Tomato Cain and Other Stories

by Nigel Kneale, Elizabeth Bowen (Foreword)

This writer is a young Manxman. He has grown up in, and infuses into his stories, an atmosphere one can cut with a knife. He is not dependent on regionalism--not all of his work has an Isle of Man setting--but it would appear he draws strength from it; his work at its best has the flavor, raciness, "body" that one associates with the best of the output from Ireland, Wales, Brittany, and the more remote, untouched, and primitive of the states of America. He turns for his inspiration to creeks in which life runs deep, to pockets in which life accumulates deeply queer. Is the Talking Mongoose a sore subject with the Isle of Man? That interesting animal--of which the investigations of the late Harry Price never entirely disposed--might well be the denizen of a Nigel Kneale story. Has he not made frogs avengers; has he not made a deformed duck a tragedian?

Genres: Short Stories, Horror, Fiction, Science Fiction

300 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1949

About the author

Nigel Kneale was a British screenwriter. He is best known for being the creator of Professor Bernard Quatermass. Kneale wrote four Quatermass TV serials in total between 1953 and 1979 as well as BBC radio docudrama retrospective "The Quatermass Memoirs" that was first broadcast in 1995. Kneale also wrote such programs as The Year Of The Sex Olympics, The Stone Tape and the 1989 adaptation of Susan Hill's novel The Woman in Black.

Reviews

[Orrin Grey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Don't get the rating wrong, I'm a huge fan of Nigel Kneale, and was really excited to get my hands on this collection. Unfortunately for me, the collection wasn't quite what I'd hoped. One of the things that makes me love Kneale is his way of handling the unknown and supernatural in his screenplays, and so I was sad to see that the vast majority of this book are naturalistic stories of the sort I would call "regional." Not that they're bad, by any means, but not what I was hoping for so much.

There are some gems of the sort I was sifting for, including "Minuke" and "The Patter of Tiny Feet," both of which I'd read before. I also quite liked "The Tarroo-Ushtey," which was more than a little Brabury-ish. Mostly, I liked all the stories in the book, but I was hoping for more of the spooky stuff, is all.

[Jim Reddy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A few years ago I watched a video of a speech Ray Bradbury gave to aspiring writers. One of the things he did in the speech was to recommend short story authors to read. One of the authors mentioned was Nigel Kneale, known for creating and writing the Professor Quatermass serials and movies. At the time I watched the video his work was out of print. That changed in 2022 with a new edition of Tomato Cain and Other Stories. It includes a new introduction by Mark Gatiss and collects all the stories from the original US and UK editions, plus previously uncollected stories. The third uncollected story was discovered after the new edition was published and is included in later editions.

The stories are a mix of character, ghost, and horror stories, some experimental, many set on the Isle of Man, many involving animals somehow, and most ending with a final twist. It’s an interesting variety; some are lighthearted and humorous while others are quite dark and sad. The stories reminded me of three of my favorite authors, Roald Dahl, Fredric Brown, and Ray Bradbury.

As with most collections, I enjoyed some stories more than others, but I was never bored and I got something out of all of them.

My Ratings:

Tomato Cain (4/5)
Enderby and the Sleeping Beauty (4/5)
Minuke (5/5)
Clog-Dance for a Dead Farce (3/5)
Essence of Strawberry (5/5)
Lotus for Jamie (3/5)
Oh, Mirror, Mirror (3/5)
God and Daphne (4/5)
Jeremy in the Wind (4/5)
The Excursion (5/5)
Flo (3/5)
The Putting Away of Uncle Quaggin (5/5)
The Photograph (4/5)
Chains (4/5)
The Taroo-Ushtey (5/5)
Mrs. Mancini (5/5)
Curphey’s Follower (3/5)
The Terrible Thing I Have Done (2/5)
Quiet Mr. Evans (3/5)
Tootie and the Cat Licenses (3/5)
Peg (5/5)
Zachary Crebbin’s Angel (4/5)
Bini and Bettine (4/5)
The Stocking (4/5)
Who - Me, Signor? (3/5)
The Pond (5/5)
They’re Scared, Mr. Bradlaugh (3/5)
The Calculation of N’Bambwe (3/5)
Nature Study (5/5)
The Patter of Tiny Feet (4/5)
Charlie Peace and the King (3/5)

Previously uncollected:

Billy Halloran (3/5)
It Doesn’t Matter Now (5/5)
The Old Woman With the Cats (4/5)

[Bill Wallace · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are a few excellent short stories in this volume and nearly all of them are at least original and engaging, but it must be said that almost nothing here gives any indication of the spectacular flights of imagination that Kneale would create when he gave up the printed page for the telly. The editor and publisher deserve acclaim for collecting all the stories Kneale wrote, including two previously unseen since their original publication, and the presentation is first rate.

The stories themselves range from bare sketches to developed ideas. A few make heavy usage of pathos and were my least favorites in the collection. I think the best are the ones set on the Isle of Man, Kneale's native ground, and I was especially taken with "The Taroo-Ushtey," a splendid story about superstition, rural cunning, and the practical uses of folklore. More familiar "ghost stories" like "Minuke" and "The Pond" are fun to re-read in the context of Kneale's less spooky fables though they have been widely collected elsewhere.

In general, the volume is extremely valuable as a signpost for the author's future brilliance and as examples of well-crafted short stories on the eve of the TV age. Recommended for fans of short fiction and anyone wanting to see what Kneale was doing with his brilliant mind pre-Quatermass.

[Ian Duerden · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a gentler Kneale, reflecting on life on the Isle of Man, than the later author who wrote the Quatermass serials and the Stone Tape. Here are twenty six stories from his radio scripts of the 40s full of characterization and atmosphere. 'Minuke', a chilling tale of a very chilling house, whose foundation is an ancient stone slab covering an even more ancient evil, is probably more familiar to Kneale fans. On the whole these are tales of believable people living very ordinary lives but in a special or enlightened way. They are written as short radio narrations, probably originally read by Kneale himself in his soft Manx accent, and reflecting that post war need to return to a quieter way of life. Beautifully written they capture summer days long past. They were first published in 1949 and it's interesting to note that this is only four years away from the Quatermass Experiment TV serial that would forever brand Kneale as a master of suspense and unnerving horror.

[Hugo · Rating 4 out of 5]

A curiosity piece for Kneale fans and completists, this features little of the genre trappings for which the writer would become known; mostly, these are regional tales set on the Isle of Man, and most of them are vignettes, stopping short of a larger tale. They are all competently written and - with, for some reason, the exception of the stories written in first-person monologue - compelling. On the odd occasion Kneale ventures into the fantastic - as in Minuke, Zachary Crebbin's Angel, and the superb The Calculation of N'Bambwe - he is on form.

[Debra]

Stephen King recommended book. Noted as "important to the genre we have been discussing" from Danse Macabre, published in 1981.

[Mike · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall these are great little stories but after 200 pages it kinda got a little samey.

[Hayley · Rating 3 out of 5]

In all honestly this was a bit of a slog for me. There were some fun stories along the way, especially one about a maleficent house but I cant sayany others interested me at all

[LayDownYourSoul · Rating 2 out of 5]

Short story collections are bound to have highlights and lowlights, but I don't think I've ever read something where the balance was so off as this book. As in, there were a couple of great stories, but maybe 90+% were frankly hard to get through, and some I honestly thought were terrible. I got this collection after having read and enjoyed "Minuke" and wanting more along that line (i.e. completely wild horror), but that story was definitely an outlier here.

Many of these short stories felt more like writing exercises than a narrative that had something to say or even had anything happen. A lot of them took "showing and not telling" to the extreme, using one-sided cold-open dialogue, lingering on details or trying to be overly realistic at the expense of being entertaining, all to finally reveal subject matter that was not interesting enough to balance this out.

However, there were some great stories, which is the only reason I didn't abandon the book (but possibly made it a more frustrating read than if I had). I enjoyed the subtle bizarreness of the titular story, gave me Shirley Jackson vibes. The stories about superstitions and myths were very cool, interesting mixture of belief and scepticism (e.g. 'The Tarroo-Ushtey' which was great, probably tied for best story with 'Minuke'). Also enjoyed the again subtly strange 'The Calculation of N'Bambwe', interesting seeing what I assume is cultural criticism of a racist society, alongside the central idea which was very interesting. Also enjoyed the supernatural 'Patter of Tiny Feet', well written ghost story with a neat ending.

Overall think this could have been slimmed down to a fraction of the length. But a great writer with a couple of stand-out stories.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

'Tomato Cain' was published when its author was just 27 years old. He went on to become a towering presence in British SF, weird, and supernatural writing, but if he had never put to pen to paper again after this amazing debut, he would have been assured of a distinguished position in his fields. It amazes me that the collection didn't get a paperback run until 1961 and that it has been out of print for so long. The new Comma edition is very welcome as not only does it make the book available again, it also includes stories missing from other printings along with welcome introductory essays. Almost every story can be seen as influential (surely Roald Dahl slept with it under his pillow!).
What's really striking about this collection is its range and variety. There are stories of psychological horror, ghosts, miraculous discoveries, dark comedy (I love the denouement of 'The Pond'), whimsy, and, in 'The Photograph', one of the most frightening and upsetting stories I can think of (especially if you can see the Tom Baker performance of it). Kneale never wastes words. He has a great ear for dialogue and also structures stories beautifully. How he learned all these skills so early in his career, I've no idea. A terrific book, though I have to say that I don't like Comma's choice of typeface. The book wins no prizes for design, but when the contents are this good, it doesn't need them.

[Sam Dawson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This isn't a book of horror or science fiction stories, though many are tinged with elements of the uncanny, or suffused with a post-war bleakness. Instead it is a collection of prose by a clearly gifted prose writer. Several of the tales are set on the Isle of Man, and portray it as a place entirely separate from the mainland, with its own inherited terrors and legends. Some are character pieces, others recall a forgotten England (it wasn't till I read this that I remembered my Dad ushering us quickly out of the cinema in the mid-1960s before the national anthem was played). None disappoint. If you were expecting horror then the few examples are classics - The Pond and Minuke have turned up in anthologies during those years when this book was out of print, so may already be familiar. The Stocking is as grim and understated a tale of genuine horror as I've ever read, and anticipates During Barty's Party from his later TV series Beasts (if you haven't seen it, then do). It's interesting to see how Kneale could have become a successful novelist, if he hadn't gifted us some so much enduring and prophetic television instead. All those who have worked to put this book back in front of the public are to be congratulated.

[Norman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have waited for years to read this book as it's been such a collector's item, I could never justify parting with large amount of money. Nigel Kneale (of Quatermass fame) just writes so wonderfully. If you're worried this book is science-fiction/fantasy, it's not. Most stories are straight life; some are quirky twist endings; and some are scary. They seem all to fit beautifully into rural life on the Isle of Man, where Kneale came from. Topics include jealousy over harvest festival contributions, little savage creatures visiting a five year old, a trip in a trap to town and a man's best friend, a will reading that nearly goes wrong, a photograph, a man who sews frogs, but the best for me was "The Taroo-Ushtey", a tale of gullibility and science!
If I had to sell Kneale to another audience it would be "The UK Ray Bradbury". A wonderful book containing 33 short tales

[Colin Sinclair · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent collection, which - knowing Kneale most from Quatermass and such - started off a lot less spooky sci-fi than I was expecting.

And then suddenly it went full on grim. Which makes some of the stories a bit weird as you're wondering "is this a gentle slice of rural life on the Isle of Man, or is someone going to be chained to an altar?"

For every 'and everyone enjoyed the day out', or Tales of the Unexpected-style twist...there's a story like 'a bloke who drags a scarecrow around the place whilst it tells him to murder folk'. Highly entertaining stuff, and remarkably fresh for something first printed in the 1940s.

[Dave · Rating 5 out of 5]

loved it. fascinating setting - the isle of man. some good creepy stories, too.

[podzo · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5/5
Some good short stories and a sprinkling of excellent stories in this collection, but a whole bunch that just run together with their sameness.

[Mike Jennings · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had the feeling that I was going to like this collection, and that was based solely on my enjoyment of Kneale's Quatermass stories, which I think are up there with the very best of 'English' science fiction. Having said all that, I'm genuinely surprised at the stories here which have really struck a chord: 'The Stocking' and 'The Patter of Tiny Feet' are the kind of disturbing tale I expected to find (and like) but I'm more moved by 'Curphey's Follower', the story of a country bumpkin being adopted by a duck, with rather a sad end for both.

I read somewhere that Nigel Kneale was a little like an English (Manx) version of Ray Bradbury, and I think I'd go along with that (maybe with a smattering of John Wyndham, W.W. Jacobs and perhaps even a slight hint of W. Somerset Maugham).

Some great stories here.

[Janith Pathirage · Rating 2 out of 5]

Just read the story 'Minuke'. The time is 2.00 am now. A typical haunted house story which ended in a cliffhanger without a proper explanation. But that could be forgiven since this is a short story. I like the writing style of Nigel Kneale and the flow of this tale but there's nothing new here.

[Andrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

A marvelous collection of Kneale's work that isn't quite uniformly excellent, but nevertheless is utterly essential to anyone with an interest in folkloric tales in rural settings with a tinge of the supernatural to them.