John Metcalfe (writer)
| John Metcalfe | |
|---|---|
| Born |
6 October 1891 Heacham, Norfolk, England |
| Died | 31 July 1965 (aged 73) England |
| Occupation | writer |
| Nationality | English |
| Period | 1920s through 1950s |
| Genre | Science fiction, Horror, Weird Fiction |
William John Metcalfe (6 October 1891 – 31 July 1965) was a teacher, short story writer and novelist from England, who twice emigrated to the United States.
John Metcalfe was born in Heacham, Norfolk, England, on 6 October 1891. He studied philosophy in the University of London, from which he graduated in 1913. Metcalfe then taught in Paris until 1914. During World War I, he served in the Royal Naval Division, the Royal Naval Air Service, and ultimately the Royal Air Force.
After the war, Metcalfe taught for five years at Highgate Junior School in London and began writing. His first book, The Smoking Leg and Other Stories, published in 1925, contains several noted stories, including the title story, "The Bad Lands", "Nightmare Jack" and "The Double Admiral". After its publication, he abandoned teaching to begin writing full time.
Metcalfe emigrated to the United States in 1928, where he began writing Arm's Length while serving as a barge captain on the East River. On 17 March 1930, Metcalfe married the American novelist Evelyn Scott.
Metcalfe's second collection, Judas and Other Stories features several horror stories. These include "Mortmain", which is about a man who believes he is being haunted by the ghost of his wife's first husband.
After service in World War II in the British Royal Air Force, Metcalfe taught in schools in Dorset and Hampstead before returning to the United States, where he was a teacher in Connecticut and New York.
In the 1950s, Metcalfe discussed with August Derleth the possibility of having a third collection of his fiction published by Arkham House. This collection, (to be entitled The Feasting Dead and other Stories) was never published, but Arkham House did publish The Feasting Dead as a chapbook. Derleth also anthologised several of Metcalfe's stories in his anthologies.
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