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Charles Beaumont: Selected Stories

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The definitive collection of tales by the award-winning horror writer includes such classics as "The Hunger," "Miss Gentilbelle," and "Free Dirt," and features introductions by Robert Bloch, Ray Bradbury, Harlan Ellison, Roger Corman, and others. Reprint.

Contents:
The Vanishing American (1955)
Appointment with Eddie (1988)
Mourning Song (1963)
Gentlemen, Be Seated (1960)
Last Rites (1955)
Miss Gentilbelle (1957)
Place of Meeting (1953)
The Devil, You Say? (1951)
Free Dirt (1955)
Song for a Lady (1960)
The Howling Man (1959)
The Dark Music (1956)
The Magic Man (1960)
Fair Lady (1957)
A Point of Honor (1955)
The Hunger (1955)
Black Country (1954)
The Jungle (1954)
The New People (1958)
Perchance to Dream (1958)
The Crooked Man (1955)
Blood Brother (1961)
A Death in the Country (1957)
The Music of the Yellow Brass (1959)
Night Ride (1957)
The Intruder (Chapter 10) (excerpt) (1988)
The Crime of Willie Washington (1988)
The Man with the Crooked Nose (1988)
The Carnival (1988)
To Hell with Claude (1988) with Chad Oliver

404 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1988

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About the author

Charles Beaumont

199 books161 followers
Charles Beaumont was born Charles Leroy Nutt in Chicago in 1929. He dropped out of high school in the tenth grade and worked at a number of jobs before selling his first story to Amazing Stories in 1950. His story “Black Country” (1954) was the first work of short fiction to appear in Playboy, and his classic tale “The Crooked Man” appeared in the same magazine the following year. Beaumont published numerous other short stories in the 1950s, both in mainstream periodicals like Playboy and Esquire and in science fiction and fantasy magazines.

His first story collection, The Hunger and Other Stories, was published in 1957 to immediate acclaim, and was followed by two further collections, Yonder (1958) and Night Ride and Other Journeys (1960). He also published two novels, Run from the Hunter (1957, pseudonymously, with John E. Tomerlin), and The Intruder (1959).

Beaumont is perhaps best remembered for his work in television, particularly his screenplays for The Twilight Zone, for which he wrote several of the most famous episodes. His other screenwriting credits include the scripts for films such as The Premature Burial (1962), Burn, Witch, Burn (1962), The Haunted Palace (1963), and The Masque of the Red Death (1964).

When Beaumont was 34, he began to suffer from ill health and developed a baffling and still unexplained condition that caused him to age at a greatly increased rate, such that at the time of his death at age 38 in 1967, he had the physical appearance of a 95-year-old man. Beaumont was survived by his wife Helen, two daughters, and two sons, one of whom, Christopher, is also a writer.

Beaumont’s work was much respected by his colleagues, and he counted Ray Bradbury, Harlan Ellison, Richard Matheson, Robert Bloch, and Roger Corman among his friends and admirers.

-Valancourt Books

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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
Profile Image for Marvin.
1,414 reviews5,401 followers
August 7, 2011
Charles Beaumont was one of the best horror writers in the fifties and sixties, equaling the impact of Robert Bloch and Richard Matheson. His writings can be most accurately compared in style to Ray Bradbury. Unfortunately he was also burdened with a Alzheimer's-like disease which killed him at the age of 37. While his potential was probably never realized, he did leave us with many excellent short stories of which the best are collected in this excellent and beautiful book released by Dark Harvest and edited by Roger Ankers. My favorites include "The Howling Man" and "The Intruder", a socially minded tale about right-wing agitation in the segregated South. Charles Beaumont's stories are hard to find now and this book would be especially difficult to obtain. But it would be well worth the effort.
Profile Image for Peter.
381 reviews26 followers
December 9, 2015
Charles Beaumont was one of the best writers of the 50's and 60's. Beaumont ranks with the likes of Ray Bradbury and Richard Matheson. I first ran into the name of Charles Beaumont, watching episodes of The Twilight Zone. Charles Beaumont had written many scripts for Rod Serling. I did not know much about Beaumont, until I read Selected Stories. The stories in this collection were both chilling and well written. A few of my favorite stories are, Miss Gentibelle, The Howling Man and Last Rites. Each story was introduced by one of Charles Beaumont friends. This was a nice touch to a great writer. This is a great collection of stories, from an author who died in his prime. This book was published in 1988 by Dark Harvest Publications. I highly recommend this book.
Profile Image for Wally Flangers.
167 reviews5 followers
December 15, 2019
Charles Beaumont has written hundreds of short stories, several which have been adapted to film and television – most notably “The Twilight Zone”…. “Selected Stories” was published in 1988 and is an awesome collection of short stories. Nine of these stories were previously published in “The Hunger and Other Stories” (1957), eight of them were from “Night Ride and Other Journeys” (1960), three of them were from “Yonder” (1958), one of them from “The Best of Beaumont” (1982), and eight of them were never previously anthologized. Each story in this anthology (most of them anyway) includes a short introduction by several authors of the era, including Richard Matheson and Rod Serling.

As with all my short story collection reviews, I rate each story individually and then calculate the average rating as the total rating for the book. But, I warn you…. Some of the reviews of each individual story includes a brief synopsis, which may or may not include a SPOILER. I write my short story reviews this way for future reference to remind me of which ones are worth the time re-reading and which ones are not. Although I do not ruin a good story by announcing any significant spoiler….. If you happen to come across one, it will be in a story that I hated and never intend on reading again. But, you can avoid potentially stumbling across a spoiler by skipping to the very bottom of the review, where it says “FINAL VERDICT”. That is where my overall review for “Charles Beaumont’s Selected Stories” is listed. The stories within the book include;

MISS GENTILBELLE – This story was published in 1957 and can be found in “The Hunger and Other Stories” and is about an insane mother of a young boy, whose confused about his gender because she has told him he is a female throughout his entire life. Instead of calling him Robert, she refers to him as Roberta and makes him wear little dresses…. When it comes to disciplinary action, the mother is stellar! Instead of giving him the ol’ spanking or taking his toys away, she chooses to murder his pets – right in front of him. Naturally, over time this behavior messes with the boys mental state of mind and he decides to get some payback. I thought this story was great and even fits in well with today’s horror.

THE VANISHING AMERICAN – This story was published in a 1955 and can be found in “The Hunger and Other Stories”. It is about a dude who realizes he is disappearing when he stops getting responses or reactions out of people he passes on the street or meets in an elevator. It was very short, but a fun read with a good ending.

A PLACE OF MEETING – This story was published in 1953 and was only 3 pages long but was full of substance, ambiguity, and a twisted ending. I would highly recommend giving up 3 minutes of your time to read this one.

THE DEVIL, YOU SAY? – This story was published in 1951 and was Beaumont’s first professional sale, printed in “Amazing Stories” – later adapted into a “Twilight Zone” episode (Season 4, titled “Printer’s Devil”). It is about a man named Richard Lewis, who inherits a small town newspaper company upon the death of his father. Due to the high expenses, incoming revenue, and low demand, Lewis cannot figure out how his father was able to remain in business all those years but soon learns that he made a deal with the devil himself to ensure his son’s financial success in life. This was one of the best stories in the collection.

FREE DIRT – This story was published in 1955 and can be found in “The Hunger and Other Stories”. It’s about a cheap bastard who will do anything he can to save buck (although his frugal ways are less characterized as economizing and more defined as stealing). The guy is such a cheapskate that he makes several trips out to a graveyard to collect soil, left-over from grave digging, to start a fruit and vegetable garden instead of buying it from a store or supplier. But his cheap ways soon lead to his demise. This story was short but very interesting with a typical Beaumont ending.

SONG FOR A LADY – This story was published in 1960 and is about a couple of newlyweds who desire to take a pleasure cruise on the Lady Anne, a very old ship with a questionable past. Despite the warnings and desperate pleads they receive from a couple of British passengers to board another ship, the couple cannot be persuaded and insist on boarding the Lady Anne. Once the ship sets sail, they soon realize they should’ve taken the passenger’s advice…. This was a descent story with an eerie ending and worth reading.

LAST RITES – This story was published in 1955 and is about a guy named George Donovan who is on his death bed and wants his priest and only friend, Father Courtney, by his side to ask him a very important question about the afterlife and his beliefs. Although this story was good and fitting for the time, it is definitely dated and very predictable.

THE HOWLING MAN – This story was published in 1959 and was scripted for the “Twilight Zone” (Season 2, episode 5). It is about a Bostonian named David Ellington, who is in the middle of traveling across Europe when he falls ill and eventually loses consciousness due to overexertion. Upon awakening, Mr. Ellington finds himself inside a monastery where he has been cared for by Brother Christophorus. While being nursed back to health, Mr. Ellington hears screams and howls coming from a locked cell down the hall and, against the warnings from the monks, decides to investigate. This is a Beaumont classic and different than “The Twilight Zone” adaptation in many ways. I highly recommend it.

THE DARK MUSIC – This story was published in 1956 and is about a prudish school teacher who hears hypnotic music at night which makes her do things she wouldn’t normally do. This story was surprisingly entertaining but I wasn’t overly fond of the ending.

THE MAGIC MAN – This story was published in 1960 in “Night Ride and Other Journeys” and is about a magician, awed by his audience for his mystifying magic, who ends up dissipating his aurora by his own hand. Although Stephen King is a big fan of this story, I just thought it was ok. It had its moments, but I wouldn’t rank it among the best stories in the collection…. I never put a lot of stock in King’s recommendations anyway. A lot of short stories and books he praises and say “scared the shit out of me” end up just being mediocre in my eyes.

FAIR LADY – This story was published in 1957 and is almost too short to rate. It’s a cute story about an old woman desperate for love.

A POINT OF HONOR – This story was published in 1955 and is about a guy named Julio who has been given a special task as initiation to get into a Mexican gang called “THE ACES”. Although he feels a tremendous amount of pressure from his reluctant peers, he is determined to prove that he has the balls to go through with the challenge. This was a really good story, totally comprised of suspense with another ambiguous ending.

THE HUNGER – This story was published in “Playboy Magazine” in 1955. It’s about a sexually inexperienced chick named Julia who is on the prowl for a mass murderer on the loose and believed to be lurking around the surrounding areas. This was another classic Beaumont story and also ambiguous. I can see why a lot of people consider this one to be among the best in the anthology. I would definitely recommend reading this one.

BLACK COUNTRY – This story was published in 1954 and was the first short story ever to be featured in “Playboy Magazine”. It’s about a cancer stricken jazz musician who has taken his own life, but leaves something behind. This was one of my least favorite stories in the anthology. I do not plan to ever revisit this one.

GENTLEMEN, BE SEATED – This story was published in 1960 and is about a man named Kinkaid who has a deep hatred for his boss. Enough to where he is caught smirking by the man upon tripping and falling down…. The instinctive smirk gets Kinkaid more than he bargained for when his boss decides to invite him to a private comedy club that preserves old humor which is considered offensive. This story was completely suspense driven, but failed to deliver a solid ending.

THE JUNGLE – This story was published in 1954 and is about an urban developer named Richard Austin who has helped build a small urban city in the jungles of Africa with the help of his, now deceased, co-workers. After ignoring the pleas and warnings of a black magic shaman to take his work crew, gather his things, and vacate the area, all of Austin’s crew gets wiped out by some form of epidemic outbreak as a result. Austin’s wife has also been on the receiving end of his poor and stubborn decision and has fallen deathly ill, leaving Austin to attempt to find a resolution. This was an awesome story with only a partially predictable ending.

THE NEW PEOPLE – This story was published in 1958 and is about a couple who move into a new house in a new town and are introduced to friendly folks in the neighborhood who are interested in two things; sex and murder. This was a fun story and one of my favorites, due to the dark mood setting and disturbing ending. I highly recommend this one to fans of the horror genre. Laymon and King fans will really enjoy this one.

PERCHANCE TO DREAM – This story was published in 1958 and was adapted for “The Twilight Zone”. While visiting a psychiatrist, Philip Hall reveals he hasn’t slept for 72 hours due to a sudden fear of dying and explains the details of his recent dreams that led him to this strong intuition. This was one of my favorite stories in the anthology and contains a classic Beaumont twist at the end.

THE CROOKED MAN – This story was published in 1955 and is about a heterosexual couple living in some sort of alternative universe where hetero’s are the queers and targeted for extinction. Given the publishing dates, I can only assume “The Crooked Man” was the inspiration behind Ron Serling’s screenplay of “Eye of the Beholder”, but I cannot confirm this. It was a great story though and I highly recommend it.

BLOOD BROTHER – This story was published in 1961 and is a short story about a man who reveals to his psychiatrist that he’s a vampire. This was really short, but it does have an unexpected ending that makes the story worth reading.

A DEATH IN THE COUNTRY – This story was published in 1957 and is about an unemployed and weathered 48 year-old stock car racer named Buck Larsen. Buck travels across the country in his old Chevy in search of car races as a means of financial survival. He relies heavily on placing high enough in the race results to award him some of the prize money to keep his belly full and float him until the next race…. I have zero interest in car racing (or even cars in general), but this one was entertaining. The ending was fairly predictable, yet still effective.

THE MUSIC OF THE YELLOW BRASS – This story was published in 1959 and is about a young Mexican bull fighter named Juanito Galvez who is up against the fight of his life with the odds stacked heavily against him…. A surprisingly great story with an awesome closing statement.

NIGHT RIDE – This story was published in 1957 and is about a very talented jazz musician named Davey Green, whose piano playing abilities are pushed to the limit by the leader of the band. This one started out slow and confusing, but picked up as it went and ended up morphing into a great story.

THE INTRUDER (CHAPTER 10) – This story was adapted for a screenplay. A man named Adam Cramer, whether intentional or not, has incited racism in the town of Craxton by giving a speech on the negative impacts of desegregation to a group of white folks. The event fuels an angry group of teenagers who take their aggression out on a black family that is witnessed passing through their town in their vehicle. This story was ok and may have likable in a different time, but not for me…. In 2019, I’m sick of this topic.

MOURNING SONG – This story was published in 1963 and is about an old blind man who is occasionally seen wandering through town with a guitar in his hand and a raven on his shoulder…. It’s believed by the townspeople that whoever the blind man comes to visit, will be dead in the near future. But, every town in any society will always have someone who doesn’t follow the herd and this non-believer happens to be a boy. This was another awesome story with a great, but kind of swift, ending.

THE HELL WITH CLAUDE – This story was co-written with Chad Oliver. It’s about a dude named Claude Adams, who has a big problem with books occupying his universe. This was probably my least favorite story in the anthology. I found it rather pointless.

APPOINTMENT WITH EDDIE – This one is about Sheck King, a famous entertainer, and his quest to secure an appointment in a shit-hole barber shop with Eddie, a mysterious barber. Although I liked the pace and obscurity of the story, it didn’t seem to go anywhere in the end and was kind of a let-down for me.

THE CRIME OF WILLIE WASHINGTON – This one is about a black, railroad worker who is tried and convicted of raping and murdering a white chick and is set to be hanged. Willie relies on his faith to escape death for the crimes which he did not commit. This would have been an awesome story if it had a “Twilight Zone” twist at the end, but unfortunately it did not. Expect a good story with a sub-par ending.

THE MAN WITH THE CROOKED NOSE – This one is about Martin Gershenson, an old foreign stock-boy at a used bookstore who moves as fast as lightning but cannot speak English. I’m on the fence with this one. It read well, but didn’t deliver.

THE CARNIVAL – This story wraps up the anthology and is about an old man who is worried about the well-being of his sixteen-year-old, wheelchair bound son’s once he and his wife are dead and encourages him to use his brain more and appreciate life. He takes his son to a carnival to see all kinds of attractions full of people similar to his situation. I was not overly fond of this one and didn’t like its place in the anthology.

FINAL VERDICT: I give this book 4 out of 5 stars. Out of thirty tales, you’re bound to come across a handful that you don’t like. But, you will find plenty of gems in this anthology. THAT you can be sure of….
217 reviews1 follower
October 6, 2019
Collection of many of the finest stories by a writer of respectable range, cruelly taken way too early.
Stylistically I was somewhat reminded of his friend Harlan Ellison, one of those whose introductions grace these pages.

Miss Gentilbelle: Effective horror, even today.
Vanishing American: Well-written take on a timely idea.
Place of Meeting: Held my interest until the vague ending
The Devil You Say: Familiar plot, but this is remarkable for a debut story (if I read the introduction correctly)
Free Dirt: Original and entertaining
Song for a Lady: Basis for The Twilight Zone episode "Passage on the Lady Anne", which resounded here for me. Baffled by the last line, though.
Last Rites: Heartfelt intro by Richard Matheson; Thought-provoking.
The Howling Man: Long informative intro by Harlan Ellison; basis for a favorite Twilight Zone episode (one scene from which is indelibly stamped in my mind.) Essential.
The Dark Music: Mood piece, reminded me of a Freas late Weird Tales cover with Pan cavorting.
The Magic Man: Excellent tale of a traveling magician. Essential.
Fair Maid: Brief charmer. George Clayton Johnson's intro is dead-on.
The Hunger: Another mood-driven dual meaning story, the title one of an earlier collection, essential.
Black Country: Ray Russell's reminiscent introduction spells out the double meaning of the title of this stunning essential jazz-themed classic.
Gentlemen Be Seated: Original idea (I think), classic structure
The Jungle: Surprised by the oh-so-tenuous connection to the Twilight Zone episode of the same title -- this is better, but more of a mood piece.
The New People: 50s suburban paranoia at its best. Essential.
Perchance to Dream: One of the most memorable and closely adapted Twilight Zone episodes. Essential.
The Crooked Man: Ahead of its time.
Blood Brother: Light-hearted trifle.
A Death in the Country: Cinematic racing vignette.
Night Ride: Reminiscent of Black Country
Music of the Yellow Brass: Appropriately atmospheric.
The Intruder (excerpt): Both the introduction and story segment are terrifying, the latter powerfully so. Essential.
Mourning Song: Backwoods milieu done so well. Essential.
To Hell with Claude: I didn't know Beaumont did this kind of eclectically amusing work (with or without Oliver,) and am inspired to seek out the other Claude stories.
Appointment with Eddie: One of those show business legends.
The Crime of Willie Washington: Inspired most of the way. Essential.
The Carnival. Like many of these pieces, a peculiar story that holds you once you "get" the premise.
Profile Image for David Pollison.
67 reviews7 followers
April 17, 2012
I'm only 3 stories in & I can't believe I've waited this long to start reading the one & only charles Beaumont.
Profile Image for Larry.
748 reviews3 followers
January 17, 2023
The author's name was familiar to me from the Twilight Zone TV series. I recognized a few stories here from the show such as The Howling Man and Song For A Lady. These stories aren't all one genre. Some are science fiction; some have supernatural elements. There are stories about crime and gangs and show business. There is often a little twist at the end and sometimes you can see it coming a little before the story gets there.

I enjoyed the biographical information and the story intros from his friends and fellow-writers.
Profile Image for Albert_Camus_lives.
175 reviews1 follower
Want to read
April 22, 2022
Contents:
The Vanishing American (1955)
Gentlemen, Be Seated (1960)
Last Rites (1955)
Place of Meeting (1953)
Free Dirt (1955)
The Howling Man (1959)
A Point of Honor (1955)
The Hunger (1955)
Black Country (1954)
The New People (1958)
Perchance to Dream (1958)
The Crooked Man (1955)
The Intruder (Chapter 10) (excerpt) (1988)
The Crime of Willie Washington (1988)
The Man with the Crooked Nose (1988)
The Carnival (1988)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for TrumanCoyote.
1,069 reviews13 followers
May 20, 2014
Three stories in particular soared to considerable heights of eloquence: "The Howling Man" and the two Jazzmen offerings, "Black Country" and "Night Ride" (although the latter did resort to rather a sentimental take on Tortured Artists and all of that business). Indeed, it would've been nice to see a novel from Beaumont in that elevated (and downright Lord-Buckleyesque) style. Also, "Appointment With Eddie" was a truly hilarious sendup of status consciousness--one of the funniest and most pungent efforts along those lines I've yet encountered.
Profile Image for Brian.
210 reviews5 followers
Read
January 2, 2014
Free Dirt - entertaining story, illusion or delusion?

Night Rider - Sad and good

Crooked Man - Interesting premise, story was eh, but still well written

and I also read the short - the beautiful people, which was funny because the word beautiful starts out with the same letters as his name, and that made me smile.
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