Monsters

by Paul Kane

Here are the monstrously inhuman and those all too human, traditional monsters, zombies and demons. There is no need to travel to the end of the world, enter the forest or look under your bed for the monsters. Instead, read these stories.

Genres: Horror

318 pages, Paperback

First published June 6, 2015

About the author

Paul Kane has been writing professionally for almost fifteen years. His genre journalism has appeared in such magazines as Fangoria, SFX and Rue Morgue, and his non-fiction books are the critically acclaimed The Hellraiser Films and Their Legacy and Voices in the Dark. His award-winning short fiction has appeared in magazines and anthologies on both sides of the Atlantic (as well as being broadcast on BBC Radio 2), and has been collected in Alone (In the Dark), Touching the Flame, FunnyBones, Peripheral Visions, Shadow Writer, The Butterfly Man and Other Stories, The Spaces Between and GHOSTS. His novella Signs of Life reached the shortlist of the British Fantasy Awards 2006, The Lazarus Condition was introduced by Mick Garris - creator of Masters of Horror - RED featured artwork from Dave (The Graveyard Book) McKean and Pain Cages was introduced by Stephen Volk (The Awakening).

As Special Publications Editor of the British Fantasy Society he worked with authors like Brian Aldiss, Ramsey Campbell, Muriel Gray and Robert Silverberg, he is the co-editor of Hellbound Hearts for Pocket Books (Simon and Schuster), an anthology of original stories inspired by Clive Barker's mythos - featuring contributions from the likes of Christopher Golden and Mike Mignola, Kelley Armstrong and Richard Christian Matheson - The Mammoth Book of Body Horror (Constable & Robinson) - featuring Stephen King, James Herbert and Robert Bloch - and the Poe-inspired Beyond Rue Morgue (for Titan).

In 2008 his zombie story 'Dead Time' was turned into an episode of the Lionsgate/NBC TV series Fear Itself, adapted by Steve Niles (30 Days of Night) and directed by Darren Lynn Bousman (SAW II-IV). He also scripted The Opportunity which premiered at Cannes in 2009, The Weeping Woman - starring Fright Night's Stephen Jeffreys - and Wind Chimes (directed by Brad '7th Dimension' Watson. He is the author of the novels Of Darkness and Light, The Gemini Factor and the bestselling Arrowhead trilogy (Arrowhead, Broken Arrow and Arrowland), a post-apocalyptic reworking of the Robin Hood mythology gathered together as the sell-out Hooded Man omnibus. His latest novels are Lunar (which is set to be turned into a feature film) and the short Y.A. book The Rainbow Man (as P.B. Kane). He currently lives in Derbyshire, UK, with his wife - the author Marie O'Regan - his family, and a black cat called Mina. You can find out more at his website www.shadow-writer.co.uk which has featured Guest Writers such as Neil Gaiman, Charlaine Harris, Dean Koontz, John Connolly and Guillermo del Toro.

Reviews

[Phil · Rating 2 out of 5]

These were my first stories by Kane, compiled here in a special, limited edition hardcover (mine is signed and number 8 of 30). Beautiful artwork and volume, but sadly, the stories did not really do it for me. While several had a werewolf theme, the stories ran the gambit of horror tropes to be sure. I like Kane's easy prose style; it is like he is telling the story at a pub. I just felt the tales lacked that 'oomph' factor that makes for good horror. Some of tales I would rate at 3 or 4, but some I struggled to finish and just skimmed. 2 monsters.

[Chuck McKenzie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A highly entertaining and scary collection of monster-themed tales from a current master of horror fiction. A wonderful and engrossing read with not a single dud included among these tales. Highly recommended.

[Neil Buchanan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A rare thing for a collection of short stories to all hit the mark. There's usually a dud or two lurking somewhere in the volume. Yet, Paul Kane's Monsters delivers on all counts with a macabre collection of horror shorts that kept me entertained for hours. That said, there's normally a few stories that stand out above the others and in this case a collection of three that follow the story of a young group of lads originally out on the pull - or is it a hunt? But of course,things aren't always what they seem. And that's the beauty of Monsters: there's always a twist to be had, something you don't quite see coming.
The cover art is by Clive Barker, by the way, and nicely encapsulates the strangeness of the collection. If you've read anything else by Paul Kane (I'd recommend Sleepers) then you'll be familiar with the ease in which he writes and the life that he breathes into his characters. Sign of a great writer.
But the general mark of a good book, especially a good horror, is the ability of the story to stay with you long after you've read it. Something of a cliché in this day and age, perhaps. But nevertheless true. After I put this book down and went about my day, I found myself often thinking about werewolves and vampires, cuddly demons and the rag and bone men of yesteryear. Which to this jaded horror fan is no easy feat.
In summery: buy this, read it and remember what it's like to be scared of monsters.

[Helen Brannigan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book with all it's different monsters between Zombies, Dracula and other creatures that will make you want to keep a light on at night ;), A Chaos Demon is for Life did pull at my heartstrings and I will admit to having a tear in my eyes which you will understand why once you read this book :D I also really enjoyed reading Nightlife, Half-Life and Lifetime hmm wonder why I'd be drawn to Werewolves ;) hahaha, if like me you already know of Paul's work then some of his references will not be lost on you. All in all this is a must buy for all that love horror stories you will not be disappointed :D