Post by demonik on Apr 9, 2006 5:40:23 GMT -5
His work has been published in Britain and America, as well as Germany, Denmark, Spain and France. His seven collections, six of which are available in this country, have maintained an exceptionally high quality not often found in such works. The stories of Charles Birkin, however, are not for the squeamish. Be warned, if you are at all sensitive, leave him well alone. He deals unflinchingly with such subjects as murder, rape, concentration camps, patricide, mutilation and torture. But if you can stand the heat, step in the kitchen and meet Cynthia, the charming little heroine of this story, published here for the first time. Once will be enough ...
- From Hugh Lamb's introduction to Marjorie's On Starlight, A Wave Of Fear (W. H. Allen, 1973)
As far as I'm aware, the following stories don't appear in any of Birkin's collections to date:
Marjorie's On Starlight from Hugh Lamb (ed.) - A Wave Of Fear, (W. H. Allen, 1973)
Dinner In A Private Room from Hugh Lamb (ed.) - Cold Fear, (W. H. Allen, 1977)
The Medicine Cupboard from Charles Birkin (ed.) - The Tandem Book Of Horror Stories, (Tandem, 1965)
Zara And Zita from Charles Birkin (ed.) - The Tandem Book Of Ghost Stories, (Tandem, 1965)
A Low Profile from Mary Danby (ed.) The 10th Fontana Book Of Great Horror Stories, (Fontana, 1977)
'Marjorie's On Starlight': Ten year old Cynthia torments and humiliates her adopted sister with sadistic glee. When they're out riding, she callously reminds Marjory that her mother is dead, and causes her horse to bolt. There's a vehicle slowly approaching on the other side of the road, but it should be alright, unless either rider is thrown ...
Zara and Zita: Identical twins Zara and Zita are stranded in the rain when their car breaks down outside Dorking. They're heading for a party back in Chelsea where Zara intuitively knows Peter will propose to her - and she will accept. A handsome young man, Giles Wheatley, pulls up and offers them a lift ...
Birkin turns all expectation on it's head with this one, the gentlest of his stories I've encountered to date. A sad, albeit slight, traditional ghost story.
Dinner In A Private Room: Something of a departure for Birkin in what seems to have been his final story(?). The modern-day incarnations of some of the most notorious characters in history are invited to dine with Mr. Nasat. Nero, Judas Iscariot, Cesare Borgia and de Rais are commended on their past achievements, but are reminded they could all have done better. Natas has decided to move into the movie industry: "We'll be showing the Nazarene as he really was, and that is as a failure and a two-bit agitator. He was a muddled and hysterical homosexual and those twelve disciples of his - well, we'll slant them as a kind of Touring Company for Gay lib. The Magdalene's a Pansy's Moll. Get the idea?"
- From Hugh Lamb's introduction to Marjorie's On Starlight, A Wave Of Fear (W. H. Allen, 1973)
As far as I'm aware, the following stories don't appear in any of Birkin's collections to date:
Marjorie's On Starlight from Hugh Lamb (ed.) - A Wave Of Fear, (W. H. Allen, 1973)
Dinner In A Private Room from Hugh Lamb (ed.) - Cold Fear, (W. H. Allen, 1977)
The Medicine Cupboard from Charles Birkin (ed.) - The Tandem Book Of Horror Stories, (Tandem, 1965)
Zara And Zita from Charles Birkin (ed.) - The Tandem Book Of Ghost Stories, (Tandem, 1965)
A Low Profile from Mary Danby (ed.) The 10th Fontana Book Of Great Horror Stories, (Fontana, 1977)
'Marjorie's On Starlight': Ten year old Cynthia torments and humiliates her adopted sister with sadistic glee. When they're out riding, she callously reminds Marjory that her mother is dead, and causes her horse to bolt. There's a vehicle slowly approaching on the other side of the road, but it should be alright, unless either rider is thrown ...
Zara and Zita: Identical twins Zara and Zita are stranded in the rain when their car breaks down outside Dorking. They're heading for a party back in Chelsea where Zara intuitively knows Peter will propose to her - and she will accept. A handsome young man, Giles Wheatley, pulls up and offers them a lift ...
Birkin turns all expectation on it's head with this one, the gentlest of his stories I've encountered to date. A sad, albeit slight, traditional ghost story.
Dinner In A Private Room: Something of a departure for Birkin in what seems to have been his final story(?). The modern-day incarnations of some of the most notorious characters in history are invited to dine with Mr. Nasat. Nero, Judas Iscariot, Cesare Borgia and de Rais are commended on their past achievements, but are reminded they could all have done better. Natas has decided to move into the movie industry: "We'll be showing the Nazarene as he really was, and that is as a failure and a two-bit agitator. He was a muddled and hysterical homosexual and those twelve disciples of his - well, we'll slant them as a kind of Touring Company for Gay lib. The Magdalene's a Pansy's Moll. Get the idea?"