Three Werewolf Stories from the Pulps

I’m reading Bram Stoker’s Dracula this month and while I’m enjoying it, it’s slow moving and a bit long winded in places. I needed to take a break and these three pulp werewolf stories hit the spot. 

“Wolves of Darkness” by Jack Williamson from Echoes of Valor III (Tor, 1991) and The Werewolf Megapack (Wildside Press, 2013, e-book). First published in Strange Tales, January 1932. 

I’ve been a fan of Jack Williamson ever since reading The Legion of Space in my school days. This is my first time reading one of his horror stories. 

A man gets called back to his hometown and finds it to be overrun by wolves that may be more than wolves. A pulpy mix of horror and sci-fi. This started and ended strong but felt stretched out in the middle. I also lost interest when the sci-fi elements were introduced as they didn’t hold up as well as the horror elements. But I liked how everything played out and how the story gives an explanation for the origins of werewolf and other monster lore. 

“The Whisperers” by Hugh B. Cave from Murgunstrumm and Others (Crossroads Press, 2011, e-book version). First published in Spicy Mystery Stories, April 1942. 

Strange things start happening after newlyweds purchase an old house with a tragic past. They learn that terrible things happened after the previous owner began hearing whispering in the basement. The husband decides to investigate. As this first appeared in Spicy Mystery Stories there are lots of descriptions of the wife’s body and of the couple embracing, but it’s all pretty tame by today’s standards. On the other hand, this was a very dark and well-done horror story that still holds up. 

Neither this story nor the previous one uses any of the common werewolf tropes found in most fiction and film. I found that a little disappointing with Williamson’s story, but this story was strong enough without them. Update: My friend Patrick Ijima-Washburn pointed out that these stories came out before modern werewolf lore, a lot of which comes from the 1941 film The Wolf Man, was quite set in stone. Good point, Thanks Patrick!

I learned about pulp author Hugh B. Cave years and years ago, but this is my first time reading anything by him. I still have a collection of his pulp detective stories that I bought from my favorite but now long defunct bookstore, The Science Fiction and Mystery Bookshop in Atlanta. I think it’s time to start reading it.

“The Compleat Werewolf” by Anthony Boucher from The Compleat Werewolf and Other Stories of Fantasy and Science Fiction (Carroll & Graf, 1990). First published in Unknown Worlds, April 1942. 

After a German language professor learns that he is a werewolf he decides to use his new powers to win over the love of his life. Things don’t go as planned. This one is different from the previous two as it’s a story that mixes adventure and humor and it does so flawlessly. I was really drawn in by Boucher's writing. I lost count how many times I laughed out loud, and the story was a page turner from the humorous start to the exciting finale. 

This is my first time reading Boucher and I’m really looking forward to reading more. This is another book that I picked up from The Science Fiction and Mystery Bookshop years and years ago and now just getting around to. Hmm. I’m beginning to notice a pattern here.

This was a nice mix of stories. One very pulpy, one very dark, and one loaded with humor and adventure. 

Now back to Dracula.