EXCLUSIVE: Christy Hendrick on NPAR Prison Break Massacre

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I recently got an exclusive interview with Badger News Incorporated Head of Fundraising Christy Hendrick. Christy worked with Sam Wright at Badger News Inc for some years, prior to his arrest for Enlightenment Sympathy, incarceration, and eventual escape. I was particularly interested to get her take on the recent prison break massacre which also involved his illegal lover, Eve Young.

I understand the fugitives Sam Wright and Eve Young have now crossed the border into the Democratically Enlightened American Republic. Do you think they’re gone for good?

Perhaps, but at this stage, it’s just a rumour. They could still be out there. The police and security services don’t really know what happened to Sam and Eve. But if they did escape the justice of the New Puritan American Republic, that’s too bad, as their escape resulted in the deaths of seven prison officers.

Did you know Eve Young?

Sam worked with me for several years, but I didn’t meet Eve. Sam didn’t ever mention her. The first I heard about her was when news of their arrest reached the Badger News Inc offices.

Do you really think Sam and Eve were capable of the killings for which they were accused?

There is security camera footage showing what they did, and it was calculated, brutal, and bloody. So regardless of any personal feelings I might have had about them beforehand, it seems clear they were capable of the killings.

What do you say to rumours the security camera footage was faked?

This footage hasn’t been faked. Experts have been over it and confirmed the authenticity. I know a certain section of the public enjoy conspiracy theories, but in this case the dead bodies speak for themselves. Seven prison officers died in the escape of Sam Wright and Eve Young. The blood of those brave men is on their hands.

If Sam and Eve have escaped to the Democratically Enlightened American Republic, as now seems apparent, do you think they will be welcomed in that nation?

Well, attitudes there are very different. In fact, I’d say attitudes in the DEAR are degenerate and depraved. So perhaps Sam and Eve will fit right in, given their illegal sexual activities, as well as the murders they committed.

We hear a lot about how degenerate the DEAR is on NPAR television, but surely it can’t be all bad? Surely reality is more nuanced?

The truth is the truth. There are no nuances of goodness to be found in the social, political, and religious make-up of the DEAR.

As Sam’s former colleague and boss, it must have been quite a blow to you personally, discovering Sam murdered several people, especially after the favourable coverage Badger News gave him during his trial.

It was a huge shock to me, and indeed everyone Sam knew at Badger. But let me also be clear: Badger News Incorporated was never biased. Our coverage was entirely objective. We simply reported public opinion at that time, when Sam and Eve were tried for Enlightenment Sympathy. Since the prison break massacre, public opinion understandably turned against Sam and Eve, and we reported that objectively too.

I’d also like to point out that Sam worked in a different department to me. I was never his boss. My father was his boss.

I was told Sam answered to both you and your father.

Sam did assist me at times, but officially he answered to my father.

We approached your father several times for an interview, but he doesn’t wish to comment. Can you explain his reluctance?

What are you insinuating?

I just find it unusual that Doug Hendrick, the CEO of Badger, has consistently refused to be interviewed regarding the fate of Sam Wright, considering Sam was, for years, a very popular political commentator in all your media outlets.

All of this has taken quite a toll on my Dad, and I would ask that you respect his privacy at this time. He and Sam were very close indeed, and he is grieving a terrible loss and betrayal. They saw eye to eye on almost everything, so when Sam was charged with Enlightenment Sympathy, this was very upsetting to Dad. As for the massacre, well that simply destroyed him. I’ve never seen my father so unhappy, and I am deeply grieved at the pain Sam has caused him.

I have been told, confidentially, that Sam Wright and your father did not see eye to eye at all. I’ve heard they clashed many times – for example, over an internal investigation into former Badger employee Matthew Ingram.

Who is your source on this?

Let’s just say an anonymous informer.

I see. What did this “anonymous informer” claim?

The informer claims Matthew Ingram was framed, because he uncovered financial irregularities relating to yourself and your father. Of course, if this isn’t true, you can put the record straight.

Be careful Simon. You wouldn’t want to end up on trial for Enlightenment Sympathy yourself.

No, of course not. Thank you very much for your time Christy. I think we’ll leave it there.

For more information on this news story, keep an eye out for my new novel Peaceful Quiet Lives, released on the 4th of December. It can be pre-ordered here.

Why We Need Dystopian Fiction

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Some literature seeks to highlight current social problems to bring about change. The most effective examples include works by Charles Dickens. Oliver Twist, for instance, highlighted the appalling conditions of workhouses, and the problem of nineteenth century UK poverty in general, amid a gripping and dramatic narrative. Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan Swift sought to expose contemporary injustice and hypocrisy through fantastical satire. However, dystopian fiction occupies an altogether different role in the literary landscape. Dystopian fiction seeks not to affect change, but to warn against change for the worse, as a check and balance.

The best dystopian narratives have etched themselves so powerfully into the popular consciousness that they have become a kind of shorthand argument that prevails against foolish or dangerous ideology. George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four is the ultimate example. Someone says they think more snooping and surveillance is a good idea, and the notion can be rebutted as “Orwellian” or “Big Brother”. It might be suggested by proponents of both political wings that certain books should be banned or censored. Again, one can cite Orwell, with reference to censorship and “newspeak”, robbing people of narratives (and indeed the words) to express themselves. The legacy of Nineteen Eighty-Four has helped protect western society from the worst excesses of authoritarianism.

Other dystopian tales have exerted a similar power. Margaret Atwell’s The Handmaid’s Tale has long been adopted by feminist groups as a warning against gender-based oppression in a potential religious autocracy; a danger that seems particularly feared in the United States. Anthony Burgess’s A Clockwork Orange jabs other raw nerves, with warnings about encroaching state control over individuals, particularly with reference to the brainwashing of young Alex. Then there’s Franz Kafka’s The Trial, which warns against frightening, impenetrable legal bureaucracy. Suzanne Collins’s The Hunger Games warns against a return to Roman Empire style bread and circuses dictatorship, whilst at the same time inviting allegorical comparisons between the west and exploited developing nations. Speaking of The Hunger Games, dystopian fiction recently has had particular resonance in the young adult market, with The Hunger Games, The Maze Runner, Divergent, and various other titles.

I still think Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World features one of the scariest warnings in literature, as it resembles the modern west in alarming ways. The novel depicts a world where entertainment, pleasure, distraction, and trivia are deliberately deployed to distract the masses. However, for me, one of the most frightening prospects in dystopian fiction remains Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451, which features a world where all books are banned.

Given current problems in the world, I’m not surprised at the enduring popularity of dystopian stories. This is a good thing. We now need future shock dystopian fiction more urgently than ever. People everywhere – and politicians in particular – need to read these books, think, carefully consider where we are headed, and avoid these appalling futures at all costs.

Ten Literary Protagonists I Relate To

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Following on from my list of ten great literary villains, here are ten great literary protagonists. I should be clear upfront that these aren’t characters I necessarily consider the definitive ten greatest, but they are ten favourites. More specifically, they are ten protagonists I personally relate to in some way. Here they are, in no particular order of merit.

Harry Potter (the Harry Potter series by JK Rowling) – I don’t know anyone whose favourite character in Harry Potter is Harry Potter. My own favourite in JK Rowling’s saga is the enigmatic Severus Snape, with whom I also have something of an affinity. However, Harry is the protagonist, and I’ve decided to include him here for a number of reasons. He is deliberately written as something of an everyman – an access point for the reader to the magical world – but there are key elements about his character that I very much relate to. His hatred of bullies, for instance. Or his fondness for oddballs like Luna Lovegood or Neville Longbottom. Like Harry, I also had something of a reputation for breaking rules at school.

Jane Eyre (Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte) – Jane Eyre casts a huge shadow of influence over many of the imperilled heroines of my own gothic mysteries. Abused and downtrodden as a child, and subjected to mistreatment inflicted by hypocritical religious oppressors, Jane nonetheless rises above her painful past, despite the many dark turns in her tumultuous romance with Rochester. I admire Jane’s indomitable courage and ability to pass through suffering and trials. However, because my own childhood featured a plethora of run-ins with cruel religious hypocrites, I find that element of her story particularly relatable.

Matilda (Matilda by Roald Dahl) – Typically the protagonists in Roald Dahl’s novels are overshadowed by more outrageous characters (Willy Wonka and The BFG are both more interesting than Charlie and Sophie, for instance). However, in the case of Matilda, her intelligence and telekinetic powers make her a delightful exception. Obviously, I relate to her love of books, and also her disdain for boorish grown-ups with no appreciation for beauty, literature, or art in general. In that respect, Matilda’s family are truly monstrous.

Bilbo Baggins (The Hobbit by JRR Tolkien) – My identification with Bilbo begins with his love of routine, home comforts, and being left in peace and quiet. Like Bilbo, I don’t much care for the idea of adventurous travels, but I tend to enjoy them once I reluctantly undertake them. Most of all, I greatly admire the way Bilbo tries to find a peaceful solution to the foolish stand-off between Thorin, the Elves and the people of Laketown. His efforts are doomed, and ultimately irrelevant once the goblins attack, but I like to think I would also try to be a peacemaker in such circumstances.

Hazel (Watership Down by Richard Adams) – This classic of animal fiction involves rabbit Hazel leading a group of refugee rabbits in a dangerous search for a new home, following the apocalyptic visions of his friend Fiver. This leporine quest culminates in a confrontation with Stalin-esque General Woundwort. Why do I relate to Hazel? Mainly because of the way he is thrown in at the deep end, becoming a reluctant leader through guesswork and mistakes. Leadership is a key theme of the novel, and Hazel’s desire for freedom and genuine care for those under his protection contrasts with the fascist attitudes of Woundwort. Hazel is also a rabbit of great vision, who in a key moment of the novel, proposes a peaceful solution to General Woundwort. As with Bilbo in The Hobbit, I’m a big believer in finding common ground and making peace.

Sherlock Holmes (Various Sherlock Holmes short stories and novels by Arthur Conan Doyle) – I am not anything like as clever as Sherlock Holmes, but I include him here not for his intelligence but for the occasional flashes of deep, humane compassion beneath the logical exterior; something I hugely admire. Stories such as The Blue Carbuncle, The Devil’s Foot, and The Abbey Grange feature him allowing guilty parties to get away with their crimes due to extenuating circumstances, and I must say I cannot fault his decisions. He has the wisdom to realise sometimes the rigid parameters of mere human law cannot bring justice. Conversely, when Holmes has himself inadvertently become the instrument of justice, I cannot fault him there either. The superb conclusion of The Speckled Band is a case in point, where he says his actions (which led to the death of the villain) are unlikely to weigh very heavily on his conscience. Furthermore, like Holmes, I can be hugely obsessive to the exclusion of all else when pursuing a goal.

Winston (1984 by George Orwell) – I could imagine myself ending up much like Winston, if I lived in the kind of totalitarian regime Orwell envisioned in this seminal work. As it is, I’m already rather world-weary and cynical; particular about politics (on both the left and right), authoritarian ideologies, causes, activism, foolish self-appointed revolutionaries, delusional cultists and fanatics, and Orwellian notions such as so-called cancel culture. I’ve also included Winston because of some of his unworthier impulses, lest the more virtuous characters on this list paint me in an inaccurately sanctimonious light.

Pip (Great Expectations by Charles Dickens) – I don’t include Pip in this list so much for his kind actions to runaway convict Magwich; a deed that ultimately results in him obtaining great wealth. I include Pip for more negative reasons. I confess that I relate to some of the snobbery he exhibits in the story, and the way he pays a bitter price for it. As Dickens so astutely writes: “All other swindlers on earth are nothing to the self-swindlers, and with such pretences did I cheat myself.” I also relate to Pip’s painful romantic obsessiveness; a trait I also confess I once shared.

Jo March (Little Women by Louisa May Alcott) – Jo March is on this list because she is a writer, and so am I. Many incidents in the novel chime with my own “journey” (if you’ll forgive my use of an obscenity) as an author. For example, being the recipient of blunt constructive criticism. Or perhaps the scene where Amy burns her manuscript (still unforgivable, as far as I’m concerned) is akin to when my computer dies, and my work hasn’t been backed up. I swear my computer can be just as vindictive as Amy, and has a vendetta against me because of my somewhat Luddite attitudes and technological ineptitude. At any rate, I love Little Women, but I particularly love Jo.

Winnie the Pooh (Winnie-the-Pooh by AA Milne) – I have a deep personal sympathy for the bear of little brain, mainly in view of his obsessive love of food; a love shared by yours truly. His inner monologues about how he eats a little honey, goes away and thinks about it, eats a little more, and so on, are so utterly delightful, and are deeply resonant. The absolute pinnacle of Pooh’s hilarious honey habit surely comes in the story where he and Piglet try to catch a heffalump. Amid the hilarious farce that ensues, there’s a wonderful section where Pooh sniffs the jar of honey intended to snare the heffalump, to test if it really is honey. He then tastes a bit, just to make sure (after all, he had seen cheese a similar colour, and heffalumps might not like cheese). Having established the honey is indeed genuine, Pooh decides to eat a little more, just to make sure it is honey all the way to the bottom of the jar. Then the jar gets stuck on his head, and a terrified Piglet mistakes him for a heffalump. Marvellous stuff. Silly old bear.

What My Villains Reveal About Me

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In storytelling, a great antagonist is as important as a great protagonist. The most satisfying narratives feature determined, active characters facing off against equally determined opposing forces.

A recent article on this blog listed ten of my favourite literary villains. Here are three antagonists from my own novels that I suspect, in retrospect, personify what I take a dim view of, drawn from personal experience, as well as political and spiritual outlook. Whilst some villains in my stories must remain anonymous, for fear of spoilers (particularly those in my gothic mystery horror/thriller novels), these three I can talk about upfront, without ruining the plot.

Graham Brooks (The Birds Began to Sing) – Although he isn’t the main villain, and only appears in one chapter during the first act, Graham Brooks is small-minded, petty, power-crazed, two-faced, and vindictive. He represents everything I despise about modern business management, with his meaningless targets, character assassination performance reviews, ghastly corporate lingo, and utterly phoney belief in so-called “teamwork”. I also took the opportunity to depict how much I loathe people who insist “problems” are “opportunities” (see what I did there?). As my protagonist Alice observes, alcoholics don’t have drinking opportunities.

Imalik (Echo and the White Howl) – Imalik is an ambitious and extremely dangerous wolf, who enters into a Faustian deal with a mysterious and malevolent supernatural force. He murders the pack Alpha, and forces other packs in the surrounding land into a union by systematically slaughtering the elk, moose, and other prey in their terrain, thus making them dependant on him for food. Imalik’s totalitarian dictatorship can be read as an allegory of any fascist state you care to name, especially those that have deliberately created food scarcity as a means of control. I didn’t intend Echo and the White Howl as anything more than an adventure story about wolves in Alaska, but in retrospect, some of my despair at short sighted political stupidity and greed over issues like overfishing may have crept in.

Benjamin Smiley (Children of the Folded Valley) – Of the many villainous faces of religious oppression in my stories, none are more diabolical than Benjamin Smiley. Exactly how he came to lead the mysterious Folded Valley Fellowship can’t be revealed here, suffice to say he is a master manipulator who preys on the weak and emotionally vulnerable, as per all cult leaders. His apparently miraculous powers of healing hold his congregation rapt, ensuring his more dubious activities (including assertion of sexual rights over whomever he chooses) go unquestioned. Benjamin Smiley is based on a number of real people I encountered during childhood, adolescence, teenage years, and even adulthood. Abuse of religious power remains the number one theme I return to in my novels, time and time again.

Best read in the run-up to Christmas: Spectre of Springwell Forest

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Gripping gothic horror mysteries are best read at this time of year, when leaves are falling, and nights are drawing in. As it gets colder in the approach to Christmas, nothing beats snuggling up in front of the fireplace with a mug of tea, and a sinister, nail-biting ghost story.

Concluding this two-part series, I pick the second of my published novels best read in the run-up to Christmas: Spectre of Springwell Forest.

The novel opens in Exeter, 2010. Lily Parker learns that her daughter Olivia is to move to the village of Springwell, near Plymouth. To the surprise of her husband Andy, this sends Lily into terrified despair. She tells him that Olivia must not move to Springwell, under any circumstances. Andy wants to know why, and Lily tells him what happened to her many decades previously, in 1979, warning him that she has a horrifying secret that she had previously hoped to take with her to the grave.

In 1979, Lily and her then six-year-old daughter Olivia, along with her first husband Tom Henderson, move to the sleepy village of Springwell. Here they meet a tight- lipped community of secretive villagers who seem to have something to hide. Lily then discovers a painting of an abandoned railway tunnel in her attic, by a local artist, Alison Merrifield. Lily is strangely drawn to the painting, particularly the dark maw of the tunnel, and ends up hanging the picture in her hallway.

After meeting her neighbour and other mothers dropping their children at the local primary school, Lily is surprised to learn they all have similar paintings in their homes, all of them painted by Alison Merrifield, all of them showing the same abandoned railway tunnel. The other mothers dismiss this as something of a village in-joke, and when Lily visits Alison in her local craft shop, Alison herself insists she cannot understand why the paintings of the abandoned tunnel are so popular. But Lily senses she is being lied to.

Shortly afterwards, when Lily and Olivia go for a walk in the local forest, they come across a fenced off area in the heart of the woods where the barbed wire has been mysteriously torn apart. Investigating further inside the fenced off section, they discover the very same abandoned railway tunnel of the painting and enter the tunnel. A disturbing incident follows (which I won’t spoil).

After this incident, Lily starts to make out a mysterious figure in the painting of the railway tunnel. As time passes, the eerie figure becomes more and more clearly defined, but Lily is disturbed to discover no-one can see it but her. Worse still, as the sinister figure is revealed, Olivia starts to behave in an increasingly alarming manner.

Intrigued? Here’s what a few Amazon reviewers had to say:

“As a horror fanatic, it takes a lot to scare me in writing. Very few books manage to do it, but Simon Dillon’s Spectre of Springwell Forest gave me nightmares! After reading this book, you will never look at a painting of a tunnel the same way again… I can’t recommend the book enough, if you want something well-written, believable, and scary for a cold, dark night.”

“You cannot shake off the feeling that something is constantly watching you… But the biggest pull for the book is the climactic revelation. Here, the author deserves full points.”

“A darkly intense and intriguing horror story full of mystery, Spectre of Springwell Forest will have you on the edge of your seat. My jaw literally dropped in shock. Enter Springwell Forest if you dare, but be prepared for the consequences.”

“A wonderful horror/thriller. Creeping sense of unease starts almost immediately. Even before you know what is to come, you are shouting at Lily to leave well alone. Dillon writes excellently and believably as a 1st person female protagonist. The story is tightly written with little preamble, which has a pleasingly sudden way of throwing you into this strange and disturbing village.”

“Spine-chilling, terrifying, absolutely gripping. A fantastic read.”

Spectre of Springwell Forest is available in paperback or on Kindle from Amazon here (in the UK) and here (in the US).

Best read in the run-up to Christmas: The Birds Began to Sing

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Let’s face it: gripping gothic mysteries are best read at this time of year, when leaves are falling and nights are drawing in. As it gets colder in the approach to Christmas, nothing beats snuggling up in front of the fireplace with a mug of tea, and a sinister, spooky thriller.

In the first of a two-part series, I pick two of my published novels that are best read in the run-up to Christmas, beginning with The Birds Began to Sing. It concerns Alice Darnell, a struggling, not-yet published author, who has suffered the usual setbacks faced by wannabe authors, namely rejection from agents and publishers. Yes, I know this already sounds self-indulgent, but bear with me.

Alice is ambitious, but she isn’t an insufferable narcissist. Significant past trauma, including drug addiction, has left her with psychological scars, an occasional tendency to slip into delusion, as well as a peculiar bird phobia. A couple of incidents in the opening act – one involving an apparent stalking on the London underground, and a misunderstanding during a work performance review – underline her potentially fragile psyche.

When Alice finally acquires a literary agent, he enters her into a mysterious writing competition at Blackwood House on Dartmoor. Alice has been chosen, along with other candidates, to write the final act of an unfinished manuscript, penned by the late, great Sasha Hawkins; a bestselling author of popular thrillers, who died at a tragically young age, in a car crash. Blackwood House is the ancestral family home of Sasha Hawkins, and her former publishers have persuaded her family to host the competition.

The winner of the competition will have their ending selected for publication, as well as their own novel. However, a number of peculiar rules must be strictly observed. Competitors have to stay at Blackwood House for two weeks, where they must write the ending cut off from all contact with the outside world. Intrigued and somewhat bemused, Alice agrees to join in, excited at the potential opportunity.

However, once she arrives at Blackwood House, and the competition gets underway, strange things starts to happen. Alice is unsure who to trust, as she is drawn into a labyrinth of deceit, revenge, and perhaps even murder. But the biggest secret of all is more shocking than Alice could have possibly imagined.

The Birds Began to Sing draws inspiration from mystery classics such as Daphne Du Maurier’s Rebecca, to Agatha Christie whodunnits, specifically Sleeping Murder, and also the gothic literature of the Bronte sisters, particularly Jane Eyre. There’s even a bit of Michael Crichton or Dan Brown style conspiracy thriller in the mix, and a dash of Arthur Conan Doyle, most obviously The Hound of the Baskervilles. But The Birds Began to Sing is also a unique and nail-biting thriller in its own right.

Intrigued? Here’s what a few Amazon reviewers had to say:

“I loved this! Absolutely awesome read clever plot and ruddy brilliant twist! If you love a good mystery and a bit of a thriller this is for you!”

“An excellent psychological thriller… kept me turning pages right to the end.”

“A maze of spooky encounters… Full of exciting twists and turns.”

“A memorable lead character, mystery, suspense, eerie settings, a couple of genuine surprises, all sprinkled in with a healthy dose of wit.”

“A terrific read for lovers of suspense and mystery.”

“A great read and I loved the twist. Did not expect it at all.”

I should add that the bulk of the narrative (from act two onward) is set during the run-up to Christmas.

The Birds Began to Sing is available in paperback or on Kindle from Amazon here (in the UK) and here (in the US).

Coming Soon, Later, and Perhaps Never: October 2020 Update

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A couple of years ago, I posted an article with the same title, expounding on exactly where I was at with my novels, in their varying states of disrepair. Here’s a full update, sort-of divided by genre. Bear in mind one of these will be released very soon, almost certainly before the end of the year.

Fantasy

Ravenseed – This Dark Ages set fantasy novel is now on its third draft, having received largely positive feedback from various sources. It’s a brooding, melancholy tale of knights, sorcerers, and enchantment, simmering with love, lust, betrayal, and revenge. Alongside the Dark Ages story is a parallel framing story set in the present.

The Faerie Gate – My long-delayed, horror-story-for-children is now on its fourth draft. Originally written in 2015, it’s definitely the scariest novel I’ve written that is primarily aimed at children, and it really pushes the envelope in that respect. But this dark fairy tale is also a very compassionate story, about a young adolescent coming to terms with the separation of her parents. I’m also planning an epic sequel which may end up being more than one sequel, set in the same universe. The sequel(s) might be aimed at a more “young adult” readership. I’ll know more once I start writing this next year.

The Deviant Prophet – Another dark fairy tale, but this time for adults. Fantasy and reality clash in a disturbing tale of religious oppression, amid a vivid and surreal world parallel to our own. The initial inspiration for this came from a close friend’s extraordinary dreams. I finished a third draft earlier this year.

Goldeweed – This is an epic, three volume fantasy saga I have been shaping on and off for almost eighteen years. Set in a vast imagined realm on many different planes of reality, it details three love stories that play out against an apocalyptic backdrop at the end of an era. Currently longer than War and Peace, it’s a tale I have rewritten and tinkered with for some time, and I’m still not entirely happy with it.

Gothic Mystery Thriller/Horror

The White Nest – This novel is something of a culmination for me; a summing up of all the tropes, themes, and ideas I have explored in earlier gothic mystery novels. But although there is an element of Now-That’s-What-I-Call-a-Simon-Dillon-Gothic-Mystery about this novel, it is also radically different in two ways. Firstly, it features a male protagonist. Secondly, it is the most intensely personal novel I’ve written since Children of the Folded Valley. Yes, I know all writing is “personal”, but this one really jabbed raw nerves in an ultimately cathartic way, tapping into traumatic fears regarding siblings, parental fears, false guilt, and more. It is also something of a coming of age novel, despite the genre trappings. One more point: The White Nest refers to something sinister in the story, but it’s only a placeholder title. I’m keeping the real title secret for now.

Wormcutter – From something I wrote in 2020, to something I wrote in 2007 (from an idea I had researched on and off since 1996), this detective thriller/horror hybrid begins as an apparently open and shut murder investigation, then escalates into a humdinger of a conspiracy, involving the Freemasons and much more… until it ends up in the most disturbing territory I have ever explored in a novel (definitely 18 certificate stuff). Currently on its fourth draft, and due for another polish.

Miscellaneous

The Balliol Conspiracy – This somewhat old-fashioned, Hitchcockian romantic spy thriller is a conspiracy story of a different kind (much more PG territory, unlike Wormcutter), and proved a real change of pace for me when I wrote it. A strong, suspenseful central mystery results in an historic, fact-based treasure hunt, leading to a new lease of life for the bereaved protagonist. I don’t want to say too much more, except that yes, it does involve Balliol College in Oxford (see above picture). I also wanted to write a grown-up book that, for once, my mother would be able to read without having nightmares. Currently on its second draft, its actually grown on me quite a bit since I first wrote it, and my wife thinks I should attempt more stories of this kind. But I suspect it is a one-off. We’ll see.

Peaceful Quiet Lives – This dystopian tale imagines a bleak American future, satirising the worst fears of both sides in the so-called culture wars. At the same time, it is also a love story, featuring protagonists who fall foul of political extremists of all persuasions. This novel is currently on its fourth draft, and represents a real oddity for me, as it is quite unlike anything I’ve ever written. Like Children of the Folded Valley and The White Nest, it is also a highly “personal” novel.

A Statement of Disbelief – Another satirical novel, this time set in the dubious world of Christian television fundraising. It’s only had one draft, but quite honestly, I’m not sure it will ever see the light of day. However, I will confess it was great fun to write.

Short Stories – It’s also worth mentioning that I’ve written quite a collection of short stories, mostly horror and science fiction (including one of novella length). I may publish a volume of these at some point.

To reiterate, one of the above will almost certainly be released before the end of the year. Can you guess which one? Watch this space for an imminent announcement.

Phantom Audition: Why I wanted to mess with your head

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When submitting my manuscript for Phantom Audition, I told my editor at Dragon Soul Press that this one wasn’t as scary as my previous gothic mysteries. However, her response was, to paraphrase, “maybe less scary, but it messed with my head a lot more”. I was pleased with that reaction, because with this novel, I absolutely wanted to mess with the reader’s head. Unlike the comparatively clear-cut plot twists in The Irresistible Summons or Spectre of Springwell Forest, I felt Phantom Audition became less satisfying the more I tried to spell out answers. Therefore, despite considering several different endings, I ultimately stuck with what I had written in my original outline, which allows for a wide range of interpretation.

Some of my favourite novels (and also films) have a vital ingredient missing: the reader (or viewer). What they bring to the story essentially completes it, although that may make the story different for every reader. The protagonist in Phantom Audition, Mia Yardley, is a small-time actress recently widowed from much more famous actor Steven Yardley, who committed suicide in mysterious circumstances. Her subsequent investigations into his death, wherein she discovers he only took acting roles on advice from a psychic medium, lead her not only deep into a sinister mystery, but also deeper into herself. However, in a sense, the novel is also meant to delve deeper into the reader, and what they bring to the text.

To achieve this, I added a hefty dose of the A-word: ambiguity. However, ambiguity is a dangerous tool that needs to be deployed sparingly, and only in the right context. For example, an Agatha Christie whodunnit would not benefit from an ambiguous ending where Hercule Poirot or Miss Marple never discover the killer. I tested an early draft of Phantom Audition on my wife, who isn’t a big fan of ambiguous endings. To my surprise and delight, she thought the ambiguity in Phantom Audition worked well because to her mind, by the time you get to the ending, the answer to the original mystery is essentially irrelevant, as it has been superceded by deeper questions.

This view is reflected in many of the rave reviews I’ve received. Here are a sample:

“A novel that stole my sleep for two nights. I know I’ll be thinking about so many of the characters, twists and turns, and emotions I came across on this reading adventure… I can’t say that I’ve ever read anything remotely similar to this plot. Originality, being captivating to the reader, and giving me moments of goosebumps and multiple frightened starts, earned all 5 stars.” – Kelli Pizarro, Goodreads.

“I love this story with all of its puzzles and strong emotion. Mia is a complex main character lost in grief after her husband’s death. She is searching not only for answers, but also to be able to own her own skin again. She feels lost in her husband’s shadow, and is determined to come into her own… One of the best mysteries I have read in a long time.” – Rowan Thalia, Amazon.

“Grief does strange things to the mind. Mia mourns the loss of her husband Steven, a renowned actor whose drug-overdose death is out of character for him. But not out of character for the role he’s most recently undertaken. Could it be that the chillingly realistic embodiment Steven gave, an Oscar-worthy portrayal of a famous artist, was so realistic because he received help from beyond the grave? Mia wants answers. But each answer only raises new questions… Some questions are, as she was warned, better left unanswered… A compelling read with an unexpected conclusion. It left me wanting to re-read it right away.” – Sara, Goodreads.

“An extremely well-written mystery thriller novel that kept you guessing at what was going on. After the death of her husband young Mia is left alone and feeling that nothing is truly as it seems. Was her husband’s death an accident or was it something more sinister? The search for answers is haunting and might even come close to being deadly.” – Arien/Sloan, Goodreads.

“Simon Dillon has done it again with this intriguing mystery. You will find yourself caught up in this page turner trying to figure out if the mysterious death of Steven was a murder or a suicide. I had no idea how it was going to end, and I like a mystery that isn’t easily figured out early on in the novel. An excellent read!” – PD Dennison, Goodreads.

“A beautifully written thriller about grief and how it affects the mind.” – Jennifer J, Goodreads.

“A thrilling supernatural mystery that will have you guessing until the very end. Filled with page-turning suspense, jaw-dropping visuals, and spine-tingling events, Phantom Audition grips you from start to finish… I also loved the last chapter, the epilogue of sorts. It was beautifully written, with wonderful detail, and left me thinking.” – RA Rivera, Amazon.

“An excellent thriller that leaves you questioning everything.” – Amazon reader.

Intrigued as to what you might bring to Phantom Audition? Pick up a copy here (in the UK) or here (in the US). It is also available in other regional Amazon sites. To further whet your appetite, here’s a little trailer my publisher put together for the novel.

The Irresistible Summons: My scariest novel?

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“Naomi believes she wants to see what is on the other side, but doesn’t realise it’s the other side that wants to see what is inside of her…” – Aaron Channel, Warhol Publishing Reviews.

Feedback for my supernatural horror/thriller novel The Irresistible Summons has 1) been consistently great, and 2) consistently told me it is the scariest, most disturbing novel I have released. I am surprised, as I personally think Spectre of Springwell Forest is a lot more unsettling. However, reviews suggest otherwise. Here are a sample from around the internet, including a couple from fellow authors Claus Holm and Galina Trefil.

“A wonderful mix of old-fashioned ghost story, religious horror, drama, and a dash of sci-fi. We follow a young woman who, after suffering a devastating loss as a teenager, grew up to become a film producer making documentaries debunking supernatural stories. After an incredibly scary event, she’s re-assigned to a new project – a haunted high-rise in central London. But it’s not just ghosts that haunts the building… Simon Dillon has a wonderful way of describing environments. The Dartmoor landscape, Central London, and the scary underground tunnels of abandoned tube stations are described in such detail that I could almost see them, and at the same time he does very well with action scenes. There are some very cinematic fight scenes, but most importantly, the book is genuinely scary. I loved Naomi, the main character, but I was even more enamoured with Raven, the wonderful cameraperson on her team. I pray she gets a spin-off in her own book, because she was one of the highlights. I can’t recommend this book highly enough – if you’re into horror and spooky stories, you should definitely pick this one up.” – Claus Holm, Goodreads.

“Dillon’s talent for somehow making already-creepy settings, (abandoned tube stations, tunnels, moonlit moors,) even creepier, dirtier, more decrepit, and claustrophobic presents itself proudly in this poignant story of innocent, young love gone a very gory wrong. Demons, ghosts, witches, high-powered businessmen… this book has almost every possible form of monster, (not to mention some gnarly mutilations) to make the hair prickle on the back of the audience’s neck. The only question is, of all the multiple baddies to choose from, which one will ultimately wind up being the biggest threat, and will they be formidable enough to take down Dillon’s badass, axe-wielding heroine? Evil may be powerful, but it’s in for one hell of a fight.” – Galina Trefil, Amazon.

“Regarding horror aspects, the book starts surprisingly slow, sprinkling in a few particularly unsettling scenes here and there, but not pushing the macabre envelope overly. Then… boom! Suddenly, the pace picks up, and picks up fast. Dillon incorporates some of the classic elements that catapulted films like The Exorcist and Rosemary’s Baby into horror history, but he does so with a series of modern, technological twists. With surprising ease, when the complete set-up of the plot finally reveals itself, Dillon’s take on these beloved scream queen tropes turns them into something wholly original.” – Aaron Channel, Warhol Publishing Reviews.

“Fabulous creepiness and building feelings of discomfort reaching a delightful peak.” – Daniel, Amazon.

“Legitimately terrifying read, with the great elements to make a scary story.” – Amazon reader.

Curious? Here’s the blurb from the back of the novel:

Television producer Naomi Levinson makes documentaries debunking the supernatural.

When asked to film a promotional video for computer game company Persephone, she considers the task beneath her talents. But as production gets underway at the Persephone office block on London’s Canary Wharf, a mysterious disappearance, ghostly sightings, and lingering tragedy from Naomi’s past lead her to believe she might have stumbled into a genuine haunting.

As Naomi continues to investigate, past and present collide in a horrifying conspiracy. Cutting edge technology and ancient evil meet, leading to the discovery of a shocking and terrifying secret that could change the nature of life and death as we know it.

How far would you go to bring the one you love back from the dead?

Still curious? Pick up your copy of The Irresistible Summons here (in the UK) and here (in the US).

Spectre of Springwell Forest: Recent Reviews

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I’m thrilled to see reviews for my ghostly gothic horror mystery novel Spectre of Springwell Forest continue to pour in. Here are a sample.

Increasingly famous horror maestro Neil D’Silva (who I recently interviewed on this blog) had this to say (full review on Amazon):

“I recently had the pleasure of reading Simon Dillon’s Spectre of Springwell Forest, my first from his oeuvre. And I must say, I was quite taken by it… A horror fan like me was impressed by this creepy feeling that the scenes slowly unravelled… You cannot shake off the feeling that something is constantly watching you. The author’s choice to use first-person narrative only helps to boost this feeling… But the biggest pull for the book is the climactic revelation. Here, the author deserves full points. Though there is a good deal of foreshadowing, few might anticipate how the story turns.”

Next up, another fellow author, the excellent Claus Holm (who I also recently interviewed on this blog), had this to say (full review on Amazon):

“As a horror fanatic, it takes a lot to scare me in writing. Very few books manage to do it, but Simon Dillon’s Spectre of Springwell Forest gave me nightmares! That’s saying something! After reading this book, you will never look at a painting of a tunnel the same way again… I can’t recommend the book enough, if you want something well-written, believable, and scary for a cold, dark night.”

Pretty exciting stuff, and wonderful to get the endorsement of such talented writers. Elsewhere, I’ve had a few other recent Amazon five-star raves for Spectre of Springwell Forest, including this one from Alice in Germany, which I rather like. It’s another of those “I don’t like horror but…” variants, which always amuse me a little.

“For someone who doesn’t normally read horror novels, I positively relished reading Spectre of Springwell Forest, which admittedly alarmed me a bit. I couldn’t put it down. It’s a gripping page turner to the very end. I enjoyed the eerie, gothic atmosphere; the first-person narration and how that leaves us guessing as to how reliable the main character really is in her narration. Is she imaging things? Is it really happening? Or is it something else altogether? I enjoy that kind of storytelling, not least because it’s very well-written. And that painting …eek! I will never be able to look at gloomy landscape paintings again without inadvertently checking whether it has that certain something in it…” (Alice, Amazon)

I’ll end with this snippet of another Amazon five-star review that reflects the slow-burn nature of the novel’s central mystery:

“I didn’t expect the twist at the end till it was upon me and I had no escape route!” (Ciaran, Amazon)

Intrigued? Pick up your copy of Spectre of Springwell Forest here (in the UK) and here (in the US).