It’s the end of 2015, and we have another volume of Tales of the Shadowmen. The Black Coat Press series is now up to 12 volumes. It’s subtitled “Carte Blanche,” a term which to most people means “blank check,” but here means complete freedom to act without restrictions: heroes’ passion for justice unchecked, villains going wild, etc.
This annual series makes use of Philip José Farmer‘s “Wold Newton” concept, mixing in a variety of literary characters, with a focus on the various pulp and pulpish characters of France and Europe, such as Arsene Lupin, Fantomas, The Nyctalope, Rouletabille, and many others, as well as those from other countries.
This year’s volume gives us:
• Jason Scott Aiken: “Ardan at the Pole” which has Doc Ardan (an original French adventurer who is used as a Doc Savage pastiche, usually before he started his supersagas) traveling to the North Pole to find a hidden race of reptilian people (from The People of the Pole, a French sf novel translated by Black Coat Press).
• Matthew Baugh: “The Lament of the Duke and the King” has the two charleton characters, the Duke and the King from Huckleberry Finn meeting up with Doctor Omega (an original French sf character who is similar to the First Doctor).
• Adam Mudman Bezecny: “The Revelation of the Yeti” is another story with Doctor Omega, who is in Africa with Barton Werper (the pseudonymous author of a group of unauthorized Tarzan novels) on the trail of the yeti. They are assisted by Ki-Gor (a popular Tarzan pastiches from the pulps) and Nora the Ape-Woman (from the novel of the same name published by Black Coat Press).
• Nicholas Boving: “The Evil Among Us” brings together three great detectives — Dr. Watson, Inspector Maigret, and Father Brown — on a very supernatural case. (I do wonder why Watson was used, yet there was no mention of Sherlock Holmes.)
• Nathan Cabaniss: “House of El Hombre Loco” is a strange little tale of monsters, both real and imaginary, from various B-movies. Have fun figuring out which ones.
• Christophe Colin: “Of Beasts and Men” has Felifax the tiger-man (from the novel available from Black Coat Press) meeting Dr. Moreau.
• Matthew Dennion: “Turning Point” inserts Sâr Dubnotal and the Werewolf of Paris (from the novel of the same name) into the Underworld movies.
• Peter Gabbani: “A Bond between Gentlemen” has gentlemen thieves Arsène Lupin and Raffles (the amateur cracksman created by Conan Doyle‘s brother-in-law) “crossing swords.”
• Brian Gallagher: “The Stake and the Sickle” is another story by this author using Captain Vampire (from the novel of the same name, translated by Black Coat Press), the vampire Cossack, and also tied to The Vampire City (also from BCP). Set during the Russian Civil War, the Captain is working for the Whites against the Reds. But he finds other vampires working for the Red under Von Bork, the former German spymaster defeated by Sherlock Holmes in his last recorded case.
• Martin Gately: “Rouletabille on Mysterious Island” is the author’s fourth story using Rouletabille the French journalist and detective, which ties in with the others. Here he finds himself on Jules Verne‘s “mysterious island” and the true original of Captain Nemo is revealed. Also mixed in are elements from the 1951 movie serial Mysterious Island.
• Travis Hiltz: “The Case of the Curious Cadaver” is another strange tale. In Paris, private detective Etienne Camporal has gathered several strange associates living with him. He currently has Spiridon, a human-sized ant (from the novel of the same name from Black Coat Press) and Stella Astarte, an immortal from the Moon who had previously been visited by a Parisian aeronaut (in the novel, The Adventures of a Parisian Aeronaut, also from BCP). Now, they will be joined by another strange associate.
• Rick Lai: “The Tomb of the Veiled Prophet” is a story about Erik (The Phantom of the Opera) and The Persian (from the novel) before they left Persia, which reveals the origin of Erik’s appearance.
• Nigel Malcolm: “The Adventure of the Orcival Rain” is an adventure with Sherlock Holmes teaming up with Lecoq (probably the first true literary detective) in solving the mystery of bodies dropping from the sky.
• Jean-Marc Mouiller: “Behind the Mask of the Ripper” is another story starring Sherlock Holmes that takes a look at the Jack the Ripper case and his possible involvement. The story also works in Harry Dickson, the “American Sherlock Holmes” (a character who started out as a Holmes pastiche who became a character in their own right).
• Christofer Nigro: “Justice and the Beast” is a another tale of Felanthus, (the brother of Felifax the tiger-man, created by author) now captured by Professor Tornada (stories also reprinted in three volumes from BCP) and Doctor Cornelius, leader of the criminal Red Hand (whose stories are reprinted in three volumes from Black Coat Press). He is forced into gladiatorial games with other creatures like Triffids and Mole Men. But Judex (the French character who is a sort-of proto Shadow) comes to his assistance.
• Pierrick Rival: “The Inn of the First Voyage” is a strange tale of two pirates, one toward the end of his career (Long John Silver), the other before it has begun (Robert Surcouf).
• Frank Schildiner: “Ancient Space Lizards and Other Visitors” is a story with Jean Kariven, a French archaeologist who stared in an sf series where he went up against various extraterrestrial matters. In particular, six of his nine novels deal with the war between two alien races: the Polarians and the Denebians (these will be reprinted by Black Coat Press later this year). Here he is checking out an ancient statue, only to have it be stolen by human-alien hybrids under the control of M. Ming, the Yellow Shadow (from the Bob Morane series).
• Sam Shook: “The Eldritch Stones” appears to be the first of a two parter, where a group of occult detectives and adventurers (Sar Dubnotal, Chandu, El Borak, and Hareton Ironcastle) work to find and safeguard a group of three ancient stones. They are first thwarted by Monsieur Zenith, the criminal foe of Sexton Blake, when a more dangerous foe takes them to the lost city of Z.
• Michel Stéphan: “The Submarine ‘Le Rouge'” builds off early French sf from Gustave le Rouge and Gustave Guitton, The Dominion of the World (translated and published in four volumes by Black Coat Press) and The Submarine Jules Verne. The first tells of an attempt by a group of American billionaires to invade and conquer Europe, the second is about a submarine race (the plot is retold in this story). Here, the main character from Jules Verne has built a new submarine after assistance from the main billionaire from Dominion. In the process, he encounters characters from H.G. Wells‘ works.
• Artikel Unbekannt: “Leonox Meets Mephista” has Mephista, the evil character from a movie series who seems to come to life (from a French suspense series, Black Coat Press has put out a volume collecting the first three novels) in an “encounter” with the two supernatural entities from another French series: Leonax. (I wonder if this is to “launch” Black Coat Press also reprinting this series in 2016?)
• David L. Vineyard: “The White Star of Atlantis” has Arsène Lupin (here in his Duc de Charmerace alias) in Tangiers were he encounters three other travelers and they confront the “Queen of Atlantis” (from the French novel L’Atlantida).
• Jared Welch: “The Piano Maidens” is a short tales that takes a look at a minor character from The Count of Monte Cristo: Eugenie Danglars. The daughter of one of the Count’s enemies, but whom was not threatened, she left the storyline eloping in a lesbian affair. Here, we learn a little about her since, and her encounters with some of The Black Coats.
As always a great volume. They have already announced the title and cover for the next volume, which will come out at the end of 2016: “Sang Froid.” Can’t wait.
