hollowstone.press

As someone a decade into my publishing journey, there's something pleasingly circular about the kick to the back of the head that's made me completely reassess my approach to publishing coming from the same person who applied a similar jolt over a decade ago. This is an absolutely essential read for anyone in indie publishing, especially those of us still tinkering around the edges of the algorithms, trying to beat the systems that are still so resolutely stacked against us. Long live the artisans.

It's worth noting that not only is Dan a good friend of mine, but I also designed the cover. None of which should discredit what I'm about to say: This is the best thing I've read this decade, an enthralling, exposed nerve of a book, propulsive in its writing, gut-wrenching in its audacity, and entirely vital to the conversation that us men need to have with each other. To say this walks a fine line would be an understatement, and there were many times I wondered just how Dan might stick the landing, but I needn't have worried. An extraordinary book.

Full disclosure, Dan's a good friend of mine, and I actually designed the cover for this novella, but that doesn't stop me from thinking that he's the most exciting voice in British Horror right now. This is right up with Last Night of Freedom and Territory, a short, sharp blast of creeping dread. Dan's ability to ground everything he does in grim authenticity will have you checking your ears when you turn the final page. Best thing I've read this year.

Listening on audiobook really brought home how stilted and repetitive Child's writing is, but none of that stopped me being entertained by Reacher rampaging through a far right boot camp. Make this book into a series, you cowards.

A fascinating read that manages to grapple with both the emotional core of a family’s grief, as well as the grubby underbelly of the capital’s greed, and those who leech off it. It wasn’t quite the story I was expecting, but it was a moving, and grim tale of deception and loss.

An incredible novella, so rich in its world building, so nuanced in its characterisations. Tender in its humanity, savage at its core. That it achieves so much over so few pages is a testament to Howarth’s brilliance. Surely a name that will be spoken about in the pantheon of horror greats for years to come.