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Post by jepersonoatcake on May 25, 2021 15:24:48 GMT
Hi dem, glad that you like A Bloody Nuisance - and that you reckon that other RCH fans might also enjoy it! One small cavil with your kind words - who's this Stratton-Smith? Stratton-Villiers, surely? That charming fellow has probably had heads roll for less...Also very glad that you're looking forward to Book 5 - I await your thoughts on that one with eagerness!
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Post by pulphack on May 25, 2021 15:32:51 GMT
Is Dem confusing him with Tony Stratton-Smith, founder of Charisma Records, escapee from the Munich disaster, and co-author of Pedro MacGregor's timeless 'Brazilian Magic: Is It The Answer?'... (depends on the question, of course)
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Post by dem bones on May 25, 2021 18:50:06 GMT
Hi dem, glad that you like A Bloody Nuisance - and that you reckon that other RCH fans might also enjoy it! One small cavil with your kind words - who's this Stratton-Smith? Stratton-Villiers, surely? That charming fellow has probably had heads roll for less...Also very glad that you're looking forward to Book 5 - I await your thoughts on that one with eagerness! Apologies, Ken [see below]. Re RCH. For what it's worth, I think A Bloody Nuisance would have been equally at home in last years very lovely Shadmocks & Shivers tribute antho. Is Dem confusing him with Tony Stratton-Smith, founder of Charisma Records, escapee from the Munich disaster, and co-author of Pedro MacGregor's timeless 'Brazilian Magic: Is It The Answer?'... (depends on the question, of course) Guilty (been reading Jeff Coffey's On Track: Van der Graaf Generator. Two evil masterminds became one).
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Post by dem bones on May 26, 2021 17:47:31 GMT
Finally ....
Had a feeling this would be a strong best-of-book contender, and sure enough. That said, I took it for granted we'd be seeing out #4 with a ghost story. Instead ...
Lawrence-Gordon Clark - Telling Stories: Lincolnshire, Autumn, 1973. Ian Locke, a highly imaginative pupil at Scarsby Primary School, is forever getting in trouble for making up improbable, often gory stories about family and neighbours, so when he witnesses a couple dragging what appears to be a body in a bin-bag from Cray's farm there's no point raising the alarm, no one will believe him. The farmhouse is - or rather, until a few hours ago - was home to a reclusive German who spent WWII in an internment camp. Local gossip has been busy with him since. He's a spy! He's a miser! He has a stash of gold hidden on the premises! It's this latter attracted the unwanted attentions of the Marsh's, June (nee Craven) and Gordon. June, a former Scarsby girl, heard all about Cray's gold at school: one lad saw it with his own eyes! Too bad - for him - that the old bastard tried holding out on ! Now she and lunk-head Gordon will just have to take the place apart until they find it.
Ian, meanwhile, has taken it upon himself to feed Mr. Cray's chickens, pigs & Co. Has to watch his footing as the place is a death trap. Rather than waste his time trying to convince an adult of what he saw, he wrote a detailed account for a school essay.
June Marsh watches the nosy kid who makes stuff up as he works, wonders if maybe he knows where the old coot hid the treasure. Time to ready a second bin-bag.
Would like to watch a screen adaptation of this one.
Final words, for time being, on BHF #4. Had my favourite stories for sure, but it's very rare I complete an anthology without disliking at least one story. This, happily, was one such occasion. Great cause, too. the big question - can BHF #5 repeat the magic?
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darrell
Crab On The Rampage
Posts: 29
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Post by darrell on May 27, 2021 6:18:13 GMT
Thanks so much for your kind assessment of our work, dem! Pleased to hear that you didn't find a single duffer among our 28 tales, and I'd say we can promise much the same in book five, so I await your reaction with interest. Considering that many of us involved aren't professional writers/authors, I'm constantly amazed at the standard of submissions I receive, largely from people who are just 'my mates'. I think our work stands alongside anything else currently out there, and I'm so proud of the team. Still kicking/pinching myself every so often to see whether I wake from a crazy dream where I am Lawrence Gordon Clark's editor. If you'd told 14-year-old me, marvelling at The Signalman on telly in 1976, that I'd be working with LGC one day, I simply wouldn't have believed it. 'Telling Stories' is a gem. Way in excess of my stipulated word count, but hey, it's LGC. Who's counting? I too would love to see this tale filmed, it has the feel of a 70s/80s BBC one-off for kids or a Children's Film Foundation adventure. Which of course means it is absolutely terrifying...
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Post by greatestmate on May 27, 2021 7:46:01 GMT
Have really enjoyed reading your precise appraisals of the stories in book 4. That's a skill in itself, great work! Look forward to your notes on book 5 with keen interest...
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Post by 𝘗rincess 𝘵uvstarr on May 27, 2021 13:04:19 GMT
Have really enjoyed reading your precise appraisals of the stories in book 4. That's a skill in itself, great work! Look forward to your notes on book 5 with keen interest... Hi
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Post by helrunar on May 27, 2021 13:54:11 GMT
Hey it's Andrew Greatestmate! Welcome!
cheers! Helrunar
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iant
Crab On The Rampage
Posts: 59
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Post by iant on May 27, 2021 17:36:49 GMT
It really has been great to read these, and a relief to have not been shown up when surrounded by proper talent. What a great ride this is, don't ever wanna get off!
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Post by dem bones on May 27, 2021 18:14:06 GMT
Considering that many of us involved aren't professional writers/authors, I'm constantly amazed at the standard of submissions I receive, largely from people who are just 'my mates'. I think our work stands alongside anything else currently out there, and I'm so proud of the team. That's something really appeals to me - a mix of established authors and enthused, gifted relative newcomers. A number of our posters were and remain admirers of the deeply missed Charlie Black's Black Book's of Horror - with whom, of course, the BHF share a cover artist and certain authors - and it was a similar set up. Worked brilliantly. Have enjoyed several one-off theme anthologies and single author collections over past two-three years, but other than Paul Finch's consistently excellent Terror Tales ..., there's not been any contemporary anthology series really did it for me, so these under new management BHF's have been a huge lift. Thirty-one volumes might be pushing it, but I'm looking forward to reading what you come up with over coming years.
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Post by Swampirella on May 30, 2021 11:19:09 GMT
I've read about 50% of the book so far, very enjoyable as always, even if I don't always get the movie(s) referred to.
"Gentry in the Country" (Sam Dawson) is a stand-out for me.
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Post by samdawson on May 30, 2021 12:03:51 GMT
Thank you Swampirella, very kind (and encouraging) of you to say so
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Post by Swampirella on May 30, 2021 12:41:35 GMT
Thank you Swampirella, very kind (and encouraging) of you to say so You're welcome; reading it was a great way to start the day!
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Post by 𝘗rincess 𝘵uvstarr on May 30, 2021 12:44:28 GMT
Thank you Swampirella, very kind (and encouraging) of you to say so You're welcome; reading it was a great way to start the day! Swampirella do you always start the day with a horror story? To get you in the right mood.
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Post by Swampirella on May 30, 2021 12:51:29 GMT
You're welcome; reading it was a great way to start the day! Swampirella do you always start the day with a horror story? To get you in the right mood. You'll be glad to hear that's a rare occurrence.
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