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Encyclopedia of Fantasy (1997)
Rymer, James Malcolm

Tagged: Author.

(1814-1884) Scottish civil engineer and writer of penny dreadfuls, mostly anon, though sometimes as Malcolm J Errym or Malcolm J Merry. He was exceedingly prolific, and a true tally of his output will probably never be known. His work is often confused with that of his fellow contributor to Edward Lloyd's publishing house, Thomas Pecket Prest (1810-1859), but research seems to support Rymer's authorship of the notorious Varney the Vampire, or The Feast of Blood (serially 1845-1847; 1847). It is possible that both Prest and Rymer worked on the story during its 109 weekly parts. A long, episodic and puerile work, it was the most extensive Vampire work before Bram Stoker's Dracula (1897). There is minimal plot. Sir Francis Varney has become a vampire (probably by a Pact with the Devil) and proceeds to terrorize and suck the blood from weekly victims. Rymer's works are all in the Gothic form (see Gothic Fantasy), all sensational, but most with rationalized supernaturalism (see Rationalized Fantasy). Of his attributed works, The Black Monk (1844), also once ascribed to Prest, is an historical Gothic involving a formulaic haunted abbey in the time of Richard I. The String of Pearls (1846-1848 The People's Periodical; vt Sweeney Todd, the Demon Barber of Fleet Street 1878), which has sometimes been ascribed to Rymer, is believed to be by Prest. [MA]

James Malcolm Rymer

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