Enjoy a few reviews . . .

RECIPIENT OF MULTIPLE awards within the literary field, author, compiler and editor Stephen Jones returns with the second volume in his Alchemy Press Book of the Dead series, detailing and commemorating those within the creative arts who have made significant contributions to our collective genre of horror, fantasy and science fiction, and with whom passed away in 2021.

The entries span various artistic professions, with more than 500 included covering writers, publishers, artists, actors, film directors and producers, special effects wizards, and more. The tribute sections are split up rather nicely with various classic film posters (the images in full colour this time), each relating to a name who is featured in the book. Same thing for the front cover by Enzo Nistri, originally a poster for the 1966 Hammer horror film Dracula: Prince of Darkness, which starred actress Barbara Shelley, who also passed away in 2021. The striking fantasy-inspired frontispiece – originally the cover for Fantasy Tales (Autumn 1988) – is by Chris Achilleos (1947–2021) whose work I personally have fond memories of viewing as a child on the covers of various “Fighting Fantasy” gamebooks.

Jones recalls in his Introduction how he has been, more or less, collecting obituaries all his life, something of a fascination for him even during his school days when he learnt of the deaths of such iconic names as Stan Laurel and Boris Karloff, later going on to pen various “in memoriams” of his own for publications like The British Fantasy Society Bulletin, Fantasy Media, Locus and Shock Xpress, along with, of course, the ‘Necrology’ section of his long(est)-running Best New Horror anthology series. This Introduction lends important – and compelling – background and context to the origins of this book and the series as a whole, the author also posting the entries on his Facebook page.

As I stated in my review of the first Alchemy Press Book of the Dead, this series is an important one, aside from being a very interesting read. A reference book such as this pays tribute to not just the “big names” who have left their mark on our genre, but also those whose contributions may otherwise run the risk of going unrecorded.

Some of those names included in this current volume are as follows:

Within the field of literature: Gary Compton, Storm Constantine, Larry Flynt, Bryn Fortey, Steve Lines, Simon Marshall-Jones, William F. Nolan, Darroll Pardoe, Anne Rice and Wilbur Smith.

From the worlds of film and television (and music): Lionel Blair, Johnny Briggs, John Challis, Sonny Chiba, Mary Collinson, Neil Connery (brother of Sean), Martha De Laurentiis, Richard Donner, Olympia Dukakis, Pat Hitchcock, Larry King, Yaphet Kotto, Helen McCrory, Michael Nesmith, Christopher Plummer, Paul Ritter, George Segal, Jim Steinman, Dean Stockwell and Betty White.

There are many others, of course, and kudos to Jones and The Alchemy Press for yet another finely researched and compiled entry in this series.

—Trevor Kennedy

The Alchemy Press Book of the Dead 2021 is available to purchase from Amazon and other outlets. For more information please click the link button . . .

NEW EXPANDED EITION Edited by Stephen Jones

HAVING READ AND thoroughly enjoyed 2020’s The Art of Pulp Horror from the same editor, Stephen Jones, I was quick to snap up this recently released second edition of a title originally published in 2015. Unsurprisingly, it’s more of the same with a weighty full colour hardback, packed to the brim with an extremely large collection of horror film posters and artworks from across the decades, many of them rarities, along with enjoyable articles relating to each period by some very well respected names in the field, including an appropriate foreword by the director of An American Werewolf in London, John Landis.

At its very core this tome is essentially a detailed history of horror films, brought to colourful life with the many aforementioned images – and a definite collector’s item for both film and art buffs worldwide.

Each decade is given the full treatment, from the silent era to the Universal monster heydays, through the 1950s atomic age-inspired sci-fi B-movies and the slasher craze of the 1980s, right up to the present day. Not only that – and this is the thing that interested me most – but great time and effort is given to multiple obscure and unknown to the mainstream movies (and their posters) from right across the globe over the last one hundred years. I was particularly amused by some of the international versions of posters for famous horror flicks, portraying scenes and objects that don’t even appear in the film it is promoting, with some of the artworks rendered on sack cloth, no less! It is also wonderful to be introduced to so many artists whose gloriously macabre work I had not viewed before.

Some of the featured artists include Randy Broecker, Jeff Carlson, Guillermo del Toro, Les Edwards, Bob Eggleton, Thomas Gianni, Basil Gogos, Graham Humphreys, Daryl Joyce, Douglas Klauba, Dave McKean, Rick Melton and Pete Von Sholly, while the well-informed written pieces come from the previously noted Landis, Jones himself (Introduction), Sir Christopher Frayling, Tom Weaver, Barry Forshaw, David J. Schow, Kim Newman, Jonathan Rigby, Lisa Morton, Anne Billson and Ramsey Campbell. With Applause Books as publisher, collectively they have produced a beautiful book aesthetically and an entertaining and educational one academically. 

I would imagine that in years to come horror film nerds like myself will still be discussing and recommending this book (along with the Pulp Horrorvolume and the first book in the series, The Art of Horror) as something of a go-to reference bible for the field – deservedly so – and one that will always take pride of place on the bookshelf of any serious and respectable aficionado.

Note: As the subtitle of this edition obviously suggests, it contains a plethora of new material and images from the previous Rondo Hatton Award-winning one.

—Trevor Kennedy

The Art of Horror Movies: An Illustrated History: New Expanded Edition is published by Applause Books and is available to purchase from Amazon and many other outlets. 

DAVE CARSON IS a multi-British Fantasy Award-winning horror illustrator. His most legendary illustrations center around the themes and creatures experienced within the vast world of H.P. Lovecraft. Exceptional in his field, Carson has also provided illustrations for H.P. Lovecraft’s Book of Horror, of which he was also co-editor, as well as Called by Cthulhu: The Eldritch Art of Dave Carson. This is to name a few of his rich contributions to the curious domain that is the Cthulhu Mythos.

Four Portfolios of Lovecraftian Art, published by Shoggoth Press, is a stunning testament to Carson’s talent. High praise is given throughout from legends such as Brian Lumley, Karl Edward Wagner, Ramsey Campbell and Carl T. Ford. Carson also recently appeared in the 2021 Phantasmagoria Karl Edward Wagner Special issue, edited by Trevor Kennedy. Stephen Jones also contributed his expertise as well to this remarkable publication, specifically the layout and design of the Lovecraft’s Pantheon booklet and cover. Four Portfolios of Lovecraftian Art is a chance to admire once more many out-of-print illustrations and spark what can only be a new-found love for generations to come.

The book opens with ‘Lovecraft’s Pantheon Series 1’, introduced by Brian Lumley who describes the devotion and sheer determination of the lifeblood that is the Cthulhu Mythos;be it classic Lovecraft or inventive interpretations, one thing is certain – this particular literary monster continues to live on. Lumley’s approval for Carson and his tremendous talent is indeed the highest of praise. This is followed by spine-chilling illustrations, the lead being that of Cthulhu whose unsettling eyes are depicted with such truth that one would swear the artist had gazed within them first hand. Dave Carson is one of those visionaries in which his passion bleeds into every creature, leaving behind a part of himself in each creation. 

The second section of the book is ‘Masters of Nightmare’, with an introduction by Brian Lumley again and an afterword by Karl Edward Wagner. Lumley states that he is lost for words. He affectionately calls him a genius, to which I fully agree. The illustrations are hypnotic interpretations of works by Eddy C. Bertin’s ‘Darkness, My Name Is’, Robert W. Chambers’ ‘The Mask’, Karl Edward Wagner’s ‘Sticks’, Arthur Machen’s ‘The Great God Pan’, and Clark Ashton Smith’s ‘The Seven Geases’, each one more darkly pleasing than the next. The afterword by Karl Edward Wagner echoes a respect for Carson’s skill and after viewing his work personally one can full-heartedly agree.

The next portion is Carson’s portfolio ‘Haunters of the Dark’ with a foreword by Ramsey Campbell. In his distinctive voice, Campbell articulates in unparalleled fashion the unveiling of Carson’s ability and his belief that such exceptional revelations can only be described as the remnants of a dream. The illustrations that follow are a tribute to that of Ramsey Campbell – ‘The Tomb Herd’, H.P. Lovecraft – ‘The Whisperer in Darkness’ and ‘The Hound’, August Derleth – ‘The Gable Window’, Robert Bloch – ‘The Shambler from the Stars’, and lastly Brian Lumley’s ‘The Burrowers Beneath’. Hours could be spent poring over these enthralling masterpieces.

Carson’s chilling ability to bring nightmares to life is both a reflection of his passion for the subject and creative instinct. A perfect example of this is seen within the illustration of H.P. Lovecraft’s ‘The Hound’, and the horror that awaits within the coffin. 

An afterword by Carl T. Ford gives a portrait of Dave Carson and his numerous appearances worldwide in various well-known publications, in addition to his own established Shoggoth Press. 

Carson’s astonishing portfolio ends with a tribute through art to Karl Edward Wagner’s ‘Sticks’. 

As a newcomer to this specific genre, I can honestly say that Four Portfolios of Lovecraftian Art by Dave Carson could not be a better catalyst into the brilliance that is H.P. Lovecraft. 

—Jessica Stevens

Four Portfolios of Lovecraftian Art is published by Shoggoth Press and is available to purchase from Amazon in hardback and paperback.

Presented by David A. Riley and Jim Pitts

NOW IN ITS fourth volume, David A. Riley and Jim Pitts’ Swords & Sorceries high fantasy series returns with eleven new tales of faraway mystical lands, swash-buckling heroes, blood-soaked battles, powerful wizards and sorcerers, pissed off gods (aren’t they all?!) and strange creatures.

Although more suited to aficionados of this genre, with the stories all unconnected and with no overall arc, any reader can jump on at any point with any of the volumes, or indeed stories, with the excellent illustrations of stalwart Pitts throughout livening up proceedings further once again.

All of the offerings within this latest anthology from Parallel Universe Publications are at very least solid and worthy of inclusion, varied and differing, some even of almost novella length, though all still very much belonging to the general theme and genre.

Dev Agarwal’s opener, ‘In the Iron Woods’, sets things up well with a hero named Simeon tasked with ferrying Princess Irene to safety. 

Of the other stories included, the following really stood out for me:

‘At Sea’ by Geoff Hart, a fun pirate-based romp which sees a couple of strange woman board a sea vessel.

Frank Sawielijew gives us ‘The Flesh of Man’, and it’s another very enjoyable yarn involving a barbarian warrior, flesh-eating harpies, giant lizards and pterodactyls!

Adrian Cole’s ‘City at the Mouth of Chaos’ is great, although this is no surprise either as I have yet to be disappointed with the author’s work and I always look forward to reading his tales when I see his name pop up in an anthology’s list of contributors. This particular story is one of his Voidal works set in the “omniverse” and is as fast-paced and imaginative as you would expect from the author. 

My absolute favourite of the entire volume, though, would have to be the delightfully titled ‘My People Were Fair and Wore Stars in Their Hair’ by Andrew Darlington. It’s a relatively short piece but a very memorable one at the same time and features reanimation/reincarnation of the dead through dark magic and time travel (of sorts), fascinatingly and vividly rendered by Darlington.

Riley and Pitts have selected well for this fourth entry in their popular series and with them now averaging around two volumes per year, I would expect that numbers 5 and 6 are already in the works. Long may their series continue!

—Trevor Kennedy

Swords & Sorceries: Tales of Heroic Fantasy Volume 4 is published by Parallel Universe Publications and is available to purchase from Amazon and other outlets. For more details click the link button . . . 

IN HIS FOREWORD to Mark Howard Jones’ Star-Spawned: Lovecraftian Horrors & Strange Stories, the renowned Lovecraftian historian S.T. Joshi describes the author as having a “reputation as a writer whose every tale is worth seeking out by those who find delight in literary terror and strangeness”. Jones’ work is often described as “weird fiction” in the classic sense of the phrase, but I would go even further and describe it as “nightmare fiction”. Just like his apparent greatest influence, Howard Phillips Lovecraft, his stories have a certain dream-like quality, both directly and indirectly, conjuring up nightmarish images on the page and within the reader’s mind. ‘Red Walls’ – included in the collection –is a fine example of this.

Jones’ influences don’t stop at Lovecraft. There’s some Arthur Machen in there, along with Poe, with a dashing of M.R. James, amongst others. Music, too, features regularly; alongside religions – old, new and fictional.

This new collection of twenty tales really shows us the length and breadth of his talent in bringing to life the dark and the weird; influenced by many of the masters, but with his own voice and often contemporary-set take on what came before.

‘Beneath Black Spires’: A trilogy of obscurely connected Mythos dark fantasies, surrealistic and packed with haunting imagery. In the stories thereafter, we take a journey through odd vistas and visions of various living hells.

‘Put on the Mask’: An entertainer with a dark past finds it catching up with him in a stage show with a difference.

‘The Turn of the Tide’: A “Machenian” tale of nature gone horribly wrong. Has Humanity finally gone too far? Is Creation getting its own back? Unsettling, vivid imagery ensues.

‘The Last Ones’: A remote, apparently abandoned, seaside town with a dark history anchored to a mysterious saint and old stones. M.R. James meets H.P. Lovecraft.

‘By a Scarlet Thread’: The dark discovery of a sect of monks in an old hotel. (A story which regular readers of Phantasmagoria may very well be familiar with.)

‘Side 1, Track 3’: Remember when certain religious types would tell us that playing heavy metal records backwards could very well be akin to Satan worship? Well, maybe not Satan in this case, more an ancient Lovecraftian deity. A fun one that music fans of a certain age, like myself, will enjoy.

Jones knows what works in terms of the unsettling terrors of the mind and the places it can go. His imaginative flourishes are certainly recommended to those of us who like our “weird” and “nightmare” fiction served disorientating, bizarre and unpleasant.

—Trevor Kennedy

Star-Spawned: Lovecraftian Horrors & Strange Stories is published by Macabre Ink and is available to purchase from Amazon and other outlets.

Ramsey Campbell

Renowned throughout the writing community as one of Britain’s most respected horror authors, Ramsey Campbell has received many awards for his work including the Grand Master Award of the World Horror Convention, the Lifetime Achievement Award of the Horror Writers Association, and the Living Legend of the International Horror Guild.

The Village Killings and Other Novellas, written by Ramsey Campbell, is published by PS Publishing. Cover and interior artwork are provided by Ilan Sheady.

‘Needing Ghosts’ throws the reader into a complicated web of paranoia. We are introduced to John Motterhead, an author whose mind appears to be deteriorating much like the dwelling in which he inhabits. Campbell thrusts uncertainty into the awareness of the reader, as Motterhead tries to validate his identity through a series of twists and turns. This story unravels in the form of a psychological razorblade, one that cuts every vein of reality. A brilliant depiction of man’s internal struggle, along with the exposure of the creative mind and the monsters within. Campbell is truly a master of anticipation. ‘Needing Ghosts’ is one of those stories that will take the reader into a darkened room and leave them there to bleed.

‘The Booking’ takes a different approach and is set within a bookstore titled Books Are Life. Mr Brookes, the proprietor, certainly steals the show with his spine-chilling demeanour. He has hired a man named Kiefer, an individual desperate to keep his job despite the owner’s eccentricities. Kiefer only has to create an Internet presence for what appears to be a dust-riddled house of deterioration. Though Mr Brookes, despite these wishes, is sickened by modern technology, and angered at the very mention of improvement. Kiefer, sucked into this man’s world of wires and rot, finds himself scanning the shelves for books he knows to be sold. The reader will find themselves enthralled with Mr Brookes, a complex character, created by a brilliant mind. Campbell taps into the pulse of technological power and the fragility of the mind in the face of suggestion.

The title story ‘The Village Killings’ begins with a group of mystery writers discussing their methods while a nationwide blizzard rages outside. At dinner, Lauren Hallahan is asked how she has acquired so much success in the selling of her books. Though they are all disappointed by her answer being something as ordinary as research. She then proclaims that one among them is not who the others believe they are, thus setting up the scene for a classic mystery. The atmosphere quickly grows dark and spirals into what can only turn into inevitable murder. The creatives are left to cancel their weekend and return home before the storm becomes worse. However, when you kill a writer, some refuse to remain silent beyond the grave. Investigations lead to each character expressing their own justifications for what inspires them to dwell on such grisly topics. The reader is taken on a complex analysis worthy of Agatha Christie, as one follows a determined sleuth in her search to untangle the truth.

Ramsey Campbell is an absolute genius with the written word. His mind a labyrinth of literary networks. The Village Killings and Other Novellasis the perfect read by firelight while imagination weaves its dark threads into the night.

—Jessica Stevens

The Village Killings and Other Novellas is published by PS Publishing and is available to purchase from their website, Amazon and other outlets. For more details click the link button . . . 

ALL GOOD THINGS must come to an end. Such is life, and now sadly also with Stephen Jones’ Best New Horror series, the longest running horror anthology ever, spanning over thirty years and technically five separate decades, from 1989 to the present day.

Quite the achievement, it goes without saying, the full praise of this deservedly due to Jones for his painstaking and tireless work over the last roughly third of a century as he has presented to us, the readers, the annual crème de la crème of new genre fiction, penned by the true leaders of the field alongside the discovering of fresh new, genuine talent. (Special mention to Ramsey Campbell who co-edited early volumes with Jones and whose fiction has been a mainstay of the series throughout.)

From the outset, I can’t help but feel that a mere review of this final volume of Best New Horror will never do proper justice to the series as a whole – and the sheer magnitude of enviable work that has gone into it over the years – so perhaps the following will maybe serve as a mere request, as such, for a more appropriate commendation in the near future. 

As you would expect from any entry in the Best New Horror canon, number 31 does not disappoint, high quality running throughout, in terms of stories and names attached. Things are also once again bookended with Jones’ meticulously researched Introduction, ‘Horror in 2019’, and the Necrology section with Kim Newman (and ‘Useful Addresses’), alongside another gloriously pulpy front cover artwork (by Lee Elias).

The stories open with Scott Bradfield’s humorous take on the zombie sub-genre, ‘Zombie-ish’, followed by a strange wake in an Irish pub in Maura McHugh’s ‘Wake the Dead’ and Caitlín R. Kiernan’s rather unique take on the vampire legend, ‘Mercy Brown’. 

Jonathan Carroll’s ‘Mama Bruise’ is a crazily entertaining tale of reincarnation and an intelligent dog, while Alison Littlewood’s ‘The Same As the Air’ is a very haunting work concerning a missing family.

The always reliable Ramsey Campbell presents us with ‘Getting Through’, the story of a young autistic man and parallel dimensions, and Stephen Bacon’s ‘The Children of Medea’ is a Mediterranean folk horror with shades of The Wicker Man and the aforementioned Campbell.

There’s something trippy and Lovecraftian pouring from the water taps in ‘The Water of Dhu’l Nun’ by Don Webb, and Ron Weighell’s ‘Under the Frenzy of the Fourteenth Moon’ is a mesmerising tale concerning the discovery of lost papers by W.B. Yeats relating to the Sidhe faerie folk, with ‘The Promise of Saints’ by Angela Slatter delivering another darkly enjoyable fairytale.

‘Crawlspace Oracle’ is a disturbing one from Richard Gavin about an unusual psychic, while Michael Chislett’s ‘Downriver’ is an eerie vampire-esque story set in Woolwich and the River Thames. 

H.P. Lovecraft takes centre stage as a main character that is bothered by a very unpleasant fan in Mark Samuels’ enjoyable ‘Death in All Its Ripeness’, which is followed by Richard Christian Matheson’s short and disturbing piece on the horrors of war, ‘Shrapnel’.

‘Precipice’ by Dale Bailey is a brilliantly told story about a heart attack survivor with a strange compulsion to jump from the balcony of a holiday apartment complex where he is staying with his wife, and Simon Strantzas’ ‘Antripuu’ is an out-and-out horror that deals with a group of hiking friends being stalked in the woods by an ancient tree-dwelling monster.

Kristi DeMeester’s story, ‘A Crown of Leaves’, is a neat chiller about two young women whose mother was believed to be a witch, and series regular Steve Rasnic Tem appears again with ‘A Stay at the Shores’, a beautifully atmospheric work concerning loneliness, a mysterious town and a boat trip. Reggie Oliver’s ‘The Old Man of the Woods’ is a polished ghost story set in rural France.

A recently discovered story by Tanith Lee is up next, ‘Iron City’, chronicling a dystopian, nightmarish hell, is an absolutely sublime piece – dark stuff and poetically beautiful at the same. What a talent Lee was!

When Gabby goes to catch up with her old college friend Julian in Glen Hirshberg’s ‘Slough’, something rather unsettling is awaiting her at a beach, while D.P. Watt’s ‘A Species of the Dead’ sees a bereaved and drug-addled artist develop a morbid fascination with death.

Best New Horror #31 – and the series as a whole –appropriately bows out with an absolutely superb and profoundly emotional ghost story by Michael Marshall Smith, ‘The Burning Woods’, a modern classic, in my opinion. I’ve said it before and I’m more than happy to say it again – Marshall Smith is a class act!

Best New Horror will, of course, be greatly missed by its legion of readers and fans, and also, it must be said, the genre as a whole. I highly doubt the gap will be filled, but what we should certainly be is grateful for the last 30-plus years and for Jones’ service to, not just this long-running series, but the field overall, a service that still continues unabated thankfully, just in slightly differing forms.

—Trevor Kennedy

Best New Horror #31 is published by PS Publishing and is available to purchase from their website, Amazon and other outlets.  For more details click the link button . . . 

Graham Masterton

*Contains Spoilers

LILIAN CHESTERFIELD WORKS for a property development company and her latest project is to turn the now abandoned Jacobean St. Philomena’s military hospital building in Surrey into a block of luxury apartments. Problems begin to arise, however, when two quantity surveyors employed by her – Alex and Charlie – fall victim to inexplicable ailments when out inspecting the former hospital. Alex can’t stop screaming in apparent extreme pain, despite not having been injured in any way, while Charlie falls into a mysterious coma. Other odd occurrences are also happening in the building – ghostly figures seen standing at windows, possible poltergeist activity in the kitchen, and the discovery of a partial human skeleton on the grounds.

Along with the help of her assistant David, a former military medic, Moses, doctors at the nearby hospital, and eventually the police, the cynical, career-focused Lilian soon finds herself embroiled in the mystery of St. Philomena’s, one that is connected to former servicemen who were injured in Afghanistan, ancient south-central Asian legends, spontaneous human explosion, and an enigmatic gardener who still tends to the grounds of the hospital.

As with his recent The House of a Hundred Whispers, this brand new title by Graham Masterton, sees the author put yet another unique spin on the “haunted house” (or in this case a haunted hospital) trope. The concept of “Spirits of Pain”/the dead being punished to suffer eternal pain is a fascinating one and a neat take on the various forms of religious Hell, as is the Afghanistan-based folklore which is used to great effect here in what is, at its very core, an anti-war novel – what gives us the right to go poking our noses into other people’s cultures, even if we do abhor them? – taken from the point-of-view of both the young British soldiers on the front line (“cannon fodder”/“lions led by lambs”) and the beliefs of old of the people of Afghanistan. Indeed, this certainly ain’t no regular haunted house tale!

Fans of Masterton’s work can also expect plenty of the author’s regular visceral gore and violence – characters literally explode in graphic detail at times, although in the context of the story at hand it makes complete sense – while his dual-career (along with horror) as a crime author also serves well in the realisation of the police procedural investigation side of the story. 

The House at Phantom Park is a compelling read overall – slick, stylish, well-paced and characterised with a particular gut-punch of an ending for the main character – and one that just goes to prove that with someone like the prolific Masterton in charge, horror can indeed still explore and address very real-life and hard-hitting topics.

—Trevor Kennedy

The House at Phantom Park is published by Head of Zeus and is available to purchase from Amazon and many other outlets and bookstores. For more details click the link button . . . 

I’VE NEVER MET Peter Atkins in person, however I’d like to one day. He comes across as a really fun and cool guy to be around, and this is also very much apparent in his writing, too.

All Our Hearts are Ghosts & Other Stories is Atkins’ poetically-titled new collection, but don’t let that fool you. The author’s literary style is indeed rhythmic and lyrical (perhaps due to his background as a musician as well as screenwriter [1997’s Wishmaster, the first few Hellraiser sequels] and various other forms of the written word), but there’s still plenty of good old-fashioned, pulp-style, fast-paced action, gore and humour in there at the same time. It’s a great – and unique – mix of styles.

The stories collected here never really leave the reader with a chance to catch their breath, very much in the manner that many of us – myself included – enjoy their fiction. Readers such as us can very much tell when writers like Atkins are having a ball in the creation of their tales – here, Atkins’ enthusiasm leaks onto the page, backed up by an obvious depth of intellect and natural storytelling skills, resulting in a wonderful combination.

The main stories are bookended by two Lovecraftian tales that originally appeared in the Stephen Jones-helmed anthology series, The Lovecraft Squad – ‘The Stuff that Dreams are Made of’ and ‘The Thing About Cats’ – while the Jones connection doesn’t end there with two more entries – ‘Z.O.A’ and ‘You Are What You Eat’ – having also been published in the editor’s related Zombie Apocalypse series. All four of these are pleasurable takes on their respective sub-genres. 

The title story is a profound, thought-provoking one concerning an ageing television stuntman/bit-part actor in Hollywood who must settle an old score with a former rival – all our hearts our ghosts indeed, perhaps always trapped in, and haunted by, our pasts.

Of the others printed here, and while each certainly have their own merits, my personal favourites would have to be ‘Eternal Delight’, an early novella by Atkins, set in his native Liverpool and featuring a young man whose body is invaded by a parasite and which goes to some really bonkers and darkly humorous places (the finale set in a council estate social club is insanely good!), and ‘The Return of Boy Justice’, about a former small-time TV star who finally gets the opportunity to relive the adventures of his fictional alter-ego, and one that also ends on a rather heart-warming, life-affirming note.

There’s no shortage of bonus material included either, with a comic book script featured alongside background stories for the three characters who were transformed into Cenobites in the Atkins-penned Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth (1992), so definitely worth looking into for fans of the Hellraiser universe and Atkins overall.

If books are reflective of the personality of those who have written them, then this one is most definitely a rather cool and fun one to behold (including that retro 1980s-esque cover!), just like its author. Why not buy it and find out for yourselves?

—Trevor Kennedy

All Our Hearts are Ghosts & Other Stories is published by Shadowridge Press and is available to purchase from Amazon and other outlets. For more details click the link button . . . 

David A. Riley

IF HORROR STORIES of the zombie variety are your thing – and it’s pretty obvious that David A. Riley rather enjoys them, too – then I would imagine that you would quite like this neat little near-60-page chapbook from the author, containing reprints of four of his undead tales, each one a different take on the sub-genre, and each with their own merits, the illustrations contained by regular collaborator and friend of Riley’s, Jim Pitts.

The opening tale, ‘Dead Ronnie and I’, possibly my favourite of the four, sees two men attempt to escape the ensuing madness of the apocalypse in the UK by plane, but things naturally don’t go as planned.

‘His Pale Blue Eyes’ sees a young girl attempt to locate her parents and survive the wasteland, while ‘Right For You Now’ is a gritty one set in Britain and which also features Haitian voodoo practices.

The chapbook is wrapped up with ‘Romero’s Children’, an obvious allusion to zombie maestro George (and which is also reprinted in the pages of this current issue of Phantasmagoria, by the way). It’s an interesting one which sees the populace infected by the “OM” virus, as opposed to the traditional zombie fare.

The zombie sub-genre on film has seen something of a strong resurgence in the twenty-first century, from Danny Boyle’s 28 Days Later through to several varying-in-quality Romero remakes, the Resident Evil series, and The Walking Dead, however in terms of literature I don’t believe it is a field that has ever really left us. David A. Riley is one of those authors who, it appears, is certainly attempting to ensure that it continues to stay around for a while to come.

—Trevor Kennedy

A Handful of Zombies: Tales of the Restless Dead (Chapbook No. 1)is published by Parallel Universe Publications and is available to purchase from Amazon and other outlets. For more details click the link button . . . 

Directed by M. Night Shyamalan.

Written by M. Night Shyamalan, Steve Desmond, Michael Sherman and Paul Tremblay (based on his novel The Cabin at the End of the World).

Starring Dave Bautista, Jonathan Groff, Rupert Grint, Nikki Amuka-Bird, Ben Aldridge, Abby Quinn and more.

Mild spoilers ahead . . .

IT’S THE END of the world as we know it in this latest M. Night Shyamalan supernatural thriller, this time based on a novel by Paul Tremblay.

Andrew and Eric are a gay couple who, along with their seven-year-old daughter Wen, are enjoying a relaxing break away in a remote cabin in the woods (even mild fans of horror/supernatural shenanigans will immediately know that this choice of locale never ends well!). When out collecting grasshoppers in the surrounding woods, Wen is approached by a hulking, intimidating, apparently conflicted man named Leonard with unknown intentions.

After Wen flees to the safety of the cabin, Leonard soon arrives at the front door with three companions – Redmond, Sabrina and Adriane – who demand to be let in as they have information of the utmost importance to relay to the family – so important, in fact, that it will be the difference between Armageddon either happening or not. When these Four Horsemen (and women) of the Apocalypse force their way into the holiday home, Andrew and Eric find themselves with an impossible decision to make.

To begin with, it was nice to see a film where the trailers have not revealed the best parts, as so many seem to sadly do these days, however, perhaps the ones that were released have been a little too sparse, not really enticing or selling it that well, therefore resulting in – again, for a modern day change – the final product actually being a lot better than what was expected.

Shyamalan has had his critics over the years, ever since his arrival proper in 1999 with the very well received The Sixth Sense, although many of us have also always had a soft spot for his generally enjoyable, Twilight Zone-esque brand of storytelling (as a side note, the writer/director would most surely have been a more ideal candidate to helm the recent reboot of the above classic series, as opposed to the one we did get with Jordan Peele). Knock at the Cabin also bears a few similarities to the Shyamalan-produced and written Devilfrom 2010.

From a technical point of view, Shyamalan is an accomplished film-maker who knows what he is doing when behind a camera, certainly in terms of building tension and pacing, but what really saves Knock at the Cabin (which at times can feel a little padded, predictable [no trademark Shyamalan twist this time sadly!], and lightweight and unoriginal as an overall concept) is the strong performances by the cast who really do sell the dilemma they find themselves in. Particularly impressive are Jonathan Groff and Ben Aldridge as the couple, and former wrestler-turned-actor Dave Bautista who conveys well the conflicted emotions of Leonard – a caring, good man at heart who is forced to commit terrible acts.

Despite some flaws, Knock at the Cabin is a pretty entertaining hour and forty minutes which results in quite an emotional ending, albeit one that hardly came as a shock. Worth recommending, for sure, but just don’t go into it expecting anything too daring or original.

—Trevor Kennedy and Leanne Azzabi

Presented by Reverend Lionel Fanthorpe

“Join Reverend Lionel Fanthorpe for a skate on that thin crust known as reality .”

WHENEVER FORTEAN TV was originally broadcast on Channel 4 (UK), back when it was still edgy and non-mainstream, from 1997 to ’98, it was during the height of a public love and fascination with all things “out there” and X-Files-related. Perfect timing, and more than likely no coincidence either, the writers of The X-Files reportedly also regularly poring over the pages of Fortean Times (itself inspired by the work of writer Charles Fort), of which Fortean TV was spawned from. Perhaps, then, Fortean TV could be best described as the “Real-life British X-Files”.

There are two things that really separate Fortean TV from the many other “factual supernatural phenomena” shows that we’ve seen over the years, however: 

1. It never takes itself too seriously, its tongue firmly planted in its cheek, and is a huge amount of fun because of this.

2. It is presented by arguably one of the best presenters in British television history – the Reverend Lionel Fanthorpe, prolific author, weight- lifting and judo champion, preacher, biker, singer, paranormal investigator and so much more! Fanthorpe is extremely likeable, while at same time entertaining, knowledgeable, humorous and an eloquent, fascinating speaker – in short, a complete one-off! His comedy songs at the end of each episode of this new complete series boxed set issued by Network are worth the asking price alone!

The basic premise of each episode sees Father Fanthorpe touring Britain and various other parts of the world investigating strange anomalies and supernatural mysteries, such as reports of ghosts, sea monsters, aliens, vampires, the South American “chupacabra” goat-sucker, mummification, the Missing Link, the Holy Grail (with the rather controversial “Bishop” Seán Manchester – he of “Highgate Vampire” tall tales!), a lady who can speak “cat”, medical, animal and foodstuff freaks of nature, an “electric” woman, a haunted old Ford Cortina in Eastbourne, and a mysterious Asda shopping centre check-out till that causes the young women who work behind it to become pregnant!

It’s all as barmy and eccentric as it sounds and all the better for it – massively entertaining and a pure cult classic!

Television these days, for the most part, seems to consist mainly of increasingly ridiculous soap operas, moronic, cheap-to-make “reality” drivel, dull dramas, unfunny “comedies”, and deeply irritating, idiotic presenters like Ant and Dec and Michael McIntyre. However, I would genuinely rather sit down and watch the good Reverend Fanthorpe read from a telephone directory than have to suffer through any of that dross and would additionally also absolutely love for Fortean TVto make a return to our small screens, even for a one-off special!

So, if you just so happen to enjoy the wackier side of life and missed Fortean TV during its original airing, then give this boxed set a whirl – and even if you did manage to catch it back in the late-’90s, it is most definitely worth revisiting! A brilliantly bizarre classic.

—Trevor Kennedy