I discovered the writing of H P Lovecraft back in the very early Seventies. I came to him, not looking for horror, but for Science Fiction as that was where my prime interest lay back then.
I believe the first story I read was THE DUNWICH HORROR in one of the cheap UK paperback editions. That was enough for me to seek out the rest, and I remember reading AT THE MOUNTAINS OF MADNESS while sitting on the back steps of our house on a hot summer's day. After that I read everything I could find... his vision of cosmic entities with no concern for the doings of puny humans spoke to me at a basic level. It was only natural that I should turn to some Lovecraftian conceits in my own writing.
Music can transport you. It can bring sunshine on a cloudy day and lift your heart in times of trouble. But there is another side, a darker side, to music. Allow yourself to be open to a different melody, and who knows where the music will take you.
In this collection you will follow the dance into dark places, down dark passageways, where dark melodies play.
Apart from reading, my other big love is for music, in all its various forms. I used to sing in a choir as a lad, and I've been playing guitar badly for forty years now. Again, it was inevitable that my enthusiasm for music would seep into my writing.
And here it is. Stories where music and things that lurk beyond meet and find common, and uncommon, ground.
In short, it's all about music, and dancing in dark places.
This new release contains three stories new to the rerelease of the original Dark Regions Press, DARK MELODIES edition.
The Tenants of Ladywell Manor first appeared in a Permuted Press anthology, Cthulhu Unbound 2. The Unfinished Basement originally appeared in a Miskatonic River Press anthology, Dead But Dreaming 2. Both of these were given Honorable Mentions by Ellen Datlow in their respective "Year's Best" years. The other stories are original in print in this edition, and were mainly written with this edition in mind, although the Midnight Eye novella, Rhythm and Booze, has been rattling around my head as a concept for a long time.
I like the focus I have to bring to short stories, where you get in, get out and leave the reader wondering what just happened, like a great guitar solo or an intricate piano piece. Darker Melodies is something I've dreamed about since I started writing all those ago... a collection of supernatural stories by me, in hardcover, was all I wanted to achieve when I started out. And here it is. Shall we dance?
- The Tenants of Ladywell Manor
- The Persistence of Memory
- The Chamber of Tiamat
- The Unfinished Basement
- The Mill Dance
- The Death of Sergeant George
- Where the Kobolds Dance
- Chord and Discord
- Open Ye to Me Your Doors
- And No More Shall We Part
- Rhythm and Booze
This is an absolutely wonderful collection, all the stories are character driven supernatural tales oozing with atmosphere and darkness. A symphony of terror (if you don’t mind the pun) and what a symphony it is... I have to say that William Meikle and Dark Regions Press have really put together an excellent collection that should be at the top of your to be read pile and I highly recommend it. - Peter Schwotzer, Famous Monsters of Filmland
A fantastic collection, firmly rooted in the Lovecraftian tradition that showcase Meikle’s talent and take the reader on a chaotic trip to some very sinister places... William Meikle is an entertaining writer with a knack for Lovecraftian fiction and Dark Melodies is a testament to that. If you like literature about slumbering gods and the things that inhabit the spaces that open up beyond what we consider real, I strongly suggest you add this tome to your collection - Gabino Iglesias, lovecraftzine.com
The writing throughout is strong, and Meikle’s capacity to create an atmosphere you would struggle to cut with a machete is something all genre authors should pay attention to. Each story has a satisfying conclusion, with the mythos behind each tale being fully explained with an adroitness one could quite happily grow accustomed to. If you’re already a fan of William Meikle, you know exactly what I mean. If you are yet to discover him, this is a great place to start. In musical terms, a fine collection from intro to outro. - This Is Horror
As with the best of horror fiction, the stories are more about the characters than what happens to them, and the changes that result from their contact with something uncanny. Good collection. - Don D'Ammassa
if you are a fan of the style – and of dark fiction that isn’t full of slashers and vampires, but chills you in a more subtle, supernatural manner – Dark Melodies will certainly be an entertaining, escapist journey for you. - Horror and Fantasy Book Review
It's a while since I've been so entertained by a collection of stories. Dark Melodies was a pleasure to read -and I don't mean a guilty pleasure. It's a collection that struck a chord with me and I heartily recommend it. - Anthony Watson's Dark Musings
The writing is always strong, there is a skill and craft on display here which shouldn't be underestimated. Tight pacing leads to the reader fairly charging through the tales but the atmosphere of mystery and weirdness always remains. - The Heart of Horror
