Firebug

by Robert Bloch

His name is Philip Dempster.

Where he goes, fire follows.

Investigating a number of phony "churches," Dempster becomes caught up in a web of intrigue, arson, and murder. Shortly after he visits each tabernacle, the building goes up in flames -- often with the preacher still inside.

Each time, Dempster is found near the fire, not knowing what he is doing there or why he is wandering the night-darkened streets. Each night, Philip Dempster dreams of flames and death.

Is Dempster the firebug, or merely an innocent victim? He must learn the truth before his sanity crumbles to white-hot ash.

Genres: Horror, Fiction, Mystery, Thriller

215 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1961

About the author

Robert Albert Bloch was a prolific American writer. He was the son of Raphael "Ray" Bloch (1884, Chicago-1952, Chicago), a bank cashier, and his wife Stella Loeb (1880, Attica, Indiana-1944, Milwaukee, WI), a social worker, both of German-Jewish descent.

Bloch wrote hundreds of short stories and over twenty novels, usually crime fiction, science fiction, and, perhaps most influentially, horror fiction (Psycho). He was one of the youngest members of the Lovecraft Circle; Lovecraft was Bloch's mentor and one of the first to seriously encourage his talent.

He was a contributor to pulp magazines such as Weird Tales in his early career, and was also a prolific screenwriter. He was the recipient of the Hugo Award (for his story "That Hell-Bound Train"), the Bram Stoker Award, and the World Fantasy Award. He served a term as president of the Mystery Writers of America.

Robert Bloch was also a major contributor to science fiction fanzines and fandom in general. In the 1940s, he created the humorous character Lefty Feep in a story for Fantastic Adventures. He also worked for a time in local vaudeville, and tried to break into writing for nationally-known performers. He was a good friend of the science fiction writer Stanley G. Weinbaum. In the 1960's, he wrote 3 stories for Star Trek.

Reviews

[Craig · Rating 3 out of 5]

This isn't a horror novel, despite the genre label on the spine of my 1988 Tor edition. It's a noir/crime novel with some detective and psychological elements circling a journalist investigating cult membership and activity. It was published initially by Regency Books in 1961, and the editor at the time was none other than Harlan Ellison, who also added an uncredited 1,200-word chapter number zero to the front of this novel before it was published. It's very much a 1961 book, with the social and sexual conventions of that time taken as given. There are a few really funny lines, as one would expect from Bloch, and I was surprised by some of the observations of cult beliefs of the time, and how similar they sound to political party memberships and fanaticism of our current time. It's an enjoyable period piece, but not one of his best works.

[Lee Foust · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is, to me, who loves both Noir and horror, a perfect hybrid gem. I don't usually go as high as four stars for a pulp, but, well, this one's in the Jim Thompson/H. P. Lovecraft zone. It's got the pithy, hard-boiled newspaperman narrator, the grisly reoccurring dream motif, and an engrossing series of blazing murders that eventually fall into the mystery format when the killer is revealed--oh, and then there's a sardonic twist. Also there's something for the intellectual in me--although, admittedly, I was reading this to avoid another hundred pages of The Tale of Genji and his many interchangeable mannered medieval seductions. The novel's occasional reflections on cults, fire in imagination, culture, and psychiatry, and even alcoholism, were none of them too shallow, laughable, or cringe-worthy. Also there was a black character and neighborhood setting without any overt racism--sad to praise that, I know, but, well, the pulps... (Also extra points for incredibly lurid and tacky 1980s pocketbook cover! Looks like a David Bowie character. Heh heh.)

Oh, yeah, it also features best pulp line ever: "Pyromaniacs of the world ... ignite!" Pretty sure that pun was the spark that...--oh, I see what you did there.

[Emanuela · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ed eccomi alla fine di questo libretto di cui già sento la mancanza!
Ebbene sì me ne vergogno ma non ho ancora letto nulla di Bloch, ma questo primo approccio con lui non mi lascia indifferente.
Il protagonista di questo romanzo è un uomo ambiguo, scrittore con un passato da giornalista, tormentato da un incubo terribile che ha a che fare col fuoco e con persone che bruciano.
Ecco perché quando cominciano a bruciare misteriosamente le sedi di alcune sette in città su cui sta scrivendo un articolo, vive l’angoscia di non capire se possa essere lui il piromane colpevole.

Mi sono ritrovata in uno dei migliori noir che abbia letto, con un protagonista molto interessante, a tutto tondo, ben caratterizzato e che si porta dietro i suoi demoni personali che riusciremo davvero a comprendere solo verso la fine del libro.
Le atmosfere sono surreali, claustrofobiche, con un senso di minaccia che regna e sembra inseguirci dalla prima all’ultima pagina.
Il caso è molto ben costruito: io mi sono ritrovata a sospettare di tutti a turno e, fino alle ultimissime pagine, non ero certa nemmeno che il protagonista non avrebbe tirato fuori una sorpresa all’ultimo istante.
Anche le motivazioni degli avvenimenti sono rese molto bene e risultano ben integrate con l’azione, pur riportando elementi di psicologia, di sociologia e legali.

Non sono solo d’accordo con la classificazione del genere, perché io qui di horror ci ho trovato realmente solo la scena dell’incubo, descritta nelle prime pagine, ma questo non toglie per niente valore o pathos alla storia, anzi credo ci voglia un autore davvero bravo per riuscire a costruire e portare fino in fondo atmosfere come queste, senza inserirci a tutti i costi scene spaventose che sicuramente facilitano l’obiettivo.

[Missy (myweereads) · Rating 2 out of 5]

“Fire is life and it’s death, too, and that’s why it’s so fascinating to watch it. To see it live and burn.”

Firebug by Robert Bloch is about an author called Philip Dempster who is asked to investigate a collective of cults with suspicious activity surrounding them. After agreeing to this Philip goes to investigate these churches and is caught up in not one but several murders caused by an outbreak of fire. This investigation lures him in and takes over his life.

As expected there’s a lot more to this story than meets the eye. We have our protagonist Philip who is troubled by a dream where he sees a face and he can’t quite explain this. He’s fast becoming an alcoholic and so takes on this investigation when it’s presented to him. He does his homework on the cults in the area and is tasked to go to one of the meetings until he meets a mysterious women with whom he is mesmerised. After almost becoming blackout drunk she drives him home and leaves him and it’s not until the following morning its reported that a fire blazed through the home of one of the cult leaders and with it killed some of its members. One after another there’s more blazes and Philip is questioned in relation to these as he is mysteriously close to the scene of the crime.

All this sounds fantastic and it is great to read in the first half of the novel. Like Bloch’s infamous Psycho theres a great sense of thriller and mystery behind these fires and who is responsible, however it then becomes quite predictable. The ending for me was one that didn’t surprise me at all, the inner monologue of Philip in relation with his dreams was interesting to read, his talks with a doctor were also a high point. Apart from those parts the novel became a little underwhelming and I had to finish it to see how Bloch ended this particular story.

All in all it was an okay read and I’m glad to have ticked it off my tbr list.

[Maureen · Rating 1 out of 5]

i've been told that psycho is worth reading. i certainly love the film but i'm almost afraid to read the book after this, my second attempt at a robert bloch novel. it was kind of boring even though there was a lot of fires being set, cultists, and a sex scene. and i knew right away what the ending was going to be. sometimes the language was so purple i wondered if he was asphixiated himself on it, and not the billowing smoke of the fires that raged through the novel.

[Jay Rothermel · Rating 2 out of 5]

Fairly low-ebb and airless Bloch, pushing the pulp but wearing out. Hard to believe the same author wrote something as pitent as Psycho only three years previously.

Theme: Arson is a historical universal in all ages and all regions.

Dark desires permeate each page of Bloch's Firebug. But whose desires? It's hard to distinguish, since this is a populous mileu strait out of Wilder's film of Jackson's The Lost Weekend.

Bloch offers plenty of his own thirsty blasphemies as his narrator/writer/drinker/nightmare drinker Dempster (Dumpster?) looks into local storefront cults using fiery allegory to foreshadow their eventual arson deaths.
A cult of Black fire walkers gets some good press.

[Billy · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's very well written, and the killer using fire as their weapon is cool. The book felt repetitive at parts, and the thrill was barely there. the ending with the killer reveal was probably my favorite part, so unhinged. But all in all this book won't wow you but it is a quick and fun ride.

My Current Robert Bloch Rankings
1. 5* (1959) Psycho
2. 4* (1954) The Kidnapper
3. 3* (1947) The Scarf
4. 3* (1961) Firebug

[S. Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Firebug, written by Psycho author Robert Bloch, follows the misadventures of journalist-turned-novelist-turned-journalist Philip Dempster. Haunted by nightmares and unable to write, Dempster decides to pick up some extra cash writing exposes of local cults for the city paper. Unfortunately, he soon finds himself caught up in multiple homicides by arson, which unfortunately taps into his hidden fears and dark past. While Firebug appears to be sold as a horror novel, it's really more of a straight crime novel with a heavy emphasis on psychology, with Dempster as the reporter turned gumshoe anti-hero who stumbles reluctantly head-first into an investigation. Written in first-person autobiography style, the novel remains entirely in Dempster's head, with occasional hints to him possibly being an unreliable narrator, adding him to the growing list of potential suspects as the story progresses. As with most crime fiction, Firebug has its fair share of red herrings and red hot women, but the hesitance and ambiguous nature of the narrator's emotions maintains an uneven keel that points the story towards the realm of psychological horror. The ending is somewhat predictable, yet not necessarily unsatisfying.

Considering that Firebug was written and published while Bloch was working a screenwriter for film and television, it's interesting that there was never an adaptation of Firebug to either, although the most obvious reason might be that the psychological aspects of the novel would ultimately result in unfair or unkind comparisons to Psycho. Also interesting is that Harlan Ellison, editor at Regency Books at the time it was published, contributed an opening Chapter 0 that introduces the narrator through his nightmarish dreams. The writing itself has the standard elements of narrator-drive crime fiction such as clever asides and colorful description, and Bloch's use of language when describing fire is especially captivating.

Of course, when reading crime fiction from over fifty years ago, sometimes passages that must have seemed mundane at the time jump out at you. On top of the many references to "Negroes" in later chapters, it is one piece of dialogue from the newspaper editor on page 117, in which he discusses the "psychos" running around the city, that caught my attention:

"So we've got a city full of offbeats. People who walk around talking to themselves. People who sleep with guns under their pillows because they're afraid somebody is out to get them. People who make homemade bombs, who poison dogs, who chain their kids of their wives up in attics. Rapists. Rippers. Guys who go after women with whips and razor-blades. Homos."

It's unsettling enough to see homosexuality lumped in with rapists and murderers, but the way in which it's used as a full stop at the end of a litany of lunatics drives the stark reality of that context home like a stick in the eye, and the fact that homosexuality isn't referenced anywhere else in the novel underlines the casual nature with which it was added to the list meant to illustrate that "People are naturally vicious." Just another example of how popular culture in the form of entertainment can be an effective societal barometer.

However, I don't mean to imply that the novel should be judged on this moment alone, and despite any semantic issues, Firebug is a solid crime novel by a historic American author well worth reading.

[Carlos Santiago · Rating 4 out of 5]

Un thriller oscuro con un protagonista de psicologia apasionante, muy bien narrado y con una historia intrigante. Yo hubiera tirado más por el lado pesadillesco y de horror onírico que la novela solo toca superficialmente, porque es casi lo mejor de la obra, pero igualmente esta bastante bien. Eso si, el giro de quien era el piromano me lo vi venir.

[Cole Beyer · Rating 4 out of 5]

An undiscovered little noir gem, a genre which Bloch's efficient and introspective writing style is perfectly suited to. While not a horror story, there is a noticeable and appreciated touch of Psycho in this short novel, which is equal parts noir murder mystery and psychological thriller.

[Hazy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bit on the cheesy side with a crapload of puns, but I like the plot in general and Bloch's a good storyteller.

[M.H. Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Slow start, but once it got going, was a fun read!

[Shane Anderson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dated story elements. Pretty great prose.

[David Stephens · Rating 2 out of 5]

Philip Dempster has a phobia of fire. He has a recurring dream where an unnamed woman is burned in front of him, and the only way he can avoid it is by drinking excessively. Since these issues are causing him problems writing his latest book, he accepts a job offer from the local newspaper to do a series on the local cults (Philip being something of an expert on the subject). On the way to his first assignment, he chickens out and heads for a nearby bar. After a few too many drinks, he ends up witnessing the church he was supposed to be observing burn to the ground. With only a hazy memory of the events, Philip must discover the arsonist and possibly find that he himself is secretly a pyromaniac—in other words, a firebug. Of course, it's not long after this first fire that another cult building is torched and the town is set on edge.

Pulp legend Robert Bloch doesn't stray far from his typical formula here. With Philip, he creates a protagonist with a nebulous memory and a past he is unwilling to confront. He surrounds Philip with plenty of shady characters: Diana, a girl he meets the night of the first fire; Ed Cronin, his employer at the newspaper who has a strong dislike of cults; Weatherbee, a man who seems to have some shady business dealings with some of the cults; and a mysterious pale-faced cultist who has a knack for disappearing as quickly as he arrives. These characters are all, of course, paper thin; their emotions and motivations seem to twist around with the slightest provocation.

Bloch also writes in his typical rough, utilitarian fashion. Rarely does he use a word that is not absolutely necessary to propel the action. Yet, while his writing may be nothing to brag about, he does actually manage to slip a few nicely descriptive passages into this book. They may be few and far between, but they are occasionally present.

For all that is lackluster about the novel, there are some positive qualities as well. Bloch inserts a few decent discussions about psychology—however shallow and outdated the comments may be. He illuminates aspects of human nature by showing why people might be drawn to cults. Perhaps most importantly in a book like this, though, he creates an intriguing story that manages to suck the reader in. For most of the duration of the book, I found myself pretty well immersed in the story. It certainly runs out of steam by the end, but at least it was a somewhat entertaining ride until then.

[Beelzefuzz · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is not a horror novel. I assume it was marketed as such because a pulp detective novel by Bloch may not have sold as well at the time. It is a fun read if you like hard boiled fiction, and it even has a few decent attempts at dialogue in that genre. However, this book very much shows its age around page 100 (of 215) when the terrible pop psychology is introduced to explain everything. There is also the recurring problem of terrible puns that make you want to shut the book --these pick up in pace after page 100 as well. The main character has a fear of fire, and we are often given inner monologues such as "the burning question is" where burning is italicized, then just that word is repeated in the character's head and he is scared of it. This happens far too much. I could excuse it if the conclusion were at all interesting, but it is a pretty straightforward whodunnit with few useful clues to let you guess at the answer.

I am glad I read it, but if I had a time machine, somewhere far down on my list of things to do would be to talk myself out of bothering to read this.

[Su Schism]

Las expectativas que crea un autor consagrado con obras como "Psicosis", logran que la siguiente obra se lea con ansia y emoción.

Firebug (Pirómano, en español) no es ni por asomo la mejor novela de Robert Bloch. La premisa es fascinante, más nunca llega a un nudo que se sienta hasta en la boca del estómago. La novela es precoz, sin brillo (a pesar de tanto fuego) y con un final que te deja con más preguntas que respuestas (siendo estas últimas rápidas, mediocres, en pocas palabras: sacadas de la manga).

Es una lastima encontrar un libro con tanto potencial (sectas religiosas, lavados intensos de cerebros, fuego, sueños extraños, mezcla de la realidad con la fantasía, todo con un toque de prepotencia increíble) tan desperdiciado.

[Jorge · Rating 4 out of 5]

En definitiva un tema muy interesante que te mantiene pegado al libro ya que el personaje te hace dudar de el mismo y eso le agrega sorpresa a los sucesos y a las reacciones de Phil. Aun así creo que el tono y el lenguaje son algo civilizados, hubiera preferido descripciones mas salvajes y burdas así como un ambiente mas oscuro y que hiciera mas difícil el predecir los desenlaces de cada suceso. Pero es en definitiva un libro que se disfruta. Julio 2012

[John Cooke · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've read FIREBUG by Robert Bloch before, when I was a teenager. It's good to read it again, though it's less impressive this time. It has some great stuff in it, but the mystery/solution aspect is not handled too well. It's a clever psychological thriller but not as good as THE SCARF or PSYCHO.

[Halalilodri · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sekten in einer amerikanischen Stadt sollen von einem Journalisten unter die Lupe genommen werden. Der Feuerteufel geht mit um.

[Tanner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not what I'd expected, but good all the same.

[Daniel · Rating 2 out of 5]

Found this at a yard sale. Its old and tells a predictable tale about pyros and a bit of sleuthing thrown in for good measure. I had to finish it because I started it, but it is forgetable. Meh.

[Robin Nelson Moore · Rating 3 out of 5]

Of course I have read better books by this writer. But, this wasn't a bad .