'i did like the first one when i was thirteen years old, but i thought the series became increasingly illiterate and disgusting and meritless.'
'I don’t think there’ll ever be another series like it purely and simply because the style that so many of the writers who graced the early editions worked in is just not evident anymore. They were originals and they were the best of their kind. They will never be surpassed. Simple as that.'
ramsey campbell
shaun hutson
BACK ROW - LEFT TO RIGHT: CRAIG HERBERTSON, DAVID CASE, MELVYN GRANT, TONY RICHARDS, HARRY E TURER
MIDDLE ROW - LEFT TO RIGHT: STEVE CRISP, NICHOLAS ROYLE, JOHNNY MAINS, CHRISTOPHER FOWLER
FRONT ROW - LEFT TO RIGHT: DAVID A RILEY, TANITH LEE, SAMANTHA LEE, BASIL COPPER
At the World Horror Convention, Brighton, March 25 - 28th 2010, something pretty special happened. Between 11.00 and 12.00 on the Saturday morning, the first and biggest en-masse gathering of Pan Book of Horror Stories authors and artist took place in the Lounge of the Royal Albion Hotel, moderated by myself. Each author told their stories of how they got into the Pan Book of Horror Stories, and what dealings they had with the editor of the series, Herbert van Thal, and other thoughts on the series and if the series could be re-branded for today's audience.Two of the artists Steve Crisp and Melvyn Grant talked us through the concept of their paintings and the rather fraught way they were commissioned! The turnout for the panel was fantastic - and it was a rather humbling moment to see, when the audience were asked how many people started to write because of the Pan Book of Horror Stories - and many people, including some of the panel themselves held up their hands!
It was a moment I'll remember and treasure forever - probably the first and last time this will ever happen. I'd like to thank Stephen Jones for asking me to moderate this panel, to everyone who came along and last but not least to the Pan Horror authors and artist who made my World Horror Convention a very hard one to beat!
Johnny Mains.
