Reviews

---Paul Di Filippo in Asimov's SF Magazine Reviewing Island Life---

A lonely island in the Scottish Hebrides, sparsely tenanted, is host to an archaeological expedition intent on opening an old barrow. But the scientists are not prepared for a surviving colony of murderous monsters led by a mad Atlantean priest named Calent. As the released creatures swamp the island, slaughtering livestock and people alike, the humans find themselves first trying to understand the threat, then combat it with few resources save their courage and wits. A female inkeeper named Anne, her grown daughter Meg, and a researcher named Duncan prove to be pivotal to meeting this threat. Meikle has an engaging, sturdy prose style. And his familiarity with the terrain and culture of his setting contributes to a lively tale, where the inevitable bloodshed has more of an old-fashioned Richard Matheson feel to it than a Stephen King texture.

---Garrett Peck for Cemetery Dance #40 Reviewing Island Life---

Setting his tale on a sparsely populated island in the Outer Hebrides, Meikle works with a small, intimate group of characters. When archeology students open what appears to be an early Neolithic burial mound, they release an ancient race of creatures that have existed since long before the days of Christ.
These semi-human, semi-bestial creatures are devoted to their ancient god, the Sky Father, as well as the practice of cannibalism. Survivors of the initial onslaughta marine biologist, two lighthouse keepers, a pub owner wife and daughter and an old sheep dog must do battle with these monstrous pre-humans, who are as intelligent as they are deadly
Meikle makes the most of his setting, using its isolation to strong effect.
Many fears come into play; agoraphobia, claustrophobia, acrophobia, as well as fear for ones own life and the lives of loved ones. His solid prose commands attention right from the start and carries the reader straight through to the climax.
The Scottish setting and dialogue add a bit of exotic spice for readers tired of terror tales set in small town America. 
Most of all, Island Life continues the Spectral Vision imprint's unbroken record of publishing some of the most exciting new voices in horror. Barclay Books have filled a very import niche and the horror field has been all the richer since their arrival.

---Steve & Lesley Mazey for The Eternal Night---

A group of archaeology students and their professor begin a dig into a mysterious mound on a Hebridean island off Scotland's West Coast. All initially goes well, with unexpectedly friendly relations between the students and the islanders.
But as the mist begins to envelope the island livestock are found mutilated, and one of the students reaches the island lighthouse telling of horrific events in the mound during the excavation. This book starts with gentle chapters introducing the characters and bringing you into the life on the island. You get a good understanding of the people and a feeling for their environment.
The supernatural elements of the story are the introduced in a gradual way as the characters discover what is happening on their island. The gory details are handled in a very minimal fashion, more effective than thorough description could ever be. And the reactions to the events the people exhibit seem highly appropriate, they are not supermen, these are people like you and I, and react accordingly.
This story reads like Stephen King writing a Lovecraft story, bringing King's level of descriptive prose to the supernatural creature from underground storyline.
I am not a frequent reader of horror stories, but Willie Meikle's brand of horror is one I would gladly read in future.

-----Phillip Tomasso for Bookbrowser.com reviewing Island Life----

Island Life is a frightening tale full of intelligent monsters and suspense-filled scenes. In short, it contains all the essential elements to produce a month's worth of bad nightmares. William Meikle does a superb job setting a steady pace, creating three-dimensional characters and delivering a hard-hitting horror novel comparable to that of John Saul.
On an island in the Scottish Outer Hebrides lives a small, select group of people. Duncan is a marine biologist, who regularly takes and studies water samples. Tom and Dick man the lighthouse. Meg, young and beautiful, lives with her parents who operate a pub. Except for the farmer whose livestock is being slaughtered, the small community lives in a certain type of harmony and bliss on the otherwise isolated island. When a group of archeologist students arrive to dig on the remote island, all Hell brakes lose. An ancient evil is awakened. The evil is from a previous civilization at a time before the fabled Atlantis sunk into the depths of the Ocean and they want to seek bloody revenge - to rule the world.
In the darkness of caves, absent from the light of day, William Meikle documents a horrific tale that myths and legends are made of.
From the first chapter, until the last word, Meikle demands attention. Hard to put down, difficult to forget, Meikle weaves a nightmarish story that leaves me wanting more. Island Life is bound to leave a mark.

----Valarie Thorpe for Really Scary.com reviewing Island Life ----

Some writers try to take you to a far away place by dropping a boatload of location names and places and then there are writers like William Meikle. "Island Life," his latest novel from Barclay Books [expected out in November, 2001], takes you to a Scottish island by dropping you dead center into rock strewn lands, drippy thick fog, crunching noises underfoot and you simply have no choice but to go.
It's trite but it's true...I picked it up and I didn't put it down. Read it cover to cover and enjoyed one helluva monster story. But that's selling it short. It's not just a monster story. Sure, it covers ancient evils, where they originated and their current day vengeance wreaking but Meikle's characters are fully developed and easy to picture as people you know, you've had a beer with, you would rather not seen crushed into bone meal by diabolical evil.
Probably one of my favorite elements are the actual creatures. We're treated to a true species, not just a pastiche. I'd actually like to see their story fleshed out even further...maybe a prequel?

------Paula Heuschkel for The Modoc Record Reviewing Island Life-----

My first immediate impression of Island Life (William Meikle, Barclay Books) was 'oh great, another monster story' and it was also completely wrong. Dead wrong, in fact. Island Life is so much more than just another monster story. Meikle’s prose draws the reader in, weaving a tightly spun web of folklore, horror, and suspense from which there is no escape. The isolated island setting combined with the sub-setting of the dank caves is overpowering in its feeling of claustrophobia, an intensity that builds to the novel’s climax. Island Life leaves the reader gasping for air and seriously reconsidering his next Scottish vacation.

------John Swanson Reviewing Island Life on AMAZON-----

Imagine if you will a remote and idyllic Scottish Island in the midst of summer. Drawn here by commitment to a chosen profession you are quickly captivated by the local charm and indigenous beauty of both isle and natives alike. Eventually stranded not only by the weather but "something" else, your senses start to explore the boundary between reality and insanity.
Watch that lighthouse up ahead. Next stop, William Meikles imagination.
Fortunately, that can be a very disturbing place indeed and with "Island Life" he captures the splendour and serenity of offshore Scotland and paints a tranquil picture of residential life before weaving in the discordant tones of the bizarre. He tells the story through the various eyes of his characters, rendering a different perspective of the main events of the book. As always the plot is enthralling and resplendent with the characters appealing and realistic. That's one of the things about Meikle, he doesn't just write about any old Tom, Dick or Harry.
So, if you want to understand the pitfalls of a publican's life or the true perils of coastal navigation then grab a copy of "Island Life" and enjoy a long and treacherous climb up the cliff face of sanity.

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----Lisa DuMond SF Site, MEviews.com---
---reviewing The Johnson Amulet and Other Scottish Terrors----

It¹s hard to see how a city like Providence produced a mind like H. P. Lovecraft; what terrors drove a Rhode Island boy to write of the dark, dank underworld he conjured up. Nameless, coiled monsters barely contained beneath the thin veneer of civilisation seem hard to come by in stoic New England. Now, a place like Scotland, with its bottomless, icy lochs and bleak winters, there is where one can imagine ancient things run wild and death in every sea cave. There, you can find an imagination like William Meikle¹s, a vision strong enough to add new life to Lovecraft¹s rather creaky monstrosities. ³The Johnson Amulet² is just the type of Lovecraftian tale it is easy to envision unfolding in the dark mansions that dot the Scottish countryside. With wide expanses of misty moors and craggy highlands, who knows how many tentacled, slimy beasties might hide in the shadows? The rough seas stir up the very fears that breed a story like ³The Colour of the Deep² and the graphic violence of ³In the Coils of the Serpent.² But, Meikle¹s imagination is not restricted to odes to H. P.
The history of savage battles fought on Scottish soil emerges in the creepy war scenes of ³The Flute and the Glen² where something more than courage and experience may well decide the final body count. A conveniently inconvenient bonus brings about an interaction between human and fiend produces an outcome beyond a man¹s worst nightmares in ³Wee Robbie,² a story that definitely leaves the reader feeling in need of a painfully hot shower and a merciless scrubbing. In what may be The Johnson Amulet¹s most touching and vivid tale, the abuse of a helpless child provides the catalyst for ³An Early Frost.² The multiple interpretations one can derive from this dark fantasy allow for revenge, escape, mercy, and loss, depending on just what the reader believes has happened. It¹s a story that prompts additional readings to glean all that Meikle is suggesting. Despite the fantasy, it is the most human and empathetic story in a collection that often keeps the audience at a distance. Knowing the difficulties some people have penetrating foreign dialects, it¹s wise that Meikle saves the thick Scottish burr for those stories where the feel of the language is an essential element. No modern, mainstream patter can convey the age and the menace of a conversation ³Overheard in a Cemetery.² This short piece is one of many in the book to address the subject of abuse within the family. The resolution to the deadly situations runs the gamut in The Johnson Amulet, with no one coming out a clear victor in the struggle. The Johnson Amulet does, indeed, provide a glimpse of a place and a people few but the natives really know. Perhaps, the stories don¹t always reach the peak of terror, but there are chills and shudders aplenty and an opportunity to hear a voice you just might have missed thus far.

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----Nancy Kilpatrick author of The Power of the Blood Series reviewing The Book of the Dark----

The Book of the Dark takes the reader on an escalating ride of terror. Full of intriguing subplots you hang on for dear life hoping to discover the truth. Meikle does a fine job with delivery

----Buzzy aka Leann reviewing The Book of the Dark----

I never reviewed a book before from greatunpublished.com. First off, I like the look and feel of it. It is on the small side with a rather basic cover. The inside paper stock has a nice feel. It is enjoyable to just hold the book. Willie's story starts back in 1979 with the prologue in which a young couple is on vacation joyfully awaiting the birth of their first child. It has the feel of a Hammer film. I was somewhat confused as the prologue seemed at first to be a self contained short story rather than relating to the rest of the book. It becomes a story of the vampire's bible. Their spiritual origins. I was very intrigued with the idea of a vampire bible. The possibilities are...well I cannot say. Willie then gives you a young man, Tony, who made me think of Stephen King's earlier fiction. Things progress in pieces much like movie scenes. I was edgy through much of the first of the story because I was unsure of where he was going. I didn't know if Willie was going to pull all of these bits of story together. The visual descriptions of one vampire, again reminded me of a Hammer film. Willie `manages to get across this terrible feeling of evil without knocking you over the head with overdone descriptions. The reader learns more of the vampire bible and it works as a bridge to pull all of the plot bits together. Before I quite knew what was happening I had learned character history, an entire new religion, and been set up for a sequel. Some wonderful justice is enacted. I won't spoil it for you but when you want someone to get theirs...in Willie's world they can. It did retain that Hammer flavor throughout and seduced me by wrapping me up in all of these sticky tendrils of nastiness. I can't say that it is my favorite vampire novel but it shows delightful promise and I must read more. Besides, Willie's bio says that he wants to live forever and so do I. Oh, and I'm not going out in the dark anytime soon.

----Shirlie Leighton for Bite Me Magazine reviewing The Book of the Dark----

Two boys in the West of Scotland awaken a vampire and only an unknown bible of ancient events hold the secret that may or may not be able to save them. The vampire scourge spreads quickly through the small community and time is running against whether there is anyone left to fight against it. No heroes are left to stand against this, just a small boy and his teacher. A gem of a book, simple and uncluttered by pop-culture reference to vampires and what brand of clothing they wear. A slow start builds solidly into characters lovingly drawn that are neither stereotypes nor caricatures of lantern-jawed heroes and surroundings and relationships that are warm and real instead of cardboard sets and props. This vampire tale comes into a real town and interwoven throughout is a back history of religious and apocalyptic proportions that echoes enough biblical truth to be immediately familiar yet strike a discordant chill as the story unfolds. Essential reading if you are Scottish, if you are literate, and if you want the vampire genre to grow beyond the stagnant velvet clad fops that perpetuate American fiction.

___ John Swanson reviewing "The Book of The Dark" - Jan 2001____

The Book of the Dark captures the reader from the first page and refuses to let go. Several apparently disjointed events combine in a cleverly crafted story line that keeps the reader guessing all the way to a revealing and exciting climax.Regular visitors to the world of horror won't be disappointed in this first novel from an author whose substantial short story excursions into the macabre have already proved popular with a steady following of regular readers along with a growing band of "fresh blood". Classifying myself as one of the latter I was pleasantly surprised with the quality of the book and was drawn in hook, line and sinker. The book is full of dark suspenseful narrative, wonderful gothic imagery as well as some expertly explored "non-immortal" characters. The Vampire Bible is superbly rendered adding more than credible substance and background to the deadly Shoa. All the usual blood and gore of the horror genre are present here, interspersed with humour as well as the angst of human existence. Who is the mysterious leather clad stranger, is Tony's Granddad right about the Morlocks, why are the locals so tight lipped about the huge stone cairn on Jura and just what did happen in the old air raid shelter? I reckon you should find out.

___ Gary Nicklin reviewing "The Book of The Dark" - Feb 2001____

This is a modern day vampire tale set in Scotland. Vampires, the Book of the Dark tells us, were the first born upon the earth and were cast out due to their thirst for blood. Since then they have feasted on the sons of Adam. And now, having been awakened once more, it is the turn of a small town in Scotland.
I found the book immensely enjoyable and very easy to read. The story's mythos gives a convincing background to the tale and a pleasant twist on the vampire legend. The author credits the reader with knowing the basic vampire myths and then 'corrects' and enhances them as the story progresses, to give the undead a more realistic and credible feel. These vampires have a reason to be, they are out to feed and survive, not seduce.
The climax of the novel was so compelling that it kept me reading until 1am, despite the fact that I'd been up since 5.30am that morning and had then had a four hour drive home from work that evening. If you want a gripping horror novel then buy the Book of the Dark.

___ Bruce Thomas reviewing "The Book of The Dark" - Feb 2001____

This is not your standard " moth eaten vampire dressed in velvet " run of the mill novel. The storyline crackles with excitement and the characters are very well fleshed out [no pun intended]. The story line is very unique and a lot of the plot line is steeped in mythology and ancient legends. If you're tired of "romance novel" vampires and want to read about some real nasty characters with a taste for blood then purchase this novel for an engrossing read.

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READ MY SHORT STORY REVIEWS

__________William D. Gagliani reviewing Millennium Macabre for Gothic.Net ____

This Enigmatic chapbook contains three varied stories, bound in an attractively clean design with a glossy cover. Meikle has over a hundred story credits and it shows these tales are streamlined and concise, wasting no time to get to the meat. In the likely Bob Bloch-influenced "The Dark Island," a man travels to his friend's ancestral home. A family curse, a mysterious island in the center of the loch, and night rowboat trek all add up to a tidy little Scottish tale of vague but atmospheric grue. Definitely a journey worth taking.
"The Blue Hag," with Graeme Hurry, is the centerpiece of the collection, with yet another journey as a brother and sister travel by train to the wilds of Scotland after their father's brutal butchering by culprits unknown. The narrator hated his father, a deer farmer who was about to modernize the farm's killing and butchering process, nor was he interested in the family business. Good thing, it turns out, because he's asked to make a choice by his father's killer, who has good reason to have the deer's best interests at heart. A bracing tale full of Scottish atmosphere and flavor, with a strong naturalist message nicely tucked into the chilling narrative.
I can't help it, I'm not generally fond of C'thulhu stories (sacrilege!), so the charms of "The Johnson Amulet," a noir-Lovecraft pastiche, didn't have their way with me. Suffice to say that a great-lookin' dame hires a down-and-out Glasgow private eye to recover a lost amulet, and toss in one encroaching Old One with hair-snakes. It's fun, harmless homage which makes good use of the local color. Contact Firebird Distributing,

____________ Edward Bryant for LOCUS magazine, June 2000_____________

The UK’s Enigmatic Press has published a new entry in its Enigmatic Novellas Series, the very Scots Millennium Macabre by William Meikle with Graeme Hurry. This collection reprints the story “The Dark Island”; the other two entries are originals. All concerned with this project would appear to be steeped in the distinctive flavour and textures of Scotland. All three stories are fairly traditional treatments of the supernatural, playing comfortably on local color and a healthy awareness of the sheer mass and genius loci nature of history. “The Dark Island” starts in the classic “club story” format, as the narrator takes up a troubled friend on an offer to visit the latter’s ancestral home, an isolated country estate. The real attraction is the family’s marvelously esoteric library. Unfortunately the narrator’s plan to achieve considerable reading in obscure tomes is sidetracked by the matter of a family curse – not to mention the mystery of what dwells on the small island in the nearby loch. “The Blue Hag” involves the legacy of a slaughter-house operator, dead untimely under mysterious and violent circumstances, and the estranged son who finds himself pursued by a horrible old woman who turns out to be far more than she first appears. It makes for an intriguing situation, one fraught with resonant myth. “The Johnson Amulet” concerns a down-on-his-luck private detective who unwisely accepts a commission from a lovely woman to find a stolen amulet. What he discovers is thoroughly Lovecraftian in its Eldritch horror. Conservative seems to be the word of the day for these tales – the authors obviously know and practice a long UK tradition of tale-telling here

______Gary Couzens in Zene #16 reviewing Kimota #8_____

The best story in the issue is Wee Robbie by William Meikle. It’s far and away the best Meikle story I've read……The narrator and his heavily-pregnant wife are spending a short holiday on the Hebridean island of Jura What happens is not especially original, but very well done…..The story benefits from a strong sense of place and a solid structure, leading up to a suitably nasty ending.

_____ Jenny B - BFS Newsletter (19,4) reviewing Kimota #2 _____

Graeme Hurry’s Kimota contains one outstanding story Animal, Vegetable or Mineral by William Meikle. We are presented with the ultimate bully deterrent when a young boy calls on some rather special help to warn off his tormentors. The telling is punchy and the ending is what you are only just suspecting. A truly excellent tale!

___________HWA Newsletter July 2000 ______________

Review of The Johnson Amulet...what really carries the tale is the plot that moves with lightning grace portraying genuine moments of horror in the classic fantasy/ horror genre. .... a very enjoyable read. Recommended
Review of The Blue Hag....this tale is an enjoyable read; its elegant prose carrying the reader through the tale swiftly and with ease. Recommended.