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Baker: Demons and other Night Things
Baker Johnson is a psychical researcher, demonologist and exorcist living in 1930s New York City. Brilliant but deeply flawed, Baker has an otherworldly perception that allows him to read people with but a glance. In "A Weird Tale" (the story begun at the end of Night Things: Undead and Kicking), Baker is summoned to Providence by dying author of the macabre, H.P. Lovecraft. Lovecraft makes a confession that threatens Baker's life and sanity. In "A Fiend's Errand", Baker is approached by a dangerous mobster known as Johnny Stücke. Baker's black room, a place where haunted items are cataloged and kept, holds an ancient item that Stücke is determined to possess. Baker is introduced to the secret society known as the Night Things. And he may be the only thing standing between the world of man and the most dangerous threat it has ever known.
Also included are the previous Baker Johnson tales, "The Giving of Things Cold and Cursed", "Servant of the Red Quill" (with an introduction by Paula Cappa, author of The Dazzling Darkness), and "The Dark Alp".
Critically-acclaimed horror author Terry M. West continues his Magic Now series with this collection that introduces Baker Johnson to the Magic Now universe.
Also included are the previous Baker Johnson tales, "The Giving of Things Cold and Cursed", "Servant of the Red Quill" (with an introduction by Paula Cappa, author of The Dazzling Darkness), and "The Dark Alp".
Critically-acclaimed horror author Terry M. West continues his Magic Now series with this collection that introduces Baker Johnson to the Magic Now universe.
- GenresHorror
122 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 30, 2016
2 people are currently reading
25 people want to read
About the author
Terry M. West
198 books135 followersTerry M. West is an American horror author. His best known works: What Price Gory, Car Nex, Dreg and his Night Things series. He was a finalist for 2 International Horror Guild Awards and he was featured on the TV Guide Sci-Fi hot list for his YA graphic novel series, Confessions of a Teenage Vampire. Terry was born in Texas, lived in New York for two decades and he currently hangs his hat in California.
www.terrymwest.com
www.terrymwest.com
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
January 27, 2020
Once again, Terry M. West turns his devious writing talents to craft a collection of devilishly gory tales including horrors best contained, maddening visions, and surprisingly charming monsters. This collection of short stories follows the unflappable Baker Johnson who reminds me of a cross between Sherlock Holmes and the old television paranormal detective Kolchek. (Yep, showing my age, kiddies...) This timeless character strolls into West's rich, monster-filled universe with the command necessary to gain respect. Using a nightmare demon, Mr. Stucke, and H.P. Lovecraft himself, West joins his creepy contemporary Night Things with the period perfection refined by Baker. This collection of 5 short stories provides an excellent introduction to the rich, monster-populated, often gory, and always entertaining world Terry M. West creates.
September 3, 2022
With the aptly named Baker (Demons and other Night Things), Terry M. West brings together his two literary universes - the historic Baker Johnson Tales and the more contemporary Night Things/Magic Now stories. As he says in his intro, "The thought of the two of them colliding made me a little giddy," and I suspect many reader will share that excitement.
The collection opens with the first two Baker Johnson Tales, The Giving of Things Cold & Cursed and Servant of the Red Quill (both of which I reviewed here). These are both fantastic stories, dark pieces of period fiction that hearken back to a time when the science of parapsychology was reaching its heights, and the genre of detective fiction was entering its golden age. The Dark Alp was a story I previously missed, but I loved its twist on the tale of a nightmare demon that chooses to feed upon the wrong man.
A Weird Tale is where West begins connecting his universes, picking up the story introduced at the end of Night Things: Undead and Kicking (which I reviewed here). The appearance of H.P. Lovecraft as a character is handled exceptionally well, and the passing of his nightmares to Baker Johnson seems almost natural, with the confrontation that follows providing a definitive commentary on Lovecraft's mythos. With A Fiend's Errand he realizes that giddy collision he teased in the intro, bringing Baker Johnson and Johnny Stücke (who fans know as Frankenstein's monster) together, connected by the vampire slaying kopis kept Johnson's infamous Black Room. This was the highlight of the collection for me in more ways than one, adding something to both characters, while also expanding upon their overall stories.
If you've yet to experience Terry M. West, then Baker (Demons and other Night Things) is definitely the place to start. It lays the groundwork, establishes the mythology, and introduces the characters through whom West works his magic. If you're already a fan, then the final two stories are worth the price of admission alone, working as they do to bring the universes together in an entirely satisfying manner.
Originally reviewed at Beauty in Ruins
The collection opens with the first two Baker Johnson Tales, The Giving of Things Cold & Cursed and Servant of the Red Quill (both of which I reviewed here). These are both fantastic stories, dark pieces of period fiction that hearken back to a time when the science of parapsychology was reaching its heights, and the genre of detective fiction was entering its golden age. The Dark Alp was a story I previously missed, but I loved its twist on the tale of a nightmare demon that chooses to feed upon the wrong man.
A Weird Tale is where West begins connecting his universes, picking up the story introduced at the end of Night Things: Undead and Kicking (which I reviewed here). The appearance of H.P. Lovecraft as a character is handled exceptionally well, and the passing of his nightmares to Baker Johnson seems almost natural, with the confrontation that follows providing a definitive commentary on Lovecraft's mythos. With A Fiend's Errand he realizes that giddy collision he teased in the intro, bringing Baker Johnson and Johnny Stücke (who fans know as Frankenstein's monster) together, connected by the vampire slaying kopis kept Johnson's infamous Black Room. This was the highlight of the collection for me in more ways than one, adding something to both characters, while also expanding upon their overall stories.
If you've yet to experience Terry M. West, then Baker (Demons and other Night Things) is definitely the place to start. It lays the groundwork, establishes the mythology, and introduces the characters through whom West works his magic. If you're already a fan, then the final two stories are worth the price of admission alone, working as they do to bring the universes together in an entirely satisfying manner.
Originally reviewed at Beauty in Ruins
Disclaimer: I received a complimentary ARC of this title from the publisher in exchange for review consideration. This does not in any way affect the honesty or sincerity of my review.
October 18, 2016
Smooth merge right ahead. Wow, LOVED IT!!!
Here we have the introduction of a Mr. Baker Johnson into the Night Things diverse monster universe. I am now current in that Night Things universe, having read all 4 of them but I'm still fairly new to Terry M. West's other works and hadn't yet heard of his Baker character, until this.
He seems like he WAS written for this series, seamlessly fits right into the eclectic mix.
He could so keep this series running for a very long time with all this material and that finely tuned creative and imaginative mind of his.
So, here we have 3 older ~ and previously unrelated to ~ stories and 2 brand spanking new ones, tightly weaving Baker into the that Night Things realm.
We first meet the Englishman Baker Johnson in THE GIVING OF THINGS COLD AND CURSED, when he moves into his late uncle's apartment to take care of the cursed items kept in The Black Room. Baker is a 2nd generation parapsychologist with a very unique skill set, he can also read people and objects with shockingly accurate detail. He doesn't consider himself clairvoyant, more so in the clairtangency range. I had to google that word, it is a real word. Lol
But UH-OH, in his Uncle Richard's late stages of dementia, he gave away all the cursed items, The Black Room site now sits empty...
Sherman is the long time building super/aspiring poet and assists Baker with his inquiries.
Not having much to protect, Baker makes a mini shrine in that room for his deceased daughter and wife, hangs a crucifix up to keep the room pure, then proceeds to drown himself in drink and questionable women.
Fancying himself happily retired, in SERVANT OF THE RED QUILL he's visited by an attorney with a lucrative, hard to pass up offer. His funds are running dangerously low, debts piling up....so, he reluctantly takes the job. Off to Yonkers for a little demon extinguishing venture.
His uncle had a financier and an hobnobbing business buddy by the name of Jeremiah Simms.
A rich old coot who's 20 something daughter, Nadia, is going through some demonic ordeals after coming in contact with a cursed book. She is a sensitive, yet old soul and highly susceptive to malignant messings.
Baker is an expert in such matters and gets right to work.
In DARK ALP, we find Baker thrust into a German dreamworld, bantering with an Alp demon. A nasty little demon fella who usually goes after slumbering young girls, eating their fears since they are so abundant and juicy....however he couldn't pass up a tease of a taste off the iconic Baker dish when the mouthwatering prospect served itself up.
Cocky little demon who's a little bit too big for his britches.
These first 3 stories take place in the roaring flapping 20's and Mr. West does a great job at capturing the ambiance, tone, and speak easy of the era.
Now in the mid 30's, an author of the ominously creepy known as Lovecraft requests a sit down with our Baker in A WEIRD TALE. Lovecraft is at death's door and plagued by other worldly nightmares and tortures. He had wished to meet with Baker to discuss those issues and share a secret regarding his writings.
Nightmares soon start to plague Baker as well, frustrating since he's always had a firm grasp of his dreams and not fooled by them.
A lot going on in this final story, THE FIEND'S ERRAND, Nadia Simms ~ who's an avid and loyal member of the paranormal research society and assists Baker and Sherman often, YAY for deep pockets ~ visits Baker's home after she herself was visited by a couple thugs looking for...The Kopis Sword.
A very mysterious and specific item that yields great power and responsibility. Aaand much undead annihilation potential.
Baker also meets the captivatingly alluring Zuzanna from Undead and Kicking, ~ ahhhh I really like that gal ~ it's in her very capable and charming hands to set up a meet and greet between Baker and none other than our very own Johnny Stucke.
I LOVE the Johnny Stucke character (my favorite of the monster bunch, and thankfully he's a big player in the whole series), he is so menacing, yet...charming and just a flat out all around cool dude....smooth criminal. hehe
Stucke desperately needs this sword and neeeeeds Baker to bring it to him, he offers lucrative payment as incentive, of course.
Retrieving the sword from his procured and secured stash and on the way to the drop point, Baker veers off on a little unintentional detour.
Turns out there may be more than just a little mystery and history going on with said sword aaaand our Baker.
Could there be more to Mr. Baker than we know....then he knows....
Who knows, 'cept our Mr. Terry M. West himself and I'm quite sure and quite confident he'll take great care of us regarding this game changing development.
And well, Stucke is impressed and that's good enough for me!!
Only time and more fantastic books from Mr. West will tell!
I'll be continuing on in my couch quest to find these answers.
Baker is a magnet for the macabre, that's for sure.
Baker the vampire...staker. Eh?
No, ok.
...sorry.
There you have it, 5 AWESOME, well written, and exciting stories intermingling the Mr. Baker Johnson character into the Night Things realm.
Baker followed the morning light until he stumbled upon the intruder in his kitchen. It was too early in the day for demons, so Baker was not surprised to see Sherman Drummond preparing coffee.
HAHAHAHA Yea, thank god demons need their down time too!!
Hilarious way with words as always, Mr. West!
BONUS!!!! A sneak peak into The Horde Frequency, this clip features the Hyde (yep).... conjoined twins and uh-oh....it's not all interlocking bliss between them boys.
Oh this is gonna be another great one...
Love Love LOVE Mr. West's unique and exhilarating take on our favorite movie monsters of yesteryear!! He really does do his homework too, no sloppiness or half assing found within his pages, he cares for and nurtures these legends as if they were his own...kin.
A true Class Act A+ Writer Extraordinaire, who's been around quite awhile and has earned the respect and admiration of many other writers. His What Price Gory supernatural short story collection should definitely be checked out by all lovers of the genre and of course his Car Nex legacy with countless other authors vying to put their spin on his creation.
I'm anxious to explore more of this exceptional writers vast library. :D
Here we have the introduction of a Mr. Baker Johnson into the Night Things diverse monster universe. I am now current in that Night Things universe, having read all 4 of them but I'm still fairly new to Terry M. West's other works and hadn't yet heard of his Baker character, until this.
He seems like he WAS written for this series, seamlessly fits right into the eclectic mix.
He could so keep this series running for a very long time with all this material and that finely tuned creative and imaginative mind of his.
So, here we have 3 older ~ and previously unrelated to ~ stories and 2 brand spanking new ones, tightly weaving Baker into the that Night Things realm.
We first meet the Englishman Baker Johnson in THE GIVING OF THINGS COLD AND CURSED, when he moves into his late uncle's apartment to take care of the cursed items kept in The Black Room. Baker is a 2nd generation parapsychologist with a very unique skill set, he can also read people and objects with shockingly accurate detail. He doesn't consider himself clairvoyant, more so in the clairtangency range. I had to google that word, it is a real word. Lol
But UH-OH, in his Uncle Richard's late stages of dementia, he gave away all the cursed items, The Black Room site now sits empty...
Sherman is the long time building super/aspiring poet and assists Baker with his inquiries.
Not having much to protect, Baker makes a mini shrine in that room for his deceased daughter and wife, hangs a crucifix up to keep the room pure, then proceeds to drown himself in drink and questionable women.
Fancying himself happily retired, in SERVANT OF THE RED QUILL he's visited by an attorney with a lucrative, hard to pass up offer. His funds are running dangerously low, debts piling up....so, he reluctantly takes the job. Off to Yonkers for a little demon extinguishing venture.
His uncle had a financier and an hobnobbing business buddy by the name of Jeremiah Simms.
A rich old coot who's 20 something daughter, Nadia, is going through some demonic ordeals after coming in contact with a cursed book. She is a sensitive, yet old soul and highly susceptive to malignant messings.
Baker is an expert in such matters and gets right to work.
In DARK ALP, we find Baker thrust into a German dreamworld, bantering with an Alp demon. A nasty little demon fella who usually goes after slumbering young girls, eating their fears since they are so abundant and juicy....however he couldn't pass up a tease of a taste off the iconic Baker dish when the mouthwatering prospect served itself up.
Cocky little demon who's a little bit too big for his britches.
These first 3 stories take place in the roaring flapping 20's and Mr. West does a great job at capturing the ambiance, tone, and speak easy of the era.
Now in the mid 30's, an author of the ominously creepy known as Lovecraft requests a sit down with our Baker in A WEIRD TALE. Lovecraft is at death's door and plagued by other worldly nightmares and tortures. He had wished to meet with Baker to discuss those issues and share a secret regarding his writings.
Nightmares soon start to plague Baker as well, frustrating since he's always had a firm grasp of his dreams and not fooled by them.
A lot going on in this final story, THE FIEND'S ERRAND, Nadia Simms ~ who's an avid and loyal member of the paranormal research society and assists Baker and Sherman often, YAY for deep pockets ~ visits Baker's home after she herself was visited by a couple thugs looking for...The Kopis Sword.
A very mysterious and specific item that yields great power and responsibility. Aaand much undead annihilation potential.
Baker also meets the captivatingly alluring Zuzanna from Undead and Kicking, ~ ahhhh I really like that gal ~ it's in her very capable and charming hands to set up a meet and greet between Baker and none other than our very own Johnny Stucke.
I LOVE the Johnny Stucke character (my favorite of the monster bunch, and thankfully he's a big player in the whole series), he is so menacing, yet...charming and just a flat out all around cool dude....smooth criminal. hehe
Stucke desperately needs this sword and neeeeeds Baker to bring it to him, he offers lucrative payment as incentive, of course.
Retrieving the sword from his procured and secured stash and on the way to the drop point, Baker veers off on a little unintentional detour.
Turns out there may be more than just a little mystery and history going on with said sword aaaand our Baker.
Could there be more to Mr. Baker than we know....then he knows....
Who knows, 'cept our Mr. Terry M. West himself and I'm quite sure and quite confident he'll take great care of us regarding this game changing development.
And well, Stucke is impressed and that's good enough for me!!
Only time and more fantastic books from Mr. West will tell!
I'll be continuing on in my couch quest to find these answers.
Baker is a magnet for the macabre, that's for sure.
Baker the vampire...staker. Eh?
No, ok.
...sorry.
There you have it, 5 AWESOME, well written, and exciting stories intermingling the Mr. Baker Johnson character into the Night Things realm.
Baker followed the morning light until he stumbled upon the intruder in his kitchen. It was too early in the day for demons, so Baker was not surprised to see Sherman Drummond preparing coffee.
HAHAHAHA Yea, thank god demons need their down time too!!
Hilarious way with words as always, Mr. West!
BONUS!!!! A sneak peak into The Horde Frequency, this clip features the Hyde (yep).... conjoined twins and uh-oh....it's not all interlocking bliss between them boys.
Oh this is gonna be another great one...
Love Love LOVE Mr. West's unique and exhilarating take on our favorite movie monsters of yesteryear!! He really does do his homework too, no sloppiness or half assing found within his pages, he cares for and nurtures these legends as if they were his own...kin.
A true Class Act A+ Writer Extraordinaire, who's been around quite awhile and has earned the respect and admiration of many other writers. His What Price Gory supernatural short story collection should definitely be checked out by all lovers of the genre and of course his Car Nex legacy with countless other authors vying to put their spin on his creation.
I'm anxious to explore more of this exceptional writers vast library. :D
August 5, 2020
Audible:This was good.It did not blow me away in story or narrator.Bryan L Anderson was a good narrator. I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.'
March 17, 2017
Ghoulishly fun supernatural mystery featuring our detective, Baker Johnson, (think Kolchak meets Sherlock) solving a case for *the* HP Lovecraft.
December 2, 2016
Baker Johnson has a gift and a curse. He has the ability to read people by just looking at them, but he is haunted by a dark past and doesn’t like to be close to people. At least not living ones. Baker is a demonologist, exorcist and keeper of cursed objects living in the 1930’s. Baker: Demons and other Night Things by Terry West includes 4 stories about Baker Johnson as he gets introduced into the Night Things universe.
The first story is The Giving Of Things Cold and Cursed and is about Baker inheriting his uncle’s Black Room where he kept cursed objects. To Baker’s surprise many of the objects have been given away and now he needs to clean up the mess. In this story we find out about Baker’s personality and why he does the things he does. Baker is a complex character, he uses his gift because he has to, but he isn’t happy, he just accepts it as his station in life.
The second story is The Servant Of The Red Quill. Here Baker is called to a home of a wealthy collector of Cursed objects, where he has to perform an exorcist on the man’s daughter who is being possessed by a spirit tied to a book written by Marquis de Sade. I loved the concept of this story, I loved that we learned more about The family Baker had and I liked how Baker acts when the demon uses Baker’s family against him. The Baker character grows in this story and I found myself starting to like him despite his flaws.
The next one is called The Dark Alp, this one once again has Baker grow as a character as we see him being haunted by a nightmare demon. Not everything is as it appears in this story, I loved the ending and I loved how once again Baker is confronted with the ghosts of his past but he shows that he is more powerful than his past. In all these stories I loved that there seemed to be a theme of not letting your past define you.
The last story called A Weird Tale ties Baker to the Night Things universe. The story opens with H.P. Lovecraft telling Baker that the old gods are coming and nothing can stop them from destroying the world. These words haunt Baker and that leads to a meeting with Johnny Stucke who pays Baker to hand over a cursed object that might change everything. We see a very different Baker in this story, he now has a team backing him up but he still has to contend with the darkness within. Once again I loved the ending and how it sets up future Night Things stories.
This book also includes a sample of Terry West’s next Night Thing book. If you are not familiar with Terry West’s work this is a good book to start with. West knows how to make memorable characters that are flawed and that you can relate to at the same time. What is interesting about Baker is that he has this dark history but despite that, he still tries to do the right thing and we see the character grow into a different person through each of these stories. Terry West knows what horror fans like to read and this book is a great example of how horror should be written.
The first story is The Giving Of Things Cold and Cursed and is about Baker inheriting his uncle’s Black Room where he kept cursed objects. To Baker’s surprise many of the objects have been given away and now he needs to clean up the mess. In this story we find out about Baker’s personality and why he does the things he does. Baker is a complex character, he uses his gift because he has to, but he isn’t happy, he just accepts it as his station in life.
The second story is The Servant Of The Red Quill. Here Baker is called to a home of a wealthy collector of Cursed objects, where he has to perform an exorcist on the man’s daughter who is being possessed by a spirit tied to a book written by Marquis de Sade. I loved the concept of this story, I loved that we learned more about The family Baker had and I liked how Baker acts when the demon uses Baker’s family against him. The Baker character grows in this story and I found myself starting to like him despite his flaws.
The next one is called The Dark Alp, this one once again has Baker grow as a character as we see him being haunted by a nightmare demon. Not everything is as it appears in this story, I loved the ending and I loved how once again Baker is confronted with the ghosts of his past but he shows that he is more powerful than his past. In all these stories I loved that there seemed to be a theme of not letting your past define you.
The last story called A Weird Tale ties Baker to the Night Things universe. The story opens with H.P. Lovecraft telling Baker that the old gods are coming and nothing can stop them from destroying the world. These words haunt Baker and that leads to a meeting with Johnny Stucke who pays Baker to hand over a cursed object that might change everything. We see a very different Baker in this story, he now has a team backing him up but he still has to contend with the darkness within. Once again I loved the ending and how it sets up future Night Things stories.
This book also includes a sample of Terry West’s next Night Thing book. If you are not familiar with Terry West’s work this is a good book to start with. West knows how to make memorable characters that are flawed and that you can relate to at the same time. What is interesting about Baker is that he has this dark history but despite that, he still tries to do the right thing and we see the character grow into a different person through each of these stories. Terry West knows what horror fans like to read and this book is a great example of how horror should be written.
October 28, 2016
“Baker(Demons and other Night Things)” consists of five ‘Baker’ stories(“The Giving of Things Cold and Cursed”,”Servants of the Red Quill”,”The Dark Alp”,”A Weird Tale”,”A Fiend’s Errand”).
With “Baker”, author Terry M. West seamlessly introduces Baker into “The Night Things” universe. Baker is a character ripped from the pages of centuries past and meshes well with the new universe and characters. The author’s well crafted world and characters leave me eagerly waiting for more of Baker in The Night Things setting.
“The Dark Alp” is an interesting read that has Baker facing off with a nightmare demon. This was a refreshing story and spin that I didn’t expect but I loved it. One thing I keep thinking of when reading the Baker stories is …. ‘Baker reminds me so much of Sherlock Holmes’. Maybe it’s just me but it is what it is. Overall, I would give “The Dark Alp” 4/5 skulls.
“A Weird Tale” finds Baker meeting up with H.P. Lovecraft. A story that was at the end of “Night Things: Undead and Kicking”. The meeting between the characters was such a joy to read and experience. After the meeting, Baker is burdened by the same nightmares of Mr. Lovecraft. A maddening vision of an ancient evil that will send the world to it’s end. This story for me ended too soon and I wish we could have gotten more from this. Still it’s a worthy read and I give it 4/5 skulls.
In “A Fiend’s Errand”, the author,places Baker squarely in “The Night Things” universe leading to the meeting of Baker and Johnny Stucke. Baker has an artifact held in his ‘Black Room’ that can aid Stucke , but will Baker willingly hand over the item and help Stucke’s cause. This is an epic meeting that is just a tease for what I hope is to come.
Overall “Baker(Demons and other Night Things)” is a great collection that gathers the original stories and adds the new stories. It’s a good read read for any horror fan and a book that I wholeheartedly recommend.
With “Baker”, author Terry M. West seamlessly introduces Baker into “The Night Things” universe. Baker is a character ripped from the pages of centuries past and meshes well with the new universe and characters. The author’s well crafted world and characters leave me eagerly waiting for more of Baker in The Night Things setting.
“The Dark Alp” is an interesting read that has Baker facing off with a nightmare demon. This was a refreshing story and spin that I didn’t expect but I loved it. One thing I keep thinking of when reading the Baker stories is …. ‘Baker reminds me so much of Sherlock Holmes’. Maybe it’s just me but it is what it is. Overall, I would give “The Dark Alp” 4/5 skulls.
“A Weird Tale” finds Baker meeting up with H.P. Lovecraft. A story that was at the end of “Night Things: Undead and Kicking”. The meeting between the characters was such a joy to read and experience. After the meeting, Baker is burdened by the same nightmares of Mr. Lovecraft. A maddening vision of an ancient evil that will send the world to it’s end. This story for me ended too soon and I wish we could have gotten more from this. Still it’s a worthy read and I give it 4/5 skulls.
In “A Fiend’s Errand”, the author,places Baker squarely in “The Night Things” universe leading to the meeting of Baker and Johnny Stucke. Baker has an artifact held in his ‘Black Room’ that can aid Stucke , but will Baker willingly hand over the item and help Stucke’s cause. This is an epic meeting that is just a tease for what I hope is to come.
Overall “Baker(Demons and other Night Things)” is a great collection that gathers the original stories and adds the new stories. It’s a good read read for any horror fan and a book that I wholeheartedly recommend.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews