Dead Set

So, tonight was the final episode of Charlie Brooker's rather splendid and incredibly brutal Reality-TV-satire-cum-Romero-homage DEAD SET.

Wow.

Thank you, E4. That was fucking brilliant. I didn't think the first episode could be bettered...until I watched the last episode. The DAY OF THE DEAD reference was particularly gratifying, and the ending was pitch-perfect.

If for some insane reason you missed this, either watch the repeated feature-length version this Saturday or pre-order the DVD now: DEAD SET

Hungry Hearts

40,000 words. Well, just under. That's where I'm at with the novel, and finally its beginning to look and feel like one. The printout I carry with me everywhere, in my little leather manbag, is nice and thick and covered in tiny red notes.

Nice. It feels good.

Now, I'm off to reanimate a trainee serial killer's recently deceased mother...

An Evening of Ghost Stories: a short report from the event.

There were between 15 and 18 people in the audience - a few of Allyson Bird's friends and neighbours, another group of people nobody knew, and some people from a local writer's forum where they'd seen Ally's advert. Oh, and a guy called Matt Fryer from the Shocklines forum even came along! (Lovely to meet you, Matt.)

Ally gave a short (and very good) introduction on the history of horror in literature, and then read a story called Hunter's Moon.

After a short break for drinks John Travis read a corker called Networking from All Hallows (his first time reading, and he was superb - the best of the night).

I went on last, after the pie and pea supper, and did A Stillness in the Air from How to Make Monsters. This was only my second public reading, and the fear is slowly beginning to recede.

The stories were very well received from people mostly unfamilar with the genre. We shattered a few preconceptions regarding what horror and ghost stories are all about. I even sold a few books!

Sticking to tradition, we went for a lovely curry afterwards.

All in all, it was a very good evening; a success, I'd say. I have to take my hat off to Ally for organising the event .

Unspeakable Horror: From the Shadows of the Closet

Want to see how a straight man tackles gay themes in the context of a horror story? Me, too.

Here's the link to pre-order a sensational major new U.S. anthology called Unspeakable Horror: From Shadows of the Closet, which features my quiet ghost story The Shallows.

Unspeakable Horror

You can also check out the Book Trailer on the Dark Scribe Press Blog

Ghost Story Reading

This Saturday, 25th November, I'll be reading a couple of my stories at the Wagon and Horses pub in Penistone, as part of the Ghost Story Evening organised by Allyson Bird:

The Wagon and Horses

Saturday 25th October 7.30p.m.
Free entry
The venue is Rafters Bar
The Wagon and Horses
Penistone
Sheffield

Allyson will be reading something of her own, and hopefully the great Simon Clark will also be in attendance to read for us too.

New Book Sale and a Nice Review

I'm delighted to announce that the fabulous Abaddon Books have commissioned me to write a zombie novel for their exciting TOMES OF THE DEAD series of paperback originals. This will be my first mass market release, so I'm obviously thrilled to be writing it.

Hungry Hearts is a stand-alone story set in the north of England during a zombie apocalypse. I don't want to give too much away regarding the plot, but rather than examine the large-scale effects of the dead rising to feast upon the living, my novel will focus right in on three very damaged characters and their, well, truly weird love triangle...

Expect madness, mayhem and the usual McMahon bleakness. Oh, and zombies. Thousands of 'em.

Secondly, here's the first review I've seen of The Year's Best Fantasy & Horror 21, and my contribution is highlighted as one of the reviewer's favourites:

YBF&H


(Word count: 20,000)

Some Good News...Coming Soon!

I have a big announcement coming soon regarding my latest project - another novel, no less. This will mark a major step up in my writing career, and I'm thrilled to be involved. You'll see what I mean when the news breaks.

More news as soon as the contracts are signed...(always wanted to say that).

In other news, my British Fantasy Award-nominated novella Rough Cut has now been declared as officially "out of print" by the publisher, Pendragon Press. Copies are still available, I'm led to believe, through online book dealers.

Making Monsters

Just a little reminder that my latest collection is available now:

How to Make Monsters


Consisting of 14 stories, half of them original to the collection. The book was officially launched at last weekend's British Fantasy Convention, and seemed to go down well.



A couple of quotes received this week:



"lean and focused and unsparing"
- Joel Lane





"Fucking devastating. This is a really brilliant collection...fully expect to see it on next year's BFS shortlist."
- Simon Bestwick





HOW TO MAKE MONSTERS by Gary McMahon





Since the dawn of mankind, we have always made our own monsters: the terrors of capitalism and corruption, the things between the cracks, the ghosts of self…terrible beasts of desire, debt, regret, racism…of family ties, and the things that get in the way of our aspirations…the familiar monsters of our own faces, of tradition, rejection, and the darkness that lives deep inside our own hearts…



Can you identify the component parts of your own monster?



Can you afford to pay the dreadful price of its construction?