One of the foremost British horror writers of any generation, James Herbert, died yesterday aged 69 and left a huge hole in the genre and millions of fans around the globe grieving for his passing.
The master of psychological horror had given his readers terrifying blood curdling moments through-out a 39 year career that started in 1974 with the release of the book The Rats and finished only recently with the paperback release of the 2012 novel Ash.
Born in London in 1943, the youngest son of East End market traders, Herbert won a scholarship to St Aloysius Grammar School in Highgate at the age of 10. Showing a flair for art and music he got his first work in advertising, becoming art director and head of the agency he joined.
At the age of 28 he wrote his first novel, The Rats, and within a few years was able to give up the path that had been decided for him and take up writing full time. In a prodigious career, James Herbert touched the very root of fear in a way that his contemporary, the American horror writer Stephen King, was unable to do. By making the ordinary disfigured and shocking, Herbert was able to stay away from the route taken by many horror writers in introducing the obscure and almost unrealistic. Instead he concentrated on subjects that could happen. The Rats touched on a primeval fear of rodents; this horrific and terrifying book spawned two sequels, Lair and the highly rated Domain. Domain should be considered a classic of its time as it not only dealt with the horror of mutant rats over-running the city of London but also the very real danger of nuclear warfare and the death and destruction that went along with it.
London was a regular comrade in James Herbert’s life and work. As a child he grew up in the same East End community that saw the rise of The Kray twins, albeit 10 years apart, the same East End that had been terrorised by Jack the Ripper 60 years before his birth and the same streets that saw death and destruction on a nightly basis as the German Luftwaffe tried to pound London into submission during World War Two. His personal affection with London saw the book Domain take life and the same streets he played in as a boy, the same bombed out houses that served a play areas to the young boy became the same places that were destroyed by both several nuclear bombs and then by rats with a taste for human blood. In perhaps one of the most shocking endings to any book of the time or of the genre, the hero discovers that human kind was descended, not from apes but from rats instead. A terrifying and wonderfully written climax!
Over the years James Herbert wrote several masterpieces and amongst them The Magic Cottage, Nobody True, Shrine and Moon stand out as some of the most inspiring and disturbing books written for the horror genre.
In the last year one of his novels was finally televised for the B.B.C. and was a remarkable piece of work. The Secret of Crickley Hall, which starred Douglas Henshall, Suranne Jones and David Warner. The programme was perhaps the finest tribute to the writer in that finally someone had captured his vision perfectly. In his long career, the period between 1974 and 1990 should be considered as his finest writing and for that alone he never once let the readers suffer as other writers managed. Always concisely written, full of drama and the right amount of edge to make the reader disturbed and uneasy, it was a quality that will be sadly missed.
In the authorised story of James Herbert’s life by Craig Cabell, Devil In The Dark, the horror writer recounts a tale that shows how much being told what to do and how to behave went against the grain. Travelling to Singapore on business for his advertising company he was told that anyone with long hair would have to have it cut before being allowed in.
“My hair wasn’t over-long, but when we got to the airport they refused to let me through until I had it cut. I said, “No way, I’m not having it cut,”…Then the airport staff bought the machine guns around, and I said “What’s all this about? All over a haircut?” And this guy said, “If you are staying, you’ve got to have your hair cut.” …In the end they let me through but they kept my passport overnight saying, “If you don’t collect it tomorrow we’ll come looking for you.” And I just said “Yeah, yeah,” I was young, I didn’t care. And that’s when I heard about John Lennon. He went through the same thing, but our man of the people-the rebel-had his hair cut.”
In an interview last year James Herbert said, “I hate violence and I didn’t plan to write horror; it just poured out of me. The great thing is that you can write humour, romance or political thrillers under that genre.”
Tributes were led by Jeremy Trevathan, his editor for 10 years. He said, “Jim Herbert was one of the keystone authors in a genre that had its heyday in the 1970s and 1980s. It’s a true testament to his writing and his enduring creativity that his books continued to be huge bestsellers right up until his death. He has the rare distinction that his novels were considered classics of the genre within his lifetime. His death marks the passing of one of the giants of popular fiction in the 20th century.”
Working to the end, James Herbert was due to appear at the Williamson Tunnels in Liverpool during the literary festival this year. It is an event that many fans were looking forward to. A writer that will be much missed by all.
James Herbert: Born April 8th 1943 in London: Died March 20th 2013.
Ian D. Hall