First published in the USA in 2006, and long out-of-print, The Lost District has never been published in the UK until now, further enforcing Joel Lane's reputation as one of the most significant and distinctive British writers of the weird.
Joel Lane Book order






- 2024
- 2023
First published in 2012, Joel Lane's World Fantasy Award-winning collection is a true modern classic of weird fiction that cemented his place as one of the most important and distinctive British writers of the weird. WITH A NEW INTRODUCTION BY R.M. FRANCIS
- 2023
First published in 2003 and long out-of-print, The Blue Mask is a hardcore emotional trip exploring the trauma of change and the nature of violence and of love.
- 2023
The Witnesses Are Gone is a first-hand account of a journey into the darkest parts of the underworld - a look behind the screen on which our collective nightmares play.
- 2022
First published in 2000, Joel Lane's debut novel From Blue to Black is a story of passion, blood and alcohol, broken strings and broken lives - a piercing voyage through our musical and political past that cuts to the bone.
- 2021
The Anniversary of Never
- 152 pages
- 6 hours of reading
The collection showcases Joel Lane's acclaimed stories, celebrated by notable figures in weird fiction. His work, frequently featured in prestigious annual anthologies, delves deeply into the complexities of the human condition, offering readers an unflinching look at life's darker aspects. This posthumous compilation highlights Lane's unique voice and mastery in storytelling, ensuring his legacy continues to resonate with fans of the genre.
- 2020
The Earth Wire
- 224 pages
- 8 hours of reading
Joel Lane's The Earth Wire was first published in 1994 by Egerton Press and is reissued in paperback by Influx Press for the first time in over twenty-five years. With a new introduction by Nina Allan.
- 2018
This Spectacular Darkness: Critical Essays
- 354 pages
- 13 hours of reading
Joel Lane, renowned as a writer of compelling strange stories, novels in the noir tradition, and acute poetry, was also a thoughtful and perceptive essayist on the fantasy and horror fields. For the journal Wormwood he wrote a series of pieces discussing the leading figures in twentieth-century dark literature, including H.P. Lovecraft, Thomas Ligotti, Fritz Leiber and Robert Aickman. They are characterised by his profound insight, high critical standards and his keen allegiance to this fiction. Joel always intended to collect these essays in a book to be entitled This Spectacular Darkness, a quotation from the poet Edwin Morgan, whose work he admired. This cannot be that book: but it brings together all the essays he was able to write in the series. Joel writes in his essay,
- 2016
Scar City (Paperback)
- 230 pages
- 9 hours of reading
Featuring twenty-two stories, this collection showcases the haunting and impactful storytelling of Joel Lane, a prominent figure in slipstream and horror fiction. Set primarily in Birmingham, the narratives blend urban fantasy with deep emotional resonance, leaving a lasting impression on readers. Additionally, the book includes a significant essay by Nina Allan that delves into Lane's 'Blue' trilogy, providing further insight into his work and themes.
- 2015
Scar City
- 256 pages
- 9 hours of reading
Scar City is one of the final collections put together before Joel Lane's death in 2013 - with his home city of Birmingham as their nucleus, these are intense, haunting and often painful stories from a master of the short form. WITH A NEW INTRODUCTION BY NICHOLAS ROYLE