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Post by dem on Jan 17, 2022 20:22:14 GMT
Darrell Buxton - Killer: South coast Jack the Ripper tribute act versus king sea predator in epic bloody battle to the death. Editor's contributor note suggests story inspired by VDGG's masterly sonic assault of same title.
James Stanger - The Crawley Black Swan Event: Revolt of telepathic super-brained bionic lab waterfowl spells doom for the W. Sussex new town, and, potentially, everywhere else.
Neil Pike - Skegnest: "You're telling me that this colony had no queen, no grubs but had 666 drones?" Two pest controllers discover the entrance to Hellmouth beneath a derelict amusement park. Cue Armageddon by the sea.
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darrell
Crab On The Rampage
Posts: 29
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Post by darrell on Jan 17, 2022 22:22:19 GMT
Yes indeed, 'Killer' was inspired by the magnificent VDGG track of the same title - leading me to consider a 'Yorkshire Ripper vs Jaws' tasteless mash-up, which I relocated to Torbay to make this an English Riviera-set equivalent of the terrible 70s movie Tintorera. The human killer's name is a conflation of two members of VDGG (he was almost named 'Peter Jackson' before the author bottled out/came to his senses...), and I dared to thieve a major line from the lyric too (despite having told all of my contributors never to), slightly amending it. I had enormous fun writing the extended undersea battle in the final third - and promptly lost the whole section due to a niggly computer glitch. A few Googles later, followed by a deep dive into the bowels of my laptop, and somehow I managed to locate three hours of frustratingly mislaid work and retrieve it in its original form. Might well have abandoned the entire tale rather than attempt a half-hearted rewrite, so was mightily satisfied to find it lurking in cyberworld's dungeon.
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darrell
Crab On The Rampage
Posts: 29
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Post by darrell on Jan 17, 2022 22:28:11 GMT
It's the non sequiturs which really make 'The Crawley Black Swan Event' another stand-out from Jim Stanger. The central 'superintelligent swans' plot is peppered with hilarious nonsense. The cameo by a non-league football manager who doesn't quite seem to know why he is in the story, and the nude hokey cokey scene taking place at the wrong end of a telephone line, are worthy of Woody Allen or Spike Milligan.
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Post by dem on Jan 19, 2022 6:50:52 GMT
Christopher Tighe - Cruel Garden: In the face of plummeting TV ratings, Chelsea Hawkweed, presenter of Chelsea's Garden Gimmicks, cultivates a plant in soil sprinkled with ground remains of ancient mummified cat. She'll not be back with a new series.
John Patrick Higgins - The Night: The ideal story to end with — a 'live TV crew in peril' gem set in Pembrokeshire. Steve, unspeakable presenter of a popular nature watch series, is insistent that he's met all the great predators our planet has to offer - how he longs to discover a new, ultimate beast of prey, "something that was human proof, something we couldn't hurt." Much to co-presenter Daisy's amusement, he gets his wish.
Have had a fab time with all five volumes since the relaunch under Mr. Buxton's editorship, this latest perhaps my pick of them. BHF mob sure are an industrious lot. #7 signs off with;
"Coming soon:
The Eighth BHF Book of Horror Stories (no overall theme this time??)
Spoken in Whispers - Andrew Llewellyn & Ian Taylor
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Post by Swan on Jan 19, 2022 17:15:54 GMT
Christopher Tighe - Cruel Garden: In the face of plummeting TV ratings, Chelsea Hawkweed, presenter of Chelsea's Garden Gimmicks, cultivates a plant in soil sprinkled with ground remains of ancient mummified cat. She'll not be back with a new series. John Patrick Higgins - The Night: The ideal story to end with — a 'live TV crew in peril' gem set in Pembrokeshire. Steve, unspeakable presenter of a popular nature watch series, is insistent that he's met all the great predators our planet has to offer - how he longs to discover a new, ultimate beast of prey, "something that was human proof, something we couldn't hurt." Much to co-presenter Daisy's amusement, he gets his wish. Have had a fab time with all five volumes since the relaunch under Mr. Buxton's editorship, this latest perhaps my pick of them. BHF mob sure are an industrious lot. #7 signs off with; "Coming soon:
The Eighth BHF Book of Horror Stories (no overall theme this time??) Spoken in Whispers - Andrew Llewellyn & Ian Taylor I'm curious, and this is in no way meant as a criticism, how you think these volumes would read if you weren't of a certain age group, and didn't get the in-jokes in many of them? I'm sure the extra level of knowledge adds to the enjoyment. |
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Post by corpsecandle on Jan 20, 2022 4:05:54 GMT
Christopher Tighe - Cruel Garden: In the face of plummeting TV ratings, Chelsea Hawkweed, presenter of Chelsea's Garden Gimmicks, cultivates a plant in soil sprinkled with ground remains of ancient mummified cat. She'll not be back with a new series. John Patrick Higgins - The Night: The ideal story to end with — a 'live TV crew in peril' gem set in Pembrokeshire. Steve, unspeakable presenter of a popular nature watch series, is insistent that he's met all the great predators our planet has to offer - how he longs to discover a new, ultimate beast of prey, "something that was human proof, something we couldn't hurt." Much to co-presenter Daisy's amusement, he gets his wish. Have had a fab time with all five volumes since the relaunch under Mr. Buxton's editorship, this latest perhaps my pick of them. BHF mob sure are an industrious lot. #7 signs off with; "Coming soon:
The Eighth BHF Book of Horror Stories (no overall theme this time??) Spoken in Whispers - Andrew Llewellyn & Ian Taylor (took me ages to work out my account email and password for this place) Thank you Darrell. I had been writing some very silly "scripts" to take the piss out of a beloved British sitcom on a Facebook page. That really was my training ground. Previously I tried to be funny but it always came out flat and well...unfunny. I'd like to think with the last two tales I have done, even if people don;'t quite get the humour those who enjoy my absurd humour will and have a laugh. Brexit, COVID and my own personel stuff led me to want to make people laugh. Though my own book is back to the darkness and in a completely non-supernatural sense. |
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Post by dem on Jan 20, 2022 9:12:30 GMT
I'm curious, and this is in no way meant as a criticism, how you think these volumes would read if you weren't of a certain age group, and didn't get the in-jokes in many of them? I'm sure the extra level of knowledge adds to the enjoyment. You'd need a critic to answer that. All I can say is they work for me, pretty sure they appeal to many of our core, horror pulp enthused readership, too. Ditto Paul Finch's Terror Tales series. |
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darrell
Crab On The Rampage
Posts: 29
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Post by darrell on Jun 20, 2022 6:02:27 GMT
Our next volume is simmering away on the stove - scheduled for September. Here's a preview of Paul Mudie's latest savage artwork and our blurb:  |
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Post by dem on Jun 20, 2022 7:05:52 GMT
Is this the first cannibalism-specific horror anthology? Martin Greenberg & the Adams' Hunger For Horror is closest I can think of. I love the uniform covers. Gives the series the look of a Pan Horror/ Black Books crossover, which seems v. appropriate — at least, it does to me. |
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darrell
Crab On The Rampage
Posts: 29
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Post by darrell on Sept 1, 2022 20:27:48 GMT
We've completed not one but three new BHF books, all finally formatted and fully edited during the course of the past two days after working on them for much of 2022. There's The Ate-th BHF Book of Horror Stories, our cannibalism-themed collection; plus 'Nuggets and other pieces', four previously-published short works by BHF regular Jez Conolly, in expanded 'reflux' versions; and best of all, or certainly the most satisfying project for me, 'Junior Jolts & Jitters!', a wildly imaginative scary stories anthology all written by children aged between nine and fifteen.
I'm awaiting proof copies, and hope to have these all on sale within about a week. Jez's slim book (84 pages) and the kids' volume (48 pages) will be budget-priced items.
And that's it for me as BHF editor, as much of my time will now be taken up as the new editor of 'We Belong Dead', the classic horror film mag - WBD founder Eric McNaughton is to become 'publisher' of the zine, and has asked me to step in and take on editorial duties. I've already planned out the next four issues and am looking forward to the challenge. Meanwhile, Ian Taylor and Andrew Llewellyn will take my place at the helm on the ongoing BHF series, and who knows, possibly more spinoffs too.
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Post by dem on Sept 3, 2022 5:52:10 GMT
Thanks for reviving the series, Darrell. Have greatly enjoyed the books to date. When time comes, please let us know if new titles available via Am*z*n. Good luck at We Belong Dead!
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darrell
Crab On The Rampage
Posts: 29
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Post by darrell on Sept 3, 2022 13:06:01 GMT
Thanks, dem - I'm looking forward to the new challenges of editing a regular, to-deadline mag. All going to plan so far...
The new BHF editors Andrew & Ian are busy making some of the previous volumes available via the (tax) evasive Mr Bezos, and report that they are being printed in slightly smaller but perfectly-formed editions via that outlet. Books 3 and 4 so far, I think, but others to follow. The new Book Ate, plus Nuggets and the Junior Jolts collection (which I hope is the first of many - I've been wowed by the imagination of the kids contributing to it) will be up on lulu in a few days.
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darrell
Crab On The Rampage
Posts: 29
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Post by darrell on Sept 13, 2022 10:10:51 GMT
The three new publications from BHF Books are out today, via lulu.com
The ATEth BHF Book of Horror Stories - our cannibal-themed collection (£10.99)
Nuggets and other pieces - Jez Conolly (£3.99)
Junior Jolts & Jitters - horror fiction by children aged 9-15 (£3.99)
dem, I received your letter and payment this morning and will get copies ordered later today. Your envelope had been torn open by the time it arrived, but amazingly the payment was still inside!
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Post by dem on Sept 24, 2022 17:23:39 GMT
The three new publications from BHF Books are out today, via lulu.com The ATEth BHF Book of Horror Stories - our cannibal-themed collection (£10.99) Nuggets and other pieces - Jez Conolly (£3.99) Junior Jolts & Jitters - horror fiction by children aged 9-15 (£3.99) dem, I received your letter and payment this morning and will get copies ordered later today. Your envelope had been torn open by the time it arrived, but amazingly the payment was still inside! Arrived mid-day. Will give each a dedicated thread when I get to them. For now, the TOC. Darrell Buxton [ed.] - The Ateth BHF Book of Horror Stories (BHF, Sept. 2022) Darrell Buxton - introduction
Barry Hale - Leather Apron
T. N. Shaw [Tony Earnshaw] - A Matter of Taste
Andrew Llewellyn - Medium Exceptionally Rare
Darrell Buxton - Dem Bones
Simon J. Ballard - Cannibal Feral
Samantha Jayne Crosby - Shall We?
Adam Millard - Who's Eating Ginny Drake?
Christopher Tighe - In a Packed Programme Tonight
Jez Conolly - One Eyed, One Horned
T. N. Shaw - Eat You All Up!
Ken Shinn - There's A Guy Works Down The Chip Shop Swears He's Sawney
Sam Trafford - Crackling
Jason D. Brawn - Just Eat
Wayne Mook - Cursed to Live
Simon J. Ballard - Dissolve in Water
Christopher Tighe - Cat Food
James Stanger - help Me Homunculus
Nadia Mook - Eats To Their Own
Ian Taylor - Fame/ Hungry
Stephen Lang - Specials
Ian Morgan - Got To Be in It To Win It
Jed Vesper - Homo Sapiens Anti Veganus
Kevin Hoxsey - Communion
Kevin Hoxsey - Communion, Too
Simon J. Ballard - House Of Morsel Sin
Ian Taylor - Swallow Your Pride
Andy Allard - Teeth
William Bitner - The Cost of Dental Work Can Be High
Ken Shinn - I Owe It All To Toto Coelo
Sam Dawson - Visiting Hours
Jez Conolly - Sticky Ends
Illustrations: Simon J. Ballard, Jez Conolly, Sam Dawson, Mark Hetherington, Selene Paxton-Brooks, Sam Trafford, Wayne MookBlurb: Frying tonight!
Ratings-hungry radio presenter bites off more than they can chew when a ravenous caller reveals a peculiar penchant for body parts ... Meet the feral juvenile gang for whom "NHS means "Nourishing Human Sustenance' ... Pop idols feed the world. Live Aid? Quite the opposite...
You'll love the pub grub at the rural tavern serving up horrific hors d'oeuvres and a macabre main course...
Full of meaty goodness! The latest flavoursome volume in the popular BHF series brings you ghoulish gastronomy galore, as we dare to enter the anthropophagic arena of... the cannibal! Guaranteed to make you vomit, our selection of terror tales this time focuses on flesh-eating and the very worst aspects of human nature. We present a tempting plateful of sizzlingly succulent pan-fried shockers for your delectation. What's on the menu? Watch out - it might just be you, dear reader... Darrell Buxton [ed.] - Junior Jolts and Jitters! Scary Stories by Kids for Kids (BHF, Sept. 2022)  Ffion Williams
Thiranya Hettiarachchi - [Artwork]
Thiranya Hettiarachchi - Ascendancy
Julia Zak - Feel The Fear
Maya Glass - [Artwork]
Rhea Ramessur - Frankenstein Part 2: The Revenge
Julia Zak - Lost
Archuthan Mohanathasan - Revenge
Aarush Mandal - My Stay At Eel Marsh House
Aarya Rajamurthy - The Enchanted Book
Tilly Taylor - Army Hill
Emily Earnshaw - Our House
Ava Cavanagh - Quetico
Ffion Williams - [Artwork]Blurb: BHF BOOKS PRESENTS
A SHOCKING SELECTION OF SCHOOL-AGE SHUDDERS AND SHIVERS!
JUNIOR JOLTS & JITTERS! SCARY STORIES BY KIDS FOR KIDS
featuring frightening fiction from Thiranya Hettiarachchi, Julia Zak, Rhea Ramessur, Archuthan Mohanathasan, Aarya Rajamurthy, Aarush Mandal, Ava Cavanagh, Tilly Taylor Emily Earnshaw
plus artwork by Ffion Williams, Maya Glass Jez Conolly - Nuggets & Other Pieces (BHF Books, Sept. 2022)  Caroline Conolly
Nuggets: Reflux
Tea with Mrs. Hindley
Neither
Dead Babies
Nuggets (Original Version)Blurb: If you like your horror fiction short, sharp and nasty, you've come to the right place! This mini collection of gruesome tales, previously published in truncated form across several volumes of the BHF Book of Horror Stories series, will have you not only reaching for the sick bag * but also crying with laughter at its jet-black humour — sometimes simultaneously
Gag with delight at the antics of a long-dead serial killer who, in an alternative reality, cheated the rope and carried on killing.
Grimace at the journal of an ordinary man with a less than ordinary and decidedly unhealthy interest in a very old lady.
Recoil at the meeting of a supercilious professor and a beast from the depths.
Chunder at the 'what I did last Summer' essay of a veritable junior School 'Jeffrey Dahmer'
* sick bags sold separately Thanks for all your help, Darrell, and good luck at We Belong Dead. |
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