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THE MIDNIGHT MAN – VAN GOGH, GHOSTS, MURDER AND MADNESS. A FUSION OF FACT AND FICTION
Simon writes:
I've looked forward to this moment for the last five years. Today, I'd like to make an announcement that means a great deal to me. The novel I've been working on, which features that troubled, cursed and blessed genius Vincent Van Gogh, has now been launched.
THE MIDNIGHT MAN is published by Severn House in hardback; it's released in the UK in April and the U.S. in July. It should be available in the rest of world by the late Spring.
When I came across Van Gogh's work and life-story as a teenager it was one of those revelatory moments. I've been a fan ever since. His visionary power and ability to be just so astounding in what he did was an inspiration. Van Gogh became a kind of magic touchstone for the way I wrote.
As well as THE MIDNIGHT MAN drawing on a crucial part of Van Gogh's life and imagining the circumstances that led to the shattering breakdown in late 1888, I wanted to evoke what was, I believe, one of the most important eras in our history.
1880-90 is the decade that bore witness to the birth of the modern world. A profound change was in the air. It wasn't a decade of global wars or major political revolutions, this was the revolution of the human mind. All of a sudden, people saw the world differently. Popular newspapers of that time start being written in the style of the modern press. They aren't stilted or old fashioned. Photography became part and parcel of everyday lives. Baird was born in 1888, the inventor of the first mechanical TV system. Daimler and Benz's motor cars were appearing on the roads. Family life became a lot like ours, working 9-5, school for the kids, then the commute to a suburban home.
In 1888, Van Gogh lived in Arles in the famously yellow house. Like a satellite dish he appeared to be picking up this emotional and intellectual evolution in human beings. Through that alchemy, which art possesses, he expressed this transformation in life-style and 'mind-style' into paintings of such visionary power that they enchant millions today. But it's more than brilliant sunflowers and incandescent portraits, we still sense there is a code within the pictures that speaks to us. Of course, his passion to capture the new spirit that electrified the Western World was too much for him. That's where the biography of Van Gogh is transmuted into legend.
So, these two elements have fascinated me for years: the story of Van Gogh in 1888, and the story of humanity's transformation during possibly the most important decade in history. Now that, truly, is a story that MUST be told. With Van Gogh's work to inspire me I've set out to attempt just that. THE MIDNIGHT MAN is, for me, one of the most personally satisfying novels I've ever written. I must add that I wrote about the artist with love and complete and utter respect. I trust I've done this great man, who saw the world's transformation before anyone else did, justice.
By the way, I've launched a 'making of' blog that features background information to the novel. It also serves as a gateway to web films about the artist and to a virtual tour of the Yellow House in Arles. Here's the blog link http://midnightmannovel.blogspot.com/
THE MIDNIGHT MAN - ISBN: 9780727866370
The book's description: 1888. The Yellow House, Arles: Vincent van Gogh paints works of transcendent genius, while in London a killer launches a reign of terror. Nidabi is attacked by her sadistic master but is rescued just in time by saintly Pastor Hux, a man who befriended Van Gogh many years ago. On a mission to help those most in need Hux is relentless in his attempts to save the souls of those he rescues. In Arles, Van Gogh is helped by prostitute Ty and they quickly form a special relationship. Both are outsiders and she struggles to protect the artist as his passion to create threatens to shatter his mind. But why are these two men haunted by the spectre of failure? How can loyalty endure in the face of evil? Soon a deadly momentum will draw two old friends back together - into a withering storm painted in madness, fear and death.
Late Breaking News: Simon will be the toastmaster at the World Horror Convention 2008 in Salt Lake City, 27-30 March. http://www.whc2008.org/
That's all for this time. Thanks for your patience in reading this longer than usual message. You can tell this book has a big, BIG place in my heart. Take care.
Simon Clark
LUCIFER'S ARK IS LAUNCHED
Simon writes:
Across the haunted ocean LUCIFER'S ARK sets sail. The novel is now out from Severn House. Psychotic killers are being transferred to an overseas prison by ship when a shadowy agency with a grisly plan intervenes. Shipwrecks, webcam footage of slayings, deadly pursuits, forbidden lust, friendship forged during an eruption of absolute peril. This routine sailing becomes a voyage to hell.
'Isis gripped the handle of one door while the red-haired man took hold of the other. At that moment the lights went out. And, for Tanya, nothing in her life would prepare her for what happened next. Her world would never be the same again.'
* * *
VAMPYRRHIC. A big thank you for making this book a huge success and a firm favourite of horror fans world-wide. First appearing in 1998, Vampyrrhic's gone through many printings, been a big hit in Russia, and has now appeared in translation in France and Greece. One fan enthused, 'VIKING VAMPIRES! AUDACIOUS!!' When I was writing the book some critics scoffed, saying vampire stories were a thing of the past. I'm glad we proved them wrong!
* * *
MARLOW'S TELLING: THE SEA OF DARKNESS: Now live at Amazon Shorts (available USA only). Set aboard a nineteenth century sailing ship this account of a calamitous expedition and an encounter with an African sorceress is a companion piece to THE EXTRAORDINARY LIMITS OF DARKNESS, which recently appeared in THE YEAR'S BEST FANTASY & HORROR 20. For more hit:
I hope the run-up to Christmas is a smooth, hassle-free one.
That's all for this time. Take care.
Simon Clark
A NEW BOOK AND TROUBLE WITH DOG FANGS
Simon writes:
Things didn't look right when my dog Sam began yelping when he ate his food. And one thing he does with heroic gusto is empty his dish of meat. Sam, you'll remember, is the star of the Dear Simon video on my website. The dog didn't look his usual self. Eating was troublesome. He lost interest in attacking the envelopes when they arrived through the letterbox. Instead of having that devilish gleam in his eye he just looked glum. At fourteen years of age this didn't bode well. So one bleak and rainy afternoon we took him to be examined by the vet. Sam's an old dog, he's had good life, we feared the worst.
The vet carefully checked his heart, lymph glands – the works. We watched with mounting anxiety. Then she checked his teeth. "He's got some bad ones in there," she told us. "They'll have to come out." Two days later we watched him being led away to the operating theatre where the vet waited with an ominous looking syringe, its needle gleaming under the harsh light.
And then we had to wait until evening to pick him up once the general anaesthetic had worn off. While we waited we swapped anecdotes of Sam's antics from puppyhood to being a senior member of the canine world. "Do you remember when he jumped in the river and ran home covered in mud?" "Or the time Sam saved Dad from the giant rat that ran at him from under the shed?" "And his favourite day is Christmas when he helps us tear the wrapping paper off the presents." Now poor Sam was having teeth pulled. And an old dog at that.
I arrived at the vets to be told Sam had sixteen teeth removed. Sixteen! I was staggered. For days he was groggy, wouldn't eat, wouldn't drink. Then on the fifth day he tottered out into the garden in the early hours. He smelt the country air that is alive with the scent of foxes, hedgehogs and things that creep in burrows – and that powerful aroma of LIFE worked the old magic. Sam suddenly dashed round the lawn; his devilish spark was back, so was his appetite. Soon he had his snout back in the bowl making up for lost time by devouring dog food like a ravenous hyena.
So now he's back to his lively self. We go for those long walks together across the fields; him on his mouse hunts, me on the scent of new ideas for stories.
And don't you know it, one tale will undoubtedly involve a dog with troublesome teeth. One with a horrific twist.
Onward to the book news!
MIDNIGHT BAZAAR – A SECRET ARCADE OF STRANGE AND EERIE TALES (yup, my longest title) is now out from Robert Hale. The hardcover isn't as easy to find as the paperbacks, but if you want to secure a copy you should be able to find it at your favourite internet store, or it can be ordered direct from the publisher, Robert Hale (hit the link below then enter Simon Clark in the Hale search box) http://www.halebooks.com/index.asp?TAG=&CID=
As with HOTEL MIDNIGHT it's a mix of new stories, older favourites and hard-to-find tales. They comprise:-
- Langhthwaite Road
- Ascent
- The Extraordinary Limits of Darkness
- The Pass
- Blast from the Past
- A Bridge to Everywhere
- Pond Life
- She Loves Monsters
Just a little about some of the stories: "She Loves Monsters" was originally a stand-alone book from Necessary Evil Press. It has been short-listed for a BFS award – the awards ceremony will be in a few weeks. "The Extraordinary Limits of Darkness" appeared in the charity anthology SHROUDED BY DARKNESS and has been selected by Ellen Datlow for THE YEAR'S BEST FANTASY AND HORROR. A terrific honour and I'm thrilled to be appearing in that prestigious volume. The other stories include haunted highways, zombie armies, African railway journeys searching for treasure and finding a lethal power. "Pond Life" is inspired by a real pond fed by an ancient Saxon spring in the rural village of my childhood – it has some autobiographical elements, too and touches on a legend about what lurks in the water.
H.P Lovecraft was an extraordinary writer and "Ascent" is something of a homage. Here are the opening lines:-
ASCENT
'All my research, of late, is concerned with levitation. The mysterious power to hoist a body, animate or inanimate, into the air. One of its supreme exponents was Joseph of Cupertino (1603-1663). Eye-witnesses say that before he floated skyward the saint gave a little shriek.' HP Lovecraft to Alfred Galpin, 4 September, 1918.
I didn't give 'a little shriek'. I gave a big one. A bloody great roar that rattled the bedside lamp and set the dogs barking next door. One moment I lay on my bed, while wondering if I should take another look at the dressing on my appendectomy wound; a wound that itched as its raw lips knit themselves together; the next moment I hurtled from the mattress to the ceiling.
* * *
WHAT'S NEXT?
Two new books of mine are appearing later in the year. They are:-
THIS RAGE OF ECHOES (Leisure) US paperback release October, 2007
LUCIFER'S ARK (Severn House) UK hardback release November, 2007 US hardback release February 2008
In the mood for music? I haven't been involved in THE KING IN YELLOW but I've enjoyed listening to this fabulous CD created by Steve Lines and friends. So for fans of Robert W. Chambers and the mysterious realm of Carcosa this is worth checking out. Driving rock songs, haunting ballads, spoken words with an eerie power all of their own – this is one of those albums to listen to at the dead of night when the storm winds rattle the windows. Highly recommended. This way for more on the CD http://www.rainfallsite.com/Home.html
If you want to see Sam in action, when he still had a full compliment of teeth, you can see him in the Dear Simon mini movie.
That's all for this time. Take care.
Simon Clark
Simon writes:
LONDON UNDER MIDNIGHT – waterborne vampires – how to find London's lost – African trickster god – transparent cemetery – island of the half-dead – a hunger that burns – unrequited love – undead attack.
PAPERBACK OUT NOW.
LISTEN, IT'S A RIVER THING...
Urban rivers: they slip like some cool, liquid invader into cities. Creeping. Silent. The hider of secret things. Dangerous, too. All too swift to catch the unwary or burst their banks and flood the streets.
Some of my earliest memories involve rivers. Is it just me, or is there something unsettling about the urban river, the way it weaves its way through a town? I remember as a child walking through something called Dark Arches in the city of Leeds in Northern England. It was basically a roadway that ran beneath the city railway station. Opening off from it were (and still are) subterranean rivers that run under Leeds. Memories of black waters roaring through a confined space like some furious demon are still incredibly strong. And in Wakefield where I grew up is the River Calder. This slides through an area of derelict factories. Old half-sunken barges rot on its banks. We didn't live far from the Calder so we'd often drive alongside it when we visited relatives at the other side of town. Just to crank up its weirdness there were factories upstream that dyed wool. Every so often they'd dump dye-rich water into the river, which then went over a weir. Then the foam in this huge weir would be transformed into brilliant oranges, greens, blues, startling reds.
And it got weirder. If a wind blew hard enough it carried globs of foam – dyed either vivid reds, blues, greens, you name it – across the city. You could be walking along a street and see amorphous blobs of foam the size of human heads, perhaps a juicy green in color, floating by the hundred all around you. Kids often fled screaming, terrified the green blob would touch them. There were rumors you'd be poisoned if one splatted against your face. Then maybe that rumor was spread by an adult with a grisly sense of humor!
With those kind of memories swimming round inside of me it's not hard to see why LONDON UNDER MIDNIGHT features vampire-like creatures that lurk in the River Thames in London. The paperback novel is now on release globally from Severn House. FYI Severn House link:- http://www.severnhouse.com/default.asp
Here is a short extract from LONDON UNDER MIDNIGHT:-
First came hunger. She opened her eyes beneath that scrap of carpet. Lying beside her was Carter. He groaned. So he was hungry, too. After lying inert for hours, not moving, not talking, not anything, not even having the desire to move, suddenly she couldn't remain still. April fought at the carpet that covered her as if it was an attacker. The hunger pangs surged inside of her. Once more they weren't confined to her stomach. That ravenous craving spread out from her belly along her nerves to her fingertips.
How can you feel hunger in your fingers? But she did. Her longing to eat pounded through every nerve ending. Eat, eat, eat. That's all that mattered.
* * *
The short film, SECRET REALMS, HAUNTED PLACES, that takes a look at locations that helped inspire both VAMPYRRHIC and LONDON UNDER MIDNIGHT is still playing here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GsRggDSo1zc
And if I should find myself beside one of these urban rivers, running like a cold vein through a city? Well, I know it should be free of monsters, spectres, you name it, but even so, if I stare into its waters too long I still feel that shiver of old tingling its way up my spine – that's when I start to wonder: 'What if there really is something in there...'
Good reading – and keep clear of the water ;--)
Simon Clark
Simon writes:
ARE YOU READY TO BE PART OF THE GREAT EXPERIMENT?
A while ago I made a series of short films for the BBC entitled WINTER CHILLS. Each week saw us visit a WW2 airfield, or castle, or medieval house to investigate uncanny events. We caught no ghosts on film but nevertheless it was an intriguing experience. There was a suggestion that behind stories of hauntings there was a common theme beyond someone glimpsing shadowy figures or hearing footsteps coming from deserted battlements. If anything, the people I interviewed weren't alarmed by the phantoms they'd encountered, or believed they'd encountered. Instead, they insisted that the apparitions radiated warmth and security and friendship, even love.
After filming had finished I realized I'd been bitten by the bug. I wanted to continue investigating the mysteries that continue to haunt us. But instead of writing a book about it I decided to try something different. And different it is!
Now, several months later I've made a documentary film entitled VENTURE MAN: TEMPUS FUGIT. I've incorporated what I hope is an intriguing – and unique – experiment. One that anyone can try.
Unfortunately, and frustratingly for me, due to reasons beyond my control, the film is only available in the United States at present. Hopefully, it should playing globally on the internet in the near future.
And the mystery I'm investigating is? Ah, I don't want to let slip any spoilers. Only there is a certain 'something' that has the power to reach out and not only touch us, but well... again I don't want to spoil the show. Oh well, just a couple more clues:-
- Part is set at an ancient stone circle – when I first saw it I thought: wicker men, human sacrifice, shamans at midnight conjuring horned gods.
- There's a medieval castle
- A coin from Constantinople
- England's answer to Atlantis
- Also, these words appear in VENTURE MAN (in no particular order): Excalibur, Auntie, meteorite, Egypt, lottery, nine ladies, Edison, 'destroy the universe.'
Anyway, with no further ado, here are the film details and links:-
BE PART OF THE GREAT EXPERIMENT...VENTURE MAN: TEMPUS FUGIT
Follow Simon Clark as he conducts a most singular experiment, embarks on a voyage of self-discovery and investigates one of the world's most enduring mysteries. His journeys take him through English realms that are as haunting as they are beautiful. One hot Summer's day Simon is joined by John B. Ford and Paul Kane at an ancient stone circle in Derbyshire, England. There they conduct the great experiment...
Oh, and did we mention that this experiment might turn out to be dangerous beyond comprehension? And that it's one you can try yourself?
- This way to the trailer on YouTube
- This way to view the film at Amazon Unbox
This 25 minute documentary is now showing at Unbox as a download to keep for $2.99. At present this is only available in the United States; however, it should be available globally soon.
Until next time...
All the best,
Simon Clark
Simon writes:
SIMON CLARK IS PLEASED TO BE IN AMAZON SHORTS!
No, that isn't a confession for an exotic taste in fashion. Amazon.com is featuring my new short story 'They Will Not Rest' in its Amazon Shorts program.
At the moment this is only available in the United States. I'll be dropping them hints to extend it to the rest of world ;--) If you want to read the story, currently exclusive to Amazon, simply visit the Amazon US website, go to the Simon Clark book pages and there will be a link to take you in. To download the story costs 49 cents, and if you have a compatible phone or handheld device you can read the story on the move (not while driving or flying a plane, I hasten to add).
'They Will Not Rest' is a gruesome story of sleep deprivation, set in the English coastal town of Whitby. This is a place that keeps dragging me back to use as a setting. So far, Whitby has appeared as a backdrop to 'The Hand of Glory, 'The Whitby Experience,' and features in the Vampyrrhic novels, too. If you've never visited Whitby are intrigued by my continued fascination with this haunting town it appears in the first part of the Secret Realms, Haunted Places video.
To give you a flavor of 'They Will Not Rest' here are the opening lines:-
1. The Price of Sleep Debt. Cemetery Exodus. Sundry Vistas.
How long can you stay awake? Twenty-four hours? Thirty-six? The fact is, forty-eight hours without sleep brings headache, disorientation and those first all-too corrosive hallucinations. A rat deprived of sleep is dead within twenty-eight days. Human beings last a little longer, although they lose their minds to full-blown psychosis long before they lose their lives.
And yet when the coffins started appearing in our streets and in our yards and gardens the only way to save your life was to remain awake. Because those long, muddy boxes full of rot and oozing bacteria soon began to accumulate around your home. See the problem?
* * *
In closing, just a couple of extra items. Robert Hale Limited will be publishing my short story collection Midnight's Bazaar. I'll post the publication date on the site as soon as I know it. And recently I wrote the introduction to a collection of formidable, and extremely hard-hitting short stories, by Paul Finch. Stains is to be published by Gray Friars Press, and is thoroughly recommended if you like your horror at its most uncompromising.
Until next time...
All the best,
Simon Clark
Simon writes:
I've just completed a short film entitled A CHILD'S DOMINION to accompany the release of DEATH'S DOMINION.
A CHILD'S DOMINION looks back to the time when our childhood imaginations were so potent that often reality and fantasy overlapped, and the ghosts and monsters we invented sometimes became, just for a few moments, as real as trees, houses and the grumpy mathematics teacher on a Monday morning. I filmed the piece at my old school in the village of Badsworth, Yorkshire. Conveniently for me, as a lover of ghost stories back then, we kids had to reach the school by walking (or running) through a graveyard. The film has a touch of cosmic (even comic) horror in the vein of HP Lovecraft.
Simon writes:
FRANKENSTEIN! I loved Frankenstein films from the age of ten onwards.
I bought the paperback of Mary Shelley's original FRANKENSTEIN when I was twelve and managed to get through it – just – but it was nothing like the full-blooded monster epics that I saw on TV, with the likes of Karloff, Christopher Lee and the rest stomping around graveyards as lightning zapped through the sky. I didn't even mind when one of my friends used the book I'd lent him to beat out a grass fire near his home. Come to think of it, that last sentence could do with more elaboration, concerning the surreal fire-fighting techniques of my school friend, but it's time I cut to the chase.
My latest novel, DEATH’S DOMINION, is out from Leisure. The Frankenstein story has had me in its monstrous grasp since childhood and, at last, I've done what I've been longing to do for years: to write my own take on the Frankenstein theme, set not only in the modern world but one we might find ourselves in next year or even next week. Here's an excerpt from Leisure's own mailer that describes the book and includes a heart-warming review from Publisher's Weekly.
'DEATH'S DOMINION by Simon Clark
"In the latest blood-soaked genre-tweeker from British novelist Clark (DARKER), Mary Shelley's FRANKENSTEIN gets replayed inside-out, in a modern world where the dead are routinely brought back to life; the monster-burning, skull-crushing, village-razing, castle-raiding fun-along with a splash of sex and several buckets of gore-make for a satisfying son of Frankenstein."–Publishers WeeklyModern scientists have proven Dr. Frankenstein right. They have discovered a way to raise the dead. Unlike Dr. Frankenstein's monster, these gentle creatures docilely serve their masters, but the living have begun to despise the dead among them. They are disgusted by their creations, and the government has set out to systematically destroy every last one of the "monsters." The monsters cannot fight back – it's not in their nature to defend themselves. That is, until one of the creatures retaliates against humanity with shocking brutality. In the war between the living and the dead, a new leader has arisen.'
To read an exclusive, behind-the-book feature or an excerpt, visit: www.dorchesterpub.com.
AND:–
SHROUDED BY DARKNESS, edited by Alison L R Davies
I'm delighted to have contributed a new short story, 'The Extraordinary Limits of Darkness' to the SHROUDED BY DARKNESS anthology that, as well as showcasing some wonderful tales by twenty or so writers, is raising money for DebRA, a charity working on behalf of people with the genetic skin condition Epidermolysis Bullosa (EB). The book is published by Telos www.telos.co.uk.
AND FINALLY:–
Thank you for the feedback on the short film I made for the website, Secret Realms, Haunted Places. I've often been asked about the locations for my novels so it's been satisfying to show places where the action takes place. In closing, one tip if you're interested in writing fiction: drive to a town you've never been to before, walk down an unfamiliar street, stand for a moment and look at a distinctively strange building then let your imagination suggest what dramatic events unfold there. It could be the jumping off point for your own first novel.
All the best,
Simon Clark
We celebrate the launch of Simon’s new novel London Under Midnight with an article about the book’s genesis, Occult Territory, and new Clark film entitled Secret Realms, Haunted Places.
Simon writes:
A new year, and new titles. This is just a short up-date this time as I'm still waiting on firm publication dates and formats for a couple of new novels due out this year. But out this month: the hardcover of THE TOWER from Robert Hale in the UK. I also have an essay in HORROR: ANOTHER 100 BEST BOOKS (Carroll & Graf), edited by Stephen Jones and Kim Newman with a foreword by Peter Straub. As the title hints a hundred authors pick their favourite books and get chance to tell the world why they think why their choice is so darned good. I picked John Christopher's brilliant, and disturbing, global disaster novel A WRINKLE IN THE SKIN. The Necessary Evil Press novella SHE LOVES MONSTERS is complete and should be with the printers very soon. Until next time...
NEW!! EXCLUSIVE FILM!!
Simon writes:
Walk down a street in the days before television; a time when the word INTERNET might conjure images of a stringy device used by fishermen. Back then, you'd see posters for Bride Of Frankenstein and Bella Lugosi in Dracula. From these posters blazed the magic words: COMING TO A MOVIE THEATER NEAR YOU! Well, as promised, here's Dear Simon, Where Do You Get Your Ideas From? And it is not coming to a movie theater near you IT'S HAUNTING THE WORLD WIDE WEB RIGHT NOW!
For Halloween 2005 I'm keen to offer visitors to this website something different. And here it is – an experimental foray into film making. It's all new; there will be gremlins lurking in its footage; BUT hang on tight. If you like what you see I plan more short films for 2006. So far, these will include features on story locations, tip-videos on becoming a writer ... and, ultimately, even a journey into the unknown.
Simon writes:
With Halloween creeping with wonderful eeriness toward us it's time for the horror writer's 'seasonal' update. The Halloween season, that is.
WHAT'S NEW?
The Tower is now out from Leisure. Just as the book collectors were predicting, the Robert Hale hardcover of my short story collection Hotel Midnight is becoming increasingly scarce. In the current edition of MIDNIGHT STREET there's a free copy of a Simon Clark bibliography. Tony Mileman has turned detective to track down my fiction to create what must be the most comprehensive bibliography of my shorter works yet. It's beautifully produced with evocative artwork by Anna Hyskova. I must thank Tony publicly for his dedication in finding details about a number of stories that I though were lost in the mists of time. And thanks to Trevor Denyer for making it happen. For more information visit www.midnightstreet.co.uk
WHAT'S NEXT?
SHE LOVES MONSTERS is now at the pre-order stage at Necessary Evil Press. The book will include the novella SHE LOVES MONSTERS, MIDWORD and ONE, an experimental foray into autobiography. Foreword by screenwriter and author, Paul Finch; artwork by Caniglia. The novella involves the search for the legendary lost film of Vorada, which was made by actor/director Christopher Lake. Critics describe Lake as Lon Chaney, HP Lovecraft and Tod Browning rolled into one. The inspiration came from reading an article about lost films and TV episodes. I found I was asking myself the question: 'Were the films just misplaced, or were they suppressed for a reason?' Pre-orders and sight of Caniglia's haunting cover: www.necessaryevilpress.com
And news of a new publisher: Severn House are to publish my new novel entitled LONDON UNDER MIDNIGHT. It's early days yet and I still don't have a publication date. The good news is that the English language edition will be published globally, so it will be easy to find around the world. Rumors that I might be collecting publishers like an avid numismatist collects coins is untrue of course... but then again, Leisure are ALSO publishing new titles, and watch out for more hardcovers from Robert Hale...
FINALLY, WHAT'S SOON?
Now this really is experimental. But I should have a surprise for all visitors to the website round about Halloween time. Whether it's a trick or treat will be for you to decide. Fade in sepulchral laughter, resonating into subterranean vaults....
That's all for this time. Take care.
Simon Clark
Simon writes:
Hotel Midnight is now available in hardcover. The publisher is Robert Hale Limited (ISBN 0-7090-7819-6) and the team have done a heck of job making sure that it's a beautifully produced book on high quality paper with an original water colour by Derek Colligan. The artist has drawn his inspiration from the Vampyrrhic creatures and one of them, rendered in silver and grey, moves before a background of eerie purples and blues. I've talked about the book on the website before but just to quickly recap, a third of the content is brand new with a pair of meaty novellas, THE HOUSE THAT FELL BACKWARDS and JACK OF BONES. JACK OF BONES is the longest – I think it had ambitions of becoming a stand alone novel! – and forms part of THE ELECTRA SUITE. This is a trio of stories that allude to the VAMPYRRHIC series and are linked by Electra's highly individualistic commentary. Most of the other stories may well be new to you as well. All but one or two appeared in hard-to-find anthologies and magazines.
Next up is FOURBODINGS, an anthology of novellas by Terry Lamsley, Tim Lebbon and Mark Morris. My contribution is LANGTHWAITE ROAD. I remember having nightmares about busy roads as a child and I wanted to recapture that unease in this story with a road as bloody as any battlefield. The book is edited by Peter Crowther and published by Cemetery Dance.
When you're ready for a break from reading (OK, make it just a short break) and are starting to get curious about what British horror writers look and sound like then I'd recommend you check out ASSEMBLY OF ROGUES. This is a limited edition package created by PurpleRage Productions and Rainfall Books, comprising an anthology edited by Martin Roberts and John B. Ford, a CD of horror/Sci-Fi themed songs, and a DVD. The DVD lasts just short of an hour. I'm in there somewhere, in what looks like a subterranean vault, talking about horror. I'm in good company with more contributions from Ramsey Campbell, Mark Morris, Paul Finch, Graham Joyce, Paul Kane, John B Ford, Mark Chadbourn and many others. For more details check out the PurpleRage website http://www.purplerage.co.uk. There's only a hundred copies of the ASSEMBLY OF ROGUES package, and they might have gone by the time this e-mail hits your in-box but I hear the DVD could be available again in the near future. It's well worth seeking out.
And speaking of the future.
My next novel, The Tower, is published at the beginning of August. This will be in paperback from Leisure books. For news on other editions and for an extract watch out for the next newsletter.
And if you can come along to FantasyCon 2005 in Walsall, England I'm going to be one of the guests of honour. It will be held at the Quality Hotel from 30th September to 2nd October. I look forward to seeing you there! More details at http://www.britishfantasysociety.org.uk.
That's all for this time. Take care.
Simon Clark
Story Of A Book – Simon reflects on the genesis of his forthcoming short story collection, Hotel Midnight.
A bulletin from the horror fiction front line by Simon Clark
Over the last few weeks this has been happening. I walk into a pub to meet friends and it’s “Hello, Simon. How are you doing? How come your website’s so out of date?” Or at a bookshop signing: “I really liked your latest book, Simon. By the way, what’s happened to your website? It hasn’t been updated in months.” Then I visit my dentist and he says, “Open wide… wider… I’ll just drill into the back molar, then take a look at your wisdom teeth. Let me know if it hurts. Oh, I looked at your website yesterday. Why haven’t you added any new material lately?” I begin to croak a reply as the dentist’s drill begins its searing whine…
Okay, I made up the last bit about the dentist. He’s a very good dentist and the first painless repairer of teeth I’ve ever encountered. I’m not just laying on the flattery there. Remember, your dentist is the only person you allow to bring a piece of sharp surgical steel spinning at several thousand rpm anywhere near your face, so you watch your p’s and q’s – right? Okay, okay, I’m postponing the question of why I haven’t updated this site since last year, when already we’ve just passed the summer solstice in the Northern Hemisphere – the primordial halfway mark of the year. To be honest, it’s been a ferociously busy time. The good news: it has been a productive one. I’ve written more short stories in the last twelve months than I’ve written in the last five years. These have been appearing in the likes of The Mammoth Book of Vampires (Robinson/Carroll & Graf) edited by Stephen Jones, in the SFX magazine Horror Special, and in a whole slew of forthcoming anthologies. There have also been novellas, one featuring the TV icon Doctor Who in The Dalek Factor (Telos Publishing) and Exorcising Angels co-authored with Tim Lebbon. This appeared from Earthling and has won a Tombstone award AND been optioned for film development by Stefanie Epstein Productions. Exorcising Angels is based on a true story. In a similar vein to Orson Welles’ radio adaptation of The War of the Worlds, triggering Martian invasion hysteria in the 1930’s, so a short piece of fiction entitled The Bowmen, printed in a newspaper during World War 1, started the Angels of Mons myth that had almost an entire nation believing that angels saved the lives of British soldiers in the nightmarish trench warfare being fought in Europe. The story Tim Lebbon and I wrote is our imaginary exploration of what might have happened if a witness to the ‘miracle’ encountered Arthur Machen two decades later.
Then there have been the novels. In This Skin, my take on cosmic horror, has just been published in paperback by Leisure in the States and Canada. In the UK Robert Hale is issuing the hardcover in August. There are some thoughts about writing the book on this website … the UPDATED website. And then there are new novels I’ve been working on. These are in the pipeline. I’ll post news here as details firm up.
Elsewhere in the website I’ve contributed a new chapter for Over At Simon’s my imaginary autobiography. In keeping with the earlier chapter I also talk a little about the fiction business with a tip or two for anyone embarking on their own career in writing.
By the way, the competition was a great success last summer with literally hundreds of entries to win the short story manuscript. Before too long I hope to do it all over again. With the cash value of Clark manuscripts and first editions rising all the time it should prove a prize of real monetary value (even more so if the winner tucks it away for a while).
There, I’ve done it. I’m guilt free. I’ve updated the website! Now if friends, or the paperboy, or the window cleaner, call out, “Hey, Simon, when are you going to update your website?” I can give a relaxed smile and say, “No worries. I’ve just done it. Go check it out.”
And you’ll be able to back me up, won’t you?
Until next time, good reading, and I hope 2004 is being kind to you.
From Telos Publishing press release: THE DALEKS ARE BACK!2003 marks the 40th anniversary of the BBC's cult classic Doctor Who, and Telos Publishing are proud to oversee for the first time in five years the return of the greatest baddies the universe has ever seen.
The fifteenth and final novella in Telos Publishing's range of original Doctor Who books will feature the creatures as readers have never seen them before. The story is called The Dalek Factor and is to be written by award-winning horror and dark fantasy author Simon Clark.
'I grew up watching Doctor Who,' says Clark. 'I never missed Doctor Who. Not even on my wedding day. Doctor Who fuelled my imagination and my appetite for the fantastic as a child. To get the opportunity to work on a Doctor Who story is a dream come true.'
Being able to work with the Daleks is also a large part of the appeal. 'Like total eclipses, the chance to write a Dalek story only happens once in a blue moon. There was no way I could turn down something like that. But, darn it, I knew if I was going to tackle The Dalek Factor, it would be my mission to make the Daleks frightening again. I want them to be menacing. I want them to be the essence of evil. No more 'stairs' jokes. I'm determined to write a dark, disturbing story where even to catch a glimpse of a Dalek makes the palms sweat, and triggers waves of revulsion and fear.
'Think back to the time when you were last frightened by a Doctor Who episode. My personal quest in writing this novella is to pull that fear trigger again. The Dalek Factor is going to be a journey into the heart of darkness. Not everyone on that journey is going to come back in one piece.'
The Dalek Factor will be published by Telos Publishing in February 2004 and is available for pre-ordering now.
The winner of Simon Clark's hand corrected manuscript of "Vampyrrhic Outcast" was Melissa Gibbs. Simon picked her name out of the virtual hat on Sunday 3 August 2003. The story has now been removed from this website because it's already been bought for a Vampire anthology!Simon writes:
Once again, congratulations to the winner! The feedback I've had for this competition has been terrific, and if you didn't win the manuscript I hope you enjoyed the "Vampyrrhic Outcast" story.
Now... the competition caused such a buzz I plan to do it all over again in a few months. So keep your eyes nicely peeled for news of the next competition in a future mailer. Until then, take care and enjoy the summer.
All the best,
Simon
The competition to win Simon's hand corrected manuscript of Vampyrrhic Outcast closed at midnight (UK time) on 31 July 2003, and Simon will be picking the one lucky person's name out of the virtual hat shortly.
Marking the publication of his latest novel Vampyrrhic Rites, the sequel to Vampyrrhic, Simon's written a brand new story called "Vampyrrhic Outcast" with its exclusive debut on Nailed by the Heart. Click here for details of how to enter our free competition to win Simon's hand corrected manuscript of the story.
The sequel to Vampyrrhic is on its way! In the next few days the hardback of Vampyrrhic Rites will be on the move from Hodder & Stoughton's warehouse in time for its launch on July 7.Simon Clark writes: 'When I was working on Vampyrrhic Rites I realised that here was a story that could break free of the confines of its book covers. So, as well as the launch of the novel in July, there will be stories, too, that tie-in with the Vampyrrhic 'world' inhabited by David Leppington, Electra Charnwood, Bernice Mochardi and characters new to the Vampyrrhic setting.
'One such story is "Vampyrrhic Outcast". This will appear here on the Simon Clark website next month. The story is a new original piece for the site and will be on-line for a limited time only. To mark the launch of Vampyrrhic Rites the manuscript of "Vampyrrhic Outcast" is to form the main competition prize. With large cash sums being exchanged for my books and manuscripts on auction websites this could be worth locking away with the rest of your family heirlooms.'
And What's Next....The US edition of Stranger is to be published by Leisure in October. And here is exclusive news: Simon's delivered a brand new novel to Leisure entitled In This Skin for a 2004 release.
Keep a look out for the next Simon Clark mailer with details of the competition and updates on the value of first editions of Simon's hardcover books. Those values just rise and rise and rise...
New additions to the Cover Galleries: Hodder's 2002 re-issues of Simon's first four novels, plus latest Leisure Books and Robert Hale editions. Go to [Publications] to access the individual galleries.
Simon writes:I have to confess. It's got bad lately... really bad. I keep waking up in the middle of the night thinking about it. Time and again, I open my eyes at three in the morning and tell myself I must update the website. The truth is, that the last twelve months have been so busy it's prevented me from adding more material. I feel doubly guilty because the numbers of visitors here have been growing at an explosive rate.
The good news is that what has kept me so busy is doing the thing I love: writing.
So what's new? In July Vampyrrhic was released in the States by Leisure (surely America's premier horror publisher, guided by the innovative and tireless champion of horror fiction, Don D'Auria.) If you've not seen the cover with its chilling, yet cool, depiction of one of the book's vampire, it's well worth a look. You'll also notice that Leisure are running a 'buy one, get one free!' offer, which can't be bad.
I've had terrific feedback on Blood Crazy over the last few years, with requests for a sequel. I guess this had been filtering down somewhere inside my head because last year I wrote Stranger. This is definitely in the same vein as Blood Crazy and tells the story of a small community fighting for survival in a small North American town. This is due out in hardcover from both Leisure (watch this space for publication details) and from Robert Hale in the UK this Halloween.
This year has been devoted to writing a gargantuan monster of a book called Vampyrrhic Rites that continues the story of Electra, Bernice and David from Vampyrrhic. Due in hardcover from Hodder & Stoughton March, 2003.
I've all ready started a new novel for Leisure. When there's more news about this new title (currently untitled!) it will appear right here.
Also appearing here this time: I'm pleased to be able to include Simon Who?, an update on the values of Simon Clark books. I'm grateful to Jeff Hill of Jeff'n'Joys books for taking time out from his thriving book dealership to write an entertaining and informative article. I've had people coming up to me at promotional signings saying that they've heard that Simon Clark first editions are now commanding startling prices. Jeff Hill is both very knowledgeable and very approachable, and this should answer your questions. What's more, if you have specific wants I know he'll do his best to find that rare book you've been hunting for. Jeff's site is: http://www.jeffnjoys.co.uk.
Up this time, too, is an experiment in autobiography entitled Over At Simon's plus The Mysteries of Time, an article reflecting on some of the inspiration that lies behind Vampyrrhic. This originally appeared on Leisure's website.
Finally: *COMPETITION ANNOUNCEMENT!*To mark the publication of Vampyrrhic Rites next spring I plan to publish a brand new story titled "Vampyrrhic Outcast" that will take the cast of Vampyrrhic to a new yet equally dangerous location. Reading Jeff Hill's potential cash values of my manuscripts gave me the idea for the prize. The competition winner will receive the original manuscript of "Vampyrrhic Outcast" (in effect a unique and expensive – ?!? – limited edition of one); also included in the package will be a letter of authenticity. Between publication of the story here on the website and the prize draw itself might only be a short interval, so I'd recommend that you register for the "Nailed by the Heart" mailing list – just the follow the instructions at the top of this page. The mailer's free and fairly infrequent so I won't be haunting your in-box every week.
It's been good to see you again. So, until next time, have a chilling Halloween and take care,
Simon
PS If you have any questions, comments, thoughts, don't be a stranger. Keep lobbing those e-mails over to nailed@bbr-online.com.
Simon Clark was delighted to receive not one but two British Fantasy Awards when this year's winners were announced on 21 September 2002 at the British Fantasy Convention, Champagne Charlie's, London.Not only did he pick up the Best Novel Award (the August Derleth Fantasy Award) for Night of the Triffids, but he also received the Best Short Fiction Award for "Goblin City Lights" from Urban Gothic: Lacuna and Other Trips.
After the ceremony, Simon Clark said: 'More than ten years ago I went to my first awards ceremony of the British Fantasy Society, saw writers and editors collecting the awards they'd won, and I wondered what they were feeling at that moment. Now I know, and believe me it's an extraordinarily good feeling. I'm proud and pleased to win both awards for best short story and best novel.
'Awards like this not only boost a writer's self-confidence but vividly demonstrate that readers do back their favourite writers by taking time out to vote for them. I know every time I see the statuettes it's going to give me a hell of a boost and encourage me to push back the boundaries of what I'm doing.'
The other BFS Award winners were:
- Best Anthology: Stephen Jones, ed., The Mammoth Book Of Best New Horror: Volume Twelve (Robinson)
- Best Collection: Paul Finch, Aftershocks (Ash Tree Press)
- Best Artist: Jim Burns
- Best Small Press: PS Publishing
- Special Award (the Karl Edward Wagner Award): No award
Our congratulations to all concerned!
The unabridged audio version of Simon Clark's The Night Of The Triffids is out now from Chivers Audio Books. Comprising 10 cassettes and running at 12hrs 30 mins, it is read by Steven Pacey (Tarrant in Blake's 7). The audio book is only available from Chivers at £40.95. Orders can be made by phone on 01225 443400 or http://www.chivers.co.uk. See our Cover Gallery for the Chivers audio book cover.
Hodder & Stoughton's catalogue of SF, fantasy and horror titles for 2002 announces a new Simon Clark novel, Vampyrrhic Rites, for release in hardback in December 2002. They're also re-issuing Simon's first four novels in paperback with new covers, with Nailed by the Heart and Darker in September 2002, and King Blood and Blood Crazy following in November 2002.
Simon writes:"Hello and welcome to the NAILED BY THE HEART site. When I was in high school the future for me was 2001. I'd read Arthur C. Clark's novel 2001 A Space Odyssey (many times) and seen the film (I was the only one in the cinema: the film wasn't big box office in Pontefract, England). So 2001 had a shining aura about it, only then it seemed a long, long way off. But often I'd ask myself, 'What will I be doing in 2001?' Well, 2001 has arrived. As ever the world is a turbulent place with perhaps more than its usual share of nightmare events. And unlike Clarke's vision of 2001 the extra terrestrials don't appear to have left their calling card yet. Or maybe we haven't been looking hard enough.
"For me, 2001 has been a packed year. It's seen the publication of Blood Crazy and Darkness Demands in the United States (Cemetery Dance and Leisure). In the UK Night Of The Triffids has appeared... now if you could go back in time and say to the starry eyed teenaged Simon Clark, "Did you know that in 2001 your book that continues the Day Of The Triffids story will be published?" I'd have probably snorted in disbelief (while secretly hoping it was true!). 2001 also saw me being a guest of honor for the first time at a convention, namely WHC2001 in Seattle, and then I repeated it by being a GOH at the BFS's birthday bash in London in September. Believe me, I loved every minute of it and found it a huge honor. And if you did catch sight of me nipping the backs of my arms it was because I was pinching myself just to make sure I wasn't dreaming.
"In October the paperback of Night Of The Triffids was launched, and in early 2002 the unabridged audio version is scheduled for release by Chivers. And watch this space... I'm going to post more details about the audio book and related competition. Also, staying with recorded sound, Rainfall Records released the CD, Strange Aeons [see review below] containing works inspired by Lovecraft's Cthulhu Mythos. It's an anthology of songs, music and readings by authors such as Ramsey Campbell, Simon Clark, John B. Ford, Thomas Liggotti, Tim Lebbon, Joel Lane, and many others.
"For the world in general 2001 has turned out to be a pretty tough year so far, but for you personally, I hope it's been a kind one. Remember, when you're taking a break from the Christmas shopping, drop in here again for the competition details, for breaking news and for one or two surprises."
The road to writing The Night of the Triffids was a long and turning one. Simon takes a look back at part of that journey in They're Big, They're Green, They're Baa-aack....Raising the Chill Factor returns with Regina Mitchell's darkly potent Ungloved Hands.
UK fans can now get the Cemetery Dance editions of Darkness Demands through BBR Distribution – see the BBR Catalogue for further information.
There's a new interview with Simon Clark on the ZONE SF website at http://www.zone-sf.com/simonclark.html, in which he talks about John Wyndham, transatlantic storytelling and the lore of Triffids.
The Strange Aeons: A Tribute To H.P. Lovecraft & The Cthulu Mythos double audio CD is now available for £12 (US $18 cash) from Clive Jones, Rainfall Records, 9 Lydiard Road, Chippenham, Wilts SN14 0NZ (e-mail: clivej@bigfoot.com; http://www.bigfoot.com/~stormclouds). An exquisite combination of music and poetry inspired by the works of H.P. Lovecraft and the Cthulu Mythos, the two CDs feature songs by psychedelic bands from the UK, Europe and the USA including Stormclouds, Childe Roland, Rod Goodway, The Petals, Astral Weeks, Fireaxe, and Spawn of Chaos. Interleaved with this, top Lovecraftian authors and poets from the UK and USA read their own (and others') work to eerie background sound effects, including performances by Brian Lumley, Ramsey Campbell, Simon Clark, Robert M. Price, Michael Cisco, Thomas Ligotti, John B. Ford, Tim Lebbon, and Joel Lane. Think Hawkwind's Warrior On The Edge Of Time for horror fans and you'll know exactly what we mean!
Publishing News:
- Simon has signed a two-book deal with Leisure books. These will be for their new prestigious hardback line (with the books following in paperback twelve months later). The first novel he's writing for Leisure is Stranger, a hard-hitting post-apocalypse novel. Simon says anyone who's enjoyed Blood Crazy will like this one!
- Darkness Demands has a British publisher. Robert Hale Limited are to issue the book in hardback at the beginning of 2002.
Here on the website, Simon talks about Triffids, Darkness Demands and his early days as a writer in To The Bone, and US-based bookseller and hardcore Clark collector Paul Miller discusses the collectibility and value of Simon Clark hardbacks in Collecting Clark 101.
We also preview Simon Clark: A Working Bibliography & A Trip Out For Mr Harrison, and there are some new dates for your diary.
Publishing News:
- Blood Crazy was published in paperback by Leisure Books in January – see our Cover Gallery for the Leisure Books cover.
- Darkness Demands was published in hardback by Cemetery Dance in February, with the paperback edition due from Leisure Books in June – see our Cover Gallery for the Cemetery Dance cover.
- Night of the Triffids is published in hardback by Hodder & Stoughton in June, with the paperback in October and an unabridged audio book edition from Chivers in this winter.
- Look out for more hardcover limited edition reprints from Cemetery Dance and the bibliography Simon Clark: A Working Bibliography & A Trip Out For Mr Harrison from Earthling Publications, e-mail: earthlingpub@yahoo.com.
Here on the website, Simon Clark pays tribute to Richard Laymon and Gerald Suster in his occassional diary Random Acts of Memory and, to coincide with the new Leisure Books edition of Blood Crazy, he looks back at the book's genesis in Mind Game Zone.
There are also some new dates for your diary, and Raising the Chill Factor sees the world debut of a prodigious new talent with Helen Clark's "Egyptian Time Travel".
After the summer break, Raising the Chill Factor returns with "Pyjamarama!" by John Travis, a waking nightmare that'll have you quaking in your jim-jams!
Read the latest instalment of Simon's occasional diary, Random Acts Of Memory to find out what happened this summer when he found himself booked into the very same apartment in Whitby where Bram Stoker conceived the immortal Dracula.Meanwhile, Simon's contracts have now arrived from Cemetery Dance. CD are to issue Blood Crazy, Darker and King Blood as deluxe limited edition hardbacks in the USA. There are no firm publication dates yet, but Blood Crazy should be out by the end of the year.
AST Publishers Moscow are issuing Russian editions of Blood Crazy, King Blood, Vampyrrhic and The Fall. Books will retail at one US$ each.
And watch out for the Steve Lines album, Strange Aeons (double vinyl and CD), due out early 2001 which features a number of horror authors reading extracts from their work, backed by an atmospheric sound track. Simon reads an extract from Nailed By The Heart.
New English Library publish the UK paperback edition of Judas Tree on 25 May 2000, and we preview the new cover art in the Cover Gallery.Meanwhile, if you want to order a signed copy of this edition, go to the BBR Catalogue.
To coincide with the launch of Leisure Books' US edition, read our exclusive extract from Simon's first novel Nailed by the Heart.
Simon will be at the World Horror Convention in Denver on 11-14 May 2000 – Simon says, 'Don't be shy: come up and say hello.'
New Clark novel from Cemetery Dance!
Cemetery Dance are publishing a brand new Simon Clark novel in late summer 2000. Darkness Demands will be available as a Limited Edition hardback of 1,000 signed copies at $40, and a Traycased Lettered Edition of 52 signed and lettered copies (bound in leather, with satin ribbon page marker and additional full-color artwork) at $150. We'll announce UK prices as soon as we know them, but in the meantime see the Cemetery Dance website for further information.See our new Cover Gallery for a sneak preview of Leisure Books' cover for Nailed by the Heart, published in May 2000, plus a look at how publishers in other countries are packaging Simon's work.
Also due in May from Gargadillo Publishing is Simon's chapbook Butterfly and One. Again, more details as soon as we have them.
And finally, Mark McLaughlin provides the latest Raising the Chill Factor with "Finesse", a short story takes performance art to a completely new dimension!
Simon Clark's short story 'The Pass' is now on-line as a story in the 'Houses At The Borderland' anthology edited by Andy Fairclough. The anthology is a tribute to William Hope Hodgson's novel 'The House On The Borderland' and is the first to be given away free over the internet. It can be read in its entirety at http://borderland.cjb.net.This month's Raising the Chill Factor is Derek M. Fox's relentlessly tense shocker "Widow's Weeds".
Simon Clark will be talking about Judas Tree when he appears as the special guest in the Masters of Terror chat room on Friday 3 December 1999, starting at 22:30 GMT.Read "A Fester of Mysteries", Simon's collaboration with D.F. Lewis, together with a previously unpublished Tim Lebbon story, on Des's website at http://dflewis.cjb.net/.
We preview Simon's new novel, published on 1 December 1999. Read his background to the story in Roots of the Judas Tree.Raising the Chill Factor – Paul Finch brings us the diabolically wonderful "The Wolfman's House" – come on in!
This site is now featured on the new Horror search engine at http://www.horrorfind.com, which is well worth a visit. While you're there, you'd better vote for "Nailed by the Heart" in their ratings poll, or the big floaty head will come and get you!
Our latest Raising the Chill Factor is Gary Greenwood's gritty anti-sentimental short-short "Excerpt From Two Lives".
Gary Greenwood looks back on the Another Afternoon with Simon Clark in Sheffield on 3 July 1999, with photos by John B. Ford.
Clark to be published in USA!
New York-based Leisure books, an imprint of Dorchester Publishing, are to release Simon's first novel, Nailed By The Heart, as a mass-market paperback in the US and Canada in May 2000. It will be followed by Blood Crazy in January 2001. We'll bring you more details as soon as possible, along with sneak previews of the brand new cover art. Leisure have a real commitment to horror and are already releasing a horror title per month, with Richard Laymon's Bite being the latest to hit the stores. Leisure are a company to watch. For more information access their website at http://www.dorchesterpub.com/horror.htm.
This month's Raising the Chill Factor is "The Lichen" by Mark Samuels, a short but powerful tale of alien invasion.
Just out from Andy Fairclough's Masters of Terror is the disk anthology Houses on the Borderland, which is a tribute to Hodgson's classic House on the Borderland. Along with authors such as D.F. Lewis, Tim Lebbon, John B. Ford, Tom Piccirilli, Laura Elvin and others it contains Simon's story "The Pass" and is available from MOT at UK£3 or US$6.Also look out for Simon's time travel story "Down Time" in SFX 54, due out mid-July 1999. Essentially this is a competition along the lines of "Own A Piece of Simon Clark", in which the winner gets ownership of the copyright of the story. Runners-up receive a free copy of Simon's latest novel, The Fall.
Richard Laymon's anthology Bad News (Cemetery Dance) will include one of Simon's longest short stories to date. Running to over 7000 words, "On Wings That So Darkly Beat" was inspired by an earthquake on Simon's home turf in the normally geologically placid South Yorkshire. There's still no release date for the book but watch this space.
The Simon Clark message board run by Masters of Terror has moved to http://guestbooks.netservices.gr/readgb.cgi?name=SimonClark. If you've bookmarked directly to the message board, don't forget to update your links!Once again a big thank you to Andy Fairclough, the Editor of Masters of Terror, for making this message board available to Simon and his fans.
In the introduction to The Fall, Simon invites time travellers of the future to meet him at Hampole in April 1998. Now he describes what really happened on that fateful day in Time Travel Made Easy.Madness, death and nightmare infuse the work of John B. Ford. This month's edition of Raising the Chill Factor is no exception, with a passionate vision of hell-like worlds and nameless horrors in his story "The Sea of Strangeness".
E-mail Woes – We've recently suffered major problems while we moved 'bbr-online.com' to a different provider – we were without e-mail from 25 March to 6 April 1999, and "Nailed by the Heart" was inaccessible over Easter. If we've not yet responded to any e-mail sent to '@bbr-online.com' during this period, or not yet acknowledged any forms submitted through the website, then we probably didn't receive your communication in the first place. If this is the case, we'd be grateful if you could send your message again. We apologise for any inconvenience these problems may have caused. Thanks for your patience!Salt Snake is here!
We bring you the full contents list plus an exclusive review by John B. Ford. Order the book now from Silver Salamander Press (USA customers) or BBR Distribution (UK and European customers)!Raising the Chill Factor – The Great Cleansing had purged evil from the world, so why did he still feel this forbidden desire of man for man? And why did it inevitably lead to death...? Find out in "Forbidden Modes of Desire" from this month's invited guest writer Andrew Darlington.
Meanwhile Simon takes a backwards look at the 1999 World Horror Convention in Deep In The Heart Of Georgia, Derek M. Fox reviews The Fall exclusively for this website, and we bring you exclusive extracts from Vampyrrhic and Blood Crazy.
'Raising the Chill Factor' – This month's invited guest writer is D.F. Lewis, with a surreal, dreamlike and peculiarly British story.The March 'Spotlight On...' feature on the Richard Laymon Kills! website will be devoted to Simon Clark, so drop by next month and give this excellent horror site your support. Previous articles in this monthly have featured John Case and the US small press publisher Obsidian Books.
And don't forget that Simon will be at the World Horror Convention in Atlanta on 4-7 March 1999, so if you're attending don't forget to say 'hello' and get your favourite Clark book signed by the man himself.
Have you won a piece of Simon Clark? We announce the winner of our competition for the copyright of Simon's story "The Grave in Stephen's Back Garden".'Raising the Chill Factor' is a brand new feature where Simon turns the spotlight on an invited guest writer – we start with a subtle and powerful story by Tim Lebbon.
Can't wait for Salt Snake and Other Bloody Cuts to be published? Here's a complete story from the collection to whet your appetite!
And finally, there's a new article in our Simon Says page, entitled "My Favourite Bit Is...", in which Simon recalls that special part of a favourite book or film that made the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end.
Novel News... – Simon's seventh novel has been scheduled for a Christmas 1999 release by publisher Hodder & Stoughton. Judas Tree is going to be a little different. Simon's previous books have had a strong Yorkshire tie-in; Judas Tree, however, is set on the tiny Greek island of Voros. It promises to be the story of a haunting with a difference and builds on the traditions of Blackwood, Hodgson and Shirley Jackson. Simon explains: "In this book, I admit it, I set out to scare myself and the reader; and I wanted to scare in such a way that people don't know how or why they're scared, only that they are reading something with the dark power to disturb. Anyone who's seen Robert Wise's superb movie The Haunting will know the effects I'm aiming for."Get out your dancin' shoes! – Extracts from Simon's novels Nailed By The Heart and Darker are to be set to music. Steve Lines, who created the superbly atmospheric Lovecraftian CD Fungi From Yoggoth, will compose and perform the music. The album, Strange Aeons (on ebon-black vinyl as well as CD) is planned for a 1st January 2000 AD release. Other writers are contributing their own pieces or reading from the likes of Poe, Lovecraft, Clark Ashton Smith and Lin Carter. Now this is one way to groove into the new Millennium.
Blood & Grit: Worth its weight in gold? – Simon's first book, Blood & Grit (BBR Books), is now changing hands for $50 dollars apiece in the States. It might be worth thinking about moving your copy to the safe deposit box...
A message from the Dark Side of Yorkshire – Simon says: "I'd like to thank YOU, website reader, for making this one of the most visited single-horror-author sites in the world. Since November we've taken off in a really BIG way. We also need to give Chris Reed who manages the site a big hand as well. And thank you for taking the time to read my books. If you've any suggestions for the site or would like to get a message to me feel free to e-mail me c/o BBR. Maybe one day soon we can all get together for a big virtual party in cyber-space? Remember, a great comic once said that 'home is the place where they have to let you in'. However, you're always more than welcome here at www.bbr-online.com/nailed. Meanwhile have a great Christmas, a superb New Year and stay with us into '99. Don't be a stranger, d'ya hear?"
Simon's new books are here! The Fall in hardback and Vampyrrhic in paperback are now both available from our Bookshop.
Tim Lebbon reviews the The Nervous? Convention in Cardiff on 31 October 1998, with photos by Gary Greenwood.
Enter our new competition! Now's your chance to "Own a piece of Simon Clark", as we're giving away full copyright ownership of his previously unpublished short story "The Grave in Stephen's Back Garden", which you can read here from now until the closing date of 7 January 1999.We bring you an exclusive extract from Simon's new novel The Fall, published in hardback by Hodder & Stoughton on 3 December 1998.
New instalment of Simon's occasional diary, Random Acts Of Memory.
Here's a sneak preview of the cover of Salt Snake and Other Bloody Cuts, Simon's new short fiction collection coming this autumn from the American publishers Silver Salamander Press.
Simon's short story collection Blood & Grit, published by BBR in 1990, is now officially out of print. You may still be able to find a yourself a copy from one of the better second-hand dealers, such as Andy Richards, Cold Tonnage Books, 22 Kings Lane, Windlesham, Surrey GU20 6JQ, UK.In the meantime, you can read a complete short story from the collection right here.
New article added to our Simon Says page, entitled "Adventures in Television", about Simon's recent Winter Chills series for BBC Look North.Stephen Jones is to include Simon's story "Swallowing a Dirty Seed" in The Mammoth Book of Best New Horror 9. The UK edition is published by Robinson this autumn and in the US early '99 from Carroll & Graf.
Also out in the UK later this year is the Simon Bestwick anthology Oktobyr which includes Simon's story "Compress", describing what happens to a passenger of the Titanic after the sinking.
Added our links to the Simon Clark message board at Masters of Terror (many thanks to Andy Fairclough for running this facility).
Derek M. Fox reviews Simon's latest novel, Vampyrrhic, exclusively for this website.
Tim Lebbon looks back on the Afternoon with Simon Clark in Sheffield on 13 June 1998, with photos by Kaiser Bill.Vampyrrhic hardback and King Blood paperback added to Publications and Bookshop.
New article added to our Simon Says page, entitled "On What Curious Winds Do Seeds Of Inspiration Blow ...", plus the first instalment of "Random Acts Of Memory: An Occasional Diary".
Derelict Of Death – a limited edition booklet containing a William Hope Hodgson tribute story co-authored with John B. Ford. Plus two introductions, short Hodgson biography and illustrations by Steve Lines. Price £2.50, which includes p&p; available 1st June from 95 Compass Crescent, Old Whittington, Chesterfield, S41 9LX, cheques payable J.B. Ford.Salt Snake & Other Bloody Cuts – a collection of Simon's short stories is to be published by Silver Salamander Press in the autumn. This contains virtually all of his published short stories right from the early days. A full list of contents will be posted here shortly.
Vampyrrhic – paperback edition to be issued by NEL in December, simultaneously with...
The Fall – a Hodder & Stoughton hardback which fuses horror and science fiction genres in a story involving a group of reluctant time travellers.
Also keep a look out for SFX 41 that contains a headline feature of Simon's about Terry Nation's ground-breaking series Survivors.
Nailed by the Heart is to be published in Spain – more details to follow as they become available.
Simon is currently working on a further two novels for Hodder & Stoughton, Vampyrrhic and The Fall, both of these scheduled to appear in 1998.