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The Haunted Generation – “Felt Trips”

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Bob Fischer's The Haunted Generation - both his blog and monthly article for Fortean Times - is required reading for anyone interested in the whole arena of hauntology & creepily "wrong" nostalgia. One of his current strands is "Felt Trips", unearthing artworks created by kids in the 70s and 80s. Some of these are homages … Continue reading The Haunted Generation – “Felt Trips”

Review: “Tales from the Shadow Booth: Volume 4”

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Just 6 months after the superb volume 3 of Tales from the Shadow Booth (which I reviewed here), "the international journal of weird and eerie fiction", Dan Coxon brings us another. And its just as good: that's all you really need to know. But if you want more, read on... It begins, as all trips … Continue reading Review: “Tales from the Shadow Booth: Volume 4”

Braddock!

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In a previous post I described my adolescent fascination with military aircraft. Among the many books and magazines I owned was a 1950s hardback picked up for 10p at a jumble sale. I Flew With Braddock was - to my naive mind - the biographical tale of a maverick RAF Bomber Command pilot called Matt … Continue reading Braddock!

Review: “Hollow Shores” by Gary Budden (2017)

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Some books just don't do it for you first time. Some never will, and you have to acknowledge that. Others leave spore-like traces that may not germinate for months or even years, but will eventually bring you back to them. Hollow Shores is one such for me. Published in 2017 by indie press Dead Ink, … Continue reading Review: “Hollow Shores” by Gary Budden (2017)

A completely unnecessary piece on Neil Gaiman’s “The Sandman”

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I had thought about compiling a ranking of Neil Gaiman's Sandman books in the manner of my previous (and gratifyingly popular) China Mieville and Clive Barker top 10s. But if you don't know Sandman, although they can be read as stand-alone volumes, you'll get more out of them if you read them in order. So … Continue reading A completely unnecessary piece on Neil Gaiman’s “The Sandman”

Progress

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Happy New Year. I don't tend to write much over Christmas; I always find it a time for generating new ideas or doing the writing-tasks-that-aren't-writing, like submissions or editing or planning. And looking back at old stuff to see if it can be resurrected (a fun task, but the answer is always "no"). Consequently, the … Continue reading Progress

Peter Lanyon: Liminality & Psychogeography

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The art of Peter Lanyon - who died 53 years ago today - is, like all great art, uncompromising. For those seeking “Cornish Art”, it has none of the serenity of the calm seascapes on offer in every gallery in every tiny cove. But if you’re prepared to look beyond the initially daunting surface of … Continue reading Peter Lanyon: Liminality & Psychogeography

Cornwall: two landscapes

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Driving west on the A30, it's impossible to miss the post-industrial landscapes of clay- and tin-mining country. Whatever your feelings toward them, they are impressive, and very different from each other. Clay mining - the Cornish Alps - sprawl over the area north and west of St. Austell (and give the Eden Project it's home). … Continue reading Cornwall: two landscapes