Laurence
Staig was educated at Manchester and London Universities. A former
Arts Administrator working for RAB's and the Arts Council of
England. He has been Co Director of John Calder Publishers, has
served as an advisor on the Arts Council's Literature Panel and
was a judge for the Angel Literary Award. He appeared in and was a
consultant for Clive Donne's film "A Pleasant Terror", - a TV film
about supernatural fiction of M R James. He lives in
Cambridgeshire in a haunted tudor house with Sue (a roller-blading
computer systems operator) and a recently resuced old english
sheepdog called Martha .
Novels
The Network, HarperCollins, 1989
An Ancient
force takes control of the London Underground one Xmas eve,
fulfilling a Prophecy with devastating consequences. Ley lines,
magical symbols, power of place all move the characters towards
the prospect of Armageddon.
Digital Vampires, Fontana, 1989
A record
company boss uses Black Magic, conjuring up the powers of the
Knights Templar to take control of the music industry and to steal
the souls of young musicians.
Shapeshifter, Fontana, 1992
A tribute to
M R James. A stained glass restorer, working on an East Anglian
Church, unwittingly places his children at risk by the
resurrection of the ghost of a Medieval Monk who was responsible
for a series of horrific deeds.
Fear of the Dark, Henderson, 1996 (Writing as
Christopher Carr)
The
conversion of an old Mill disturbs the spirit of a Medieval Witch
intent on drawing in the powers of the dark - quite literally. A
tribute to M R James' "Oh Whistle and I'll Come to You" and Nigel
Kneale's "The Stone Tape".
Carnival of the Dead, Scholastic, 2000
An amateur
Magician discovers that a long lost stage Illusion which must
never on any account be performed, has been discovered by a rogue
maverick Magician and the performance is scheduled for the day of
the Carnival of the Dead. A tale of the history of stage magicians
together with George Romero's Zombies with an ending you wont
forget!
Short story collections
Dark Toys and Consumer Goods, Pan Macmillan,
1989
Children's
Book of Year 91. A cross between SF and Supernatural, all have
nasty endings with a moral theme in the Roald Dahl
tradition
Closed
Circuit: A
family find they are unable to leave a terrifying consumer
obsessed shopping Mall. Was filmed for Canadian TV.
Home
Improvements:
A DIY enthusiast becomes obsessed with his hobby. The Hologram of Uncle
Emilio: The
perils of collecting family photographs. The Card: A credit card takes on a
life of its own - shades of David Cronenberg meets Franz Kafka.
Freebies: A whistle has the power to raise the dead.
Baby: A baby-sitter discovers her charge is not quite
as it would seem. TV/OD: A TV Quiz show exerts malevolent consumer driven
powers over its audience. The perils of junk television.
Road
Food: Beware
of having too many auto accessories and gizmos in your car.
Technofear, Scholastic Publications,
1997
A cCross
between SF and Supernatural, all have nasty endings but with a
moral theme in the Roald Dahl tradition, many stories centre
around the music industry.
Lottery: An unpleasant gourmet arrives in a town where
the local lottery is very popular. The prize is not quite as
expected. The Tingle: Subliminal programming helps a teen band win a
dance competition. Jimi's Axe: The ghost of a famous guitarist shows rock
musicians of the future how it should be done. Dedicated to
guitarist Jeff Beck. All Together: Musicians are possessed by strange vampires. Was
the original short story that became Digital Vampires.
Wicked
Disc: A group
of mysterious doorstep evangelists give a computer hacker a disc
which has fantastic powers. Liquid Friendship: The ultimate rave has
devastating and horrific consequences when a new street drug is
unleashed. American Psycho for teenagers.
Can we
Play with the Water? (Previously published as Hello Hugo): An ancient
mischievous water spirit and the ghost of a boy come together to
cause havoc in a nuclear reactor.
Supernatural Fiction for Young Children
Nightwing Towers, Macdonald Young Books,
1997
A Vampire,
Mr Kube, who lives on the top floor of a block of council flats in
Hackney, decides to possess Great Aunt Sybil, can her nephew save
her in time?
The Haunting of Aisle Number Nine, Falconwood,
1998
The
disgruntled ghost of a menswear shop haunts a supermarket aisle.
Are You Being Served a la supernatural.
The Tick-Tock Man, Falconwood, 1998
Time runs
amok in a sleepy sea-side town. Can this be connected with the
mysterious Tick-tock man?
An ancient
mischievous water spirit and the ghost of a boy come together to
cause havoc in a new Suffolk coastal nuclear reactor.
"The Puffin
Book of Horror Stories" (Penguin) - 'Freebies'. 1994
A whistle
has the power to raise the dead.
"Book of
Fantasy and the Supernatural." (Tiger) - 'The Healing Game'
1994
Adult
version of story previously published as Wicked Disc. A group of
mysterious doorstep evangelists give a computer hacker a disc
which has fantastic powers.
"The Years
Best Horror" (Co-winner World and British Fantasy Award in 1991),
'Closed Circuit'. Carrol and Graf 1991.
A family
find they are unable to leave a terrifying consumer obsessed
shopping Mall.
An old
cottage holds horrifying secrets concerning the identity of the
murderer of previous occupants. Tribute to horror film director
Dario Argento.
"The Tiger
Garden: A Book of Dreams" - Serpent's Tail. 1996
Strange
dreams from horror and supernatural authors.
"Dancing
With the Dark" - Carrol and Graf - The Spirit of M R James
1999
Strange
encounters from horror and supernatural authors.
"The Oxford
Book of the Supernatural" - OUP 'Do You Dance?' 1996
A group of
young rock climbers find themselves staying the night in a village
which is haunted every year by the spirit of a Banshee.
Unconscious tribute to Robert Aickman!
"The Oxford
Book of Ghost Stories" "Love Letters". OUP 1999
The cabling
for a new computer lab is routed through a graveyard, inviting the
resurrection of one of the occupants.
"The Oxford
Book of Train Stories" July 2001 "North" OUP 2001
A young boy
finds himself alone on a train journey, which becomes increasingly
disturbing, as fellow passengers leave the train at the various
stations as the train hurtles towards its northern
destination.
"Mystery
Stories" - Mysteries OUP 2003
A fairground
side show conceals secrets concerning the origins of mythical
creatures, and a Priest who has lost his faith, reconsiders the
mysteries of Rome.
"The Oxford
Book of Horror Stories" - "A Quiet Place in the Country" OUP Dec
2004
An old house
in the middle of a wood becomes an overnight shelter for a pair of
runaways. However, all is not as it seems, is the house be alive
and have they walked into a place which feeds on blood?
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