David A. Riley's Blog, page 141
October 7, 2010
The Lurkers in the Abyss - Midnight House
There has been a long delay in this collection being published. Unfortunately, John Pelan, who is the man behind Midnight House, has had a tough time for the past couple of years. However, I received an email from him today which confirms that publication of my collection will be imminent in the next few months or so.
I know from the quality of those Midnight House books I already have in my collection, that the wait will be more than worth it when Lurkers in the Abyss finally appears. The quality of these books is second to none.
Curiously, one of the stories from that collection, After Nightfall, will be published in The Zombie Archives, edited by Otto Penzler for Random House, while Out of Corruption continually gets republished in Steve Jones's Mammoth Book of Zombies, which has appeared under several variations of that title in the UK, the US, Italy and now Russia! Even the title story will appear in Cemetery Dance's long-awaited Century's Best Horror Fiction sometime soon.
I know from the quality of those Midnight House books I already have in my collection, that the wait will be more than worth it when Lurkers in the Abyss finally appears. The quality of these books is second to none.
Curiously, one of the stories from that collection, After Nightfall, will be published in The Zombie Archives, edited by Otto Penzler for Random House, while Out of Corruption continually gets republished in Steve Jones's Mammoth Book of Zombies, which has appeared under several variations of that title in the UK, the US, Italy and now Russia! Even the title story will appear in Cemetery Dance's long-awaited Century's Best Horror Fiction sometime soon.
His Pale Blue Eyes
My zombie story, His Pale Blue Eyes, has been accepted by Johnny Mains for a forthcoming anthology from Obverse Books, tentatively titled Plugged Into the Mains, along with stories by Reggie Oliver, Conrad Williams and, hopefully, though it's not confirmed yet, David Case. All going well, the book should be published in January.
October 6, 2010
The Seventh Black Book of Horror
There's a nice review of this anthology at The Black Abyss. Glad he liked my turn on the zombie tale.
October 4, 2010
Prism - December Issue
I've started work on the next issue of Prism. The deadline for this is a bit earlier after all the changes that have taken place over its production. Normally I would have sent it off to the printers around the 18th November. Now, because someone else will be doing the layout, it needs to be off to the BFS chairman by the end of this month, three weeks earlier.
It's also strange not to be doing the layout, because that's something I would be doing as an ongoing task while setting everything out. Just saving everything on separate files, ie cover, inside front cover, editorial, each column, such as Ramsey Campbell's, John Probert's, Mark Morris's etc., film reviews, book reviews, etc, etc., then saving each picture under a separate name to be inserted by someone else, all this feels odd, and a bit of a separation for me from the finished product. I must admit I would prefer to continue doing the layout myself. But it remaions to be seen what the finished product looks like under this new arrangement. I certainly don't want to be seen as a Luddite, even though I do prefer a full hands-on approach to this myself rather than rely upon someone else to decide upon its final appearance.
It's also strange not to be doing the layout, because that's something I would be doing as an ongoing task while setting everything out. Just saving everything on separate files, ie cover, inside front cover, editorial, each column, such as Ramsey Campbell's, John Probert's, Mark Morris's etc., film reviews, book reviews, etc, etc., then saving each picture under a separate name to be inserted by someone else, all this feels odd, and a bit of a separation for me from the finished product. I must admit I would prefer to continue doing the layout myself. But it remaions to be seen what the finished product looks like under this new arrangement. I certainly don't want to be seen as a Luddite, even though I do prefer a full hands-on approach to this myself rather than rely upon someone else to decide upon its final appearance.
October 2, 2010
Over-Hyped Books
I posted this on the All Hallows site, causing some discussion:
I have no objection at all to beautiful books, even ones that sometimes seem extravagantly expensive, and I have a number in my collection I would never part with. What I find incomprehensible is when a publisher, as has happened recently, publishes a leather bound version of someone's book when the writing is awful - or, at best, pedestrian, uninteresting and downright awkward. Especially when this is a slim book, padded out with extraneous material that needn't be there. It really makes me wonder what goes through the heads of publishers like this that they would go to such lengths for material that would be lucky to get into even a 4luv publication with a discerning editor. I just pity those who spend hundreds of dollars for something that never merited anything better than a POD paperback at best. Of which there is one also available - and which I now begrudge having bought.
I have no objection at all to beautiful books, even ones that sometimes seem extravagantly expensive, and I have a number in my collection I would never part with. What I find incomprehensible is when a publisher, as has happened recently, publishes a leather bound version of someone's book when the writing is awful - or, at best, pedestrian, uninteresting and downright awkward. Especially when this is a slim book, padded out with extraneous material that needn't be there. It really makes me wonder what goes through the heads of publishers like this that they would go to such lengths for material that would be lucky to get into even a 4luv publication with a discerning editor. I just pity those who spend hundreds of dollars for something that never merited anything better than a POD paperback at best. Of which there is one also available - and which I now begrudge having bought.
Romero's Children
This story, in Charle's Seventh Black Book of Horror, has received some nice comments, usually that the reader wished the story had been longer, they were enjoying it so much. Which is nice to hear.
The best comment so far, though, has come from Stephen Bacon on the Ramsey Campbell Message Board, where he said my story was heartbreaking. "I didn't want it to end the way it did."
I can honestly say that no one has ever said that about one of my stories before. Thanks, Steve. That's really appreciated.
The best comment so far, though, has come from Stephen Bacon on the Ramsey Campbell Message Board, where he said my story was heartbreaking. "I didn't want it to end the way it did."
I can honestly say that no one has ever said that about one of my stories before. Thanks, Steve. That's really appreciated.
October 1, 2010
Prism - an update
It looks as though my concerns for the future of the BFS Newsletter, Prism, were perhaps unfounded. After discussing things with the new BFS chairman, David Howe, I certainly feel better about the journal's future.
What I have decided to do is take a new look at its role within the BFS. Without the news and reviews sections, there are the regular columns by Ramsey Campbell, Mark Morris and John Probert. On top of these I aim to have at least two in-depth interviews per issue, plus articles on various aspects of the genre. I also intend to do regular columns covering as many of the professional magazines being published in the fantasy, SF, horror genres, something that has only ever received meagre attention before to my knowledge. There are a lot of small presses around today, and it would be interesting to have articles about these, discussing how they were set up, what their ambitions are and the kinds of books they publish. I would also like to cover something of the vast array of websites that specialise in these genres. With the space left vacant by the reviews section, there's scope for all of this. There will still be some reviews, but probably of books or writers that will not date. It would be interesting to see people discuss various writers or artists from the past, covering their lives and works in detail and perhaps controversially too.
These are all possibilities.
And there'll be more.
My task now will be to see how I can develop a revamped Prism and make sure it is as interesting and valuable to BFS members as possible.
What I have decided to do is take a new look at its role within the BFS. Without the news and reviews sections, there are the regular columns by Ramsey Campbell, Mark Morris and John Probert. On top of these I aim to have at least two in-depth interviews per issue, plus articles on various aspects of the genre. I also intend to do regular columns covering as many of the professional magazines being published in the fantasy, SF, horror genres, something that has only ever received meagre attention before to my knowledge. There are a lot of small presses around today, and it would be interesting to have articles about these, discussing how they were set up, what their ambitions are and the kinds of books they publish. I would also like to cover something of the vast array of websites that specialise in these genres. With the space left vacant by the reviews section, there's scope for all of this. There will still be some reviews, but probably of books or writers that will not date. It would be interesting to see people discuss various writers or artists from the past, covering their lives and works in detail and perhaps controversially too.
These are all possibilities.
And there'll be more.
My task now will be to see how I can develop a revamped Prism and make sure it is as interesting and valuable to BFS members as possible.
September 30, 2010
Prism's Days Look Numbered
Ever since the BFS AGM there has been discussion about the future for the society's regular publications, Dark Horizons, New Horizons and Prism.
Under the society's new chairman, David Howe, it looks as if it's certain now that Prism, the BFS Newsletter will be merged into the other publications. The likely result will be, I think, that the reviews will go, for the most part, online on the BFS website, and the articles will end up inside DH and NH.
Although it is suggested that these will go in as a supplement, since both publications already do articles and interviews, I can't see why there is any need for these to appear as a "supplement" at all, rather than just merged in as part and parcel of the publication. In which case, really, Prism as such will disappear.
I can't say I'm not disappointed at this as I have enjoyed my brief time as Prism's editor and did hope to make it a periodical members would look forward to getting through the post. But financial considerations do seem to make this the only alternative - and reviews online will appear much quicker than they could in a quarterly publication.
Oddly enough, I was there at the very beginning in the early seventies when the bulletin went from being a mimeographed sheet into a proper, substantial litho-printed publication for the first time, and it seems as if I'll now see out its demise.
Whether there will be a December issue of Prism I am not sure. If it is, that will probably be the final one.
After that, I suppose, I'll be back to being an ordinary member of the BFS again.
Under the society's new chairman, David Howe, it looks as if it's certain now that Prism, the BFS Newsletter will be merged into the other publications. The likely result will be, I think, that the reviews will go, for the most part, online on the BFS website, and the articles will end up inside DH and NH.
Although it is suggested that these will go in as a supplement, since both publications already do articles and interviews, I can't see why there is any need for these to appear as a "supplement" at all, rather than just merged in as part and parcel of the publication. In which case, really, Prism as such will disappear.
I can't say I'm not disappointed at this as I have enjoyed my brief time as Prism's editor and did hope to make it a periodical members would look forward to getting through the post. But financial considerations do seem to make this the only alternative - and reviews online will appear much quicker than they could in a quarterly publication.
Oddly enough, I was there at the very beginning in the early seventies when the bulletin went from being a mimeographed sheet into a proper, substantial litho-printed publication for the first time, and it seems as if I'll now see out its demise.
Whether there will be a December issue of Prism I am not sure. If it is, that will probably be the final one.
After that, I suppose, I'll be back to being an ordinary member of the BFS again.
Prism's Day's Look Numbered
Ever since the BFS AGM there has been discussion about the future for the society's regular publications, Dark Horizons, New Horizons and Prism.
Under the society's new chairman, David Howe, it looks as if it's certain now that Prism, the BFS Newsletter will be merged into the other publications. The likely result will be, I think, that the reviews will go, for the most part, online on the BFS website, and the articles will end up inside DH and NH.
Although it is suggested that these will go in as a supplement, since both publications already do articles and interviews, I can't see why there is any need for these to appear as a "supplement" at all, rather than just merged in as part and parcel of the publication. In which case, really, Prism as such will disappear.
I can't say I'm not disappointed at this as I have enjoyed my brief time as Prism's editor and did hope to make it a periodical members would look forward to getting through the post. But financial considerations do seem to make this the only alternative - and reviews online will appear much quicker than they could in a quarterly publication.
Oddly enough, I was there at the very beginning in the early seventies when the bulletin went from being a mimeographed sheet into a proper, substantial litho-printed publication for the first time, and it seems as if I'll now see out its demise.
Whether there will be a December issue of Prism I am not sure. If it is, that will probably be the final one.
After that, I suppose, I'll be back to being an ordinary member of the BFS again.
Under the society's new chairman, David Howe, it looks as if it's certain now that Prism, the BFS Newsletter will be merged into the other publications. The likely result will be, I think, that the reviews will go, for the most part, online on the BFS website, and the articles will end up inside DH and NH.
Although it is suggested that these will go in as a supplement, since both publications already do articles and interviews, I can't see why there is any need for these to appear as a "supplement" at all, rather than just merged in as part and parcel of the publication. In which case, really, Prism as such will disappear.
I can't say I'm not disappointed at this as I have enjoyed my brief time as Prism's editor and did hope to make it a periodical members would look forward to getting through the post. But financial considerations do seem to make this the only alternative - and reviews online will appear much quicker than they could in a quarterly publication.
Oddly enough, I was there at the very beginning in the early seventies when the bulletin went from being a mimeographed sheet into a proper, substantial litho-printed publication for the first time, and it seems as if I'll now see out its demise.
Whether there will be a December issue of Prism I am not sure. If it is, that will probably be the final one.
After that, I suppose, I'll be back to being an ordinary member of the BFS again.
Susan Hill Says No One Writes Ghost Stories Set In Modern Times???
Saw this on the Ramsey Campbell Message Board about Susan Hill talking about her latest ghost story novel on Radio 4. I really, really wonder about the vanity of some people. For someone who sets great store on her ghost story novels, you would think she would at least do a little research, or does she really believe she is unique?
Even if she doesn't have much of an opinion for some God damned reason for writers like Ramsey Campbell, to take just one example (though she should have!), what about Kingsley Amis's The Green Man?
Vanity, vanity, vanity.
Or just a load of old pretentious bollocks.
Even if she doesn't have much of an opinion for some God damned reason for writers like Ramsey Campbell, to take just one example (though she should have!), what about Kingsley Amis's The Green Man?
Vanity, vanity, vanity.
Or just a load of old pretentious bollocks.
