James Herbert's Dark Places: Locations and Legends

by James Herbert

James Herbert's collection of the locations and legends from around Britain that have contributed to the chilling atmosphere he creates in his novels, illustrated by photographs. He explains his fascination with graveyards, old and abandoned houses and dark, gothic churches.

Genres: Horror, Nonfiction

176 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1993

About the author

James Herbert was Britain's number one bestselling writer (a position he held ever since publication of his first novel) and one of the world's top writers of thriller/horror fiction.

He was one of our greatest popular novelists, whose books are sold in thirty-three other languages, including Russian and Chinese. Widely imitated and hugely influential, his 19 novels have sold more than 42 million copies worldwide.

As an author he produced some of the most powerful horror fiction of the past decade. With a skillful blend of horror and thriller fiction, he explored the shaded territories of evil, evoking a sense of brooding menace and rising tension. He relentlessly draws the reader through the story's ultimate revelation - one that will stay to chill the mind long after the book has been laid aside. His bestsellers, THE MAGIC COTTAGE, HAUNTED, SEPULCHRE, and CREED, enhanced his reputation as a writer of depth and originality. His novels THE FOG, THE DARK, and THE SURVIVOR have been hailed as classics of the genre.

Reviews

[Lisa - *OwlBeSatReading* · Rating 5 out of 5]

This has been on my bookshelf for far too long unread. It was fascinating to learn about the various places in the UK that inspired Herbert’s early novels. The spooky photography added to the appeal of this fairly quick read. It’s certainly got my classic horror juices flowing again and I feel like spending the next three or four months just rereading all of his books! Obviously I won’t do that because I must get through my enormous TBR pile, but I’m sure you know what I mean! A thoroughly enjoyable and educational experience. Loved it!

[Helen · Rating 4 out of 5]

An account of all the spooky places that inspired the work of Herbert, interspersed with extracts from some of his novels (which made me want to seek them out for re-reading!) Really enjoyable quick read.

[Walter · Rating 2 out of 5]

A large part of the book are pages from his novels, so could skip over those. I would have liked more info on the locations or a bit more about the legends. A fan of Herbert, but this book couldn't capture my attention.

[Sally halliday · Rating 5 out of 5]

I want to visit all the places in this book.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

Despite having owned this for years, I still can't stop myself thinking of Garth Marenghi and saying 'You are entering my dark place' whenever I pick up the book. I like it primarily for the photographs, some of which are very haunting indeed. The abandoned urban locations are especially eerie, not because they might house Herbert's mutant black rats but because they are...well, real. However they might be co-opted for fiction, they exist in themselves and I don't want to live anywhere near them if I can help it! There are some nice asides from JH running through this, but the extracts from the books accompanying the pictures don't add a great deal to the whole. This is because the source novels allow build-up and atmosphere that gradually creep over the reader, whereas extracts cut too swiftly to the chase. It's a fun book though and has led to a number of spooky days out.

[Kelly Grice · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a trip down Herbert’s memory lane. He talks about his old haunts growing up in the blitzed London ruins. He shows you the places that inspired some of his books with wonderful pictures to boot.
Filled with passages from the relevant book alongside photos, it really is a pleasure to read.
I last read this in 1993, it’s stood the test of time.

[Jane Scholey · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating look at some scary places.

[Fran · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read for any fans of James Herbert.

[Ronnie, · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nicely written, Lovely photographs of James Herbert's inspirations,