Darkness Demands

DARKNESS DEMANDS AN OFFERINGLife looks good for John Newton. He lives in the quiet village of Skelbrooke with his family. He has a new home and a successful career writing true crime books. He never gives a thought to the vast nearby cemetery known as the Necropolis. He never wonders what might lurk there.Then the letters begin to arrive in the dead of night demanding trivial offerings—chocolate, beer, toys. At first John dismisses the notes as a prank. But he soon learns the hard way that they're not. For there is an ancient entity that resides beneath the Necropolis that has the power to demand things. And the power to punish those foolish enough to refuse.DARKNESS DEMANDS YOUR ETERNAL SOUL

From Publishers Weekly

A classic horror theme the unnatural survival in the present of an indescribably nasty bit of the past gets a routine treatment in this latest novel from British author Clark (The Judas Tree). Bestselling true crime writer John Newton has recently moved with his wife, teenage son Paul and young daughter Elizabeth to a stately house in Skelbrooke when he begins receiving anonymous notes, couched in archaic language, demanding offerings of inconsequential items mostly food and drink to be left on a grave in the Necropolis on the outskirts of town. Though John is merely puzzled, his neighbors, who receive the same notes, are horrified. Since Norman days, Skelbrooke has been periodically terrorized by a primitive entity dubbed "Baby Bones," and those who fail to satisfy its wishes meet with ghastly fates. Even readers not well versed in horror fiction will intuit what John will inevitably be asked to leave in the graveyard the moment Baby Bones's suggestive name is invoked. Clark sustains suspense as best he can, with a panoramic narrative that shows the tragic impact of the entity's demands on other lives, but several of the subplots Paul's romantic liaisons in the Necropolis and a senile town elder's repeated attempts to pass John important information on the town's history seem obvious padding. Though Clark credibly portrays John's gradual transformation from incredulous observer to desperate believer, his fans may find the eerie climax of this tale uncharacteristically contrived rather than earned. (Feb.) FYI: Clark is among the guests of honor at the World Horror Convention in Seattle this May. Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From the Inside Flap

'Horror fiction as it should be written - shocking but fascinating' SFX 'His is surely the most outrageous imagination to grace horror since the discovery of Clive Barker' Hellnotes 'Not since I discovered Clive Barker have I enjoyed horror so much' Nightfall 'To say that Simon Clark is the best novelist to emerge this decade is self-evident. Simon has simply outgrown genre restrictions.' Andrew Darlington 'The hottest new purveyor of horrific thrills currently working on these shores' Big Issue 'Simon Clark is a wonderful writer. He has what it takes to be another Stephen King.' Bentley Little, Hellnotes Simon Clark has been a vibrant stalwart of the British horror scene for the best part of 25 years. His work is, nevertheless, consistently fresh, urgent and powerful, informed by a broad knowledge of and affection for the classic genre touchstones. (Conrad Williams)

About the Author

Simon Clark lives in Doncaster, South Yorkshire, with his family and jet-black dog. He is the author of many short stories, such as the award-winning “Goblin City Lights,” and over a dozen novels including Darkness Demands, Stranger, The Night of the Triffids, and most recently Hotel Midnight. Simon’s work has been optioned for filming in Hollywood and he has also written scripts for the BBC.

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