The Mammoth Book of Best New Horror 16

by Stephen Jones

  Thirty-five-year-old Neal [Leslie] Fredericks, cinematographer of the influential 1999 independent hit The Blair Witch Project, was killed in a small plane crash on August 14th, while filming Daniel Zinilli’s horror film Cross Bones off Key West, Florida. Fredericks was trapped in his camera harness and dragged underwater by the wreckage of the single-engine Cessna after the engine apparently failed. Four others on board escaped. His other credits include Laughing Dead (1998), The Curse of the Blair Witch, The Shadow of the Blair Witch, The Massacre of the Burkittsville 7, The Blair Witch Legacy, Killer Me, Voodoo Tailz, The Legend of Diablo and Abominable.

  Actor, director and playwright Charles Rome Smith, co-founder of Ray Bradbury’s Pandemonium Theatre Company, died of lung cancer on August 16th, aged 77. Beginning in 1965, Smith staged such adaptations of Bradbury’s work as The World of Ray Bradbury, The Wonderful Ice Cream Suit, Falling Upward!, Bradbury × 2, The October Country, Fahrenheit 451, Let’s All Kill Constance and Next in Line, which premiered in June 2004. Bradbury publicly acknowledged “The debt I owe this remarkable man”.

  Canadian-born film and TV producer/director Daniel M. Petrie [Sr.] died of cancer on August 21st, aged 83. The Emmy Award-winning director’s credits include The Neptune Factor, Sybil, Resurrection, Cocoon II The Return and the TV movies A Howling in the Woods and Moon of the Wolf. In 1957 he directed Richard Burton as Heathcliff in a TV version of Wuthering Heights.

  American cinematographer David Myers died of complications from a stroke on August 26th, aged 90. Best known for his work on such music documentaries as Woodstock and The Last Waltz, he also shot George Lucas’ debut feature THX1138, UFOria and the TV specials The Making of Star Wars and Mysterious Monsters.

  American-born studio executive, film producer and scriptwriter Lawrence P. Bachmann, died on September 7th, aged 92. After scripting such movies as Fingers at the Window and Shadows on the Wall, he moved to Britain in the 1960s, where he produced Children of the Damned, Night Must Fall (1964) and the “Miss Marple” series starring Margaret Rutherford for MGM.

  Lester Berke, who directed The Lost Missile, died on September 17th. He worked as an assistant director on such TV series as Thriller, The Munsters and Night Gallery.

  Legendary sexploitation filmmaker Russ Meyer (Russell Albion Mayer) died of complications from pneumonia on September 18th, aged 82. He had been suffering from dementia. Best known for his subversive softcore sex films of the 1960s and ’70s such as Vixen!, Beyond the Valley of the Dolls (co-scripted with Roger Ebert), Supervixens, Up, and Beneath the Valley of the Ultra-Vixens, his other credits include The Immoral Mr Teas (banned in the UK until 1987), Motor Psycho!, The Seven Minutes, Blacksnake (aka Sweet Suzy) and the 1965 cult favourite Faster Pussycat! Kill! Kill! Married six times (including to Playboy’s first playmate Eve Turner and actress Edy Williams), Meyer’s three-volume, boxed autobiography, A Clean Breast: The Life and Loves of Russ Meyer, was self-published in 1992 and cost $350 apiece.

  Canadian-born film editor Robert Lawrence, best-known for cutting epics such as Spartacus and El Cid, died on September 19th, aged 90. His later credits include the 1983 Bond film, Never Say Never Again.

  British stop-motion animator John Hardwick died in a bicycle accident on September 24th, aged 67. With business partner Bob Bura, he created such popular childrens’ series as Captain Pugwash, Toy Town and Camberwick Green via their company Stop Motion for BBC-TV.

  Former Walt Disney Pictures president Richard L. Berger, who launched Touchstone Pictures, died of lung cancer on September 29th, aged 64.

  British film producer-director and former production designer Michael [Leighton George] Relph died on September 30th, aged 89. Usually working in collaboration with director Basil Dearden, Relph was at Ealing Studios during the 1940s and ’50s before becoming chairman of the Film Production Association of Great Britain and then chairman of the British Film Institute’s production board (1972–79). The son of stage actor George Relph, his credits include the classic Dead of Night, The Halfway House, My Learned Friend, Rockets Galore, The Mind Benders, The Assassination Bureau, The Tempest (1979) and The Man Who Haunted Himself (which he also scripted).

  Marvin Michelson, Los Angeles’ most famous (and most feared) divorce lawyer, also died in September.

  Eighty-one-year-old celebrity and fashion photographer Richard Avedon died of a cerebral haemorrhage while on assignment for the New York Times on October 1st. He was reportedly the inspiration for Fred Astaire’s character in the 1957 movie Funny Face.

  British-born stop-motion puppet animator Ivor Wood died on October 13th, aged 72. After working with Serge Danot in France on The Magic Roundabout (Le manège enchanté) during the mid-1960s, he created such children’s series for BBC-TV as The Herbs, The Adventures of Parsley, Wombles, Paddington and Postman Pat.

  Sound editor Dale Johnson, who won an Emmy Award for his work on Steven Spielberg’s Duel, died on October 26th, aged 71. Johnson’s other credits include TV’s The Six Million Dollar Man, Play Misty for Me, Return of the Living Dead, Time Walker, Critters, Return of the Living Dead Part 2, Society and the Oscar-nominated The Shawshank Redemption.

  American cinematographer Charles F. Wheeler died of Alzheimer’s disease on October 28th. His numerous film and TV credits include The Bubble, Silent Running, The Cat from Outer Space, Freaky Friday, Charley and the Angel, She Waits, Matt Helm, The Day the Earth Moved, Mystery in Dracula’s Castle and episodes of The Twilight Zone.

  Forty-seven-year-old film-maker Theo van Gogh, the great-great grandnephew of painter Vincent, was shot and stabbed to death in an Amsterdam street on November 2nd. He had reportedly received death threats after making Submission, a documentary film about how women are treated in Islamic society.

  Production designer Charles Koon, whose credits include KTTV’s Space Patrol in the 1950s, died on November 11th, aged 85.

  Australian film and television director Ken Hannam, who made the 1981 BBC-TV series The Day of the Triffids, Moonbase 3 and The Return of Sherlock Holmes, died of cancer in London on November 16th, aged 75.

  Tony Magro, the sound effects technician who created the voice of Cousin Itt on TV’s The Addams Family, died of pneumonia on November 17th, aged 81. He was also associate editor on Attack of the Giant Leeches.

  Former MCA executive Albert A. Dorskind died of prostate cancer on November 28th, aged 82. In 1957 he negotiated the purchase of 378 acres of Universal’s loss-making “back lot” and in 1964 created the successful Universal Studios Tour. Dorskind also went on to develop Universal City and Universal CityWalk.

  American writer-producer William Sackheim, whose credits include First Blood, Pacific Heights and the Night Gallery and The Flying Nun TV series, died of a degenerative brain disease on December 1st, aged 84.

  Low budget exploitation director Larry Buchanan (Marcus Larry Seale, Jr.) died of complications from a collapsed lung on December 2nd, aged 81. A Twentieth Century-Fox contract player and an assistant to George Cukor during the 1950s, he later directed such cult favourites as The Naked Witch, The Eye Creatures, Curse of the Swamp Creatures, In the Year 2889, Zontar – The Thing from Venus, Mars Needs Women, Creature of Destruction, It’s Alive! (1968), Mistress of the Apes, The Loch Ness Horror, Goodbye Norma Jean and The Trial of Lee Harvey Oswald. Only a few weeks prior to his death, Buchanan completed The Copper Scroll of Mary Magdalene, a film about the life of Jesus Christ, on which he had been working for thirty years. His 1996 autobiography was entitled It Came from Hunger! Tales of a Cinema Schlockmeister.

  British film editor Richard Best died on December 19th, aged 88. He worked on The Chairman, Psychomania, Dominique and The Blood on Satan’s Claw.

  Composer and music editor Arlon Ober died on December 20th, aged 61. His credits include Q The Winged Serpent, Eating Raoul, Child’s Play, Superstition, Legacy of Satan, The Incredible Melting Man, Bloody Birthday, Sherlock Holmes and the Leading Lady, Robotech, Hospital Massacre and Nightbeast.

  Fifty-three-year-old Germ
an film and TV writer-producer Werner Possardt died as a result of the Asian tsunami on December 31st. Despite surviving the flood and being buried under debris for two days, he died while undergoing surgery in Thailand. Possardt’s credits include the SF spoof Xaver and the psycho drama The Pool.

  USEFUL ADDRESSES

  THE FOLLOWING LISTING OF organizations, publications, dealers and individuals is designed to present readers and authors with further avenues to explore. Although I can personally recommend most of those listed on the following pages, neither the publisher nor myself can take any responsibility for the services they offer. Please also note that the information below is only a guide and is subject to change without notice.

  —The Editor

  ORGANIZATIONS

  The British Fantasy Society was founded in 1971 and publishes the bi-monthly newsletter Prism and the magazine Dark Horizons, featuring articles, reviews, interviews and fiction, along with occasional special booklets. The BFS also enjoys a lively online community – there is an e-mail news-feed, a discussion board with numerous links, and a CyberStore selling various publications. FantasyCon is one of the UK’s friendliest conventions and there are social gatherings and meet-the-author events organized around Britain. For yearly membership details, contact The BFS Secretary, c/o 201 Reddish Road, South Reddish, Stockport SK5 7HR, UK. E-mail: . You can also join online through the Cyberstore.

  The Ghost Story Society is organized by Barbara and Christopher Roden. They publish the superb All Hallows three times a year. For more information contact PO Box 1360, Ashcroft, British Columbia, Canada VOK 1A0. E-mail: .

  The Horror Writers Association is a worldwide organization of writers and publishing professionals dedicated to promoting the interests of writers of horror and dark fantasy. It was formed in the early 1980s. Interested individuals may apply for Active, Affiliate or Associate membership. Active membership is limited to professional writers. HWA publishes a monthly Newsletter, and organizes an annual conference and the Bram Stoker Awards ceremony. Apply online or write to HWA Membership, PO Box 50577, Palo Alto, CA 94303, USA.

  The London Vampyre Group is an organization founded in 1995 aimed at fans of the undead from all over the world. A one-year membership includes four issues of the glossy magazine The Chronicles and the quarterly newsletter The London Vampyre (which includes lists of events etc.). They meet the second Thursday of every month from 7:30 p.m. at The Ben Crouch Tavern, Wells Street, London W1. For more information on events and membership details, send a stamped addressed envelope to: The London Vampyre Group, PO Box 487, London WC2H 9WA, UK. E-mail: .

  The Lost Club is an informal society of book lovers dedicated to celebrating cult, neglected and forgotten writers in a variety of genres. The group publishes a booklet, The Lost Club Journal, and material from this is also available online. For more information, contact: Roger Dobson, 182 Barns Road, Oxford OX4 3RG, England (E-mail: ) or Mark Valentine, Stable Cottage, Priest Bank Road, Kildwick, Keighley, West Yorkshire BD20 9BH, England (E-mail: ).

  World Fantasy Convention is an annual convention held in a different (usually American) city each year, oriented particularly towards serious readers and genre professionals.

  World Horror Convention is a smaller, more relaxed, event. It is aimed specifically at horror fans and professionals, and held in a different city each year, so far only in North America.

  SELECTED SMALL PRESS PUBLISHERS

  Aardwolf Press , PO Box 14792, Durham, NC 27709–4792, USA. E-mail: .

  The Alchemy Press , 46 Oxford Road, Acocks Green, Birmingham B27 6DT, UK. E-mail: .

  Babbage Press , 8740 Penfield Avenue, Northridge, CA 91324, USA. E-mail: .

  Blackstone Audiobooks , PO Box 969, Ashland, OR 97520, USA.

  Borderlands Press , PO Box 1529 Grantham, NH 03753, USA.

  Chico Kidd , 113 Clyfford Road, Ruislip Gardens, Middx HA4 6PX, UK. E-mail: .

  Darkwood Press , 5203 Quincy Avenue SE, Auburn, WA 98092, USA. E-mail: .

  Earthling Publications , PO Box 413, Northborough, MA 01532, USA. E-mail: .

  Elastic Press , 85 Gertrude Road, Norwich, Norfolk NR3 4SG, UK. E-mail: .

  Endeavor Press , PO Box 4307, Chicago, IL 60680–4307, USA. E-mail: .

  Hill House, Publishers , 491 Illington Road, Ossining, NY 10562, USA. E-mail: .

  IFD Publishing PO Box 40776, Eugene, OR 97404, USA. E-mail: .

  MonkeyBrain Books , 11204 Crossland Drive, Austin, TX 78726, USA. E-mail: .

  Necessary Evil Press , 2722 South Hill Road #31, Gladstone, MI 49837, USA. E-mail: .

  Necro Publications , PO Box 540298, Orlando, FL 32854–0298, USA.

  Nemonymous .

  Night Shade Books , 3623 SW Baird St, Portland, OR 97219, USA. E-mail: .

  Prime Books, PO Box 36503, Canton, OH 44735, USA. E-mail: .

  PS Publishing , Hamilton House, 4 Park Avenue, Harrogate HG2 9BQ, UK. E-mail: .

  Raw Dog Screaming Press , 5103 72nd Place, Hyattsville, MD 20784, USA.

  Sandglass Enterprises , 44 Bellotti Avenue, Winston Hills, NSW 2153, Australia. E-mail: .

  Sarob Press , “Ty Newydd”, Four Roads, Kidwelly, Carmarthenshire SA17 4SF, Wales, UK. E-mail: .

  Savoy Books , 446 Wilmslow Road, Withington, Manchester M20 3BW, UK. E-mail: .

  Small Beer Press , 176 Prospect Avenue, Northampton, MA 01060, USA. E-mail: .

  Subterranean Press , PO Box 190106, Burton, MI 48519, USA. E-mail: .

  Tachyon Publications , 1459 18th Street #139, San Francisco, CA 94107, USA. E-mail: .

  Tartarus Press , Coverley House, Carlton-in-Coverdale, Leyburn, North Yorkshire DL8 4AY, UK. E-mail: .

  Telos Publishing , 61 Elgar Avenue, Tolworth, Surrey KT5 9JP, UK. E-mail: .

  Twilight Tales , 2339 N. Commonwealth 4C, Chicago, IL 60614, USA.

  Wheatland Press , P.O. Box 1818, Wilsonville, OR 97070, USA.

  Wildside Press , P.O. Box 301, Holicong, PA 18928–0301, USA.

  DVD DISTRIBUTORS

  EI Independent Cinema produces low budget horror (Shock-O-Rama Cinema) and erotic genre movies (SeductionCinema). 10 Park Place, Building 6A, 2nd Floor, Butler, NJ 07405, USA. E-mail: .

  Mondo Macabro distributor of obscure European and other foreign horror and exploitation movies. Boum Productions Ltd., PO Box 3336, Brighton BN2 3GW, UK. E-mail: .

  SELECTED MAGAZINES

  Alan K’s Inhuman Magazine is an attractiv
e digest fiction publication with an old-time pulp feel Cover price is $6.95. For more information (no unsolicited manuscripts) e-mail:

  Black Gate: Adventures in Fantasy Literature is a nicely designed magazine devoted to the best in epic fantasy. For sample issue and subscription rates check their web site or write to: New Epoch Press, 815 Oak Street, St. Charles, IL 60174, USA. E-mail: .

  The Bulletin of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America is published quarterly by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, Inc. You do not need to be a SFWA member to subscribe, and the magazine features many interesting and important articles aimed at professional genre authors and would-be writers, including market reports. Single copies or a full year’s subscription are available from: SFWA Bulletin, PO Box 10126, Rochester, NY 14610, USA. You can sample articles or purchase back issues and subscriptions on the magazine’s web site . E-mail: .

  Cemetery Dance Magazine is edited by Richard Chizmar and Robert Morrish and includes fiction up to 5,000 words, interviews, articles and columns by many of the biggest names in horror. Cover price is $5.00. For subscription information contact: Cemetery Dance Publications, PO Box 623, Forest Hill, MD 21050, USA. E-mail: .

  Charlton Spotlight is dedicated to the wonderful world of Charlton Comics Group. Through interviews, memoirs, reviews, surveys, checklists and commentary, Michael Ambrose’s magazine examines the range of Charlton’s comics line, especially its many horror titles. For a two-issue subscription by US cheque, money order and credit card via PayPal contact: Argo Press, PO Box 4201, Austin, Texas 78765–4201, USA. E-mail: