Cover Reveal: Anthony Watson’s: The Laws of Horror. An Exploration of The Books of Stephen Laws.

Cover Reveal: Anthony Watson’s: The Laws of Horror. An Exploration of The Books of Stephen Laws.

Having explored the novels of Adam Nevill in Dreams and Shadows, Anthony Watson now turns his attention to author Stephen Laws with his new book The Laws of Horror. The cover art and design is once more provided by Neil Williams whose striking imagery incorporates some of the themes explored within the book.

The Laws of Horror will be available as a hardback, paperback and ebook for Kindle and will be released in October. The book will be officially launched at the Manchester Festival of Fantastic Films with an interview with the author and Stephen himself followed by a Q&A session. A limited number of the books will be available to buy – and be signed – afterwards.

About Stephen Laws

Stephen Laws (born July 13, 1952) is an English author working mostly in the genres of horror and dark fantasy. Married, with three children, he lives in his birthplace of Newcastle upon Tyne and makes frequent use of local settings in his published works. A writer of novels and short stories, he is also an occasional reviewer, columnist, and film festival interviewer. His story The Song My Sister Sang won the British Fantasy Award for short fiction in 1999 and he served as a judge for the World Fantasy Awards in 2013.

Stephen Laws left Manor Park Technical School at 16 to work in the Architects Department of Northumberland County Council, studying for professional qualifications in the evenings. He went on to work in local government as a committee administrator for twenty years, publishing his first novel in 1985 and becoming a full-time writer in 1992. Early influences included Nigel Kneale’s TV dramas and shows such as The Twilight Zone, The Outer Limits, and Doctor Who, with creative inspiration drawn from the writing of Richard Matheson.

Success in local writing competitions, along with frustration over a cancelled BBC drama commission,^[10] led to the writing of his debut novel Ghost Train, first published in 1985 by Souvenir Press. This conscious effort to create a modern ghost story was widely seen as a successful move to breathe new life into a well-established genre. More novels and short fiction would follow, along with occasional reviews and magazine columns.

Described as “a steady, reliable writer whose best work is highly original and carries a powerful emotional impact”, Laws serves as an occasional onstage interviewer of guests and personalities at film festivals, and contributes introductions and critical matter to DVD and Blu-ray releases of classic genre material. He adapted and appears in a short film adaptation of his short story The Secret.

Editor’s note: I am a big fan of Stephen Laws and here are my three favourtite novels from Stephen.

The Frighteners

Eddie Brinkburn’s doing time for a botched garage job that left Sheraton’s brother very badly burned.

HOW MUCH DO YOU HATE?

When Sheraton’s gang burn his wife and kids to death, Eddie soon learns the meaning of hate.

HOW MUCH DO YOU HATE?

And that’s how the prison psycho transfers his awesome power to Eddie. A power that Eddie reckons he can control. A power that will enable Eddie to put the frighteners on Sheraton…

Daemonic

Mr Draegerman requests the pleasure of your company. If you come with us, this fifty thousand is yours. You get another two hundred thousand when you get there.

Jack Draegerman loves deals.

He made his first fortune in the fields of architecture, engineering and design, with a reputation not only as a ruthless business man but also as an infamous director of some of the most extreme horror movies ever made.

No one has seen Jack Draegerman for ten years. He lives in a huge fortress he designed and built himself. Known as The Rock, its interior is a crazy structure of labyrinthine, descending corridors. With no way out.

But now, a band of uniformed henchmen is approaching a selection of unconnected people on Draegerman’s behalf. he wants them to visit him, and he’s prepared to pay for the privilege.

Because Jack Draegerman has made contact with a Daemonic force. A Daemonic force who also loves a deal.

The Chasm

An ordinary town full of ordinary citizens going about their everyday business. Then the earth tremor hits. Glass shatters, concrete crumbles, buildings fracture and collapse as everything disappears beneath choking clouds of dust.

The few shell-shocked survivors emerge to be met with a terrifying, impossible sight. Most of Edmonville has disappeared into an enormous crevasse; the semi-demolished buildings which remain are perched or a series of peaks, crags and pillars of stone – many of them separated from each other by hundreds of feet, and a perilous, bottomless gulf below.

Without electricity, heating or water, the few remaining citizens of Edmonville wait for rescue – which doesn’t come. As starvation threatens, the best and the worst of human nature come to the fore in the struggle for survival. Their only hope lies in their being able to make contact with one another.

Then, one by one, people start to disappear without trace …

What exactly has happened to Edmonville? And who – or what – lurks in the hideous Chasm below? The macabre imaginative genius of Stephen Laws is at its best in this phenomenal tale of an ordinary town caught up in extraordinary circumstances.

Further Reading

If you’re a fan of spine-chilling tales and hair-raising suspense, then you won’t want to miss the horror features page on The Ginger Nuts of Horror Review Website. This is the ultimate destination for horror enthusiasts seeking in-depth analysis, thrilling reviews, and exclusive interviews with some of the best minds in the genre. From independent films to mainstream blockbusters, the site covers a broad spectrum of horror media, ensuring that you’re always in the loop about the latest and greatest.

The passionate team behind The Ginger Nuts of Horror delivers thoughtful critiques and recommendations that delve into the nuances of storytelling, character development, and atmospheric tension. Whether you’re looking for hidden gems to stream on a dark and stormy night or want to explore the work of up-and-coming horror filmmakers, this page is packed with content that will ignite your imagination and keep you on the edge of your seat.

So grab your favorite horror-themed snacks, settle into a cozy spot, and immerse yourself in the chilling world of horror literature and film. Head over to The Ginger Nuts of Horror and embark on a journey through the eerie and the extraordinary it’s an adventure you won’t soon forget!