Something Remains

by Joel Lane, Pauline E. Dungate (Editor), Simon Avery (Contributor)

When Joel Lane died unexpectedly in November 2013, the literary world lost a remarkable talent. He left us too early, with so much unfinished as indicated by the copious notes and outlines of stories and poems he had yet to write. In these pages you will find stories inspired by and based on these notes, completed by many of his friends and colleagues - over thirty writers including Tim Lebbon, Steve Rasnic Tem, Alison Littlewood, John Grant, Simon Bestwick, Lynda E. Rucker, John Llewellyn Probert, Gary McMahon, Thana Niveau, Steven Savile and many others. 'Little bits of midnight they forgot to sweep up when the dawn came,' (Joel Lane). I think that's genius, and a reminder of what we've lost - what more there might have been. But though Joel has gone, his work still lives, and I believe its worth will only grow with time. - Ramsey Campbell

329 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 1, 2016

About the author

Joel Lane was a British novelist, short story writer, poet, critic and anthology editor. He received the World Fantasy Award in 2013 and the British Fantasy Award twice.

Born in Exeter, he was the nephew of tenor saxophonist Ronnie Scott. At the time of his death, Lane was living in south Birmingham, where he worked in health industry-related publishing. His location frequently provided settings for his fiction.

Reviews

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

Disclaimer: my short story, "Blanche", is published in this anthology.

The horror/weird fiction writer Joel Lane died unexpectedly at the age of fifty in 2013. He left behind copious notes for stories/poems which were never written and in 2015 his friends Pauline Dungate and Peter Coleborn decided to offer these fragments for other writers to continue with a view to publishing this anthology as a tribute. Some writers have written pieces in a 'Joelesque' fashion, others have tended towards their own styles using the notes as the starting point. Either way this anthology is an eclectic mix of quality writing with some brilliant pieces. Unlike many anthologies I felt nothing was 'filler' here, and whilst some were more to my taste than others as a whole the book works both as the intended tribute but also in its own right.

With almost forty contributions I won't comment on them all but my favourite pieces include Tim Lebbon's "Everybody Hates A Tourist", "Charmed Life" by Simon Avery, "Dark Furnaces" by Chris Morgan, "Broken Eye" by Gary McMahon, "Threadbare" by Jan Edwards, "Through The Floor" by Gary Couzens, "And Ashes In Her Hair" by Simon Bestwick, "The Second Death" by Ian Hunter, and "The Enemy Within" by Steve Rasnic Tem. These are all five star pieces and the rest rarely fewer than four stars. Whether from the source material itself or the determination to do Joel's ideas justice each writer has produced their very best and the anthology as a whole is coherent and substantial. The fiction is punctuated by some poetry and articles, all with merit. You don't have to know Joel's stories to appreciate this book, but you will surely want to read him afterwards. All profits to Diabetes UK.

[Seregil of Rhiminee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Originally published at Risingshadow.

Something Remains: Joel Lane and Friends (edited by Peter Coleborn and Pauline E. Dungate) is a well-edited anthology of stories and essays dedicated to the memory of Joel Lane. This anthology will be of interest to readers who enjoy reading literary speculative fiction, literary strange fiction and weird fiction. (According to the publisher's website all profits go to Diabetes UK.)

The stories in this anthology have been written in the vein of Joel Lane and have been inspired by and based on his notes and outlines of stories he had yet to write, and the essays reveal things about Joel Lane and his works. The authors have done their best to write good stories, poems and essays. Their contributions reveal how much they appreciate Joel Lane's stories and storytelling skills.

Because this anthology is dedicated to the memory of Joel Lane, I think it's good to say a few words about him. Joel Lane (1963–2013) was one of the most talented writers of literary strange fiction and weird fiction (he also wrote mainstream fiction). His unique writing style and his excellent prose have had an influence on many authors and many readers admire his works. He is the author of such short story collections as The Earth Wire and Other Stories, The Lost District and Other Stories, and Where Furnaces Burn. He received the British Fantasy Award twice and the World Fantasy Award in 2013.

Something Remains is one of the best and most impressive anthologies of the year (it's a worthy tribute to Joel Lane and his legacy). If you consider yourself to be a fan of literary speculative fiction, you owe it to yourself to read this anthology, because you'll love it.

This anthology contains the following stories, poems and essays:

- Introduction by Pauline E. Dungate
- Joel by Chris Morgan
- Not Dispossessed: A Few Words on Joel Lane's Early Published Works by David A. Sutton
- Everybody Hates a Tourist by Tim Lebbon
- The Conscience of the Circuit by Nicholas Royle
- The Missing by John Llewellyn Probert
- Charmed Life by Simon Avery
- Antithesis by Alison Littlewood
- Dark Furnaces by Chris Morgan
- Broken Eye by Gary McMahon
- Stained Glass by John Grant
- The Inner Ear by Marion Pitman
- Threadbare by Jan Edwards
- The Dark Above the Fair by Terry Grimwood
- Grey Children by David A. Sutton
- The Twin by James Brogden
- Through the Floor by Gary Couzens
- Lost by Pauline Morgan
- Fear of the Music by Stephen Bacon
- Bad Faith by Thana Niveau
- Window Shopping by David Mathew
- Clan Festor by Liam Garriock
- Sweet Sixteen by Adam Millard
- Buried Stars by Simon MacCulloch
- And Ashes in Her Hair by Simon Bestwick
- The Pleasure Garden by Rosanne Rabinowitz
- Joel Lane, Poet by Chris Morgan
- The Reach of Children by Mike Chinn
- The Men Cast by Shadows by Mat Joiner
- The Winter Garden by Pauline E. Dungate
- Natural History by Allen Ashley
- The Second Death by Ian Hunter
- Blanche by Andrew Hook
- The Body Static by Tom Johnstone
- The Bright Exit by Sarah Doyle
- You Give Me Fever by Paul Edwards
- The Other Side by Lynda E. Rucker
- Of Loss and of Life: Joel Lane's Essays on the Fantastic by Mark Valentine
- Shadows by Joe X. Young
- I Need Somewhere to Hide by Steven Savile
- Coming to Life by John Howard
- The Enemy Within by Steve Rasnic Tem
- Afterword: The Whole of Joel by Ramsey Campbell

Each of the above mentioned stories, poems and essays is worth reading, because they've been written well. The stories and poems feature excellent prose and the essays are informative and interesting.

All of the stories contain fluent descriptions of urban alienation, isolation and everyday life. They have creepy and slipstreamish elements, which emphasise weird happenings, and the characters are realistic. It's great that the authors have paid attention to creating an unsettling and uncanny atmosphere, because it's an essential part of the charm of the stories.

The authors fluently explore such things as everyday life, relationships, love, loss, homosexuality, longing and passion in these stories and they do it well. It's great that they touch upon many themes and issues, because it brings diversity to this anthology. The authors offer intriguing glimpses into the private lives of different kind of people and reveal what happens when people experience extraordinary and unexpected things.

I was deeply impressed by all of the stories and I enjoyed reading the essays. Although I don't call myself an expert on Joel Lane's fiction (I've only read a couple of his collections), in my opinion all of the stories could easily have been written by Joel Lane himself, because they're exceptionally good and they reminded me of his stories.

Here's a bit of information and my thoughts about some of the stories:

"Everybody Hates a Tourist" by Tim Lebbon is a story about Jenny who has come from London to Birmingham to start a new life. She visits her friend, Emily, who's the only person she knows in the city. She feels that she doesn't belong where she is now. This story is an unsettling and memorable vision of alienation with an excellent ending.

In "The Missing" by John Llewellyn Probert, the protagonist has suffered a cerebral trauma and has lost many memories. The author writes atmospherically about the protagonist's condition and feelings.

"Dark Furnaces" by Chris Morgan reminded me a lot of the stories found in Joel Lane's excellent Where Furnaces Burn. I was very impressed by this story, because its protagonist is a DS who begins to investigate a strange case.

"The Dark Above the Fair" by Terry Grimwood is an interesting take on the Mods and Rockers phenomenon. This story is told captivatingly from the point of view of a young man called Michael. The author's vision of the world and life in the 1960s is realistic and striking.

"Grey Children" by David A. Sutton is a story that begins with Robert being in a hospital that used be a workhouse in his grandfather's days. From then on the story grows weirder and more unsettling towards the ending. This is a powerful story that will truly stick to your mind.

"Through the Floor" by Gary Couzens is a story about Bridget and the bisexual James and what happens between them. The author explores intriguingly the characters' feelings and how their relationship develops.

"Fear of the Music" by Stephen Bacon is a powerful story about Gary and James, a one-night stand that becomes something more and dancing. The author writes perfectly about the characters and how they interact with each other.

"And Ashes in Her Hair" by Simon Bestwick is a story about Gray who sees a girl near a fire and dreams of her. I liked this story very much, because it was a well written story with strange happenings. The author writes fluently about Gray and how he feels about what's happening to him.

"The Winter Garden" by Pauline E. Dungate is a fascinatingly written story about Matt, who's an alcoholic. One day, at the bottom of the stairs of the building where he lives, he wanders into a garden that he has never visited before. There he meets a mysterious fey youth who tells him about the bodies that are in the garden. I enjoyed reading this story, because it has an excellent atmosphere.

In "Natural History" by Allen Ashley, an unemployed man spends time at the Museum of Archaeological Finds and Natural History and tries to save and bring its stuffed and dead creatures to life. The author writes excellently about the man's life and feelings. This is one of the best and most memorable stories in this anthology.

"Blanche" by Andrew Hook is a story about a young gay student, Gavin, and his meeting of Blanche who has a spectral face. I enjoyed reading this story, because it's something a bit different. I like the way the author writes about Gavin, his feelings and his life.

"The Body Static" by Tom Johnstone is an interesting story about a woman who has lost her son due to a firm's negligence in machine maintenance. It was intriguing for me to read about the woman and her feelings when she met a man who told her about 'the first people'.

"The Other Side" by Lynda E. Rucker is an intriguingly written story about Mark whose ex-lover, Adam, has disappeared. He gets a call from Adam's twin sister, Lauren, who tells him that she has seen Adam. Adam used talk to Mark about edgelands that are liminal places. This is a wonderfully atmospheric and a bit melancholy story with an excellent ending. This is one of the best stories I've read this year.

"The Enemy Within" by Steve Rasnic Tem is a fascinating and extremely well written story about Ian who works at the factory and his relationship with Paul. The descriptions of the canals add a satisfyingly creepy atmosphere to this story.

I want to mention separately that "The Inner Ear" by Marion Pitman, "Lost" by Pauline Morgan and "The Bright Exit" by Sarah Doyle are beautiful poems. They add a nice touch of style to this anthology.

The characterisation is excellent in all of the stories, because the authors have managed to make the characters realistic and believable. It's genuinely interesting to read about how the characters struggle with their feelings and lives, because they could be real people.

The atmosphere is also excellent and wonderfully uncanny and at times sufficiently creepy. I have to admit that I was surprised by how well the authors succeeded in creating a Lane-like atmosphere.

By the way, if you happen to become intrigued by Joel Lane while reading this anthology, I strongly urge you to take a look at his stories, because they're excellent. They're among the best speculative fiction stories published during the recent years and deserve to be read.

If you are looking for beautifully written literary strange fiction and weird fiction, Something Remains is what you have been looking for. It contains excellent and impressive stories that surprise, thrill and shock readers in equal measure. Something Remains is something different for those who want to read quality fiction, so please, take a look at it and let yourself be charmed by uncanny stories.

Highly recommended!

[TKBoss · Rating 5 out of 5]

SOMETHING REMAINS (JOEL LANE AND FRIENDS)
edited by Peter Coleborn and Pauline E. Dungate

Review by Trevor Kennedy for Phantasmagoria Magazine.

Something Remains is a bumper collection of stories, poems and tributes dedicated to writer and poet Joel Lane who passed away suddenly in 2013, based largely on his handwritten notes (also included in the book), his uncompleted works. I have to be honest here and state that before reading this anthology I was not familiar with the work of Joel Lane. However, after reading the words on these pages by his friends I feel I now know the man a little, or at very least his style of writing and who he was.
The stories here are generally brimming with a bleak, haunting, “kitchen-sink gothic” atmosphere, set to the backdrop of the grey skies and factories of industrialised Birmingham/Black Country. It may be grim up north but it can certainly be heavy going in the Midlands at times too. And that’s where the book’s great strength is found. It is very much set in the real world (albeit a fictionalised one), where the supernatural horrors sit alongside the real-life ones, within the shadows, subtly lurking in the background ready to strike, and when they do strike it is all the more powerful.
Some of the tales don’t even have out-and-out supernatural elements attached to them (more suggested), such as Tim Lebbon’s “Everybody Hates a Tourist” and Jan Edwards’ “Threadbare”, and I love that. So much more thought-provoking and memorable than gorefests (which there is a time and a place for as well, of course). Think Tales of the Unexpected fused with Shane Meadows set exclusively in the Midlands.
I found quite a few of the other tales downright creepy and startling, but once again, subtle, and, without giving too much away, treating the readers with respect and letting them make up their own minds. Examples of this would be Alison Littlewood’s masterful “Antithesis”, “Dark Furnaces” by Chris Morgan and Simon Avery’s “Charmed Life”, with their deeply unsettling imagery.
There is even a Lovecraftian element to some of the pieces (to me, anyway), while still very much remaining set in the grittiness of the real world, like Joe X Young’s story of a homeless Birmingham street artist, “Shadows”, and “Broken Eye” by Gary McMahon (what the hell was that Naomi glimpsed in the stairwell of the block of flats anyway?!).
Everything within this anthology seems to blend so very well together also – the tone is consistent, totally intentional, of course, in keeping with the work of the man to whom the book is a tribute to. There are many other writers involved (Lynda E Rucker, Steve Rasnic Tem, Mike Chinn, Thana Niveau, Ian Hunter and more), an obvious testament to how highly regarded Joel Lane and his work was, and still is.
The non-fictional tributes included, by leading British genre names including David A Sutton, Ramsey Campbell, Nicholas Royale and editors Peter Coleborn and Pauline E Dungate, are very touching and from the heart.
I don’t think I’ve ever read a genre collection with such a unique feel to it, a very fine read indeed, and moving dedication to a man who is still missed and fondly remembered by his many friends and family.
I suppose this book may well be considered by many to be a horror anthology, but that’s too broad a term in this particular case and does not do proper justice to the complexity and expertise with which it has been created. There is a great degree of intelligence here and I certainly recommend it for that and other reasons.
Something Remains (Joel Lane and Friends) is published by The Alchemy Press and is available to purchase from Amazon. Proceeds from the book go to the charity Diabetes UK.

Trevor Kennedy

[SARDON · Rating 3 out of 5]

Though I cannot doubt the sincere heart behind this publication, I do seriously doubt the wisdom of its obviously quantity-over-quality approach. Contributions from authors such as Quentin S. Crisp, Douglas Thompson and Conrad Williams--to name only a few who possess a significantly similar sensibility to Lane--would have easily amplified the general level of literary achievement on display here. As for the more accomplished contributors who do appear in this tribute, including Ramsey Campbell and Nicholas Royle, they mostly offer brief appreciations or mere vignettes. The works that most successfully realize their own variations on Lane's urban decay-haunted visions almost entirely come from more obscure writers. Mat Joiner's perfectly titled "The Men Cast by Shadows" explores the potentially numinous power of art to a degree which I don't believe Lane himself had ever achieved in a single work. Involving the aftermath of psychotically induced domestic abuse, Simon Avery's "Charmed Life" might seem merely ironic, in the usually dark sense, were it not actually a relentlessly poignant narrative of self-realization and self-acceptance. Of the poems, Sarah Doyle's "The Bright Exit" seems most powerful; its clipped lines, understated melancholy and matter-of-fact attitude toward death, while standing well on their own, recall the best aspects of Lane's poetry. Perhaps the most interesting parts of this book are the collaged scans of notes pertaining to works which the author did not to survive to realize by his own hand but which have inspired at least some of the entries. Even if the notes are largely illegible, they are intensely intimate details in an anthology of over forty essays, poems and fictional pieces which, if nothing else, humbly honor a very worthy subject.

[Des Lewis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Killing me softly with your song. Killing us, killing someone already dead, killing someone who was never born, softly with renewed life. Joel’s song, that this book sings, fragment by fragment. Dispersed and regathered simultaneously. “…as if he were travelling through no place to anywhere he liked.”

The detailed review of this book posted elsewhere under my name is too long or impractical to post here.
Above is one of its observations at the time of the review.

[Joe Young · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolute top quality publication of short stories from some of the best contemporary writers in the UK. A fitting tribute to the memory of Joel Lane.