The Collectible James Herbert
An author who i have really got into in the past few months is James Herbert and i'm so glad that i have done. His books are bloody good reads and i can't encourage people enough to give them a try!
His first novel way that was published way back in 1974 ( a few months before Mr King) and there were only 1,000 books produced. I was very lucky to find this copy because there are less than a handfull for sale on the internet and at 5 times the price that i paid for mine. its another library copy but i love it!
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The second book that James Herbert had published just a year later is the infamous 'The Fog'. Its grusome deaths & sexual references gave it a name and in some places was banned. But Stephen King & especially Ramsey Campell have campaigned to have it recognised as the classic work of genius that it is. I feel very lucky to own this copy because depite being over 35 years old it is in mint condition and was signed at last years World Horror Con in Brighton.
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His 3rd book came out in 1976 and was another hit. A plane chashes in a quaint english village and one man survives without a scratch to his body and with no memory as to his survival and to why the plane crashed. I mean he should do because he was the co-pilot and feel bad to have lived, buit is it just that, there is another feeling deep down that other forces are at play, darker forces. Thus off he goes in search of answers and it leads to a great read. Here is a near fine 1st edition.
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James Herbert ASH book signing, Waterstone's, Birmingham New Street, 03/09/12
I was lucky enough to attend a book signing and Q&A with James Herbert a couple of weeks back. Mr Herbert doesn't appear at public events all that often due to ill health I believe, so when this event was announced I jumped on it straight away. It's been six years or so since Herbert's last novel was published and this event was to promote his new novel ASH, and was his only Waterstone's signing in the UK.
Without going into too much boring detail, I've been a James Herbert fan for nigh on 30 years, as long as I've been a fan of Stephen King actually, and I fulfilled a personal ambition of mine by finally meeting the man himself on 3rd September. Any way, I travelled down to Birmingham by train on the Monday morning from Glasgow which was a four hour journey. I had a hotel room booked for an overnight stay so went and checked in and left my overnight bag and had a meal. I headed to Waterstone's about 6:30 for the event at 7. It was a ticketed event and there were around 200 people there. Mr Herbert gave a talk on his new book ASH and then took some audience questions. He mentioned a certain Stephen King a few times and said they are still good friends who stay in touch quite reegularly. He also said that if he could have written a novel by any other author then it would have been The Shining :)
After the Q&A we went and purchased our first edition copies of ASH and waited in line for Mr Herbert to sign them. He was a lovely man and happily chatted to everyone and posed for pictures. I took 2 of my favourite books by him along to the event and he signed them for me without any problem.
Here are some pictures below: (sorry for the poor quality)
Mr Herbert signing ASH
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Me and James Herbert
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My signed and inscribed 1st/1st of ASH
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Signed 1st/1st of The Fog which I took along to be signed
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Signed Hodder 1st/1st of The Rats which I also took along with me.
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The reason I took this Hodder edition of The Rats to be signed was that it's part of a trilogy and I have the other 2 Hodder editions in the series signed already and this completed my set.
So, there we have it. When I got to speak to Mr Herbert, he chatted to me about Scotland when he heard my accent as he had been up in Scotland researching ASH and he also said I should be able to work out which castle (featured in the book) his fictional castle was based on as I was a Scot. He also said he would love to see a film version of his book The Fog, and I should hold onto my 1st edition which he had just signed as it was pretty rare and "would be worth a few quid" lol. His words exactly. He was a very gracious and humble man and it was a pleasure to finally meet him.
After the signing, I went for a few beers with a couple of fans I had been queuing with who were from the Birmingham area. So I also made a couple of new friends as well. After drinks it was a Burger King and back to the hotel tired but happy, then train back home the next morning.
Sorry for rambling on but I had a fantastic experience and thought I'd share it with those who are interested.
Alan.