Angela Slatter's Blog, page 101

Spectral Book of Horror Stories: Steve Rasnic Tem’s The Night Doctor

As a younger reader (back when dinosaurs walked the earth) I got my first taste of Steve Rasnic Tem’s fiction in the Giant Book of Vampires (edited by Steve Jones). The story was the slowly creeping “Vintage Domestic”, a tale that taps into the horror of the home and all
Read more...

Spectral Book of Horrors: Gary McMahon’s Dull Fire

The two main things you need to know about Mr Gary McMahon are that he is disgustingly prolific and disgustingly talented in the creeping-you-out department. Just read The Bones of You, Reaping the Dark, and What They Hear in the Dark and then try sleeping. I dare you. Below, Gary
Read more...

Two by Teodor Reljic

The rather delightful Teodor Reljic writes fiction, co-edits Schlock Magazine, and is also the culture editor and film critic at MaltaToday. His debut novel is Two, a special kind of coming-of-age story, tender, affecting and rather mystical.

1. So, what is the story behind Two? What inspired you to
Read more...

Spectral Book of Horror Stories: Nicholas Royle’s This Video Does Not Exist

The multi-talented Mr Nicholas Royle is not only a writer, but also a senior lecturer in creative writing at the Manchester Writing School, and runs the acclaimed Nightjar Press. He’s edited sixteen anthologies and is the author of seven novels, two novellas, and one collection. He took some
Read more...

Over at Thirteen O’Clock …

…  Andrew McKiernan gives Home and Hearth a very kind review.

This review will be short, because ‘Home and Hearth’ is short. That’s not to say the length in any way diminishes its strength or impact. Instead, the growing sense of dread seems concentrated, distilled to achieve maximum effect.

Ze rest is
Read more...

Snapshot 2014

The 2014 Snapshot of Australian Speculative Fiction is being conducted even as I type.

The lovely Random Alex interview me over here.

And the rest of the Snapshots can be viewed at these various blogs:

http://crankynick.livejournal.com/tag/2014snapshot
http://bookonaut.blogspot.com.au/search/label/2014snapshot
h ttp://www.davidmcdonaldspage.com/tag/2014snapshot/
http://fablecroft.com.au/tag/2014snapshot
http://helenstubbs.wordpress.com/tag/2014snapshot/
http://jasonnahrung.com/tag/2014snapshot/
http://kathrynlinge.livejournal.com/tag/2014snapshot
http://mayakitten.livejournal.com/tag/2014snapshot

Read more...

Spectral Book of Horror Stories: Helen Marshall’s Funeral Rites

Helen Marshall is the author of the British Fantasy award-winning Hair Side, Flesh Side (which is indeed brilliant), Gifts for the One Who Comes After and The Sex Lives of Monsters, as well as many short stories scattered lovingly across the planet (possibly the Universe, who knows?).
Read more...

Exile

An embarrassment of riches! My friend and write club buddy, Peter M. Ball, has had his novella, Exile, released into the wild. You should read it because you’d have to go a long way to find a better gritty urban fantasy with a dark sense of humour limning its edges.

Pete
Read more...

Spectral Book of Horror Stories: Alison Littlewood’s The Dog’s Home

Alison Littlewood is the author of the thoroughly unsettling A Cold Season, The Path of Needles, and The Unquiet House – it’s therefore entirely appropriate for her to be in The Spectral Book of Horror Stories! She’s been kind enough to answer a few questions for me about her work
Read more...

Spectral Book of Horror Stories: Stephen Volk’s Newspaper Heart

Mr Stephen Volk is the mind behind such gems as Gothic, Ghostwatch, and Afterlife … please take a moment to indulge in the traditional Wayne’s World “We’re not worthy” obeisance. Done? Excellent. He’s been quite rightly described as “one of the godfathers of British horror” (Michael Wilson, This is Horror),
Read more...