Fog On The Old Coast Road

They might not have the cachet of an award - and, indeed, some may knock them - but Ellen Datlow annually produces a Best Of Horror volume and within it, she has a list of ‘honourable mentions’.  These are the stories that didn’t make the grade to get into the final edition but which she feels are worthy enough to point people towards, should they be so inclined.

I have been publishing in the small press since 1999 (with a gap of several years around my writers block) and an honourable mention has always been on my list of ‘things to achieve’.

Yesterday, coming home from holiday, I discovered I’d achieved it (you can read the full list of ‘mentions’ here) with my story “Fog On The Old Coast Road”.

I’ve mentioned this story on the blog a few times (and these are the key posts):

The launch in London
My write-up of the 'Reading' event, in conjunction with Un:Bound Productions
A YouTube link to me reading the story

and it’s one that I remain very proud of - the lead characters are essentially me and Dude, it’s set at the east coast holiday resort of Skegness and the central image that drove it - a man in a flickering light - is one that I still think is scary.

Ian Whates, co-chairman of the Northampton SF Writers Group, asked me to submit a story for an anthology he was planning, called “Hauntings”.  There was no guarantee that I’d get in but I did, in great company and that one tale has taking me to a pub for a reading, the Forbidden Planet flagship store on Shaftesbury Avenue for a signing and a mass signing at FantasyCon 2012 in Brighton (where I got to act like a kid with Alison Littlewood).

I’m chuffed to bits to have achieved an ambition, with a story that I relate to very highly and I am indebted to Ian Whates for the opportunity.

It would be remiss of me not to include the link, in case you were interested, but the fine volume from NewCon Press is available here.

And finally, here's me, reading the story at The Staff Of Life pub in Mowsley, near Market Harborough in Leicestershire, 11th March 2012