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Dark Magic
In the swamplands of east Alabama reside the Fossor sisters--Tina, Gretta, and Artie--the "witches" of Night Horse Creek. Practitioners of the old ways, the sisters embrace nature, revering the goddess through harmless rituals and incantations. They also understand how the power of dreams connects them to unseen energies--and the shadows that dwell within them. "The Terror" is one such shadow.
- GenresHorror
344 pages, Paperback
First published February 1, 2002
1 person is currently reading
38 people want to read
About the author
Stephen Gresham
33 books35 followersSuspense, supernatural, and young adult fiction writer Stephen Gresham (1947- ) has been intrigued by the gothic tradition of the South since moving to Auburn, Lee County, in 1975 to take a teaching position at Auburn University. This area of Alabama provides the backdrop for his novel The Fraternity (2004) and imbues works such as Rockabye Baby (1984) with the horror and fantasy elements of the southern magic genre that guide him as he writes of supernatural creatures and forces.
Gresham was born in Halstead, Kansas, on September 23, 1947, to Chester Gresham, a building contractor, and Helen Kennedy, housewife and wartime riveter. He was raised with five brothers. Gresham's literary passion was sparked by listening to his grandmother read him everything from comic books to Edgar Allan Poe and watching 1940s B movies by horror film producer Val Lewton. Gresham studied journalism for two years at Wichita State University, where he began his professional writing career as a freelance sports reporter at the Wichita Eagle. He then transferred to Kansas State Teachers College (present-day Emporia State University) to earn a bachelor's and a master's degree. In 1975, he completed a Ph.D. in English Renaissance literature at the University of Missouri. While in Missouri, Gresham married Linda Duffy in 1969, and the couple had their only child, Aaron, in 1974.
In 1975, Gresham joined the English Department at Auburn University as a professor of creative writing. By the later 1970s, he had published several pieces of short fiction with two small presses. Gresham is drawn to the mythical South and has described east Alabama as an inspirational place. Moon Lake, Gresham's first novel, uses such a backdrop to tell the tale of two honeymooners who encounter evil hidden in the water hyacinths on Moon Lake.
Gresham's novels have aimed to mesh the supernatural world of ghosts, magic, and witchcraft with the real horrors of places like his boyhood Kansas, with its tornados, polio scares, and threats of nuclear war. The most distinctive aspect of his writing is the centrality of unrequited love and the unexpected yet powerful bonds formed by his characters. When Teddy, the teenage hero of Haunted Ground, battles ghosts at a neighboring farm, he must also come to terms with his adolescence and the wrath of his dysfunctional family. This focus on the destructive innerworkings of families is balanced by a respect for what Gresham refers to as "soul" families, those united not necessarily by blood but by heart or circumstance. Even after Teddy is assaulted by his own brother and neglected by his psychologically unfit mother, he is able to find solace with his cousin Judith, the black sheep of his extended family.
Another characteristic of Gresham's books is his attention to research and historical settings. In the 1990 novel Blood Wings, Gresham researched the field of cryptozoology to create the massive batlike creature from which the novel gets its title. In The Fraternity (2004), two warring vampire fraternities battle against the backdrop of Depression-era America where the only threat greater than the crumbled economy of the Hoover years is the risk of being kidnapped by rival vampires.
In addition to the many novels he has published under his own name, Gresham has also written under two pennames to establish a distinct identity between his suspense thrillers and his young adult fiction. For the 1994 suspense/thriller Primal Instinct, he adopted the name John Newland from the 1950s television series "One Step Beyond." The next year, he paid homage to director Val Lewton when he published two novels, Just Pretend and Called to Darkness, under the name J. V. Lewton. Gresham's best selling novel to date has been Midnight Boy (1987), and Haunted Ground (2003) has garnered the most favorable response from readers. Reception from readers, especially young ones, has been largely favorable, and he continues to publish thrillers.
Gres
Gresham was born in Halstead, Kansas, on September 23, 1947, to Chester Gresham, a building contractor, and Helen Kennedy, housewife and wartime riveter. He was raised with five brothers. Gresham's literary passion was sparked by listening to his grandmother read him everything from comic books to Edgar Allan Poe and watching 1940s B movies by horror film producer Val Lewton. Gresham studied journalism for two years at Wichita State University, where he began his professional writing career as a freelance sports reporter at the Wichita Eagle. He then transferred to Kansas State Teachers College (present-day Emporia State University) to earn a bachelor's and a master's degree. In 1975, he completed a Ph.D. in English Renaissance literature at the University of Missouri. While in Missouri, Gresham married Linda Duffy in 1969, and the couple had their only child, Aaron, in 1974.
In 1975, Gresham joined the English Department at Auburn University as a professor of creative writing. By the later 1970s, he had published several pieces of short fiction with two small presses. Gresham is drawn to the mythical South and has described east Alabama as an inspirational place. Moon Lake, Gresham's first novel, uses such a backdrop to tell the tale of two honeymooners who encounter evil hidden in the water hyacinths on Moon Lake.
Gresham's novels have aimed to mesh the supernatural world of ghosts, magic, and witchcraft with the real horrors of places like his boyhood Kansas, with its tornados, polio scares, and threats of nuclear war. The most distinctive aspect of his writing is the centrality of unrequited love and the unexpected yet powerful bonds formed by his characters. When Teddy, the teenage hero of Haunted Ground, battles ghosts at a neighboring farm, he must also come to terms with his adolescence and the wrath of his dysfunctional family. This focus on the destructive innerworkings of families is balanced by a respect for what Gresham refers to as "soul" families, those united not necessarily by blood but by heart or circumstance. Even after Teddy is assaulted by his own brother and neglected by his psychologically unfit mother, he is able to find solace with his cousin Judith, the black sheep of his extended family.
Another characteristic of Gresham's books is his attention to research and historical settings. In the 1990 novel Blood Wings, Gresham researched the field of cryptozoology to create the massive batlike creature from which the novel gets its title. In The Fraternity (2004), two warring vampire fraternities battle against the backdrop of Depression-era America where the only threat greater than the crumbled economy of the Hoover years is the risk of being kidnapped by rival vampires.
In addition to the many novels he has published under his own name, Gresham has also written under two pennames to establish a distinct identity between his suspense thrillers and his young adult fiction. For the 1994 suspense/thriller Primal Instinct, he adopted the name John Newland from the 1950s television series "One Step Beyond." The next year, he paid homage to director Val Lewton when he published two novels, Just Pretend and Called to Darkness, under the name J. V. Lewton. Gresham's best selling novel to date has been Midnight Boy (1987), and Haunted Ground (2003) has garnered the most favorable response from readers. Reception from readers, especially young ones, has been largely favorable, and he continues to publish thrillers.
Gres
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
January 16, 2023
Very atmospheric read by Gresham, set in the swamplands of east Alabama. The story focus upon three 'witches' or followers of the Old Ways (the Fossor sisters) who all live in the swamp, along with their aunt. One of the witches has a daughter Willow, aged 13, and the story starts with her on the way home from school (where she is a big time outcast) when she disappears into the swamp and basically, out of the natural realm. At about the same time Willow disappears, all three sisters and their aunt lose their magical powers (which range from healing, spell casting, artistry to 'visions'). While these events are obviously related, what could do such a thing? Essentially, and this is not really a spoiler, the entity called 'The Terror' has for some reason (long story) taken up residence in the swamp and it means business!
Not quite sure what Gresham was going for here. Much of the story concerned the three sisters, their magics and their love lives. The story also featured a 'slow' child (John Boy) who basically lives in the swamp and runs a small ferry to the islands where the Fossor sisters live) and who is friends with the aunt (while lusting for one of the sisters). Dark Magic came across at times more like family drama than horror for sure, albeit a rather odd family. This could almost be considered magical realism rather, especially when we are introduced to the 'Cunning man' and his role in the story. 2.5 stars, rounding up for the atmosphere. This might be worth a read if you like anything to do with witches, but it was definitely more drama than chills.
Not quite sure what Gresham was going for here. Much of the story concerned the three sisters, their magics and their love lives. The story also featured a 'slow' child (John Boy) who basically lives in the swamp and runs a small ferry to the islands where the Fossor sisters live) and who is friends with the aunt (while lusting for one of the sisters). Dark Magic came across at times more like family drama than horror for sure, albeit a rather odd family. This could almost be considered magical realism rather, especially when we are introduced to the 'Cunning man' and his role in the story. 2.5 stars, rounding up for the atmosphere. This might be worth a read if you like anything to do with witches, but it was definitely more drama than chills.
October 9, 2009
A fantastically spooky and suspenseful read that will keep you up long past midnight!
Gresham has a way with words, describing the setting so well you can almost feel the heat of the swamp, the electricity in the air (like that which comes before a summer thunderstorm), and the tension that bulids up to the story's terrifying climax. The characters, especially that of Joe Boy, are very well developed. Dual points of view allow the reader an intimate peek into the characters' heads and serve to enhance the story and move it along. The overall family dynamics--and the stress brought upon them by a missing child and a mysterious killer on the loose practically in their backyards--among the Fosser women are realistically articulated. Add to this an original and creepy plot. All make for a great book.
Summary (May contain spoilers): The Fosser women, followers of the Old Ways, have lived on the edge of Night Horse Swamp for generations. Their peaceful existance is protected only by the vague presence of a mysterious entity known only as The Terror. But the young daughter of one of the women has accidently awakened the Terror in all its horror, setting it on a deadly rampage before vanishing without a trace. The only one with a clue to her disappearance is a special needs boy unable to articulate what has happened. Now the sisters must travel into the deepest part of the swamp where they will face the Terror and attempt to send it back to the darkness from which it arose. It is the only way to bring their missing daughter home--and repair the damage that has been done to their family and to their very existance.
Although 'Dark Magic' seems to have slipped under the radar, I'd put it up there with books by such masters of Horror as King and Koontz.
Gresham has a way with words, describing the setting so well you can almost feel the heat of the swamp, the electricity in the air (like that which comes before a summer thunderstorm), and the tension that bulids up to the story's terrifying climax. The characters, especially that of Joe Boy, are very well developed. Dual points of view allow the reader an intimate peek into the characters' heads and serve to enhance the story and move it along. The overall family dynamics--and the stress brought upon them by a missing child and a mysterious killer on the loose practically in their backyards--among the Fosser women are realistically articulated. Add to this an original and creepy plot. All make for a great book.
Summary (May contain spoilers): The Fosser women, followers of the Old Ways, have lived on the edge of Night Horse Swamp for generations. Their peaceful existance is protected only by the vague presence of a mysterious entity known only as The Terror. But the young daughter of one of the women has accidently awakened the Terror in all its horror, setting it on a deadly rampage before vanishing without a trace. The only one with a clue to her disappearance is a special needs boy unable to articulate what has happened. Now the sisters must travel into the deepest part of the swamp where they will face the Terror and attempt to send it back to the darkness from which it arose. It is the only way to bring their missing daughter home--and repair the damage that has been done to their family and to their very existance.
Although 'Dark Magic' seems to have slipped under the radar, I'd put it up there with books by such masters of Horror as King and Koontz.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews