Coffinmaker's Blues
by Stephen Volk
(PS Publishing, July 2019)
Introduction by David Pirie
*Nominated for the British Fantasy Award 2020 (Best Non-Fiction)
*Ginger Nuts of Horror Best of the Year 2020
(PS Publishing, July 2019)
Introduction by David Pirie
*Nominated for the British Fantasy Award 2020 (Best Non-Fiction)
*Ginger Nuts of Horror Best of the Year 2020
Order your copy of Coffinmaker's Blues here
For twelve years, between 2004 and 2016, award-winning author and screenwriter Stephen Volk (Ghostwatch, Afterlife, The Awakening) wrote a bi-monthly column for Black Static magazine, documenting the life and thought processes of a working writer: the ups, the downs, the good, the bad, and the ugly of a life in the word mines.
The passion, the doubts, the wins, the losses, the murky thoughts that drive and obsess him. Collected here for the first time, they represent a fascinating overview of a period in which Film, TV and Publishing have all undergone huge changes.
Intimate, honest and inspiring, Coffinmaker's Blues is essential reading for anyone with an interest in how great movies, books and TV are made. A fascinating insight into what goes on behind the scenes, the joys and heartbreak of a life devoted to the written word.
Experience life in the trenches with one of the genre's most respected practitioners, telling it straight about the trials and tribulations of the craft and the business...
Beware of shrapnel. Safety not guaranteed.
"It's like having a wise friend over for drinks and good conversation" — Nathan Ballingrud, two-time Shirley Jackson award-winning author of Wounds and North American Lake Monsters
"Volk has the talent to inspire others, writing a 21st century equivalent - or perhaps even better than that - to anything already written about the genre, including Stephen King's Dance Macabre" Andrew Andrews, True Review
Read the full review at True Review
"Blisteringly powerful... Volk draws on a dizzying number of references and shows admirable conceptual depth and density as well as a muscular and evocative style" SF Signal
"Constantly insightful" Horror World Reviews
"Stephen Volk has graced the pages of Black Static both with a couple of fine novellas, but more significantly with his long-running column ‘Coffinmaker’s Blues’, which began by offering readers a glimpse into the world of screenwriting and film, but which, as Volk found his stride, morphed into a series of more wide-ranging speculations that railed against the patronising snobbery of mainstream broadcasting toward horror; championed the vitality and diversity of horror; and dissected the eternal conflict between commercialism, corporate think and the freedom of the writer to pursue his or her vision" Mike O'Driscoll vision.
"Thoughtful and eloquent" Matthew Fryer, Hellforge
"Amusingly scathing... Frank, honest, yet ultimately hopeful and considered" Dread Central
"An insider's opinion... Volk certainly knows what he's talking about, with a career in the industry that has spanned two decades" Rue Morgue Magazine
"Shows the vast knowledge and respect Stephen has for the genre. Excellent... An educational joy to read, this man knows his stuff" Ginger Nuts of Horror
"Consistently entertaining" Dark Musings
"Gives the genre a great and always needed kick in the ass" The Horror Fiction Review
"A masterclass for Horror Writers and Screenwriters" Charles Prepolec (ed. Gaslight Grotesque, Gaslight Gothic)
"Essential reading, both as a book on writing craft and psychology... Highly recommended" Kit Power, Ginger Nuts of Horror
Read the full review at Ginger Nuts of Horror
"Passionate, opinionated and diving deep into the heart of a topic - an outstanding collection that any fan of the genre should be reading. 10/10" Sci-Fi Bulletin
Read the full review at Sci-Fi Bulletin
"A compendium of knowledge and anecdotes on topics such as films and filmmakers, scriptwriting, religion, politics, actors, horror - of course - and many more... A fantastic and essential read for readers and writers, book lovers, cinema fanatics and horror fans" Magdalena Salata, Diabolique Magazine
Read the full review at Diabolique Magazine
"Currently reading Coffinmaker's Blues and feeling incredibly inspired by the wit, insight and dedication to craft in these writings. I know it is a book that I will pick up again and again" Andrew David Barker - screenwriter, director and novelist
"Perhaps it's an odd comparison, but what this book reminds me of strongly is Stephen Fry's collection of essays, Paperweight. As with that tome, this one is filled with intellect, insight, anger and humour, delivered in a way that never talks down... What makes a good horror writer - and Volk is a superb one - isn't how many eyeballs they pop or lurid sex scenes they write. It's their understanding of their fellow beings" Ken Shinn, We Are Cult
Read the full review at We Are Cult
"A series of essays about making art - and that art in this case is horror, but it's still an investigation about how you create... about where that comes from. I was won over instantaneously in finding out that the first essay was about the Diane Arbus/Stanley Kubrick connection. It deals with a lot of different ideas as well as art, of psychology, and of the nature of what it is to be human. Highly recommended" Robin Ince, comedian & broadcaster, The Infinite Monkey Cage (BBC Radio 4)
"If you're interested in writing as a profession, particularly screenwriting, this book is for you. If you have a love for horror in all its many forms, this book is for you. If you are interested in the phenomenon of Ghostwatch, this book is for you. A well written personal exploration of horror, writing, and their place within the world" (*****) Five star review by Steve Toase in Fortean Times #388 (Jan 2020)
"Volk has the talent to inspire others, writing a 21st century equivalent—or perhaps even better than that—to anything already written about the genre, including Stephen King's Dance Macabre" Andrew Andrews, True Review
"Stephen Volk is that rare creator who is as articulate about what he does and generous about sharing his insight and experience as he is at creating! His book Coffinmaker's Blues is a 300-page masterclass" Adam Simon writer/producer Salem, Next, Books of Blood
"This is a book about writing per se as much as it is about Horror. At his best, Volk's practical, anecdotal approach draws conclusions that have the authority of wide reading and hands-on industry experience" Geoff Ryman award-winning author of 253, Was, Air, The Child Garden
"Mesmerising, beguiling, painful, and utterly hilarious (I hope I'm laughing when I'm meant to!)" Simon J Ballard horror writer for We Belong Dead magazine
"Wise, honest and warm, every entertaining essay in Coffinmaker’s Blues is packed with unique and valuable insights into horror writing. It’s unputdownable" Megan Taylor, Author of How We Were Lost, The Dawning, The Lives of Ghosts, We Wait, and story collection, The Woman Under the Ground
"An entertaining and deeply relevant body of work (and) a brilliant broadside against genre snobbery... Volk makes a convincing case that genre is more important than ever in these 'unprecedented times'. (His) wonderfully self-deprecating humour sings throughout, even when dealing with big - and sometimes very hard to tackle - issues like diversity and cultural appropriation, writer's block or imposter syndrome. Finally, Volk's writer's tips are a joy" Ally Wilkes, Horrified Magazine
Read the full review at Horried Magazine
For twelve years, between 2004 and 2016, award-winning author and screenwriter Stephen Volk (Ghostwatch, Afterlife, The Awakening) wrote a bi-monthly column for Black Static magazine, documenting the life and thought processes of a working writer: the ups, the downs, the good, the bad, and the ugly of a life in the word mines.
The passion, the doubts, the wins, the losses, the murky thoughts that drive and obsess him. Collected here for the first time, they represent a fascinating overview of a period in which Film, TV and Publishing have all undergone huge changes.
Intimate, honest and inspiring, Coffinmaker's Blues is essential reading for anyone with an interest in how great movies, books and TV are made. A fascinating insight into what goes on behind the scenes, the joys and heartbreak of a life devoted to the written word.
Experience life in the trenches with one of the genre's most respected practitioners, telling it straight about the trials and tribulations of the craft and the business...
Beware of shrapnel. Safety not guaranteed.
"It's like having a wise friend over for drinks and good conversation" — Nathan Ballingrud, two-time Shirley Jackson award-winning author of Wounds and North American Lake Monsters
"Volk has the talent to inspire others, writing a 21st century equivalent - or perhaps even better than that - to anything already written about the genre, including Stephen King's Dance Macabre" Andrew Andrews, True Review
Read the full review at True Review
"Blisteringly powerful... Volk draws on a dizzying number of references and shows admirable conceptual depth and density as well as a muscular and evocative style" SF Signal
"Constantly insightful" Horror World Reviews
"Stephen Volk has graced the pages of Black Static both with a couple of fine novellas, but more significantly with his long-running column ‘Coffinmaker’s Blues’, which began by offering readers a glimpse into the world of screenwriting and film, but which, as Volk found his stride, morphed into a series of more wide-ranging speculations that railed against the patronising snobbery of mainstream broadcasting toward horror; championed the vitality and diversity of horror; and dissected the eternal conflict between commercialism, corporate think and the freedom of the writer to pursue his or her vision" Mike O'Driscoll vision.
"Thoughtful and eloquent" Matthew Fryer, Hellforge
"Amusingly scathing... Frank, honest, yet ultimately hopeful and considered" Dread Central
"An insider's opinion... Volk certainly knows what he's talking about, with a career in the industry that has spanned two decades" Rue Morgue Magazine
"Shows the vast knowledge and respect Stephen has for the genre. Excellent... An educational joy to read, this man knows his stuff" Ginger Nuts of Horror
"Consistently entertaining" Dark Musings
"Gives the genre a great and always needed kick in the ass" The Horror Fiction Review
"A masterclass for Horror Writers and Screenwriters" Charles Prepolec (ed. Gaslight Grotesque, Gaslight Gothic)
"Essential reading, both as a book on writing craft and psychology... Highly recommended" Kit Power, Ginger Nuts of Horror
Read the full review at Ginger Nuts of Horror
"Passionate, opinionated and diving deep into the heart of a topic - an outstanding collection that any fan of the genre should be reading. 10/10" Sci-Fi Bulletin
Read the full review at Sci-Fi Bulletin
"A compendium of knowledge and anecdotes on topics such as films and filmmakers, scriptwriting, religion, politics, actors, horror - of course - and many more... A fantastic and essential read for readers and writers, book lovers, cinema fanatics and horror fans" Magdalena Salata, Diabolique Magazine
Read the full review at Diabolique Magazine
"Currently reading Coffinmaker's Blues and feeling incredibly inspired by the wit, insight and dedication to craft in these writings. I know it is a book that I will pick up again and again" Andrew David Barker - screenwriter, director and novelist
"Perhaps it's an odd comparison, but what this book reminds me of strongly is Stephen Fry's collection of essays, Paperweight. As with that tome, this one is filled with intellect, insight, anger and humour, delivered in a way that never talks down... What makes a good horror writer - and Volk is a superb one - isn't how many eyeballs they pop or lurid sex scenes they write. It's their understanding of their fellow beings" Ken Shinn, We Are Cult
Read the full review at We Are Cult
"A series of essays about making art - and that art in this case is horror, but it's still an investigation about how you create... about where that comes from. I was won over instantaneously in finding out that the first essay was about the Diane Arbus/Stanley Kubrick connection. It deals with a lot of different ideas as well as art, of psychology, and of the nature of what it is to be human. Highly recommended" Robin Ince, comedian & broadcaster, The Infinite Monkey Cage (BBC Radio 4)
"If you're interested in writing as a profession, particularly screenwriting, this book is for you. If you have a love for horror in all its many forms, this book is for you. If you are interested in the phenomenon of Ghostwatch, this book is for you. A well written personal exploration of horror, writing, and their place within the world" (*****) Five star review by Steve Toase in Fortean Times #388 (Jan 2020)
"Volk has the talent to inspire others, writing a 21st century equivalent—or perhaps even better than that—to anything already written about the genre, including Stephen King's Dance Macabre" Andrew Andrews, True Review
"Stephen Volk is that rare creator who is as articulate about what he does and generous about sharing his insight and experience as he is at creating! His book Coffinmaker's Blues is a 300-page masterclass" Adam Simon writer/producer Salem, Next, Books of Blood
"This is a book about writing per se as much as it is about Horror. At his best, Volk's practical, anecdotal approach draws conclusions that have the authority of wide reading and hands-on industry experience" Geoff Ryman award-winning author of 253, Was, Air, The Child Garden
"Mesmerising, beguiling, painful, and utterly hilarious (I hope I'm laughing when I'm meant to!)" Simon J Ballard horror writer for We Belong Dead magazine
"Wise, honest and warm, every entertaining essay in Coffinmaker’s Blues is packed with unique and valuable insights into horror writing. It’s unputdownable" Megan Taylor, Author of How We Were Lost, The Dawning, The Lives of Ghosts, We Wait, and story collection, The Woman Under the Ground
"An entertaining and deeply relevant body of work (and) a brilliant broadside against genre snobbery... Volk makes a convincing case that genre is more important than ever in these 'unprecedented times'. (His) wonderfully self-deprecating humour sings throughout, even when dealing with big - and sometimes very hard to tackle - issues like diversity and cultural appropriation, writer's block or imposter syndrome. Finally, Volk's writer's tips are a joy" Ally Wilkes, Horrified Magazine
Read the full review at Horried Magazine
Listen to the "Inside the Electric Dreamhouse" podcast interview with Stephen Volk about Coffinmaker's Blues, in conversation with Kit Power at The Quad, Derby in July 2019
