Interview with Alex Davis

Alex Davis is a publisher, editor, author, creative writing tutor and events organiser from Derby. Film Gutter volume 1, his collection of reviews, has just been published by Ginger Nuts Books and last year saw publication of his first novel, The Last War, from Tickety Boo Press.  He organises Derby’s annual Edge-Lit convention - and its new sibling-convention Sledge Lit - and also runs Boo Books, which last year published the excellent Dead Leaves.  I caught up with him to talk about editing, writing and, of course, extreme cinema.

Edge-Lit, July 2015, picture by Steve Shaw

MW:  So tell us a bit about yourself.

AD:  I consider myself quite a lucky guy really, because ever since being a kid I always wanted to be a writer and get a book out there, which last year I was able to do. As I got older I found myself also getting a lot of enjoyment out of working in writing in its broadest sense – supporting other writers, teaching and workshops, putting together writing events and in turn publishing and editing anthologies. My attitude has always been to give things a go, and see how I feel about it, and if I like it then I'll keep on doing it. In the last fortnight I've just started tutoring GCSE English, for example, which has been really enjoyable so far too.

MW:  I think we first met at FantasyCon in the mid-noughties in Nottingham but you’d been organising conventions for a while.  How did you get into that?

AD:  I think that was the early 2000s – I put my first convention together back when I was twenty-three, which was the first of five Alt.Fiction events I was heavily involved in running, and started con-going a couple of years before that. At the time I was Literature Development Officer at Derby City Council, and had this vision of putting together an event in Derby with a view to drawing established convention audiences as well as getting more local audiences along, trying to provide a sort of gateway into the whole convention scene. I was amazed I could get my then-boss to go along with it, but he was really excited by the concept and with a bit of Arts Council funding we were able to get things off the ground. Being at a venue rather than a hotel, things like that felt important in terms of being a nice, soft and welcoming introduction to the scene. This year's Edge-Lit will be the fifth, and my eleventh convention as organiser.

MW:  You must be thrilled at the way Edge-Lit has become an important (and, to my mind, essential) part of the UK convention calendar.

AD:  Oh absolutely, chuffed to bits. 2015 felt like a real watershed year – these things always take some time to gather a head of steam, and we had three very good years before kind of mushrooming last year – the attendance was near double that of 2014. What I wanted – and still want – is for Edge-Lit to be the best writing-focussed convention around. It's not about necessarily getting load and loads bigger – QUAD is an incredible venue and a superb partner – so the aim is to keep offering more and more to our attendees each year.

MW:  So, “Film Gutter” then.  How did that come about?

AD:  I've always loved to have kind of a 'hobby' project, which has come under various guises over the years, and when the mastermind behind Ginger Nuts of Horror put out in January he was looking for new writers for the site I couldn't resist throwing my hat into the ring. The idea for Film Gutter wasn't really in my mind then, but when I started thinking about what I could perhaps bring to the table that others don't, the 'extreme horror' angle occurred to me. I've never been shy of controversial films – in fact any kind of fuss or furore tends to really fascinate me – and I was particularly inspired by a few Youtubers I watched who were recording brilliant reaction videos based on their immediate response to disturbing movies. Unboxed, Watched and Reviewed on the Otoobach channel on Youtube was and remains a favourite – it's made even funnier by the fact that the presenter has kind of a weak stomach. So I just thought to myself – maybe I could do that. What I could never have guessed for a second is how it's grown over the year it's been going – when I was sat interviewing Tom Six and Dieter Laser prior to the UK Premiere of Human Centipede III I just thought 'this is nuts, how did this happen'? But that's a symptom of how supportive and close-knit the extreme horror community is.

MW:  As a longtime fan of horror, I’ve grown to dislike the “why do you read/watch that stuff?” and so I’m reticent to do it to you but, as we discussed at FantasyCon, I’m amazed at your capacity to watch some of the films you do.  Not because of the content, necessarily, but for the emotive depths they plumb.  So when did you discover your enjoyment of the “film gutter”?

AD:  I've always been interested in things that kind of flirt with the edge of good taste, or what's considered acceptable, right from being a teenager I suppose. Musically that was black metal and Type O Negative's controversial albums. Bookwise as a kid A Clockwork Orange was an important one in influencing me. David Cronenberg was a director that really drew me in, and I suppose watching Videodrome one night on BBC Two – introduced by Mark Kermode, as I recall – was kind of a watershed moment as well. From there I watched Crash, and in turn Eraserhead, so it all sort of went from there. I suppose you could also reframe that as me having a pathological urge to dislike anything popular – I remember being really into nu-metal before anyone knew what it was, but when kids starting wearing Slipknot hoodies I just kind of moved on to something else. There's always been that bit of me that likes to dig around, find my own thing and then hopefully share that with other people who might not stumble across it other wise. In that sense, Film Gutter is me all over.

MW:  You wrote, as a guest blog, that with extreme cinema you started to wonder if there was “a line I won't let a film cross? Is there a point where I would press the stop button and give up because something had disturbed me so much? If those things that really shook other people up had produced so little effect in me, was there something out there that would make me feel that perturbed?”  Did you ever find that line or point?

AD:  Not as yet, but there are movies that have come close, and it's kind of hard to find a common thread between them. Thanatomorphose was just horrible to watch from start to finish, powerful but a serious test of endurance. Snuff 102 was flat out upsetting – there's a scene in that still makes me queasy to think back to. Megan is Missing features the bleakest closing twenty minutes in cinema history, in my opinion, and just left me shell-shocked for a couple of days. What interests me in a sense is why some of these movies do the things they do, and I can't answer that question without watching the film all the way through. Often there's a logic, an artistic reasoning going on beyond the flat-out gratuity it often gets considered as. It's good to be challenged by art sometimes, and for it to make you take a deeper look inside yourself and at the world around you.

MW:  You also run the small press Boo Books and published one of my favourite books of last year, Dead Leaves by Andrew David Barker.  What made you decide to run your own press?

Alex, (centre), with Carl Robinson (left) and Andrew Barker (right) at
Sledge-Lit, November 2015

AD:  Doing all the other work that I do, I'm always fortunate to stumble across great talent, and very often in the teaching or workshop environment talent that doesn't realize how great it is. Publishing felt like a natural next step to me, something that would give me the chance to help authors to get their work out there in a direct way rather than the indirect approach as it had been up to that point. The first novel we put out was Andrew's debut, The Electric, which just blew me away on first read and made me feel we were onto something special. He's a real talent, which he demonstrated possibly even more in Dead Leaves by delivering a book of a very different stripe that was every bit as good. The Electric was dreamy, optimistic, magical, whereas Dead Leaves is gritty, urban, almost nihilistic. The new novel out – A Dip in the Jazz Age – is actually written by an ex-student of mine, and that's almost a perfect summary of what I wanted to do with the press. It's about giving new names a chance out there, and that's what we'll continue to do.

MW:  What prompted the move into editing anthologies?

AD:  Again, just another one of those life ambitions! Half the joy of freelancing is that you can just decide to do something and go for it – there's no boss to say you can't or shouldn't. I've always loved short stories, and read a lot of anthos over the years, and when I was chatting away with the guys over at Doghorn about my first idea it all fell together wonderfully for No Monsters Allowed. The rest, as they say, is history.

MW:  You’ve also worked on the other side of the publishing coin, with your first novel The Last War coming out from Tickety Boo Press last year.  How long have you been writing and what led you into sci-fi?

AD:  I've been writing for as long as I can remember back, and SF was something that was really important to me in my formative years of reading. As a teen I was cracking my way through lots of the classics, and it's genre I've always had a fondness for. My focus is probably as much horror as SF these days, but the opportunity to have a sci-fi novel out there was something I just couldn't resist.

MW:  Okay, a “Film Gutter” quick fire round:

AD:  Favourite film and why: Flowers for me – Phil Stevens' debut feature is so visually fascinating, so poetic and so haunting. It was an absolute bolt from the blue for me – one of those movies I knew next to nothing about but absolutely rocked my world. His second movie, Lung II, is fantastic as well. Julia was a close second – just a fascinating tale of revenge and self-discovery in the most unlikely of circumstances. If I had a Film Gutter Oscar (note to self – there needs to be a Film Gutter Oscar one day) Ashley C Williams would have won it.

Least favourite film and why: Tough question, so I'm going to give two answers. Snuff 102 I've mentioned already, and I marked that one low not because it didn't have quality but because it left a distinctly bad taste by the end of the movie – I called it 'morally reprehensible' at the time and nothing since has changed my mind. I think there's a sequel on the way too. Quality-wise Chaos was just inexplicably terrible, just awful in every respect. I'm not one to lay into someone's creative work lightly, but there was just nothing to redeem this one.

MW:  And a general quick fire round

AD:  Favourite film and why: The Orphanage. I love Spanish filmon the whole, and The Orphanage is just exemplary in every respect – script, story, performances, atmosphere – and it also remains the only film to have surprised my wife at the end, which is no mean feat.

Favourite book and why: Vermillion Sands by JG Ballard. My fave tends to flip between this and Ray Bradbury's Dandelion Wine, but I'm on rather a short story kick at the moment so Sands has the nod right now. It's a wonderful collection set in a faraway, rundown beach resort inhabited by some of the most unusual and ethereal characters you can imagine, and the stories are just gorgeous – Ballard has an incredible imagination and this book is a superb showcase for that.

Favourite album and why: I tend to prefer metal and rap, so right now it's either Mindless Self Indulgence's You'll Rebel to Anything or Watsky's Cardboard Castles. I could barely come up with two more different albums, now I think about it....

MW:  So what’s next for Alex Davis?

AD:  There's a question! No doubt there's plenty of things I don't even know about yet, but this year I'm hugely excited to be chairing the British Fantasy Convention, which runs in Scarborough from the 23rd-25th September. As someone who's been going to the event for over a decade, the opportunity to lead on it means everything and we want to make it the best in many years, if not ever. It's an awesome location and the line-up is coming together really well, so it's bound to be a great weekend.

MW:  Thanks very much Alex and I look forward to seeing you at Edge-Lit and FantasyCon!

AD:  Thanks Mark.

Alex can be found online at Alex Blogs About and also on Twitter.  Boo Books can be found online here and on Twitter.

Come on in, the water's revolting... 

Film Gutter Volume 1 is the full collection of 2015 reviews and interviews from Ginger Nuts of Horror's popular Film Gutter series, looking at some of the most bizarre, grotesque and disturbing horror features ever made. With over 50 movie reviews plus interviews with directors and actors including Tom Six, Dieter Laser, Matthew A Brown, Jimmy Weber and Phil Stevens. 
Film Gutter Volume 1 also takes in a host of exclusive content, including the much-requested 'most disturbing movies' list! 

Interviews through 2014

Following on from something I started in 2013 (see here for more details), I've interviewed a few people this year and, once again, enjoyed the process.  Just in case you missed some - or all - of them, here's a round-up.

 An interview with Joe Mynhardt, head honcho of Crystal Lake Publishing

 An interview with Jim Mcleod, the man behind "The Ginger Nuts Of Horror"

 An interview with Jane Isaac, writer of "The Truth Will Out"

An interview with Johnny Mains, genre aficionado and enthusiast

The End, by Gary McMahon

In a break from my usual way of presenting reviews, here I'm going to talk about a book that I think is not only excellent, but absolutely worth a read if you love the horror genre.  The thing is, I read it in 2010, to critique it for Gary and so my review is fairly short but the imagery has stayed firmly with me these past four years and I'm really looking forward to reading it again.

Forget zombies, they were only the beginning... This is The End A strange suicide plague grips the city of London, tearing apart the fabric of society. To escape this madness, a small group of strangers must journey north in search of safety. Everyone and everything must eventually come to an End, but in this case it happens quicker and with more savagery than anyone could ever have imagined. When chaos reigns and things start to fall apart, The End might be closer than you think...and sometimes The End is really the beginning of something much worse...

Test cover I made in 2010, so Gary & I
could post images of the book

Mack Booth and his business partner are in London when something happens, driving 75% of the population to either commit suicide or try to kill themselves and as many bystanders as possible.  Assembling a ragtag band of fellow travellers - Becky, his business partners lover, Bob from the hotel and Manisa, who they meet on the way - he heads north, to his cottage on the moors where his heavily pregnant, blind wife is waiting for him.

This is an astonishing book, short and lean, that doesn’t pull any punches as it follows our heroes up country - it’s brutal, gory, poignant, unpleasant, bleak, uncomfortable, hopeful and above all else, never less than believable.  I read this in draft, to deliver a critique and it’s the first time I’ve ever done that and had to struggle to find anything seriously wrong with the ms.

An excellent book, well worth the read and if this doesn’t win awards, there’s no justice.

For a full review, please check out Jim Mcleod's at The Ginger Nuts of Horror website.

The book, from Ian Whates' NewCon Press, can be picked up from Amazon here

Drive is out now (paperback and ebook)

My novella "Drive" is now available from Pendragon Press as a limited edition paperback (including an exclusive afterword) and as an ebook.

David Moore has one night left in Gaffney and is at a party he doesn’t want to attend. Natasha Turner, at the same party, is lost for a lift home.

Meanwhile, three young men have stolen a car, and as the night darkens and the roads become deserted, David and Nat enter into a terrifying game of cat-and-mouse. . .

The paperback can be ordered directly from the Pendragon Press website for £4.99 here

The Kindle ebook can be ordered from Amazon for £1.84 here

“Drive takes you for a journey down the darkest alleyways of human savagery.  

A fast paced, high tension thriller that delivers on all fronts....”

- Jim Mcleod, The Ginger Nuts Of Horror

"Drive is a gripping, tense urban noir with prose as tight as a snare drum..."
- Paul D. Brazill, Guns Of Brixton.

“Mark West writes the kind of fiction that gets under the skin where it lies dormant until you turn out the lights ...”

- Dave Jeffery, author of the Necropolis Rising series

The Rude Dude Films trailer is scored by gcw, who also produced the theme for my "What Gets Left Behind" chapbook trailer and who I interviewed here, last year.

He is releasing the music as part of the "Drive EP", which features this score, "What Gets Left Behind" and "Me" (a song from his next album).  The EP is now available to download on Bandcamp at this link - https://gcwmusic.bandcamp.com/album/drive

First review of "Drive" is in...

...and, thankfully, it's a great one from Jim Mcleod from The Ginger Nuts Of Horror.

Drive  is a  welcome addition to the hard, fast paced genre of british Noir.  It is a tightly written novella that goes from 0 - 60 at a breakneck speed.  This is a simple yet highly gripping story of a good guy, a dame in distress and gang of nasty bad boys.

The full review can be read here at the GNoH site.

If you're interested (here's the sales pitch), the book (print and ebook) can be pre-ordered from the Pendragon Press website.

Interview with Jim Mcleod (of The Ginger Nuts Of Horror)

When I was discovering the horror genre, it was in the 80s when the Internet wasn’t even a twinkle in Tim Berners-Lee’s eye.  I found information through magazine articles (thank you, Fangoria), bits and pieces on TV and occasionally articles in newspapers and whilst I wouldn’t change that rite-of-passage for anything, I obviously missed a lot.  People getting into the genre now have not only the benefit of the Internet but also dedicated resources like Jim Mcleod’s The Ginger Nuts of Horror.

Covering the genre, from books via films to music and more, Jim is a champion of horror with interviews and reviews that are always perceptive, always honest and always entertaining.  I managed to tie him down for a few moments.

MW: Thanks for agreeing to this, Jim, much appreciated.  To start with, can you tell us a little about yourself?

JM: I can only tell you little bit about myself, if I give too much away the authorities might finally catch up with me.  To be honest there’s not really that much to tell.  I was the first person born on Christmas Day in 1971 in the whole of the UK, I’ve been a championship winning rugby captain and a Scottish and British kickboxing champion.  These days my times is divided between work, my wonderful family and Ginger Nuts of Horror.  It’s a good thing that I really don’t sleep.

MW: How did you get into the horror genre?  How old were you and what was your first realisation it was there - a film, a book or something on TV?

JM: I had a pretty normal childhood, until at about the age of ten when I discovered James Herbert’s The Fog in my local bookstore. I don’t know why I decided on that day to pick it up, let alone read it, but ever since that fateful day my love of horror and in particular horror fiction has never faltered. It’s been through some really bad times, especially recently, but there has always been and always will be shining lights in the darkest of genres to show us the way.

With regards to films I‘ve never been that big a fan of horror films.  This probably stems from the night I crept downstairs as a young child and watched Hammer Horror’s Dracula.  Boy did that terrify me.  I spent the next month sleeping with a bible and a crucifix in each corner of my bed.  My mum also had to check under the bed for vampires and the killer nun that sometimes liked to hide under there.

MW: Ah, killer nuns.  So what made you decide to create The Ginger Nuts of Horror?

JM: I was on a long term absence from work after a particularly nasty operation on my wrist and hip.  I can’t quite remember how it started but it was either Willie Meikle or Ian Woodhead who suggested that I start interviewing the authors who frequented the horror forum that we were all members of.  Ginger Nuts just sort of organically grew out of that.

MW: It clearly has a lot of respect from horror fans, with over 100,000 hits per month.  What do you attribute this success to?

JM: I really don’t know, a lot of it has to be because of hard work.  But there are other factors such as having great authors on board, who know how to give great guest posts and great interviews.  My readers are also great, a huge amount of the sites success must be down to them sharing the articles around social media sites.

At the risk of sounding like a big head, I also think that Ginger Nuts of Horror is rather unique in its place on the internet.   There aren’t that many websites that cover the topics I cover, sure there are hundreds of blogs that cover horror fiction, but 99% of them come across as more of a hobby than something that strives to be a bit more.  Don’t get me wrong, there are sites that offer far better and more comprehensive reviews, ones that really discuss the art of writing and all its nuances.  However where I think that Ginger Nuts excels is in its sense of fun, hopefully my sense of joy for horror comes across, and it does seem that this is something the readers enjoy.

Jim with Adam Nevill (photo: Stephen Edwards Thom) 

MW: I think it certainly helps.  But what drives you to keep going with it, the workload must be punishing since you’re a one-man-band?

JM: I think it is same undefinable urge that makes writers write.  I’m addicted to it, especially the interviews.  I love hearing author’s thoughts on the genre and the process of how they write.  It can give a fascinating insight into the minds of creative types.  It is punishing, I was on my yearly treat of a week off work while everyone else in the family was at work and school and before Ginger Nuts this would have been a week of catching up on films, books and video games.  It has now transformed into a week of getting up at 4am and catching up on reviews, interviews and emails.

Being a one man band  is tough, and it is something that a lot of people still don’t know.  The hardest part of being a one man band is keeping up with the administration part of the site, answering emails, keeping on top of Google analytics, and such like.  I spent a whole day just trying to clear my in-box.  That’s the point at which it gets depressing.  You should see some of the emails I get.

MW: Leading on from that and having seen some of your comments previously, can you enlighten us with some amusing faux pas from various potential ‘contributors’?

JM: The ones that really get me are the ones that don’t even take the time to find out your name.  I understand that authors have to use mass emails but, it really doesn’t take much time to stick my name at the start of the email. It’s only three letters.

The use of silly fonts, please, please for the love of all Gods, don’t use them.  If you want to be taken seriously as a writer, you have to act professional, silly fonts don’t make you look professional.  They make you look like a nursery school kid.

Uses of phrases like “THE NEXT BIG THING” don’t work either.  I know you want to stand out from everyone else. But that just makes you sound arrogant.

Someone actually sent me an email that said;

“Jim here is my book for you to review you can buy it from following this link to Amazon”
Needless to say I bought three copies.

Oh and please don’t ever send a hand written covering letter, which has been written in your own blood.  True story folks this happened to me.

If you want book reviewers to engage with you, it’s really rather simple, be polite and be interesting.  I get hundreds of emails, and time is finite, so if your first point of contact is a bog standard dull email that doesn’t hint at your personality it is likely to get ignored.  It sounds harsh but we reviewers have to have methods to reduce our workload.

MW: To turn your own brand back to you, what was “The Book That Made You”?

I’d have to go right back to the very first book I remember buying for myself, The Last Legionnaire by Douglas Hill.  It was a sort of Star Wars rip where the hero’s planet is wiped out by the Galactic Warlord.  Dying from radiation exposure he is rescued by a mysterious alien who replaces his bones with an indestructible plastic alloy.

The books see him searching out the Warlord to enact vengeance.  Yes they were rather cookie cutter in their approach to storytelling and characters, but there was something just so fantastic about them.  They really captured my imagination like no other book before them.  If you haven’t read them track them down and read them to your kids they will love them

MW: Excellent, one of my favourite books from my childhood was “The Galactic Warlord”!  I love it when you realise that someone enjoyed the same stuff as you, because at the time I was the only kid I knew who’d read it.  Anyway, moving on, what was “The Film That Made You”?

JM:  This is a tricky one, I’ve never been much of film watcher, probably due to my inability to sit still for any length of time.  You know what?  I’m going to have to pass on this.

MW: Paper or e-book?

JM:  It would have to be paper.  I know this sounds romantic, but reading as an experience is more than just reading the words.  It’s a sum of everything that goes into making the book and the environment that surrounds you when you read it.  A book is also a very personal thing, even the ones you get as presents. When someone gives you a book as a present it means that person really knows you, they have put a lot of thought into getting a book that is right for you.  It just doesn’t feel the same when they give you a link to download it.

A few years ago I gave my son my battered and well-read copy of Ray Bradbury’s The Halloween Tree.  This book has been read countless times, seen me through good and bad times.  The book is infused with my emotions and memories, there is no way in hell that giving an e-book copy of this to my son would have meant the same to me.  And when Campbell chose to take The Halloween Tree to school when his teacher asked them to bring their favourite book in, it really brought a little tear to my eye.  Just to know that this book which meant so much to me, now means so much to my son.  You just wouldn’t get that with an e-book.

MW: Who are some of your favourite authors?

JM: How much time do you have?  Here’s a quick of the top of my head list.  M.R. James, Graham Masterton, Brian Lumley, Gary McMahon, John Llewellyn Probert, Mark West, Thana Niveau, Alison Moore, Adam Nevill, Nathan Ballingrud, Lynda E. Rucker, to name a few.

MW: Thank you, there’re some terrific names in that list (and mine).  So what are you reading now?  What’s your favourite read of the year so far?

JM: I’m reading two very good highly sought after ARC’s.  Sarah Lotz’s The Three, which is written in the form of a documentary with viewpoints and comments from characters rather than a traditional narrative.  It looks like this could be the big breakout novel of the year.  It’s set in the years after four planes mysteriously drop out of the sky, and the frightening truth about why this happened.

The second book is not normally a book I would attempt to read.  It’s a zombie novel, but one where they only really exist as a point on which to hang a thesis about loss, memory and humanity. It’s a dense novel, one that has had me reaching for a dictionary more than once, but it is one that is deeply moving.  Keep an eye out for A Questionable Shape by Bennett Sims.

My favourite read of the year so far has to be Joseph D’Lacey’s The Book of the Crowman.  This is the second and final book of his brilliant apocalyptic dark fantasy and again it uses the narrative to explore some deep issues.  Hopefully this will be the book that sees Joe break out into the big time.

MW: Do you have a prize interviewee?

JM: Sadly most of my prized interviewees are now no longer with us.  I would have killed just to have been able to ask James Herbert one question.  Most people would expect me to say Stephen King, but to be honest I’m not that big a fan.  It would have to be a tossup between Clive Barker and Graham Masterton.  I would be fascinated to compare their creative processes.

MW: Where do you see the horror genre heading?

JM: As a genre it’s always seen as the dirty cousin to fantasy and science fiction, it’s a position that many of those working within it don’t help to alter.  There is far too much reliance on the same old story, zombies, and vampires are just so boring these days.  I hope that these days get left behind, and we see more authors trying to push the boundaries.  There are a lot of great writers out there who realise that horror really isn’t about the monster lurking in the darkness.  Horror is more about feelings and emotion.  Writers like yourself, John Lanagan, Laird Barron , Gary McMahon and Nathan Ballingrud use horror as a framework from which to hang stories that are full of great characters and emotional depth.

I’d love to see the genre make its way out of the ghetto.

MW: What do you see as the future for the Ginger Nuts site?

JM: To be honest I’m just going to keep on doing what I’m doing.  I’m toying with the idea of moving into horror films, but I’m not sure about it.  I like the idea of a quick turnaround, but there are so many great sites out there that do this sort of thing perfectly.  We’ll see, maybe the world needs a Ginger Nut spin on film reviews.

MW: Thanks for your time, Jim, best wishes to you and The Ginger Nuts of Horror for the future.

JM: Thanks Mark, it’s been a pleasure to be on the other end of the stick for a change.  I can’t go without saying thank you for all your support over the years.  It really does mean a lot to me, you’re constantly sharing and promoting my site, a lot of authors don’t even bother.  You are a true gentleman, here’s to September when we can finally raise a pint or two together.

MW:   You’re more than welcome, I’m looking forward to finally meeting up too.  And thank you, as ever, for your continued support.

Where to find The Ginger Nuts on the Net

Website - http://gingernutsofhorror.com/

Twitter -   https://twitter.com/jimbomcleod

Facebook - The Ginger Nuts Of Horror

The Book That Made Me: Danse Macabre

Jim Mcleod, over at his wonderful Ginger Nuts Of Horror site, is running a thread of articles called "The Book That Made Me", where horror writers discuss the book that really dragged them into this wonderful genre.

He asked me to contribute and I was only too happy to oblige.

You can read my article at this link.

Anatomy of Death (still getting noticed)

It's coming to that time of year when bloggers and reviewers are putting together yearly round-ups (mine is due later in the month).

I'm really pleased with how Anatomy of Death (in five sleazy pieces) turned out - from my initial concept a couple of years ago, to pulling together the stories through 2012, to publication this year, it's been great fun.  I chose my contributors well, read some terrific tales, had fun with the cover art and it's been well received - for my editorial debut, I couldn't really ask for more, could I?

Jim Mcleod at Ginger Nuts of Horror has posted his anthology round-up for the year and there's AoD, holding its own, with my story "The Glamour Girl Murders" ('tense and brilliant [it] captures perfectly the sights smell and sounds of the era') and "The Arse Licker" by Stephen Volk highlighted.  The full round-up and comments can be read at this link.

Anthony Watson, whose review can be seen below, also included the anthology in his round-up of the year.  You can read the full article at this link.

Ross Warren, whose review can be seen below, has also included the anthology in his round-up.  The full list can be found at this link.

Here's a sample of some of the reviews it's already received:

Anthony Watson, at Dark Musings - "Anatomy of Murder is fine addition to the Hersham back catalogue. Horror is indeed a broad church as Mark says in his introduction. Tastes may change, the genre will evolve (as it has to) but at the end of the day you can’t beat a bit of pulp."

Walt Hicks, at Hellbound Times - "Anatomy of Death is a ruthless, doleful (and yet often playfully satirical) paean to those glorious days of the 70’s and 80’s when horror was campy, bloody, violent, gory and gratuitously sexual.  The selections are certainly well-written, provocative and extremely diverse, which may be problematic to some: the Mains and Volk stories are brutally graphic; Bacon and Probert wield a slightly less gory scalpel, while West's tale occupies more of a middle ground.  Readers may find this wide range of styles and intensity slightly jarring, but then again, that's what horror is supposed to do. The easily unsettled or offended will probably want to go elsewhere, because this ain’t no ‘quiet’ horror anthology."

Matthew Fryer, at Welcome To The Hellforge - "I really enjoyed Anatomy of Death; in fact I demolished it in one sitting. “Just one more, then I’ll get up and do stuff…” was the repeated cry, but this slim, well-ordered volume had other plans. It’s deftly edited, the genre tropes are handled with affection, and there’s plenty of variation despite the specific theme. The stories shine with the quirks and particular strengths of each author, and if you’re not familiar, you could do worse than getting acquainted here."

Paul Holmes, at The Eloquent Page, - "This collection is a wonderful homage to all the horror it pays tribute to. Sometimes violent, often gory and in-your-face, this can be unforgiving stuff. You can rest assured Anatomy of Death is not going to be everyone’s cup of tea. I have no doubt that some will consider it politically incorrect or perhaps even potentially offensive. Personally, I think it does quite an impressive job of dancing right up to the boundaries of good taste but never actually crosses the line. I’d recommend this to anyone who enjoys his or her horror unashamedly raw."

Adam Millard, at This Is Horror - "Back in the 1970s, thanks to Hammer, Amicus, NEL, Futura et al, the horror genre evolved into something altogether more exploitative and sleazy. Book covers were filled with lurid and often gory images, and movie posters contained visuals that would give the BBFC dreadful nightmares. The films themselves contained more breasts than scares; it was, for fans of the genre, a truly wonderful and sordid time. With Anatomy of Death: In Five Sleazy Pieces, the essence of that remarkable era is fully restored in the guise of five entirely divergent short stories."

Graeme Reynolds, at Goodreads - Anatomy of Death won't be to everyone's taste, but despite the slight missteps of the first two stories, manages to successfully reproduce the sort of low budget, over the top shock-horror that was so prevalent in the 1970's.  Recommended reading if you have a strong stomach.

Ross Warren, at Goodreads - To paraphrase the advertising slogan of a well known brand of varnish, Anatomy of Death does exactly what it says on the cover.  All in all it is a strong collection of five stories with no bad entries and a couple of superb ones.

If you're intrigued, the book is available from the following sources:

Amazon UK - print and Kindle  /  Amazon US - print and Kindle

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Year round-ups by others

It's that time of the year, when people start putting together blog posts proclaiming their favourite reads/films/songs of the year.  It's always nice to get a mention and, already, I'm in two.

First up with we have Jim Mcleod who runs The Ginger Nuts of Horror website, which is a great resource for genre fans and writers alike.  A long-standing supporter of my work, I'm always chuffed to see myself mentioned anywhere at all on the blog (Jim picked "The Mill" as 'one to read' last year) and this year I get two mentions.  One means a great deal to me indeed, the other I am equally thrilled with though I won it with what my mother gave me!

First up is "THE GINGER NUTS OF HORROR CHRISTMAS GIFT GUIDE" (which can be found at this link).

In the "FOR THOSE WHO LOVE THEIR HORROR WITH AN EMOTIONAL PUNCH" sub-section, he's chosen "Conjure" along with "Where You Live", by my friend Gary McMahon.  Really chuffed to see my book in there, really glad it worked for Jim and it's a thrill to be listed alongside Gary.  Great stuff!

Read the full list here

Secondly (and in a decidedly lighter mood), Jim presents "THE GINGER NUTS OF HORROR AWARDS 2013" (which can be found at this link)

Amongst various awards (including Willie Meikle winning for best beard, Gary for best ginger, the elegant John Llewellyn Probert picking up best use of a smoking jacket, in addition to sharing best couple with Thana Niveau, Simon Marshall-Jones (of Spectral Press) winning best bald head Best and Johnny Mains walking away with Genre Scotsman), I picked up "Best Legs in the genre".

Brilliant!

(this is the picture that clinched it - me, at Rushden transport museum in 2012, picture by Dude)




The next blog is James Everington's Scattershot Writing who, again, has been a great supporter of my work (and I got to spend a day hanging out with him this year at the Andromeda One convention (which I blogged about here)).

James is presenting his "Best Short Stories of 2013 (Somewhat Biased & Woefully Uncomprehensive)" list and includes my "The Bureau Of Lost Children", from "ill at ease 2".  I'm thrilled to be in such great company (including my "ill2" cohort Shaun Hamilton) and chuffed to be included.

Thanks Jim and James!

Joe Hill, NOS4R2 and Ginger Nuts of Horror

I don't normally open this blog up to guest posts but Jim Mcleod, at Ginger Nuts Of Horror, has been a staunch supporter of my writing in the past and he's now hosting an event that I would love to be able to get to.

If you're in Edinburgh on May 31st, this is definitely something you want to get to!

The press release:

Don't miss the opportunity to see horror writer Joe Hill at The Pleasance Theatre for the only Scottish launch of Joe Hill's new book NOS4R2.

He will be taking part in a Q&A (Hosted by me!!!) as well as taking questions from the audience. Joe will also be reading an extract from his new book and signing for fans. For those who can't make it we are taking pre-paid orders for signed copies.

Joe Hill is the author of novels Heart-Shaped Box, Horns and 20th Century Ghosts which were all well received by horror fiction fans. Horns is currently being made into a movie starting Daniel Radcliffe and his graphic novels The Cape, Road Rage and the award-winning Locke & Key have had fans enthralled. NOS4R2 has now secured Hill's place as top of his generation in the world of horror and supernatural fiction.

The event takes place on Friday 31st May 2013 at 6:30pm at the Pleasance Theatre

Don't miss the opportunity to see horror writer Joe Hill at The Pleasance Theatre for the only Scottish launch of Joe Hill's new book NOS4R2.

He will be taking part in a Q&A as well as taking questions from the audience. Joe will also be reading an extract from his new book and signing for fans. For those who can't make it we are taking pre-paid orders for signed copies.

NOS4R2

Summer. Massachusetts.

An old Silver Wraith with a frightening history. A story about one serial killer and his lingering, unfinished business.

Anyone could be next.

We're going to Christmasland...

NOS42 is an old-fashioned horror novel in the best sense. Claustrophobic, gripping and terrifying, this is a story that will have you on the edge of your seat while you read, and leaving the lights on while you sleep. Will your soul be safe? With this horrific tale of Charles Manx and his Silver Wraith will you enjoy Christmas ever again?

Booking is essential.

Tickets are £5 and are available from the front desk at Blackwell's on South Bridge or by telephone for credit card purchases on 0131 622 8218.

For more information or if you would like a signed copy please contact

Ellie Wixon on 0131 622 8229
or
ellie.wixon@blackwell.co.uk

What Gets Left Behind (Ginger Nuts round-up)

Jim Mcleod, who runs the terrific resource Ginger Nuts Of Horror, is putting together his review of books for 2012.  A keen supporter of my work - for which I am very grateful - who highlighted "The Mill" last year, has done me proud once again and included "What Gets Left Behind" in his round-up.

As I write this, my little chapbook is joined with Adam Nevill's masterpiece "Last Days" and I am truly honoured to be in such good company!

Jim says: "I like to think of Mark as the heart of horror, and this story in particular set partially in the present and in the 1980's manages to evoke a huge feeling of loss and nostalgia.  Emotionally written this story shows that horror has a range of styles that most people don't give the genre credit for."

This links back to the Ginger Nuts post

More reviews for "What Gets Left Behind"

The “What Gets Left Behind” chapbook is now in the hands of Simon Marshall-Jones and the first copies will go out to Spectral Press subscribers attending FantasyCon in Brighton this weekend.

Even better, some reviews have been filtering through and - thankfully - they’re hearteningly good! Following on from Jim’s one (at Ginger Nuts Of Horror), which I mentioned in my earlier post, three more have come through. I’ve listed them below, with key quotes extracted, but please do follow the links which all go to the original review site.

 First up is Walt Hicks, over at the Hellbound Times (the review can be linked from here). Walt says, "West’s prose is lean and effective, and his build-up of suspense is excellent. He seamlessly transitions from past to present utilizing clever details that are incidental rather than intrusive; his sense of setting is keen, and his character interaction—particularly with fathers and sons—is dead-on target.” 

 Next up is Geoff Nelder, writing at Science42Fiction (the review is posted at the Spectral site in its entirety on this link) and he says "The story only lasts 27 pages but leaves you with a haunting, yet touching, legacy.” 

Adam Millard, reviewing for This Is Horror (find the review at this link) says “What West manages to do in so few pages, some authors don’t achieve in an entire novel. What Gets Left Behind is a spine-tingling tale that will play on your mind for some time after you’ve put it down. A laconic gem.”

Both Walt and Adam also make note of my use of 1980’s touchstones (as did Jim) and it’s nice to see that appreciated too.

 Adam writes “The 80s are referenced here to marvellous effect, with nods to Indiana Jones, Star Wars, and even Noel Edmonds. It was a time when children actually went outside to play, an epoch of innocence and grazed kneecaps, and West does a fantastic job of setting the scene.”

1st review for "What Gets Left Behind"

Courtesy of Jim Mcleod, from the Ginger Nuts Of Horror website.

Click this link to go to the review on his site.

 It's a great review and I'm really pleased with it, especially these two lines which I'll post here:

Mark West's writing has a heart and soul that many writers would kill for.

  Stories where the protagonist goes back to his childhood home are ten a penny, What Gets Left Behind, is a £100 note in a pocket of small change.

A round-robin interview (for ill at ease)

The "ill at ease" gang (me, Steve Bacon & Neil Williams) are interviewed over at Jim McLeod's brilliant Ginger Nuts Of Horror site and I think it makes for good reading - background on the stories, how the project came together and our plans for the future.

Check it out here

Some love for "ill at ease"

Well, we're doing something right - below are links to on-line reviews of "ill at ease" and the general consensus is good!

Pablo Cheesecake’s review at The Eloquent Page

"Overall Ill at Ease was a great little collection…I wish that it were a bit longer. Perhaps if we’re lucky there will be an Ill at Ease 2?"

Max Wedge’s review at Page Horrific

"Suffice it to say, ILL AT EASE lives up to its title. And at $2.50 for the e-book, you should not hesitate to buy."

Jim McLeods review at Ginger Nuts Of Horror

"This is an anthology about finding horror in the everyday things of life, and how it affects those who come in contact with it. A master class in quiet understated horror."

Cate Gardner’s review at Goodreads.com

"Worth picking up if you like a slice of British horror."

Paul D Brazill’s review at “You Would Say That, Wouldn’t You?”

"Ill at ease is a highly recommended collection containing three splendid examples of modern, British storytelling."

Just in case this leads you to want to buy it, or get more information, you might find the following useful:

Purchase from Amazon in the UK here

Purchase from Amazon in the US here

Or get it from Smashwords here

In addition, you could also join our Facebook group

New interview up at Ginger Nuts Of Horror

There’s a new, quite indepth interview with me up at Jim McCleod’s excellent ‘Ginger Nuts Of Horror’ website. I talk about writing in general, my longer works, doing cover art and my thoughts on electronic publishing.

If you’re interested, the direct link is
 http://thegingernutcase.blogspot.com/2011/04/mark-west-interview.html

I hope you enjoy it and, as always, feedback is welcome!