Adam L.G. Nevill's Blog, page 21

THE METAL CHAPTERS – ‘HIPPOCAMPUS’ SET TO MUSIC.

I’m delighted to have seen my short story ‘Hippocampus’ put to music by the extremely talented and thoroughly decent Roger Rovento of Xelyruth, as part of the second Metal Chapters concept album: “Literature and metal music cross roads once again resulting in something phantasmagorical. Stories hidden inside song lyrics are written on paper, while authors’ short stories are imprinted on the musical stave. Marios Dimitriadis and George Damtsios contacted ten well-known metal bands and, after prior consultation with them, wrote short stories based on the lyrics of their favourite songs. Roger Rovento of Xelyruth respectively contacted five famous authors and composed music based on their short stories. The book includes fifteen short stories in total, as well as the lyrics that go with them, while the insert CD includes the five Xelyruth compositions.”

The English version of the CD and book is available here.

 

THE METAL CHAPTERS VOLUME II – HEAVY METAL PROJECT FEATURING MY STORY ‘HIPPOCAMPUS’

Bit of a pipe-dream come true and I’m thrilled by this infernal fusion of my passions for metal and horror.

One of my horror stories – ‘Hippocampus’ – has been set to music by Roger Rovento of Xelyruth and included in ‘The Metal Chapters Volume II’ project – a collection of fiction + an accompanying album.

“Literature and metal music cross paths again, creating an imaginative market. Stories that were hidden in song lyrics are recorded on paper, while short stories by writers leave their mark on the pentagram.

Marios Dimitriadis and Giorgos Daitsios came in contact with ten well-known metal bands and, after consultation, wrote short stories based on them in lyrics of their favorite songs. Correspondingly, Relyer Rovento of Xelyruth contacted five famous authors and created Russian compositions based on their stories.

The book includes a total of fifteen short stories as well as the lyrics that accompany them, while on the insert CD there are the five compositions of Xelyruth.”

More details about the project and how to order here.

MY READING AND VIEWING HIGHLIGHTS FROM MAY 2020.

Pick of the books I read in April & May.

I don’t have the gas to review them but for fans of cosmic horror, the King and the Hodge (pleasure to reread most of the stories in the collection) may be just the ticket. Hardinge’s ‘Deeplight’ is thoroughly Lovecraftian, whilst reminding me of Le Guin and Peake too.

‘Consumed’ is marvellous – a deeper more detailed expression of Cronenberg’s body-horror and his philosophy (few books have made me so queasy). I thought it was genius, and original.

All recommended.

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Pick of the horror films I watched on disc in May. All rewatches with the exception of a few Hellraiser films.

Three of the films – Carpenter & Cronenberg – I hadn’t watched since my teens.

 

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THE REDDENING UP FOR BEST NOVEL AT THIS IS HORROR & REVIEWED BY TORONTO STAR & PAUL FINCH. RAMSEY CAMPBELL’S WEIRD SELECTION.

The Reddening has been shortlisted for Best Novel 2019 at This is Horror, which is very flattering.

I was delighted to see The Reddening reviewed for the first time at The Toronto Star in the Scare Yourself Silly feature.

Paul Finch, one of Britain’s leading crime writers (Heck series) and a hellacious writer & editor of horror, has written an essay-length critique of The Reddening at Walking in the Dark.

Ramsey Campbell, a long-time inspiration of mine, and the writer who brought me into print in horror, has kindly mentioned a few of my books in his recent articles. Whether fiction or non-fiction, anything Ramsey writes is insightful and interesting and will probably expand your reading, viewing, mind and personal appreciation of weird. He’s recommended so many films and writers to me over close to twenty years now. So, I highly recommend these features, interviews and lists:

Having Kids can Change Your Life – And Horror Fiction at Crime Reads.

The Count of Thirteen: Ramsey Campbell’s Weird Selection (this is a must if you’re looking for recommendations).

Ramsey interviewed at Horror DNA about horror and his new novel, The Wise Friend.

For more news and recommendations, sign up for my newsletter at adamlgnevill.com and pick up a free full-length eBook too.

 

THE RITUAL ON FILM4 TONIGHT IN THE UK.

And on the telly tonight at 9pm, in the UK, The Ritual makes it debut on Film4.

If you haven’t seen the film on Netflix, this is an opportunity to let your mind travel to a northern wilderness, to appreciate the exotic flora and fauna (on your knees).

THE REDDENING PROMOTION UNTIL APRIL 20TH – 99C/99P AT AMAZON UK & US. NEW REVIEWS. TWO NEW INTERVIEWS.

The Reddening is going into its first Kindle Countdown Deal at Amazon UK and Amazon US. Afraid I’m not allowed to extend the promotion wider (due to a technicality I overlooked 30 days before). But, The Reddening eBook edition will be discounted approximately 70% to 99 cents in the US, and 99 pence in the UK, for seven days, starting today.

Here’s the link to the UK page.

Here’s the link to the US page.

Six months after publication, the novel is still getting some really strong reviews, including this one at Dirty Books and this one at the legendary Cemetery Dance. It’s had so much word from you guys and for this, I am eternally grateful.

I also recently came across an old interview about The Ritual with The All Heathen Nerd Herd that I didn’t even know had been published online. The font size and colour doesn’t make the text easy to read – that’s the downside. There’s also a new, shorter interview with me to, about The Ritual film, at Janine’s Ghost Stories Blog here.

Until next time, my best vibes to you and yours, stay as well as you can, and keep those horns raised!

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NEW AUTHOR INTERVIEW – ‘REVENANT: CRITICAL & CREATIVE STUDIES OF THE SUPERNATURAL. ISSUE 5: FOLK HORROR’

Again, when and if you have the time and head-space, this is a stunning journal from Dawn Keetley. ‘Revenant: Critical and Creative Studies of the Supernatural. Issue 5: Folk Horror’

“Revenant is a peer-reviewed e-journal dedicated to academic and creative explorations of the Supernatural, the Uncanny and the Weird.”

I’m dipping in and out right now and it’s filled with fascinating and erudite essays. It will be receiving my full attention soon. This issue also includes one of the most detailed interviews I’ve given.

My interview is here, but do make time for the whole journal. It’s terrific.

NEW AUTHOR INTERVIEW. THIS IS HORROR. PART 2

I can’t decide with any certainty, right now, what is appropriate to post in my various channels. But after a few days of feeling by turns winded, angry, anxious, worryingly “clinical” in my thinking, continually overwhelmed by information (and sometimes I even giggle, which may or may not be a good sign) … I have decided to continue working and writing as usual. Back at my desk today. I will be constantly swallowing the spectre of futility that will try and perch on my shoulder as I continue with various works-in-progress, upon which I pressed pause about 4 days ago.

Some announcements are coming in my newsletter soon – most news goes there first.

Meanwhile, the second half of my chat with Bob and Mike at This is Horror is available. This was the latter stage of a mammoth chat that lasted hours, so they split it in half. This half includes: folk horror, extreme horror, researching ‘The Reddening’ and its inspirations, different approaches to planning and then writing a novel, and some ideas about the differences between British and American horror.

One thing I learned from listening to this podcast: I really need to cut “erm” out of my speech entirely. Apologies in advance for the “erms”.

Anyway, it is there if you have the time and headspace.

Part 2 of the Podcast right here.

If you missed the first half it’s right here.

NEW PODCAST DISCUSSION WITH ME AND THIS IS HORROR

Discussing my origins. Evolving as a writer. Publishing and horror today – where I think it stands. Film adaptations. Audio books. Creating hardbacks in the Indie sector. Among other topics.

With Mike and Bob at This is Horror.

[This chat was recorded last year, so when I refer to “next year”, I’m referring to 2020]

 

 

 

LOST GIRL, SOME THOUGHTS IN 2020

The irony for me of how I agonised over my book Lost Girl is the chronology. I’ve been thinking about that book a lot recently. I effectively researched the story from around 2006 to 2013, and started writing it in 2013, eventually deciding on a setting of 2053 for the story. My thinking was that a later setting for a story about a world engulfed by the consequences of runaway climate change, would lessen the impact of the depicted catastrophes. Originally, I thought of the 2070s as a more plausible setting for such severe levels of catastrophe directly and indirectly related to predicted levels of climate change, population growth, denaturing effects on food production. But that date felt too “futuristic” to what I wanted to achieve. I agonised over that timing the whole time I was writing the book. And yet, it’s hard for me now to see the real world in 2053 “only” being as terrible as the one I depicted for 2053 in a fictional story. That horrifies me. If I’m still alive in 2053, I will be making further comparisons.


With absolutely zero satisfaction, over the last few months, I’ve watched the background (or world-build) of my story more or less unfold in the world. Not even across a full year either, but in a few months. I never posted anything because I didn’t want to appear as trying to fecklessly benefit from catastrophe by promoting a book while Australia was on fire. But then a coronavirus took over the headlines. Followed by the UK floods (again). Three almost identical dilemmas occur, in the very same places, in my story. A hat trick (not even including events prior to this time, with a refugee crisis in Europe and the Amazon catching fire that also occur in the story). I’m not marvelling at my prophetic instincts, but am aghast at the rapidity of it all. I have no scientific background. I write fiction and merely read widely among those with expertise about the environment, climate change, viral outbreaks, the collapse of former civilisations and other subjects of this nature. I found the information effortlessly and made informed guesses. All of the information had been collated and interpreted for me, even decades ago, by finer minds. That is what really undermines my hope for any meaningful change. We knew.




I also recall one reviewer commenting, back in 2015, that while Australia was on fire in the story (I even used pyrocumulonimbus clouds and nearly fell off my chair when I saw the recent news) and Europe suffering from a hurricane season with flooding, refugees etc, that it was unrealistic that there would also be a coronavirus originating in Asia and spreading in the same time-frame. That it was overkill. My fictional zoonotic virus also started in a Chinese wet market, passing from caged animals to humans. I wish that reviewer was reading the book now. And the fool who told me that I should wear a tin foil hat, I am certain, would still be denying the causes of everything in the story while actually being on fire, in a conflagration directly caused by man-made climate change.


Stepping off my soapbox for the second time in 2020. There will be no more appearances in human form. Just pictures of the sea and stuff from now on (unless I encounter lane rage at the swimming pool, a queue jumper at the post office, or arseholes in cars … so maybe my predicting that this will be my last sound-off for “this month” is a more realistic prediction …).
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