Marc *Dark Reader with a Thousand Young! Iä!*’s Comments (group member since Mar 01, 2019)

Marc *Dark Reader with a Thousand Young! Iä!*’s comments from the Brian Lumley devotees group.

In 2024 I got through 1968 - 1978's publications from this list. It was interesting seeing Lumley try out different styles, with variable success, throughout this period. Here's to more joy in 2025.

Well hey, The Caller of the Black has a 2019 ebook reprint for only $3.99. Sold! I’d love to get an original edition but they’re at least $100 currently. Maybe I’ll put it on my Xmas wish list. In any case I get to read all the stories now!

Jim wrote: "Indeed, it even has the ubiquitous Lumley ! at the end.

A good resource for tracking all instances of the appearance of a short story is https://isfdb.org/"

Why didn't I just consult with you at the outset? Awesome, thanks for all the help.

Awesome, Lumley's first-ever published story, The Cyprus Shell (1968) is readable in the free preview pages of Masters of Horror on Amazon.

Jim wrote: "This list seems fairly comprehensive:

https://lovecraft.fandom.com/wiki/Bri..."

Ooh, that's good, thank you. I'll have to shuffle those into a single chronological list and track down the short stories I'm missing. I already see one thing missing from that list though: Tarra Khash, Hrossak! which is my favorite title to speak aloud.

I'm launching a publication order Lumley Cthulhu Mythos reading project. I'm using this space to document and track my planned reading order. It gets into the weeds with short stories republished in various collections at different times; I'm going off the copyright dates listed in the front matter of the materials I own. Some of the stories appear in multiple collections. The contents of The Caller of the Black are a notable absence; some stories are also included in The Compleat Crow and the full contents are listed on Wikipedia, but I would like to review the publication dates. I will look into buying a copy.

NB: This is not a comprehensive list of Lumley's stories. It's only what I have on hand. Many of his collections are only available from resellers and can be pricey.

This project was largely prompted by my past experience with The Compleat Crow, which presents stories featuring or related to Titus Crow in story chronological order. I hate story chronological order as a general rule, if it differs from writing or publication order. I'd rather read things as they emerged from the author's pen and mind.

I know this is a dead group, but if anyone wants to add any info (additional short stories, or tables of contents from other collections), please comment. If there is a more authoritative list available anywhere I'd love to know about it.

Is there a UK university that will hire me as a Lumley scholar?

1968: The Cyprus Shell (in CotB*, MoH**)

1969: Cement Surroundings (in SoSS*)
Billy's Oak (in TCC*, CotB*)

1970: An Item of Supporting Evidence (in TCC*, CotB*)

1971: The Caller of the Black remaining stories:

A Thing About Cars!
The Writer in the Garret
The Caller of the Black (also in TCC*)
The Mirror of Nitocris (also in TCC*)
The Night Sea Maid Went Down
The Thing from the Blasted Heath
Dylath-Leen (also in TCC*)
De Marigny's Clock (also in TCC*)
Ambler's Inspiration
In the Vaults Beneath
The Pearl

1973: The House of Cthulhu (short story) (in HoC*)

1974: Beneath the Moors (expands on 1969's short story The Sister City) (Reprinted in RotDO*)
The Burrowers Beneath (incorporates and expands on 1969's short story Cement Surrounding)

1975: The Transition of Titus Crow

1976: Tharquest & the Lamia Orbiquita (in HoC*)

1977: THE HORROR AT OAKDENE - and Others Stories:

The Viking's Stone (also in TCC*)
Aunt Hester
No Way Home
The Horror at Oakdeene
The Cleaner Woman
The Statement of Henry Worthy
Darghud's Doll (also in TCC*)
Born of the Winds

How Kank Thad Returned to Bhur-Esh (in HoC*)
Mylakhrion the Immortal (in HoC*)
Cryptically Yours (in HoC*)

1978: The Clock of Dreams
Spawn of the Winds

1979: In the Moons of Borea
The Sorceror's Dream (in HoC*)

1982: Name and Number (in TCC*)

1983: Lord of the Worms (in TCC*)
The Black Recalled (in TCC*)

1984: Return of the Deep Ones (in RotDO*)
The House of Cthulhu And Other Tales Of The Primal Land (original Weirdbook edition)

Introduction
The Sorceror's Book
How Kank Thad Returned to Bhur-Esh (1977)
The House of Cthulhu (1973)
Tharquest and the Lamia Orbiquita (1976)
Mylakhrion the Immortal (1977)
Isles of the Suhm-Yi
Lords of the Morass
Curse of the Golden Guardians
Cryptically Yours (1977)
The Wine of the Wizard
The Sorceror's Dream (1979)

1985: Spaghetti (in SoSS*)

1986: Hero of Dreams
Ship of Dreams

1987: Mad Moon of Dreams
The Compleat Crow (Introduction, Inception; all other stories published earlier)

1988: To Kill a Wizard (in HoC* reissue only)

1989: Elysia: The Coming of Cthulhu

1991: The House of Cthulhu (all stories previously published)
Tarra Khash: Hrossak! (also published as The Compleat Khash: Volume One: Never a Backward Glance
Sorcery in Shad (also published as The Compleat Khash: Volume Two: Sorcery In Shad

1992: Iced On Aran

1994: Return of the Deep Ones and Other Mythos Tales (only the foreword is new)

1995: City out of Time (poem) (in SoSS*)


*collections:
SoSS: Singers of Strange Songs: A Celebration of Brian Lumley
TCC: The Compleat Crow
CotB: The Caller of the Black
HoC: The House of Cthulhu NB: the original 1984 Weirdbook edition, The House of Cthulhu And Other Tales Of The Primal Land, differs slightly from the 1991 reissue in contents and the order of stories. The former includes Isles of the Suhm-Yi and Curse of the Golden Guardians which are omitted from the later edition; the later edition adds To Kill a Wizard.
RotDO: Return of the Deep Ones and Other Mythos Tales

**MoH: Masters of Horror - an anthology that happens to open with Lumley's first-ever published story, The Cyprus Shell (1968), which is readable in the Kindle preview pages on Amazon.

Born 2 December 1937, County Durham, England.
Died 2 January 2024 (aged 86).

Sabrina wrote: "1. Necroscope
2. Vamphyri
3. The Source
4. Deadspeak
5. Deadspawn
6. Blood Brothers
7. The Last Aerie
8. Blood Wars
9. Necroscope: The Lost Years volume 1
10. Necroscope: Resurgence The Lost Years ..."

I know I'm commenting on a 5 to 7-year old thread, but don't the 'Lost Years' books chronologically fit in between books 3-4 or thereabouts? This list is the publication order, but the question asked about story chronology.

I discovered Brian Lumley primary through the Necroscope series (although my first find was Psychamok), but I particulary enjoy his earlier Cthulhu-mythos series - Titus Crow, Dreamlands and Primal Lands. I have been collecting the Ganley Publishing hardback reprints of these books. If there is anyone out there in this little group who might like to join me on a read-through of these light-hearted works in the near future, here I am.