Ebony Eyes [1]

Horrors! 365 Scary Stories ed. Stefan Dziemianowicz, Robert Weinberg & Martin H. Greenberg, Barnes & Noble, 1998 (as by Francis Amery)
Salome & Other Decadent Fantasies, Cosmos Books, 2004

Review by Trent Walters

A queen puts out her lovers' roaming eyes, but when the lover hears that the plan was the queen's, more than his eyes roam.

The queen has to devise a new plan.

The Elixir of Youth [12]

Weird Tales August/September 2006
An Oasis of Horror: Decadent Tales and Contes Cruels, Borgo Press, January 2008
Lightspeed February 2017

Dreams of Decadence #13, Spring 2001
The Best of Dreams of Decadence ed. Angela Kessler, Roc, 2003
Translated into French as: 'Le Vide' in De Sang et d'Encre ed. L,a Silhol, Editions Naturellement, 1999
Sheena & Other Gothic Tales, Immanion Press, May 2006

Review by Ian Braidwood

Quite a touching story about a single mum whose children are fully grown, who finds consolation and an abandoned baby in a skip, outside a shop. However, she also finds trouble, because the baby is a vampire...
I am again quite unhappy with Brian's portrayal of the British working class, though it is nowhere near as appalling as in Behind the Wheel. Sometimes Brian's morality seems to come from the pages of the Daily Mail.

The Enchanted Incompetent, or The Lay of Hairoil O'Ley [2]

Xeron (fnz) #7, December 1967 (as by Kay Stirling)

The End [v]

Space Bar, Octarine (July) 1990

The Engineer and the Executioner [6]

Amazing May 1975 (cover painting by Stephen E. Fabian)
The 1976 Annual World's Best SF ed. Donald A. Wollheim, DAW, 1976; Dobson, 1979 (as World's Best SF: 3); DAW, 1981 (as Wollheim's World's Best SF Series 5)
Translated into Italian as: L'asteroide Lamarck in Il pianeta dei venti - Il meglio della fantascienza nel 1975
SF Choice 77 ed. M. Ashley, Orbit, 1977
Translated into French as: Le biologiste et le bourreau in Futurs 4 October 1978
Translated into Greek as: 'O Michanikos ke o Ektelestis' in Nova Issue 3, July 1978
Translated into Hungarian in: Galaktika #46, 1982
Top Science Fiction ed. Josh Pachter, Dent, 1984
Translated into Spanish by Alicia Steimberg as: 'El ingeniero y el verdugo' in La Crema de la Ciencia Ficci¢n ed. Josh Pachter, Emec‚, 1986
Sexual Chemistry, Simon & Schuster (UK), 1991 (revised)
Translated into Czech by Miroslav Martan as: 'Inzenýr a vykonavatel' in Ikarie February 1992
Translated into Greek as: 'O Michanikos ke o Ektelestis' in Anthologia Epistimonikis Fantasias - Istories me Trelous Epistimones, Vol 33

Review by Ian Braidwood

This story is an absolute classic. Just look at the list of its publications above and it's clear the impact it made.
It takes place on an asteroid called Lamark, where a genetic engineer has created an entirely new type of ecology. Unfortunately for him, his experiment is deemed too dangerous to be allowed to continue and he finds himself confronted by a robot executioner.

The authorities have decided that Lamark must be destroyed and have altered the asteroid's course, so it tumbles into the Sun. The engineer isn't even allowed to leave Lamark, because of the threat to Earth of contamination and so must die with his creation.

As well as detailing an ingenious dual - chromosomal genetic system, the story touches on Arrhenius spores, Lamarkism and the affect of fear in politics.

This is what science fiction is about and everyone should read it.

From the point of view of the reader, the revisions in Sexual Chemistry are quite subtle; Brian's intent in rewriting this story is to get the science right.
It's still a fine story, but there's no reason apart from completeness for anyone to require both versions.

Enlightenment [9]

Beyond the Colors of Darkness and Other Exotica, Borgo Press, July 2009

Et in Arcadia Ego [6]

Searchers After Horror ed. S.T. Joshi, Fedogan & Bremer, June 2014

The Evil That Men Do [10]

Realms of Fantasy August 1995
Translated into French as: 'Le mal que font les hommes' in Aspodale #2, February 2003
Salome & Other Decadent Fantasies, Cosmos Books, 2004

Review by Ian Braidwood

The Cinnabar Desert is the home of religious hermits and penitents. It's home to all the parched emotions of its ocherous colour; as arid as an ascetic soul.

One of the contrite is ex-king Rumulshah, tyrant of a far-off land, who repented until the heat revealed a way for him atone for his wickedness. He sets off on the long journey to Munimazana, expecting his infamy to have spread far and wide since his disappearance.

Remarkably, few people Rumulshah meets as he travels have even heard of Munimazana, leave alone the tyrant king and he concludes that his wickedness was so extreme that it has been struck from memory.

Upon arrival in Munimazana, Rumulshah sets about the corruption and degradation he has spawned.

Very good, a stinging attack on pious intransigence.