David A. Riley

Zombies: A Compendium of the Living Dead

2012-01-15T12:19:00.001Z

For anyone interested in this anthology, edited by Otto Penzler, there is a lively ongoing discussion about it on the Vault of Evil.

Lovecraft eZine

2012-01-11T12:34:00.000Z

Just received an email from the editor of Lovecraft eZine accepting my 10,000 word story Fish Eye.

The Screaming Book of Horror

2012-01-11T09:22:00.005Z

Stephen Upham's Screaming Dreams will be publishing The Screaming Book of Horror later this year (cover by Steve). Included in it will be my story Old Grudge Ender, along with:

One of the Family – Bernard Taylor
Glory and Splendour – Alex Miles
What Shall We Do About Barker? – Reginald Oliver
Cut! – Anna Taborska
The Christmas Toys – Paul Finch
The Quixote Candidate – Rhys Hughes
Helping Mummy – Kate Farrell
The Iron Cross – Craig Herby
The Baby Trap – Janine Wood
The Club – Sara Brunsdon
Sometimes You Think You Are Alone – Alison Moore
The Tip Run – Johnny Mains

Cowboys and Aliens

2012-01-07T12:50:00.001Z

Watched this on DVD last night and, though it was great fun while it lasted, I did feel it lacked in terms of involvement. Neither Daniel Craig nor Harrison Ford seemed to engage as characters, as if they were both sleepwalking the film. Perhaps they were. There were some neat ideas in there and the film certainly didn't lack in scope, photography or location, but there was very little heart - and the aliens were by no means as scary as they should have been. Perhaps it was because they were the all too common CGI concoctions, which might look good in stills, but lack in something important when seen in action, which as usual these days was far too quick. I think the film's basic weakness was that none of the main characters came over as credible; they were cutouts about whom the viewer could have little empathy and lacked credibility. Entertaining enough during it's two hours, but not something I would ever feel the inclination to revisit.

Zombies: A Compendium of the Living Dead edited by Otto Penzler

2012-01-05T13:53:00.003Z

Zombies! Zombies! Zombies! which was published in the States last year by Vintage has been reprinted in the UK by Corvus/Atlantic Books, with a new cover and a new title, Zombies: A Compendium of the Living Dead. Included in its 832 pages (the second story in) is my own After Nightfall.

I only discovered this when Pete Coleborn wrote about the book on Facebook. He had reviewed it on his blog Piper at the Gates of Fantasy.

It's great to see this 1970 story getting yet another airing! A nice surprise for the New Year.

The Ruins

2012-01-05T09:43:00.002Z

Watched a DVD of The Ruins last night, which was an interesting horror movie that at 86 minutes certainly didn't outlast its welcome. It's about a small group of young Americans who are invited by a German they meet to visit an archeological site in the Mayan jungle that his brother is working on. Near the end of their Mexican holiday, the friends take a taxi with him on the first leg of their journey, the rest of which is on foot. After a short trek they come upon a Mayan pyramid covered in vines. Which is when things start to go wrong. Inexplicably at first, after having taken a brief look at the pyramid, they are confronted by a group of armed locals who refuse to allow them to leave the temple. When one of them tries he's shot dead and the rest are forced to retreat up it. The locals make no further attacks but surround the temple, besieging the friends. It is only now that, gradually, the true horror of their situation becomes clear. The locals have in reality not besieged them; they have placed them under quarantine. The true evil are the vines that are both bodily invasive and carnivorously intelligent. There are some quite gruesome scenes: leg amputations using a rock to break the bones and a knife to sever the flesh, and operations to remove cancerous growths of vine that slither beneath the flesh. The grim situation the friends find themselves in is played out straight, relentlessly, with a mounting feeling of claustrophobia atop the pyramid on which they are trapped. Enjoyably grim and, though far from perfect, better than many horror movies I've seen over the past year.

The Century's Best Horror Fiction - Shipping this month

2012-01-02T20:34:00.001Z

Cemetery Dance have just issued an email stating that this two-volume set will be shipping later this month. After all the years that have passed since I first signed the contract for my story, The Lurkers in the Abyss, to appear in it, it seems hardly believable.

The table of contents is incredibly impressive (the best company I have ever been in):

Table of Contents
1901: Barry Pain — The Undying Thing
1902: W.W. Jacobs — The Monkey's Paw
1903: H.G.Wells — The Valley of the Spiders
1904: Arthur Machen — The White People
1905: R. Murray Gilchrist — The Lover's Ordeal
1906: Edward Lucas White — House of the Nightmare
1907: Algernon Blackwood — The Willows
1908: Perceval Landon — Thurnley Abbey
1909: Violet Hunt — The Coach
1910: Wm Hope Hodgson — The Whistling Room
1911: M.R. James — Casting the Runes
1912: E.F. Benson — Caterpillars
1913: Aleister Crowley — The Testament of Magdelan Blair
1914: M. P. Shiel — The Place of Pain
1915: Hanns Heinz Ewers — The Spider
1916: Lord Dunsany — Thirteen at Table
1917: Frederick Stuart Greene — The Black Pool
1918: H. De Vere Stacpoole — The Middle Bedroom
1919: Ulric Daubeny — The Sumach
1920: Maurice Level — In the Light of the Red Lamp
1921: Vincent O'Sullivan — Master of Fallen Years
1922: Walter de la Mare — Seaton's Aunt
1923: George Allen England — The Thing From—"Outside"
1924: C.M. Eddy, Jr. — The Loved Dead
1925: John Metcalfe — The Smoking Leg
1926: H.P. Lovecraft — The Outsider
1927: Donald Wandrei — The Red Brain
1928: H.R. Wakefield — The Red Lodge
1929: Eleanor Scott — Celui-La
1930: Rosalie Muspratt — Spirit of Stonhenge
1931: Henry S. Whitehead — Cassius
1932: David H. Keller — The Thing in the Cellar
1933: C.L. Moore — Shambleau
1934: L.A. Lewis — The Tower of Moab
1935: Clark Ashton Smith — The Dark Eidolon
1936: Thorp McCluskey — The Crawling Horror
1937: Howard Wandrei — The Eerie Mr Murphy
1938: Robert E. Howard — Pigeons from Hell
1939: Robert Barbour Johnson — Far Below
1940: John Collier — Evening Primrose
1941: C.M. Kornbluth — The Words of Guru
1942: Jane Rice — The Idol of the Flies
1943: Anthony Boucher — They Bite
1944: Ray Bradbury — The Jar
1945: August Derleth — Carousel
1946: Manly Wade Wellman — Shonokin Town
1947: Theodore Sturgeon — Bianca's Hands
1948: Shirley Jackson — The Lottery
1949: Nigel Kneale — The Pond
1950: Richard Matheson — Born of Man & Woman
1951: Russell Kirk — Uncle Isiah
1952: Eric Frank Russell — I Am Nothing
1953: Robert Sheckley — The Altar
1954: Everil Worrell — Call Not Their Names
1955: Robert Aickman — Ringing the Changes
1956: Richard Wilson — Lonely Road
1957: Clifford Simak — Founding Father
1958: Robert Bloch — That Hell-Bound Train
1959: Charles Beaumont — The Howling Man
1960: Fredric Brown — The House
1961: Ray Russell — Sardonicus
1962: Carl Jacobi — The Aquarium
1963: Robert Arthur — The Mirror of Cagliostro
1964: Charles Birkin — A Lovely Bunch of Coconuts
1965: Jean Ray — The Shadowy Street
1966: Arthur Porges — The Mirror
1967: Norman Spinrad — Carcinoma Angels
1968: Anna Hunger — Come
1969: Steffan Aletti — The Last Work of Pietro Apono
1970: David A. Riley — The Lurkers in the Abyss
1971: Dorothy K. Haynes — The Derelict Track
1972: Gary Brandner — The Price of a Demon
1973: Eddy C. Bertin — Like Two White Spiders
1974: Karl Edward Wagner — Sticks
1975: David Drake — The Barrow Troll
1976: Dennis Etchison — It Only Comes Out at Night
1977: Barry N. Malzberg — The Man Who Loved the Midnight Lady
1978: Michael Bishop — Within the Walls of Tyre
1979: Ramsey Campbell — Mackintosh Willy
1980: Michael Shea — The Autopsy
1981: Stephen King — The Reach
1982: Fritz Leiber — Horrible Imagings
1983: David Schow — One for the Horrors
1984: Bob Leman — The Unhappy Pilgrimage of Clifford M.
1985: Michael Reaves — The Night People
1986: Tim Powers — Night Moves
1987: Ian Watson — Evil Water
1988: Joe R. Lansdale — The Night They Missed the Horror Show
1989: Joel Lane — The Earth Wire
1990: Elizabeth Massie — Stephen
1991: Thomas Ligotti — The Glamour
1992: Poppy Z. Brite — Calcutta Lord of Nerves
1993: Lucy Taylor — The Family Underwater
1994: Jack Ketchum — The Box
1995: Terry Lamsley — The Toddler
1996: Caitlín R. Kiernan — Tears Seven Times Salt
1997: Stephen Laws — The Crawl
1998: Brian Hodge — As Above, So Below
1999: Glen Hirshberg — Mr. Dark's Carnival
2000: Tim Lebbon — Reconstructing Amy

A Kindle for Christmas

2012-01-01T12:22:00.005Z

Well, I've finally got one, courtesy of Cassie, Alan, Christy, Erin and Neil! Many thanks to you all.

I must admit I was unsure whether I would ever make much use of one, even though I have two e-books out of my own (Goblin Mire and Sendings). Somehow, though, because they have only ever existed as e-books they have never seemed all that real to me. This year I have my first novel out in print form: as a trade paperback from Dark Continents Publishing. The Return will also be published as an e-book. Because it will be printed on paper, though, this already feels far more real to me, even though it won't be out till August. I will also have a hardback collection of my earlier short stories out in September from Noose & Gibbet Press, The Lurkers in the Abyss. I have spoken to N&G's owner, Johnny Mains, and we have agreed to publish an e-book version of this collection after the print version has been sold out. This will ensure the collection will remain available and widen its market potential. I know there are a people (probably a growing number these days) who prefer to get their books this way.

The debate over e-books and printed books is still a hot issue, and there are those who will never accept e-books as being "real". But for writers I can't see any argument against them. They are an extra market, and an easy one for readers to access as bookshops dwindle in number and as the variety of books sold by those that remain dwindle even more. It doesn't worry me. There will always be a place for print versions; there will always, I am sure, be a substantial number of readers who will continue to prefer their books in print. On the other hand, there are already many who actually prefer to read their books in an e-book format. The market can cope for both tastes. And with printing technology advancing all the time, with POD becoming better, and more widespread even amongst mainstream publishers, it's good news to writers - and for readers too.

In the meantime I now have about 20 books downloaded onto my Kindle - and the very latest copy of Theaker's Quarterly and Paperbacks.

Happy New Year Everyone!

2012-01-01T11:07:00.002Z

I hope everyone has a great New Year with none of the problems they might have had in 2011.

Monster's Ink by Scott Nicholson

2011-12-21T13:18:00.000Z

Got my copy of Scott Nicholson's latest short story collection in the post today, courtesy of Amazon. Monster's Ink is published by Dark Continents, who will also be publishing my novel, The Return, next August. This looks a fine collection of stories, one of which previously appeared in Black Static.

His Pale Blue Eyes

2011-12-18T12:42:00.001Z

If anyone would like to read my story from Bite Sized Horror, it is now available as a free downloadable pdf, complete with illustration, courtesy of the Vault of Evil's Advent Calendar: His Pale Blue Eyes.

Vault of Evil Advent Calendar

2011-12-16T13:01:00.000Z

The Vault of Evil website has started its own variation of an Advent Calendar - well worth visiting for the dark gifts available on it.

Robert Aickman - discussed on the BBC

2011-12-16T00:13:00.002Z

Jeremy Dyson presented a discussion about Robert Aickman on the BBC Radio. Also on it were Ramsey Campbell and Ray Russell.

Bite Sized Horror - Review on BFS Site

2011-12-15T20:14:00.001Z

Coincidentally, David Brzeski has reviewed Bite Sized Horror on the BFS site.

And then it wasn't

2011-12-15T20:08:00.000Z

Over issues regarding contracts, etc., Obverse have now withdrawn their e-book version of Bite Sized Horror.

Bite Sized Horror - now available as a downloadable e-book

2011-12-15T16:18:00.004Z

Bite Sized Horror from Obverse Books, which contains my zombie horror story His Pale Blue Eyes, has now been made available as an e-book for £3.99, although there are potentially some issues between the writers and the publisher which need to be resolved over this. More about this later.

World Fantasy Convention 2013

2011-11-24T12:54:00.001Z

I have booked us both for the World Fantasy Convention in 2013, which will be held in Brighton. I don't think I have ever booked so far in advance for a convention before, but the list of attendees is growing steadily and I want to have a good chance of booking into the convention hotel.

Do you smile when you find someone's been having a go at you online?

2011-11-24T11:53:00.000Z

It amuses me, anyway.

I was today passed on a couple of links about the Seventh Black Book of Horror, in which, in the comments section, I found myself being described as a "far right asshole". Heyho, you can't be liked by everyone, and some people's perspective of what consitutes far right can be exagerated by just how far left they might be. It's all a load of nonsense, but adds to the colour of life, I suppose.

http://darkling-tales.livejournal.com/125161.html#cutid1

http://darkling-tales.livejournal.com/125616.html#cutid1

FantasyCon 2012

2011-11-17T22:00:00.004Z

It's finally possible to book for FantasyCon 2012. Lin and I imediately booked. We both regret missing this year's, having arranged a trip to Bulgaria for the same date.

The next convention will be an important one for me as I'll have two books out. My collection, The Lurkers in the Abyss, is to be launched by its publisher, Noose & Gibbet Press at the convention, while my horror novel, The Return, is due out from Dark Continents Press in the US only the month before, so in a sense it will have its UK launch at the convention too.

Lucilla

2011-11-15T22:08:00.000Z

After writing two lengthy short stories in a row (Old Grudge Ender and Swan Song), and having gone through and revised all the stories to go in my collection next year, The Lurkers in the Abyss, I have decided to get back to finishing a novel I started some time ago, Lucilla. I've already written 30,000 words. Read through it again today and was satisfied with how it was going. Unlike the novel due out next year from Dark Continents Publishing, The Return, this isn't straight horror, though it has strong horror elements.

The Halifax Ghost Story Festival, Dean Clough, Halifax 12th November 2011

2011-11-13T17:44:00.002Z

Lin and I had a great time at this year's Halifax Ghost Story Festival. We decided to go to Halifax the day before and stayed overnight Friday and Saturday at the splendid White Swan Hotel, near Halifax Town Hall. What an amazingly friendly hotel this is, a large, old, brilliantly well maintained building, with some of the largest bedrooms I've ever stayed in. Recommended!

The Festival started at 1.30 p.m. on Saturday with a reading of Arthur Machen's The Ritual by Reggie Oliver (who kindly signed my copy of his recent Tartarus Press collection, Mrs Midnight).

This was followed by a panel made up of Ray Russell, Mark Valentine, Gwilym Games and Reggie Oliver discussing Machen's stories. Thoroughly entertaining. It is always great to hear people discussiing a subject they know a great deal about and love.

Rounding off the Machen side of things, we were then shown a short film based on Machen's story The Happy Children. The director, Mark Goodall answered questions from the audience afterwards for several minutes.

The second panel of the afternoon was chaired by the ever entertaining John Probert, discussing how the boundaries of the ghost story could be expanded. Other members of the panel included Chris Maloney, Nicholas Royle and Mark Valentine. This was an excellent discussion and it was only a shame that it had to end when it did having run out of time. Although I'm not usually a great fan of panels this was exceptionally interesting.

The afternoon's events were rounded off by three films, two professional and one amateur. The professional films were an adaptation of Elizabeth Jane Howard's story Three Miles Up (directed by Lesley Manning) and Robert Aickman's The Hospice (directed by Dominique Othenin-Girard).The amateur film was a short feature called The Hairy Hand (directed by Ashley Thorpe).

There was a break of about an hour and a half after this, during which most of the afternoon's guests left. Lin and I stayed on to have a specially made Ghost Story Festival meal at the Dean Clough cafe, which included some delicious Pumpkin soup, vegetarian Indian food and parkin. We spent most of the time talking with fellow BFS members Caroline Callaghan and Di Lewis.

The final event of the evening was a showing at eight o'clock of a full length feature film, Ashley Thorpe's An Urban Ghost Story.

Altogether a very successful event, shorter than last year's, but neatly compacted with some interesting items.

There's also an excellent review of the Festival on the Tartarus Press blog, including some video footage.

Swan Song

2011-11-09T21:44:00.001Z

Sent a copy of this story off to Charles Black by email today and he's accepted it for the Black Books of Horror. A "cracking story" is how he described it. Who am I to argue?

The Century's Best Horror Fiction

2011-11-08T21:32:00.001Z

The following notice has just been emailed by Cemetary Dance: (Good news to me necause my story, The Lurkers in the Abyss is in it)

The Century's Best Horror Fiction:
Two Huge Volumes!
More Than 1,700 Pages and 700,000 Words!
Stephen King, Ray Bradbury, Robert Bloch, Charles Beaumont, Jack Ketchum, Gary Brandner, Dennis Etchison, Michael Bishop, Ramsey Campbell, David Schow, Joe R. Lansdale, Elizabeth Massie, Thomas Ligotti, Robert Aickman, Poppy Z. Brite, Lucy Taylor, Stephen Laws, Brian Hodge, Glen Hirshberg, Richard Matheson, Shirley Jackson, W.W. Jacobs, H.G. Wells, Arthur Machen, Algernon Blackwood, M.R. James, H.P. Lovecraft, Clark Ashton Smith, Robert E. Howard, August Derleth, Manly Wade Wellman, Theodore Sturgeon, and nearly six dozen others!

Hi Folks!
Today we're pleased to announce that The Century's Best Horror Fiction edited by John Pelan has been sent to the printer!
Cemetery Dance Publications commissioned this spectacular two-volume anthology project under the editorship of noted author and historian of the horror genre, John Pelan.
John selected one story published during each year of the 20th Century (1901-2000) as the most notable story of that year — all 100 stories were then collected in this amazing two volume set to be published as The Century's Best Horror Fiction.
The ground rules were simple: Only one selection per author. Only one selection per year.
Two huge volumes, one hundred authors, one hundred classic stories, more than 700,000 words of fiction — history in the making!
Booklist had this to say about about the spectacular set:
"...more powerful, more defining of what has gone on between the years 1901 and 2000 in horror fiction... horror readers will have to admit that this treasure trove will bring the realization of a dream to them as well, for there is sufficient material within the multitudinous but highly entertaining and dramatic pages of this grand publishing project to occupy many hours, weeks, even months of their time... The term "old-fashioned" flies out the window when even new readers to horror fiction taste the perfection achieved by these masters... Reading this entire second volume will acquaint even those new to horror fiction with the authors who have shaped the genre during the past 50 years."

Swan Song

2011-11-08T20:19:00.000Z

Just finished a new 7,800 page story tonight, Swan Song. Read it to Lin to see what she thougnt of it. She liked it, though she did admit that parts of it made her feel sick. Is that a sign of success?

The Halifax Ghost Story Festival - Dean Clough, Saturday 12th November

2011-11-08T14:22:00.004Z

For full up to date details of the Festival click here.

The Eighth Black Book of Horror

2011-11-07T16:59:00.000Z

Another review of this anthology, this time on the British Fantasy Society website.

There have certainly been some varied reviews of this collection, with reviewer's having some widely differing likes and dislikes.

The Halifax Ghost Story Festival - Dean Clough, Saturday 12th November

2011-11-07T09:27:00.002Z

It's only a few days now to the Halifax Ghost Story Festival. Lin and I are going. In fact we've booked into a town centre hotel in Halifax for both Friday and Saturday nights and are looking on this as, in part, a bit of a mini-holiday.

Last year's two day event was a great success and we enjoyed it immensely. This year's has a completely different list of activities, concentrating on two great writers in particular, Arthur Machen and Robert Aickman. The list of activities is:

1.30am-2.00pm:
Reggie Oliver reads "Ritual", a short story by Arthur Machen

2.00pm - 2.30pm:
Panel discussing Arthur Machen, chaired by his most recent biographer, Mark Valentine, and including Gwilym Games and Reggie Oliver.

2.30pm - 2.50pm:
Dr Mark Goodall introduces "The Happy Children" (exquisite black and white Machen short film)

Break for drinks and snacks

3.15pm - 4.00pm:
Panel discussion: Pushing the boundaries of the ghost story, with Nick Royle, John Llewellyn Probert and Chris Maloney.

4.00pm - 4.50pm:
Ray Russell introduces screening of "Three Miles Up" (adaptation of Elizabeth Jane Howard story) running time: 50 minutes

5.00pm - 5:50pm
Rare screening of "The Hospice" by Robert Aickman (TV adaptation starring Jack Shepherd) running time: 45 minutes

5.50pm - 6.10 pm
General discussion about the festival and the programme for next year.

6.10-6.25
Screening of a pacey short film by Ashley Thorpe

Viaduct Theatre opens for "Ghosts in 60 Seconds" (one minute playwriting festival) at 8pm. Ends 9pm
Viaduct Cafe bar open 7pm-11pm

The Year

2011-11-06T22:02:00.002Z

‘THE YEAR’ ANTHOLOGY NEEDS YOU!!!

Screaming Dreams and Noose & Gibbet are proud to announce a joint project, simply called ‘THE YEAR’. It will be published in 2013 and edited by Johnny Mains and Steve Upham. This will be an anthology which will showcase the very best writings of Crime, Horror, Science Fiction and Fantasy. 52 stories, one for each week of the year...

This project will be open to submissions from today and while we are mainly focused on new, original fiction – there will be three classic reprints from each genre from different periods in that particular field’s history.
As the budget for the publishers will be rather taxing, payment will be £10 and a copy of the finished book. Stories will have to be no more than 3k in length. If you’re a horror writer but have always wanted to write a crime tale, give it a shot – if you’re a die-hard sci-fi scribe, why not jump into the land of orcs and magic talismans. What will NOT get in the book are mash-ups, emotive vampires and sadly there will be no room at the inn for zombies. Try and stay away from the drunk, emotionally scarred detective and steampunk shenanigans. TV and film related spin off stories will also be a no-go.

The deadline will be July 1st 2012 – this will give you enough time to think of a story, write it and send it in. In the subject box put your name, title of the story and its genre. You will be informed of whether you are in the book by Sept 1st 2012. No multiple submissions allowed and the date for all authors to sign off their individual stories will be February 1st 2013 with the book being published at the World Fantasy Convention in Brighton Oct 31st – Nov 3rd 2013. Due to prohibitive postage costs in sending contributor copies, story submissions will only be accepted from authors residing in the U.K. Payment and contributor copies will be sent out the week of Monday 13th November, 2013 unless authors are in attendance at the convention.

All submissions and enquiries to theyearanthology@gmail.com

Good luck!
The Editors
http://www.theyearanthology.blogspot.com/

The Satyr's Head: Tales of Terror

2011-11-01T08:47:00.004Z

My 1975 tale, The Satyr's Head, will be published again shortly in a reprint of the original anthology edited by David A. Sutton, The Satyr's Head: Tales of Terror, from Shadow Publishing.

Original cover for the 1975 Corgi paperback:

This is from Dave Sutton's press release:

"Shadow Publishing is pleased to announce its forthcoming titles.

The Satyr's Head: Tales of Terror, edited by David A. Sutton, cover art by Steve Upham. This is the first new edition of the long out of print Transworld/Corgi Book "The Satyr's Head & Other Tales of Terror", first published in 1975. With stories by Ramsey Campbell, Brian Lumley, Joseph Payne Brennan, Eddy C. Bertin, David A. Riley and others, this new edition will bring back into print some ten chilling tales of the supernatural and the sub-human, of ghosts and demons, strange phenomena and the inexplicable"

The release goes on to detail other publications due to be released by Shadow Publishing:

"Writers from the Shadows Series. These very special collections revive the work of some of the genre writers whose work has been overshadowed and overlooked down the years.
The first of these will be The Female of the Species & Others by Richard Davis (1945-2005). The author worked in the 1970s as a script editor for the BBC's "Out of the Unknown" series and edited the first three volumes of "The Year's Best Horror Stories", published by Sphere Books, as well as editing a string of other horror and science fiction anthologies. He published a number of short stories, which have remained uncollected and this new book will remedy this. Also included will be an interview conducted with the author in 1969, in which he discusses his writing, his film "Viola" and working as story editor for "Late Night Horror" and "Out of the Unknown", plus a comprehensive introduction.
Temple of the Fox: Writers from the Shadows Series # 2, by James Wade (1930-1983), collects a number of the author's genre short stories from the 1960s onwards. After army service James Wade settled in Korea and he wrote widely on music for a variety of periodicals. His symphonic and chamber music has been performed in many countries, and he completed an opera based on Richard E. Kim's best-selling novel of the Korean War, "The Martyred". James Wade's work includes Cthulhu Mythos, "The Deep Ones" and "A Darker Shadow Over Innsmouth" and others such as "Temple of the Fox", which only ever saw print in Korea. His work has been anthologised by such noted editors, August Derleth, Ramsey Campbell and Herbert Val Thal. The collection will also contain an essay, "The Mass Media Horror", a short article first published in 1971, plus some verse and a comprehensive introduction.

The Shadow Book of Horror. An anthology of new and obscure short stories. No further details yet on the content or format. Writers may wish to contact me to receive writers' guidelines when available.

For further updates on any of the above titles, join the mailing list by completing the online form at Shadow Publishing

Zombies! Zombies! Zombies!

2011-10-27T10:13:00.000+01:00

Picked up my copy of this mass market anthology, Zombies! Zombies! Zombies! this morning from the Post Office, which strangely decided the parcel was too big for our letterbox (it isn't!)

Lovely looking 810 page book, containing some great stories by the likes of H. P. Lovecraft, Robert E. Howard, Stephen King, Ramsey Campbell, etc., etc - and me.

I was surprised to see that mine is the second story in, immediately after what editor, Otto Penzler, describes as the first ever zombie story, W. B. Seabrook's Dead Men Working in the Cane Fields. In his introduction to my story Penzler quotes Hugh Lamb in The Penguin Encyclopedia of Horror and the Supernatural: "...the nearest literature has yet come to creating George Romero's cinematic effects in words."

After Nightfall was first published in Weird Window edited by David A. Sutton (1970), then in The Year's Best Horror Stories edited by Richard Davis (Sphere Books, 1971). It will also be included in my collection from Noose & Gibbet next year, The Lurkers in the Abyss.

Revising Stories

2011-10-26T09:01:00.001+01:00

I'm still working through the stories to go in Lurkers in the Abyss. While most have just needed the odd alteration here and there and a few typo corrections, the longest story in it looks like needing a major overhaul to me. Out of Corruption is also the most reprinted. It was originally published in Steve Jones' Mammoth Book of Zombies in 1993 (Robinsons and Carrol & Graf). Since then this anthology has been reissued as The Giant Book of Zombies (Magpie Books, 1996), The Monster Book of Zombies (Metro Books, 2009), ttranslated into Italian in Il Ritorno Degli Zombi (Mondadori, 1994), and into Russian in ЗОМБИ (АЗБУКА, 2010).

I could leave it mostly as it is, but it looks too wordy to me now and, though deliberately set in the 1920/30s, too anachronistic, sometimes in what I now see as not a good way. So it looks like I'm going to have to spend several days going through it far more throroughly, for my own peace of mind if no one else's.

The Lurkers in the Abyss

2011-10-25T08:59:00.000+01:00

I have been working my way through my stories for the collection that Noose & Gibbet Press will be publishing next year, slightly revising them and checking for typos. Some of these stories, which I have arranged in chronological order in which they were first published, I haven't reread for more years than I care to think. It's been a fascinating voyage of rediscovery. And interesting to see how my writing style has altered so much since then.

The stories are:

The Lurkers in the Abyss was first published in The Eleventh Pan Book of Horror (Pan Books, 1970)

After Nightfall was first published in The Year’s Best Horror 1 (Sphere Books, UK and DAW Books, USA, 1971)

The Farmhouse was first published in New Writings in Horror & the Supernatural (Sphere Books, 1971)

A Bottle of Spirits was first published in New Writings in Horror & the Supernatural 2 (Sphere Books, 1972)

The Urn was first published in Whispers (Whispers Press, 1972)

Terror on the Moors was first published in World of Horror (1974)

The Shade of Apollyon was first published in World of Horror (1974)

The Satyr’s Head was first published in The Satyr’s Head & Other Tales of Terror (Corgi Books, 1975)

Prickly was first published in Death (Playboy Paperbacks, 1982)

Writer’s Cramp was first published in Fantasy Tales (1988)

Winter on Aubarch 6 was first published in Fear (1989)

Retribution was first published in Peeping Tom (1991)

The Shadow by the Altar was first published in Peeping Tom (1992)

Out of Corruption was first published in The Mammoth Book of Zombies (Robinson Books, 1993)

A New Lease was first published in The Anthology of Fantasy & the Supernatural (Tiger Books, 1994)

Gwargens was first published in Beyond (Parallel Universe Publications, 1995)

No Sense in Being Hungry, She Thought was first published in Peeping Tom (1996)

Help-plants was first published in Aboriginal Science Fiction (1998)

Hoody was first published in When Graveyards Yawn (Crowswing Books, 2006)

Inside the Labyrinth was first published in Alone on the Darkside (ROC Books, 2006)

Back from the Dead wins British Fantasy Award for Best Anthology

2011-10-19T14:41:00.004+01:00

On returning home from holiday in Bulgaria last week, I was pleased to learn that Back from the Dead, edited by Johnny Mains, won the Best Fantasy Award for an anthology. This was well deserved and an excellent book. Doubly pleased because I have a novelette in the book, The True Spirit.

I have since learned that Noose & Gibbet will be reprinting the anthology as a trade paperback next year with a new cover.

Old Grudge Ender

2011-10-19T14:21:00.001+01:00

Just finished the final rewrites of a new 7,000 word short story, Old Grudge Ender, this week - and already it's found a home, though I can't say anything about what this is for the time being.

I enjoyed writing this story, yet another set in Edgebottom and its notoriously accursed district of Grudge End. The more I write about this place the darker and grimmer it becomes.

Novel - The Return

2011-10-13T15:43:00.004+01:00

Dark Continents Publishing will be bringing out my Lovecraftian horror novel, The Return, as a trade paperback and e-book. Set in the North of England in the town of Edgebottom (previously used as a setting for Lock-In, The Worst Of All Possible Places, The Last Coach Trip, and The True Spirit), I think it is probably the darkest, bleakest piece of fiction I have so far written.

It's due to be published in August 2012..

BFS Journal

2011-09-26T15:22:00.001+01:00

The latest issue of the BFS Journal should be out in the post shortly. This will be the last one in which I'll be editing Prism.

Alt.-ghost story festival, Halifax, 12th November

2011-09-20T09:11:00.004+01:00

There has been a second update on the Ghost Story Festival in Halifax this November on the Tartarus Press Blog:

Tickets £10 for the whole day including the theatre (or £6 for "Ghosts in 60 Seconds" only)
(ordering details to folow shortly)

The provisional programme is as follows (subject to fine-tuning)

1.30am-2.00pm:
Reggie Oliver reads "Ritual", a short story by Arthur Machen

2.00pm - 2.30pm:
Panel discussing Arthur Machen, chaired by his most recent biographer, Mark Valentine, and including Gwilym Games and Reggie Oliver.

2.30pm - 2.50pm:
Dr Mark Goodall introduces "The Happy Children" (exquisite black and white Machen short film)

Break for drinks and snacks

3.15pm - 4.00pm:
Panel discussion: Pushing the boundaries of the ghost story, with Nick Royle, John Llewellyn Probert and Chris Maloney.

4.00pm - 4.50pm:
Ray Russell introduces screening of "Three Miles Up" (adaptation of Elizabeth Jane Howard story) running time: 50 minutes

5.00pm - 5:50pm
Rare screening of "The Hospice" by Robert Aickman (TV adaptation starring Jack Shepherd) running time: 45 minutes

5.50pm - 6.10 pm
General discussion about the festival and the programme for next year.

6.10-6.25
Screening of a pacey short film by Ashley Thorpe

Viaduct Theatre opens for "Ghosts in 60 Seconds" (one minute playwriting festival) at 8pm. Ends 9pm
Viaduct Cafe bar open 7pm-11pm

Additionally, we also hope to launch the publication of a new edition of We Are for the Dark by Robert Aickman and Elizabeth Jane Howard.

Looking forward to this event. Last year's was superb. Lin and I have already booked into a hotel in Halifax for the Friday and Saturday nights so we won't miss anything.

The Eighth Black Book of Horror

2011-09-20T08:56:00.002+01:00

Another excellent review for this anthology, this time by the redoubtable Black Abyss.

Novel to be published

2011-09-12T14:36:00.001+01:00

One of my novels is to be published sometime in the near future. I can't divulge yet the precise details but it is by a good small press publisher based in the United States. The book will appear both as a trade paperback and an e-book - to my mind the best of both worlds. Obviously there's a lot of work to be done yet before the book appears, but I am looking forward to working with this company, who have already worked with some friends of mine on facebook and seem to be very good to deal with. More information as soon as I can issue it.

So next year will not only see my first collection of stories out in hard back, courtesy of Noose & Gibbet Press (The Lurkers in the Abyss & Other Tales), but a horror novel too in paperback. I am really pleased to see this novel appear in print as it is one of the darkest stories I have ever written.

Bite Sized Horror

2011-09-09T08:19:00.002+01:00

It's several months now since this anthology was published by Obverse Books, and it's nice to see a good, positive review of it by the redoubtable Stephen Theaker in Theaker's Quarterly.

The Eighth Black Book of Horror

2011-08-30T12:00:00.000+01:00

Interesting review of the Eighth Black Book of Horror on Horror World by Mario Guslandi

Halifax Ghost Story Festival - 12 November 2011

2011-08-26T15:49:00.001+01:00

Anyone who read my write up in either Prism or here about last year's Ghost Story Festival in Halifax may be interested to know there's to be another one this year in November.

Check out details of it on the Tartarus Press blog.

The Eighth Black Book of Horror

2011-08-15T13:30:00.001+01:00

Excellent review from The Ginger Nuts of Horror.

I especially liked having my story, The Last Coach Trip, described as "moving and poignant", not something I have either aimed for or achieved very often in the past.

The Eighth Black Book of Horror

2011-08-04T09:26:00.000+01:00

Some interesting comments on The Eighth Black Book of Horror on The Vault of Evil.

BFS Journal - September issue

2011-08-03T09:39:00.001+01:00

This will be my last one as editor of Prism, as I'm stepping down after this, having done two years in the job.

This is the cover, the work of Clive Barker.

ReAct Academy of Theatre Arts - end of first year

2011-07-26T20:28:00.002+01:00

My daughter's academy of theatre arts came to the end of its first year last week, with awards and an end of year show. It was a great success, as shown in this report in tonight's Lancashire Evening Telegraph.

Click the image twice to increase its size to read.

The Lurkers in the Abyss & Other Tales

2011-07-26T08:30:00.002+01:00

My first collection of short stories, most of which were previously professionally published in magazines and anthologies here and in the United States, was set to be brought out by Midnight House. This project is now quite a few years old and, unable to contact John Pelan, the owner of Midnight House, and with its website down for the best part of a year now, I have reluctantly come to the conclusion that the book is not going to be brought out.

I had already turned down one alternative offer to publish this collection several years ago by Ex-Occidente. Since then, due to the delays from Midnight House, Johnny Mains, owner of Noose and Gibbet Press, has repeatedly urged me to let him publish it instead. Last night, recognising that my original arrangement with Midnight House appears to have died, I agreed. My collection will be published by Noose and Gibbet in the Spring/Summer of next year in hardback.

I am now going back to look over the stories which were originally to be in this collection and I will probably make a few alterations to the line up, probably substituting some newer ones.

I would like to thank Johnny for his kind offer and I look forward to working with him on this project, which I am confident at last will really happen.

Prism

2011-07-22T14:47:00.003+01:00

Nearly got caught out last night. I'd forgotten or missed seeing his earlier email, but David Howe, chairman of the BFS, reminded me that he needed all the material for the next Prism by the end of this month. I thought I had at least another week or so longer than that.

Still, everything seems to be in hand and this shouldn't be a problem.

I wrote back to David to let him know that this will probably be my last Prism as editor as, after two years, I wish to stand down, at least when someone else can be found to take my place, which shouldn't take long. As any regular readers of this blog will know I wasn't happy at combining Prism in with Dark Horizons and New Horizons to form the new BFS Journal. I enjoyed and found doing the layout for Prism extremely satisfying and have missed, ever since the new Journal started, that this creative side of the magazine is no longer in my hands. It has taken a lot of the interest and enjoyment in producing it away from me. The changes may have meant a lot less work, but I'm now little more than a middle man collecting together the regular features and all the reviews sent in by the review editors.

Don't get me wrong. The new BFS Journal has proven to be a magnificent publication and certainly does the society proud. But, from my position as Prism's editor, I feel my job has shrunk to insignificance, certainly compared to what it was, when I controlled the look of the publication and its printing.

Anyway, two years is perhaps a fair innings for the job, and I'm sure someone else will be only too glad to take it on. And good luck to them. I'm sure, whoever it is, will do a fine job.

For me it's time to concentrate on other things, especially writing. And maybe even a review or two.

The Century's Best Horror Fiction - Cemetery Dance

2011-07-22T10:31:00.003+01:00

I was surprised to see that the latest issue of Locus has a review of this two-volume set. Not being a subscriber, though, I haven't yet seen what the review has to say about it.

That the books have finally been reviewed, though, makes it look like they will finally be published. I certainly hope so, as the one chosen by John Pelan for 1970 is my first ever published story, The Lurkers in the Abyss from the Eleventh Pan Book of Horror.

John Carter on Mars - the Movie

2011-07-15T16:47:00.000+01:00

When I was in my early teens New English Library republished all the Edgar Rice Burroughs John Carter novels (plus a load of Tarzans and the Venus books). I read them avidly.

Now John Carter is hitting the big screen and, from this early trailer, things are looking quite good. Hope so, anyway. Fingers crossed as usual, though.

The Eighth Black Book of Horror

2011-07-13T08:17:00.000+01:00

The finished cover for The Eighth Black Book of Horror from Mortbury Press has now been revealed in all its gruesome detail:

The Seventh Black Book of Horror - Russian Review

2011-07-11T12:59:00.000+01:00

There's an interesting review of the Seventh Black Book of Horror from Russia: Endless Falls Up.

The Eighth Black Book of Horror

2011-07-04T12:53:00.000+01:00

Charles Black has just released the full line up for the next Black Book of Horror:

QUIETA NON MOVERE - Reggie Oliver
THE LAST COACH TRIP - David A. Riley
HOME BY THE SEA - Stephen Bacon
BOYS WILL BE BOYS - David Williamson
BEHIND THE SCREEN - Gary Fry
THE OTHER TENANT - Mark Samuels
TOK - Paul Finch
LITTLE PIG - Anna Taborska
CASUALTIES OF THE SYSTEM - Tina & Tony Rath
HOW THE OTHER HALF DIES - John Llewellyn Probert
MUSIC IN THE BONE - Marion Pitman
THE COAL-MAN - Thana Niveau
MEA CULPA - Kate Farrell

Bite Sized Horror - another brilliant review

2011-07-04T09:50:00.000+01:00

The Short Review: yet another very positive review of this collection.

"Zombies! Zombies! Zombies!" edited by Otto Penzler

2011-07-01T16:36:00.002+01:00

It looks as if The Zombie Archives may have been retitled. This anthology, from Doubleday, is due out in September:

If so, it includes my story After Nightfall.

Bite Sized Horror is now out

2011-07-01T14:59:00.000+01:00

The Obverse Books anthology, Bite Sized Horror edited by Johnny Mains is now out. There's also a really good review of it by Fantasy Book Critic.

And if that doesn't bite you to buy a copy...

Paul Mudie nominated for Best Artist - BFS Awards

2011-06-27T16:42:00.001+01:00

Paul Mudie, who has done every cover for the Black Books of Horror has reached the shortlist for the British Fantasy Award for Best Artist. Congratulations Paul!

These are some of his covers:

Back From The Dead nominated for BFS Award

2011-06-27T15:50:00.001+01:00

Back From The Dead, edited by Johnny Mains and published by Noose & Gibbet Press, has been nominated for the British Fantasy Society award for Best Anthology. The short list includes:

Back From The Dead: The Legacy Of The Pan Book Of Horror Stories – Johnny Mains – Noose & Gibbet
End of the Line, The – Jonathan Oliver – Solaris
Mammoth Book of Best New Horror Volume 21, The – Stephen Jones – Robinson & Constable
Never Again – Allyson Bird & Joel Lane – Gray Friar
Zombie Apocalypse! – Stephen Jones – Robinson & Constable

Having a story in Back From The Dead I am obviously hoping that this eventually clinches the award. Well done Johnny!

The Eighth Black Book of Horror

2011-06-20T09:57:00.001+01:00

Just got the proof copy of my story in The Eighth Black Book of Horror off Charles Black for me to check through. Not sure yet when this anthology will appear, but it must be imminent now. My story is called The Last Coach Trip.

This is the cover without the title heading, etc:

Willy by Robert Dunbar

2011-06-10T08:53:00.001+01:00

I'm currently reading a brand new book courtesy of being one of the jurists for the HWA's Stoker Award for best novel. This one is Willy by Robert Dunbar, published by Uninvited Books. A strange, dark novel set in a school, most of whose pupils are boarders and all of whom seem oddly damaged. Mind you, most of the staff seem oddly damaged too.

The writing is vaguely reminiscent of Catcher in the Rye, though it's not a pastiche or anything like that. It's a real-time journal kept by one of the damaged pupils, whose roommate is a charismatic but possibly doomed young teenager called Willy.

This took me a short while to get into, possibly because of the way it's written, but it's sucked me in now and, though nothing overtly horrifying has happened yet, there are enough premonitions that things are not going to turn out well...

Birthdays: Sir Christopher Lee and the late Vincent Price

2011-05-27T09:27:00.001+01:00

It would have been Vincent Price's 100th birthday today. As it is, today sees Sir Christopher Lee reach 89.

Coincidentally, two days ago it was also the anniversary of Peter Cushing's birth.

BFS Journal

2011-05-23T09:24:00.002+01:00

This is the cover for the next issue of the BFS Journal I think this is my favourire cover for it so far.

Green Lantern movie

2011-05-07T10:53:00.000+01:00

I remember when DC started the Green Lantern comics in the 1960s. I once had a complete collection of them, till I finally decuided to give up getting comics (big mistake) and got rid of them (even bigger mistake!)

Anyway, Green Lantern has finally made it to the big screen. Looks good too.

Will You Still Love Me In The Morning - Oswaldtwistle Players

2011-05-04T10:16:00.000+01:00

The next production for the Ossy Players will be Will you still love me in the morning, which will run from October 12 - 15th at the Civic Theatre, Oswaldtwistle. The farce is by Brian Clemens and Dennis Spooner.

Flesh Eaters - Joe McKinney

2011-05-04T08:19:00.002+01:00

Received a copy of this book through the post a week or so ago as part of my new duties as a member of the HWA's Stoker Jury for Novels. I've not read many zombie novels - they're not normally my preferred reading, I'll admit. The only ones so far have either been by Brian Keene or David Wellington, two of the better horror novelists who specialise a lot on this particular trope.

Joe McKinney is a new writer to me. I must admit, in my ignorance, not knowing his name before this book arrived. That said, I found this a thoroughly satisfying and enjoyable read - if you can call having to put a book down sometimes because you have been brought to the brink too often over the past few minutes and need a break! It's a sign of a writer's skill that he can make you empathise with his characters - and not just the good characters either. And it's an even better sign of a writer's skill that his bad characters - the villains, other than the zombies - are never painted just in black, but have redeeming features as well, sometimes even admirable ones, like courage, self sacrifice and a sense of duty. The zombies, of course, are important to this novel, and these are truly horrible creatures - perhaps some of the worst I have ever come across either in books or films. Also important is the general situation, which is Houston, Texas, flooded by a succession of freak storms that have destroyed its infrastructure and killed off much of its population. The main characters are members of Houston's police, who are striving to keep what order they can in a deteriorating situation that is quickly escalating from bad to worse. Add to this an ebola-related infection which turns its victims into zombie-like cannibalistic nightmares.

This is a long book, well over 300 pages, but it is never boring, switching through a well-drawn cast of interesting characters who are struggling to make sense of what's happening and to survive. The ending, I'll add, is thoroughly satisfying and well worth the trip.

Joe McKinney is definitely a writer whose books I'll look out for in future.

The Inquisition - The Black Abyss

2011-04-19T17:47:00.000+01:00

My Inquisition by Colin Leslie (The Black Abyss) is now available to read online.

Malicious Deviance

2011-04-15T11:12:00.001+01:00

My copy arrived in the post today - and I'm impressed at its size and the quality of the printing. It looks really good - and I'm looking forward to reading it, apart, of course, from my own story, They Pissed On My Sofa.

Malicious Deviance is published by Library of Horror Press.

The Long List - the British Fantasy Awards

2011-04-11T20:51:00.005+01:00

The long list of recommendations for the British Fantasy Awards has just been issued.

Pleased to see that Back from the Dead, the Legacy of the Pan Book of Horror Stories made it.

Plus the Sixth and Seventh Black Books of Horror

The Eighth Black Book of Horror - cover art

2011-04-11T20:46:00.003+01:00

Charles Black just emailed me a copy of the artwork by Paul Mudie to be used for the cover of the next Black Book of Horror, made up of the severed heads of the contributing writers. I'm in there amongst them!

The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui

2011-04-10T08:37:00.002+01:00

Last night was the final night for this production at Oswaldtwistle Civic Theatre. Everyone enjoyed it, and I was pleased that my wife, Linden was presented with a beautiful bouquet of flowers afterwards and a box of chocolates for all the work she put in to create the four fourteen foot banners used in the play's finale and 29 armbands for the cast.

It's been a great production and I have enjoyed virtually every minute of it, from the twice weekly rehearsals to the final week, when we performed the play every night for seven consecutive nights, including the final four before an audience. Tired now, but I would certainly do something like this again. Oswaldtwistle Players are a great group to work with, with some outstandingly talented members who it's been a real pleasure and privilege to have worked with on this production.

Horror Writers Association - Wiki

2011-04-09T10:00:00.002+01:00

The HWA now has its own wiki.

HWA Announces Stoker Juries

2011-04-08T18:18:00.001+01:00

The following press statement has been issued by the Horror Writers Association:

The Bram Stoker Award Juries are now complete, and the Horror Writers Association therefore proudly announces our very impressive panels.

Please remember, there are strict Rules against spamming the Juries. All offers of your work, or the work of others may be sent ONLY to the Chair of the appropriate Jury. Do not contact Jurors directly or you will be at risk of having the work you are promoting disqualified from Stoker consideration.

The email address of each Chair is listed below:

Novel - Bruce Boston (Chair). Email: stokernovel@horror.org

Jurors: J L Comeau, Sandy DeLuca, Wayne Edwards, David Riley

First Novel - Joe Nassise. Email: stokerfirstnovel@horror.org

Jurors: Jonathan Maberry, David Niall Wilson, Jeanne Stein, Janice Gable Bashman

Collection - Joe McKinney. Email: stokercollection@horror.org

Jurors: Ellen Datlow, Mark Onspaugh, Judy Comeau, John Everson

Anthology - Norman Rubenstein. Email: stokerantho@horror.org

Jurors: Allyson Bird, Christopher Conlon, Gene O’Neill, Harry Shannon

Graphic Novels - Steve Tem. Email: stokergraphicnovel@horror.org

Jurors: Norman Prentiss, David T Wilbanks, Ken Lillie-Paetz, Dave Sakmyster

Young Adult - Lynne Hansen. Email: stokeryanovel@horror.org

Jurors: Joel Sutherland, Dotti Enderle, Deb LeBlanc, Jeanne Stein

Long Fiction - Martel Sardina. Email: stokerlongfic@horror.org

Jurors: Chris Welch, Nate Kenyon, Richard Payne, Janet Berliner

Short Fiction - Sarah Langan. Email: stokershortfic@horror.org

Jurors: Scott Edelman, Mark Worthen, Cathy Clamp, F Brett Cox

Screenplays - JG Faherty. Email: stokerscreenplay@horror.org

Jurors: David Sakmyster, T J May, Norman Rubinstein, John Palisano

Nonfiction - Robert Booth. Email: stokernonfic@horror.org

Jurors: Nancy Holder, Linda Addison, Jill Bauman, Weston Ochse

Poetry - Karen Newman. Email: stokerpoetry@horror.org

Jurors: Sandy DeLuca, Terrie Leigh Relf, Lucy Snyder, Michael Burstein

Any queries should be directed to Stoker Co-Chair Hank Schwaeble via email: hschwaeble@yahoo.com.

Rocky Wood

President, HWA

The Century's Best Horror Fiction

2011-04-06T13:03:00.000+01:00

It looks as if this long awaited anthology will finally be published in the very near future by Cemetery Dance. According to this link the two volumes are almost ready for the printers except for one signature on the signature sheet for the deluxe edition.

I have been looking forward to this coming out for several years now, ever since John Pelan first contacted me about it. After all, it's not often you can have a story published in such exalted company!

Table of Contents
1901: Barry Pain -- The Undying Thing
1902: W.W. Jacobs -- The Monkey's Paw
1903: H.G.Wells -- The Valley of the Spiders
1904: Arthur Machen -- The White People
1905: R. Murray Gilchrist -- The Lover's Ordeal
1906: Edward Lucas White -- House of the Nightmare
1907: Algernon Blackwood -- The Willows
1908: Perceval Landon -- Thurnley Abbey
1909: Violet Hunt -- The Coach
1910: Wm Hope Hodgson -- The Whistling Room
1911: M.R. James -- Casting the Runes
1912: E.F. Benson -- Caterpillars
1913: Aleister Crowley -- The Testament of Magdelan Blair
1914: M. P. Shiel -- The Place of Pain
1915: Hanns Heinz Ewers -- The Spider
1916: Lord Dunsany -- Thirteen at Table
1917: Frederick Stuart Greene -- The Black Pool
1918: H. De Vere Stacpoole -- The Middle Bedroom
1919: Ulric Daubeny -- The Sumach
1920: Maurice Level -- In the Light of the Red Lamp
1921: Vincent O'Sullivan -- Master of Fallen Years
1922: Walter de la Mare -- Seaton's Aunt
1923: George Allen England -- The Thing From--"Outside"
1924: C.M. Eddy, Jr. -- The Loved Dead
1925: John Metcalfe -- The Smoking Leg
1926: H.P. Lovecraft -- The Outsider
1927: Donald Wandrei -- The Red Brain
1928: H.R. Wakefield -- The Red Lodge
1929: Eleanor Scott -- Celui-La
1930: Rosalie Muspratt -- Spirit of Stonhenge
1931: Henry S. Whitehead -- Cassius
1932: David H. Keller -- The Thing in the Cellar
1933: C.L. Moore -- Shambleau
1934: L.A. Lewis -- The Tower of Moab
1935: Clark Ashton Smith -- The Dark Eidolon
1936: Thorp McCluskey -- The Crawling Horror
1937: Howard Wandrei -- The Eerie Mr Murphy
1938: Robert E. Howard -- Pigeons from Hell
1939: Robert Barbour Johnson -- Far Below
1940: John Collier -- Evening Primrose
1941: C.M. Kornbluth -- The Words of Guru
1942: Jane Rice -- The Idol of the Flies
1943: Anthony Boucher -- They Bite
1944: Ray Bradbury -- The Jar
1945: August Derleth -- Carousel
1946: Manly Wade Wellman -- Shonokin Town
1947: Theodore Sturgeon -- Bianca's Hands
1948: Shirley Jackson -- The Lottery
1949: Nigel Kneale -- The Pond
1950: Richard Matheson -- Born of Man & Woman
1951: Russell Kirk -- Uncle Isiah
1952: Eric Frank Russell -- I Am Nothing
1953: Robert Sheckley -- The Altar
1954: Everil Worrell -- Call Not Their Names
1955: Robert Aickman -- Ringing the Changes
1956: Richard Wilson -- Lonely Road
1957: Clifford Simak -- Founding Father
1958: Robert Bloch -- That Hell-Bound Train
1959: Charles Beaumont -- The Howling Man
1960: Fredric Brown -- The House
1961: Ray Russell -- Sardonicus
1962: Carl Jacobi -- The Aquarium
1963: Robert Arthur -- The Mirror of Cagliostro
1964: Charles Birkin -- A Lovely Bunch of Coconuts
1965: Jean Ray -- The Shadowy Street
1966: Arthur Porges -- The Mirror
1967: Norman Spinrad -- Carcinoma Angels
1968: Anna Hunger -- Come
1969: Steffan Aletti -- The Last Work of Pietro Apono
1970: David A. Riley -- The Lurkers in the Abyss
1971: Dorothy K. Haynes -- The Derelict Track
1972: Gary Brandner -- The Price of a Demon
1973: Eddy C. Bertin -- Like Two White Spiders
1974: Karl Edward Wagner -- Sticks
1975: David Drake -- The Barrow Troll
1976: Dennis Etchison -- It Only Comes Out at Night
1977: Barry N. Malzberg -- The Man Who Loved the Midnight Lady
1978: Michael Bishop -- Within the Walls of Tyre
1979: Ramsey Campbell -- Mackintosh Willy
1980: Michael Shea -- The Autopsy
1981: Stephen King -- The Reach
1982: Fritz Leiber -- Horrible Imagings
1983: David Schow -- One for the Horrors
1984: Bob Leman -- The Unhappy Pilgrimage of Clifford M.
1985: Michael Reaves -- The Night People
1986: Tim Powers -- Night Moves
1987: Ian Watson -- Evil Water
1988: Joe R. Lansdale -- The Night They Missed the Horror Show
1989: Joel Lane -- The Earth Wire
1990: Elizabeth Massie -- Stephen
1991: Thomas Ligotti -- The Glamour
1992: Poppy Z. Brite -- Calcutta Lord of Nerves
1993: Lucy Taylor -- The Family Underwater
1994: Jack Ketchum -- The Box
1995: Terry Lamsley -- The Toddler
1996: Caitlín R. Kiernan -- Tears Seven Times Salt
1997: Stephen Laws -- The Crawl
1998: Brian Hodge -- As Above, So Below
1999: Glen Hirshberg -- Mr. Dark's Carnival
2000: Tim Lebbon -- Reconstructing Amy

The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui

2011-04-04T11:50:00.000+01:00

We've now got just two rehearsals left before he play opens on Wednesday night. Looking good. There's plenty of humour and action in it, and the audience will certainly have no time for dozing off with all the gunfire - not that I imagine any of them will be tempted anyway!

This is only the second play I have ever been involved with as one of the actors - and I am enjoying virtually every minute of it. We were at the theatre from ten o'clock yesterday morning till gone five at night. The stage, though sparse, looks very impressive. I'm especially pleased at the fourteen foot banners that Lin made for it. Not to mention all the armbands for the cast!

Paul McGowan plays the lead as Arturo Ui, whose rise to power as the leading gangster in 1920s Chicago mirrors the rise to power of Hitler. Paul is brilliant in the role. Chris Knight, as director, does seem to have a knack to get the best out of the cast too - which is quite large.Despite all the pressures he must be feeling he seems to have kept his good humour - not to mention his sense of humour too!

Duke Nukem Forever

2011-03-30T16:27:00.001+01:00

I have always loved Duke Nukem, though it's a long time since I last played the game. This new one looks pretty brilliant.

And tempting!

Wake Wood

2011-03-30T13:02:00.000+01:00

Got the DVD for this latest Hammer epic this weekend. Surprisingly good, and with some unexpected twists - and a toe-curling end that I did not anticipate at all, but which makes horrifying sense. Some good performances, particularly from Ella Connolly, who plays the little girl, and TV stalwart Timoth Spall. This is a true Folk Horror in the tradition of The Wicker Man, though it owes nothing to that earlier film and has an original storyline all of its own. Some quite gruesome - and exceedingly realistic - scenes which would certainly never have been allowed past the censor during Hammer's heyday in the sixties, but are far from gratuitous. In a way, they help to build up what it really means to live and work in the countryside, away from the sentimentality of townlife. Well worth watching.

The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui

2011-03-30T11:35:00.000+01:00

A photo of some of the cast in the Oswaldtwistle Players production of The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui, which starts this coming Wednesday for four nights at the Civic Theatre, Oswaldtwistle.

Front left is Paul McGowan who plays Ui. Next to him, with the machine gun, is Chris Knight, our producer. I'm stood just behind him at the edge of the photo, arms folded and looking as grim as I can manage as a gangster bodyguard. Our first dress rehearsal is Sunday at the theatre.

MURDER! MAYHEM! HIGH DRAMA AND LAUGHS!

Popular award winning local actor Paul McGowan takes the title role of Chicago mob leader Arturo Ui in this blackly comic satire set in the late 1920’s. Arturo runs his protection racket with a Hitler-like ruthlessness. With his murderous gang he takes control of the greengrocery wholesale business in Chicago using extortion and intimidation .

First Chicago, then Cicero and then...? Nothing less than world domination in the cauliflower trade.

OSWALDTWISTLE PLAYERS present this classic and chillingly funny play

at the newly re-furbished Civic Theatre (it’s very nice now),

Union Rd, Oswaldtwistle BB5 3HZ

The Resistible Rise of ARTURO UI

by Bertolt Brecht, directed by Chris Knight

April 6^th to 9^th 2011 at 7.30pm

Tickets:- Adult £8, concessions, £7. with a special first night price of £6 all seats

Discounts available for block bookings.

Available from:-

The Tourist Office, Accrington Town Hall,

The Civic Arts Centre, Union Rd, Oswaldtwistle,

Edmundson’s Sweet Shop, 172 Union Rd, Oswaldtwistle

On-line at www.ticketsource.co.uk/oswplayers

Or ring 01254 236057

Malicious Deviance now available

2011-03-30T08:21:00.001+01:00

Robert Essig's anthology Malicious Deviance is now available. Copies can be bought direct from Amazon.

The anthology includes my short story They Pissed on my Sofa and twenty-four others.

"Everyone has a story .... EVERYONE! In Malicious Deviance you will read 25 tales of obsession, murder, blasphemy, corruption, death and much, much more. Bad people have stories too. How do socialites really acquire their power? What is the truth about ole St. Nick? Can a woman's love for her husband's well being go too far? Can a man truly manipulate the feeble minded into suicide? Would you like a peek into Hell? Yes, bad people have stories to tell, and you won't soon forget the evil these 25 tales are laden with - the horror and depravity of Malicious Deviance."

The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui

2011-03-25T08:18:00.000Z

We had another good rehearsal last night. We have started to use some of the blank firing handguns that will be used in the production to get us used to the noise - they really do go off with a hell of a bang. And, even though you know they are only firing blanks, it's still a bit unnerving to have one pointed at you at close range, knowing it's going to be fired.

Lin was asked to make 26 Nazi-style armbands (with the letters UI instead of a swastika) and 4 fourteen-foot banners for the stage for a Nuremberg-like finale. The armbands are finished and three of the banners only need the large white circles with the letters UI sewing onto the red matrerial. I took one of the banners to the rehearsal. It looked pretty good when it was stretched out in the hall.

We had some photos taken last night. I had to sit in my gangster-bodyguard role with a fake machine gun resting on one knee, looking mean!

BFS Journal

2011-03-24T12:03:00.002Z

The next issue of the BFS Journal will be out shortly (it's at the printers now). This, of course, includes Prism as well as Dark Horizons and New Horizons. It has a pretty brilliant cover by Daniele Sierra.

The Eagle

2011-03-22T11:15:00.000Z

I am a sucker for films about Ancient Rome. I'm a sucker for books about it too, such as those by Simon Scarrow in particular, and Ben Kane. Although many films fall far short of what I think they should be like, (and from historical accuracy too) this does look pretty good from the trailer.

House - Zombie Killer

2011-03-21T10:55:00.000Z

Auction for the People of Japan by Johnny Mains

2011-03-17T09:47:00.001Z

Johnny Mains is auctioning off some plum items from his extensive horror collection in aid of the people of Japan following the earthquake and tsunami that have devastated that country.

This is from his website:

Ever since the earthquake hit Japan, the seventh largest in recorded history, the images that have come from all aspects of social media have been overwhelming and heartbreaking and you would indeed, have to be made of stone not to feel for the bereaved and the displaced during this time.

I feel like I need to do something to help, and while my means may be limited - I do have several pieces that I will put up for auction in the hope that it raises some money for charity.

AUCTION 1: One of the last remaining copies I have of BACK FROM THE DEAD and signed by 8 of the contributors. Bidding will start at £50 for this book and all blind bids will be emailed to panbookofhorrorstoriesATgmailDOTcom.

AUCTION 2: A letter from editor Herbert van Thal to one of his Pan Horror authors. These letters are very rare and nearly non-existent, so you will have a unique piece of genre heritage. Bidding will start at £30 for this letter and all blind bids will be emailed to panbookofhorrorstoriesATgmailDOTcom

AUCTION 3: Is THE VAMPIRE STORIES OF R CHETWYND HAYES as published by Fedogan and Bremer. It is a slip-cased edition, only 100 of these were done, this is #85 and it is signed by R Chetwynd Hayes, Brian Lumley,Stephen Jones, Les Edwards and Jim Pitts - but what makes this book truly remarkable is that the artists Les Edwards and Jim Pitts have each drawn a one off, unique picture of a vampire inside this book and this is the only time that both artists have done so to my knowledge. Bidding will start at £70 for this book and all blind bids will be emailed to panbookofhorrorstoriesATgmailDOTcom.

AUCTION 4: A very rare Italian PEEPING TOM film poster, flat signed by one of the stars Columba Powell who played the young Mark Lewis. A few nicks and tears to this poster, but in overall v. good shape. Bidding will start at £40 and all blind bids will be emailed to panbookofhorrorstoriesATgmailDOTcom.

AUCTION 5: A SIGNED copy of James Herbert's THE SPEAR. This is the rare NEL hardback version that James Herbert was taken to court over (and lost). Bidding will start at £50 and all blind bids will be emailed to panbookofhorrorstoriesATgmailDOTcom.

AUCTION 6: A SIGNED copy of R Chetwynd Haye's THE MONSTER CLUB. This is the Severn House 1992 edition and has been flat signed. Bidding will start at £40 and all blind bids will be emailed to panbookofhorrorstoriesATgmailDOTcom.

AUCTION 7: A first Pan Books paperback edition of THE EXECUTIONERS by John D. MacDonald that has been flat signed by director MARTIN SCORCESE (who directed CAPE FEAR, based on the book). Provenance will be included and bidding will start at £100 for this truly rare item, the only time Scorcese has signed this edition of the book. All blind bids will be emailed to panbookofhorrorstoriesATgmailDOTcom.

AUCTION 8: Complete run of 6 Mills and Boon horror titles that were published in the late 70s. These books are extremely hard to get a hold of and took me 5 years to source. Two of the books have been dedicated to me and bidding will start at £50 for these books and all blind bids will be emailed to panbookofhorrorstoriesATgmailDOTcom.

AUCTION 9: Hardback edition of Gary McMahon's exquisite RAIN DOGS, signed by the great man himself! Bidding will start at £6 and all blind bids will be emailed to panbookofhorrorstoriesATgmailDOTcom

AUCTION 10: Signed copies of SPARROWHAWK and ONE MONSTER IS NOT ENOUGH from the one and only Paul Finch. Bidding will start at £20 and all blind bids will be emailed to panbookofhorrorstoriesATgmailDOTcom

AUCTION 11: Two unique proof copies of Joel Lane's BLACK COUNTRY and Alison Moore's WHEN THE DOOR CLOSED, IT WAS DARK published by Nightjar Press. These state on the imprint page that they were printed in Manchester, when in fact the finished books were printed in Penrith. These chapbooks are high quality test prints and can be signed by both author and artist. Bidding will start at £10 and all blind bids will be emailed to panbookofhorrorstoriesATgmailDOTcom

Please header your email with 'Japan Auction' and in the body of the email, your name, what auction you will be bidding on and how much your highest bid will be and you will be notified if somebody has bid above you so you can rebid if you wish. The auction will end on the 26th of March and the highest bidder will then be contacted and after funds have been sent, I will then post off the prizes free of charge (worldwide).

I will then post the winners of the items on my blog and post proof that all donated money has been given to my charity of choice, in this case it will be The British Red Cross.

I hope you will bid on these items,

warmest wishes

Johnny Mains

Let Me In

2011-03-15T08:49:00.007Z

Bought the newly released DVD of Let Me In yesterday, which I watched for the first time last night. The earlier version, Let The Right One In is one of my favourite vampire movies, confounding the modern tendency for user-friendly vampires TV and films seem to have been innundated with since Interview With The Vampire.

Despite the usual qualms one has about American remakes of brilliant European movies (putting aside the Hammer connection), I was pleasantly surprised to see just how good a job was made of this. The casting was impeccable and the acting first rate. There were differences between this and the original movie, but nothing that seemed to cheapen it. It had an air of realism, intelligence and sincerity about it that lifted it far above most horror movies. It was refreshingly free of any obvious CGI and was certainly not reliant on any ridiculous special effects. If this is an indication of the calibre of productions the new Hammer Films is capable of bringing out, that bodes well for the future. At the end of this month, another Hammer Film comes out on DVD, Wake Wood, with Timothy Spall. I'm looking forward to that!

Virginia Monologues

2011-03-14T08:44:00.000Z

Lin and I went to see the Virginia Monologies at the Civic Art Centre in Oswaldtwistle last night. Organised by Gayle Knight, this was a really entertaining night out, and Virginia Ironside was not only amusing but spot on with loads of her observations.

The Man Who Collected Machen

2011-03-12T21:49:00.001Z

Received my copy of Mark Samuels' latest collection in the post this morning from The Book Depository. And a very handsome looking paperback it is. I've already read the first two stories, Losenef Express and the title story. The first is a bizarrely nightmarish tale about an American horror writer who bears so many uncanny resemblances to the late, lovely Karl Edward Wagner. I'm sure he would have been tickled by this story, even though the writer has some unpleasant traits and a far from pleasant fate! The Man Who Collected Machen isn't a bit like I expected, having already read Robert Bloch's The Man Who Collected Poe and Kim Newman's The Man Who Collected Barker. This is totally different to either, clever, witty and betraying an astonishing knowledge of Machen's literary output, particularly his scarcer, far less well know material - not surprising considering that Mark is Secretary of the Friends of Arthur Machen! I place this tale alongside The White Hands as my two favourite Samuels stories so far.

The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui

2011-03-09T08:40:00.001Z

We had a really good rehearsal last night. For the first time one of the blank firing pistols that will be used on stage was brought along. The noise and smell of cordite was impressive. When the guns get fired they'll certainly wake up any dozy members of the audience! For the production, which includes quite a few violent deaths, there'll be pistols and machineguns. I have two rolls in it. In Scene 1b I play a character called Sheet, who owns a shipyard that others want to buy off me for next to nothing. Sheet is murdered off stage by the gangsters. I then play a gangster bodyguard for one of the gang leaders, Ernesto Roma, who is based on Ernst Rohm, the main target for Hitler's Night of the Long Knives. When Roma is murdered, I along with his other bodyguards get gunned down by machinegun fire. All good stuff.

Hammer Novels Trailer

2011-03-08T11:34:00.001Z

Hammer have brought out a brilliant new trailer to advertise their line of film-related novels.

Bram Stoker Award Finalists

2011-03-01T08:37:00.002Z

2010 FINAL STOKER NOMINEES

Superior Achievement in a NOVEL
HORNS by Joe Hill (William Morrow)
ROT AND RUIN by Jonathan Maberry (Simon & Schuster)
DEAD LOVE by Linda Watanabe McFerrin (Stone Bridge Press)
APOCALYPSE OF THE DEAD by Joe McKinney (Pinnacle)
DWELLER by Jeff Strand (Leisure/Dark Regions Press)
A DARK MATTER by Peter Straub (DoubleDay)

Superior Achievement in a FIRST NOVEL
BLACK AND ORANGE by Benjamin Kane Ethridge (Bad Moon Books)
A BOOK OF TONGUES by Gemma Files (Chizine Publications)
CASTLE OF LOS ANGELES by Lisa Morton (Gray Friar Press)
SPELLBENT by Lucy Snyder (Del Rey)

Superior Achievement in LONG FICTION
THE PAINTED DARKNESS by Brian James Freeman (Cemetery Dance)
DISSOLUTION by Lisa Mannetti (Deathwatch)
MONSTERS AMONG US by Kirstyn McDermott (Macabre: A Journey through Australia’s Darkest Fears)
THE SAMHANACH by Lisa Morton (Bad Moon Books)
INVISIBLE FENCES by Norman Prentiss (Cemetery Dance)

Superior Achievement in SHORT FICTION
RETURN TO MARIABRONN by Gary Braunbeck (Haunted Legends)
THE FOLDING MAN by Joe R. Lansdale (Haunted Legends)
1925: A FALL RIVER HALLOWEEN by Lisa Mannetti (Shroud Magazine #10)
IN THE MIDDLE OF POPLAR STREET by Nate Southard (Dead Set: A Zombie Anthology)
FINAL DRAFT by Mark W. Worthen (Horror Library IV)

Superior Achievement in an ANTHOLOGY
DARK FAITH edited by Maurice Broaddus and Jerry Gordon (Apex Publications)
HORROR LIBRARY IV edited by R.J. Cavender and, Boyd E. Harris (Cutting Block Press)
MACABRE: A JOURNEY THROUGH AUSTRALIA’S DARKEST FEARS edited by Angela Challis and Marty Young (Brimstone Press)
HAUNTED LEGENDS edited by Ellen Datlow and Nick Mamatas (Tor)
THE NEW DEAD edited by Christopher Golden (St. Martin's Griffin)

Superior Achievement in a COLLECTION
OCCULTATION by Laird Barron (Night Shade Books)
BLOOD AND GRISTLE by Michael Louis Calvillo (Bad Moon Books)
FULL DARK, NO STARS by Stephen King (Simon and Schuster)
THE ONES THAT GOT AWAY by Stephen Graham Jones (Prime Books)
A HOST OF SHADOWS by Harry Shannon (Dark Regions Press)

Superior Achievement in NONFICTION
TO EACH THEIR DARKNESS by Gary A. Braunbeck (Apex Publications)
THE CONSPIRACY AGAINST THE HUMAN RACE by Thomas Ligotti (Hippocampus Press)
WANTED UNDEAD OR ALIVE by Jonathan Maberry and Janice Gable Bashman (Citadel)
LISTEN TO THE ECHOES: THE RAY BRADBURY INTERVIEWS by Sam Weller (Melville House Publications)

Superior Achievement in a POETRY collection
DARK MATTERS by Bruce Boston (Bad Moon Books)
WILD HUNT OF THE STARS by Ann K. Schwader (Sam's Dot)
DIARY OF A GENTLEMAN DIABOLIST by Robin Spriggs (Anomalous Books)
VICIOUS ROMANTIC by Wrath James White (Bandersnatch Books)

How to deal with bad reviews - Johnny Mains

2011-02-27T20:10:00.001Z

Johnny has written an interesting piece on his blog about how to react to bad reviews as a result of a couple he has received for his debut short story collection, With Deepest Sympathy.

He makes some sounds comments on the subject, which some other writers could do well with taking in. All of us from time to time are bound to get bad reviews. After all, you can't cater for every taste. Not only reviews, either; sometimes a story will get rejected with some adverse comments. A writer needs to be able to take the bad with the good, and learn from those that are well meant and realistic. That's how we learn to get better.

Our Granddaughter: Teagan Mae Webster

2011-02-27T08:19:00.001Z

Linden and Teagan

Me, Cassie and Teagan

Our First Grandchild

2011-02-25T12:04:00.008Z

Just spoke to my daughter, Cassandra, who rang me at work to tell me she had our first grandchild this morning, a little girl.

My wife, Linden, is over the moon. She's been after a grandchild for ages.

Can't wait to see Cassie, her husband Alan, and of course our granddaughter, Teagan Mae Webster!

Alan and Cassie with baby Teagan

The Man Who Collected Machen by Mark Samuels

2011-02-25T08:28:00.000Z

There's an early online review for Mark's collection, shortly available from Chomu Press.

I've just pre-ordered a copy through The Book Depository for an amazing £6.75 with free delivery!

This collection was originally published by Ex Occidente. I'm glad it's now been made available in a much cheaper format. Congratulations to Chomu Press.

RIP Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart - Nicholas Courtney 1929-2011

2011-02-23T09:25:00.003Z

For those who watched the earlier series of Doctor Who, Brigadier Lethdridge-Stewart will be a familiar name. He was a stalwart of that series, especially during the Pertwee years.

The sad news is that Nicholas Courtney, who played him throughout the series, died aged 81 on February 22nd.

Hammer Novels

2011-02-19T16:53:00.003Z

Hammer will be launching its own publishing imprint on March 10th with the release of two novels, one old and one new.

The new is the novelisation of a new Hammer thriller, The Resident, by Francis Cottam.

The other is a reissue of The Witches, by Peter Curtis. This was originally titled The Devil's Own, on which the 1966 film starring Joan Fontaine was based.

Facebook

2011-02-14T08:23:00.003Z

Well, with some misgivings, I finally created a Facebook account for myself. As my wife already had one, I had to set up a new email account first. I used gmail: davidriley111@gmail.com. I had been thinking of setting up a separate one to our standard ntl address, as that can only be accessed from our own computer. How the internet complicates our lives, though, with all these details to remember, not to mention those dreaded passwords.

Anyway, early days yet, but my Facebook account seems to be working okay so far, though just how much I'll use it I don't know.

Prism - Spring Issue

2011-02-11T08:12:00.003Z

Finally got the disc for the next issue of Prism in the post today to the next person on the "assembly line" for putting the BFS Journal together.

It's probably not the best issue so far, but I must admit some of the zim has gone since I, along with the editors of Dark Horizons and New Horizons, lost control of doing the layout. I was a tad disappointed with how the journal was laid out last time. It was pedestrian at best, a bit sloppy at worst. For example, one picture was positioned two lines before the bottom right hand corner of a page. Why two lines? Why not nice and neat at the exact bottom, without two lines underneath it? Some of the pictures were not much bigger than postage stamps, which seems nonsensical to me. They should have been much bigger. Nor did I really care for the over-fancy thin fonts used for the headings. And all my suggestions about using two columns for certain sections were ignored. I suppose it's all a matter of taste, but I do miss having total control of the magazine and what it looked like. I feel less like an editor and more like someone who just gathers stuff together and sends it off to the real editors - the people who decide what the damned thing will look like.

Now, after one issue of the Journal as a hardback, future issues will be downgraded to paperbacks for reasons of cost. So consistency has gone from the word go. As, quite obviously, has cost control. Before I produced the first Prism I made sure I got a number of quotes from various printers and went with the cheapest. That's what I would have expected for the Journal. Obviously not.

A shame. It would have been better to have started off as we meant to go on.

Personally I would, of course, prefer to go back to all three publications being published individually. Maybe that will happen. I don't know. The push for them to be produced as some "much more professional looking publication" was hammered at the last BFS AGM by the likes of Steve Jones, though why a society with fewer than 300 members should try to emulate the professional look of publications produced by genuinely professional organisations with paid, indeed highly paid staff, I really don't know. I think people join the BFS, not because it has pretensions of professionalism (whatever that word really means) but because they are interested in the genres we share a love for and because we produce interesting publications about them. I'm not for one minute saying we should go back to the bad old days of mimeographed sheets of A4 paper stapled down the edges - those days have gone, thank God - but we really don't need to aim towards emulating the style and quality in printing terms of SFX, etc., not unless we had a membership that would be prepared to hand over a lot more money than they pay at the moment for their annual subs. I believe the existing publications already looked professional enough. I was impressed with them long before I again took up editorship of Prism. I never heard any moans about them - other than from certain people at the last AGM. who I'm certain made them more because they wanted to make an impression than because they genuinely felt the BFS needed this kind of change. It certainly seems to have created more problems - and time consuming tasks at that - than it has saved. Which is a bad thing for an organisation which, unlike the professional organisations we are suppoed to ape, relies on unpaid voluntary work from people who have other jobs and things to do besides doing what they do for the BFS.

I have every respect for the new BFS chairman, David Howe, but I do think the last AGM gave him a poisoned chalice with the BFS Journal. I am sure he would have been happier if he had been left free from all the complications this has presented and been able to get on with looking at special publications, which is something I fear will go by the wayside as a result. Which is a waste as, with his vaste experience in running Telos Publications, he would have been an ideal man for the task.

Nuff said.

Black & Orange by Benjamin Kane Ethridge

2011-02-07T19:29:00.000Z

Received a lovely-looking book in the post today, signed by the author, who sent it to me from California to read and consider for the forthcoming Stoker ballot. Only had time to read the first page so far but it looks interesting and well written. Draws you in straight away. So I reckon that will be my reading over the next few days.

It's published by Bad Moon Books. I've heard of them but never seen one of their books before. Going off this, though, I'm very impressed.

Prism - Spring Edition

2011-02-06T22:03:00.000Z

Spent quite a few hours this weekend putting all the material I have been emailed for the next issue together in a standardised format, ready to be sent off. It seems to be shaping up well, with a better balance of reviews this time, and a long but very interesting interview and the usual excellent columns from Ramsey Campbell, Mark Morris and John Probert. I've only done one review this time - Reggie Oliver's The Dracula Papers, Book One: The Scholar's Tale, which Chomu Press sent me a month or so back. I really enjoyed this book, which is in the pure tradition of the Gothic novel. A long novel, but an enjoyable read every page of the way.

By Tuesday I expect to be able to put Prism to disc and send it off.

Prism - Spring Edition

2011-02-05T21:01:00.000Z

I spent a lot of time today putting together marterial sent in for the next issue of Prism. It's a bit of a grind getting all the different fonts and styles sent into me changed into one harmonious whole. Not to mention getting images for all the books, films, etc.

I think this will be one of the slimmer issues, so it's probably as well it's buried away inside the BFS Journal. Ha ha. There really is a shortage of reviewers. I'll enter something on the BFS Forum about this. We do need more.