By Stephen Volk

Electric Dreamhouse, out now

A look at many different aspects of the worlds of horror and screenwriting – as well as invaluable table-making advice…

I’ve had the pleasure of interviewing Stephen Volk a number of times over the last half dozen years, and shared over email some of the highs and lows of the projects with which he has been involved. I’ve found his fiction – at whatever length, and for whatever medium – to be affecting; stories, characters and situations that make you stop and think, then make you look at the world through a slightly different prism.

His non-fiction I’ve not read before coming to this well-curated collection by Neil Snowdon that draws on pieces Volk has penned over the last decade and a bit for Black Static magazine (with the odd footnoted update). Volk doesn’t pussyfoot around with his opinions – you’re bound not to agree with every single one of them (in fact, I’m not entirely convinced even he agrees with every single one of them), but you can’t fault the passion behind the arguments, and the knowledge, gained over decades of experience, that informs them.

Along the way you’ll learn a lot about the various projects with which he’s associated – setting the record straight on Gothic and Ghostwatch among many others – and also how he views material that’s been released in the genre over the past few years. The works of key participants are reviewed, analysed – and sometimes excoriated. Praise has to be earned and unless you’re as well versed in the field as he is, you’re bound to find something here to add to your reading pile or watch list.

Couple all this with a highly conversational and readable style, and you’ve got a collection that I strongly suspect I will be dipping into for a re-read periodically for many years to come…

Verdict: Passionate, opinionated and diving deep into the heart of a topic – an outstanding collection that any fan of the genre should be reading. 10/10

Paul Simpson

Click here to order from PS Publishing