I posted this at Facebook earlier on and it's getting a great reaction. I know some of you don't favour FB, and this forum is the proper place for such news, so:
The BHF gang will remember, and indeed may have participated in, Chris Wood's two volumes of Horror Stories. And you may have volunteered to write for the proposed third collection, which ultimately never happened - and which was going to depart from the 'anything goes' approach of vols 1 and 2, and instead focus on your stories based on old British horror movies, maybe with a slight spin or twist (was it James who planned to contribute something entitled 'Dracula A.D. 1982', for instance?) The literary types among you may have noticed that this sort of caper has, out of the ether, suddenly become all the rage! We've got Sean Hogan's two collections, 'England's Screaming' and 'Three Mothers, One Father' mixing and matching characters from classic Brit horror and Euroshock; and 'Studio of Screams' is upcoming from messrs Bissette, Golden, Lebbon, Morris and Volk, a bid to do a fake collection of John Burke-style novelisations of films that never existed (again, we pre-empted all this at the BHF ages ago with Albie's creation of 'Village of the Mist Ghouls' and the ensuing book-of-the-film!) So, I think it's time for The Third BHF Book Of Horror Stories to rise from the tomb. I'm happy to put myself forward as project co-ordinator/editor. I may even have access to some of the previous submissions, if any of you wrote stories for the original project that were posted at the board's 'Your Creations' forum! And I know I've still got the three tales I wrote. While in lockdown, then, take a few days to pen a yarn and send it in for consideration, or to email me with concept ideas. Guidelines: Wanted - original short fiction, preferably between 1500-5000 words. If you want to write more than 5000 it had better be Shakespeare. The stories should be somehow based on one or more British horror films, but given an unusual treatment or twist. (For example, I penned a tale called 'Mister Fixit', all about a hardware store owner who supplies the fictional characters from The Abominable Dr Phibes, The Face of Fu Manchu, Horror Hospital and The Mutations with all of their lab equipment and fiendish devices - well, they have to acquire these items somewhere). So, tell us all about Karswell attempting to get bookings at children's parties in between passing runes; what Dracula gets up to on his day off; what happened on board the Event Horizon; how the rulers of Kator's home planet responded to his message about humans being 'easy prey'; etc, etc. Write a prequel, a sequel, an 'equal' (set in between the scenes of a familiar Hammer or Tigon production, perhaps), or a concoction of your own using one or more familiar characters. If you have a completed story that fits all of the above criteria, or if you wish to pitch a concept before starting out, email me at darrellpbuxton@gmail.com This is an open call, anyone is welcome to contribute (though it would be great to see plenty of the old BHF gang involved). Stories are subject to editing, and there is no guarantee that a submission will be used in the finished book. As yet there is no deadline, but if you want to be involved, let me know as soon as possible. Open to professional authors (though no fees are involved, this is purely an amateur venture for the fun of it), beginners, and everyone in between.
Can't wait for this! In some ways I wish I'd been able to contribute, but I don't have enough confidence in my own writing abilities... yet. I did have a vague idea for a Quatermass / Dracula crossover, with the Prof having difficulties with his manned Mars space programme (exploring the Red Planet being a matter of urgency to him following the Hobbs Lane Incident.) At a certain distance past the Moon, the astronauts keep dying, and after two failed attempts, Quatermass is stumped, as well as unwilling to risk further crews. Cue mysterious millionaire D. D, Denham, who as well as offering much-needed funding, has a proposition. Somehow, Denham knows that the problem is due to the life-force (or "soul") of humans being connected to the Earth. At a certain, full-stretch distance from the planet, the connection breaks, with fatal consequences. However, suggests Denham, if a space vehicle could be crewed by beings who are not really alive, and therefore have no souls...
...and that's as far as I got with Quatermass AD1973... I'll get me coat...