Kitchen Sink Gothic - 10 months down the line

It's now ten months since the most ambitious project from Parallel Universe, Kitchen Sink Gothic, was published. The anthology contained the following stories:
1964 by Franklin Marsh
Derek Edge and the Sun-Spots by Andrew Darlington
Daddy Giggles by Stephen Bacon
Black Sheep by Gary Fry
Jamal Comes Home by Benedict J. Jones
Waiting by Kate Farrell
Lilly Finds a Place to Stay by Charles Black
The Mutant's Cry by David A. Sutton
The Sanitation Solution by Walter Gascoigne
Up and Out of Here by Mark Patrick Lynch
Late Shift by Adrian Cole
The Great Estate by Shaun Avery
Nine Tenths by Jay Eales
Envelopes by Craig Herbertson
Tunnel Vision by Tim Major
Life is Prescious M. J. Wesolowski
Canvey Island Baby by David Turnbull

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trade paperback: 
amazon.co.uk   £8.99
amazon.com  $11.99

ebook:
amazon.co.uk  £2.99
amazon.com  $3.05

We are still considering a second volume of stories. In the meantime...

Here are some of the reviews Kitchen Sink Gothic has received so far:

Stuart Conover gave Kitchen Sink Gothic a great review on the Hellnotes website.

"In Kitchen Sink Gothic, David and Linden Riley have put together a dark and gritty horror- and humor-filled anthology which was an absolute blast to read. In its pages there are 17 stories with a Gothic tint to them which focus primarily on the working class. It is a twisted mix of tales that if you were to read the descriptions one by one wouldn’t seem to fit together and yet the Riley’s have proven they know exactly which story works with the next.
While not every story is a gem, there isn’t a single failure in this book that makes me feel any of my time was wasted. As long as you’re in the mood for the strange and insane, that is.
An interesting line up with some names you’ll probably recognize if you read a lot of horror and speculative fiction as well as some that you won’t. The table of contents includes:
“Daddy Giggles” by Stephen Bacon, “1964” by Franklin Marsh, “Derek and the Sun-Spots” by Andrew Darlington, “Black Sheep” by Gary Fry, “Jamal Comes Home” by Benedict J. Jones, “Waiting” by Kate Farrell, “Lilly Finds a Place to Stay” by Charles Black, “The Mutant’s Cry” by David A. Sutton, “The Sanitation Solution” by Walter Gascoigne, “Up and Out of Here” by Mark Patrick Lynch, “Late Shift” by Adrian Cole, “The Great Estate” by Shaun Avery, “Nine Tenths” by Jay Eales, “Envelopes” by Craig Herbertson, “Tunnel Vision” by Tim Major, “Life is Precious” by M. J. Wesolowski, and closes out with “Canvey Island Baby” by David Turnbull.
The more interesting reads for me included “Lilly Finds a New Place to Stay” which revolves around Lilly….finding a new place to stay. Only, things aren’t ever quite that simple now are they? Next up is “The Sanitation Solution” where one man’s bitter war with his ex makes for quite the disgusting read. Finally, in “Envelopes” we’re given a different look into the world of the occult."

Top Customer Reviews on Amazon.co.uk

4.0 out of 5 starsElbow deep in the kitchen sink!

By yralban on 22 Sept. 2015

Format: Kindle Edition

A worthwhile collection, if a little patchy in parts. But some gems; particularly "Derek Edge and the Sunspots" and Kate Farrell's "Waiting" - understated with a bitter twist in the tale.

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5.0 out of 5 starsVery good quality

By N Martin on 1 Oct. 2015

Format: Kindle Edition

Really enjoyed this collection - the writing is of a high standard and some very unsettling stories. Definitely worth a read!

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5.0 out of 5 starsFive Stars

By sandra k chung on 26 Oct. 2015

Format: Paperback Verified Purchase

Thank you

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Top Customer Reviews on Amazon.com

5.0 out of 5 starsThe Edge of Weird...and it's Amazing!

By Cristina Isabel on January 24, 2016

Format: Paperback

There are 17 amazingly written stories that sometimes left me on the edge as I was reading. Some were weirder than others and some had those what-did-I-just- read moments. Each of them were unique in their own way and I loved every one of them. For me, the top 3 that I read over were, Lilly Finds a Place to Stay by Charles Black, Canvey Island Baby by David Turnbull and The Sanitation Solution by Walter Gascoigne.

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4.0 out of 5 starsWeird and Wonderful

By MissScarlett on January 20, 2016

Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase

As always, I liked some of these stories a lot more than others, but there were none I didn't like at all. Some were rather mystifying to me, such as "Derek Edge and the Sunspots" "Up and Out of Here" and "Nine Tenths". "The Sanitation Solution" was ok but frankly didn't so it for me. My favorite of the lot was "Jamal Comes Home" with it's echoes of the Monkey's Paw at the conclusion. Also excellent were, in no particular order, "Black Sheep" "Lilly Finds A Place to Stay" (permanently) "Waiting" and "Envelopes" If you like horror and/or speculative short fiction, you can't go wrong here.

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5.0 out of 5 starsit is that good.

By Michael Hanson on October 17, 2015

Format: Paperback

I just read the anthology "Kitchen Sink Gothic" and yes, I was blown away. As a title interpretation, I can respectfully call this Working Class Gothic, as it is a strange and Gothic journey into the lives of the ordinary folk of our world, and not the social elite that populate much of literature's history. And it is here that Kitchen Sink Gothic's charms lie. As a grab-bag of different tales, some surprise with their deviousness, and others shock with their arrogance, but all of them, each and every story in this clever and tasty collection, is sure to entertain. Heck, I think I'll pick it up and read it a second time now. Yes, it is that good.

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5.0 out of 5 starsBlue Collar Noir

Black Books of Horror article in Pulp Horror #3

An in-depth article of the renowned Black Books of Horror will be included in the third issue of Pulp Horror, as well as a rare interview with series editor, Charles Black.
For more details check on the Vault of Evil website.

Parallel Universe books can now be ordered direct

Ordering Direct

You can order any of our paperbacks direct from us.  Please use this link.

Tough Guys by Adrian Cole

Cover Artwork: Jim Pitts

I can now reveal the wraparound cover artwork for Adrian Cole's collection of three novellas and one short story, Tough Guys, which will be published by Parallel Universe Publications and launched at Fantasycon in September this year.
The artwork is by award-winning artist Jim Pitts and the collection has an introduction by David A. Sutton.

Marked to Die - a tribute anthology to Mark Samuels

Paperback

Snuggly Books in the United States have published a paperback and limited edition hardback of stories in tribute to British writer Mark Samuels (who, under the pseudonym of Richard Staines wrote England 'B': Ninety Minutes of Hell, published by Parallel Universe Publications).

Marked To Die - A Tribute to Mark Samuels

Edited by Justin Isis

We are pleased to announce the publication of “Marked to Die, A Tribute to Mark Samuels”. The book is being put out in two formats, a royal octavo paperback and a limited edition hardcover. The hardcover is case laminated (i.e. no dustjacket) and has a completely different cover than the paperback—that is a nightblack cover with, in snow white gothic lettering, the word “MARKITTY” written up top. Only 100 copies of the hardcover will be printed, and of these only 75 offered for sale to the public.

About the Book

Mark Samuels—“the contemporary British master of visionary weirdness”, as Ramsey Campbell has called him—stands at the forefront of 21st century Horror, combining an unparalleled understanding of the Weird Fiction tradition with his own modern take on cosmic dread. An acknowledged influence on numerous writers in the field, his stories depict the isolation and despair of urban life giving way to vistas of universal alienation and, on occasion, spiritual transcendence.

Now, in this collection of original works inspired by Samuels’ writing, his characteristic themes are extended into previously undreamt-of settings: the hull of a Russian nuclear submarine headed to the heart of Chaos; the compound of a Japanese death cult with designs on the human race; a hospital run by the Men with Paper Faces; the Crying Rooms of London’s secret Reverse; the far reaches of the collapsed future and even the private thoughts of St. John of the Cross. Fed by the “strange tales” of the 19th and 20th centuries but firmly rooted in the present, Marked to Die is a digest of urban terror shot through with intimations of a monstrous Sublime.

Featuring contributions from: Mark Valentine, Reggie Oliver, Colin Insole, Daniel Mills, Adam Nevill, Justin Isis, DF Lewis, John Mundy, Kristine Ong Muslim, James Champagne, Brendan Connell, Quentin S. Crisp, Thana Niveau, Simon Clark, Stuart Young, John L. Probert, Ralph C. Doege, Yarrow Paisley, Jon Paul Rai and David Rix.

Table of Contents:

The Shadowy Companion, foreword by Mark Valentine

Rapture, Reggie Oliver

The Golden Dustmen, Colin Insole

Canticle, Daniel Mills

White Light, White Heat, Adam Nevill

The Black Mass, Justin Isis

The Big-Headed People, DF Lewis

Attraction, John Mundy

The Early Signs of Blight, Kristine Ong Muslim

Chaoskampf, James Champagne

A Bad Un to Beat vs. The High Gate Waterman:
It’s All About the Benjamins, Brendan Connell and Quentin S. Crisp

Language of the City, Thana Niveau

The Singular Quiddity of Merlin’s Ear, Simon Clark

The Carnivore of Monsters, Stuart Young

The Men With Paper Faces, John L. Probert

Empty Houses, Ralph C. Doege

Reinformation Theory, Yarrow Paisley

Prison Inquieta, Jon Paul Rai

Slag Glass Lachrimæ, David Rix

My print copy of Sanitarium magazine arrived today

Very pleased to get my print copy of Sanitarium magazine through the post this morning, containing my story Dead Ronnie and I.

Great 5-star review of The Return on Goodreads

Very pleased with a recent 5-star review of my crime noir Lovecraftian horror novel The Return on Goodreads by Darrell Grizzle: "A gritty noir novel that combines the best elements of crime fiction with genuinely frightening Lovecraftian horror."

Classic Weird 2 published by Parallel Universe Publications

Classic Weird 2 is now available as a trade paperback and an ebook .

This 298-page volume contains weird tales by some of the classic authors of the genre, including J. Sheridan Le Fanu (An Account of Some Strange Disturbances in Aungier Street), E. F. Benson (The Judgement Books), Vernon Lee (Oke of Okehurst), Vincent O'Sullivan (When I was Dead), Edith Wharton (The Eyes), W. C. Morrow (A Story Told by the Sea), Irvin S. Cobb (The Unbroken Chain), Edith Nesbit (From the Dead), Robert Murray Gilchrist (Witch In-Grain), Amyas Northcote (The Downs), and J. H. Riddell (The Uninhabited House).

Paperback:
Amazon.co.uk  £8.99
Amazon.com  $11.99

Ebook:
Amazon.co.uk  £2.99
Amazon.com  $4.30

Cthulhu Monopoly game just arrived today

This little beauty just arrived today. Looking forward to playing it, though I can't help but wonder what HPL would have made of it!

Great Review for His Own Mad Demons on The Slaughtered Bird website

Dave Dubrow gave His Own Mad Demons: Dark Tales from David A. Riley a great review on The Slaughtered Bird website.

REVIEW: His Own Mad Demons

Published May 16, 2016 | By Folklore

Review by- Dave Dubrow.
‘His Own Mad Demons’ is an anthology of short stories written by David A Riley, who’s been an active horror writer since he published a story in the eleventh volume of the legendary Pan Book of Horror Stories in 1970. The tales in Riley’s His Own Mad Demons are all set in the English moorland town of Edgebottom, where the supernatural lurks in every shadow. Riley’s gritty, descriptive prose and fundamental themes are timeless, making this collection a must-read for true fans of horror.
The first tale, His Own Mad Demons, follows the travails of petty criminal Nobby, who’s been given a relatively simple job to do. After things go pear-shaped, Nobby’s attempt to go on the lam is beset with obstacles both natural and supernatural.
In Lock-In, a group of old men calling themselves the Grudgers find that leaving their favorite pub isn’t anywhere near as easy as getting in. A gory piece of psychological horror mixed with Lovecraftian elements.
The Fragile Mask on His Face has a dream-like feeling to it in that the reader knows that something terrible is in store for the protagonist, but is powerless to stop it. A story with twists and turns and a most unusual antagonist.
For a slow burn building to a horrific climax, The True Spirit is a tale that shows you the face of evil, making you hope against hope that the poor characters catch on before it’s too late.
The anthology ends with The Worst of All Possible Places, as apt a title as you’d want. Though the prologue is a bit unnecessary, the remainder of the story is the most frightening in the entire collection, even with as unlikable a protagonist as Bill the drunk.
If you’re looking for message fiction, you won’t find it here. This is good old-fashioned horror, a collection of scary stories told well. It’s these kinds of tales that brought so many of us to horror literature in the first place, and it’s refreshing to see that they’re still relevant, still frightening.

Review by- Dave Dubrow

Birthday picture from Joe Young

Many thanks to Joe Young for this birthday picture, which goes along so well with the pressie I got from my daughter and her husband last night.

Glenn Strange's Frankenstein monster

As my birthday present from my daughter, Cassie, and her husband, Alan, I got the Glen Strange Frankenstein monster, completing my collection. The three Karloffs, Chaney and Lugosi had a party last night.

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Dead Ronnie and I published in Sanitarium Magazine

My zombie story, Dead Ronnie and I, set in the Isles of Scotland, is in issue 44 of Sanitarium Magazine.

Sanitarium Magazine Issue #44: Bringing you the Best Short Horror Fiction, Dark Verse and...

Welcome to the Sanitarium The perfect length for your in-between reading/ you’ll love the portability of this little slice of damnation as you tremble while you wait for the…

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But bad review rancour can last forever.

Does anyone else think that the worse the writer the more they resent bad reviews? As a rule of thumb, mind.