One theme I don't seem to be seeing too much of in horror novels are the Egyptian-themed ones with mummies, black Egyptian sorcery, and the like. The only ones I know of are "Jewel of the Seven Stars" by Bram Stoker, "Khai of Khem" by Brian Lumley, "To Wake the Dead" by Richard Laymon, and "The Mummy" by Anne Rice.
What are some ones you guys know of that I'm obviously missing?
I wouldn't mind finding some titles for mummy novels, too.
I do know of one:
The Long Night of the Grave, which I think is sitting on one of my shelves, probably tapping a bandaged foot, impatient for me to finally read it. It's one of Charles L. Grant's Oxrun Station novels.
Tangentially, back in 1980, there was an anthology of short stories,
Mummy! ed. by Bill Pronzini. The contents page shows,
1 • Introduction (Mummy!) • (1980) • essay by Bill Pronzini
23 • Lot No. 249 • (1892) • novelette by Arthur Conan Doyle
67 • Some Words with a Mummy • (1845) • shortstory by Edgar Allan Poe
90 • Monkeys • (1933) • shortstory by E. F. Benson
111 • Bones • (1941) • shortstory by Donald A. Wollheim
121 • The Vengeance of Nitocris • (1928) • shortstory by Tennessee Williams [as by Thomas Lanier Williams ]
138 • The Mummy's Foot • (1878) • shortstory by Théophile Gautier (aka Le Pied de Momie 1840 )
153 • The Eyes of the Mummy • (1938) • shortstory by Robert Bloch
175 • Charlie • (1980) • shortstory by Talmage Powell
197 • The Weekend Magus • (1980) • shortstory by Edward D. Hoch
212 • The Princess • (1980) • shortstory by Joe R. Lansdale
230 • The Eagle-Claw Rattle • (1980) • shortstory by Ardath Mayhar
239 • The Other Room • (1980) • novelette by Charles L. Grant
263 • Revelation in Seven Stages • (1980) • shortstory by Barry N. Malzberg
269 • Bibliography (Mummy!) • (1980) • essay by uncredited
(thanks to
ISFDB)
I've read the Conan Doyle, which is said to have been an inspiration for the Karloff movie,
The Mummy, and is quite good. I may have read the Bloch and the Gautier at some point, but if so I don't recall them at all. I
know I've read the Tennessee Williams -- his first published stories, first published in
Weird Tales -- but I no longer recall a thing about it.
I haven't read many stories featuring mummys, but probably my favorite besides the Conan Doyle is Joe R. Lansdale's "Bubba Ho-Tep," which is funny, scary, gross, funny and suspenseful and funny. The movie version with Bruce Campbell and Ozzie Davis suppresses the gross a bit, and is a lot of fun.
Randy M.
