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Looking for a good book recommendation? Our writers have a few unsung sci-fi, fantasy and horror gems up their sleeves...

Other people. What’s the point of them? They’re noisy and everywhere.

There is one thing they’re especially good at, however, and that’s recommending new stuff. In the spirit of that, we asked our writers to recommend great books that, for whatever reason, haven’t been surrounded by as much fuss and recognition as they deserve.

Nominations came in for personal favourites in fiction, non-fiction, children’s books and graphic novels, so we’ve divided them up into a series of features, the first of which is below, on great unsung sci-fi, fantasy, horror and thriller adult fiction.

Our hope is that you’ll demonstrate your worth as other people by carrying on the recommendations in the comments section below. Thanks in advance.

The Ladies Of Grace...

Following its release in North America last year, director Julian Richards' debut horror feature, Darklands, is finally now available on DVD in the UK as well courtesy of Metrodome Distribution. Check out its impressive new cover art.

From the Press Release:

Starring Craig Fairbrass (Cliffhanger), Jon Finch (Frenzy), and Rowena King (Wild Saragossa Sea), Darklands is frequently compared to Robin Hardy’s 1970’s cult classic The Wicker Man, but the writer/director also acknowledges a debt to Roman Polanski’s Rosemary's Baby.

Darklands, which won the Melies D’Argent for Best European Fantasy Film in 1997, launched the directing career of Julian Richards, who went on to helm Silent Cry, The Last Horror Movie, Summer Scars, and Shiver, whilst producer Paul Brooks produced Shadow of the Vampire, White Noise, and Haunting in Connecticut.

"Darklands was the first British film to combine horror with social realism, a genre watershed which paved...

Top 10 James Stansfield 4 Sep 2013 - 06:27

There's long been a hidden link between Hollyoaks and horror. Here are 10 actors who've made the jump from soap to gore...

Nb: This article contains spoilers.

There’s a moment in one of comedian Simon Amstell’s stand up shows where he recounts a conversation he once had with the executive producer of Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks. Trading on the commonly held opinion that Hollyoaks is “rubbish”, Amstell enquired as to why the producer didn’t try to make it better. The answer came that they did make it better, but people stopped watching.

Even by the not-so-great standards that soaps are measured, Hollyoaks has always been firmly towards the bottom of the ladder. The fictional Chester suburb where the majority of inhabitants are extraordinarily good looking but also extraordinarily stupid has been identified by its often wildly outlandish storylines and impossibly pretty people.

I'm not quite the devotee of Game of Thrones as many of my friends (I just can't keep up with all the storylines). But one thing I do know is that my favourite character by far is Arya Stark, played with incredible conviction by Maisie Williams. Not content just to wield a sword or tweet pictures of her pet turtle, Williams recently shot a short film called Corvidae, written and directed by Tom de Ville, who has written for the television series Urban Gothic and Lexx and has projects with music video director Corin Hardy. Corvidae is a dark fairy tale about a young girl who loves birds, and the very strange thing that happens when she tries to protect a wounded crow from the...

[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...

And so it begins, the race to capture Paranormal Activity 's success. The next year is bound to bring forth imitators. One hailing from the UK that will be knocking on our door sometime in the near future is The Possession of David O'Reilly from writer-director Andrew Cull. Said to be based on actual events, the film - and this is a synopsis from Epic Pictures Group - is a "terrifying supernatural shockumentary about a demonic presence in a young couple's home in London." A young couple? Check. A demonic presence? Check. Sounds like a British spin on Paranormal Activity . Cull's only credit to date is the UK's Urban Gothic , an anthology horror series which ran for two seasons. Giles Anderson, Francesca Fowler, Nicholas Shaw and Zoe Richards star. More...

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Evil Dead and Spider-Man director, Sam Raimi, is going to be producing a supernatural horror called Refuge, which will be written by Tom De Ville based on a pitch by up-and-coming Brit director, Corin Hardy. The project has been set up at Mandate, where Raimi’s own Ghost House Pictures has a deal.

Refuge apparently, “centers on a remote town terrorized by a Yeti, the mythological creature native to the mountains of the Himalayas.” The pic will be produced by Jason Blum, Nathan Kahane and Steven Schneider. Blum’s Blumhouse Productions will finance a short film of Refuge before the full-length version, which both Hardy and Ville will work on as well. The idea is that Hardy can, “refine his vision,” even as the script is being worked on. I’m also guessing the producers want to see if newbie movie director Hardy can actually...

Ghost House Pictures principal and filmmaker Sam Raimi has announced (via THR) that he'll produce a new supernatural horror project called Refuge. The film is based on a pitch by up-and-coming British director Corin Hardy about a remote town terrorized by a Yeti, the mythological creature native to the mountains of the Himalayas. Hardy will direct from a script by fellow British writer Tom de Ville, whose only credits are the TV shows "Urban Gothic" and "Lexx." Hardy and De Ville are also working on a short film with the same premise that is designed to help Hardy refine his vision while the script is being written. Steve Zeitchik over on THR compares this mentorship to that of Guillermo del Toro, who finds great up-and-coming filmmakers and helps produce and develop their projects so that they'll have a chance to take off. Raimi has previously produced horror films like The Grudge,...