About

Black Beacon Books is an independent publisher founded by author and anthologist, Cameron Trost. It began in Australia in 2013 and is now based in Brittany. We publish thrilling fiction in the genres of mystery, suspense, post-apocalyptic, horror, and ghost stories. We like our tales quirky, atmospheric, and thought-provoking.

Why the name? There are many tropes and symbols used in fiction of a dark and mysterious nature. Amongst them, we have keys, mirrors, telescopes, treasure chests, secret passages, graveyards, skulls, churches, castles, caves, telescopes, clocks, the moon, oil lamps and candles, and, of course, beacons and lighthouses. The beacon or lighthouse conjures a setting of darkness, for in daylight they are rendered almost useless. In this darkness, they have a role to play, a crucial role, and that is to either warn away or beckon nearer. That is also the role of Black Beacon Books, to thrust the reader into mystery and darkness whilst providing a distant and guiding light, one that can be seen atop cliffs rising up from a troubled sea or on the peaks of wild mountains. We want stories that both warn you of impending danger and draw you into the worlds they create.

We thank our patrons for their support and acknowledge the loyal dedication of our Lighthouse Keeper patrons: Karen Bayly and Stuart Olver. You can join the team at Black Beacon Books Patreon.

If you want to buy a gripping read, visit our shop, and if you are a writer, please refer to and carefully read our submission guidelines.

Do you need examples? Here is just a handful of the editor's favourite fiction.

The Brazilian Cat by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle 
The Murders in the Rue Morgue by Edgar Allan Poe 
Dip in the Pool by Roald Dahl
The Venus Fly Trap by Ruth Rendell 
The Thief by Ruth Rendell
The Erymanthian Boar by Agatha Christie
The Master Builder by Christopher Fowler  
Belvedere's Bride by Jane Gregory
The Hourglass by Leigh Blackmore
The Snail Watcher by Patricia Highsmith
The Nest by C. S. McMullen
Her Collection of Intimacy by Paul Haines
Lot's Wife by Charles Birkin
Listening by Joan Aiken
Rest in Peace by Norman P. Kaufman
Choice of Weapon by C. B. Gifford
Mr D. and Death by Henry Slesar
The Lord of the Dynamos by H. G. Wells
The Girl Who Loved Graveyards by P. D. James
Exit Line by Reginald Hill
The Man on the Ladder by Harry Kemelman
The Diary of Death by Marten Cumberland
High-Rise by J. G. Ballard
Lord of the Flies by William Golding
The House on the Borderland by William Hope Hodgson
The Island of Doctor Moreau by H. G. Wells

Or simply buy one of our titles.








No comments: