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The Complete John Silence Stories

by Algernon Blackwood

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1772155,285 (4)7
One of the former British writers of supernatural tales in the twentieth century, Algernon Blackwood (1869-1951) wrote stories in which the slow accumulation of telling details produced a foreboding atmosphere of almost unendurable tension. Blackwood's literary renown began in 1908 with the publication of a highly successful collection of stories, John Silence -- Physician Extraordinary, featuring a "psychic doctor." This volume contains all five of the John Silence stories from the 1908 edition plus one additional tale. Edited and with an informative introduction by S. T. Joshi, noted occult fiction authority, the stories include "A Psychical Invasion," in which Silence is summoned to a house apparently haunted by former tenants. In "Ancient Sorceries," he encounters a man who tells of strange experiences in a small French town; and in "Secret Worship," an ill-starred character is rescued from spiritual and perhaps physical death. "The Nemesis of Fire," "The Camp of the God," and "A Victim of Higher Space" conclude this collection of spellbinding tales, which will delight any devotee of "weird" literature.… (more)
  1. 20
    Carnacki: The Ghost Finder by William Hope Hodgson (jseger9000)
    jseger9000: Another collection of tales dealing with a ghost-buster extraordinaire.
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Blackwood is rapidly becoming one of my favorite authors. I enjoyed the John Silence stories for the language, the variety, the intelligence. Two of the stories feature a sidekick, Hubbard, who is vastly more useful and knowledgeable and real than either Dr. Watson or Captain Hastings to Holmes and Poirot respectively. I enjoyed the stories about equally.
However--two cringey spots surprised me.
#1Hubbard remarks off the cuff in the mummy story that he is not entirely unfamiliar with mummies, having unwrapped a few dozen himself and used them to dabble in magic, which brings to light the way the Brits in the late 1800s just pillaged and stole Egyptian artifacts and desecrated countless tombs.
#2 In the Camp Dog story, there is a wild explanation for the phenomenon occurring which assumes a racism towards Native Americans as naturally savage. It is offensive--layered with offensive.
Sidestepping these, I quite enjoyed this collection and am curious about the mystery man John Silence was modelled after.
( )
  JEatHHP | Aug 23, 2022 |
Considered one of the best writers of weird fiction -- tales of the supernatural, other worlds, ghosts, etc. -- Algernon Blackwood created a psychic detective know as John Silence. Think of Silence as an early ghost hunter, helping those suffering from ghostly or supernatural experiences and working to convince others that the spirit world does exist and can have a dangerous effect on the living. This collection of six tales shows the charismatic Silence at his best, whether exorcising a nasty spirit from a house in "A Physical Invasion", protecting an young woman from a werewolf in "The Camp of the Dog", or confronting the restless spirit of a mummy transported to early 20th century England in "Nemesis of Fire".
All the stories are atmospheric, filled with tremendous attention to detail and move at such a pace as to build the tension so that the reader feels like one of the characters, looking over his or her should at the slightest sound. If you are in the mood for a stories that truly creepy, then "The Complete John Silence Stories" is the collection for you. ( )
  ocgreg34 | Nov 30, 2010 |
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To M.L.W. The Original of John Silence and My Companion in Many Adventures.
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Contains stories from John Silence, Physician Extraordinary and Day and Night Stories. There are six stories in this volume: A Psychical Invasion; Ancient Sorceries; The Nemesis of Fire; Secret Worship; The Camp of the Dog; A Victim of Higher Space.
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One of the former British writers of supernatural tales in the twentieth century, Algernon Blackwood (1869-1951) wrote stories in which the slow accumulation of telling details produced a foreboding atmosphere of almost unendurable tension. Blackwood's literary renown began in 1908 with the publication of a highly successful collection of stories, John Silence -- Physician Extraordinary, featuring a "psychic doctor." This volume contains all five of the John Silence stories from the 1908 edition plus one additional tale. Edited and with an informative introduction by S. T. Joshi, noted occult fiction authority, the stories include "A Psychical Invasion," in which Silence is summoned to a house apparently haunted by former tenants. In "Ancient Sorceries," he encounters a man who tells of strange experiences in a small French town; and in "Secret Worship," an ill-starred character is rescued from spiritual and perhaps physical death. "The Nemesis of Fire," "The Camp of the God," and "A Victim of Higher Space" conclude this collection of spellbinding tales, which will delight any devotee of "weird" literature.

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