Tracy Fahey's Blog, page 5

Two of my stories make Ellen Datlow's long list!

I'm playing catch-up a little here, celebrating some of the good news of the summer. On July 31st Ellen Datlow released her long list of Honourable Mentions for The Best Horror of the Year, encompassing all work published in 2015. Two of my stories made the long list - 'Walking The Borderlines' fromDarkest Minds(Dark Minds Press), republished in 2016 as part ofThe Unheimlich Manoeuvre, and 'Under The Whitethorn' fromFaed(A Murder of Storytellers).To say I'm delighted would be a truly massive understatement. Thank you Ellen Datlow.

Review: Trying To Be So Quiet (James Everington)

A small, beautiful and haunting novella about love and loss by James Everington. The narrator is surrounded by the blankness of extreme grief when an echo of the past starts to persist, making him travel back and confront his love for his dead wife. The central conceit of a fractured building works well as a metaphor for the narrator's state, and the gorgeous design of the limited hardback edition employs this well, creating tiny fissures on the top of the pages that grow larger and larger as you move through the book. Eventually the protagonist is led back through his own memories through the prompt of a face half-seen; a face that is initially vague and formless, then skeletal, and finally fleshed out. Though this is a short novella, the double metaphor of the growing cracks in the walls and the creeping solidity of his vision work as powerful conduits towards the ambiguous ending.If you like your horror quiet, stealthy, and throat-achingly sad, this is one for you.

Trying To Be So Quiet - a review

A small, beautiful and haunting novella about love and loss by James Everington. The narrator is surrounded by the blankness of extreme grief when an echo of the past starts to persist, making him travel back and confront his love for his dead wife. The central conceit of a fractured building works well as a metaphor for the narrator's state, and the gorgeous design of the limited hardback edition employs this well, creating tiny fissures on the top of the pages that grow larger and larger as you move through the book. Eventually the protagonist is led back through his own memories through the prompt of a face half-seen; a face that is initially vague and formless, then skeletal, and finally fleshed out. Though this is a short novella, the double metaphor of the growing cracks in the walls and the creeping solidity of his vision work as powerful conduits towards the ambiguous ending.If you like your horror quiet, stealthy, and throat-achingly sad, this is one for you.

Online launch for The Unheimlich Manoeuvre!

Suffer from Monday blues? Here's an invitation to the online launch of my book next Sunday evening, hosted by the fabulous Alex Davis. There's memes to make, quiz questions to puzzle over...and hopefully, enough uncanny stuff to magically distract you from the coming week. Here's thelinkto the Facebook page - hope to see you there!

Fantasycon invitation

Something lovely. This week I was invited to be a PANELLIST at Fantasycon! Woo!From 10am-11am, on Saturday 24th September, in the Royal Ballroom in Scarborough, I'll be on a panel entitledCreepin' Up On You: With a new wave of real life horror stories, are we running out of imaginary scares? Is reality the new horror?I can't wait...

Review: The Grieving Stones (Gary McMahon)

Gary McMahon'sThe Grieving Stonesis a small book that packs a big punch. It's soaked in atmospheric folk horror; the setting of Grief House and the Grieving Stones near it are beautifully evoked, as is the complex tangle of relationships in the house. Be warned: parts of this book linger (that punch dummy! that Backwards Girl!) and will disturb your sleep. Fine writing, and elegant, old-school horror.

The Grieving Stones - a review

Gary McMahon's The Grieving Stones is a small book that packs a big punch. It's soaked in atmospheric folk horror; the setting of Grief House and the Grieving Stones near it are beautifully evoked, as is the complex tangle of relationships in the house. Be warned: parts of this book linger (that punch dummy! that Backwards Girl!) and will disturb your sleep. Fine writing, and elegant, old-school horror.

Edge-Lit launch - The Unheimlich Manoeuvre

On the 16th of July at 11am, I launched my first collection. It was a strange and beautiful moment. Slightly unnerving to be reading an extract in front of venerated peers like my editor, James Everington, V.H. Leslie, Mark West, Terry Grimwood, Cate Gardner, Priya Sharma and others...I didn't have the presence of mind to ask anyone to take my photos, but the tall and kind Steve Shaw of Black Shuck obliged. I read from 'Coming Back', influenced mainly by my week of medical Gothic at home...After that there were great panels, most notably on the Supernatural and Crime Fiction, and the bliss of hanging out and buying books with wonderful people.Thanks to all who bought my book and asked me to sign it. You are my heroes.Lovely to finally meet Adele (aka gorgeous Aunty Fox) with Daz and Tom; it was especially gratifying and gorgeous to see their photos of my book in their haul photos afterwards on Facebook. Here's Daz's lovely photo...Here's Adele's photo...And of course my own photo!It was great to remeet James and Cate and Simon, and to hang out with an array of superb writers and all-round good folk. Thanks to Alex and Pixie for being patient with my eternal tendency to get lost and mislay possessions, John, Gary, Theresa and Yvonne for chats, Steve for kindly but sternly instructing me where to go, Marie, Paul, Johnny and Alexandra for breakfast company, Daryl for shouting 'I designed your book cover!' across a street in Derby late at night, Priya for medical Gothic chats and especially to Victoria Leslie, who is not only a very fine writer and researcher, but who insisted on keeping me company when I lost my hotel keycard at 1am. And all the wonderful micro-chats at stalls and hotel reception and launches and panels.Edge-Lit people - you are DAMN FINE PEOPLE!

The Unheimlich Manoeuvre - my first short story collection!

I'm proud and terrified and excited, all at once. My debut collection, The Unheimlich Manoeuvre launches at Edge-Lit in Derby this July! It features some stories previously published by Hic Dragones, Fox Spirit Press, Jotters Utd and Dark Minds Press as well as some that are completely unique to the anthology. Thanks to my editor, Alex Davies, at Boo Books. There's be lots more about it in the weeks to come, but for now, here's a little teaser of my promotional image... ​​ 

European Monsters: A Review

European Monsters (eds. Margret Helgadottir and Jo Thomas). Fox Spirit Press, 2014.   From the very first impressions of this book, from the beautiful Daniele Serra artwork on the cover, it was evident that European Monsters would be a treat of wondrous proportions! As the Introduction discusses, the editors shared a kindred vision of a ‘monster renaissance’, which activated this thoughtful and far-ranging collection. It might be argued that contemporary cultural malaise has given rise to this[image error]