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Weird Tales of Terror and Detection
Henry Fitzgerald Heard (1889-1971), commonly called Gerald Heard, was an historian, science writer, educator, and philosopher. He wrote many articles and authored over 35 books. "The Great Fog" collects some of his greatest tales.
240 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1944
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
May 4, 2022
Weird tales, yes, but only one of terror and one of detection, both of which are distinctively odd, and also very good. Mostly these are weird but pointed forays into spirituality, mysticism, science fiction and fantasy. Kind of like a less political/practical, more spiritual H.G.Wells. None of these are bad. My favorite is the last one, about waking from a dream. But when?
Note: “The Great Fog� (from 1943) has some crystal-clear things to say about the current day:
“All life is balanced against its environment. Cyclones are brought on, climate can change, a glacial age can begin as a result of atmospheric alterations far too small for the layman to notice�. It has taken an amazing balance of forces to allow human beings to live. That’s the balance you’ve upset. Look out.�
Note: “The Great Fog� (from 1943) has some crystal-clear things to say about the current day:
“All life is balanced against its environment. Cyclones are brought on, climate can change, a glacial age can begin as a result of atmospheric alterations far too small for the layman to notice�. It has taken an amazing balance of forces to allow human beings to live. That’s the balance you’ve upset. Look out.�
December 14, 2024
There is only one tale of detection, and I wouldn't quite use the word "terror" for the rest. "Weird" would be a better description. I'll add a brief description of each tale at a later point, which I hope will illustrate my point.
The Crayfish - A straightforward mystery involving an overly clever murder
The Great Fog - The appearance and spread of a new mold or mildew has drastic consequences on Earth's atmosphere. A casual, uniquely dreadful end-of-the-world-as-we-know-it tale.
Wingless Victory - A doomed Antarctic explorer is rescued by a secret society of technologically advanced 7-feet tall penguins.
Despair Deferred...? - A spinster in wartime England during the Battle of Britain uses the threat of her own suicide as a tool to survive each dreadful day.
The Swap - Two physically and psychologically different men swap bodies for a few hours as an experiment in psychology
Dromenon - An architectural expert on Gothic cathedrals visits a remote cathedral where a mysterious stranger guides him through a transcendent experience. Perhaps this is the most classically 'weird' tale in the tradition of Arthur Machen.
The Cat "I Am" - A man becomes increasingly aware that a strange seemingly friendly cat may in fact be stalking him.
The Rousing of Mr. Bradegar - What appears to be an old man struggling to get out of bed turns out to be someone else.
The Crayfish - A straightforward mystery involving an overly clever murder
The Great Fog - The appearance and spread of a new mold or mildew has drastic consequences on Earth's atmosphere. A casual, uniquely dreadful end-of-the-world-as-we-know-it tale.
Wingless Victory - A doomed Antarctic explorer is rescued by a secret society of technologically advanced 7-feet tall penguins.
Despair Deferred...? - A spinster in wartime England during the Battle of Britain uses the threat of her own suicide as a tool to survive each dreadful day.
The Swap - Two physically and psychologically different men swap bodies for a few hours as an experiment in psychology
Dromenon - An architectural expert on Gothic cathedrals visits a remote cathedral where a mysterious stranger guides him through a transcendent experience. Perhaps this is the most classically 'weird' tale in the tradition of Arthur Machen.
The Cat "I Am" - A man becomes increasingly aware that a strange seemingly friendly cat may in fact be stalking him.
The Rousing of Mr. Bradegar - What appears to be an old man struggling to get out of bed turns out to be someone else.
May 6, 2020
It seems that not too many people are reading this author these days. But his writing is very sophisticated, albeit verbose at times, and he comes across as very knowledgeable. This is not surprising since Heard also wrote nonfiction.
His brand of weird I found to be mild, in a good way. It’s not too way out, and these stories don’t offer too much in the way of horror or science fiction. Some I didn’t care for too much, and the ones I liked I can’t say I loved. But there are some clever elements here and there.
The title tale is probably the best. A tale that is still pertinent today as it deals with nature biting us in the ass if we’re not careful. A well thought out and eerie story.
Cat, I Am is a fun tale about a cat that is, maybe, or maybe not, possessed? It had an ending I didn’t expect. The Crayfish is a good ole murder/mystery that I think Doyle himself would’ve liked. The strange adventure Wingless Victory is yet another Antarctic yarn about a place with unusual denizens. It reminded me of Poe’s A Narrative of A. Gordon Pym and Lovecraft’s At the Mountains of Madness (without the madness).
These, at least, are the tales that will most stick with me. The others had good moments, but I found problematic as a whole.
His brand of weird I found to be mild, in a good way. It’s not too way out, and these stories don’t offer too much in the way of horror or science fiction. Some I didn’t care for too much, and the ones I liked I can’t say I loved. But there are some clever elements here and there.
The title tale is probably the best. A tale that is still pertinent today as it deals with nature biting us in the ass if we’re not careful. A well thought out and eerie story.
Cat, I Am is a fun tale about a cat that is, maybe, or maybe not, possessed? It had an ending I didn’t expect. The Crayfish is a good ole murder/mystery that I think Doyle himself would’ve liked. The strange adventure Wingless Victory is yet another Antarctic yarn about a place with unusual denizens. It reminded me of Poe’s A Narrative of A. Gordon Pym and Lovecraft’s At the Mountains of Madness (without the madness).
These, at least, are the tales that will most stick with me. The others had good moments, but I found problematic as a whole.
February 5, 2021
The book certainly lives up to its name. This collection of short stories is classic SF (interesting worlds, forgettable characters). There are fascinating stories about body swapping, a murder mystery, and a thought experiment about a genetically mutated fungus. However, it also has odd stories about a man rescued by super-intelligent penguins, being possessed by a cat, and a transcendental experience with a pipe organ. I could recommend some of the stories, but would hesitate to encourage reading the entire collection.
May 24, 2021
An old science-fiction tale that describes a new and curious mildew that suddenly begins appearing in woods and forests around the world. One particular botanist is concerned with it, but naturally nobody listens, even after it grows and ruins crops and livelihoods in great quantity. Finally, it congeals into a great, impenetrable fog that covers the Earth, wreaking havoc below, where many of the human race die off and those that survive have to adapt to primitive, amphibian lives.
This story is no less terrifying and provocative now as it would have been in its time, at the dawn of the nuclear age. An excellent cautionary tale about what can happen if we continue to ignore the warnings our world gives us that our behaviour needs to change. They want to make a convincing film to combat perceptions about global warming, they should bring this to Hollywood. Excellent, and too convincing for comfort.
This story is no less terrifying and provocative now as it would have been in its time, at the dawn of the nuclear age. An excellent cautionary tale about what can happen if we continue to ignore the warnings our world gives us that our behaviour needs to change. They want to make a convincing film to combat perceptions about global warming, they should bring this to Hollywood. Excellent, and too convincing for comfort.
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