Wheatley, Dennis

(British, 1897–1977)

Wheatley worked in a family wine firm then, at the age of 33, sold it to become a writer. He fought in the First World War, and in 1941 he became a wing commander in the RAF reserves. The Quest of Julian Day (1939) is typical of the adventure stories which earned him the title ‘the Prince of Thriller Writers’, featuring a dashing hero, exotic temptresses, and glamorous locations. His hugely influential occult thrillers, featuring resolute heroes battling with Satanists, paranormal phenomena, and the supernatural are masterpieces of gripping, and chilling, horror fiction. To the Devil a Daughter (1953), filmed in 1976 with an all-star cast, tells the story of an excommunicated priest's plot to bring to power a child dedicated to the service of the Antichrist.

Bram Stoker, Anne Rice, Stephen King  EC