C.J. Henderson

aka Robert Morgan

1951-

Reviewed by
Justin and Kelly

C.J. Henderson's early days were spent in the Midwest. High school and college kept him in the general area of Pittsburgh, but shortly thereafter it was on to the big city, more specifically, New York City. A comics writer for the past thirty years, he has handled everyone from Archie to Batman and the Punisher to Cherry Poptart. He has also written hundreds of short stories and thousands of non-fiction pieces. Henderson lives in Brooklyn with his wife, fashion designer Grace Tin Lo, his daughter, Erica, and everyone's cats, Tyco and Tiger. See his other work at C.J. Henderson's website.
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Teddy London — (1992-2009) Written as C.J. Henderson and Robert Morgan. Publisher: Private detective Teddy London ran the best one-man agency in New York, until a demon-driven storm trashed his office. Fate delivers a beautiful new client who is being pursued by an army of winged monsters determined to use her as the key to unlock a doorway that will lead the world into madness. London and a few souls capable of weathering the terror ahead battle for the fate of humanity-one they know they will not all survive.

C.J. Henderson Robert Morgan Teddy London Supernatural Detective 1. The Things That Are Not There, 2. The Stench of Fresh Air (Some Things Never Die), 3. The Thing That Darkness Hides

C.J. Henderson Robert Morgan Teddy London Supernatural Detective 4. All Things Under the Moon, 5. The Only Thing to Fear, 6. Some Things Come Back, 7. The Sleep That Rescues

Brooklyn Knight — (2010) This will be a series. Publisher: Professor Piers Knight is an esteemed curator at the Brooklyn Museum and is regarded by many on the staff as a revered institution of his own if not an outright curiosity. Knight’s portfolio includes lost civilizations; arcane cultures, languages, and belief; and more than a little bit of the history of magic and mysticism. What his contemporaries don't know is that in addition to being a scholar of all things ancient he is schooled in the uses of magical artifacts, the teachings of forgotten deities, and the threats of unseen dangers. If a mysterious object surfaces, Professor Knight makes it his job to figure it out — and make sure it stays out of dangerous hands.A contemporary on an expedition in the Middle East calls Knight's attention to a mysterious object in the collection of the Brooklyn Museum… just before it becomes the target of a sorcerous attack that leads to a siege on a local precinct house by a fire elemental.What looks like an ordinary inscribed stone may unlock an otherworldly Armageddon that certain dark powers are all too eager to bring about — and only Piers Knight stands in their way.

Brooklyn Knight

Professor Piers Knight is the charming, handsome, and intelligent curator of the esteemed Brooklyn Museum. He has in possession the mysterious “Dream Stone” — an artifact that may hold the key to unraveling an ancient and dangerous mystery. But Knight is not the only person who is aware of its importance. With the help of his gorgeous assistant Bridget and his knowledge of magical items, Knight must protect the stone and solve the riddle in order to keep a global disaster from happening.

CJ Henderson‘s Brooklyn Knight proves to be a very entertaining read. Professor Knight is by the far the most developed character in the story. (The others tend to be left a little hollow, but I’m hoping they’ll get more depth in later books). The back cover describes him as “New York’s answer to Indiana Jones,” but that’s a bit of a stretch. Yeah, Knight and Jones are both charming male academics who moonlight as adventurers and solvers of ancient mysteries, but Indy’s abilities are much more mundane, whereas the things Piers Knight is capable of are anything but. Also, Knight never leaves New York, though the potential for future global adventures is definitely there.

Also providing potential for future fun is the magic system which is primarily based around ancient artifacts. Henderson gradually introduces these believable magical elements and, as curator of the museum and a descendent of a long line of adventurers, Piers Knight has almost unlimited access to a wide range of items that give him special abilities. This should provide many interesting plot devices for the stories to come!

Brooklyn Knight is essentially an action/mystery, with fantasy elements thrown in. I enjoy this style of urban fantasy more than any other. I like the adventure, mystery, humor, pseudo-historical aspects, and the limited magic — they combine to make a really fun story! —Justin Comments

Other novels:

Baby's First Mythos — (2009) Young adult. Publisher: Spawned from the mind of horror king and Origins award winner, C.J. Henderson, ("The Things That Are Not There," "Tales of Inspector Legrasse") this book is a fun-filled must for every Lovecraftian everywhere. Lavishly illustrated with dozens of all new, highly detailed pieces by Erica Henderson, this is one of those rare instant classics that everyone is simply going to have to have on their shelf. It will also blast your child's soul as you teach them their ABCs and 123s — Mythos style! This book was published first as a 32 page softback with saddle stitching and only contained A-Z (though it was missing the letter "X" — for sanity's sake). The new version is a thickhardcover, reminding one of a Golden Book-type book. It contains all the letters of the alphabet as well as the numbers 1 through 0 and a short rhyming section. A great novelty item for Cthulhu/Lovecraft fans and those who love Edward Gorey's, The Gashlycrumb Tinies.

Baby's First Mythos

Do you, or a loved one, like your humor squamous and tentacled? Are you the proud owner of a pair of plush Cthulhu bedroom slippers? Do all those cute Little Golden Books about religion make you wish there were a Little Golden Book of Cthulhu? If so, Baby’s First Mythos is the book for you!

Baby’s First Mythos is written in the style of children’s alphabet and counting books. You’ll learn your ABCs from Azathoth to Zarnak. Each letter stands for a character, creature, or place in the H.P. Lovecraft mythos and features a verse by C.J. Henderson and intricate black-and-white artwork by his daughter Erica Henderson. The same treatment is then given to the numbers.

The poetry scans oddly in places. I’m usually bothered by this, but it seemed to fit here. It reminded me of Nanny Ashtoreth’s rendition of “This Little Piggy” in Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett’s Good Omens, which also doesn’t scan properly but is still hilarious. The warped scansion seems to highlight the fact that the subject matter is, well, a little warped for nursery rhymes.

Obviously, Baby’s First Mythos is — despite the name — more a book for grown-ups. The children’s-book style means it’s not a long or complicated read, but it’s immensely entertaining if you have a twisted (maybe even non-Euclidean!) sense of humor. It would also make a good gift if you have a friend who’s a Lovecraft fan. —Kelly Comments

The Reign of the Dragon Lord — (2010) Publisher: Render grimaced as he realized the cold was making him sluggish. Gods, he thought with irritation, my paws are actually beginning to ache. I swear, could this weather be the reason for no new attack? I must admit, it would be the brave witch who would venture forth into... And then suddenly he realized, everything fell into place. The racker stopped pacing, frozen in time for an instant by the revelation hatching in its brain. Fool! Render cursed himself. Mule, jackass — this weather is not preventing the second attack — it is the second attack! Master storyteller C.J. Henderson has released his first sword and sorcery novel. Although short stories set in this universe have appeared in magazines and anthologies for years, this is the first time the remarkable set of characters have been gathered together to tell the incredible story of The Dragon Lord Saga! Legendary fantasy artist Roy G. Krenkel said, "Get comfortable — unhook your phone — you won't find it easy to lay this one down. Now read — enjoy!" Plus two bonus stories by C.J. Henderson — "To the Beast" and "No Stronger Shield."

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