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The Transfer
I heard the curious little wail of the child's crying, with the effect, wholly unaccountable, that every nerve in my body shot its bolt electrically, bringing me to my feet with a tingling of unequivocal alarm.
10 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1912
1 person is currently reading
19 people want to read
About the author
Algernon Blackwood
1,339 books1,176 followersAlgernon Henry Blackwood (1869–1951) was an English broadcasting narrator, journalist, novelist and short story writer, and among the most prolific ghost story writers in the history of the genre. The literary critic S. T. Joshi stated, "His work is more consistently meritorious than any weird writer's except Dunsany's" and that his short story collection Incredible Adventures (1914) "may be the premier weird collection of this or any other century".
Blackwood was born in Shooter's Hill (today part of south-east London, but then part of northwest Kent) and educated at Wellington College. His father was a Post Office administrator who, according to Peter Penzoldt, "though not devoid of genuine good-heartedness, had appallingly narrow religious ideas." Blackwood had a varied career, farming in Canada, operating a hotel, as a newspaper reporter in New York City, and, throughout his adult life, an occasional essayist for various periodicals. In his late thirties, he moved back to England and started to write stories of the supernatural. He was very successful, writing at least ten original collections of short stories and eventually appearing on both radio and television to tell them. He also wrote fourteen novels, several children's books, and a number of plays, most of which were produced but not published. He was an avid lover of nature and the outdoors, and many of his stories reflect this.
H.P. Lovecraft wrote of Blackwood: "He is the one absolute and unquestioned master of weird atmosphere." His powerful story "The Willows," which effectively describes another dimension impinging upon our own, was reckoned by Lovecraft to be not only "foremost of all" Blackwood's tales but the best "weird tale" of all time.
Among his thirty-odd books, Blackwood wrote a series of stories and short novels published as John Silence, Physician Extraordinary (1908), which featured a "psychic detective" who combined the skills of a Sherlock Holmes and a psychic medium. Blackwood also wrote light fantasy and juvenile books.
Blackwood was born in Shooter's Hill (today part of south-east London, but then part of northwest Kent) and educated at Wellington College. His father was a Post Office administrator who, according to Peter Penzoldt, "though not devoid of genuine good-heartedness, had appallingly narrow religious ideas." Blackwood had a varied career, farming in Canada, operating a hotel, as a newspaper reporter in New York City, and, throughout his adult life, an occasional essayist for various periodicals. In his late thirties, he moved back to England and started to write stories of the supernatural. He was very successful, writing at least ten original collections of short stories and eventually appearing on both radio and television to tell them. He also wrote fourteen novels, several children's books, and a number of plays, most of which were produced but not published. He was an avid lover of nature and the outdoors, and many of his stories reflect this.
H.P. Lovecraft wrote of Blackwood: "He is the one absolute and unquestioned master of weird atmosphere." His powerful story "The Willows," which effectively describes another dimension impinging upon our own, was reckoned by Lovecraft to be not only "foremost of all" Blackwood's tales but the best "weird tale" of all time.
Among his thirty-odd books, Blackwood wrote a series of stories and short novels published as John Silence, Physician Extraordinary (1908), which featured a "psychic detective" who combined the skills of a Sherlock Holmes and a psychic medium. Blackwood also wrote light fantasy and juvenile books.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
October 20, 2020
OH NO! SPOOKTOBER!
fulfilling my shortie Spooktober challenge to read one spooky short story a day.
Day one: The Magic Shop by H.G. Wells
Day two: Everything's Fine by Matthew Pridham
Day three: It Came From Hell and Smashed the Angels by Gregor Xane
Day four: Sometimes They Come Back by Stephen King
Day five: The Curse of Yig by H.P. Lovecraft
Day six: The Spook House by Ambrose Bierce
Day seven: An Account of Some Strange Disturbances in Aungier Street by J. Sheridan Le Fanu
Day eight: The Murders in the Rue Morgue by Edgar Allan Poe
Day nine: Graveyard Shift by Stephen King
Day ten: Bitter Grounds by Neil Gaiman
Day eleven: Finding Emma by Matthew Iden
Day twelve: To Be Read at Dusk by Charles Dickens
Day thirteen: Children of the Corn by Stephen King
Day fourteen:The Lady Maid's Bell by Edith Wharton
Day fifteen: The Black Cat by Edgar Allan Poe
Day sixteen: Four Wooden Stakes by Victor Roman
Day seventeen: Carmilla by J. Sheridan Le Fanu
Day eighteen: For the Blood is the Life by F. Marion Crawford
I had always heard of Algernon Blackwood as being one of the forerunners of the gothic ghost story. However, when I finally got to read something he wrote it was like
Maybe I read the wrong story, but this one just did not do it for me at all. Possibly it was that I read it is part of an awesome classic vampire anthology and the “vampire” in question was of the psychic variety instead of the bloodsucking variety. Or maybe it was just not even scary. Not even the littlest bit. Or maybe it was the lazy storytelling from an outside perspective that made the whole story seem disjointed and weak. Or maybe it was the classic Man vs Nature conflict that should have been good but was just missing something.
Psychic vampires are unique because they really do exist. Have you ever had a person in your life that just seemed to suck the energy from you every single time you were around them? And that ordinarily you would dismiss said person and their bad juju from your life except that sometimes you just seem magnetically drawn to this life sucker? Then you’ve had an encounter with a psychic vampire. They are usually, as in the case of the one in this story, charismatic, successful, and magnetic. But they are also usually transient, drifting among different groups of people for short times instead of having one social group. I have known a few in my life, and if you ever have the misfortune of getting involved with one, you learn how to spot the rest pretty easily. And if there are ever two in the same social circle, watch out because one of them is going to win and one is going to lose.
But what happens when one of them isn’t human?
See what I did there? I made this story sound interesting. And my two paragraph review or synopsis of the thing is actually more interesting than the story itself which was weird. It is told from the perspective of a clairvoyant governess working for the family of vampire numero uno, and I don’t quite understand her character. We are told she is clairvoyant, but it almost seemed as if I was missing her half of the story, or as if this was some sort of continuation because none of the characters felt fully developed. I wanted to know about our psychic vampire but I only got a secondhand viewpoint from the governess, but we are supposed to believe her because she is clairvoyant and can see inside his mind. Blah. I don’t care if this is classic or not, that is lazy storytelling 101.
So this was a miss for me and the one to round out my little vampire weekend I had, but I did read some good ones also. Can’t win em all.
2 stars for concept alone.
fulfilling my shortie Spooktober challenge to read one spooky short story a day.
Day one: The Magic Shop by H.G. Wells
Day two: Everything's Fine by Matthew Pridham
Day three: It Came From Hell and Smashed the Angels by Gregor Xane
Day four: Sometimes They Come Back by Stephen King
Day five: The Curse of Yig by H.P. Lovecraft
Day six: The Spook House by Ambrose Bierce
Day seven: An Account of Some Strange Disturbances in Aungier Street by J. Sheridan Le Fanu
Day eight: The Murders in the Rue Morgue by Edgar Allan Poe
Day nine: Graveyard Shift by Stephen King
Day ten: Bitter Grounds by Neil Gaiman
Day eleven: Finding Emma by Matthew Iden
Day twelve: To Be Read at Dusk by Charles Dickens
Day thirteen: Children of the Corn by Stephen King
Day fourteen:The Lady Maid's Bell by Edith Wharton
Day fifteen: The Black Cat by Edgar Allan Poe
Day sixteen: Four Wooden Stakes by Victor Roman
Day seventeen: Carmilla by J. Sheridan Le Fanu
Day eighteen: For the Blood is the Life by F. Marion Crawford
I had always heard of Algernon Blackwood as being one of the forerunners of the gothic ghost story. However, when I finally got to read something he wrote it was like
Maybe I read the wrong story, but this one just did not do it for me at all. Possibly it was that I read it is part of an awesome classic vampire anthology and the “vampire” in question was of the psychic variety instead of the bloodsucking variety. Or maybe it was just not even scary. Not even the littlest bit. Or maybe it was the lazy storytelling from an outside perspective that made the whole story seem disjointed and weak. Or maybe it was the classic Man vs Nature conflict that should have been good but was just missing something.
Psychic vampires are unique because they really do exist. Have you ever had a person in your life that just seemed to suck the energy from you every single time you were around them? And that ordinarily you would dismiss said person and their bad juju from your life except that sometimes you just seem magnetically drawn to this life sucker? Then you’ve had an encounter with a psychic vampire. They are usually, as in the case of the one in this story, charismatic, successful, and magnetic. But they are also usually transient, drifting among different groups of people for short times instead of having one social group. I have known a few in my life, and if you ever have the misfortune of getting involved with one, you learn how to spot the rest pretty easily. And if there are ever two in the same social circle, watch out because one of them is going to win and one is going to lose.
But what happens when one of them isn’t human?
See what I did there? I made this story sound interesting. And my two paragraph review or synopsis of the thing is actually more interesting than the story itself which was weird. It is told from the perspective of a clairvoyant governess working for the family of vampire numero uno, and I don’t quite understand her character. We are told she is clairvoyant, but it almost seemed as if I was missing her half of the story, or as if this was some sort of continuation because none of the characters felt fully developed. I wanted to know about our psychic vampire but I only got a secondhand viewpoint from the governess, but we are supposed to believe her because she is clairvoyant and can see inside his mind. Blah. I don’t care if this is classic or not, that is lazy storytelling 101.
So this was a miss for me and the one to round out my little vampire weekend I had, but I did read some good ones also. Can’t win em all.
2 stars for concept alone.
November 7, 2018
Like I did last year during the dark and cold season, I lined up a few individual vampire short stories that I didn't feel like reading as part of any collections. The Transfer is my first introduction to Blackwood, and although it's kind of interesting and bizarre (psychic vampires are nothing new, but the other concept felt fresh for the time period), overall it just felt more like an OK middle of the road story. I was aware beforehand that Blackwood is a master of describing dread, though, and my expectations were definitely met here. Consider me intrigued.
August 12, 2021
This was an odd one, a sensitive governess Miss Gould, who dislikes both a rich man, Uncle Frank Frene, and an oddly bare patch in the garden where the gardeners cannot get anything to grow.
Uncle Frank is what I would call an emotional vampire; you know the type?
And little Jamie does not like him. So when the bare patch tries to suck Uncle Frank in, he tries to get Jamie to walk over to replace him. Miss Gould orders the child NOT to move.
Very odd psychic battle... kind of thing. Quite ominous, really.
2 stars
Uncle Frank is what I would call an emotional vampire; you know the type?
He was a supreme, unconscious artist in the science of taking the fruits of others' work and living--for his own advantage. He vampired, unknowingly no doubt, every one with whom he came in contact; left them exhausted, tired, listless. Others fed him, so that while in a full room he shone, alone by himself and with no life to draw upon he languished and declined. In the man's immediate neighbourhood you felt his presence draining you; he took your ideas, your strength, your very words, and later used them for his own benefit and aggrandizement.
And little Jamie does not like him. So when the bare patch tries to suck Uncle Frank in, he tries to get Jamie to walk over to replace him. Miss Gould orders the child NOT to move.
Very odd psychic battle... kind of thing. Quite ominous, really.
2 stars
August 14, 2023
A twist on the vampire tale where a man, Mr. Frene senior is able to absorb and drain the energy, ideas and prosperity of those around him to his own benefit, comes across a mysterious dead spot of ground on his brother's property. The treeless, flowerless dead spot is felt by the clairvoyant governess who is the narrator, also to be hungry, drawing the two forces into conflict with Mr. Frene senior being drawn inexplicably to the dead spot.
August 2, 2021
"The Transfer" by Algernon Blackwood receives four stars from me. It's a different kind of vampire story.
I don't want to give anything away, so I'll just discuss what I liked about the story. I loved the mood set by the narrator. I liked her retelling of the events. I loved the description of Mr. Frene. It gave a mysterious air while being direct.
I found this story both on YouTube and as a pdf online. I Listened to it being read by the channel HorrorBabble. I thought is reading was excellent.
recommended: yes. It's a good story and very easy to read and get the ideas. I will investigate Blackwood more in the future.
I don't want to give anything away, so I'll just discuss what I liked about the story. I loved the mood set by the narrator. I liked her retelling of the events. I loved the description of Mr. Frene. It gave a mysterious air while being direct.
I found this story both on YouTube and as a pdf online. I Listened to it being read by the channel HorrorBabble. I thought is reading was excellent.
recommended: yes. It's a good story and very easy to read and get the ideas. I will investigate Blackwood more in the future.
April 19, 2023
This is a rather strange story. It is about an odd patch of ground, a social vampire, and a governess named Miss Gould. In some ways, this story is about the battle between the patch of ground and the social vampire (Mr. Frene, senior), and yet the story is something odd.
Miss Gould, for example, doesn't know why the elder Mr. Frene is to appear at the home. First, she mentions maybe it had something to do with Jamie (her charge), but latterly she mentioned it had something to do with some financial business.
Here is the first instance:
Here is the second instance:
Now, one must wonder--why does this story change? For, if before she mentions Jamie, why doesn't she mention him later? His presence seems to give more to the idea of finance, because the vagueness of whose finance in question is implicated.
There are other elements like this. The most striking, perhaps, is that our governess is the only one capable of seeing what happened. Another is that she is clearly showing that she is unaware of certain things. She doesn't know, and will never know, why Mr. Frene came down, which prompts us readers to question why Algernon would add such a detail.
It is precisely this dissonance between reality and her mind which is suggestive. We may say that Mr. Frene probably understands what happened, and we can probably say the same about Jamie. He was in some hysterical fit when Frene appeared, and he played often in the barren field--fed it, even. He knew. That our narrator is so vague on her feet, that she doesn't know so much, and that she can see what she saw and it's consequences--(the totally fall of the once enormous personality of Mr. Frene)--seems to me what Blackwood was aiming at.
Miss Gould, for example, doesn't know why the elder Mr. Frene is to appear at the home. First, she mentions maybe it had something to do with Jamie (her charge), but latterly she mentioned it had something to do with some financial business.
Here is the first instance:
"I also knew that his visit was concerned somehow with the future welfare of little Jamie, Gladys’ seven-year-old brother."
Here is the second instance:
"The visit clearly had to do with something on the uglier side of life—money, settlements, or what not; I never knew exactly; only that his parents were anxious, and that Uncle Frank had to be propitiated. It does not matter."
Now, one must wonder--why does this story change? For, if before she mentions Jamie, why doesn't she mention him later? His presence seems to give more to the idea of finance, because the vagueness of whose finance in question is implicated.
There are other elements like this. The most striking, perhaps, is that our governess is the only one capable of seeing what happened. Another is that she is clearly showing that she is unaware of certain things. She doesn't know, and will never know, why Mr. Frene came down, which prompts us readers to question why Algernon would add such a detail.
It is precisely this dissonance between reality and her mind which is suggestive. We may say that Mr. Frene probably understands what happened, and we can probably say the same about Jamie. He was in some hysterical fit when Frene appeared, and he played often in the barren field--fed it, even. He knew. That our narrator is so vague on her feet, that she doesn't know so much, and that she can see what she saw and it's consequences--(the totally fall of the once enormous personality of Mr. Frene)--seems to me what Blackwood was aiming at.
April 22, 2023
My grandmother is very much an energy vampire, and I saw her in both ‘Uncle Frank’ and the Frenes’ garden. Like the garden her only true success was in managing to exist at all, and like the relative she pulled all attention and energy to herself. Being around her was like being around a personification of exhaustion and apathy.
I suspect that having that certain kind of family dysfunction makes this story much more impressive, because it sums up an entire lifetime of trauma in a few pages.
I suspect that having that certain kind of family dysfunction makes this story much more impressive, because it sums up an entire lifetime of trauma in a few pages.
December 23, 2025
Genuinamente, no tengo idea qué acabo de leer. Estaba agrupado en un libro sobre vampiros y no estoy segura si tiene relación alguna. No sé que poner porque fue lectura bastante rara, hay lore que se ve desperdiciado por la narración en segunda persona y por ende no comprendí qué estaba pasando, la verdad.
October 13, 2020
I'm not a big fan of this short tale about an uncle and a patch of land, both of which seem to be psychic vampires. There is a 'showdown', but the story is weak. Originally published in 1912 in Pan's Garden.
January 5, 2025
3.5
Me pareció muy interesante el vampirismo que vemos en esta historia, un relato de vampiros bastante original, aquí vemos una lucha entre dos entidades que absorben vida y energía, una lucha entre el hombre y la naturaleza.
Me pareció muy interesante el vampirismo que vemos en esta historia, un relato de vampiros bastante original, aquí vemos una lucha entre dos entidades que absorben vida y energía, una lucha entre el hombre y la naturaleza.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 31, 2021
3.5/5
September 16, 2024
A story about two vampiric entities that have a psychic battle of sorts? I don't know, wasn't really into this one. Nothing stood out for me.
July 30, 2025
great story by a master
December 17, 2022
Sadly a very boring tale and, while I applaud the originality, it was still very tiresome to me.
September 3, 2023
I need to invite a nice plump plutocrat to my next lawn party.
October 25, 2023
Reseña completa en mi blog: https://unpliegodepapel.wordpress.com...
October 15, 2015
Loved this one. Kind of like The Happening only not boring.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews