'Brian Lumley' (born
December 2,
1937) is a writer of
horror fiction. Born in
County Durham in northeast
England, he joined the
British Army and wrote stories in his spare time before retiring from the military in
1980 and becoming a professional writer.
He added to
H. P. Lovecraft's
Cthulhu Mythos cycle of stories, including several tales featuring the character
Titus Crow. Others
pastiched Lovecrafts's
Dream Cycle and featured the characters David Hero and Eldin the Wanderer. Lumley once explained the difference between his Cthulhu Mythos characters and Lovecraft's: "My guys fight back. Also, they like to have a laugh along the way."
[1]
Later works included the ''
Necroscope'' series of novels, which produced
spin-off series such as the ''Vampire World Trilogy'', ''The Lost Years'' parts 1 and 2, and the ''E-Branch'' trilogy. The central protagonist of the earlier ''Necroscope'' novels appears in the anthology ''Harry Keogh and Other Weird Heroes''. The ''Necroscope'' saga is closed with the novel ''The Touch''.
Inspiration
Lumley's list of his favourite horror stories--"not complete by any means and by no means in order of preference"--includes
M. R. James' "Count Magnus",
Robert E. Howard's "
The Black Stone",
Robert W. Chambers' "The Yellow Sign" from ''
The King in Yellow'',
William Hope Hodgson's "The Voice in the Night", and
H. P. Lovecraft's "
The Haunter of the Dark" and "
The Colour out of Space".
[2]
Bibliography
===
''Necroscope'' Saga
★ ''Necroscope'' (1986)
★ ''Necroscope II: Wamphyri!'' (1988)
★
★ US Title: ''Necroscope II: Vampyri!''
★ ''Necroscope III: The Source'' (1989)
★ ''Necroscope IV: Deadspeak'' (1990)
★ ''Necroscope V: Deadspawn'' (1991)
★ ''Vampire World 1: Blood Brothers'' (1992)
★
★ US Title: ''Blood Brothers''
★ ''Vampire World 2: The Last Aerie'' (1993)
★
★ US Title: ''The Last Aerie''
★ ''Vampire World 3: Bloodwars'' (1994)
★
★ US Title: ''Bloodwars''
★ ''Necroscope: The Lost Years Volume 1'' (1995)
★
★ US Title: ''Necroscope: The Lost Years''
★ ''Necroscope: The Lost Years Volume 2'' (1996)
★
★ US Title: ''Necroscope: Resurgence, The Lost Years Volume Two''
★ ''E-Branch 1: Invaders'' (1998)
★
★ US Title: ''Necroscope: Invaders''
★ ''E-Branch 2 : Defilers'' (1999)
★ ''E-Branch 3: Avengers'' (2000)
★ ''Necroscope: The Touch'' (2006)
★
★ US only
The ''Psychomech'' Trilogy===
★ ''
Psychomech'' (1984)
★ ''Psychosphere'' (1984)
★ ''Psyckamok'' (1985)
Cthulhu Cycle Deities Novels
★ Titus Crow/Henri deMarigney
★
★ ''The Burrowers Beneath'' (1974)
★
★ ''The Transition of Titus Crow'' (1975)
★
★ ''The Clock of Dreams'' (1978)
★
★ ''Spawn of the Winds'' (1978)
★
★ ''In the Moons of Borea'' (1979)
★
★ ''Elysia'' (1989)
★
★
★ Completing novel for Titus/Dreamlands/Primal Lands series
★ Dreamland Novels
★
★ ''Hero of Dreams'' (1986)
★
★ ''Ship of Dreams'' (1986)
★
★ ''Mad Moon of Dreams'' (1987)
★
★ ''Iced on Aran''
★ Primal Land Novels
★
★ ''Tarra Khash: Hrossak!'' ()
★
★ ''Sorcery in Shad'' (1991)
Other Novels
★ ''
Beneath the Moors'' (1974 - Arkham House)
★ ''The House of Doors'' (1990)
★
★ And its sequel, ''House of Doors: The Second Visit'' (''Maze of Worlds'' in the US) (1998)
★ ''Demogorgon'' (1987)
★ ''Khai of Ancient Khem'' (or ''Khai of Khem'' in a recent reprint) (1980)
Short Stories
Lumley has written many original as well as some reminiscent of
Richard Matheson and
H. P. Lovecraft.
Here is a selected bibliography of his short story collections.
★ ''
The Caller of the Black'' (1971 - Arkham House)
★ ''
The Horror at Oakdeene and Others'' (1977 - Arkham House)
★ ''Fruiting Bodies and Other Fungi'' (1993)
★ ''Dagon's Bell and Other Discords'' (1994)
★ ''The Second Wish and Other Exhalations'' ()
★ ''Iced on Aran'' ()
★
★ Collection of Dreamland tales featuring David Hero and Eldin the Wanderer
★ ''The House of Cthulhu and Others'' (1984)
★
★ Collection of Primal Land tales
★ ''A Coven of Vampires'' (Fedogan & Bremer, 1998)
★ ''Harry Keogh: Necroscope and Other Weird Heroes!'' (2003)
★
★ US only; features two new stories featuring Harry Keogh, the eponymous Necroscope as well as previously published short stories of some of Lumley's more enduring heroes, Titus Crow plus David Hero and Eldin the Wanderer
★ ''The Whisperer and Other Voices'' (2001)
Note: This list is not exhaustive. Being a prolific writer of novels and short stories, Lumley has had many pieces published in titles under his own name only, as well as periodicals, partworks and other publications alongside other writers of note.
Notes
1. Brian Lumley, "Mail-Call of Cthulhu", ''Black Forbidden Things'', p. 194.
2. "An Interview with Brian Lumley", Robert M. Price, ''Nightscapes'' No. 5.
External links
★
Brian Lumley's Web Site
★
"An Interview with Brian Lumley", by
Robert M. Price, ''Nightscapes'' No. 5
★