Adam L.G. Nevill's Blog, page 11

2022 HIGHLIGHTS: BOOKS, TV, FILMS.

I've had another hectic year professionally that has seen us publish a new novel - The Vessel - in four formats worldwide, and which gave us our fastest selling limited edition hardback (the only edition we fulfill from down here in Devon). The 600 book print-run sold through in under four weeks. And the other three editions thrive (ebook exclusive to KDP/Amazon, paperback distributed widely, and audio book at Audible), so thank you for your interest and patronage, and for boosting the book's signal and for sharing your thoughts. Readers, you are my engine.

Beyond The Vessel, I have worked across a slate of numerous film developments (adaptations of my books and original screenplays), managed the webstore and all of your orders (thank you!) with my wife (who also administers our business, Ritual Limited). On the writing front, I managed two new drafts of a novel in progress. I'll be rewriting this book well into 2023 but we hope for a Halloween 2023 publication. This novel has endured a long and complicated gestation that begin in January 2018 ... But, I'm getting closer to the finish line, albeit on my knees, but I am getting closer ...

Meanwhile, despite my labours, I have recharged myself with a great deal of sea kayaking and three trips abroad, one for work, two with family. I have nourished my mind with many good books, films and some exceptional television drama too. So, this is the time and space in which I share my enthusiasms from 2022; those creations that resonated with me and were to my taste. There's more detail in my newsletter and if you want to receive the Newsletter for the Damned, once per month, just sign up at my website www.adamlgnevill.com and pick up a free book too.

In no order of preference (in any of the selections that follow), the most notable  fiction titles from my reading in 2022, were:

The Country Will Bring Us No Peace - Matthieu Simard
Those Across the River - Christopher Buehlman
Come With Me - Ronald Malfi
Breakout at Stalingrad - Heinrich Gerlach
The Twilight World - Werner Herzog
Just After Sunset - Stephen King
Billy Summers - Stephen King
Red Cavalry and Other Stories - Isaac Babel
Stalingrad - Theodor Plevier
Things We Lost in the Fire - Mariana Enriquez
The Dangers of Smoking in Bed - Mariana Enriquez
A Different Darkness - Luigi Mussolino
Swedish Cults - Anders Fagan
A Black Maybe - Attila Veres

This year my most notable rereads were:

At The Mountains of Madness Vol 1 & 2 - H.P. Lovecraft and Francois Baranger (artist)
The Call of Cthulhu by H.P. Lovecraft and Francois Baranger (artist)
The War of the Worlds - H. G. Wells (lost count of how many times I have reread this, but in each of the last two years I have revisited the novel).
The Road - Cormac McCarthy (same as the Wells on rereads).

In non-fiction:

Russia - Antony Beevor
The Great Terror - Robert Conquest
Alien Covenant: David's Drawings - Hatton/Hallett
The Art and Making of Alien Covenant - Simon Ward
Prometheus - The Art of the Film - Mark Salisbury

Television:

My pics for TV in 2022 were: Raised by Wolves - Series 2; Station Eleven; Mr In Between; The Staircase; From; Slow Horses Series 1; Rogue Heroes; Cabinet of Curiosities; Ratched; House of the Dragon; The English; Patriot Series 1&2.

Film - Horror:

Another great year for me and horror films and my shortlist of keepers is: Hellbender; The Northman; The Innocents; X; Nope; Lamb; Incantation; Barbarian; Hellraiser (2022); Speak No Evil; The Lodge; Bull; Prey; Smile.

I'll be keeping up the blog through 2022 and if you can stand anymore of me, there is my newsletter, Facebook page, Twitter and Instagram.

Meanwhile, I wish you all good health and good fortune in the new year. Despite the horrors of the bigger picture that affect us all, I hope that you can find hope and purpose in 23. Keep those horns raised!

THE VESSEL - THE BEST BOOKS OF 2022. LITREACTOR.

"I’ve been saying it all year, Adam Nevill is my go-to author when I want something scary. His horror is exactly what I want when I crave real terror." Sadie Hartmann.

The Vessel made a '22 book list, staff picks at LitReactor. I may have levitated.

Bowing down to Sadie Hartmann.

INTERNATIONAL HORROR - 5 GREAT COLLECTIONS

It's been a long time since I've enjoyed such a good reading run in horror - 5 great collections read consecutively. I was reminded of my early reading of horror, into my teens, when I discovered so many new authors of dark matter (even hourly when reading my Dad's Derleth horror collections). Way back then, my enjoyment of the field was writing my own future. I can see that now. And I enjoyed that feeling of discovery and excitement again with these five books - a sense of encountering original, innately weird creative visions for the first time.I think the last time I felt that recharged by what I was reading in new horror, came in that incredible run of books from Langan, Gavin, Files, Barron, Ballingrud, Tremblay, Bartlett, and many others, around a decade ago - like a new wave of North American weird had come over the seawall. And Just when I thought I knew what to expect from horror, Granta and Valancourt translated these collections into English.

Argentinian Mariana Enriquez has been celebrated the world over, and I can see why from the quality of her writing. But I am surprised because her work is weird, not at all mainstream. How often does that kind of success come to a writer of quality weird? Almost never (because how many traditional publishers ever get excited about it?). I am heartened that it is possible. 'Adela's House' from 'Things We Lost in the Fire' became an immediate favourite. Disturbing, sensory, unpredictable stories.

Luigi Musolino's A Different Darkness and Other Abominations is a grim wonder. Some first class novellas here too, set in or around Turin, that I visited in May. An impressive Italian addition to cosmic horror, that could only have been written by a writer enmeshed in a rural landscape and the mountains. Loved it.Swedish Cults by Anders Fager (Swedish), and The Black Maybe by Attila Veres (Hungarian), continued to surprise me, story by story, front to rear cover. I think both collections are masterpieces. I was reminded of reading Barker's Books of Blood for the first time. The Veres particularly disturbed me. 'Walks Among You' is one of the best Lovecraftian stories I have encountered. A bit of me is still stuck inside it. He has two more books, in Hungarian. They have to be translated!

Horror is a widely appreciated international field. Here's proof. Fresh, surprising visions for horror, throughout each work, making me wonder, fearfully, how much great horror fiction we're not encountering because it hasn't been translated. Translation is expensive, so I'm giving Valancourt a standing ovation for their editorial direction here; commercially risky but such astute choices. Terrific translations.

Anyway, for what it's worth, I recommend them all. And if you enjoy literary horror, they're essential.

ONE MORE RECOMMENDATION - THE LODGE

I'll squeeze in one more recommendation. A horror-thriller that I watched last night: THE LODGE (2019). Recommended to me by my sister last weekend, and a film I'd been mulling over for a while now, while wasting time skipping between menus, paralysed with indecision about what to watch. So I am glad I hit PLAY after that underwhelming England performance (much like the Villa, you never know what you're gonna get).The film suggests the standard horror-thriller but becomes more. It's an intriguing story from the 'Turn of the Screw' family tree, with a good true crime background. But it is the aesthetic of psychosis that really made me sit up straight. So many deft and disturbing touches. A claustrophobic crucible of the damaged damaging the damaged. The young actors were especially good too. Anyway, I dug it and watched it on Sky Cinema. For some reason it was listed as unavailable on Amazon Prime this week, but it has a placeholder so will drop.

FILM & TV RECOMMENDATIONS

Something for the weekend. It's been a while since I've thrown out some TV & film recommendations but they've started stacking up.For horror TV: I really enjoyed The Cabinet of Curiosities. Lots to like from the acting through FX, but the real strength to my eye was the writing. So many decent scripts in this series. Individual stories prevented the onset of "soap" too, which deflates most horror series.My favourite story was 'The Viewing'. Followed by 'Pickman's Model', 'Dreams in the Witch House' and 'Lot 36'. There wasn't a Night Gaunt's tickle, though, between those and 'The Autopsy' and 'Graveyard Rats'. Only one I was indifferent to was 'The Outside'. (Netflix)I enjoyed the vivid, stylish but utterly perverse 'Ratched'. (Netflix)In film, I loved the hell out of 'Incantation'. It conjured a spiritual evil that is rare in horror, one unknowable yet seemingly plausible. I might have been a bit scared too - in my defence, it was dark, late, and a small plaster statue kept nudging its head against the conservatory. (Netflix).Speak No Evil - In the same vein as two of Australia's finest, The Snowtown Murders & Killing Ground. Compelling but too disturbing to be entertaining (for me, but you sickos may differ). Not sure I could watch it again but nor will I forget it in a hurry. (Shudder)Barbarian - saw this at the cinema, and as the sole member of the audience. Bizarre and audacious and tense. But, I will deduct points for it being too similar to a famous Catalan horror film. I also enjoyed Paranormal Activity: Next of Kin, because who could resist Amish horror? But I deduct the same points because it also copied the same Catalan film. The thinking: younger audiences won't have seen the original? (Paramount +)I really enjoyed Hellraiser, and as someone who rewatched every Hellraiser film during the first lockdown, I suspect that many critics of the new film are remembering how the first one made them feel, rather than the quality of the first film. I admired the writing and directing, and how the mythos was treated. I was entertained until the final scene, which is fabulous. An equal favourite with the first two films. (Prime)Sweetheart was a surprise find. A fun, monster oriented horror film, and I will always reserve a special place for someone in a good rubber monster suit chasing people. Yes, there is a fine line but this one stayed on the right side. (Prime).

THE VESSEL - AVAILABLE IN AUDIOBOOK

The audiobook of THE VESSEL is now available through Audible, narrated by the brilliant Bridget Thomas. I was really pleased with how this story worked out in audio, and also recognised how the story is particularly suited to being read aloud. It's a treat!

Here in the US.

Here in the UK.

 

HYPNOGORIA REVIEWS THE VESSEL

"This is folk horror with imagination, intelligence and heart, and highly recommended." With thanks to Hypnogoria and Jim Moon for another deep dive into my horrors!

Full review here.

DARK MUSINGS REVIEWS THE VESSEL

We raise our withered, bog-preserved hands to salute Anthony Watson, for his thorough and considered review of The Vessel. Always a joy for me to read his thoughts on my books.

Full review here.

NO ONE GETS OUT ALIVE - EBOOK .99P PROMOTION AT AMAZON UK!

No One Gets Out Alive in eBook will be promoted at 99p for all of November.

600 pages of sheer horror has never shown better value.

 

THE VESSEL - NEW REVIEW. THE ELOQUENT PAGE.

"horrific, and in the same breath thoughtful. It’s a rare breed who can frighten but also offer keen insight into the human condition."

Raising blessings from an ancient deity in thanks to The Eloquent Page!

Full review here.