Whispers in the Night

by Basil Copper, Stephen Jones (Illustrator), Stephen E. Fabian (Illustrator)

Following his Arkham House collections (FROM EVIL'S PILLOW, AND AFTERWARDS THE DARK) Basil Copper's work was picked up by St. Martin's with VOICES OF DOOM. His novels THE GREAT WHITE SPACE and THE BLACK DEATH, among others, remain legendary.

This Fedogan and Bremer collection picks up from there, with eleven more stories, nine of them previously-unpublished, of the supernatural, suspense, and even SciFi themes! Copper was never better.

Contents:
Better Dead
Reader, I Buried Him!
One for the Pot
Wish You Were Here
In a Darkling Wood
The Grass
Riding the Chariot
Final Destination
The Obelisk
Out There
The Summerhouse

Genres: Short Stories, Horror

274 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1999

About the author

Basil Copper was an English writer and former journalist and newspaper editor. He has written over 50 books and scripts. In addition to fantasy and horror, Copper is known for his series of Solar Pons stories continuing the character created by August Derleth.

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 Pontine aficionados found objectionable[citation needed]. 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).

He also wrote the long-running hard-boiled detective stories of "Mike Faraday" (58 novels from 1966 to 1988).

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.

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.

Reviews

[Vultural · Rating 3 out of 5]

Copper, Basil - Whispers In The Night

Unable to buy Mr. Copper’s two Arkham House collections, “And Afterward The Dark” and “From Evil’s Pillow”?
Rest easy. This very fine assortment is still available from Fedogan & Bremer, reasonably priced, and available direct, since F&B are still extant.

“Wish You Were Here” opens in Hoddesden Old Hall, bequeathed by an eccentric aunt to her nephew, Wilson. The manor had been neglected and needs work. Fortunately, like so many, Wilson is a successful writer and awash with cash. Along with the money, Wilson has a fiancée, Deirdre, and a best mate, Barry. Together, they form a curious triangle.
Then there are the postcards. Curious things, Edwardian, perhaps? Smudged, barely legible, arriving with increasing frequency. An uneasy Yule tale, best when the fire burns low.

Following a row with Angela, Claverhouse feared their engagement was finished.
To clear his mind, he spontaneously decided to catch a carriage to Croxted. Mechanical difficulties, dreadful weather, finds him compelled to lodge at the Red Lion Inn – where – he spies the most beguiling female.
“In A Darkling Wood” is another novella, this set in lonely country, troubled country.

Oh, the rising artist and his model, perhaps his muse. In this case, two models (muses), whom Ainsley juggles to keep each unaware of the other. Jealously can be so unpredictable.
Ainsley worriedly finds himself “Riding The Chariot” of industry, deception and desire.

“Out There” makes for a change. SciFi, set in the far future where mankind braces in technological fortresses, besieged by forces unknown.

Selected and introduced by Stephen Jones, enhanced with appropriate illustrations by Stephen Fabian.

[[on hiatus, probably forever] The rockabilly werewolf from Mars · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although I have enjoyed most of the stories by Copper that I have encountered before, I found this collection (the only one of his books that the local library system has) to be somewhat weak. There were some very good stories (Wish You Were Here, which reminds me of E. F. Benson's work; the atmospheric In A Darkling Wood; The Summerhouse, which features a truly cruel twist ending; and the excellently titled Reader, I Buried Him), but most of them felt rather routine. Also, three stories featured prophetic dreams, for some reason these were placed back to back; this seems like an odd editorial decision to me (I didn't especially like those stories anyway). You would probably be better off seeking out stories like The Gossips, Camera Obscura, or The House By The Tarn than bothering with this collection (unless, like in my case, this is the only one of his books available).