Launching a new website feels a little like stepping into a darkened room—you’re not quite sure what you’ll bump into first, but there’s an excitement to it, too. So, consider this your welcome: you’ve found your way to Dead Static, the home of my horror writing and a growing space for strange stories, unsettling ideas, and the occasional throwback to the things that keep us all awake at night.

I’m Gareth Ellis, author of Short Sharp Shock—a collection of short horror tales that lean into the eerie, uncomfortable, and sometimes downright weird. I’ve been writing for several years now, starting with self-published novels like Creatures (a post-apocalyptic nightmare about mutant rats overrunning Britain), The Next Stage, and Blindsighted. But Short Sharp Shock, released in 2024 under the Dead Static banner, marks the beginning of something new: a space dedicated not just to my work, but to horror in all its messy, fascinating, spine-tingling forms.

What You’ll Find Here

This site is more than just a bookshelf for my books. It’s a place to connect with readers, writers, and anyone else who enjoys horror that makes you look twice at the shadows in your own home. Here’s what you can expect:

• News & Updates: Whether it’s a new book release, a short story drop, or just a look behind the scenes, I’ll share it here first.
• Stories & Experiments: Expect occasional short horror pieces, fragments, and experimental—writing that doesn’t quite fit anywhere else but still deserves to crawl out into the light.
• Submission Calls: Dead Static isn’t just about me. I’ll be opening the door to other writers, with themed horror anthologies and novels that celebrate fresh voices in the genre. If you’re a writer itching to share your work, keep an eye out.
• The Newsletter: Subscribers will get all of the above delivered straight to their inbox, along with exclusive extras that won’t appear on the site.

Why Horror?

For me, horror has always been the most honest genre. It strips away the comfortable illusions we build around ourselves and asks us to look at what we’d rather avoid. Sometimes that’s a monster in the shadows; sometimes it’s the quiet dread of everyday life. Either way, I love exploring the ways stories can unsettle us—and why we keep going back for more.

A Final Word (For Now)

Starting Dead Static feels like the right next step—not just for my writing, but for building something bigger. I want this to be a space that celebrates horror in all its forms, from the nostalgic to the experimental, the gory to the quietly unsettling.

So, thank you for being here at the very start. Have a look around the (still in construction) website, check out Short Sharp Shock if you haven’t already, and if you’d like to stay in the loop, do subscribe to the newsletter. There’s a lot more to come, and I’d love to share it with you.

Until then—stay in the static, and keep your lights on.

—Gareth Ellis