Angela Slatter's Blog, page 76

Fablecroft’s Focus 2014: highlights of Australian short fiction

Fablecroft have released the ToC for their Focus 2014: highlights of Australian short fiction and I’m happy to say that “St Dymphna’s School for Poison Girls” is getting another outing, and in very good company too!

St Dymphna’s School for Poison Girls by Angela Slatter

Wine, Women and Stars by Thoraiya Dyer

Vanilla by Dirk Flinthart

The Legend Trap by Sean Williams

The Seventh Relic by Cat Sparks

Death’s Door Café by Kaaron Warren

The Ghost of Hephaestus by Charlotte Nash

The Executioner Goes Home by Deborah Biancotti

Signature by Faith Mudge

Cookie Cutter Superhero by Tansy Rayner Roberts

Shadows of the Lonely Dead by Alan Baxter

It will be available in September in e-booky formats.

Cate Gardner and The Bureau of Them

Cate Gardner is a British horror and fantastical author with over a hundred short stories published. Several of those stories appear in her collection Strange Men in Pinstripe Suits (Strange Publications 2010). She is also the author of  five novellas: Theatre of Curious Acts (Hadley Rille Books, 2011), Barbed Wire Hearts (Delirium Books, 2011), In the Broken Birdcage of Kathleen Fair (Alchemy Press, 2013), This Foolish & Harmful Delight (Egaeus Press, 2013) and The Bureau of Them (Spectral Press, 2015).

Her chapbooks Nowhere Hall (Spectral Press 2011) and The Sour Aftertaste of Olive Lemon (Bucket ‘O’ Guts Press 2009) have now sold out, and she is currently working on a novel.

Her forthcoming novella, The Bureau of Them, is stunning and devastating and terrifying and haunting. I should know: I wrote the Introduction. I said stuff like “The Bureau of Them is Pure Horror in the best sense: it arouses fear, dread, sometimes disgust and shock … but, driven as it is by Cate’s beautiful prose and precise vision leavened with black humour, you find you don’t want to turn away. You are frequently seized and held captive by dread anticipation, but you never turn away. This novella is all the more terrifying because it feels real, possible, because the landscape is populated by the sad, the angry, the pitiful, the vengeful, the impatient … the recognisable.”

Today, Miz Cate answers a few questions about The Bureau of Them in particular and writing in general.

What do new readers need to know about Cate Gardner?

Despite what you are about to read, she doesn’t like to talk about herself, at least not in a serious sense.

What was the inspiration for The Bureau of Them?

A couple of things. There’s an old abandoned building near the waterfront, which I used to pass by on my way home from work. It’s coated in layers of dust and is very unspectacular. We have so many beautiful buildings in Liverpool and the fact that this ugly grey thing isn’t striking actually drew me to it. People have written in the dust on the windows and that set my mind to wondering if they left messages for people inside. Which they don’t of course. At least, I hope they don’t. I’m glad I don’t walk that way home anymore. The other half of my inspiration was my other half. The fear of losing him.

How did you connect with Spectral Press for this novella?

Fluke. I posted something on Facebook about having finished a novella and Simon Marshall-Jones said to send it along for him to read and that was pretty much that. A bit like cheating really.

When did you first start writing and what made you want to do so?

Forever ago or in human terms about twenty-three years. As a teenager, my friends and I wrote really bad songs and I played really bad tunes on a guitar (I’m tone deaf). Then, in my early twenties, when my friends had all disappeared into relationships, I started to write really bad poetry. There’s a theme here. Then, about twenty-three years ago (which I consider the start of my life as a writer) I switched from poetry to short stories. I’m not certain what made me want to start writing, but I know that loneliness had a little to do with it. I am so full of angst.

In general, who and/or what are your writing influences?

Hitchcock, for the suspense. Lemony Snicket, for the madness. Enid Blyton and her Faraway Tree books for their tales of wonder and strangeness. Joss Whedon for the dark humour and for Spike. And, at the moment, Adam Nevill for his efforts to turn my hair white.

What’s your favourite horror story ever?

Oh, this is a toughie. Goes away and thinks about it. I want to say Westlake Soul by Rio Youers because that is my favourite book but it’s not really a horror story, I suppose. Goes away again. I will have to plump for a new one (to me) “Sredni Vashtar” by Saki, which I have only heard (told by the wonderful Tom Baker) rather than read. It’s quietly brilliant and very ghastly.

How does The Bureau of Them differ from your previous work?

It’s the first time (that I recall) that I have set a story in my home city, Liverpool. Parts of a previous novella where set in places I knew, but they are never officially named. I’d also say there isn’t any humour, which I often try to inject into stories. Mostly, this story differs because it is set very much in our world. I’d also say it’s the beginning of my ‘grief period’.

Who is your favourite villain in fiction?

I’ve mentioned him before. Spike from Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Such a fabulous character. Everybody loves Spike.

Who is your favourite heroine/hero in fiction?

Windsor Horne Lockwood III. He’s more of an anti-hero but is totally kick ass. He appears in Harlan Coben’s Myron Bolitar books.

What is next for Cate Gardner?

I have a novelette forthcoming in the next issue of Black Static. Very excited about that. Like The Bureau of Them it deals with grief. I’m also exploring the same theme (and want done with it after this next project) in a novel that I’ve just started. This is going to be a toughie to write as I will be drawing a lot on personal experience.

 

 

Pulp Fiction’s 20th Birthday Celebration Sale!

My fave bookshop anywhere in the world is Pulp Fiction – and the store is celebrating its 20th Birthday with a sale.

There’s 20% of all stock, some lucky draws AND cake. So, go on in and support the finest independent bookstore in the land! And spread the word! If you’ve a birthday coming up, tell your family where they should go in the nicest possible way.

They’re in their nice new digs at Shop 4, Level 1 Blocksidge & Ferguson Building Arcade, 144 Adelaide St, Brisbane QLD 4000.

She Walks in Shadows – sample stories

The wrap-around cover of She Walks in Shadows! Still one of my fave covers.

You can pre-order here AND read some story excerpts (“Turn Out the Light” by Penelope Love and “The Thing on the Cheerleading Squad” by Molly Tanzer)  to see what squamous joys you’re in for.

Go, read, order. You know you want to.

Check it out: Tor.com’s Sampler

And you can now download Tor.com Publishing’s Fall 2015 Sampler! It’s free – go here for details.

I tell you this coz it had excerpts from the first ten novellas in Tor.com’s new line. So if you’d like to see what all the fuss is about, download!!

There’s stuff from me, Nnedi Okorafor, Sylvia Spruck Wrigley, Paul Cornell, Kai Ashante Wilson, Daniel Polansky, Michael R. Underwood, Matt Wallace, K. J. Parker, and Alter S. Reiss.

Dead Letters

And Conrad Williams has announced the ToC for his Dead Letters anthology. I’m in it – v. excited. Published by Titan Books in 2016.

The Green Letter – Steven Hall

Over to You – Michael Marshall Smith

In Memoriam – Joanne Harris

Ausland – Alison Moore

Wonders to Come – Christopher Fowler

Cancer Dancer – Pat Cadigan

The Wrong Game – Ramsey Campbell

Is-and – Claire Dean

Buyer’s Remorse – Andrew Lane

Gone Away – Muriel Gray

Astray – Nina Allan

The Days of Our Lives – Adam LG Nevill

The Hungry Hotel – Lisa Tuttle

L0ND0N – Nicholas Royle

Change Management – Angela Slatter

Ledge Bants – Maria Dahvana Headley & China Miéville

And We, Spectators Always, Everywhere – Kirsten Kaschock

 

The 2nd Spectral Book of Horror Stories: Simon Marshall-Jones

It seemed only fitting to hear from Spectral’s fearless leader once again: the delightful Mr Simon Marshall-Jones!

What inspired you to run with a second Spectral Book of Horror Stories?

That one’s simple really – the first one was such an outstanding success, both in terms of sales and critical appraisal, that there was no question of publishing a follow up. Mark’s a great editor, with a keen eye for story, so it was as simple as “Shall we do a second one?” “Yes!”

What can readers expect from this 2nd outing ?

Some old favourites will return, joined by writers both well-established and those yet to reach a broader audience. And we are joined by a writer better known for his YA fiction, Cliff McNish, with his first published adult fiction short.

Spectral Press is certainly spreading its wings – how many imprints are you running now?

Currently I am running three: Spectral, which concentrates on the horror/ghost/supernatural side of the genre (yes, yes, I know – neither of Stephen Volk’s novellas deal with the supernatural…): Theatrum Mundi, which deals with contemporary fantasy, slipstream, magical realism, and experimental works; and, lastly, rEvolution SF, the science fiction imprint, which will debut its first novel in 2016 with Mappalujo by Jeff Noon and Steve Beard. Also on the horizon is a crime imprint, Spectral Stiletto, the name harking back to the Golden Age of crime writing in the forties and fifties – stiletto knives and femmes fatale in stiletto heels.

What draws you to speculative fiction?

The possibilities, the breadth of the canvasses upon which the writer sketches out his visions, and sheer heights of imagination to which some authors fly. Speculative fiction stretches from the firmly mundane realities of the dystopian to the hyper-reality of imagined universes, dimensions, and realities. But, the wonder of it all is purely down to one element: that lump of grey matter nestled inside our heads that can go places where no physical human ever can.

The future of Spectral is…

I have no idea – but that’s the most exciting aspect of it all…. =)

The 2nd Spectral Book of Horror Stories can be pre-ordered here.

 

Cover and ToC Reveal: The Year’s Best Australian Fantasy and Horror 2014

Always happy to have stories (two!) in this glorious publication edited by Liz Grzyb and Talie Helene, and published by Ticonderoga Publications. The fifth volume of The Year’s Best Australian Fantasy and Horror has yet another gorgeous cover and, most importantly, can be pre-ordered here.

Table of Contents

Alan Baxter, “Shadows of the Lonely Dead” [Suspended in Dusk]
James Bradley, “The Changeling” [Fearsome Magics]
Imogen Cassidy, “Soul Partner” [Aurealis 74]
David Conyers & David Kernot, “The Bullet & The Flesh” [World War Cthulhu]
Terry Dowling, “The Corpse Rose” [Nightmare Carnival]
Thoraiya Dyer, “The Oud” [Long Hidden Anthology]
Jason Franks, “Metempsychosis” [SQ Magazine]
Michelle Goldsmith, “Of Gold and Dust” [Andromeda Spaceways Inflight Maga 60]
Michael Grey, “1884” [Cthulhu Lives: An Eldrich Tribute to H.P.Lovecraft]
Stephanie Gunn, “Escapement” [Kisses by Clockwork]
Lisa L. Hannett & Angela Slatter, “Vox” [The Female Factory]
Gerry Huntman, “Of The Colour Tumeric, Climbing on Fingertips” [Night Terrors III]
Rick Kennett, “Dolls for Another Day” [The Ghosts & Scholars Book of Shadows: Vol 2]
Charlotte Kieft, “Chiaroscuro” [Disquiet]
SG Larner, “Kneaded” [Phantazein]
Claire McKenna, “Yard” [Use Only As Directed]
Andrew J. McKiernan, “A Prayer for Lazarus” [Last Year, When We Were Young]
Faith Mudge, “Signature” [Kaleidoscope: Diverse YA Science Fi]
Jason Nahrung, “The Preservation Society” [Dimension6]
Emma Osbourne, “The Box Wife” [Shock Totem: Curious Tales of the Macabre & Twisted #9]
Angela Rega, “Shedding Skin” [Crossed Genres]
Tansy Rayner Roberts, “The Love Letters of Swans” [Phantazein]
Angela Slatter, “The Badger Bride” [Strange Tales IV]
Cat Sparks, “New Chronicles of Andras Thorn” [Dimension6 Annual Collection 2014]
Anna Tambour, “The Walking-stick Forest” [Tor.com]
Kyla Ward, “Necromancy” [Spectral Realms #1]
Kaaron Warren, “Bridge of Sighs” [Fearful Symmetries: An Anthology of Horror]
Janeen Webb, “Lady of the Swamp” [Death at the Blue Elephant]

It’s always special …

… to see something like this! “All of this autumn’s TorDotComPub titles, together at last!” Lee Harris, Happy Editor

Twitter photo by Lee Harris

The 2nd Spectral Book of Horror Stories: Tim Lebbon

Tim Lebbon is a New York Times-bestselling writer from South Wales. He’s had over thirty novels published to date, as well as hundreds of novellas and short stories. His latest novel is the thriller The Hunt, and other recent releases include The Silence and Alien: Out of the Shadows. He has won four British Fantasy Awards, a Bram Stoker Award, and a Scribe Award, and has been a finalist for World Fantasy, International Horror Guild and Shirley Jackson Awards. Future books include The Rage War (an Alien/Predator trilogy), and the Relics trilogy from Titan.

The movie of his story Pay the Ghost, starring Nicolas Cage, is due for release this September, and other projects in development include Playtime (an original script with Stephen Volk), My Haunted House with Gravy Media, The Hunt, Exorcising Angels Ste (based on a novella with Simon Clark), and a TV Series proposal of The Silence.

What inspired your story “Flotsam”?

I read an article recently about a woman who had become fascinated with messages in bottles. She combed beaches for them, and just occasionally she’d find a message. A lot of the time they were from children living just along the coast, writing messages and launching them in an attempt to see how far their bottles might travel. Other times, the paper she took out of bottles was so old that any writing had long since faded away. I found this interesting, and a little haunting. I knew it would find its way into a story one day.

What’s the first horror story you can remember making a big impact on you?

I’m sure I read horror fiction when I was very young, but it was The Rats by James Herbert that sticks in my mind. I read that when I was 10 or 11, a very adult read, but it opened up my reading horizons. Before then I was reading Willard Price, Hardy Boys, etc. After The Rats, it was James Herbert and Stephen King.

Name your three favourite horror writers.

That’s a hard one. Stephen King. Adam Nevill. Arthur Machen. But this might change month by month.

Is your writing generally firmly in the horror arena or do you do occasional jaunts into other areas of speculative fiction?

I write all sorts. My new novel The Hunt is a thriller. I’ve written fantasy (very very very dark fantasy). But there’s always a dark tinge to what I do.

What’s in your to-be-read pile at the moment?

In all honesty, I probably have over 1000 books unread. But books I intend reading soon include Three Moments of an Explosion (China Mieville), Tin Men (Christopher Golden), Those We Left Behind (Stuart Neville), and H is for Hawk (Helen Macdonald).

The 2nd Spectral Book of Horror Stories can be pre-ordered here.