Cover reveal: Spectral Book of Horror Stories 2

Spectral Book of Horror Stories 2, edited by Mark Morris – ©2015 respective individual authors/Spectral Press. Artwork ©2015 Vincent Chong

Vincent Chong has done it again – he’s provided the absolutely stunning artwork (see above) for the cover to the 2nd Spectral Book of Horror Stories, edited once again by Mark Morris. And in about three or four months we should be able to reveal who has made it into the second edition of this prestigious annual horror anthology. In the meantime, you can preorder your copy right now. Even better, if you’re going to FantasyCon 2015 in Nottingham in October then you get pay for your copy now (saving postage) and get it signed at the convention.

It’s going to be one hell of a tasty selection!

 

The inaugural Spectral Book of Horror Stories is still available to purchase.

Spectral Book of Horror Stories, edited by Mark Morris – ©2014 respective individual authors/Spectral Press. Artwork ©2014 Vincent Chong

 

News 25:03:2015

First let’s have some acquisition news:

We are immensely pleased to announce that Paul Meloy will be joining the roster of Theatrum Mundi with a novella, called Junction Creature, the first of a series set in the same universe. If any of you subscribe to Black Static then you will have read his Reclamation Yard contribution in #40 of that magazine. In fact, the story called Junction Creature is mentioned the Black Static story, in a neat twist of meta-fictionalising. Paul’s novella will be available towards the end of next year, but we’re already looking forward to it.

Now, in a slight departure from our regular schedule, here’s some news about Spectral Press boss Simon Marshall-Jones:

“The Black Ship” by Jim Burns ©2015

Not only does Simon edit fiction, but he also writes it.  His debut collection of short science-fiction/contemporary fantasy/magico-fantastic realist stories, Biblia Longcrofta. will be published by Tickety Boo Press on April 30th 2015, and features an introduction by Steven Savile and cover artwork by esteemed and very well-known artist Jim Burns (see image above). The huge vessel seen in the image is featured in one of the stories, and Simon avers that Jim has captured its bulk and immensity absolutely perfectly. Copies are available to preorder, available in limited hardback in handmade wooden box (£75), normal hardback (£25), and paperback (£9.99). You can order them HERE or by emailing gary.compton@ticketyboopress.co.uk.

Darker Terrors: paperback preorders

‘Into the Fire’ by Les Edwards ©2014

Those of you with keen eyesight and fast reflexes will have noticed a slight title change for this book: from Darkest Terrors to Darker Terrors. Why? Simple: should this one prove popular then it gives us room for manoeuvre to bring out a companion volume. In the meantime, you can now pre-order the paperback edition of this fine anthology, which will feature stories from Neil Gaiman, Harlan Ellison, Ray Bradbury, Dennis Etchison, Poppy Z. Brite, and Michael Marshall Smith, amongst many others.

The limited hardback is still available too, and you can preorder that one below as well. This one will be signed by Stephen Jones and David A. Sutton (editors), and Les Edwards (cover artist). Both editions will feature an index to ALL the stories published in the six volumes of Dark Terrors. Both editions will be published at Halloween this year. 

 

Leytonstone by Stephen Volk

“Leytonstone” ©Stephen Volk/Spectral Press 2014. Artwork ©Ben Baldwin 2014

AVAILABLE NEXT MONTH!!!

One evening in 1906 a chubby little boy of seven, son of a London greengrocer, is taken by his father to visit the local police station.

There he suddenly finds himself, inexplicably, locked up for a crime he hasn’t committed – or has he? Blinking into sunlight, traumatised by his overnight stay, he is told by his father the next morning: “Now you know what happens to naughty little boys!” But the incident is the catalyst for a series of events that will scar, and create, the world’s leading Master of Terror in the century to come…

*

The boy is Alfred Hitchcock.

The story is the gripping and evocative new novella by Stephen Volk, writer of the highly-acclaimed novella Whitstable – which featured Peter Cushing as its central character and was published in 2013 (also by Spectral Press) to coincide with the centenary of the great actor’s death.

Leytonstone – like Whitstable – elevates fact (in this case an anecdote the famous director told repeatedly throughout his life) into resonant and poignant fiction, lifting the veil on not only the innocent and troubled young “Fred” but his emotionally needy mother and a father constantly struggling to do the right thing. But what none of them knows is that, after that fateful night and its consequences, their lives will be changed forever…

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STEPHEN VOLK is best known as the writer of BBC TV’s notorious Halloween “hoax” Ghostwatch, starring Michael Parkinson, which caused outraged viewers to jam the switchboards, and even raised questions in Parliament. He also created the award-winning drama series Afterlife and the recent supernatural mystery film The Awakening starring Rebecca Hall and Dominic West. His play, The Chapel of Unrest, was presented exclusively for one night only at London’s Bush Theatre starring Jim Broadbent and Reece Shearsmith. His short stories have earned selection in Year’s Best Fantasy and Horror, Mammoth Book of Best New Horror, Best British Mysteries, and Best British Horror, and he has been a Bram Stoker, British Fantasy and Shirley Jackson Award finalist. He is the author of two short story collections: Dark Corners and Monsters in the Heart – the latter of which won a British Fantasy Award for “Best Collection” in 2014. He has also won a BAFTA.

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Cover image by Ben Baldwin

Publication date: March 2015

Available in limited signed and numbered hardback (125 copies), unlimited paperback, and eBook.

Retail: £21UK/£24EU/$50US & RoW

ALL PRICES INCLUDE POSTAGE/

Available from the publishers: Spectral Press, 13 Montgomery Crescent, Bolbeck Park, Milton Keynes, MK15 8PP

PRE-ORDERS:

Signed and Numbered Hardbacks (125 only)

£21 UK

£24 EU

$50 US & RoW

Paperbacks

£12.50UK

£15.00EU

$30.00US & RoW

Dr. Slatter reviews The Eyes of Water

Last Friday, we told you about a review of Paul Finch’s King Death written by Australian author Angela Slatter. Well, yesterday she sent us her mini-review of the latest in the series of Spectral chapbooks, Alison Littlewood’s The Eyes of Water. You can read her blog entry on the book here.

NEWS: The Nine Deaths of Dr. Valentine

It is with great pleasure that we can announce that John L. Probert’s Spectral Visions novella is now all but sold out at Spectral Towers. There are just TWO copies left for sale, and this is before the official launch at FantasyCon at the end of next month. However, the launch is still going ahead, as Spectral will also have the paperback version for sale at the event as well. If anyone wants to clinch one of the two remaining limited signed hardback copies then we suggest you get onto it right away! Details can be found on a separate page on here, which can be accessed by clicking on the tab next to ‘HOME’ on the menu bar above.

The numbers include those who have reserved copies – so don’t worry on that score, they’re still being held for you!

Anyway, onwards and upwards!

SPECTRAL I: What They Hear in the Dark by Gary McMahon

“An absence is more terrifying than a presence…

Rob and Becky bought the old place after the death of their son, to repair and renovate – to patch things up and make the building habitable.

They both knew that they were trying to fix more than the house, but the cracks in their marriage could not be papered over.

Then they found the Quiet Room.”

—()—

This is the final cover artwork for the first Spectral Press chapbook, which goes to press next week and will be available in January. It’s an absolutely cracking story – a great opener for the brand new library of quality chapbooks.

SPECTRAL SUBSCRIPTIONS AND INDIVIDUAL COPIES PREORDERS AVAILABLE NOW!

Do you want your name listed as a founder subscriber in the first Spectral chapbook? If so, then act fast, before Monday 6th December 2010! A yearly subscription will cost £10UK/£12EU /$20US/ $25US RoW (all prices inclusive of postage and packing). Individual chapbooks will be available for £3.50UK/£4EU/$6.50US/$10RoW (again all prices inclusive of p+p). You can either pay via Paypal or cheque: Paypal is spectralpress[at]gmail[dot]com and for details of how to pay by cheque, please send an email to the same address and I’ll get back to you forthwith.

SPECTRAL PRIZE-DRAW

As an added incentive, if you do choose to subscribe before the end of this year (31st December 2010 closing date), your name will be entered into the prize-draw, where you’ll stand the chance of winning a specially signed and framed edition of  Gary McMahon’s chapbook. Alongside it will be a copy of the annotated manuscript, ie  Gary has scrawled all over it in his best red biro – he’s even signed it and ‘illuminated’ it with a little doodle of a smiley horned devil on it as well. The winner will even get a free subscription extension for another year on top of that… now that’s what I call a bargain! (Winner will be notified by mid-January)

Would love to hear from you!!