The Cover of Adam Nevill's new book: Last Days

Adam Nevill has quickly become one of my favorite horror writers. His latest book, The Ritual was simply brilliant (my review). Today I saw the cover of Nevill's next book, Last Days.

Adam Nevill's books have consistently had good looking covers and this one, in my opinion, is no exception. I really liked The Ritual's cover and I really like this one too. It certainly conveys the heart-squeezing horror-story message pretty well. I simply can't wait to read it.

Last Days will be published in May 2012. And here is the blurb:

They visit after dark and they never let go . . .

When indie filmmaker, Kyle Freeman, is offered a deal to make a documentary about a notorious cult, an opportunity to avoid both bankruptcy and obscurity is finally on the table.

Led by the infamous Sister Katherine, The Temple of the Last Days reached its bloody endgame in the Arizona desert in 1975. Ever since, rumour and speculation about the group’s mystical secrets and paranormal experiences have lain half-concealed behind a legacy of murder, sexual deviancy and imprisonment.

The shoot’s locations take Kyle and his one-man crew to the cult’s original bases in London, France and finally to the desert crime scene where the cult self-destructed in a night of ritualistic violence. But when Kyle interviews the remaining survivors, who haven’t broken silence in decades, a series of uncanny events and unexplained phenomena plague the production. And what exactly is it they are managing to record in any place the Temple once resided?

Troubling out-of-body experiences and nocturnal visitations, the sudden demise of their interviewees and the discovery of ghastly artefacts soon pitches Kyle into the unnerving realisation that he is entangled in the cult’s hideous vestiges.

And whenever the old friends call, there’s no light, no warning and no mercy ...

Short but Great Stories

I'm not your typical short-story lover. In general, I wouldn't really consider short story my favourite format however I've always believed that they fit some genres much better than others. The obvious one is horror. And I would add to that science-fiction.

Sometimes, depending on my mood, I find it very liberating not to commit to a whole book to fully enjoy a good story. I also happen to read a couple of books at the same time therefore short stories suit much better the genre switching that my mood might dictate. They also provide a great way to discover new authors and new styles.

Here are some of my recent books containing some great stories:

House of Fear
edited by Jonathan Oliver

Paperback: 408 pages
Publisher: Rebellion (14 Oct 2011)
ISBN-10: 1907992065
ISBN-13: 978-1907992063

The tread on the landing outside the door, when you know you are the only one in the house. The wind whistling through the eves, carrying the voices of the dead. The figure glimpsed briefly through the cracked window of a derelict house.

Editor Jonathan Oliver brings horror home with a collection of haunted house stories by some of the finest writers working in the horror genre, including Joe R. Lansdale, Sarah Pinborough, Lisa Tuttle, Christopher Priest, Adam L. G. Nevill, Nicholas Royle, Chaz Brenchley, Christopher Fowler, Gary Kilworth, Weston Ochse, Eric Brown, Tim Lebbon, Nina Allan, Stephen Volk, Paul Meloy and more.

Manhattan in Reverse
by Peter F. Hamilton

Hardcover: 320 pages
Publisher: Macmillan (7 Oct 2011)
ISBN-10: 0230750303
ISBN-13: 978-0230750302

A collection of short stories from the master of space opera. Peter F Hamilton takes us on a journey from a murder mystery in an alternative Oxford in the 1800s to a brand new story featuring Paula Mayo, Deputy Director of the Intersolar Commonwealth’s Serious Crimes Directorate. Dealing with intricate themes and topical subject this top ten bestselling author is at the top of his game.

Engineering Infinity
edited by Jonathan Strahan

Paperback: 416 pages
Publisher: Solaris (15 Jan 2011)
ISBN-10: 1907519513
ISBN-13: 978-1907519512

The universe shifts and changes: suddenly you understand, you get it, and are filled with a sense of wonder. That moment of understanding drives the greatest science-fiction stories and lies at the heart of Engineering Infinity. Whether it's coming up hard against the speed of light and, with it, the enormity of the universe, realising that terraforming a distant world is harder and more dangerous than you'd ever thought, or simply realising that a hitchhiker on a starship consumes fuel and oxygen with tragic results, it's hard science-fiction where sense of wonder is most often found and where science-fiction's true heart lies. This exciting and innovative anthology collects together stories by some of the biggest names in the field, including Stephen Baxter, Charles Stross and Greg Bear.

The End of The Line
edited by Jonathan Oliver

Paperback: 374 pages
Publisher: Solaris (1 Nov 2010)
ISBN-10: 1907519327
ISBN-13: 978-1907519321

New horror stories set on and around the Underground
In deep tunnels something stirs, borne on a warm breath of wind, reeking of diesel and blood. The spaces between stations hold secrets too terrible for the upper world to comprehend and the steel lines sing with the songs of the dead.

The End of The Line collects some of the very best in new horror writing in an themed anthology of stories set on, and around, the Underground, the Metro and other places deep below. This collection of 19 new stories includes thoughtful, disturbing and terrifying tales by Ramsey Campbell, Christopher Fowler, Mark Morris, Pat Cadigan, Adam Nevill and Michael Marshall Smith amongst many others.