David A. Riley's Blog, page 10

An Oddity to be published in Strange Aeon 2024

My Medusa-themed story An Oddity, which appeared in the January issue of Schlock! Webzine, is now scheduled to be reprinted in an American anthology, Strange Aeon 2024. I was emailed the final proofs today, which had just a couple of minor edits, all to the good. I am looking forward to this story being published again later this year, probably next month.

An Oddity was first published in Schlock! Webzine in January 2024. I was especially pleased with the cover illustration of a particular painting by the brilliant Sixteenth Century Italian artist Caravaggio as my story is about a Gorgon's head.

Another new Sword and Sorcery tale finished: The Ghoul-Catcher

Five days after my last story, I've finished the first draft of a new sword and sorcery tale: The Ghoul-Catcher.

8,800 words long, though it may end up a little shorter by the time I've finished editing it. On the other hand it might not.

New sword and sorcery story finished: Emerging from Their Twilit Realms

Just finished a new fantasy story called Emerging from Their Twilit Realms at 4000 words, another instalment in my ongoing saga about Welgar the Cursed, a character who, I must admit, I treat very badly. Now I need to psyche up to start another, knowing that from next month I won't be able to get any writing of my own done while I'm reading submissions for Swords & Sorceries: Tales of Heroic Fantasy Volume 9.

Two more stories to be reprinted next year in brand new anthology

It now appears that two of my oldest stories are set to be reprinted next year in a brand new anthology. I can't say anything more about the project yet as the publisher has still to announce it in public, but I hope to be able to give further details soon.

Visit Fungosia accepted for publication

I don't know what anyone else's experience has been with submissions sent off a long time ago into seeming oblivion, only to resurface unexpectedly with an acceptance years later, but I had one this week.  I submitted a very short humorous science fiction story called Visit Fungosia in October 2019. Never hearing back about it I eventually wrote it off as rejected - till this week, when I learned the editor wished to include it in the next issue of his magazine if it was still available.  To be honest, I put this story to one side and had more or less forgotten all about it, so, yes, it is still available.  I still find it hard to believe that after nearly five years it was still in the slush pile and has finally made it. More details later when I've exchanged contracts, etc.  
(This also marks my tenth story acceptance this year so far.)

My science fiction tale Floating Free is in the September issue of Schlock! Webzine

 

My science fiction tale Floating Free is in the September issue of Schlock! Webzine. 

amazon.co.uk

The Demon from Another World

I spent some time yesterday doing a last minute proofread of my sword and sorcery tale The Demon from Another World which will appear soon in Anthology of the Damned: Necromoirrium from Tree Shaker Books. I would add that this is not a collection of S&S stories but dark horror. It just happens, I suppose, my yarn is particularly graphic, inspired as it is by John Carpenter's The Thing. Here are its opening lines: It crashed through the clouds in the dead of night, lighting up the sky as if it were day. The high-pitched scream that accompanied it was as if a thousand dragons (if such creatures even existed, which most people doubted) were being slaughtered in agony. Down it hurtled, cleaving the clouds and leaving behind a searingly bright trail that gradually dispersed an untold distance behind it.When it crashed the earth shook far and wide, and those who were awakened by its reverberations thanked whatever gods they had it was nowhere near where they lived, before trying to return to sleep again. For most it was a fitful night. It landed in the endless wastes of the Great Desert, instantly turning a wide circle of sand scores of miles across into rough, filmy, strange-looking glass beneath whose brittle surface lay treacherous chasms. Gradually, whatever was buried at its core began to cool. It cooled for years.                                                                             * They were a scurrilous bunch of mercenaries, broken by defeat, penniless, most of them covered in wounds, some of which festered and would lead to death in the next few days, and what supplies they had were almost gone. Worse still, they were being hunted. After weeks of riding their dromedaries across dunes that stretched for as far as they could see still their shaman warned them when he used his powers of divination the squadron of Hessurian riders was still on their trail, only days behind them now...

My published sword and sorcery stories so far

Here's a list of all the sword and sorcery stories published so far under my name:

A Grim God's Revenge - Mythic #14, 2017

Baal the Necromancer - Mythic #17, 2021

The God in the Keep - Swords & Sorcery Magazine #118, 2021

The Storyteller of Koss - Summer of Sci-Fi & Fantasy, 2022

The Carpetmaker of Arana - Savage Realms Monthly #12, 2022

The Dark Priestdom - Savage Realms Monthly #19, 2023

Welgar the Cursed - Swords and Heroes, 2023

The Forbidden City of Cyramon - Swords & Heroes, 2024

In the Temple of the Snake - Crimson Quill Quarterly #3, 2024

The Demon from Another World - Anthology of the Damned: Tome of the Terrifying, 2024

Essayan's Terrible Machineries of War - Crimson Quill Quarterly #5, 2025

Plus two under a pseudonym:

Sorceries in Assabarr, 2023 - Swords & Sorceries: Tales of Heroic Fantasy Volume 7, 2023

The Troupe, 2024 - Swords & Sorceries: Tales of Heroic Fantasy Volume 8, 2024

The Complete World of Horror

Confessions Press will be bringing out a second volume in their The Complete World of Horror hardcover series in October this year. This interests me since I had a story in issue 6 (Terror on the Moors) illustrated by Jim Pitts.

"After the huge success of Vol.1 - Vol.2 of the Complete World of Horror is coming!
Comprising all of issues 4, 5 and 6 of this legendary magazine, prepare for more thrills, spills and kills!
With another fantastic Foreword by someone you will all know, this will not disappoint.
Hardback / 200 pages
Shipping 1st October
Price includes P&P to the UK"

Confessions Press Link

 

Essayan's Terrible Machineries of War accepted for publication

My ninth story accepted this year for publication is Essayan's Terrible Machineries of War, a sword and sorcery story. This will be published in January next year.

This features in a minor role my recurring character Nadrain the Storyteller.

More details later.