted in leading anthologies and filmed for television by Universal Pictures. The TV adaptation was of his well-known macabre story "Camera Obscura", filmed as an episode of Rod Serling
's Night Gallery
in 1971.
His novels Necropolis (a crossover between a Victorian Gothic
and a detective story) and The House of the Wolf (a novel of lycanthropy
) were both illustrated by Stephen Fabian
. Necropolis received a 1981 nomination for the Locus Award
Best Fantasy novel category.
Copper edited a 1982 two-volume omnibus collection of Derleth's stories of the 'Pontine' canon, published by Arkham House
, a publishing firm founded by Derleth himself and chiefly publishing weird fiction (such as Cthulhu Mythos
tales); in that edition, Copper "edited" most of the tales in ways that many Solar Pons
aficionados found objectionable. A later omnibus, The Original Text Solar Pons Omnibus Edition
, was issued in 2000 under the imprint of Mycroft & Moran
(a name which is itself a Holmesian jest); Mycroft & Moran was long a subsidiary of Arkham House (but is no longer so).
Copper has received many honours in recent years. In 1979, the Mark Twain Society of America elected him a Knight of Mark Twain for his outstanding "contribution to modern fiction", while the Praed Street Irregulars have twice honoured him for his work on the Solar Pons
series. He has been a member of the Crime Writer's Association for over thirty years, serving as chairman in 1981/82 and on its committee for a total of seven years.
In early 2008, a bio-bibliography was published on him: Basil Copper: A Life in Books, compiled and edited by Stephen Jones
. The volume received the 2009 British Fantasy Award
for Best Non-Fiction.
In March 2010, Darkness, Mist and Shadow: The Collected Macabre Tales of Basil Copper was launched at the Brighton World Horror Convention as a two-volume set by PS Publishing
.
Mike Faraday
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
writer and former journalist and newspaper editor. He became a fulltime writer in 1970.
In addition to horror
Horror fiction
Horror fiction also Horror fantasy is a philosophy of literature, which is intended to, or has the capacity to frighten its readers, inducing feelings of horror and terror. It creates an eerie atmosphere. Horror can be either supernatural or non-supernatural...
and detective fiction
Detective fiction
Detective fiction is a sub-genre of crime fiction and mystery fiction in which an investigator , either professional or amateur, investigates a crime, often murder.-In ancient literature:...
, Copper is perhaps best known for his series of Solar Pons
Solar Pons
Solar Pons is a fictional detective created by August Derleth as a pastiche of Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes.-Approach:On hearing that he had no plans to write more Holmes stories, the young Derleth wrote to Conan Doyle, asking permission to take over the job...
stories continuing the character created as a tribute to Sherlock Holmes
Sherlock Holmes
Sherlock Holmes is a fictional detective created by Scottish author and physician Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The fantastic London-based "consulting detective", Holmes is famous for his astute logical reasoning, his ability to take almost any disguise, and his use of forensic science skills to solve...
by August Derleth
August Derleth
August William Derleth was an American writer and anthologist. Though best remembered as the first publisher of the writings of H. P...
. Married, Copper is a longtime resident of Sevenoaks
Sevenoaks
Sevenoaks is a commuter town situated on the London fringe of west Kent, England, some 20 miles south-east of Charing Cross, on one of the principal commuter rail lines from the capital...
in Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
.
Copper had his very first short story "The Curse" published when he was 14 years old; however his first professionally published short story was "The Spider" in the Fifth Pan Book of Horror Stories(1964). His first book was the Mike Faraday novel The Dark Mirror (1966).
The first of Copper's stories published by editor August Derleth
August Derleth
August William Derleth was an American writer and anthologist. Though best remembered as the first publisher of the writings of H. P...
was "The House by the Tarn" in Dark Things
Dark Things
Dark Things is an anthology of horror stories edited by August Derleth. It was released in 1971 by Arkham House in an edition of 3,051 copies. It was Derleth's fourth anthology of previously unpublished stories released by Arkham House.-Contents:...
(1971). Copper went on to have a long-lived relationship with Derleth's Arkham House
Arkham House
Arkham House is a publishing house specializing in weird fiction founded in Sauk City, Wisconsin in 1939 by August Derleth and Donald Wandrei to preserve in hardcover the best fiction of H.P. Lovecraft. The company's name is derived from Lovecraft's fictional New England city, Arkham. Arkham House...
, which published his collections From Evil's Pillow
From Evil's Pillow
From Evil's Pillow is a collection of stories by author Basil Copper. It was released in 1973 and was the author's first collection of stories published in the United States of America...
(1973) and And Afterward, the Dark
And Afterward, the Dark
And Afterward, the Dark is a collection of stories by author Basil Copper. It was released in 1977 and was the author's second collection of stories published by Arkham House. It was published in an edition of 4,259 copies...
(1977) and his novels Necropolis (1980) and The House of the Wolf
The House of the Wolf
The House of the Wolf is a horror novel by author Basil Copper. It was published by Arkham House in 1983 in an edition of 3,578 copies. It was the author's fourth book published by Arkham House.-Plot summary:...
. His work drew praise from Donald Wandrei
Donald Wandrei
Donald Albert Wandrei was an American science fiction, fantasy and weird fiction writer, poet and editor. He wrote as Donald Wandrei. He was the older brother of science fiction writer and artist Howard Wandrei...
who said of him:"He beguiles the mind as he lures the imagination beyond the outposts of reality." Copper's work was also championed by editor Peter Haining
Peter Haining
Peter Alexander Haining was a British journalist, author and anthologist who lived and worked in Suffolk...
.
Copper's best-known macabre tales include: "The Academy of Pain", "Amber Print", "The Recompensing of Albano Pizar" (dramatised by BBC
Radio 4) "The Candle in the Skull' (read over Hallowe'en on BBC Radio 4), "Better Dead", the acclaimed Lovecraftian novella "Beyond the Reef", "Bright Blades Gleaming" and "Ill Met by Daylight".
Copper is also noted for his Cthulhu Mythos
Cthulhu Mythos
The Cthulhu Mythos is a shared fictional universe, based on the work of American horror writer H. P. Lovecraft.The term was first coined by August Derleth, a contemporary correspondent of Lovecraft, who used the name of the creature Cthulhu - a central figure in Lovecraft literature and the focus...
story "Shaft Number 247" in New Tales of the Cthulhu Mythos (1980).
Copper's novel The Great White Space (1975) features a character called Clark Ashton Scarsdale who appears to be an affectionate tribute to Clark Ashton Smith
Clark Ashton Smith
Clark Ashton Smith was a self-educated American poet, sculptor, painter and author of fantasy, horror and science fiction short stories. He achieved early local recognition, largely through the enthusiasm of George Sterling, for traditional verse in the vein of Swinburne...
.
Though his important work is in the domain of the macabre, he has also written the long-running novel series featuring hard-boiled Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
private detective "Mike Faraday" (58 novels from 1966 to 1988).
Copper's interests include swimming, gardening, travel, sailing and historic film material. One of England's leading film collectors, his private archive contained almost one thousand titles (at 1977). He founded the Tunbridge Wells Vintage Film Society and has often given talks at various film organisations in London. He has been a member of the British Film Society and the Vintage Film Circle of London.
Copper's work has been translated into many languages, reprinted in leading anthologies and filmed for television by Universal Pictures. The TV adaptation was of his well-known macabre story "Camera Obscura", filmed as an episode of Rod Serling
Rod Serling
Rodman Edward "Rod" Serling was an American screenwriter, novelist, television producer, and narrator best known for his live television dramas of the 1950s and his science fiction anthology TV series, The Twilight Zone. Serling was active in politics, both on and off the screen and helped form...
's Night Gallery
Night Gallery
Night Gallery is an American anthology series that aired on NBC from 1970 to 1973, featuring stories of horror and the macabre. Rod Serling, who had gained fame from an earlier series, The Twilight Zone, served both as the on-air host of Night Gallery and as a major contributor of scripts, although...
in 1971.
His novels Necropolis (a crossover between a Victorian Gothic
Gothic fiction
Gothic fiction, sometimes referred to as Gothic horror, is a genre or mode of literature that combines elements of both horror and romance. Gothicism's origin is attributed to English author Horace Walpole, with his 1764 novel The Castle of Otranto, subtitled "A Gothic Story"...
and a detective story) and The House of the Wolf (a novel of lycanthropy
Lycanthropy
Lycanthropy is the professed ability or power of a human being to undergo transformation into a werewolf, or to gain wolf-like characteristics. The term comes from Greek Lykànthropos : λύκος, lykos + άνθρωπος, ànthrōpos...
) were both illustrated by Stephen Fabian
Stephen Fabian
-Career:Fabian specializes in science fiction and fantasy illustration and cover art for books and magazines. Fabian also produced artwork for TSR's Dungeons & Dragons game from 1986 to 1995, particularly on the Ravenloft line. He was self-taught, two of his primary influences being Virgil Finlay...
. Necropolis received a 1981 nomination for the Locus Award
Locus Award
The Locus Award is a literary award established in 1971 and presented to winners of Locus magazine's annual readers' poll. Currently, the Locus Awards are presented at an annual banquet...
Best Fantasy novel category.
Copper edited a 1982 two-volume omnibus collection of Derleth's stories of the 'Pontine' canon, published by Arkham House
Arkham House
Arkham House is a publishing house specializing in weird fiction founded in Sauk City, Wisconsin in 1939 by August Derleth and Donald Wandrei to preserve in hardcover the best fiction of H.P. Lovecraft. The company's name is derived from Lovecraft's fictional New England city, Arkham. Arkham House...
, a publishing firm founded by Derleth himself and chiefly publishing weird fiction (such as Cthulhu Mythos
Cthulhu Mythos
The Cthulhu Mythos is a shared fictional universe, based on the work of American horror writer H. P. Lovecraft.The term was first coined by August Derleth, a contemporary correspondent of Lovecraft, who used the name of the creature Cthulhu - a central figure in Lovecraft literature and the focus...
tales); in that edition, Copper "edited" most of the tales in ways that many Solar Pons
Solar Pons
Solar Pons is a fictional detective created by August Derleth as a pastiche of Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes.-Approach:On hearing that he had no plans to write more Holmes stories, the young Derleth wrote to Conan Doyle, asking permission to take over the job...
aficionados found objectionable. A later omnibus, The Original Text Solar Pons Omnibus Edition
The Original Text Solar Pons Omnibus Edition
The Original Text Solar Pons Omnibus Edition is a collection of detective fiction stories by author August Derleth. It was released in 2000 by Mycroft & Moran and was published in two volumes. The set collects all of the Solar Pons stories of August Derleth. The stories are pastiches of the...
, was issued in 2000 under the imprint of Mycroft & Moran
Mycroft & Moran
Mycroft & Moran was an imprint of Arkham House publishers and was created in Sauk City, Wisconsin in 1945. The imprint was created to publish weird detective stories and the Solar Pons stories by August Derleth...
(a name which is itself a Holmesian jest); Mycroft & Moran was long a subsidiary of Arkham House (but is no longer so).
Copper has received many honours in recent years. In 1979, the Mark Twain Society of America elected him a Knight of Mark Twain for his outstanding "contribution to modern fiction", while the Praed Street Irregulars have twice honoured him for his work on the Solar Pons
Solar Pons
Solar Pons is a fictional detective created by August Derleth as a pastiche of Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes.-Approach:On hearing that he had no plans to write more Holmes stories, the young Derleth wrote to Conan Doyle, asking permission to take over the job...
series. He has been a member of the Crime Writer's Association for over thirty years, serving as chairman in 1981/82 and on its committee for a total of seven years.
In early 2008, a bio-bibliography was published on him: Basil Copper: A Life in Books, compiled and edited by Stephen Jones
Stephen Jones (author)
Stephen Jones is an editor of horror anthologies, and the author of several book-length studies of horror and fantasy films as well as an account of Lovecraft's early British publications....
. The volume received the 2009 British Fantasy Award
British Fantasy Award
The British Fantasy Awards are administered annually by the British Fantasy Society and were first awarded in 1971. The membership of the BFS vote to determine recommendations, short-lists and winners of the awards...
for Best Non-Fiction.
In March 2010, Darkness, Mist and Shadow: The Collected Macabre Tales of Basil Copper was launched at the Brighton World Horror Convention as a two-volume set by PS Publishing
PS Publishing
PS Publishing is a Hornsea based publisher founded in 1999 by Peter Crowther. They specialise in novella length fiction from the fantasy, science fiction and horror genres. It has quickly become established as one of Britain's premier small presses...
.
Works
- Not After Nightfall (Four Square Books, 1967)
- From Evil's PillowFrom Evil's PillowFrom Evil's Pillow is a collection of stories by author Basil Copper. It was released in 1973 and was the author's first collection of stories published in the United States of America...
(Arkham HouseArkham HouseArkham House is a publishing house specializing in weird fiction founded in Sauk City, Wisconsin in 1939 by August Derleth and Donald Wandrei to preserve in hardcover the best fiction of H.P. Lovecraft. The company's name is derived from Lovecraft's fictional New England city, Arkham. Arkham House...
, 1973) - The Vampire: In Legend, Fact and Art (Robert Hale, 1973)
- The Great White Space (1975)
- When Footsteps Echo (Robert Hale, 1975)
- The Curse of Fleers (Harwood-Smart, 1976)
- And Afterward, the DarkAnd Afterward, the DarkAnd Afterward, the Dark is a collection of stories by author Basil Copper. It was released in 1977 and was the author's second collection of stories published by Arkham House. It was published in an edition of 4,259 copies...
(Arkham HouseArkham HouseArkham House is a publishing house specializing in weird fiction founded in Sauk City, Wisconsin in 1939 by August Derleth and Donald Wandrei to preserve in hardcover the best fiction of H.P. Lovecraft. The company's name is derived from Lovecraft's fictional New England city, Arkham. Arkham House...
, 1977) - The Werewolf: In Legend, Fact and Art (Robert Hale, 1977)
- Here Be Daemons (Robert Hale, 1978)
- The Dossier of Solar Pons (Pinnacle, 1979)
- The Further Adventures of Solar Pons (Pinnacle, 1979)
- The Secret Files of Solar Pons (Pinnacle, 1979)
- The Uncollected Cases of Solar Pons (Pinnacle, 1980)
- Voices of Doom (Robert Hale, 1980)
- NecropolisNecropolis (novel)Necropolis is a Gothic novel by author Basil Copper. It was published by Arkham House in 1980 in an edition of 4,050 copies. It was Copper's third book published by Arkham House.-Plot summary:...
(Arkham HouseArkham HouseArkham House is a publishing house specializing in weird fiction founded in Sauk City, Wisconsin in 1939 by August Derleth and Donald Wandrei to preserve in hardcover the best fiction of H.P. Lovecraft. The company's name is derived from Lovecraft's fictional New England city, Arkham. Arkham House...
, 1980) - Into the Silence (Sphere BooksSphere Books-History:Founded in 1961, Sphere Books began work on its first publication, the 1962 paperback edition of Gottfried Benn's The Trainee Man. Originally part of The Thomson Corporation, Sphere was sold to Pearson PLC in 1985 and became part of Penguin...
, 1983) - The House of the WolfThe House of the WolfThe House of the Wolf is a horror novel by author Basil Copper. It was published by Arkham House in 1983 in an edition of 3,578 copies. It was the author's fourth book published by Arkham House.-Plot summary:...
(Arkham HouseArkham HouseArkham House is a publishing house specializing in weird fiction founded in Sauk City, Wisconsin in 1939 by August Derleth and Donald Wandrei to preserve in hardcover the best fiction of H.P. Lovecraft. The company's name is derived from Lovecraft's fictional New England city, Arkham. Arkham House...
, 1983) - The Black DeathThe Black Death (novel)The Black Death is a Gothic novel by author Basil Copper. It was originally announced for publication by Arkham House but was ultimately published by Fedogan & Bremer in 1992 in an edition of 1,000 copies of which 100 were numbered and signed by the author and illustrator.-Plot introduction:The...
(Fedogan & BremerFedogan & BremerFedogan & Bremer is a weird fiction specialty publishing house founded in Minneapolis, Minnesota in 1985 by Philip Rahman and Dennis Weiler. The name comes from the nicknames of the two founders when they were in college....
, 1991) - The Exploits of Solar PonsThe Exploits of Solar PonsThe Exploits of Solar Pons is a collection of detective short stories by author Basil Copper. It was released in 1993 by Fedogan & Bremer in an edition of 2,000 copies of which 100 were numbered and signed by the author. The book collects stories about Solar Pons, a character originally created...
(Fedogan & BremerFedogan & BremerFedogan & Bremer is a weird fiction specialty publishing house founded in Minneapolis, Minnesota in 1985 by Philip Rahman and Dennis Weiler. The name comes from the nicknames of the two founders when they were in college....
, 1993) - The Adventure of the Singular SandwichThe Adventure of the Singular Sandwich"The Adventure of the Singular Sandwich" is a detective short story by author Basil Copper. It first appeared in Copper's collection The Uncollected Cases of Solar Pons in 1980, but was edited in a way that Copper disapproved of...
(Fedogan & BremerFedogan & BremerFedogan & Bremer is a weird fiction specialty publishing house founded in Minneapolis, Minnesota in 1985 by Philip Rahman and Dennis Weiler. The name comes from the nicknames of the two founders when they were in college....
, 1995) - The Recollections of Solar PonsThe Recollections of Solar PonsThe Recollections of Solar Pons is a collection of detective short stories by author Basil Copper. It was released in 1995 by Fedogan & Bremer in an edition of 2,000 copies of which 100 were numbered and signed by the author. The book collects stories about Solar Pons, a character originally...
(Fedogan & BremerFedogan & BremerFedogan & Bremer is a weird fiction specialty publishing house founded in Minneapolis, Minnesota in 1985 by Philip Rahman and Dennis Weiler. The name comes from the nicknames of the two founders when they were in college....
, 1995) - Whispers in the Night: Stories of the Mysterious & MacabreWhispers in the NightWhispers in the Night: Stories of the Mysterious & Macabre is a collection of horror, suspense and science fiction short stories by author Basil Copper. It was released in 1999 by Fedogan & Bremer in an edition of 1,100 copies of which 100 were numbered and signed by the author and artist. All...
(Fedogan & BremerFedogan & BremerFedogan & Bremer is a weird fiction specialty publishing house founded in Minneapolis, Minnesota in 1985 by Philip Rahman and Dennis Weiler. The name comes from the nicknames of the two founders when they were in college....
, 1999) - Solar Pons Versus The Devil’s Claw (2004, Sarob Press)
- Solar Pons: The Final Cases (2005, Sarob Press)
- Darkness, Mist and Shadow: The Collected Macabre Tales of Basil Copper Volumes 1 and 2 (PS PublishingPS PublishingPS Publishing is a Hornsea based publisher founded in 1999 by Peter Crowther. They specialise in novella length fiction from the fantasy, science fiction and horror genres. It has quickly become established as one of Britain's premier small presses...
, 2010)
Mike Faraday
- The Dark Mirror (1966)
- Night Frost (1966)
- No Flowers for the General 1967
- Scratch on the Dark 1967
- Die Now, Live Later 1968
- Don't Bleed on Me 1968
- The Marble Orchard 1969
- Dead File 1970
- No Letters from the Grave 1971
- The Big Chill 1972
- Strong-Arm 1972
- A Great Year for Dying 1973
- Shock-Wave 1973
- The Breaking Point 1973
- A Voice from the Dead 1974
- Feedback 1974
- Ricochet 1974
- The High Wall 1975
- Impact 1975
- A Good Place to Die 1975
- The Lonely Place 1976
- Crack in the Sidewalk 1976
- Tight Corner 1976
- The Year of the Dragon 1977
- Death Squad 1977
- Murder One 1978
- A Quiet Room in Hell 1979
- The Big Rip-Off 1979
- The Caligari Complex 1980
- Flip-Side 1980
- The Long Rest 1981
- The Empty Silence 1981
- Dark Entry 1981
- Hang Loose 1982
- Shoot-Out 1982
- The Far Horizon 1982
- Trigger-Man 1983
- Pressure-Point 1983
- Hard Contract 1983
- The Narrow Corner 1983
- The Hook 1984
- You Only Die Once 1984
- Tuxedo Park 1985
- The Far Side of Fear 1985
- Snow-Job 1986
- Jet-Lag 1986
- Blood on the Moon 1986
- Heavy Iron 1987
- Turn Down an Empty Glass 1987
- Bad Scene 1988
- House-Dick 1988
- Print-Out (1988)
External links
- Dramatised version of Copper's "Invitation to the Vaults" http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbc7/listenagain/sunday/ - 'An Italian literary agent gets his come-uppance in this rat-infested tale of horror, hosted by the Man in Black.'