Charles Beaumont - Charles Beaumont: Selected Stories

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CHARLES BEAUMONT: SELECTED STORIES edited by Roger Anker

CHARLES BEAUMONT: SELECTED STORIES copyright 1988 by Roger Anker

Illustrations copyright 1988 by Peter Scanlan

"Miss Gentilbelle", copyright 1955 by Charles Beaumont. Originally appeared in _The Hunger and Other Stories_.

"The Vanishing American", copyright 1955 by Fantasy House, Inc. Originally appeared in _Fantasy and Science Fiction_.

"Place of Meeting", copyright 1953 by Charles Beaumont. Originally appeared in _Orbit Magazine_.

"The Devil, You Say?", copyright 1963 by Charles Beaumont. Originally appeared in _Amazing Stories_.

"Free Dirt", copyright 1955 by Fantasy House, Inc. Originally appeared in _Fantasy and Science Fiction_.

"Last Rites", copyright 1955 by Charles Beaumont. Originally appeared in _If Magazine_.

"The Howling Man", copyright 1960 by Charles Beaumont, Originally appeared in _Rogue Magazine_.

"The Dark Music", copyright 1956 by Charles Beaumont. Originally appeared in _Playboy_.

"The Magic Man", copyright 1960 by Charles Beaumont. Originally appeared in _Night Ride and Other Journeys_.

"Fair Lady", copyright 1957 by Charles Beaumont. Originally appeared in _The Hunger and Other Stories_.

"Song For a Lady", copyright 1960 by Charles Beaumont. Originally appeared in _Night Ride and Other Journeys_.

"A Point of Honor", copyright 1955 by Charles Beaumont. Originally appeared in _Manhunt_ as "I'll Do Anything."

"The Hunger", copyright 1955 by Charles Beaumont. Originally appeared in _Playboy_.

"Black Country", copyright 1954 by Charles Beaumont. Originally appeared in _Playboy_.

"Gentlemen, Be Seated", copyright 1960 by Charles Beaumont. Originally appeared in _Rogue Magazine_.

"The Jungle", copyright 1954 by Charles Beaumont. Originally appeared in _If Magazine_.

"The New People", copyright 1958 by Charles Beaumont. Originally appeared in _Rogue Magazine_. "Perchance to Dream", copyright 1958 by Charles Beaumont. Originally appeared in _Playboy_.

"The Crooked Man", copyright 1955 by Charles Beaumont. Originally appeared in _Playboy_.

"Blood Brother", copyright 1961 by Charles Beaumont. Originally appeared in _Playboy_.

"A Death in the Country", copyright 1957 by Charles Beaumont. Originally appeared in _Playboy_ as "The Deadly Will to Win."

"The Music of the Yellow Brass", copyright 1958 by Charles Beaumont. Originally appeared in _Playboy_.

"Night Ride", copyright 1957 by Charles Beaumont. Originally appeared in _Playboy_.

"Mourning Song", copyright 1963 by Charles Beaumont. Originally appeared in _Gamma Magazine_.

"The Intruder", copyright 1959 by Charles Beaumont. (Novel excerpt of chapter 10), published by G.P. Putnam's Sons.

"To Hell with Claude", copyright 1987 by Chad Oliver (never published previously).

"Appointment with Eddie", copyright 1987 by Charles Beaumont (never published previously).

"The Crime of Willie Washington", copyright 1987 by Charles Beaumont (never published previously).

"The Man with the Crooked Nose", copyright 1987 by Charles Beaumont (never published previously).

"The Carnival", copyright 1987 by Charles Beaumont (never published previously).

Preface Copyright 1988 by Christopher Beaumont

Introduction to "Miss Gentilbelle" Copyright 1988 by Ray Bradbury

Introduction to "The Vanishing American" Copyright 1988 by John Tomerlin

Introduction to "The Devil, You Say?" Copyright 1988 by Howard Browne

Introduction to "Free Dirt" Copyright 1988 by Dennis Etchison

Introduction to "Last Rites" Copyright 1988 by Richard Matheson

Introduction to "The Howling Man" Copyright 1988 by Harlan Ellison

Introduction to 'The Magic Man" Copyright 1988 by Charles E. Fritch

Introduction to "Fair Lady" Copyright 1988 by George Clayton Johnson Introduction to "The Hunger" Copyright 1988 by Richard Christian Matheson

Introduction to "Black Country" Copyright 1988 by Ray Russell

Introduction to "Gentlemen, Be Seated" Copyright 1988 by Frank M. Robinson

Introduction to "The New People" Copyright 1988 by Saul David

Introduction to "The Crooked Man" Copyright 1988 by Robert Bloch

Introduction to "A Death in the Country" Copyright 1988 by William F. Nolan

Introduction to The Intruder (Chapter 10)" Copyright 1988 by Roger Corman

Introduction to "Mourning Song" Copyright 1988 by Jerry Sohl

Introduction to "To Hell With Claude" Copyright 1988 by Chad Oliver

All Rights Reserved

Manufactured in the United States of America

FIRST EDITION

Dark Harvest / P.O. Box 941 / Arlington Heights, IL / 60006

Limited Edition: ISBN-0-913165-22-0

The Publishers would like to express their gratitude to the following people. Thank you: Dawn Austin, Kathy Jo Camacho, Tony Camacho, Stanley Mikol, Phyllis Mikol, Wayne Sommers, Dr. Stan Gurnick PhD, Tony Hodes, Bertha Curl, Kurt Scharrer, Ken Morris, Luis Trevino, Raymond, Teresa and Mark Stadalsky, Ken and Linda Fotos, Tom Pas, and Ann Cameron Williams.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

MISS GENTILBELLE/Introduction by Ray Bradbury 23

_Illustration_ 37

THE VANISHING AMERICAN/Introduction by John Tomerlin 39

PLACE OF MEETING 49

THE DEVIL, YOU SAY?/Introduction by Howard Browne 53

FREE DIRT/Introduction by Dennis Etchison 73 SONG FOR A LADY 85

LAST RITES/Introduction by Richard Matheson 97

_Illustration_ 109

THE HOWLING MAN/Introduction by Harlan Ellison 111

_Illustration_ 125

THE DARK MUSIC 127

THE MAGIC MAN/Introduction by Charles E. Fritch 139

FAIR LADY/Introduction by George Clayton Johnson 155

A POINT OF HONOR 161

THE HUNGER/Introduction by Richard Christian Matheson 171

BLACK COUNTRY/Introduction by Ray Russell 183

GENTLEMEN, BE SEATED/Introduction by Frank M. Robinson 201

THE JUNGLE 215

_Illustration_ 231

THE NEW PEOPLE/Introduction by Saul David 233

PERCHANCE TO DREAM 251

THE CROOKED MAN/Introduction by Robert Bloch 259

BLOOD BROTHER 269

A DEATH IN THE COUNTRY/Introduction by William F. Nolan 275

THE MUSIC OF THE YELLOW BRASS 287

NIGHT RIDE 299

THE INTRUDER (chapter 10)/Introduction by Roger Corman 313

MOURNING SONG/Introduction by Jerry Sohl 333

_Illustration_ 343

TO HELL WITH CLAUDE/Introduction by Chad Oliver 347

APPOINTMENT WITH EDDIE 361

THE CRIME OF WILLIE WASHINGTON 373

_Illustration_ 383

THE MAN WITH THE CROOKED NOSE 385

THE CARNIVAL 393

Thanks are due to the following for their help in bringing this book to publication:

Robert Bloch, Ray Bradbury, Howard Browne, Roger Corman, Saul David, Harlan Ellison, Charles E. Fritch, George Clayton Johnson, Richard Matheson, Chad Oliver, Frank M. Robinson, Ray Russell, Jerry Sohl and John Tomerlin.

For friendship, advice and support:

Cathy, Elizabeth and Gregory Beaumont, Larry Anker, Bill Farley, Edward Gorman, Dean R. Koontz, Joe R. Lansdale, Robert R. McCammon, Dave McDonnell, Paul Mikol, Scot Stadalsky, William Relling Jr., Darrell, Donna and Jason Rossi, Peter Straub, Robert Vaillancourt, Stanley Wiater and Douglas E. Winter.

And a very special thanks to the following for the endless hours of driving, interviewing, conversing, all-night coffee shops and encouragement:

Christopher Beaumont, Richard Christian Matheson, William F. Nolan and Dennis Etchison. In memory of

Nick and Ria Anker

and of

Chuck and Helen Beaumont

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INTRODUCTION

by

Roger Anker

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Though best remembered for his short fiction and nostalgic essays in _Playboy_, teleplays for _The Twilight Zone_; and his screenplay adaptation, _The Seven Faces of Dr. Lao_, Charles Beaumont's creative talents have been evidenced in such diverse fields as science fiction, horror, whimsy, crime-suspense, and film criticism.