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Here be daemons: Tales of horror and the uneasy
Justice at the Crossroads (1978)Mrs. Van Donk (1978)Old Mrs. Cartwright (1967)The Great Vore (1967)The Knocker at the Portico (1971)The Second Passenger (1973)The Treasure of Our Lady (1978)The Trodes (1975)The Way the World Died (1978)
219 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1978
40 people want to read
About the author
Basil Copper
185 books41 followersBasil Copper was an English writer and former journalist and newspaper editor. He has written over 50 books and scripts. In addition to fantasy and horror, Copper is known for his series of Solar Pons stories continuing the character created by August Derleth.
Copper edited a 1982 two-volume omnibus collection of Derleth's stories of the 'Pontine' canon, published by Arkham House, a publishing firm founded by Derleth himself and chiefly publishing weird fiction (such as Cthulhu Mythos tales); in that edition, Copper "edited" most of the tales in ways that many Pontine aficionados found objectionable[citation needed]. A later omnibus, The Original Text Solar Pons Omnibus Edition, was issued in 2000 under the imprint of Mycroft & Moran (a name which is itself a Holmesian jest).
He also wrote the long-running hard-boiled detective stories of "Mike Faraday" (58 novels from 1966 to 1988).
Copper has received many honours in recent years. In 1979, the Mark Twain Society of America elected him a Knight of Mark Twain for his outstanding "contribution to modern fiction", while the Praed Street Irregulars have twice honoured him for his work on the Solar Pons series. He has been a member of the Crime Writer's Association for over thirty years, serving as chairman in 1981/82 and on its committee for a total of seven years.
In early 2008, a bio-bibliography was published on him: Basil Copper: A Life in Books, compiled and edited by Stephen Jones.
In March 2010, Darkness, Mist and Shadow: The Collected Macabre Tales of Basil Copper was launched at the Brighton World Horror Convention as a two-volume set by PS Publishing.
Copper edited a 1982 two-volume omnibus collection of Derleth's stories of the 'Pontine' canon, published by Arkham House, a publishing firm founded by Derleth himself and chiefly publishing weird fiction (such as Cthulhu Mythos tales); in that edition, Copper "edited" most of the tales in ways that many Pontine aficionados found objectionable[citation needed]. A later omnibus, The Original Text Solar Pons Omnibus Edition, was issued in 2000 under the imprint of Mycroft & Moran (a name which is itself a Holmesian jest).
He also wrote the long-running hard-boiled detective stories of "Mike Faraday" (58 novels from 1966 to 1988).
Copper has received many honours in recent years. In 1979, the Mark Twain Society of America elected him a Knight of Mark Twain for his outstanding "contribution to modern fiction", while the Praed Street Irregulars have twice honoured him for his work on the Solar Pons series. He has been a member of the Crime Writer's Association for over thirty years, serving as chairman in 1981/82 and on its committee for a total of seven years.
In early 2008, a bio-bibliography was published on him: Basil Copper: A Life in Books, compiled and edited by Stephen Jones.
In March 2010, Darkness, Mist and Shadow: The Collected Macabre Tales of Basil Copper was launched at the Brighton World Horror Convention as a two-volume set by PS Publishing.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
November 1, 2025
Unfortunately I don't think these stories are as clever as those in Copper's previous anthology 'When Footsteps Echo'. Two of them, 'Old Mrs. Cartwright' and 'The Trodes' both concern sinister little boys who terrorise their Aunts/Mothers with predictable results a la the Cat People and alien invasions. 'The Way the World Died' read like a 1950's pulp sci-fi short story. 'The Knocker at the Portico' was a worthwhile first-person narrative of approaching insanity - this guy spent way too much time researching old books ! 'The Second Passenger' reminded me of 'A Visitor From Down Under' by L.P. Hartley. 'The Treasure of Our Lady' was a rousing Indiana Jones type jungle adventure, but not what I like to read. There is a tale of revenge by a wealthy, jilted old matron. The last story is a novelette about devil worship, orgies and a supposed monster which turns out to be a red herring. Not a book worth re-reading for me, unlike most books I have reviewed.
October 25, 2010
Nice little book of short stories which were quite enjoyable.My least favorite was the novella at the end.It was a little long winded.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews