Necroscope: Harry and the Pirates: and Other Tales from the Lost Years [Hardcover]

Brian Lumley (Author)

Book Description

Series: Necroscope | Publication Date: July 21, 2009

Harry Keogh, the first Necroscope, is arguably Brian Lumley’s greatest creation.  In the Necroscope series, readers saw Harry learn to use his powers to talk with the dead and travel instantaneously to any point in space and time.  They saw him take arms against the evil, twisted, metamorphic alien vampires who sought to feed off humans and enslave mankind.  They saw him suffer a great personal loss and then recover his family, and later his humanity, through a new love.  And they saw Harry wage the grimmest battle of his life—against the vampire he himself was becoming!

Even after Harry’s story was done, Brian Lumley continued to write books about Harry’s legacy—the other Necroscopes who inherited his weird talents.  But Harry himself would not go quietly into that darkness that lies beyond an author’s imagination . . . and now Brian Lumley has written three new novellas about Harry and his supernatural adventures, which are published for the first time in the United States in Harry and the Pirates.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Lumley is obviously very bright, articulate, and in possession of an incredibly wild imagination.  Reading Necroscope: The Lost Years is like watching a pro on a pinball machine."--RAPPORT

“Touted as ‘an excellent introduction to Harry Keogh and the undead’, this novel is that and much more.  A finely crafted vampire tale . . . a thrilling read for horror and suspense fans.”--VOYA on Necroscope: The Lost Years

"Lumley has created his unique brand of the monster, with a complex nature found nowhere else in the literature."--Science Fiction Chronicle

"Rivals Anne Rice's vampire saga.  An accomplished wordsmith, Lumley wields a pen with the deft skill of a surgeon, drawing just enough blood to titillate without offending his readers."--The Phoenix Gazette

--This text refers to the Kindle Edition edition.

About the Author

BRIAN LUMLEY is the author of the Necroscope series—more than a dozen volumes strong—as well as the Titus Crow series, the Hero of Dreams series, and many other books of horror and dark fantasy.  He lives in England with his wife. 

Product Details

• Hardcover: 192 pages
• Publisher: Tor Books; First Edition edition (July 21, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0765323389
• ISBN-13: 978-0765323385
• Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 6.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #120,481 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Brian Lumley is the author of the bestselling Necroscope series of vampire novels. An acknowledged master of Lovecraft-style horror, Brian Lumley has won the British Fantasy Award and been named a Grand Master of Horror. His works have been published in more than a dozen countries and have inspired comic books, role-playing games, and sculpture, and been adapted for television. When not writing, Lumley can often be found spear-fishing in the Greek islands, gambling in Las Vegas, or attending a convention somewhere in the US. Lumley and his wife live in England.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Original Necroscope Returns, August 6, 2009

By 

Shroud Magazine's Book Reviews (New Hampshire) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Necroscope: Harry and the Pirates: and Other Tales from the Lost Years (Hardcover)

For Harry Keogh fans, the wait for more of the original Necroscope's adventures ends with "Necroscope: Harry and the Pirates". Featuring three never-before-published-in-the-U.S. Harry Keogh tales, it's a worthy addition to Lumley's sprawling bibliography. All the key elements are there: Lumley's trademark, storyteller's voice, his wit and the original Necroscope himself, Harry Keogh. Though the title story "Harry and the Pirates" isn't quite as engaging as the "For the Dead Travel Slowly", and "Old Man with a Blade" is little more than a footnote, this is still an excellent buy for Keogh fans everywhere.

In "For the Dead Travel Slowly", Harry has returned to his childhood hometown in the County of Durham to visit his childhood pal, James Collins. The Necroscope is tired and defeated after spending fruitless years searching for his lost wife Brenda and his son, whom Brenda disappeared with soon after Harry's strange skills came to light. Harry is very rarely alone, however - though the company he keeps isn't always desired, for Harry possess the dubious ability to speak with what he calls the "Silent Majority" - the dead, lying in their corpses, waiting to move on.

Though he's come to James' house looking for rest, work always lingers for the Necroscope.

He senses something lurking in the woods nearby, a massive collection of the dead, crying out for release. How is it related with the constable he discovers lurking on the woods' outskirts one day...and the lonely, bedraggled man Harry stops the constable from beating?

Something ancient and hungry creeps through the woods. Not only does it feed on human flesh, but it also harvests their souls and holds them captive. Harry must work quickly to unravel it's mystery, because soon enough...it will be time for the centuries-old abomination to spawn, creating more of its terrible kind.

"Harry and the Pirates" is an amusing enough tale, though not as engrossing as "For the Dead". In it, a disillusioned Harry - weary of searching for his lost wife and son - encounters a pirate's soul while hanging around the shipyards of Hartlepool. The tale the pirate has to tell - of grief and suffering, of betrayal and riches - is engrossing, to say the least, but like so many of the dead Harry has encountered over the years, this particular soul is hiding something. It's not what it seems; in fact...it may never have been human, to begin with.

The final piece of this collection is short, but hints that Harry's work is far from done. In "Old Man with a Blade", Death himself encounters Harry, and muses on the Necroscope's fate, which is not to fall at his hands...or in this world, even. A bit of a teaser concerning the Necroscope's ultimate future, perhaps promising more adventures to come.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Necroscope - circa between books 2 & 3, December 7, 2010

By 

Keogh (Denver) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Necroscope: Harry and the Pirates: and Other Tales from the Lost Years (Paperback)

As well as the stories themselves, I enjoyed reading Lumley's personal insights into the legacy of Harry Keogh. A sharply honed collection of new tales from the Inimitable Harry's dark past. If you have been drawn here but are as yet unfamiliar with Lumley's work, I envy you the experience of picking up a copy of The Necroscope. These stories are crafted from a unique blend of Lovecraft, Horror, Sci Fi, Spy Thrillers (and Pirates).

4.0 out of 5 stars An Interesting Collection of Lumley Tales, September 9, 2011

By 

Michelle Bollman - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Necroscope: Harry and the Pirates: and Other Tales from the Lost Years (Paperback)

Harry and the Pirates was a good read. The stories were interesting and unique. The entire book was rather short. I completed it in a few days. The pirates part of the story was interesting, although I was not terribly thrilled with the ending. I love a good yarn, and it certainly started and progressed as one. The first story, called "For the Dead Travel Slowly," was captivating. I loved the element of mystery that persisted throughout as the true nature of the situation began to reveal itself.