9-10-2026 Latham's Last Words: Witch, Witch, Burning Bright by John W. Bloch
Welcome to Latham's Last Words, where I give you my last words on vintage horror books I've enjoyed. Let's look at Witch, Witch, Burning Bright from 1972 !
I bought this solely based on the cover and the title. Imagine my surprise when I discovered it's not a novel, but a teleplay of an episode of the show Sixth Sense from the 70s (not to be confused with the Bruce Willis movie).
The format of the book made it a quick read. But even though it was a quick read it was still very creepy. The premise, a parapsychologist attempts to help a young woman who believes she's the reincarnation of a woman burned at the stake in 1692.
I really enjoyed the tension towards the ending when Rhodes is racing to rescue Damaris from her mother's misguided attempt at freeing her daughter from the witch.
One of the things I liked most about reading a teleplay is that a lot more was left to my imagination. Descriptions of cast and locations were minimal so I had no assistance with building the world in my mind. It allowed me to start with a blank slate and see it the way I wanted to. And it made the terror that much more effective.
Now if only I could find teleplays of the other episodes of this show.
You can find copies on eBay or you can watch the episode here:
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