John Burke
Список книг автора John BurkeThe Dark Gateway: A Novel of Horror
The ancient, sinister castle located in the isolated Welsh countryside is no mere heap of dead stones. It quivers with an evil life of its own. Sinister powers are reaching through the castle gateway from somewhere out beyond–evil, menacing Old Gods that had once been thrust out of the world, but now clamor to return. The stranger who appears at the nearby farm on the hillside isn't coming to fulfill Nora’s romantic dreams–he's got his own part to play in the recall of those Dark Ones. And he's not the only person in her life who's not what they seem: the Powers of Darkness are rapidly approaching this lonely corner of Wales. The human race is at risk–with control the earth part of the stakes. Who will oppose the seemingly invincible invaders–and who, in this frightened little community, can possibly be trusted? A classic horror novel in the H.P. Lovecraft tradition!
Ladygrove
The place: England; the time: the 1880s. Sir Mortimer Brobury dies suddenly, and his son David inherits his title. With his new wife Judith, he moves into Ladygrove Manor, the ancestral home. At first their lives are untroubled–until Judith falls pregnant. Suddenly there's a sinister change in the atmosphere at Ladygrove. An invisible presence prevents Judith from entering the Maze in the Manor gardens–where previously she had wandered freely. And the ruins of the old chapel seem haunted by some evil spirit. Judith becomes frightened, recalling her late father-in-law's warning not to have her first son born at Ladygrove. David calls in his friend, Dr. Alexander Caspian, the famous occult investigator. Caspian and his wife Bronwen eventually uncover a terrifying ancient mystery–but will they be in time to save Judith and her child? The third stunning entry in this great historical horror series.
The Black Charade
In 1880s England, Dr. Caspian and his wife Bronwen both have genuine psychic abilities, which they keep secret. Even so, they've gained a reputation as investigators of so-called psychic phenomena, exposing a number of fraudulent mediums. In their latest adventure, they're consulted by prominent politician Joseph Hinde, whose beautiful daughter Laura has become strangely withdrawn. Her secret assignations have led him to suspect that she might be attending séances in an attempt to contact her dead mother, whom she had adored. <P>Asked to rescue her from the clutches of evil charlatans, the Caspians uncover a tangled trail of people dying in strange and horrible circumstances. Dr. Caspian suddenly realizes that not only is Laura's life in danger from an age-old spirit…but Bronwen's as well.<P>Another first-rate novel of horror by a masterful storyteller!
The Devil's Footsteps
From out of the bog alongside the ancient track to the fenland village of Hexney, a line of deep freshly-made footprints runs, trodden into the dry surface of the abandoned droveway. Are these footprints, or hoofprints, or what? Triangular, eight or nine inches long, they're set in a line one in front of another. And, each night, the footprints are advancing steadily towards the village. When a young boy’s body is found in the marsh, the superstitious villagers' ire is directed at a young stranger who'd taken his picture before he'd disappeared. Photographer Bronwen Powys finds an ally in the mysterious Dr. Alexander Caspian, who's been investigating the footprints–and before long they'll be fighting the dark forces of evil for their very lives and souls. An absolutely chilling tale of horror and redemption!
The Golden Horns
Martin Slade wants to bury his past as a saboteur in wartime Denmark and smuggler in postwar Europe. Returning to Denmark as a respectable journalist, he's approached by Birgitte Holtesen, an old flame now married to an elderly trader. Birgitte wants Martin to smuggle something back to English for her–but he refuses. She enlists instead a young musician, Sean Clifford. When Martin returns to England, he's attacked in his flat, and the place is ransacked. And then he learns that Sean has been murdered–and his body horribly mutilated. It's up to him to find the killer. A suspenseful mystery by a master storyteller.
Murder, Mystery, and Magic
An innocent man is arrested for a murder committed by a woman. A guilty killer confesses to a murder–but the police arrest an innocent woman. A man finds the woman of his dreams–only to discover that he's entrapped in a nightmare. The tenants of a new block of flats are so delighted with their home that they don't ever want to leave–little realizing that they CAN'T leave. A husband and wife find that all their wishes can come true–but with death as the price. Eight great macabre stories of murder, mystery…and magic!
The Old Man of the Stars
Who was the man who never grew old? Even in the enlightened society of near-future Earth, he was feared, reviled, castigated for remaining forever young. But when Matthew admits to his amazing longevity, and its source in biological science, he's called a liar. Life on Earth becomes intolerable, until he volunteers to travel on the world first interstellar spaceship–a multi-generation colony ship that will take centuries to complete its voyage. And even when he reaches journey's end–the planet Elysium–he finds personal discontent–a restlessness that will only be settled when he returns to his distant past!
Paired with this novella is «The Recusants,» the story of the creation of mental supermen–a race generated by ourselves! But when one of the advanced humans turns on the others, civil war may loom. Two great SF stories by a great storyteller.