Next up - the dark heart of the rural USA

When people ask me what my next movie project is going to be, unfortunately I'm rarely able to give them a straight answer. For example, if I was to say "I don't know", you wouldn't believe it, would you? I wouldn't believe it, myself. But it's actually the truth.

The world of independent movie-making is a strange beast. Schedules are chopped and changed constantly. Deadlines often have no connection with reality. Remuneration can seem like an abstract concept which only exists in a 'parallel universe' version of whichever project you happen to be working on.

It's certainly the case that if you're trying to make a living in this field, you can't afford to tie yourself down to any one job at a time. Hence, the only honest answer to this question must be: "Hell, I'm working on loads of movies at the present time, and any one of them - I don't know which - could come out next!"

Most people who regularly check this column will know that THE DEVIL'S ROCK 2 is definitely in the pipeline (sequel to THE DEVIL’S ROCK, extensive items concerning which can be found in the next edition of FANGORIA, as evidenced by the various page excerpts and cuts-outs reprinted here for your delectation). However, THE DEVIL'S ROCK 2 is still at an early stage of development - a bit earlier than I'm totally happy with, if I'm honest (there are times when you just want to rumble, you know) - so other projects may now take precedence, and one of these is an adaptation of the best-selling horror novel, DARK HOLLOW, by BRIAN KEENE.


I've been working on this project for some time with PAUL CAMPION, director of THE DEVIL’S ROCK and THE DEVIL'S ROCK 2, and the script is now in such a sttate of readiness that the good chap is busy hawking it around our favourite finance houses to raise the necessary green. Details regarding our progress and in fact all aspects of this development can be tracked on our specially dedicated DARK HOLLOW FACEBOOK PAGE.

For those who haven't read DARK HOLLOW, it tells the tale of a peaceful rural community populated primarily by contented middle-class folks (and a bumpkin or two), whose quiet lives are suddenly shattered when an eerie woodland being is summoned to their side by an ancient curse ...

On the basis of this (hopefully tantalising) thumbnail outline, you could easily be forgiven for thinking that DARK HOLLOW is set in the heart of the English countryside. But guess again. Original author, BRIAN KEENE, one of my best pals Stateside, is a Pennyslvania boy born and bred, and he set his spooky, and at times rather sexy, tale in the land he loves and knows best.

I'll not say any more about this, except that it's a lush, adult-themed faerie tale, filled with magic, mystery and blood - yep, plenty of that - but also redolent of forest mythology and ancient, rural lore. It's also got some hot chicks in it too (sorry, Brian, that was a cheap shot - but I believe in getting the audience's attention any way I can).

Check back here for regular updates, or look on the DARK HOLLOW FACEBOOK PAGE, which we will be packing with details as often as we can.

The damnation game: writing horror films

Folk keep on asking me where we're at with the sequel to THE DEVIL’S ROCK.

Well, unfortunately I can't satisfy those of you who are already looking for a release date, flattering though it is to be asked such a question. But check out the image on the left.

Yep, it's the cover page of the official outline document, and we're still making revisions to it. That's where we are at present. I guess it shows what a drawn-out process the movie development phase can be, but I promise everyone it's not because we're draggng our heels. Nailing the storyline is vitally important if you want a quick, clean script-writing experience. There is nothing worse than actually going into the dialogue when you still aren't sure where the story is leading - trust me, I've done it (those damn characters start talking for themselves - imagine that; it's bad enough when actors have opinions).

It also does no harm to get your plot down on paper, and then give it a few days to let it mature. It's never an immediate process. It may be different for every writer, but for me new thoughts and ideas always suggest themselves later on, when I've had time to ponder. It's certainly not frustrating - that bit only comes later, when you're waiting for your producer to tell you all the funding is in place.

Anyway, just to reassure ourselves that it's all worthwhile in the end, here are a few shots to remind us of the joys ahead once we move from preproduction to production ...

First up, above is an on-set still of actor Jonathan King getting the full-on treatment from the Weta Workshop boys, as they show the world how gruesome a thing it would be to blow someone's brains out from point-blank range. Just don't ask me how they know that.

Left, director and co-writer Paul Campion recently flew around the world to attend the Yubari Film Festival in Japan, and found that THE DEVIL’S ROCK had got there before he had. Very shortly after arriving, he took this shot of a US import on sale in a Japanese supermarket. In some ways that's quite gatifying, but in others you think: "Hang about - did I really need to catch a 10-hour flight in order to promote this puppy?"

And on the subject of imports and exports, right is the rather impressive cover for the German DVD release.

These are the best momnents, if I'm honest - it shows that your work is really getting out to a global audience.

It's also nice that the movie has sold in Japan and Germany.

THE DEVIL’S ROCK does have a World War Two background, but at the end of the day it's just a bit of fun - an occult horror romp, which happens to be set in a tumultuous period that is now very much part of our shared but distant history.

Eerie tale of old, dark London still a seller

I was so delighted by this review of SPARROWHAWK, which recently appeared on the excellent THIS IS HORROR website, that I’m going to take the unusual step of reprinting it in full below.

SPARROWHAWK, which as well as being available in ebook form, is also still available in its original softback from PENDRAGON PRESS, or from AMAZON UK or AMAZON US was my short novel of 2010, and concerns an embittered veteran of the Afghan War, who, during the Christmas of 1843, is released from the terrible Fleet Prison in London, and charged with a most mysterious and frightening duty.

The story is set during a bitter Victorian winter and strong on Christmas atmosphere, so it may seem a little bit odd promoting it like this in early spring, but it is still selling very well, which suggests that not all of us select our reading matter on a season-by-season basis (and even if we do, we can always stick it in such a place on the e-reader that it arrives at the top of the list sometime around October or November, can’t we).

Anyway, here we go (and many thanks to Dan Howarth, the reviewer; I'm delighted the book made such an impression on him):

‘Sparrowhawk’ is the story of Captain John Sparrowhawk, one of the British Empire’s finest soldiers who is languishing in a debtor’s jail. He is offered a reprieve and chance of redemption in the form of the beautiful yet enigmatic Miss Evangeline. His task is simple; he must guard the occupants of a nearby house against intruders during the month of December. Almost immediately upon his release, John Sparrowhawk realises that this is no simple sentry duty.

Paul Finch, author of the recent Spectral Press chapbook ‘King Death’, has previously demonstrated a fantastic grasp of the historical in his work and this is certainly on display here. Set against the brutal winter of 1843, Finch takes his readers on a tour of Victorian London, noting the squalor, tradition and frivolity of a Victorian Christmas with genuine authenticity. The research and care that has been put into the description and period detail of each setting is a joy to read. Finch is clearly passionate about his setting and this passion shines through in his prose.

The central character Captain Sparrowhawk is charismatic and brave yet a tragically broken soul. The juxtaposition in his personality brings moments of incredible tenderness followed almost immediately by acts of extreme violence. The harrowing story of his time in Afghanistan coupled with his interesting personal life make Sparrowhawk a sympathetic figure, yet one that is difficult to warm to at times.

The story itself has a number of fantastic set pieces ranging from a garish Victorian feast to a shoot out in a grotty district of London that shows John Sparrowhawk at his brutal and menacing best. Sparrowhawk’s experiences in Afghanistan weigh heavily on his shoulders, clearly shaping his actions and impulses in the book’s well written fight scenes. The parallels that Finch draws between the Victorian conflict in Afghanistan and the current one are a poignant nod to the reader.

One of the principal triumphs of ‘Sparrowhawk’ is how the story captures the sense of Christmas. The images of deep snow drifts and produce on display in the markets are brilliantly festive, yet Finch still manages to create a sense of terror that holds true to the Victorian spirit of the Christmas ghost story. The scares in the book are sharp and perfectly accentuate a measured and believably atmosphere of dread.

‘Sparrowhawk’ is a short, tense and occasionally tender story that has a surprising yet welcome twist in the tale. The lead character is complex and layered, adding an extra layer of intrigue to a mysterious storyline. Paul Finch has proved himself to be the master of the historical horror story and this is no exception. ‘Sparrowhawk’ makes perfect horror reading for the holiday period and is bound to live with the reader long after the decorations have come down.

So who was 'the Black Wolf of the North'?

A few people have asked me this question recently. It is in relation to my forthcoming Arthurian novel from Abaddon Books, DARK NORTH, published (and available from all your favourite retailers, both online and off it) on March 15th.

It was the nickname given to Sir Lucan, a Knight of the Round Table, who was also Earl of Penharrow and Steward of King Arthur's Northern March.

The image above is Lucan's official insigna, worn by he and his household either - depending on the occasion - as a crimson wolf-head on a field of black, or a black wolf-head on a field of crimson. In times of extreme peril, such as war, Lucan dispensed with the wolf-head altogether; he and his knights would then wear pure black livery, Lucan occasionally - much to the fear and disdain of the rest of Arthur's nobility - donning a heavy cloak of black wolf-fur over the top.

Sir Lucan is one of the least well-known of King Arthur’s knights, and yet he was one of the longest serving. He joined the Round Table while it was in its infancy, when he was very young. He served Arthur for many decades, and was one of the last knights standing at the battle of Camlann, in which Arthur was killed. Though it has been airbrushed out of the modern record, Hollywood and romantic novelists preferring to credit every heroic deed to Arthur’s better-known knights, the original medieval chroniclers name Lucan as the knight who carried the dying king from the final battlefield and say that he was the one who returned Excalibur to the Lady of the Lake.

Sir Lucan was the younger brother of the more famous and infinitely more esteemed Sir Bedivere. Both were born of the much beloved Countess Gundolen, though they had different fathers. Bedivere was sired by Sir Pedrawd, a Welsh baron well known for his goodly ways, while Lucan was the son of Duke Corneus, one of Uther Pendragon’s northern marcher-barons, and a much darker figure in the Arthurian mythos.

Sir Lucan was offered the butlership of Camelot at least once. The position of Butler in medieval society was far different from that we know today. In effect, it would have made him a form of under-steward, a very senior position in the hierarchy of the Royal Court. However, Lucan is so rarely mentioned in Round Table stories focussing on events at Camelot that it is generally assumed he refused the honour. No-one knows why this might have been. It has been suggested that Lucan’s barbarous upbringing might have made him feel unsuited for the sophisticated climes of the Royal Court. Certainly it’s the case that comments attributed to Lucan in the Noble Tragedie suggest that he was more content to be a soldier than an administrator.

Sir Lucan, depicted right in the embrasure of a northern cathedral, is often portrayed as a fearsome figure, a great warrior as befitted his survival through the carnage at Camlann, but also a powerful and ruthless marcher-lord in the fashion of his father. His nickname, the ‘Black Wolf of the North’, more than hints at a severe side to his character. However, both Arthur and Merlin liked Lucan a great deal, which suggests that, though Lucan had a fierce reputation, he never strayed too far from the path of righteousness. In addition, Sir Bedivere was especially fond of his half-brother; though Bedivere regarded Lucan as one of the deadliest warriors at the Round Table, his attitude to him is often that of an understanding parent with a difficult child.

What of Lucan and Trelawna? Even by the standards of the Arthurian mythos, Trelawna was regarded as an exceptional beauty; “the ultimate prize of man and rake,” as Sir Gawaine described her in one of his drunken moments, and as “the faerie child”, in the jealous words of Morgana, Arthur’s sister. Lucan was married to her for many years, and there was clearly affection between them, but it was a bond based on blood. Lucan had killed Trelawna’s father in single combat – which would be a big issue today, but was not uncommon in medieval martial society. It meant that Lucan was honour-bound to take Trelawna under his protection, which he duly did. Lucan and Trelawna were roughly the same age, and, as Merlin commented “a good match”. But as so often was proved to be the case, Merlin was no expert in matters of the heart.

Lucan’s quest is almost never referred to in the annals of the Knights of the Round Table. This is because it was deemed to be inherently ignoble, even though it ultimately proved to be one of the most difficult and challenging that any of Arthur’s knights would undertake. Lucan is in so many ways a human figure – certainly compared to the clean-cut paladins we normally associate with Camelot. His quest was based on that most common of emotions – vengeance, not the all-important chivalry. His half-brother, Bedivere, warned him beforehand that he would never be forgiven for undertaking such a task. Characteristically, Lucan ignored this wise advice, and so passed out of history and legend into rumour.

If you want to know more, I guess you'll just have to read the book.

Tales of Cotswolds terror - ready to order!

It gives me great pleasure to announce that the next volume in my new series of 'regional' horror anthologies, TERROR TALES OF THE COTSWOLDS is now available to pre-order direct from its publisher, GRAY FRIAR PRESS, to be unleashed on the world next month.

Hopefully those who enjoyed the first volume in this series, TERROR TALES OF THE LAKE DISTRICT, will need no further convincing, but for those who haven't yet read that one, and for those who don't know the UK too well, this anthology will concentrate on the Cotswolds, a beautiful, serene and very rural area of south-central England, which also happens to be steeped in folklore and mythology and has a very brutal history (stretching from the Roman invasion of Britain right through to the fearsome events of the English Civil War). But hey, why don't I just shut my mouth and let the back cover blurb do the talking ...

The Cotswolds – land of green fields, manor houses and thatched-roof villages, where the screams of ancient massacres linger in the leafy woods, faeries weave sadistic spells, and pagan gods stir beneath the moonlit hills …

The flesh-eating fiend of St. John’s
The vengeful spirit of Little Lawford
The satanic murders at Meon Hill
The ghastly mutilation at Wychavon
The demon dancers of Warwick
The cannibal feast at Alvington
The twisted revenant of Stratford-upon-Avon

And many more chilling tales by Ramsey Campbell, Simon Clark, Alison Littlewood, Reggie Oliver, Joel Lane and other award-winning masters and mistresses of the macabre.

The book contains 12 works of original horror fiction set in the Cotswolds, and two classic reprints. It also features numerous anecdotal tales concerning supposedly true incidents of Cotswold terror.

In case your appetites haven’t been whetted enough, here is the full table of contents:

In the Dark And In the Quiet by Alison Littlewood
Fury From Beyond
Straw Babies by Gary McMahon
A Bizarre And Terrible Event
Charm by Reggie Oliver
The Grimmest Castle In England
Hoxlip And After by Christopher Harman
The Undead Who Wander The Wye
The Shakespeare Curse by Simon Clark
Oxford’s Black Assize
The Scouring by Thana Niveau
The Cannibal Feast
Wassailing by Steve Lockley
Bloodbath Under A Spectral Sun
The Silent Dance by Joel Lane
What Walks In Ettington Park?
Waiting For Nicky by Antonia James
The Satanic Slayings at Meon Hill
The Horror Under Warrendown by Ramsey Campbell
Worcester’s Most Odious Relic
The Lurker by Gary Fry
The Beast Of St John’s
The Cotswold Olimpicks by Simon Kurt Unsworth
God’s Dire Warning
A Taste of Honey, A Horror Of Stone by John Llewellyn Probert
Lovell’s Long Wait
Bog Man by Paul Finch

Once again, I wholeheartedly thank these authors for their efforts, not to mention Steve Upham, whose artwork adds a new dimension to any project he's connected with, and Gary Fry of Gray Friar Press, without whom none of this would have been possible. (As a footnote, the book will be also be available from most good online retailers, AMAZON UK and AMAZON US for example, in a few weeks' time).

Well, what are you all waiting for ... enjoy!

AFTER the chill horror comes the SHOCK

More ebook news now for those keen to join the electronic reading revolution.

My first published collection of short stories, AFTER SHOCKS - which came out from ASH-TREE PRESS way back in 2001, and subsequently went on to win the British Fantasy Award in 2002 for 'Best Collection' - is now available on Kindle (courtesy of ASH-TREE EBOOKS), and may either be purchased at AMAZON UK or AMAZON US for the bargain basement prices of £3.92 and $6.79 respectively.

I'm absolutely delighted that AFTER SHOCKS will now live again. Partly because it's been out of print for so long - several readers have contacted me in recent times while seeking a copy, and I haven't been able to assist - but also because it neatly represents what I consider to be my first wave of supernatural and fantastical writing.

Though I was already classed as a professional writer back then, in the distant candle-lit years of the 1990s, my efforts were primarily in TV. Running parallel to this, though, was my interest in short fiction - particularly short fiction of the spooky variety - for which there were very few outlets save those in the independent press.

Titles like ALL HALLOWS, THE THIRD ALTERNATIVE, GHOSTS & SCHOLARS, KIMOTA, PEEPING TOM, TERROR TALES, NASTY PIECE OF WORK, ROADWORKS, UNREAL DREAMS, STRIX, etc - and many others too numerous to mention (all the product of literary folk whose imaginative work within the genre was matched only by their determination to keep it going despite the lack of interest shown at the time by the mass-market) comprised the main horror and fantasy magazines wherein I first honed my skills as a teller of short stories and novellas.

I owe a lot to the many editors I worked with back then, not to mention those fellow writers who followed that same route at roughly the same time (many of whom went on to have great careers of their own, of course).

I particularly owe a lot to Chris and Barbara Roden of ASH-TREE PRESS, who thought so much of my work that they voluntarily showcased it in the beautiful hardbacked tome that was the original AFTER SHOCKS. Now that they're showcasing it again in this electronic version, I owe them doubly as it may entice a whole new generation of readers.

The book contains 18 short stroies, some of them originals and some of them reprints. Its full TOC is pasted in below, but I've interrupted the list here and there to include a couple of choice extracts, which hopefully will whet people's appetites to read more.

AFTER SHOCKS

The Knock At The Cellar Door
The After Shock ... he was clad in dark, badly stained overalls and was massive of build, with huge shoulders and great forearms covered in oil and coal-dust. He was also wreathed in black smoke, which seemed to be streaming up around him, so his face was hidden, but I didn't need to see it to know that he was peering directly at me and in no friendly way ...
Devils Of Lakeland
The Magic Lantern Show
The Wolfman’s House
Eleanor’s Garden
A Night on Dragon Rock
February
Teresa’s Torment
To The Castle
The Altar
August
The Hotel On The Borderland ... beneath the visage of this feral monster, there lay another kind of fiend. One he was far more familiar with; one whose preferred hunting ground was the urban wasteland rather than the marsh, the tenements and alleyways rather than the forest; whose weapons were bombs and bullets rather than claws and teeth. Yet all that, it seemed, had changed ...
The Punch And Judy Man
September
The Dandy Dogs
Enemy Ours
The Fimbulwinter

Get hold of MEDI EVIL 1 absolutely FREE!

For anyone who hasn’t yet read any of my MEDI-EVIL historical horror and fantasy trilogy, released on ebook last April, and is strongly tempted to go for it – now would be the time.

MEDI-EVIL 1 is on promotion this weekend, on Kindle. That means you can download it absolutely FREE OF CHARGE for two days: today (Saturday) and Sunday.

In case you need further temptation, MEDI-EVIL 1 contains three novellas of our turbulent past.

In the first, THE BLOOD MONTH, two Viking brothers, recently converted to Christianity, flee the vengeance of their king and take refuge with their aged uncle in a remote corner of northern Greenland. Unfortunately, they arrive during morketiden, when the midwinter sun never rises, and find a long-hall and village under siege by a terrible something, which moves faceless and silent through the darkness and the frozen mist, and one by one, is killing people in the most personal and hideous ways …

In the second, FLIBBERTIGIBBET, we travel back to the chaotic days of Elizabethan London, where guilt-stricken secret agent Robert Urmston is brought out of voluntary retirement – not to catch heretics or spies of the Spanish king – but to track down a new kind of enemy, an unknown maniac who is terrorising the teeming slums south of the River Thames with a series of ghastly, ritualistic murders, which have the potential to bring down the entire government of England …

In the third, THE GODS OF GREEN AND GREY, a young Roman officer takes a small cohort of men into the misty and unexplored swamps of eastern Britain, and there commences to build a series of bridges. Very quickly, however, he and his troop find themselves under attack – not from local tribesmen or dangerous animals, but from a family of cannibalistic ogres, who are determined to ensure that knowledge of their existence is not taken back to civilisation …

If you fancy picking up a copy of this ebook – absolutely FREE – call in at AMAZON UK or AMAZON US and download it right now. Remember, the offer runs out at the end of tomorrow (Sunday, Feb 12th).

As a mark of its quality, MEDI-EVIL 1 is currently positioned 14th in the ‘Kindle Fantasy and Historical’ section and is in the top 100 for ‘Kindle Horror’.