The undisputed king of the psychological horror genre, James Herbert's writing has plundered the darkest depths and exposed the most dreaded secrets of the human mind. Now, for the first time, this completely authorised work exposes the secrets at the heart of the author. Based on over a dozen exclusive interviews with the man himself, there are also contributions from Herbert's friends and acquaintances, including Clive Barker, Peter James and Ingrid Pitt. Drawing out the dramatic parallels between the dark images that have characterised his life and the haunting tales from which he made his name, this book traces his formative years growing up in the East End of London, where he witnessed the swarming vermin that became the basis of his first novel in 1974, The Rats.A close friend and associate of Herbert, Craig Cabell charts he development of Herbert's work throughout his life and outlines the extraordinary comparisons with other practitioners of horror writing. 'In everybody's life story, they are the hero. So if they are made to feel inadequate or a little stupid, then who's the hero? Not me, I'm the bastard. I've upset a lot of people because I just try to get things as right as possible' – James Herbert Utterly Gripping…Totally Absorbing' – The Express
