Lord John and the Succubus (novella)
Encyclopedia
Lord John and the Succubus is a short story
written by Diana Gabaldon
.
It was initially published in Legends II
, edited by Robert Silverberg
(2004), and then collected in 2007 in the volume Lord John and the Hand of Devils
.
Set during the Seven Years' War
, the story revolves around Lord John Grey
's time at Prussia
while serving as the British liaison officer to one of the Hanoverian
regiments.
. Joining the search at the town's graveyard
for the strange creature only to placate the townspeople, he soon discovered that reality was a lot more complicated than he thought.
Short story
A short story is a work of fiction that is usually written in prose, often in narrative format. This format tends to be more pointed than longer works of fiction, such as novellas and novels. Short story definitions based on length differ somewhat, even among professional writers, in part because...
written by Diana Gabaldon
Diana Gabaldon
Diana J. Gabaldon is an American author of Mexican-American and English ancestry. Gabaldon is the author of the Outlander Series. Her books they contain elements of romantic fiction, historical fiction, mystery, adventure, and science fiction.-Early life and science career:Diana J. Gabaldon was...
.
It was initially published in Legends II
Legends II (book)
Legends II: New Short Novels by the Masters of Modern Fantasy is a collection of 11 short stories by a number of noteworthy fantasy authors, edited by Robert Silverberg. All the stories were original to the collection, and set in the authors' established fictional worlds...
, edited by Robert Silverberg
Robert Silverberg
Robert Silverberg is an American author, best known for writing science fiction. He is a multiple nominee of the Hugo Award and a winner of the Nebula Award.-Early years:...
(2004), and then collected in 2007 in the volume Lord John and the Hand of Devils
Lord John and the Hand of Devils (collection)
Lord John and the Hand of Devils was written by Diana Gabaldon and collects the novellasLord John and the Hellfire Club, Lord John and the Succubus, and Lord John and the Haunted Soldier...
.
Set during the Seven Years' War
Seven Years' War
The Seven Years' War was a global military war between 1756 and 1763, involving most of the great powers of the time and affecting Europe, North America, Central America, the West African coast, India, and the Philippines...
, the story revolves around Lord John Grey
Lord John Grey
John William Grey is a recurring secondary character in the Outlander series and the protagonist of his own series, both of which are written by Diana Gabaldon....
's time at Prussia
Prussia
Prussia was a German kingdom and historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. For centuries, the House of Hohenzollern ruled Prussia, successfully expanding its size by way of an unusually well-organized and effective army. Prussia shaped the history...
while serving as the British liaison officer to one of the Hanoverian
Kingdom of Hanover
The Kingdom of Hanover was established in October 1814 by the Congress of Vienna, with the restoration of George III to his Hanoverian territories after the Napoleonic era. It succeeded the former Electorate of Brunswick-Lüneburg , and joined with 38 other sovereign states in the German...
regiments.
Plot
Briefly stationed at Gundwitz with a group of English and Hanoverian soldiers, Grey was at first sceptical when he received reports of a local succubusSuccubus
In folklore traced back to medieval legend, a succubus is a female demon appearing in dreams who takes the form of a human woman in order to seduce men, usually through sexual intercourse. The male counterpart is the incubus...
. Joining the search at the town's graveyard
Graveyard
A graveyard is any place set aside for long-term burial of the dead, with or without monuments such as headstones...
for the strange creature only to placate the townspeople, he soon discovered that reality was a lot more complicated than he thought.