THE CENTENARIAN (1822) – Written by THE Honore de Balzac. Thirty-one days of Halloween continue here at Balladeer’s Blog! The Centenarian or The Two Beringhelds was one of the “quickie” novels that Balzac wrote in his early career, this one under the pseudonym Horace de Saint-Aubin.
Balzac himself looked down on The Centenarian and other early works that he churned out for quick money like the Pulp writers of a century later. Still, this work has value, just like the early Pulp stories from writers like Tennessee Williams, Dashiell Hammett and others. Plus I’m a Napoleon geek so I love immersing myself in the time period in which the novel is set.
The title character is really Count Maxime Beringheld Sculdans. The Centenarian was born in 1470 and led an adventurous life, supposedly even serving as a ship’s doctor when Columbus visited the New World. During his wanderings across the globe Count Maxime studied all the medicine and related sciences that he could.
Under the Rosicrucians the Centenarian learned various secrets of alchemy, including universal healing powers and immortality. Those last two secrets often worked hand in hand: Maxime would use his powers to mystically withdraw the illness or injury out of a sufferer but his “fee” was the draining of the life essence of another person in return.
The Centenarian leeches out the vitality of his victims but NOT by sucking out blood like a vampire. He drains their life force via alchemical means with his “medical” equipment. By the time of the French Revolution and the Napoleonic Wars, Count Maxime has grown a bit weary of his eternal life in typical Gothic style.
In recent centuries our title character has devoted himself to secretly watching over his family line, mysteriously saving their lives or killing off their enemies at crucial periods. The Centenarian has most recently intervened in Spain during the Wars of the French Revolution, saving the life of his descendant General Tullius Beringheld.
Intrigued, Tullius seeks out information on his enigmatic savior and eventually learns the Centenarian’s true identity and about his supernatural nature. By this point (the 1790s) Maxime’s body is misshapen. His arms are emaciated but his torso and legs are thick and muscular.
He is unusually tall but the skin on his head is so thin that his scalp and facial features resemble a living skull. He smells of the grave but his powers of healing make others treat him with fear and respect despite the awful fee he demands.
The Centenarian’s additional powers include immunity to hanging and other forms of mortal injury. He has superhuman strength and his fiery eyes can induce fear, paralysis or death. He can read minds and teleport as well. Continue reading
NCCAA 1. OTTAWA UNIVERSITY (AZ) SPIRIT ### 2. CONCORDIA (MI) CARDINALS ### 3. GREENVILLE COLLEGE PANTHERS ### 4. GENEVA COLLEGE GOLDEN TORNADOES ### 
THE WIZARD OF THE MOUNTAIN (1867) – Written by William Gilbert, father of THE W.S. Gilbert. 
DIVISION TWO OVER DIVISION ONE – The NCAA Division Two’s MISSOURI S&T MINERS traveled to face Division One’s TEXAS SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY TIGERS. The Miners were on top 10-7 in the 1st Quarter but by Halftime the Tigers tied things up at 17-17. The 3rd Quarter ended with Missouri S&T ahead 23-17 before they held on to win the game 23-20. 
NUMBER FOUR FALLS – Over in the NAIA the 8th ranked UNIVERSITY OF SAINT FRANCIS (IN) COUGARS welcomed the number 4 team in the nation – the CONCORDIA (MI) CARDINALS. With the score knotted at 27-27 late in the 4th Quarter, the Cardinals attempted a game-winning Field Goal only to see it blocked by the Cougars and returned for a Touchdown. USF won this “Miracle at Mirror Lake” 34-27. 
NINETY – Two teams hung 90 points on their opponents AND shut them out yesterday: The NAIA’s KANSAS WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY COYOTES absolutely eviscerated their guests the UNIVERSITY OF SAINT MARY SPIRES 90-0 ### And in NCAA Division Three the JOHN CARROLL UNIVERSITY BLUE STREAKS won 90-0 at the CAPITAL CRUSADERS. 
AMAZING ADVENTURES Vol 2 #28 (January 1975)
HELLRAISER (1987) – “Jee-zuz WEPT!” Clive Barker helped translate his novel The Hellbound Heart to the big screen in this film. It’s incredibly rare for a novelist to get to DIRECT a movie version of one of his own works but Barker made the most of it. 
IRAS: A MYSTERY (1896) – This story was written by female author Henrietta Dorothy Everett under the pseudonym Theo Douglas. The setting is the 1880s. 
NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics) 1. MORNINGSIDE COLLEGE MUSTANGS ### 2. KANSAS WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY COYOTES ### 3. CONCORDIA (MI) CARDINALS ### 4. BENEDICTINE COLLEGE RAVENS ### 5. GRAND VIEW UNIVERSITY VIKINGS ### 
6. LINDSEY WILSON COLLEGE BLUE RAIDERS ### 7. UNIVERSITY OF SAINT FRANCIS COUGARS ### 8. MARIAN UNIVERSITY KNIGHTS ### 9. SOUTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY FIRE ### 10. DICKINSON STATE BLUE HAWKS ### 
NUMBER 252 RUE M LE PRINCE – A haunted house at the title address in Paris turns out to be the former home of a Spanish sorcerer. The story’s narrator makes the typically stupid decision for a horror story of spending a night in the house to get to the bottom of the supernatural phenomena. 
THE DEAD PIT (1989) – This horror film was the directorial debut of the very prolific director Brett Leonard. While not a four-star movie The Dead Pit is enjoyable enough for the Halloween Season and should certainly appeal to anyone into 1980s horror flicks. This movie’s hybrid of zombie elements and slasher elements is both its charm AND the reason behind its love-it-or-hate-it status. 
