Horror Story Review: "The Amulet of Hell" by Robert Leonard Russell

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While out walking in the rain late one night, Jim comes across the G. Kodopolis Curio Shop. He’s surprised to find a light still burning so close to midnight. He ducks inside to get out of the rain. The gewgaws and whatsits stuffed on the many shelves fail to catch his eye. The store’s owner himself fascinates him: skeletal, little hair, with skin like parchment. And his eyes—large and jet black, they seemed to gaze into Jim’s innermost being. Jim tries to speak, but the words won’t come. A wave of blackness sweeps over him… Our hero’s next memory is of walking out of the store with a small package. He doesn’t sleep well that night. He wakes with (…yes) a sore throat. Much to his puzzlement, he finds a rosary of black beads wrapped around his fingers. As the days go by, he grows listless, lethargic, and until he’s barely able to get out of bed. His Italian friend Pietro eventually comes to find out what’s wrong with him. He sees the rosary and declares it the devil’s work. This was heavy and gothic and a shameless Bram Stoker rip-off. On the other hand, it does have the virtue of being much shorter than Dracula and full of some unintended humor. I was unable to find much about the author, but he does seem to have written several letters to Weird Tales. I’ve also been unable to find an electronic version of this story. _____ Title: “The Amulet of Hell” Author: Robert Leonard Russell (1882-1935) First published: Weird Tales Oct. 1935 Source: ISFDB _____ *An earlier version of this review appeared on another site. It has been removed from that site and is no longer visible there or anywhere else. It has been altered and updated for its inclusion in myLot.*