death from the Brooklyn Bridge when he is ac-
costed by a mysterious stranger. His benefactor,
Vizaphmal, soon reveals himself to be a wizard
from the distant world of Antares, an alien life
form only masquerading magically as a human
being. Vizaphmal is about to return to his home
world and wonders if Alvor would consider joining
him, since he has so little use for his own race.
They travel to Satabbor in the Antares system
by means of a device that functions as a spaceship,
although its explanation is more metaphysical than
scientific. Alvor’s subsequent experiences on that
planet are an odd mix of science and magic. Viza-
phmal’s people have a rigid caste system and are in
some ways quite advanced, but they are divided by
a number of religious belief systems, each based on
a series of prophecies. Most of those prophecies
have, in fact, come to pass. One of the prophecies
involves the arrival of a wizard and a monster, the
latter minutely described and obviously a human
being. Under the terms of the prophecy, Vizaphmal
could well become the supreme ruler of his people
thanks to Alvor’s presence. Alvor is to be the
monster of the prophecy.
Everything happens as expected. The king ab-
dicates, and Vizaphmal assumes the throne. All
does not go well from that point forward. Religious
bickering increases, and another rebellion seems to
be imminent. Eventually, Vizaphmal flees, and
Alvor is abandoned, captured, and put on trial. He
survives various tribulations before finding refuge
and the fulfillment of his personal destiny. The
story is an unusual blend of images and devices
from fantasy with the trappings of science fiction, a
mixture that showed up later in the work of Ray
BRADBURY, Leigh Brackett, and other writers. The
reversal of having a human as a monster in an
alien culture instead of vice versa would be re-
peated to humorous effect by William Tenn in his
classic “The Flat-Eyed Monster” (1955).
Monteleone, Thomas F. (1946– )
From 1973 to 1985 Thomas Monteleone wrote pri-
marily science fiction, turning out entertaining,
light adventure novels and short stories without
producing anything that really distinguished him.
His first horror novel was Night Things(1980),
which could also be called science fiction since the
furry little creatures, harmless alone but deadly in
large numbers, do not have a supernatural origin.
Night Train(1984) began to move away from the
rational to the fantastic. Two investigators decide
to uncover the facts about an entire subway train
that disappeared during the 1930s. They set off on
a claustrophobic journey of discovery under New
York City and stumble upon an ancient evil that is
already contemplating another attack against the
surface world. Monteleone was also turning to hor-
ror for his short fiction, such as in “Spare the
Child” (1982), and would distance himself increas-
ingly from science fiction.
Monteleone had three horror novels appear in
1987 and wrote only one more science fiction
novel before abandoning that field. Lyricais the
story of a succubus, an evil female spirit that preys
on the life force of men under fairly erotic circum-
stances. Despite some problems with the pacing,
particularly toward the end, the novel works well
because of the unusually strong character develop-
ment. The Magnificent Galleryis reminiscent of
SOMETHING WICKED THIS WAY COMES(1962) by
Ray BRADBURYand THE CIRCUS OF DR. LAO(1935)
by Charles Finney in that a traveling circus proves
to be more than it appears. The exhibits initially
are represented as carrying a warning to selected
individuals about dangers that face them, but we
eventually learn that rather than revealing the fu-
ture, the circus attractions are choosing their vic-
tims and ensuring that the predictions come to
pass. His third novel that year was The Crooked
House,a collaboration with John Dechancie and
an interesting variation on the traditional haunted
house story. His next solo book, Fantasma(1989),
employs an unusual backdrop for supernatural hor-
ror, the feud between two organized crime families.
A member of one group enlists the aid of a witch
who can summon demonic forces and is initially
pleased with the results. Unfortunately, such assis-
tance always comes with an unusually high price.
Monteleone’s short fiction improved dramati-
cally, particularly in “The Way of the Cross”
(1990) and “Roadside Scalpel” (1993), but it was
with his next novel, Blood of the Lamb(1993),
which won the Bram Stoker Award, that he
emerged as a major talent. A priest discovers that244 Monteleone, Thomas F.