Neither Man Nor Dog

by Gerald Kersh

This collection of 37 stories by a master of the form features tales that are sometimes funny, sometimes violent, and sometimes weird and nightmarish: in short, it is quintessential Gerald Kersh. Kersh (1911-1968) published more than thirty books, including the noir classic Night and the City (1938) and Fowlers End (1957), which Anthony Burgess called "one of the great comic novels of the century," as well as hundreds of short stories which were once ubiquitous in British and American magazines. But though he has been championed by Angela Carter, Harlan Ellison, Ian Fleming, Michael Moorcock and others, Kersh has undeservedly fallen into neglect since his death. This is the first-ever reprint of Neither Man Nor Dog (1946), one of the author’s scarcest volumes.

Kersh’s novels Fowlers End and The Great Wash and the short story collections Nightshade and Damnations, On an Odd Note, and Clock Without Hands are also available from Valancourt.

CONTEMPORARY REVIEWS

“[B]rutal but highly talented ... at least one [story] is ... a little masterpiece, and all of them possess the virtue of being highly readable.” – J.D. Beresford, The Guardian

“[E]xplosive with violence . . . The best of them are very good. The unfailing fertility of his imagination is indeed to be wondered at . . . For entertainment of a strong kind, Mr. Kersh would be hard to beat.” – Times Literary Supplement

“Kersh tells a story, as such, rather better than anybody else.” – Pamela Hansford Johnson, Daily Telegraph

Genres: Short Stories, Horror

208 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1946

About the author

Gerald Kersh was born in Teddington-on-Thames, near London, and, like so many writers, quit school to take on a series of jobs -- salesman, baker, fish-and-chips cook, nightclub bouncer, freelance newspaper reporter and at the same time was writing his first two novels.

In 1937, his third published novel, Night and the City, hurled him into the front ranks of young British writers. Twenty novels later Kersh created his personal masterpiece, Fowler's End, regarded by many as one of the outstanding novels of the century. He also, throughout his long career, wrote more than 400 short stories and over 1,000 articles.

Once a professional wrestler, Kersh also fought with the Coldstream Guards in World War II. His account of infantry training They Die With Their Boots Clean (1941), became an instant best-seller during that war.

After traveling over much of the world, he became an American citizen, living quietly in Cragsmoor, in a remote section of the Shawangunk Mountains in New York State. He died in Kingston, NY, in 1968.

(Biography compiled from "Nightmares & Damnations" and Fantastic Fiction.)

Reviews

[K.J. Charles]

Kersh was a master of the short story, and is actually one of the few writers by whom I will read short stories, that not being my preferred form. Some of these are darkly funny, some darkly horrifying, a few just extraordinary twists and turns of the human psyche. All immensely readable. I will bang the drum forever about the gross neglect of Kersh and Arnold Bennett as 20th century writers when DH Lawrence is permitted to squat on the syllabus like a very self indulgent toad.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the stuff you want to read.

[Severian13 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another intriguing short story collection by the great Gerald Kersh. Herein you will find restrained and moving pieces as well as primal, savage tales about woods, wolves, dogs and people, and all the violence they commit and pity they exude. There is a deal with the devil, a man that missed a war only to awake to find his wish come true, a story between a psychiatrist and a detective that is told entirely in dialogue, a disturbing liver-coloured cat that cannot be killed, and many more ace stories of all kinds and genres. Two highlights for me are 'The House Of Relish', an unlikely tale about a family dynasty that dill in pickles (get it? No? I'll get me coat) of all things, and 'Reflections In A Table Spoon', which to describe in any way would be to ruin it. These two stories are masterfully constructed.

There are two criticisms that are worth noting about this book and some other earlier collections by Kersh. Firstly, some of his stories are more like a situation or event, rather than an actual story with a satisfying ending. However, many writers tell tales like these; this seems to be a common occurrence the more short story collections you read. Also, there is a short story here that is actually not a short story at all, but is in fact a chapter taken from 'Night And The City'. This has happened a couple of times before with some of Kersh's other collections. I am not sure, though, if this was Kersh's decision or was down to his publisher.

Nevertheless, this is another book by the great Gerald Kersh that is worth reading again and again. Much like all his works.

[CQM · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another excellent collection of Kersh short stories, this one slightly let down by a couple of aimless entries that failed to deliver any kind of satisfying denouement or twist. The House of Relish being the worst offender.
at the other end of the scale is Reflections in a Tablespoon which weaves a beautifully circular story around a visit to a restaurant.
For the most part these are very short stories between 3 and 5 pages, 37 of them, they are hit and miss but with Kersh the good outweighs the bad and there is always something interesting and the writing is always top drawer.

[Jon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found Kersh through Harlan Ellison quoting him.

“There are men whom one hates until a certain moment when one sees, through a chink in their armour, the writhing of something nailed down and in torment.”
― Gerald Kersh

This was a great read. I fully expect that I missed much of the meaning. There seemed to be sharks in this water I could not quite apprehend.