Stephen Gallagher Books

“Magic always stops at midnight,” reflects the doomed narrator in the title story of this captivating collection. Within these thirty astonishing tales, one of Britain’s most distinguished writers weaves a tapestry of postwar melancholy, exploring themes of life, death, and the haunting nature of existence. From the forlorn ghost in “Twisted Hazel” to the misguided attempts at grief management in “Shepherds’ Business,” the stories delve into the unsettling demands of family fame in “Little Dead Girl Singing” and the collision of personalities in “The Butterfly Garden.” These narratives meditate on what it means to be alive, probing the very essence of ghosts and the haunting we impose upon ourselves. The lines blur between the paranormal and the pathological, featuring an array of characters—from time travelers and clairvoyants to priests, serial killers, and ventriloquists—who confront their own fractured psyches and the sinister desires that drive them. The collection also includes two original works: a novelette, “The Backtrack,” and a short story, “Live from the Morgue,” crafted specifically for this anthology. This work showcases the author at the height of his powers as one of the premier dark fantasists of his generation, ensuring that the magic endures well beyond midnight.

Sir Owain Lancaster is either a madman or a monster... Sir Owain's sanity has been in question ever since a disastrous Amazonian adventure killed his family and colleagues. However, when two local children are found brutally slain, Lancaster claims that the same dark forces that devastated his expedition have followed him home...

Set in a distant future where humanity explores the stars, this concluding installment of a science fiction trilogy follows a commercial charter that crash-lands on the luxurious yet abandoned Babylon asteroid. As the crew and passengers grapple with their damaged ship and the impending threat of a mysterious object, tensions rise with a brewing mutiny. The true nature of Hotel Babylon unfolds, revealing secrets that challenge their survival and safety in this deserted paradise.

I am Biroc. The shadow of my past... and your future. Warriors' Gate In this new-to-print, expanded novelisation of the classic 1981 adventure, the TARDIS is caught in a collapsing void between two different universes - and the 4th Doctor, Romana and Adric must enter into a dangerous alliance with the Tharils - a race of enslaved, time-sensitive aliens. The consequences are explored in two further short stories... The Kairos Ring Now allies of the enslaved across all creation, Romana and the Tharil Laszlo ride the time winds in search of the sinister Sluagh - aliens who retool the dead as deadly warriors. The Little Book of Fate Searching for the source of a scream across time, the Eighth Doctor investigates a most unusual carnival freak show in the north of England - where a figure from his past awaits him. Not one story but three, from one of classic Doctor Who's most original voices - Stephen Gallagher, author of the original screenplay for Warriors' Gate.

The familiar world is shattered when two teenaged lovers are found drowned in the lake, followed by a bizarre outbreak of lakeside deaths. Pete begins to suspect that the answer lies in Alina's past, among the shadows of a Russian prison hospital. The author also wrote "Chimera" and "Rain".

Marianne, dix ans, môme solitaire en mal d'affection. Son héros, c'est Ryan: normal, il l'a sauvé de la noyade. Et maintenant, il va l'aider à retrouver sa mère. Un héros, ça peut tout faire, non? Mais c'est galère, leur histoire... Une seule piste, qui se perd dans les coulisses d'un monde glauque. La police s'agite. Plutôt mal barré, l'expédition "maman" ! Hôtels borgnes, squats sordides, prostitution, sado-masochisme, pourvoyeurs de chair fraîche... Le voyage vire au cauchemar. Tout peut arriver - surtout le pire. Surtout pour Marianne. Parce que Ryan, il est sympa, mais il a une passé. Pas très reluisant. Alors avec une gosse dans les pattes... De la côte anglaise aux bas-fonds de Hambourg, itinéraire d'une descente aux enfers dans un paradis qui broie les anges.