John Silence
A wealthy physician investigates supernatural cases through psychic training.
via Wikipedia: John Silence · see source
John Silence: Physician Extraordinary, a 1908 collection by journalist and author Algernon Blackwood, is an early work in the occult detective genre. Its supernatural stories significantly shaped later characters, including William Hope Hodgson's Carnacki.
Quick Facts
- Author
- Algernon Blackwood
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Language
- English
- Genre
- Supernatural fiction
- Released
- 1908
Facts from the source article.
Contents
John Silence is a doctor of independent means who never charges for his services. His extensive psychic training equips him to handle cases with supernatural origins. The original collection of his adventures holds five tales: A Psychical Invasion, Ancient Sorceries, The Nemesis of Fire, Secret Worship, and The Camp of the Dog. Later printings sometimes add A Victim of Higher Space, a story that debuted in The Occult Review in 1914 and was later collected in Blackwood's Day and Night Stories.
Adaptations
Ancient Sorceries served as partial inspiration for the classic horror film Cat People (1942). It was adapted as the sixth episode of series two of Tales of Mystery, an ITV anthology series adapting Blackwood's stories, broadcast on August 8, 1962, though the episode did not feature the character of Silence. The CBS anthology series Escape adapted Ancient Sorceries in two broadcasts aired in February 1948 for the east and west coasts, again without Silence. Four John Silence stories were dramatised by Sheila Hodgson for BBC Radio 4 from August 1974 to October 1975: The Camp of the Dog, The Nemesis of Fire, Secret Worship, and The Empty Sleeve (based on a Blackwood short story that did not include John Silence), all starring Malcolm Hayes as Silence. Ancient Sorceries was read unabridged in four parts by Philip Madoc for BBC 7 in September 2005, and was abridged and adapted by Fiona McAlpine and read by Hugh Ross for BBC Radio 4 in August 2006 as part of the Algernon Blackwood's Ghost Stories series, again without John Silence. All stories have been recorded at LibriVox, some multiple times.
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