By JOEL HARLEY
RUE MORGUE’s Joel Harley (right), seated in the shadow of the terrifying genius of horror master Garth Marenghi (center)
In the 1980s, horror author Garth Marenghi wrote, produced, directed and starred in Darkplace, a television series set in a supernaturally challenged UK hospital. Beset by a constant barrage of paranormal attacks, only the tireless work of Doctor Rick Dagless (Marenghi) keeps the demons at bay. Deemed too extreme, too polemic, for our puny little minds, Darkplace was duly buried by terrified executives, only to re-emerge decades later, on Channel 4 in the UK.
Despite a passionate cult following, it seemed as though the powers-that-be were right. Mainstream audiences weren’t ready for Darkplace, and the show vanished soon after its re-release. An appearance on the similarly short-lived late-night chat show Man to Man With Dean Learner notwithstanding, Garth Marenghi seemed done for. And the world was a darker place for it.
Nearly two decades on from Darkplace’s Channel 4 release, and the author, dreamweaver and visionary (plus actor), suddenly resurfaced. Marenghi burst back onto the scene with a new book titled Terrortome and, with it, a series of readings across the UK. As someone desperate for more Marenghi ever since Darkplace, I was elated. Yearly DVD re-watches and the proliferation of Marenghi’s “I know writers who use subtext” meme will only take you so far.
With Terrortome, Marenghi introduced readers to the world of Nick Steen, a horror author whose fictional works explode into reality after an erotic encounter with a demonic typewriter. In this book, three chilling tales document the subsequent fallout when Steen’s creations begin to devastate small-town Stalkford, England. In 2023, Marenghi followed up Terrortome with Incarcerat, which finds Steen incarceratted – sorry, incarcerated – at a mysterious facility while sinister forces conduct terrible experiments upon his person (and brain). With Incarcerat came a second book tour and another opportunity to commune with its creator.
The Archduke O’Darkdom is back again with THIS BURSTED EARTH, the next chapter of the Nick Steen trilogy (although, given that each volume consists of three stories, perhaps it’s more of an ennealogy, or decalogy if you’re counting the short tale “Throttle and Bribes”). As with the two previous volumes, THIS BURSTED EARTH is spread across three tales: “Bonelord,” “The Black Steeple” and “Specimen.” Fusing supernatural crime thriller, Lovecraftian horror and chilling sci-fi adventure, its overarching story finds the writer desperately fighting to shove the demons of his own creation back into the bottle… well, between ski holidays, anyway.
Marenghi’s live shows are more than just book readings, functioning as stand-up, Q&A and fan service all at once. Any worries that Marenghi might be running out of steam after three such tours are quickly allayed. On this occasion (Birmingham Town Hall, April 18, 2026, to be precise), we found the master of horror in fine fettle indeed, kicking off with an evocative reading from “Specimen” before moving on to chapters of “Bonelord” and “The Black Steeple.” In addition to the usual Q&A segment, Marenghi also introduced a musical element, showing off the guitar skills he’d attained during a black magic ritual and subsequent communion with the spirit of a dead musician. A certifiable banger, and one which may well portend a fresh avenue for his talent.
Joel Harley and Matthew Holness (Garth Marenghi)
To drop the pretence for a moment, this is another magnificent performance from Matthew Holness, the creator of Garth Marenghi and writer of his books. By now, his Marenghi is more than just a one-note Stephen King impression. From Terrortome’s Hellraiser riff to Incarcerat’s play on Freddy Krueger, Candyman and Dean Koontz, it’s evident that the man knows horror, and each tome brings with it another loving spoof of the genre. You’d also be heavily encouraged to check out Holness’ 2012 film Possum, in which he proves himself capable of delivering horror with a (mostly) straight face, too. And talking of straight faces, Holness did an admirable job of keeping his, even when faced with a couple of truly doltish (and outright bizarre) questions from the folk of Birmingham. Truly terrifying indeed.
And what’s next for Garth Marenghi? The author promised his audience in Birmingham that a fourth book in the trilogy is imminent. I, like many other devoted readers, will be there for as many as he wants to churn out. And should he vanish back into the ether, as he did before? One would hope that he enjoys the same longevity as Mr. King. But given that we never dared imagine that Marenghi would be back from Darkplace, each outing has been more than we could have hoped for anyway.
One’s cup runneth over. Or bursts, as it were.
