Inspiration

Inspiration

I thought, since I've created the blog, it might be good to actually put something on it!
As my blog shows, there are currently three books in the collection. There may be more...

So where did the inspiration for the collection come from?

Penny Dreadfuls were the pulp fiction of the Victorian era. The rise in literacy gave rise to the publication of cheap, shocking works of literature which were produced quickly and at low cost. They enjoyed the use of alliteration in the titles too. As you can see.





The sensationalism of the titles and the work contained within were generally consumed at a great rate by the Victorian lower classes. Although I suspect there were some ladies and gentlemen of the higher classes who would sneak them into their library when nobody was looking!

So that was the starting point. Cheap and shocking with a well made and sensational cover which tells you what to expect inside!

I've read a fair bit of of Victorian literature and also what could be called chillers or horror, in my lifetime. The major influences for this project were Edgar Allan Poe, Wilkie Collins and Arthur Conan Doyle.
The problem I suppose is that those writers may not be considered entirely accessible to everyone so I had to strike a balance between authenticity and readability. I'm still learning that technique!

As well as literature, I've also been influenced by film; some of which is based on books. The Hammer House of Horror films with Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee are timeless as is almost every film starring Vincent Price. He is  Roderick Usher!

I really, really enjoyed writing them and I hope readers enjoyed them too.