James Nicoll Reviews

Mary Elizabeth Counselman’s 1978 Half in Shadow is a collection of weird stories. Despite overlap, it should not be confused with Mary Elizabeth Counselman’s 1964 Half in Shadow. Yeah, not really sure what Arkham was thinking when they reused the title.

Alabama-born Counselman (1911 – 1995) might be best remembered as a Weird Tales contributor, although her output was not limited to that magazine.

If you’re ever feeling sad about your lack of accomplishment, feel worse. Counselman sold her first piece when she was six. She seems to have continued selling her work well into her old age.

As far as I can tell, the editor of this collection frontloaded Counselman’s best stories. This seems to have pushed the tales with the more obviously objectionable elements towards the end. If you’re reading this book, be warned.

What is objectionable? While Counselman was probably over on the tolerant end of the scale where persons of other faiths and races were concerned, that is compared to other white Alabamans and maybe H. P. Lovecraft as well. Readers will find no spittle-filled rages or violent xenophobia — at least not compared to the Ku Klux Klan or good old Howard¹—but Counselman tends to be condescending whenever African Americans wander on stage, not to mention convinced that many slaves preferred being slaves. Bless her heart.

Nevertheless, I don’t regret rereading the collection. There are some nice twists in these stories and even when, as often is the case, the twist ending is obvious well in advance, the journey to it is enjoyable enough. Counselman prefers atmosphere and suspense to violence and gore. Not that the odd little girl doesn’t get crushed under an automobile, but for the most part the author is about anticipation, not jump scares.

Verifying this for yourself may be tricky for anyone who didn’t stumble over the collection forty-five years ago, as Half in Shadow is out of print and not exactly cheap used.

Now let’s go into detail.

“Preface (Half in Shadow)” • (1978) • essay

In which the author explains her weird-fiction aesthetic preferences.

“The Three Marked Pennies” • (1934) • short story

A small town is entertained by a delightful lottery run by person or persons unknown. Three marked pennies circulate through the local economy: one will bring fortune, one world travel, and one death… although the nature of the marks has been publicized, which penny brings which fate is unknown… until the end.

There’s nothing overtly supernatural in this study of fear versus greed. This is probably the best story in the collection.

“The Unwanted” • (1951) • short story

A census-taker encounters a mother whose affection for her children surmounts all barriers… including entrenched social barriers and basic reality.

Among the children offered a loving home by the (white) backwoods mother is an African American girl, a detail I didn’t expect from an author of this place and time.

“The Shot-Tower Ghost” • (1949) • short story

An attempt to put an uppity Yankee cousin in his place by convincing him that he saw a ghost is successful beyond expectation.

Night Court • (1953) • novelette

A reckless driver who has sent two men to their graves is subjected to supernatural justice… and a chance for redemption.

Bob the protagonist is not adjusting well to civilian life.

[quote] ​“Listen! I got a medal last year for killing fourteen North Koreans. For gunning ​’em down! Deliberately! But now, just because I’m driving a little too fast and some old creep can’t get his wagon across the highway (…) now, all at once, I’m not a hero, I’m a murderer! (…).” [/quote]

But most of his dismal record is because he’s a lead foot.

Continuing the theme of ​“Counselman is more enlightened than she could be,” Bob’s second victim was an old African American, whose death is treated as a tragedy (if not necessarily by the legal system), for which Bob does his reluctant best to make amends… as far as he can without admitting guilt or repenting.

“The Monkey Spoons” • (1950) • short story

Despite a store-owner’s desperate attempts to dissuade a trio of customers from purchasing cursed spoons of doom, three customers purchase three cursed spoons of doom. Result: DOOM!

Maybe don’t put the cursed spoons of certain doom on display for sale? Perhaps curses come with a magical compulsion to facilitate the curse.

“The Smiling Face” • (1950) • short story

Tragedy results when, during an expedition to darkest Brazil, an aging archaeologist begins to doubt his young, pretty wife’s fidelity.

This is a rich gumbo of regrettable depiction of Southern Hemispheric persons. Also, a lesson in not letting paranoia win out.

“A Death Crown for Mr. Hapworthy” • (1948) • short story

Elderly Mr. Hapworthy has no opinion on the afterlife, but he does so enjoy adding to his collection of charms and amulets. One particularly intriguing artifact intrigues him… but is he willing to pay the price?

Generally speaking, doubters come to bad ends in stories like this. Not in this case. This is because Hapworthy is basically a decent man:

[quote] However, disbelief in a system of rewards and punishments after death did not give one the right, he felt, to act like a stinker while one was among the living— if only because it was a damned stupid way to live. [/quote]

No surprise when it becomes obvious that he is dying, Hapworthy’s main concern is to make sure someone takes care of his beloved hound.

“The Black Stone Statue” • (1937) • short story

An untalented artist discovers an innovative way to circumvent his lack of skill.

Today, he’d be using AI.

“Seventh Sister” • (1943) • short story

An innocent African American girl’s attempt to use her supernatural powers ends in tragedy.

Most of the characters in this tale are African American, of the sort whose ancestors were nostalgic about slavery. Not sure about the thought processes of the editor who included this particular story.

Parasite Mansion • (1942) • novelette

A waylaid traveler’s survival depends on her working out and revealing the true nature of the curse plaguing an isolated, paranoid family.

“The Green Window” • (1949) • short story

The green window can show the future… at a dreadful cost.

It’s not clear if the futures shown can be averted but the fact people have misinterpreted what they saw offers a bit of hope that things will not work out quite as badly as they seem likely to. That said, the green window seems like the sort of magical artifact nobody sensible would use.

“The Tree’s Wife” • (1950) • short story

A well-meaning attempt to comfort a grieving widow with a harmless fable yields unexpected results.

“Twister” • (1940) • short story

Why did a small town close its doors to two travelers?

Surely, by 1940 people were able to recognize variations on the vanishing hitchhiker?

“A Handful of Silver” • (1967) • short story

What mysterious purpose drives an ancient Jew’s efforts to give away his silver pieces?

Uh, yeah. Probably for the best that most of the author’s stories didn’t feature Jews. At least she didn’t think they had horns.

Judas has rid himself of nine silver pieces by the mid-20^th century. Another forty-seven centuries and he should be free and clear.

1: Or the current US administration. USA delenda est.