History Literature / TheShapesOfMidnight

''The Shapes of Midnight'' is Creator/JosephPayneBrennan's short story collection published in 1980. It features twelve of his short stories - spanning Brennan's career from 1953 to 1973 - many of which had been previously published in ''Magazine/WeirdTales'', Brennan's own magazine ''Macabre'' and other anthologies. The book features an introduction by no less an authority than Creator/StephenKing and cover art by Kirk Reinert.

** [[spoiler:Frank discovers that the reason the backyard in "Canavan's Back Yard" is an EldritchLocation is due to a curse placed on it by accused witch Goodie Larkins in the 1800s. Accused of turning a child into a dog, she was condemned to be torn apart by dogs in a swamp, and as she died she cursed the land to be a portal to Hell and turn everyone who ventured into into dogs.]]

* "Diary of a Werewolf": A [[RecoveredAddict former heroin addict]] from UsefulNotes/NewYorkCity moves to the town of Juniper Hill on the advice of his doctor. There, he keeps a diary of his experiences and feels strangely drawn to the [nearby forest. Originally published in ''Macabre'' in 1960.

* BalefulPolymorph: [[spoiler:In addition to being DrivenToMadness, poor Canavan in "Canavan's Back Yard" ends up turned into a ferocious dog as part of the {{Curse}} he was unaware had been placed on his land years ago.]]

* NuclearNasty: Charlie the [[NinjaPirateRobotZombie radioactive zombie murderer]] in "The Corpse of Charlie Rull."

* OurZombiesAreDifferent: The title character in "The Corpse of Charlie Rull" is undead, all right, but he's also [[NuclearNasty radioactive]], and rather than being driven by a desire to eat human flesh, he simply is constantly in pain from the radioactive energy coursing through him, and commits violent acts as a means of expending that energy. He is also driven by an intense hatred of all life that isn't in the same kind of pain as him. [[spoiler:And he can take a ''lot'' of punishment, as the Newbridge police find out; nothing short of getting shot to pieces puts an end to his reign of terror.]]

* "Diary of a Werewolf": A [[RecoveredAddict former heroin addict]] from UsefulNotes/NewYorkCity moves to the town of Juniper Hill on the advice of his doctor. There, he keeps a diary of his experiences and feels strangely drawn to the [[TheLostWoods nearby forest]]. Originally published in ''Macabre'' in 1960.

* TheLostWoods: The pine forest near Hemlock House in "Diary of a Werewolf." It's noted that the people of Juniper Hill generally avoid it if they can, and when he visits it, the main character notes that he encounters no animal life. He also feels strangely drawn to the site, and it's after his first visit that he begins feeling compelled to run around on all fours. [[spoiler:It's [[MaybeMagicMaybeMundane unclear]] how much of this is [[UnreliableNarrator in his head]], though.]]

** We never ''do'' learn if there's anything "off" about TheLostWoods in "Diary of a Werewolf."

* OurWerewolvesAreDifferent: "Diary of a Werewolf." He doesn't actually turn ''into'' a wolf, he simply becomes bestial and ravenous for the taste of human flesh. He also doesn't need the full moon to undergo the change. A simple trip to TheLostWoods and he feels compelled to run around on all fours.

* RantInducingSlight: In "The Pavilion," Niles killed Kurt Resinger because Kurt [[EvilIsPetty wouldn't loan him $500]].

* DeathOfAchild: [[spoiler:In "Diary of a Werewolf," protagonist's third victim in "Diary of a Werewolf" is Debra, a little girl walking home alone after going out to pick blueberries]].

* AdultFear: All over the place. [[spoiler:The protagonist's third victim in "Diary of a Werewolf" is Debra, a little girl walking home alone after going out to pick blueberries. Imagine being her poor parents.]] And poor Mrs. Mellett in "The Corpse of Charlie Rull." A stranger shows up out of nowhere, covered in blood, chasing her daughter. [[spoiler:They survive by hiding in some tall grass while the stranger - Charlie - trashes their house and kills their horse.]]

* DeathOfAchild: [[spoiler:In "Diary of a Werewolf," quite cruelly.

* ByTheLightsOfTheirEyes: The first thing Frederick and the narrator see of [[spoiler:Susan]] in "The Horror of Chilton Castle" are [[spoiler:her]] spoiler GlowingEyesOfDoom in the darkness.

* InfantImmortality: [[spoiler:Averted quite cruelly in "Diary of a Werewolf," but played straight in "The Corpse of Charlie Rull."]]