Charles Beaumont

Since 2005, Valancourt Books has earned a reputation as one of the foremost publishers of lost and rediscovered classics, reissuing more than 400 unjustly neglected works from the past 250 years. In this third volume of horror stories, the editors of Valancourt Books have selected fifteen tales (and one macabre poem) - all by Valancourt authors - for this new collection featuring horror from the 19th, 20th, and 21st centuries. This volume features a previously unpublished contributions by Steve Rasnic Tem, Eric C. Higgs, and Hugh Fleetwood, as well as thirteen other tales that have never or seldom been reprinted.In this volume, you will encounter tales of ghosts, haunted houses, black magic, monsters, demonic babies, and vengeful spirits. Stories of the strange and sinister, of a boy who unwisely disobeys his grandfather's warning never to go up the stairs, a man whose apparently irrational terror of fire proves all too justified, an unpopular man who discovers a shocking new way of making friends, an ancestor who exerts a chilling influence from beyond the grave. With stories ranging from frightening to horrific to weird to darkly humorous, by a lineup of authors that includes both well-known masters of horror fiction and acclaimed authors of literary fiction, this is a horror anthology like no other.

A Financial Times Best Book of the Summer 2025‘Top marks’ The Times Book of the Month (March)‘Brilliant... Beaumont is worthy of being mentioned in the same breath as Mick Herron’ James O’Brien, author of How They Broke BritainRussia is struggling to defeat Ukraine on the battlefield. But can it win the war for influence?August 2022. Simon Sharman is out for revenge, pursuing the assassin of his former colleague across war-torn Ukraine. Back in London, a Russian spy ring at the heart of the British Establishment remains active, attempting to sabotage the West’s support for Ukraine.In the fiercely contested Donbas region, Simon finds himself sucked into a terrifying shadow conflict between Russia and the West. Can a lone spy make a difference to the course of a conflict?From the ruins of Bakhmut to the corridors of Whitehall, A Spy at War reveals the secret struggle for Ukraine, on the frontlines and in the arena of global public opinion.Praise for A Spy at War ‘Beaumont must surely be the most plugged in spy writer of the day, almost ahead of the curve... He pens thrillers you can’t let go of, page turners full of power and intelligence. Indispensable’ Maxim Jakubowski, Crime Time‘Beaumont is a skilled guide to the murky interface between the corridors of power and the human consequences of the decisions made there’ Adam LeBor, Financial Times‘Beaumont strikes back... A Spy At War is the best sort of espionage novel, shimmering with authentic tradecraft, geopolitical intrigue and a gritty exploration of betrayal and revenge’ David McCloskey, author of The Seventh Floor and co-host of The Rest is Classified podcast‘Charles Beaumont is that rare combination in spy fiction: a genuine former intelligence officer who is also a first-class writer’ Charles Cumming, author of Kennedy 35‘With his second novel, Beaumont has cemented himself as an author who both fearlessly tackles hard subjects and spins masterful tales. A Spy at War is daring and unflinching, a must-read’ I.S. Berry, author of The Peacock and the Sparrow‘This second espionage thriller from former MI6 operative Charles Beaumont underlines his quality’ Daily Mail‘Retired spy Charles Beaumont brings to life the terror, violence and confusion of the war in Ukraine... in this well-informed and revealing novel. Excellent’ Literary Review‘An unadorned take on the brutal realities of the Ukrainian war, told with literary flair and an insider’s insights’ Paul Vidich, author of Beirut Station‘Angry, propulsive and very, very timely. If A Spy Alone was Beaumont's cry of rage as a citizen, A Spy at War is his cry of rage as a spook... Topping A Spy Alone was a tough ask. Beaumont has managed it’ Dominick Donald, author of Breathe‘Many works of fiction will be inspired by the war in Ukraine. Charles Beaumont literally blasts out ahead of the field with an effort that is both cinematic and compassionate... A worthy sequel to his debut masterpiece’ Dr Fiona Hill, CMG, former US National Intelligence Officer for Russia‘Beaumont has done it again: a gripping spy thriller, this time set in war-torn Ukraine, which is so true to life you feel you are there. It’s also about Britain, now, and how so many in the Establishment have sold their souls for Russian gold’ John Sweeney, author of Killer in the Kremlin

Charles Beaumont wurde vor allem f r seine Beitr ge zur kultigen TV-Serie "The Twilight Zone" bekannt. In seiner Kurzgeschichte "Sch ne Menschen" (The Beautiful People) geht es um Themen wie Sch nheit, Oberfl chlichkeit und die gesellschaftlichen Erwartungen an das Aussehen. Die Geschichte spielt in einer dystopischen Gesellschaft, in der das Aussehen und die u ere Sch nheit ber alles andere gestellt wird und das Streben nach u erlicher Sch nheit extrem ausgepr gt ist. Menschen, die nicht den gesellschaftlichen Sch nheitsidealen entsprechen, werden ausgegrenzt oder sogar verfolgt. Die Geschichte folgt einer Protagonistin, die in einer Welt lebt, in der Menschen, die nicht den strengen Sch nheitsstandards entsprechen, stark diskriminiert werden und weist Parallelen zum heutigen Transhumanismus auf.

'Five stars. One of the best books I've read in a very, very long time' James O'Brien, LBC'This is first class' The Times | 'Excellent' Spectator'Exceptional' David McCloskey, author of The Seventh Floor'Everything a John le Carré fan could ever wish for' Private Eye #1615Everyone knows about the Cambridge Spies from the Fifties, identified and broken up after passing national secrets to the Soviets for years. But no spy ring was ever unearthed at Oxford. Because one never existed? Or because it was never found…?2022: Former spy Simon Sharman is eking out a living in the private sector. When a commission to delve into the financial dealings of a mysterious Russian oligarch comes across his desk, he jumps at the chance.But as Simon investigates, worrying patterns begin to emerge. His subject made regular trips to Oxford, but for no apparent reason. There are payments from offshore accounts that suddenly just… stop.Has he found what none of his former colleagues believed possible, a Russian spy ring now nestled at the heart of the British Establishment? Or is he just another paranoid ex-spook left out in the cold, obsessed with redemption?From Oxford’s hallowed quadrangles to brush contacts on Hampstead Heath, agent-running in Vienna and mysterious meetings in Prague, A Spy Alone is a gripping international thriller and a searing portrait of modern Britain in the age of cynical populism. Perfect for readers of Charles Cumming, Mick Herron and John le Carré.Praise for A Spy Alone 'A highly accomplished novel from a new writer of great promise' Financial Times'A cracker of a debut novel which really does make clear what's been going on' Bill Nighy via The Rake‘A marvellously confident debut, sharply observed and exceptionally well written’ Charles Cumming, author of Box 88'Beaumont is at the forefront of the espionage genre, capturing the changing nature of intelligence: soft influence and business deals are overtaking stolen secrets; long-term insinuation is replacing Cold-War tradecraft. Brilliant' I. S. Berry, author of The Peacock and the Sparrow'The best spy novel I’ve read for years... An astonishing debut... and a brilliant portrait of how Britain allowed Russia to game our recent politics, including with Brexit' Luke Harding, author of Invasion: Russia's Bloody War and Ukraine's Fight for Survival'Wonderful. Beaumont finds a very moving place in the meditation between older ideas of patriotism and the new world. There are also eerie echoes of the Musk and Vance worldview in the villains, which give it a power and prescience' Rory Stewart, co-host of The Rest is Politics podcast'Beaumont ... catches the zeitgeist of (le Carré) .... He conveys all the world of espionage with relish, in its murky motives and surveillance techniques and the book races along and makes for a stunning debut' Maxim Jakubowski, Crime Time'A clever, thrilling spy story that brings the feel of Eric Ambler's shadowy political intrigues right into today's world' Jeremy Duns, author of Free Agent‘Tense, compelling and remarkably timely... Shades of some of the greats of spy fiction – it might even be better than Charles Cumming’ Dominick Donald, author of Breathe

Between light and shadow, science and superstition, fear and knowledge is a dimension of imagination. An area we call the Twilight Zone. Adapted by Anne Washburn (Mr Burns) and directed by Olivier Award-winner Richard Jones, this world premiere production of the acclaimed CBS Television Series The Twilight Zone lands on stage for the first time in its history. Or its present. Or its future. Stage magic and fantasy unite as the ordinary becomes extraordinary.

The book, The Beautiful People, has been considered important throughout the human history, and so that this work is never forgotten we have made efforts in its preservation by republishing this book in a modern format for present and future generations. This whole book has been reformatted, retyped and designed. These books are not made of scanned copies of their original work and hence the text is clear and readable.

Elegy, has been considered important throughout the human history, and so that this work is never forgotten we have made efforts in its preservation by republishing this book in a modern format for present and future generations. This whole book has been reformatted, retyped and designed. These books are not made of scanned copies of their original work and hence the text is clear and readable.

That Charles Beaumont would make a name for himself crafting scripts for The Twilight Zone is only natural: for his was an imagination so limitless it must have emerged from some other dimension. So take one uneasy step and fall headlong into his world: a world where lions stalk the plains, classics cars rove the streets, and spacecraft hover just overhead. Here roam musicians, magicians, vampires, monsters, toreros, extraterrestrials, androids, and perhaps even the Devil himself. Perchance to Dream contains a selection of Beaumont's finest stories, including five stories that he later adapted for Twilight Zone episodes. This volume contains an introduction by Ray Bradbury and an afterword by William Shatner, two fellow science fiction luminaries who counted themselves among Beaumont's close friends.

Mary looked at the moving wall. It was a film of a terrible, terrible disaster."Does it have to be on, Mother?""Well, nobody seems to be watching. I don't think the doctor would mind if I switched it off."Mrs. Cuberle rose from the couch and walked to the wall. She depressed a little button and the life went from the wall, flickering and glowing.Mary opened her eyes."Honestly," Mrs. Cuberle said to a woman sitting beside her, "you'd think they'd try to get something else. We might as well go to the museum and watch the first landing on Mars. The Mayoraka Disaster -- really "