Anthony Boucher. The Compleat Werewolf and Other Stories of Fantasy and Science Fiction (1969) 256 pp.
This book is included here because of the title story, which combines a traditional detective yarn with elements of the supernatural. Originally published in Unknown Worlds in April 1942, “The Compleat Werewolf” is the tale of Wolfe Wolf, professor of German at UC Berkeley. Dejected after his proposal to Gloria Garton (a former student, now a successful Hollywood actress) is refused, Wolf seeks out the nearest bar. After consuming several “zombies” Wolf meets a strange little man calling himself Ozymandias the Great, who claims to be a magician. Ozymandias tells him that he, Wolf, is in fact werewolf and teaches him a pair of magic words that he can use to change from human form to wolf and back again. Wolf’s new powers soon result in the loss of his teaching position. In order to make a living by being a wolf, Wolf decides to audition for a canine starring role in a film opposite, you guessed it, Gloria Garton. Fortunately, the auditions are being held in Berkeley. He easily passes the audition, but before he can get too excited about his budding film career, he becomes involved with Los Angeles private eye Fergus O’Breen, who is in town on the trail of a sinister spy ring operating in Berkeley. After taking several bullets—none of them silver, fortunately—Wolf succeeds in rounding up the spies, including his beloved Gloria. O’Breen is a recurring character in several of Boucher’s straight mysteries novels and stories.