The recent passing of Brian Lumley left the world an emptier place as loyal fans stand together with heavy hearts at the loss of a true visionary. A visionary, yes, and what he envisioned – and, in turn – shared with us all has become the thing of untold magnificent nightmares.
Lumely was a true master of the macabre and worthy successor of the eldritch terrors originally introduced by H.P. Lovecraft. Without a doubt, the man’s extensive legacy of written horrors shall unendingly sink their dripping fangs into the beating veins of new generations yet to come. Those who discover Lumley’s chilling works are never left the same as though a radiance cast in ebony takes hold and slowly consumes the imagination.
“Since reading Lumley’s “Necroscope” series, I know that vampires really do exist!” —H. R. Giger
Lumley’s vampires dropped the romantics and are the lecherous children of Satan, who became the first vampire upon his expulsion from Heaven at the hands of his Almighty Father. Satan, dejected, lost, and insatiable stood as lord and sovereign of all demons of the night and spread his malignancy across the cold, dark corners of space.
The saga opens with Necrosope. Harry Keogh, the Necroscope has the unique ability to speak with the dead, the Great Majority as they’re known. The dead are restless, their spirits linked to their abysmal graves and after many long and lonely centuries, they crave for a chance to speak openly with the living once more. For that reason, they revere the Necroscope and divulge vital information when needed. As Necroscope Harry also unlocks a way for the dead to speak with one another and divulge vital information they’ve been sitting on for untold years.
So imagine it this way. Upon dying Albert Einstein hasn’t stopped thinking but has had many long years to further compound his wisdom and theories but there’s no one to share his revelations with. The Necroscope builds the bridge to brilliant minds of the past and, in turn, learns from their wisdom. But the dead whisper of a terrible evil ravaging both the living and the departed
Set during the height of the Cold War both the East and the West have their ‘gifted’ agents and will stop at nothing to bring one another down. Unbeknownst to the paranormal high command in England the Soviets have their own type of Necroscope. A ghoulish man who torments both the living and (especially I might add) the dead, he tears the fetid guts from helpless cadavers to learn their coveted secrets, and, worst of all, the dead feel every single thing he does and are helpless to stop him. This Necromancer, Boris Dragosani, a ruthless KGB enforcer catches the attention of an ancient vampire, and the vampire, that Old Thing buried beneath an old Romanian ruin is ready to sink his evil seed into the Necromancer’s rotting soul as a way to spread his violent will from beyond the grave.
This is just the first book. As the series spreads out (and personally the 2nd is my favorite) we learn more about these demonic things, the vampires, and the hierarchy they exist in. How the vampires, the Vamphyri, come from a dark dimension outside of the world we know and hold dear. They’re compassionless, nearly unkillable, and hold their homeworld in an icy grip of unrelenting terror. They have invaded our world and with them brought the fell presence of their father Satan. Ok I’m gonna say it, these things are METAL AS FUCK!
As someone who consumes a lot of vampire lore (I grew up in Eastern Europe, friends, the very lands of the Vampyre!) I found the Vamphyri to be unlike any other kind of vampire we’re accustomed to. True, the classics are there such as the blood-drinking and aversion to sunlight. They also can morph … or maybe it’s just merely them letting down their masks, to reveal hideous faces with grotesque bat and wolf features. The other thing that really stands out to me is how damn near indestructible they are. For example, cut the hand off one and it will sprout tentacles, eyes will suddenly bulge out and line it, and dozens of gnashing mouths ( filled with rows of fangs I might add) will start attacking you. It’ s not so easy to kill one of them. They are the children of pure evil and frankly take pleasure in that. They take, fuck, and eat whomever they so desire.
The series flows from the familiar roots of gothic horrors and gradually mutates into cosmic terrors. It grows and it builds like a fungal infestation and I found myself tearing through one book after another just to devour the next chapter in the saga. Lumely had a way of always hooking me. There were times I wouldn’t stop to eat until I finished a book. I would wake up at night thinking about the characters and worry for their safety.
One moment that really stands out to me is when a fetus calls out for help from a nearby cemetery and the whole fucking graveyard opens up as a legion of zombies march to protect the unborn child and his mother. Another one is when Harry raises a macabre troop of rotting Tartars, their bloodlust not satiated even after all these centuries in the grave, and they slaughter everyone in his way.
When it comes to vampire stories Brian Lumely certainly left his mark on the world. Necroscope’s been my absolute favorite vampire saga and I can’t imagine anyone coming close to the brilliance and imagination he possessed. I had the honor of meeting the man almost ten years ago. Got my copy signed that day and got to meet one of the few people who’ve sincerely inspired me to write. It’s with a heavy heart I write this but how could I not? The man will be missed but his legacy lives on.
Necrscope is only one of the many great contributions he made to the field of horror and bizarre tales. Lumley must also be praised for his extensive contribution to the Cthulhu Mythos, many of which I own. Some could argue few have worked more extensively in the eldritch world Lovecraft invented than Brian Lumley. If there’s anyone who has please let me know because I’ll be adding their work to my library soon. Fans also celebrate the incredible Titus Crow saga – that’s a whole article all on its own if we were to get into that.
Not to mention many fans hail Khai of Khem to be Lumley’s best work yet. Again, this is only the surface of his many darkly imaginative works.
What would these books be though without the awesome cover art? If you’re noticing a trend it’s because each of these covers were done by Lumley’s friend, the one and only Bob Eggleton. Both of these men brought us some amazing nightmares.
In closing, well what more can I say? He was a great man and one of the few heroes I was blessed to meet. I’m saddened his pen is now set aside and the typewriter that spelled vampiric horror for decades now sits in gray silence. Thank you for all the amazing stories, stories I got lost in. You took me on an adventure that started in my teens while I lived overseas and I’ve crossed the world with a copy of Lord of the Rings and a Necroscope book in my backpack. Who knew I would actually stand in your presence? Little ol’ me from St. Petersburg, Russia! What a world. Goodbye, kind sir, and again thank you.
Manic out
Nightmare Nostalgia 