Founded in 2011 Spectral Press did from the beginning
and continues to do a praiseworthy effort in supporting various forms of short
fiction. With a series of chapbooks that reaches its eleventh title this month,
three novellas and one collection of short stories, Spectral Press managed to
put together a strong portfolio in just a couple of years. Even more so
considering that the line-up of authors published by Spectral Press since its
foundation includes Cate Gardner, Alison Littlewood, Gary McMahon, Gary Fry, Paul Finch, Simon Kurt Unsworth, Mark
West, John Llewellyn Probert, Paul Kane or Stephen Volk, with Angela
Slatter, Simon Bestwick, Tim Lebbon and Robert Shearman prepared to join the list. Two of Spectral Press’
upcoming releases will be launched at the World Fantasy Convention on November,
2nd not only in the presence of the authors, Tim Lebbon and Paul Kane,
but also of the artists who made the book covers, Les Edwards and Jim Burns.
And since we are at this chapter here are the covers and presentations of these
two new releases.
The novella signed Tim Lebbon, “Still Life”, has a cover made by Jim Burns and although I am not
sitting very well with the feeling of computer generated product left by the
image I still find it quite good. Especially when the sense of comfort is
shattered more by the silhouetted figure next to the cathedral than the bone
choked ground seen to the fore.
Jenni’s husband was part
of the Road of Souls––his flesh swarmed by ants and pecked by rooks, bones
crushed to powder by wheels of dread––and yet she still saw him in the pool.
The
incursion has been and gone, the war is over, and the enemy is in the land,
remote and ambiguous. The village outskirts are guarded by vicious
beasts, making escape impossible. The village itself is controlled by the
Finks, human servants to the enemy––brutal, callous, almost untouchable.
Everything
is less than it was before… time seems to move slower, the
population is much denuded, and life itself seems to hold little purpose.
This is not living, it’s existing.
But
in a subjugated population, there is always resistance.
For
Jenni, the happiest part of this new life is visiting the pool in the woods,
seeing her dead husband within, and sharing memories of happier times. It
calms her and makes her feel alive.
But
the resistance comes to her for help.
And
when her dead husband tells her it is time to fight, Jenni’s life is destined
for a shattering change.
Paul Kane’s collection of stories, “Ghosts”,
has a cover marked by the great talent of Les Edwards/Edward Miller. I am long
admirer of Les Edwards/Edward Miller’s works and here is another example of why
I love his art so much. Deeply atmospheric and yet simpler than other covers that
have one or more characters taking all of the central stage we see so much
lately, it is an excellent game of light and shadow and an image that reveals
as much as it conceals.
They are all around us all the time. But only a few
make contact, and only certain people are destined to see the Ghosts. Here, you’ll read a
lonely shade’s tale… a deceased old man’s house being invaded… how one person
discovers the true meaning of the Christmas spirit, while a parent struggles to
come to terms with the sad loss of a child… and what happens when the ghosts of
war go on the rampage, or when a monstrous wraith stalks the streets looking
for revenge. Gathering together all of award-winning and bestselling author
Paul Kane’s supernatural fiction, including three brand new stories–one a
sequel to Charles Dickens’ ‘The Signal-Man’–and featuring an introduction from
bestselling horror author Nancy Kilpatrick (Power of the Blood World series),
the script of Wind
Chimes introduced by its
director Brad Watson (7th Dimension), plus suitably atmospheric cover art from
Edward Miller, this is one collection that will haunt you forever.
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