From Beyond the Grave and Other Stories by R. Chetwynd-Hayes

The Primate Horrific or Jumpity-Jim hath little intelligence, being but a form of low existence that doth demand life essence and warm blood.

By way of exorcism, the clairvoyant chants some toe-curlingly unfunny doggerel and that certainly gets rid of the tenacious entity, but once she’s scarpered and the coast is clear, it returns to settle the score. Unusually for RCH, theirs is a happy marriage … or it is until the elemental mauls Susan, whereupon Reginald relents and hires Madame O. Clapham-based Clairvoyant Madame Orloff, who happens to be in the same compartment, offers to rid him of the fast-growing parasite (for her usual fee), but Reginald thinks she’s nuts and is glad to escape as his stop, where his wife Susan is waiting for him in a backless sun-suit. Reginald Warren has an elemental attach itself to his shoulder on the tube during the rush hour. The “Here are eight of its more bizarre, more nerve-jangling aspects” line on the back when there are only seven stories suggests they were really determined to get this out to coincide with the film. The Gatecrasher came from The Unbidden and The Door and An Act Of Kindness from Cold Terror, both of which had been published by, yes, Tandem. Strictly speaking, The Elemental was hardly a tie-in with From Beyond The Grave at all as it only included one of the four stories featured in the film. Stephen Jones & Jo Fletcher, Talk Of The Devil: A Writer In The Dark Lands, Skeleton Crew, Sept. The book finally came out from Fontana and Tandem brought one out at the same time as ‘by the author of From Beyond The Grave – that’s how they got over it.”

Then he dropped me in it and said ‘It’s nothing to do with me’. Bertie Van Thal got me into that mess: ‘Don’t worry’, he said, ‘I’m your agent, I’ll handle this for you’. “There was a big fight between Tandem and Fontana about who was going to bring it out. To coincide with From Beyond The Grave‘s release, Fontana published a tie-in edition of The Elemental, but as Chetwynd-Hayes explains, there were a few legal problems to be sorted out.

Here are eight of its more bizarre, more nerve-jangling aspects, brought into icy focus by a master of the macabre. Madame Orloff (Margaret Leighton) in From Beyond The GraveĪn unspeakable gaoler from the grim, dark past …įear has many faces. Chetwynd-Hayes – The Elemental (Fontana, 1974)

From Beyond the Grave and Other Stories by R. Chetwynd-Hayes