The Lurkers in the Abyss

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

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

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.

BFS Journal

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

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

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

Novel to be published

Bite Sized Horror

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

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

Halifax Ghost Story Festival - 12 November 2011

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

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

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

BFS Journal - September issue

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.