▁Dev il ' s ▁Sp awn ▁( 1 9 3 6 ). ▁According ▁to ▁E . F . ▁Ble iler , ▁in ▁the ▁C ree ps ▁series ▁" editor ial ▁stress ▁was ▁on ▁fairly ▁low - brow ▁stories ▁of ▁horror ▁and ▁sad ism , ▁although ▁stories ▁by ▁H . ▁Russell ▁W ake field ▁helped ▁to ▁raise ▁the ▁level ▁of ▁individual ▁volumes ." ▁ ▁He ▁succeeded ▁his ▁uncle ▁as ▁ 5 th ▁Baron et ▁B irk in ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 2 . ▁During ▁the ▁Second ▁World ▁War ▁he ▁served ▁in ▁the ▁Sher wood ▁Forest ers . ▁▁ ▁After ▁a ▁long ▁hi atus , ▁B irk in ▁res umed ▁writing ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 0 , ▁following ▁a ▁return ▁to ▁London , ▁and ▁two ▁new ▁stories ▁appeared ▁in ▁Dennis ▁Whe at ley ' s ▁anth ologies ▁Qu iver ▁of ▁Hor ror ▁( 1 9 6 4 ) ▁and ▁Sh aft s ▁of ▁F ear ▁( 1 9 6 4 ). ▁This ▁was ▁followed ▁by ▁eight ▁collections ▁of ▁original ▁B irk in ▁stories , ▁beginning ▁with ▁The ▁K iss ▁of ▁Death ▁( 1 9 6 4 ) ▁and ▁ending ▁with ▁Sp awn ▁of ▁Sat an ▁( 1 9 7 0 ). ▁This ▁last ▁volume ▁was ▁published ▁in ▁the ▁US ▁only . ▁B irk in ' s ▁work ▁is ▁much ▁in ▁the ▁tradition ▁of ▁the ▁conte ▁cruel ▁and ▁the ▁grand ▁gu ign ol . ▁▁ ▁From ▁ 1 9 7 0 ▁to ▁ 1 9 7 4 ▁he ▁lived ▁in ▁Cy pr us ▁which