I’ve been absent from here for too long — partly because of being deep into writing a book, partly because there wasn’t all that much to say during a long, bleak winter lockdown — but now there is stuff! About me! (Surprise.)

A few years ago, I don’t think I would have ever envisaged myself writing fiction regularly, but I told God my future plans and he duly laughed hysterically and so now it seems to be A Thing, for as long as people will have me.

One of those people, I’m very pleased to say, is Brian Showers, the publisher of the most excellent Swan River Press. Swan River have been publishing a series of anthologies called Uncertainties for some years now, featuring original weird/peculiar fiction by some of the best names the genre field has to offer. So it was a real honour when Brian invited me to contribute to this year’s edition, not least because I ended up being included alongside other writers I grew up reading and admiring, people like Ramsey Campbell and Alan Moore. (Not worthy, etc etc.)

Anyway, Uncertainties Vol. 5, featuring my story “To See the Sea”, is now available to pre-order here: http://www.swanriverpress.ie/title_uncertainties5.html?fbclid=IwAR33ijSjhJR8puO5fpRJzQVIEKPZ1jpWOEklx4ABlEgKcQIWDo8Z3gCtKBU

(The book is on the pricier side, I realise, but if you’re not familiar with Swan River’s books, they are exquisitely put together and well worth the cost.)

Also, Brian’s erudite foreword to the book is also available to read here: https://swanriverpress.wordpress.com/2021/04/07/that-didnt-scare-me-thoughts-on-horror-fiction/?fbclid=IwAR0JkagVidtY4yUdPg7fykHwKwd75Wz59xxshwoFRX76S6GG8wybVE5XWbI

But wait, there’s more! I sold three short stories last year, and the second of them was to the Flame Tree Press anthology Terrifying Ghosts. (The third is still TBA.) This one was a nice surprise, as I simply sent a story in via open submission without any particular expectations, only to have it accepted. The story is a Christmas ghost story called “My True Love Gave to Me”, and Terrfying Ghosts can be ordered via Flame Tree’s website or via the usual online vendors.

https://www.flametreepublishing.com/terrifying-ghosts-short-stories-isbn-9781839644818.html

And before I disappear again, I should also mention that I’ve been continuing to dabble in the world of Blu-ray extras. It’s been my great pleasure to team up with Kim Newman for a number of audio commentary tracks, the first few of which have now been released.

The first was Roger Corman’s classic adaptation of Poe’s The Masque of the Red Death, available from StudioCanal in a gloriously restored version: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Masque-Red-Death-Blu-ray/dp/B08GM9VXKZ/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1QJ2J4MAMO4LI&dchild=1&keywords=masque+red+death+blu+ray&qid=1617894022&sprefix=masque+red%2Caps%2C182&sr=8-1

Sticking with Roger Corman, we then discussed the somewhat less classy but nevertheless highly entertaining Humanoids from the Deep, available from 88 Films: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Humanoids-Deep-Blu-ray-Doug-McClure/dp/B08MW9XWCP/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=humanoids+deep+blu+ray&qid=1617894277&sr=8-1

And leaving Corman behind, we also found a few things to say about drive-in sleaze classic Truck Stop Women, once more available from 88 Films: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Truck-Stop-Women-Blu-ray-Lester/dp/B08X2CP6VX/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3V6KXXFJEL8L4&dchild=1&keywords=truck+stop+women+blu+ray&qid=1617894409&sprefix=truck+stop++blu+ray%2Caps%2C169&sr=8-1

There’s more to come from me and Kim, so watch this space for details. However, Mr Newman, being a man of far more refined tastes, was not able to participate in my other recent commentary track. So instead, I teamed up with FrightFest’s Paul McEvoy to ponder the matter of 80’s oddity Spookies, coming soon in an extras-packed edition from 101 Films: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Spookies-Limited-Blu-ray-Felix-Ward/dp/B08XZGLCLF/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=spookies+blu+ray&qid=1617894914&sr=8-1

And that, I think, is that.