Well the PS team is almost fully recovered . . .

. . . after spending a fantastic time at the British Fantasy Convention this past weekend. Tamsin came—as you can see from the array of photographs below—and I believe she’s already looking forward to the next one. It was great to meet up with old friends and make a few new ones . . . while putting faces to names and voices.

[LEFT] Your Publisher needs YOU!  [CENTRE] The rush for books begins [RIGHT} Tamsin and Nicky seem oblivious to Pete doing his Jack Nicholson impression

A huge well done to Alex, Pixie and the rest of the volunteer team . . .

Sporting their familiar red shirts, they worked so hard to make it the success it was. And what an inspired choice of venue! The September sun shone in Scarborough for the whole of the weekend making it easy for people to stroll out to take in the sea air and enjoy all the delights of this perennially popular North Yorkshire seaside resort. It’s going to be a hard act to follow. One of our customers happened to pop over from the states (take a bow, George Westcott—great to meet you, George) because he thought it looked such an attractive place to visit. I’m sure he and his wife were not disappointed.

[LEFT] PS Social Media guru Tamsin Patching, Pete and that man Volk again [CENTRE] Nicky Crowther and Mike doing some last-minute numbering for Fergus [RIGHT] Time for some well-deserved refreshment

[LEFT] Rob, Helen Marshall and Stephen Jones [CENTRE] Pete and Steve Volk [RIGHT] Mike and John Probert

[LEFT] Probert, Volk, Shearman & Marshall (sounds like a law firm!)  [CENTRE] Les Edwards and Ramsey Campbell [RIGHT] Jenny Campbell, Stephen Volk, Rob Shearman and Helen Marshall

We’d like to say thanks to all the authors, artists and editors . . .

. . . who came to the Friday night book launch with their scribbling hands at the ready (Ramsey Campbell, Stephen Jones, Rosalie Parker, R.B. Russell, Stephen Volk, Alison Littlewood, Neil Snowdon, John Llewellyn Probert, Helen Marshall, Robert Shearman, Les Edwards—hey, we had some fun, guys, right?) and to the hundreds of fans who supported the launch and visited our book tables in the Dealers’ rooms; to the dedicated little band of literature lovers who dutifully sat while I told them the tale (‘Incident on Bleeker Street’) of when a great musical hero became so envious of his past acclaim that he magically traveled back in time to set the records straight (go here to read it a little more calmly); and, finally, to everyone—and there was a lot of folks at this one, of course—who came to see Joe Hill and me in conversation. Joe and I had a ball—I could have talked to him all night. He’s a great fella.

[LEFT] Stephen Gallagher  [CENTRE] Alison Littlewood takes a break from signing [RIGHT] Ray, Ros and Ali

In fact it was a truly fab weekend all round . . .

. . . and the rest of the guys and I are kinda champing at the bit to get started again. But while we all worked hard—and played hard, too!—it was all of our customer chums who made the gig what it was. So take a bow everyone who attended: we couldn’t do it without you all.

And if we didn’t get to chat with you, we’ll make it right next time.

[LEFT] Ros Parker and Ray Russell, the Tartarus Twosome [CENTRE] Crowther & Coleborn—two Petes for the price of one [RIGHT] Jumpin’ Joe Hill and Pete ‘Shorty’ Crowther

Of course, the show must go on . . .

And you’ll be pleased to know that all the back orders for the illustrated slipcases have now been fulfilled which means we’ve been very busy sending out copies of A BORROWED MAN, BLIND VOICES, and FIENDS OF NIGHTMARIA.

We have slipcases and books for ASSAIL but we are still waiting for the signature sheets from Ian Cameron Esslemont (come on, Cam—we’re all waitin’ on ya!)

Later today (it’s a little after four am on Friday as I write this) the tipped-in copies of THE CEREMONIES will be hitting the loading bay of the mailing unit, just a long stone’s-throw across downtown Hornsea (the slipcases are already here) so you can guess what Carole will be doing on Monday armed with bubble wrap and wiggly worms.

The signed edition of the Robert Edric’s THE WRACK LINE will also be arriving on Friday—

—meanwhile, you can pick up an unsigned copy here.


An isolated stretch of the North Sea coast. A place of endless tides and shifting sands. A place of blurred boundaries, where land, sea and sky merge into seamless, unknowable patterns, and where every calm surface conceals its unexpected, turbulent depths.

A man arrives to spend the overheated summer in an abandoned chalet. Adrift in his own faltering life, he slowly embraces the failed and struggling world in which he unexpectedly finds himself, existing in a kind of limbo between an unfulfilled past and an uncertain future, the days and weeks merging into a season of restless abandonment as he allows himself to be drawn into the deceptively powerful currents of the place.

Clearly drawing from the stories of both M. R. James and Algernon Blackwood, THE WRACK LINE examines the disorder, apprehension and, ultimately, the fear which forever lies beneath the calmest and most ordinary of surfaces. It is a tale of lost conviction and squandered expectation, and one in which the briefest glance of a shape in the evaporating mist or a handful of fine, warm sand trickling through trembling fingers is equal to any other horror of the world, dreamed, imagined or real.

All authors of our recent launch titles were very busy at FantasyCon signing their own little bundles of signing sheets . . .

. . . which are now on their way to Nigel to be tipped in. Matt Hughes has returned his signature sheets so they are also on their way to be tipped in.



Ramsey Campbell signed the other side of the LIMERICKS OF THE ALARMING AND PHANTASMAL bookmark so they are ready to be popped in to copies of the books. Alison Littlewood also signed a huge pile of wonderful postcards to go inside her collection QUIETER PATHS. 


The orders have gone to the slipcase makers for Ramsey’s signed edition of THE SEARCHING DEAD and Stephen Volk’s THE PARTS WE PLAY. They’ll take a few weeks to complete.

Joe spent a good few hours signing the tip sheets for both editions of THE FIREMAN—we ended up with a pile that, for a few minutes, looked set to equal him (and he’s a big guy!)—so we’re still on course to have finished copies out in November, in good time for Santa to include a few copies on his sleigh. But meantime, why not buy sump’n else while you’re waitin’?

Here’s a few ideas, for you combat-weary page-turners:

Sci-Fi Bulletin’s Paul Simpson was obviously impressed with a couple of PS titles this week, first off . . . Stephen Volk’s THE PARTS WE PLAY:

If Stephen King’s latest collection was a BAZAAR OF BAD DREAMS then Stephen Volk’s collection is an Emporium of Emphatic Terror. To give you an idea – ‘Newspaper Heart,’ with which this concludes, haunted my dreams for weeks after I first read it a couple of years ago. And it’s by no means the most terrifying of them all. Volk has a gift for taking ordinary situations and making you see that darker side that lurks just behind . . . something. It might be just behind the eyes of one of the characters, or lurking in a bathroom door silhouetted in the night. Sometimes the darkness is clear – there’s a taut piece of flash fiction in here that doesn’t waste a word but leaves you in absolutely no doubt who the people are who Volk is describing and how what happens to them is so deliciously appropriate.

There’s an inexorable pace to them as well, leading you to the final line that you sometimes hope won’t be what it has to be, if only because of the bleakness revealed. There’s grossness here – in fact there’s one of the grossest stories I’ve read in years. But there’s also much to make you think: I’m trying not to give too many clues about stories so that you go into them cold when you read them, but I’ll make an exception for ‘The Peter Lorre Fan Club’ – which I’ve now read three times and I’ve no doubt will go back to many more times: it may be set last century but it says so much about our current world. It’s not all darkness and gloom: Volk’s contribution to the Professor Challenger collection of stories captures both the Brian Blessed-ness of the character and the milieu Conan Doyle wrote in. THE PARTS WE PLAY is one of the best short story collections I’ve read in recent times – highly recommended, even if you’ve encountered some of them before. 10/10

Hey, ten out of ten! Way to go.

And here’s another ‘full marks’ review from Paul (he da man!)

I’m pretty sure it was David J. Howe who first introduced me to THEATRE OF BLOOD many decades ago after one of its first screenings on British television, and it’s one that has stuck in my mind ever since. It’s Vincent Price at arguably his finest, creating – as a mad actor – loads of different roles so that he can take revenge on his critics with some scenes that are so gloriously over the top that they feel like they’re coming round again for another try.

John Llewellyn Probert is an ideal writer for this book – his Doctor Valentine books channel the spirit of this movie (and there’s a wonderful treat for fans of that at the end of this) and he’s an acknowledged expert in the field who has the gift of being able to communicate his passion in a way that comes alive for the reader. (Check out his regular reviews of movies on his blog for more examples!)

We don’t just learn the history of the piece, but also the Shakespeare quotes (or misquotes) at the heart of this story, as he goes through the various acts of the film and analyses them. There’s then an extra couple of treats (as well as the aforementioned Doctor Valentine Easter egg), including one that’s particularly for anyone who shares the author’s (and my) love of film scores – an in-depth interview with Welsh composer Michael J. Lewis about his work on the film with an interesting discussion of the Welsh quality of the music!

If this is one of your favourites, then this is a no-brainer to get you seeing things you’ve not noticed before; if you’ve not seen it, then get it now . . . and then read this book. 10/10

And maybe even pick up a copy of THEATRE’s sister title, MARTIN by Jez Winship

Copies of both of these are moving fast . . . and Neil Snowdon just turned in the massive (130,000 words, fella—that’s what we mean by ‘massive’) WE ARE THE MARTIANS: THE LEGACY OF NIGEL KNEALE for which there’s a lot of excitement—particularly here in PS Towers. But, hey . . . there’s a lot of stuff in this new imprint and we’re going to try (note: “try”) get onto at least a one-book-per-month schedule when we get into the new year.

• EYES WITHOUT A FACE by Michael Brooke
• CARNIVAL OF SOULS by Stephen R. Bissett
• MARTYRS by Stacie Ponder
• DEATH LINE by Sean Hogan
• DRESSED TO KILL by Mike Sutton
• I WALKED WITH A ZOMBIE by Gary McMahon
• TWIN PEAKS: FIRE WALK WITH ME by Maura McHugh
• BRIDES OF DRACULA by Richard Harland Smith
• UNHOLY THREE by Johnny Mains
• LET'S SCARE JESSICA TO DEATH by Lynda Rucker
• THE KARNSTEIN TRILOGY by Angela Slatter
• FRANKENSTEIN MUST BE DESTROYED by Dennis Cozzalio
• SINISTER by Mark Morris
• SLUMBER PARTY MASSACRE by Stacie Ponder
• SPIDER BABY by Stephen Bissette
• THE TENANT by Kevin Jackson
• BRING ME THE HEAD OF ALFREDO GARCIA by Mike Sutton
• ERASERHEAD by Anton Bitel
• IT FOLLOWS by David Pirie (tbc)
• ISLAND OF LOST SOULS by Jonathan Rigby
• THE FURY by Howard S. Berger & Kevin Marr

Okay, gang, I think that’s enough excitement for one week . . .

. . . save to mention two titles fresh in from our chums across the water, Paul ‘Madcap’ Miller’s Earthling and Bubbly Bill Schafer’s Subterranean Press.

First off, here’s THEY SAY A GIRL DIED HERE ONCE from Sarah Pinborough and Earthling:

Seventeen-year-old Anna has a space in her memory of a night her brain won’t let her remember, a night that devastated her life and forced her to drop out of high school. Her grandmother, Evelyn, is slowly losing her memories to Alzheimer’s. When the family moves into a forgotten house on the outskirts of Evelyn’s home town, it's supposed to be a fresh start and a quieter life for all of them.

But when Evelyn starts behaving strangely in her lost moments, it’s Anna who witnesses it. It’s Anna who helps her. And as she’s drawn into life in the town and learns some of its recent gruesome history, she can’t help but begin to wonder if the dead are trying to talk through Evelyn’s empty spaces. And if so, what is it they’re trying to tell her?

“For the past 11 years, Paul Miller has given the gift that keeps on frightening; not once has he chosen a story, or author, that has disappointed. This is a ghost story that is as much a psychological thriller and a mystery as it is a horror novel. Pinborough’s deft hand in creating atmosphere as a character is on display here, along with the individual characters who drag the reader into the depths of her nightmarish visions. With this author, and Earthling as the publisher, this novel is very much recommended. The only downside is the limited print run, so pick it up quickly.”

—Monster Librarian

“Pinborough wrings stark, creepy atmosphere from settings and situations alike. Along the way she plants enough believable red herrings to keep things interesting until her final gut-wrenching reveal, a thunderclap of a final twist that I’ll admit completely blindsided me. This, friends, is what it feels like when an author is hitting on all cylinders. Sarah Pinborough is poised to stake her claim at the top of the horror heap, and this is the start of her victory lap.”

—Cemetery Dance Online

“Spellbinding. A novel full of emotion, death, mystery, suspense.”

—Horror After Dark

"I love a long fuse, and Sarah Pinborough’s THEY SAY A GIRL DIED HERE ONCE makes the most of letting tension and unease simmer and accumulate within the details of what seems a normal, low-key existence until the plot boils over and revelations and transformations come spilling out. And I have to say: perfect title, beautiful and resonant. I believe I am jealous."

—Peter Straub

"Laced with a creeping dread that doesn't let up until the gut-wrenching ending, THEY SAY A GIRL DIED HERE ONCE is a searing, smart, and scary exploration of family, trauma, and the poisonous power of secrets. Another brilliant, blistering read from Pinborough."

―Sarah Lotz, author of THE THREE

"Part Gothic tragedy, part ghost story, and part murder mystery, THEY SAY A GIRL DIED HERE ONCE is a smoldering story of madness and dread. Utilizing the viewpoints of three generations, this mesmerizing and claustrophobic tale sports some of the most sparkling dialogue to be found in or outside the genre. A bona fide winner."

—Peter Crowther, author of BY WIZARD OAK and SONGS OF LEAVING

We have just twenty copies available (due in next week)—pick up a copy right now.

And this from one of PS’s—and my—dearest friends, Stephen Gallagher

Steve’s latest foray into historical fiction (and horrifc in its own right) proved popular at last weekend’s FantasyCon so we have just eight copies left.is in stock and shipping. Naturally, Subterranean are only too happy to point out that THE AUTHENTIC WILLIAM JAMES picked up a Starred Review from Publishers Weekly.

Sebastian Becker’s position as Special Investigator for the British Crown requires a subtle touch: gathering evidence that determines whether or not someone is a Chancery Lunatic—afflicted with madness making them unfit to manage their fortunes—without tipping the hand of those whose resources often make them above the law.

In the aftermath of a fiery tragedy that leaves dozens dead and England’s leaders maneuvering for an answer to stave off political ramifications, former police detective Becker is called upon to utilize his intimacy with the insane, and familiarity with working in the shadows.

Tasked with evaluating the sanity of the confessed arsonist—Wild West Showman ‘The Authentic William James’—leads Becker from the shores of Sussex to the film studios of Hollywood. Delving into the circus world to unravel the mystery of a man who admits guilt and flees will pit Becker’s appointed role to do his country’s bidding against his compassion to do what is right for a family.

Phew, that’s quite a line-up of goodies . .

So I guess I don’t need to mention two new anniversary editions you might fancy. Let’s leave ‘em for another day. But (on the same general subject, which should give you a hint) I will mention that Mike turned up a few copies of CD’s ‘SALEM’S LOT so go to it!

In the meantime, with autumn now well upon us, all of us here at PS wish you and yours a fabulous weekend. Look after each other . . . and happy reading.

Pete