All the latest Shadow Writer news and announcements.       December     The promo campaign for Paul’s new collection, Dark Reflections – perfect for those spooky winter evenings – has ramped up (above and below) with a special price for the Kindle edition ahead of release on the 15th December. You can order that here and here.     Here’s the official PR blurb: ‘What was the real story behind Jekyll and Hyde? How do you cheat the most notorious curse of all time? Why are people getting sick with a strange malady that makes them bleed to death, and how are they being brought back to life in a futuristic nightmare? What happens when the world’s most famous vampire falls in love, or the world’s greatest detective takes on his most dangerous foe? How will a deadly serial killer be caught, and how will a certain paranormal investigator deal with his most unusual case to date? These and many more questions will be answered in Dark Reflections, a collection of spine-tingling tales by award-winning and #1 bestselling author Paul Kane (the British Fantasy Award-Nominated Monsters, Sherlock Holmes and the Servants of Hell, Before, The Storm), which pay homage to the masters of dark fiction, including M.R. James, Charles Dickens, William Hope Hodgson, H.P. Lovecraft, Mary Shelley, Bram Stoker, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Edgar Allan Poe. With an introduction by the legendary Kim Newman (Anno Dracula, An English Ghost Story) and cover by Greg Chapman, you’ll find a lot to reflect on in here…’ Finally, Paul did a short reading from one of the stories, ‘The Grey Room’, which you can watch by clicking on the below:     ------------------------------------------------     Paul received his contributor copies of the jacketed hardback of The RED Trilogy omnibus from Hellbound last month (above and below).         You can order that here and here. ----------------------------------------------------     He also got his contributor paperbacks of The Gemini Effect (above and below) from publisher Encyclopocalypse.         You can pick those up here and here. --------------------------------------------------------     Paul’s publisher for his thrillers (as PL Kane), HQ Stories, celebrated their 7th Birthday last month, and Paul celebrated with them.     It coincided with @treatyoshelf creating Book Aesthetics for the first PL Kane, Her Last Secret, over on Instagram (above and below).         While the third book in what’s now known as the ‘Colours Trilogy’, The Family Lie, got a mention on Jen Med’s Weekly Roundup (below) here.       It was subsequently reviewed, here’s what Jen had to say: ‘Okay. So this book wasn’t exactly what I was expecting but I really rather enjoyed it. I like a book that tilts things on somewhat of an angle, where the root cause of a problem isn’t just about the everyday criminal fraternity… The book opens in a very intriguing, if somewhat disturbing, way. None of it is gratuitous, but how can you start a story with a man literally on fire, without making readers sit up and wonder just what the heck is going on? It certainly worked for me and I was immediately in need of finding out the whys and wherefores of the situation, something which the author slowly reveals to both us, the reader, and Mitch, the son of the all too recently deceased. A (very recently) former, copper, Mitch knows that he needs to get to the bottom of his father’s death, particularly when it seems that the local police are far from interested, even though everything points towards foul play. As Mitch soon learns, things in his home town are both the same and yet very, very different, and that leaves us with a whole host of suspects. I liked the way the author has slowly built up this story. Yes, after the shocking opener it takes a bit of a pedestrian turn, with Mitch trying to build up a picture of his father’s last days. This actually works for this story – he’s in a small town in the middle of nowhere with a very traditional approach to life, not a bustling city centre after all. If you are looking for that non-stop action, then you won’t find it here. The author allows us time to build a real picture of the residents of Green Acres, and the vibe of the place… Interspersed with the chapters from Mitch’s point of view are those of his older sister Bella. Now, I believe that if you have read Her Husband’s Grave you may be familiar with Bella and her particular talent, one that takes a very sinister turn this time around, creating a kind of foreboding about Mitch’s safety. I liked the way the author has played this, and actually really enjoy that kind of twist(?) in a story, the foreshadowing and atmosphere that it creates… I really quite enjoyed this book, especially in the second half where the tension, and the action, started to pick up. With a local commune, some very suspect behaviour and another, rather unsavoury, murder, it’s clear that there is something very dark around Green Acres, and as we race towards a pretty dramatic conclusion, the author still manages to spring a few surprises and catch readers unaware. The ending? Well all I can say is that there is a reason I really like cats. A great weekend’s reading distraction and I’m going to go and check out some more of the author’s books now, see what I’ve been missing.’ You can read the full thing here.     And you can buy all the PL Kanes – the perfect Christmas pressie for the crime-lover in your life – in paperback here, here, and here. Or on Kindle here, here, and here. -------------------------------------------------------     Our Guest Writer for December is the author of Death and the Conjuror, Tom Mead, with an extract from his latest release The Murder Wheel (below). To read that, simply click here.     ----------------------------------------------------       A number of Paul’s books have now dropped on Spotify to listen to in audio format, including the aforementioned Her Last Secret, Exit Wounds (above), the Shirley Jackson Award-nominated Wonderland and Cursed (below).       --------------------------------------------------       Pictures of Paul’s short monster novel The Storm now, finding a good home with fellow author David Watkins (above). To get yours, just click here. ----------------------------------------------         Turning to Paul and Marie’s mass market hardback anthology In These Hallowed Halls, and above you’ll find photos of contributor Olivie ‘The Atlas Six’ Blake with signed copies of the book in various stores – including Mysterious Galaxy, The Last Bookstore LA and Barnes & Noble.   Credit: Vanditmar Books   And the glowing reviews continue, this time from SFF World who said: ‘As someone who has recently semi-retired from a career in education, I must admit that the first term of the school year, from September to Christmas, holds a certain degree of nostalgic charm for me. As the nights begin to get darker earlier and the Summer turns to Winter, my own thoughts remind me of both unlimited opportunities and longer nights of reading, with a good cup of tea close by… In These Hallowed Halls taps into this nicely. “Dark academia” has now become a genre reference, conjuring up ideas of higher education, the arts, and literature, scholarly learning with a touch of dark secrets, darkened libraries and ancient places of learning. As you might expect in an anthology of Dark Academia, all of this is noted, and what we have is a diverse range of stories here. There are stories set in the past (well, the 1980’s), the present and even the future, dealing with learning of all sorts, from ancient arcane knowledge to future AI data. But most of all it is about the relationships between the characters involved. Quite often here the stories are about the friends and enemies created in these hotbeds of learning. Many of the tales deal with relationships between mentors and students, professors and scholars, students and graduates… Particular favourites for me were “The Hare and the Hound” by Kelly Andrew, a story that had elements of folk horror entwined with in it, J. T. Ellison’s “X House” gave me a contemporary update to the frat houses seen in movies such as Animal House, Helen Grant’s “The Professor of Ontography”, which was a contemporary take on “What’s behind the door?”, “Four Funerals” by David Bell reminded me that there are many victims in a school shooting, M. L. Rio’s “Weekend at Bertie’s” rather made me think of Alfred Hitchcock’s stories in its murder-mystery setting, Tori Bovalino’s “Phobos” was a strong story of secret societies whilst Phoebe Whynne’s “Playing” finished the collection off strongly with a story with a certain nod to Robert Bloch… In short, In These Hallowed Halls delivers an eclectic range of stories from many of the newest and brightest genre writers. It is a book ideal for settling down with on a colder Autumnal night, or indeed dipping into as you start that new educational journey. (Cup of tea optional!) If you are a fan already, I think you’ll love it, or if you’re looking for somewhere to start, to try the subgenre, I can think of nowhere better at the moment.’ You can read the full thing here.     In addition to this, there were the usual mini reviews from Instagram bloggers, including @sarisbookstagram (above), who said: ‘This collection of #darkacademia short stories is just perfect… I enjoyed this book very much!’           Not to mention the shoutouts from accounts like @hannahreadsy, @kajamelia, @thehighlandbookshelf & @atlp.podcast (all above), plus @boekhandel_boeklief, @abbietakesnotes and @_readwithhannah (below).         It was included in both @readwithhannah’s recommended books and @bookmarkonthewall’s bookmail posts (both below).       Finally, more 4 and 5* reviews went up on Netgalley for the anthology. Here’s a roundup for you…   ‘In These Hallowed Halls: A Dark Academia Anthology is an enthralling literary collection that offers a mesmerizing journey into the mysterious and intellectually charged world of academia. The character development within these tales is impressive. Each story introduces a diverse range of characters, each with their own enigmatic depth, secrets, and flaws. They are relatable yet shrouded in intrigue, making it easy to connect with their journeys. The plot development is a true highlight. With a blend of dark and atmospheric storytelling, these authors immerse you in academia’s eerie, intellectual, and secretive settings. The pacing is well-crafted, drawing you deeper into the academic mysteries and personal revelations. The establishment of the dark academia elements is masterful. From secret societies to ancient libraries, the anthology creates a sense of intellectual obsession and hidden knowledge that dark academia enthusiasts will adore. The tone is suitably mysterious and intellectual, befitting the genre. It embraces the enigmatic allure of academia, leaving you craving more. In These Hallowed Halls is a must-read for fans of the dark academia sub-genre and anyone who enjoys thought-provoking and mysterious tales. The combination of rich character development, atmospheric plots, and the embodiment of dark academia’s allure makes this anthology an exceptional literary treat. Each story is a unique journey into the darker side of intellectual pursuits, leaving you both exhilarated and craving more’. (Kate J)   Credit: @_coffee_books_and_bread   ‘Overall, I liked this anthology a lot – there were a few stories that really gripped me and that I would absolutely love to read full length novels of, while there were also a couple of stories that didn’t feel like they fit… My favourite short story in this anthology was “The Professor of Ontography” by Helen Grant!’ (Millie S)   Credit: HHShannsBooks   ‘On the whole I liked this anthology. There were many stories that I would love to see fleshed out into novel (or even novella) form, like Olivie Blake’s “Pythia” or Tori Bovalino’s “Phobos”. I’d also like to give special shoutouts to Helen Grant’s “The Professor of Ontography” for being delightfully creepy, and to Kelly Andrew’s “The Hare and the Hound” for showing a really nice descent into madness. Overall, this was an enjoyable read.’ ( Librarian 890286)   Credit: @ReeJReads   ‘Wow! This was such a perfect autumn read! The mystery. The dark academia vibes. And even the form – I usually don’t enjoy short stories much, but I got this at an extremely busy period of my life and it was a relief to have something I could read quickly, with no need to remember important clues for a few weeks until I get the next chance to sit down and read. And then, the list of authors involved should tell you all you need to know about the quality. I really loved this one!’ (Jovanna R)   Credit: @HastyEntReads   ‘I ADORE THIS BOOK. Every short story was just magical, and I couldn’t help but absolutely devour this book. My absolute fave had to be “The Hare and The Hound”.’ (Robynne W)   Credit: @WinderBinder   ‘When I saw the list of authors attached to this project, I knew it was going to be a great one. An anthology of dark academia short stories is already an amazing idea, and including names like Olivie Blake, Kelly Andrew, and M. L. Rio was a big selling point for me. Each of the stories felt different enough but still cohesive enough to be included in the same anthology.’ (Bookseller 1226844)     You can grab your copy or buy as a present here. --------------------------------------------     So, it just remains now to wish you all a very Happy ‘Horror’ Christmas and see you again in 2024!! --------------------------------------------------------------- November   Paul received his copies of Even More Monsters from St Rooster (above and below) which look amazing – see previous news update for more details on the contents.           This is, of course, the third in the series and here are all three Monsters collections together (below).     But you can pick up the latest volume here and here. ----------------------------------------------------     Above is a picture from Hellbound of the gorgeous hardback and paperback editions of The RED Trilogy omnibus. Paul received his copies of the chunky paperback last month too (below).             And the links you’ll need to order are here and here. ------------------------------------------     Paul was also sent his contributor copies of the jacketed hardbacks of both The Gemini Factor and The Gemini Effect (above and below) from publisher Encyclopocalypse.     You can order those here, here and here. --------------------------------------------     Paul’s story ‘The White Lady’ has just been published in the anthology Midnight Roost from Wordcrafter. A new take on the supernatural legend, he did a couple of mini-interviews for this – including extracts – here and here. And you can grab a Kindle copy of the book here or here. ---------------------------------------     Our Guest Writer on the SW site for November is Alan Baxter, whose story ‘In Vaulted Halls Entombed’ was of course adapted for the hugely successful Netflix show Love, Death + Robots (above). We’re lucky enough to have an extract from his latest novella The Leaves Forget from Absinthe (below) which you can read here.     ------------------------------------------------       Paul celebrated Bookshop Day (above) last month by pushing local bookstores. You can find out more by visiting @booksaremybag or using #BookshopDay on social media.  -------------------------------------------------     Paul and Marie’s anthology from earlier this year, Twice Cursed, published by Titan, has just gone up for pre-order as an audio version from Audible. You can check that out here. --------------------------------------------       Speaking of anthologies, also from Titan the hardback mass market In These Hallowed Halls continues to take the world by storm! Including being including in the Her Campus’ Top 5 Dark Academia Books for Autumn here and FX guru Cliff Wallace spotting a copy in the Harvard University Bookstore (above). If you’re undecided still, you can read Paul & Marie’s introduction to the book on Nerd Daily here.     The contributors also continued to push the book, like Kelly Andrew sharing an extract and signing/drawing in copies over at River Bend Bookshop (below)         Meanwhile M.L. Rio was interviewed at Book and Cover, plus signed copies at Barnes & Noble South Pointe (all below).     Credit: @Booksamillion         Over on Instagram bloggers were still adding it to their ‘To Read’ piles, like @KeriReadsBooks (below)     They were also doing picture reviews, like these beautiful ones from @Rivenreads (below)…         …and @Jasminnereads (below).         Then there were more Insta mini-reviews, like this one from @Somberlainy (below) ‘With the temperatures finally starting to feel like autumn, I found this dark academia anthology just in time! For me, dark academia books are often a hit or miss. I’m obsessed with them or I dislike them. I’ll leave you to guessing which ones I despised. I think this collection is perfect for dipping your toes into the genre, though, and discover plenty of new authors while reading,’     ‘In These Hallowed Halls is a short story collection all set in schools. All of the stories have the dark academia vibes. There are 12 stories from authors J.T. Ellison, Olivie Blake, Susie Yang, and many more. There were definitely some stand out stories that I wished went on way longer. They all were beautifully written, but still dark and twisty. Loved every minute of this book!!’ exclaimed @ReadwithRobyn2 (below).     ‘Dark academia fans, wake up! I grabbed this one at B&N solely because the cover drew me in (hello, look at its beauty!). But then when I saw M.L. Rio, Layne Fargo, J.T. Ellison, and many more authors I adore, immediately decided I needed to start binge reading this one. I’m relatively new to anthologies and typically prefer longer novels, but this was a perfect compilation that showed off just how varied the genre of dark academia thrillers can be while all falling under the same umbrella. We had tales of revenge, magical realism, forbidden and illicit affairs, uncovered secrets, and even some Black Mirror vibes. I was annotating each story as I went, highlighting pieces I loved the most and ranking them individually, but I don't want to disclose the individual rankings here because it’s honestly better to go in blind for each one. Some of them had me scribbling notes like, “I NEED THIS TO BE A WHOLE NOVEL IMMEDIATELY,” while others were more along the lines of, “I'm OBSESSED with this one but It’s perfect as a horror short story and likely would’ve hated this as a full novel.” The vast diversity across writing styles really drew me in. If you’re able to grab a copy of this one soon, I highly recommend squeezing it in alongside your existing spooky season TBR! 4 *’ said @ChapterswithCourtney (below).     ‘Enjoyed it. No stories were duds. Most of the stories I’d rate a 4 or 5. Maybe one or two were a 3. But now I’ve had my fill of dark academia for a little while. The mostly autumnal, sometimes gothic settings were awesome, the murders were fun… Two thumbs up!’ said @Bookraintea (below)     And finally @thesilentcoven (below) said: ‘Dark Academia at its finest My cosy reading evenings are going to kill my social life this Autumn!’     And here we have the latest Netgalley roundup of 4 and 5* reviews for you: ‘In These Hallowed Halls is a Dark Academia anthology with 12 short stories, they were all written by different authors… Most of them were very beguiling and very self sufficient on their own – intriguing dark stories with twists and resolutions… Some stories were concise and didn’t feel like a part of some larger story, perfect on their own – secret science, accidental murder, shape-shifters and Nordic mythology, hazing at elite boarding school – you have it all. They are beautiful, dark, gothic and fascinating. Overall it is a great collection of Dark Academia stories and a good introduction if you would like to be familiar with some authors and decide whether you want to read more of their work.’ (Dasha S)   Credit: @_thats.what.she.read_   ‘Dark Academia is always going to hold a special place in my heart and whenever I can read stories related to this genre/aesthetic I am so blessed! This anthology was absolutely incredible, my fave story was by Olivie Blake (I am obsessed with her writing style). Perfect book for the Fall season!’ (Rebeka S)   Credit: @bookswithboz   ‘This was a collection of stories that sparked a new interest in dark academia! It was a great anthology and is certainly something I would suggest to a person who loved or was new to this genre! It was an excellent collection of short stories and certainly, while they were short, kept my attention and there were even several that took me entirely by surprise.’ (Librarian 1021076)   Credit: @Readliketheresnomidnight   ‘This was a good selection of short stories to fit the dark academia genre. Whilst I did enjoy some a lot more than others it was still an enjoyable read… This book fits in well with the changing of seasons. It also gave me a sneak peak of different authors’ writing styles which will allow me to check out their books in the future.’ (Emma H)   Credit: @TheBalancedBookshelf   ‘Brought to you by popular authors of the genre, In These Hallowed Halls is a collection of 12 different dark academia short stories from 12 different authors. Think: scholarly with a gothic edge, warm leather  and tweed, murder  and mystery, chaos and madness, settings at universities, museums, and/or libraries. The fact that it’s an anthology makes it that much easier to come back to again and again. To start your morning or end your day with a dark academia story here and there feels top-tier with this change in season. With all short story collections, you get a mixed bag of different feels and energies from each story. Some are more moody and atmospheric than others; some I thought were a bit lighter and found myself giggling. I also loved how this introduced me to authors I wouldn’t have otherwise been aware of! My favorite stories (in no order) were: “Phobos” by Tori Bovalino, “Pythia” by Olivie Blake, “The Ravages” by Layne Fargo, “The Hare and the Hound” by Kelly Andrew.’ (Ashlynne M)   Credit: @ReadbyCait   You can order the book here. --------------------------------------------------       Finally, the film Paul scripted The Torturer has just premiered on Troma Now (above). Not only that, but it was chosen by Kino Fest to screen (see new poster featuring this below)     -----------------------------------------------   October   A cover reveal now in time for the spooky season! Even More Monsters is out anytime from St Rooster (above), the third in Paul’s ‘Monsters’ series of collections (see all three below).     And here’s the blurb from the official PR: ‘We witness the beginnings of a parasitic alien invasion, whilst at the same time a pregnant woman encounters a very different kind of organism. Strange, hooded creatures lurk on street corners and a teenage girl falls victim to even more terrors underground. Huge worm-like things plague both a detective and soldiers from the past, but a man in the present realises that living words can be just as dangerous.  Allow us to introduce you to Even More Monsters, a collection of spine-chilling tales by award-winning and #1 bestselling author Paul Kane (the British Fantasy Award-Nominated Monsters, More Monsters, Servants of Hell, Before, The Storm), which includes all three “Life Cycle” spin-offs featuring the she-wolf Diana (complete with a brand new concluding chapter), the RED spin-off starring Sherlock Holmes, and Kane’s collaboration with bestselling author Simon Clark (Vampyrrhic, The Night of the Triffids). With an introduction by Anne Bobby from the movie Nightbreed and cover art by Edward Miller (The Scarlet Gospels, Thinner), you’re about to see why the Monsters are even more scary this time around…’ You can pick up the book here or here. ----------------------------------------------     In the meantime, another perfect Halloween read has already dropped: The RED Trilogy omnibus, out through Hellbound (above). You can choose from paperback or ebook, but there’s also a gorgeous hardback available (below). The links on the publisher site for these are here and here.     ---------------------------------------------------     And you can read a piece about the recently announced Dark Reflections collection from Black Beacon which Paul wrote about his friendship with Kim Newman, who kindly penned the introduction. You can read that here. ----------------------------------------------------       September was, of course, FantasyCon month and Paul and Marie headed off to Birmingham where they thoroughly enjoyed themselves (pictures above and below, including at the PS launches and curry on the Friday, and banquet on Saturday night).                     -------------------------------------------------------------         And launching a book at FCon was our Guest Writer for this month, long-time friend of the SW site Simon Clark (above). Darkness Visible have brought out a reissue of his famous novel Blood Crazy (below) ahead of new novels in the series. You can read an exclusive extract from the book right here.     ----------------------------------------------     Also launching books at FCon were Titan, including Paul & Marie’s brand-new hardback Dark Academia anthology In These Hallowed Halls (above and below, including Paul with Marie and contributor Tori Bovalino). There were even some brilliant bookmarks made especially for its release!             Only a week later, Paul & Marie went down to London to Forbidden Planet to sign more copies of the book with Tori, Kate Weinberg and Helen Grant (below). A great time was had and many books were signed!       Photo credit: Helen & Gordon Grant               If you couldn’t make it on the day, you can order your signed copy here. These copies have also been signed by JT Ellison. ----------------------------------------------             Of course, when it dropped online and in shops there was more buzz about In These Hallowed Halls, including authors like Olivie Blake, Kelly Andrew and ML Rio sharing pictures – the latter signing copies in various stores (all above). Not to mention special book boxes being sent out, which included tea and a candle (below).         Paul and Marie were interviewed for Ingram’s Advance magazine, as well (below).          And some of the authors and the editors took part in a virtual round-table interview on The Fantasy Hive (above) which you can read here.       In These Hallowed Halls was also cropping up on some ‘Most Anticipated’ lists, like this from Reads & Rants (above), as well as Gizmodo’s September Roundup here.     It was reviewed by Fandomentals (above), too, who said: ‘Editors Marie O’Regan and Paul Kane have put together quite the collection. Most exciting, at least for me, is that I only know two of the featured authors. In fact, at the time I started reading this, I had only ever read a book from one of them: M.L. Rio. That didn’t take long to change. This anthology certainly whets the appetite, so I almost immediately began Olivie Blake’s The Atlas Six. I look forward to adding many more of these authors’ works to my shelf. (The collection opens with a story titled “1000 Ships” by Kate Weinberg. It is an outlier, as it is actually a prequel story to her novel The Truants. I look forward to seeing where that character goes from here.) Reviewing an anthology is difficult. Twelve different voices, plots, and casts of characters. What makes a good story collection, for me, is if it has at least one story that sticks with you. To keep things in the sphere of dark academia: you know those giant collections you’d read in class back in middle and high school? You know those stories that you still think of, decades later? I am always on the hunt for more of those. This collection has given me so much to think about. Olivie Blake’s story “Pythia” is arguably my favourite of the bunch. That is probably an obvious conclusion seeing as how I ran to read more of her work. Another would be “The Hare and the Hound” by Kelly Andrew. Is it because it gave me Bunny vibes? Of course! The main character, Bunny (okay, so it also makes me think of The Secret History) is haunted by a childhood prophecy involving a white rabbit. It takes a much darker turn than a Wonderland situation. “The Professor of Ontography” from Helen Grant and “Phobos” by Tori Bovalino both have different offerings on what a university-sanctioned secret could be. That’s not to say the remaining seven stories were lacklustre in any way. I daresay there wasn’t a story I didn’t enjoy. That alone is high praise. Even now I want to discuss more of the stories. “X House” from J.T. Ellison could be a whole novel I’d read. I want to get to know those girls better. “The Ravages” by Layne Fargo is a story whose depth is much deeper than its page count lets on. If Fargo ever publishes the letters referenced in full… I’d buy them. Really, I could say something about all of these tales. I only don’t so that I may leave some things to mystery. It is the Dark Academic way…In These Hallowed Halls has nearly every subset of the genre – mystery and drama, horror and scandal, the absurd or just downright weird. You’ll find students, professors, and the ill-advised situations where the two mingle. Multiple murders, be they solved or perpetrated by our protagonists. References abound, papers are stolen, and hearts are broken. While the back of this book does offer some definitions of dark academia, I think there is a much simpler explanation. Olivie Blake said it best: Knowledge is carnage.’ Read the full thing here.     Meanwhile Good Star Vibes had this to say: ‘Literature fans are in for a treat with the release of In These Hallowed Halls: A Dark Academia Anthology. Edited by the dynamic duo of Marie O’Regan and Paul Kane, this anthology brings together a formidable lineup of authors, including Olivie Blake, M.L. Rio, David Bell, Susie Yang, Layne Fargo, J.T. Ellison, James Tate Hill, Kelly Andrew, Phoebe Wynne, Kate Weinberg, Helen Grant, and Tori Bovalino. This darkly beguiling collection boasts 12 short stories that delve into the depths of the dark academia genre. From the minds of these literary masters, readers can expect tales that unravel the mysteries of academia with a sinister twist. Crime and Mystery Thrillers, Thrillers, Fantasy, and contemporary fiction are just a few of the genres that these stories encompass, promising a multifaceted reading experience. Within the pages of In These Hallowed Halls, readers will encounter a range of captivating narratives. Retribution takes centre stage as it visits a Lothario lecturer, while the sinister truth is unveiled about a missing professor. A forsaken lover turns to a seance for revenge, and an obsession blossoms around a possible illicit affair. Graduates dig deep to unearth the secrets of a reclusive scholar, while horrors lurk within an obscure academic department. As if that weren’t enough, five hopeful initiates embark on a perilous task, and much more awaits to be discovered. Published by Titan Books Ltd, this anthology spans 400 pages, each brimming with the intellectual and emotional intensity that defines the dark academia subculture. The anthology embodies the very essence of dark academia, exploring the pursuit of knowledge and the allure of death through an aesthetic lens. Picture tweed blazers, vintage cardigans, scuffed loafers, and a worn leather satchel filled with brooding poetry. Enthusiasts of this subculture are likely to be found in museums and darkened libraries, immersed in a world where academia meets the gothic. In These Hallowed Halls is a compelling addition to the literary landscape, promising readers a journey through the hallowed halls of academia, where secrets and shadows intertwine in a symphony of intrigue. This anthology is a must-read for anyone seeking a taste of dark academia’s scholarly allure.’ And the full thing is here.     Then there were more glowing recommendations on Instagram, like this 5* one from @libraryofiris (above) ‘#InTheseHallowedHalls is a remarkable collection of #darkacademia short stories filled with obsession, madness, and the macabre.’     @dear.pippa (above) posted: ‘Do you like short story collections? I admit that I don’t really. The amount of story we get is never enough for me to really connect with the characters. So they rarely leave a long-lasting impression. But I do make exceptions every once in a while for an author I love or a story that really interests me. I picked up In These Hallowed Halls for two reasons: 1) All the short stories are dark academia themed. 2) One of them is my ML Rio. I LOVE ML Rio! Most of the stories were super weird and made me go HUH??? Very atmospheric, though, and l am definitely in an autumn/dark academia mood now! Parts I found really creepy! And very eery. Some of them were LGBTQ which I appreciated! And they were all setting a very great and dark mood which I loved. I probably don’t make a lot of sense here but I don’t know how else to review this book. I think it’s a perfect fall read and I’m so glad I read this. It’ll find a place on my shelf next to Donna Tartt and the other dark academia books. I also found some new authors to check out because I loved their writing!     ‘Well this is going straight to the top of my tbr pile!!’ said @waterstonesbh (Waterstones Birkenhead, above) and @kem_ward commented: ‘It’s September, so it’s time to delve into the #darkacademia on the shelves, starting with this new release...’     ‘Definitely in a dark book vibe and this #DarkAcademia anthology is exactly what I needed right now. I love an anthology, especially when it includes authors I already love!’ said @rebeccadeereads (above) while @areadersalley (below) offered: ‘I started the spooky season with these amazing short stories. I absolutely loved them. They are spooky, they are short, and they are soooooo good!!’     ‘I really enjoyed this collection of short #darkacademia stories!… I found some authors whose books I am now super excited to try given how much I enjoyed their stories,’ said @kellys.bookverse (below), while @wxnderingpages said: ‘This is probably one of my most anticipated books of the year and I’m so excited to delve into it. I love Blake and Rio, and I’m excited to read even more voices in this beautiful genre.’     ‘This. Brings. Me. So. Much. Joy!’ declared @lonely_book.club, while @oncemorewithreading (below) said, ‘It’s rare for me to come across anthologies where I like all the short stories, however #InTheseHallowedHalls proved me wrong. Really recommend if you love #DarkAcademia or anthologies in general!’     @peachesandsage (below) had this to say: ‘#InTheseHallowedHalls is an immersive, atmospheric collection of short stories that takes us through all the shades and facets of #darkacademia. I think fans of the genre will have a lot of fun with this one.’ And @nautilusenglishbooks called it: ‘A “lethally smart” sinister collection of 12 dark academia short stories from masters of the genre, including Olivie Blake, M.L. Rio, Susie Yang and more!’     And here’s the next Netgalley roundup of 4 and 5* reviews for you: ‘From great, soaring buildings resembling cathedrals to hidden prophecies, the creaking of floorboards, the crunch of leaves beneath your shoes, to hidden mysteries and secret societies the tropes of dark academia are many and far between. While some stories form around elements of fantasy and others about the mundane, everyday aspects brought to life in stunning colour, this anthology really does have it all: betrayal, love, cracked spines of books, monsters and foreboding fog all included. As a lover and avid reader of the dark academia novel I was so excited to pick this up. Featuring some of my favourite authors and others new to me, I found myself in shock and awe at so many of these darkly-weaved tales. Dark academia is truly the perfect genre for autumn, and with cold, foggy days slowly approaching, this book is the perfect anthology to curl into on a cold, rainy night.... This was a wonderful way to find new authors and revisit new works from authors I have grown to love.’ (Jasmine M)   Credit: Barnes & Noble Milford   ‘Are you a Dark Academia fan? If so, you’ll need to get your hands on In These Hallowed Halls. If you’re new to this subgenre and want to explore it more, this is the perfect place to start. This collection is comprised of 12 short stories that all tie into the Dark Academia theme. It includes stories by great authors like Olivie Blake, M.L. Rio, Layne Fargo, David Bell, Phoebe Wynne, and Susie Yang to name a few. And I even found some new-to-me authors that I really enjoyed!’ (Marie A)   Credit: Black Bond Books   ‘A strong short story collection with a number of standouts! If you enjoy dark academia, give this one a try. Each story is very distinct and different from the others, so it doesn’t get repetitive. My personal favourites were the stories by M.L. Rio, Layne Fargo, and J.T. Ellison.’ (Stephanie K)     ‘I loved this collection of short stories! As a lover of dark academia books, I started this adventure with very high expectations and came to the end fully satisfied! I found it a pleasantly disturbing read, intriguingly dark, deliciously mysterious, and seductively unsettling. This book is a journey into the darkest depths of the human soul, where obsession, revenge, remorse, madness, thirst for power and knowledge, resignation and more reign supreme. These are ambiguous, dark, enigmatic and often unsettling stories, where happiness and solutions are not always guaranteed. In fact, not all of the texts have an actual explanation, not all of the stories have actual closure. Some are left hanging, open to possible interpretations, emphasizing even more the cryptic atmosphere of the work. I was deeply captivated by the events narrated, absorbed by the pages, often feeling pleasantly disturbed…All in all, I found it a very intriguing and enjoyable anthology of short stories, which I absolutely recommend to lovers of dark academia!’ (Debora V)   Credit: Kem Ward   ‘In These Hallowed Halls features stories that range from spooky and dark to what could be the plot of a Community episode. I enjoyed it thoroughly. As the weather gets colder, even here on the West Coast, I want to escape into cozy study spaces with multiple fireplaces. This collection of short stories scratched that itch for me. It is a perfect companion to the changing seasons. There is something in this collection for everyone and it did introduce me to a few new authors that I will be absolutely adding to my TBR.’ (Sierra B)   Credit: Lonely Book Club   ‘In These Hallowed Halls is an immersive, atmospheric collection of short stories that takes us through all the shades and facets of academia, ranging from themes of the obsessive and unforgiving nature of academia, the deification of academia, student/teacher relationships and power dynamics, mental illness, secret societies and more. “The Professor of Ontography” by Helen Grant, “Phobos” by Tori Bovalino and “Pythia” by Olivie Blake were some of my favourites, but I think there’s something for everyone within this collection. While some stories certainly stand out more than others, all the authors within this book succeed in maintaining that particular ambiance characteristic of the dark academia subgenre consistently throughout. I think fans of the genre will have a lot of fun with this one, and it comes out just in time for fall, which is, arguably, THE dark academia season.’ (Adriana V)   Credit: ML Rio   ‘It is no secret that I adore the Dark Academia genre and this anthology is packed full of some of my favourite writers in the genre. In These Hallowed Halls is delectable reading, especially perfect for the autumn season as nights grow colder and that chill starts to settle in your bones. As always, anthologies can be a mixed bag but I loved this one. I’m going to run through my favourite stories, but I genuinely felt like this was such a solid anthology. We kicked off with “1000 Ships” by Kate Weinberg, which I really enjoyed. It was a slick, sickening look at power, manipulation and changing your odds. Unsurprisingly, I adored Olivie Blake’s story “Pythia”. It was such a cool concept and the story took so many twists and turns. Blake packed a lot of characterisation and conceptual intrigue into a very short space. Similarly, “The Hare and the Hound” by Kelly Andrew was a story I really loved. This was a dark and twisty tale of fate, revenge and rabbits. It proved to me that between this and The Whispering Dark, Andrew is an author I must keep my eye on. “X House” by JT Ellison was another one that threw me for a loop. It was highly enjoyable, thriving in its tight atmosphere and claustrophobic setting. The pacing was excellent, with a deliciously twisted ending. “Four Funerals” by David Bell was one that really struck me. It explores the aftermath of school shooting and survivor’s guilt. For me, it was affecting and moving. To no one’s surprise, “Weekend at Bertie’s” by ML Rio was one of my favourites. I loved the characterisation here so much and thought it was so well written. Finally, “Phobos” by Tori Bovalino was such a standout. Bovalino’s writing is darkly entrancing and this is a story I loved, with an excellent concept and great twists.’ (Emily M)     ‘I love dark academia, so this was an interesting read. I love anything that might have a spooky vibe or a good twist, and these stories had that as well! There were a few familiar names as well as some new ones, so I was very happy to learn some new authors to read. All in all this was a dark and twisty book full of stories for those who crave the university atmosphere but also want a good plot.’ (Raaven H)   Credit: Reading in Red London   ‘I always find it difficult to review anthologies because it’s rare for me to come across ones where I like all the short stories. However In These Hallowed Halls proved me wrong because I enjoyed each one of these and felt that they were all really well written and had me hooked! This anthology also had stories from a lot of authors I haven’t read before so I’m super excited to dive into more of their books!’ (Emma W)     ‘If you’ve been around here long enough, you know that dark academia is one of, if not my favorite, subgenres in literature. I love the nostalgia of school days, especially the ones where you find yourself handed this newfound independence surrounded by different groups of people and ideas, coupled with the supernatural or somewhat nefarious goings-on. It is cozy even when it’s disturbing. And reading this short story anthology from some of the best in the game did not disappoint. I was most looking forward to reading works from two of my favourite authors, namely Olivie Blake and M.L. Rio. Blake’s “Pythia” spins the concept of AI on its head while Rio’s “Weekend at Bertie’s” walks us through two colleagues planning a money heist on their dead boss. And while I knew I’d love these stories, it was the new-to-me authors I was blown away by…Overall, this anthology was the best way to get me into the autumnal mood. I highly recommend for dark academia lovers, both new and well-versed!’ (Nicolette S)   Credit: Taylor Fenner Writes   ‘An excellent collection of stories that fit the Dark Academia vibe. If you’re looking for stories that will transport you to isolated campuses filled with predatory men, literary references, and cramped student housing, you’ve found your goal. The vibe comes alive, especially in stories about dead Poe scholars trapping their assistants in a morass of cliches from his work, to stories about the AI in the basement that has fallen in love with a grad student.’ (Steph Z)   Credit: Words Byde   ‘Loved this dark academia collection of short stories from some of our absolute favourites (Olivie Blake and M.L. Rio!). Each story was unique and twisted in its own way, I found myself preferring some over others but was overwhelmingly devouring each one.’ (Brooke M)     ‘The reason I wanted to read this book in the first place was Olivie Blake. I love her, I love her books and I had to read her new short story asap. And no surprise: It did not disappoint. But what really took me by surprise was how I also really loved all the other stories! So unique, so dark, so different. The best start into autumn season. I can’t wait to read more books from the authors!’ (Reviewer 1164219)   Credit Wxnderingpages   ‘In These Hallowed Halls was a highly interesting and truly unique dark academia anthology. This collection had a wide variety of stories, some dark and moody, others light and quick. I think a few of my favourite short stories from this anthology were “Pythia” and “The Hare and the Hound”. I loved getting to read some new stories by authors I love while discovering some new, amazing authors as well. I highly recommend for fans of dark academia looking for some pleasantly creepy short stories.’ (Autumn B)     ‘In These Hallowed Halls is a collection of 12 dark academia stories written by great authors such as Olivia Blake, M.L. Rio, Susie Yang and many others! I haven’t had the chance to read anything by any of these authors yet, but thanks to In These Hallowed Halls... Well, I can’t wait to catch up on more from each of them! The unpublished stories are not very long. They are extraordinarily short but intense. It is a real journey into the hidden and dark part of the human soul. In all the works, the atmospheres are rather dark and mysterious and damn intriguing. Oh, and every work is written DIVINELY!! A pleasant and highly recommended read for all lovers of dark academia and for those looking for particularly dark settings.’ (Bibi R)   Credit: Jessy Reads   ‘I had a wonderful time reading this short story collection. There was a wonderful mix of fantasy, thriller, and horror dark academia stories. Overall, I enjoyed almost all of the stories and only found 1 or 2 not as interesting to me as the rest. The collection as a whole though is very interesting and any dark academia lover will have a fun time reading through this. From shape shifters, to murders, stealing, and super computers with anxiety, we see so many interesting things happening in these short stories.’ (Brittany M)     ‘If you’re ready to experience the many ways dark academia is explored through beautifully written fiction by multiple incredible authors, read this book! I enjoyed listening to a dark academia playlist while reading to add to the atmospheric and haunting prose. It was so intriguing to see how each author chose to explore the dark academia setting. reading these stories felt like wandering an ancient university on a cold autumn night. I haven’t read short stories in a long while and so many of them drew me into their world that I could have read a whole book about specific stories. As with any collection of short stories, there were some I enjoyed more than others based on my personal taste… Ones I especially enjoyed were “The Hare and Hound”, “The Ravages”, and “X House”. “Phobos” was my very favourite and I gasped at that twist ending!! Overall, I feel like this was a great read if you’re in the mood for something atmospheric, mysterious, and a little spooky.’ (Eva L)     ‘Before I go into reviewing each story I think it is important to discuss the genre of dark academia itself, because it really has become such a muddled concept. To me, dark academia is many things, which can be at the authors’ discretion. Firstly, it can mean literally taking place at a college/university. Usually incorporating dark elements of life – that could mean stating the issues associated with academia itself and examining the flaws in the higher education system. Or that could mean dark occurrences occurring within that academic context. It can include elements of magic in there, or it doesn’t have to. To me, this is the basic framework of which dark academia rests, at least in my mind. Now a lot of these stories fit within this framework and some are outliers, in which case I say to each their own. What I really like about this short story anthology idea is that there is certainly something for everyone within its pages. Since dark academia can encompass many things, it contains lessons, dark overall stories, concerns about academia and power relations, murders, mystery, magic etc. Which can make it easily enjoyable. I went into this anthology a little weary, as I love dark academia and it is probably one of my favourite genres, but I was not completely sure about whether I would enjoy short stories. It can be difficult to connect to the characters when they’re only present for a short period of time. However, I have come to the conclusion that it works really well for dark academia. I think, truly, there is something for everyone in this anthology. This could be an incredible place to start if you want to get into the genre too, as it exposes you to it directly in a palatable manner.’ (Areej S)   Credit: @arielsbooksonthefly   ‘I’m normally not a huge fan of short story anthologies but this one is so well put together with back-to-back stories that dragged me in! There were only a few stories that I’d rate 3/4 stars and the rest were all 5 star reads for me. Perfect gift for the spooky season and for those looking to get into dark academia but unsure where to start!’ (Shannon T)   Credit: @kwc_reads   ‘College will be the death of you is something I’ve heard more than once in my life; this book breathed a whole new meaning into those words. I will say this is an excellent fall read, it’s dark and spooky and gives you enough variety to keep you glued to the pages of every story. I have to say I enjoyed this more than I thought I would, the flow of the stories, the complimentary writing style of the authors, the similar yet different locations, all of it together led to a wonderful reading experience. Now let me say the stories are the stars here, there is depth and character development and they work both singularly and in an anthology and I enjoyed all of them. Dark academia isn’t something I normally read but after this book, I’ll be getting my hands on as many of them as I can, and I kind of want to book a few college tours just to watch people.’ (Ann B)   Credit: @afrolicthroughfiction   ‘This book was so beautifully, so thoughtfully written. There isn’t a single word that doesn’t have a purpose. And the prose and verses were breathtaking, and had me enthralled!! Loved it.’ (Librarian 1005357)   Credit: @seasonsreadings   ‘Olivie Blake? M.L. Rio? At the cusp of autumn? Sign me up! Dark academia has taken the literary world by storm and reading these short stories really reminds you of why. It was delightful and cunning, and overall incredibly interesting. Definitely recommend for something both easy but incredibly investing.’ (Isabella T)   Credit: JT Ellison   ‘Amazing collection of dark academia stories from authors I was really looking forward to hearing from! I really enjoyed all of these stories, but honourable mention to “1000 Ships” which I felt was a true, unsparing recount of the institutionalised misogyny in academia. “The Hare and the Hound” was also inventive, psychological and such a juicy revenge story! Oh, and Layne Fargo could write anything and I think I would read it.’ (Yuva H)   Credit: @gemmasbookishlife   ‘I really enjoyed this collection, There was a lot of variety amongst these short stories and I liked some of them more than others, but they all fit the dark academia vibes. This book will be perfect for the change of season, particularly with a pot of tea!’ (Klaudia L)   Credit: ML Rio   ‘Okay, so I’ve suddenly developed an appetite for Dark Academia, though I read The Secret History back in the 90s – I reread it recently and just keep reading what’s being written in its wake. Of course, I had to read and review this anthology. It goes along with my love of darker murder mysteries, but I’m loving the forays into the paranormal/supernatural. Emotionally, I have some unfinished business with Academia – who knows, maybe this will be seeds thrown into the field of a future story… It’s a 10-star anthology, as far as I’m concerned, an exciting addition to an expanding subgenre.’ (Jan M)   You can order the book here. ------------------------------------------     Dave Jeffery’s review of Nailbiters – Hard Bitten appeared in print in Phantasmagoria’s Autumn 2023 issue (above). Here’s what he had to say: ‘A follow up to his 2017 Nailbiters collection, Paul Kane’s Hard Bitten contains nine, mostly reprinted, stories featuring psychological horror and crime noir. As with all collections, specific stories will resonate with individual readers perhaps more than others. Below are my personal favourites and a quick snapshot as to why: “Benched” – A sexual predator roams the internet dating scene with a view to exploiting as many partners as they can, but will such hedonism come at cost? Kane has delicious fun dismantling the narcissistic elements of the 21st Century dating scene and, like an uneasy voyeur, the reader has a ringside seat. “The Case of the Lost Soul” – In this Sherlock Holmes crossover, we see the prestigious investigator hired to solve the case of a recently deceased industrialist who is suddenly seen walking around London. With his 2016 novel Sherlock Holmes and the Servants of Hell, Kane has a proven track record of making Holmes work well against a horror backdrop, and he does it again here in his own inimitable style. “Strands” – In the collection’s only original tale, a young woman incarcerated in the loft by her fanatical mother writes her memoirs on pieces of paper squirrelled away from her notebooks. The achingly beautiful innocence as she rationalises her mother’s behaviour demonstrates why Kane is considered one of the most esteemed genre writers in the business. There is also an intriguing “extras” section where we find the script for radio play Nightmare on 34th Street adapted by Brendan Storr. What makes this story interesting is that it pretty much encapsulates the essence of Hard Bitten as a whole, and that is the seamless blending of crime and psychological horror that Kane does without any apparent effort. Overall, the collection works well despite the varied themes and, in some instances, the strong links to Kane’s previous crime works, but in doing so provides a great introduction to his alter-ego as a hard-boiled, police procedural writer. Thriller fans will certainly enjoy the gritty noir and psychological elements made all the more powerful by Kane’s seasoned prose and fast-paced, albeit insightful, narrative. Recommended reading for sure.’     You can pick up your copy of the Nailbiters – Hard Bitten collection here. -------------------------------------------------------   September     Not one, but two cover reveals to start us off in September – beginning with the omnibus edition of The RED Trilogy, coming out this Autumn from Hellbound Books. Check out the cover and wraparound above, and we’ll share links when we have them!       Next up, we have Dark Reflections (above) which has been mentioned before in a previous news section. Out in time for those long, spooky winter evenings, this one is published by Black Beacon, comes with a cover by Greg Chapman and an introduction by Kim Newman. The ToC has also been revealed by the publisher, so we’re reprinting that here: ‘In Hyding’; ‘Signals’; ‘Life Sentence’; ‘Humbuggered’; ‘The Greatest Mystery’; ‘Dracula in Love’; ‘Heartless’; ‘Masques’; ‘Paw People’; ‘Thicker Than Water’; ‘The Grey Room’. Pre-order details for both of these coming soon! -------------------------------------------------       Paul’s latest novel The Gemini Effect landed last month from Encyclopocalypse and above you’ll find photos of the original and sequel hardbacks and paperbacks together. The pair were also garnering some great reviews, starting with a YouTube one of The Gemini Factor by author and reviewer Nat Whiston (below).       Helen Brannigan gave Effect a terrific 5* review over on Amazon, saying ‘Paul has seriously smashed this one!’ (below)     You can pick up the original here, and the new novel here. ---------------------------------------------------     And sticking with Encyclopocalypse, Paul’s collection through them, Nailbiters – Hard Bitten, (above) was featured on Trevor Kennedy’s Sunday Service radio show last month (below). The review, by Dave Jeffery, said: ‘Overall, the collection works well despite the varied themes and, in some instances, the strong links to Kane’s previous crime works, but in doing so provides a great introduction to his alter-ego as a hard-boiled, police procedural writer. Thriller fans will certainly enjoy the gritty noir and psychological elements made all the more powerful by Kane’s seasoned prose and fast-paced, albeit insightful, narrative. Recommended reading for sure.’ The review will also be in an upcoming issue of Phantasmagoria magazine.     You can pick up your copy of that collection here. ------------------------------------------------     Our Guest Writer slot returns after a summer break, with the author of Burn the Plans (above), Tyler Jones. His new novel from Earthling Press, Midas, has already nearly sold out, but you can read an extract from this excellent book here.      ---------------------------------------------------     Turning to anthologies now, and the wonderful news that The Other Side of Never from Titan Books became a #1 bestseller last month on Amazon.com! (above and below).       You can pick that one up here in the US or here in the UK. -----------------------------------------     Paul and Marie’s next anthology, also from Titan – the hardback In These Hallowed Halls – was getting some well-deserved attention as well. Firstly, Barnes & Noble shared an extract from Helen Grant’s tale ‘The Professor of Ontography’ which you can read here.     Over on Instagram bloggers have been praising the book, beginning with @gee.booksandlife (above) who said: ‘Okay so if “dark academia anthology” or the list of incredible authors haven’t already enthralled you enough, lemme convince you: from inappropriate student/teacher relationships (My Dark Vanessa vibes), to a super computer that predicts scary things happening (Doctor Who episode anyone?), to psycho strangers, shapeshifters, boarding school drama with mean “it girls”, séances, school shootings, lustful relationships, murder & illegal things, secretive schools, cults and church organ players… Like, this is just screaming out to the horror/thriller/ dark academia community and you need to LISTEN to it y’all, it’s INCREDIBLE!! Special shoutouts to: “The Professor of Ontography” by Helen Grant; “Pythia” by Olivie Blake; “X-House” by J.T. Ellison; and “1000 ships” by Kate Weinberg.’     Her friend @anxietea.journey (above) said: ‘Long story short, I survived (’cause it’s a book of short stories, get it...?) Firstly huge thank you to my bestie @gee.booksandlife for lending me her proof copy to read! They were all so good, but my favourites were “The Professor of Ontography”, “The Hare and the Hound”, “1000 ships”, “Pythia” and “X House”...’     This was @anxiouspages’ (above) take: ‘A collection of short stories written by multiple #darkacademia authors.. INCREDIBLE! Absolutely loved these and they made my dark academia heart very happy. Adored them all but my faves were: “Pythia” – Olivie Blake; “The Hare and the Hound” – Kelly Andrew; “The Professor of Ontography” – Helen Grant!’     @coffeeattwilight (above) said: ‘I really enjoyed this little book! A collection of short stories – all dark academia, sign me up! I was hooked from the first page and each story was unique in their own way. I liked some of them more than others but, overall, I found it to be a fun read. What to expect: academic setting eerie vibes, teacher/student obsession, secrets and betrayal. I found some “new to me” authors to add to my tbr, and of course our queens, Olivie Blake and ML Rio did not disappoint! All my dark academia girlies, I can’t wait for you to check this one out! It releases next month, just in time for the spooky season.’     @alexattheathenaeum (above) was very excited at the prospect of reading: ‘A #DarkAcademia anthology?! Umm... yes, please! Perfect timing for a fall release – expected release date Sept 12th. I just came across this ARC (advanced reader copy) in our break room and #OlivieBlake caught my eye and then I may have squealed when I read the entire cover.’     @books0507 (above) said: ‘Normally I can struggle with short stories as I don’t find them long enough to get connected with the characters or invested in the story, but it was the total opposite with this book. I loved each story, some more than others but each one was written really well and had their own take and dark spin. If you are a fan of dark academia I think you will like this one. It was enjoyable and a quick read.’     @richardsreads (above) stated: ‘4/5 #InTheseHallowedHalls is a carefully woven anthology centring around the genre of #darkacademia. It contains 12 short stories, all uniquely independent. The journey itself is exciting, waiting to see how each author interprets the theme. The format is precise, making it almost like a Black Mirror type of reading experience. Certain stories stand out more than others, but as a whole it’s an adventure worth taking. It publishes in September and is the perfect spooky season read for busy minds… Standout Quotes: “Let us bin all assumptions about Shakespeare. Let us rid ourselves of any sentimentality and approach his text as any other.” – Kate Weinberg; “The spires may cast a shadow but the ivy twines just the same.” – Olivia Blake; “It hypnotized. It seduced. The sea called, and the body answered, helpless against the pull of the tides.” – J.T Ellison; “She always felt that primordial itch to howl at the moon, to warm her blood over a bonfire, to lay last year’s regrets to rest in soft hibernal earth. But what was put to rest sometimes came back to light and she wondered, would she blush to see her sins reanimated?” – M.L Rio; “Yes, Grace would like to die with her music, when it was time. But it was not time yet, she had so much more to achieve before then. It was not time to bleed into the keys.” – Phoebe Wynne.’     @scarletwitchypages (above) offered: ‘This was a great anthology! I’d definitely recommend In These Hallowed Halls to anyone who wants to read dark academia but doesn’t know where to start, but also to anyone like me who’s in the mood for some DA but can’t make up their mind what book to pick up. My absolute fav stories were “Phobos” by Tori Bovalino, “Weekend at Bertie’s” by ML Rio,“The Hare and the Hound” by Kelly Andrew, “The Professor of Ontography” by Helen Grant and “Pythia” by Olivie Blake. “Phobos” by Tori Bovalino is dark academia at its best –  secret societies, privilege, power, murder – the whole story was like a love letter to Ninth House and all books like it, and I absolutely devoured it! As far as I’m concerned Tori can do no wrong when it comes to DA and I only wish her story was a whole novel instead. “Weekend at Bertie’s” is another one that just had me in its thrall the whole time. I’ve been meaning to read If We Were Villains for the longest time, maybe now is the time.’     @darciahelle (above) said: ‘Settle in for dark academia madness! In These Hallowed Halls is a fantastic collection of dark, sometimes creepy, often disturbing short stories. Several of these stories packed a powerful punch and will stick with me for a long time… The writing styles and content are vastly different. I loved the variety of approaches to storytelling in short form.’     @monsieurmarple (above) gave us: ‘Dark Academia. What do those words conjure up for you? This collection has me SO READY for autumnal vibes! The stories encapsulated everything I love about the genre, and now I NEED MORE! I’m putting my vote in for a second anthology... please? Pleaseeeee? Each story shines in its own right, but my personal standouts were... “1000 Ships” | Kate Weinberg; X House | JT Ellison; “Weekend at Bertie’s” | ML Rio; “The Professor of Ontography” | Helen Grant; “Playing” | Phoebe Wynne. All of the authors in this anthology are writing at the top of their game though, and truly I implore anyone who loves to dip a toe into the dark academia world to pick up a copy!! This one is out 12th Sept! Perfect for those darkening evenings coming soon.’     @xlivinginpages (above) had this to say: ‘Do you read #DarkAcademia? Do you have a favourite? #InTheseHallowedHalls is a Dark Academia anthology. I totally LOVED reading this. I did one story a day, so I would have time to think about it. By most of the stories I was so traumatised, but in a good way. It’s dark, grimy and perfect for autumn.’     Finally, @salimateez said: ‘Anyways, I read In These Hallowed Halls this week and OH MY did I absolutely LOVE it!! There were some stories that I won’t stop thinking about for WEEKS… Now, my FAVOURITES: “The Hare & The Hound” 5 ~ Kelly Andrew; “The Professor of Ontography” 5 ~ Helen Grant; “Phobos” 5 ~ Tori Bovalino. These were all INCREDIBLE!! I’m talking dark academia, spooky science, gothic, mythological EXCELLENCE!!! I seriously had to go back and reread almost all of these (not the Ontography one because that terrified me and I will actually never recover – in the best possible way, I’ve got chills just thinking about that ending). They all approach the theme very differently, and have got a range of spookiness to them but they’re all so well written, they pack SO much punch and tbh I’m now going to go and grab as many spooky anthologies as I can get my grabby hands on because I’m obsessed… A couple notable mentions: “Pythia” 4 ~ Olivie Blake; “X House” 4 ~ JT Ellison. I’ll be posting a more lengthy review for each individual one of these closer to release day because they deserve to have their praise yelled (nicely) at anyone and everyone who will listen. Overall, if you can, get your hands on this collection, it’s brilliant!’       Over on Goodreads, they included the book in their ‘Back to School’ roundup (above).     And below is a roundup of the latest 4 and 5* reviews from Netgalley, starting with Reviewer 829036: ‘A great dark academia short story collection by some great authors. Each story had me gripped and wanting more. It has also given me a list of new authors to check out too. I highly recommend!’     ‘I loved this collection of short stories! As a lover of dark academia books, I started this adventure with very high expectations and came to the end fully satisfied! I found it a pleasantly disturbing read, intriguingly dark, deliciously mysterious, and seductively unsettling. This book is a journey into the darkest depths of the human soul, where obsession, revenge, remorse, madness, thirst for power and knowledge, resignation and more reign supreme. These are ambiguous, dark, enigmatic and often unsettling stories, where happiness and solutions are not always guaranteed. In fact, not all of the texts have an actual explanation, not all of the stories have actual closure. Some are left hanging, open to possible interpretations, emphasizing even more the cryptic atmosphere of the work. I was deeply captivated by the events narrated, absorbed by the pages, often feeling pleasantly disturbed. Obviously I enjoyed some stories more than others, I have my favourites, but in general I enjoyed everything. My only “criticism”, if you can call it that, is that for me some titles would have offered even more as novels…All in all, I found it a very intriguing and enjoyable anthology of short stories, which I absolutely recommend to lovers of dark academia!’ (Deborah V)     ‘Oooh, this was really fun! I often struggle with anthologies and I 100% requested this solely for the M.L. Rio story…I loved the stories from past authors that I’ve enjoyed, and discovered a few new ones I want to check out! It was also a cool range of stories from a contemporary view of student-professor relationships, to genuinely terrifying horror, to gothic vibes!’ (Bethany D)     ‘First things first, I loved this book!! As someone who loves dark academia, and with a short attention span this book was perfect! I feel like this was such a unique read and have never read anything like this whilst it still had the moody psyche that I love in dark academia… Some of these still have me thinking about them because the writing is so amazing you want more of the stories and more of the characters, but the stories never leave you unsatisfied.’ (Sim K)     ‘If you like dark academia, you need to pick this up. I’ve only read one author out of this lineup, but I truly enjoyed all of the stories, and boy are there a variety of them! Whether you’re into real-world universities, fantastical academia, or a mix of the two, there are stories in this anthology that will meet your needs. They are all quick reads, not just because of their length but because they are fast-paced and often have a mystery at the core – there wasn’t a single story I was trudging through, unlike most anthologies I’ve read. I highly recommend this anthology and I’ve found a few authors I’ll definitely be reading more of!’ (Shelby W).     ‘I was thrilled to have been approved to read this arc. I was mainly excited to read M.L. Rio’s & Olivia Blake’s pieces in this but was pleasantly surprised by how entertaining the other stories were. I am a huge fan of dark academia so all of the stories really scratched that wonderful itch. I will say I was left wanting more more often than not, but that seems to be the trend when I read anthologies. I always want the short stories to continue, especially when I like them.’ (Maitland K)     ‘This dark academia anthology captured my interest from start to finish. I had read a few of the authors before, but I loved the ability to read the stories of authors that were new to me. There’s definitely a few new authors that I’ll be adding to my tbr now!! Out of all the short stories I found myself enthralled by “1000 Ships”, “X House”, and “The Unknowable Pleasures”. Anthologies are hard for me to rate since they are a collection of singular stories, but overall I give this book a 4/5*’ (Kaila M)   Credit: @sahlyereads   ‘Thank you for the digital review copy, Titan Books. In These Hallowed Halls is such a wondrous collection of short stories!’ (Caleb P)     ‘Let me tell you, the SECOND I saw Olivie Blake had a short story in this anthology I was SOLD. In These Hallowed Halls is a dark academia short story collection from various authors and it was honestly such a fun ride! With any collection like this, you always find there are some that are more standout than others, which was also the case here – most notably for me, “Pythia” by Olivie Blake, “The Hare and the Hound” by Kelly Andrew and “The Professor of Ontography” by Helen Grant were my standout favourites. However, there wasn’t any I didn’t enjoy! I loved the dark academia vibes throughout (and the different takes on what this is!) and the writing styles of all the authors was very enjoyable. I’ll certainly be checking out some more published works by the authors. If dark academia is your thing, you’re going to love this!’   Credit: @spelll.bound   ‘This was a must read for me. I have previously enjoyed books by Olivie Blake, Kelly Andrew, and Tori Bovalino, and have M.L. Rio on my TBR. Literally nobody disappoints in this anthology, and it was a deeply dark and exciting way for me to discover new authors that I want to read more of. This anthology captures dark academia in all its glory with twelve stories from twelve extremely competent authors.’ (Kayleigh W)     ‘This was incredible! It’s started me on a spooky anthology kick, I seriously can’t get enough omg!! I definitely had my favourites but there is something in this collection for every kind of dark academia reader!’ (Salima)   Credit: @just_a_bookish_reader   ‘In These Hallowed Halls really solidifies the “dark” in dark academia. All the stories in this book are based in an academic setting and have those strange, intense, kind of spooky (and well, dark) vibes that I have come to associate with this genre. All of the stories in this anthology were pretty good, but if I had to choose my favourites, I would select M.L. Rio, Olivie Blake and Kelly Andrew’s stories. Conceptually, I think they were my favourites in terms of the plot and the characters; each one of them started great and ended in a way that I felt was perfect, and at the same time left me wanting more. Honestly though, I would not mind if there was a volume 2 of this anthology with even more stories set in dark academia; because as someone who is in academia, we really need those.’ (Nihaarika)     ‘In These Hallowed Halls delivered everything promised and that I hoped it would be. I finished this book a couple of weeks ago and wanted to have time to sit with the stories. These stories are all incredibly eerie and bizarre. I have not stopped thinking about them since. In These Hallowed Halls is truly a no-skip album, but I particularly enjoyed Kelly Andrew, J.T Ellison, Layne Fargo, and M.L Rio’s stories. What I love about anthologies is that it is such a nice introduction to an author’s writing style and voice. From this, I have found an entire heap of authors that I will read and recommend!’ (Librarian 1023128)     ‘In These Hallowed Halls: A Dark Academia Anthology is a captivating collection of twelve dark academia short stories that delve into the enigmatic and often sinister world of academia. From the masters of the genre, this anthology offers a mesmerizing exploration of the pursuit of knowledge, secrets, and the shadows that linger within the hallowed halls of higher education. Each story within this anthology presents a unique and beguiling perspective on dark academia. From tales of revenge and retribution to mysteries surrounding missing professors and illicit affairs, the anthology covers a wide spectrum of themes that encapsulate the essence of the genre. The authors, including Olivie Blake, M.L. Rio, Susie Yang, and others, bring their own distinctive voices to the stories, making each one a memorable and chilling experience. The beauty of this anthology lies in its ability to capture the allure of academic settings while infusing them with a sense of darkness and foreboding. The characters grapple with their desires for knowledge, power, and understanding, often leading them down treacherous paths. The juxtaposition of intellectual pursuit and the macabre creates an atmosphere of tension that keeps readers engrossed from beginning to end. The anthology’s themes are as varied as its contributors, touching on obsession, revenge, the supernatural, and the psychological. Whether through ghostly séances, sinister secrets, or enigmatic initiations, each story delivers its own unique blend of darkness and academia. The definition of dark academia provided in the introduction perfectly encapsulates the essence of this anthology. It’s a collection that embraces the scholarly pursuit of knowledge while delving into the more ominous and mysterious aspects of academia. The aesthetic principles of dark academia are vividly portrayed through the characters’ attire, surroundings, and the atmospheric settings that range from libraries to museums. In These Hallowed Halls is a must-read for fans of the genre. With its captivating stories and diverse range of themes, it offers a captivating journey into the shadowy corners of academia, satisfying the cravings of those who appreciate intellectual pursuits with a twist of the sinister. Each story in this anthology is a gem that contributes to the overall allure and mystique of dark academia.’ (Dalton S)     ‘AGHHHHHHH! Okay, like I actually screamed SO LOUD when I opened this piece of book mail a few weeks ago... A BOOK FROM FRIGGIN’ TITAN BOOKS?!?!? And also it’s a Dark Academia anthology featuring some of my favourite authors?!? How could it get any better than that??? With Colleges and Universities starting back up for the Fall Semester, this is the PERFECT accompaniment for when you aren’t piled high with study hall sessions and homework. Even better, because this book is projected to hit shelves on September 12th, which isn’t that far away, and trust me y’all, you’re gonna SALIVATE over this read. I did. In These Hallowed Halls features short story contributions from J.T. Ellison, David Bell, Susie Yang, M.L. Rio, Olivia Blake, and so many other talented creators. There are narratives about haunted boarding schools with murders afoot, ravenous AI equations becoming too sentient, secret societies that operate more like murderous cults, and every other savoury angle to scratch your itches.’ (Samantha H)     ‘I am usually not a fan of anthologies but I do love dark academia and some of the authors featured in this anthology so I wanted to give it a try – and I don’t regret it at all! This may actually be the first anthology I honestly enjoyed reading and, more importantly, didn’t have to force myself to finish. All of the stories – and I really mean every one of them – had me hooked after the first few sentences. Of course I enjoyed some a bit more than others but I did like every one, which is rare for anthologies I think. But every story was so weird, sometimes really dark, some felt more academic than others, but every one was really interesting and even though I finished this book weeks ago, I’m still thinking about some of the stories. I tried choosing a few favourites but I just couldn’t because I genuinely liked all of the stories a lot and I just couldn’t choose. What I find most fascinating is how memorable all of the stories are. As I said, I finished the book weeks ago but I still remember every story when I look at the titles.’ (Reviewer 439977)   Credit: @sophl3saur   Paul and Marie will be at FantasyCon this year (14-17 September), doing a signing of this book as well as Twice Cursed and The Other Side of Never at the Titan event. They’ll also be doing a signing at Forbidden Planet in London on the 23rd for In These Hallowed Halls, with Kate Weinberg, Tori Bovalino and Helen Grant (below).     You can pre-order the book here. -------------------------------------------------   August   A cover reveal first for the month of August, and above is the cracking art for The Gemini Effect by Kevin Spencer. This from the official PR: ‘Years ago, a killer called The Gemini stalked the streets of Norchester, hunting twins. Deborah Harrison thought the nightmare was over, that they’d stopped him, but it appears the nightmare was only just beginning. Because somehow The Gemini is back again, doing what he does best. Now retired from the force and living by the coast, Deborah is brought in to consult on the new case. But who can she really trust? Her friend Rosy? The new Inspector, Glover, and his team? The Gemini had helpers before, and this time it’s not just Deborah at risk – it’s her entire family… From the imagination of award-winning and #1 bestselling author Paul Kane (Before, The Storm, Her Husband’s Grave as PL Kane) comes the long-awaited sequel to his popular novel The Gemini Factor. This one will definitely have an effect!’     Effect is, of course, the follow-up to The Gemini Factor and both books (above) are published by Encyclopocalypse. You can pick up the original here and preorder the new novel here. ---------------------------------------------       The man behind St. Rooster Press, Tim Murr, broke the news last month that he will be publishing Paul’s third volume of Monsters – Even More Monsters. Details to come, but the collection will contain an introduction by none other than Anne Bobby from Nightbreed! ----------------------------------------         Paul received his contributor copies of his most recent collection Zombies! from Grinning Skulls Press last month (above). It coincided with the book getting a 5* review from Jim Dodge (below).      And the collection has been reviewed by Starburst, who had this to say: ‘The living dead return in this collection from Paul Kane, proving there’s still much life in the old flesh-eaters by looking at them in a variety of ways. The book begins with an unsettling poem that has a sinister steampunk theme, creating an appropriate atmosphere for the stories that follow. Each has a different take on the sub-genre – ranging from a single creature rising from its grave to a future full of them and, despite the author wearing his influences firmly on his sleeve, there’s great fun to be had in knowing what’s to come; to Kane’s credit it’s not always when expected, and tension remains throughout. The writing is versatile, as always, packed with neat twists and suitably shocking moments. There’s much humour to be found, too, particularly in the Dalton Quayle story. It’s a Holmesian romp that has its tongue firmly through its cheek, laced with gore and laugh-out-loud innuendo worthy of Sid James. It’s cleverly done and despite tipping a wink to its audience, there’s genuine jeopardy throughout. The poem and two other stories are new to this collection, some of which go back to 2001, proving that Kane’s talent to disturb and grip the reader has never diminished, finely honed over the years. As the introduction states, horror fiction has its cycles, but it’s good to know that authors such as this have flown the genre’s flag for decades now and will continue to challenge expectations and deliver stories that pack an emotional and visceral punch. 4*’ To read the full thing click here.   And you can order Zombies! here, here, here, or here. ---------------------------------------------------     Sticking with collections for a moment, and Of Mice and Wolfmen – the new horror book by comedian and celebrity Joe Pasquale – is out now, and comes with two forewords: one by The Chase’s Bradley Walsh, and the other by Paul. You can check out Joe’s fiction by picking up the book, published by Hellbound, here. ---------------------------------------------     Turning to anthologies now, and it’s time to post the full ToC of In These Hallowed Halls, out in hardback next month from Titan. The line-up is: Introduction by Marie O’Regan & Paul Kane; ‘1000 Ships’ Kate Weinberg; ‘Pythia’ Olivie Blake; ‘Sabbatical’ James Tate Hill; ‘The Hare and the Hound’ Kelly Andrew; ‘X House’ J.T. Ellison; ‘The Ravages’ Layne Fargo; ‘Four Funerals’ David Bell; ‘The Unknowable Pleasures’ Susie Yang; ‘Weekend at Bertie’s’ M.L. Rio; ‘The Professor of Ontography’ Helen Grant; ‘Phobos’ Tori Bovalino; ‘Playing’ Phoebe Wynne.         And it was great to see the ARCs end up in the hands of contributing authors last month, including Olivie Blake (The Atlas Six), ML Rio (If We Were Villains) and Tori Bovalino (The Devil Makes Three) all above. Kelly Andrew (The Whispering Dark) even shared an extract from her tale (below).       Of course, it was also landing in the hands of more reviewers like A Readers Alley, Books H Spoonie and Gee Books and Life (below).             Pages and Polish even produced a YouTube video about the book, which you can watch below.       4 and 5* reviews have been rolling in from NetGalley, as well. Here are a selection below:   ‘My favourite readings were “1000 ships” (I’ve already added Truants to my TBR), “Pythia”, “The Ravages” (sapphic revenge story?! I mean come on), and “Phobos”. I had read works previously by Blake and Bovalino, and I am pleased to say that I will continue to read their work, but also begin reading the works of these other authors. The overall mood was a rainy day, a cozy blanket, and a hot chocolate. It’s summertime, but I felt like I had been transported into a gorgeous fall day at a gothic-style university. 10/10 do recommend.’ (Emily G)   ‘I enjoyed reading this anthology, as a collection I rated it 4/5* but definitely found individual stories within it that could have been rated higher. “Four Funerals” touched on a very sensitive topic so I would make sure to be mindful of that upon reading it … I read quite a bit from the Dark Academia genre and I felt like most of these stories fit within the category. I would recommend adding this to your Fall TBR.’ (Destiny S)   ‘I love Dark Academia books as they have a vibe like no other. They have a dark undertone of creepy and unsettling, yet strangely cosy and comforting. It’s a genre that’s really come into its own in the past couple of years so I was super excited to see the release of this one! With a stunning collection of Dark Academia short tales from a range of epic authors, there’s bound to be a story in here to tickle your dark fantasies and interests. As with any book of short stories, I always find there are some that are enjoyed more than others. Some I really got into and enjoyed and others felt a bit harder to get through and engage with, but it was an enjoyable book all in all. It’s hard to choose a favourite but I think “Phobos” was the one that topped it for me. That and “The Professor of Ontography”. Many of these stories were filled with intrigue and you never quite knew what was going to happen next or what twist the author would delight you with. They’re all fabulously written and expertly set the tone for the book. It’s a must for all lovers of this genre of book and definitely if you’re a fan of short stories.’ (Nicola W)   Photo credit: Reading with Sandra   ‘Dark academia has become a prominent sub-genre in the book community over the last few years; however, the “aesthetic” conjures up different images unique to each reader. In These Hallowed Halls is a remarkable collection of Dark Academia short stories filled with obsession, madness, and the macabre. With a wide variety of tales, readers can explore the genre through authors well-versed in the literary subculture. My favourite short stories were “The Hare and the Hound” (I’ve always loved Alice in Wonderland), “X-House”, and “The Professor of Ontography”… Overall, this anthology was very easy to indulge in, and I’m sure fans of the Dark Academia genre will find at least one, if not several, short stories that haunt them long after finishing the last page.’ (Reviewer 1187080)   ‘Dark Academia is definitely still a genre that I am exploring, and this is a fantastic way to find new material to read. I am already a big fan of Olivie Blake and M.L. Rio but have found some new authors to check out which is really exciting! I’ll start off with my favourite stories, I really wanted to only pick three but I ended up with four and they are: “Pythia” by Olivie Blake, “X House” by J.T. Ellison, “The Professor of Ontography” by Helen Grant and “Playing” by Phoebe Wynne. I am very excited to check out the further works of the three authors I haven’t read before. Each story had a mystery I was trying to unravel and, even if I guessed it, I still felt gratification and excitement at the end. They were engaging, an accomplishment in short stories, and created a strong atmosphere that made them different to the others… Overall, many of the stories were strong and I would even reread and recommend a lot of them to my friends.’ (Katie S) ‘I loved this! I have read books from several of the authors and was very excited to get to read this one – it definitely didn’t disappoint. So happy to have finally read it.’ (Michelle W)     ‘I usually struggle with rating anthologies because I tend to like some stories more than others. In These Hallowed Halls was no different. Individually, none of these stories were higher than 4 stars for me, but none below 3 stars. Which is not too shabby! Aside from Olivie Blake and M.L. Rio, all of these were new to me authors and I’m eager to check out several of their works. I found it interesting that a lot of these stories were lacking the elements that I enjoy and associate with Dark Academia. It definitely made me realise that I have a lot more to explore in the genre… Standouts for me were “X House”, “Weekend at Bertie’s”, “The Professor of Ontography”, and “Phobos”. “Phobos” actually being probably my favourite of all (think The Atlas Six but without magic). Overall, a spooky collection with all the fall and Dark Academia vibes. If you like anthologies and creepy stories, I recommend.’ (Amber L)   ‘I have been waiting for a book like this! I was extremely excited to receive an ARC of it from Titan publishers and I have been engrossed in it ever since. In These Hallowed Halls is a Dark Academia anthology of short stories and I’m sure I’m not the only reader who couldn’t wait to get their hands on it! Dark Academia is a relatively new genre of fiction, being part dystopian, part thriller, with a heavy Gothic influence, set in traditional academic surroundings. Think prestigious seats of learning such as Oxford, Edinburgh or Cambridge Universities, lost in swathes of autumn mist and mystery and you get the idea of what this genre is all about. I have been reading DA books for a while now and they are usually fairly long novels, so I was intrigued to see how this trope would play out in a short fiction format. It works beautifully and I couldn’t stop turning the pages, reading late into the night, until I had finished the book. I always loved school stories as a child, so the adult DA genre is right up my street. This collection has everything that my scholarly heart yearns for – Gothic buildings, dusty old books, cosy common rooms, glowing fire-lit libraries on stormy winter afternoons, hot buttered toast, copious amount of tea and coffee and of course, mysteries to unravel and solve. It transports the reader to the very epicentre of elite education and top drawer universities, where wealth and intellect are the only currencies that count. It is a book that makes you want to step into that world… Written by some of the top DA authors of modern publishing such as Olivie Blake and ML Rio, the student angst rolls off the pages amid tales of sinister Artificial Intelligence, missing students and the odd murder. The collection starts off strong with “1000 Ships”, a story about sexual misconduct and plagiarism, and it goes on from there, remaining strong throughout. In these pages you will find dangerous hazing rituals, initiations, secret societies, supernatural shape-shifters, school shootings and a gifted musician with a taste for greatness and a murder mystery. In These Hallowed Halls is a fantastic collection, being both sinister and cosy at the same time, as all the best Dark Academia should be. My favourite stories in the collection are “1000 Ships”, “The Hare and the Hound”, “X House”, “Phobos” and “Playing”. These stories held me on the edge of my seat and they are the ones that have stayed with me upon finishing the book. Each story features a skilful use of pathetic fallacy to build atmosphere and a strong sense of place. It is obvious that you are reading authors who are at the top of their game and who have made this genre their own. To distil all the complexities of Dark Academia into a short story is no easy task, but the authors of this collection have done just that, seemingly without effort. It’s a gripping book – one to read curled up in a cosy armchair, with a plate of hot buttered toast and a cup of tea, or a bag of sweeties – but no more than three sweets a night, or things turn sinister! If you like Dark Academia or the Gothic genre then you will probably love this book, and if you are new to DA, this is a great introduction. I highly recommend it and I am sincerely hoping that Titan publish a second volume, because this one was so much fun to read. It is ideal reading for all adults who are bitten by “back to school” nostalgia at this time of year. Check your doors are locked, snuggle up by the fire, and enjoy these murderous collegiate stories! Happy Reading.’ (Marie B)   Picture credit: Clettera   ‘I had the BEST time reading this. I found some new authors to discover and my fave stories were “Pythia” and “The Hare and the Hound”!! So, so fun and made my Dark Academia heart very happy. I need MORE!’ (Steph L)   ‘In These Hallowed Halls is a fun, varied, dark ride through many different avenues and genres of Dark Academia fiction. While some of the stories worked more for me than others, I enjoyed them all, and found some new authors I want to check out in the future. Would recommend to any fans of the genre.’ (Shannon C)   ‘In These Hallowed Halls is an anthology of twelve Dark Academia stories. I have previously read six of the twelve authors and enjoyed them so I was excited for this anthology and I’m happy to say that this was such a good time! All of these stories are very different and like any collection, some work more than others but I think they are all strong in their own way! My favourite was definitely the Olivie Blake story. Unsurprising to anyone because she is my very favourite author, but her story just had its own unique style… I also loved the story by Kelly Andrew, a new to me author. All in all, I think this collection has something for any Dark Academia fan. Some stories are a little more spooky while some just have an academia vibe that will make you think about stepping on crunchy leaves. I can’t wait to pick up a physical copy of this when it releases this fall!’ (Alicia C)   Photo credit: Rebecca Deer Reads   ‘Normally I’m not a huge short story fan. I can’t connect to the characters, there’s not enough time to develop a coherent story, there’s not enough world-building or connection. However, this was enjoyable. A nice break from the long books and sagas I’ve been reading. I think if Dark Academia is your jam – you’ll love this!’ (Caitlin L)   ‘In These Hallowed Halls is one of those books I was eagerly anticipating in 2023, and I was fortunate enough to read it in advance thanks to NetGalley and Titan Books, to whom I extend my gratitude for the ARC copy. The book lived up to my expectations. It’s a collection of novellas that showcases stories with the Dark Academia aesthetic, written by some of the most skilled authors in employing this in their works. I must say that some of the novellas were simply marvellous; I wished I could read entire books based on those stories, and one of my favourites was definitely the one written by Olive Blake, the author of The Atlas Six.’ (Clelia O)   ‘What I love about this anthology is that there is something for everyone to enjoy within its pages… Weinberg’s “1000 Ships”, Ellison’s “X House”, and Grant’s “The Professor of Ontography” left me absolutely craving more than this short format writing could give me. If you enjoy Dark Academia, there will be a story in here that resonates with you, whether your original entry point was Tartt’s Secret History or Blake’s Atlas Six or Bardugo’s Ninth House. It was a delight to read so many prolific authors coming together, and some that I’ve been exposed to for the first time. Each author took their own approach and no two stories were even remotely the same. Anyone that has dabbled in Dark Academia and found something they like will want to have this beautiful collection for their shelf!’ (Kristen F)   Photo credit: Darcey’s Library   ‘As someone who spent four years at university and enjoyed learning but often wondered if anything else went on in the hallways it is odd that I’ve taken so long to branch out into modern Dark Academia. I’ve read some of the classics that have been assigned the genre but it’s only recently I’ve gone into the modern ones. So when the chance to read an anthology arose I was excited to give it a try and I have to say I feel like I have been missing out! In These Hallowed Halls contained 12 Dark Academia short stories and I have to say I adored each one in their own way but a couple really stood out to me. We have numerous goings on in this collection, retribution visiting a lothario lecturer, the sinister truth being revealed about a missing professor, a forsaken lover uses a séance for revenge (possibly my favourite), an obsession blooms about a possible illicit affair, two graduates exhume the secrets of a reclusive scholar, the horrors are uncovered in an obscure academic department (definitely a favourite), five hopeful initiates must complete a murderous task and much, much more to keep you guessing and up at night. Of course with anthologies you may sometimes find a few misses in there but I am pleased to say, for me, that is not the case in this collection. Each story explores an aspect or part of the genre of Dark Academia and executes it perfectly. The other thing I enjoyed is the differing writing styles, which of course you would expect with 12 different authors, it kept the genre engaging and refreshing. Each new story brought something new to the table and the genre. For someone like myself who is starting out in the modern aspects of the genre I found it helpful to steer me in the direction of authors I want to try first and so on. Of course I plan to read more works by all of them anyway but it was interesting to see different takes and aspects of the genre come to life. My three top ones from this collection where “The Ravages” by Layne Fargo, “The Professor of Ontography” by Helen Grant and “Phobos” by Tori Bovalino but the other 9 stories also captivated me and I thoroughly enjoyed each one. I think this collection is brilliant for both fans of the genre and those stepping into the world of Dark Academia. It gives you a taste of not only the genre but the style and skills of some of the best and brightest names in the genre.’ (Siobhan M)   You can pre-order In These Hallowed Halls from Amazon here. -----------------------------------------------     Dryad Books did a wonderful promotion over on Instagram which featured The Other Side of Never (see previous news sections for more on this antho). You can buy the book directly from them here. --------------------------------------------------     A callout for stories was announced last month, a chance to be involved in Paul & Marie’s Folk Horror book which is coming out next summer – the first of Flame Tree Press’ ‘Beyond & Within’ series (above). You can find out more about all that here. ------------------------------------------------     The movie Paul scripted, The Torturer, is now streaming on Cineverse and Sling (below). This brings the total number of countries where the film is streaming to well over 100 – an incredible achievement!     ------------------------------------------------   July   We start this month with another future book announcement, this time Dark Reflections from Black Beacon Books in which Paul pays homage to the masters of dark fiction. This from the official announcement: ‘Black Beacon Books is proud to inform you that in December we will be publishing the latest collection from one of Britain’s most talented and prolific dark fiction authors, Paul Kane. Dark Reflections is a showcase of Paul’s short fiction paying homage to his literary influences, including M.R. James, Charles Dickens, William Hope Hodgson, H.P. Lovecraft, Mary Shelley, Bram Stoker, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and Edgar Allan Poe. We’ll share more delicious details over the summer, including the reveal of the cover by Greg Chapman and a peek at the foreword by the legendary Kim Newman.’ You can find out more on their site, here. -------------------------------------------------           In the meantime, Paul received ARC copies of his latest collection from Grinning Skulls Press, Zombies! (above). The book also started getting reviews, like this 4* one from ZZ Jenn Reads over on Instagram: ‘Omg!! Undead tales galore! Two favourite shorts from this collection were “Pay the Piper” and “The Corpse Identity”. Loved the novella, “Planet of the Dead”. Highly recommend!’     Char’s Horror Corner has this to say: ‘Being that I do enjoy zombie stories here and there, when I had the opportunity to read this collection from Paul Kane, I took it and I'm glad I did! Zombies! impresses, even if it’s just for the wide variation and depth of the stories. But luckily, the writing is good too! Some of the tales that stood out the most for me were: “Dalton Quayle’s Living Dead” (aka “The Voodoo Hullabaloo”) – First off, I love the word hullabaloo. Other than that, though, this is a Sherlock style type story with zombies and a very funny main character. 4* “Pay the Piper” – This one was a great twist on the tale of the pied piper. 4* “The Corpse Identity” – The story of a young woman waking with amnesia. (For whatever reason, this put me in mind of the film The Long Kiss Goodnight with Geena Davis). 4.5* “Planet of the Dead” – This is an awesome, short novella of zombies in space. But they’re not quite zombies either. Take a tip from me, if you accidentally discover some ancient tombs, DO NOT OPEN THEM. (Whether on this planet or any other.) Overall, this was a fun collection, featuring all kinds of zombies in all kinds of situations. Some are funny, some are more science fiction than horror, but nearly all of the tales worked for me. That rarely happens. For this reason, I recommend this collection to all the zombie fans out there!’     Runalong the Shelves also loved the collection: ‘Ah Zombies! Always a modern classic, and having had a renaissance may not be our monster of choice now, but a bit like themselves that’s probably not going to stop them for long. There is something modern life recognises in the zombie – the loss of identity, the monotonous routine we all follow and how crowds of people can be something alien and inhuman when acting as the mob that I suspect means we will eventually find new stories for them. Into which Paul Kane has now published a fine and varied collection of zombie fiction to entertain and scare us, worth a look if you enjoy these biters! Among this collection I enjoyed: “He Is Legend” – why yes that title is indeed a sign of the story that it homages. But Kane imbues this with a British sensibility as zombies attack the UK and one man finds himself alone in a city trying to find a way out of this. Kane though creates pathos as our narrator diarises how he lost his wife and child in the attack. There is a sense of a ticking clock as he thinks he may find a cure, but the zombies have other ideas. Very entertaining and grows unexpectedly sombre towards the end. “Dig (This)” – a very fine and startling tale as three teenagers who love to visit a graveyard decide the most logical thing to do would be to dig up a corpse. Kane makes you see the teenagers as people first before subtly dropping the other shoe and the story gets more macabre and nastier as things go very, very horribly wrong. Neatly explained too! “Dalton Quayle and the Teatime of the Evil Resident Living Dead aka The Voodoo Hullabaloo” – Why, yes that title does suggest this tale is tongue in cheek and it’s a faux Victorian supernatural adventure filled with puns and characters not understanding one another. It is very, very funny and well worth a read! “Pay the Piper” – This story feels suspicious as a Piper who looks familiar deals with an undead menace. He tells his story and things become a lot clearer. Deliciously dark. “Planet of the Dead” – This is a SF novella of a doomed space mission going to an alien planet that looks dead. While a plotline we all know means doom, what I enjoyed is how Kane here delivers character; you care about the people in danger and it had a unique explanation for what is going on. Throw in escapes, tension and fights to the death, there is very little to complain about. Fun will be had. “The Face of Death” – a ghoulish doctor enters a morgue for his secret experiment. The strange start heralds some dark revelations; and we get to understand but not warm to our main character as we discover what he has done and why. A fine supernatural coda to the collection. This is a very entertaining and impressively varied selection of zombie tales that demonstrate Kane’s versatility and knowledge of the genre. It is never repetitive and yet clearly in love with the subject matter. Well worth a look!’ You can read this review on the site here and an exhaustive interview Paul did with them here.   But you can see for yourself by ordering Zombies! here, here, here, or here. -------------------------------------------------- Our regular Guest Writer slot is taking a bit of a summer break this year. But don’t worry, it’ll be back soon with lots of great fiction! --------------------------------------------------     Anthologies now, and photos above and below from the hugely successful Forbidden Planet Signing for The Other Side of Never last month, followed by drinks at the Angel pub round the corner…                               The book was also getting more shoutouts online, including from Word Horde Emporium and Imaginarium Books, who’ve stocked the title, and Dr Laura Varnum who was reading it (below).          It was even being put on birthday wishlists on TikTok, like Kim’s below!     The anthology was also garnering more praise, including from editor Charles Prepolec: ‘Hat is off to Marie O’Regan and Paul Kane on another brilliant anthology. A wealth of fine and freaky fiction here. While all the stories are strong, the big standouts for me came from Cavan Scott and Paul Finch. I loved this antho from start to finish. Great read!’     And from author Rachel Knightley (below), who said: ‘Before the storm hits, in my balcony “den” with new treasure… Great to see Marie O’Regan, Paul Kane, Laura Mauro, Robert Shearman, Lavie Tidhar, Paul Finch, Anna Smith Spark, Jen Williams and lots more friends at the Forbidden Planet signing too!’     There were more 4 and 5* reviews on Netgalley as well: ‘The Other Side of Never is a short story collection featuring tales relating to Peter Pan, some more closely, some only very loosely adjacent to J. M. Barrie’s book. Some stories take us on adventures with characters we know, exploring what happens to them after the original story or what happened to them while other characters were doing other things, some stories take elements or lore from the original story and twist and turn them into other things. This is a great read if you like the original Peter Pan tale… I didn’t love all of the stories, but I enjoyed most and really, really loved a few, to my surprise mostly those that are only vaguely related to the source material. I found the stories really well selected to work with each other and all different enough that they each brought a new bit to the table.’ (Elizabeth L) ‘Peter Pan is a beloved character in my house, so I was really excited to read this anthology. I found most of the stories to be very well done twists on the Peter Pan mythos, with a diverse variety of genres and styles, some rather dark... My favourite from them all is “Chasing Shadows” by Cavan Scott, which uses 1980s pop culture references to bring Peter Pan into the modern era and invoke nostalgia that made me really connect to it. Overall it’s a great collection of tales for Neverland fans.’ (Jim C)   Plus it hit the heights of 37 in Fantasy Anthologies and 40 in All Anthologies on Amazon (below)     You can grab your copy of The Other Side of Never here. ---------------------------------------------------     Paul and Marie’s other anthologies Cursed & Twice Cursed were also feeling the love, with Books in my Hallway (above) saying of the original: ‘I really enjoyed these takes on what a curse is-and isn’t as told by some of my favourite authors… cannot wait to get a copy of Twice Cursed, as soon as I am able.’     ‘For those familiar with the works (or world) of Angela Carter, many of the retellings seem to follow the same path in taking the fairy tales and reimagining them into something darker and modern. Whether this works for all is essentially up to the reader’s taste but personally it seems to be an excellent curated anthology of both indie and well-known writers. I personally loved “The Bell” by Joanne Harris which seemed to emulate that much-loved dark gothic fantasy with the same tone that many of our much-loved classics seem to carry; a timeless read. Kelley Armstrong’s addition was also a great read. This may be my bias talking – after all, I was in love with the “Darkest Powers” series and I cannot shake my ultimate love for whatever Kelley Armstrong writes. But I do see some of what makes her writing unique in that there is real dialogue and great descriptions pop up in “Just Your Standard Haunted Doll Drama”… I do recommend this book to those that love to see their favourite fairy tales get a fresh lick of paint that also encapsulate the essence of what a fairy tale showcases; a moral story, a gothic background and a fantastical collection of characters to ride throughout the anthology.’ (4* Rabia) ‘Many of the stories felt like fragments of a larger tale… But there are also some gems. Tales that struck a chord for me included Adam L.G Nevill’s “The Angels of London” about a man who runs afoul of a landlord at a grimy apartment block run by a sinister “family” and Joe Hill’s “Dark Carousel” about a strange carnival ride that triggers an evening of horror for a group of friends.’ (Mark S)   You can buy the original Cursed here. And Twice Cursed here. -------------------------------------------           Paul and Marie received the ARCs of their next anthology last month, too: In These Hallowed Halls, which is out in hardback from Titan Books this September – and they look stunning (above).         It also landed on many a reviewer’s desk, like Amanda Books and Tea and Lillie Lainoff on Instagram, and Lauren on Twitter (all above).       Melissa Chaplin even created an excited TikTok about the book which you can view here.     The anthology got its first review as well, three months out, and it’s a 5* one from Waterstones (above) who said: ‘I love Dark Academia, so this book of short Dark Academia stories was just perfect for me. Written by some of the best authors in the business, all with their own individual style and flair. I found every story had me gripped, taking me from one academic setting to the next. “The Professor of Ontography” by Helen Grant: this story absolutely blew me away. Gothic, eerie, atmospheric and genuinely edge of the seat reading. Because of this book I’ve now discovered a new favourite author in Helen Grant. Cannot recommend this book highly enough.’ Their link is here.   And you can pre-order In These Hallowed Halls from Amazon here. -------------------------------------------------     Turning to film, and Paul was asked to take part in Daily Dead’s regular slot ‘Let’s Scare Bryan to Death!’ and he chose to show Bryan Sacrifice, based on his novelette ‘Men of the Cloth’ (above). You can read the full thing, where Paul talks about the background to the movie and his thoughts on it, here.     New posters for the movie adaptations of Paul’s stories ‘Shells’ and ‘The Between’ were revealed last month (above and below). Shells was scripted by Paul and is being made by James Jobling of Rebel Skulls Productions. The Between is being scripted and adapted by Michael Miller of HorrorHound, who recently also got the go ahead to adapt a Stephen King short story ‘That Feeling, You Can Only Say What It Is in French’. More soon on both of these.      But if you want to read the original tales, they last appeared in the collections Disexistence and More Monsters which you can buy here and here. -------------------------------------------         Those lovely people at Encyclopocalypse shared photos of the brand new jacketed hardback edition of The Gemini Factor last month (above) and it looks, frankly, amazing! You can pick up yours here. ---------------------------------------------   June   As announced by This is Horror here, the big news for June is the release of another book from Paul, this time a collection from Grinning Skull Press: Zombies! This from the official PR: ‘A group of teenage friends think it’s a good idea to hang around in a graveyard, while a young thief gets more than he bargained for when he breaks into a local property. We’re given a first-hand account of struggles in the aftermath of a post-apocalyptic event and the reminiscences of a musician with a very unusual talent. A woman wakes with no memory of who or where she is… and also no pulse, then we’re flung through space to a planet where a grave discovery is made – one which has deadly repercussions… Ladies and gentlemen, these are the Zombies! a collection of stories by award-winning and # 1 bestselling author Paul Kane (Hooded Man, Sherlock Holmes and the Servants of Hell, Before, Arcana, The Storm), including a brand new short novel, one of his popular Dalton Quayle novelettes and a steampunk poem. With an introduction by award-winning and bestselling author Brian Keene (The Rising, City of the Dead) and cover art by Dominic Harman (The Hellbound Heart, Cabal), this is one book that simply refuses to lay down and die!’     It’s out now and you can order it here, here, here or here. --------------------------------------------------------     Paul and Marie’s new anthology, The Other Side of Never from Titan (above), dropped last month – having already made Transfer Orbit’s list of books to check out here.   It also received some glowing reviews, including one from Dave Jeffery at the British Fantasy Society, who said: ‘The Other Side of Never is an anthology that combines seasoned genre writers such as Paul Finch, Alison Littlewood, Rio Yours, and Muriel Gray and re-imagined stories from J.M. Barrie’s iconic world of Neverland. In the words of award-winning editors Marie O’Regan and Paul Kane, the book aims to provide the reader with “a glimpse of more thought-provoking or ominous alternatives…” of the classic tale. In terms of this, there are some dark themes captured within its pages, as well as adventure and humour, arguably just as important when trying to maintain some level of parity with the source material… “And on ’til Morning” by Laura Mauro – A deft and beautifully told surrealist tale that is both delicate in its delivery yet underscored with a powerful message of hope after great trauma. A personal favourite from the anthology and is, in the view of this reader, a contender for some “best of” lists in the months and years to come. “School for Peters” by Claire North – At once a beguiling tale that seamlessly fuses an almost whimsical fairy tale narrative with a bruising parody of consummate privilege, socio-economic injustice, and gender inequality. Satire built on a foundation of ascorbic wit makes this an incredibly provocative read. “Fear of the Pan-Child” by Robert Shearman – Phobia and obsession, and a fragile mind are at the heart of this humorous yet insightful tale of a man who becomes an unstable narrator of his own condition. From the sections when “Peter Pan” is redacted to mitigate the phobia of Barrie’s character to the subtle melancholic ambiguity of the final scene, this story is both brilliantly conceived and delivered. “Boy” by Guy Adams – Another personal favourite comes as a result of the machine-gun pace at which this story moves. The narrative juxtaposes literary and urban dictionary clichés to describe Pan as a wideboy out on the town, aggrandised and consumed by his own self-importance. A comeuppance is, of course, always on the cards, yet when it finally comes, it still sates and amuses in one satisfying hit. O’Regan and Kane have pulled the anthology together as only editors with consummate skill and experience can, and in terms of style and delivery, there really is something for everyone. It will be good to see The Other Side of Never take flight in the real world. There is certainly enough here to get anyone “hooked”. Highly recommended.’ You can read the full thing here. Meanwhile California Reading had this to say: ‘Have there always been this many Peter Pan spin-offs around? Don’t get me wrong, I love it. Christina Henry’s phenomenal novel Lost Boy is the standard to which I hold every Neverland-adjacent story. And this dark collection definitely delivered the goods. Expertly edited by Marie O’Regan and Paul Kane, The Other Side of Never brings together a very talented group of authors to speculate over the dark side of the Barrie tale. Here we find Pan et al in forms you would not expect, but still incredibly recognizable, and disturbing. My favorites: “Fear of the Pan Child”, by Robert Shearman – Oh look, Robert Shearman is here to terrify us all again! This story was so unsettling. A recently-widowed father takes his son to live with his parents, where the father remembers a childhood friend with a fear of Pan. So bleak, so compelling. “And On ’til Morning” – This one made me weep! A lost, wandering boy, rescued by an unexpected friend. Gorgeous. “A School for Peters”, by Claire North – Shades of The Handmaid’s Tale in this one, where girls are trained to please the “Peters” of the world, who represent alpha males. Brutal. “A House the Size of Me”, by Alison Littlewood – All hail Littlewood and her pseudonyms! This one involves a missing child, a mother who refuses to “grow up”, and a heavily repressed brother. Incredibly vivid. “No Such Place”, by Paul Finch – this was a surprising story, told like a gritty crime drama. A murder squad looking for literal lost boys, and finding something incredibly disturbing. My word, there are some graphic sections in this story. “Far From Home”, by Muriel Gray – The closing tale is a beautifully crafted ghost story. It involves a displaced young lady, and a strange, abandoned building with shadows at the windows. A deftly-crafted, and hugely enjoyable anthology. Probably not suitable for kids, but perfect for those adults who “never grew up”.’ You can read that one here.   And Runalong the Shelves said: ‘Peter Pan is a very strange character. As a child he is all unknowable and adventure loving. He does seem sulky, but hey grown ups are annoying. As a grown up though I find him and his desire to never grow up and his callousness a little alarming. It’s not surprising many retellings have explored this enigmatic character and in the new fascinating anthology The Other Side of Never – Dark Tales From the World of Peter & Wendy the editors Marie O’ Regan and Paul Kane assemble a host of great authors with their own interpretations to make us ponder if Pan is good, evil, or just plain humanity reflected back at us? Amongst the many tales I enjoyed were: “A Visit to Kensington Gardens” by Lavie Tidhar – this story plays with the history of the period, the other stories that Pan and J M Barrie were in conversation with as well as some of the social history. It’s a tale of growing up and also growing old and learning to say goodbye. Perhaps not supernatural but more a ponder all childhoods end as do lives. It’s haunting and bittersweet; “Manic Pixie Girl” by A C Wise – this is an earthy, bloody tale of a character from Neverland stuck in our world and who has to learn to survive and feed. Fantasy and crime noir collide, and it works because of our narrator’s voice and introspection about how they have got to where they now are in their lives. Very entertaining and surprising. “Fear of the Pan Child” by Robert Shearman – this is a great disturbing tale of childhood and adulthood. Widower talks about his moving back home and his memories of a person he cannot name. This tale tells us a lot about the main character in his selfishness and explains why he is the way he is. It combines grief, loss and love but also holds this sense of menace slowly encircling the main character. We all can become a lost child even when we get old. One of my favourites and it’s wonderfully creepy too! “And On ’til Morning” by Laura Mauro – here the more mythic parts of the tale get explored. A lost soul in a haunting forest talks to another presence. This tale is using Peter Pan’s attitude to death and finds perhaps another explanation as to what Neverland actually is. It’s mysterious and yet hopeful and a great piece of writing. “The Other Side of Never” by Edward Cox – a brilliant gritty version of Neverland that imagines humanity conquered Neverland to survive an unknown disaster and now some revolutionaries are making a last gasp attempt to set things right. Cox merges the language of post-apocalyptic action drama with escaped prisoners and mirror masked soldiers and casts haunting images of dead fairies, ancient legends and more. It's quite ingenious and feels very fresh. Another favourite; “The Lost Boys Monologues” by Kirsty Logan – this tale imagines the Lost Boys as a short-lived but super famous boyband. Each member tells us their secrets in a confessional…A really interesting play on the subject. “A School For Peters” – another favourite and this dark tale imagines a world of Peters. Arrogant, never grow up and believe they have a natural ability to lead and lie without consequence. I loved how this fits a certain type of UK class and some would say particular group of PMs. It is a vicious satire about the ruling classes that Pan can be seen to represent and where that has got us. It also explores control as one of the Wendys is subject to a Peter’s attempts to control her forever. Inventive, thoughtful and has a lot of bite; “Chasing Shadows” by Cavan Scott – this imagines a bit of Neverland magic lore transposed to a 1980s estate. It’s very Stranger Things in its use of popular culture references and yet works because the kids feel real and the growing threat after one of their number loses their shadow makes it all feel new and also threatening. Really good storytelling. “Saturday Morning” by Anna Smith Spark – this is a dark tale of growing up as a man faced with being a parent, lover and a man in a time when it was a society controlled where sex and love were viewed as sinful and going to war is seen as a fun adventure. It is exploring the strange masculinity that Peter Pan pushes as to what a man should be and finding the hollowness underneath. Very disquieting; “Never Was Born His Equal” by Premee Mohamed – refreshingly this story takes a more positive spin to Peter and Wendy, as a strange monster attacks Neverland. It explores a different explanation for who Peter is and also explores the power of being open to your past. It’s a really powerful tale and plays with reality and dreamscapes in a very smart way as the secrets off Peter get exposed; “The Shadow Stitcher” by AK Benedict – this reads almost like a contemporary thriller as young parents ponder their missing seven-year-old after nearly two years and then a strange woman whispers she can find them. Here Wendy becomes something sinister, and Benedict fills the tale with a growing sense of foreboding that a high price is to come and a delicious final line. And that’s just a sample! Prepare for family secrets, crime scenes and many other tales to ponder what never growing up and Neverland really mean. I loved the collection’s ability to play with the concept and the tales all manage to run the emotions from happy to grief to fear with ease. A collection I highly recommend!’ Check it out here.   Then of course there were all the 4 and 5* reviews on Netgalley again: ‘Peter Pan will never grow up, but these grown up tales will have your skin crawling in horror. Perfect for the Disney Adult with a darker side to them.’   (Librarian 1070841) ‘Dark tales inspired by J. M. Barrie’s classic stories of Neverland, Captain Hook, Tinkerbell, and of course, Peter Pan, from some of the masters of science-fiction, horror and fantasy, including A. C. Wise, Claire North, Lavie Tidhar and more. The award-winning Marie O’Regan & Paul Kane bring together the masters of fantasy, science-fiction and horror to spin stories inspired by J. M. Barrie’s classic tale. In this unique collection, dark, sinister tales are intermingled with a few weird and quirky stories. There are one or two that I would suggest are verging on the eclectic and a couple slightly disturbing. But it is a horror-themed book, so you take your chances. Claire North’s “A School for Peters” was excellent, if reminiscent of something similar I have read before, but I wasn’t complaining. Premee Mohamed was, well, Premee Mohamed. A.C. Wise’s “Manic Pixie Girl” story was top-notch, weird, but definitely one of my favourites, as was “Silver Hook” by Gama Ray Martinez. The most disturbing and yet probably the most enthralling was “No Such Place” by Paul Finch. Read more like a crime thriller than anything else. Very graphic and brutal, the story centred around missing Lost Boys and the Murder Squad. Very scary and realistic, and top marks for atmosphere and thrills. Overall, The Other Side of Never is another fine collection of short stories that will intrigue, thrill and enthral in equal measures. Recommended.’ (John D. Reviewer) ‘If this is what they call “Fairytales for grown ups”, then I definitely need to be reading more fairytales. They’re dark, and some of them as sinister as hell. I shuddered on more than one occasion. Was never keen on Peter and Tink, now I might well add the whole cast of characters to that. A delightfully creepy book.’ (Louisa T) ‘You never know what to expect when you have a book with multiple writers’ takes, and it was the Doctor Who authors that interested me. As someone who hadn’t read the original JM Barrie book but thought I knew it through the various media I found the takes and nuances of the stories fun, and varied, and it has encouraged me to seek out the Barrie original novel.’  (Stuart M. Journalist)     ‘I’m a big fan of retellings, so when I saw this I had to request it. Peter Pan is one of my favorite characters to read retellings about. I’ve read so many and I love seeing other authors’ twists on it. These little stories were brutal if I may say. They are dark and demented. These are the kind of twisted tales I would definitely say were for an adult audience.’ (Cheyenne M). ‘A delicious compilation of dark and twisted stories inspired by the works of J.M Barrie and Peter Pan. The book didn’t take me long to finish, each story was engrossing and had many different themes. “A School for Peters” made me think of Black Mirror, though another reviewer compared it to The Handmaid’s Tale, which is probably more accurate. “Chasing Shadows” gave me the feeling of reading a Goosebumps book, I thoroughly enjoyed it and felt as if I was a kid again reading R. L. Stine. “The Reeds Remember” pulled inspiration both from Peter Pan and Greek mythos, two things I love. All in all there is something for everyone and of all 18 stories, each was its own. Something which greatly impressed me. (Bee M.) ‘I particularly want to shout out A.C. Wise's story, “Manic Pixie Girl”. Many times when you see an author who has successfully published multiple books related to a theme (Hooked and Wendy Darling, available from booksellers near you!) publishing a story in an anthology about that theme, their story is an offcut from those books, a chapter that didn’t quite make it into the final version and has decent prose but doesn’t really stand on its own as a story. The Gym Shoes of Shannara, we call those stories in my house: if you wanted to know every single unmagical detail of my magical world, step right up for some baaaaaackstoryyyyyy! Well, not only did Wise give us a complete and satisfying story rather than an offcut, she took an entirely different run at the Peter Pan concept with it than her novels did. That’s artistic integrity, is what that is, and my favorite story of the volume to boot. No gym shoes here. Other notable stories include Lavie Tidhar’s “A Visit to Kensington Gardens”, “Never Was Born His Equal” by Premee Mohamed, and “A House the Size of Me” by Alison Littlewood. I was a bit surprised that my favorites all tended to deal fairly directly with the subject matter rather than glancing off it, because I have no objections to a glancing inspiration, especially in this case, but that’s how it happened to fall out this time. Those whose taste skews more firmly in the horror direction will find other stories appeal to them more, and that’s how anthologies are supposed to work: different strokes for etc. etc.’ (Marissa L.)     ‘What drew me to this book was not only the title but some of the authors and the description. The cover art is awesome too! Pretty much this was the whole package for me. I mean, c’mon! Peter Pan!? Yes. Please! Retellings of Peter Pan are one of my top favorites, and this book did not disappoint! This is not a “child friendly” book. This is very adult geared with the violence and topics. Quite a number of the stories are on the twisted and sadistic side. This was a good switch up from what I’ve been reading lately. (Brittney G.) ‘I read the name of some authors and couldn’t help requesting this arc: Lavie Tidhar, Claire North, Edward Cox, Alison Littlewood are authors I appreciated and always loved their stories. This is a book that starts with a bang and never stops keeping you reading and surprising you. I discovered new to me authors, enjoyed very dark stories. Some are horror, some are disturbing, some are thrillers. There’s a lot in this book and I strongly recommend it.’ (Anna Maria G.) ‘Not your mother’s Peter Pan!!! If you could imagine an unusual story of Peter and the Lost Boys… well, it might be in here. I love anthologies, they are the best way to discover new authors and even new genres. Most have a theme, this one is Peter Pan, anything Peter Pan could be found here. It’s fascinating to read the varied authors’ vision of this children's story. If you’re looking for something different, you’ve found it!’ (Denise L.) ‘A collection of rather twisted Peter Pan tales. I love twists on old fairy tales so I enjoyed this book.’ (Lauren H.) ‘This was a very unique anthology. Each story explores Peter Pan – the boy who wanted to never grow up as an adult. It’s an interesting thing to explore and each author showcases a different take. Darker stories bordering on evil, projections and reflections of bigger pictures. A must read for ALL readers.’ (Kay O.)   Due to the train strikes the London Forbidden Planet signing for The Other Side of Never had to be postponed and is now on the 17th June, with Paul, Marie, Cavan Scott, Jen Williams, Paul Finch, Lavie Tidhar, Robert Shearman, Anna Smith Spark, Alexandra Benedict, Guy Adams and Laura Mauro. Below you can see one of the signed editions of Twice Cursed (photos by Von Harris) so expect more of the same!     You can grab your copy of The Other Side of Never here. And Twice Cursed here. -------------------------------------------------------------   Speaking of things being postponed, the extract from Paul’s play ‘One for the Road’ being performed by Hideout Theatre as part of their ‘Lights On’ evening is now taking place on July 2nd at the Young Actors Theatre Islington. You can book your tickets here.   ----------------------------------------- Paul’s copies of Nailbiters – Hard Bitten arrived from Encyclopocalypse last month and stunning it looks too! Below is the book alongside the original Nailbiters collection, which is still available here.   In addition, Starburst gave the book a great 4* review, saying: ‘Hard Bitten is the latest Nailbiters collection from horror author Paul Kane. Fans will know they’re in for a treat, but this time it’s something different to what we’re used to; this group of nine short stories and an audio script are tales of crime and psychological terror, some of which tie into the author’s thriller novels written under the name PL Kane. Others possess a small sense of the supernatural that Kane does so well. The stories presented here will run readers through highs and lows of emotions, thanks to the characters that Kane has created; protagonists make plausible decisions, while villains have believable motivations, all driving their plots. We’re in good hands here – manipulated, of course, for Kane’s usual deft twists are still very much in evidence – and although the usual tropes of the genre are necessarily adhered to, they’re used to create satisfying scenes and surprising conclusions; there’s nothing cosy about Kane’s crimes. The detectives featured are an achievement, while his Sherlock Holmes feels like it came from the pen of Conan Doyle himself. The duo involved in the Golden Sands mystery stood out from the crowd, and if ever a pair of literary cops could take the TV world by storm, it’s these two who made that story arguably the best of a superb bunch. This, along with the others, shows Kane’s versatility as a writer and had this reviewer reading long into the night. All in all, fantastic stuff from a fertile and unique imagination.’ You can read that here. And you can buy the book here or from the publisher Encyclopocalypse here. ---------------------------------------   More reviews now, starting with a 4* one from Bryony Best on Instagram and Twitter of Paul’s PL Kane thriller, Her Husband’s Grave. Bryony said: ‘I have just finished reading… Great book! I enjoyed the mystery and guessing what might happen next. The ending was not predictable, which was good too. The story was interesting and I liked the fact the main character was not perfect.’   And circling back to the original Cursed, Rachel Read It commented in her detailed review: ‘I would like to thank myself for having the good sense to pick up the latest O’Regan/Kane collab, well done to me, as Cursed is chockfull of wicked delights. As with most anthologies, there is a mix of the old and the new, getting off to a great start with a Snow White/Bluebeard riff , “As Red As Blood, As White As Snow” by Christina Henry, ending on generational horror tale, “The Girl From Hell” by Margo Lanagan. The stories are encased in a thorny embrace by a poem from Jane Yolen, which both appetizes, and then finishes the preceding dishes off neatly as an after dinner treat. There is always one or two which don’t quite land, each reader will take away what they will from this as they would with a compilation album. The concept is a neat one – what is a curse and is it always something negative? What would be life-ending to some can be life affirming to others, and with so many folklores and tales to explore, this a sandbox with infinite possibilities to play in. And in doing so, fresh and new twists can be created to stand alongside modern takes on old tales. For what are the fairy tales but oral traditions, morality tales to beware of so that you always keep on the right path. Unless you want to be eaten by that wolf, led astray or trapped in the consequences of your actions, that is… I found this collection to be entrancing, I genuinely couldn’t put it down as it takes twists and turns around one of my favourite genres… What I wanted was to be swept away, to be moved and find myself in other worlds. In the paraphrased-words of Stephen King, if a book can take you away from the insanity of modern life, for a few minutes, or a few hours, then that is a gift. And as editors, Marie and Paul make instinctive picks, create a running order that keeps you on your toes, and teases the best out of writers who push the envelope on modern, speculative fiction. And when I can get myself a copy, I look forward to diving into the sequel to this volume, Twice Cursed, which is available now, from all good bookshops!’ You can read that here. And you can buy both of those books here and here. ---------------------------------------------     This month we welcome BFS Award-nominee Phil Sloman as our Guest Writer, author of books such as Broken on the Inside (above) and Becoming David. He’s on the site with an exclusive extract from his new book, No Happily Ever After (below) which you can read here.   --------------------------------------------   An exciting announcement now, that Paul’s RED trilogy has found a home at Hellbound Books! Previously published separately by the likes of Skullvines and SST, this is the first time the original novella and two short novels have been brought together in one place so it’s all very exciting. To celebrate, Paul went on Hellbound’s ‘Panic Room Radio Show’ (below) to chat to them about it all – which you can listen to here. *The programme starts about 5 minutes in due to technical difficulties.   ---------------------------------------     Finally, Paul had a fantastic time at HorrorConUK last month where they screened his movies The Opportunity and Life-O-Matic and interviewed him about his work, including the feature Sacrifice. You can see photos above and below, including the puzzle box Paul designed ‘The Scribe Configuration’ for sale and Paul & Marie with an Angelique Cenobite cosplayer!   ----------------------------------------------- May   Twice Cursed, Paul & Marie’s latest anthology from Titan (above) dropped last month, to quite a fanfare from bloggers and reviewers, including a mention on Rachel Read It's updated Titanuary listing here. The first actual review came from Amy Walker over at Set the Tape, who had this to say in her 5* write-up: ‘In 2020 Titan Books published a darkly magical anthology book called Cursed, edited by authors Marie O’Regan and Paul Kane. It brought together a plethora of talented writers to tell twisted and grim tales about people under the spell of magical curses. Now, three years later, it looks like readers have been cursed a second time, cursed to read even more fantastic stories (is it still a curse if it’s a good thing?) as their new collection, Twice Cursed, is released. Much like last time, this collection brings together a number of well-known, award-winning authors to craft stories based around the age-old superstition of curses. There are a few writers who’ve actually made a return for this new volume, including Neil Gaiman, M.R. Carey, but most of the sixteen authors are new to the series this time round, and Twice Cursed acts as a wonderful follow-up to the first book, showcasing even more great names in the field of horror, and dark fantasy…Twice Cursed takes the concept of the first collection and does it all over again, but never feels like it’s giving the same kind of stories, or is content to do the bare minimum. The tales collected here all feel incredibly different, with different styles, settings, and tones, yet fit together incredibly well, giving what feels like a broad overview of how a simple prompt like a curse can result in so many different kinds of stories when given to talented writers.’ You can read the full, detailed review here.     Runalong the Shelves said: ‘The power of a Curse has stayed with us in our fairy tales, our folk tales and all sorts of later media. Bad luck can happen to you if you are unwary and we still avoid ladders, spilt salt and getting on the wrong side of a cat (for good reason). In the very entertaining anthology Twice Cursed the editors Marie O’Regan and Paul Kane have compiled a very interesting assortment of stories around this theme that should definitely keep a reader on the lookout for warning signs in the future. Amongst the many stories I enjoyed were “The Bell” by Joanne Harris – a fine opening tale that warns us that what we think will bring about joy may often be an object that brings about our own destruction. “Snow, Glass, Apples” by Neil Gaiman – a very famous story in other media now appears here in prose form and this revision of Snow White and the Evil Stepmother is beautifully chilling and plays with the myths in ways you will never forget if you’re reading it for the first time. But for others it’s just a wonderful story to curl up into and shiver. “The Tissot Family Circus” by Angela Slatter – one of my favourites in the collection – tells of a creepy travelling circus that appears by our narrator’s dropped blood. Here Slatter though notes true horror is not supernatural and some curses may help those in the most desperate of needs. A wonderfully melancholy tale telling you our main character’s life in only a few pages. “Mr Thirteen” by MR Carey – another great tale that starts off with a self-help group for the cursed that has many interesting attendees then veers into a cat and mouse horror tale as a new entrant to the group sets his sights on a young woman. There is though a satisfying reversal of fortune in waiting as a curse’s mystery is finally explained!... There is a host of entertaining tales all awaiting you to enjoy. This book is very much a dark treat rather than a curse and highly recommended!’  Again, the full detailed review is here.     Steph Warren over at Bookshine and Readbows commented: ‘This is an expertly curated anthology of expertly-written, dark, short stories. Each story has roots in fairy tales and folktales that feel familiar (Snow White, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, witches, monsters, princesses, orphans and first-born or youngest children) but each has a unique twist to it, a new flavour, a fresh perspective. There is not a single dud tale in this collection! Although every story is different in content and style, they are linked not only in theme but in the beautiful writing and clever weavings of plot and characters that will disturb you while reading and haunt you afterwards. Many of these stories linger in my mind long after other books and stories have passed through, and they carry with them an atmosphere of eerie otherworldliness that seems to confirm that the usual old stories have been tamed and toned down in their many retellings, while these tales sing wild warnings of blood and darkness and fear. I definitely recommend this collection for any grown-ups looking for fairy tale horror to remind them that wolves and witches await those who stray from the woodland path on a dark night.’ Read the full review here.     Then there were the various Instagram reviews, including one from Rachel Reads By Night (above) saying: ‘Featuring some of my all-time favourite spooky writers, this volume has a superb mix of gothic tales, fairy tale retellings and modern fantasy horror… There wasn’t a story I didn’t enjoy here, some are more spooky than others, but all of them are incredibly atmospheric and I especially loved the retellings. My favourite however was “The Angels of London”. If you’re looking for a great book to dip in and out of with dark creepy stories and great twists, from some of fantasy’s greatest writers, then this is perfect!’     And Katie Needs to Read More (above) who said: ‘I have always loved fairy tale retellings, as a teenager I loved Angela Carter’s The Bloody Chamber, and this reminded me of it so much. Each story was twisted and left me with a sense of unease and discomfort. My favourites were “Dark Carousel” and “Just Your Standard Haunted Doll Drama”. The appeal of an anthology is always interesting, I went into this being familiar with the likes of Neil Gaiman, Katherine Arden and a couple of other authors, but came out with authors I want to read more of. Each story felt so intricately written, no matter how long or short, creating a sense of the wider world around those few pages.’     Plus all the 4 and 5* reviews on Goodreads: ‘Twice Cursed is a fantastic horror anthology with something for all horror fans. Some of the authors in this quick and easy to read anthology were new to me and it was a pleasure to get to read their works. It certainly has encouraged me to seek out other stories by these authors. This collection also includes some big names from the horror/thriller world and as always these authors don’t disappoint. Thank you to the authors featured here for a fantastic and fun read.’ (Kelly W Reviewer) ‘After reading the previous collection Cursed, it was a no-brainer not to grab the opportunity to delve into this new assemblage of the horrifically weird, outlandish and outrageous… It was good that some of my favourite authors lent their unique talents to the array of short stories, including Joe Hill, Sarah Pinborough, Angela Slatter, M.R. Carey, Christina Henry, and A.C. Wise. There were also authors I had not come across before, which is always a good thing, as it widens that particular avenue, and there will be one or two who I will definitely be venturing into their books asap. I also can’t believe I haven’t read anything by Helen Grant before, which needs rectifying. The joint editors of Twice Cursed, Marie O’Regan, and Paul Kane, have put together a unique and fascinating blend of the old and new, and I would say it is very much on a par with the previous book, Cursed. Unusual twists, warped scenarios, bent out-of-shape characters, these stories carry the lot. Twice Cursed is a decent anthology for anyone interested in the horror genre and is, without a doubt, worthy of a read when you glance at the list of contributors… Recommended.’ (John D. Reviewer) ‘The book features contributions from some of the most prominent names in the fantasy genre, each offering their unique take on the theme of curses. The stories take readers on a journey through various settings, including a magical carnival of the dead, a mysterious Hellraiser-esque puzzle box, and a travelling circus with a bizarre ventriloquist act. The tales were well-crafted, with a dark and eerie undertone that kept me engaged throughout. One aspect that stood out to me was the unique reinterpretation of classic fairy tales, such as Snow White and The Red Shoes. The authors breathed new life into these tales, offering a fresh and thought-provoking perspective on characters that have been beloved for generations. The use of familiar tropes and settings served to anchor the reader in a comfortable familiarity, while the imaginative reworkings brought a new depth to the original stories. The writing style of each author was as exceptional as expected, and the pacing of each story was well-executed. The stories were of a perfect length to dip in and out of, making it an easy and enjoyable read and perfect for a trip away. I liked how each story was self-contained, allowing readers to pick and choose their favourites or read the book cover to cover. Additionally, the variety of curses explored in the book was expansive. From malevolent spirits to cursed artefacts, the anthology offered a wide range of supernatural phenomena to pique the reader’s interest. Each story felt unique and refreshing, yet tied together seamlessly by the overarching theme of curses. In summary, Twice Cursed is an engrossing read for fantasy enthusiasts who appreciate well-crafted stories with a dark and eerie tone. The book’s unique blend of traditional and reimagined curses, along with its engaging writing and pacing, make it a fantastic read for any fans of the genre. (Lucy A. Educator)   Photo credit: Paperbacks and Pinot   ‘I absolutely was lured in by the names Gaiman and Arden. I stayed for the whole lot and I think enjoyed them all pretty much equally. A little bit creepy, a little bit sinister, a little bit twisty, and little bit surprising. I liked it a LOT. It’s given me a few hours of great entertainment and some new authors to look into. Couldn’t ask for more. (Louisa T. Reviewer) ‘The list of contributing authors is impressive and includes a number of familiar names, including Joanne Harris, Neil Gaiman, M.R. Carey, Sarah Pinborough, Laura Purcell, and Christina Henry. Among the contributors A.C. Wise was a new author to me and I found her “Shoes as Red as Blood” superb. Indeed the quality of the stories is very high. Some stories are fairy tale retellings while others are address tropes such as haunted dolls, sinister circuses, and the like. Overall, I found Twice Cursed an excellent collection. It is atmospheric, dark, and twisty and very entertaining. The editors are to be congratulated for curating this anthology that is bound to appeal to readers who love fantasy and horror fiction. Highly recommended.’ (Vivienne O. Reviewer) ‘Creepy, disturbing and haunting, a perfect collection. I’m not usually a massive fan of short stories but with so many of my favourite authors in one anthology I was excited to read this and it didn’t disappoint. I read this in two days (which is fast for me) and didn’t want to put it down. I enjoyed every story but my stand outs were “Mr Thirteen”, “Pretty Maids”, “Dark Carousel” and “Haunted Doll Drama”. I highly recommended this anthology to fellow horror/fantasy fans!’ (Hayley R. Educator) ‘Really, really good. In fact, quite possibly the best anthology I have ever read. The first half was near perfect, not a single unperfect story. The tone worked really well for me – everything was just so very competently done. I especially loved M.R. Carey’s short story… What a perfect, perfect dark and wonderful story. Highly recommend the anthology!’ (Hannah S. Reviewer) ‘Wow what a book! Thank you ever so much for the opportunity to review. I could not put it down. Would definitely recommend to others.’ (Naul D. Reviewer)   Photo credit: Erik Hofstatter   Paul and Marie were joined at the Forbidden Planet Megastore in London on the 22nd by contributors Helen Grant and Laura Purcell for a signing and launch (sadly Alexandra Benedict was sick and couldn’t make it, but Joanne Harris did pop in earlier in the week to sign copies). An excellent day was had by all, and lost of books were signed, as you can see from the photos below.                     The editors will be back there on May 13th at 4pm for a The Other Side of Never signing event (below), featuring Cavan Scott, Jen Williams, Paul Finch, Lavie Tidhar, Robert Shearman, Anna Smith Spark, Alexandra Benedict and Guy Adams, which promises to be just as much fun!     As if that wasn’t enough, here’s the complete ToC for the anthology to whet your appetite: Foreword – Jen Williams; ‘A Visit to Kensington Gardens’ Lavie Tidhar; ‘Manic Pixie Girl’ AC Wise; ‘Fear of the Pan-Child’ Robert Shearman; ‘And On ’til Morning’ Laura Mauro; ‘The Other Side of Never’ Edward Cox; ‘The Lost Boys Monologues’ Kirsty Logan; ‘A School for Peters’ Claire North; ‘Chasing Shadows’ Cavan Scott; ‘Saturday Morning’ Anna Smith Spark; ‘The Land Between Her Eyelashes’ Rio Youers; ‘Boy’ Guy Adams; ‘Never Was Born His Equal’ Premee Mohamed; ‘The Shadow Stitcher’ AK Benedict; ‘A House the Size of Me’ Alison Littlewood;‘Silver Hook’ Gama Ray Martinez; ‘The Reeds Remember’ Juliet Marillier; ‘No Such Place’ Paul Finch; ‘Far From Home’ Muriel Gray.  You can pick up your own copy of Twice Cursed here. And pre-order The Other Side of Never here. ------------------------------------------------------------------     Paul’s other book out at the moment, his collection Nailbiters – Hard Bitten has also been getting some rave reviews, including the 5* one from Alpha’s Court (above): ‘This was my first journey into Paul Kane’s work and my God, what a journey it was! Paul has a gift for keeping you interested and engrossed in the stories he has to tell. Each story was so different in style but fit together so well, and I couldn’t look away. I don’t even know how to pick a favourite from these. “The PI’s Tale” with Mickey? “The Scarred” with Jackie? My classic favourite, Sherlock Holmes? There honestly wasn’t a bad story here, and I could make a case for any of them to be my favourite. I do wish, however, that I had read Nailbiters first just so I had the context for a couple of the stories, but I’m definitely going to read it now! Paul Kane is a unique voice in psychological thrillers, and has earned a fan for life. He has such a way with writing diverse characters. Mickey had to be one of my favourites, for sure. The hardened detective trying to find a missing child and poking holes at the classic noir investigator while being one himself. What a fun character to read! Jackie and his non-traditional VW espionage van was also a really interesting divergence from the cliché. Nailbiters – Hard Bitten is an exciting experience from start to finish; one that you definitely don’t want to miss!’     And over on Goodreads these were some of the 4 and 5* reviews: ‘This is a truly stellar collection of horror stories: there’s a guy who likes to serial date and although he is usually the one dishing out pain, this time he’ll be the one receiving it. There’s a PI who is looking for a missing boy who gets plagued by spiders and falls in love and this time the PI doesn’t get his man. You have many truly interesting stories in this anthology, I started reading it the first day I downloaded it and before I knew it half of the book was read, which was kind of bittersweet because that meant I only had half of the book to go. Some stories are very short and some are quite long but all are very interesting. I think Mr. Kane did a great job and although I have never read his books before, being a big fan of short horror stories and good horror writers I will definitely be looking for his books in the future. This is definitely a book any horror fan would love.’ (Janalyn Prude) ‘Nailbiters – Hard Bitten by Paul Kane (Volume II) is a collection comprised of crime & psychological terror. The stories were fun, often exhilarating and extremely dark at times, and kept me continuously “flipping the pages” of my Kindle to get to the next story sequence. The author maintained the psychological theme while allowing each tale to be drastically different than the last. From characters, setting, plot or perspective I was really happy NOT knowing what I was going to get as I read forward, allowing for this book to be all the more interesting for readers who are drawn to short stories and anthologies! Quick Mention: Some of the chapters are written in handwriting and scripted fonts versus standard type fonts, and they allow for me to be fully immersed in the subject matter and present story. It’s so cool, and I very much appreciated this added and thoughtful flare! Favorite Chapters: “The PI’s Tale (A Refuge Story)”, “The Case of the Lost Soul”, “The Scarred”, “Strands”.’ (Casey S) ‘A good collection of crime stories by the versatile and prolific Paul Kane. My favourite pieces are: “ Benched”, an effective tale of psychological/physical horror where a dangerous womanizer gets his deserved punishment, “The P.I.’s Tale” an excellent story featuring a P.I. trying to trace a missing boy, “ The Case of the Lost Soul” a nice Sherlock Holmes pastiche with a distinct exotic flavour, and the previously unpublished “Strands”, the diary of a young woman kept prisoner and secluded from the world for a long time by a crazy lady.’ (Mario Guslandi)   All this and people have been sharing photos of the book in the wild, like the one below from Helen Brannigan…     You can pick up your copy here or from the publisher Encyclopocalypse here. -----------------------------------------------------------     And sticking with Encyclopocalypse, the publisher is gearing up for the release of Paul’s sequel to The Gemini Factor by releasing a jacketed hardcover of the original. Above is a picture they shared online of the progress for the cover…  You can still buy the original paperback and ebook version of the 10th Anniversary edition here and here. ----------------------------------------------------     Our Guest Writer for the month of May is Amanda Mason, who Paul met at the UK Ghost Story Festival back in February. She is the author of The Wayward Girls (above) and you can jump straight into an extract from her latest release, The Hiding Place (below), by clicking here.     -------------------------------------------------------       Paul was delighted to see In These Hallowed Halls on the Titan stand for London Book Fair last month, one of the most well-known and popular literary trade events of the year. The hardback anthology itself is not out till September, but you can pre-order it here. ----------------------------------------------------     A couple more events for your diary now, in addition to The Other Side of Never signing Paul’s play adaptation of ‘One for the Road’ will have an extract performed by Hideout Theatre as part of their ‘Lights On’ event (above) at the Young Actors Theatre Islington, Sunday 21st May at 7pm. You can book your tickets here.     Paul himself will be attending HorrorCon 2023 the day before, where there will be a retrospective of his film and TV work – including screenings of The Opportunity and Life-O-Matic (both below). Also at the event are stars such as Heather Langencamp (A Nightmare on Elm Street), Kane Hodder (Jason in many Friday the 13th movies), Eileen Dietz (The Exorcist), plus friends, the Cenobites: Nicholas Vince, Barbie Wilde, Simon Bamford and Doug Bradley. You can book that one here.       -----------------------------------------------------------     Meanwhile another short film written by Paul has just been announced: Blackout, to be directed by Jacob Osborn. Still in the early stages, this is an incredibly exciting project, and if you want to read the award-winning story it’s based on it last appeared in the Sinister Horror Company collection Darkness and Shadows (below) which you can pick up here.     -------------------------------------------------------------     Finally, the signed hardback edition of the script/film book Dark Mirages that Paul edited (above) is part of the PS Publishing ‘Movie Magic’ sale (below). You can check it out here. ------------------------------------------------------   April   Paul & Marie’s latest anthology Twice Cursed, out on the 18th of this month from Titan Books, has been getting some great pre-release buzz. Here’s the review from the mighty Publishers Weekly: ‘Dark magic runs rampant through this star-studded sequel to O’Regan and Kane’s Cursed anthology. “The Bell” by Joanne Harris makes a fitting opener, warning readers to be careful of acting without knowing what the consequences will be. Some of these 16 tales are direct spins on familiar stories – among them “Snow, Glass, Apples,” Neil Gaman’s take on “Snow White” – while others are entirely new: one of the more surprising is “A Curse Is a Curse” by Helen Grant, which reveals a shocking truth about the Wall that encloses the heroine’s village. Another standout, “Shoes as Red as Blood” by A.C. Wise, examines the brutal fates that often befall women and girls in fairy tales. The members of the support group in M.R. Carey’s “Mr Thirteen” suffer from physical curses, while the characters of Joe Hill’s “Dark Carousel” are haunted by a cycle of violence. A handful of stories take a lighter approach: the circus provides refuge for the cursed in Angela Slatter’s “The Tissot Family Circus,” while the heroine of “St. Diabolo’s Traveling Music Hall” by A.K. Benedict uses curses to aid abused women. The anthology ends on a strong note with L.L. McKinney’s incredibly unsettling “The Music Box.” Fans of eerie fairy tales and dark fantasy won’t want to miss this.’      While Booklist said the following: ‘This follow-up to O’Regan and Kane’s Cursed (2020) shares the same basic premise as the first anthology: it contains a wide array of genre stories dealing with some person or group of people who are, in a word, cursed. The anthology is made up mostly of relatively recent stories, with a few exceptions, such as Neil Gaiman’s almost 30-year-old “Snow White” retelling, “Snow, Glass, Apples,” and Sarah Pinborough’s 2009 “The Confessor’s Tale,” a story previously featured in a Hellraiser-themed anthology by the same editors… Overall this is a solid anthology, varying widely in tone and theme from other fairy-tale retellings (including another “Snow White”) to the fairly humorous, like M.R. Carey’s curse-afflicted support group in “Mr Thirteen,” to bleaker entries like Adam LG Nevill’s grim cycle of bloodthirsty, occult landlordship in “The Angels of London.” This anthology should more than satisfy established genre fans and general readers alike.’     The book has also gone up to request on NetGalley, so if you’re a reviewer and want to grab it you can do so here. And you can pre-order Twice Cursed here. ---------------------------------------------------------     Huge congratulations to Annette Wardell, who won an ARC of The Other Side of Never from Titan as part of World Book Day (above). While another contributor, Premee Mohamed, received her copy of the finished book (below).       You can pre-order your copy here. ------------------------------------------------     Our Guest Writer for April is the bestselling author of The Return (above), none other than Anita Frank. You can read an extract from her ghostly tale, The Lost Ones (below), simply by clicking here.     --------------------------------------------------------------       There was a live Tubi watch and Tweetalong of the movie Paul scripted last month, The Torturer (above). Viewers had comments like ‘As a psychology major, this is definitely a movie I need to see again and peel some of those layers back’ and they also spotted the Hellraiser connection with star Paul T. Taylor. ------------------------------------------------       Sticking with that subject, Paul has updated and added to his mammoth Hellraiser piece for HorrorHound from a few years ago. A comprehensive look at everything Hellraiser-related right up to the new movie and beyond, you can pre-order it from Forbidden Planet here. ---------------------------------------------       More shoutouts for the sellout PL Kane book Her Husband’s Grave now on Insta, from @read_or_reading (above) and @bookswithgxx (below).       You can pick up this one and all the other PL Kanes in paperback here, here, and here. Or on Kindle here, here, and here. ----------------------------------------------------     Very sad news now, one of Paul’s closest friends Chris Fowler passed away back in March (above is a lovely picture of Paul and Marie with him at a BFS Open Night several years ago). Chris left an incredible legacy behind him, including the popular Bryant and May mysteries (beginning with Full Dark House, below).     Paul started reading his fiction back in the ’90s after picking up and devouring the collection Flesh Wounds, which he still calls ‘one of the best short story collections of all time’. In fact, Paul and Marie were lucky enough to reprint Paul’s favourite story from that one – ‘Hated’ – in the first Cursed anthology. Chris and Paul started chatting online around 2000, and then met in person at an FCon where he was the Guest of Honour in 2003 (below). They hit it off and Chris very kindly offered to introduce one of his collections, what turned out to be Peripheral Visions (also below).       He was a lovely guy and Paul will miss him terribly. RIP. ---------------------------------------------------   March   Paul’s second Nailbiters collection, Hard Bitten, is now up for pre-order here and here. Released by Encyclopocalypse this features all of his recent crime and psychological stories – including some PL Kane tales – and is out in paperback at the end of the month. Click here to find out where else it’s available. If you want to double-bill it, the original Nailbiters is also still available to buy here, including the version with the DVD of The Opportunity. --------------------------------------------------       Paul and Marie received their contributor copies of the anthologies Twice Cursed and The Other Side of Never from Titan last month (above and below, including the books on their shelf at home).             Authors were also receiving their copies and posting about it, like Laura Purcell, Anna Smith Spark, Cavan Scott and Ed Cox (all below).             If you like the looks of them, you can pre-order the books here and here. ----------------------------------------------       Paul’s copy of the finished version of Kate Simants’ Freeze arrived last month, with his quote inside (above). You might remember, Kate was last month’s Guest Writer on the site – and the book is out now through Viper here. -------------------------------------------       Some more mentions now for Paul’s crime novel Her Husband’s Grave, writing as PL Kane (above) from Ruthey’s Bookstagram who said, ‘I really enjoyed it. One of them where you think, ah yes, I know where this is going... but really you didn’t ha-ha. Great read/Plenty of twists and massive surprises.’ And from Tattoos, Clues and Book Reviews who have just bought a copy. You can still buy all three of the PL Kanes in paperback here, here, and here. Or on Kindle here, here, and here. --------------------------------------------     Following on from the ‘Such Sights to Show’ podcast as reported last month comes the news that Sherlock Holmes and the Servants of Hell is back in print. You can pick up the English language edition here and here.     Not only that, but a Spanish edition is due out next year from Dimensiones Ocultas (above). You can check out their site here. ------------------------------------------------------     And following on from the announcement of the movie version of The Between last month, comes news that Paul has adapted his own short story ‘Shells’ into a feature script to be directed by James Jobling of Rebel Skulls (Until Death, below)     You can find the story itself in Paul’s collection Disexistence (below) here.     ----------------------------------------------     Peter Tennant of Black Static recently reviewed Paul’s 2015 Quayle book (above), and here’s what he had to say: ‘The Bric-a-brac Man (Pendragon Press) finds author Paul Kane in comedic mode, with two novellas aimed at the reader’s funny bone…While each novella contains a plot, they are not to be taken seriously, just skeletons on which Kane builds his comedy. These stories are, to make no bones about it, highly amusing, with delightful characterisation and various running jokes, such as Pemberton’s unrequited love for housekeeper Mrs Hudsucker or his questionable choice in snow gear. You can have a lot of fun spotting the many and various genre references, and there is some witty wordplay on offer. If I have any reservations it's that rather a lot of the humour hinges on Pemberton being a complete idiot who misinterprets absolutely everything that is said to him, which while entertaining at first eventually becomes a bit tiresome. On the other hand, you'll probably find yourself anticipating how the booby will respond next time, so it is a very minor complaint and not something that seriously detracts from enjoyment of the work. In conclusion, these novellas slip down a treat and will bring a smile to the face of all but the most curmudgeonly of readers.’ You can read the whole thing here. -------------------------------------------     Ahead of the UK Ghost Story Festival in Derby, which Paul was a guest at last month, he was interviewed by Horrortree for their regular ‘Spooky Six’ section (above). To read this, just click here.     And below you’ll find some highlights from that event itself, including the performance of Carnacki: The Horse of the Invisible on the Thursday night, Paul & Marie’s books on sale, Stephen Volk being interviewed by Ally Wilkes, Paul chairing the ‘Location in Ghost Stories’ panel with Mathew West, Anita Frank, Sophie Draper and Amanda Mason, Guest of Honour Michelle Paver being interviewed and some of the signed goodies Paul brought back with him…               © Alice Murphy-Pyle                   -----------------------------------------     Finally, our Guest Writer this month was also a speaker at the festival, author of The House of Footsteps (above), Mathew West. You can find an extract from his next novel, The Water Child out in May, here. --------------------------------------------   February   As mentioned in previous news sections, Paul will be guesting at the UK Ghost Story Festival in Derby this month, where he’ll be doing a reading with Marie and chairing a panel on ‘Location in Ghost Stories’ (above and below).     In the run-up to the event itself, he’s also been doing quite a bit of publicity, including a video promo with his three essential elements of a successful Ghost Story here, an online interview (below) and also a blog interview which you can read here.       There’s still time to book your tickets, simply click here. ----------------------------------------------------     Advance review copies of The Other Side of Never from Titan went out in January, and stunning they look too (above). Reviewers like Andrew Liptak have already started sharing their pictures of the book in the wild (below).     Meanwhile contributor Paul Finch has also included the anthology in his roundup of anticipated releases for the first half of 2023 (below), which you can read in full on his blog here.     Another publicity photo of Twice Cursed has just been released (below) and for the first time we’re able to share with you the full ToC for the anthology out in April: ‘The Bell’ by Joanne Harris; ‘Snow, Glass, Apples’ by Neil Gaiman; ‘The Tissot Family Circus’ by Angela Slatter; ‘Mr Thirteen’ by M.R. Carey; ‘The Confessor’s Tale’ by Sarah Pinborough; ‘The Old Stories Hide Secrets Deep Inside Them’ by Mark Chadbourn; ‘Awake’ by Laura Purcell; ‘Pretty Maids All In A Row’ by Christina Henry; ‘The Viral Voyage of Bird Man’ by Katherine Arden; ‘The Angels of London’ by Adam L.G. Nevill; ‘A Curse is a Curse’ by Helen Grant; ‘Dark Carousel’ by Joe Hill; ‘Shoes as Red as Blood’ by A.C. Wise; ‘Just Your Standard Haunted Doll Drama’ by Kelley Armstrong; ‘St Diablo’s Travelling Music Hall’ by A.K. Benedict; and ‘The Music Box’ by L.L. McKinney.     You can pre-order those two books here and here. ----------------------------------------     A very special Guest Writer this month, in the form of Kate Simants and a novel Paul himself has given a glowing quote to, Freeze (above) – out soon from Viper books. Here’s what Paul had to say: ‘Plenty of drama, plenty of tension, plenty of twists… With shades of Ruth Ware and Lucy Foley, the realism and authenticity of someone who knows TV production inside out shone through to make this thrilling novel unique. Kate Simants’ Freeze will definitely give you chills.’   To read an extract, just click here. To order the book, click here. -------------------------------------------------       A huge thank you to ‘My Little Reading Corner’ and ‘Reset with Romaine’ for the shoutouts about Paul’s crime novel Her Husband’s Grave, writing as PL Kane (above).       This coincides with Paul finishing up a sequel novelette to The Family Lie, ‘The Communion’ (both above), which will only be available through the PL Kane newsletter. You can sign up for that at the bottom of this page here.     And you can buy all three of the PL Kanes – including the first one, Her Last Secret – in paperback here, here, and here. Or on Kindle here, here, and here. ---------------------------------------     Last month, the ‘Such Sights to Show’ podcast devoted an entire episode to Paul’s novel Sherlock Holmes and the Servants of Hell, and they loved it! You can hear what they had to say by clicking here.     -------------------------------------------------------     Film news now, and director Michael Miller (of HorrorHound) has optioned Paul’s novelette ‘The Between’ to be turned into a feature film. Described as ‘Devil meets Jaws’, this one last appeared in the hardback collection More Monsters from Black Shuck Books (below), which you can still pick up here.     -----------------------------------------------------------------     Finally, February is of course Paul’s birthday month, so we’re sure you’ll join us in wishing him Many Happy Returns! Catch you next month. --------------------------------------------------------- January   A new year, a new book announcement. This time it’s In These Hallowed Halls, a Dark Academia anthology (above), edited with Marie and due to be published by Titan in hardback this coming September. This from the official PR: ‘Enrolment begins now! A beguiling, sinister collection of 12 dark academia short stories from masters of the genre, including Olivie Blake, M.L. Rio, Susie Yang and more! Twelve original dark academia stories from bestselling thriller writers – imagine darkened libraries, exclusive elite schools, looming Gothic towers, charismatic professors, illicit affairs, the tang of autumn in the air… and the rivalries and obsessions that lead to murder. Brand-new stories from: Olivie Blake, M.L. Rio, David Bell, Susie Yang, Layne Fargo, J.T. Ellison, James Tate Hill, Kelly Andrew, Phoebe Wynne, Kate Weinberg, Helen Grant, Tori Bovalino.’ You can pre-order that here or here. It joins the other mass market anthologies Paul and Marie have edited for 2023, Twice Cursed and The Other Side of Never (all below).     And you can pre-order those here and here. ------------------------------------------------     And Paul’s first event for this year was announced last month. He’s a Guest Speaker at the third UK Ghost Story Festival in Derby in February (above and below) alongside authors such as Laura Purcell (The Silent Companions, The Whispering Muse), Stephen Volk (Afterlife, Lies of Tenderness) and Michelle Paver (Dark Matter, Thin Air). He’ll be doing a reading on the Saturday morning followed by chairing a panel on ‘Location in Ghost Stories’ You can see what else is on during the event and book your tickets by clicking here.     --------------------------------------------------------     We’re starting as we mean to go on in the  Guest Writer stakes this month, with the bestselling author of Nothing to Lose and Snakes and Ladders (above) Victoria Selman. Click here to read an extract from her latest excellent novel Truly, Darkly, Deeply (below).     -------------------------------------------------------         Above are the AI images José Leitão of the Clive Barker Podcast created based on Paul’s novel Sherlock Holmes and the Servants of Hell using Midjourney. If you’ve ever wondered what a movie version might look like, this will definitely give you some idea!     -----------------------------------------------------           Finally, above are some pictures from the packed out PS/Absinthe book event that took place just before Christmas at the Angel in London, including commissioning editor Marie and Mike Smith of PS Publishing introducing the event and all the authors present for a group photo (L-R: Laura Mauro, Priya Sharma, George Mann, Cavan Scott, Mike ‘MR’ Carey and Louise Carey). Below are the three new books: Pomegranates by Priya, The Last Night at the Star Dome Lounge by Mike and A Candle for Malka by Louise.     You can buy all these and the previous ones by clicking here.   -------------------------------------------------------------- ARCHIVE 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 |

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