Brian Lumley
Encyclopedia
Brian Lumley is an English
horror fiction
writer.
Born in County Durham
, he joined the British Army
's Royal Military Police
and wrote stories in his spare time before retiring with the rank of Warrant Officer Class 1 in 1980 and becoming a professional writer.
He added to H. P. Lovecraft
's Cthulhu Mythos
cycle of stories, including several tales featuring the character Titus Crow
. Others pastiche
d Lovecrafts's Dream Cycle
and featured the characters David Hero and Eldin the Wanderer. Lumley once explained the difference between his Cthulhu Mythos characters and Lovecraft's: "My guys fight back. Also, they like to have a laugh along the way."
Later works included the Necroscope series of novels, which produced spin-off
series such as the Vampire World Trilogy, The Lost Years parts 1 and 2, and the E-Branch trilogy. The central protagonist of the earlier Necroscope novels appears in the anthology Harry Keogh and Other Weird Heroes. The Necroscope saga is closed with the novel The Touch.
Lumley served as president of the Horror Writers Association
from 1996 to 1997. On 28 March 2010 got Lumley the Lifetime Achievement Award of the Horror Writers Association
. He also received a World Fantasy Award for Lifetime Achievement in 2010.
' "Count Magnus", Robert E. Howard
's "The Black Stone
", Robert W. Chambers
' "The Yellow Sign" from The King in Yellow
, William Hope Hodgson
's "The Voice in the Night
", and H. P. Lovecraft
's "The Haunter of the Dark
" and "The Colour out of Space
".
and H. P. Lovecraft
.
Here is a selected bibliography of his short story collections.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
horror fiction
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...
writer.
Born in County Durham
County Durham
County Durham is a ceremonial county and unitary district in north east England. The county town is Durham. The largest settlement in the ceremonial county is the town of Darlington...
, he joined the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
's Royal Military Police
Royal Military Police
The Royal Military Police is the corps of the British Army responsible for the policing of service personnel, and for providing a military police presence both in the UK, and whilst service personnel are deployed overseas on operations and exercises.Members of the RMP are generally known as...
and wrote stories in his spare time before retiring with the rank of Warrant Officer Class 1 in 1980 and becoming a professional writer.
He added to H. P. Lovecraft
H. P. Lovecraft
Howard Phillips Lovecraft --often credited as H.P. Lovecraft — was an American author of horror, fantasy and science fiction, especially the subgenre known as weird fiction....
's 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...
cycle of stories, including several tales featuring the character Titus Crow
Titus Crow
Titus Crow is the main character in the eponymous series of horror fiction books by Brian Lumley. The books are based on H. P. Lovecraft's Cthulhu Mythos.-Description:...
. Others pastiche
Pastiche
A pastiche is a literary or other artistic genre or technique that is a "hodge-podge" or imitation. The word is also a linguistic term used to describe an early stage in the development of a pidgin language.-Hodge-podge:...
d Lovecrafts's Dream Cycle
Dream Cycle
The Dream Cycle refers to a series of stories by author H. P. Lovecraft. These stories concern themselves with "The Dreamlands": a vast, alternate dimension that can be entered via dreams.-Geography:The Dreamlands is apparently divided into four regions:...
and featured the characters David Hero and Eldin the Wanderer. Lumley once explained the difference between his Cthulhu Mythos characters and Lovecraft's: "My guys fight back. Also, they like to have a laugh along the way."
Later works included the Necroscope series of novels, which produced spin-off
Spin-off (media)
In media, a spin-off is a radio program, television program, video game, or any narrative work, derived from one or more already existing works, that focuses, in particular, in more detail on one aspect of that original work...
series such as the Vampire World Trilogy, The Lost Years parts 1 and 2, and the E-Branch trilogy. The central protagonist of the earlier Necroscope novels appears in the anthology Harry Keogh and Other Weird Heroes. The Necroscope saga is closed with the novel The Touch.
Lumley served as president of the Horror Writers Association
Horror Writers Association
The Horror Writers Association is a worldwide non-profit organization of professional writers and publishing professionals dedicated to promoting the interests of Horror and Dark Fantasy writers. It was formed in the 1980s with the help of many of the field's greats, including Joe Lansdale, Robert...
from 1996 to 1997. On 28 March 2010 got Lumley the Lifetime Achievement Award of the Horror Writers Association
Horror Writers Association
The Horror Writers Association is a worldwide non-profit organization of professional writers and publishing professionals dedicated to promoting the interests of Horror and Dark Fantasy writers. It was formed in the 1980s with the help of many of the field's greats, including Joe Lansdale, Robert...
. He also received a World Fantasy Award for Lifetime Achievement in 2010.
Inspiration
Lumley's list of his favourite horror stories—"not complete by any means and by no means in order of preference"—includes M. R. JamesM. R. James
Montague Rhodes James, OM, MA, , who used the publication name M. R. James, was an English mediaeval scholar and provost of King's College, Cambridge and of Eton College . He is best remembered for his ghost stories, which are regarded as among the best in the genre...
' "Count Magnus", Robert E. Howard
Robert E. Howard
Robert Ervin Howard was an American author who wrote pulp fiction in a diverse range of genres. Best known for his character Conan the Barbarian, he is regarded as the father of the sword and sorcery subgenre....
's "The Black Stone
The Black Stone
"The Black Stone" is a classic short story by Robert E. Howard, first published in the November 1931 issue of Weird Tales. The story introduces the mad poet Justin Geoffrey and the fictitious Unaussprechlichen Kulten by Friedrich von Junzt....
", Robert W. Chambers
Robert W. Chambers
Robert William Chambers was an American artist and writer.-Biography:He was born in Brooklyn, New York, to William P. Chambers , a famous lawyer, and Caroline Chambers , a direct descendant of Roger Williams, the founder of Providence, Rhode Island...
' "The Yellow Sign" from The King in Yellow
The King in Yellow
The King in Yellow is a collection of short stories written by Robert W. Chambers and published in 1895. The stories could be categorized as early horror fiction or Victorian Gothic fiction, but the work also touches on mythology, fantasy, mystery, science fiction and romance...
, William Hope Hodgson
William Hope Hodgson
William Hope Hodgson was an English author. He produced a large body of work, consisting of essays, short fiction, and novels, spanning several overlapping genres including horror, fantastic fiction and science fiction. Early in his writing career he dedicated effort to poetry, although few of his...
's "The Voice in the Night
The Voice in the Night
"The Voice in the Night" is a short story by William Hope Hodgson, first published in the November 1907 edition of Blue Book Magazine.The story has been adapted a number of times, most prominently in the 1963 Japanese film Matango....
", and H. P. Lovecraft
H. P. Lovecraft
Howard Phillips Lovecraft --often credited as H.P. Lovecraft — was an American author of horror, fantasy and science fiction, especially the subgenre known as weird fiction....
's "The Haunter of the Dark
The Haunter of the Dark
"The Haunter of the Dark" is a horror story in the Cthulhu Mythos genre. It was written by H. P. Lovecraft in November 1935, and published in the December 1936 edition of Weird Tales...
" and "The Colour out of Space
The Colour Out of Space
"The Colour Out of Space" is a short story written by American fantasy author H. P. Lovecraft in March 1927. In the tale, an unnamed narrator pieces together the story of an area known by the locals as the "blasted heath" in the wild hills west of Arkham, Massachusetts...
".
Necroscope Saga
- Necroscope (1986)
- Necroscope II: Wamphyri! (1988)
- US Title: Necroscope II: Vampyri!
- Necroscope III: The Source (1989)
- Necroscope IV: Deadspeak (1990)
- Necroscope V: Deadspawn (1991)
- Vampire World 1: Blood Brothers (1992)
- US Title: Blood Brothers
- Vampire World 2: The Last Aerie (1993)
- US Title: The Last Aerie
- Vampire World 3: Bloodwars (1994)
- US Title: Bloodwars
- Necroscope: The Lost Years Volume 1 (1995)
- US Title: Necroscope: The Lost Years
- Necroscope: The Lost Years Volume 2 (1996)
- US Title: Necroscope: Resurgence, The Lost Years Volume Two
- E-Branch 1: Invaders (1998)
- US Title: Necroscope: Invaders
- E-Branch 2 : Defilers (1999)
- E-Branch 3: Avengers (2000)
- Harry Keogh: Necroscope and Other Heroes! (2003)
- Necroscope: The Touch (2006)
- US only
- Necroscope: Harry and the Pirates (2009)
- Necroscope: The Plague-Bearer(2010)
The Psychomech Trilogy
- PsychomechPsychomechPsychomech, ISBN 0-312-85371-8, is a horror novel written by Brian Lumley and published by Tor Books in 1984. This book is approximately 334 pages in length and focuses on the events in the life of Richard Garrison, a corporal in the British Royal Military Police, after meeting Thomas Schroeder, a...
(1984) - Psychosphere (1984)
- Psychamok (1985)
Cthulhu Cycle Deities Novels
- Titus Crow/Henri deMarigney
- The Burrowers Beneath (1974, ISBN 0-312-86867-7)
- The Transition of Titus Crow (1975, ISBN 0-312-86299-7)
- The Clock of Dreams (1978, ISBN 0-312-86868-5)
- Spawn of the Winds (1978, ISBN 0-515-04571-3)
- In the Moons of Borea (1979, ISBN 0-312-86866-9)
- Elysia (1989, ISBN 0-932445-32-2), in which the characters of the Titus CrowTitus CrowTitus Crow is the main character in the eponymous series of horror fiction books by Brian Lumley. The books are based on H. P. Lovecraft's Cthulhu Mythos.-Description:...
series meet characters from Lumley's two other series, Dreamlands and Primal Land, for a grand confrontation with the Dark Forces. The completing novel for Titus/Dreamlands/Primal Lands series
- Dreamlands Novels (2009, all five from Full Moon PressFull Moon PressFull Moon Press was a small press publishing company that specialized in signed limited and lettered edition books in the horror and speculative fiction genres. It was started, owned, and operated by former NFL player, and author of the children's book The Christmas Chips, Paul Little and his wife...
)- Hero of Dreams (1986)
- Ship of Dreams (1986)
- Mad Moon of Dreams (1987)
- Iced on Aran: Collection of Dreamland tales featuring David Hero and Eldin the Wanderer (1992)
- Primal Land Novels
- House of Cthulhu (1991, 2005)
- Tarra Khash: Hrossak! (1991, 2006)
- Sorcery in Shad (1991, 2006)
Other Novels
- Beneath the MoorsBeneath the MoorsBeneath the Moors is a fantasy horror novel by author Brian Lumley. It was published by Arkham House in 1974 in an edition of 3,842 copies. It was Lumley's second book published by Arkham House. The novel is part of the Cthulhu Mythos.-Plot summary:...
(1974—Arkham House) - The House of Doors (1990)
- And its sequel, House of Doors: The Second Visit (Maze of Worlds in the US) (1998)
- Demogorgon (1987)
- Khai of Ancient Khem (or Khai of Khem in a recent reprint) (1980)
Short Stories
Lumley has written many original tales, as well as some reminiscent of Richard MathesonRichard Matheson
Richard Burton Matheson is an American author and screenwriter, primarily in the fantasy, horror, and science fiction genres. He is perhaps best known as the author of What Dreams May Come, Bid Time Return, A Stir of Echoes, The Incredible Shrinking Man, and I Am Legend, all of which have been...
and H. P. Lovecraft
H. P. Lovecraft
Howard Phillips Lovecraft --often credited as H.P. Lovecraft — was an American author of horror, fantasy and science fiction, especially the subgenre known as weird fiction....
.
Here is a selected bibliography of his short story collections.
- The Caller of the BlackThe Caller of the BlackThe Caller of the Black is a collection of stories by author Brian Lumley. It was released in 1971 and was the author's first collection of stories published by Arkham House. It was published in an edition of 3,606 copies...
(1971—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...
) - The Horror at Oakdeene and OthersThe Horror at Oakdeene and OthersThe Horror at Oakdeene and Others is a collection of stories by author Brian Lumley. It was released in 1977 and was the author's third book published by Arkham House. It was published in an edition of 4,162 copies...
(1977—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...
) - Fruiting Bodies and Other Fungi (1993)
- Dagon's Bell and Other Discords (1994)
- The Second Wish and Other Exhalations (?)
- The House of Cthulhu and Others (1984)
- Collection of Primal Land tales
- A Coven of VampiresA Coven of VampiresA Coven of Vampires is a collection of horror short stories by author Brian Lumley. The stories all concern vampires. It was released in 1998 by Fedogan & Bremer in an edition of 1,100 copies, of which 100 were numbered and signed by the author, and illustrator...
(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....
, 1998) - Harry Keogh: Necroscope and Other Weird Heroes! (2003)
- US only; features two new stories featuring Harry Keogh, the eponymous Necroscope as well as previously published short stories of some of Lumley's more enduring heroes, Titus Crow plus David Hero and Eldin the Wanderer
- The Whisperer and Other Voices (2001)
- Screaming Science Fiction: Horrors from Out of Space
- Brian Lumley's Freaks
- Dark Delicacies (2005)
- My Thing Friday
The Subterranean Press Edition
- Necroscope (novel)
- Brian Lumley's Freaks
- Introduction
- In the Glow Zone
- Mother Love
- Problem Child
- The Ugly Act
- Somebody Calling
- A Coven of Vampires (1998)
- What Dark God?
- Back Row
- The Strange Years
- The Kiss of the Lamia
- Recognition
- The Thief Immortal
- Necros
- The Thing From the Blasted Heath
- Uzzi
- Haggopian
- The Picknickers
- Zack Phalanx is Vlad the Impaler
- The House of the Temple
- Screaming Science Fiction: Horrors from Out of Space
- "Snarker's Son"
- "The Man Who Felt Pain"
- "The Strange Years"
- "No Way Home"
- "The Man Who Saw No Spiders"
- "Deja Viewer"
- "Feasibility Study"
- "Gaddy's Gloves"
- "The Big 'C'"
- The Taint and others novellas: Best Mythos Tales, Volume One (2007)
- "Introduction"
- The Horror at Oakdeene
- Born of the Winds
- The Fairground Horror
- The Taint
- Rising with Surtsey
- Lord of the Worms
- The House of the Temple
- Haggopian and other stories (2008)
- Introduction
- The Caller of the Black
- Haggopian
- Cement Surroundings
- The House of Cthulhu
- The Night Sea-Maid Went Down
- Name and Number
- Recognition
- Curse of the Golden Guaradians
- Aunt Hester
- The Kiss of Bugg-Shash
- De Marigny's Clock
- Mylakhrion the Immortal
- The Sister City
- What Dark God?
- The Statement of Henry Worthy
- Dagon's Bell
- The Thing from the Blasted Heath
- Dylath Leen
- The Mirror of Nitocris
- The Second Wish
- The Hymn
- Synchronicity or Something
- The Black Recalled
- The Sorcerer's Dream
- The Nonesuch and Others (2009)
- Introduction
- "The Thin People"
- "Stilts"
- The Nonesuch
- The Fly-by-Nights (2011)
External links
- Brian Lumley's Web Site
- "An Interview with Brian Lumley", by Robert M. PriceRobert M. PriceRobert McNair Price is an American theologian and writer. He teaches philosophy and religion at the Johnnie Colemon Theological Seminary, is professor of biblical criticism at the Center for Inquiry Institute, and the author of a number of books on theology and the historicity of Jesus, including...
, Nightscapes No. 5