David A. Riley's Blog, page 55
August 3, 2017
Nightscape by Eric Ian Steele is now available
We are pleased to announce that copies of our latest hardcover book, Eric Ian Steele's brilliant collection of stories, Nightscape, is now available.
Order direct from us amazon.co.uk £20.00amazon.com $26.00
Eric Ian Steele is a novelist and screenwriter from Manchester, England. He is the writer of the horror novel The Autumn Man, as well as the thriller feature film The Student (2017) and the action/sci-fi feature film Clone Hunter(2010). He won the prestigious Writers on the Storm screenwriting contest in 2012 and has had short films produced across the USA. He has also written for hire on a children’s sci-fi animated TV series. His short stories range from science-fiction to horror and fantasy and can be found in numerous anthologies and magazines including Terror Tales alongside fiction by Neil Gaiman and Kim Newman, The Lovecraft E-Zine, Horror Without Victims, the superhero fiction anthology POW!erful Tales, and the zombie poetry collection Vicious Verses and Reanimated Rhymes!
Parlour Tricks by Carl Barker due from Parallel Universe Publications next month
Next month will see the publication in hardback of a new collection of short stories, Parlour Tricks by Carl Barker.
Carl resides in the Scottish Borders, where he can often be found skulking around ruined castles in the dark and generally getting up to no good - or so he claims. With more than twenty short stories to his name, his work has appeared in numerous magazines and anthologies over the last eight years, including The Alchemy Press Book of Urban Mythic 2, Shadows Masters; an anthology from The Horror Zine; and Terror Tales of the Scottish Highlands.
The cover artwork is by Luke Spooner, who also provided the cover art for an earlier collection from Parallel Universe, Their Cramped Dark World and Other Tales by David A. Riley.
July 25, 2017
Jim Pitts and his two British Fantasy Awards
Not many people win a British Fantasy Award, given out each year at Fantasycon. Fewer still win twice. Jim Pitts is one of those few, winning the award for Best Artist in 1992 and 1993.
Although these were designed by fellow artist, Dave Carson, the original British Fantasy Award was a statuette designed by Jim.
It wasn't only in the world of fantasy that Jim artistic merit was recognised. Years earlier he won the Ken McIntyre Award at the annual British Science Fiction Convention (Eastercon) held in Chester in 1972.
Although these were designed by fellow artist, Dave Carson, the original British Fantasy Award was a statuette designed by Jim.
It wasn't only in the world of fantasy that Jim artistic merit was recognised. Years earlier he won the Ken McIntyre Award at the annual British Science Fiction Convention (Eastercon) held in Chester in 1972.
July 22, 2017
Pre-Order Offer on The Fantastical Art of Jim Pitts
The Fantastical Art of Jim Pitts - pre-order price: £35.00 plus postage and packing. All pre-orders will include 4 high-quality, personally signed A4 black and white prints of Jim Pitts' artwork, which will be unavailable elsewhere. Pre-orders are any made up to and including the 1st September, 2017, when the book will be published.
Copies can either be pre-ordered using the PayPal button or by cheque, payable to Riley Books, 130 Union Road, Oswaldtwistle, Lancashire, BB5 3DR, UK.
The book is limited to 250 numbered copies, every one of which will be signed by Jim Pitts.
After FantasyCon the price will rise to £40 plus postage and packing.
Copies can either be pre-ordered using the PayPal button or by cheque, payable to Riley Books, 130 Union Road, Oswaldtwistle, Lancashire, BB5 3DR, UK.
The book is limited to 250 numbered copies, every one of which will be signed by Jim Pitts.
After FantasyCon the price will rise to £40 plus postage and packing.
Proof copies received for The Fantastical Art of Jim Pitts
The proof copies of The Fantastical Art of Jim Pitts have arrived. Even though I knew the size of the book beforehand I was still surprised to see just how big the book is in reality! Here are a few photos of it.
Dedicated Facebook Page for The Fantastical Art of Jim Pitts
We now have a dedicated page on Facebook for
The Fantastical Art of Jim Pitts
, where uptodate information about this great book will be regularly posted.
Please take a look at it. Better still "like" it too.
Please take a look at it. Better still "like" it too.
July 16, 2017
Nightscape by Eric Ian Steele is the next book from Parallel Universe Publications
Eric Ian Steele is a novelist and screenwriter from Manchester, England. He is the writer of the horror novel The Autumn Man, as well as the thriller feature film The Student (2017) and the action/sci-fi feature film Clone Hunter(2010). He won the prestigious Writers on the Storm screenwriting contest in 2012 and has had short films produced across the USA. He has also written for hire on a children’s sci-fi animated TV series. His short stories range from science-fiction to horror and fantasy and can be found in numerous anthologies and magazines including Terror Tales alongside fiction by Neil Gaiman and Kim Newman, The Lovecraft E-Zine, Horror Without Victims, the superhero fiction anthology POW!erful Tales, and the zombie poetry collection Vicious Verses and Reanimated Rhymes! Unlike earlier PUP books, Nightscape will initially be published in hardcover, price £19.99 and will be available for order within the next few weeks. It includes eleven tales:Charlie - first published in Terror Tales #4, edityed by John B. Ford and Paul KaneThe Musical Box - first published in Chaos Theory: Tales Askew #13, edited by A. A. Roberts The Groaner in the Glen - first published in The Lovecraft eZine #29, edited by Mike DavisCity of the Damned - first published in In Bad Dreams IIBlack Annis - first published in The Willows #1, edited by Ben ThomasAfter the Fall - first published in Chaos Theory: Tales Askew #3, edited by A. A. RobertsMoths - first published in ScifantasticCycle - first published in Terminal EarthA Dahlia Among the Roses, Ars Armortia, and Indian Summer are original to this collection.
July 8, 2017
The dangers of the honest reviewer
The eminent Lovecraftian scholar S. T. Joshi on his blog dated June 14th, 2017, mentions complaints raged against a recent review he wrote on his blog and for Dead Reckonings. Link.
" It would appear that certain individuals were a tad put out by my review of The Children of Gla’aki, edited by Brian M. Sammons and Glynn Owen Barrass."
Please take a look at this entry to get full details of what occurred.
This highlights a growing problem, probably exacerbated by social media, for anyone with the temerity to write an honest review. It strikes me that too many writers today get on their high horse about any review that is anything other than unqualified praise. Not only do they make their displeasure known, but all too often their "fans" and sycophants will mercilessly turn against the unfortunate reviewer.
This is a ridiculous and self-destructive response. Not only, for any fair-minded observer, does this make these people look thin-skinned, self-delusional and pathetic, but it endangers the practice of writing any reviews at all other than unqualified praise, whether deserved or not.
Ask any writer and they will instantly admit that they want reviews. They clamour for them. They want them more than almost anything else. They'll give away free copies in the hope of getting them. Or the hope, let's be honest, of complete praise!
I have heard of reviewers being castigated for, not only giving negative reviews, but for merely failing to give the kind of praise the writer and his or her supporters expected from them.
It's a nasty tendency, one which stifles free speech and in the long run could destroy the ability of most reviewers to be honest.
So far I have never responded to a negative or less than flattering review. I hope I never do. I hope my reaction will continue to be to think, instead, upon what the reviewer has said and take a serious, objective and analytic look at what has been criticised, because, let's face it, the reviewer could be right - and by taking these criticisms under consideration, I could become a better writer. I have done this several times in the past and it's resulted, I hope, in me improving my writing. That's partly how we learn.
To those who can't take criticism, I would say grow up. If not that, then at least have the sense to leave reviewers alone or face the very real possibility you might put people off writing honest (and thereby worthwhile) reviews at all. Stop being online bullies and leave reviewers to get on with their task to write what, in their view, is an honest evaluation of what they have read.
" It would appear that certain individuals were a tad put out by my review of The Children of Gla’aki, edited by Brian M. Sammons and Glynn Owen Barrass."
Please take a look at this entry to get full details of what occurred.
This highlights a growing problem, probably exacerbated by social media, for anyone with the temerity to write an honest review. It strikes me that too many writers today get on their high horse about any review that is anything other than unqualified praise. Not only do they make their displeasure known, but all too often their "fans" and sycophants will mercilessly turn against the unfortunate reviewer.
This is a ridiculous and self-destructive response. Not only, for any fair-minded observer, does this make these people look thin-skinned, self-delusional and pathetic, but it endangers the practice of writing any reviews at all other than unqualified praise, whether deserved or not.
Ask any writer and they will instantly admit that they want reviews. They clamour for them. They want them more than almost anything else. They'll give away free copies in the hope of getting them. Or the hope, let's be honest, of complete praise!
I have heard of reviewers being castigated for, not only giving negative reviews, but for merely failing to give the kind of praise the writer and his or her supporters expected from them.
It's a nasty tendency, one which stifles free speech and in the long run could destroy the ability of most reviewers to be honest.
So far I have never responded to a negative or less than flattering review. I hope I never do. I hope my reaction will continue to be to think, instead, upon what the reviewer has said and take a serious, objective and analytic look at what has been criticised, because, let's face it, the reviewer could be right - and by taking these criticisms under consideration, I could become a better writer. I have done this several times in the past and it's resulted, I hope, in me improving my writing. That's partly how we learn.
To those who can't take criticism, I would say grow up. If not that, then at least have the sense to leave reviewers alone or face the very real possibility you might put people off writing honest (and thereby worthwhile) reviews at all. Stop being online bullies and leave reviewers to get on with their task to write what, in their view, is an honest evaluation of what they have read.
July 7, 2017
Red Dwarf XII is due on Dave in the Autumn
After a dip in quality several seasons ago, Red Dwarf XI certainly showed there was plenty of life and orginality left in the series, so I'm looking forward to another dose of Dwarfish lunacy. I can't think of any other science fiction comedy series with the charm, quirkiness nor sheer insane inventiveness of Red Dwarf, whose aging cast have adapted well to their advancing years!
AfterRed Dwarf updated their profile picture.6 hrs · RED DWARF XII. Landing on Dave in Autumn 2017!
AfterRed Dwarf updated their profile picture.6 hrs · RED DWARF XII. Landing on Dave in Autumn 2017!
The Fantastical Art of Jim Pitts - update
After a few final tweaks, The Fantastical Art of Jim Pitts is now at the proofing stage. Within the next week we expect to have a proof copy of this book in our hands, prior to publication. At 214 pages, 8.5 x 11 inches in size, this hardcover book contains hundreds of black and white and full-colour illustrations covering all the years since 1972 when Jim's art first appeared in fanzines like Shadow and Balthus right up to the present day, with illustrations for Brian Lumley's Earth, Air, Fire & Water, Four Tales of Elemental Mythos Horror! published by Fedogan & Bremer. As well as illustrations, the book also contains articles by Brian Lumley, Ramsey Campbell, David A. Sutton, Peter Coleborn, Jon M. Harvey, Nick Caffrey, Stephen Jones and David A. Riley. Published as a limited, numbered edition of 250, each copy will be signed by Jim Pitts. Although the book will be launched at Fantasycon in Peterborough on October 1st, we will be posting details of how you can order this book before then. Any pre-orders will entitle the purchaser to four high-quality, personally signed prints by Jim Pitts. The price of the book for pre-orders and at Fantasycon will be £35, rising to £40 afterwards.
