New to the board, so pardon if this has been discussed previously.
I remember that one or two of the vampire anthologies I own has this story.
One of them was based on the theme of vampires ruling the world. Anyhow, my questions are:
1. Anybody know the names of the anthologies this story was reprinted in?
2. Is the version in said anthologies unabridged and complete?
3. Does the short story chronologically lead into the novel or is the novel an evolution of the original story?
4. Has FPW got any other vampire short stories out there somewhere?

And for the record, I thought the movie version of "The Keep" was okay (at least as a high school senior watching it first run in the theater).

My library actually has the "Midnight Mass" novel even though it has skipped the RJ books after "Conspiracies". They put it "on hold" for me today.

Thanks,
EG
(Who's hoping to make it up the road from Virginia to Horrorfind in Aug.)

New to the board, so pardon if this has been discussed previously.
I remember that one or two of the vampire anthologies I own has this story.
One of them was based on the theme of vampires ruling the world. Anyhow, my questions are:
1. Anybody know the names of the anthologies this story was reprinted in?
2. Is the version in said anthologies unabridged and complete?
3. Does the short story chronologically lead into the novel or is the novel an evolution of the original story?
4. Has FPW got any other vampire short stories out there somewhere?

And for the record, I thought the movie version of "The Keep" was okay (at least as a high school senior watching it first run in the theater).

My library actually has the "Midnight Mass" novel even though it has skipped the RJ books after "Conspiracies". They put it "on hold" for me today.

Thanks,
EG
(Who's hoping to make it up the road from Virginia to Horrorfind in Aug.)

I have Midnight Mass the movie, and Midnight Mass the novel.

Other than that I don't know.

Mostly, I want to say, welcome to the board.

Ken V.

The novel MIDNIGHT MASS is a compilation of three stories, including Midnight Mass and The Lord's Prayer (I forget the third one). When FPW put them together into the novel, he wrote bridges and rearranged things a bit, but other than that I think the book contains most of the text of the original versions of the stories.

Lisa

The novel MIDNIGHT MASS is a compilation of three stories, including Midnight Mass and The Lord's Prayer (I forget the third one). When FPW put them together into the novel, he wrote bridges and rearranged things a bit, but other than that I think the book contains most of the text of the original versions of the stories.

Lisa

That's "The Lord's Work" (if I may be so bold as to correct Her Majesty). The first of the three was "Good Friday", followed by "The Lord's Work" and "Midnight Mass". I'm referring to chronological order, not order of publication.

1. Anybody know the names of the anthologies this story was reprinted in?

Just download the bibliography and all will be made clear in nauseating detail.

A little background on MM:

I originally wrote the 20,000-word "Midnight Mass" in 1990 for Rick McCammon's Under the Fang anthology. The premise of the anthology was a world overrun by vampires. I decided to write a retro-vampire story in which all the folklore was true: They're afraid of crosses, of sunlight, all that good old stuff. I think the image that got me started was a vampire sipping some consecrated wine and beginning to melt from the inside out.

About the time I was finishing up, Kris Rusch of Pulphouse wrote asking for something in the 15-20,000 word range for their Axolotl novella series. I sent her "Mass" and she wanted to publish it. The Fang contracts hadn't arrived from Simon & Schuster, but Rick and Marty said they didn't mind if it appeared in a small edition first (only 910 total copies), so I signed the contract with Pulphouse.

Everything was fine until Pocket Books found out. They wanted a strictly original anthology. I'd have to cancel out on Pulphouse or withdraw my story. Well, I already had a signed contract with Pulphouse. I could have weaseled out, but a deal is a deal. UNDER THE FANG appeared without my story. The Axolotl edition sold out very quickly and the story has been one of my most reprinted.

I had so much fun with it that I returned to the "Midnight Mass" world twice more with "Good Friday" and "The Lord's Work."

I reworked those 3 stories into a springboard for the MM novel.

About the time I was finishing up, Kris Rusch of Pulphouse wrote asking for something in the 15-20,000 word range for their Axolotl novella series. I sent her "Mass" and she wanted to publish it. The Fang contracts hadn't arrived from Simon & Schuster, but Rick and Marty said they didn't mind if it appeared in a small edition first (only 910 total copies), so I signed the contract with Pulphouse.

Everything was fine until Pocket Books found out. They wanted a strictly original anthology. I'd have to cancel out on Pulphouse or withdraw my story. Well, I already had a signed contract with Pulphouse. I could have weaseled out, but a deal is a deal. UNDER THE FANG appeared without my story. The Axolotl edition sold out very quickly and the story has been one of my most reprinted.

I have one of the red leather bound editions in perfect condition. How many were there of those?

I have one of the red leather bound editions in perfect condition. How many were there of those?

They did a 75-copy run in bright red leather, and a 10-copy run of "staff red" in burgundy leather. (It will say "staff red" on the limitation page at the rear of the book.)

They did a 75-copy run in bright red leather, and a 10-copy run of "staff red" in burgundy leather. (It will say "staff red" on the limitation page at the rear of the book.)

Ah, so! I'm used to limitation pages on the front. Mine shows that this is number 65 of the 75 copy "Deluxe" run. Kewl!!! Would this be my rarest FPW book? I also have the Easton Press leatherbound first of Dydeetown World, and some other nice firsts, limiteds, etc. What is the absolute rarest of all of your books, editions, etc.? I know that The Tomb seems to be the toughest to find. I could kick myself for not starting to collect your firsts after I read The Keep in paperback maybe 20 years ago, but then hindsight is always 20/20.

:confused: Would a web site that featured pictures of people mooning be a hindsite?

What is the absolute rarest of all of your books, editions, etc.?

Well, either the staff red of Midnight MAss or the Hodder & Staughton special publisher's edition of The Touch. I don't know the print run of the latter.