THE FIRST HORROR BOOK I REMBER READING 

I recall reading Jurassic Park on a family trip across the country when I was about 12 years old. The funny thing is I was very squeamish about some of the bits in the book (still am when it comes to real life…or descriptions/visuals of anything to do with finger/toe nails and teeth) that described the gore when the dinosaurs attacked people. And I was the kid who was afraid of everything, so the fact that I made it through that novel and went on to love the genre of horror is quite the wonder.

THE FIRST HORROR FILM I REMEMBER WATCHING 

Jurassic Park came out when I was 11 years old. And I distinctly remember my older brother going to see the movie and coming home and telling my parents that I shouldn’t see it because it would “give him nightmares”. For a long time during its theater run I was refused the opportunity to see it until one night when a large group of friends and their parents were going to the Drive-In to see the movie and I begged my parents to let me go, and they did, and I instantly fell in love with the movie. It has been my favorite movie since I was 11.
However, if variety is what is wanted here, I would say the fist (non-traditional) horror movie I remember watching was The Ghost and the Darkness with Val Kilmer and Michael Douglas. When you are a teenager who hasn’t been exposed to much regarding horror, lions stalking humans and ripping them apart is fairly horrific. It was also the first Rated R movie I was allowed to see in theaters.

THE GREATEST HORROR BOOKOF ALL TIME 

I can already tell this set of questions is like exploding a can of worms. This is a really difficult question to answer, because there are so many different aspects within the horror genre that stand out to me (originality, sheer terror, subtlety, shock value, atmosphere, etc.) and either add or subtract value within the story. I will have to take this one on strictly based on the re-readability factor and excluding the aforementioned (multiple times already) Jurassic Park.
It by Stephen King definitely pops to the top of the list, but then I start to think of the lesser known horror novels I have read and I find myself thinking about The Ruins by Scott Smith and Relic by Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child. I didn’t read It until a couple years ago and it absolutely fascinated me. The world King created and the depth of the detail within the story held me captive. I am actually reading that one again right now. The Ruins was one of my first forays into truly uncomfortable horror literature. The amount of squirmy feelings I had reading that book hasn’t been matched yet. And the universe Preston & Child began with Relic was so fun and exciting. I need to read through all the Pendergast novels that they have written, but Relic has definitely stuck with me over the years. And we need a proper film version at some point.

THE GREATEST HORROR FILM OF ALL TIME 

Gingernuts asking the difficult questions. Yeesh. I am going to weasel my way around on this one and talk about different horror films that I consider in top form for what they did, because there has been so much brilliance in the field, just as there has been in the novel category.

Rosemary’s Baby – Since I didn’t become a fan of horror until I was in my late teens/early twenties, I hadn’t watched many movies within the genre and thought the level of menace and shock value grew over time. Until I saw Rosemary’s Baby. That film was so unnerving and sadistic. That movie opened my eyes to the vicious nature of a lot of films from the ‘70s and ‘80s.

Saw – When I went to the theater and watched this movie, I walked away in awe at how absolutely clever it was. The concept behind it, the twists and turns, and of course Cary Elwes is always fun to watch.

The Blair Witch Project – I remember when this movie came out and everyone was convinced it was real footage that had been found…until the day I went to see the movie and it was spoiled that it was fictional tale set up as found footage. I was still thoroughly engaged and horrified at the film, but I remember the wave of fear that rippled through the country when it was believed to be actual footage. That movie pioneered the art form and, while many films get the concept so wrong, there have been some amazing films made using the technique, including Rec and Searching.

The Conjuring – I am not going to lie: I was a grown ass man when I saw this movie and I was so grateful when I got back to my house at night when I lived alone, only to remember that my sister and brother-in-law were staying at the house for a few nights. The clapping hide-and-seek game sent chills down my spine. I honestly don’t know how I slept that night.
Jaws – The creature feature to begin all creature features. Not only is it terrifying due to the fact that there are really sharks that really randomly attack humans in the real ocean, but the human level of that story make you care for all the characters who are put in danger. A brilliant piece of filmmaking that is still fantastic to watch to this day.

THE GREATEST WRITER OF ALL TIME

Stephen King. I don’t know of any other prolific author with as many published works in as many genres as King. He has dabbled in so many ideas that it is difficult to not recognize him as one of the best authors of all time. I put him there, because of the ability to read the stories he has written again and again. He has definitely inspired me in my writing, and I am always excited when I find out a new book of his is coming out

Honorable Mentions:

Michael Crichton was my introduction to fictional tales that weren’t Lord of the Rings or Chronicles of Narnia and I devoured so many of his books growing up.

Wm. Paul Young, not just because he is my dad, but also because of the worldwide impact his book The Shack has had. A publishing company was created to publish that book and it has since skyrocketed onto the top 100 sold books of all time. That’s pretty amazing.

Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child introduced me to the concept of a universe continuing over the course of many books, and Agent Pendergast is still one of my favorite fictional characters of all time.

Tana French’s writing is sublime. Her ability to impact the reader with her stories is phenomenal, and her insights into human nature are fascinating.

Orson Scott Card is another author that slips into the subconscious of the reader and lingers there for a long while. His world building is so intricate and introspective.

Pierce Brown, in my humble opinion, took the concept that Suzanne Collins utilized and exponentially improved on it. I enjoyed the Hunger Games books, but I felt like I was much more invested in the Red Rising series.


THE BEST BOOK COVER OF ALL TIME

This is truly a difficult one, because book covers change over time as new editions and versions of a book releases. A book cover definitely goes a long way in piquing my interest (don’t judge a book, yeah yeah). But I am going to have to say The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams. The cover tells you what kind of a tale you are in for without giving anything away. It is sublimely beautiful.


THE BEST FILM POSTER OF ALL TIME

Another one where there are so many versions of movie posters that it makes it difficult to claim a Best. First off, I am removing all ensemble movie posters (Avengers Films, Fast and Furious films, etc.) because there is literally no nuance to them; they are simply announcing who to expect in the film. I am a big fan of the minimalist movie posters that have become popular over the last ten years or so. Original film poster? I would have to go with either the poster for Airplane! or The Dark Knight Rises. The pretzeled plane is simply comedy in itself, and the Batman logo in the skyline of the city is pure brilliance.

THE BEST BOOK / FILM I HAVE WRITTEN

Well, since the only one I have written in its entirety so far is Grim Fate I would have to say that one. I honestly feel that it is a twisted take on the horror genre. I don’t think anyone who reads it expects where I take it. One person told me they expected it to be just a horror novel where there was no investment in the characters, because they were just going to die anyway, but they were surprised to find it much more introspective. That was a huge compliment.

THE WORST BOOK / FILM I HAVE WRITTEN

There is a whole list of unfinished stinkers in my arsenal (most of which have been lost over the years…weird how that happens). I have a couple I want to rework and try again with, but many times I look back at stories I started to write, and I cringe. Ridiculous concepts, poor execution, lack on inspiration, and a plethora of other issues.

THE MOST UNDERRATED FILM OF ALL TIME

The Frighteners hands down. It is a criminally underrated Peter Jackson Horror/Comedy with Michael J. Fox. It is a brilliant bit of storytelling. I mean, I am extremely envious that I didn’t come up with the concept of a paranormal investigator who works with the ghosts to make money. The concept is phenomenal and there are pieces of the film that are truly (pardon the pun) frightening. One second you are laughing, and the next moment all your muscles are tightening because you know some shit is about to go down. Wonderful film.

THE MOST UNDERRATED BOOK OF ALL TIME

Sphere by Michael Crichton. I know they made a movie about it, but the book is so much more subtle and horrifying and I think the movie didn’t do the book justice, and because of that it wasn’t as successful of a book as it really should be. It is such a claustrophobic tale, and really gets the heart rate going. I would say it is almost a horror version of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.

THE MOST UNDERRATED AUTHOR OF ALL TIME

Tana French. I know there are definitely people who know about her, but I feel like, especially in the US, her powerhouse presence is not as well known as it should be. The psychological aspects and twists and turns in her novels are things of beauty. She builds her stories so wonderfully, and her characters are excellent.

THE BOOK / FILM THAT SACRED ME THE MOST

The Conjuring takes this prize. Where most films rely on false jump scares to build tension, everything that is happening in this movie actually has a payoff. And when those creepy hands came out of the wardrobe, I believe I actually tried to crawl into the seat I was sitting in, because it was such a terrifying concept. They built the fear and unease so expertly, showing the audience what was right in front of the characters’ faces without letting the characters in on the terror of it all.


THE BOOK / FILM I AM WORKING ON NEXT

I am working on my second novel right now that deals a lot with psychology. The concept of what if this is really what it appears to be instead of just existing in my head. It centers around a Detective duo from a small town who begin investigating a seemingly cannibalistic cult who have started taking victims and leaving them eviscerated near the forest. But, of course, things aren’t always as they appear, and one of the Detectives ends up much deeper in the conspiracy than he could have imagined. I hope to publish it in October of 2021.

​Nicho Young grew up in the Pacific Northwest and currently resides in the state of Washington with his wife and 3 (soon-to-be 4) children. When he is not writing he can be found playing with his kids, live streaming online, and watching shows and movies with his wife.
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Writing has always been a passion of his and he is excited to be able to share his storytelling with the world. Grim Fate is his debut novel, and he plans on continuing to write and bring stories to everyone for decades to come.

It has recently come to our attention that author and publisher Tabatha Stirling, who has published a small number of articles on this site promoting her own work and that of her publishing house has been alleged to have substantial links to far-right political group Patriotic Alternative, including producing streamed audio material, artwork, and written articles. Details of these allegations can be found here,  and the Evening Standard has also recently picked up the story here. The first time we became aware of this story was 16th March.


The Ginger Nuts Of Horror prides itself on providing a space and platform for creators and fans of horror that is fully inclusive and welcoming to all people, regardless of background. We abhor prejudice and hatred, and will never knowingly provide a platform for people who hold such views.


Effective immediately, all content relating to Tabatha Stiriling has been removed from the site. We will not publish any further material from this individual or publisher moving forward.


We deeply apologise to anybody upset or hurt by this individual, or their actions. The Ginger Nuts Of Horror remains committed to providing a space that reflects the amazing diversity of the genre we love, and a site that stands with marginalised communities and against oppression.

There was an angry shout from the Nissen huts and something else, a sound like a crowd at a football match.  Robin pushed away from the coop and its potential eggs, aiming for the bush.

“Stop!” someone yelled and he froze, his heart thudding in his chest and wrists.  What would he say, what could he say?  This was the cane, for sure and probably a proper leathering from Dad too.

“I said stop!” yelled the same voice.  Robin hadn’t moved, which meant he hadn’t been seen so he quickly pushed himself back.

A single shot was fired, which filled the night with sound and made the silence that followed it even noisier.  Nobody moved on the gravel but he could hear someone running, the heavy thud of their step indicating they were moving fast.  A shape came towards him from the orchard, arms flailing as if trying to keep balance.

“I said stop!” yelled the voice, “or I’ll fire.”

The runner kept moving and the guns responded.  There were several single shots, probably from Lee Enfield number fours.  Robin knew his guns, he knew what they sounded like and prided himself on his knowledge.

The Sten guns rattled into life.  Several 9mm bullets thudded into the wall behind Robin, showering him with stone dust.  He flinched, covered his face.

The runner bumped his leg against the side of the chicken run, the limb flicking out at an odd angle and cartwheeling the man across the lawn.  More bullets hit the lawn, ripping holes into the grass.  Robin was three feet away from the bush and, it seemed, still in the firing line.

Out of the Darkness collects together brand new stories by Jenn Ashworth, Alison Moore, Nicholas Royle, Laura Mauro, Aliya Whiteley, Tim Major, Simon Bestwick, Eugen Bacon, Gary Budden and many more. They all deal with mental health in some way, and many are written by people who have first-hand experience of the challenges mental illness can present. They tackle the topics of anxiety, depression, obsessive–compulsive disorder and other issues, as well as the pressures mental illness can place on family members and friends – sometimes obliquely, sometimes head-on. At times that can make for challenging reading, but the authors have all actively engaged with the central philosophy of this book: that with support and open discussion, those who are suffering from mental health problems can move out of the darkness and into the light. In addition, all the authors are donating their fees and royalties to Together for Mental Wellbeing.

Over the next few weeks we will be highlighting some of the authors involved in this great anthology.  

My story for Out of the Darkness is called ‘Temple’. It is a strange old thing, set in the mid-seventeenth century for one, sweeping into today, spanning two continents, bringing in travel and witchery, not to mention patriarchal society. Here is how it begins:

Lovers and madmen have such seething brains,
Such shaping fantasies, that apprehend
More than cool reason ever comprehends.
I travelled. I travelled when I was green and when I was old; a weird and madding creature. In the New World, in a land my people stole, I made something: a temple. And I took it back home again. I mean, the spirit of this brazen place.

Without giving too much away, what I am looking at in this story is misunderstanding about what mental illness and mental health problems might be; I am thinking of centuries back but I also explore how they are misunderstood now and note that some people write about mental health challenges as if they were figments of an indulged body and brain. Struggling with any aspect of your mental health, or even falling apart all together, are not weakness. In one of my outings on Facebook recently, I saw someone whom I had supposed had better sense writing about how nowadays we are surrounded by snowflakes, that they certainly did not remember things like anorexia or OCD being around when they were a kid, and we ought to get on with it. You know, like we did in the war. These are misunderstandings and show a startling lack of empathy and knowledge. Mental illness, instability, the collapse of your system because of excess allostatic load, are not new, but always. Go back through time, look at early poems; look at literature from all around the world. Look, too, at the treatment of those who were considered to be ill. Explore what happened in the past to those who were different, eccentric, or in the way. This is an important distinction and one to which I drew attention in my last novel, Saving Lucia, which is about treatments, presumed insanity, hysteria, and the psychiatric institutions – the asylums. At the beginning of the twentieth century, there were over 8,000 women in the Salpêtrière in Paris alone.

I ought to tell you about myself if we have not yet met. I lived through long and complex trauma. I had periods of a sadness I could not express in my childhood, when I self-harmed to cope and told no one; I had depression and OCD in my teens and on we went for another twenty years of depression and awful dissociative episodes until – because that is the other thing; the paucity of appropriate care – I got appropriate treatment over an extended period. But I will never be better. Perhaps things would have been different if I had received support when I was first in the thick of it. I shall never know. Still, what happened to me touches many aspects of my life and had I been born in a different time, I might well have packed off. Even so, I have had to listen to my story – why it all happened – assiduously denied, I have been called insane, a weakling, a snowflake, a weirdo. Well, I am a weirdo, but I am also a survivor and I am not afraid of speaking. I am brave too, so you can be a bit braver; so, we sock it to stigma. ‘Temple’ is about a resplendent woman; she is provocative and brave. That does not negate her suffering or that others try to suppress her. But she speaks on.

In ‘Temple’, I have deliberately given you an unusual woman. Get to know her and bask a bit in the tricky nuances of the story. She is a deliberate challenge to you. Do you assume her mad? If you do, why and what are our definitions of madness? What are yours? Look into yourself and decide who you say is round the bend.

Mental health problems affect one in four people in the UK. It is my worry that, recovering from pandemic trauma, that number is going to grow exponentially. We know that mental health provision is stretched for both young people’s and adults’ services. I am reshaping my teaching, mentoring and writing over the next two years as much as I can so that I can be as responsive and helpful as possible. And I think what Dan Coxon has done here is really important. He has been putting together an anthology which looks at literature – particularly dark literature – as a medium for self-expression, for release and for facing down demons. It is a catharsis and I would argue that, if you face what is in the dark and look at it carefully, embrace its form in language, then it becomes less frightening and a conduit into something that is of the light. The light that is at the heart of that darkness, in fact. Grief, sorrow, stress, illness, the loss of our faculties whether temporary or permanent, are at the heart of life, but if we raise them up in a vibrant and fascinating language, don’t they become less terrible?
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In my own experience, fear and shame have been bound up with illness and incapacitation. Reading is a release and horror and weird fiction marvellous for me: the stories of the dark places. It was not #uplit that gave me back my life and propelled me forward: it was horror writing. Its expression and my reading of it. I hope that readers feel comforted and less alone by that strange and beautiful paradox which I know Dan will illuminate in this book. And with ‘Temple’, I hope you will like what my protagonist tells you about her life, as you wonder who or what she is or how she is seen before she offers you her hand. You take it tentatively. Because she is a weird; an eldritch woman, prone to flights of imaginative freewheeling and starting genius in all she does. But take her hand, as she says to you, ‘Oh. I was so glad to meet you and wish that you find, in the temple, the home and the hot acceptance for which I know you will have longed. Take my hand now, across the years and into your future and be sure that you are not and were never alone.’

For more information on Anna check out their website here 

Out of the Darkness challenges some of the most exciting voices in horror and dark fantasy to bring their worst fears out into the light. From the black dog of depression to acute anxiety and schizophrenia, these stories prove what fans of horror fiction have long known – that we must understand our demons to overcome them.

In the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, what began as a mental health crisis has rapidly become an unprecedented tsunami. The Centre for Mental Health has estimated that 10 million people will need mental health support in the UK as a direct consequence of Covid-19, with a staggering 1.5 million of those being under eighteen.

Edited by Dan Coxon (This Dreaming Isle) and featuring exclusive stories by Alison Moore, Jenn Ashworth, Tim Major and Aliya Whiteley, this collection harnesses the power of fiction to explore and explain the darkest moments in our lives. 

Horror isn’t just about the chills – it’s also about the healing that comes after.

Back the project here 

​https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/unsungstories/out-of-the-darkness-an-anthology-of-horror-and-dark-fantasy

We’re all familiar with the setup. It goes something like this: person suffers trauma; their mind turns to dark thoughts as a result; they become the villain in the horror movie/book/TV show of your choice. We can see it most clearly, perhaps, in Psycho – Norman Bates is the poster boy for every tabloid article linking horror movies and video games with violent crime. For many people outside the genre, I think that’s the image they have of horror fans: troubled, tortured souls, who spend their evenings trying to conjure Satan and sacrificing chickens.

But my own experience – and the experience of many of those who read and write horror stories – is markedly different. I’ve had numerous conversations with horror writers who have suffered mental health issues, and have found solace and comfort in the genre. By exploring the darker recesses of the human psyche, horror stories help illuminate and make sense of the world for those suffering from mental illness – a world of anxiety, and despair, and fear. It’s by shining a light on these emotions that horror can help us understand and deal with our own issues. Horror creates a safe environment in which to face our fears, a controlled world in which the worst possible things happen, but people still somehow emerge on the other side – as we do, as readers, entertained and unscathed.

Personally, I’ve suffered with depression since I was in my teens – a fact that’s only recently been diagnosed and treated – and I’ve had a lifelong interest in horror writing in all its forms, from the subtle and uncanny to the big-budget, bestselling horror of Stephen King. It’s in these stories that I found not only escapism from my everyday concerns, but also a way of facing my fears, of becoming bolder, and stronger. I’m naturally of a nervous and anxious disposition, and horror has been a way for me to test my resolve, to imagine worst-case scenarios and see that, actually, they might not mean the end of the world after all. More than that, it’s allowed me to accept a part of my character – my tendency towards negative thinking, my interest in the weird and the strange – and accept it as part of who I am, rather than trying to deny it or push it away. Self-knowledge and self-acceptance lies at the heart of self-healing. The horror community has provided much-needed support too, and I genuinely believe that you couldn’t meet a nicer bunch of people. It’s one of the reasons why the lack of conventions like FantasyCon and the first ever UK StokerCon last year hit us all so hard.

I’m not suggesting that horror might be a cure for mental illness. To do so would be as simplistic as the arguments that aim to vilify it. But when I first came up with the idea for this anthology, Out of the Darkness, it struck me that an above average number of people in the genre community suffer from mental health issues, and it would be to everyone’s benefit to bring the discussion of those issues out into the light. Acknowledging the problem is often the first step on the road to wellness.

Out of the Darkness collects together brand new stories by Jenn Ashworth, Alison Moore, Nicholas Royle, Laura Mauro, Aliya Whiteley, Tim Major, Simon Bestwick, Eugen Bacon, Gary Budden and many more. They all deal with mental health in some way, and many are written by people who have first-hand experience of the challenges mental illness can present. They tackle the topics of anxiety, depression, obsessive–compulsive disorder and other issues, as well as the pressures mental illness can place on family members and friends – sometimes obliquely, sometimes head-on. At times that can make for challenging reading, but the authors have all actively engaged with the central philosophy of this book: that with support and open discussion, those who are suffering from mental health problems can move out of the darkness and into the light. In addition, all the authors are donating their fees and royalties to Together for Mental Wellbeing, and I will also be adding my fees to that donation, supporting the charity in helping people with mental health issues on their journey towards better mental wellbeing and independent lives. Just by buying this book, you can help make a difference.

If nothing else, I hope these stories help you talk to your friends and loved ones in a different way about your and their issues, and that the horror genre will begin to openly discuss mental health in a positive and engaged way. In the words of Bob Hoskins, it’s good to talk. The conversation starts here.


Out of the Darkness is crowdfunding now on Kickstarter, including an exclusive Kickstarter hardback edition, strictly limited to 100 hand-numbered copies worldwide, as well as paperback and ebook editions. Please show your support.

Most writers become household names by having their work adapted for film and TV. If you have a look at your bookshelf you will see countless authors whose adapted films are more famous than their books. Below is a list of some of my favourite authors who haven't had their fictional work adapted to the screen. Several of these are independent authors who I have seen or heard about through the UK fantasy, sci-fi and horror writers convention Edge Lit. Now in no particular order my favourite unadapted authors.


Kim Newman is a reviewer as well as the author of several alternative history books the most famous being Anno Dracula. His work features cameos from several different literary characters and features a tremendous amount of genre research in his book. Then there is the tension in his stories which although based on familiar tales, keep you guessing how different they will turn out.


Tony Cooper writes predominantly fantasy fiction with his superhero series Powerless being his most known works. Taking a grittier version of what would happen if superheroes had to register. These stories explore extraordinary people with real-life problems be they anxiety or involvement with social services. Nevertheless, they don't lose their fantasy roots and considering I have over 700 comics it's amazing that his storylines are different to me.


Heide Goody and Ian Grant are a writing partnership who focus on comedy fantasy stories with the Clovenhoof series being their biggest hit. The devil (Clovenhoof), angels, imps and many other religious and fantasy creatures appear in their books in real life but funny situations. The books that feature Clovenhoof are the wittiest I have never read and they make you realise sympathise with the devil which is a hard thing to achieve.


Martin Millar is a fantasy writer and like with Clovenhoof the characters in his books are funny based in real life but there’s a lot more savagery and diversity. His Werewolf books are probably his most known (at least under his pen name Martin Millar) and feature a fashion designer werewolf, one with anxiety, one who likes to cross-dress among others. Each of his characters has their own subplots that occasionally interact with the main one but somehow his books work.


Antonia Hodgson writes crime historical fiction about the rouge Thomas Hawkins as he struggles to survive in various thrilling and tense situations including working for the Queen and Debtors Prison. The level of historical detail is amazing, each chapter is edgy as Thomas fins himself in a worse and worse predicament and you can fully sympathise and immerse yourselves in his shoes.