How I FOUND Necroscope

[Jarrod]

Hi...

Im new here, but have been a huge Necroscope fan since July 1988. I thought that, being new, and a fan of Necroscope series and sequel series, I would tell you guys how I became a fan...

I was riding the train to town. I live in Newcastle, Australia, and the train trip isnt that long. When I reached Newcastle, I climbed off the train and sat for a few minutes on a platform bench. There, beside me was a black paper back book. I looked at the cover and read 'Brian Lumley Necroscope'. Having absolutely no idea whos book it was I asked the nearby people, none of them said they knew who owned it.

So, I decided to take the book to the second hand book shop to see if I could get some cash for it. On the way there I opened the book and read the descriptions of what a Telescope, Microscope and a Necroscope was. This intrigued me, so I read on, and by the time I got home later that afternoon I was completely hooked.

I had never read a full length novel before. Infact the only book close enough to be described as a novel was the Bible I was forced to read from begining to end by my Grandmother. Yet, by 10 am the following day I had completely finished the novel, and was hungry for more. I went into my local book shop, and they had no idea what I was talking about when I asked them about the follow up Necroscope novels.

It then took me around a year to finally get my hands on the sequel, by which time I had read the original Necroscope 3 times. It took me 2 days to read Wamphyri. When I had finished I could not believe that the book was actually BETTER than the original.

Throughout the 1990's I waited for each new novel with great expectation, and each novel never failed to shock me, horrify me, terrify me, and at numerous points move me to tears.

While each book expands the Necroscope universe to fantastic new levels which Im never disapointed in, I have to say my favorite complete series is the first Necroscope set. My favorite hero is Harry, of course. My favorite Wamphyri is The Lady Karen.

So, to who ever lost the first Necroscope book on Newcastle train station, Australia, in July 1988....


THANKS!!!


Jarrod

[Hubris]

Welcome on Jarrod! That's a good story, I enjoyed that. Good thing you didn't end up getting rid of it.

[Jade Rose]

Hey Jarrod, welcome to the boards. We're not a bad place. That has to be the single most interesting way to get hooked into a book. I'm afraid for me it was just a friend tossing it at me, nothing great and brilliant. You just have to wonder if that person really missed the book.
Anyways, I'm going to start rambling soon (hyperactivity) so I'll leave you. Hope you have fun here... don't be afraid to jump into things, just make sure to read around and make sure you know what's going on.

[skinters]

hey my fave Wamphyri is The Lady Karen also ,she reminds me of ripley in alien ....alright strange but thats how i see her.

welcome .

[Freshly Risen]

Hi Jarrod.

Not only is it good to see a fellow Australian, but also a fellow New South Welshman.

My story is not as intersting as that, I just happen to find my first copy (Blood Wars) in a second hand bookstore, and once I finished I couldn't gather the rest of them fast enough.

After reading the Necroscope series, I have expanded my collection to The House of Doors, Titus Crow and Psychosphere, and I am still trying to find more of Brian's books and comics.

Welcome

[kenny]

Hello Jarrod,
Hope you stick around long enough to find out how good a site this is(also check out Necroscopy web site). Good to have you on board.

[Jarrod]

Thanks for the welcome guys. I intend to stick around for a long time.

As far as other Brian Lumley books go, apart from the Necroscope series, Vampire Worlds, E-Branch and Lost Years 1 and 2, I only have A Coven of Vampires, which I love.

A friend of mine had Psychomok and was going to lend it to me, but I dont like to read part of a series without starting from the begining. Unfortunately, Psychomech wasnt available in Australia for a while. Now that it is again, I havent really had the chance to go and get it and the other two books in the trilogy. Im sure I will get it, in time.

Once again, thanks for the welcome


Jarrod

[Azazel005]

Hey Jarrod,

Trust you people from NSW to bloody well steal books from train stations tongue.gif

But really that is a rather cool story, glad you found a book that got you all intrigued.

[sdkdmd]

Welcome to the board Jarrod

[Anastasios]

Nice to see some Aussies on board here! There was a book shop at my local shopping centre where I would occasionally browse. The necroscope covers had me absolutely intrigued out of all the books in the store. I remember reading the blurbs and thought that the plot sounded absolutely brilliant. I don't know why but for several years, I never bought the books but I would always go to this section and read the blurbs. Weird huh? When I finally mustered the courage to buy them, I couldn't put them down, I would always finish the books within a few days. The funniest thing is I've only read them once but I reckon I've read a couple of passages from each of the books a hundred or so times! Some of the passages are just so poignant that I can't help but to read them over and over again!

[John & Paul]

Welcome to a fellow Lumlian from Newcastle (even if it is another Newcastle half way around the world) grin.gif

[Dave Black]

My Grandfather found the Source at a car boot sale and tried to get me to read it, not interested, total King fan, Brian who ? Then my big bro started reading them and actually explained the story to me, sounded good, went back to see my Grandfather 'still got that Brian whoozit book?' The rest is history. Steven who ?

[Zigmund]

I was working at a US military base in Nevada last year and was looking for a paperback for the evening read.

I found a couple of books named "Necroscope" with drawings of skulls on the covers.

Now, to be honest, I thought the skulls were a bit much. I have enjoyed reading Anne Rice's Vampire and Mayfair Witch novels and the covers to her books were a bit more, shall we say, restrained?

Anyway, something made me open and start reading the first chapter of one of them and I thought "Well, this gentleman seems to have a knack for some very good writing and character creation".

I looked at the publication dates and determined that "Necroscope" was the first to be published so I bought it.

Fast forward to today, May 7, 2006, and I am reading the last 100 pages of "Blood Brothers" with "The Last Aerie" having been bought yesterday. I will be getting "Blood Wars" in about a month, just as soon as I am about finished with "The Last Aerie". And that will mean that I have read all 13 Necroscope novels in about a years time.

Obviously, I find the imagination and skill that is contained within the books to be very enjoyable and I would like to thank Brian for a job truly well done!

I will be getting The Touch when it comes out this summer as well!

Best Wishes to all here!

Long Live the Necroscope's!

[John & Paul]

You could have said you found a copy in the ship in area 57 Zigmund...aliens reading Brian Lumley !!! grin.gif

[Zigmund]

Originally posted by John & Paul:
You could have said you found a copy in the ship in area 57 Zigmund...aliens reading Brian Lumley !!! grin.gif Well, I've imagined that whoever does the buying of the books at the AFB store must have thought that the Necroscope series would make good reading to go along with all the alien stories. :eek:

Art Bell's (the sci-fi radio personality) old house was just on the other side of some small mountains over in Nye County.

I think he remarried earlier this year and is now doing his show from the Phillipines.

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Have we come all this way, Vasagi gestured, out of the tyranny of Turgosheim, to fight amongst ourselves?

[SBWolf]

For me, discovering Brians books was a total accident - I was actually trying to find a fantasy trilogy that I read back in the eighties and one of the books was a very similar title to Blood Brothers (still not come across the ones I was after so not sure of the exact title).

I was at a car-boot sale in about 95 I think and saw the spine 'Blood Brothers' so picked it up. I noticed immediately that it wasn't the book I was after but the cover intrigued me anyway. The seller had all 3 Vampire World novels and so I bought them all for £1.50 because at that cost, who cares if they are rubbish?

Anyway long story-short. I loved them but then lost them later in a move and forgot about them until recently when I saw the 5 original Necro novels in a bookstall which reminded me. Needless to say I bought them all, read them and have been buying the rest in the collection at Amazon, etc since.

Im re-reading the Vampire World trilogy now as I work my way through them. just recieved my e-branch books in the post so they're next then Lost years 1 and 2 as I've only received book 2 so far. Ill wait for softback version of 'The Touch' mainly for price and storage reasons.

My g/f and friends think I'm hooked as I started reading Necroscope about 2 weeks ago and am currently 1/2 way through what I see as book 8 - I just love the story and mythology of the books. they're probably right tho, I am hooked but in such a good way smile.gif

[Chris Banks]

I've been meaning to adress this for a while but seem to have forgotten to get around to it.

I think I was first introduced to Keogh et al about 15 years ago - 1991(ish) - by an ex belle of mine. I remember her giving me the book and it just sat on the shelf for about 6 months before I bothered to pick it up and have a whirl! Imagine my disdain at having let it gather dust for so long. For me personally, it was a 'magic carpet ride' and I just had to carry on reading the rest of the series thereafter, as and when they became available, although I do remember that quite a few were already out. I quite literally became 'hooked'. There are few books that come along in anybody's lifetime that totally rivet one to the spot, so to speak, and the whole series of The Necro books have kept me enthralled (yep) ever since that first tentative read. Just waiting for The Touch now (drums fingers in annoying way!) :mad:

I still pick them up from time to time and start all over again in the vain hope that there might be a twist or turn or different outcome. Still, it's a fun thing to do, as most of the literary efforts these days are crap by comparison. Think I am gonna start reading The Demogorgon thingy as soon as I can get hold of it. grin.gif
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Me Transmitte Sursum, Caledoni!!

Spike - (The Uncivil Servant @ Taunton)

[Chris Banks]

TOPS - don't wanna go off topic, but could you post your Summer Get Together topic type thingy on the Hell Lands Gate board? Will be joining via subscription soon so will be able to post then. Thanks. Banks.
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Me Transmitte Sursum, Caledoni!!

Spike - (The Uncivil Servant @ Taunton)

[megadeth]

Having never heard of Brian at the time, I only picked up a copy of Necroscope because I saw it on sale for half price. It lay on my bookshelf for a few weeks until I came across Wamphyri. I don't know what made me buy this book, but I then started reading book 1. I was completely hooked from chapter 1. The way Brian draws you into the story and has you really caring for the characters, and even feeling sorry for the bad guys is incredible. I was lucky because by the time I was half way through Wamphyri, The Source was released. I have now read every Necroscope related novel to date, except The Touch, and have to say its the best series ever written.

[Chris Banks]

So you pretty much discovered it the same as nearly everybody else! Bet you're glad you did, heh? All you have to do is get and read The Touch (believe me, it's worth it!) Anyway megadeth (or is that really Mr Mustaine?), welcome to the board. Enjoy!! smile.gif
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“Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds”

Spike – (The Uncivil Servant @ Taunton)

[megadeth]

I've got the Touch sitting on my bookcase. I am currently re-reading all the Necroscope novels, before getting to The Touch.

[Chris Banks]

Well, Mr Mustaine, I hope you've got your chronology in order!!!! grin.gif
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“Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds”

Spike – (The Uncivil Servant @ Taunton)

[Trimmer]

My first experience of the Necroscope series came about just after Christmas 1999. I bought my sister a copy of the first book in the series for Xmas because in the past she had enjoyed other stories with a similar theme. A couple of weeks later she had not read the book, so I grabbed it and read it myself - and was instantly hooked - by the middle of 2001 I had read every book in the series and have browsed the bookstores under Lumley ever since hoping that a new book in the series would come out.

Then, just recently, I was at the local library and I found the The Touch on the new book's shelf and after reading that (and enjoying it) I am once again waiting for the next rendition. :)

[sideous]

I got into the series thanks to a magazine called Fear. It had a chapter from an upcoming new book called Nec III: The Source.
Read that first, then went back to WH Smith's and bought the first 2! Been getting them as they were released after that and filling the time inbetween with the rest of Brians books.

Only been the last couple of years I've been getting the collectibles though, ie 1st editions, proofs, s/l's and manuscripts.

[Timotheos]

A friend lent it to me sometime in the late ninties and I've been reading them ever since.

A few months ago my girlfriend and I were going to a friends dinner partay and, seeing how we were a little early we went into this used bookstore (I was looking to replienish my bernard cornwell provisions) and I came across a SHITLOAD of Lumley's books. I was able to pick up all sorts of books that I haven't come across here in Vancouver, Canada. The Psychomech trilogoy, the Mythos Omnibus (these were the three in one books and I also bought a few of them on their own), the two of the last three books in the Necroscope saga, and the House of Doors two book series. At the time i had no money and went back a couple of weeks later (I was pleased that they were still there) and once I had brought them all up to the counter I noticed Avengers sitting all by its lonesome in a pile of other books. The guy that owned the place told me that it had just come in that morning (good thing I was broke for awhile) and gave it to me for free.

For the next month I was a happy reader.

[sdm122166]

My Story is very simple: I was in walmart looking for something to read while I was at work. I saw this cool cover with a skull looked at the title and read the back cover and thought this sounds cool. Well now I'm hooked :)

[VampingMom]

My story:

I was actually attending college here in Illinois. Nothing fancy, just a community college. However on the top floor of the first building, they have a nook for "Free" items. I had, on several occassions, picked up several books from that nook. Well, by chance one of those times Brian's first Necroscope was on the shelf. Beings I have some strange obsession with vampires, I immediately started reading the book. I admit, it took me almost a week to finish it. I was enthralled to say the least...lol.

About 6 months later, I was looking through a second hand book shop where I managed to pick up Blood Brothers, The Last Aerie, Bloodwars, and The Lost Years I. After reading those, I knew I had to find the rest of the series. Well, the internet does have it's advantage! I now am proud owner of all but 4 of the books, which I got second hand off of Amazon. (I'm getting the four I don't have this month!) I just finished Deadspawn, and am extremely glad I got them.

I, too, have read other books Brian has written. I have House of Doors, Maze of Worlds, and Demogoron (I know I prob. spelled that one wrong.) Everything he writes I have loved. After I get the last of the Necroscope books, I am going to expand my horizons and look into acquiring his other works.

That's my story. Hooked on Lumley works for me...lol.