Auto Rewind is my e-book novelette published in 2016.

What's a novelette, you may conceivably ask? It's a story with a word count higher than a short story, but lower than a novel or a novella.

If I had to nominate one of my short-form fiction works as having been somewhat overlooked (or the more positive spin, my best-kept secret!), it would be Auto Rewind. But then, it's probably odder and harder to categorise than, say, Beast In The Basement (twisty thriller) or A Sincere Warning About The Entity In Your Home (ghost story). 

Auto Rewind is also probably even harder to discuss openly than the notoriously tricky Beast In The Basement, without committing major spoiler sins. 

Suffice to say, Auto Rewind is about a child of the '80s who takes ever more extreme measures to protect his family's lifestyle.

I still really like this book and believe it to be quite emotionally powerful by the end.

It also features Doctor Who VHS, a nail-gun and a man being beaten to death with an Atari 2600 video game console. Pretty retro. 

Cover note: the one on the right above is the finished cover, while the one on the left is an alternate version which was ultimately discounted because I really liked the white purity of the design. Actually, I wonder if it might look too bright and 'un-horror' for some folk? That would certainly be ironic, seeing as it might be my most violent book, second only to The Last Days Of Jack Sparks.  

If you're solely into the scary supernatural elements of my novels The Last Days Of Jack Sparks and Ghoster (thank you!), then the grittier nature of Auto Rewind may not quite be for you. But if you like the sound of a punchy, twisty, freaky and ultimately melancholy tale, then I'd really appreciate you giving this one a shot. In some ways, it might be my most personal book.  Step this way and take a look. 

Have you already experienced Auto Rewind? Let me know how you liked it in comments here. Thanks!

An earlier version of this piece was first read last month by subscribers to my newsletter The Necronoppicon, which brings my readers updates at the end of each month. Oh, and you get a free book when you sign up!