Bound in Blood

by Johnny Mains, Adam Cesare, Eric LaRocca, Charlie Higson, Nadia Bulkin

Genres: Fairy Tales, Folk Tales, Legends & Mythology; General Fiction; Anthologies; Horror

Synopsis

A chilling anthology of nineteen stories of cursed and haunted books; featuring malevolent second-hand books, cursed novelizations, unsettling journals and the end of the world.

From award-winning authors including Eric LaRocca, Charlie Higson, Kim Newman and A. G. Slatter. Perfect for fans of When Things Get Dark.

You find it hidden in the dark corner of the bookstore; tucked away in a box in the attic, desperate to be read; lurking on your bookshelf, never seen before. Crack the spine, feel the ancient pages. Read it aloud, if you dare. 

This anthology brings together horror’s best and brightest to delve into the pages of cursed books, Eldritch tomes and haunted bookstores. 

Featuring stories from:

Adam Cesare
Eric LaRocca
Isy Suttie
Charlie Higson 
A. G. Slatter
Priya Sharma 
Lucie McKnight Hardy 
Alison Moore 
Kim Newman
And many more!

Release date: September 10, 2024

Publisher: Titan Books

Print pages: 368

Sample

FROM THE SEA

CHARLIE HIGSON

Sent - iCloud 21 February 2024 at 17.38

Alex Furniss

From the Sea

To: Christina Marx

Hi there, Chris.

A big hello to my absolute favourite production designer!

I hope this email finds you well. You’re probably thinking – long-time no ping. What does Alex want from me? He’s a Hollywood hot shot now. Yeah, right. Basically, I got stuck in major development hell with Universal and after nearly two years – surprise, surprise – they’ve drowned my kittens and pulled the plugs and sent me home in a van. Which means I’m back in Blighty and can go back to that project we talked about… God, how long ago was it? It was definitely pre-COVID.

Time flies when you’re having a miserable time.

I shouldn’t have got greedy. The prospect of doing a big Hollywood project with shitloads of dosh attached went to my silly little head. But I don’t need to tell you what a bloody nightmare it is trying to work with those people – especially if you’re not used to it.

Anyway, I’m glad to see that your star’s risen more than somewhat since we last worked together. A quick glance at the trade rags tells me you’ve just finished a major project of your own, and you no doubt have something massive lined up to go on to, but I wondered if you fancied doing an amuse bouche? A little palate cleanser between main courses?

I’m setting up to do a quick simple shoot – bish-bash-bosh, no fucking about, done and dusted – just like the old days when we started out. The budget’s just low enough that we won’t have executives breathing down our necks every minute of every day, and just high enough that we should be able to do something pretty cool if we put the money in the right places. Which we’re both good at. I won’t bore you too much with the details here in case you don’t have the time or the inclination to come on board. But it’s that old Lovecraft-inspired thing that we talked about way back when – From the Sea. It’s changed somewhat, though. I’m not doing it totally straight. As well as elements of the Dunwich Horror and Mountains of Madness, there’s a bit of Poe’s ‘House of Usher’, as well as a strong whiff of Arthur Machen. It’s contemporary, though. It’s as much about politics and race and paranoia and immigration and the sodding culture wars, as it is about tentacled monsters from out of space and time. Though there are some cool crab creatures at the end (which may or may not be real…)

Small cast. Contained settings. Tight storytelling. Some humour. Light on its feet and scary as fuck. No pissing about. I’ve got the budget to build a couple of really cool sets and some key props. Also, I was developing the US thing with an amazing new FX company who can do extraordinary things with no money, Temple of Hekate. The irony is they were too cheap for Universal. They didn’t trust them. Wankers.

It would be a five-week shoot, early autumn, three weeks in Budapest for the interiors, a week in Ireland for the exteriors and a week in Saudi Arabia for a sort of prologue (touches of The Exorcist). I know that sounds extravagant but at one point we were going to shoot my Universal thing out in Saudi and I made some good contacts with the guys at Neom (if you haven’t heard of Neom, look it up). They’re trying to set up as the Hollywood of the Middle East and are desperate for western filmmakers to work out there. They’ve put together a great package of incentives, cash rebates and tax breaks that means we actually save money by filming there. Crazy, I know. Ironically, the most expensive part of filming is the Ireland leg. But I just can’t find the

exteriors I need anywhere else – a big old crumbling mansion on a clifftop overlooking a wild sea. Although the mansion itself will be CGI: we have to see it collapse and fall in on itself at the end of the film.

As you know, this is a script that’s been close to my heart for as long as I can remember. I think God has arranged all this. He meant for the Universal thing to fall apart so that I could get on and do this. The film I was always meant to make. It’ll be a blast – just like the old days – I’m gonna do it all myself, producing, writing, directing. Why work with some incompetent fucker?

Let me know what you think. I’ve attached the latest draft, in a spirit of insane optimism. And yes – you did read that right. It’s draft 17.

Only thing is – we need to move fast on this. It would be good to push some visuals out ASAP so we can package it up and get the last of the funding in place.

Here you go.

FROM THE SEA.fdx

Cheers

Alex

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Sent - iCloud 23 February 2024 at 10.17

Christina Marx

RE: From the Sea

To: Alex Furniss

Hi there, Alex.

Karma. Fantastic timing. You’re right – I think God is organising all this. I’ve just had a major project fall through as well. To tell you the truth I was slightly dreading it. It would have meant at least six months filming in Tunisia. Your five-week package tour of Hungary, Ireland and (gulp) Saudi Arabia sounds like a much better bet. Cut to the chase – I read the script and love it. I’m already buzzing with ideas – which will all probably be outside your budget (some clarification of that would help me make a quick decision).

Draft 17 indeed! You really have been sweating this one, haven’t you, Alex? I thought it was amazing. The way that you worked all those themes into it but at its heart it’s a really scary and disturbing horror film. I’ve got a real mad genius art director in mind to make the book and the other artefacts and come up with a look and feel for the magical/horror elements. I read the script and his name just screamed at me.

Anyway, my guy, Scott, is absolutely phenomenal. A head on him like you wouldn’t believe. I don’t know where he comes up with his ideas. All cards on the table, he was out of action for a long spell following a motorbike accident. In a coma for a long while and then, just as he was getting back on his feet, COVID came along. It hit him hard and he had some mental health problems. He went off the rails a bit, but he’s back on top of things now and I’ve been trying to find a project I can use him on to give him his confidence back. This would be ideal. Some producers I’ve spoken to about him have been wary, but I know you won’t have a problem. You always liked working with crazy people! Honestly, what you’ll get out of him you won’t believe. Once he gets his teeth

into something he is extraordinary.

He’s fast, too. So, if you need some sexy visuals out there quick, he can do it.

So excited. Can’t wait to get started on this. As I say – a budget discussion is all I need to settle any doubts I might have.

Chris

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Sent - iCloud 30 February 2024 at 11.22

Christina Marx

From the Sea

To: Scott Crompton

Scott. You know I always deliver. I’ve got a job that’s right up your nightmare alley. It’s a Lovecraftian horror thing with a twist. And a pretty decent budget.

I don’t know if you’re familiar with old Howard Phillips but at the core of the film is this kind of cursed book called The Necronomicon that crops up in a lot of his work. It’s a kind of grimoire/Book of the Dead thing and plays a starring role in the film, so needs to look AWESOME. I’ve attached the script & I know you’ll love it. I’ve always wanted to do something like this, where the sets and the design tell half the story and I have every faith in you to come back from the dead with all guns blazing. Just remember no live ammo on set. Joke. Is that too soon?

We do need to move fast – if it’s a YES, we need some artwork by last week, if it’s a NO you don’t need to come up with any clever excuses – I’ll understand.

Fingers and toes all crossed.

Christina xx

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FROM: Scott Crompton

Date: Sun, 30 Feb 2024 at 23:28

Subject: From the Sea

To: Christina Marx

christina you’re an angel and a marvel I’ve read the script and you’re right i do love it but you know i have doubts i don’t want to sign onto anything that i can’t pull off and see through to the end and the last thing i want to do is let you down when you have such faith in me can we get together and talk this through before I commit?

Scott

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Sent - iCloud 03 March 2024 at 18.45

Christina Marx

From the Sea

To: Scott Crompton

Hi Scott,

It was great to see you on Tuesday and I’m so glad I was able to persuade you to take on the job. The first thing we need are some concept visuals for the book and a poster that clearly sells the idea of the film in your inimitable style. I’m happy to take this thing in stages. They need selling visuals for the Sheffield Horrorcon 11/12 May, Cannes right after and then Frightfest at the start of June. I hope that is do-able. If you can at least give us artwork for that, and come up with an overall look, then hopefully that will give you the confidence to push on and commit to the actual film.

I’ve attached a rewrite of the opening that Alex just sent me – it focuses even more on the book. Which is apt, because, let’s face it, it’s the star of the film.

Love

Christina

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BLACK SCREEN.

The cold, depressing sound of flapping wind, churning waves and rough weather.

A caption comes up - stark white letters.

1. THE SEA

Now the opening chords of Vaughan Williams’ Sea Symphony blast out. And the chorus explodes...

CHORUS (O.S.)

Behold - the sea...

CUT TO:

1. EXT. ENGLISH CHANNEL - DAY

A miserable seascape. Scummy waves under a dull grey sky. Drizzle in the air, whipped all directions by the wind. There’s a big swell - the whole surface of the sea undulating chaotically.

The music continues as we skim along the surface, just above the billowing water. There’s a black dot in the distance, tiny and insignificant against the power of the sea.

As we get closer, we realise it’s a makeshift rubber dinghy. Packed with young men, mostly dressed in black, huddled together, frightened. Their backs to the sea. Hoods up and heads down, sheltering from the cutting wind and the rain. A YOUNG MAN is steering at the back - grey-faced - haunted - desperate.

The whine of the outboard motor sounds pathetic. Useless. The boat is barely afloat. There’s no sight of land on either horizon.

We move in closer and focus on one of the passengers. ABSHIR, a young Somali man. He looks seasick. He’s clutching something against his chest, trying to protect it from the elements. It appears to be a large, rectangular object, wrapped in layers of plastic. There’s dried blood on the plastic, but the rain is washing it off. Abshir’s hand wipes the last of it away.

We focus on Abshir’s eyes. He’s not here in the boat. He’s thousands of miles away...

Abruptly the sound

of gunfire erupts.

CUT TO:

2. EXT. SUDAN - DAY

A very different scene. Hot. Dry. Dusty. The sun beating down relentlessly from a cloudless sky. We’re in a flyblown desert town, ravaged by war.

In the distance are several Arab soldiers, firing aimlessly. There’s no great sense of order or purpose. They look almost bored.

FOUR AFRICAN MEN - coughing, choking, gasping for breath - hurry across fallen rubble and throw themselves against a protective wall. Almost all that’s left of a partially demolished concrete building. The men are wearing western-style clothing and carrying backpacks.

A bullet snaps and whines, throwing up more dust from the top of the wall.

OLDER SOMALI MAN

We will have to go another way.

YOUNG SOMALI MAN - BEYDAAN

There is no other way.

OLDER SOMALI MAN

There is always another way. We will go back and work our way around them.

YOUNG SOMALI MAN - BEYDAAN

Without our guide we are lost.

OLDER SOMALI MAN
(he spits)

Puh - he was no use to us. He deserved to get his brains blown out.

ABSHIR

I agree with Beydaan. It is too dangerous. We should wait for night.

ZAKARIYA

Don’t stop. Don’t go back. You can make it. But not me...

The others turn to ZAKARIYA. He is the oldest of them. More Arabic looking. He looks worn out. Sweating heavily.

ABSHIR

What is it, Zakariya? What’s the matter?

ZAKARIYA pulls his jacket aside. His shirt is drenched with dark blood. More blood is pouring out of his sleeve, wetting his hand.

ZAKARIYA

This is the end of my journey.

The others accept it. There’s no point in arguing with him. ZAKARIYA painfully shrugs his backpack off and starts handing out the contents to the others - 2 bottles of water - some cans of food - a packet of dates - a wad of grubby cash - and finally - the rectangular object, wrapped in its protective plastic covering.

As he takes it out, his blood smears the plastic.

ABSHIR

What is this?

ZAKARIYA
(forcing the book on ABSHIR)

A book. Take it. It’s valuable. If you get to England, there is a woman at the British Museum. Her name is Maggie King - the details are with the book. If you take it to her at the British Museum, she will give you a lot of money. It was to be my future. Now it is yours.

ABSHIR

What is the book?

ZAKARIYA

The white men call it Al Azif. They believe it was written by a man called Abdul Alhazred. That is not a real name. And that is not the real name of the book. They say it is filled with the names of the dead. Do not try to read it. I was told that by the man who gave it to me. This morning I looked. To try to see if my name was there... I think it must have been...

He puts a hand to his bloody chest and the light goes out in his eyes. He’s given up. ABSHIR looks at the book. The older Somalian grabs his arm.

OLDER SOMALI MAN

Throw it away, Abshir. The man was mad...

ABSHIR thinks. What should he do? He makes a decision and stuffs the book in his backpack.

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From: Scott Crompton

Date: Tues, 05 Mar 2024 at 05:17

Subject: From the Sea

To: Christina Marx

aaargh you know me too well I am stoked about this I’ve been up all night working on stuff listening to the music mentioned in the script FULL VOLUME the Vaughan Williams sea symphony and the walt whitman poem its based on and now its like an invisible force is guiding my hands hahaha you joked at lunch that you and the director guy alex felt that god was behind all this I THINK ITS CTHULHU! hahaha horrors a great genre to exorcize your demons LOL first thing tomorrow or is it today already I am going to get on the case and scare up some research material

Scott

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From: Anthony Newsome

Date: Mon, 11 Mar 2024 at 10:32

Subject: Books Enquiry

To: Scott Crompton

Hello Scott,

Thank you for your enquiry regarding the Necronomicon. I’m sure you will understand that you are not the first person to ask about access to the book and our university library archive, and we are obliged to tell you what we have to say to everyone else.

I’m afraid there is no such book and there never has been. We do have many ancient texts here at Miskatonic, and our collection is world famous, but the Necronomicon is not part of it. The works of H.P. Lovecraft are pure fiction. He made up everything in his books, including the Necronomicon itself. Frankly, we have been plagued by fans of Mister Lovecraft arriving at the university over the years, insisting they must be allowed to see the Necronomicon and accusing us of lying when we explain that it doesn’t exist. In fact, we have dedicated members of faculty whose job it is to deal with these people and explain to them the reality of the situation.

Mister Lovecraft used our university in his books (and used our library for research), but its representation in his work is entirely fantastical. I’m afraid, in creating your version of the Necronomicon, you will have to do what H.P. Lovecraft himself did and use your imagination.

Regards,

Anthony Newsome

Anthony Newsome MLS

Associate Librarian Rare and Manuscript Collections

Miskatonic University Arkham Mass.

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Sent - iCloud 12 March 2024 at 21.55

Hildred Castaigne

The Book

To: Scott Crompton

Hi there Scott

You don’t know me. And I aim to keep it that way. My name is not Hildred Castaigne, that’s a pseudo – a false identify, proceeding from the 

heat-oppressed brain.

Here’s the thing. I was passed your name by a circuitous route. Bullet point version – a junior librarian at Misk is dating a buddy of mine. She told him about your inquiry. He passed it on to me. No names. I have to inform you, my friend, that the Misko staff are not playing straight with you. They’re not totally capping you but neither are they giving you the full FACTS OF LIFE. It’s the truth they don’t have a copy of the Necronomicon. They told no word of a lie there. Because there’s no such artefact. But what they didn’t tell you is that Lovecraft based the Nec on another book. A real book that sits locked away in the vaults of the Miskatonic U. Library. It goes by many names – De Legibus Mortuorum, Almulik Biallawn Al’asfar, Canticum Domini Muscae, Tragoúdi Tou Árchonta Ton Mygón, Rex in Luteum… … But none of them is its actual factual name.

Why?

Because it has no name.

Thing is, they don’t want it to get into the hands and the heads of their spaced-out students. So it rots down there with a few more recent banned books, arty porno, paedophilia, terrorist manuals, textbooks on drug making, that sort of shit. Everything and anything they don’t want on their hallowed shelves, but which nevertheless is still pretty valuable.

Me and a group of like-minded people, including some ex-students and even some ex-faculty, have set up a group dedicated to trying to prise this tome out of their cold dead hands. Nobody’s seen it outside of the library in many years. But there are some facsimiles. There are photos and copies of some of the pages. Now, we want this to be more widely known, and this movie of yours might be a key or a lever to try to get things moving.

Here’s the pitch. We can let you have a peek at some of this material. But this is dangerous for us and keeping our organisation afloat costs a few beans. So, if you offer us some beans, I can offer you a little private dinner. A taste. This way, I’ll know you’re serious.

Obviously keep this

under your chapeau for now.

Castaigne

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From: Scott Crompton

Date: Tues, 12 March 2024 at 21.55

Subject: The Book

To: Hildred Castaigne

OK sending you money proves that I’m serious but how do I know that you’re serious??? your email looks suspiciously like a shakedown a scam if im going to get on board with you and this becomes a business arrangement your going to have to show me something to prove that you have what you say you have

scott (real name)

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Sent - iCloud 13 March 2024 at 23.14

Hildred Castaigne

The Book

To: Scott Crompton

Fair enough, Scotty. I’ll show you mine if you show me yours. If you’re cool with what I send then we’ll exchange account details.

Zapping you a link which shows the cover and three random spreads. If I had the wherewithal and the whatever I’d send you a link that expired and a Mission: Impossible-style self-destruct mechanic that burst into flames and sent out smoke the second you’d read it. But no matter what I do, you could just screengrab it, so I got to trust you.

But let me tell you this, brother Scott – if you play straight with me I will not look for you, I will not pursue you. But if you don’t, I will look for you, I will find you, and I will kill you. LOLZ.

So, let’s play. Beware though, Scotty, over the years, this tome has been called evil, haunted, possessed, the legend goes that if you read it you get sucked into its pages never to escape!

Mwah-hah-hah-haaaargh!!!!! Gurgle gurgle choke death rattle.

Beam me up.

Castaigne.

Sent – iCloud 08 April 2024 at 10.42

Alex Furniss

OMFG

To: Christina Marx

Holy Cow, Chris,

You did not lie. The stuff that’s coming down the pipe from your man Scott is extraordinary. I’ve never seen anything like it. It reminds me of the first time I saw Giger’s designs for Alien. We’d never seen that before in a movie. I didn’t think there was anything else you could do that hadn’t been done, but this artwork, Jesus I can’t put my finger on it, why it’s so disturbing. It’s hypnotic. You don’t want to look at it, but you can’t look away. I mean there’s nothing particularly explicit but, Jesus H.P. Christ, I worry that we won’t get away with it. That they won’t let us use this stuff. But – hell – don’t stop him. Keep it coming.

The cover and the pages of the Necronomicon that Scott’s shared are out of this world – appropriately! I’ve seen this kind of book done so many times in movies and Lovecraft adaptations, The Evil Dead, whatever, but they’re always a bit cheesy. Nobody would ever accuse Scott of cheese – his stuff looks – well, it looks genuinely evil. Depraved. And he’s working so fast. I can’t believe how quickly he’s moved on from drawings to actually making the book.

I’ve shown some of Scott’s visuals to the guys at Hekate and they are going NUTS. I can’t remember ever working on a project like this where everyone on board is so up for it, so into it, so wanting to go that extra mile to make it sensational.

I can’t wait to unleash this artwork and this movie onto an unsuspecting world.

I’m working on another rewrite. Scott’s input has inspired me to really make the script live up to his visuals.

Cheers

Alex

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From: Scott Crompton

Date: Thur, 18 Apr 2024 at 04:27

Subject: Are you OK?

To: Christina Marx

sorry sorry sorry you know I didn’t want this to happen I warned you tho it might but I worked so hard when I started its burned me out I’m I’ve come to a bit of standstill sorry I haven’t sent anything through in the last 10 days or is it more???

i think its this flat working on this working on the artwork and making the book trying to do it all at here it’s not ideal but the flat you know Ingrid left me she left me when I was ill after the bike smash she was good at first she nursed me

I know she did

the real nurses told me she was there she was always there and when I came around it was me and her but it was bad stuck together locked up together in COVID and I couldn’t sleep and I couldn’t concentrate and I had headaches and I couldn’t remember things it made me angry I got aggressive with her I should never have been aggressive I could see it in her eyes the way she looked at me she was starting to pull away starting to hate me and as soon as she was able to leave when lockdown lifted she did

I couldn’t I wanted to stay in the flat I wanted to stay here in canterbury I wanted to stay in the flat but its wrong everything here reminds of her it made me angry angry at myself angry with her angry the world angry with the car that pulled out without looking

your the only person I can tell this to
doctor archer – so called dr archer was useless he was worse than useless trying to put me on all drugs trying to convince me I was damaged I was crazy he’s the crazy one

i did go crazy the other night tho smashed up smashed up the living room tore up some art id been working on which is why ive not sent you anything last few days

i do have idea loads of ideas too many ideas im sending you some thoughts – no images just ideas – to clear my head – unclutter my thoughts

and empty them onto the page

i have to move can’t stay after in this place suffocating me I will go stay at my mothers place in suffolk in the past have done some of my best work there in the sun lounge overlooking over the looking over the sea so much light clear my head

itll be appropriate being there on the north sea not far from dunwich should have thought of it before the real dunwich how neat is that??? do you know the story of dunwich??? In the middle ages it was really important port as big as london but the east coast is eroding falling into the sea even back then was a big storm half the town sunk under the waters they say on some nights you can hear the church bells if I don’t get the inspiration there to finish the job I wont find it anywhere

you know there’s a lot of villages out that way sank under the waves hundreds of years ago and its still going on today COVEHITHE – EASTON BAVENTS – RUNGHOLT over the sea and up in yorkshire are more RAVENSER ODD and COLDEN PARVA

the seas are rising england is falling

trust me please trust me I will do this I want to do this I think the artwork is the best stuff ive ever done you asked me where I was getting inspiration getting references from what my sources were I can’t tell you christina im sworn to secrecy all I can say is its costing me money and if you were able to transfer some to my account it would be really helpful sorry to end on a begging note but you said how much your director liked what I was doing it will only get better once I move to suffolk my head will clear and ill get everything done

bless you for thinking of me and your kindness

Scott

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Sent - iCloud 27 April 2024 at 11.55

Christina Marx

RE: update

To: Alex Furniss

Hi there, Alex. 

Here’s the latest from Scott, it’s just notes, ideas and a few rough sketches, I’m afraid, but interesting material nevertheless. As I said on the phone, he had had a bit of an upset, but I called him and we had a looooong talk and I think I was able to calm him down. He’s such a sweet guy, but he gets lost sometimes. Anyway, he’s moved to the countryside now and I hope it gives him a fresh lease of life, and a new burst of energy.

Anyway – these are some of the notes he sent about the thinking behind the designs he’s working on. I’ve tidied them up a bit and cut out some of the stuff that just didn’t seem relevant, and added some punctuation! His writing can be erratic to say the least.

I don’t know if Lovecraft knew it, or he was channelling something beyond himself, but his description of Yog-Sothoth is weirdly similar to descriptions of angels in the Bible, which aren’t the beautiful, majestic, winged magazine models of Renaissance art. They’re a lot more fucked up. This is from Ezekiel 1. (I’m just picking out the relevant bits – Ezekiel goes on a bit and he repeats himself all the time, like my mother when she had Alzheimer’s.)

‘And I looked, and, behold, a whirlwind came out of the north, a great cloud, and a fire infolding itself, and a brightness was about it, and out of the midst thereof as the colour of amber, out of the midst of the fire… came the likeness of four living creatures.

As for the likeness of the living creatures, their appearance was like burning coals of fire… and the living creatures ran and returned as the appearance of a flash of lightning.

Now as I beheld the living creatures, behold one wheel upon the earth by the living creatures, with his four faces… and their appearance and their work was as it were a wheel 

in the middle of a wheel.

As for their rings, they were so high that they were dreadful, and their rings were full of eyes round about them four.

And when they went, I heard the noise of their wings, like the noise of great waters.

I looked at the living creatures (cherubim), I saw a wheel on the ground beside each creature with its four faces… Each appeared to be made like a wheel intersecting a wheel… Their rims were high and awesome, and all four rims were full of eyes all around. And their whole body, and their backs, and their hands, and their wings, and the wheels, were full of eyes round about.’

You see - wheels within wheels. Covered with eyes. It says somewhere else they’re the colour of crystal - just like Yog-Sothoth - crystal spheres within crystal spheres. Lovecraft describes Yog-Sothoth as a conglomeration of ‘malignant globes’. ‘All-in-One and One-in-All of limitless being and self - which has no confines and which outreaches fancy and mathematics alike. A squirming mess of intersecting, luminescent spheres, or bubbles.’ Or crystals?

Were the Old Ones in Lovecraft simply Biblical angels? One and the same? Yog-Sothoth is the key to the gate, whereby the spheres meet. Yog-Sothoth knows the gate. Yog-Sothoth is the gate. Yog-Sothoth is the key and guardian of the gate. Past, present, future, all are one in Yog-Sothoth.

Do you know John Wheeler’s theory of the one-electron-universe?

Basically, it’s a mystery why every single electron in the universe is identical, with the exact same charge and mass. Wheeler suggested it could be because they’re all the same electron, travelling forwards and

backwards in time – from the beginning of time to the end of time - from the beginning of the universe to the end of the universe. Going backwards and forwards over and over and over so that it fills the universe with what appear to be numberless different electrons – but which are actually all the same one. When it’s going forwards in time it’s negatively charged – it’s an electron – when it’s going backwards it’s a positron, the anti-matter opposite of an electron. That could be an explanation of how Yog-Sothoth works? He’s matter and anti-matter, travelling both ways through time. Existing in all places in all times all at the same time. He knows the beginning and the end.

Past, present, future, all are one in Yog-Sothoth.

The Bible and physics. They’re both the same. God, my Catholic roots are showing. I need to bleach them out. This place is full of my mother’s Bibles. And her pictures of the Pope.

You can’t help but think about the sea when you’re here. The smell of it. What’s under it.

The beach this morning was a mess, covered in a foul black substance and littered with thousands of dead things – crabs, starfish, razor clams, mussels, oysters, lobsters, like a scene from Hieronymus Bosch.

They’re claiming the black stuff is sea coal, it’s not like any coal I’ve ever seen. And the shellfish - the crabs - lying there, twitching, half dead, dying, dead, as if the sea had vomited them up. It stank of decay, necrosis… I can’t get the script out of my head.

The crustaceans, The Mi-Go, the crab creatures, the giant walking lobster things garlanded with seaweed and barnacles, that take Maggie and Abshir at the end of the script? I have some ideas for how

they might look – a bit different to how they’re described in the script? Are they inspired by Leviticus? ‘Anything of the swarming creatures in the seas and of the living creatures that are in the waters that does not have fins and scales is detestable to you. You shall regard them as detestable. You shall not eat any of their flesh, and you shall detest their carcasses.’

You can sense Yog-Sothoth and his kind by their smell. Do you remember that news story about a spurned wife who hid a load of dead prawns inside her husband’s hollow curtain rails and screwed the ends back on, when he kicked her out of the house? The man was haunted by a terrible stink and had no idea where it was coming from. What does Lovecraft say in The Dunwich Horror?

‘By Their smell can men sometimes know Them near, but of Their semblance can no man know, saving only in the features of those They have begotten on mankind. They walk unseen and foul in lonely places where the Words have been spoken and the Rites howled through at their Seasons. The wind gibbers with Their voices, and the earth mutters with Their consciousness. They bend the forest and crush the city…’

As I say, there were pages of this, Alex. I’ve just sent you some of the less wild stuff. I don’t understand physics at all, I’m afraid, but I thought you might find that bit about time-travelling electrons interesting. Scott tends to think a lot about all this stuff. Always makes sure anything he draws or designs has some sort of mythological, religious, scientific, archaeological or historical underpinning. Expect more twisted imaginings from him soon! ...