Vortex by Robert Dunbar

On the day I was born, the headline in The Daily Mail was "WEREWOLF KILLER CAUGHT."

This is just one of many things I have learnt from Robert Dunbar's new book, Vortex.(UK | US)

Vortex is a non-fiction book, and it is Dunbar's personal exploration of the roots of many of contemporary horror's best known beasts, plus a few lesser known ones as well. From the Jersey Devil to vampires, from sirens and mermaids to were-creatures of all kinds, Dunbar examines the roots behind these legends - how the stories have changed over time, and how they have remained the same. There are also some chapters on film, the most interesting being the one about the theme of 'the other' in horror movies - which groups society marks out as its 'monsters'.

Regular readers will know that Dunbar is one of the favourite horror authors I've discovered in recent years, so I wasn't surprised to discover how well written Vortex is. However, the tone is very different to his dense, thoughtful fiction, being a witty and frequently self-mocking read. It's certainly no dry-as-dust academic piece; in fact given that half the time he's talking about real life cannibals or witch-burnings or mass-murders, it's a very gleeful book. My favourite section was that about The Jersey Devil, a monster Dunbar has made very much his own in an early novel, in a deliberate attempt to move away from the over-used, over-European monsters that still rear their heads in such a great deal of horror fiction. Being a boring old European myself, this was all new to me. Like many other parts of this book, I learnt a lot, and had a blast doing so.

So, a thoroughly engaging and enjoyable ride through some of the most horrific myths and real-life events imaginable. Very much recommended for anyone with an interest in Dunbar's work, or in horror fiction in general. There were some sections I wish were longer and went into more detail, but maybe I'm just wishing for a sequel.

Here's a little trailer to watch, for those who wish to do so:

And So It Begins

I started a new story today, with the new Laura Marling album on the stereo and the cat sleepily watching me from his chair.

It's actually based an idea I've tried to write before and failed - Other People's Ghosts is my take on the poltergeist theme, and especially the idea that these 'noisy spirits' are in fact manifestations of peoples' inner turmoil and stress. But the first version wasn't good enough to make the cut for The Other Room and nor have I ever shown it to anyone. It plot was just too obvious, the theme too unfocussed, and the whole thing too, well, crap.

It's always been a sore point that I've never done the idea justice, and now I've got some emotional detachment from the first version and the hours I poured into it, I'm ready to go back and fillet out what's useful from it, and discard the rest. I'm not rewriting the old version, but starting something fresh with the same basic idea. And I think one of the faults of the original version was it was too short - that this story needs to be at least novella length for it to work.

Now's a good time for me to be stretching myself and writing someone of longer length - I've probably got a book's worth of short stories doing the rounds with various magazines, so by the time Falling Over is out and everyone is sick of me banging on about it* a third collection should be shaping up nicely. So that gives me some time to work on Other People's Ghosts and see if I can make it work this time, and to see if it really does want to grow up to be a novella.

Oh, and the new Laura Marling album? Excellent.

* okay, maybe not quite that quick

Brilliant Books, No Comment

I've been so busy with other writery things recently that I've not had time to post any book reviews here. And annoyingly that's clashed with a period when I've read tons of good books that I wanted to review, as I thought they deserved some praise (I've not been too busy to stop reading, obviously. The important stuff still gets done...)

Anyway, I've come to the reluctant conclusions that I'm not going to catch up. You'll just have to do the reviews in your head - it's like audience participation. But I'll just say that each of the below is well worth a read:

Among Prey - Alan Ryker. I said his last book was his best book, but now this is.

Delphine Dodd - S.P. Miskowski. Scariness in a novella set in the same world as Knock Knock.

Attic Clowns 2 - Jeremy C. Ship.  Four stories, each of which might give you  Coulrophobia.

The Iron River & Other Stories - Tony Rabig. *Makes Twilight Zone noise*

The Accord - Keith Brooke. Mind-bogglingly good head-fuck science fiction.

Love Songs For The Shy & Cynical - Robert Shearman. A book as good as its cover.

See, I told you I'd read a lot of good books.

Vortex

A quick heads up on a new book that might be of interest. Regular readers will know how much I rate Robert Dunbar's fiction. Well now he's written a non-fiction book about the origins of horror, and very interesting it looks too:

They say a basis in fact underlies most legends. They say it all the time, all those Wise Elders in all those old horror films, the high priests, the scientists, the gypsy fortune tellers. On this single issue they agree unanimously. Deep currents of tradition and superstition swirl through most classic works of horror fiction. They spring from deep within us, these nightmares, these folktales. They speak of our deepest needs, the ones we have all been taught since childhood never to put into words, because dreams reveal our other face, the one we keep hidden, the Hyde to mankind’s collective Jekyll. Our most primitive ancestors never died, the ones who killed with rocks and clubs and clawing hands. No, they remain within us still. And when we sleep, they speak.

Vortex is out in paperback from Amazon (UK | US)