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Post by dem bones on Dec 20, 2011 10:55:48 GMT
must say, i've been thrilled with the submissions to date. We still have two vacant slots up for grabs, you know. And where are all the girls? i know we don't have many, but its more than none! Craig, David, Johnny and Lord Probert each donated stories to last years inaugural Vault advent calendar, and now it gives me great pleasure to introduce a new name to the roll call, Matthew Crossman. Matt has contributed non-fiction articles to the Stephen King magazine Lighthouse and seen publication in Monica J. O'Rourke's Royal Aspirations III (Catalyst Press, 2002), a collection of tales by King fans. When he sent me the story you're about to read, it struck me that it shares the bleak and moody feel of two of the featured 'Creeps' items - Hangman's Cottage and High Tide - and i knew straight away that i wanted to run it. many thanks, Matt! Attachments:
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Post by mattofthespurs on Dec 20, 2011 18:52:22 GMT
Thank you Dem for such a wonderful introduction and thank you for providing such a great illustration to go with it.
I am delighted to be included in this years advent calender. It's something I have taken great pleasure in reading last year and this and I'm more than happy to have provided a tale as a way of thanking you, and the other authors, for giving me such pleasure every day of the advent.
To be in the company of esteemed authors such have been featured is a mild thrill. I write many tales such as these and tend to just squirrel them away on the hard drive where they are often forgotten (and some would say, 'just as well'.)
I hope the readers of this board enjoy it as I have enjoyed theirs and this is my small gift in wishing all that attend here a very merry Christmas!
Have a good one folks (and I look forward to the last 4 (?) installments of this, my favourite, advent calender.
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Post by dem bones on Dec 21, 2011 6:47:20 GMT
A very merry and peaceful Christmas to you and yours, Matt, and thank you for letting me run the story. It's weird this year. i've had an unusual amount of emails and pms this past fortnight, most of which mention the calendar and how much the correspondent in question is enjoying the stories, which is all very appreciated but i'd prefer you say so on the board where those who deserve the credit actually get to see it! Day 21 and ... yeah, i know, i know. It's cheating to include a story first published in 1970, even if it is soon to be republished in a complete collection of the authors' horror stories, but then it's not every day Mary Danby gives Vault permission to use one of her tales! Many thanks to Johnny Mains - what did i tell you? - for making it possible, and, of course, to Mary herself for the kind gesture and for all the pleasure her work has brought so many of us via the Fontana Book Of Great Horror Stories. Frighteners, Nightmares and 65 Stories ... series'. Quid Pro Quo first appeared in The 5th Fontana Book Of Great Horror Stories, and is shortly to be resurrected in Party Pieces from Noose & Gibbet which is scheduled for publication at Fantasycon in September 2012. For such an obscure, off the beaten track board, we see our share of kindness. Attachments:
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Post by mattofthespurs on Dec 21, 2011 19:12:56 GMT
Thanks Dem, and a Merry Christmas to you and you family too! Another cracker today and thanks to Mary for allowing it to be re-published. Going to be gutted when this finishes.
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Post by jamesdoig on Dec 21, 2011 21:49:22 GMT
Having missed most of this Advent excitement I've just printed all the stories for Xmas reading. Quite a hefty wad of papers. The old bull-clip doesn't do it justice - I should have it bound in human skin, with end papers patterned like dripping blood.
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Post by dem bones on Dec 22, 2011 5:34:34 GMT
i'm sure most, if not all, the vintage material material will be familiar to you James, but i reckon there's a good time to be had from a rematch. Today it is the turn under ths spotlight of Vault co-founder Franklin Marsh, the man who gifted the world those hardy phantom fighters, Gregory Pendennis, legendary Black Sorcery novelist, and his perennially lovestruck nephew Ripton Torn. There's also the little matter of "Britain's premier T'Pau tribute band", the much missed Ker-Pow, to say nothing of a sinister bus driver - who may or may not be the undead Stan Butler - and his equally corpse-like conductor ... An every-present in Filthy Creations magazine where his Pendennis-Torn saga, The Horror on Dreadstone Moor, was serialised over issue's 1-5, Franklin also contributed to the first, third and fourth Black Book's Of Horror and the 2nd BFS Book Of Horror where this, one of his grimmest tales, first saw book publication. Thanks so much for letting me reprint this one FM, and every happiness to the Marsh clan for Christmas and 2012! Attachments:
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Post by Craig Herbertson on Dec 22, 2011 6:28:21 GMT
Some great stories there. Loved Miss Danby's which brought back fond memories and made me very conscious of the enormous debt we owe the great lady. Good modern tale from Matt and a particular favourite of mine from Franklin. - Morris dancers - as scary as those hypnotic Morris tunes that I've been forced to accompany on occasion.
Probably missed one or two out on the way but time to catch up over xmas.
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Post by jamesdoig on Dec 22, 2011 8:38:35 GMT
i'm sure most, if not all, the vintage material material will be familiar to you James, but i reckon there's a good time to be had from a rematch. Ah Dem, you give me far too much credit! On another tack, the other day I picked up a massive doorstop of an anthology called The Weird, which includes classic tales by Vault favourites Mark Samuels and Steve Duffy.
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Post by dem bones on Dec 23, 2011 10:22:07 GMT
Big Vault Christmas Appeal! The Begging with Menaces continues!Chrissie we still have a vacancy at the inn, meaning somebody out there could land the "prestigious" Christmas Eve slot if they get their skates on! One things you might like to bear in mind: we've not had anything horribly seasonal to date ...... And - for crying out loud! Just looked over 2010's effort and, would you f**k**g credit it, I exhumed Franklin's The Morris Men last year! Repetition on Vault - whoever heard of such a thing? Will find a spare hour to perform an emergency salvage operation later .... In the meantime, Day 23! Charles Black, the Mortbury Terror to his victims, is founder, editor and publisher of the much-revered Black Book Of Horror series, now eighth volumes into its evil reign and counting. Charlie's a rarity among contemporary editors in that he's banished his own work from the collections - To Summon A Flash Eating Demon rounded off the debut, but that's been it as far as his fictional contribution to date. Those too few stories of his i've read tend to fall into two categories. Tourist Trap which rounded off last year's calendar, is suitably grim and nasty, and then there are the punning, shaggy dog tales straight out of Robert Bloch's worst nightmares .... Many thanks for letting me resurrect this diabolically delicious treat, Dr. T! Attachments:
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Post by dem bones on Dec 23, 2011 17:35:56 GMT
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Post by mattofthespurs on Dec 23, 2011 18:34:57 GMT
This has been so much fun Dem, thanks very much for your time and also the wonderful illustrations. Eagerly anci.......pating the last story tomorrow. It's been a triumph.
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Post by Craig Herbertson on Dec 23, 2011 22:32:36 GMT
This has been so much fun Dem, thanks very much for your time and also the wonderful illustrations. Eagerly anci.......pating the last story tomorrow. It's been a triumph.
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Post by dem bones on Dec 24, 2011 9:00:35 GMT
so we've had zombies, rats and supernaturally enhanced stoats on the rampage, black sorcery, extreme budgerigar terror, a Victorian sadist or two, body-snatching surgeons, mouldering corpses by the slops-bucket load, multiple maniacs, a plague of suicides .... all the usual wholesome fun you'd associate with Vault, but yesterday it kind of struck home that if there was one thing lacking it was that festive touch. One desperate last minute appeal later and what do you know - here comes Santa! Grateful thanks to Craig Herbertson for rounding things off with a story so un- Ho Ho Ho!, it will ruin your Christmas before it's even started! And that's it for this years advent calendar. it really was great fun to work on, and i even learnt some things will come in handy if i'm still around doing this next Christmas. A heartfelt THANK YOU to all our contributors, living, dead, undecided, for making it happen! Attachments:
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Post by noose on Dec 24, 2011 9:06:14 GMT
A massive thank you Dem, it has certainly made my December - loved the stories on show both old and new and it was a true highlight of the day to come home after a crappy days work and read the next Vault installment!
Happy Christmas to one and all! I am going to put my feet up and read lots of Charles L Grant.
cheers! Johnny
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Post by andydecker on Dec 24, 2011 9:28:05 GMT
A big thank you to Dem! These were a lot of lovely stories, regardless if they were one or hundert years old!!
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