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John Silence #2
Three More John Silence Stories
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 the last three of the John Silence stories: Secret Worship, The Camp of the Dog, and A Victim of Higher Space.
This volume contains the last three of the John Silence stories: Secret Worship, The Camp of the Dog, and A Victim of Higher Space.
138 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2006
13 people are currently reading
111 people want to read
About the author
Algernon Blackwood
1,260 books1,143 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 - 10 of 10 reviews
January 30, 2018
Segundo (y último) recopilatorio de las historias de John Silence.
-Secret worship / Culto Secreto (1908) (*****) : Brillante. Es una historia en la que en realidad pasa muy poquita cosa, medio relato es un hombre recorriendo las localizaciones cercanas a un internado donde pasó un par de años de pequeño. Obviamente, algo no va tan bien como él cree.
Es la atmósfera y el cálido recuerdo de otros tiempos, tan maravillosamente bien escritos por Blackwood, lo que eleva la historia a la calidad que tiene. Hay una clara intención, además, de contrastar recuerdos con realidad, y la corrupción de la fe. No me extraña que sea de los mas celebres.
-The camp of the dog / El campamento del perro (1908) (***) : Probablemente haya sido mi mayor decepción de estas lecturas. No quiere decir que sea malo, pero su segunda mitad me parece muy inferior a la maravillosa narración de la primera. Leer a Blackwood describiendo algo tan sencillo como un campamento en una isla, es sorprendentemente interesante.
Pero a mi, personalmente, toda la resolución de la historia me deja algo frio. No puedo evitar la sensación de que esto podría haber sido algo mejor y que en gran medida, no necesitaba ser una historia de silence.
-A victim of Higher Space / Una víctima del espacio superior (1914) (***1/2): El mas corto y mas peculiar de todos. Es una historia bastante extraña sobre las dimensiones que hay mas allá de la tercera que vemos, con mucho sentido del humor. Muestra también como funciona la oficina/clínica del Doctor, cosa que no habiamos visto hasta ahora.
Por lo que veo tiene una fama regulera, probablemente por lo distinta que es al resto. Pero me ha parecido muy divertida.
-Secret worship / Culto Secreto (1908) (*****) : Brillante. Es una historia en la que en realidad pasa muy poquita cosa, medio relato es un hombre recorriendo las localizaciones cercanas a un internado donde pasó un par de años de pequeño. Obviamente, algo no va tan bien como él cree.
Es la atmósfera y el cálido recuerdo de otros tiempos, tan maravillosamente bien escritos por Blackwood, lo que eleva la historia a la calidad que tiene. Hay una clara intención, además, de contrastar recuerdos con realidad, y la corrupción de la fe. No me extraña que sea de los mas celebres.
-The camp of the dog / El campamento del perro (1908) (***) : Probablemente haya sido mi mayor decepción de estas lecturas. No quiere decir que sea malo, pero su segunda mitad me parece muy inferior a la maravillosa narración de la primera. Leer a Blackwood describiendo algo tan sencillo como un campamento en una isla, es sorprendentemente interesante.
Pero a mi, personalmente, toda la resolución de la historia me deja algo frio. No puedo evitar la sensación de que esto podría haber sido algo mejor y que en gran medida, no necesitaba ser una historia de silence.
-A victim of Higher Space / Una víctima del espacio superior (1914) (***1/2): El mas corto y mas peculiar de todos. Es una historia bastante extraña sobre las dimensiones que hay mas allá de la tercera que vemos, con mucho sentido del humor. Muestra también como funciona la oficina/clínica del Doctor, cosa que no habiamos visto hasta ahora.
Por lo que veo tiene una fama regulera, probablemente por lo distinta que es al resto. Pero me ha parecido muy divertida.
December 14, 2021
This LibriVox edition is incomplete, and is missing 2/3rds of "The Camp of the Dog". Fortunately it was easy to find elsewhere.
As for the book itself, the delivery is slow, dull, and boring. "Secret Worship" is a pretty standard ghost story. "Camp of the Dog" has an interesting premise, but is hobbled by its ponderous delivery and random racism. "A Victim of Higher Spaces" is also potentially interesting (and you can see the influence on Lovecraft), but again slow and buried under a pile of early C20th spiritual quack. Basicly this stuff is of historical interest only, and otherwise not worth the time.
As for the book itself, the delivery is slow, dull, and boring. "Secret Worship" is a pretty standard ghost story. "Camp of the Dog" has an interesting premise, but is hobbled by its ponderous delivery and random racism. "A Victim of Higher Spaces" is also potentially interesting (and you can see the influence on Lovecraft), but again slow and buried under a pile of early C20th spiritual quack. Basicly this stuff is of historical interest only, and otherwise not worth the time.
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April 10, 2022Entertaining mystery listening 🎶🔰
Three will written fantasy Sci-Fi horror haunting adventure thrillers short stories by Algemon Blackwood. The three stories are Secret Worship, The Camp of the Dog, and A Victim of Higher Space, each is stand alone with The Camp of the Dog 🐕 being my favorite. I would recommend this novel to readers of fantasy quick reads. Enjoy the adventure of different kinds of books 🔰🏡😄🐕 2022
Three will written fantasy Sci-Fi horror haunting adventure thrillers short stories by Algemon Blackwood. The three stories are Secret Worship, The Camp of the Dog, and A Victim of Higher Space, each is stand alone with The Camp of the Dog 🐕 being my favorite. I would recommend this novel to readers of fantasy quick reads. Enjoy the adventure of different kinds of books 🔰🏡😄🐕 2022
March 11, 2020
I found this collection more absorbing than the first set of stories. Very atmospheric though not at all frightening. I did like Racine Mudd and the warning to stay off maths. Shall do.
November 28, 2024
This one has more creative plots but I prefer the first collection.
June 4, 2014
This is the second trilogy of short stories—and the final one, I believe—of psychic detective John Silence. These stories, especially "The Camp of the Dog" were excellent. I love the tales he writes that are set on camping trips in various parts of the globe; he writes with unparalleled skill and beauty about that mingled sense of wonder, peace, awe, and uneasiness that the wildnerness inspires in us. It's a pity Blackwood didn't write more about Silence.
January 19, 2016
A collection of supernatural short stories, a bit Lovecraftian, a bit Sherlock Holmes. Quite well written, tense at times but without the despair that often accompanies Lovecraft and his contemporaries.
March 10, 2013
Three spooky tales, one conventional ghost story, one tale of the wilderness, and one otherworldly puzzle to unsolved. The stories have a charmingly antique feel to them.
June 5, 2016
read to complete my dr. john silence kick; just not as compelling as the previous collection.
October 11, 2016
Three more superb stories of ghastly things hidden in the human psyche, including one story about the dangers of higher math! Highly recommended.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews