In celebration of Women In Horror Month this year, I want to shine the spotlight on a modern day virtuoso of the genre, Helen Grant.
Helen is a horror author from Scotland who writes Gothic novels and short supernatural stories. She’s had stories published in Weird Tales, Supernatural Tales, All Hallows and Nightmare Abbey, to name just a few. A collection of her stories was published by Swan River Press entitled The Sea Change and Other Stories in 2013. She’s a lifelong fan of M. R. James which may explain how she became such an effective crafter of spine-chilling yarns. Helen’s stories draw you in through her great characters, then mesmerizes you with the eerie, uncanny events they struggle against.
THE LIST (By Order of Publication)
“Snow” (2022) – Two friends climbing a mountain in Scotland during bad winter weather run into trouble when one of them befalls a terrible accident, leaving the other to try and find his way out without his cell phone. It appears hopeless due to the heavy fog until a lone woman arrives and offers her assistance in return for a promise. This is an intense, well told tale. (Found in Nightmare Abbey issue #1)
“The Wynd” (2022) – Sunlight flashing through a narrow alley between two tall buildings draws the interest of a passing conman. When he notices a street sign labeling it a Wynd (a name given to some alleyways), he decides to squeeze through and check out what lies beyond. There he finds an opulent church which he decides to scope out for valuables, but perhaps this mysterious church has its own plans for him. (Found in Nightmare Abbey issue #2)
“Seeing Is Believing” (2023) – In attempts to escape her abusive partner a woman travels to her Aunt Dodo’s remote, old cabin. It’s very rustic, without plumbing or electricity, but she has nowhere else to go. While there, she finds a pair of her Aunt’s glasses, trying them on as potential replacements for her own taped-together ones. She finds she can suddenly see a group of moth-like fairy beings inhabiting the place. They are friendly but unfortunately, there’s another much darker presence in residence as well. This is a really great story which kept me riveted throughout! (Found in Nightmare Abbey issue #4)
“Invasive Species” (2023) – Upon the passing of her father, a woman returns home to the island were he lived to attend to his final arrangements. While at his house, she notices a wall which has been erected between his place and that of the neighboring property. Investigating, she finds a mysterious all-black house next door which gives her very bad vibes. This is a great, creepy story! (Found in Nightmare Abbey issue #4)
“Goldfish” (2024) – A man learns his ex died of a heart attack in her apartment shortly after he’d broke in to flush her beloved goldfish down the toilet. He then begins to see scores of these fish manifesting in watery areas near him. They appear to hold a very nasty grudge. (Found in Nightmare Abbey issue #5).
“Report of Animals” (2024) – A group of friends take a road trip but are surprised to find their path devoid of other drivers. Signs begin to spring up along the roadside as they drive warning them of trouble, but they push on, much to their later regret. (Found in Nightmare Abbey issue #6)
“The Trumpet Shall Sound” (2024) – A man finds himself left alone inside a lighthouse keeper’s cottage next to a still operational but unattended beacon. He and his wife had rented it for vacation and to work on their troubled marriage, but an undisclosed pandemic hit the area requiring them to stay in place. His wife, however, refused and left anyway, taking the only car with her. As the days go on, the man struggles to find food to eat and suffers from intense loneliness as he no longer sees people, planes or ships. Cut off from all communication with the outside world, he encounters a hideous new terror he must confront. (Found in Nightmare Abbey issue #7).
“Localism” (2025) – When Connor Dixon, son of business tycoon Ian Dixon, encounters a strange looking woman in the lake, which is being converted into a resort complete with an automated surf simulator, he becomes concerned. The woman warns him to stay away from the area. Terrible things soon begin to happen as the resort nears completion. This is an excellent, weird tale that ties into fairy lore. Highly recommended! (Found in Nightmare Abbey issue 8)
“Scarlet Woman” (2025) – After her abusive husband was killed near the end of WWII, Verity takes a job transposing notes from an aged professor who lives in another village. This forces her to make an hour long train journey there and back each day. She enjoys this peaceful time watching the picturesque landscapes sweep by as she rides. One spot she doesn’t like, however, is a rickety old cottage where she often sees a brutal-looking man outside. His presence fills her with fear, but she watches anyway. As her trips continue, she sees different glimpses of him and later a female companion. This is a superb story which unfolds in riveting fashion. Another tale which receives my highest recommendation! (Found in Nightmare Abbey issue 9)
“Polyphemus” (2025) – A scientist working to develop a teleportation device realizes his wife is cheating on him with his lead researcher. He pretends not to know as he devises a plan for revenge. This is a great story which comes to a horrifying conclusion. (The Terror Tales of Chaos anthology)
Helen’s Website: https://www.helengrantbooks.com
Helen’s U.S. Amazon Page: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B0034Q347S?ccs_id=c24bbb9d-cdfd-4976-bba2-2b93aff6b142
Helen’s U.K. Amazon Page: https://www.amazon.co.uk/stores/Helen-Grant/author/B0034Q347S?ref=ap_rdr&shoppingPortalEnabled=true
Article by Matt Cowan
Horror Delve 
There simply aren’t enough writers like M.R. James…
Like Helen Grant, I’m also an avid fan of M.R. James’ work, and I simply devoured her book “The Antiquary and the Crocodile”, which collects together her early writings on a selection of James’ stories; stories she wrote as she travelled to certain locations James based his stories on. So far, I haven’t read any of the novels by Helen, though I think I’ll give some of them a go, particularly “The Glass Demon”, which, in the blurb, says was inspired by James’ tale “The Treasure of Abbot Thomas”.
I must admit, with the popularity of M.R. James ghost stories, I often wonder why few authors have not tackled and published re-writes, updates or retellings (re-imagingings) of the tales themselves, even writing new stories, or collections of their own, written in the style of James. Maybe I need to read more widely, but the only authors I can think of that get anywhere close to James’ original stories are Steve Duffy (The Night Comes On), Sheila Hodgson (The Fellow Travellers), Rosemary Pardoe (The Angry Dead) and John Connolly (Nocturnes).
Sheila Hodgson used James’ “Stories I Have Tried to Write” as the basis for her own retellings of the ghost story, and I must admit I think her retellings, or ‘completions’ of James’ unfinished tales, are fabulous and the radio recordings made from them I often listen to over the Halloween or Christmas period.
Ramsey Campbell’s collections “Alone with the Horrors” and “Dark Companions”, amongst others, are very good, but his style differs from James quite a lot and is more like Lovecraft; and although great stories, and stories I’ve enjoyed, they are often difficult to get hold of these days as such collections have long been out of print.
A novel that is loosely based on one of James’ ghost stories is “Furnace” by Muriel Gray. A second is “Our Lady of Darkness” by Fritz Leiber, which incorporates a number of themes taken from the writings of M.R. James. I can’t think of any more.
But, as I say, few writers today seem to have ‘added’ to his ‘collection’ of ghost stories, producing similar collections in a similar written style. Anyone who emulates him, or claims to, tend to write their tales in snappy, modern prose – totally unlike James who writes (yes, a little long-winded, I agree) in a more ‘scholarly’, drawn out fashion, referencing antiquated texts throughout his stories, something that helps gives greater authenticity to his tales.
I doubt we’ll get another M.R. James, but there are many authors out there, I’m sure, that could do a similar, if not better job than James, if they put their minds to it.
On the other hand, perhaps James isn’t as popular after all and this is the reason why few writers have decided not to emulate his style.
M. R. James is a favorite of mine as well. I discovered him originally in a book where Ramsey Campbell was recommending him. Ramsey wrote “The Guide” as a tribute to James several years ago. Reggie Oliver completed a partial story of M. R. James’ in “The Game of Bear”. So, there are at least a few out there. I’ll certainly have to check into The Antiquary and The Crocodile as that sounds excellent. Thanks for the suggestions.
You’re welcome, Matt. And just say, still love your website and visit it regularly for recommendations, etc.
Thank you very much, Gary! I appreciate that. I’ll try to keep the recommendations coming and look forward to your feedback.