Archie Roy was one of Scotland’s most distinguished astronomers, a longtime professor at Glasgow University, and the author of some thirty books, including six novels. A world expert on celestial mechanics and the movements of heavenly bodies, Roy’s knowledge of orbital motion led to NASA seeking his help in calculating trajectories for space probes in the series of lunar missions that led to the moon landing in 1969. But Roy was also an investigator of the paranormal, bringing a scientifically rigorous approach to the study of mediums and haunted houses and earning himself the nickname of ‘Glasgow’s ghost buster’ in the process. His six novels, of which Devil in the Darkness (1978) was the last, often blend elements of horror, science fiction, and thriller, and were well reviewed when originally published, earning comparisons to H.G. Wells and John Buchan. Roy died at age 88 in 2012.