5th October 2014 is the 50 year anniversary of the publication of They Used Dark Forces. I am 3/4 of the way through it. I read it over 25 years ago and remember enjoying it then but I didn't realise what an epic tale it is.
I am loving it - and it must have been a controversial book in it's day. One of the most unlikely heroes is the occultist Malacou who's incestuous relationship with his daughter results in her committing suicide about a third of the way in the book. And I today read about a Nazi Christmas party that included a male gay orgy scene that I imagine would have been rare in popular fiction 50 years ago.
It is an exciting book - and Gregory Sallust is on top form. One of the most exciting parts is when he is escaping and he can hear the cries of Malacou as he is being tortured by the Gestapo. At first Sallust is cold to the screams as he is aware of Malacou's past and what he did to his daughter, but eventually he can't take it any more and returns to kill the Gestapo officers in a satisfying violent Ramboesque scene in typical DW literary detail to free Malacou - against his better judgement.
The section where Sallust meets Hermann Goering for the second time after 5 years is electric - with Sallust hoping Goering doesn't recognize him as he has adopted a new identity. DW handles this scene with sharpened suspenseful precision.
I've had quite a prolific 2014 with ragards to DW - and TUDF is the best one for me this year. And you learn so much about the war. DW is clearly offloading much of his knowledge from his years as a deception planner and even appears himself in an Alfred Hitchcock moment.
I'll celebrate the date with my own personal toast whilst having a DW cocktail (see the 2013 convention report for recipe).
Happy anniversary!!
