Adam L.G. Nevill's Blog, page 31

THE RITUAL FILM REVIEWED AT GLASGOW LIVE

Terrific review of The Ritual from Glasgow Live, as we count down to the Netflix and DVD releases next month.

“While some films tend to veer down a path of logic and reason, The Ritual welcomes the unknown and the mystery of campfire tales and runs with it. And it does all this without ever becoming silly. Creepy imagery and symbols skirt the camera frame throughout, whether it’s signs carved into trees or the headless “straw man” the foursome find in an abandoned house in the middle of the woods. Even the sound design is crafted in such a way that it gets under your skin without ever feeling the need to become oppressive or loud”

 

UNDER A WATCHFUL EYE MAKES PRELIM BALLOT FOR THE BRAM STOKER AWARDS, 2018

‘Under a Watchful Eye’ has projected itself onto the Prelim Ballot for the Stokers. Not entirely sure how this process works, as this is a first for me, but a big thanks to those who tossed my book into the cauldron for consideration.


 


Superior Achievement in a Novel


Barker, J.D. – The Fourth Monkey (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)


Golden, Christopher – Ararat (St. Martin’s Press)


Jemc, Jac – The Grip of It (FSG Originals)


King, Stephen and King, Owen – Sleeping Beauties (Scribner)


Malerman, Josh – Black Mad Wheel (Ecco)


McGrath, Patrick – The Wardrobe Mistress (Hutchinson)


Miskowski, S.P. – I Wish I Was Like You (JournalStone)


Nevill, Adam – Under a Watchful Eye (Pan Macmillan)


Rabarts, Dan and Murray, Lee – Hounds of the Underworld (Raw Dog Screaming Press)


Purcell, Laura – The Silent Companions: A Ghost Story (Raven Books)


Tem, Steve Rasnic – Ubo (Solaris)


 


Superior Achievement in a First Novel


Cabeen, Robert Payne – Cold Cuts (Omnium Gatherum Media)


Davidson, Andy – In the Valley of the Sun (Skyhorse Publishing)


Hartwell, Ash – Tip of the Iceberg (Stitched Smile Publications)


Hayward, Matt – What do Monsters Fear? (Post Mortem Press)


Hepler, Jeremy – The Boulevard Monster (Bloodshot Books)


Rosson, Keith – The Mercy of the Tide (Meerkat Press)


Thomas, Scott – Kill Creek (Ink Shares)


 


Superior Achievement in a Young Adult Novel


French, Gillian – The Door to January (Islandport Press)


Leveen, Tom – Hellworld (Simon Pulse)


Liggett, Kim – The Last Harvest (Tor Teen)


Lukavics, Amy – The Ravenous (Harlequin Teen)


Porter, Sarah – When I Cast Your Shadow (Tor Teen)


 


Superior Achievement in a Graphic Novel


Carey, Mike and Arvind, Ethan David – Darkness Visible (IDW)


Duffey, Damian and Butler, Octavia E. – Kindred: A Graphic Novel Adaptation (Abrams ComicArts)


Ferris, Emil – My Favorite Thing is Monsters (Fantagraphics)


Haun, Jeremy and Hurley, Jason – The Beauty Volume 3 (Image Comics)


Hickman, Jonathan – The Black Monday Murders (Image Comics)


Liu, Marjorie – Monstress Volume 2: The Blood (Image Comics)


 


Superior Achievement in Long Fiction


Baxter, Alan – The Book Club (PS Publishing)


Deady, Tom – Weekend Getaway (Grinning Skull Press)


Edelman, Scott – Faking it Until Forever Comes (Liars, Fakers, and the Dead Who Eat Them) (Written Backwards)


Jones, Stephen Graham – Mapping the Interior (Tor.com)


Keisling, Todd – The Final Reconciliation (Crystal Lake Publishing)


Kiernan, Caitlín R. – Agents of Dreamland (Tor.com)


McGuire, Seanan – Down Among the Sticks and Bones (Tor.com)


Taylor, Lucy – Sweetlings (Tor.com)


VanderMeer, Jeff – The Strange Bird: A Borne Story (MCD x FSG Originals)


Waggoner, Tim – A Kiss of Thorns (DarkFuse)


 


Superior Achievement in Short Fiction


Bailey, Michael – “I Will Be the Reflection Until the End” (Tales from the Lake Vol. 4) (Crystal Lake Publishing)


Bodner, Hal – “The Baker of Millepoix” (Behold!: Oddities, Curiosities & Undefinable Wonders) (Crystal Lake Publishing)


Fawver, Kurt – “Etch the Unthinkable” (Gamut #1) (Gamut Magazine)


Lombardi, Nicola – “Even the Stars Fall” (The Beauty of Death Vol. 2: Death by Water) (Independent Legions Publishing)


Mannetti, Lisa – “Apocalypse Then” (Never Fear: The Apocalypse) (13Thirty Books)


Marceau, Caitlin – “No Filter” (Read-Only: A Collection of Digital Horror) (WatchMojo Publishing)


Neugebauer, Annie – “So Sings the Siren” (Apex Magazine #101) (Apex Publications)


Rourke, Naomi Brett – “Coyote” (Straight Outta Tombstone) (Baen)


Taff, John F.D. – “A Ware That Will Not Keep” (Behold!: Oddities, Curiosities & Undefinable Wonders) (Crystal Lake Publishing)


Wahl, M.F. – “Absolution” (Feverish Fiction Magazine Issue #6) (Sleazy Viking Press)


Walters, Damien Angelica – “All the Windows, All the Doors” (Chopping Block Party: An Anthology of Suburban Terror) (Necro Publications)


Yardley, Mercedes M. – “Loving you Darkly” (F(r)iction Magazine #8) (Tethered by Letters)


 


Superior Achievement in a Fiction Collection


Cain, Kenneth W. – Embers (Crystal Lake Publishing)


Cataneo, Emily B. – Speaking to the Skull Kings (Trepidatio Publishing)


Dorr, James – Tombs (Elder Signs Press)


Fracassi, Philip – Behold the Void (JournalStone)


Hill, Joe – Strange Weather (William Morrow)


Gafford, Sam– The Dreamer in Fire and Other Stories (Hippocampus Press)


Kiste, Gwendolyn – And Her Smile Will Untether the Universe (JournalStone)


Malerman, Josh – Goblin (Earthling Publications)


Matsuura, Thersa – The Carp-Faced Boy and Other Tales (Independent Legions Publishing)


McGrath, Patrick – Writing Madness (Centipede Press)


Sheldon, Deborah – Perfect Little Stitches and Other Stories (IFWG Publishing Australia)


 


Superior Achievement in a Screenplay


Aronofsky, Darren – Mother! (Paramount Pictures, Protozoa Pictures)


Del Toro, Guillermo and Taylor, Vanessa – The Shape of Water (TSG Entertainment, Double Dare You Productions)


Duffer, Matt and Duffer, Ross – Stranger Things: MadMax, Episode 02:01: Chapter One (21 Laps Entertainment, Monkey Massacre)


Ducournau, Julia – Raw (Frakas Productions/Petit Film/Rouge International)


Frost, Mark and Lynch, David – Twin Peaks: The Return “Gotta Light?”, Episode 3:08 (Rancho Rosa Partnership Production)


Palmer, Chase, Fukunaga, Cary, and Dauberman, Gary – It (New Line Cinema)


Peele, Jordan – Get Out (Universal Pictures, Blumhouse Productions, QC Entertainment)


Shyamalan, M. Night – Split (Blinding Edge Pictures, Blumhouse Productions)


 


Superior Achievement in an Anthology


Bailey, Michael and Speegle, Darren – Adam’s Ladder (Written Backwards)


Brooks, Kinitra, PhD., Addison, Linda D., and Morris, Susana, PhD. – Sycorax’s Daughters (Cedar Grove Publishing)


Datlow, Ellen – Black Feathers: Dark Avian Tales: An Anthology (Pegasus Books)


Eads, Ben – Tales from the Lake Vol. 4: The Horror Anthology (Crystal Lake Publishing)


Ferguson, Cin and Campbell, Broos – Mother’s Revenge: A Dark and Bizarre Anthology of Global Proportions (Scary Dairy Press)


Kaheaku, Danielle – California Screamin’ (Barking Deer Press)


Maberry, Jonathan and Romero, George A. – Nights of the Living Dead: An Anthology (St. Martin’s Griffin)


Manzetti, Alessandro and Lester, Jodi Renee – The Beauty of Death Vol. 2: Death by Water (Independent Legions Publishing)


Matthews, Mark – Garden of Fiends: Tales of Addiction Horror (Wicked Run Press)


Murano, Doug – Behold!: Oddities, Curiosities & Undefinable Wonders (Crystal Lake Publishing)


Price, David – Northern Frights: An Anthology by the Horror Writers of Maine (Grinning Skull Press)


 


Superior Achievement in Non-Fiction


Brittany, Michele – Horror in Space: Critical Essays on a Film Subgenre (McFarland)


Brooks, Kinitra D. – Searching for Sycorax: Black Women’s Hauntings of Contemporary Horror (Rutgers University Press)


Cardin, Matt – Horror Literature through History: An Encyclopedia of the Stories That Speak to Our Deepest Fears (Greenwood)


Hendrix, Grady. Paperbacks from Hell: The Twisted History of ‘70s and ‘80s Horror Fiction (Quirk Books)


Jones, Stephen – The Art of Horror Movies: An Illustrated History (Applause Theatre & Cinema Books; Ill edition)


Mynhardt, Joe and Johnson, Eugene – Where Nightmares Come From: The Art of Storytelling in the Horror Genre – (Crystal Lake Publishing)


Rhoads, Loren – 199 Cemeteries to See Before You Die (Black Dog & Leventhal)


 


Superior Achievement in a Poetry Collection


Bolivar, Adam – The Lay of Old Hex: Spectral Ballads and Weird Jack Tales (Hippocampus Press)


Fantina, Michael – Alchemy of Dreams and Other Poems (Hippocampus Press)


Frazier, Robert and Boston, Bruce – Visions of the Mutant Rain Forest (Crystal Lake Publishing)


Hanson, Michael H. – When the Night Owl Screams (MoonDream Press)


Manzetti, Alessandro – No Mercy (Crystal Lake Publishing)


Ness, Mari – Through Immortal Shadows Singing (Papaveria Press)


Razvi, Saba – Heliophobia (Finishing Line Press)


Simon, Marge and Turzillo, Mary – Satan’s Sweethearts (Weasel Press)


Sng, Christina – A Collection of Nightmares (Raw Dog Screaming Press)


Weikel, Cynthia O’Quinn – Return to Graveyard Dust (Goose River Press)


Wytovich, Stephanie M. – Sheet Music to my Acoustic Nightmare (Raw Dog Screaming Press)

MY HIGHLIGHTS OF 2017 – BOOKS, FILMS & TV. RECOMMENDED.

Like most people at this time of year, I not only reflect on what I’ve done professionally and personally across the last twelve months, but I also list highlights from among my respective interests – books, films, TV and music – and hope that these selections might be of some interest to the readers of my horrors.

Anyway, here are my cultural highlights and recommendations from 2017’s reading and viewing:

Best TV series:

Channel Zero: No End House – I think Nic Antosca (writer of Hannibal series 3, Channel Zero: Candle Cove, and the novel, Midnight Picnic) has one of the best horror brains on the planet right now. This six part SyFy series is terrific creepy pasta morphing into cosmic horror.

[image error]Narcos Series 3 – a great addition to the first two series.

[image error]Ozark – a must for fans of Breaking Bad.

[image error]Peaky Blinders Series 3 – as stylish and complex and surprising as the first two series.

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Best Films seen in 2017:

Diplomatically excluding the film that I was directly involved with, my favourite film was the sublime Mountain from Robert McFarlane and Jennifer Peedom. A collision of visual, literary and musical forces that create sensations of beauty and terror, or the sublime, in a documentary film about mountains, narrated by Willem Dafoe. The film gave me a true sense of awe from within a cinema seat. I even found myself on the edge of vertigo panic in one or two scenes.

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Darren Aronofsky’s Mother takes second place in my films of the year. A strange and mythic epic.

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Beyond those two films I also enjoyed Life, It Comes At night, A Dark Song, The Ghoul, The Autopsy of Jane Doe, Split, The Visit, The Devil, and Savageland. Not all of these are new films, but they’re films that I saw for the first time this year, including the classics: Cannibal Holocaust, Night of the Eagle, Mildred Pearce, and Exterminating Angel.

In my reading, I’ve predominantly worked my way through shelves heaving with unread books. This is a kind of amnesty that I have to periodically enforce (the last one was in 2011) to prevent my home becoming overwhelmed by unread books. In some cases the books I read had been gathering dust for many years. But I’ve managed to read just over 90 of them so far this year, and my book of the year is actually a children’s book that I read to my daughter, and one that my dad read to me when I was her age: The Little Grey Men by BB. An epic story of the last gnomes in England, who go upstream in search of their missing brother. I’d been waiting for my daughter to become old enough to appreciate it (she’s seven now), and it’s a masterpiece of enchantment and wonder, including some of the best lyrical writing about the British landscape, flora and fauna that I’ve come across in fiction. To my mind it is also an adventure story to rival The Hobbit. The language is sublime, but it’s not a book for children alone; as with the great works of fantasy associated with younger readers, mature readers may also find the books transporting.

[image error]Other major highlights and recommendations, in no particular order, include:

Night Film by Marisha Pessl – one of the best horror novels I’ve read in recent years, and published during The Gone Girl craze. How the author sustains a sense of enigma and dread in this long and endlessly inventive novel is enviable. It was recommended to me by a friend who found the subject matter similar to my own Last Days. Pessl was also able to use secondary material, like photographs and letters, in a way that I was not able to, but had wanted to in Last Days. But a “must read” for horror fans.

[image error]The Small Hours by Jen Kitzes – incredibly tense novel, with a universal resonance, about modern middle-class lives unravelling.

[image error]Hangover Square by Patrick Hamilton – British classic about an alcoholic, possibly suffering from schizophrenia, set on the eve of WW2. If anyone likes Knut Hamsun’s Hunger, I think this book will be of great interest. The writing is exquisite, as is the depth of psychological insight.

[image error]The Heavenly Table by Donald Ray Pollock – tragic and side-splittingly funny western about three dirt poor drifters who become bank robbers.

[image error]The Kindly Ones by Jonathan Littel – harrowing and epic story of an SS officer on the Eastern Front in WW2.

[image error]The Twelve Children of Paris by Tim Willocks – the second Tannhauser novel, and this story concerns itself with the knight’s awful vengeance during the St Bartholomew’s Day Massacre. It’s probably the most violent and bloodthirsty novel I’ve yet read, but the way Willocks brings history to life is near peerless.

[image error]A Game of Ghosts by John Connolly – one of my absolute favourite Parker novels to date, and I’ve read them all.

[image error]Sacculina by Philip Fracassi – really good and unusual maritime horror novella with cosmic horror overtones.

[image error]The Searching Dead by Ramsey Campbell – the beginning of a Lovecraftian weird tale trilogy told in Campbell’s unique voice.

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The Girls by Emma Cline – insightful and brilliant depiction of an adolescent girl’s seduction by a counter-culture cult, modelled on Charles Manson’s Family.

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Dimiter by William Peter Blatty – absorbing paranormal thriller by the master of the infernal.

[image error]The Year’s Best Horror Vol 9 ed’ Ellen Datlow – in a time of endless multi-author horror anthologies, in which only two or three stories usually ring my bell per volume, this was the best anthology that I’ve read in years, in terms of its quality and variety. Excellent addition to an excellent series.

Holidays from Hell: Fourteen Stories by Reggie Oliver – another stunning collection of strange and supernatural short stories from the prodigiously talented author, actor and artist.

[image error]In Delrium’s Circle by Stephen J. Clark – a superb occult novel encompassing surreal and expressionist art. I also found it reminiscent of the film The Third Man.

[image error]The Architect by Brendan Connell – a novella filled with grotesque marvels, and wonderfully satirical, that reminded me of  Marquez. One of the best and most scathing literary portrayals of a narcissist that I’ve read.

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Titus Groan & Gormenghast by Mervyn Peake – two fantasy Gothic classics I’ve been meaning to read for about three decades. I kicked myself for not reading them sooner. About as good as fiction gets.

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Galveston by Nick Pizzolatto – compelling noir from the creator of True Detective. [image error]

This Sweet Sickness by Patricia Highsmith – a novel of intense romantic obsession and mental instability.

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Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari – a fascinating study of mankind’s cognitive and cultural evolution.

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The Wild Places by Robert Macfarlane – non-fiction appreciation of the last few wild places in the British Isles.

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The Old Ways by Robert Macfarlane – non-fiction, celebrating the ancient paths of Britain.

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Mountains of the Mind by Robert Macfarlane – a history of man’s actual and imaginative interaction with mountains.

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My album of the year was Mareridt by Myrkur. Scandinavian Black metal blended with choral and folk music, and created by an extraordinary Danish artist.

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I hope some of you find something of interest to pursue here.

Wishing you a prosperous and healthy new year.

2017, A REFLECTION

2017 has been my most eventful year as a writer, and even though I tell myself that I am no multi-tasker, I’ve done nothing but work simultaneously on a range of projects since 2005. I also anticipate more juggling in 2018. But in 2017 my eighth horror novel, Under A Watchful Eye, was published in January (my first hardback from Pan) and then in paperback in July. The reception has been favourable and I’m pleased with what this “back-to-roots” supernatural horror novel ultimately became (and far more than I began with). It’s the most Jamesian or traditional supernatural horror story I’ve written at this length in a while, but one that I’ve blended with my own contemporary ideas.

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I also went “through it all again” in 2017, from February onwards, in order to publish my second collection of short horror fiction, Hasty for the Dark, through my imprint, Ritual Limited. This full collection gathered together seven years of my later horror stories, written up and into 2016 and was augmented by the free eBook sample collection, Before You Wake: Three Horrors (if you don’t have the free book, it’s available from a wide range of online book retailers).

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The critical path for Hasty’ progressed slowly (with minor explosions at various third parties that I used to produce the various editions) until the collection was ready for launch and release on Halloween in hardback, paperback, eBook and audio. Around the publishing of Hasty’, I’ve also managed to write the first five drafts of a new novel. A book that requires a couple more rewrites until I’ll be satisfied, but I hope to be sending a final version to my new agent in early 2018.

Beyond the writing and publishing, I also hit the road in 2017 for a book launch and guest author appearances at five conventions in which I had the privilege of meeting so many readers for the first time. Some Will Not Sleep, to my genuine surprise, also picked up Best Collection at The British Fantasy Awards in Peterborough in October.

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At the same time Imaginarium’s The Ritual adaptation hit the big screens in the UK and Ireland. I’ll admit, the size and scope of eOne’s publicity campaign took me by surprise, as did the mostly favourable critical response.

I believe the film will be available on DVD February 12th, and for download from February 5th, 2018, worldwide from Netflix. But check out the film’s Facebook page for future scheduling details.

October was a blur and I struggled to keep track of everything film-related (all the advertising for the film was pulled at one point due to the Las Vegas mass shooting),  but the film had a run lasting for the best part of three weeks at the cinema. A tie-in book edition was also released and topped several Amazon charts; the last time the novel topped any charts was back in 2011, so it’s been very satisfying to see this book get a second bite this year. Last week the tie-in paperback went into a fourth reprint since October. The Ritual is my second bestselling novel to date but is closing fast on Apartment 16.

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In closing, I want to thank all who check into this blog, and those who have supported my various publications and associated activities throughout 2017. You make it all worthwhile.

POSTCARDS FROM ASIA REVIEWS ‘HASTY FOR THE DARK’

“these stories are not straightforward, not all of them anyway. If you want the answers spelled out for you, this might be a bit of a challenge, but if you love a mystery set in an amazing, descriptive setting, then this book is perfect.”

Postcards from Asia on Hasty for the Dark. In the endless tunnels we raise our bony arms and clatter our hands with thanks … Lot of books out there, and more coming every second, so I’m elated when I get such a thoughtful consideration of a book.

Full review here

BLOGGING FROM DUBAI REVIEW HASTY FOR THE DARK

“HASTY FOR THE DARK summoned ordinary situations turned bad, characters unwittingly drawn to obscure places, domestic conflicts built on sadism . . . manifestations of cosmic horror”

From Blogging from Dubai, with pictorial embellishments. I always look forward to Diala’s thoughts on my books.

Full review here

NEW HASTY’ REVIEWS: THE ELOQUENT PAGE AND ODDLY WEIRD FICTION

“By the time I’d finished the last story in this book, I was simultaneously a) relieved that I could breathe again and b) sad that it was all over.”

When a reader makes you realise that it was all worthwhile. Full review here.

And from Pablo at The Eloquent Page: “I can’t fault a single story in this collection. Hasty for the Dark is the perfect companion piece to Some Will Not Sleep . . . Let’s be honest, the only thing better than being creeped out is being creeped out by a factor of two.” Full review here.

HASTY FOR THE DARK: SELECTED HORRORS. PUBLICATION DAY.

Hasty for the Dark: Selected Horrors is published today in four formats (hardback, paperback, eBook and audio). This book concludes my selection of twenty years of my own short fiction in two volumes. I made the decision to publish these two books in February 2016 and it’s mission accomplished today.

Folks on my mailing list, and at this month’s events, have left about a quarter of the limited edition hardbacks in stock. The other formats should be available everywhere online now, save the eBook which has an Amazon Kindle Unlimited exclusive.

All of my expectations about how Some Will Not Sleep would go down were exceeded by some margin, so a huge thank you in advance to all who make haste for this new collection of my horrors.

Here are some early reviews for the collection:

From Antony Watson at Dark Musings:

“Hasty for the Dark is a superb collection of stories, and a worthy successor to Some Will Not Sleep. In comparison to the earlier book, its horrors are perhaps more subtle, less overt but are no less effective for that. The grotesqueries of that first volume have been replaced by suggestion and more ambiguous terror but the stories here still do a grand job of horrifying the reader.” Full review here.

From Tony Jones at Gingernuts of Horror:

““Hasty for the Dark” undoubtedly has a broader range of stories that its predecessor. The nine tales are cleverly varied, exhibiting varied pace, chills which deal with the supernatural in both every day and altogether freakier situations, and other curve-balls which drop feet into other genres.” The full review is here

From Carmilla Voiez: “The collection is dominated by feelings of isolation in crowded environments, and dreams and psychosis as messages from other realms.” Full review is here.

And from The Grim Reader:

“Hasty for the Dark is a terrifying and varied collection of dark fiction, bringing together the best of Nevill’s more recent shorter works and it is perfect for reading this Halloween.

5/5 bad dreams from the Grim Reader” Full review here.

I have about one quarter of the limited edition hardbacks left at my webstore. The rest have sold through presales, so thanks to all who have picked up a copy. If you prefer other formats, the paperback, eBook and audio book are all available here at Amazon in the UK and here from Amazon in the US.

Enormous thanks to all who acquire these horrors. I’m raising both horns, all four hooves, and my stub of a black tail to you tonight!

I’M A GUEST AUTHOR AT BIRMINGHAM HORROR CON: HALLOWEEN SPECIAL THIS WEEKEND

My last convention of the year & I’m one of the guest authors at the Birmingham Horror Con: Halloween Special, this weekend at Edgbaston Cricket Ground.

The event is held across the entire convention centre at Edgbaston and is going to be vast. Media guests and traders abound and I look forward to seeing a few of you there. Always colourful, interesting, well-run and friendly events.

A personal highlight for me is going to be Grandpa Sawyer from The Texas Chainsaw Massacre … a character that has remained inside my head for many years. A performance that incited a reaction of disbelief and sheer horror in me when I first encountered it. I may feel slight awe … when I think of the hundreds of horror films I’ve seen over the years, few characters/creatures have ever “bothered” me as much as this one did. I’ve always been largely indifferent to the Freddies and Jasons and Michaels, but Grandpa was always operating on another level for me (he was the head of that family too) … 

He’s inspired a few of my own ghastly characters.

Bring it.

Details here.

 

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THE RITUAL MAKES TOP 10 AT UK BOX OFFICE

The Ritual made the top 10 UK films in its first week and seems set to continue a theatrical run into a second week. So a massive two-horned salute and beastly two-nostril snort to all who have been to see the film, boosted its hoof-beats, and appreciated it so far.

[I’ve seen it four times, and my third and fourth viewings were my favourites – no nerves, no distractions.]

If you still want to catch it in the UK and Ireland, this site instantly tells you where it’s showing near you.