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A Touch of the Creature: Unpublished Stories
Charles Beaumont’s untimely death in 1967 at age 38 cut short the brief but brilliant career of a writer now regarded as a master of modern weird fiction. The author of three extraordinary collections of short stories, the acclaimed novel The Intruder, and scripts for cult classic horror films and the popular TV series The Twilight Zone, Beaumont was at work on a fourth collection at the end of his life. The contents of that book, which he hoped to title A Touch of the Creature, remained unpublished until a limited hardcover edition in 2000, now long out-of-print.
Ranging in tone from the eerie and unsettling “The Indian Piper” and “Time and Again” to the offbeat and humorous “Adam’s Off Ox” and “The Junemoon Spoon”, these stories reveal previously unknown sides to this talented writer and will not disappoint any fan of Beaumont’s work.
This edition includes all fourteen tales from the limited hardcover edition, along with three additional never-before-seen stories, and features a new introduction by award-winning editor Roger Anker.
Ranging in tone from the eerie and unsettling “The Indian Piper” and “Time and Again” to the offbeat and humorous “Adam’s Off Ox” and “The Junemoon Spoon”, these stories reveal previously unknown sides to this talented writer and will not disappoint any fan of Beaumont’s work.
This edition includes all fourteen tales from the limited hardcover edition, along with three additional never-before-seen stories, and features a new introduction by award-winning editor Roger Anker.
198 pages, Hardcover
First published February 1, 2000
19 people are currently reading
134 people want to read
About the author
Charles Beaumont
208 books168 followersCharles Beaumont was born Charles Leroy Nutt in Chicago in 1929. He dropped out of high school in the tenth grade and worked at a number of jobs before selling his first story to Amazing Stories in 1950. His story “Black Country” (1954) was the first work of short fiction to appear in Playboy, and his classic tale “The Crooked Man” appeared in the same magazine the following year. Beaumont published numerous other short stories in the 1950s, both in mainstream periodicals like Playboy and Esquire and in science fiction and fantasy magazines.
His first story collection, The Hunger and Other Stories, was published in 1957 to immediate acclaim, and was followed by two further collections, Yonder (1958) and Night Ride and Other Journeys (1960). He also published two novels, Run from the Hunter (1957, pseudonymously, with John E. Tomerlin), and The Intruder (1959).
Beaumont is perhaps best remembered for his work in television, particularly his screenplays for The Twilight Zone, for which he wrote several of the most famous episodes. His other screenwriting credits include the scripts for films such as The Premature Burial (1962), Burn, Witch, Burn (1962), The Haunted Palace (1963), and The Masque of the Red Death (1964).
When Beaumont was 34, he began to suffer from ill health and developed a baffling and still unexplained condition that caused him to age at a greatly increased rate, such that at the time of his death at age 38 in 1967, he had the physical appearance of a 95-year-old man. Beaumont was survived by his wife Helen, two daughters, and two sons, one of whom, Christopher, is also a writer.
Beaumont’s work was much respected by his colleagues, and he counted Ray Bradbury, Harlan Ellison, Richard Matheson, Robert Bloch, and Roger Corman among his friends and admirers.
-Valancourt Books
His first story collection, The Hunger and Other Stories, was published in 1957 to immediate acclaim, and was followed by two further collections, Yonder (1958) and Night Ride and Other Journeys (1960). He also published two novels, Run from the Hunter (1957, pseudonymously, with John E. Tomerlin), and The Intruder (1959).
Beaumont is perhaps best remembered for his work in television, particularly his screenplays for The Twilight Zone, for which he wrote several of the most famous episodes. His other screenwriting credits include the scripts for films such as The Premature Burial (1962), Burn, Witch, Burn (1962), The Haunted Palace (1963), and The Masque of the Red Death (1964).
When Beaumont was 34, he began to suffer from ill health and developed a baffling and still unexplained condition that caused him to age at a greatly increased rate, such that at the time of his death at age 38 in 1967, he had the physical appearance of a 95-year-old man. Beaumont was survived by his wife Helen, two daughters, and two sons, one of whom, Christopher, is also a writer.
Beaumont’s work was much respected by his colleagues, and he counted Ray Bradbury, Harlan Ellison, Richard Matheson, Robert Bloch, and Roger Corman among his friends and admirers.
-Valancourt Books
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
August 19, 2020
This posthumous collection of unpublished stories has a few real gems, but it also has a lot of stories that probably weren't good enough for publication, or were awaiting revision, or are fragments of something larger. It's a nice collection for completist fans but it wouldn't be a very good starting point for those curious to learn more about Beaumont.*
Adam's Off Ox - 4/5 - don't be fooled by imitation, this is the stuff that cured a nation
A Long Way From Capri - 3/5 - come on tell me who are you?
With the Family - 3/5 - all I want for Christmas is you
Moon in Gemini - 2/5 - and now you tell me that you're having my baby
The Indian Piper - 4/5 - whoa, listen to the music
Lachrymosa - 2/5 - still don't know what I was waiting for
The Rival - 3/5 - there ain't no way to hide your lyin' eyes
The Junemoon Spoon - 5/5 - save me, I'm together with your plan
Time and Again - 4/5 - they do the sand dance don't you know
A Friend of the Family - 3/5 - wise men say only fools rush in
Mr. Underhill - 3/5 - warning lights are flashing down at Quality Control
Resurrection Island - 4/5 - hooray for Hollywood
The Pool - 3/5 - cause they're waiting for me, they're looking for me
Fallen Star - 3/5 - sitting on a sofa on a Sunday afternoon
The End Product - 3/5 - welcome to the machine
The Philosophy of Murder - 3/5 - you say I'm wasting all my time but I know what to do with it
The Blind Lady - 4/5 - you're the firestarter, twisted firestarter
*If you're just starting with Beaumont, try the recently published collection Perchance to Dream which contains a nice variety of his work including many of his best stories. Out of print, but worth a read if you can aqcuire them, are The Howling Man (also published as "Selected Stories"), Best of Beaumont, Night Ride And Other Journeys, The Magic Man and Other Science-Fantasy Stories, The Edge, or the rare and expensive Mass for Mixed Voices: The Selected Short Fiction of Charles Beaumont.
Adam's Off Ox - 4/5 - don't be fooled by imitation, this is the stuff that cured a nation
A Long Way From Capri - 3/5 - come on tell me who are you?
With the Family - 3/5 - all I want for Christmas is you
Moon in Gemini - 2/5 - and now you tell me that you're having my baby
The Indian Piper - 4/5 - whoa, listen to the music
Lachrymosa - 2/5 - still don't know what I was waiting for
The Rival - 3/5 - there ain't no way to hide your lyin' eyes
The Junemoon Spoon - 5/5 - save me, I'm together with your plan
Time and Again - 4/5 - they do the sand dance don't you know
A Friend of the Family - 3/5 - wise men say only fools rush in
Mr. Underhill - 3/5 - warning lights are flashing down at Quality Control
Resurrection Island - 4/5 - hooray for Hollywood
The Pool - 3/5 - cause they're waiting for me, they're looking for me
Fallen Star - 3/5 - sitting on a sofa on a Sunday afternoon
The End Product - 3/5 - welcome to the machine
The Philosophy of Murder - 3/5 - you say I'm wasting all my time but I know what to do with it
The Blind Lady - 4/5 - you're the firestarter, twisted firestarter
*If you're just starting with Beaumont, try the recently published collection Perchance to Dream which contains a nice variety of his work including many of his best stories. Out of print, but worth a read if you can aqcuire them, are The Howling Man (also published as "Selected Stories"), Best of Beaumont, Night Ride And Other Journeys, The Magic Man and Other Science-Fantasy Stories, The Edge, or the rare and expensive Mass for Mixed Voices: The Selected Short Fiction of Charles Beaumont.
March 12, 2021
An excellent collection of diverse, varied stories which only expands on Charles Beaumont's legacy. A mix of surrealism, speculative fiction, ironic tales, and compelling vignettes which only serves to prove he could've been another one of America's premier fantasists if he'd lived longer.
December 5, 2021
I know people often claim Charles Beaumont was a better writer than Ray Bradbury or Richard Matheson, but apart from a few stories, such as "Perchance to Dream," I've never been that taken with Beaumont.
Still, I decided to give "A Touch of the Creature" a try.
I was disappointed.
Valacourt Books usually publishes horror and ghost stories. The title is "A Touch of the Creature," with a monstrous hand touching the title on the cover of the book.
Basically, these stories are not horror stories. You have a story about a guy who starts dating a year after his wife dies. A guy complains to a bartender about his in-laws. Two people who had a wartime fling reunite fifteen years after the war. A writer worries that he has wasted his talent.
The only story that was scary was "Moon in Gemini," which is about a pregnant woman having a breakdown. It could be read as a horror story. It could be read as mainstream.
This book is for die-hard Charles Beaumont fans. It is not the place for readers with only a casual interest in Beaumont.
Still, I decided to give "A Touch of the Creature" a try.
I was disappointed.
Valacourt Books usually publishes horror and ghost stories. The title is "A Touch of the Creature," with a monstrous hand touching the title on the cover of the book.
Basically, these stories are not horror stories. You have a story about a guy who starts dating a year after his wife dies. A guy complains to a bartender about his in-laws. Two people who had a wartime fling reunite fifteen years after the war. A writer worries that he has wasted his talent.
The only story that was scary was "Moon in Gemini," which is about a pregnant woman having a breakdown. It could be read as a horror story. It could be read as mainstream.
This book is for die-hard Charles Beaumont fans. It is not the place for readers with only a casual interest in Beaumont.
July 18, 2017
Have you ever heard the one about that shaggy dog?
December 25, 2016
My tryst with Beaumont, if the experience of reading this book is taken as an indicator, is going to end badly.
Although the introduction by Roger Anker was succinct, informative, and sympathetically underscored the importance of Charles Beaumont, the stories didn’t make me that comfortable.
It didn’t help that the book opened with a yarn where the story got completely lost in the hillbilly voice of rustics (“Adam’s Off Ox”). It was followed by some crowd-pleasing tales (“A Long Way from Capri”, “The Rival”), some bitter & forced humour (“With the Family”, “The Junemoon Spoon”), some stories so deep that they couldn’t pull themselves up (“Moon in Gemini”, “The Indian Piper”, “Mr. Underhill”, “The Pool”, “The End Product”), and some knock-outs that tried to make the trip worthwhile (“Lachrymosa”, “Time and Again”, “A Friend of the Family”, “Resurrection Island”, “Fallen Star”, “The Philosophy of Murder”, and “The Blind Lady”).
It’s for those knock-outs, and the introduction, that I am giving the book three stars. But believe me, next time I going for a Fredric Brown. THAT guy never misfires. Well, almost never. You know.
Upto you now.
Although the introduction by Roger Anker was succinct, informative, and sympathetically underscored the importance of Charles Beaumont, the stories didn’t make me that comfortable.
It didn’t help that the book opened with a yarn where the story got completely lost in the hillbilly voice of rustics (“Adam’s Off Ox”). It was followed by some crowd-pleasing tales (“A Long Way from Capri”, “The Rival”), some bitter & forced humour (“With the Family”, “The Junemoon Spoon”), some stories so deep that they couldn’t pull themselves up (“Moon in Gemini”, “The Indian Piper”, “Mr. Underhill”, “The Pool”, “The End Product”), and some knock-outs that tried to make the trip worthwhile (“Lachrymosa”, “Time and Again”, “A Friend of the Family”, “Resurrection Island”, “Fallen Star”, “The Philosophy of Murder”, and “The Blind Lady”).
It’s for those knock-outs, and the introduction, that I am giving the book three stars. But believe me, next time I going for a Fredric Brown. THAT guy never misfires. Well, almost never. You know.
Upto you now.
January 28, 2023
Very outstanding and enjoyable
I was unfamiliar with Charles Beaumont. These are very good short stories and would definitely recommend them to anyone, especially, if you enjoy reading short stories, instead of, sometimes, getting bogged down within a long novel. Some of Beaumont's stories have become the basis for Twight Zone episodes.
I was unfamiliar with Charles Beaumont. These are very good short stories and would definitely recommend them to anyone, especially, if you enjoy reading short stories, instead of, sometimes, getting bogged down within a long novel. Some of Beaumont's stories have become the basis for Twight Zone episodes.
August 15, 2024
Charles Beaumont is a highly underappreciated author who passed away before he coiof truly solify his legacy amoung the greats. A master of the short story, this collection showcases his talent across various genres. I was hoping this would be more horror focused, but there were one of two stories with a fantasy element to them that make reading the collection worth while.
Want to read
June 10, 2023Adam's Off Ox
A Long Way From Capri
With the Family
Moon in Gemini
The Indian Piper
Lachrymosa
The Rival
The Junemoon Spoon
Time and Again
A Friend of the Family
Mr. Underhill
Resurrection Island
The Pool
Fallen Star
The End Product
The Philospohy of Murder
The Blind Lady
A Long Way From Capri
With the Family
Moon in Gemini
The Indian Piper
Lachrymosa
The Rival
The Junemoon Spoon
Time and Again
A Friend of the Family
Mr. Underhill
Resurrection Island
The Pool
Fallen Star
The End Product
The Philospohy of Murder
The Blind Lady
August 28, 2024
A collection of tales ranging in reactions from "Hmm.. that's odd," to "WTF?!"
Enjoy!
Enjoy!
April 5, 2016
While a couple of the stories are a bit less than 4-star level, the literary history that this book represents makes it worth the fourth star. Charles Beaumont was very prolific for the span of his brief career, and this collection gives an insight into the stories that he failed to sell during his lifetime. In fact, only one had been sold posthumously before this book came out.
While known for his Twilight Zone stories, much of his work did not directly involve elements of fantasy, horror or SF. Like Ray Bradbury, you have to read those into the works. In this collection, only one has really blatant elements of fantasy/horror, although one or two others could be called horror of sorts, and one sneaks a bit of fantasy past the unwary.
Mr. Underhill and Resurrection Island could have been made into Twilight Zone episodes without too much strain, but I think the former might have been too subtle, and the latter too outrageous for the viewers. Adam's Off Ox was sort of a deal with the devil story. The Junemoon Spoon is one of those stories that I can't explain without giving away the plot, but it's fun. The others include love stories and other forms of mainstream fiction in short story form, written early in Beaumont's career.
Introductions by Richard Matheson and Christopher Beaumont round out this collection. If you liked his movie and TV work, or enjoyed his other short stories, this volume is a hidden treat.
While known for his Twilight Zone stories, much of his work did not directly involve elements of fantasy, horror or SF. Like Ray Bradbury, you have to read those into the works. In this collection, only one has really blatant elements of fantasy/horror, although one or two others could be called horror of sorts, and one sneaks a bit of fantasy past the unwary.
Mr. Underhill and Resurrection Island could have been made into Twilight Zone episodes without too much strain, but I think the former might have been too subtle, and the latter too outrageous for the viewers. Adam's Off Ox was sort of a deal with the devil story. The Junemoon Spoon is one of those stories that I can't explain without giving away the plot, but it's fun. The others include love stories and other forms of mainstream fiction in short story form, written early in Beaumont's career.
Introductions by Richard Matheson and Christopher Beaumont round out this collection. If you liked his movie and TV work, or enjoyed his other short stories, this volume is a hidden treat.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews