Michael Kelly's Blog, page 3

Undertow in 2019

Dear Friends,

 

We’ve published four fantastic books this year: the stunning debut collection from Priya Sharma, “All the Fabulous Beasts;” the deluxe inaugural volume of “The Silent Garden;” the fifth volume of the “Year’s Best Weird Fiction;” and “Nothing is Everything,” the brilliant new collection from Simon Strantzas. We’re offering “The Silent Garden” deluxe hardcover and the other three releases in trade paperback for just $105. You save $20.

 

Subscribers have already realized these same savings. All books are now shipping, so your copies should be arriving any moment now.

 

We have our ongoing Shirley Jackson Special. Simply e-mail me a photo of your copies of our Shirley Jackson Award winning books — “Aickman’s Heirs,” and “Shadows and Tall Trees, Vol. 7” — and I’ll enter you into a draw to win a free copy of “The Silent Garden.” You can also purchase both books for just $30 total to be entered into the draw.  I’ll announce the winner soon.

We published “The Silent Garden” in September. Many of you have praised the production values, and the contents. Thank you to everyone who purchased a copy. It’s the perfect gift for the weird fiction aficionado.

We recently published the final volume in the Year’s Best Weird Fiction. This is the whole set. No more volumes will be produced. Volume 1 is technically out of print, but you can get it from the Undertow site.

 

Thanks to all who have collected them. We published 99 fantastic stories.

 

Simon Strantzas’s “Nothing is Everything” has been out for just a few weeks. Simon believes this is his best book yet. We agree. The hardcover features a beautiful dust jacket with art by Aron Wiesenfeld. Tran Nguyen provides art for the trade paperback. Both are elegant and gorgeous. You can get $5 off either edition with coupon code NIE5 upon checkout on the Undertow shop.

 

All pre-orders and subscriber copies have now been dispatched, so should be with you soon. For those who pre-ordered or subscribed this year, thank you. I will be sending you a Kindle or ePub version of ‘Nothing is Everything.’ E-mail me at undertowbooks@gmail.com with your preferred file type.

 

We are very pleased to announce we have signed two U.K.-based (and British Fantasy Award-winning) authors to book deals for our 2019 line. Georgina Bruce’s debut collection–title to be determined–will appear in June, while “Sing Your Sadness Deep,” by Laura Mauro, will be published in September. These are both fantastic books by two writers you will be hearing lots about, I’m sure, in the next few years. We are thrilled to be able to bring you these two dynamic debut collections.

 

2019 will see Undertow develop a new line of collectible books, our “Contemporary Classics.” These will be high-end limited and numbered deluxe hardcover books, lithographically printed on premium paper, with strong boards and other accoutrements, perhaps, like ribbon-markers, embossing, illustrations, dust jackets, head and tail bands, cloth covers, printed endpapers, etc. These will be priced in the $50 to $100 (U.S.) range, exclusive of postage, depending on all the bells and whistles.

 

We believe books should be read, so as we kicked around the idea of entering the collectible market we knew we wanted to publish books that were 1) still available to purchase elsewhere in an affordable edition 2) that never had a hardcover edition, and 3) were, by our standards, modern classics that deserved special treatment.

 

So, we are very happy to say we have acquired hardcover rights to Lynda E. Rucker’s “The Moon Will Look Strange,” and to “The Lost District,” by the late Joel Lane.

 

We anticipate publishing “The Moon Will Look Strange” late summer of 2019, then “The Lost District” near the end of the year.

 

Both books will be limited to 100 copies for sale. If you’re interested in either or both books please do let me know, asap. If warranted, we would consider a larger print run.

 

That’s all the news for now. Thank you for your support. Happy reading!

 

Best Wishes,

 

-Michael (and the Undertow team)

Our mailing list

Dear Friends,


 


This weekend we will be sending out our Undertow Publications e-mail newsletter to all who have subscribed to our mailing list. Want to know what 4 authors we’ll be publishing next year? Want to save money on books? Want to learn about our new publishing line? Then just send me your e-mail address and I’ll gladly add you to our infrequent mailing list. Exciting stuff is coming. I don’t want you to miss it.


 


Regards,


 


-Michael (and the Undertow team)

Haute Macabre on All the Fabulous Beasts

Haute Macabre on Priya Sharma’s ‘All the Fabulous Beasts’–“If you enjoy the writing of Kelly Link or Carmen Maria Machado (for starters), I strongly recommend adding Priya Sharma to your reading list. These liminal tales are as vividly beautiful as they are monstrous and often monstrously beautiful. All the Fabulous Beasts is Sharma’s first short story collection. I’m already hungry for more.”


https://bit.ly/2AFxNYJ

Final volume of Year’s Best Weird Fiction shipping

Dear Friends,


 


In all the October hubbub you may have missed the publication day for the final volume of the Year’s Best Weird Fiction. Vol. 5 was released on Oct. 16 in hardcover, paperback, and eBook. . Yes, it is the last volume, and if you’ve got the previous 4, well, you’ll want this one. Robert Shearman has done an exemplary job of closing out the series with an inspired and remarkable selection of stories from a diverse spectrum of voices. A great book, to be sure. Our hope is you’l pick up a copy. Thanks for supporting the series. I’m very proud of all 5 books.


 


The Convexity of Our Youth—Kurt Fawver


The Rock Eater—Ben Loory


Corzo—Brenna Gomez


You Will Always Have Family: A Triptych—Kathleen Kayembe


Flotsam—Daniel Carpenter


The Possession—Michael Mirolla


Skins Smooth as Plantain, Hearts Soft as Mango—Ian Muneshwar


The Unwish—Claire Dean


Worship Only What She Bleeds—Kristi DeMeester


House of Abjection—David Peak


The Way She is With Strangers—Helen Marshall


The Anteater—Joshua King


When Words Change the Molecular Composition of Water—Jenni Fagan


The Entertainment Arrives—Alison Littlewood


Take the Way Home That Leads Back to Sullivan Street—Chavisa Woods


Eight Bites—Carmen Maria Machado


Red Hood—Eric Schaller


Curb Day—Rebecca Kuder


The Narrow Escape of Zipper-Girl—Adam-Troy Castro


Disappearer—K.L. Pereira


The Mouse Queen—Camilla Grudova


The Second Door—Brian Evenson


Live Through This—Nadia Bulkin


Something About Birds—Paul Tremblay


 


https://amzn.to/2yFtpYu

Win a copy of “The Silent Garden”

We here at Undertow are offering a Shirley Jackson Special, and a chance to win a free copy of “The Silent Garden.”


 


“Aickman’s Heirs,” and “Shadows and Tall Trees, Vol. 7,” both winners of the Shirley Jackson Award, and two of the finest contemporary anthologies, are available for a short time for just $30 total (world-wide shipping included)! A full 14 stories from these two volumes were reprinted in 16 different “Best Of” reprint anthologies, and we think that the two together mark an important contribution to the canon of weird/horror fiction.


 


As an amazing bonus, if you take advantage of this offer your name will be entered into a draw to win a free copy of “The Silent Garden.” If you’ve not seen “The Silent Garden” yet, you’re in for a treat. It’s a deluxe, full-color 8.5″ x 8.5″ hardback, featuring fiction, non-fiction, translations, poetry, essays, and 44 color illustrations, all on 70lb paper. It’s quite beautiful.


 


Ah, what’s that you say? “But I already own physical copies of both those books.” In that case, send me a photo of your copies and I’ll enter you into the draw. “But I already own both those volumes AND ‘The Silent Garden.'” E-mail a photo of all three books, then, and I’ll enter you into the draw, as well. Who couldn’t use another copy of “The Silent Garden?” You could gift it to some lucky friend.


 


Just click on the link below to order. And as we’d like as many readers as possible to be entered into the draw, please feel free to share this offer.


 


http://www.undertowbooks.com/product/...


 


 


Thank you for all your support!


 


 


Kind regards,


 


-Michael (and the Undertow team)

Review of “Nothing is Everything”

Stunningly good review of Simon Strantzas’s new collection ‘Nothing is Everything’ over at This is Horror. Reviewer Paul Michaels says “A showcase for a writer who ought to be on the shelves of every devotee of dark, weird fiction.” https://bit.ly/2RiFY2H

Publication day, and a favour

Publication day, and a favour

Dear Friends,

 

Today marks publication day for “Nothing is Everything,” by Simon Strantzas, and the “Year’s Best Weird Fiction, Vol. 5,” guest-edited by Robert Shearman. These two books are truly fantastic. In my opinion (and Simon’s) “Nothing is Everything” is his finest work yet. There is 75% new material in the book, and it marks an exciting new direction for Simon. We are curious and excited about its reception

 

Robert Shearman has done an incredible job curating the final volume of the “Year’s Best Weird Fiction.” At over 400-pages it’s our most ambitious volume yet. We are going out with a bang. I do hope you’ll pick up this book and Simon’s.

 

For those who have already subscribed or pre-ordered, thank you! As I am currently in the U.K. for a holiday and FantasyCon, we will likely not be able to fulfill orders until our return on the 23rd. But for those who haven’t pre-ordered, both books are currently shipping immediately from online vendors B&N, and Amazon. And both are in the Kindle Match program so if you buy a physical copy of the book from Amazon you get the Kindle version for free!

 

https://amzn.to/2CJV4ey

 

https://amzn.to/2A9SRqg

 

On another note, if you have the time, I want to ask you all a favour. I’d like your opinion. Next year we are thinking about publishing a couple of limited-edition high-end hardcovers of short story collections that could be considered contemporary classics. These are collections that are still available in cheap paperback formats, but never got a hardcover release. These would NOT be Print-on-Demand hardbacks, but rather deluxe hardcovers, off-set, with some extras like silk ribbon markers, and maybe some other accoutrements. Higher quality than even The Silent Garden. I’m currently gathering printing quotes and figuring out final details. Depending on the exact configuration, these books are likely to be priced between $50 – $75, plus shipping. The quality will be top-notch, somewhat between a Tartarus Press book and Centipede Press. And strictly limited to 100 or 150 copies.

 

So, would any of you be interested? And what extras do you like in your deluxe books?  I know it’s hard to say when you don’t know which books are involved. I have verbal agreements, but nothing signed, so don’t want to publicly state the books. I do know this list would be interested. If you send me an e-mail I can let you know which books they are. This would mark a new direction for Undertow, yes, but we are still committed to offering our usual yearly original collections. Please do let me know what you think of the idea.

 

In the meantime, I know you are going to love our two new releases.

 

Many thanks for all your support!

 

-Michael (and the Undertow team)

 

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Shadows and Tall Trees 7

The accolades continue for “Shadows and Tall Trees, Vol. 7.” Have just heard that the stories from Conrad Williams and Alison Moore will be reprinted in the Mammoth Book of Best New Horror #29. Here’s the list of reprints and recognition from the book. You can read all these great stories right now. The Kindle version is on sale for under $3.


 


Winner of the Shirley Jackson Award (Edited Anthology)


 


Sun Dogs, by Laura Mauro – Finalist for the Shirley Jackson Award (Novelette)


 


Curb Day, by Rebecca Kuder – Reprinted in the Year’s Best Weird Fiction, Vol. 5.


 


Cwtch, by Conrad Williams – Reprinted in the Mammoth Book of Best New Horror, Vol. 29.


 


The Voice of The People, by Alison Moore – Reprinted in the Mammoth Book of Best New Horror, Vol. 29.


 


Cwtch, by Conrad Williams – Reprinted in Best British Stories 2018.


 


Sun Dogs, by Laura Mauro – Reprinted in Best British Horror 2018.


 


Dispossession, by Nicholas Royle – Reprinted in Best British Horror 2018.


 


Shell Baby, by V.H. Leslie – Reprinted in Best British Horror 2018.


 


The Swimming Pool Party, by Robert Shearman – Reprinted in The Year’s Best Dark Fantasy & Horror 2018.


 


Everything Beautiful is Terrifying, by M. Rickert – Reprinted in The Year’s Best Dark Fantasy & Horror 2018.


 


The Cenacle, by Robert Levy – Reprinted in the Year’s Best Hardcore Horror, Vol. 3.


 


https://amzn.to/2ykKhUf

The Silent Garden – a review

Des Lewis has reviewed the inaugural volume of ‘The Silent Garden,” and deemed it “unmissable.”

THE SILENT GARDEN: A Journal of Esoteric Fabulism

Nothing is Everything

Coming October 16, “Nothing is Everything,” by Simon Strantzas. With advance praise from Camilla Grudova, Lynda E. Rucker, Angela Slatter, Kij Johnson, and Kathe Koja, it’s safe to say, imo, that this is Simon’s best work to date. With elegant craftsmanship Strantzas delicately weaves a disquieting narrative through eerie and unexpected landscapes, charting an uncanny course through territories both bleak and buoyant, while further cementing his reputation as one of the finest practitioners of strange tales. Available in hardcover, trade paperback, and eBook. Pre-order now from your favourite online vendor, or direct from Undertow. Copies will be going out soon. http://www.undertowbooks.com/product/...

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