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Mammoth Books presents Christmas with the Dead
by Joe R. Lansdale"I wrote 'Christmas with the Dead' simply because I wanted to write a holiday horror story," Lansdale admits. "This was the result."
Mammoth Books presents A Clutch of Zombies: Four Stories by Scott Edelman, Joe R. Lansdale, Albert E. Cowdrey and Karina Sumner Smith
by Joe R. Lansdale Albert E. Cowdrey Karina Sumner SmithIn this grizzly anthology of the undead, four fascinatingly horrid dystopian universes are described, with zombies taking centre stage.Included are:What Will Come After - Scott EdelmanIn this most personal of zombie stories, the author imagines himself as the protagonist, looking ahead to what would happen after his own death . . . and rebirth. Christmas with the Dead - Joe R. LansdaleThe ultimate in holiday horror stories.Fort Clay, Louisiana: A Tragical History - Albert E. CowdreyWhen a young photographer welcomes an elderly man to her house to see the book she has published about a long-deserted 19th century military fort on the Mississippi, watery southern horrors emerge from the past.When the Zombies Win - Karina Sumner-SmithThe ultimate in dystopian what-ifs, Karina Sumner-Smith's story is set after the zombie apocalypse has reached its zenith. When there's no one left to infect, where do the zombies turn?
Mammoth Books presents Demonic Dreams: Three Stories by Christopher Fowler, Robert Shearman and Norman Partridge
by Christopher Fowler Norman Partridge Robert ShearmanOh I Do Like to Be Beside the Seaside - Christopher FowlerChristopher Fowler explains "'. . . Seaside' came about firstly because I was commissioned to write a story for the World Horror Convention souvenir book and, as the event was to take place in Brighton, it seemed logical to set a tale on the South coast of England."I had written a fantasy novel, Calabash, some years earlier, hinting at the dark madness of such seaside towns, which are the antithesis of their Mediterranean counterparts. I thought of the depressing Morrissey song "Every Day is Like Sunday", which captures the awfulness of English resorts."Coincidentally, Kim Newman and I were discussing the inherent creepiness of pantomime dames, and I decided it was time to give vent to my horror of these coastal pleasure domes. I wish I'd thought to include screaming gangs of hen-nighters as well. And I thought it was a nice touch to have everyone in the story telling the hero to 'fuck off' until he finally does."Featherweight - Robert Shearman"I don't like writing at home much," admits the author. "Home is a place for sleeping and eating and watching afternoon game shows on TV. There are too many distractions. So, years ago, I decided I'd only write first drafts in art galleries."And the best of them all is the National Gallery, in London, a pigeon's throw from Nelson's Column. I can walk around there with my notebook, thinking up stories - and if I get bored, there are lots of expensive pictures to look at. Perfect."A lot of those paintings, however, have angels in them. They're all over the place, wings raised, halos gleaming - perching on clouds, blowing trumpets, hovering around the Virgin Mary as if they're her strange naked childlike bodyguards. And I began to notice. That, whenever the writing is going well, the angels seemed happy, and would smile at me. And whenever the words weren't coming out right, when I felt sluggish, when I thought I'd rather take off and get myself a beer, they'd start to glare."I wrote this story in the National Gallery. Accompanied by a lot of glaring angels. Enjoy."Lesser Demons - Norman Partridge"I was surprised to receive an invitation for S.T. Joshi's Black Wings," reveals Partridge, "an anthology of Lovecraftian fiction. Although I knew S.T. admired my work, I've never quite seen myself as a Mythos writer."While I respect H.P. Lovecraft and his contribution to horror, I've never felt that his worldview (or maybe I should say universeview) meshed with mine."In the end, that's what made the story work . . . at least for me. I concentrated on my differences with Lovecraft, and approached the material from a place where Jim Thompson would be more comfortable than HPL. And I'm delighted that so many people have enjoyed the tale - it was a lot of fun to write."
Mammoth Books presents Featherweight
by Robert ShearmanI don't like writing at home much," admits Shearman. "Home is a place for sleeping and eating and watching afternoon game shows on TV. There are too many distractions. So, years ago, I decided I'd only write first drafts in art galleries."And the best of them all is the National Gallery, in London, a pigeon's throw from Nelson's Column. I can walk around there with my notebook, thinking up stories - and if I get bored, there are lots of expensive pictures to look at. Perfect."A lot of those paintings, however, have angels in them. They're all over the place, wings raised, halos gleaming - perching on clouds, blowing trumpets, hovering around the Virgin Mary as if they're her strange naked childlike bodyguards. And I began to notice. That, whenever the writing is going well, the angels seemed happy, and would smile at me. And whenever the words weren't coming out right, when I felt sluggish, when I thought I'd rather take off and get myself a beer, they'd start to glare."I wrote this story in the National Gallery. Accompanied by a lot of glaring angels. Enjoy.
Mammoth Books presents Messing With Your Head: Five Stories by Joel Lane, Kirstyn McDermott, Steve Rasnic Tem, Mark Valentine, Brian Hodge
by Brian Hodge Kirstyn McDermott Joel LaneBlack Country - Joel Lane"'Black Country' is one of a sequence of weird crime stories set in the West Midlands that I've been working on for years," says Joel Lane. "A collection of them is forthcoming with the title Where Furnaces Burn. 'Black Country' is also a sequel to my earlier story 'The Lost District', which describes another narrator's experience of Clayheath."I'd like to thank The Nightingales and Gul Y. Davis, whose words influenced this story. It was originally published as a chapbook by Nightjar Press, with an enigmatic cover illustration by Birmingham photographer Trav28."We All Fall Down - Kirstyn McDermott"I carried the bones of this story around for quite a few years before I finally stumbled upon its beating heart," explains the author. "In my head was the image of a doll house, huge and not quite right, and a woman searching desperately for something concealed inside. But I could never work a story around it that didn't seem twee. Doll houses, you know?"But then Emma and Holly appeared - trapped within their own fractured, futile relationship - and everything just, well, fell together. Beautifully. Awfully. And now I have a doll house story. Of a kind."Telling - Steve Rasnic Tem"As for the following story," reveals Steve Rasnic Tem, "it began with a dreadful image at the end of a dream. I couldn't remember the other details of that dream, but I was determined to find out where that image might have come from."A Revelation of Cormorants - Mark Valentine"'A Revelation of Cormorants' first appeared in the excellent series of chapbooks published by Nicholas Royle's Nightjar Press," explains Valentine, "and I first encountered the dark grace of the cormorant while visiting Galloway with Jo."Just Outside Our Windows, Deep Inside Our Walls - Brian Hodge"I hardly ever write extended fragments of things and then leave them indefinitely," Brian Hodge reveals, "but that's how 'Just Outside Our Windows, Deep Inside Our Walls' got started."I first wrote the part about the fantasised magic show, plus the earliest bit about Roni moving in, after rereading a Thomas Ligotti collection. It may not be apparent to anyone else, but some flavour of his lingered in me for a little while and wanted to come out, and the magic show was the result."Then it sat idle for three years or so before I knew what more to do with it. Maybe because I had to forget about how it had begun and get back to being myself again."
Mammoth Books presents Monsters in Our Midst: Three Stories by Michael Marshall Smith, Gary Kilworth and John Langan
by John Langan Michael Marshall Smith Gary KilworthSubstitutions - Michael Marshall SmithMichael Marshall Smith recalls: "This story came about in the simplest way, the way I always enjoy most - something happening in real life that makes you think 'What if?' "Our household gets a lot of its food via an online delivery service, and one day when I was unpacking what had just been dropped at our house I gradually realised there was something...not quite right about the contents of the bags."There's two things that are strange about that experience. The first is that - given that every household is likely to buy at least some things in common - you don't realise straight away that you've been given the wrong shopping. You don't immediately think 'This is wrong', more like . . . 'This is weird'. The second is how personal it is, gaining accidental access to this very tangible evocation of some other family's life. You can't help but wonder about the people the food was really destined for."In real life, I just called up the delivery guy and got it sorted out: but in fiction, you might tackle things slightly differently . . ."Out Back - Garry Kilworth"'Out Back' was written for a group of friends," Kilworth recalls, "who appear as characters in the story under their initials, as I do myself. Those who know me well will recognise the protagonists."Iken is a real village on the edge of the marshes behind Snape Maltings in Suffolk. Two years ago I wandered along the periphery of the reed beds which stretch down towards the coast as a green and golden sea, the waves created by the winds that blow across the flatlands. Looking at the church that sits on a knoll above the marshes I thought, 'This is a perfect setting for a horror story.' And so . . ."City of the Dog - John Langan"This story arose from my desire to see what I could do with the figure of the ghoul," reveals Langan, "and as I've tried to indicate within the narrative, I drew inspiration both from H.P. Lovecraft ('Pickman's Model') and Caitlín R. Kiernan (Daughter of Hounds)."The miserable years in New York State's capital, though, were mine alone."
Mammoth Books presents Oh I Do Like To Be Beside the Seaside
by Christopher Fowler'Oh I Do Like To Be Beside The Seaside' came about firstly because I was commissioned to write a story for the World Horror Convention souvenir book and, as the event was to take place in Brighton, it seemed logical to set a tale on the South coast of England."I had written a fantasy novel, Calabash, some years earlier, hinting at the dark madness of such seaside towns, which are the antithesis of their Mediterranean counterparts. I thought of the depressing Morrissey song "Every Day is Like Sunday", which captures the awfulness of English resorts."Coincidentally, Kim Newman and I were discussing the inherent creepiness of pantomime dames, and I decided it was time to give vent to my horror of these coastal pleasure domes. I wish I'd thought to include screaming gangs of hen-nighters as well. And I thought it was a nice touch to have everyone in the story telling the hero to 'fuck off' until he finally does.
Mammoth Books presents Telling
by Steve Rasnic TemThe author reveals the following story "...began with a dreadful image at the end of a dream. I couldn't remember the other details of that dream, but I was determined to find out where that image might have come from."
Mammoth Books presents Unexpected Encounters: Four Stories by Richard L. Tierney, Simon Kurt Unsworth, Mark Samuels and Caitlín R. Kiernan
by Mark Samuels Caitlín R. Kiernan Richard L. TierneyAutumn Chill - Richard L. TierneyInspired by the work of Edgar Allan Poe, H.P. Lovecraft, Donald Wandrei, Robert E. Howard and Frank Belknap Long, Tierney's poetry has been collected in Dreams and Damnations, The Doom Prophet and One Other, the Arkham House volume of Collected Poems, Nightmares and Visions, The Blob That Gobbled Abdul and Other Poems and Songs and Savage Menace and Other Poems of Horror.S.T. Joshi has described Tierney as "one of the leading weird poets of his generation."The Lemon in the Pool - Simon Kurt Unsworth"In the summer of 2009, I went on holiday with my family - the extended version. As well as my wife and son, Wendy and Ben, there were my parents, my sister and her husband, and my mother-in-law all sharing a villa in Moreira, Spain."One of the delights of the holiday was having a private pool, and seeing Ben enjoy himself in the water, where over the course of seven days he learned to swim. Perhaps even more fun was seeing his joy when things started to appear in the pool on a daily basis - a tomato, a lemon, two courgettes, three green chillies."I have no idea where they came from, but I suspect that children in a neighbouring villa were playing a joke on us and Ben loved it. It got to be one of the most exciting things about the holiday, waiting to see what would appear that day. After the appearance of the courgettes, my sister said, 'This'll find its way into one of Simon's stories,' and everyone laughed and someone (I think my mum) said, 'Even he couldn't write a story about this.'"Mum, if it was you that said that, this story is entirely your fault."Losenef Express - Mark SamuelsAbout the story, Mark Samuels explains: "I think most fans of horror will recognise at once the late, great American author upon whom the central character of this tale is based (or, perhaps more accurately, filtered through my imagination).We never met, although I did once catch sight of him across a room at the 1988 World Fantasy Convention in London and, prompted by curiosity, took a hasty, half-obscured photograph."A number of my friends knew him well, and I regret I myself never had the chance to do so. Sadly, I only discovered his brilliant work years after his untimely death."As Red as Red - Caitlín R. Kiernan"I don't know that 'As Red as Red' had any single source of inspiration," says Kiernan. "It coalesced from numerous experiences and accounts of the supernatural in Rhode Island. Also, I very much wanted to write a non-conventional vampire story which was also (and maybe more so) a werewolf story and a ghost story."It's also true that I was just coming off having finished The Red Tree, and, in some ways, 'As Red as Red' is an extended footnote to that novel. I was still trying to get The Red Tree out of my system."
Mammoth Books presents We All Fall Down
by Kirstyn McDermottI carried the bones of this story around for quite a few years before I finally stumbled upon its beating heart," explains the author. "In my head was the image of a doll house, huge and not quite right, and a woman searching desperately for something concealed inside. But I could never work a story around it that didn't seem twee. Doll houses, you know?"But then Emma and Holly appeared - trapped within their own fractured, futile relationship - and everything just, well, fell together. Beautifully. Awfully. And now I have a doll house story. Of a kind.
Mammoth Books presents With the Angels
by Ramsey CampbellCampbell reveals, "My fellow clansman Paul Campbell will remember the birth of this tale. At the Dead Dog party after the 2010 World Horror Convention in Brighton, someone was throwing a delighted toddler into the air. I was ambushed by an idea and had to apologise to Paul for rushing away to my room to scribble notes. The result is here."
Married with Zombies: Book 1 of Living with the Dead (Living with the Dead #1)
by Jesse PetersenA heartwarming tale of terror in the middle of the zombie apocalypse. Meet Sarah and David. Once upon a time they met and fell in love. But now they're on the verge of divorce and going to couples' counseling. On a routine trip to their counselor, they notice a few odd things - the lack of cars on the highway, the missing security guard, and the fact that their counselor, Dr. Kelly, is ripping out her previous client's throat. Meet the Zombies. Now, Sarah and David are fighting for survival in the middle of the zombie apocalypse. But, just because there are zombies, doesn't mean your other problems go away. If the zombies don't eat their brains, they might just kill each other.
A Matter Of Blood: The Dog-Faced Gods Book One (DOG-FACED GODS TRILOGY #1)
by Sarah PinboroughThe recession has left the world exhausted. Crime is rising; financial institutions across the world have collapsed, and most governments are now in debt to The Bank, a company created by the world's wealthiest men. But Detective Inspector Cass Jones has enough on his plate without worrying about the world at large. His marriage is crumbling, he's haunted by the deeds of his past, and he's got the high-profile shooting of two schoolboys to solve - not to mention tracking down a serial killer who calls himself the Man of Flies. Then Cass Jones' personal world is thrown into disarray when his brother shoots his own wife and child before committing suicide - leaving Cass implicated in their deaths. And when he starts seeing silent visions of his dead brother, it's time for the suspended DI to go on the hunt himself - only to discover that all three cases are linked ... As Jones is forced to examine his own family history, three questions keep reappearing: what disturbed his brother so badly in his final few weeks? Who are the shadowy people behind The Bank? And, most importantly, what do they want with DI Cass Jones?
A Matter Of Blood: The Dog-Faced Gods Book One
by Sarah PinboroughThe recession has left the world exhausted. Crime is rising; financial institutions across the world have collapsed, and most governments are now in debt to The Bank, a company created by the world's wealthiest men. But Detective Inspector Cass Jones has enough on his plate without worrying about the world at large. His marriage is crumbling, he's haunted by the deeds of his past, and he's got the high-profile shooting of two schoolboys to solve - not to mention tracking down a serial killer who calls himself the Man of Flies. Then Cass Jones' personal world is thrown into disarray when his brother shoots his own wife and child before committing suicide - leaving Cass implicated in their deaths. And when he starts seeing silent visions of his dead brother, it's time for the suspended DI to go on the hunt himself - only to discover that all three cases are linked ... As Jones is forced to examine his own family history, three questions keep reappearing: what disturbed his brother so badly in his final few weeks? Who are the shadowy people behind The Bank? And, most importantly, what do they want with DI Cass Jones?
El mecanismo del miedo
by Norma LazoUna niña que pertenece a una familia de "brujas" descubre cuál es la verdadera misión de su estirpe en este mundo. Las sombras nos acechan... María José y su madre, Augusta, se mudan a Ciudad Albazán, un pueblo donde los niños han estado desapareciendo sin dejar rastro alguno. Ambas llegan a vivir a casa de la abuela Eduviges, una anciana misteriosa, quien disfruta asustando a los niños y posee una extensa biblioteca conformada sólo con libros de horror. Eduviges, a quien todos tachan de bruja, esconde un secreto: una extraña máquina que, aparentemente, guarda una estrecha relación entre los niños desaparecidos y el miedo producido por los libros de terror. Un buen día, la niña, a escondidas de su madre, descubre el placer de la lectura a través de uno de los libros de su misteriosa abuela. Esa misma noche, recibe la primera de varias visitas de un tenebroso ser. María José deberá descubrir, y pronto, cómo mantener funcionando el mecanismo que esconde su abuela. Muchas vidas están en juego.
Messages from Beyond (Night Fall (tm) Ser.)
by Stephanie WatsonSome guy named Ethan Davis has been texting Cassie. He seems to know all about her—but she can't place him. He's not in Bridgewater High's yearbook either. Cassie thinks one of her friends is punking her. But she can't ignore the strange coincidences?like how Ethan looks just like the guy in her nightmares. Cassie's search for Ethan leads her to a shocking discovery?and a struggle for her life. Will Cassie be able to break free from her mysterious stalker?
Misguided Angel (The Blue Bloods #5)
by Melissa de la Cruz<P>After inheriting the dark Van Alen Legacy, Schuyler fled to Florence--with her forbidden love, Jack. Now the two of them must embark on the mission Schuyler was destined to complete: to find and protect the seven gates that guard earth from Lucifer, lord of the Silverbloods. <P>As the Blue Blood enclave weakens yet further, fate leads Schuyler closer to a terrifying crossroads--and a choice that will determine the destiny of all vampires.
Mister Slaughter (The Matthew Corbett Novels #3)
by Robert McCammonA chilling crime thriller set in colonial America by the New York Times–bestselling author: &“The Corbett novels are rich, atmospheric stories&” —Booklist on The River of Souls In 1702, Matthew Corbett is an apprentice problem solver for the Herrald Agency, currently tasked with accompanying serial killer Tyranthus Slaughter on a journey from a Philadelphia asylum to the New York City waterfront. But during the trip, Mr. Slaughter tempts Matthew and his colleague Hudson Greathouse with an unexpected offer—leading to catastrophic outcomes. This darkly compelling novel delves into both the mind of a murderer and the process of a city and a nation moving into the future.Praise for the Matthew Corbett Novels &“Rousing . . . [A] page-turner.&” —Publishers Weekly, starred review, on Freedom of the Mask &“This popular series takes us to a long forgotten time with characters who never fail to entertain.&” —The Florida Times-Union &“Excellent . . . full of tension and suspense.&” —Stephen King on Speaks the Nightbird
Misty Gordon and the Mystery of the Ghost Pirates
by Kim KennedyWhile assisting her father, an estate and antiques dealer, teenaged Misty discovers a journal and pair of glasses that allow her to see ghosts, including those of pirates who founded her New England town and who are seeking a golden statue with mystical powers.
Mongrel (The Mongrel Trilogy)
by K. Z. SnowMongrel Trilogy: Book OneHunzinger's Mechanical Circus, a rollicking seaside carnival where imagination meets machinery, shines as the only bright spot in the dreary city of Purinton. A shadow is cast there one day when a tall, cloaked figure approaches the stand of Will Marchman, a young patent-medicine salesman. Fanule Perfidor, commonly known as the Dog King, isn't welcome at the Circus. No resident of Taintwell is; they're all Branded Mongrels, officially shunned. But Will is beguiled by the stunning, mysterious Perfidor. Their mutual wariness soon gives way to desire, and a bond forms. Soon the naive but plucky pitchman becomes embroiled in a dangerous quest. Fanule suspects Alphonse Hunzinger and Purinton's civic leaders are responsible for the disappearance or incarceration of countless Branded Mongrels. But why? As Will's passion and regard for his tormented lover grow, he's determined to help Fanule get answers and prevent any further persecution... or worse. They just have to stay together--and stay alive long enough--to see their plan through.
Monster Hunter Vendetta (Monster Hunter, Book #2)
by Larry CorreiaAccountant turned professional monster hunter, Owen Zastava Pitt, managed to stop the nefarious Old One's invasion plans last year, but as a result made an enemy out of one of the most powerful beings in the universe. Now an evil death cult known as the Church of the Temporary Mortal Condition wants to capture Owen in order to gain the favor of the great Old Ones. The Condition is led by a fanatical necromancer known as the Shadow Man. The government wants to capture the Shadow Man and has assigned the enigmatic Agent Franks to be Owen's full time bodyguard, which is a polite way of saying that Owen is monster bait. With supernatural assassins targeting his family, a spy in their midst, and horrific beasties lurking around every corner, Owen and the staff of Monster Hunter International don't need to go hunting, because this time the monsters are hunting them. Fortunately, this bait is armed and very dangerous ...
Monsters Eat Whiny Children
by Bruce Eric KaplanAges 4-8. Henry and Eve are two perfectly delightful children who happen to be going through a terrible phase where they whine all day and night. Their kindly father warns them that monsters eat whiny children. Of course, they don't pay attention, until one day a monster shows up at their door. But that is just the beginning.
El monstruo de Florencia
by Douglas Preston Mario SpeziEl caso del Monstruo de Florencia es uno de los más sorprendentes e inquietantes del siglo XX. Durante diez años, un asesino en serie sembró el pánico en la capital de la Toscana. Dejó una estela de catorce cadáveres, desató una investigación criminal larga, costosa, que arruinó la vida de mucha gente? y todavía no ha sido descubierto.Con la maestría del escritor y el rigor del periodista, Douglas Preston y Mario Spezi nos sumergen en esta historia que ambos conocen a fondo y en la que ellos mismos de repente, mientras seguían una pista, tal vez la definitiva, pasaron de ser los investigadores a convertirse en los protagonistas.«Mejor que muchas novelas de crimen y misterio.» Publishers Weekly«Sin duda, la verdad es mucho más extraña que la ficción. Tanto los seguidores de Douglas Preston como los lectores de historias de crímenes basadas en hechos reales quedarán fascinados por este relato.» Library Journal«Se ha publicado mucho sobre este caso. Investigadores, periodistas, protagonistas e incluso novelistas han intentado captar el terror hipnótico que despertó el Monstruo de Florencia (incluido Thomas Harris, cuyo personaje de Hannibal Lecter se inspira en algunos de aquellos sucesos). Pero este libro es el mejor.» The Guardian«Douglas Preston y Mario Spezi presentan un tenebroso e increíble descenso a un mundo de pesadilla.» Amazon.com, elegido Libro del Mes
Los monstruos acuáticos (Serie Bat Pat #Volumen 13)
by Roberto PavanelloNo te pierdas esta monstruosa aventura del murciélago detective Bat Pat y los hermanos Silver: Leo, Martin y Rebecca. ¡¡¡HOLA!!! SOY BAT PAT.OS VOY A CONTAR UNA HISTORIA QUE OS PONDRÁ LOS PELOS DE PUNTA...¿ESTÁIS PREPARADOS? La escuela de los hermanos Silver ha organizado una excursión cultural a Escocia, y Rebecca me ha invitado a ir con ellos (pero de incógnito, ¡claro!). Lo mejor es que visitaremos uno de los lugares más fascinantes de la tierra: ¡el lago Ness! Seguro que os suena: dice la leyenda que en sus aguas habita una criatura monstruosa... Aunque esto es solo un cuento de niños, ¿verdad?
Moon Sworn (Riley Jenson Guardian #9)
by Keri ArthurArthur delivers the ninth and final volume in her "New York Times"-bestselling Riley Jenson Guardian series. After the ritualistically slain bodies of ex-cons begin to surface, Riley reluctantly takes the case. But something even worse is waiting in the wings. Original.