Charles Birkin

Sir Charles Lloyd Birkin, Bt
Born	24 September 1907
Died	1985 (aged 77–78)
Pen name	Charles Lloyd
Occupation	short story writer, editor
Language	English
Nationality	English
Period	1932-1970
Genre	Horror fiction
Notable works	The Smell of Evil

Sir Charles Lloyd Birkin, 5th Baronet (24 September 1907 – 1985) was an English author of horror short stories and the editor of the Creeps Library of anthologies. Typically working under the pseudonym Charles Lloyd, Birkin's tales tended towards the conte cruels rather than supernatural fiction.

Quotes regarding

“	In the 1960's one author was almost solely responsible for keeping the horror genre alive in Britain, Sir Charles Birkin.	”
	— John Pelan, Darkside Press/Midnight House on-line

“	The stories of Charles Birkin, however, are not for the squeamish. Be warned, if you are at all sensitive, leave him well alone. He deals unflinchingly with such subjects as murder, rape, concentration camps, patricide, mutilation and torture.	”
	— Hugh Lamb, introduction to "Marjorie's On Starlight" from A Wave Of Fear (W. H. Allen Ltd, 1973)

Biography

Birkin was the son of Colonel Charles Wilfred Birkin and Claire Howe, the daughter of Alexander Howe. Freda Dudley Ward was a sister. He was educated at Eton College and was later employed by the publisher Philip Allan to edit the Creeps horror story anthologies, the first one of which appeared in 1932.^[1] Birkin included stories of his own in most of these volumes, which were later collected as Devil's Spawn (1936). He succeeded his uncle as 5th Baronet Birkin in 1942.^[1] During the Second World War he served in the Sherwood Foresters.^[2] After a long hiatus, Birkin resumed writing in 1960, following a return to London, and two new stories appeared in Dennis Wheatley's anthologies Quiver of Horror (1964) and Shafts of Fear (1964). This was followed by eight collections of original Birkin stories, beginning with The Kiss of Death (1964) and ending with Spawn of Satan (1970). This last volume was published in the US only.^[1] From 1970 to 1974 he lived in Cyprus which he fled after getting caught up in the violence following the Turkish invasion. His short story A Low Profile (1977) reflects his experiences there.^[1] He married Australian actress Janet Ramsey Johnson, the daughter of Peter Johnson, and had a two daughters and a son, John Birkin, who directed many notable British television comedies including Mr Bean, French and Saunders, and Harry Enfield.^[3] He and his wife spent their later years in Sulby, Isle of Man. Birkin's short stories have been estimated as numbering over one hundred.^[1]

Bibliography

Short story collections

• Devil's Spawn (Philip Allan, 1936). Contains:
  • "Old Mrs. Strathers" (first published 1933)
  • "Shelter" (first published 1934)
  • "The Cockroach" (first published 1934)
  • "The Terror on Tobit" (first published 1933)
  • "The Last Night" (first published 1932)
  • "An Eye for an Eye" (first published 1932)
  • "Henri Larne" (first published 1935)
  • "Havelock's Farm"
  • "The Harlem Horror" (first published 1932)
  • "A Poem and a Bunch of Roses" (first published 1933)
  • "Obsession" (first published 1934)
  • "The Happy Dancers" (first published 1933)
  • "The Actor's Story" (first published 1933)
  • "Special Diet" (first published 1933)
  • "Premiere"
  • "Angela"
• The Kiss of Death and Other Horror Stories (Tandem, 1964; rpt. Award, 1967). Introduction by Dennis Wheatley. Contains:
  • "The Kiss of Death"
  • "The Hens"
  • "Les Belles Dames Sans Merci"
  • " "The New Ones" "
  • "The Mouse Hole"
  • "Fairy Dust"
  • " "Some New Pleasures Prove" "
  • "The Kennel"
  • "Mon Ami, Pierrot"
  • "The Mutation"
  • "Fine Needlework"
  • "The Hitch"
  • "The Three Monkeys"
  • "Malleus Maleficarum"
• The Smell of Evil (Tandem, 1965; rpt. Award, 1969 and second printing 1975). Introduction by Dennis Wheatley. Contains:
  • "The Smell of Evil"
  • "Text for Today"
  • "The Godmothers"
  • "Green Fingers"
  • "Ballet Nègre"
  • "The Lesson"
  • " "Is Anyone There?" "
  • "The Serum of Doctor White"
  • " "Dance, Little Lady" "
  • "Little Boy Blue"
  • "The Cornered Beast"
  • "The Interloper"
  • "The Cross"
• Where Terror Stalked and Other Horror Stories (Tandem, 1966). Contains:
  • "Where Terror Stalked"
  • "Old Mrs. Strathers" (first published 1933)
  • "New Faces"
  • "Paris Pilgrimage"
  • "Obsession" (first published 1934)
  • "The Harlem Horror" (first published 1932)
  • " "Bring Back My Bonny" "
  • "Softly...Softly"
  • "The Belt"
  • "Shelter" (first published 1934)
  • "The Orphanage"
  • " "Gran" "
  • "No More for Mary"
• My Name Is Death and Other New Tales of Horror (Panther, 1966; rpt. Award, 1970). Contains:
  • "My Name is Death" (first published as "The Terror on Tobit" 1933 )
  • "Kitty Fisher"
  • "King of the Castle"
  • "Parlez Moi d'Amour"
  • "Who's Your Lady Friend?"
  • "The Finger of Fear"
  • "Hosanna!"
  • "Hard to Get"
• Dark Menace (Tandem, 1968). Contains:
  • "The Jungle"
  • "S.O.S."
  • "Happy As Larry"
  • "Dark Menace"
  • "T-I-M"
  • "The Life Giver"
  • "Don't Ever Leave Me"
  • "The Yellow Dressing Gown"
  • "Waiting for Trains"
  • "The Lord God Made Them All"
  • "The Accessory"
  • "Simple Simon"
  • "Siren Song"
• So Pale, So Cold, So Fair (Tandem, 1970). Contains:
  • " "So Pale, So Cold, So Fair" "
  • "The Godsend"
  • "Rover"
  • "Circle of Children"
  • "Lot's Wife"
  • "Gideon"
  • "The Road"
  • "A Haunting Beauty"
  • "Lords of the Refuge"
• Spawn of Satan (Award, 1970)
  • "Spawn of Satan"
  • "Wedding Presents"
  • "Traces of Lipstick"
  • "A Lovely Bunch of Coconuts"
  • "Soeur Celeste"
  • "A Right to Know" (first published 1964)
  • "The New Dress"
  • "The Beautiful People"
  • "Child's Play"
• A Haunting Beauty (Midnight House, 2000; post-humous "Best of..." collection, limited 450 copies)
• The Harlem Horror (Midnight House, 2002; post-humous "Best of..." collection, limited 450 copies)

Anthologies edited

• Creeps Philip Allan, (1932)
• Shudders Philip Allan, (1932)
• Shivers Philip Allan, (1933)
• Horrors Philip Allan, (1933)
• Terrors Philip Allan, (1933)
• Quakes Philip Allan, (1933)
• Nightmares Philip Allan, (1933)
• Monsters (Philip Allan, 1934)
• Panics Philip Allan, (1934)
• Powers of Darkness Philip Allan, (1934)
• Thrills Philip Allan, (1935)
• Tales of Fear Philip Allan, (1935)
• The Creeps Omnibus Philip Allan, (1935)
• Tales of Death Philip Allan], (1936)
• Tales of Dread Philip Allan, (1936)
• The Tandem Book of Ghost Stories (Tandem, 1965) rpt. as The Haunted Dancers (Paperback Library, 1967)
• The Tandem Book of Horror Stories (Tandem, 1965) rpt. as The Witch-Baiter (Paperback Library, 1967)

References

Notes

1. Ashley 1977, p. 35.
2. Burke's Peerage, Baronetage & Knightage (107th edition, 2003)
3. http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0083606/

Bibliography

• Ashley, Mike (1977). Who's Who in Horror and Fantasy Fiction. London: Elm Tree Books. ISBN 0-241-89528-6.
• Tuck, Donald H. (1974). The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction and Fantasy. Chicago: Advent. p. 46. ISBN 0-911682-20-1.

External links

• Tartarus Press/A Guide to the Supernatural: Charles Birkin
• Gruesome Cargoes: Charles Birkin & Christine Campbell Thomson
• Tartarus Press/A Guide to the Supernatural: Creeps Anthologies
• The Weird Review: The Creeps Series
• Charles Birkin at the Internet Speculative Fiction Database

See also

• List of horror fiction authors