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Not After Nightfall: Stories of the Strange and Terrible
190 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1967
About the author
Basil Copper
181 books44 followersBasil 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.
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.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
February 10, 2025
NOT AFTER NIGHTFALL. Basil Copper. Four Square. 5/-.
REVIEW BY DAVID A. SUTTON
From Four Square another fine anthology, on par with BEYOND THE CURTAIN OF DARK, edited by Peter Haining, and also NIGHT SIDE, an August Derleth anthology. This book contains eight stories by Basil Copper, a writer of great competence In the macabre genre. It is a mixed brew the ghostly, the horrible and the fiendish, that makes this book an elixir of the diablerie. Here are some short commends on each story:
"The Spider". This tale presupposes a fear of spiders on the part of the reader, and not myself having any revulsion towards them it consequently failed as a terror story. It was very short, too short in fact to create a mounting atmosphere and suspense which would have enriched the horror of the Spider.
"Camera Obscura". A story of supernaturalism that borders on the Science fictional. A revenge tale that I find difficult to classify because it appears to have little impact. It does, however embody the gruesome and the strange.
"The Cave". Sinister and seething with the unknown, Basil Copper has created a beautifully creepy short story. Terrifying in its suggestiveness and with commendable restraint as far as the grisly details are concerned. Highly recommended.
"The Grey House". Full of unknown diabolistic rites, this tale attempts with great success to hint the awful horrors of an ancient and ignoble family. Recommended.
"Old Mrs Cartwright". Once again with commendatory hints of the unknown, Mr. Copper has realised an ingenious animalistic trait in a thirteen-year-old boy, with dire consequences.
"Charon". A slow-moving ghost story that impressed me little, and relies on the interest of Charon, who ferries hosts down the river Styx to hell.
"The Great Vore". This is easily the best story in the selection. It is a beautifully wrought fiction of the sinister Cult of Vore, a black magic type cult, and a detective story. Its utter simplicity makes it a gem of a tale, even though it ends on a strictly non-supernatural note. Highly recommended.
"The Janissaries of Emilion". A. weird story of a man's successive dreams being an actual physical reality. The terrible end crests slowly upon us, the man is not insane, and it a padded cell which is locked they find the awful mutilation destructive force right from out his dreams Recommended.
REVIEW BY DAVID A. SUTTON
From Four Square another fine anthology, on par with BEYOND THE CURTAIN OF DARK, edited by Peter Haining, and also NIGHT SIDE, an August Derleth anthology. This book contains eight stories by Basil Copper, a writer of great competence In the macabre genre. It is a mixed brew the ghostly, the horrible and the fiendish, that makes this book an elixir of the diablerie. Here are some short commends on each story:
"The Spider". This tale presupposes a fear of spiders on the part of the reader, and not myself having any revulsion towards them it consequently failed as a terror story. It was very short, too short in fact to create a mounting atmosphere and suspense which would have enriched the horror of the Spider.
"Camera Obscura". A story of supernaturalism that borders on the Science fictional. A revenge tale that I find difficult to classify because it appears to have little impact. It does, however embody the gruesome and the strange.
"The Cave". Sinister and seething with the unknown, Basil Copper has created a beautifully creepy short story. Terrifying in its suggestiveness and with commendable restraint as far as the grisly details are concerned. Highly recommended.
"The Grey House". Full of unknown diabolistic rites, this tale attempts with great success to hint the awful horrors of an ancient and ignoble family. Recommended.
"Old Mrs Cartwright". Once again with commendatory hints of the unknown, Mr. Copper has realised an ingenious animalistic trait in a thirteen-year-old boy, with dire consequences.
"Charon". A slow-moving ghost story that impressed me little, and relies on the interest of Charon, who ferries hosts down the river Styx to hell.
"The Great Vore". This is easily the best story in the selection. It is a beautifully wrought fiction of the sinister Cult of Vore, a black magic type cult, and a detective story. Its utter simplicity makes it a gem of a tale, even though it ends on a strictly non-supernatural note. Highly recommended.
"The Janissaries of Emilion". A. weird story of a man's successive dreams being an actual physical reality. The terrible end crests slowly upon us, the man is not insane, and it a padded cell which is locked they find the awful mutilation destructive force right from out his dreams Recommended.
January 5, 2018
Excellent Brit-horror short story selection
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews