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Finding Yourself In The Dark
Sarob Press is truly delighted to present a new collection of twelve dark and spectral tales by International Horror Guild and Shirley Jackson Award winning author Steve Duffy. Steve’s previously published collections, The Night Comes On, The Five Quarters (with Ian Rodwell), Tragic Life Stories and The Moment of Panic, were very well received and are all long sold out. Ghosts, werewolves, and some things possibly even more terrible, strange premonitions, and even stranger haunted locations and weird and mysterious secrets ...
... a curious visitor to a London art gallery and a most unusual offer
... a seaside holiday where the past intrudes upon the present with alarming and quite horrifying consequences
... a dream-like European hotel for those with fond and vivid memories of better and more peaceful times
... a seemingly ordinary warehouse where the secret things and strange desires stored within are far, far from ordinary
... and 8 other superlative tales set in London, in Eastern Europe, the Wild West of America, the North Wales coast and more.
Contents: ‘Foreword� by the author. “Chambers of the Heart� “The Other Four O’Clock*� “The Last House on Mullible Street*� “The Villa Morozov*� “The Clay Party� “No Passage Landward� “Even Clean Hands Can Do Damage� “A Day at the Hotel Radium*� “Bears: A Fairy-Tale of 1958� “The Ice Beneath Us� “The Purple-Tinted Window� “The God of Storage Options� and “Notes on the Stories� *Previously unpublished.
FINDING YOURSELF IN THE DARK is a Deluxe Hand Numbered Limited Edition Jacketed Hardcover. Lithographically Printed on Munken 80gsm Cream Bookwove Paper, Bound in Wibalin Cloth (Fine Linen Style), 16pp Section Sewn binding, Foil Blocked to Spine, Coloured Endpapers, Ribbon Marker & Head/Tailbands. Approx 176pp including prelims etc. Wrap Dust Jacket and Frontispiece art by Paul Lowe.
... a curious visitor to a London art gallery and a most unusual offer
... a seaside holiday where the past intrudes upon the present with alarming and quite horrifying consequences
... a dream-like European hotel for those with fond and vivid memories of better and more peaceful times
... a seemingly ordinary warehouse where the secret things and strange desires stored within are far, far from ordinary
... and 8 other superlative tales set in London, in Eastern Europe, the Wild West of America, the North Wales coast and more.
Contents: ‘Foreword� by the author. “Chambers of the Heart� “The Other Four O’Clock*� “The Last House on Mullible Street*� “The Villa Morozov*� “The Clay Party� “No Passage Landward� “Even Clean Hands Can Do Damage� “A Day at the Hotel Radium*� “Bears: A Fairy-Tale of 1958� “The Ice Beneath Us� “The Purple-Tinted Window� “The God of Storage Options� and “Notes on the Stories� *Previously unpublished.
FINDING YOURSELF IN THE DARK is a Deluxe Hand Numbered Limited Edition Jacketed Hardcover. Lithographically Printed on Munken 80gsm Cream Bookwove Paper, Bound in Wibalin Cloth (Fine Linen Style), 16pp Section Sewn binding, Foil Blocked to Spine, Coloured Endpapers, Ribbon Marker & Head/Tailbands. Approx 176pp including prelims etc. Wrap Dust Jacket and Frontispiece art by Paul Lowe.
176 pages, Hardcover
First published May 1, 2021
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35 people want to read
About the author
Steve Duffy
73Ìýbooks61ÌýfollowersSteve has written/coauthored seven collections of weird short stories. His latest collection, THESE AND OTHER MYSTERIES, was published by Sarob Press in 2024.
Steve's work also appears in a number of anthologies published in the UK and the US.
In 2016 he won the Shirley Jackson Award for Best Novelette 2015, with the story "Even Clean Hands Can Do Damage". He won the International Horror Guild's award for Best Short Story of the year 2000, and was shortlisted for a World Fantasy Award in 2009, and again in 2012.
Visit Steve's Amazon Page:
Steve's work also appears in a number of anthologies published in the UK and the US.
In 2016 he won the Shirley Jackson Award for Best Novelette 2015, with the story "Even Clean Hands Can Do Damage". He won the International Horror Guild's award for Best Short Story of the year 2000, and was shortlisted for a World Fantasy Award in 2009, and again in 2012.
Visit Steve's Amazon Page:
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
December 13, 2024
The first few stories didn't really grab me, and I was thinking that this collection was maybe not as strong as his others, then the middle three stories hit me one after another - whack,whack,whack! Three in a row that were actually scary. I read so much horror fiction that while I am hugely entertained I am not often actually disturbed or frightened by what I read. Thomas Ligotti is a exception; there are others, but not many. The tales in this collection did it for me. The last three stories were good also, either the book - or maybe more likely myself - just started out slow. I am looking forward to more from this author.
September 4, 2021
Actually three and a half stars
Steve Duffy is an author I have enjoyed for many years now, this being his fifth collection of weird tales. It is published by Sarob Press, so anyone new to him but not the press will be aware that these tend to be ‘traditional� ghost stories ala M R James, the Bensons etc rather than Thomas Ligotti or Robert Aickman.
I had previously read a number of them in Supernatural Tales and other anthologies but, as always, Sarob’s books contain a few stories unique to the volume.
All the stories here are solid, with nods to various tropes such as the werewolf (“The Clay Party�), the spooky old man (‘Last House on Mullible Street�) the unexpected visitor (The Ice Beneath Us) and the vampire. Whilst one might perhaps see what is coming, the process of getting there makes for good reading and I enjoyed all of four. The standouts are those which area little more unusual in their plotting, a storage unit (‘The God of Storage Options�) might seem quite a likely place for a strange encounter, all that anonymous property in boxes, likewise ‘No Passage Landward� which is set in the Welsh hinterland where a visitor who outstays her parking time to her cost. These tales work because Duffy twists them around, the former concerns the relationship of the facilities owner with his ‘stuff� told through the bleak drunken Christmas haze of his employee while the latter eddies around the central character the way the mist coils itself around the central character and her only source of safety.
Other reviewers (and the givers of the Shirley Jackson award) have rightly, in my opinion, cited ‘Even Clean Hands Do Damage� as a very fine tale indeed. It concerns a woman with a conduit the dead and when she can, she uses this ‘gift� to bring comfort to those that have lost loved ones. However, what might draw someone to make contact with her might be another matter. This theme is almost given its inverse in another very good story ‘The Purple Tinted Window� where knowledge does not appear to be power at all.
Re-reading tales that had previously appeared in anthologies I found that was consistently revising my opinion of them upwards and this appears to validate a pet theory of mine that some stories can be dragged down by association in their original context and that some overall books become greater by the sum of the parts/judicious editing. You’ve had a pet theory so here is a pet peeve. This could have been a four-star book for me were it not for ’Bears� a somewhat clunky allegorical reworking of Goldilocks tale in which the newly arrived Bruins find themselves cold-shouldered by the local inhabitants. I see what it is about, but why is it a book of the supernatural? And for that matter, why tinker with a classic fairy tale? It never ends happily ever after when one does.
This tale aside, I enjoyed this book a lot. Duffy is a consistently interesting writer with good ideas. A ‘greatest hits� volume (most of his previous books are o/p and expensive) is surely overdue.
Steve Duffy is an author I have enjoyed for many years now, this being his fifth collection of weird tales. It is published by Sarob Press, so anyone new to him but not the press will be aware that these tend to be ‘traditional� ghost stories ala M R James, the Bensons etc rather than Thomas Ligotti or Robert Aickman.
I had previously read a number of them in Supernatural Tales and other anthologies but, as always, Sarob’s books contain a few stories unique to the volume.
All the stories here are solid, with nods to various tropes such as the werewolf (“The Clay Party�), the spooky old man (‘Last House on Mullible Street�) the unexpected visitor (The Ice Beneath Us) and the vampire. Whilst one might perhaps see what is coming, the process of getting there makes for good reading and I enjoyed all of four. The standouts are those which area little more unusual in their plotting, a storage unit (‘The God of Storage Options�) might seem quite a likely place for a strange encounter, all that anonymous property in boxes, likewise ‘No Passage Landward� which is set in the Welsh hinterland where a visitor who outstays her parking time to her cost. These tales work because Duffy twists them around, the former concerns the relationship of the facilities owner with his ‘stuff� told through the bleak drunken Christmas haze of his employee while the latter eddies around the central character the way the mist coils itself around the central character and her only source of safety.
Other reviewers (and the givers of the Shirley Jackson award) have rightly, in my opinion, cited ‘Even Clean Hands Do Damage� as a very fine tale indeed. It concerns a woman with a conduit the dead and when she can, she uses this ‘gift� to bring comfort to those that have lost loved ones. However, what might draw someone to make contact with her might be another matter. This theme is almost given its inverse in another very good story ‘The Purple Tinted Window� where knowledge does not appear to be power at all.
Re-reading tales that had previously appeared in anthologies I found that was consistently revising my opinion of them upwards and this appears to validate a pet theory of mine that some stories can be dragged down by association in their original context and that some overall books become greater by the sum of the parts/judicious editing. You’ve had a pet theory so here is a pet peeve. This could have been a four-star book for me were it not for ’Bears� a somewhat clunky allegorical reworking of Goldilocks tale in which the newly arrived Bruins find themselves cold-shouldered by the local inhabitants. I see what it is about, but why is it a book of the supernatural? And for that matter, why tinker with a classic fairy tale? It never ends happily ever after when one does.
This tale aside, I enjoyed this book a lot. Duffy is a consistently interesting writer with good ideas. A ‘greatest hits� volume (most of his previous books are o/p and expensive) is surely overdue.
March 1, 2022
Twelve well-written damp, desolate, dark pieces. Crown jewel, according to me, was 'The Clay Party'� a brilliant rethinking of the Donner Party incidents. Rest were... good, but pretty dispiriting.
July 9, 2021
This is an excellent collection from Mr Duffy and one that I wholeheartedly recommend to anyone who needs an introduction to his work. This is his fifth collection of short stories and the first one that I’ve read.
In the foreword the author explores the difficulty of naming a collection and how appropriate it was to his own life in that he had found himself in a dark place, both personally and globally, as the pandemic cast its long shadow. These are very dark tales and ones that I enjoyed very much.
The book’s stories run from January to December and in the first one, ‘Chambers of the Heart�, we meet Olivia. She is approaching which is vulgarly termed her ‘sell by date� and is a receptionist in a Chelsea art gallery owned by Simon, a con man. Olivia is pondering on her life options when an unexpected visitor changes them forever.
Matt and Samiya are on holiday in East Anglia in ‘The Other Four O’Clock�. During a bout of insomnia he is plagued by another church bell tolling in the dead of night as well as the local church’s. Whilst Samiya is birdwatching, Matt goes on a walk and gets lost. Mist surrounds him as he encounters a black dog which reminded me of the legendary Black Shuck and begins to see the other church� this was one of my favourites in the book.
In ‘Last House on Mullible Street�, five elderly East Enders reminisce about a mysterious experience in 1940. It features rituals in the Jewish community with the creation of a monster and has a really good ending as well.
In ‘The Villa Marozov� Varya is looking for her next victim as snow falls ceaselessly around the house and estate. A child is brought to her from the nearby deserted and depleted village and takes her place amongst the strange statues around the lake. In the icy white landscape, a mother searches for her stolen daughter and makes the ultimate sacrifice.
‘The Clay Party� is based on the horrific true life experiences of the Donner Party. It’s told in diary entries by Elizabeth, who is travelling with her husband and young daughter in a party of settlers to California. Like the Donner party they are led astray by a Mr Clay who persuades them to take a supposedly faster route and they soon run into difficulties and are off course. The journey soon ends in horror and a real twist at the end. Another favourite.
Phoebe in ‘No passage Landward� misses the closing time of the toll gate despite its attendant warning her and finds herself stranded in a part of Wales. A woman in a house she wanders into tells her that she can stay there for the night while a mysterious figure waits on the road.
I really loved ‘Even Clean Hands can do Damage� which features Rae, a young woman with a gift. One that she feels she has to share with people and when we meet her she has driven from Suffolk to the house of a woman who lost her young daughter and her daughter’s best friend in an accident. But all is not as it seems.
Professor Apalkov in ‘A Day at the Hotel Radium� arrives there to meet an old friend. But as he sees people from his past, it becomes apparent that this is no ordinary hotel. At the end he has reached his real destination.
‘A fairy Tale of 1958� is an update of Goldilocks and the Three Bears in which a family of bears move into a desirable neighbourhood and soon realise that they’re not welcome. Racism and non conformity are explored in this short tale.
Claude and Bob, two old friends are up at their cabin as they are every January. Good old boys having fun as always. They drink and try not to think about the time when Jimbo came knocking on the door and what happened next.
We never find out the name of the Filipino girl in ‘The Purple Tinted Window� But she has a strange talent that will lead her to leave her small town and marry a stranger who lives in Scotland. But this is no love match. A very eerie tale of a woman who knows her fate and is powerless to stop it.
I’d previously read ‘The God of Storage Options� in Supernatural Tales but it was great to read it again. This is set in a self storage facility at Christmas and concerns the owner, Brough, and his festive celebrations�..
There’s an author’s note on the stories at the end which I always love as it gives the reader a glimpse into the author’s mind and their inspirations as it does here. There are 4 unpublished stories in the book and this is a writer who knows his craft well.
An superior and elegant production from Sarob Press with a great cover by Paul Lowe.
In the foreword the author explores the difficulty of naming a collection and how appropriate it was to his own life in that he had found himself in a dark place, both personally and globally, as the pandemic cast its long shadow. These are very dark tales and ones that I enjoyed very much.
The book’s stories run from January to December and in the first one, ‘Chambers of the Heart�, we meet Olivia. She is approaching which is vulgarly termed her ‘sell by date� and is a receptionist in a Chelsea art gallery owned by Simon, a con man. Olivia is pondering on her life options when an unexpected visitor changes them forever.
Matt and Samiya are on holiday in East Anglia in ‘The Other Four O’Clock�. During a bout of insomnia he is plagued by another church bell tolling in the dead of night as well as the local church’s. Whilst Samiya is birdwatching, Matt goes on a walk and gets lost. Mist surrounds him as he encounters a black dog which reminded me of the legendary Black Shuck and begins to see the other church� this was one of my favourites in the book.
In ‘Last House on Mullible Street�, five elderly East Enders reminisce about a mysterious experience in 1940. It features rituals in the Jewish community with the creation of a monster and has a really good ending as well.
In ‘The Villa Marozov� Varya is looking for her next victim as snow falls ceaselessly around the house and estate. A child is brought to her from the nearby deserted and depleted village and takes her place amongst the strange statues around the lake. In the icy white landscape, a mother searches for her stolen daughter and makes the ultimate sacrifice.
‘The Clay Party� is based on the horrific true life experiences of the Donner Party. It’s told in diary entries by Elizabeth, who is travelling with her husband and young daughter in a party of settlers to California. Like the Donner party they are led astray by a Mr Clay who persuades them to take a supposedly faster route and they soon run into difficulties and are off course. The journey soon ends in horror and a real twist at the end. Another favourite.
Phoebe in ‘No passage Landward� misses the closing time of the toll gate despite its attendant warning her and finds herself stranded in a part of Wales. A woman in a house she wanders into tells her that she can stay there for the night while a mysterious figure waits on the road.
I really loved ‘Even Clean Hands can do Damage� which features Rae, a young woman with a gift. One that she feels she has to share with people and when we meet her she has driven from Suffolk to the house of a woman who lost her young daughter and her daughter’s best friend in an accident. But all is not as it seems.
Professor Apalkov in ‘A Day at the Hotel Radium� arrives there to meet an old friend. But as he sees people from his past, it becomes apparent that this is no ordinary hotel. At the end he has reached his real destination.
‘A fairy Tale of 1958� is an update of Goldilocks and the Three Bears in which a family of bears move into a desirable neighbourhood and soon realise that they’re not welcome. Racism and non conformity are explored in this short tale.
Claude and Bob, two old friends are up at their cabin as they are every January. Good old boys having fun as always. They drink and try not to think about the time when Jimbo came knocking on the door and what happened next.
We never find out the name of the Filipino girl in ‘The Purple Tinted Window� But she has a strange talent that will lead her to leave her small town and marry a stranger who lives in Scotland. But this is no love match. A very eerie tale of a woman who knows her fate and is powerless to stop it.
I’d previously read ‘The God of Storage Options� in Supernatural Tales but it was great to read it again. This is set in a self storage facility at Christmas and concerns the owner, Brough, and his festive celebrations�..
There’s an author’s note on the stories at the end which I always love as it gives the reader a glimpse into the author’s mind and their inspirations as it does here. There are 4 unpublished stories in the book and this is a writer who knows his craft well.
An superior and elegant production from Sarob Press with a great cover by Paul Lowe.
June 12, 2021
An excellent set of a dozen uncanny stories, told in a pleasing variety of voices among vividly described locations. This superbly crafted collection is a fine testament to the knowledge and skill of the author Steve Duffy.
April 23, 2023
Duffy, Steve - Finding Yourself In The Dark
Diverse assortment of hauntings and unmarked boundaries.
“Chambers Of The Heart� is from Olivia’s viewpoint. Perched uneasily at the edge of 40, looks beginning to fade, working another trifling job. Her employer finds himself in a spot of trouble, and she is caught.
Found footage, in this case, an old tape, reveal death dealings in “The Last House On Mullible Street.� Old men recall youthful indiscretions, the Blitz, and trespassing.
“The Clay Party� might best be appreciated by those who have a taste for the Donner Party.
“A Day At The Hotel Radium� sees the refugee arrive at a safe oasis, a shelter of serenity. This reads like a child’s fairy tale � up to a point.
Two or three stories are unresolved. Individuals caught in sea fog, cut off by the tide, displaced from the “normal� world, the busy normal world, still perceived in the distance.
Diverse assortment of hauntings and unmarked boundaries.
“Chambers Of The Heart� is from Olivia’s viewpoint. Perched uneasily at the edge of 40, looks beginning to fade, working another trifling job. Her employer finds himself in a spot of trouble, and she is caught.
Found footage, in this case, an old tape, reveal death dealings in “The Last House On Mullible Street.� Old men recall youthful indiscretions, the Blitz, and trespassing.
“The Clay Party� might best be appreciated by those who have a taste for the Donner Party.
“A Day At The Hotel Radium� sees the refugee arrive at a safe oasis, a shelter of serenity. This reads like a child’s fairy tale � up to a point.
Two or three stories are unresolved. Individuals caught in sea fog, cut off by the tide, displaced from the “normal� world, the busy normal world, still perceived in the distance.
July 28, 2021
If I read a better genre short story than Even Clean Hands Do Damage or A Day at the Hotel Radium this year I will be pleasantly surprised.
February 20, 2023
Ho-hum, another batch of beautifully written, clever, haunting, suggestive scary stories. How is it this guy is toiling in complete obscurity?
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