The Last Snow

Nine years before his retirement, Jon Messmann (Revenger, Nick Carter: Killmaster) authored a stand-alone western titled The Last Snow. The book was published as a paperback in 1989 by Random House using Messmann's real name. It's odd that Messmann, a lifelong New Yorker, wrote the novel, considering he was ultra-productive in the 1980s with his tremendously successful adult-western series The Trailsman. By 1989, Messmann, writing as Jon Sharpe, had completed 84 installments of that series for his publisher Signet. In true pulp fashion, these novels were published nearly every month on a firm schedule. Additionally, Messmann was also writing the Canyon 'O Grady series, again as Jon Sharpe. The Last Snow is one of only two stand-alone novels that Messmann wrote in the 1980s, the other being Jogger's Moon (aka To Kill a Jogger) in 1980 for Penguin.

The Last Snow is presented in an epistolary style with 19 journal entries ranging from October 1846 through April 1847. The opening pages of the novel advise readers that these documents were found among the family possessions of Daniel Culver by his granddaughter. It's an old-school storytelling approach that has been used by the likes of Bram Stoker, Edgar Rice Burroughs, and Stephen King. 

Culver is a thirty-something mountain man who makes a living as a trail guide, but has been known to gamble, gunfight, and perform as a type of mercenary. He's the proverbial “everyman”, yet Messmann rarely places Culver in action scenes. Instead, Culver is more of a messenger or consultant. When he arrives in the frontier town of Stoddard, he discovers families brutally massacred in their cabins. Citing the work of the Cheyenne, Culver enters the city to warn the settlers of a coming invasion. His cries fall on deaf ears.

In Stoddard, the U.S. Calvary has a small encampment of 200 soldiers led by a half-dozen officers. The town feels safe and immortal despite Culver's pleas. As the snow begins to fall, Culver realizes the town will be cut off with no way to cross Snowshoe Pass, the only passage through the harsh mountainside. As Culver jockeys as a mouthpiece for the town, he also rediscovers an old relationship he once had with a widow and her son. Further, Culver begins a romance with the daughter of one of the officers.

As the snowfall begins, Culver risks staying with the town in an effort to fortify it from attack. Unfortunately, the military doesn't take his efforts seriously until it is too late. As Cheyenne and other factions begin the invasion, Messmann cranks up the action with gritty violence, savage acts of murder, and the familiar bloodshed of battle. 

The Last Snow is an unusual western, brimming with non-formulaic traits from the protagonist. Culver is a sensible, no-nonsense adventurer, but realizes his efforts to fight the Cheyenne are pointless. The town is ripe for slaughter, the military's strategy is lacking, and the town's chief politicians are clueless. In many ways, Messmann exercises a liberal political fusion of words versus action as this tiny frontier town collapses from internal and external pressures.  

Thankfully, Cutting Edge Books has made The Last Snow available in a new paperback and digital edition. The book is also included in the publisher's western omnibus The Big Bold West #12, featuring novels by James Warner Bellah, Michael Carder, and Riley Ryan. If you enjoy Messmann's writing, Cutting Edge has also made available the author's Logan series, originally written as Alan Joseph, and his gothic-romance novels, originally written as Claudette Nicole. 

Get The Last Snow HERE.

Tom Corbett, Space Cadet #01 - Stand by for Mars!

According to the Tom Corbett Website, Grosset & Dunlap began publishing the Tom Corbett Space Cadet juvenile novels in 1952. These were a tie-in to the established television character and the Rockhill Radio IP. There were eight books in the published series from 1952 to 1955, all using the house name Carey Rockwell. There has never been a definitive answer on who actually wrote the books, but speculation is that it could have been Richard Jessup or G&D editor Joe Green.

Tom Corbett first appeared on CBS television in 1950 before moving to ABC in 1951. The show remained on air, with various networks, through 1955. Corbett also appeared on the radio in 1952, in 14 Dell comics from 1952-1955, and in Sunday newspaper strips between 1951 to 1953. My only experience with the character, like most readers, is the G&D books, which I still see from time to time in used bookstores. 

I decided to try the character out with the series debut, Stand by for Mars!, originally published in 1952. 

The setting for the series is the 24th century, 2350. All of the inner planets have been colonized by humans. Earth is a commonwealth shared by Mars and Venus. Solar Guard units are stationed in different parts of the universe, each monitoring shipping and passenger commutes while conducting various experiments. Somewhere in the North American Midwest, there's an academy to train men and women vowing to join the Solar Guard. This is where we first meet Tom, on day one of his training as a cadet. 

Roger Manning, like Tom, is from Earth. As a fellow cadet, Roger is consistently tormenting Tom and a man from Venus named Astro. This conflict is the central plot of the book – the trio's ability to work together cohesively through training and actual operations. Roger seems to have a great burden on his shoulders, one that he distributes emotionally and physically to his cadet mates. At one point, Tom and Roger have a fistfight in the facility gym. Awkwardly, Roger strives for companionship, but simply doesn't know how to coexist with his teammates. This is a mystery that permeates the book's second half – Roger's secret. Fortunately, the reveal pays off in the book's emotional finale.

As I was reading Stand by for Mars!, I kept thinking of other series titles that shared similarities with the book. The trials and tribulations heaped on Tom during training reminded me of R.A. Salvatore's The Legend of Drizzt series of Forgotten Realms novels. That character is forced to make alliances while also combating other students during his training. The debut, Homeland, featured Drizzt's time in the Academy. Another similar title is the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling, complete with the alliances and rivalries forged at Hogwarts, a school of magic. Like Stand by for Mars!, that series features a combat sport in which the students must rely on each other to score goals and win for their team (or house). 

Most of Stand by for Mars! features Tom, Roger, and Astro working as a trio to overcome mathematical and engineering problems during their training classes and final. However, their education pays off when they are thrust into a real scenario of answering a rescue beacon from another ship. The action also includes a shipwreck, an 8-day survival quest through a hot desert, and some intense battle planning as the trio is forced to make quick decisions to defend a faux invasion. 

Overall, this Tom Corbett debut was highly entertaining. I connected to the character, enjoyed Astro's comical scenes, and found Roger detestable. All three characters, and their emotional baggage, helped elevate the storytelling. I'm all in. Stand by for the next installment!

Get Stand by for Mars! HERE

Gil Cohen: Inside/Out - The Archive Collection

I've covered countless books and stories here at Paperback Warrior that feature artwork created by the legendary Gil Cohen. My first experience with the Philadelphia native was his exceptional paperback covers for The Executioner series, created by Don Pendleton. His detailed brushstrokes defined the imagery for Mack Bolan for several decades, including the spin-off titles associated with the character's rich history. 

In 2020, Robert Deis and Wyatt Doyle collaborated on a visual collection of paperback covers, One Man Army, featuring hundreds of Cohen paintings, most central to The Executioner and Mack Bolan mythos. That book, which was available in hard and soft covers from New Texture, focused solely on Cohen's paperback artistry. However, Cohen was extremely prolific in the pages of men's action-adventure magazines, often referred to as MAMs. 

There isn't a duo on Earth more skilled in telling the history of the MAM era than Deis and Doyle. Both have made it their mission to highlight and document this unique, storied tradition of vintage magazines. Both have excelled in presenting coffee table, awe-inspiring volumes that capture the essence of the MAM. Books like Weasels Ripped My Flesh!, He-Men, Bag Men, & Nymphos, Barbarians on Bikes, and artist portfolios including legends like George Gross, Mort Kunstler, and Samson Pollen.

The two have once again created a beautiful coffee table book titled Gil Cohen: Inside/Out - The Archive Collection. This is a deluxe, full-color hardcover (150ish pages) featuring Cohen's magazine covers and interior illustrations found in MAMs from the 1950s through the 1970s. I haven't counted them all yet, but according to MensPulpMags.com, there are 160 high-resolution images. Considering MAMs are very rare, this may be one of the only times a casual fan and reader will even see these paintings. 

My favorites include the book bonus artwork, including Force 10 from Navarone (Alistair MacLean, Male 1970), The Executioner (Don Pendleton, For Men Only 1969), and Thunderball (Ian Fleming, Argosy 1961). I also enjoyed reading Deis's foreword on Cohen's legacy as an artist and his contributions to Martin Goodman's Magazine Management Company, arguably the birthplace of Marvel Comics. 

Deis and Doyle promise that this book is the first in a planned four-volume series showcasing Gil Cohen's MAM art. Based on the quality of this volume, I can't wait to see more. 

Get your copy of this fantastic book HERE.

Cavern of Rage

African-American author W. Warner Jackson was born in Spur, Texas, and worked as a railroad porter, painter, mail carrier, machinist, and cook, among other jobs. He spent most of his life in Kansas City, although no other details are really known about him. Jackson wrote three novels, beginning with The Birth of the Martyr's Ghost, a 1957 hardcover published by Comet Press. He followed with the paperback Lust for Youth (1960), and Cavern of Rage (1961). Cutting Edge Books has all three of Jackson's novels available in new paperback and digital editions. As a newcomer to the author, I decided to read Cavern of Rage. It was originally published by Newsstand Library with cover art by Robert Bonfils. 

The book, set in Kansas City, features the common tropes of sleaze fiction – adultery, greed, and guilt. David and Nora have experienced six years of marriage, highlighted by their elevated social status in the community. Yet David's work has suffered a tremendous collapse, leading the couple to financial ruin. As the novel begins, Nora is hosting one more extravagant party to cement their status as pillars of the community. David knows this is the last grand event before things spiral into ruin.

The party featured a performance dancer, Peggy, that has eyes for David. In his weakened state as both a husband and provider, David is enthralled with Peggy. The two leave the event, exploring each other's bodies in David's car. Meanwhile, as the party ends, Nora is flirting with the band leader, a vile individual named Vincent. He drugs Nora's drink and rapes her, but already has plans to violate one of Nora's friends that he met earlier in the evening.

The book's second half is a roller-coaster of events that thrust these four individuals into some very dark places. Readers learn that Vincent is a serial rapist and killer, a revelation that Jackson twists and turns as Nora is held in torturous captivity. It is this aspect of the book that really elevates the anxiety and tension – will Nora submit to this maniac or fight back? Also, there is a flood that isolates both David and Peggy in a cave, forced to fight for their own survival. This leaves time for David to contemplate his life. Continue with Peggy? Return to Nora? It's a balance beam of emotion for both the character and the reader.

I wish I knew more about Jackson, because his literary work certainly deserves more recognition. Cavern of Rage is an excellent crime-noir that reveals humanity's eternal desires – sex, money, and power. Jackson's ability to shift perspectives allows readers to view these seedy quests from different communities and financial platforms – the criminal, the underfed, and the powerful. It's clever storytelling that exposes these morally bankrupt characters and their motives. It's also highly entertaining. Cavern of Rage gets a strong recommendation.

Get this book and the other Jackson novels HERE.

The House of the Nightmare

Edward Lucas White (1866-1934), who was educated at Johns Hopkins University, worked as a teacher at University School for Boys in Baltimore for nearly his entire life. While teaching, White was committed to being a writer. He authored short stories, novels, and poetry, some of which have been celebrated in countless horror and mystery anthologies. My experience with White is his beloved ghost story, “The House of the Nightmare”. It was first printed in The Thrill Book in 1919. Later, it was included in White's collection, Lukundoo and Other Stories.

This story uses the “roadside ghost” that is often affiliated with the dark traveler or dead hitchhiker shtick. We've all heard the campfire stories, or watched one of many horror films use the concept of an average person traveling a dark road and finding solace with a mysterious stranger. In some cases, the traveler will pick up a girl hitchhiking, only to later learn at a local truck stop or diner that the girl had previously died in a tragic accident and now exists as an apparition left to wander the highway for eternity. 

This idea spills into songs like Alan Jackson's (w/ Don Sampson) “Midnight in Montgomery” or David Allan Coe's “The Ride” (written by John Blayne Detterline, Jr. and Gary Gentry). The concept is often called the phantom hitchhiker, but it can be used for other occurrences, too. In White's case, it concerns a traveler meeting a young boy on a dark roadside.

The story is told in first-person by an unnamed narrator. He is traveling through the mountainous countryside when he spots an anomaly in the road. Ahead of him, he sees a large stone on the right side of the lane, yet as he gets nearer, it seems to have changed location to the left. As he struggles to understand this strange positioning, he runs off the road and into a tree. A young boy arrives and offers to assist the man, but is hesitant to shelter him.

After some back-and-forth, the man convinces the boy to allow him to sleep at his house overnight. The boy confesses that the home is messy, his mother is dead, and his father hasn't been home in months. There's very little food, and plenty of other excuses for the man to avoid this house. But he insists, and the boy welcomes him inside. The boy warns the traveler that he experiences nightmares concerning a large pig that is devouring him. That night, the man has the same nightmare and flees the house. Down the road, he learns the awful truth about the boy and the haunted house.

This was a familiar setup for me, but I still enjoyed White's storytelling. He adds a few clues throughout the short narrative about the boy and his living conditions. The cool, dark house offers plenty of eerie atmosphere, and there's a mystery about the boy's family that begs for answers. The nightmare scene was told vividly, with enough fright to warrant the character's quick departure.

I loved this story, and I often enjoy these phantom formulas. One of my favorites is an episode of the CBC radio show Nightfall. It's called “Windchill”, and it was written by David McCaughna and aired on September 19, 1980. You can listen to that audio presentation HERE.

Breeder

Author Jim Morris served three tours with The Green Berets during America's participation in the Vietnam War. His memoir of the experience, War Story, won the Bernal Diaz Award for military non-fiction. He's authored the books The Devil's Secret Name, Fighting Men, and The Guerrilla Trilogy, among others. My experience with the author is his unusual men's action-adventure paperback, Breeder, originally published by Tor in 1988. The cover artist is Luis Royo.

In the opening pages is a letter inscribed to Gary Dexter from his father. “Dad” advises Dexter that he isn't his real biological father. He explains that he served with another soldier Jeff, in ground forces, and that Jeff is Gary's biological parent. He then continues, explaining that this book is a manuscript he had been working on chronicling both his, and Jeff's exploits during the war and the aftermath of the campaign. In the book's faux Editor's Note, readers learn this book was found in the personal effects of an Airborne Ranger, Gary Dexter, who was killed during the assault on Orly Airport on June 6th, 2042. 

The book begins with these three and a half pages, which is a bit ambiguous because readers have no idea who these characters are. However, after the book's 306-pages, it all makes perfect sense. It was a satisfying way to tease the set-up and then slowly build to that early revelation. It's just another unique element in the way Morris tells this story.

Breeder is a tough book to review without giving away spoilers. However, I feel that by giving the concept away, it might encourage you to track the book down. It works like a post-apocalyptic novel, but can serve as science-fiction and action-adventure in the use of purposeful machismo, over-the-top fighting scenes, and the brisk pace. The novel is also set during a new American Civil War, although some of the more intricate details of this war remained unclear. 

Jeff Clendenning and Duncan (who might be the author of the letter) are serving as cadets in a rugged ROTC somewhere in America – they think. But the rules of this ROTC program are bizarre, allowing cadets to murder officers in hand-to-hand combat and run wild with sexual urgency. Jeff, who is described as the perfect man, typically has sex with a randomly chosen woman every day and a half. Females are powerless to resist his pheromones. While Jeff is learning the fine art of war and the lay of the land, Duncan is romancing a young woman named Lauren. Jeff ends up sleeping with Lauren as well, which creates animosity between the two cadets. 

There are a number of interesting events within this ROTC program, but ultimately, Jeff decides to escape the facility after receiving his graduation orders to stay on base and instruct future cadets. Jeff replaces another soldier and is transported to Texas to fight Mexican gangs and the NRA (yes, that NRA). It is during this battle that Jeff confronts an officer at gunpoint to learn more about who he is and what the ROTC's goals are. This is the wow moment in the book as Jeff learns he was grown in a lab by the Soviets in a super-soldier plot. The ROTC program has been in the Soviet Union the entire time, though dressed up as an average American military town. Further, Jeff is a “breeder”, meaning he can impregnate women and replicate his supersoldier self. Jeff loses his mind upon discovering all of this head-spinning intel and flees.

The second half of the book is a fish-out-of-water tale as Jeff learns about America, romances a woman, and joins a trio of criminals on a bank heist spree. There are letters inserted every few chapters from “Dad” - Duncan – that fill readers in on his military experiences piloting a helicopter. As the book marches to the finale, both Duncan and Jeff are reunited to crush an anti-American rebellion fueled by the Soviets. The last pages of the battle help explain the book's opening three pages, and the letter.

Clearly, Morris was writing Breeder as a condemnation of Hollywood macho-films, spoofing the ability of action heroes to ride tall, shoot straight, speak the truth – and get laid by the most beautiful women. It possesses all the stereotypes and is laugh-out-loud hilarious at times. Proof of this is the John Wayne Bobbit moment that blew my mind (which didn't even occur until five years after this book's publication). Morris was having an absolute blast writing this book, and I'm shocked that it isn't more popular. This is a cult-sensational novel that just waited for an audience that never arrived. If you love the aforementioned genres, or just the idea of this high-concept, then you owe it to yourself to get this book. I will never forget Breeder. 

Get the book HERE.

The Only Good Secretary

Jean Potts specialized in cozy mysteries that quietly rivaled the best of Margaret Millar and Charlotte Armstrong. Her literary catalog, spanning 1954-1975, featured fourteen novels; the most celebrated being her debut, Go, Lovely Rose, which earned a 1954 Edgar Award for Best First Novel. Stark House Press are all in on Potts, rightfully so, and have published seven twofers collecting her mysteries. At the time of this writing, the publishers has just unveiled Jean Potts: The Complete Short Stories. I've been a little behind on my Stark House reading, so I took a road trip opportunity to devour the workplace mystery, The Only Good Secretary, which was first published as a paperback in 1965 by Ace (G-608). It exists in both physical and digital editions as a combined SHP collection with The Man with the Cane (1957)

The Only Good Secretary reads as if Agatha Christie has invaded Mad Men. It's a tight, expertly woven mystery centered around an employee, Fern, who is found with a fatal scissor wound in a business office. The unnamed detective is brought in on the case, but quickly is disposed of in a quest to present an amateur sleuth duo – in this case a combination of Louise, the office secretary, and High Dudgeon, the office owner/operator.

Potts has a unique way of presenting her stories conversationally. You won't find the author describing a room, or spending much time on trivial character activities. Instead, Potts uses her pagecount wisely by allowing the characters to tell the complete story. Its all fair play for the reader, as these characters possess no information that would reveal the identity of the murderer. Instead, the conversations – and there are a lot – ebbs and flows as suspects are revealed, red herrings are dismissed, and the elimination of motives increases. The reader doesn't need to commit any guesswork, although that part of the reading experience is very rewarding. 

Another interesting aspect to Potts' writing style is the way she turns characters against each other. This formula worked exceptionally well in The Evil Wish (1962), pitting two thirty-something sisters against each other in suffocating living quarters. In this novel, Potts uses a young college student and a teacher, with each of them throwing the other under the proverbial bus. It is this consistent shifting in their testimony and actions that keeps Louise and High digging into the changeable narrative. There is a killer – but the Devil's in the details. 

If you enjoy the tight whodunits of the mid 20th century, then The Only Good Secretary should be your next read. Get the book HERE.

Conan - Savage Sword of Conan #02 (Titan)

In February 2024, The Savage Sword of Conan was relaunched by Titan Comics through a licensing agreement with Heroic Signatures. I reviewed the first issue back in late 2024 HERE, but have been preoccupied with other Conan things. I'm finally getting back to this series with the second issue, originally published in May 2024.

The cover artist is Dave Dorman (Star Wars, King Kong), with variable covers including artist Nick Marinkovich (Dead Romans). The lead Conan story is “Conan: Leaving the Garden”, which is written by Canadian native Jim Zub. He has been the primary author of Titan's other Conan title, Conan the Barbarian. My previous experience with his writing was the Wolverine miniseries, Mystery in Madripoor. The story features artwork by Richard Pace (New Warriors, Pitt). 

“Conan: Leaving the Garden” is weird. The opening pages have the titular hero rising from a grave. Then we get a story that tells of how Conan was seemingly buried alive. It begins with him leading a wagon train across Shem into the trading ports of Argos. In the barren stretches of the journey, Conan and the travelers are attacked by “a misshapen terrifying throng of humanoids”. I don't know what these things are, but they attack and slaughter most of the caravan. They drag Conan off to a garden, wrap him in a burial cloth, and bury him.

After Conan awakens and climbs his way to freedom, he stumbles upon a little makeshift shed. He is then found by a small boy who explains travelers are killed and buried in the garden. The bodies then transcend into ghosts that rise into a swirling mist. The whole thing is some sort of worship ritual for a monster that lives in a village barn. As Conan heals, he begins plans to go to the village and destroy the monster. 

This story suffers from a number of issues, mainly in that it just isn't that interesting. Conan, recalling his greatest adventures to the boy, was touching, and it has a greater impact when we learn the fate of the kid. But the art is horrendous in some scenes. It reminds me of a below-average comic strip. Conan, swaddled in a fur blanket was a scene I wish I could have erased from my consciousness. I get that it is trying to evoke the spirit of Weird Tales, but it did nothing for me.

Next up was the real reason I even wanted to pursue this issue, the continuation of Patrick Zircher's Solomon Kane story from the first issue, “Master of the Hunt”. 

In the beginning, Kane is in a Welsh village tracking a werewolf that's preying on farmers. He is staying with a woman and her son, as her husband is on a “great hunt”. As this second part continues the story, Kane is attacked by the werewolf and his elderly partner is killed. In the man's dying words, he urges Kane to take a pagan horn to use for protection. This is a key part of the story as it places the Puritan hero at a spiritual crossroads. 

Page 58's artwork is the highlight of the issue. Zircher's full page displays Arawn, the Lord of the Underworld, complete on horseback, wearing antler horns and leading a pack of Devilish dogs. It's the proverbial “master of the hunt”, yet whether any of this actually exists or not is in the eye of the beholder. The scene reminded me of Howard's Kane poem, "Death's Black Riders". Perhaps Kane is simply speculating that if he blows the horn, he will embroil himself in Deviltry. The story sort of ends there in this wild cliffhanger. 

I love the Solomon Kane story, and I feel that Zircher really gets this character. His faith, devotion, and prevalent need to serve the people is captured exceptionally well. Zircher's stellar artwork is the chef's kiss. 

As always, the magazine features several pinups – two Conan pages by Rafael Kayanan and Gerardo Zaffino and a Solomon Kane page by Nick Marinkovich. 

Doomsday Warrior #02 - Red America

The second Doomsday Warrior installment, Red America, was published in 1984 by Zebra Books. The series began with both Jan Stacy (The Last Ranger) and Ryder Syvertsen (C.A.D.S.) collaborating on the concept and writing the first four novels. Syvertsen solely took over writing duties for the remaining 15 installments. 

As I summarized in my review of the debut (HERE), the series is set in 2089. The nuked-out United States is now controlled by the Soviet Union, and most of the larger cities are ruled under a red iron fist. However, pockets of resistance still thrive across the country, partially led by a rebellion group called the American Free Cities. One of these liberated areas, Century City, is home to the Doomsday Warrior himself, the Ultimate American, Ted Rockson. 

As the novel begins, Rockson is leading this team of commandos on a mission to test a new laser rifle designed by Century City's premier scientist. Rockson's team is introduced like an episode of a G.I. Joe cartoon:

Detroit – African-American fighting man, second in command to Rockson
McCaughlin – Scotsman, the big brawler
Chen – Chinese-American ninja
Lang – The Kid, like a younger version of Rockson

The new rifle pays huge dividends as the team decimates over 100 Soviet vehicles and countless enemy soldiers and agents. But, through intel, Rockson learns that a secret red headquarters in Pavlov City is conducting a biological weapons campaign to turn Americans into fighting zombies. Yep. Fighting zombies.

After some graphic sex with girl Rhona, Rockson takes on a mission of locating and infiltrating Pavlov City. It is this early portion of the book that portrays Rockson like a lone cowboy, riding a hybrid beast creature across the wasteland, only to be captured by the bad guys. He gets a dose of unique torture – a powerful aphrodisiac that makes him extremely horny. He's then placed in a jail cell right next door to a beautiful naked virgin, a gymnast named Kim. She's begging for it, Rockson is juiced up. But, there are the steel bars and everything. The ultimate cockblock.

Eventually, Rockson upends the headquarters, frees the slave zombies, and gets some backup from his team. However, just like the debut, this is just the first mission of two. These books tend to place two adventures in each novel, so we aren't done with just the zombie stuff. 

In the book's second half, Rockson meets up with some wild beatnik Native American bikers (high concept) that pit Rockson and his team against a mutant dragon-thingy. The bikers are obnoxious, and remind me of the same setup of motorheads and Cheyenne warriors that Stacy used on War Weapons, the fifth installment in his post-apocalyptic The Last Ranger series (which is better than Doomsday Warrior). 

Red America is seriously like an episode of G.I. Joe. If that's your thing, then jump all over this book. You can also listen to the “movie in your mind” with the Graphic Audio edition. 

Get the book HERE.

The Haar

I really enjoyed David Sodergren's horror novel Night Shoot, but it has taken me over two years to find myself submerged in another of his books, The Haar. It was independently published by the author in 2022. The book is available in both hardcover and paperback, as well as a 7-hour Tantor Media audio narration by Mhairi Morrison. 

The novel stars an 84-year old widow named Muriel McAuley. Muriel lives in a cottage on the remote Scottish seaside. Land developers, led by an unscrupulous baron, have bought or bullied their way through the small village in a grand effort to create a golf community (side note – I despise golf). Muriel refuses to sell for any amount of money. She loves her little place, partly because she has lived so many years of her life there with her husband. He died years ago on a fishing expedition – this is important.

Often, Muriel journeys down to the rocky beach to enjoy a small watershed cave there, a place where she spent magical moments with her husband. In the opening pages of the novel, Muriel is in this place when she discovers a wounded sea creature lying on the jagged rocks. In an effort to heal the beast, she scampers back to her house and places the creature in her bathtub. Only there's a small problem with its healing...the creature doesn't just need water – it needs blood.

Soon, Muriel embarks on an emotional adventure with this strange creature residing in her bathtub. In a shocking revelation, the healed creature confesses to Muriel that it can appear as anything. It can also read her mind and cull from it her most precious memories – memories of her time with her husband. Muriel allows the creature to “become” her deceased husband, and the two cherish her memories together. Yet, Muriel knows this facade can only be temporary. The creature needs human blood in order to remain alive. 

The Haar is the best book I've read thus far in 2026. It is a combination of horror, dark fantasy, action, and romance. At a short page count of just 200 pages, Sodergren took me through different levels of emotion as Muriel experiences the ultimate reunion and is forced into some really dark decision-making. I described the book to a friend, and he immediately caught the Hellraiser comparison, but I'd also mention other influencing films like Splash, Lady in the Water, and maybe, to a lesser extent, Swamp Thing. It is a fish-out-of-water story, but it incorporates so many different aspects. It is violent, beautiful, gory, and wholly unique. 

The best compliment I can give to any book is how it made me feel afterwards. This book makes you feel something, and for that, I can't recommend it enough. You need to read this book.

Get The Haar HERE.

Paperback Warrior - Conversations

Nick Anderson and I teamed up for another Guide to Gothics video, this time reviewing the 1974 Dell paperback The Traitor Within. It was authored by Alice White using the pseudonym of Alicen White. White won a Mystery Writers of America award and earned an Edgar for her 1972 novel Nor Spell, Nor Charm. She also played a key role in the development and leadership of the  Girl Scouts of America, as well as her teachings and mentorship at University of Kentucky, Purdue University, and the Mary C. Wheeler School. Check out the video, which highlights her career and literary work, directly on YouTube HERE.

Fog Country

Back on Episode 67 of the Paperback Warrior Podcast, we examined the life and literary works of a mysterious female pulp writer named Allison V. Harding. No one really knows her identity. It could have been Lamont Buchanan, a woman named Jean Milligan, or really Dorothy Mcllwraith. It's a mystery that will never truly be solved. But, regardless, Harding left behind a legacy of 33 tales of terror that helped elevate Weird Tales into the stratosphere of iconic magazine horror. 

In 2020, Armchair Fiction released a compilation of 16 stories culled from the pages of Weird Tales, Allison V. Harding: The Forgotten Queen of Horror. This book includes a story titled “Fog Country”, originally published in the magazine's July 1945 issue. 

“Fog Country” is told in first-person narration by Smith - “I'm known as Smith. Just Smith.” He has arrived back to the small town of Elbow Creek after several years of living afar. Smith describes this rural place as a type of mecca where evil forces flow, forces beyond understanding. He then documents for the reader a mysterious family known as the Hobells. They reside – or did at one point – in a robust mansion on top of the hill. They were the founders of Elbow Creek, but they were met with dysfunctional personalities. 

Smith describes the night when one of the Hobells, a troubled, fighting-man named Jess, engaged in a fight with his brother Tom. Tom's wife was murdered during the fight, but charges were never filed, and the two brothers remained bitter rivals...until the fog came.

Every so often, a thick, supernatural fog creeps in from the nearby sound to engulf the town and its residents. One night, the fog came and seemingly wiped out the Hobell family, evaporating Jess and the remaining family members. As the story hits the payoff pitch, readers realize that Smith is actually Jess's brother, Tom. He's returned to town and the mansion he now owns, free and clear of any rival family members. As he settles into the house, clearing debris and old memories, the fog begins to roll in again. Only this time...there may be a figure in the fog.

Like any good horror story, “Fog Country” relies on atmosphere as the main character. The house's isolation in the high forest, near the shore, is the perfect backdrop for Smith to meet his fate. The fog, described as thick and slimy, is the menace, although it's metaphorically just the town's buried secrets regarding this oddball founding family and the blight they've left on the township. The idea that Tom killed Jess isn't mentioned on paper, but it's an ambiguous delight that often made these old horror tales better – it's all in the imagination. You can make of it what you will.

You can read “Fog Country” in the Armchair Fiction omnibus, available HERE.    

The Night Boat

In high school, I read Robert R. McCammon's Swan Song. The book, which was published in 1987 as a mass market paperback by Pocket, won the Bram Stoker Award for Best Novel in 1988. I was so impressed with the book that I swore that day I would read every McCammon paperback. As book promises go, I didn't follow up and have managed to neglect reading any of the author's books since. 35-years later, I finally have read my second McCammon book – The Night Boat. It was published in 1980 as a paperback by Avon.

The Night Boat is like the paperback equivalent of an Italian zombie film. I've watched the cult-cringes like Zombie Lake (1981), Shock Waves (1977), and Oasis of the Zombies (1982), so I know my way around the undead films featuring Nazi soldiers stirring from some ancient slumber to devour human brains. McCammon feeds off of that for this book, which was his third published work (actually his second written novel).

McCammon sets this underwater horror story in the golden sands of the Caribbean, specifically a fictional, small seaside village named Coquina Island. During WWII, the island was shelled and burned by a Nazi sub. Off the coast, British submarine hunters were able to torpedo the vessel and sink it to the ocean. The island's natives, steeped in Voodoo, curse the German corpses in their aquatic tombs. Then, David Moore comes along and mucks it all up.

Moore, struggling with survivor's guilt after the death of his family, is a salvage diver who runs a small inn on Coquina. While trying to unearth some hidden treasure, Moore sets off a discarded depth charge that frees the German sub from its grave. The sub rises to the surface, and later, is placed in a harbor awaiting either another sinking or some sort of museum appraisal. But, Moore, the island's determined constable, and a museum curator look inside...and discover Nazi zombies. They accidentally free the soldiers, and the undead begin to attack the living.

This is pure popcorn horror fun, and I loved every page of it. This isn't anything epic, and it doesn't waddle away time and energy with a lot of characterization. It's a combination of nautical fiction, police procedural investigation, and survival horror as the island defends itself from the zombies and the “ghost ship”. There's a little bit of entrail-shredding graphic scenes, a small dose of sex, an underwater salvage that reminded me of Clive Cussler, and of course, the traditional fleshy flavor of the traditional zombie sub-genre – in pure pulpy fashion. Voodoo priests, sacrifices, small-town paranoia, ghosts, Nazis, and ghost ships. It doesn't get any more enjoyable than this. The Night Boat is worth sailing. 

Get the book HERE.

The Totem

David Morrell's The Totem was first published as a hardcover by M. Evans and Company in 1979. It debuted as a paperback in 1980 on Fawcett Crest. It was just his fifth published book, arriving years before First Blood's movie adaptation propelled him into the bestseller cosmos. In 1994, the author submitted his original version of the book – longer and unaltered – to his publisher Donald M. Grant. It is this version of the book that remains in print as physical, digital, and audio editions. 

A fictional small town, Potter's Field, Wyoming, is the locale for this interesting blend of genres. The primary pecking order is horror, followed closely by suspense, crime-fiction, and high-adventure. Often, too many ideas and concepts become burdensome, but Morrell's smooth prose and imagination keep the pages flowing. This was an entertaining reading experience from one of the storytellers in the business.

Sheriff Slaughter is the original town outsider, hired years ago from the big city to calmly, and quietly administer peace. He has a well-developed backstory, complete with trauma, divorce, and regret, that adds texture and depth. His professionalism is put to the test as mysterious killings begin to impact the town. Citizens and livestock are being mauled by wild animals. Yet, the bodies don't appear to have been traditionally devoured. It's as if they are simply being killed out of sport of some sadistic hatred of their lives. 

The thoughts of Slaughter, and his investigation, pan back and forth through a variety of colorful characters, none more interesting than an alcoholic journalist named Dunlap. He arrives in town to research a hippie cult that met an untimely end a decade before. There's also the brief appearance of a lovable, wise old veterinarian, a despicable mayor, and a handful of Slaughter's deputies that provide some ebb and flow in the investigation. 

In terms of crime-fiction, Dunlap and Slaughter put their heads together to learn more about the back-to-nature sort of cult that existed in town years prior. There's also the procedural stuff as Slaughter orchestrates the town's authorities into strategic places for the narrative to come alive – dark forests, empty fields, mountain terrain, and a creepy mansion. Which is where the horror really comes alive.

The horror aspect bridges several sub-genres, notably an “invasion” angle, as this super-rabies type of epidemic transforms the average citizens into homicidal maniacs. I've heard mentions that Paul Tremblay's Survivor Song, based on a super-rabies concept, may have taken inspiration from this novel. Regardless, The Totem is far better. There's also the “animals attack” formula, which was running at an all-time high during the 1980s, post-Jaws. But, oddly, this creepy mansion may have been my favorite portion of the book.

Years ago, a rich and affluent entrepreneur lived in this large house/mansion on the outskirts of town. He murdered his wife, but the authorities never located her body. Like these sorts of “house on the edge of town” rural-America myths go, rumors abound that she's still in the house, either existing as a neglected corpse or a rampaging ghost. The police are called to the mansion at night due to a rabid boy fleeing to the location after attacking a neighbor. It's flashlights, cobwebs, and staircases in a traditional horror flavor that Morrell would later perfect in his masterpiece, 2005's Creepers. 

I could probably write a coffee table book, probably longer than The Totem, about this novel, but I'll end it by just saying this: The Totem is an excellent horror novel that deserves its flowers. It is unique, innovative, and truly terrifying. Highest possible recommendation. Get the book HERE.

Psycho

Robert Bloch's seminal bestseller was Psycho, a 1959 hardcover first published by Simon & Schuster. It debuted in paperback in 1960 as a Crest Book, an imprint of Fawcett. Within its first few years of publication, the book was printed in six editions, including a movie tie-in version for Alfred Hitchcock's classic in 1960. The book spurred film sequels, but Bloch wrote his own sequels to the book – 1982's Psycho II and 1990's Psycho House. There was also a TV prequel show titled Bates Motel (2013-2017), a fan-favorite that visualized the origin of the book's protagonist, Norman Bates.

Unlike the film, Norman is really the protagonist of the novel. He's overweight, struggles with his childhood traumas, and talks to his mother. He runs a roadside motel in rural California that has seen its better days. His boring day-to-day changes when a new guest arrives, Marion Crane.

Readers learn about Marion's dilemma in Bloch's beautifully orchestrated setup. She met a man named Sam on a cruise, and the two of them want to get married. But, Sam, who runs a small hardware store, has looming debt and isn't in a position to take on the financial responsibility a marriage requires. Marion works for a real estate company that has just finished a large property sale. She's asked to drop $40,000 at the local bank. Instead, she takes this as a perfect invitation to take the money and run. She plans on driving across the country to Sam's place to present him with a fake story about inheriting money from a deceased relative.

Weary from the road, Marion checks in to the Bates Motel...but doesn't check out. This dinner scene and Norman's fixation on the woman develop into one of the most iconic scenes in horror history. Like the film version, this shower scene is excellent, albeit a little different – Marion is eviscerated and decapitated in Bloch's version. 

Marion's disappearance leads to an insurance investigator, Arbogast, arriving at Sam's store. By this time, Marion's sister Lila has also arrived to inquire about her sister's absence. Together, the three of them team up to learn more about Marion's trip to the motel and the outcome. 

It is hard to read a classic like this after seeing the film adaptation numerous times. I often asked myself when I would catch the twist if I had read the book first, with no prior intel on Bates and his mother. Like many readers' experiences of the time, I'm sure the novel would have blown my mind as well. This is a masterful storytelling experience that incorporates everything I love about noir fiction – a heist, criminals on the run, a suspenseful locale, a driven detective, ordinary people pushed into extraordinary circumstances, and, of course, a heinous bad guy. At about the halfway point, I began pushing Anthony Perkins' on-screen portrayal of Norman out of my mind, replaced by a different image that more closely aligned with the book – an obese, drinking man with a more aggressive nature. 

I think this book, and to a lesser extent John D. MacDonald's 1960 paperback, The End of the Night, propelled violence and human horror into new heights. These books helped define modern horror as both authors were on the cusp of revealing the psychotic tendencies that would re-appear nine years later with the Manson Family murders, although the Ed Gein murders of the 1940s and 1950s had a spectacular impact on Bloch's novel. Like what Mickey Spillane accomplished in the late 1940s – more violence, anti-heroes, a dark progression of the cookie-cutter pulp – Bloch is able to replicate this in terms of suspense and horror. Psycho is the catalyst for “stalk 'n slash”.   

Regardless of whether you've watched Hitchcock's film or not, this book deserves to be read again...and again. Highest possible recommendation. Do yourself a favor and read this book!

Get it HERE.

Baxter #12 - Hell's Haunted Acres

Lawrence Treat (1903-1998) was one of the founders of the Mystery Writers of America, and served as the association's president and director. He is considered the father of the police procedural by creating a group of detectives solving crimes as opposed to the traditional detective stories that featured a single character. His seven-decade career included 17 novels, over 300 short stories, and numerous appearances in anthologies and digests dedicated to the genre and craft. 

Treat's earliest appearances in the pulps were under his birth name, Lawrence Arthur Goldstone. Later, he changed his name and began appearing in Ace-High Detective Magazine, Detective Fiction Weekly, and Black Mask. Treat had a number of pulp characters appear in his stories, like Wee Willie Apple (Short Stories) and Edward Asa Scott (Dime Detective Magazine). Two of his characters, Bill Decker and Mitch Taylor, were often found in the pages of Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine. 

I wanted to read Treat's pulp stories starring a Southern private-detective, Paul W. “Galahad” Baxter, or just Baxter for short. According to Jess Nevins, Baxter appeared in Ten Detective Aces from 1939 through 1942, beginning with “Murder Isn't For Sissies” (May 1939). While Baxter works for a New York City agency, later stories relocate the character to Memphis and New Orleans. 

My first experience with the character, and subject of this review, is “Hell's Haunted Acres” (Nov. 1941), a “Smashing Baxter Novelet”. 

In the opening pages of the story, Baxter is sent to Mobile, Alabama by his boss Joe Cotton, the head of the Herald Square Agency. Baxter charges into a bank building to see his client, a big-business fellow named Hartswell. When Baxter briskly introduces himself, Hartswell says, “You're the boy that Cotton says is such a world-beater. Says you turn the city of N'Orleans inside out every Tuesday and Thursday, regular.” Baxter, as Bellem as ever, quips back, “Saturday's my night. What's the case?”

Baxter is sent by Hartswell to fictional Dog River, Alabama to protect a guy named Edward. Hartswell explains that Edward is his son, a big and powerful man with very little intelligence. Hartswell explains that years ago, Edward killed a man, forcing Hartswell to pay thousands of dollars to the man's widow to smooth things over so Edward wouldn't be prosecuted. The same thing has happened again. Edward killed Madie Allen's husband, one of the caretakers of the property that Edward lives on. Hartswell provides Baxter $10K to take care of Madie and pay off the rest of the people who supervise Edward.

It's a rather convoluted story, but one in which Baxter wisecracks, swings his fist, chases after Edward's gorgeous female friend, and ultimately solves the case. Treat's use of locale elevates the story, which incorporates snakes, an ominous swamp, and enough Southern stereotypes to top even Foghorn Leghorn. The mystery lies in whether or not Edward is really even alive, and the caretakers who are paid monthly to look after him. This includes the usual cast of suspects, which includes a herpetologist (who is fond of pythons), and a loud-mouthed bullhead named Scotty.

Baxter is the star of the show and proves it in the way he dispatches justice in unique and clever ways. The murder weapon is certainly a first for me, and the storytelling aspect of Baxter primarily chasing women was humorous for the small page count. I don't believe Baxter ever appeared in Treat's novels. That may be because he's so crass and obnoxious, yet, on a temporary basis enjoyable.  As a short pulp story character, Baxter is a fun waste of time. Read the story below or download HERE.

Flight from Nome

Frank Richardson Pierce (1887-1966) wrote over 1,500 stories for pulps and glossy magazines in his 50-year career. While using his own name, and that of Erle Stanly Pierce and Seth Ranger, Pierce worked as a photojournalist for Motorcycling and Bicycling Illustrated while traveling remote Alaskan villages in the early 20th century. His experience in the area had an impact on his writing, both as an adventure and western storyteller. I discovered an aviation story from the author, “Flight from Nome”, in the August 1947 issue of Adventure, featuring the frosty Alaskan climate.

The story provides a brief history lesson on the early-day travel in Alaska, both by ship and plane, while introducing the two main characters, Danny and Joe. They work for the fictional Alaska-Asiatic Airlines. Joe is the instrument pilot, a war veteran who is forced to co-pilot with a busher named Dan. Years ago, the duo formed a solid friendship and work partnership, a melding that led to Joe dating Danny's sister. But the years have taken their toll on the friendship and work environment, leading to Joe's animosity for Dan and his disgruntlement with being a co-pilot.

Danny is dating a woman named Maureen, but lately Joe has been flirting with her. Danny is upset with Joe, not only with his advancement on Maureen, but also with his dismissal of Joe's sister and their relationship. This tight tension has spread to the cockpit, leading to some uncomfortable chatter between the two. But the ultimate test of their loyalty to the profession is at hand. The two are flying a plane full of passengers, through the frigid night, to three destinations. It's an icy adventure that pushes the boundaries of their friendship, work ethic, and dedication to their trade. 

This story, really a novella, is a character study, not only of the two main stars but also of the passengers themselves. Each of them shares their life and lessons, living in such a barren place. My favorite is Old Man Kent, a former gold prospector who is suffering the early stages of Alzheimer's. He consistently talks for hours about his life, knowing friends like Jack London, Rex Beach, Soapy Smith, and Swiftwater Bill. Whether he actually met and had relationships with these legendary men is a mystery. The Kent character is like the living embodiment of a good pulp story, which I think was the point. There's also a Priest, a pregnant woman, and a nurse, among others, to share their experiences. Pierce also builds in some riveting flashback scenes of Joe earning his nickname “Lucky” in harrowing missions throughout the war. 

I haven't read much of Frank Richardson Pierce, but that all changes now that I've read this great aviation story. “Flight from Nome” is a fantastic literary telling of a majestic time and place in American history. Highly recommended.

Read or download the story HERE or read it below:

Dark Agnes #01 - Sword Woman

Agnes de Chastillon (aka Dark Agnes) only appeared in two stories completed by Robert E. Howard, “Sword Woman” and “Blades for France”. A third fragment story, “Mistress of Death”, was completed by Gerald W. Page. Roy Thomas used the character as an influence on the creation of his popular Marvel comics character, Red Sonja. My first introduction to the character is her origin story, “Sword Woman”. This was originally published in REH: Lone Star Fictioneer #2 (cover by Stephen Fabian) in Summer 1975. It was reprinted for the first time in Zebra's 1976 paperback The Second Book of Robert E. Howard. The most popular appearances of the story are probably Zebra's 1977 The Sword Woman (cover by Fabian) and Ace's 1986 Sword Woman (cover by Ken Kelly).

Despite being written by Robert E. Howard, the creator of Conan and the Hyborian Age, “Sword Woman” is set in 16th century France. In the opening pages, Agnes is being forced into marriage by her father. After brief consideration and the spurring of her disgruntled sister, Agnes runs away from her home after stabbing her bridegroom with a dagger. Her father chases after her while shooting arrows in her direction. Needless to say, that's a wild wedding day.

While stopping to rest, Agnes is met by a man named Etienne Villiers. He lures her into a false sense of security with promises that he will escort her to a faraway town where she can become employed as a servant. Agnes hesitantly agrees, but later regrets the decision when she overhears Villiers discussing a transaction. Agnes realizes that Villiers is actually a wanted man, a fugitive from the He planned on selling her to a brothel. After she kills her planned purchaser, Agnes nearly beats Villiers to death. She debates turning him in to the law, then has second thoughts and escorts him to safety, where he can regain his health. In the meantime, she meets a mercenary named de Clisson who trains her to be a swordswoman.

I loved this story and found the Agnes character to be rather dynamic. The story is told in the first-person narration by Agnes, which is rather unusual in the pulpy tradition. Her hot temper, fiery red hair, and the description of “devil in britches” made for mesmerizing imagery throughout the storytelling. There are a number of great quotes from Agnes where she defies stereotypes, masculinity, and the norms of the era in a quest for personal liberation. The action scenes are as good as expected from Howard, with key moments being a riverbed fight where Agnes is thrusting her sword while shooting faces off with a pistol. 

Like every Howard fan, I wish there were more of these Agnes stories. I look forward to reading “Blades for France” next. I may also seek out this story's inspiration, which was probably C.L. Moore's Jirel of Joiry character, of which Howard had read.

Get books featuring this story HERE.

The Brotherhood of Blood

“The Brotherhood of Blood”, authored by Hugh B. Cave, was first published by Weird Tales in the May 1932 issue, alongside other notable frightening wordslingers like Robert E. Howard, Clark Ashton Smith, and Seabury Quinn. It was collected in Cave's first hardcover collection, Murgunstrumm and Others, in 1977. I reviewed the book's title story back in 2023 HERE.

Like “Murgunstrumm”, this story also features vampires and children of the night, only more situated in the throngs of love and rejection. It's a unique story, marked by jealousy and murder, that features Paul Munn, a narrator who tells us in the opening pages he is an aged vampire - if vampires ever really age. He stalks Cambridge, Mass., in an effort to find and drain the life's blood, from his nemesis, a medical student named Rojer Threng. 

Like the typical early 20th-century shorts and novels, the story begins in the present day while the narrator gets situated to tell us his personal experiences from the past. Munn takes the reader back to his college years, where he often shared his apartment with Threng. It was during this time that Threng was dating a woman named Margot, who eventually rejected him. One night, Margot goes to Munn's apartment for aid and is taken aback to see Threng there. 

Threng explains to Munn that there is something not quite right about Margot and her family lineage. Hundreds of years ago, a French village burned one of Margot's ancestors to death, accusing and condemning him for sorcery. That ancestor rose from his grave on his 28th birthday as a vampire. He then attacked and drained the lifeblood from another family member. Then that family member rises on the 28th birthday to kill another family member. This is a cycle. Margot has come to Munn's to warn him that she is on the cusp of her 28th birthday and fears that her mother will rise from the grave and kill her. 

Munn has fallen in love with Margot, but can't save her. Eventually, Margot succumbs to her mother's vampiric bite and dies. Yet, since Margot has no other family members, she warns Munn in her dying breath that when he turns 28, she will rise and attack him. After this statement, the story takes an unusual twist. When Munn turns 28, he does see Margot, but Threng has another plan fueled by his jealousy and rage. 

Obviously, “The Brotherhood of Blood” has an uneven sort of feel to the plot, mainly due to the vague nature of the family curse. The significance of the family killing each other may have been lost on me, but I did enjoy the Munn character and genuinely felt an emotional bond with him. His loss of Margot and the eventual reappearance were developed well. For a short story, Cave fully developed these characters, despite the page limitations. His ability to lift this ordinary college love triangle into a series of life and afterlife occurrences was remarkable. Maybe I just don't read Cave enough to fully appreciate his storytelling strengths. Based on “Murgunstrumm” and this delightful story, I need to pursue more of the author's work. Recommended!

The Dwellers Under the Tombs

There's three characters that appear occasionally in Robert E. Howard's horror stories: Conrad, Kirowan, and O'Donnel. Sometimes all three of these men are in the same stories, while others fragment the three. I covered one of these stories, “Dig Me No Grave” (Weird Tales, Feb. 1937), which featured both Kirowan and Conrad. I found another, “The Dwellers Under the Tombs”, that features both Conrad and O'Donnel. The story was originally titled “His Brother's Shoes”, and submitted to Weird Tales. It was rejected in 1932. It was later published for the first time in the fourth issue of Weinberg's Lost Fantasies in 1976 (alongside Warren Munn's “Tale of the Werewolf”).

In the story, O'Donnel is staying at his friend Conrad's house when a neighbor, Job Kiles, arrives screaming that he just saw his dead brother. It is revealed that Job's brother Jonas lived in an old house in the Dagoth Hills (unknown location). He recently died and is buried in the family's tomb, yet somehow is now alive as a vampire visiting Job. Obviously, the mystery is too inviting, and all three men journey to the tomb to see if Jonas is still lying at rest. What they find is surprising.

Howard is one of my favorite writers of all time (maybe the best), and even when he wasn't at his best, he's still better than the majority of his early 20th century contemporaries. This story may have been rejected for being a little too on the nose, leaving very little to the imagination. It may also have had too much “The Lurking Fear”, a Lovecraft classic first published by Weird Tales in 1928. 

Regardless of the original rejection, this ghoul story is ripe with atmosphere and incoming doom as the two men find themselves alone with the dead body of Job and a coffin that's empty. As they spiral deeper into the spiderweb of underground tunnels, they discover an ancient race that's inhabited the mountain. There is a tight tension as the duo read a diary entry from Jonas that explains his position and the concept of fooling his brother into thinking he was really dead (the reason for the story's original title). But is Jonas dead now? What are the yellow eyes that are peering from the hideous depths? Can O'Donnel, and Conrad, shoot themselves to freedom? 

Roy Thomas adapted this story as a Conan adventure in Savage Sword of Conan #224 (Aug. 1994). Howard loved his subterranean horror stories, evident in “The Children of the Night” and “Worms of the Earth”. This one is really a lot of fun and is highly recommended. 

Get the Del Rey omnibus of Howard's horror stories HERE. Get the 1978 paperback Black Canaan, which features this story and others, HERE. HorrorBabble also presents an excellent audio version of this for free HERE.