Guy N. Smith
Encyclopedia
Guy Newman Smith is a prolific English writer best known for his pulp fiction
-style horror fiction
, though he has also written non-fiction, soft-porn, and children's literature..
book, Werewolf by Moonlight in 1974. It spawned two direct sequels.
He is probably best known for a series of six Crabs books, the first of which, Night of the Crabs, was published in 1976. The series chronicles invasions by giant, man-eating crabs of various areas of British coastline.
The pulpish nature of Smith's concepts and writing are legendary in the horror fiction world, and have been spoofed by the award winning comedian and writer Matthew Holness
in his Garth Marenghi
persona.
Smith has had over a thousand short stories and magazine articles published. He has written a series of children's books under the pseudonym
Jonathon Guy, two thrillers under the name Gavin Newman and a dozen non-fiction
books on countryside matters. However, he is best known for his 70 or so horror books.
The Penguin Enclopedia of Horror and the Supernatural considers that Smith's horror novels were "endearing, imbued with lively storytelling and the tacky brilliance of the horror and science fiction cinema of the 1950's".
Smith's work mixes sex
, violence
, gore
and self-conscious humour. Despite his reputation in some quarters as being a hack writer
, Smith's novels enjoyed considerable popularity in Poland in the early 1990s, having been cheaply translated and published as pocket editions by the Amber publishing house.
A life-long pipe smoker, he won the British pipe smoking championship in 2003. He collects pipes and smoking ephemera
and has also written a book on tobacco - Tobacco Culture: A DIY Guide
. He is also an active pro-smoking campaigner. He is married to Jean and they have four adult children.
February 2009 saw the release of the hardback thriller "Maneater" from Severn House, followed in March by the official paperback release of "Deadbeat" from Ghostwriter Publications.
December 2009 heralded the reissue of the classic "Night of the Crabs" from Ghostwriter Publications, this time in hardback, with brand new cover art, a foreword by American author, JF Gonzalez and a complete new chapter limited to 100 copies.
2010 continued the addition to his huge volume of work, with the new novel "Nightspawn".
films. Paperback novels all originally published by New English Library in 1975 and reprinted by Pyramid Books in 1976 both with black and white drawings throughout.
Pulp fiction
Pulp fiction may refer to:* pulp magazines, short stories presented in a magazine format, printed on cheaply made wood-pulp paper* Pulp Fiction, a 1994 film directed by Quentin Tarantino...
-style horror fiction
Horror fiction
Horror fiction also Horror fantasy is a philosophy of literature, which is intended to, or has the capacity to frighten its readers, inducing feelings of horror and terror. It creates an eerie atmosphere. Horror can be either supernatural or non-supernatural...
, though he has also written non-fiction, soft-porn, and children's literature..
Biography
Smith wrote his first horrorHorror fiction
Horror fiction also Horror fantasy is a philosophy of literature, which is intended to, or has the capacity to frighten its readers, inducing feelings of horror and terror. It creates an eerie atmosphere. Horror can be either supernatural or non-supernatural...
book, Werewolf by Moonlight in 1974. It spawned two direct sequels.
He is probably best known for a series of six Crabs books, the first of which, Night of the Crabs, was published in 1976. The series chronicles invasions by giant, man-eating crabs of various areas of British coastline.
The pulpish nature of Smith's concepts and writing are legendary in the horror fiction world, and have been spoofed by the award winning comedian and writer Matthew Holness
Matthew Holness
Matthew Holness is an English comedian and actor from Whitstable in Kent. He attended Chaucer Technology School in Canterbury and read English at Trinity Hall, Cambridge, where he was vice-president of the Cambridge Footlights...
in his Garth Marenghi
Garth Marenghi
Garth Marenghi is a fictional horror author and actor, created by English comedians Matthew Holness and Richard Ayoade, and played by Holness. To date, the character has appeared in two stage shows, the Perrier Award-nominated Garth Marenghi's Fright Knight and Perrier Award-winning Garth...
persona.
Smith has had over a thousand short stories and magazine articles published. He has written a series of children's books under the pseudonym
Pseudonym
A pseudonym is a name that a person assumes for a particular purpose and that differs from his or her original orthonym...
Jonathon Guy, two thrillers under the name Gavin Newman and a dozen non-fiction
Non-fiction
Non-fiction is the form of any narrative, account, or other communicative work whose assertions and descriptions are understood to be fact...
books on countryside matters. However, he is best known for his 70 or so horror books.
The Penguin Enclopedia of Horror and the Supernatural considers that Smith's horror novels were "endearing, imbued with lively storytelling and the tacky brilliance of the horror and science fiction cinema of the 1950's".
Smith's work mixes sex
Sex
In biology, sex is a process of combining and mixing genetic traits, often resulting in the specialization of organisms into a male or female variety . Sexual reproduction involves combining specialized cells to form offspring that inherit traits from both parents...
, violence
Violence
Violence is the use of physical force to apply a state to others contrary to their wishes. violence, while often a stand-alone issue, is often the culmination of other kinds of conflict, e.g...
, gore
Gore
-Violence:* Graphic violence visually depicted, especially the realistic depiction of serious physical injuries involving blood, flesh, bone and brain matter. This "gore effect" was first visualized in Wolfenstein 3D....
and self-conscious humour. Despite his reputation in some quarters as being a hack writer
Hack writer
Hack writer is a colloquial and usually pejorative term used to refer to a writer who is paid to write low-quality, rushed articles or books "to order", often with a short deadline. In a fiction-writing context, the term is used to describe writers who are paid to churn out sensational,...
, Smith's novels enjoyed considerable popularity in Poland in the early 1990s, having been cheaply translated and published as pocket editions by the Amber publishing house.
A life-long pipe smoker, he won the British pipe smoking championship in 2003. He collects pipes and smoking ephemera
Ephemera
Ephemera are transitory written and printed matter not intended to be retained or preserved. The word derives from the Greek, meaning things lasting no more than a day. Some collectible ephemera are advertising trade cards, airsickness bags, bookmarks, catalogues, greeting cards, letters,...
and has also written a book on tobacco - Tobacco Culture: A DIY Guide
. He is also an active pro-smoking campaigner. He is married to Jean and they have four adult children.
February 2009 saw the release of the hardback thriller "Maneater" from Severn House, followed in March by the official paperback release of "Deadbeat" from Ghostwriter Publications.
December 2009 heralded the reissue of the classic "Night of the Crabs" from Ghostwriter Publications, this time in hardback, with brand new cover art, a foreword by American author, JF Gonzalez and a complete new chapter limited to 100 copies.
2010 continued the addition to his huge volume of work, with the new novel "Nightspawn".
Werewolf series
- Werewolf by Moonlight (1974)
- Return of the Werewolf (1976)
- The Son of the Werewolf (1978)
Crab series
- Night of the Crabs (1976)
- Killer Crabs (1978)
- The Origin of the Crabs (1979)
- Crabs on the Rampage (1981)
- Crabs' Moon (1984)
- Crabs: The Human Sacrifice (1988)
Crab short stories
- Crustacean Vengeance (from Scare Care ed. Graham Masterton, Tor 1989)
- The Decoy (from Fear #13, 1990)
- The Crabs (from Peeping TomPeeping Tom (magazine)Peeping Tom was an award-winning British small press magazine in the 1990s, initially published by David Bell and edited by Stuart Hughes...
, 1992) - Crabs' Armada (from The Cadaver Chapbook)
Truckers series
- The Truckers 1: The Black Knights (1977)
- The Truckers 2: Hi-Jack! (1977)
- Blood Circuit (1983)
Sabat series
- Sabat 1: The Graveyard Vultures (1982)
- Sabat 2: The Blood Merchants (1982)
- Sabat 3: Cannibal Cult (1982)
- Sabat 4: The Druid Connection (1983)
- Dead Meat (1996) (omnibus of all 4 books plus two new Sabat stories, Vampire Village and Hellbeat)
Writing as Jonathan Guy
- Cornharrow (1988)
- Badger Island (1993)
- Rak: The Story of an Urban Fox (1994)
- Pyne (1995)
- Hawkwood (1996)
Disney books
Novelizations of the classic DisneyThe Walt Disney Company
The Walt Disney Company is the largest media conglomerate in the world in terms of revenue. Founded on October 16, 1923, by Walt and Roy Disney as the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio, Walt Disney Productions established itself as a leader in the American animation industry before diversifying into...
films. Paperback novels all originally published by New English Library in 1975 and reprinted by Pyramid Books in 1976 both with black and white drawings throughout.
- Sleeping BeautySleeping Beauty (1959 film)Sleeping Beauty is a 1959 American animated film produced by Walt Disney and based on the fairy tale "La Belle au bois dormant" by Charles Perrault...
(1975) - Snow White and the Seven DwarfsSnow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937 film)Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is a 1937 American animated film based on Snow White, a German fairy tale by the Brothers Grimm. It was the first full-length cel-animated feature in motion picture history, as well as the first animated feature film produced in America, the first produced in full...
(1975) - Song of the SouthSong of the SouthSong of the South is a 1946 American musical film produced by Walt Disney and released by RKO Radio Pictures. The film is based on the Uncle Remus cycle of stories by Joel Chandler Harris. The live actors provide a sentimental frame story, in which Uncle Remus relates the folk tales of the...
(1975) - The Legend of Sleepy HollowThe Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. ToadThe Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad is a 1949 animated feature produced by Walt Disney. The film was released to theaters on October 5, 1949 by RKO Radio Pictures and is the eleventh animated feature in the Walt Disney Animated Classics series...
(1975)
Softporn books
- Sexy Secrets of Swinging Wives, Part 1: The Partner Swappers (as Anonymous)
- Sexy Confessions of a Relief Nurse (as Wendy Davis)
- Sexy Confessions of a Games Mistress (as Joan Hudson)
- Sexy Confessions of a Bank Clerk (as Peter Lynch)
- Sexy Confessions of a Secretary (as Patricia Mathews)
- Sexy Confessions of a Pop Performer (as Alan Myatt)
- Sexy Confessions of a Window Cleaner (as Adrian Wood)
Other Novels
- The Slime Beast (1975)
- Der Ruf des Werwolfs (1976) (Originally printed in German only, Published by Erich Pabel as a part of their "Vampir Horror Roman")
- The Ghoul (1976) (based on the 1975 film The GhoulThe Ghoul (1975 film)The Ghoul is a 1975 British horror film starring Peter Cushing, Veronica Carlson and John Hurt.-Plot:The Ghoul tells the story of a group of upper class people in 1920s England who take part in an automobile race to Land's End, but due to accidents along the way, all end up on a rural estate owned...
) - Bamboo Guerillas (1977)
- Bats Out of Hell (1978)
- Locusts (1979)
- Satan's Snowdrop (1980)
- Caracal (1980)
- Doomflight (1981)
- Warhead (1981)
- Entombed (1981)
- Manitou Doll (1981)
- Wolfcurse (1981)
- The Pluto Pact (1982)
- The Lurkers (1982)
- The Undead (1983)
- Accursed (1983)
- Throwback (1985)
- The Wood (1985)
- Abomination (1986)
- The Neophyte (1986)
- Snakes (1986)
- Cannibals (1986)
- Alligators (1987)
- Bloodshow (1987)
- Fiend (1988)
- The Island (1988)
- The Master (1988)
- The Camp (1989)
- The Festering (1989)
- Mania (1989)
- Phobia (1990)
- The Unseen (1990)
- Carnivore (1990)
- The Black Fedora (1991)
- The Resurrected (1991)
- The Knighton Vampires (1993)
- Witch Spell (1993)
- The Plague Chronicles (1993)
- The Dark One (1995)
- Dead End (1996)
- Water Rites (1997)
- The Pony Riders (1997)
- The Busker (1998)
- Deadbeat (2003)
- Blackout (2006)
- The Cadaver (2007)
- Maneater (2009)
- Nightspawn (2010)
Non-Fiction
- Gamekeeping and Shooting for Amateurs (1976)
- Tobacco Culture: A DIY Guide (1977)
- Ferreting and Trapping for Amateur Gamekeepers (1978)
- Hill Shooting and Upland Gamekeeping (1978)
- Profitable Fishkeeping (1979)
- Ratting and Rabbiting for Amateur Gamekeepers (1979)
- Sporting and Working Dogs (1979)
- Animals of the Countryside (1980)
- Moles and Their Control (1980)
- The Rough Shooter's Handbook (1986)
- Practical Country Living (1988)
- Writing Horror Fiction (1996)
- Hunting Big Cats in Britain (2000)
Short story collections
- Horror Shorts: 1st Collection (June, 1999 by Bulldog Books) ISBN 0-9532701-1-4
- "Crustacean Vengeance" (a Crabs story)
- "The Brain Crawlers"
- "The Last Boot"
- "Hellfire" (a Sabat story)
- "Come Back, My Darling"
- "Hounds From Hades"
- "The Ghouls"
- "The Baby"
- "The Shooting on the Moss"
- "Wheels of Evil"
- "Curse of the White Rhinoceros"
- "The Hoax"
- Mystery & Horror Shorts: 1st Collection
- "The Suitcase"
- "The Island of Sweet Music"
- "The Doll"
- "The Act of God"
- "The Last Supper"
- "Bullseye"
- "The Crabs"
- "Triple Death"
- "The Writing on the Wall"
- "The League of the Twisted Serpent"
- "The Piper Calls the Tune"
- "Until Death"
- "Dawn Rendezvous"
- "The Poacher"
- "The Scapegoat"
- Fifty Tales from the Fifties
- Science Fiction & Horror Shorts: 1st Collection
- "Skywatch"
- "Converging Forces"
- "The Influencer"
- "Phoenix"
- "The Grim Reaper" (a Black Fedora story)
- "President Seven"
- "Red Alert"
- "Alone"
- "Chapters of Destiny"
- "The Book of Lies"
- Horror Shorts: 2nd Collection
- "The Crabs" (a Crabs story)
- "The Ginger Bear"
- "The Grim Reaper" (a Black Fedora story)
- "The Vampire Village" (a Sabat story)
- "Hollow Eyes"
- "Come On In and Join Us"
- "The Executioner"
- "Until Death"
- "Return to Innsmouth"
- "Ratmania"
- "The Waiting Game"
- "Pocklington's Walk"
Chapbooks
- Come On In and Join Us (Horror Express Publications)
- Crab's Armada (April 2009, Ghostwriter Publications)
- The Doll (April 2009, Ghostwriter Publications)
- The Decoy (April 2009, Ghostwriter Publications)
- Crabs: Unleashed (October 2009, Ghostwriter Publications)
- Limited Edition (December 2009, Ghostwriter Publications)