Shadow Writer - The Official Paul Kane Website

First published by Abaddon in the UK, September 2008. Mass Market Paperback, with artwork by Mark Harrison, £6.99.

ISBN: 978-1-905437-76-4

‘One of the most enjoyable Robin Hood stories you are likely to read.’

(Lee Harris, The Hub Magazine)

‘Arrowhead is huge fun. The characters we know from the tales of Robin Hood are all there, and Kane allows them to understand they are playing a part in the re-establishment of a myth. If you’ve ever wanted to see Robin Hood go up against tanks, this is for you; if not, well, buy it anyway.’

(Four star review by Anthony Leigh, DeathRay magazine)

‘ Of all the novels so far in the Chronicles, this is the most visual, with Kane's prose bringing to life the world both within Nottingham Castle and in Sherwood Forest. His action sequences have a film editor’s eye, giving the reader exactly the amount of information needed to become caught up in events. Kane’s mixture of legend and modern-day works well, with Rob Stokes making a very effective reluctant hero, becoming the latest incarnation of the Hooded Man almost despite himself.’

(Paul Simpson, Dreamwatch Presents Total Sci-Fi)

‘I didn’t want to read this book. Not because I was concerned about the quality of the work, but because the myth of Robin Hood is a precious thing to me. I come from Nottingham and spent my childhood being told the tales of the “wolf’s head”… I grew up watching the Richard Carpenter TV show that moulded the story to include magic; I had read the comics and the original tales. I knew Robin Hood and I didn’t want him sullied. Fortunately Kane has done no such thing. He knows his history and has carefully moulded a story around the myth…The tale plays on the imagery and mythic undertones of the Hood stories, pieces of the legend falling into place, the collective memory of Hood being brought to the forefront of people’s minds… As well as playing with the fables of the “Outlaw” Arrowhead also falls into the tradition of English sci-fi disaster stories, in some places the work echoes Wyndham in the depiction of the survivors attempting to regain some normality in their lives. An excellent read that adds rather than detracts from the folklore of Robin Hood.’

(Adam J. Shardlow, Prism Magazine.)

‘I know you see where this one’s going. That’s right! It’s a modern re-working of the old Robin Hood tales! There’s even a “Maid Marian” and a “Friar Tuck” to keep you company. Paul Kane effortlessly weaves the tale of our favorite green clad do-gooder with post-apocalyptic brilliance. I can’t say enough good about this book. It’s awesome and I loved every page of it!’

(Jim Dodge Jr, Mass Movement Magazine)

‘Arrowhead is another great instalment in the Afterblight Chronicles, well written and a great visual. If you are lacking a good book to read and want an action-packed, this is a good one to pick up.’

( Sacramento Book Review)

‘Yes, Abaddon’s world of the “Afterblight Chronicles” has a hero who steals from the rich and gives it all to the poor, which makes for a pretty decent tale from where I’m sitting...There’s plenty going on, in terms of spectacle and intrigue, that kept me going, and if you’re already a fan then I think you’ll be hooked, too. Kane also really gets inside the heads of his “good” characters (Robert in particular) which made me feel that little bit more empathy for what they were going through…And the villains are appropriately villainous.’

(Graeme’s Fantasy Book Review)

‘I have to say I loved it. I thought it was really cool, and really clever because it actually mirrors the story of Robin Hood but at the same time is its own story, which is quite a difficult thing to do. Kane has got quite a cool way of writing because I could see it as a movie. So he used just enough description, the action was really well done. There were some pretty grim torture scenes which even made me wince. The villain was proper old school, you don’t need to explain why he’s nasty: he just is. You don’t sympathise with him and go I kind of see where he’s coming from. You just boo him and wait for him to get his comeuppance. It’s a real boo the villain, cheer the hero book, but done in a really clever way, so I’d recommend it.’

(Geek Syndicate Podcast)

‘Absolutely blinding – everybody should go buy a copy.’

(Scott Andrews, author of School’s Out and Operation Motherland.)

To buy Arrowhead, click here

Broken Arrow, by Paul Kane

The Afterblight Chronicles: Broken Arrow

First published by Abaddon in the UK, September 2009. Mass Market Paperback, with artwork by Mark Harrison, £6.99.

ISBN: 978-1-906735-27-2

‘I love the concept of the books, mixing a bit of myth and science fiction into a heady and thrilling piece of tough story-telling.’

(Richard Carpenter, creator of Robin of Sherwood)

‘In this sequel to Arrowhead, Paul Kane picks up the tale of Robert Stokes, a post-apocalyptic Robin Hood, and his band of (merry men) survivors. We pick up the thread of the tale at a time when Robert, Mary, Jack, Mark and the others have built a larger following and taken to policing more than just their own territory... I strongly recommend you pick up the book and enjoy the ride! Paul Kane is a superb writer and his characters come to life with often tragic clarity. Good guys die, bad guys live and sometimes good guys live and bad guys die, usually in equal amounts. Even after only two books I’ve come to really love Robert Stokes and all of his new friends. They’re good people trying to live well in a bad world. When they bleed, I bleed. I only wish that more authors would write books this wonderful.’

(Mass Movement Magazine)

‘When I originally heard of a second novel in this series by Paul Kane, I knew that I just had to get my hands on it pretty quickly as his original offering really was a title that I loved. After all, the beautifully creative way in which he’d managed to weave folklore and British History together in an apocalyptic setting really created something that enchanted readers. The real problem however was how would he better it or could he even live up to the original creation with the second offering, or would it just collapse around the authors ears as he’d pretty much done everything he could with the original? I shouldn’t have worried to be honest as this tale didn’t only build upon the original but exceeded my expectations as the author brought more twists to the tale alongside emotional conflict that really did keep the characters fresh. Add to the mix some new villains alongside some old fiends and it’s a tale that will keep you glued to the last page and crying in anguish for a third instalment.’

(Falcata Times)

‘I love reading Abaddon’s “Afterblight Chronicles” and Broken Arrow was no exception. It’s lightweight but fun, and a very accessible retelling of the Robin Hood story...worth a read if you’re a fan.’

(Graeme’s Fantasy Book Review)

To buy Broken Arrow, click here

Arrowland, by Paul Kane

The Afterblight Chronicles: Arrowland

First published by Abaddon in the UK, September 2010. Mass Market Paperback, with artwork by Mark Harrison, £7.99.

ISBN: 978-1-90519130

(A Waterstones.com and Amazon.co.uk Top 100 bestseller!)

‘Kane ups the ante as Post-Apocalyptic Britain is under siege from enemies within as well as outside its borders. The series is an absolute must have as Paul’s version of the Robin Hood Legend brings it refurbished and renewed to a modern audience. Seriously addictive writing backed up by stark realistic brutalism all wrapped up in clever yet simple prose painting a picture of many colours, as well as presenting scents to the audience so that they can walk the world with the tale’s heroes...I really can’t wait to see what comes next.’

(Four Star review, Falcata Times)

‘Arrowland marks the third entry in Paul Kane’s post-apocalyptic Robin Hood saga. Though the books feature a hooded hero, arrow fights and Sherwood Forest, the narrative actually feels closer in spirit to Neil Marshall’s Doomsday than Robin Hood: like Marshall’s exploitation opus, this is a fun ultra-violent adventure set against a backdrop of a battle-scarred, semi-feudal Britain... The battle sequences are bloody and visceral, the pace moves with the speed of a ravenous whippet, and the dialogue is hard-bitten... Itwould make a good basis for a nifty little B-movie... A good deal more fun than Ridley Scott’s recent soporific reworking of Robin Hood, and the narrative is surprisingly complex.’

(James Skipp, Total Sci-Fi Online)

‘Another entry in The Afterblight Chronicles, which involves a post apocalyptic world where magic has been restored. Robert is the leader of a band of self appointed protectors of the common people, an obvious reference to Robin Hood since he is even known as the Hooded Man, but Robert is troubled by more than just corrupt officials and mendacious survivors. He has been having dreams of monstrous creatures dominating the world, and he’s not convinced that they are just metaphorical analogies. His story is set in context by other struggles in Russia and Germany but the focus is on Britain, not surprisingly, and his actions to forestall the threat he feels impinges upon those he is sworn to protect. Not bad at all.’

(Critical Mass)

‘Whilst the universe may be shared, Paul Kane’s story is unmistakably his own, and the Robin Hood mythos in Arrowhead blends itself wonderfully into this dark future... Paul Kane drops you straight in at the deep end, and his efficient writing style leads the story along at break-neck speed without losing any of the texture or emotion that permeates the book. Paul’s concise narrative allows ease of reading whilst losing none of the emotional depth. Although the novel comes in at 270 pages, and carries a lot of plot, the story never feels rushed. Arrowland may have global scale, but the story remains focused upon the characters. As with any great novel, it is the characters that matter, and here they are given scope to breathe. It is to Paul Kane’s credit that he juggles three separate storylines (which later merge into one), and that we never lose track of the characters as each has their own unique voice. Despite the overtly fictional elements, Paul consistently portrays a plethora of realistic and diverse characters, and contrasts how they currently survive against their lives before the cull, giving added depth and credibility for their actions. I especially enjoyed the character of Dale as the maverick undercover agent, for he combines a fascinating blend of human vulnerability with skilled capability... Whilst Arrowland was Paul Kane’s final book in the Arrowhead trilogy, I did not find myself needing to read the previous books, as any elements previously established were explained without feeling forced or contrived... One aspect I appreciated is how Paul Kane portrayed the supernatural elements within Arrowland, for they were never overtly present and could always by rationalised as improbable, but not impossible, coincidences... Hood’s link to Sherwood has a distinctly shamanistic flavour that was both well represented and researched and fitted well with the character... There were undeniable parallels with the Mad Max films, especially Thunderdome, given Arrowland’s conclusion (I will not explain further as I do not wish to spoil the story for you). I also found the overall feel of Arrowland mirrored the Mad Max style, given the prevalence of dementia amongst the warlords...Overall, Paul Kane’s Arrowland was a gripping read filled with action and suspense and a “ripping yarn” in the truest sense of the word, which many books aspire to but rarely achieve.’

(Dominion)

‘Coming into a trilogy for the final instalment can be a tricky, intimidating and confusing experience. Not so with this third book in the post-apocalyptic tales of Robin Hood. Or actually Robert the Hood. This action-packed book gives you enough of the back-story so you know these characters have a history, but not so much that it overwhelms the action; Kane plays this well, intricately embedding history into the thrill-ride plot. And what a thrill it is! In the not too distant post-apocalyptic future, Robert the Hood and his Rangers have already defeated the last two attempts by crazy despots to take over England. But it never ends; in Scotland, The Widow can see the future and eats men alive to gain their powers, and she’s building an army to take out the Rangers. In Wales, The Dragon is intent on building his army, having made a home in the Millennium Stadium and destroyed the Rangers’ Welsh Head Quarters. Tanek, a huge beast of a man, who previously fought alongside the now defeated Tsar, is out to cause trouble, dealing with both the new Scottish and Welsh rulers. Meanwhile The Shadow is on the hunt for Robert, intent on fulfilling his master’s mysterious plans.
It doesn’t get much more action-packed that this, starting off with an attack on a convoy, and ending... well, I’ll leave that for you to find out. If you like your fiction fast-paced, action-packed and completely over-the-top, then you’ll love this... Kane certainly provides a whole lot of entertainment in this book.’

(Stanley Riiks, Morpheus Tales)

‘In the previous books I was pleased that Nottingham was used so effectively as the story's backdrop. In the first two novels my adopted hometown has been central to the story... This time out, however, the action moves further afield. Robert and his men are forced split up to deal with two new potential threats, a psychotic witch called The Widow, who is using Edinburgh Castle as her base, and a mysterious character calling himself The Dragon, based in the heart of Wales. Robert also has to deal with the resurgence of old enemies from his past. There is quite a strong mystical element throughout the novel. As The Hooded Man Robert is becoming almost a creature of legend himself. His opponents all speak about his feats in hushed tones. His connection with Sherwood and the land he protects is also explored. Robert is visited by visions while he sleeps and these help prepare him for the challenges he has to face. This reminded me in many ways of the excellent nineteen eighties television series Robin of Sherwood.

As the story has developed over the three books the reader gets more and more insight into the characters of Robert and his men. It’s nice to see that some of the characters bear a passing resemblance to the original Robin Hood myth...There was part of me that didn’t want the novel to end. At a trim two hundred and sixty nine pages the action and adventure never flags. This trilogy is the first of the Afterblight Chronicles I have read, but I will definitely be purchasing more... Do yourself a favour and pick up this series of books.’

(The Eloquent Page)

To buy Arrowland, click here

Visit the ‘Arrowhead Trilogy’ website by clicking here

The Gemini Factor, by Paul Kane

The Gemini Factor

First published by Screaming Dreams in the UK, March 2010. Trade Paperback, with cover artwork by Steve Upham, £9.99.

ISBN: 978-1-906652-09-8

‘In some ways – and I mean this only as a compliment – The Gemini Factor is deceptively conventional: It moves along like a well-structured thriller – moves like a fucking rocket, in fact – but what’s fascinating to me (and will be, I trust, to you) is how it’s actually something else at the same time. In an extremely well executed example of form imitating content, the novel itself is “twinned”. The surface narrative has a secret brother walking constantly alongside, hiding its footprints in those of its sibling, keeping always to the shadows of subtext and carefully delineated implication. ReadingThe Gemini Factor, you will feel you are reading a first-rate example of the realistic Police Procedural, one with an adorable and admirable heroine and many other characters about whom you could actually give a shit. All the time, though, you will have a sense that another story is taking place, one that you can’t quite see, one that is being told only in whispers, one that is a supernatural echo of the main narrative, its shadow self, its dark brother. You might tell yourself you’re imagining things. But you’re not. You don’t have to. Paul Kane got there first and has imagined it for you. And – once the stories converge in the tension-filled and well-staged climax – you’ll be grateful that he did. Grateful and impressed. Grateful, impressed and, just a little bit, appalled.’

(From the Introduction by Peter Atkins – Author of Morningstar and Moontown, screenwriter of Hellraiser II-IV and Wishmaster)

‘The Gemini Factor is a supernatural thriller from the award winning author Paul Kane... The novel tells the story of a twisted and highly successful serial killer whose victims are always one of twins and always have a body part missing, taken by the killer as a souvenir. Inspector Roy Mason and his Sergeant Deborah Harrison are the detectives who must hunt this murderer before he kills again but their only lead is Jack Foley, a man who’s own twin brother was savagely struck down by the killer and now believes he relives each and every death....The Gemini Factor draws on the twins mythology to create a modern day thriller of supernatural proportions. The plot is both involving and rewarding while the actual storytelling is quite excellent. Paul Kane manages to create a realistic portrayal of victim / killer / hunter without going over the top as many other writers do. His descriptive narrative grabs attention while the plot’s pace manages to keep you reading. The protagonist and lead characters are well fleshed out and it’s very easy to relate to them, it isn’t long before begin rooting for their survival and wellbeing – a testament to the quality of writing. More contemporary than most books you will find on this site and that I personally read, The Gemini Factor is nevertheless a very well crafted and rewarding novel which I have no hesitation in recommending.’

(Four Star Review from Science Fiction & Fantasy)

‘ The Gemini Factor, by Paul Kane, is an unusual take on the traditional serial killer saga. As can be anticipated from the man that gleefully retells myths & folklore, Kane skilfully reinterprets genre conventions in his latest thriller. By pairing science & the supernatural (one of many, many twins – literal and metaphorical – in The Gemini Factor), he’s created something quite new and nasty. In the fictional city of Norchester, a serial killer is stalking twins. And, as serial killers are wont to do, killing them and chopping off bits. The killer is amusingly named “Twinkle” by the city’s local media, but despite the condescending name, he (or she) is a nasty piece of work. [Editor’s note: In a manoeuvre clearly meant to win over my carnivorous heart, the killer uses a giant BBQ fork to spear victims.] While Twinkle skewers and slices the city’s population, an unlikely pair of heroes try to solve the case. Detective Sergeant Deborah Harrison (nickname: “Blondie”) is a talented sleuth, but fears that the Twinkle case is beyond her. She finds an unlikely ally in Jack Foley, a scruffy historian (and also a twin). Ever since Twinkle killed his brother, Jack is inextricably and inexplicably linked to the killer. Every time Twinkle takes a life, Jack can somehow see it. Given the particularly messy nature of the murders, this has taken its toll on Jack’s sanity. The author puts in a lot of time making the little details of Jack and Debbie’s lives come to life... But while Jack and Debbie are both empathetic, the book’s real star is the fictional city of Norchester.... It has seedy back alleys, an antiquated police station, an isolated posh neighbourhood and hotels with fading Victorian grandeur. In short, it has everything a city needs to be properly thrilling. Paul Kane has created a brilliantly detailed and utterly believable setting – hopefully one that is revisited in later books. The Gemini Factor is a tightly-plotted, well-planned thriller. A disturbing villain stalks a compelling, British noir setting, while heroes combine modern forensics and ageless intuition to stop him. Not just something for everyone, but something very good...’

(Pornokitsch)

‘As a fan of Paul’s futuristic Afterblight series from Abaddon, when I heard about this new offering from new publisher Screaming Dreams, I was more than happy to give it a go. What you get within this offering are characters who jump off the page, some great dialogue, and a plot that’s as twisted as this author’s mind can conceive which only adds to this reading experience. Dressed up as a traditional crime novel, it’s the way in which the author has managed to blend Urban Fantasy, a touch of Sci-Fi and mixed it all up with a wicked sense of humour. It’s a cracking title and one that I really had a blast reading. Definitely a title for people to give a go and if the other releases from this publisher are as tempting as this then they’ve got a secure future ahead. Top quality for a great price.’

(Falcata Times)

‘Dear Mr Paul Kane...I was overwhelmed by your skill with the written (typed) word. The characters were so rich and textured, the details so lovingly wrought, that I was caught in a whirlwind of literary joy... From the first word on the first page all the way to the last word of the epilogue, you had me glued to the page. You have taken the idea, the fear, of serial killers and twisted it into something even more deranged (yet even more beautiful) than ever before. This thirty five year old father and heavy equipment operator nearly wept when I finished reading The Gemini Factor. Now I would like to thank you for the emotional thrill ride your book evoked.’

(Mass Movement Magazine)

‘Paul Kane’s The Gemini Factor breathes some fresh air into the serial killer subgenre, chronicling the efforts of Sergeant Harrison and Inspector Mason as they work tirelessly to solve a series of murders in the city of Norchester. What makes their case unique is that the killer is only targeting twins, using a two-pronged fork to kill one twin while letting the other one live. The suspect also takes a trophy from each victim by removing one item from a paired body part (i.e. one hand, one leg, etc). As more and more bodies are found, the city of Norchester lives in fear of the “Twin Killer,” or “Twinkle” for short... Kane’s tale of suspense is a fun read. Not only is the nature of the killings so unique, but the story also goes through numerous twists and turns along the way. There’s no doubt in my mind that readers will think they know where Kane is leading them, only to have the rug yanked out from beneath them time and again. Kane’s style is such that you can’t help but turn the page to see what he’s going to do next, and it’s that unpredictability that has earned my readership in the last couple years. Simply put, the man can tell one hell of an entertaining yarn. If you’re looking for a fun summer read, go grab a copy of The Gemini Factor…and while you’re at it, pick up a couple more of Kane’s books. He hasn’t disappointed me yet, and I’m guessing you’ll enjoy his writing too.’

(Horror Drive-In)

‘I enjoyed reading this book! Kane’s take on the serial killer procedural novel keeps you entertained and enthralled till the very end. Barker is right when he says Kane is a “first rate storyteller.” The book reminds me a little of Dean Koontz’s Odd Thomas novels... The city of Norchester is the venue for our serial killer, dubbed Twinkle by the newspapers. The killer is searching out twins, killing one of them and taking trophies. Detective Sergeant Deborah Harrison is on the case, and when a man turns up at the first two crime scenes she thinks she may have found her killer... Kane’s no nonsense writing style makes this book read like a modern crime novel, but anyone aware of Kane’s previous work may suspect that there is something more going on than a standard crime thriller, and so there is, although I’ll leave what that is for you to discover. The fatal final twists will leave your head spinning... This is such a fun book to read, so easy, it feels like the story just wraps you up. It’s like reading those other classic genre storytellers King and Koontz. Kane certainly has the pedigree and this crime/genre novel is marvellously well crafted.’

(Morpheus Tales)

‘There’s no doubt that twins share an unexplainable link. It’s something beyond the understanding of mere science... In Paul Kane’s The Gemini Factor, a serial killer terrorises the fictional city of Norchester, hunting twins and collecting body parts. Perhaps the most interesting thing about The Gemini Factor is that the novel itself actually changes as you navigate your way through it. From hard-boiled detective story to love story, from mystery to suspense to horror, the novel seamlessly morphs from one genre to another. Paul Kane tells the story in clean, crisp, easy-to-read prose, and because of this, the novel’s tight plot never comes close to unwinding, and it never gets boring. No word, no detail is wasted. The reader stays interested from page to page, from beginning to end, as they explore Kane’s well-crafted Norchester, and get to know his heroes as they strive to end the spate of brutal killings. Overall, Paul Kane’s The Gemini Factor offers a very interesting twist on the usual serial killer fiction, with some very, very creepy bits mixed in to keep you thinking about the story for awhile afterwards. So, go ahead and pick up this book; get to know a new kind of evil. If you are a twin – sorry; this novel may be particularly disturbing.’

(Chuck Gould, HorrorBound)

‘I was struck first by the dark poetry of Kane’s writing. Then I was grabbed by the story and the characters. When Sergeant Deborah Harrison visits the family of a murder victim she is shocked to find herself staring at the dead man’s face. It quickly becomes evident that all the killer’s victims are one of twins. Then there is Jack Foley, whose link to the killer is bizarre and unbelievable. The Gemini Factor is dark, a crime novel with a horrific supernatural twist.
It’s intense, Kane doesn’t give his characters or us much of a breather, a handful of domestic moments to ground us and keep us with the characters are all the respite the reader gets. The characters themselves, Inspector Mason is not especially likeable but he’s not meant to be. Foley and Harrison are the leads in this really and they are easy to empathise with, easy to like. The Sergeant is torn between her work and the possibility that Foley may be telling the truth, the need to solve the crime. Foley just wants to finish this, to stop seeing what his brother left in his head. It’s a good story, with good characters and great writing and for all that there is a supernatural aspect, it’s the human element in the book that provides the real horror.’

(Adele Harrison, Un:Bound)

To buy The Gemini Factor, click here

To read a sample chapter in PDF, click here

Of Darkness and Light

First published by Thunderstorm Books, March 2010. White Lightening Hardcover Edition ($49) and Monsterbacks Softcover Edition ($16.95), with cover artwork by Vincent Chong.

‘Fear of the dark has a very impressive pedigree. It doesn’t surface in the first few years of life – kids have to learn to be scared of it, as they learn most of their fears – but it’s so persistent across cultures, communities and eras of human development that scientists at one time thought it was controlled and brought on by a brain chemical called scotophobin. There was talk of synthesising this chemical and using it as a battlefield weapon: probably a mercy, all things considered, that it turned out not to exist. But the fear is real enough... It’s customary in horror novels to draw on the fear of the dark, but usually there’s at least one metaphorical remove between what you’re reading and what you experienced as a child the first time your mum wouldn’t leave the landing light on and the door open when you settled down for the night. No metaphors here, and no removes. This is the beginning and the end of things all rolled into one ball and clattering through the everyday world leaving terror and ruin in their wake. Nightfall. Enjoy.’

(From the Introduction by Mike Carey – Bestselling Author of The Devil You Know, Vicious Circle, Dead Men’s Boots, Thicker Than Water and The Naming of Beasts)

‘Earlier this year, I stumbled across Paul Kane via his Peripheral Visions collection. To say I was blown away is an understatement. It’s been a long time since I’ve read stories so original, creative, and entertaining. So it was with high expectations that I jumped into Kane’s forthcoming short novel, entitled Of Darkness and Light... As showcased in his short story “Yin and Yang”, and now in Of Darkness and Light, Kane excels at making readers question their belief systems and contemplate the opposing forces of our world. Good versus Evil is rarely this thought-provoking and enjoyable. Kane also effectively uses a moody atmosphere to bring his world to life, and allows readers to get to know his characters inside and out – the fears they face, the poverty they live in, the friendships they share, and the hope they cling to.’

(Andrew Monge, Horror Drive-In)

‘What a pleasant surprise this book ended up being... First off, Paul put together one of the best prologues I have read in quite a while. It was gripping, powerful and had me damn near quaking with anticipation... Something must be said for Paul’s effortless pacing and prose that generally flows like a nice, cool vanilla smoothie... He managed to take all of my expectations and punch me in the face with them... Incredibly entertaining and I enjoyed every minute of reading it.’

(Anton Cancre, HorrorNews.net)

‘Set against a bleak Midlands backdrop, this is a tight, claustrophobic novel about an average teenager who is devastated when his childhood sweetheart leaves him for another guy. Just when Lee Masterton thinks his life cannot get any worse, he is coerced into taking a job as a night watchman, and then he meets the beings that inhabit the light... and the dark. It is rare to find a horror story containing such a healthy dose of modern realism in the form of urban decay, unemployment and dissatisfied youth, and this story certainly makes these elements work to its benefit... The prose is crisp and the plot tightly woven, the characters believable and the style accessible. The author does a great job of building tension in anticipation of a thrilling climax that cannot fail to move you.’

(Christian Saunders, Morpheus Tales)

‘Kane’s atmospheric style is reminiscent of Ramsey Campbell, dark and truly terrifying, contemporary in content yet classic in terms of mood. Darkness is a universal fear, one that we can either relate to or empathize with. Kane plays on this fear quite well. More than that, however, he gives us a protagonist we can care about... Paul Kane has demonstrated an ability to bind tone and terror with this novel. Kane’s adroitness with the language of fear, his ability to convey suspense and cerebral terror, gives the story a much more classic feel than most contemporary horror novels. The end result is a truly frightening novel that brings you in, haunts you for the duration, and lingers long after the story has been told. Kane is a craftsman, and Of Darkness and Light is an extremely well-crafted piece.’

(Jason Rolfe, HorrorBound)

‘Award-winning writer Paul Kane firmly establishes characters and the dramatic conflict between them early on in this compelling novel, setting the stage for the confrontation to follow. Like many children, Lee Masterson feared the dark, his fear intensified by his belief that creatures exist in the shadows, evil beings that watch and follow wherever he goes. His terror increases with age as he begins to catch glimpses of the creatures of darkness... Action is non-stop and breathtaking in this suspenseful tale that challenges the reader to re-examine their beliefs about good and evil. A consistently strong voice in the horror genre, his unique, unorthodox and totally original Of Darkness and Light keeps adrenaline pumping right up until the startling conclusion.’

(Horror World, read the full review here

‘Great story, great characters, wonderfully written (as always) – couldn't put it down. Totally original idea. Needs to be made into a movie, like pronto!’

(Barbie Wilde – Actress who portrayed the Female Cenobite in Hellbound: Hellraiser II, author of The Venus Complex)

’This story is great! The characters are well-developed, even Lee’s asshole father. Paul Kane’s use of description to give his tale a creepy, tense atmosphere is superb and the juxtaposition of light/dark and good/evil is really refreshing. Of Darkness and Light was one of my favourite reads of 2009!’

(Mass Movement Magazine)

‘Paul Kane has written an interesting short novel with a twist on the light versus dark, good versus evil battle. He crafts some fine characters, which is essential if the book is not to degenerate into some sort of light fantasy. The characters carry the tale rather than the events. Lee Masterton has always been afraid, no, terrified, of the dark. There is something there, watching him. It’s a common enough phobia among the young, but Lee is now in his late teens and he hasn’t grown out of it. He simply KNOWS there is something or someone there watching him. He is right. There is... The battle is focused on Lee since he is the only one who can see the dwellers in the dark and the light. Is he up to it? There will be many surprises for him as his world is reversed. So many people are not what they seem. Kane’s skilful writing carries the estate’s mood of depression well and sets the stage for the action that follows. It’s a great story and Lee’s mood is the thread that carries it through. He is a reluctant hero pushed into prominence because of the one ‘talent’ he would rather do without - his fear of the dark.’

(Synergy Magazine)

Lunar, by Paul Kane

Lunar

First published by Bad Moon Books, September 2012. Limited Hardcover Edition ($30) and Trade Paperback Edition ($18.95), with cover artwork by Gabriel Lopez and introduction by Ramsey Campbell.

ISBN: 978-0-9851940-7-9

‘A very original, riveting tale that will force me to search out more work by this very talented writer. This story grabbed hold of me from the very first page and refused to let go. It is atmospheric, violent, and action packed. I found the characters to be fully realized and three dimensional, especially the main character, Nick. I came to care about him and the situation he found himself in, which enabled me to really lose myself in the story. Though the premise of the tale has been done countless times, Mr. Kane manages to put a fresh spin on the whole end of the world mythos. It was especially satisfying when the truth behind what had happened is finally revealed. Throughout the story, I was trying to guess what was behind the events, and I didn’t even come close. I just love it when that happens. If you are in the market for something original, well conceived, and well written, you need not look any further than Lunar by Paul Kane. I highly recommend it.’

(Famous Monsters of Filmland)

‘Nick Skinner is awoken in the night when his girlfriend attacks him. She is feral and her eyes are somewhat different. She is not the person he was out celebrating with the previous evening. As he escapes he finds she is not the only feral – the town seems to be full of them. And also the clock stopped at one second past midnight, as did all clocks. Most cars will not work but some will. Most guns will not work, but some will. Nick flees the town in search of fellow survivors and, hopefully, answers. The answers, when they do come, are very clever indeed, but the clues are drip-fed in such a way that I don't think many people will get there before the big reveal. So, interesting ideas, plenty of tension and loads of action – another winner from Paul Kane. Surely it is only a matter of time before this man hits the big time.’

(Andy Angel, Goodreads)

Optioned by Red Splat Pictures with Paul providing the script and Brad (7th Dimension) Watson directing. Read the press announcements at Film News and This is Horror .

Buy copies of Lunar from Bad Moon Books here and here and on Kindle at Amazon here

NOVELLAS & NOVELETTES

First published in pocket book size, limited edition print run, by Crystal Serenades September 2005. Second edition published with internal illustrations from Ian Simmons by Rainfall Books, April 2006. Trade paperback, £6.99. Novella Nominated (shortlist) for the British Fantasy Award, 2006.

Featuring: ‘Well Told Tales’ An Introduction by Stephen Gallagher; ‘Signs of Life’; ‘The Bite’; and ‘Who’s Been…?’

‘This is one area where Kane shines, his sense of character: each and every one is real, and as such the reader immediately latches onto them, realising there’s no good or bad person, just shades of grey in between, with the occasional point of redemption… Signs of Life has a tremendous build-up, that is paced just right.’

‘The Bite is pure Books of Blood horror; a grand guignol tale…This is a superbly paced story, where Kane racks up the tension.’

‘ Who’s Been… starts off as a Ken Loach-updated version of Goldilocks, all kitchen sink and unemployed alcoholics. But as the story closes in, the horror aspect kicks into gear, where Kane walks that fine line between real and supernatural horror.’

Published by Creative Guy Publishing. Trade Paperback, December 2006. £9.95

Published by Tasmaniac Publications, July 2007. Hardback Edition (Signed by Paul Kane, Mick Garris and Dion Hamill) ISBN: 978-0-9803868-1-3. $150.00 AUD. Trade Paperback ISBN: 978-0-9803868-0-6. $22.95 AUD.

Featuring: ‘Believe It Or Not’ Introduction by Mick Garris; ‘The Lazarus Condition’; and ‘Dead Time’.

‘Few of us fear werewolves, vampires, or even Norman Bates. But that end of the road we all travel and its mystery and inevitability give each of us pause. The health and well-being of my family and friends play a much bigger part in my own nightmares than Freddy Krueger ever did. Paul Kane understands that… There are moments of violence that jump out at you here, but it is the quiet interaction between Life and Death that concerns Kane in his novella: its raison d’etre… An absorbing tale of terror that takes you in a direction that I didn’t expect… Paul Kane has crafted a nifty little story with that greatest of gifts: the element of surprise.’

‘Paul Kane’s The Lazarus Condition is a wonderfully unsettling tale of resurrection, self-recrimination, and our reluctance to confront issues of both mortality and immortality. Humanity leaves behind the remains of our loved ones and walls of our hearts as best we can from feeling their absence, sometimes as easily but always with as much necessity as a snake shedding its skin. Paul Kane holds up a mirror to show us just how frightened of the end we really are and how much of human nature is involved in moving on after loss. He’s here to remind us that none of us is ever really ready to leave this life...and certainly not ready to come back and answer for what we might have done while living it. An excellent novella, backed up with a quick jolt short story called Dead Time, which is, in some ways, the other side of the coin. Paul Kane has offered you a dark and contemplative gift. I recommend you take it.’

( Christopher Golden – Bestselling author of Buffy: The Lost Slayer , Hellboy: The Dragon Pool , The Myth Hunters , Prowlers and The Boys are Back in Town)

‘The American title for the early British horror film The Quatermass Experiment was The Creeping Unknown, and that would be a very apt alternative title for Paul Kane’s excellent novella. But the Quatermass analogy is more appropriate than simply that: like Nigel Kneale, Kane describes an extraordinary event in the lives of every day people, the sort you meet in the pub or the supermarket….By maintaining an almost prosaic style, Kane ratchets up the tension throughout the novella, deliberately leading the reader in false directions… The Lazarus Condition is a gem, and well worth seeking out.’

‘The Lazarus Condition is an excellent read. Unsettling, and at times moving, littered with religious undertones, the story focuses on themes of loss, grief, and the impact it would have on someone if the long dead arrived on their doorstep. It also avoids the clichés of many zombie stories. Kane draws you in with sharp, active prose. Sit, read and enjoy!’

‘Tasmaniac have really outdone themselves with The Lazarus Condition, and have pretty much jumped out of the trenches and gone over the top in a clear demonstration of going beyond the call of duty... Kane has taken the zombie sub genre, put it through a spin rinse with various dyes, and given us a completely new design on what can be done with the walking dead. I’m always up for a story centring around the big Z concept and Kane doesn’t disappoint. There’s some twist and turns coming at you during the course of the novella with the final revelation being completely different to expectations...The reader is thrust into a world where the dead are coming back to life, and Kane remains unapologetic about doing that. Initially I was wondering if zombie Matthew Daley was heading home for dinner, in a sort of Romero fashion, but Kane isn’t going to make it that easy on the reader...Without giving too much away there’s one hell of a shock ending coming that I didn’t pick up on. .. It’s a pretty decent strategy and Kane freaking nails it like a wild Friday night up the Cross. The Lazarus Condition is more than another pulp zombie book put out by a Yank publication in order to ride on the shirt tails of the current upsurge in support of all things zombie, Paul Kane’s novella is going after something far more grandiose in design.

‘If The Lazarus Condition is the main course in a five star restaurant then the short story Dead Time is the intoxicating dessert...We’re talking a yarn from the post-apocalyptic ashes that once again gives a different spin to the zombie genre. Paul Kane is certainly keeping the reader on his or her toes. Expect the unexpected would be my advice.’

Features: ‘Introduction by Tom Holt’; ‘ Dalton Quayle’s Wet One’; ‘ Dalton Quayle Rides Out’.

‘The result is like being machine-gunned with silliness…Ultimately we reckon Quayle deserves to ride again!’

‘If you miss the turn into Baker Street you just might find yourself here. Ripping yarns with a spiffing sense of fun!’

(Double British Fantasy Award winning author of Night of the Triffids and The Dalek Factor, Simon Clark

‘Dalton Quayle is a particular treat, just one of which can somehow spoof Sherlock Holmes, the Cthulhu Mythos, the films Lair of the White Worm, Aliens and even Monica Lewinsky all in one go. Tremendous fun!’

Published by Skullvines Press, December 2008. Trade Paperback, ISBN: 978-0-9799673-5-1. Introduction by Tim Lebbon, cover artwork by Dave McKean.

‘In RED Kane reveals himself to be a sensitive writer, someone who has a solid grasp of relationships and who isn’t afraid to use that knowledge. His characters feel like real people, and that’s essential if you’re going to pit them against such a foe. He makes you care about them. Then he sends them out into the darkest parts of this urban jungle… So get ready to take this journey through a very modern fairytale. It has teeth, but not just at the end. These days, the path itself is full of dangers.’

(From the Introduction by Tim Lebbon - New York Times bestselling author of The Everlasting and Fallen)

‘Kane is well respected in the United Kingdom with his short story collections such as Alone (In the Dark), FunnyBones (one of my personal favourites) or his novellas Signs of Life, The Lazarus Condition and his novel The Afterblight Chronicles: Arrowhead – getting praise from such giants of the genre as Clive Barker, Simon Clark, Jeff Mariotte and Graham Masterton... RED is a tale about Rachael Daniels, a caseworker travelling through the modern jungle – a crime-ridden, gang-banging city – to help an elderly lady. RED not only tips its hat to “Little Red Riding Hood,” but “Peter And The Wolf,” and “Who’s Afraid Of The Big Bad Wolf?” and every werewolf type motif in between... This time around Kane puts a twisted horror spin to it, with even a fair amount of social criticism thrown in for good measure; due to mature themes, you’ll want to keep the kids away from this one... Kane does an incredible job of combing horror and humour into one tasty morsel.’

‘Kane expands on the “Little Red Riding Hood” mythos with a sharply-written novella that pits a descendent of the classic fairy tale character against the “real” creature of the same story. But make NO mistake: this isn’t for kids! You can tell Kane had a real ball twisting time updating “Riding Hood”, especially in how he has crafted this new, psycho-sexual “wolf.” For the sake of not ruining anything else, let’s just say RED is a real BLOODY good time.’

‘RED is a gleefully gruesome tale that moves at an excellent pace. Its length is a joy, reminiscent of a line from another fairy tale: “Not too big, not too small, just right.” Paul Kane does a rip roaring rendition of the Red Riding Hood story… He has the gift of summing up a situation in a sentence. RED is wonderfully written; it is easy to sink one’s teeth into it and devour it with relish.’

Published by Books of the Dead, August 2011. EBook/Kindle and Trade Paperback, ISBN: 978-1-927112-02-1. Introduction by Stephen Volk, Cover Artwork by Daniele Serra.

Collection of four novellas: ‘Pain Cages’; ‘Halflife’; ‘Signs of Life’; ‘The Lazarus Condition’

‘Like some other authors I’ve reviewed recently, Paul Kane has proven impressively prolific during his career, with 16 titles produced in the last 10 years, to say nothing of a couple non-fiction titles and several anthologies he’s edited... Pain Cages focuses on longer works, gathering four novellas, two of which are original to this collection. In his Introduction, Stephen Volk says that after reading this book “…you’ll realise ultimately that though the rough path through Paul Kane’s world involves a lot of pain and anguish, the pain isn’t what the journeys are about. Not really.”
There’s a lot of truth in what Volk says, because although the path through Kane’s work is indeed sometimes rough (in terms of both the characters’ journeys and, occasionally, the writing), and certainly describes no small amount of pain, the stories are fundamentally far more than mere exercises in sadism or vicarious shivers. Take, for example, the eponymous title story, which appears here for the first time and leads off the collection. The protagonist, Chris, awakes in darkness, trapped in a cage with no memory of how he got there, nor the other unfortunate souls in adjacent cages, one of whom is being tortured and killed. As time slowly passes in his small prison, Chris finds out precious little about his captors or how he arrived in these circumstances, and his fellow captives are similarly clueless, but the reader gradually learns of Chris’s backstory via interspersed flashbacks. When Chris finally escapes his cage, the sights that await him as he seeks a way out of the facility initially seem a little over-the top metaphysically, but the denouement is unexpected yet perfectly appropriate.

The other original novella, “Halflife,” is not nearly as accomplished, chronicling the fates of a former pack of teen werewolves, who’re reuniting due to the realization that someone may now, all these years later, be stalking them one by one. Reprint “Signs of Life” is sort of the dark literary equivalent of the mosaic approach that has proven so popular in films of the last decade or so, including the likes of Magnolia, Crash, Thirteen Conversations About One Thing, and oh-so-many more. In Kane’s take on the approach, the perspective switches between several strangers on a train, each with a distinct and interesting backstory, and the focus is naturally on how their destinies ultimately intertwine and collide. It’s a well-done story...
The collection closes with a very strong reprint, “The Lazarus Condition,” which begins with something of a “Monkey’s Paw” feel to it, as Matthew Daley suddenly shows up on his mother’s doorstep, despite the fact he’s been dead for seven years. Mrs. Daley and the police refuse to believe the interloper is truly Matthew, and his “ex-widow” joins that camp as well, leaving Matthew friendless and alone until he finally convinces a nurse, who has first-hand knowledge of his case, to help him. Along the way Matthew’s story becomes even stranger, as he displays first a supernatural knowledge of others’ backgrounds (and, especially, sources of guilt) and later further extraordinary abilities, leading up to a confrontation with the man who killed him. It’s an engaging tale, and despite the presence of reanimated corpses, it’s about as far from a traditional zombie story as one can get... I can certainly concur that Kane’s insights into the human condition shine through the often cruel and harsh world that he depicts.’

Published by Spectral Press, March 2013. Chapbook. Introduction by Sarah Pinborough, Cover by Neil Williams.

‘Creakers is a story that does what a great spooky story should. It makes you shiver and then makes you think. It aches with all that comes from growing up and facing the things that haunt us, and yet also, there is a kernel of hope at its core. It blends the fears of adulthood with the terrors of childhood and takes you on the journey of growing up all over again.’
(From the Introduction by Sarah Pinborough – British Fantasy Award-winning Author of The Language of Dying, Poison and Mayhem)

‘Kane’s story is tautly written, with an introduction by Sarah Pinborough. But I would not advise reading it alone, at night, in a creaking house…’
(Tom Ruffles’ Blog)

‘I might have thought a story with as many uses of the word “creak” would have irritated me, but it didn’t. I was too wrapped up in the horror of it all, especially one scene involving a sleeping bag that made my skin crawl off my bones as I read it…Ghost story fans are in for a treat.’
(Wag the Fox)

‘From its spine-chilling opening in the house, this muscular tale holds the interest throughout with crisp prose and chills, and I enjoyed Ray’s developing friendship with an attractive, lonely neighbour. As well as character development, this element also served to balance the haunting moments with some cold light of day. I found the overall concept familiar, but the piece still builds to an assured – if not breathtaking – finale…the author keeps us guessing as to whether events are concrete, psychological or supernatural, or even a combination of them all. And tip-toeing around a scary house at midnight by torchlight is always a blast in safe hands like Paul Kane’s.’
(Matthew Fryer, Welcome to the Hellforge)

‘As an experienced house re-builder, Ray knows that those old places that make noises in the night are called Creakers, so he expects some noise during the night, but not this much. The noises and the things crawling over him at night are not normal. The reader can feel his growing tension and fear as the noises and creaks in the house grow and grow. The story falls into that nice tradition of anthropomorphic horror, in which objects take on human personification and become the objects of horror, bringing back painful memories of his home, his childhood and his Mom. Filled with squirmy uncomfortable imagery, this is cheap as chips chills! Give it a go.’
(Teresa Derwin, Terror Tree)

‘Paul Kane is quite a diverse and highly regarded writer, perhaps known primarily as an author of dark fantasy and science fiction and for his editorial work (The Mammoth Book of Body Horror). Here, Kane uses the old fashioned quiet horror/ghost story as his foundation, slowly crafting a totally modern, yet Victorian mansion of a tale. The character of Ray is well fleshed out, revealed in a calculated fashion, his blue collar voice nicely realised and actually key to the underpinnings of the story. Kane’s prose here is tight and non-fussy; again, this augments the believability of the narrative.’
(Hellbound Times)

Featuring the stories: ‘Alone’; ‘Biorhythms’; ‘In the House of Magritte’; ‘Net Curtains’; ‘The Last Temptation of Alice Crump’; ‘The Weeping Woman’; ‘Pay the Piper’; ‘The Cyclops’; ‘Sabbat’; ‘Master of the White Worms: A Dalton Quayle Adventure’; ‘Remembrance’; and ‘Eye of the Beholder’...Plus the Song Lyrics: ‘Dangerous World’.

‘ Its twelve stories cover a fair range, from visceral horror through edgy urban nightmares to offbeat notions like a man taking conscious control of his autonomic body functions, or a tour through the image-filled House of Memory of the artist Magritte. Kane is best when taking risks with these bizarre flights of imagination.’

‘Paul Kane has an outstanding imagination, which puts him in a class above most of the small press writers on the scene today. This collection will, hopefully, be the first step towards getting him the recognition he so richly deserves. Check it out, this could well be the start of something big.’

Featuring: ‘Burnt Fingers’ an introduction by bestselling author Simon Clark; ‘The Torturer’; ‘Astral’; ‘The Face of Death’; ‘Shadow Writer’; ‘Prey’; ‘Star-Pool’; ‘Visiting Hour’; ‘Facades’; ‘At the Heart of the Maze’; ‘The Bones Brothers’; ‘Nightlife’; ‘The Hypnotist’s Gaze’; ‘Grandpa’s Chair’; ‘The Disease’; ‘Blackout’; ‘St August’s Flame’; ‘The Persistence of Dali’; ‘Eye of the Beholder; and ‘Melted Wax’ story notes by Paul Kane.

‘‘I’ve read several Paul Kane stories before and find his writing style to be consistently good, and his tales very entertaining. He stands out as one of the better writers I’ve read... This collection supports my continuing belief that Paul Kane is a talented writer, one I expect will only go from strength to strength in the years to come.’

Published by Creative Guy Publishing, August 2003. Trade Paperback, $11.99/£6.99

Featuring: ‘Introduction’ by Pete Allen of CGP; ‘Oliver’s Twist’; ‘Master of the White Worms’; ‘A Suspicious Mind’; ‘The Bones Brothers’; ‘Yibble’; ‘Dracula in Love’; ‘The Sheepshank Revelation’; ‘The Ugly’; ‘The Last Temptation of Alice Crump’; ‘All the Rage’; ‘Temple of Deadly Danger’; ‘Spells Trouble’.

‘Horror fans with a sense of fun will enjoy this collection of short stories from Paul Kane. In his third offering to the bookshelves, FunnyBones sees Paul depart from his usual world of dark fantasy - to inject a wicked sense of humour into his tales of horror. Bringing together stories like “Dracula in Love” and “The Bones Brothers” - along with a gruesome twist on the lyrics of Elvis Presley’s “Suspicious Minds” - the author terrifies whilst tickling the funny bone. Supernatural crime-fighting hero Dalton Quayle, already a firm favourite with Kane fans, also puts in an appearance in this new collection.’

The Q-Files Vol. 1 . Published by Creative Guy Publishing, August 2003. E-Book Extra. ISBN: 1-894953-17-7

Featuring: ‘Master of the White Worms’; ‘The Sheepshank Revelation’; ‘Paul Kane in Conversation with Amanda Edwards’; ‘Paul Kane Gallery’; ‘Don’t Mention the War’ (Non-Fiction Article).

‘What can I say? This book is bloody brilliant… I can only say I wish there had been more of Dalton Quayle.’

‘ Author Paul Kane’s story, “Master of the White Worms” manages to inject into the classic “Penny Dreadful” a simultaneous dose of humor, mystery, punnery and schlock horror, conjuring up the best parts of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, H. P. Lovecraft, and P. G. Wodehouse. From the cigar-smoking soon-to-be widow Mrs. Meadows to the buxom and befuddled assistant Mrs. Hudsucker, even the supporting characters in Kane’s tales have a certain magical quality...not unreminiscent of circus midgets, two-headed snakes or the famed bearded lady. A genuine joy to read, Kane’s Pemberton and Qualye stories bring back the grand tradition of armchair detectives while restoring a chuckle to oft-dry Victorian-style fiction.’

‘“Master Of The White Worms” and “Dalton Quayle And The Sheepshank Revelation” are the memoirs of Doctor Humphrey Pemberton and the adventures of Dalton Quayle, the most famous of supernatural detectives. All three are smile raisers. Rating: 5 Stars.’

The Q-Files Vol. 2 . Published by Creative Guy Publishing, November 2004. E-Book. ISBN: 1-894953-16-9 $4.25

‘If the title reminds you of “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom,” it should, and a familiar whip-cracking fellow named Harrison even makes an appearance, along with his pet worm Reggie, in this Dalton Quayle, Dr. Humphrey Pemberton, tale.

This time the intrepid knockoff of Sherlock Holmes, wallowing in despair at having no worthy adversary against which to pit his formidable investigative skills, becomes embroiled in a case of theft from a local museum. What has been stolen: three stones. But not just any three. They are three of a set of five -- the stones of Bukardi Brueaza -- each of which possess distinct magical properties that, when combined, will open a door to another dimension. Horrible things lurk in that other dimension, of course, and it’s up to Quayle and Pemberton to stop whoever has stolen the stones from opening that cosmic door.

Working loosely off the “ Temple of Doom” structure, the story also manages to spoof “Apocalypse Now” and the ever-influential Sherlock Holmes seed, the latter providing much of the villainous underpinning of the plot.’

Featuring: ‘Verbrannte Finger’ by Simon Clark; ‘Der Folterer’; ‘Astral’; ‘Das Gesicht des Todes’; ‘Shattenschriber’; ‘Beute’; ‘Sternteich’; ‘Besuchszeit’’; ‘Fassaden’; ‘Im Herzen des Labyrinths’’; ‘Die Bones Brothers’; ‘Nachtleben’; ‘Der Blick des Hypnotiseurs’; ‘Opas Sessel’; ‘Die Krankheit’; ‘Verdunkelung’; ‘Der Flame des Sankt Augustus’; ‘Die Beharrlichkeit Dalis’; and ‘Im Auge des Betrachters’.

Published by Screaming Dreams, E-Book, December 2007. Cover artwork by David Magitis.

Features: Introduction by Paul Kane; ‘Shadow Writer’; ‘Blackout’; and ‘The Convert’.

Published by Creative Guy Publishing. Trade Paperback, October 2008 $14.95 / £8.95. Cover art by Les Edwards. ISBN: 978-1-894953-53-5

Featuring: ‘Cause and Effect: An Introduction to Paul Kane’ by Christopher Fowler; ‘Strobe’; ‘Guilty Pleasures’; ‘Suit of Lies’; ‘The Opportunity’; ‘Homeland’; ‘Remote’; ‘Nightmare on 34th Street’; ‘Yin and Yang’; ‘Check-out’; ‘Biorhythms’; ‘Kindred Spirits’; ‘R.S.V.P.’; ‘Life Sentence’; ‘1, 2, 3…1, 2, 3’; ‘Dig (This)’; ‘The Anniversary’; ‘The Convert’; ‘Life-like’; ‘The Procession’; ‘Reunion’; ‘The Protégé’.

‘Paul Kane is a young writer with a lot to say and a burning need to say it. Reading these stories is a bit like watching a Twilight Zone marathon – one witty, surprising, ingenious story after another, each one delivering its shock of fear, pity, astonishment, or irony before giving way to the next little amazement. Also, I’m impressed by the range of Paul Kane’s imagination. It seems there is no risk, no high-stakes gamble, he fears to take. In this collection, a flipped-out Santa Claus encounters the police a breath before Yin and Yang get down and dirty. Kane’s foot never gets even close to the brake pedal .’

( Peter Straub – Bestselling author of Ghost Story, Mr X, Lost Boy Lost Girl, In the Night Room and Black House, with Stephen King)

‘How big is the rock I’ve been living under to have missed out on such a wonderful talent?!? What sets this collection apart from all the others is its undeniable creativity and originality. You won’t find tired retreads of common genre themes; hell, you won’t even be able to pigeonhole Kane into any one genre. Peripheral Visions runs the gamut from horror to suspense to dark fantasy, and the author nails each and every one of them. Take, for instance, “Yin and Yang”. Never before have I read a more eloquent story about the dichotomy of the forces of nature. It was not only my favorite story of the collection, but is one of the best short stories I’ve ever read. Kane also gives readers a liberal dose of thrills and chills….

And I can’t finish this review without praising Kane on his ability to write top-notch short-shorts. I don’t recall another author being able to pack so much story in so few words. Three pieces -- “The Opportunity”, “R.S.V.P”, and “The Protégé” – only cover six total pages of the book, yet they pack a wallop seldom seen by stories of this length. Paul Kane has a helluva toolbox at his disposal – characterization, visualization, creativity, success with multiple themes and genres, the ability to tell a good story at any length. Simply put, the man is wildly talented. I give Peripheral Visions a 9 out of 10 and highly recommend grabbing a copy.’

‘From clever twists and turns in the longer page-turners, to quickly familiar characters, to penetrating and deep thoughts. All this you can easily find in even the very short stories. Such is true, and why I enjoyed Peripheral Visions.

“Strobe” and “Biorhythms” were memorable for their unexpected transcendental theories. “Biorhythms” had a grotesque and lethal ending but was incredibly happy and spiritually exhilarating. There were also some classic Edgar Allan Poe/Alfred Hitchcock-styled, bizarre tales such as “Suit of Lies”, “Homeland” and “the Anniversary” to mention just a few. “Remote” and “Guilty Pleasures” were both fantastic. “Guilty Pleasures” was about a guilt demon that haunts sinners, threatening to drive them mad. “Remote” was a vivid story about out-of-body experiences going one step further; the ability to affect things while in remote locations. I like that Kane is not afraid to take sharp turns or end with the villain as the victor. He can make you believe the story could end happily and then it turns lethal. Or put the victim in a dire predicament and then shove them to a blissful state for eternity. I also admire his ability to quickly introduce familiar traits in people to give them instant dimension.

I think several of his stories could have expanded to exciting and easily popular novels and/or screenplays. For this reason, I will always look forward to reading more from Kane.’

‘The stories all start out in real life, then end somewhere horrifyingly closer to home. Any reader will find it difficult to read this without looking over his shoulder to check on the shadows in the corner and what they’re hiding. Each of these stories are thought-provoking, disturbing, and stay with you after the book is over. You will find yourself looking at people differently, wondering what they could be capable of doing. You may even wonder what you are capable of doing. Paul Kane is a wonderful writer who is following in the footsteps of the man to whom this collection is dedicated – Clive Barker – and he will carve out his own niche someday soon amongst fans of horror.’

‘‘It’s very hard to classify this book. Paul Kane’s short stories are a mixture of different genres with a strong leaning towards the inner space of the mind. These stories particularly are brilliantly conceived and written.

Paul Kane has a very economic style of writing but he can pack so much into a few pages. His words are well chosen, his plots clearly and concisely outlined. The seven-page “Strobe”, for instance, sets up an overpowering addiction to a flashing light in the first couple of pages then tracks the degeneration through stronger and stronger lights until the final…whatever… is reached… He is also good at turning the conventional ideas on their head and examining the outcome…

I found “Life Sentence” particularly poignant. It explores the possibility that, as life-prolonging technology improves, dying may become illegal, as may even wanting to die. Paul manages to convey the desperation of wanting to die and the utter futility of trying. He gives the whole euthanasia debate a new, subtle, vicious twist. And the most chilling story of all is the shortest – “Protégé”.

Because each story is so different in its plot and approach this is a very easy book to come back to later. Each story explores a new idea and if, like me, you like to read in short bursts between other demands on your time, this book is very easy to enjoy. Ghosts, zombies, environmentalists, obsessives, blackmailers – they are all here in their own little beautifully crafted stories. This is a book worth reading for its good stories and for Mr Kane’s incredible imagination.’

Published by Mundania Press. Trade Paperback, March 2011 $12.95. Cover by Niki Browning. ISBN: 978-1-59426-447-4

Featuring: ‘Introduction’ by Simon Clark; ‘Master of the White Worms’; ‘The Sheepshank Revelation’; ‘Temple of Deadly Danger’; ‘Dalton Quayle’s Wet One’; ‘Dalton Quayle Rides Out’; ‘The Curse of King Tuti Fruiti’; ‘Teatime of the Evil Resident Living Dead (aka the Voodoo Hullabaloo)’.

Published by Mansion House Books, September 2011. Tenth Anniversary Version of Alone (In the Dark) and Touching the Flame. Collectors’ Edition Hardback, ISBN: 978-0-9566221-8-1. Deluxe Edition Hardback, slip-cased: ISBN:978-0-9566221-9-8. Introductions by Simon Clark, Cover Artwork by David Magitis.

Featuring: ‘Out from the Shadows – An Introduction by Simon Clark’; ‘Dangerous World (A Song)’; ‘Alone’; ‘Biorhythms’; ‘In the House of Magritte’; ‘Net Curtains’; ‘The Last Temptation of Alice Crump’; ‘The Weeping Woman’; ‘Pay the Piper’; ‘The Cyclops’; ‘Sabbat’; ‘Master of the White Worms: A Dalton Quayle Adventure’; ‘Remembrance’; ‘Burnt Fingers – An Introduction by bestselling author Simon Clark; ‘The Torturer’; ‘Astral’; ‘The Face of Death’; ‘Shadow Writer’; ‘Prey’; ‘Star-Pool’; ‘Visiting Hour’; ‘Facades’; ‘At the Heart of the Maze’; ‘The Bones Brothers’; ‘Nightlife’; ‘The Hypnotist’s Gaze’; ‘Grandpa’s Chair’; ‘The Disease’; ‘Blackout’; ‘St August’s Flame’; ‘The Persistence of Dali’; ‘Eye of the Beholder’; ‘Waking Beauty’; ‘Pure Evil’; ‘The Séance’; ‘Snowbound’; the Poems: ‘They Watch’; ‘Stalking the Stalker’; ‘The Raising’; ‘Sounds of Slaughter’; ‘Thoughts of a Decapitated Head’; ‘Grey Lady’; ‘Pain’; ‘Last Rites’; ‘Epitaph’; and comprehensive story notes.

Published by PS Publishing, October 2011. Signed Jacketed Hardback, ISBN: 978-1-848632-80-6. Unsigned Trade Hardback: 978-1-848632-79-0. Introduction by Christopher Golden, Cover Artwork by Dominic Harman.

Featuring: ‘Hit and Run – An Introduction by Christopher Golden’; ‘One For The Road’; ‘Masques’; ‘A Chaos Demon is for Life’; ‘Cold Call’; ‘Wind Chimes’; ‘Life-o-Matic’; ‘The Greatest Mystery: A Sherlock Holmes Adventure’; ‘The Suicide Room’; ‘Nine Tenths’; ‘Lady’; ‘Humbuggered’; ‘It’s All Over...’; ‘Speaking in Tongues’; ‘The Butterfly Man’; ‘Baggage’; ‘Rag and Bone’; ‘Keeper of the Light’; Special Bonus Story ‘The Cave of Lost Souls’; story notes.

‘Despite his friendly demeanour, Paul Kane is a vicious man; as exemplified in the gut-wrenching twists concluding his stories, where he cheerfully shreds apart our hopes and expectations for the protagonists’ survival with gleeful abandon. Nowhere is this more evident than in Paul Kane’s latest collection The Butterfly Man and Other Stories, which comprises eighteen of his short stories. As any writer will tell you, short stories are a vastly different narrative art-form to a conventional full-length novel; requiring concise prose, tight plotting, and often a focus purely on character. It is a testament to Paul Kane’s writing ability that all of the stories constantly remain fresh and his characters are always distinct from one another.

Whilst Paul Kane is a horror writer, he not afraid to combine genres in his writing, where we have the horror-comedy of living in a post-consumerist hell (where everyone speaks as if they were in an advert), to his ghost story with a vampire twist in “It’s All Over”… Neither is Paul afraid to pay homage to classic horror stories and write sequels. “Masques” works perfectly as the sequel to Masque of the Red Death, where Paul Kane re-envisions Edgar Allan Poe’s classic tale into the modern day, with a style reminiscent of The Andromeda Strain. Sherlock Holmes is also given the horror treatment – Paul Kane style – with “The Greatest Mystery”, written in the style of Arthur Conan Doyle...

The titular short story of this collection takes a more Twilight Zone “what if” approach, and fully explores the idea through to its natural conclusion. Without spoiling the story, it is a haunting tale of the human experience, and the meaning of “life-time”. Paul considers this to be one of his strongest pieces of work in recent years, and I can see why... For the budding writers amongst you, an appendix concludes the anthology. Here Paul offers his thoughts and perspective on each story, explaining the inspiration behind each and where it was first published. Often this insight offers another textural level and background to the story...

Unlike other horror writers who have a distinct tone and format from which they rarely differ, Paul Kane has a broad palette from which he writes. The Butterfly Man and Other Stories is an excellent collection of diverse stories which will remain with you long after you finished reading them.’

‘My first exposure to Paul Kane’s work was the rather brilliant post apocalyptic remix of Robin Hood that he wrote for Abaddon Books as part of the Afterblight Chronicles series. The trilogy was set in my adopted hometown of Nottingham, and I loved every minute of it... The Butterfly Man & Other Stories contains eighteen horrific tales that should delight any horror fan. I have been sat here for the last half an hour trying to decide which of the stories were my favourites, a near impossible task when all of them are so damn good. After much umming and ahhing here, in no particular order, are my personal picks from this collection:

“Speaking in Tongues” – What happens when your tongue decides it’s time to leave? This is gross-out body horror that nearly made my eyes pop out of my head... I’m a great believer that the very best horror is that which is the most realistic and there is nothing more tragic than the death of a child. In “Windchimes”, Kane covers this topic with a delicate, reverential touch. Deeply affecting, and as shocking as it is moving.

“It’s All Over” – As this collection was launched at a convention, it seems only appropriate that a story about obsession, stalking and an author meeting his number one fan wormed its way into my heart. Add in a dash of vampirism and you have another winner... “The Butterfly Man” – The collection’s title story follows a man who lives his entire life from birth to death in a single day. The reader gets to follow his interactions and the highs and lows of his brief existence. I couldn’t help asking myself what would I do if I only had twenty-four hours? “Keeper of the Light” – Who hasn’t been afraid of the dark at least once in their life? It’s a primal horror for so many people and this story explores this fear. One man stands alone against the encroaching darkness that is systematically destroying everything in its path.

Interested? Well the good news is that there are another thirteen tales included that cover the full gamut of emotions from darkly comic to deeply harrowing. I really can’t recommend this collection highly enough! I enjoyed every single entry. Kane has genuine skill when it comes to eliciting emotion from his readers. If you have never read any of Paul Kane’s work, or been exposed to PS Publishing’s impressive catalogue, before this would be the ideal place to start. A punchy, gripping and un-missable group of tales worthy of any self respecting horror fan’s attention.’

‘When I think of butterflies it brings to mind gentle, attractive creatures that bring a splash of colour to warm, sunny days. Despair, urban decay and violent death? Not so much. Paul Kane’s collection of horror stories may have a bright and cheerful-sounding title, but its insides are more than macabre enough.

The first story, “One For The Road”, is set in an isolated Derbyshire pub where the owner is disturbed by the appearance of a filthy tramp of a customer. Then he and his increasingly odd companions start to upset the regulars, but getting them to leave proves difficult... “Masques” is a gruesome story about a doctor working in the midst of a fast-spreading plague no-one understands. He’s consumed by guilt and nightmares about the deaths he’s unable to prevent, and this feeling of responsibility is a theme that recurs throughout the collection. This is a razor-sharp story, vivid and to the point.

“A Chaos Demon Is For Life” takes a black look at inappropriate Christmas pets. When Jacob Campbell’s parents summon a demon for him instead of getting him a puppy we know it’s bound to end badly, and it’s fun finding out exactly how badly things will turn out. “Cold Call” is another supernatural take on the hazards of modern life, when the tables are turned on a call centre employee who gets plagued by the kind of creepy nuisance calls he inflicts on others as part of his job. There’s a certain feeling of poetic justice, but Paul Kane’s universe is an unfair one and people often get much, much more than they deserve.

Another highlight is “Life-O-Matic”, which is my favourite because of its sheer zaniness. Jeff is living the perfect life of suburban bliss with his wife and two children, and all the latest gadgets and consumer goods, which he feels compelled to tell everyone about. But he realises something is wrong when he tries to look his wife in the eye. This is a brilliant parody of the fantasy worlds invented by advertising people to encourage us to buy, buy, buy. Consumerism gets an alternative treatment in “Humbuggered”, a twist on the story of Ebenezer Scrooge in A Christmas Carol. Eric is a poor charity worker who lives in a grotty, desperate place yet devotes all his time and money to others. He seems too generous and quite a pushover, and his benevolence is not appreciated. This story is as depressing as the original is heartwarming...

However the ideas behind the stories are inventive and interesting. “Speaking In Tongues” takes the feeling of wanting to bite one’s tongue after saying something stupid to its logical extreme, whilst “The Butterfly Man” is an unusual and moving story about a man who only has a very short time to live. The nicely gruesome “Rag and Bone” begins with someone hanging like meat amongst a room full of corpses, and just keeps on getting grislier. Then “Keeper of the Light” plays on our fear of the dark with a tale about a lonely lighthouse keeper. He seems a little neurotic about keeping everything in order until we reach the last nasty twist at the end and it all becomes clear.

This is quite a varied collection in terms of its themes and style. Whether the author is out to shock, to terrify, or to make us cry, the evidence of his versatility and craftsmanship abounds... overall there’s a lot to enjoy.’

‘There are times when reading books for this blog, that I feel kind of embarrassed. This is one of those books, for an author who has been as widely published and prolific as Paul Kane, I’m embarrassed to say that prior to this collection...I had never read any of his work. Yes I had heard his name mentioned by those more in the know than I am. The Butterfly Man collects some of Paul’s finest works from recent years plus the addition of ”The Cave of Lost Souls”, Paul’s very first published short story. The 18 stories here range from the very light hearted to some very deep, harrowing and moving tales.

I was a little bit hesitant in picking this up, as it feels all I have been reading lately is short stories, and I was feeling a little bit burned out by the form. But, after reading “One for The Road”the opener of the collection, my faith in the short story was reignited. This is a wonderfully light hearted and fun take on the beginning of the Armageddon... However, don’t for one moment think that this story sets the tone for the collection, for this is one of only a few light hearted tales on offer here. Paul has a gift for writing really interesting, satisfying and downright enjoyable tales, no matter the subject matter.

Some of my favourite stories of the collection were“Life-O-Matic”, a humorous tale of a society gone consumerist to the extreme. Imagine one of those classic 1950’s suburban streets full of perfectly mowed lawns and white picket fences. Now imagine one of those streets gone absolutely mental where the perfectly white toothy smiles are the least of your worries, and the banalities of QVC rules the world. ”Masques”is Paul’s homage to Poe’s classic tale “The Masque of The Red Death”, relocated to the modern world, where the brilliant doctor in charge of finding a cure for the bleeding disease is haunted by nightmares that are beginning to break out into the waking world. This wonderfully evocative tale is a prime example of what a great author can do when allowed to work on a classic.

“The Greatest Mystery” is Paul’s love letter to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and is everything I could ever want from a Sherlock Holmes Mystery. All of the elements are as they should be, Holmes acts and sounds like Holmes, as does Dr Watson, with one added extra: this time Holmes goes up against the Supernatural. I loved this story, and I’m sure I could see fog seeping from under the bedroom door as I read this fantastic take on one of my all time favourite characters. “A Chaos Demon Is For Life” is another of Paul’s stories that brings a smile to your face. This story shows that parents really shouldn’t try to get the perfect gift for their kids at Christmas... ”Windchimes”, for me, stands toe to toe with “The Butterfly Man”as the most moving and heartbreaking tale I have read all year. You know any story that starts of with the death of a child is never going to end happily, but the ending to this story is so bleak and shocking, it will stay with you long after you have finished this collection.

The titular title of the collection“The Butterfly Man”is a prime example of the power of emotion that a brilliant short story can hold. This is a terribly moving, heartfelt and evocative tale based around a day in the life of The Butterfly Man. I challenge you to read this story and not be moved, both by the story and by the level of writing talent Paul exhibits. This collection is a must if, like me, you have missed out on the writing talents of Mr Kane. The stories on offer here show a writer who is capable of writing many, many different styles with a panache, yet still being able to maintain a voice and style that is uniquely his own. This is another first class single author collection, and ranks up there with the best that is out there. Paul Kane and this collection in particular is one that should be in every reader’s library.’
(Ginger Nuts of Horror)

‘When I first received Butterfly Man for review, I planned to read just a few stories a day, as the collection has 18 stories and appears quite long. But once I started, I was transfixed. I ended up spending the entire day reading. And once I finished, I probably could have rattled off synopses of every story, without looking at the book again once – they’re that unforgettable... Five of the stories here are originals to the collection. “The Greatest Mystery” is the first. Narrated by Dr. Watson, this is a Sherlock Holmes tale with a particularly sinister twist....As it’s written true to Dr. Watson’s voice and is a fitting addition to the Holmes legend, I believe that if you like Sherlock Holmes, you’ll like “The Greatest Mystery.”...
In the next original story, “It’s All Over,” successful writer Brian is haunted by his wife—by the affair he had, by his last words to her—“it’s all over”—and now, literally, by what appears to be her, standing outside his home every night and calling his name, six months after her death by suicide. As he truly regrets his mistakes, he wonders if he’s being given a second chance with her. Once again, we see the theme of the successful man who treats a woman wrong, and gets punished by her in an appropriately bloodthirsty manner. Kane follows his formula predictably, although the particular way he fulfils it in the end is a surprise, and quite well done in my opinion.

I think that “The Butterfly Man,” another original, is the best of the stories in the entire collection. It tells the story of Daren Grant, the man who was born and died of old age all within 24 hours, and the nurse, Yvette, who cared for and loved him. He was nicknamed by the public under the misconception that butterflies live only 24 hours...Although this story has a sad ending like most of Kane’s other stories, we’re told what it is right at the start, so there’s none of that hope being harboured throughout the story that this might be the one time Kane decides to give the characters a break. As it is, the ending feels complete and isn’t actually all that sad. The story is rich and thought-provoking, bringing up issues of aging, love, and motherhood, among other things. There is tension and emotional layers, and no horror; I found this a story to really savour.

“Rag and Bone,” on the other hand, is definitely a horror story, and is packed with gore and creepy legend from the first moment... This is a story I never, ever want to see made into a movie, as the images in it are visceral enough in my own head... Kane does a very effective job of creating an atmosphere here. Very little violence is actually committed during the course of the story, but enough is implied, with glances here and there of piles of body parts, that we get a sense of long-drawn-out creepiness without any sharp spikes of horror.

The other thirteen stories in the collection range from the gory (“Masques” and “Nine Tenths”) to the funny (“A Chaos Demon is for Life” and “Humbuggered,” which is a particularly clever take on the Scrooge story), to the absurd and slightly funny but also gory (“Life-o-Matic” and “Speaking in Tongues”). My favourites are the funny, non-gory ones, where I felt I got to take a breath and laugh a bit (albeit nervously, not quite believing that no one was going to get disembowelled or chopped to bits in a particular story)...I don’t think there’s a single story in this collection that could be considered “filler.” It’s a strong and varied set of stories that will hold most readers spellbound all the way through.’
(Tangent Online)

‘I chose to review Paul Kane’s seventh collection for this edition of The Short Review because I felt it might present something different, a challenge, to me as a reader new to fantasy/horror; a thick, bubbling brew which includes comic horror, the surreal, vampire literature and straight horror. OK, it’s not the sort of stuff I read every day, but would it be enough to entice me into the circle of fans? Looking at the online image of the extraordinarily beautiful cover, I thought it might be possible...The elements I expected are all in there, fighting for supremacy – tormented souls, ghosts, angels, avenging spirits from beyond the grave, the Spirit of Death, monsters of the night, side by side with chocolate-box sexy women...

Opting not to look at the introduction by Christopher Golden or Kane’s own end-notes on the stories until after I had completed my own review, I was surprised by the colourful diversity of style, which ranges from pastiche, through cinematic sequence to straight literary, and by the unity of bloodthirsty theme. Sometimes a happy ending seems to be within a hair’s breadth before devastation strikes – read “Windchimes” to get a taste of the particularly unpleasant bitter aloes in the final twist – and sometimes the reader is led to an inevitable and horrible conclusion. I have to show my hand right away and say that my favourite story in the whole collection is a delightful (would Kane approve of that description, I wonder?) page-turner of a pastiche. The style of “The Greatest Mystery” was just right on the button and did it for me. This could have been Conan Doyle himself speaking, immediately recognisable to both aficionados and casual readers. Here, Kane is word and plot perfect, that sense of place transporting us right into the world of Baker Street – post mortem. Actually it sent me right back to my own library and the original stories and novels.

”Windchimes” is a moving story of quiet, unseen madness, delicately balanced and expressed with ample grace. Kane writes with admirable understanding of the psychological disarray and guilt which might follow the death of a small child and of the suspicion which could fall upon the capabilities of a parent. The stresses which can, and often do, tear a marriage apart in such dire circumstances are examined in the character of Jon, the lonely, bereaved alcoholic. Kane examines, too, the emotions which might ultimately draw such a character to another partner who finds herself in similar straits (indeed, they meet in a children’s graveyard). I had to read this story (which has a very nasty, but just believable – given the background – ending) several times to decide whether it sits well in this book, a complex collage of stories and characters ranging from the surreal Fred and Rose West type individuals of “Rag and Bone” and “Baggage” to the pure comic horror of the television-ad world of “Life-o’-Matic” and the Dahl-like “A Chaos Demon is for Life”... In my view, “Windchimes” is a piece which reflects Kane’s true potential as a ‘straight’ writer and might probably belong in the pages of another collection. But that’s just my personal view.

In the short space available to me here, it would be impossible to comment on every one of Kane’s eighteen stories – the Benjamin Button in-reverse of the title story, “The Butterfly Man”; “Speaking in Tongues”, about a Tourette’s Syndrome sufferer, which reminded me initially of Jonathan Lethem’s story, “Tugboat Syndrome”, but with a surreal, supernatural-horror aspect; the basically cinematic “One for the Road”, a tale to remind us all of our mortality... The unknowable and unstoppable demons of the night in “Masques” and “Keeper of the Light” threaten to engulf whole worlds, not only that of the despairing souls in “The Suicide Room”; every story echoes in those dark and hidden corners of the house of the human spirit. This roiling patchwork of a collection reveals all of Kane’s enthusiasm and the flexibility which has led him down many creative pathways and which will clearly point the way to others...’
(The Short Review)

To buy the signed edition from the publisher click here and for the unsigned edition click here

Published by Rainfall Books, September 2002. Trade Paperback, £7.99/$12.99. ISBN: 0-9540877-5-5

Featuring: ‘In the Shadows’ Introduction by Paul Kane; ‘Behind the Painted Face’ by John B. Ford; ‘The Mask’ by Alison L.R. Davies; ‘To Make You King’ by Mark West; ‘The Power’ by Paul Melniczek; ‘Sibling Rivalry’ by Hertzan Chimera; ‘Living Doll’ by Peggy J. Shumate; ‘Make It Rock & Roll’ by Lisa Negus; ‘Soul Searcher’ by Derek M. Fox; ‘Beachcomber’ by Robert D. Rowntree; ‘Trophy’ by Shannon Riley; ‘Decay’ by Quentin S. Crisp; ‘The Journeyman’ by David Price.

‘There are some absolute gems of short fiction here. If this book is anything to go by then it’s fairly safe to say there should be good times ahead for anyone who reads horror.’

Published by Rainfall Books, December 2003. Trade Paperback, £7.99/$12.99. ISBN: 0-9546178-2-7

Featuring: ‘ShadowTime’ Introduction by Paul Kane; ‘Dead Eye’ by Amy Grech; ‘Whizz’ by Paul Finch; ‘Chalice’ by Sue Phillips; ‘Scar Tissue’ by Neal Asher; ‘Pretty Enough’ by Suellen Luwish; ‘They Wait’ by Simon Bestwick; ‘The Afterthought’ by Sarah Crabtree; ‘The Hungry Ones’ by Joe Rattigan; ‘Exploration’ by Steven Deighan; ‘Cain’s Moon’ by Susanne S. Brydenbaugh; ‘The Heart of Darkness’ by Eddie M. Angerhuber; ‘Schism’ by Steve Gerlach.

Published by Rainfall Books, August 2003. Trade Paperback, £12/$16.99. ISBN: 0-9540877-6-3

Featuring: Editorial Introductions, ‘Life After Death’ by John B. Ford and ‘Do Have Nightmares’ by Paul Kane; ‘In the Company of Demons’ by Teri A. Jacobs; ‘Under Mock Orange’ by Scott Thomas; ‘Where They Went Wrong’ by Christopher Fowler; ‘Quayle the Bibliophile’ by Mark Samuels; ‘Seen But Not Heard’ by Joe Rattigan; ‘Plastipak Ltd’ by Neal Asher; ‘In the Flesh’ by Sarah Crabtree; ‘The House of Solemn Children’ by Michael Cisco; ‘The Skull’ by Eddie M. Angerhuber; ‘Lonely Hearts’ by Steve Harris; ‘Forests of the Night’ by Michael Pendragon; ‘Kane’s Korner Special: Birmingham Report’ by Paul Kane; ‘Me, My Bike...And the Inevitable’ by Simon Clark; ‘The Insect Assembly’ by John Paul Catton; ‘Sound Bites...?’ by Derek M. Fox; ‘Dark Family Values’ by Stanley C. Sargent; ‘Images of Angels’ by Sue Phillips; ‘Dark Debate’ with Lisa Negus, Robert D. Rowntree, Stephen Gallagher, Simon Clark, Paul Finch and Tim Lebbon; ‘Book Reviews: Stranger and From a Buick 8’ by Paul Kane and Derek M. Fox; ‘Film Reviews: Darkness Falls and 28 Days Later’ by Christopher Teague.

Published by Rainfall Books, May 2004. Trade Paperback, £12/$16.99. ISBN: 0-9546178-4-3

Featuring: Editorial Introductions ‘The Taste of Pure Evil’ by John B. Ford and ‘Horror R.I.P?’ by Paul Kane; ‘Bleed for Me’ by Marie O’Regan; ‘Victoria’s Secret’ by Michael Marshall Smith; ‘Drop Dead Gorgeous’ by Sarah Crabtree; ‘The Other One’ by Paul Finch; ‘Blueskin’ by Lisa Negus; ‘Comparative Anatomy’ by Stephen Gallagher; ‘Know Thyself’ by Tim Meads; Kane’s Korner, ‘Zombies’; ‘Sent Down’ by Gemma Files; ‘The Spirit of Rock and Roll’ by David Price; ‘The Tripod’ by Jeffrey Thomas; ‘Sermon’ by F. Paul Wilson and John B. Ford; ‘Time to Scare Gramma’ by Peggy J. Shumate; ‘Book Reviews: Nobody True and About James Herbert’ by Paul Kane, ‘Conscience’ by Martin Roberts; ‘Exclusive extract from ‘Conscience’ by John Skipp; ‘Small Press Focus: Earthling Publications - Interview with Paul Miller and Reviews of Godhead Dying Downwards, Brotherhood of Mutilation, Exorcising Angels and Babylon Falling’ by Paul Kane; ‘Film Reviews: May’ by Tim Meads, ‘Alien: Director’s Cut and Scary Movie 3’ by Christopher Teague.

Published by Rainfall Books, February 2006. Co-edited by John B. Ford. £12. ISBN: 0-9549923-5-0

Featuring: Editorial Introductions by John B. Ford & Paul Kane; ‘The Causeway’ by Stephen Laws; ‘I’m Always Here’ by Richard Christian Matheson; ‘Blast from the Past’ by Simon Clark; ‘A Short Guide to the City’ by Peter Straub; ‘Whispers’ by Marie O’Regan; ‘The Tripod Pt 2’ by Jeffrey Thomas; ‘Kane’s Korner: Moonstruck’ by Paul Kane; ‘Where it Roots, How it Fruits’ by Chaz Brenchley; ‘Feels Like Stephen King’ by Steve Deighan; ‘0.5 MG’ by Conrad Williams; ‘The Happy Misanthropist’ by John Travis; ‘What Elroy Did On His School Holidays’ by Jonathan Oliver; ‘The Summer House’ by Vicki Yates; ‘A Slave of Melancholy’ by Mark Samuels; ‘Bus Driver’ by Kevin Anderson; ‘Dead to the World’ by Allen Ashley; ‘Book Reviews: The Water Room by Christopher Fowler, In This Skin by Simon Clark, Invasion of the Body Snatchers by Jack Finney and I Am Legend by Richard Matheson.

Published by Rainfall Books, February 2004. Trade Paperback, £8/$12. ISBN: 0-9546178-3-5

Featuring: ‘White Knuckle Ride’ Introduction by John B. Ford and Paul Kane; ‘Third Shift’ by Kevin Anderson; ‘Grandfather’s Faces’ by Michael T. Huyck Jr.; ‘Nightmind’ by Darren Franz; ‘The Invite’ by Mary Romano; ‘The Creeper’ by Alexis Child; ‘The Withering’ by Bruce Golden; ‘Three Silver Bullets’ by John Ludlow; ‘The Screaming At Hexenkoph’ by Sherid Adams Signs; ‘Rideby’ by Thomas Stone; ‘The Boy in the Corner’ by Phil Locascio; ‘Clutter’ by Karole M. Svitak; ‘Craven’ by Destiny West; ‘The Perfect Varnish’ by Thomas Wagner; ‘Thrust’ by Melissa Patterson; ‘Remembrance’ by Christopher Fulbright; ‘The Hidden Room’ by Eddie M. Angerhuber.

Featuring: Cover artwork by Les Edwards; Introduction by Clive Barker; ‘January’ by James Barclay and Alfred Klosterman; ‘February’ by Kim Newman and Chris Leaper; ‘March’ by Graham Joyce and Lara Bandilla; ‘April’ by Steve Lockley and Michelle Blessemaille; ‘May’ by Neil Gaiman and Russell Dickerson; ‘June’ by Cherith Baldry and David Bezzina; ‘July’ by Chaz Brenchley and Steve Lines; ‘August’ by Katherine Roberts and Tina Roberts; ‘September’ by China Mieville and Bob Covington; ‘October’ by Juliet E. McKenna and Kathy Hardy; ‘November’ by Jon Courtenay Grimwood and Ian Simmons; ‘December’ by Mark Chadbourn and Sarah Zama.

Featuring: ‘A Year in the Chair’ by Nicki Robson; ‘Suspension of Disbelief’ by Jeff Gardiner; ‘I, Robot’ by Paul Kane; ‘Robert Holdstock - A Lifetime of Creativity’ by Sandy Auden; ‘An Interview with Neal Asher’ by Paul Kane; ‘Muriel Gray’ by Marie O’Regan; ‘Lord Dunsany’ by Jeff Gardiner.

Featuring: ‘The Stone Circle’ by Barry Woods; ‘The Black Lake’ by Tony Richards; ‘Abattoir Girl’ by Allen Ashley and Andrew Hook; ‘Manny and the Monkeys’ by Simon Woodward; ‘The White Witch’ by JPV Stewart; ‘Harrowfield’ by Neil Williamson.

Featuring: Cover Artwork by Paul ( Lord of the Rings) Campion. January ‘Evil Clowns’ by John Connolly and James Ryman; February ‘Old Dark House’ by Stephen Laws and Lew Lehrman; March ‘Demons’ by Muriel Gray and David Magitis; April ‘Vampires’ by Christopher Fowler and Mike Bohatch; May ‘Zombies’ by Simon Clark and Bob Covington; June ‘Magic’ by Clive Barker and Paul Campion; July ‘Medical Horror’ by Stephen Gallagher and Russell Dickerson; August ‘Death’ by Neil Gaiman and Ian Simmons; September ‘Haunted Woods’ by Ramsey Campbell and Michelle Blessmaille; October ‘The Corpse’ by Poppy Z. Brite and Michael Ian Bateson; November ‘Supernatural Painting’ by Graham Masterton and Lara Bandilla; Demember ‘Werewolves’ by Kelley Armstrong and Lizzy Shumate.

Published by Eloy Edictions, January 2006. Co-edited byWalter Diociaiuti. 13 Euros. ISBN: 3-938411-04-X

Featuring: ‘Zombies’ An Introduction by Simon Clark; ‘The Beach’ by Tim Lebbon; ‘Night After Night of the Living Dead’ by Christopher Fowler; ‘Face at the Window’ by Stuart Young; ‘Starky’s Town’ by Simon Bestwick; ‘Risen Wife’ by Mark West; ‘A Force of Evil’ by John B. Ford; ‘The Burning Doorway’ by Simon Clark; ‘Beautiful Stranger’ by Tony Richards; ‘Life Sentence’ by Paul Kane; ‘Raw Materials’ by Derek M. Fox; ‘Somebody in the Garden’ by Paul Finch; ‘Salvation’ by Maynard and Sims.

Edited by Marie O’Regan and Jenny Barber. Published by the BFS, Spring 2006.

Featuring: ‘The Ones We Leave Behind’ by Mark Chadbourn ; ‘Caw’ by Alessio Zanelli; ‘Masquerade’ by Debbie Bennett; ‘Salastor’ by John Howard; ‘Flowers in the Cellar’ by Lavie Tidhar; ‘Baby’ by Simon Messingham.

British Fantasy Society Publications, co-edited with Marie O’Regan, September 2006, £11.99

Featuring: Introduction by Stephen Jones; ‘The Luxury of Harm’ by Christopher Fowler; ‘Lost Souls’ by Clive Barker; ‘Whisper Lane’ by Mark Chadbourn; ‘The Man Who Drew Cats’ by Michael Marshall Smith; ‘The Cycle’ by John Connolly; ‘Days of the Wheel’ by Peter Crowther; ‘Now You See Him, Now You Don’t’ by Juliet E. McKenna; ‘Progeny’ by Mark Morris; ‘The Sustenaince of Hoak’ by Ramsey Campbell; ‘Every Day A Little Death’ by Chaz Brenchley; ‘This is Illyria, Lady’ by Kim Newman; ‘Ashputtle’ by Peter Straub; ‘Webs’ by Neil Gaiman; ‘The Raffle’ by Simon Clark; ‘Scarrowfell’ by Robert Holdstock; ‘Building Sixteen’ by Brian Aldiss; ‘Dust’ by Richard Christian Matheson; ‘Sundance’ by Robert Silverberg; ‘My Repeater’ by Stephen Gallagher; ‘Partial Eclipse’ by Graham Joyce; Afterword by Paul Kane and Marie O’Regan; plus personal recollections and stories about the BFS and FantasyCon by the contributors.

‘If Interzone imposed the reviewing methodology used by governments to assess the efficacy of public services – evaluating the whole in terms of the average of scores given to each of its components – Kane and O’Regan’s celebration of the British Fantasy Society would top the league table of fantasy anthologies. There is certainly much to commend it. There isn’t a single duff story: none of them merits less than a B and several are worthy of an A+.’

British Fantasy Society Publications, co-edited with Marie O’Regan, designed by Lee Thompson. Cover artwork by Dave McKean.

Featuring: ‘Welcome’ by Marie O’Regan and Paul Kane; ‘FantasyCon Anecdotes Part One’ by Peter Crowther, Sarah Pinborough, Steve Volk and Michael Marshall Smith; ‘To the Death’ by Christopher Fowler; ‘Dave McKean’ by Neil Gaiman; ‘Dave McKean Biography and Bibliography’ by Dave McKean and Paul Kane; ‘Dave McKean: A Gallery of Works’ by Dave McKean’; ‘Karl Edward Wagner Special Award: Ray Harryhausen’ by Stephen Jones; ‘The Long Fingers of Dr Who’ by Simon Gurrier; ‘Ghosts of India Extract’ by Mark Morris; ‘Not So Obvious: An Appreciation of Christopher Golden’ by Tim Lebbon; ‘Christopher Golden Bibliography’ by Christopher Golden and Paul Kane; ‘Baltimore Extract’ by Christopher Golden; ‘Fallen Extract’ by Tim Lebbon; ‘Christopher Fowler’ by Roger Gray; ‘Christopher Fowler Bibliography’ by Paul Kane; ‘The Victoria Vanishes Extract’ by Christopher Fowler; ‘James Barclay’ by Mark Yon; ‘James Barclay Bibliography’ by Paul Kane; ‘FantasyCon Anecdotes Part Two’ by Paul Cornell, Christopher Fowler and Simon Clark; ‘Ravensoul Extract’ by James Barclay.

Hellbound Hearts

Pocket Books(Simon & Schuster), co-edited with Marie O’Regan. Cover artwork by Clive Barker (‘Vestimenti’ Cenobite). September 2009, $16.00/£10.76

ISBN-10: 1439140901 ISBN-13:978-1439140901

Featuring: ‘Foreword’ by Clive Barker; ‘Introduction: Raising Hell, Again’ by Stephen Jones; ‘ Prisoners of the Inferno’ by Peter Atkins; ‘ The Cold’ by Conrad Williams; ‘ The Confessor’s Tale’ by Sarah Pinborough; ‘ Hellbound Hollywood’ by Mick Garris; ‘ Mechanisms’ by Christopher Golden and Mike Mignola (illustrated by Mike Mignola); ‘ Every Wrong Turn’ by Tim Lebbon; ‘ The Collector’ by Kelley Armstrong; ‘ Bulimia’ by Richard Christian Matheson; ‘ Orfeo the Damned’ by Nancy Holder; ‘ Our Lord of Quarters’ by Simon Clark; ‘ Wordsworth’ graphic insert by Neil Gaiman and Dave McKean; ‘ A Little Piece of Hell’ by Steve Niles; ‘ The Dark Materials Project’ by Sarah Langan; ‘ Demon’s Design’ by Nicholas Vince; ‘ Only The Blind Survive’ by Yvonne Navarro; ‘ Mother’s Ruin’ by Mark Morris; ‘ Sister Cilice’ by Barbie Wilde; ‘ Santos del Infierno’ by Jeffrey J. Mariotte; ‘ The Promise’ by Nancy Kilpatrick; ‘ However…’ by Gary A. Braunbeck and Lucy A. Snyder; ‘ Tis Pity He’s Ashore’ by Chaz Brenchley; ‘Afterword’ by Doug Bradley; ‘Special Bonus Material: Wordsworth Graphic Short Story Original Script’ by Neil Gaiman.

‘With an introduction from Clive Barker himself, this anthology of short stories inspired by Pinhead and his merry band of Cenobites has obviously won respect where it matters most. Even more impressive, however, are the number of heavy-hitters involved in this project, each of whom gives their own well-informed spin on all things Hellraiser. From The Stand director Mick Garris (whose “Hellbound Hollywood” brings fear to a film set, and even references Candyman) to 30 Days Of Night’s Steve Niles (who documents some graphic fleshfilleting in “A Little Piece Of Hell”), this is far from a quickly bashed-out horror hack-job. Another highlight is Barbie Wilde’s “Sister Cilice”, which offers a uniquely female spin on the mythology. Other members of the fair sex (including Buffy novelist Yvonne Navarro and Otherworld author Kelly Armstrong) also take a bash but Wilde, who played the Female Cenobite in the movies, tells the most insightful tale. Then there’s “The Cold” by Conrad Williams, best known in cult circles. Williams manages the impressive task of bringing Barker’s supernatural sadomasochism into a more grounded, “real world” scenario and it proves to be one of the most compelling and well-realised shorts on offer here... For any Barker buff Hellbound Hearts should provide more pleasure than pain.’

(Four Star Review in SFX magazine)

‘Kudos MUST go to Paul Kane and Marie O’Regan who have pulled out of the bag a magnificent clutch of tales and have managed to coax from the authors many rich, dark and some truly frightening stories that have added a new and complex light to an already vastly complex universe. It’s a great read and I hope that Pocket Books, the publishers, commission a second volume soon. 9.5/10.’

(Johnny Mains, All Things Horror)

‘ It is truly amazing how Clive Barker’s work could go on to inspire so many different terrifying tales. Each and every one is worth reading and it was painful to try and pick out just a few to talk about when all of the stories are so stellar. Each of the authors captures the aesthetic and themes of the Hellraiser mythos, all the while tweaking it just enough to make it their own. What truly makes this anthology so exciting is how many different directions authors can go with Barker’s legacy. From Native American lore to the future of science behind “Shadow DNA”, there is really no limit to how writers can reinterpret and retell the Hellraiser mythos... Horror fans that relish shocking literature as well as Clive Barker and Hellraiser fans are sure to enjoy Hellbound Hearts. Don’t torture yourself, get your copy today!’

(Fatally Yours)

‘The stories collected in Hellbound Hearts remain true to the nightmarish mythology that inspired them. They are subtle and suggestive, violently unrestrained, and penned by writers perfectly suited to the task. Kane and O’Regan have done a wonderful job. Hellbound Hearts will delight and disturb the fans of Hellraiser, and those who first discovered The Hellbound Heart in George R. R. Martin’s Night Visions 3. Hellbound Hearts is highly recommended.’

(Jason Rolfe, HorrorBound)

‘Hellbound Hearts is collection of Hellraiser influenced stories that’s dear to my heart. Being a fan of Barker and all things Hellraiser, I must say it’s great to see that the legacy or mythos is being carried forth... I come out of this book feeling as if the writers dug deep to pull out these stories of damnation and suffering. There is a black abyss that lies deep in the hearts and minds. Hellbound Hearts is a doorway into that notion. Hellbound Hearts will sit proudly next to all things Cenobitovian and Barker, whether directly inspired or indirectly awakened it stands on its own as a collection to have.’

(HorrorNews.net)

‘I love collections, I love Clive Barker and I love Hellraiser! I love this collection! This book of stories inspired by Clive Barker’s Hellraiser mythos has some great stories from the likes of Tim Lebbon, Christopher Golden, Conrad Williams, Simon Clark and many more. The number of British authors providing stories is amazing, and just goes to show the power of the horror genre in the UK. My personal favourite is Simon Clark’s story, but I have to say that I really enjoyed the mini comic provided by Neil Gaiman and Dave McKean, just a shame it’s printed in grainy black and white. The original script is also included, providing a great insight into comic writing. An original collection which goes to show the depth of Barker’s Hellraiser universe.’

(Adrian Brady, Morpheus Tales)

Buy this book here, here or here.

Terror Tales Vol. 4

Terror Tales # 4

Published by Rainfall Books, December 2009. Co-edited by John B. Ford. ISBN: 978-0-9563991-0-6

Featuring: Editorial Introductions by John B. Ford & Paul Kane; ‘12 Bolinbroke Avenue’ by Peter James; ‘A Reel Devil’ by Roger Gray; ‘Harlequin Valentine’ by Neil Gaiman; ‘Charlie’ by Eric Steele; ‘The Man Who Collected Barker’ by Kim Newman; ‘The Hand of Glory’ by Simon Clark; ‘Kane’s Korner: Buffed Up’ by Paul Kane; ‘Haven’ by S.D. Hintz; ‘Falling Into the Arms of Death He Found A Beautiful Place’ by Jeff VanderMeer; ‘Ritual’ by Ann Wood; ‘Drifting Apart’ by Peter Crowther; ‘Circus A Go-Go’ by Carl Carter; ‘Discards’ by Tony Richards; ‘Voices Through the Walls’ by Lee Clark Zumpe; ‘Shirts’ by Allen Ashley; ‘Blizzard in Blue’ by John Saxton; ‘A Quiet Weekend Away’ by Mark West; Book Reviews: Stone Cold Calling by Simon Clark, Moontown by Peter Atkins, The Adventures of Mr. Maximillian Bacchus and His Traveling Circus by Clive Barker; Film Reviews: Splinter, 100 Feet and Midnight Meat Train.

alt.Fiction convention booklet

Alt.Fiction 2010 convention booklet, co-edited with Marie O’Regan, designed and typeset by Marie O’Regan.
Cover artwork by Liam Sharp.

Featuring: ‘Welcome’ by Catherine Rogers; Bios with photos for Guy Adams, Tony Ballantyne, Alex Bell, John Berlyne, Chaz Brenchley, Ramsey Campbell, Mike Carey, Mark Chadbourn, Michael Cobley, Paul Cornell, Peter Crowther, Steven Erikson, Marc Gascoigne, James Goss, Kate Griffin, Simon Guerrier, Lee Harris, Colin Harvey, Jenni Hill, John Jarrold, Stephen Jones, Graham Joyce, Paul Kane, Kim Lakin-Smith, Tim Lebbon, David Llewellyn, Paul Magrs, Gary McMahon, Juliet E. McKenna, Mark Morris, Adam Nevill, Mark Charan Newton, Marie O’Regan, Sarah Pinborough, Andy Remic, Justin Richards, Liam Sharp, Robert Shearman, Kari Sperring, Gav Thorpe, Steve Tribe, Stephen Volk, Freda Warrington, Jon Weir, Ian Whates, Conrad Williams; Podcast details; Panel and Cinema Programme; Book Launches and Mixed Programming; Thanks.

FantasyCon 2011 souvenir programme

FantasyCon 2011 Souvenir Programme, co-edited with Marie O’Regan. Cover design by Paul Kane, internal design and typesetting by Marie O’Regan.

Cover artwork by Dominic Harman.

Featuring: ‘Gwyneth Jones’ by Mark Yon; ‘A North Light’ by Gwyneth Jones; ‘Letting Lindqvist In’ by Barry Forshaw; ‘Little Star (Prologue)’ by John Ajvide Lindqvist; ‘One Scray, Scintillating, Scrupulous Scouse Scribe – Peter Atkins’ by Ramsey Campbell; ‘The Last of the Invisible Kings’ by Peter Atkins; ‘Joe Abercrombie – From Coldplay to Best Served Cold’ by James Barclay; ‘The Heroes (Extract)’ by Joe Abercrombie; ‘FantasyCon’s Memory Lane – Album of Photos’; ‘Brian Aldiss OBE’ by Allen Ashley; ‘The Romance of the Equator’ by Brian Aldiss; ‘Christopher Paolini’ by Mike Macauley; ‘Inheritance (Extract)’ by Christopher Paolini; ‘The History of FantasyCon’ compiled by Stephen Jones, David A. Sutton and Alex Davis; ‘Waiting for the Big One – Sarah Pinborough’ by Tim Lebbon; ‘The Confessor’s Tale’ by Sarah Pinborough.

FantasyCon 2011 Pocket Programme

FantasyCon 2011 Pocket Programme, co-edited with Marie O’Regan. Cover design by Paul Kane, artwork by Les Edwards.

Featuring: Friday-Sunday Grids/TimeTables; Royal Albion Maps; Panellist Listings; Parties/Launch Information

The Mammoth Book of Body Horror, edited by Paul Kane and Marie O'Regan

The Mammoth Book of Body Horror

Constable & Robinson, co-edited with Marie O’Regan. March 2012, £7.99

ISBN-10: 1780330391. ISBN-13: 978-1780330396

Featuring: ‘Introduction’ by Stuart Gordon (Director of Re-Animator and From Beyond); ‘Transformation’ by Mary Shelley; ‘The Telltale Heart’ by Edgar Allan Poe; ‘Herbert West: Re-Animator’ by H.P. Lovecraft; ‘Who Goes There?’ John W. Campbell; ‘The Fly’ by George Langelaan; ‘Tis the Season to be Jelly’ by Richard Matheson; ‘Survivor Type’ by Stephen King; ‘The Body Politic’ by Clive Barker; ‘The Chaney Legacy’ by Robert Bloch; ‘The Other Side’ by Ramsey Campbell; ‘Fruiting Bodies’ by Brian Lumley; ‘Freaktent’ by Nancy A. Collins; ‘Region of the Flesh’ by Richard Christian Matheson; ‘Walking Wounded’ by Michael Marshall Smith; ‘Changes’ by Neil Gaiman; ‘Others’ by James Herbert; ‘The Look’ by Christopher Fowler; ‘Residue’ by Alice Henderson; ‘Dog Days’ by Graham Masterton; ‘Black Box’ by Gemma Files; ‘The Soaring Dead’ by Simon Clark; ‘Polyp’ by Barbie Wilde; ‘Almost Forever’ by David Moody; ‘Butterfly’ by Axelle Carolyn; ‘Sticky Eye’ by Conrad Williams.

‘Here we have an anthology that squeezes the best out of body horror the way that puss can be squeezed from a necrotic wound, and all for our perverse enjoyment of this disturbing and oh so dark craft. Each story has been exquisitely crafted by the undisputed masters of the genre. And, to be frank, it’s impossible not to like. From the poetic prose of Mary Shelley, the drug induced hysteria of Poe, the wild, paranoid ramblings of Lovecraft, to the brutal honesty of David Moody. This book will drag up feelings of dread, shock and revulsion upon its reader. Even to hardened horror fans such as ourselves, the Mammoth Book of Body Horror still manages a nasty surprise or two.

So who’s in it? Short answer: everyone. It opens with Mary Shelley’s“Transformation”, a tale of body swapping with a twisted dwarf-like creature destined to go wrong. Starting off with the likes of Shelley – better known as the creator of Frankenstein, as if you needed telling – reminds us where the concept of body horror has its roots. Although earlier myths and legends of bodily dismemberment abound, Shelley is one of the first to get it down in short story form. From here we’re introduced to Edger Allen Poe’s“The Tell-Tale Heart” and from there we jump to Lovecraft’s“Re-animator”. The next stopping point is “Who Goes There?” by John W. Campbell and its worth pointing out that this is the tale that inspired three films, most notably John Carpenter’s The Thing and finding it here is like running into an old friend from out of town. A real treat.

There are far too many stories to go into in much depth for the purpose of this review. Highlights include, Stephen King’s “Survivor Type”: how much a man is prepared to sacrifice when washed up on a desert island. “The Body Politic” by Clive Barker: guaranteed to ensure you will never look at your hands the same way again. Ramsey Campbell’s “The Other Side” dips into a surrealist horror that has the trademarks of an acid trip gone horribly wrong – or, cough, so we’re told. Brian Lumley’s “Fruiting Bodies” will stay with you long after the lights have gone out. Neil Gaiman injects a dark sense of humour with his short story “Changes”. And so the stories go, each exploring the fear of what can go wrong with our bodies: the unseen menace of a brain tumour, the creeping doom of cancer, the fear of being different, and the secret pleasure of standing out from a crowd.
The Mammoth book of Body Horror deserves a place on your bookshelf, but make sure it’s well away from kids and those of a fragile disposition.’

(Starburst, 10/10 review)

‘Oozing sores, wandering hands, sticky eyes and legs that fall off are just some of the gory corporeal glories you can expect from Mammoth’s latest collection. This 25-story compendium gathers tales of “transformation, mutation and contagion” from genre royalty including Clive Barker, HP Lovecraft, Stephen King, Mary Shelley and Edgar Allen Poe, along with writers who though less familiar are often just as compelling. The stories offer icky pleasure for those fascinated with a subgenre concerned with the body turning against itself. Some are funny and disgusting (Richard Matheson’s nuclear fallout nightmare ‘”Tis The Season To Be Jelly!”, Barbie Wilde’s bowel-with-a-brain-of-its-own yuk-fest “Polyp”); some smartly satirical (Neil Gaiman’s excellent cure-for-cancer vision “Changes”, Christopher Fowler’s fashion industry cautionary tale “The Look”); some depressing and disturbing (Nancy A Collins’ horrific, lingering “Freaktent” and Stephen King’s stand-out gross-out “The Survivor Type”).

For horror movie buffs it’s a must-have, pulling together the original stories which inspired The Fly, The Thing and Re-Animator. “The Fly”, a far closer blueprint for Kurt Neumann’s 1958 version than it was for Cronenberg’s version, is poignant rather than repellent, while John W Campbell’s ice station paranoia piece “Who Goes There?” (the longest piece in the collection), is a masterpiece of tension building. Only Lovecraft’s “Herbert West – Re-Animator” – a morbidly humorous necromancy myth – jars in its originally serialised format, with each short chapter beginning with a full recap of the previous ones – though Re-Animator director Stuart Gordon sheds further light on this in a warm and fascinating intro.’

(Four Star Review in SFX Magazine)

‘A good themed anthology, especially one with the word Mammoth in the title, should be a mix of the old and the new, a collection of classic reprints as well as some new material for those of us who need a little bit more than just a re-read of old favourites. Illustrating very nicely indeed the way to do this kind of thing properly is The Mammoth Book of Body Horror, edited by Paul Kane and Marie O’Regan and published by Constable Robinson. The book kicks off with a short, chatty introduction by Stuart Gordon, director of the classic Re-Animator and a number of other fine horror pictures including Dagon and Poe’s The Black Cat for television. Understandably Gordon concentrates mainly on his hunt for, and eventual discovery of, the Lovecraft story that helped make his reputation, but he does take time out to mention some of the other stories in here, as well as a quick anecdote about meeting Wes Craven at a urinal, before we get into the stories proper.

One of the things that many long-time readers wonder about as they grow older is whether the stories that thrilled them as youths will remain available to be discovered by today’s young horror readership. Volumes go out of print, stories are forgotten or neglected, and an entire generation can miss out on, say, W W Jacob’s “The Monkey’s Paw”. It is therefore with some delight that Kane and O’Regan have reprinted some classics here that have been away from our shelves for too long. After stories by Mary Shelley, Poe and of course H P Lovecraft’s “ReAnimator”, all of which can be found in collections in any high street bookshop, The Mammoth Book of Body Horror begins to show its real worth with reprints of John W Campbell’s “Who Goes There?” and George Langelaan’s “The Fly”... A tiny funny by Richard Matheson “Tis the Season to be Jelly” is next, followed by Stephen King’s “Survivor Type”, the tale of a surgeon stranded on a desert island and having to resort to increasing acts of self-mutilation in order to stay alive. Stories by Robert Bloch, Ramsey Campbell and Brian Lumley follow. Lumley’s “Fruiting Bodies” is a deservedly award-winning tale of rot and decay in a crumbling seaside village, while Bloch’s story concerns a man who finds he has bought the secret residence of silent actor Lon Chaney (which comes complete with makeup case and haunted mirror) and Campbell’s is the tale of an unhappy teacher who keeps seeing the figure of a dancing clown on the other side of the river to his flat. Needless to say, when he decides to investigate further the consequences are (bodily!) horrific, and it could have led to the inspiration for a famous J K Potter illustration, but you’ll have to read the end of the story for yourselves to find out which one.
In his introduction Stuart Gordon recommends that you read the next story “Freaktent” by Nancy A Collins, at the end. It’s certainly very effective, although the theme (which won’t be revealed here as it would spoil the ending) has been touched on by authors as far back as Charles Birkin in the 1930s. Michael Marshall Smith’s contribution, “Walking Wounded”, was originally published in Gollancz’s Dark Terrors 3 – it’s a fine tale of suburban body horror. Richard moves into a new flat with his new girlfriend. Pretty soon small cuts are starting to appear all over his body and rather than healing up they’re getting bigger and bloodier. Good stuff and a nice ending to this one. Neil Gaiman’s “Changes” is more science fiction, but that doesn’t harm the story at all. In a future not so far away cancer has been cured, but the treatment has had some very unusual side-effects. James Herbert’s “Others” is an extract from his novel of the same name and is a brief catalogue of hideous malformations. “The Look” by Christopher Fowler, first published in Telos’ Urban Gothic anthology, is next. It’s body horror as fashion (or should that be the other way around) and again, while the subject has been dealt with by other authors (most notably in the far futuristic science fiction novels of Iain M Banks) Fowler’s story is very much a horrific satire set in an almost contemporary world.

The book concludes with a number of stories that have been specifically written for the volume. These are by a mixture of authors both familiar and unfamiliar. Of the eight stories it came as no surprise that one of the stories was by old hand Graham Masterton, “Dog Days”, who delivers a deliciously outrageous tale of one man and his dog (not to mention the girlfriend). However, no more will be said about it so as not to spoil the surprise. David Moody was another surprise with his very well written and entertaining EC comics-style story “Almost Forever”. The following tale, Alice Henderson’s “Residue”, starts off a bit unsurely, but as it goes on it evolves into a whole bundle of alien-style fun and it comes highly recommend. Overall, then, Kane and O’Regan’s Mammoth Book of Body Horror is a very fine read indeed. There were only a couple of stories that didn’t work, and the only real criticism is that the book ends on a rather grim downer of a story that really isn’t in keeping with the tone of the rest of the book at all. Otherwise, it’s a book that works beautifully as an introduction to the genre for those who aren’t that familiar with it, offering a fine selection from many of the very best writers the genre has ever had, as well as a decent mix of new tales... if one were to recommend a good horror anthology to a friend who wanted to see what good horror stories were like, this would instantly come to mind. It does our beloved genre proud and there’s no greater praise than that.’

(This Is Horror)

‘A gripping collection which offers for the first time a chronological overview of the popular contemporary sub-genre of body horror, from Edgar Allan Poe to Christopher Fowler, with contributions from leading horror writers, including Stephen King, George Langelaan and Neil Gaiman. The collection includes the stories behind seminal body horror movies, John Carpenter's The Thing, David Cronenberg's The Fly and Stuart Gordon's Re-Animator. When you consider just how many of these Mammoth Books are published each year, it really is amazing that the quality of the stories presented in this edition are of such a high standard. It is a testament to both the writers and the editors... The table of contents reads like a dream team of authors. How the editors decided on which six authors names were featured on the front cover I don't know... I normally have two ways in which I attack an anthology, the first is to go to my favourite author, and the second is to start at the beginning, I usually do this when there are no authors that I am familiar with. TMBODH threw a spanner into the working of this process, I just didn't know where to start...

Barbie Wilde's story “Polyp”... is a wonderfully disgusting story, that manages to both shock the reader and make them giggle. Barbie has created a brilliant twist on the creature feature genre. I really enjoyed how the tale went from being a very personal story into an apocalyptic cliff hanger. After reading this story which in all reality was chosen at random, I knew this book was going to be great read. I'm going to skim over most of the first half of the book, the stories here are all classic of the genre...One thing I will say, is having these stories altogether in one volume is brilliant Of the other stories my personal highlights were Christopher Fowler's “The Look”, this really was a chilling, and uncomfortable read into the darker side of fashion, and just how far a fashion designer will go to get the look. Simon Clark's, “The Soaring Dead” reaffirmed my love for his writing, the twist ending of this story about greed, property, and an ancient mysterious plague was brilliant piece of story telling. Honourable mentions must go to David Moody's “Almost Forever”, and “Black Box”, by Gemma File.... The Mammoth Book of Body Horror is a must buy for any horror fan. You would be hard pushed to find a more comprehensive, and satisfying anthology of horror stories this year.’

(Ginger Nuts of Horror)

‘It's surprising that a history of body horror in literature hasn't been done before now – so thanks to Marie O' Regan and Paul Kane for this treasure trove of stories, ranging from some classics in the genre, “The Tell-Tale Heart”, “Survivor Type” and “The Body Politic” to some stories that will almost certainly become classics of their time – the absurdist, very entertaining shocker “Polyp” to the brilliantly executed “Sticky Eye” - one of my favourite new stories in this anthology... A corker of an anthology - always a pleasure to read “Survivor Type” again and an honour to finally read “Who Goes There?” by John W. Campbell – the basis for The Thing and, if I'm not mistaken, this is one of the very first appearances of this short story in an anthology. 9.5/10.’

(Johnny Mains, Occasionally Horrific)

‘Body horror is the sub-genre of the horror entertainment world that deals with the more gooey and sticky side of things. You know what I mean? Stuff such as John Carpenter’s The Thing, most of David Cronenberg’s output and that classic from Brian Yuzna, Society, are fine examples. Films in which something is happening (usually in full coloured, brightly lit rooms) to you or your friend’s body. Films that take pride in showing every gory, juicy, bloody and gruesome detail of brutal and often very painful metamorphoses. This delicious compendium of 25 of the very best Body Horror stories covers the entire history of the sub-genre in written form by re-introducing us to such respected stories as John W. Campbell’s “Who Goes There?” (which has been filmed as The Thing From Another World (1951), inspired The Thing in 1982 and the prequel effort from last year) as well as truly classic pieces such as Mary Shelley’s “Transformation”.

I’ve not read a lot of Clive Barker’s work but his entry “The Body Politic” has inspired me to right this wrong. His story concerns a man whose hands have a life of their own and though it reminded me of some classic B-movie fodder it’s his charismatic style that gives it a polished, witty and dark edge. “Region Of The Flesh” by Richard Christian Matheson is a very short but inventive descent into madness and melancholy. “Tis The Season To Be Jelly”, from his dad Richard Matheson, is just bizarre with some precious moments of dark comedy. Would love to see this one as a 5-minute short.

More comedy arrives in the-form of Graham Masterson’s “Dog Days”, which is a bit predictable but huge fun and again one that reminded me of those fabulous monochrome B-movies from the 1950s. Stephen King’s “Survivor Type” is a more straightforward piece of horror and is as detailed as any work that this prolific author has written. Packed with character background, King tells the story from the point of view of Richard Pine who is alone on an island. His descent into madness plus the terror of self mutilation and drug consumption is told with a wicked sense of macabre humour. Stand out is George Langelaan’s “The Fly”. I’m a fan of the cinematic interpretations of this story, but had never read the original piece. This is subtle horror with a neat body horror injection that is subtle yet effective beautifully written and worthy of several readings. The introduction by Stuart Gordon, the man who gave the world Re-Animator (the story that inspired it, “Herbert West – Re-animator” by H.P. Lovecraft is also in this book) tells of his first introduction to the world of Lovecraft, his thoughts on The Thing and the chat he once had with Wes Craven in a toilet. By putting these stories together in one handy volume, Paul Kane and Marie O’Regan have given we horror fans a very welcome present, a collection of memorable and disturbing tales that, thanks to their boldness, will give us many sleepless nights. More please!’

(The Dark Side Magazine)

‘With a name like Mammoth Book of Body Horror, you can reasonably expect a high proportion of gruesome to be contained within – and yes, there is. But where this anthology really excels is the variety of horror tales presented – from classics by Mary Shelley, Edgar Allan Poe and H.P. Lovecraft to more modern fare from the likes of David Moody, Michael Marshall Smith and Nancy A. Collins... “The Body Politic” by Clive Barker delivers a concept that is both creepy and just a bit clever. It tells the tale of what happens when hands develop independent thinking and stage a revolution against their body oppressors. The thought of all those hands scuttling around is likely to stick with you long after you’ve finished reading and Barker’s delivery manages to make you side with the hands against the unpleasant protagonist.

In “Fruiting Bodies” by Brian Lumley we’ve got an enjoyably creepy story where an exotic kind of dry rot has overtaken the remains of a village abandoned due to cliff erosion. While the tentacles of fungus that work their way into everything, including the remains of the graveyard, would be more than enough to feed nightmares, it’s their interaction with the last living inhabitants – one man and his dog – that really hammer home the horror of it all. Where this story really scores is in its easy readable style that is reminiscent of classic King stories and it keeps your interest with relateable characters in a setting rife with possibilities.

Hitting the classics is “The Fly” by George Langelaan which is quite an intriguing yarn that was also the basis for the films of the same name (which I didn’t know beforehand). The basis of the tale, therefore, should need little introduction – take one mad scientist fiddling about with teleportation, add in the unfortunate results of extra test subjects sneaking into the teleport process and merging on rematerialisation with the aforementioned scientist, and you’ve got a recipe for a classic mutation story...“Butterfly” by Axelle Carolyn is a bit of a mood piece – a short reflective story about a coma victim’s transformation which has a definite aww factor to it, while “Tis the Season to be Jelly” by Richard Matheson took me a moment or two to get into the hang of the slang, but it’s got a fun ending with a killer last line.

One of the stories I’ve definitely read before is “The Look” by Christopher Fowler, which first saw the light in the Urban Gothic anthology from Telos Publishing. It hasn’t lost any of its appeal since then. In it you get a quite fascinating and very disturbing commentary on the modelling industry as you follow a couple of wannabes sneaking in to see a fashion designer in the hopes of the protagonist being picked to be the star model for the coming year. Except it’s her friend who gets picked instead and the current star model decides to enlighten the protag as to just what nastiness her friend is going to be in for. Whether you’re new to the horror genre or not as well read as you’d like to be, this is definitely a good anthology to dip into as it has a good balance of classic reprints and shiny new stories that showcase a wide range of horror styles and authors. Cracking stuff.’

(Jenny Barber, Shiny Shorts)

‘“25 stories of Transformation, Mutation and Contagion” runs the tagline for this collection, and it does exactly what it says on the uh… tin. Comprising of a selection of classic tales by established authors (Lovecraft’s ‘Herbert West – Reanimator’, George Langelaan’s ‘The Fly’ & Stephen King’s ‘Survivor Type’) and newer scribes (Neil Gaiman’s ‘Changes’, Barbie Wilde’s ‘Polyp’ & Christopher Fowler’s ‘The Look’), editors Kane and O’Regan have done an excellent job of selecting a variety of intelligent and well written stories which cut to the quick of our deepest fear; that our own bodies can revolt against us, by disease or design.

The anthology covers a variety of styles from the eloquence of Poe’s ‘The Telltale Heart’ to Wilde’s grotesque ‘Polyp’, which borders on black humour, with its notion of a cancerous polyp which gains sentient intelligence and escapes from its host’s body. Other authors pursue a less gory and more indirect approach to mental and physical corruption, such as the aforementioned Fowler’s acerbic take on the world of Fashionista body modification, Axelle Carolyn’s rather beautiful tale of burn induced metamorphosis, ‘Butterfly’, and both Conrad William’s ‘Sticky Eye’ and Nancy A. Collin’s ‘Freaktent’ which for spoiler reasons I won’t say any more on, other than I found these two tales the most disturbing of all.
So if you’re a fan of ancient or alien life forms in hibernation, schizophrenic clown killers or deranged scientists that want to live forever, this collection has something for you...’

(Mass Movement Magazine)

Buy this book here, or here

FantasyCon 2012 Souvenir Book, edited by Paul Kane and Marie O'Regan

FantasyCon 2012 Souvenir Book

Co-edited with Marie O’Regan. PS Publishing, Hardback, September 2012. Cover art by Edward Miller.

Featuring: ‘Joe R. Lansdale’ by Stephen Gallagher; ‘The Folding Man’ by Joe R. Lansdale; ‘Muriel Gray’ by Christopher Fowler; ‘Shite-Hawks’ by Muriel Gray; ‘Dancing with Euripides: Brent Weeks’ by Alasdair Stuart; ‘The Black Prism’ by Brent Weeks; ‘Mary Danby - Frightener’ by Mike Ashley; ‘The Engelmayer Puppets’ by Mary Danby; ‘Special Stuff: The Perfect Career of Mark Gatiss’ by Mark Morris; ‘The Vesuvius Club’ by Mark Gatiss; ‘Robin Hardy: A Fantasist in a Wicker Wonderland’ by John L. Probert; ‘The Wicker Tree: The Devil Makes a Call’ by Robin Hardy; ‘Your Master of Ceremonies… Tim Lebbon’ by Christopher Golden; ‘The Deification of Dal Bamore: An Echo City Story’ by Tim Lebbon.

FantasyCon 2012 Pocket Programme

FantasyCon 2012 Pocket Programme

Co-edited with Marie O’Regan. Paperback, September 2012. Cover art from The Mammoth Book of Ghost Stories by Women (Constable & Robinson/Running Press).

Featuring: ‘Welcome to FantasyCon’ by Paul Kane and Marie O’Regan; ‘Welcome Back, Jim! (James Herbert)’ by Stephen Jones; Thursday-Sunday Grids/TimeTables; FantasyCon 2012 Panellists; Film Programme; Masterclasses; Royal Albion Maps; Entertainment; Book Launches/Signings/Parties; British Fantasy Awards 2012 Nominees; Readings.

A Carnivale of Horror, edited by Marie O'Regan and Paul Kane

A Carnivàle of Horror: Dark Tales from the Fairground

PS Publishing, co-edited with Marie O’Regan. Hardback, September 2012, £19.99. Cover art by Ben Baldwin.
ISBN: 9-78-1-848-635-03-6

Featuring: ‘Introduction’ by Marie O’Regan and Paul Kane; ‘Something Wicked This Way Comes’ by Ray Bradbury; ‘A Flat Patch of Grass’ by Muriel Gray; ‘Some Children Wander By Mistake’ by John Connolly; ‘Spurs AKA Freaks’ by Tod Robbins; ‘Tiger, Tiger’ by Rio Youers; ‘Blind Voices’ by Tom Reamy; ‘Mister Magister’ by Thomas F. Monteleone; ‘Twittering from the Circus of the Dead’ by Joe Hill; ‘The Pilo Family Circus’ by Will Elliott; ‘Face of the Circus’ by Lou Morgan; ‘Escardy Gap’ by Peter Crowther and James Lovegrove; ‘The Circus of Dr Lao’ by Charles Finney; ‘In the Forest of the Night’ by Paul Finch; ‘All the Clowns in Clowntown’ by Andrew J. McKiernan; ‘Nine Letters About Spit’ by Robert Shearman; ‘To Run Away and Join the Circus’ by Alison Littlewood.

Buy this title from PS Publishing here

AS COMMISSIONING EDITOR

H.P. Lovecraft in Britain: A Monograph by Stephen Jones

British Fantasy Society Publications, June 2008. Chapbook £12.99 / $25.99. Cover artwork by Les Edwards.

Featuring: ‘Introduction’; ‘Dark Debut’; ‘Terrors and Tribulations’; ‘License to Chill’; and ‘Postscript’.

A Dick and Jane Primer for Adults, Lavie Tidhar

A Dick and Jane Primer for Adults

British Fantasy Society Publications, June 2008. Edited by Lavie Tidhar. Chapbook (Members Only). Cover by John Keates.

Featuring: ‘Me Dick, You Jane - Introduction’ by Jeff Vandermeer; ‘Dick and Jane and the Irrational, Mysterious Nature of Reality’ by Liz Williams; ‘Dick Does Time’ by Adam Roberts; ‘Envy’ by Neil Ayres; ‘Flash Jack’ by Richard Kunzmann; ‘Like Leaves Falling’ by Chris Butler; ‘Mike’s Article’ by James Lovegrove; ‘Somewhere in the Street’ by Ed Clayton; ‘The Hushes’ by Conrad Williams; ‘We Go Down To The Woods Today’ by Marion Arnott; ‘See’ by Roger Levy.

Houses on the Borderland

British Fantasy Society Publications, September 2008. Trade Paperback, £11.99 / $ 24.99 . Cover by Les Edwards. ISBN: 095386818-4

Edited by David A. Sutton. Featuring: Introduction by David A. Sutton; ‘Today We Were Astronauts’ by Allen Ashley; ‘The Listeners’ by Samantha Lee; ‘The School House’ by Simon Bestwick; ‘The House on the Western Border’ by Gary Fry; ‘The Retreat’ by Paul Finch; ‘The Worst of All Places’ by David A. Riley’.

To Order Houses on the Borderland click here

Published in Planet Prozak Issue 3, October/November 1998 (ISSN: 1463-6563)

Published in Tales of the Grotesque and Arabesque Issue 4 January 1999 (ISSN: 1464-2972).

Published in Strix Issue 14, February 1999. Subsequently reprinted on the Strix Website June 2001

Published in The Dream Zone Issue 2, April 1999 (ISSN: 1464-6609). Subsequently reprinted on The Dream Zone Online Website 2000-2001 after being voted by readers one of the most popular stories printed in The Dream Zone during 1999.

‘I can’t tell you what a buzz I got from reading this story. The imagery is awesome.’

Published in Dead Things Issue 1, June/September 1999 (ISSN: 1465-9115). Subsequently reprinted on the Terror Tales Online Website for its launch on 18th September 2000, and in the collection Alone (In the Dark).

Second Place Winner in the Black Hill Books Horror Short Story Competition 1998-1999 (Judged by Guy N. Smith). Subsequently published in Graveyard Rendezvous Issue 20, Summer 1999.

Published in Dead Things Issue 2, October/December 1999 (ISSN: 1465-9115). Subsequently reprinted on the Dead Things Website.

‘A marvellous romp of a story, with every word well judged, and a fitting tribute to the original. Great fun.’

Published in Enigmatic Tales Number 7, Winter 1999. Subsequently reprinted in Rear View Mirror Webzine Issue 2, Summer 2001.

‘As a rule I generally find stories about writers to be too banal and self regarding for my taste. This story though is a fine exception. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and its clever idea.’

Published in The Dream Zone: Special Nightmare Edition January 2000 (ISSN: 1464-6609).

Published in Sci-Fright Issue 6 (1st Year Anniversary & Millennium Edition) February 2000.

Published in Terror Tales E-Mail Magazine Issue 2, Sent Out 29th April 2000. Subsequently reprinted in the collection Alone (In the Dark).

Published in the In Sheep’s Clothing anthology July 2000 (ISBN: 1-85929-017-5).

Published in Penny Dreadful: Tales & Poems of Fantastic Terror Issue 13, Midsummer 2000.

Published on the Terror Tales Online Website, for its launch on 18th September 2000.

Published in Dead Things Issue 5, October/December 2000 (ISSN: 1465-9115).

Published in The Dream Zone Issue 8, January 2001 (ISSN: 1464-6609). Previously printed in the Alone (In the Dark) collection.

Published in Hidden Corners Issue 1, March 2001. Previously printed in the Alone (In the Dark) collection.

All Published in 100 Drabbles (Edited by Sue Phillips) Small Press Books, 2001.

Published in the Riding the Night-mare anthology, September 2001 (Hb ISBN: 0-7543-2640-3, Pb ISBN: 0-7543-2643-8)

Published in the Spell Casting anthology, September 2001 (Hb ISBN: 0-7543-2654-3, Pb ISBN: 0-7543-2655-1)

‘...Much more my disco mirrorball is “Strobe”, in which an epileptic deliberately seeks out the strobe-effects which bring on his petit mal seizures. Although warned against the world of light, the protagonist believes that only the conscious experience of a grand mal seizure will grant him the transformation he seeks...’

‘An unusual tale of addiction. At a nightclub, a man called Lang suffers an epileptic fit. He recovers, but is haunted by the memory of a vision he experienced while in the grip of that seizure. By subjecting himself to flashing lights, he is able to recreate that fit. Introduced to a bright, hallucinatory world, he finally turns his back on the real one. Reminiscent of the destructive LSD craze of the 1960s, it is a powerful piece of writing.’

‘In contrast, “Strobe” is a highly original and disturbing tale of a most unusual addiction. A man with photo-sensitive epilepsy experiences extraordinary visions during his seizures. The hallucinations are so powerful he gets hooked and resorts to using strobe lighting repeatedly in order to trigger his potentially fatal condition.’

Published in the Tourniquet Heart anthology, edited by Christopher C. Teague, April 2002. Prime Books (Pb ISBN: 1894815106). Anthology Nominated for British Fantasy Award 2003.

Published on the House of Pain site. May 2002. Reprinted in Zombies edited by Robert N. Stephenson. Altair Australia Books ISBN: 978-0-9804566-0-8.

Published in Redsine Issue 10, October 2002. Prime Books (Pb. ISBN: 1-894815-03-3). Story received an Honourable Mention in Year’s Best Fantasy and Horror.

Written with John B. Ford. Published in The Evil Entwines anthology. Hardcastle Publications, March 2003. (Pb. ISBN: 0-7795-0037-7). Reprinted by Rainfall Books.

Published in Darkness Rising Volume Six: Evil Smiles. Prime Books, April 2003 (Pb. ISBN: 1894815394) Story received an Honourable Mention in Year’s Best Fantasy and Horror.

Published in The Derelict of Death and Other Stories. Rainfall Books, June 2003 (Pb. ISBN: 0-9540877-3-9)

Published in Darkness Rising Volume Seven: Screaming in Colours. Prime Books, July 2003 (Pb. ISBN: 1894815602) Story Recommended for British Fantasy Award 2004.

Published in The Wildclown Chronicles - Year 2, Issue 1, 2003. Click here to read this story.

Published in Scary Holiday Tales To Make You Scream. Double Dragon Books. August 2003. (E-Book and Pb ISBN: 1-55404-074-4)

Published in When Darkness Comes. Crystal Serenades Publications, May 2004. (Pb: ISBN: 0-9545237-2-5)

Published in Demonology: Grammaticus Demonium. Double Dragon Books, October 2004. (Pb: ISBN: 1-55404-164-3) Story Recommended for British Fantasy Award 2005.

Published in the Assembly of Rogues anthology, edited by Martin Roberts, April 2005. Rainfall Books (Pb ISBN: 1894815106). Story Nominated for British Fantasy Award (shortlisted 2006)

Published in Albions Alpträume: Zombies edited by Paul Kane and Walter Diociaiuti, January 2006. Eloy Edictions (ISBN: 3-938411-04-X)

Published in The Lazarus Condition, Tazmaniac Books, July 2007 (see Novella section).

‘I am always a sucker for a zombie story and “Dig This” places the zombie tale in a new and intelligent context where nothing is as it seems.’

Published in The Shadows Trilogy, Screaming Dreams Press December 2007 (see ‘Collections’ for details).

Published in Read By Dawn Volume 3, Bloody Books, May 2008 (ISBN: 978-1905636259)

‘ Read by Dawn comprises twenty eight short horror stories, all but one from writers unknown to me, thus demonstrating Ms. Hartley’s preparedness to showcase new and emerging talent like no other. Starting with Paul Kane, the one writer whose work I’ve previously read, his “ Windchimes”is at first a subtle and sad ghost story of parental loss but that smacks you in the face with betrayal in the penultimate paragraph, before warming you with its final poignant words. The absolute standout story in this volume.’

Published in Voices, Morrigan Books, September 2008 (ISBN: 978-91-977605-0-8)

‘Perfect Presents: An Arrowhead Short Story’
Published on the Abaddon website, Christmas 2009.

Published in the Darc Karnivale anthology, edited by David Byron and Corey R. Scales. Story illustrated by Nick Rose. Published by Evil Nerd Empire, January 2010.

‘Signs and Portents’
Published in The Afterblight Chronicles: Children’s Crusade, Abaddon books, 19th May 2010.

Published on the Horror Drive-In website, August 2010 – plus interview with Paul.

Published in Festive Fears: Global Edition, Tasmaniac Publications (ISBN: 978-0-9806367-6-5), December 2010

‘Dalton Quayle and the Teatime of the Evil Resident Living Dead
(aka the Voodoo Hullabaloo)’

‘Speaking in Tongues’
Published in Necrotic Tissue #13: The Horror Writers Magazine, January 2011 (ISBN: 978-0-98249669-6-1)

Published in Fear of the Dark, edited by Maria Grazia Cavicchioli and Jason Rolfe, Horror Bound Publications (ISBN: 978-19266334-3-5), March 2010. Paul also provided the introduction to the anthology.

Published in Bite Sized Horror, edited by Johnny Mains – Obverse Press, May 2011

‘The Greatest Mystery’
Published in Gaslight Arcanum, edited by J.R. Campbell and Charles Prepolec – Edge Publishing, October 2011

‘An excellent story ...that can be enthusiastically called a true horror...This is one that will stay with you...’

‘In Paul Kane’s “The Greatest Mystery,” Holmes and Watson confront a much less traditional villain as they investigate a string of murders that appear to have been committed by individuals who swear that they did not murder their loved ones. The suspected murderers inevitably commit suicide afterwards, thus eliminating the only witnesses to the murders. Despite the highly unusual villain, Kane’s writing style was such that even a villain that seemed preposterous in theory could fit into the Holmes universe without difficulty. While Doyle’s fans may not agree that the tale is the greatest mystery that Holmes ever solved, it is a fine story that fit well into the theme of the anthology.’

‘Words to the Wise’
Published in Phobophobia, edited by Dean Drinkel – Dark Continents Press, December 2011

‘“Words to the Wise” is an odd tale. Samuel Kellerman is afraid of the written word, so afraid in fact he is convinced that books are out to kill him. This could easily have turned to be a silly mess of a story, however what you get here is a rather funny, yet twisted tale of fear. I really enjoyed this story – imagine if the Phantom Tollbooth, was written for adults. Yes, that's how good this story was!’

‘Hoodies’

Published in Slices of Flesh, edited by Stan Swanson, cover art by Mike Mignola – Dark Moon Press, April 2012

‘Life-like’
Published in Terror Scribes, edited by Adam Lowe & Chris Kelso – Dog Horn Press, April 2012

Published in Hauntings, edited by Ian Whates, cover art by Ben Baldwin –NewCon Press, June 2012

Published in The Mammoth Book of Best New Horror # 23, edited by Stephen Jones – published September 2012, by Constable & Robinson.

Published in Pumpkin Poetry 1997 (Hb ISBN:1-85930-428-1, Pb ISBN: 1-85930-423-0).

Published in The Road of Life 1997 (Hb ISBN: 1-85786-658-4, Pb ISBN: 1-85786-663-0)

All published in Cemetery Poets: Grave Offerings. Double Dragon Books (Hb. ISBN: 1-55404-009-4)

‘Paul Kane is a first-rate storyteller, never failing to marry his insights into the world and its anguish with the pleasures of phrases eloquently turned.’

(Clive Barker – Bestselling author of The Hellbound Heart, Abarat and Mr B. Gone)

‘Paul Kane’s world is a world of horror and wonder. A world of monstrous things beautifully carved in words by one hell of a talented and visionary writer.’

(Simon Clark – Bestselling author of The Dalek Factor , Lucifer’s Ark and This Rage of Echoes)

‘Paul Kane is helping to pump hot new blood into the horror genre. He could well become the first of the next new wave. Read his stories now.’

(Christopher Fowler – Bestselling author of Psychoville , Full Dark House, The Water Room and Calabash )

‘A writer who adds touches of intelligence and grace, bridging the gap between archetypal narratives and recognisable life...people we can believe in, facing situations we can imagine, reacting in ways that are truthful...without ever betraying or losing faith in the underlying narrative form.’

( Stephen Gallagher - Bestselling author of Valley of Lights and Down River, and scriptwriter of mini-series such as Chimera, Oktober , Eleventh Hour starring Patrick Stewart and Lifeline starring Joanne Whalley)

‘Paul Kane has considerable writing talent which I hope he continues to develop.’

(Graham Masterton – Bestselling author of The Manitou , Flesh and Blood, Descendent, Edgewise and Manitou Blood).

‘Paul Kane probes everyday life with the skill of a surgeon to find the darkness, the humour and the raw weirdness buried beneath the surface.’

(Mark Chadbourn – Bestselling author of The Eternal, The Age of Misrule Series and Jack of Ravens)

(Stephen Laws – Bestselling author of Ghost Train, Chasm and Ferocity)

(Tim Lebbon – Bestselling author of The Everlasting , bestselling author of and Dusk and Dawn)

‘In Paul Kane’s fiction, a common thread is often that other forces (flawed, imperfect) have control over our lives - and emotions. There’s a reality beyond reality: and that’s the core of real soul-withering horror. Also, he knows darkness doesn’t work without the light, and humanity and love are at stake. His stories not only, at his best, put him neck and neck with Ramsey Campbell and Clive Barker, but also in the company of greats like Machen and MR James. You don’t rest easily after reading a Paul Kane story, but strangely your eyes have been somewhat opened.’

(Stephen Volk – screenwriter of Gothic, Ghostwatch and Afterlife, author of Dark Corners)

(Brian Keene – Two time Stoker-winning author of The Rising and The Conqueror Worms)

‘It is obvious that his talent for writing and active imagination have paid off.’

‘Paul Kane writes with a grit and surety of one who gets to grips with the darkness inside man. The mark of Kane is one you won’t want to miss.’

‘Paul Kane always manages to entertain with his unusual twist on fiction.’