demons tell him that the old laws are no longer in
effect and that the Antichrist is unnecessary be-
cause “God is dead,” thus ending the first volume
on a shocking note.
The second half, The Day after Judgment
(1971), fails to live up to its predecessor, probably
inevitably given the obvious anticlimactic nature of
the story. Satan’s forces have created a new city on
Earth, and efforts by the military to destroy it are
complete failures. Blish does offer some hope for
the survivors. The death of God has left a power
vacuum that Satan must fill, but to do so properly
he must abandon his former evil nature and be-
come a benevolent deity. The two-part novel is par-
ticularly effective because of Blish’s matter of fact,
almost journalistic, narrative style, which adds
credibility to an otherwise incredible plot.
Blackwood, Algernon (1869–1951)
Algernon Blackwood was one of the early British
ghost story writers, and the majority of his most fa-
mous works fall into the horror genre, although he
also wrote several fantasies based on pagan beliefs.
He was an interesting figure in his own right,
widely traveled and involved in various occult or-
ganizations. His series of stories about John Si-
lence, who specialized in occult investigations, was
the first notable psychic detective series and has
been imitated by numerous writers since, including
Seabury QUINN, William Hope HODGSON, and
Charles L. GRANT.
Blackwood made an impressive start with
three collections of short stories, The Empty House
and Other Ghost Stories(1906), The Listener and
Others(1907), and John Silence: Physician Extraor-
dinary(1908). Within a few years he began to em-
phasize mystical fantasy, as shown in The Lost
Valley and Others(1910), The Centaur(1911), and
Pan’s Garden(1912). Blackwood’s fondness for nat-
ural settings is particularly evident in these books,
which involve such diverse topics as a living spirit
of the Earth and the power of sound as a means of
controlling the universe. Several classic stories ap-
peared during this period, including “THE WIL-
LOWS,” “The Insanity of Jones,” “THE WENDIGO,”
and “ANCIENT SORCERIES.” Most of the stories are
quite understated by modern standards, relying
more on mood and suggestion than overt action or
detailed description.
Blackwood’s short fiction continued to be
strong in the years that followed, but only “A De-
scent into Egypt” stood out. His fascination with
reincarnation and the occult manifested itself in
Julius LeVallon(1916), which is quite complex and
successful but a type of story no longer in fashion.
The sequel, The Bright Messenger (1921), was
much less interesting. The Wave(1916) is also a
routine novel of reincarnation and the survival of
love across the ages. Day and Night Stories(1917)
underlined the shift in Blackwood’s emphasis, rely-
ing much more on mystical and occult themes
than on the supernatural.
Dudley and Gilderoy(1929) is a talking animal
fantasy about a cat and a parrot, is surprisingly witty
and sophisticated, and is one of Blackwood’s best
book-length efforts. Blackwood’s later stories were
always competently done but lacked the originality
and strong impact of his early work. He was also the
author of several fantasies for children, although
they were invariably more popular with adults than
their apparently intended younger audience.Blaylock, James P.(1950– )
James Blaylock began his writing career with a
couple of minor short stories during the 1970s, fol-
lowed by several witty but fairly conventional fan-
tasy novels. The Elfin Ship (1982) was clearly
influenced in part by J. R. R. TOLKIEN, but Blay-
lock mixed airships and other technology with a
world of elves, goblins, and similar creatures of leg-
end to create a landscape with a character all its
own. Villainous magic is interfering with trade, so a
perky hero helps foil the plot, although only after
an amusing series of adventures. The Disappearing
Dwarf(1983) continues the story, with the protag-
onist and a party of adventurers searching for
riches following the discovery of a treasure map.
Both novels are entertaining light fantasies that
only hinted at the more polished work that would
follow. Blaylock returned to this setting several
years later to add a prequel, The Stone Giant
(1989), a quest story with an evil witch and a de-
cidedly more sinister tone. The sense that evil is a
tangible force developed into a recurring themeBlaylock, James P. 25