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John Thunstone
The Complete John Thunstone
Conceived by Manly Wade Wellman and Weird Tales editor Dorothy McIlwraith in 1943, John Thunstone is a scholar and playboy who investigates mysterious supernatural events. Large and strong, intelligent, handsome, and wealthy, he has the typical attributes of a heroic character. He is also well-read in occult matters and has access to weapons (such as a sword-cane forged by a saint) that are especially potent against vampires, werewolves, and other supernatural creatures.
In addition to the ghosts and other traditional supernatural beings, several of Thunstone’s enemies are Wellman’s unique creations. Particularly compelling are the the enigmatic shonokins, a race of human-like creatures who claim to have ruled North America before the coming of humans. Thunstone’s most persistent foe is the diabolical sorcerer Rowley Thorne, a character loosely based on the real occultist Aleister Crowley.
Thunstone originally appeared in short stories published in Weird Tales from 1943 to 1951 with a final short story in 1982. Wellman would later write two novels featuring Thunstone: What Dreams May Come (1983) and The School of Darkness (1985).
In addition to the ghosts and other traditional supernatural beings, several of Thunstone’s enemies are Wellman’s unique creations. Particularly compelling are the the enigmatic shonokins, a race of human-like creatures who claim to have ruled North America before the coming of humans. Thunstone’s most persistent foe is the diabolical sorcerer Rowley Thorne, a character loosely based on the real occultist Aleister Crowley.
Thunstone originally appeared in short stories published in Weird Tales from 1943 to 1951 with a final short story in 1982. Wellman would later write two novels featuring Thunstone: What Dreams May Come (1983) and The School of Darkness (1985).
646 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2012
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
May 8, 2014
Just a super book, and you can read more of what I think at the weird fiction page of my online reading journal if you aren't happy with the short version here.
Here, in The Complete John Thunstone, all of Wellman's John Thunstone's stories have been collected in one volume, and while they're not all spine-tingling extravaganzas, the book is amazing, providing me with hours of pure weird and pulpy pleasure. First in this book comes all of the short stories, in some of which Thunstone takes on his arch-nemesis Rowley Thorne, who Ramsey Campbell says in his introduction "Manly Remembered" is Thunstone's Moriarty.
Thorne also returns in Wellman's novel-length story "The School of Darkness," at the end of this volume. Thunstone's love interest appears in these stories as well: Sharon, Countess Monteseco, although Thunstone does everything he can to prevent himself from getting deeply involved with her because of the threat to her from Rowley.
Aside from Thorne, Thunstone finds himself doing battle with the Shonokins, who claim to have existed long before "the Indians," who "took this country from creatures too terrible...to imagine, even though they are dead and leave only their fossil bones." According to one of them, the Shonokins "allowed the Indians to come," and retained only a few limited domains. When people trespass into these "limited domains," they meet with trouble -- and Thunstone is not far behind. The Shonokins have a ring finger longer than all of the fingers on their hands; they also can't tolerate being in the presence of their own dead.
Thunstone meets up with strange magic and powers not just with the Shonokins or Rowley Thorne, but comes across an Eskimo wizard, a woman who won't stay dead and buried, and regular people who somehow find themselves entangled in bad juju, usually because of their own greed.
After the short stories is Wellman's novel What Dreams May Come (not to be confused with the movie or Matheson's novel), where Thunstone, already in England, hears about a strange ritual in the village of Claines and decides to go and witness it for himself, only to be caught up in some very strange experiences.
The collection ends with "The School of Darkness," which wasn't nearly as good as What Dreams May Come, but still fun. Thunstone and three others participate in a symposium where they are to talk about their research and experiences, but of course, they get sidetracked with the return of who else? Rowley Thorne. The college where they are speaking has a long history involving witchcraft and diabolism, and Thorne becomes involved with the local coven whose leader and members have their own agenda for the future. Thunstone and his fellow participants have to combine their strengths to fight off a powerful enemy, whose tricks involve murder. I liked this one, but parts read like a group of superheroes who come together, put their respective rings together that go "bzzzzt" and voila, their powers are strengthened. Here they all smoke a pipe filled with magically-protective materials rather than wear rings to touch together, but still.
The Complete John Thunstone has moved into the ranks of favorite books in my library, and I can most definitely recommend this work of pulpy goodness with just the right touch of weird. There are a couple of Lovecraft mentions as well as a reference to the Necronomicon included, the stories are good, old-fashioned cool pulpy delight, and when it comes down to it, this entire book is 600+ pages of fun.
Here, in The Complete John Thunstone, all of Wellman's John Thunstone's stories have been collected in one volume, and while they're not all spine-tingling extravaganzas, the book is amazing, providing me with hours of pure weird and pulpy pleasure. First in this book comes all of the short stories, in some of which Thunstone takes on his arch-nemesis Rowley Thorne, who Ramsey Campbell says in his introduction "Manly Remembered" is Thunstone's Moriarty.
Thorne also returns in Wellman's novel-length story "The School of Darkness," at the end of this volume. Thunstone's love interest appears in these stories as well: Sharon, Countess Monteseco, although Thunstone does everything he can to prevent himself from getting deeply involved with her because of the threat to her from Rowley.
Aside from Thorne, Thunstone finds himself doing battle with the Shonokins, who claim to have existed long before "the Indians," who "took this country from creatures too terrible...to imagine, even though they are dead and leave only their fossil bones." According to one of them, the Shonokins "allowed the Indians to come," and retained only a few limited domains. When people trespass into these "limited domains," they meet with trouble -- and Thunstone is not far behind. The Shonokins have a ring finger longer than all of the fingers on their hands; they also can't tolerate being in the presence of their own dead.
Thunstone meets up with strange magic and powers not just with the Shonokins or Rowley Thorne, but comes across an Eskimo wizard, a woman who won't stay dead and buried, and regular people who somehow find themselves entangled in bad juju, usually because of their own greed.
After the short stories is Wellman's novel What Dreams May Come (not to be confused with the movie or Matheson's novel), where Thunstone, already in England, hears about a strange ritual in the village of Claines and decides to go and witness it for himself, only to be caught up in some very strange experiences.
The collection ends with "The School of Darkness," which wasn't nearly as good as What Dreams May Come, but still fun. Thunstone and three others participate in a symposium where they are to talk about their research and experiences, but of course, they get sidetracked with the return of who else? Rowley Thorne. The college where they are speaking has a long history involving witchcraft and diabolism, and Thorne becomes involved with the local coven whose leader and members have their own agenda for the future. Thunstone and his fellow participants have to combine their strengths to fight off a powerful enemy, whose tricks involve murder. I liked this one, but parts read like a group of superheroes who come together, put their respective rings together that go "bzzzzt" and voila, their powers are strengthened. Here they all smoke a pipe filled with magically-protective materials rather than wear rings to touch together, but still.
The Complete John Thunstone has moved into the ranks of favorite books in my library, and I can most definitely recommend this work of pulpy goodness with just the right touch of weird. There are a couple of Lovecraft mentions as well as a reference to the Necronomicon included, the stories are good, old-fashioned cool pulpy delight, and when it comes down to it, this entire book is 600+ pages of fun.
January 11, 2015
John Thunstone, as the story goes, Once pull'd the devil by the nose
John Thunstone ist ein paranormaler Ermittler. Egal wo sich das Böse konzentriert, Thunstone ist nicht weit, um Dämonen, Geister und Wesen aus der unendlichen Vergangenheit wieder dahin zurückzuschicken, wo sie herkamen und hingehören. Dabei ist er ein sehr undramatischer Charakter, bodenständig, kaum zu beeindrucken - denn er hat Hilfe. Christliche Talismane, schamanischer Schutztabak, kleine Zaubergerätschaften, und, wichtigstes Utensil, auch auf dem Cover zu sehen: Das Silberschwert des Heiligen Dunstan, versteckt in einem unauffälligen Gehstock - wehe dem Bösewicht, der sich diesem Schwert in den Weg stellt.
Der Band enthält alle "John-Thunstone"-Kurzgeschichten, plus die zwei Romane um diesen Ermittler. Die Romane machen in etwa die Hälfte des dicken Bands aus. In der sehr gelungenen Geschichte "The Letters of Cold Fire" spürt man Lovecrafts Einfluss, nicht nur wegen einem Buch, das erwähnt wird. Aber, wie immer bei Wellman, im Gegensatz zu Lovecraft - das Gute hat eine gute Chance, zu obsiegen; im Gegenteil, das Böse muss sich schon anstrengen. "Twice cursed" ist eine unglaublich atmosphärische Story, die mich ein bisschen an Krabat erinnert - eine düstere Zaubererschule im Untergrund. "The Last Grave of Lill Warren" als Mischung aus Werwolf- und Vampirstory ist extrem dicht.
Wellmans Texte funktionieren, wie das bei vielen Pulpschriftstellern wie auch Lovecraft, Leiber und Howard war, einfach viel besser in Kurzgeschichtenform als in Romanform. Trotzdem ist "What Dreams May Come" sehr gelungen, mit viel Folklore, die man heutzutage eigentlich nur noch über solche Literatur, die die Folklore aufgreift, finden kann (und Wellman selbst geht es nun auch so - ich habe ihn auch nur über einen Bezug in Hellboy für mich entdeckt). Der einzige Wermutstropfen an der ganzen Sache ist, dass der Band mit "The School of Darkness", der wahrscheinlich schlechtesten John-Thunstone-Geschichte, und dazu dann auf Romanform aufgebläht, enden muss. Das hat weder Thunstone noch Wellman verdient.
Viele Vorworte sind oft selbstgefällige Labereien. Nicht so hier: Ramsey Campbell bringt einige sehr rührende und gleichzeitig interessante Worte zu Papier. Die Aufmachung insgesamt ist großartig: Sehr gutes Papier, schönes Druckbild, tolle Illustrationen, eine perfekte Bindung und ein atemberaubendes Coverbild. Selten bekommt man als Leser ein so gutes Qualitätspaket geliefert wie hier.
John Thunstone ist ein paranormaler Ermittler. Egal wo sich das Böse konzentriert, Thunstone ist nicht weit, um Dämonen, Geister und Wesen aus der unendlichen Vergangenheit wieder dahin zurückzuschicken, wo sie herkamen und hingehören. Dabei ist er ein sehr undramatischer Charakter, bodenständig, kaum zu beeindrucken - denn er hat Hilfe. Christliche Talismane, schamanischer Schutztabak, kleine Zaubergerätschaften, und, wichtigstes Utensil, auch auf dem Cover zu sehen: Das Silberschwert des Heiligen Dunstan, versteckt in einem unauffälligen Gehstock - wehe dem Bösewicht, der sich diesem Schwert in den Weg stellt.
Der Band enthält alle "John-Thunstone"-Kurzgeschichten, plus die zwei Romane um diesen Ermittler. Die Romane machen in etwa die Hälfte des dicken Bands aus. In der sehr gelungenen Geschichte "The Letters of Cold Fire" spürt man Lovecrafts Einfluss, nicht nur wegen einem Buch, das erwähnt wird. Aber, wie immer bei Wellman, im Gegensatz zu Lovecraft - das Gute hat eine gute Chance, zu obsiegen; im Gegenteil, das Böse muss sich schon anstrengen. "Twice cursed" ist eine unglaublich atmosphärische Story, die mich ein bisschen an Krabat erinnert - eine düstere Zaubererschule im Untergrund. "The Last Grave of Lill Warren" als Mischung aus Werwolf- und Vampirstory ist extrem dicht.
Wellmans Texte funktionieren, wie das bei vielen Pulpschriftstellern wie auch Lovecraft, Leiber und Howard war, einfach viel besser in Kurzgeschichtenform als in Romanform. Trotzdem ist "What Dreams May Come" sehr gelungen, mit viel Folklore, die man heutzutage eigentlich nur noch über solche Literatur, die die Folklore aufgreift, finden kann (und Wellman selbst geht es nun auch so - ich habe ihn auch nur über einen Bezug in Hellboy für mich entdeckt). Der einzige Wermutstropfen an der ganzen Sache ist, dass der Band mit "The School of Darkness", der wahrscheinlich schlechtesten John-Thunstone-Geschichte, und dazu dann auf Romanform aufgebläht, enden muss. Das hat weder Thunstone noch Wellman verdient.
Viele Vorworte sind oft selbstgefällige Labereien. Nicht so hier: Ramsey Campbell bringt einige sehr rührende und gleichzeitig interessante Worte zu Papier. Die Aufmachung insgesamt ist großartig: Sehr gutes Papier, schönes Druckbild, tolle Illustrationen, eine perfekte Bindung und ein atemberaubendes Coverbild. Selten bekommt man als Leser ein so gutes Qualitätspaket geliefert wie hier.
August 7, 2013
One of the subgenres of fiction that I’ve always been interested in is that of the “supernatural detective,” also sometimes known as “occult detective fiction.” Recent examples of the trope include the TV show The X-Files and the paranormal detective comic book character John Constantine, one of whose creators was Alan Moore. The stories in The Complete John Thunstone center around another character named John, one John Thunstone, a wealthy man-about-town occult detective created by fantasist and regional writer Manly Wade Wellman in the 1940’s.
John Thunstone made his first appearance in the November 1943 issue of Weird Tales with “The Third Cry to Legba,” a tale wherein Thunstone matches wits with a malevolent modern day “sorcerer” named Rowley Thorne (supposedly patterned after real-life famed mystic Aleister Crowley) while encountering Voodoo spirits and a beautiful heiress. Thunstone went on to star in fourteen other short stories in the 1940’s and one more in 1951 in Weird Tales magazine before Wellman turned his attention to other fantasy characters (most notably his John the Balladeer of Appalachia stories) and non-fiction works during the next three decades. Wellman returned to the character in the 1980’s with one more short story and two suspenseful novels. Read the rest:
http://www.fantasyliterature.com/revi...
John Thunstone made his first appearance in the November 1943 issue of Weird Tales with “The Third Cry to Legba,” a tale wherein Thunstone matches wits with a malevolent modern day “sorcerer” named Rowley Thorne (supposedly patterned after real-life famed mystic Aleister Crowley) while encountering Voodoo spirits and a beautiful heiress. Thunstone went on to star in fourteen other short stories in the 1940’s and one more in 1951 in Weird Tales magazine before Wellman turned his attention to other fantasy characters (most notably his John the Balladeer of Appalachia stories) and non-fiction works during the next three decades. Wellman returned to the character in the 1980’s with one more short story and two suspenseful novels. Read the rest:
http://www.fantasyliterature.com/revi...
on_hiatus
September 13, 2012Discovered Wellman from a short story anthology and read the Thunstone novel What Dreams May Come; they had an original edition at my local library. I pre-ordered this title from Amazon on impulse because I really enjoy the author and character but now find its release has been bumped from this month (September 2012) to Post Christmas, December 2012.
I'm a bit put out by that; this would have been great Halloween reading. It's a shame that not authors can be carried along though time to be available to readers generations after their work has passed. As often as I've been disappointed in my attempts to track down this or that pulp author whose work sparked my interest I should be grateful that someone is taking the trouble to bring this author back to print.
I'm a bit put out by that; this would have been great Halloween reading. It's a shame that not authors can be carried along though time to be available to readers generations after their work has passed. As often as I've been disappointed in my attempts to track down this or that pulp author whose work sparked my interest I should be grateful that someone is taking the trouble to bring this author back to print.
August 30, 2017
I enjoyed all of the short pulp stories at the beginning, except the last one which was a dud, and the two novel's at the end which were also duds. Writing for the most part is decent, thought the dialogue is sometimes terrible and hilarious, and the later novels so dull, I fell asleep. Unfortunately, this collection starts with a bang and ends on whimper.
November 21, 2017
A solid read, with real pulp flavor (because well...it's a reprint of pulp stories).
The individual stories are a bit repetitive, but of course they were originally read months apart from each other in magazines, rather than all at one time in a single volume. Thunstone himself is a classic, Doc-Savage style pulp hero, almost superhuman in his strength, intellect, and bearing. As always with Wellman, the inclusion of real folklore and mythology is woven throughout, and adds verisimilitude and enjoyment.
The two full-length novels also included were written decades after the original stories, and are a nice addition, with more depth and character development. I like that they follow up on threads from the stories written almost forty years earlier
The individual stories are a bit repetitive, but of course they were originally read months apart from each other in magazines, rather than all at one time in a single volume. Thunstone himself is a classic, Doc-Savage style pulp hero, almost superhuman in his strength, intellect, and bearing. As always with Wellman, the inclusion of real folklore and mythology is woven throughout, and adds verisimilitude and enjoyment.
The two full-length novels also included were written decades after the original stories, and are a nice addition, with more depth and character development. I like that they follow up on threads from the stories written almost forty years earlier
July 23, 2018
The School of Darkness was excellent....I love satanic panic!
December 24, 2013
Relatos cortos pero efectivos, Wellman es un autor netamente pulp y estos cuentos fueron publicados entre mediados y fines de los 40, en una época diferente a la de Lovecraft y cia. Evidentemente el personaje, John Thunstone, toma todo de los detectives de lo Oculto previos, como Carnacki, John Silence, Jules de Grandin, etc. La diferencia radica en que tiene un nèmesis con el que se enfrenta en la mayoría de los cuentos, un trasunto del hechicero Aleister Crowley. Así tenemos, por ej., en los primeros relatos, "La tercera inovación a Legba", un dios vudú que es invocado por un ocultista y Thunstone deberá enviarlo de vuelta de donde vino, en "Pezuñas" al espíritu encarnado de un marido odiado en la figura de un caballo de cristal, en "Las letras de fuego frio" nos encontramos con un libro similar al Necronomicon (al que Wellman alude en varias ocasiones) que puede generar realidades alternativas en este mundo, y le tocará a Thunstone desarticular los planes del brujo, en "Los trasgos dorados" asistimos a un cuento similar a "Presa" de Richard Matheson, de tintes Hoffmanescos, en fin, una antología muy disfrutable, pulp puro y duro de la mano de uno de los últimos grandes de Weird Tales. Lo recomiendo.
March 12, 2013
Having read the John the Balladeer stories and loving them I was excited to get my hands on this book. Overall I was disappointed.
The majority of the book is short stories and there in lies the problem. There was not proper length to build up the suspense or mystery let alone characterization. Thunstone is able to thwart whatever sinister plot presents itself in a mostly underwhelming manner - so mundane or simplistic as to lose any credence that his enemies are anything but trifling amateurs. Rarely do you feel Thunstone is in any danger at all - though he says he is or was - you just don't feel this is true.
The last two stories are much longer - and much better for it. These are what I was expecting when I picked the book up. What Dreams may come was truly a great read and School of Darkness was just slightly less fulfilling.
Overall the last two made the book. I cannot but feel that if the short stories had been given the same length their could be some additional masterpieces here but as it is the book left me disappointed.
The majority of the book is short stories and there in lies the problem. There was not proper length to build up the suspense or mystery let alone characterization. Thunstone is able to thwart whatever sinister plot presents itself in a mostly underwhelming manner - so mundane or simplistic as to lose any credence that his enemies are anything but trifling amateurs. Rarely do you feel Thunstone is in any danger at all - though he says he is or was - you just don't feel this is true.
The last two stories are much longer - and much better for it. These are what I was expecting when I picked the book up. What Dreams may come was truly a great read and School of Darkness was just slightly less fulfilling.
Overall the last two made the book. I cannot but feel that if the short stories had been given the same length their could be some additional masterpieces here but as it is the book left me disappointed.
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