To Walk the Night

This intriguing novel from 1937 is long out of print, but it often appears on lists of "old classics" or "lost masterpieces" for the horror genre, and it seems to have an informed cult following. I've even seen this book on lists for the best old science fiction or fantasy. That's not totally accurate, but it indicates the sheer cross-genre strength and appeal of William Sloane's writing. He only wrote a few books, which have been forgotten by the mainstream, but this one illustrates his great skills at compelling prose and disconcerting themes. The story is a masterpiece of slowly-building dread, with the best elements of horror and mystery. There is even a subtle sci-fi influence, as Sloane came up with an incredible inhuman evil, in the character of the beautiful but cold Selena, which was informed by Einstein's theory of relativity and other then-current scientific breakthroughs. (Interestingly, Einstein was still around when this book was written, and is referred to as a contemporary personage.) Beyond the horror stylings at its core, this book is a bit difficult to categorize, and that's what makes it so good. Track this lost masterpiece down if you can. [~doomsdayer520~]

If it weren't for James Cawthorn and Michael Moorcock's indispensable overview volume entitled "Fantasy: The 100 Best Books," I probably would never have heard of "To Walk the Night" (1937), and would thus have been deprived of a wonderful read. Having read it, though, it seems to me that this, William Sloane's first novel, could just as easily have gone on someone's Top 100 Horror, Mystery OR Sci-Fi list, as this terrific book has elements of all those categories mixed in. The tale concerns two young men who visit their alma mater and discover one of their old professors murdered...burnt to a crisp by some mysterious flame. One of the two ex-students falls in love with the dead professor's widow, a very mysterious woman with cold and emotionless qualities. They eventually marry, and this is the point where the book really takes off. The reader will never guess the background of the lady in question, or why she evinces such unusual mental powers, and why she seems to be an outsider everywhere she goes. This is certainly NOT your traditional murder mystery! The novel is beautifully written by Mr. Sloane; it's hard to believe that this is his first book. It's an extremely suspenseful page-turner that does not disappoint. Once the reader finishes this book, he/she will doubtless feel compelled to seek out William Sloane's only other book, "The Edge of Running Water," which, sadly enough, like "To Walk the Night," is also inexplicably out of print. Anyway, my thanks to Cawthorn and Moorcock for turning me on to a really excellent book. I advise others to seek it out.