It’s time for TERROR TALES OF CHAOS

It’s my great pleasure today to finally reveal the cover and contents of the latest volume in the TERROR TALES series.

TERROR TALES OF CHAOS is a special bumper edition, available in hardback as well as paperback and ebook, which was commissioned to coincide with the WORLD FANTASY CONVENTION 2025 in Brighton (Oct 30-Nov 2), where it will be officially launched. 

It was a great honour to be asked to do this, and a perfect opportunity from my POV for the series to finally start branching out from the geographic locations where it has previously dwelled, into a world of dark fiction opportunities that are infinitely broader.

Before I talk anymore about the book, here’s the official cover - courtesy again of that astonishing artist, Neil Williams, and below that the blurb, the full Table of Contents and the usual batch of juicy excerpts:

Children of chaos, servants of darkness, monsters, aberrations and other devilish entities. From slavering man-beasts in dank, icy forests to strangler vines in tropical deathtraps, from the cold-blooded songstress in the depthless lake to the soulless suburban killer who looks just like you. The myths and folktales of all civilisations are filled with heinous miscreations, abominable beings who exist purely to wreak mayhem …

The giant serpent of the Richtersveld
The shapeless leviathan in the Polar Sea
The stone colossus of Prague
The winged predator of Thebes
The snow beast of the Balkans
The many-headed horror on Erytheia
The corpse eater of the Middle East

A feast of terrifying tales by: CC Adams, David Barnett, James Brogden, Simon Clark, Paul Finch, Helen Grant, Christopher Harman, Carly Holmes, SL Howe, Stephen Laws, Tim Lebbon, Keris McDonald, Mark Morris, Reggie Oliver, Lynda E Rucker, Sarah Singleton, Simon Kurt Unsworth and Stephen Volk.

CONTENTS

Draugr by Keris McDonald
Golem
Ogre by Stephen Volk
Lamia
Redcap by Christopher Harman
Wendigo
Nephilim by Reggie Oliver
Grendel
Polyphemus by Helen Grant
Werewolf
Bauk by Simon Clark
Manananggal
Cockatrice by Sarah Singleton
Titanoboa
Nixie by Lynda E. Rucker
Organism 46-B
Medusa by C.C. Adams
Nuckelavee
Doppelganger by David Barnett
Ningen
Echidna by Mark Morris
Spring-Heeled Jack
Tupilaq by Simon Kurt Unsworth
Goblin
Harpy by Stephen Laws
Yateveo
Jorōgumo by SL Howe
Geryon
Kraken by Tim Lebbon
Ghoul
Baobhan Sith by Carly Holmes
Sphinx
Woodwose by James Brogden
Behemoth
Krampus by Paul Finch

Okay, I hear you ask ... what’s the story behind this one?

Well, to start with, for those who aren’t aware of the TERROR TALES series, we previously focussed on physical locations, be they parts of Britain or Europe (and don’t worry, those who are attached to this: there are many more of those yet to do), and my role as editor was to commission original dark stories (aka horror stories) relevant to these locations. I also took the occasional liberty of inserting a few classics in there too, and lastly - and very enjoyably - interspersed the works of fiction with true terror anecdotes: myths or folktales, or incidents of ‘true life’ terror that were also relevant to the region. (Anyone interested in the TERROR TALES back-catalogue, just follow this LINK).

TERROR TALES OF CHAOS, though (which can be bought on AMAZON or here on the TELOS SITE), is something a little different. It was born of a conversation between myself and David Howe, head honcho at TELOS PUBLISHING, at - of all events - Bristol CrimeFest a couple of years ago. My idea was to bring out a special, larger-than-usual edition (it will be the 16th in the series, if that matters to you), and with a wider than normal remit.

A firm lover of the series’ folkloric elements, I proposed TERROR TALES OF CHAOS, for which I would invite a group of writers to participate who have proved themselves time and again to be excellent masters and mistresses of the short horror tale, and would give each one a bunch of horrific names drawn from world mythologies (primarily monsters). When they’d each selected one of these, the deal was that they must write an all-new horror story using that name as the title.

When we had a full complement of wordsmiths on board, those monstrous names left over would be explored by me in the usual way, as anecdotes.

As those who follow the series will already have noticed, it’s a larger-than-usual Table of Contents this year. That’s because for all the reasons previously mentioned, TERROR TALES OF CHAOS is going to be a very special edition, a landmark in the series. We’re even doing a de luxe hardback version, complete with these nightmarish endpapers depicting a range of ghastly monsters making hay among the souls of the damned (the hardback can also be acquired at WORLD FANTASY).

I don’t want to say much more about it now, except that for those attending WORLD FANTASY 2025, the Telos event will occur at 5pm on the Saturday evening. Check your programmes for the location, but it will be in the main hotel. 

Just in case all this isn’t enough, here are several excerpts from the stories, just to whet your whistles ...

This time the box’s lid snapped up a centimetre or so before she pinned it back down with those thin, bare arms. He had a glimpse of something in the box, something grey and patched with mottled darker areas, before the lid clapped back down over it. Both girls giggled.
     Did they have something alive in there? Really? Despite himself Colley turned more fully towards the girls to try and work out what was going on. Something alive in the box? It seemed cruel. Was it a cat? A pigeon? God, was it a rat, all teeth and claws and a long, hairless tail, with an appetite unfettered by mercy or morals? He shuddered...

Simon Kurt Unsworth - Tupilaq

Her assertion that a mythical creature actually existed was entirely believable. Besides, hadn’t I seen the strangely elongated creature with my own eyes? Hadn’t I seen the horns on its head for myself? The answer is a resounding ‘yes’. As for its power to reach into the human brain. Hadn’t I seen Robyn inexplicably slow from a run to a shambling walk when the creature pursued him? And hadn’t I felt that intrusion of total dread when I had stood on the other side of the cellar door from the monster? Yes, I had. And it was such a strange sensation. I felt that malign intrusion passing through the layers of my skin, then penetrating the subcutaneous tissue before entering my flesh and blood and bones...

Simon Clark - Bauk

‘Nobody knows who or what Bosky Tom really is,’ he said. ‘Only that he’s hungry and he has a taste for human flesh. During the Civil War a company of Royalists were said to have taken refuge in Lesher’s Wood, and disappeared without a trace. The soldiers that went in after them found only blood and gnawed bones.’ He paused to let that sink in. ‘Some people say that they’ve heard strange noises, like something calling from deep within the woods, only not using words that anyone can understand.' ...

James Brogden - Woodwose

Wallowing in the real-life hellscapes of war

In three days’ time, my third historical novel, THE DEVIL’S KNIGHT, will be published by Canelo. I’m truly delighted about this, as it’s the first part in a new medieval adventure series, and though it’s a kind of continuation of the family saga that readers will first have sampled in my original two historical novels - USURPER and BATTLE LORD - this one is set around 100 years after the Norman Conquest of England and engulfs us in in an entirely new set of warlike circumstances.

In this one, we get deep into one of the most famous battles of the medieval period, Arsuf, which was and also one of the most startling victories ... not least because Richard the Lionheart’s crusader army, though it triumphed on that day, was forced to endure incredibly harsh conditions. I thus thought that it might be an interesting exercise to single out ten famous historical battles in which the geophysical conditions were so appalling that they themselves would have been sufficient to break most armies.

Before we do any of that, I’d just like to say a little bit more about ...

THE DEVIL’S KNIGHT

Though I’m perhaps better known as a writer for my crime-thriller novels and my horror short stories, during the Covid crisis, when I had a bit more time on my hands than usual, I started work on a historical action-adventure series. 

The outcome of that, as published in 2023 and 2024 respectively, was USURPER and BATTLE LORD. Together, they told the tale of a young English earl’s determination to win back his family’s name and estate after it was seemingly lost during the apocalypse of the Norman invasion. We got some great reviews ...

A blistering, rip-roaring read...

At last, the definitive story of the battle of Hastings and its aftermath...

That said, I’m sorry to report that those two books didn’t sell massively well. I’m certainly not as well known as PW Finch (my historical novel nom-de-plume) as I am by my real name, Paul Finch. So, I’m hoping that the arrival of this new series, which follows the adventures of a crusader knight, Thurstan Wildblood, a straight-line descendent from my original Saxon heroes, will go some way to amending that.

However one big difference with THE DEVIL’S KNIGHT is that there are possible supernatural overtones. I should hastily add that this isn’t a straight-up ghost story though there is a lot of horror in there, much of it of the manmade variety - I don’t believe in depicting battles in anything other than their true, gaudiest, goriest colours - but there are elements of demonic horror in this one as well.

How far do we go with that? How much of it is genuinely a tale of Hell unleashed on Earth?

Well, I guess you’ll just have to read the forthcoming two novels to find out. As I said before, the first one, THE DEVIL’S KNIGHT, is published on October 9 (this Thursday) in ebook and paperback. An Audible version will follow in the next few months.

For those interested, we join Thurstan Wildblood while he is Knight-Commander of Richard the Lionheart’s elite Familia Regis (or Household Guard). In the late 12th century, that would be an unusual position for an Englishman to occupy, as most the knights in Britain at that time were descended from the Normans who settled here after 1066. However, several of the rulers between William the Conqueror and Richard the Lionheart believed in rewarding good service, in particular Richard’s father, Henry II. And it was under Henry that Thurstan’s family, originally the Saxon earls of Ripon, who subsequently lost much of their influence during the Conquest, were restored to mightiness by being additionally invested with the much more powerful Earldom of Radnor, though now of course they are expected to fight continuously in the name of the king. 

In 1190, when Richard the Lionheart takes his vast Anglo-Norman army to the Holy Land, Thurstan, younger brother of the current Earl of Radnor, is already a veteran of several wars and a very accomplished knight. When we first meet him, he’s an unsmiling, taciturn character who gives little away, but as Knight-Commander of Richard’s elite guard, he has a reputation for utter ruthlessness. This is counterbalanced somewhat by his squire, Pandulf, a likeable if overly trusting lad who is confident that under Thurstan’s cold exterior there's a good man waiting to come out, and his close friend, Bertrand du Voix, Knight-Banneret of the Familia Regis, and an obsessive follower of Christ who is convinced that only by recapturing Jerusalem will his soul be saved.

I'm not going to say too much more about it. If you want to explore the synopsis a little further, I was quite free with that info in the previous blogpost to this one. Just scroll down from here.

I should also mention at this stage that the second in the Wildblood series, THE DARK ARMY, an essential continuation of the first book, will be published next spring. If I say so, myself, I’m very pleased with both of these novels. A lot of effort went into them: that all-important research of course, while I also went out of my way in the writing to really try to capture the atmosphere of the crusading era and the high Middle Ages, and of course to make those all important battle scenes, of which there are plenty, as gritty, bloody and bone-crunchingly realistic as possible.

On the subject of which, as promised ...

SLAUGHTER IN THE SUN ... AND THE RAIN, AND THE SNOW, AND THE MUD  

I’ve already said that THE DEVIL'S KNIGHT includes what I hope is a very vivid recreation of the battle of Arsuf, which took place on the Syrian coast midway between Acre and Jaffa, on September 7 1191. It’s often cited as one of several battles in which Richard the Lionheart established his credentials as a masterly general. In a nutshell, Richard, riding at the head of the crusader column (or ‘the Pilgrims’, as they were referred to at the time), which was about 18,000 strong, was ambushed by a numerically vastly superior Turkish army (approx 30,000), and yet overwhelmed it in a single action, which the Lionheart had planned for an advance and executed to perfection. Leading from the front as he always did (which ultimately was the death of him, though not on this occasion), he routed his opponents with exceptional ferocity. As always in that era, the casualty numbers are uncertain, but at Arsuf they roughly approximated 7,000 men slain on the Turkish side, compared to 1,000 of the crusaders.

The battle itself (portrayed on the right by the always sure hand of Gustav Dore) which encompassed a single day, was actually the climax to an intensely brutal and protracted episode, in which Richard had led his army for several weeks along the malarial Syrian coastline, enduring extreme privations, from the raging sun of the Middle East in August to constant attacks by harrying squadrons of Turkish horse-archers. Turkish officers who were present would later write admiringly about the discipline of the crusader force, which on the way from Acre to Arsuf never once broke its rigid formation, both infantry and cavalry continuing to advance despite all manner of obstacles, even those among them who were ‘bristling with arrows’. 

The secret of Richard’s success lay in his always keeping ships of the fleet coast at hand, so that his army was constantly supplied with foot and fresh water without having to weigh themselves down as they marched. On occasions the temperatures rose to what we’d now consider the high 40s, and yet they endured as far as Arsuf, at which point the Turks, under the command of Sultan Saladin himself, finally decided that their foe was surely weakened enough and thus launched a massed attack. However, Richard had prepared for this by marching his army in strict battle formation, so all they needed to do was make a swift lefthand turn and they could counter-attack immediately, which they did, scoring an astonishing if gruesome victory.

I give more details about Arsuf in the book, though you can find plenty online as well. 

The upshot is that all this got me thinking about other battles in which the combatants were forced to suffer the most heart-breaking geographic and meteorological conditions. Thinking it would be interesting to dig out some of the worst, I started rummaging through my history books, and the ten I finally settled on, I’ve listed below. 

Before we start, you’ll notice some obvious absences. And that’s because the most obvious are already so well documented that they drip off the tongue quite easily. For example, the two worst battles in history in this regard would have to be Passchendaele (Jul-Nov 1917), and Stalingrad (Jul 1942-Feb 1943).  

In the former, of course, 440,000 British and British Empire soldiers were lost, compared to Germany’s 400,000, during indescribably savage fighting across the sort of hellscape that even the most imaginative horror artists couldn’t have conceived: miles of mud, twisted wire, water-filled craters, bombed towns and shell-blasted trees, and all of it cloaked in mustard gas. 

It was photographed very famously, of course, by James Francis Hurley, as you can see here. Launcelot Kiggell, a senior British staff officer, broke down and wept when he saw the battlefield afterwards, saying: ‘Good God, did we really send men to fight in that?’ 

In the latter meanwhile, Hitler’s previously invincible 6th Army was annihilated to the tune of 1,500,000 men (though the Russians also lost 1,300,000) in the fiery and yet deep-frozen ruins of that huge industrial city on the River Volga, neither side giving an inch as they contested every room and street in one of the most gruelling battles in human history.

But as I say, Stalingrad and Passchendaele are known the world over for exemplifying the very worst that warfare can offer ... and as conflicts that took place under conditions that couldn’t have been more testing if they'd been on Mars or Venus. And so now, purely for interest, and in historical order, I’ve listed these other, lesser known in general terms perhaps, but nevertheless nightmarish engagements that were also notable for the grotesque conditions experienced by those involved. 

(I have done my level best to use real paintings by real artists to illustrate each one of these momentous events in history. Where the artist has not been credited, that is because I could find no details. If anyone would like to drop a name or two in the comments section, please feel free and I will promptly rectify. The image at the top, meanwhile, is Dull Gret by Pieter Bruegel the Elder).

1 BATTLE OF THE RIVER TREBIA (December, 218 BC)

The first major battle of the Second Punic War, when a large, well-equipped Roman army, at least 40,000 strong, was fatally lax in its preparations: it hadn’t eaten properly, and then had to wade the heavy waters of the fast-flowing, ice-filled River Trebia, emerging in deep snow and bitterly cold winter wind, thus gaining no respite, many in fact dying from hypothermia, while the well-rested Carthaginian force, similar in size and each man smeared with oil to hold off the cold, came on at full strength. It was another massive victory for Hannibal. He lost 3,000 of his own men, but slew 20,000 Romans. 

2 BATTLE OF CARRHAE (June, 53 BC)

Famous for his defeat of Spartacus and subsequent crucifixion of 6,000 captured slaves, Roman general Marcus Crassus met his match when marching against the Parthian Empire. His army of 45,000 legionaries (seven whole legions) slogged across the burning sands of the Mesopotamian desert with inadequate water supplies, ravaged by dust storms and constant arrow showers courtesy of bands of Parthian light cavalry. By the time full battle was joined, the Romans were exhausted and parched, and easy prey for the Parthians, who suffered only minimal losses compared to the Romans’ 30,000. 

3 BATTLE OF THE TEUTOBERG (September, 9 AD)

The seemingly nonstop conquests of Augustus, first emperor of the Roman Empire, came to a grinding halt with this hideous bloodbath, three confident legions finding themselves lured into the depths of the great forest of the Teutoberg, where pounding rain and knee-deep mud monstrously hampered their advance. In addition, it was a world of deep shadows and infinite close-packed trees, which the Romans had no experience of. When barbarian prince, Arminius, and his black-and-green-painted warriors attacked, the overly straggled-out legionaries had no hope. 20,000 of them died, to 5,000 Germans. (Painting by Paja Jovanovic).

4 BATTLE OF TOWTON (March, 1461)

The bloodiest battle ever fought on British soil, when, at the height of the Wars of the Roses, 30,000 Lancastrians squared up against 30,000 Yorkists. Despite its Palm Sunday date, it was fought during an intense blizzard, which prevented the rival commanders from manoeuvring effectively, resulting in a colossal, nonstop melee, knights and men-at-arms engaging toe-to-toe in mud, blood and thickly churned snow, while both sides struck at each other relentlessly with massed ranks of longbowmen. The House of York won despite losing 10,000 men. The House of Lancaster meanwhile lost double that. (Painting by Richard Caton Woodville).

5 BATTLE OF INKERMAN (November, 1854)

The Crimean War was notable for extreme incompetence from the high command and incredible courage from the rank and file. But the difficulties of this particular battle were presented by a dense, freezing fog, which descended onto the icy battlefield at the beginning of the day and remained throughout, reducing visibility to no more than a couple of feet. Nevertheless, solid blocks of primarily British troops (with some French assistance) held their positions against waves of Russian cavalry and infantry, and won a stunning victory, losing 4,000 men to the Russians’ 12,000. (Painting by Marjorie Weatherstone).

6 BATTLE OF LAKE NAROCH (March, 1916)

A lesser-known affair in the West, which nevertheless came to define the insanity of frontal infantry assaults. Originally planned for WW1’s frozen-solid Eastern Front, this Russian spring offensive fell victim to an unexpected thaw, which turned the entire battlefield into a literal swamp. The assaults went ahead anyway, entire regiments disappearing into the mud, many simply drowning, the rest destroyed by machine gunning, mortar fire and flamethrowers. Incredibly, some gains were made, but Russian losses were eye-popping, 110,000 to Germany’s 20,000 (12,000 said to have died from hypothermia). 

7 BATTLE OF MONTE CASSINO (January-May, 1944)

One of the most horrific battles on WW2’s Western Front, and though an important Allied victory, costly beyond imagining. A 240,000-strong force, comprising many international armies, but built around a core of British and Americans, stormed a series of mountain strongholds held by elite German companies in central Italy. Heavy snow in the early stages, followed by torrential rain, and finally blazing heat led to astonishing hardship, but the terrain itself, rocky and steeply sloped created a battle of attrition that was more reminiscent of WW1. The Allies lost 55,000 men to the Germans’ 20,000. (Painting by Peter McIntyre).

8 BATTLE OF KOHIMA (April-June, 1944)

A relatively small battle by WW2 standards, this ferocious engagement was still of vital importance, a besieged British and Indian force repelling the Japanese invasion of India. The outnumbered Allied forces held on stubbornly despite monsoon conditions, extreme heat, jungle sores, swarms of biting insects and a lack of clean water. There was much hand-to-hand fighting, bayonets and machetes against fiercely-wielded katanas, but dogged determination won the day, the Japanese withdrawing, having lost 7,000 men to the Allies’ 4,000. The National Army Museum proclaimed it ‘Britain's greatest battle’. (Painting by Peter Dennis).

9 BATTLE OF THE CHOSIN RESERVOIR (November-December, 1950)

Though a technical victory for the Chinese over the UN, this key battle of the Korean War is notable also for the astonishingly hard conditions - it was fought out over 17 brutal days in the midst of an Arctic freeze - and for the incredible courage of the 1st US Marine Division, who spearheaded the UN assault across extensive frozen marshland, finally breaking a numerically superior encirclement by the Chinese and enabling UN forces to retreat south to the safety of the 38th parallel (leading to the stalemate we know today). The UN lost 13,900 to the Chinese’s 60,000 (many of the latter from cold). (Painting by James Dietz). 

10 BATTLE OF DIEN BIEN PHU (March-May, 1954)

Despite the heroics of the French Foreign Legion, who parachuted into the action to reinforce their encircled comrades in this climactic battle of the 1st Indochina War, it was a massive overall defeat for the French Union (the old French Empire) by the Viet Minh (the communist-led Vietnamese nationalist coalition). It was earmarked by sustained artillery bombardments, massed infantry assaults and bitter, trench-to-trench fighting. Again, it was a grim tale of harsh terrain, monsoon rain and suppurating mud. The French lost 4,000 to the Vietnamese’s 14,000, but it signalled the end of French power in Vietnam. (Painting by Craig Wilson).

When the Devil was definitely not mocked

Greetings all. Autumn is well and truly with us, which means that, by rights, we should now be delving into the Ghosting Season. However, today I’m switching identities from Paul Finch, the writer of crime thrillers and horror, to PW Finch, the historical novelist. The reason for that: my third historical novel, THE DEVIL’S KNIGHT, is published in 11 days’ time (Oct 9), and I can’t wait for you all to get your eager little hands on it.

I should point out, though, that in keeping with the time of year, there are some eerie and fantastical elements to THE DEVIL’S KNIGHT, so it’s not entirely inappropriate including this promo on a blogsite that normally deals exclusively with dark fiction.

In addition to all that, and just for larks, I thought we might look a little closer at the Prince of Darkness himself, focussing on 20 of the most effective movies I’ve seen to date wherein Hell itself it literally raised. You’ll find that further down.

Before then, very quickly, I’d like to apologise for taking so long to post again. I can only say what I seem to be saying an awful lot in this most testing year of my life, but I’ve simply been too busy. Another blogpost, which you’ll hopefully see before the end of 2025, will explain why.

And now, onto ...

THE DEVIL’S KNIGHT

This is the first part of a an all new two-book adventure series set between the years 1189 and 1194, which completely encompasses the Third Crusade. You may remember that was the one led primarily by Richard the Lionheart, and during which an attempt was made to recapture the Holy Land after it had been seized from the Christian Kingdom of Jerusalem by the sultan of Egypt known to the West as Saladin.

The book follows the path of one Thurstan Wildblood, a fearsome knight from the Herefordshire/Welsh border, who has now become commander of the Lionheart’s elite Familia Regis. Initially, it’s a tale of battle after battle as the crusaders capture the fortified city of Acre, then proceed down the Syrian coast to Jaffa, fighting and winning the colossal engagement of Arsuf en route. All the while though, the campaign is plagued by intrigue and infighting among the crusader princes, many of whom have entirely different agendas from each other. Richard’s efforts to march on Jerusalem itself are thus foiled again and again. In due course, with the Turkish armies reinforcing almost at will, the campaign starts to falter, and Wildblood is singled out for a monumental task: to rescue a young Coptic Christian woman, Melinda of Jerusalem, who is part Arabic and part Italian. She supposedly has miraculous powers but has now become a hostage of the Turks. Once he has retrieved her, he must transport her to England with a small group of handpicked men.

The dangers posed by this task will grow exponentially as the journey commences, every conceivable enemy pursuing the intrepid band: from the Knights Templar, who consider themselves the ideal guardian for this living saint, to soldiers loyal to the Pope, who feel the same way, to the Assassins, a ruthless and dedicated band of Muslim irregulars, and most menacing of all, to the Order of Siegfried, a private but lawless mercenary army in the sole pay of the German Emperor.

If this isn’t enough, the heroes are plagued by uncertainty about their own positions. Melinda doesn’t know if she is a saint or not. Her prayers do seem to have affected miracle cures, but she has no control over this. It’s something that just happens, or so it seems. Thurstan meanwhile, seemingly invincible in battle, has a deep dread that this has only come about through his encounter in a fever dream with a terrifying demon, Belphagor, the Bishop of Hell, who in trade for his soul, has gifted the knight with extraordinary fighting skills. Wildblood never knows whether this was a genuine incident or not, but with sword in hand he is virtually indomitable.

Will the small band make it to England facing such incredible odds? And do they even want to get there? What kind of England awaits them, because in Richard’s absence, his scheming brother, Prince John, and a host of rebel barons have launched a brutal civil war. And what will it cost them to achieve this? Whose side is Thurstan even fighting on, God’s or Lucifer’s?

Sorry, I can’t say any more. But don’t worry. THE DEVIL’S KNIGHT is published on October 9. All you've got to do to pre-order, is follow this LINK.

And now, as promised...

THE DEVIL IN CELLULOID

Twenty of the best horror movies about the Devil and his minions, in chronological order. Only my opinion of course. Just a bit of fun. if you disagree or have additional suggestions, feel free to post them in the comments below or in response to whichever Facebook or Twitter post you followed to get here. Happy bone-chilling.

1 BLACK SUNDAY (1960)

In 17th century Moldavia, an aristocratic witch and her lover are inadequately put to death by her brother, and so return 200 years later to wreck fearsome revenge on their family’s descendants.

The movie that finally brought director Mario Bava to the attention of British and American horror fans, made an international star out of Barbara Steele and set the tone for the Italian Gothic cinema tradition, though for all its extravagant visuals and wild histrionics, this very traditionally themed chiller is still a stylish cut above many of those that would follow. Adapted from Nikolai Gogol’s 1935 novella, Viy.

2 THE MASQUE OF THE RED DEATH (1964)

As plague ravages medieval Italy, a Satan-worshipping nobleman gathers his followers in his Gothic castle for a night of feasting, torture and madness, and to await the arrival of the Prince of Darkness.

Vincent Price’s darkest role, the horror maestro radiating sadistic cruelty at every turn, yet adding layers of character too, while director Roger Corman enjoys himself immensely as he explores the varied forms of evil that open up in a world where virtue is non-existent. Adapted from Edgar Allan Poe’s 1842 short story of the same name.

3 ROSEMARY’S BABY (1968)

A couple of New York newly-weds move into a new apartment building, and are befriended by their strange but seemingly inoffensive neighbours, unaware that they already figure in an apocalyptic scheme to bring the Antichrist into our world.

Roman Polanski’s artful and meticulous direction creates a thoroughly satisfying horror experience, even though, with the exception of one famous scene, there isn’t too much horror in it. Persuasive performances and naturalistic dialogue only add to the air of realism. So effective was the overall package that it kickstarted a whole new cycle of Satanic chillers. Adapted from Ira Levin’s 1967 novel of the same name.

4 THE DEVIL RIDES OUT (1968)

In 1929, intellectual adventurer, the Duc de Richleau, becomes concerned about the behaviour of a young friend, only to learn that he is now affiliated to a devil-worshipping cult so powerful that they’re capable of summoning Lucifer himself.

Though surprisingly conservative in its approach to the subject matter, director Terence Fisher’s 17th Hammer outing is widely considered a masterwork in the genre. Mostly dispensing with the new-fangled sex and violence, it is spiritual terror that concerns us here, the period setting exquisitely conjured and Christopher Lee, for once a good guy, facing off marvellously against Charles Gray’s evil warlock. Adapted from Dennis Wheatley’s 1934 novel of the same name.

5 BLOOD ON SATAN’S CLAW (1971)

In rural England of the 17th century, fragments of an abhorrent creature are uncovered in the West Country furrows, a scourge of evil slowly spreading through the local villages, particularly among the children.

Realistically bleak portrayal of Restoration England, complete with credulous peasants and rampant inappropriateness when it comes to pagan ritual. Linda Hayden steals the show as a sultry anti-heroine, Patrick Wymark adding weight as the local hanging-judge. It meanders at times, but director Piers Haggard shoots it beautifully and creates an effective doom-laden atmosphere. Made from Robert Wynne-Simmons’ original screenplay.

6 THE DEVILS (1971)

When the nuns in a 17th century French convent demonstrate signs of possession, the local priest, who’s been a prominent defender of the town’s ancient liberties, is brought up on charges of diabolism.

The Devil is definitely present in this horrific reimagining of real-life events, but only inasmuch as so many characters willingly insist that he’s there even when he isn’t. Director Ken Russell indulges himself as only he can, wallowing in sex, violence and depravity to the point where this, his most graphic chunk of Grand Guignol, becomes a difficult watch even for horror hounds. For all that, it remains an extraordinarily vivid piece of work. Adapted from Aldous Huxley’s 1952 novel, The Devils of Loudon, and John Whiting’s 1960 play, The Devils.

7 THE MEPHISTO WALTZ (1971)

A failed musician is befriended by a famous concert pianist who is now dying and plans to use a Satanic ceremony to transfer his soul into the body of a younger man.

Far from everyone’s favourite, but the sole Quinn Martin production ever to hit the big screen surely deserves some kind of mention. Paul Wendkos directs, and while it perhaps takes the whole concept of devilish magic a little too lightly (TV habits are hard to break, I guess), it was a novel(ish) idea at the time, and fully in line with the zeitgeist as it again followed the new fashion of bringing ancient sorcery into the contemporary realm. Adapted from Fred Mustard Stewart’s 1969 novel of the same name.

8 THE EXORCIST (1973)

In hip college town, Georgetown, the possession of a young girl by a demonic spirit seems vanishingly unlikely. Even local churchmen are sceptical. But such are the appalling circumstances that in due course, two exorcists are chosen to do battle with the malignant entity.

The horror movie that sent shockwaves around the world, and probably plumbed darker depths than horror ever had before. There was much exaggeration from the publicity machine, but director William Friedkin presents his lurid drama in such hard-headed and factual, semi-documentary style (having even acquired Vatican cooperation) that in the 2020s it still remains one of cinema’s most authentic chillers. Adapted from William Peter Blatty’s 1971 novel of the same name.

9 FROM BEYOND THE GRAVE (1974)

In a Highgate side-street, an unobtrusive knick-knack shop called Temptations Ltd makes its customers offers they can’t refuse and guarantees a big novelty surprise with each one.

Peter Cushing hams it up wonderfully as the devilish shopkeeper in Kevin Connor's top-drawer horror compendium, each segment developed from a classy short story, and thus living long in the memory. The emphasis is less on Satan, and more on the nasty fate you’ll invite if you are lured into his web. Adapted from four short works by R. Chetwynd-Hayes.

10 THE OMEN (1976)

The new American ambassador to London struggles to deal with bizarre and horrific happenings, and persistent warnings that his new baby son may well be the Antichrist.

Despite a thorough panning by the critics, director Richard Donner’s big contribution to the ‘70s Satan cycle’ was a box office smash that defied all expectations. The usual glut of ‘true’ spook stories accompanied its production, but Gregory Peck’s dignified central performance (among several others) plus plenty of eye-popping set-piece moments elevate it well above the general horror mish-mash of that era. Made from an original screenplay by David Seltzer.

11 THE SENTINEL (1977)

A neurotic fashion model moves into a New York apartment but is increasingly troubled by her eccentric and even menacing neighbours, unaware that they are reincarnations of serial killers seeping out of Hell because the guardian of the gateway, who lives upstairs, is close to death.

Controversial now because director Michael Winner used real life disabled actors to play devils, though this thick slice of mid-70s horror schlock still has the power to scare, especially in the less grisly first half, where the eerie mystery is slowly unravelled. Another mid-70s horror that benefits hugely from a starry cast. Adapted from Jeffrey Konvitz’s 1974 novel of the same name.

12 SUSPIRIA (1977)

A young American woman graduates to an elite German dance academy, only to find a coven of witches hiding there and using it as cover for all kinds of demonic wickedness.

Typically phantasmagoric horror from Dario Argento: sparse dialogue, kaleidoscopic use of primary colours, a plethora of bloodcurdling set-piece deaths, and relentless ‘big shock’ moments. Horror eye-candy rather than a seriously-minded film, but still superior to the sober soullessness of the 2018 remake. Adapted from Thomas de Quincey’s 1845 essay, Suspiria de Profundis.

13 THE AMITYVILLE HORROR (1979)

A cash-strapped family move into a luxury Long Island home, which they’ve acquired for a knock-down price, only to find themselves assailed by apparent demonic forces.

Allegedly based on a true story, though it’s been much debunked since, the intensity of Stuart Rosenberg’s relatively low budget production has been widely praised. The suburban terror builds right from the start, aided and abetted by a film score that would go down in horror movie history. Adapted from Jay Anson’s 1977 novel of the same name.

14 ANGEL HEART (1987)

In the mid 1950s, a traumatised war vet, now turned PI, investigates the disappearance of a popular singer, taking a winding road through the backstreets of New York to the hoodoo-haunted swamps of Louisiana, encountering murder after murder en route.

Director, Alan Parker, successfully blends film noir with devilish horror in this gruesome but compelling mystery thriller. Explicit sex and violence created a wave of controversy, but it remains intelligent scare-fare, and rises to some true crescendos of darkness. Adapted from William Hjortsberg’s 1978 novel, Falling Angel.

15 HELLRAISER (1987)

After an amoral hedonist is torn apart by sadomasochistic demons he summoned while hoping to experience the ultimate pleasures, he escapes from Hell by persuading his sister-in-law to commit brutal murders so that he can rebuild his shattered form.

Clive Barker’s directorial debut, and a gory, gaudy exercise in 80s horror, with lashings of blood and torn flesh and endless mind-bending imagery. The trans-Atlantic setting confused some audiences, but the fact it takes its horror seriously, and utilises Hell’s denizens for quite different purposes from the norm, makes it a stand-out movie of that era. Adapted from Clive Barker’s own 1986 novella, The Hellbound Heart.

16 THE EXORCIST III (1990)

When an ageing Georgetown cop investigates a series of ritual decapitations, he gradually uncovers links to the multi-fatality exorcism of a young child some twenty years earlier.

Exorcist author, William Peter Blatty, took the director’s helm himself to create this hugely effective and engrossing sequel to the original masterpiece. He’d already written both books of course, so he could hardly go wrong, except that interference by studio execs left him personally dissatisfied with the final product. Adapted from William Peter Blatty’s 1983 novel, Legion.

17 EVENT HORIZON (1997)

A deep space salvage mission to recover the wreck of an experimental ship that went missing years earlier runs into trouble when the salvage crew discover that, wherever their objective has been all this time, it may quite literally have opened a portal to Hell.

Rare but incredibly effective blend of sci-fi and occult horror, director Paul Anderson laying on the extreme psycho-disturbances (and the extreme gore), melding the subgenres perfectly to create a unique and genuinely terrifying atmosphere, the stellar cast happily playing second fiddle to the nightmarish concept. Made from an original screenplay by Philip Eisner.

18 THE EXORCISM OF EMILY ROSE (2005)

When a studious college girl dies during the course of a brutal exorcism, the priest responsible faces trial for murder. His atheist defence attorney dismisses any possibility that demons did it, though events soon conspire to change her mind.

Another true(ish) story, and another blend of subgenres, occult horror this time slamming headlong into courtroom drama. Sharp work by all involved elevates Scott Derrickson’s nifty little chiller way above the God v Satan melodrama you might expect from such a concept. Religious in tone, but relentlessly frightening. Inspired by the genuine case of Anneleise Michel.

19 THE WITCH (2015)

When a poor Puritan family come to settle in what will eventually become New England, they initially think they have landed in paradise, only to start suspecting that the witchcraft they so feared in the old country has followed them here.

This astonishing piece of work from debut director Robert Eggers raised the game of the occult horror genre several notches overnight. He utilises plenty of old tropes, but hits his audience in the gut with them rather than going through the age-old motions. One of those grittily dark and disturbing horror movies that you don’t want to watch more than once. Made from an original screenplay by Eggers himself.

20 THE DEVIL'S DOORWAY (2018)

In the early 1960s, two Irish priests are appalled by the goings-on they uncover in one of the Magdalene laundries, and even more so when their investigation leads them into a subterranean world of human sacrifice and Luciferian ritual.

Probably the one movie on this list that quite a few readers won’t have seen, and it’s their loss. Lalor Roddy is remarkable as the ageing priest struggling to keep his faith in the face of intense evil (as much from his own side as the other), but it’s director Aislinn Clarke who does the most immense job, grittifying her discomforting tale to the point where you can hardly bear to watch - oh, and scaring the pants off you in the process. Made from an original screenplay by Aislinn Clarke, Martin Brennan and Michael B Jackson.