The Howling Man

Before a rare illness took his life at the young age of 38, Charles Beaumont (1929-1967) put his mark on the science-fiction, fantasy, and horror genres with his splendid short stories and screenplays. His short fiction tale “Black Country” was the first story selected by Playboy to be published in their magazine. Beaumont wrote 22 episodes for The Twilight Zone, many of which were adaptations of his own short stories. He also wrote scripts for films like Night of the Eagle (with Richard Matheson and George Baxt), Premature Burial, The Haunted Palace, and Queen of Outer Space. His fiction is compiled in several critically acclaimed collections including Night Ride, The Magic Man, and Perchance to Dream: Selected Stories. 

Based on a recent video by Michael Vaughan (watch HERE), I decided to read what many consider his finest story, “The Howling Man”. The story originally appeared in Rogue magazine in November 1959 and was filmed as a praised episode of the The Twilight Zone in 1960.

“The  Howling Man” is set in the years between WW1 and WW2. Young David Ellington is a Boston native that feels the tug for Paris. Fresh out of college, he desires mysterious beautiful women, profound discussions, and grand visions of the Tuileries, the Louvre, and the Arc de Triomphe. By bicycle, David embarks on a ride through Europe. After pedaling through France and Belgium, David finds himself becoming quite ill in the deep rural stretches of the Moselle Valley of Germany. With his arms and legs heavy, his head throbbing madly, he falls unconscious. 

He awakens in a room of gray stone with dirt flooring and a blanket laid on straw. Across the room a monk named Brother Christophorus introduces himself and explains that David was brought to the Abbey of St. Wulfran's to get better. Christophorus advises David to take his time healing. At night, David is plagued by horrific screams from somewhere inside the Abbey. The next day he asks Christophorus about these screams and is met with a puzzled expression. Christophorus explains that there is no screaming. As the days toll by David is maddened by these terrible screams of anguish. Each time he questions them he's met with the same answer – it's all in his head. There are no screams. Weird. 

Eventually, David wanders out into the hallways to source the screams. What he finds is shocking and I can't reveal any further details without ruining the surprise. 

“The Howling Man” is one unforgettable short story that left me pondering the grand reveal for hours after completion. The idea behind it is quite fascinating and conjures so many different elements that approach fantasy, horror, mystery, and folklore. In some ways the writing and dialogue reminded me of the best Robert E. Howard stories featuring his Puritan hero, Solomon Kane. While I haven't seen the Twilight Zone adaptation, this story is simply remarkable. Highly recommended reading! Get a collection of these stories including this one HERE.