“Horror is the canvas, not the painting” Hailing from the not so frozen wilds of Northern England, Carl Barker is a speculative fiction writer who firmly believes that the secret to a good scary story lies in its content and characterisation, as opposed to horror purely for its own sake. He is the author of numerous short stories within the genre, his work having been published in a variety of magazines and anthologies over the years, and is currently working on what he hopes will be the first of a trilogy of linked novellas set in the late nineteenth century. Carl’s debut collection, ‘Parlour Tricks’, was published by Parallel Universe Publications in the summer of 2017, to positive reviews, and is available in both print and e-book from all the usual stockists. He currently lives and works in the North East, where it’s really not as grim as people make out, and is a member of both The Horror Writers Association and The British Fantasy Society. Thanks for stopping by.