Green Fingers Update: Reviews, Interviews and Readings

Since my micro-collection Green Fingers was published by Black Shuck Books back in April, we've had a strange few months - possibly the strangest in living memory. For obvious reasons, all our well-laid plans for launches, readings and publicity jaunts were thrown to the wolves of Covid-19, along with so much else besides. It's life, Jim, but not as we know it.

On the plus side, people still seem to have been reading books during lockdown, in some cases more than ever - and the reviews have rolled in. I'm pleased to say that they've been unanimously positive so far, which makes me think that we've managed to get this little volume into the hands of the right people after all, coronavirus be damned.

Ginger Nuts of Horror said: "Green Fingers demonstrates that short stories of nature gone awry can still have deep roots. These six unsettling stories will slither and ooze themselves into your subconscious."

STORGY said: "Green Fingers is a secret garden of horror stories: shadowy, motley, but robustly knotted together by one thematic root... this is an author in awe of nature, of its terrifying power and potential."

And this in the 5/5 review from Kendall Reviews: "If this is simply an appetizer for Dan Coxon, then you can send back the menu. I’m ready for the main course. Outstanding."

Runalong the Shelves called it: "a really strong collection of horror stories where we meet very different narrators who all find their world going 90 degrees from the norm... A wonderful collection to read in your garden…but watch out for what may be watching you."

Runalong the Shelves were kind enough to interview me too, so you can find out more of the inspirations behind the book here.

Aphotic Realm wrote: "Dan Coxon takes the strange and makes it seem probable."

Into the Gyre said that: "Coxon nicely manipulates our emotions so that we gleefully anticipate the inevitable horror."

George Daniel Lea also gave the book an extended review on YouTube, and it's positively glowing. He calls the stories "dark and resonant and unknowable", and compares them with Ramsey Campbell's earlier short fiction.

If you want to hear some of the stories for yourself, Andrew Jones did a wonderful reading of 'Invasive Species' and 'By Black Snow She Wept' (the first two stories from the book) as part of his May I Scare You Festival. You can listen to his readings here. 

And if you haven't already done so, you can buy a copy of Green Fingers from Black Shuck Books here.

Finally, here's the official launch video that I made for Black Shuck. Extra points for spotting the master of classic horror lurking in the background...