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Post by dem on Apr 19, 2019 6:38:02 GMT
July sees the return of Paul Finch's excellent series. Blurb: England’s majestic Northwest, land of rain-washed skies, dark forests and brooding, windswept hills. Famous too for its industrial blight and brutal persecutions; a realm where skulls scream and witches wail, gallows creak and grave-robbers prowl the long, black nights …
The hideous scarecrows of Lune
The heathen rite at Knowsley
The revenge killings in Preston
The elegant ghost of Combermere
The berserk boggart of Moston
The malformed brute on Mann
The walking dead at Haigh Hall
And many more chilling tales by Ramsey Campbell, Stephen Gallagher, Sam Stone, Simon Kurt Unsworth, Cate Gardner and other award-winning masters and mistresses of the macabre.Available for pre-order from Telos |
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Post by Shrink Proof on Apr 19, 2019 7:38:50 GMT
Ee, it's reet grim oop North.
Which is fine by me....
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Post by dem on Apr 19, 2019 12:30:15 GMT
This will be the 11th in the series by my reckoning. The original Fontana Tales of Terror series only ran to ten. Paul Finch (ed.) – Terror Tales Of The Lake District (Gray Friar, Sept. 2011) Paul Finch (ed.) – Terror Tales Of The Cotswolds (Gray Friar Press, March, 2012) Paul Finch (ed.) – Terror Tales Of East Anglia (Gray Friars, Sept. 2012) Paul Finch (ed.) – Terror Tales Of London (Gray Friars, May, 2013) Paul Finch (ed.) – Terror Tales Of The Seaside (Gray Friars, Oct. 2013) Paul Finch (ed.) – Terror Tales Of Wales (Gray Friars, June 2014) Paul Finch (ed.) – Terror Tales Of Yorkshire (Gray Friars, Sept. 2014) Paul Finch (ed.) – Terror Tales Of The Scottish Highlands (Gray Friars, July 2015) Paul Finch (ed.) - Terror Tales Of The Ocean (Gray Friars, Jan. 2016) Paul Finch (ed.) - Terror Tales Of Cornwall (Telos, Jan. 2017) I'm guessing the cover painting is by Neil Williams? It's wonderfully/ horribly subversive .... |
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Post by ripper on Apr 20, 2019 8:52:28 GMT
Great news about the return of Terror Tales. Paul Finch has done a fine job on the previous entries, so I have no qualms that this latest one will be up to the usual high standard. I really like the mix of fiction and non-fiction, and I actually prefer Paul's series to that of the original Fontanas, fond as I am of them.
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Post by andydecker on Apr 21, 2019 19:49:57 GMT
I never sampled one of those. Mostly because they were not avaibale as Kindle. Except the last one, as far as I gathered. How much did you have to know the background or the landscape? Or is the motto more of a broad umbrella as often is the case in similar anthologies?
I still have not read one of Paul Finch's many novels. The sheer deluge of crime novels has become a bit numbing - one blogger counts 420 new releases from March till May in the Uk and the US -, so instead of reading about the umpteenth DCI, historical mystery or thriller I re-read classic novels from my shelves. I am reluctant to buy new stuff which is published, which seem to become ever more of the same and more bloated.
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Post by ropardoe on Apr 22, 2019 8:32:04 GMT
I never sampled one of those. Mostly because they were not avaibale as Kindle. Except the last one, as far as I gathered. How much did you have to know the background or the landscape? Or is the motto more of a broad umbrella as often is the case in similar anthologies?
I still have not read one of Paul Finch's many novels. The sheer deluge of crime novels has become a bit numbing - one blogger counts 420 new releases from March till May in the Uk and the US -, so instead of reading about the umpteenth DCI, historical mystery or thriller I re-read classic novels from my shelves. I am reluctant to buy new stuff which is published, which seem to become ever more of the same and more bloated.
I certainly recommend all the books in the Terror Tales series, regardless of how much you know of the areas in question. It's true that one's enjoyment is probably enhanced if one knows the area (which is why I'm particularly looking forward to this forthcoming volume), but it's a long way from a necessity. As for Paul's crime books - they're pretty good if you like action-packed, hard-boiled plots. There have been times when I've had to get up late (oh dear, what a bother) in order to finish reading an especially suspenseful section. I don't think I'd want to read them all in one go, but spaced out over time, I really enjoy them. |
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Post by helrunar on Apr 22, 2019 15:18:20 GMT
I really liked Paul Finch's story in the Cornwall volume (which is the one available as a "kindle" edition).The title was "The Old Traditions are Best." It was more meaningful to me, perhaps, because I'm Pagan and the "traditions" mentioned in the book are very significant for me, though I have never been to Padstow. I have traveled briefly in Cornwall--Tintagel was my favorite place.
H.
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Post by Paul Finch on Oct 22, 2019 19:55:36 GMT
Wonderful to see this thread appear, especially when we've only just started sending copies out.
Thanks very much, everyone.
Have been quiet for a time - just too busy moving publishers for my crime novels (HarperCollins to Orion), but never fear, the Terror Tales are still going.
They won't be as regular as previously, but there are lots more corners of the UK to cover yet, and maybe beyond.
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Post by dem on Oct 23, 2019 5:31:43 GMT
Wonderful to see this thread appear, especially when we've only just started sending copies out. Thanks very much, everyone. Have been quiet for a time - just too busy moving publishers for my crime novels (HarperCollins to Orion), but never fear, the Terror Tales are still going. They won't be as regular as previously, but there are lots more corners of the UK to cover yet, and maybe beyond. Glad to hear it, Paul. Here, finally, the TOC: Paul Finch [ed.] - Terror Tales of North West England (Telos, 2019) Neil Williams (Certainly gets my vote for most brilliantly outrageous cover painting of 2019) Jason Gould - Normal Bones
The Lost Lads of Rivington
Cate Gardner - The Mute Swan
The Resurrection Men
Simon Kurt Unsworth - Factory Rook
Night Fall's Over Pendle
John Travis - Tight Straws and Wire Mesh
The Lancashire Boggarts
Edward Pearce - A Weekend Break
Lord Combermere's Ghost
David A. Riley - Writer's Cramp
Screaming Skulls
Christopher Harman - Wet Jenny
Land of Monsters
Stephen Gallagher - The Drain
Chingle Hell
Peter Bell - Only Sleeping
Of Gods and Ghosts
Sam Stone - Peeling the Layers
The Borgias of the Slums
Ramsey Campbell - Root Cause
The Horror at the Gatehouse
Anna Taborska - Formby Point
Hill of Mysteries
Simon Bestwick - Below
The Vengeance of Bannister Doll
Solomon Strange - Old Huey
A Vision of His Own Destruction
Paul Finch - The Upper Tier |
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Post by Paul Finch on Oct 29, 2019 15:24:27 GMT
Excellent.
A review copy heading the Vault's way very soon, I understand.
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Post by dem on Nov 7, 2019 11:50:57 GMT
Excellent. A review copy heading the Vault's way very soon, I understand. Arrived this morning - new front & back cover scan added above. Many thanks to Paul Finch and TelosNow to get stuck in ..... |
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Post by dem on Nov 7, 2019 18:36:53 GMT
As mentioned, with this eleventh book the 'Terror Tales' series has already gone one volume better than the equally terrific series which inspired it.  Russ Nicholson ( The Drain, Fantasy Tales #4, 1990) : Stand-up comedian Jerry Van Day blags a spot on a 'New Talent' bill at a refurbished theatre. His gag writer, Collette, has a bad feel about the place and dries up, leaving Jerry 24 hours to contrive an act. To add to the strain, the theatre is haunted by the ghost of local comedy legend, Arthur "I can see you!" Beckett, 'The King of Blackpool,' whose grisly sense of humour has survived the grave. Arthur is loath to surrender his crown lightly. If Jerry is to be his successor he must have the right bones for the job. Stephen Gallagher - The Drain: (Stephen Jones & David A, Sutton - Fantasy Tales #4, Robson, Spring 1990). "A formless terror pursued them through the darkness.". Spike and two fellow eleven-year-old's defy security guards to go treasure hunting in the park, whose lake has been drained and cordoned off after a local resident dug out an unexploded German bomb. Spike is determined to steal the pure gold torch from atop an ornamental fountain. The boys obtain their prize, but when a dog handler gives chase there is nothing for it but to squeeze inside a concrete pipe and hope for the best. Suspense! Cate Gardner - The Mute Swan: Mum enrols thirteen-year old Carys at the new dance school on Wallesy Street. Carys response on meeting the tutor is to scream - a massive breakthrough as she's been mute from birth? Dare her parents hope that Miss Penelope Cygnus is the miracle worker she claims to be when it comes to fixing children? How will a public performance of Swan Lake by infant "whack jobs" play out? A Tutu terror dark fantasy .... Non-fiction/ "Non -fiction" interlude #1 The Resurrection Men: How a body-snatching, corpse-smuggling operation based on Hope Street, Liverpool, was exposed by Detective Robert Doughey of the Dock Police in October 1826. "The mere descriptions of the scene [in the Reverend McGowan's cellar] caused witnesses and jurors alike to vomit in court." Can only agree with Mr. Finch. These guys should have been bigger than Burke and Hare. The Lost Lads of Rivington: A trio of miserable phantoms roam the moors seeking a farm that dropped out of existence in the 1850s. Night Falls over Pendle: A sober assessment of the notorious Witch trials of 1612. Could it be that at least some of the eleven accused were actually guilty as charged? To be continued |
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Post by dem on Nov 8, 2019 16:29:01 GMT
Simon Kurt Unsworth - Factory Rook: As regeneration/ gentrification lays waste to much of old Manchester, the site of the long derelict Ragged School and Orphanage is sidelined for conversion ("luxury flats"/ tomorrow's slums). Wood, conducting a survey in relation to structural damage, develops an aversion to the miserable subterranean dormitory that served as 'home' to up to two hundred orphans, street children and paupers at any one time. A security guard evidently shares his feelings as last night he quit mid-shift with immediate effect. On his final exploration of the hall, Wood discovers a door where no door should be, leading to an office, a trapdoor, and a network of tunnels excavated by something other than man. John Travis - Tight Straws and Wire Mesh: Three decades on, a schoolboy scrap between narrator Martin, "a Yorkshire pudding", and weedy bully, Duncan Redfern, " Eccles cake," has not been forgotten by the party who came off worst. The one-sided hostilities resume when Martin returns home to Barnsley from the US where he's lived since his early twenties. Mum has taken ill and Martin wants to see her before she dies. The circumstances make for a sad reunion and Mum, housebound, insists he take a break, visit the scarecrow festival at Wray village. Meanwhile Redfern, a self-styled Warlock, casts a black magic spell causing his old enemy to spin off the road. Martin regains consciousness to find himself trapped in a village of evil animated scarecrows, led by a slimy straw boy in school uniform. Non-fiction interlude #2 The Lancashire Boggarts: Great thing about them is they are malicious and all have their unique party trick. The Brook and, in particular, Longridge entities are class. Scream thy last scream, old lady in a ... basket. Lord Combermere's Ghost: Not much cop. His Lordship only makes the cut because he appeared in a photo taken at home in the library while he was being buried four miles away. 'Ghost' causes no ill, doesn't even throw things about. Lightweight. Tight Straws and Wire Mesh is personal stand-out to date, with The Resurrection Men pick of the non-fiction. Factory Hook brilliant, too, though final reveal is a little anticlimactic after twenty pages of escalating dread.
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Post by dem on Nov 20, 2019 21:02:24 GMT
 Jim Pitts: (Stephen Jones & David A. Sutton [eds.], Fantasy Tales #1, Autumn 1988). "Always presume that your average reader is about twelve years old, spotty, sadistic and partially literate and you can't go wrong."Pressed to meet a deadline, Cartwright-Hughes, literary editor of Digest of Horror magazine, lifts a plot device from an otherwise terrible submission with the nifty title Paper Doom, and rewrites it as filler story. The plagiarised author, Albert Dymchurch of Oswaldtwistle, recognises his idea and justly furious, demands a public apology in the next issue. Cartwright-Hughes foolishly refuses. If you can imagine Casting the Runes after a good kicking from The Pan Book of Horror Stories .... Sam Stone - Peeling the Layers: Groundhog anniversary reunion for the ghosts of Manchester Heritage site, Heaton Hall. Twenty years ago, bride-to-be Alex and fiancé Victor hid from the tour guides, remained after closing time to go skinny dipping in the boating lake. Alex has yet to resurface. Faeries, time slips, etc. This next is adorable - I think so, anyhow. A proper old school/'Black Book horror Solomon Strange - Old Huey: Chingleton, Preston, 1965. Tormented beyond endurance by teenage hooligans, Hugh 'Quozzi' Loomis, spectacularly deformed hunchback, sets about them with a machete, and is committed to the local mental hospital. Ten years later, Mary and girlfriend Sam are driving on Dark Lane when the car runs out of juice. Sam, being local, sets off on foot for the nearest garage two miles away while Mary waits behind with the radio for company. A newsflash informs us of a breakout from Chingleton Asylum .... |
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Post by dem on Nov 21, 2019 11:30:12 GMT
Non-fiction interlude #3 Re: Lord Combermere's Ghost, found this in Dr. Melvyn Willin's Ghosts Caught on Film: Photographs of the Paranormal (David & Charles, 2007).  Photo taken by Miss Sybil Corbet in library of Combermere Abbey, December 5 1891. Phantom fellow in chair reputedly the ghost of his Lordship, recently killed in tragic horse and carriage accident. : The Isle of Man boasts an impressive roster of bogies including a water-horse, a stone-throwing pig face, and Nigel Kneale's favourite, the Tarroo-Ushtey. And beware the Buggane of St. Trinians! Screaming Skulls: Screaming skulls are something of a commonplace throughout Britain, but this pair - those of an invalid Catholic priest hung, drawn and quartered, and a monk stuffed up a lit chimney - are absolutely top drawer. Hill of Mysteries: An unkempt, leering fellow who may or may not be the ghost of Richard Pilly, Eighteenth century hedonist, attacks lone women who strays within the vicinity of the old mill on Biditon Hill. Or did - last hurrah was circa swinging sixties. Reputedly clawed. Possibly mere common or garden pervert. The Borgias of the Slums: Or Catherine Flannagan and Margaret Higginson, Liverpool's prolific 'Black Widow' murderesses, who swung at Kirkdale in March 1884. Crimes attained enough infamy for their death masks to grace Madame Tussauds' Chamber of Horrors. |
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