TERROR IN THE TUNNELS REVIEW

Very generous review of the James Herbert tribute evening has been posted over at the LIVERPOOL SOUND AND VISION site, written by Ian D Hall. One of the best events I've been involved in and lovely to see it appreciated.

http://www.liverpoolsoundandvision.co.uk/2013/04/26/the-liverpool-literary-festival-pays-respects-to-james-herbert-at-williamson-tunnels/

ROADKILL LAUNCH - COVENTRY WATERSTONES JUNE 8TH

I'll be peeling myself off the tarmac and shambling along to join Jasper Bark and Joseph D'Lacey for the launch of Joseph's ROADKILL (published by This is Horror) at Coventry Waterstones on the 8th of June. I plan to read from my new book HOUSE OF SMALL SHADOWS and it will be a pleasure to see any of you there. I'm going by public transport so there might be drinks afters!



 

Full details can be found at the THIS IS HORROR WEBSITE: http://www.thisishorror.co.uk/joseph-dlacey-adam-nevill-jasper-bark-waterstones-coventry/

TERROR TALES OF LONDON (EDITED BY PAUL FINCH)

I'm thrilled to have a new short story, THE ANGELS OF LONDON, included in TERROR TALES OF LONDON (and I had a few true terror tales to inspire me after living in London for 12 years). Published by Grey Friar and edited by Paul Finch, this volume forms part of a series featuring regionally themed horror stories in the British Isles (I have a story in the Lake District theme too).

 

 

Here's the full track listing:

The Tiger by Nina Allan

London After Midnight

The Soldier by Roger Johnson

Queen Rat

Train, Night by Nicholas Royle

The Horror At Berkeley Square

The Angels Of London by Adam Nevill

Boudicca’s Bane

Capital Growth by Gary Fry

The Black Dog Of Newgate

The Thames – Rosalie Parker

The Other Murderers

The Red Door by Mark Morris

The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street

Undesirable Residence by Barbara Roden

Nosferatu In Highgate

The Horror Writer by Jonathan Oliver

Butchery In Bleeding-Heart Yard

Perry In Seraglio by Christopher Fowler

The Monster Of Hammersmith

Someone To Watch Over You by Marie O’Regan

The Black Death Returns

The Outcast Dead by David J. Howe

What Stirs Below?

The Bloody Tower by Anna Taborska

 

More information on the book is available at Paul Finch's blog:http://paulfinch-writer.blogspot.co.uk/

Ordering information can be found at the publisher's website: http://www.grayfriarpress.com/catalogue/london.html

LIBRARY JOURNAL BOOKS FOR DUDES REVIEW OF LAST DAYS

Chuffed with this review of LAST DAYS on the BOOKS FOR DUDES page at LIBRARY JOURNAL. US reviewers have been really positive about LAST DAYS, which is a relief to me because it's the first time I've set scenes in America. I've had American lead characters before, but I always wrestle with idiom in dialogue (both internal and external). Bizarrely, the scenes with Officer Conway and Martha Lake came to me more uncannily than anything else has ever done, because I felt I was transcribing their voices, Crowley style. I worried I'd become so steeped in the history of the cult I might have begun tapping into something else ... At the risk of sounding ludicrous I also suffered the occasional feeling that someone had entered the room to stand behind my chair as I worked on LAST DAYS; I'll even admit to turning around to make sure I was alone in my office ... The risks I take to entertain readers! "Verdict Excellent, suspenseful, wicked fun. OCD readers will need to block off a couple days—and I mean days; don’t read this at night."

http://reviews.libraryjournal.com/2013/04/collection-development/a-simple-murder-wool-and-the-human-division-books-for-dudes/

TERROR IN THE TUNNELS - A TRIBUTE TO JAMES HERBERT (1943 - 2013)

Here are a few pictures from what was a very successful and heartwarming event in Liverpool's Williamson Tunnels, in which we conducted a tribute to James Herbert and a retrospective of his work. The panelled event created its own momentum in the way the best conversations do, and amongst humorous and insightful reminiscences by Ramsey Campbell (M.C.), Steve Jones and Craig Cabell (James Herbert's biographer), who all knew James Herbert for many years, we all contributed short readings and commentary about his novels. I read from THE MAGIC COTTAGE and SEPULCHRE, Ramsey read from SHRINE, Craig from OTHERS and SEPULCHRE, and Steve read what might be James Herbert's only poem. The event lasted for 90 minutes and we had an audience of 60 inside the mouth of a 19th century tunnel. The event ended in a toast and applause for Mr Herbert. I hope we did some justice to his considerable achievements and legacy.

This would be the fourth literary event I've done in Liverpool within two years and they have all been excellent, from the organisation to attendance levels and what I'd describe as a tremendous energy of warmth and camaraderie around each of my visits. A great city that supports writers and books.

The Panal: (from L to R) Me, Stephen Jones, Ramsey Campbell, Craig Cabell

Ramsey Campbell

 

Craig Cabell

 

Stephen Jones

 

Tunnel Dweller

 

Emma and Lucy - creators of The Unholy Swine in wool, and the photographer respectively.

James Herbert 1943 - 2013

TERROR IN THE TUNNELS - TRIBUTE TO JAMES HERBERT IN LIVERPOOL

If anyone in the Liverpool area fancies some terror in the tunnels tomorrow night, I will be flopping and hopping through subterranean cavities beneath Liverpool as part of THE WRITING IS ON THE WALL festival's tribute to James Herbert. Those who knew James Herbert will share reminiscences (Ramsey Campbell, Stephen Jones and Craig Cabell). We'll discuss James Herbert's work too and there will be readings. The event starts at 7:30 (box office has details) and concludes at 9pm.

http://www.writingonthewall.org.uk/iow.html

FILM RECS - CITADEL & THE TALL MAN

CITADEL is a relentlessly grim story of a single father with a baby (Jesus wept) who is crippled by fear and living on an estate so vile, you'd probably rather take your chances in a Chernobyl bedsit. And I thought this had some really sharp edges in its depiction of urban hopelessness, youth gang culture, poverty, recreational violence, victimhood, and the continual grip of fear above all else. Two really strong lead performances from Aneurin Barnard and James Cosmo on a superb series of sets - I could almost smell the piss and dead mice in the tower block stairwells. The little baby was also a star, though some of his scenes made me very uncomfortable (exactly the point). Watched the interview with director/writer Ciaran Foy afterwards and wasn't at all surprised to hear he'd been a victim of random violence and suffered from agoraphobia for years. The paranoia and fear in this film was disturbing because of its authenticity, and I think the director plugged his memory and imagination straight into the mains. Very brave film for him to make and had what Eden Lake was missing for me. Probably my fave Brit horror film (Irish and Scottish) since KILL LIST and THE AWAKENING. Reminded me of TRAIN SPOTTING a bit too, but stripped of any Cool Britannia chic and humour and replaced with a grueling monotone of despair. Yes, I could pick holes, mostly with a long last act that was begging for some REC I and II stylings, but I won't pick too much because of the way the tone and themes were sustained. I'll always take a film that requires stamina over one that doesn't.

 

Not dissimilar to CITADEL, THE TALL MAN is another horror film (or is it something else disguised in the shell of a horror film?) that also benefits from a great set and focusses on dead towns, missed childhoods and missing children, lost generations, but in small town US. It's made by Pascal Laugier (who made one of my absolute faves, MARTYRS). For the entire first half I thought it looked nice but was nothing more than a generic thriller (and an odd tribute to JEEPERS CREEPERS), and I wondered what all the fuss was about. By the time the film finished I'd been red herringed and no longer thought it was average at all. If I said anything else I'd slip on a spoiler. Another keeper. In fact, I already want to watch it again.