David A. Riley's Blog, page 89

Out of the Unknown to be released on DVD

The BFI will be releasing a 6-DVD Box Set of the BBC's brilliant science fiction series Out of the Unknown , first broadcast between 1965 and 1971. Stories in the anthology series were based on tales by writers like John Wyndham, Ray Bradbury, Isaac Asimov, John Brunner, Frederik Pohl, Henry Kuttner, Clifford D. Simak, Nigel Kneale, J. G. Ballard and others.

It's many years obviously since I saw this series, but I recall loving it at the time, and I'm definitely looking forward to getting this set when it's available to watch them all again. 

It's due to be released in September.

Patrick Woodroffe - 1940-2014

I was saddened to learn of the death of the great fantasy artist Patrick Woodroffe on the 10th May. I'll always remember the cover he did for the Corgi edition of The Satyr's Head and Other Tales of Terror in 1975, illustrating my title story more vividly than I could have ever imagined. His iconic artwork graced the covers of numerous fantasy novels, as well as record sleeves. There was never any mistaking his work, it was so outstandingly characteristic.

One of my prized possessions is his book Mythopoeikon, which contains some of his best artwork from the 60s and 70s

Some other lobby cards

Here are a few more lobby cards I collected in the dim, distant past.

The Evil of Frankenstein Lobby Cards

It's fun sometimes to rummage through old stuff you collected years ago. Back in the day I used to collect film memorabilia. Here are some lobby cards from The Evil of Frankenstein, which was still fairly new at the time.

Dark Discoveries Review

I was very pleased to receive a small payment via PayPal from Journalstone for a Hellnotes review I did earlier this year that's reprinted in Dark Discoveries #27.

The review was for Herbert Manning's Psychic Circus and Other Dark Tales by British writer David Williamson. The book is published by Hazardous Press.

Goblin Mire cover

Joe Young has now completed the front and back covers and the spine of Goblin Mire, which will be published later this year. Other than some blurbs, etc., which I'll be adding later, this is the final version.



Goblin Mire has had a checkered history. It was first published by Renaissance eBooks, who gave it one of the worst covers I have ever seen. This was only ever published as an ebook, so its publication by Parallel Universe Publications will see it in hardback and paperback for the first time. I have also thoroughly revised it, shedding about 10,000 words. I intend to bring out an ebook version soon afterwards.


For a comparison, this was the original cover provided by Renaissance eBooks:

Ray Harryhausen

While sorting through some paperwork I came across this old, slightly damaged photograph - the only copy I have of it, unfortunately - of when Ray Harryhausen visited the Preston SF Group in the early 90s.I'm not sure why I decided to wear a bizarre Christopher Lee Dracula T-shirt that night!


Ray Harryhausen, Martin McKenna, Jim Pitts, David A. Riley

Revised cover for Goblin Mire from Joe Young

Joe Young has done some more work on the cover for my fantasy novel Goblin Mire, which was originally published several years ago by Renaissance eBooks. The cover commissioned then was possibly one of the worst ever put on a published book. Because of this and the utter failure of my publisher to help promote the book or even respond to my attempts to promote it myself, I finally withdrew it from them. After revising the text, I am now preparing to republish the book under the Parallel Universe Publications imprint.

Joe voluntarily took on the task of doing a brand new cover for the book. Below is the latest revision.

Paperback version of The Heaven Maker and other Gruesome Tales

I sent off the proposed copy of Craig Herbertson's collection The Heaven Maker and other Gruesome Tales to him this weekend for him to check, including his updated version of one of the tales. Things are on track for a paperback version to be out from Parallel Universe Publications by September/October this year.

A second project is also planned. More details later.

A great review of The Return on the Vault of Evil

A great review of my horror novel The Return on the Vault of Evil by site administrator Demonik (Kevin Demont):
"Reminds me of photos I saw in a book. Jack the Ripper's last victim. Mary Kelly... At least they were only black and white." Inspector Ray Parks meets what is left of the luckless author of Hell's Cesspit: The Story Of Grudge End.

Meanwhile, back with those fun loving, demon raising Grudge Enders, the return of a prodigal son sparks a new wave of ultra violence.

Correctly nailed for the murder of a South London gangster, Gary Morgan, hit man, high tails it up the motorway, back to his despised childhood neighbourhood Grudge End with the fearsome Broadman mob on his trail. Morgan arrives just in time to witness the demolition of the family home during the slum clearance of Randall Street. He's not sad to see it go. The place holds hideous memories of a dreadful childhood. His father, a brutal drunk, was murdered in 1968 by persons unknown. Who or whatever was responsible broke every bone in his hateful body. His old school-friend Kevin Cross never escaped Grudge End. He's spent the past few decades researching the violent and diabolical history of the area and his findings have left him a paranoid wreck - with good reason. There is evil abroad, always has been, and it can be traced back to the bowels of a disused factory owned by the obscenely wealthy and depraved Malleson family, once the main job providers for the local population.

Pitched somewhere between Get Carter and The Call Of Cthulhu - although, mercifully, the author never allows the story to get bogged down in mythos gibberish - The Return is a fast paced horror thriller with several nasty moments, including some seriously brutal scythe action involving the cover star. Long time Riley readers will appreciate the references to his back catalogue (toward the close, there is even a walk on for Dag and the teen cultists from The Lurkers In The Abyss[/i After what amounts to a post-Beyond decade in the wilderness, what with His His Own Mad Demons, the aforementioned Lurkers ,,,,, and now this debut novel, Mr. R. is on a roll.
Read more: http://vaultofevil.proboards.com/thread/5338/return?page=2#ixzz2zAUgnW7o