Publisher: Serpent's Tail (October 2018) Genre: Gothic Fiction After reading an unnerving manuscript, Helen Franklin becomes convinced that Melmoth the Witness now follows her path: a woman in black, both beguiling and fearsome, condemned to walk on bloodied feet, bearing witness to sin. This is one suspenseful gothic mystery that combines vignettes of classic gothic-terror... Continue Reading →
On the Importance of Fairy Tales Published in the Kyanite Press Journal of Speculative Fiction Fairy Tales and Fables Winter Digest
Thrilled that my article, On the Importance of Fairy Tales, was used as the guest foreword in the Kyanite Press Journal of Speculative Fiction Fables and Fairy Tales Winter Digest. In this short foreword I look briefly at the roots of traditional story telling and their inherent shared authorship; at how they act as societal mirrors;... Continue Reading →
From the World of The Procurement of Souls…
A huge dome sat in the middle of the room, stripped of its brass panels, curved girders, like the ribs of an elephant carcass, the only thing maintaining its form. Other machinery lay scattered and broken across the floor, harnessed chairs with glass piping fractured and fissured in every length creating breaches which served to... Continue Reading →
The Children of Blackmarsh to be Published in the Kyanite Press Speculative Fiction Journal Halloween Special
Following the publication of , The Rookery at Smeaton Abbey, I'm pleased to announce that another of my short stories, The Children of Blackmarsh, will feature in the Halloween special edition of the Kyanite Press Speculative Fiction Journal. The tale is a gothic horror about the grim fate of an isolated community living in poverty... Continue Reading →
From the World of The Procurement of Souls: VIVISALVE
VIVISALVE Formulated by Baron Magnus Drinkwater under commission from the king and part-funded by the Sovereign Armaments Division, Vivisalve is a paste compound primarily formed of propolis and the coagulant accelerants vitamin K, Mandragora officinarum, and Guaiacum officinale. The balm is capable of greatly accelerating the healing time of wounds and temporarily boosting the... Continue Reading →
From the World of The Procurement of Souls: VIROSCOPE
Exploring the world of Victorian inventions for #inventorsmonth got me reflecting on all my own devices and creations within the world of The Procurement of Souls. So, I thought I'd do a series of vignettes showcasing a few. I start tonight with the viroscope, used in the story by Clementine in an attempt to track... Continue Reading →
To celebrate the wonder of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein this 'Frankenstein Day', here's an extract from my novel, The Procurement of Souls. Have you concocted fiendish machines in your own fiction or have a favourite monster in literature? I'd love to hear from you: leave a comment below!
In Conversation with Claire Buss
http://www.cbvisions.weebly.com http://www.benjamin-hope.com ____________________________________________________________________________ On Creating a Believable World: BH: I wrote a blog a few months back about researching for alternate history novels where I discussed the need for the fictionalised world or premise to be rooted in truth so that the reader has something to... Continue Reading →
On Publishing a Debut
Well it’s taken about 8 years and a lot of blood, sweat and tears, but my debut, The Procurement of Souls, finally went on pre-release this week in anticipation of my official launch on 1st July. It’s a funny mix of excitement and trepidation as one enters into this next phase of the journey but... Continue Reading →