Talespinning pb – PRE-ORDER

In front of him, backlit by a faint green glow, a third figure seemed to appear from the motes of dust floating in the air. It took a step towards him, metal instruments clinking gently at its waist. Tony sat staring at the figure. His heart was beating nineteen to the dozen, and, despite the chill air, sweat broke out on his pate and started to run down his temples.

Horror stalking the streets, druggies after the latest high, fairies in the garden and haunted thrash metal albums … just some of the bizarre and compelling tales from the talented pen of David J Howe.

Encompassing short stories and extracts from other pieces, Talespinning is a fascinating dip into the unknown. If vampires, imaginary dogs, and wishes that come true appeal, then this collection has something for you!

‘As a collection of shorter fiction this collection is eminently readable with a nice range of stories in differing forms.’ SciFi Online

‘These stories made me want to read more horror and I don’t think I can conjure up a greater compliment.’ GeekMom.com

‘The lack of cliches was refreshing and the ideas incredibly unique, often with a very British feel to them – especially strong to me in “Moonlighting” and “Record Collector Blues”. These stories cover a vast range of horror styles and themes from demons to vampires as well as more science fiction elements. There are a few longer tales in here as well; “Goodbye Rembrandt” is a full length Doctor Who story featuring the Fourth Doctor and his female Timelord companion Romana. It echoes strongly of an old favourite TV series of mine, the woefully under-appreciated British show Sapphire and Steel which David refers to as being an influence on the story. “Blackfriars” is another longer tale which puts a new horror perspective onto one of my favourite genres – outrageous archaeology.

‘This is a great collection with something for most horror and fantasy fans. Doctor Who fans, especially those from the classic pre-2005 era, will doubtless find the Who-verse tales of great interest but there is more to this book than just the Doctor’s world, and the other short stories are all worthy of your time and attention. As a horror story novice I found this a great introduction to a variety of styles, allowing me to get a bit more understanding of the genres I am drawn to and as such Talespinning will sit well on the shelves of horror, fantasy and science fiction fans alike.’ Sophie Brown, Wired.com

215pp. B-format paperback anthology.
ISBN 978-1-84583-271-1
Published 30 June 2026

Cover art by Bryan Talbot

NB: this reprint of Talespinning does not include the two Doctor Who scripts for Daemos Rising and Face of the Fendahl.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

David J Howe has been involved with Doctor Who research and writing for over 30 years. He has been consultant to a large number of publishers and manufacturers for their Doctor Who lines, and is author or co-author of over 30 factual titles associated with the show. He also has one of the largest collections of Doctor Who merchandise in the world. David was contributing editor to Starburst magazine for 17 years from 1984-2001. From 1994 he was book reviews editor for Shivers magazine until it ceased publication in 2008. In addition he has written articles, interviews and reviews for a wide number of publications, including Fear, Dreamwatch, Infinity, Stage and Television Today, The Dark Side, Doctor Who Magazine, the Guardian, Film Review, SFX, Sci-Fi Entertainment, Collectors’ Gazette, Deathray and the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography.

He edited the bi-monthly newsletter of the British Fantasy Society from 1992 to 1995, and also edited and published several books for them, including the British and World Fantasy Award shortlisted Manitou Man, a limited edition hardback and paperback collection of short fiction by horror author Graham Masterton. He also edited the BFS’s fortieth anniversary anthology, Full Fathom Forty, published in September 2011.

He wrote the book Reflections: The Fantasy Art of Stephen Bradbury for Dragon’s World Publishers and has contributed short fiction to Peeping Tom, Dark Asylum, Decalog, Dark Horizons, Kimota, Perfect Timing, Perfect Timing II, Missing Pieces, Shrouded by Darkness and Murky Depths, and factual articles to James Herbert: By Horror Haunted and The Radio Times Guide to Science Fiction. He wrote the screenplay for Daemos Rising, a film released on DVD by Reeltime Pictures in 2004.

He wrote about Doctor Who merchandise for Doctor Who Insider magazine, and contributed liner notes for AudioGO’s range of Doctor Who novelisation CDs.

He is currently Editorial Director of Telos Publishing Ltd, a UK based independent press specialising in horror/science fiction novellas, crime novels, and guides to a variety of film and TV shows. In 2006 the company won the World Fantasy Award for their publishing work, and in 2010 celebrated their tenth anniversary while also receiving the British Fantasy Award for Best Small Press.