Joshua Reynolds's Blog, page 71
March 26, 2014
PHILEAS FOGG & THE WAR OF SHADOWS
I have been sitting on this for months now. Months! But now, finally, I can talk about it. ‘It’ being Phileas Fogg & the War of Shadows! And just what might that be, you ask? Well, read on and find out!
Meteor House is thrilled to announce the third in our series of Signed Limited Edition Novellas based on the works of Philip José Farmer.
Phileas Fogg and the War of Shadows is an exciting sequel to Farmer’s The Other Log of Phileas Fogg, which we all know is the “true story” behind the events of Jules Verne’s novel, Around the World in Eighty Days.
In this all-new adventure Phileas Fogg has settled into a life of quiet sequestration in the rural idyll of his family estate with his wife and children. The millenia-old conflict which once threatened to consume him is over and done. Or so he thought. But when an old foe disrupts his peaceful retirement, seeking his aid against an enemy which threatens them both, Fogg finds himself once more thrown into the white-hot crucible of war.
Now, with his loved ones under threat of death, and accompanied by the unpredictable colonel who has been described as the second most dangerous man in London, Fogg must dare the dangers of the City of Light in order to uncover the deadly secrets hidden beneath the streets of Paris. And as the wonders of the Exposition Universelle unfold around him and the air quivers with the impossible reverberation of nine great clangings, Fogg must plunge into the shadowed depths of the Parisian catacombs on the trail of his phantom enemy…
This is a story you don’t want to miss, but don’t just take our word for it:
“With all the verve, sense of adventure, and sly reference to classic literature that I’ve come to love and expect in his work, Josh Reynolds carries forward the secret history of Phileas Fogg in a manner both highly entertaining and true to the spirit of Philip José Farmer.” — Christopher Paul Carey (author of Exiles of Kho)
“The best Wold Newton stories tell a rollicking adventure tale, first and foremost, while also subtlety advancing the larger mythos. Josh Reynolds’ sequel to Philip Josè Farmer’s The Other Log of Phileas Fogg delivers in spades, with tale of high adventure that satisfies on both levels. Bravo! I eagerly await the next chapter in Fogg’s ongoing exploits.” — Win Scott Eckert (author of The Scarlet Jaguar)
As with our previous Signed Limited Edition Novellas, if you pre-order—now through May 15th—your name will appear in the book on the acknowledgments page! How cool is that? These pre-orders also determine the print run of each edition. Since these novella sell out in just a few months, pre-ordering is the only way to guarantee you will get a copy.
We have one more important detail to add, and this is brand-new, Phileas Fogg and the War of Shadows will be available in trade paperback AND hardcover!
Many of our readers said they would prefer our Signed Limited Novellas in hardcover, and now you have a choice:
$15 for the Trade Paperback (plus shipping)
$25 for the Hardcover (plus shipping)
$35 for both! (add only the same shipping cost as the hardcover)
Seriously, who ever heard of $15 for a signed limited edition? Or only $25 for a signed limited edition hardcover with a dust jacket? And you if buy the hardcover you can get the trade paperback for only $10 more? No wonder Meteor House is your favorite micro-publisher!
March 19, 2014
THE ROYAL OCCULTIST PRIMER
The Royal Occultist Primer is an introduction to the world of Charles St. Cyprian, the Royal Occultist. St. Cyprian and his assistant, Ebe Gallowglass. St. Cyprian and Gallowglass have appeared in close to thirty short stories, as well as a novel and several audio adventures. The Primer was first released in 2012. It has now been updated, with cover art, additional stories and extras.
The Primer contains six previously published stories–”Krampusnacht”, “Sign of the Salamander”, “The d’Erlette Configuration”, “Iron Bells”, “Wendy-Smythe’s Worm” and “Deo Viridio”–which makes for roughly sixty-odd pages of free occult detective fiction.
The cover art is by the ever-superlative MD Jackson. The Primer also includes a link to a free preview of The Whitechapel Demon, as well as a brief introductory essay on the origins of the characters.
To download the Royal Occultist Primer follow the link in the image above, or click HERE.
March 17, 2014
DAMOCLES UP FOR PREORDER
The Warhammer 40,000 Apocalypse Anthology, Damocles, is now available for preorder via the Black Library site. I contributed one of the quartet of novellas that make up the book, alongside the likes of Phil Kelly, Ben Counter and Guy Haley, and it marks my fourth, and longest, visit to the grim darkness of the far future.
My contribution, “Hunter’s Snare”, finds Kor’sarro Khan, Huntmaster of the White Scars, locked in a duel, of the mind as well as the blade, with the alien warlord Shadowsun in the icy mountains of Agrellan Prime. For those keeping track, this isn’t the first time I’ve written about the Huntmaster’s adventures. And for those who’ve listened to Master of the Hunt, there’ll be a few familiar names in “Hunter’s Snare”.
The anthology is available for preorder as a hardback, an ebook and MP3, so whether you want new book smell, ease of access or something to listen to on the road, you’ve got options. It’ll be available, on the shelves electronic or otherwise, at the end of March. But why wait? Why not go grab your copy today?
March 13, 2014
WORLD WAR CTHULHU
So, this is a thing for which you can donate money to see happen, and, well, why wouldn’t you? A lineup of splendiferous authors, with phantasmagorically fantastic interior illustrations, all about Lovecraft’s malevolent menagerie of monstrosities mashed up with military maneuvers from Marathon to Metz.
Check it out at: http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/world-war-cthulhu-a-collection-of-lovecraftian-war-stories-with-illustrations
March 6, 2014
ELDRITCH INQUESTS-INVESTIGATORS FOR HIRE
As you may recall, I’m co-editing an occult detective themed anthology for Emby Press at the moment. So far, we’re a month and some change into the submission period and we’ve gotten a nice mix of stories, but we could always use a few more. Now, last week, I posted some links I thought might inspire some submissions, but I’ve gotten a few e-mails from people who are still a bit unsure of what sort of character to write about. So, to that end, I thought I might point the prospective Eldritch Inquests writer towards some possible solutions.
If you’re really stuck for a character to wrap a good paranormal mystery around, why not try your hand at a pastiche of an existing, well out of copyright occult investigator? While some editors frown on pastiche, I’m a fan of it, when it’s done well. I love reading about the continuing adventures of Sherlock Holmes and Carnacki the Ghost-Finder. Again, I stress, when it’s done well. Pastiche is a fine art and one not every writer is capable of. But, if you’re still stuck for an idea, why not see if some of these older characters spark something?
The prototype of almost every urban fantasy/paranormal romance protagonist, Sheila Crerar discovered her psychic abilities even as she was forced to rent out the ancient Scottish castle she’d called home for the first nineteen years of her life. She soon embarked on a career full of psychic contests and punching werewolves. You can read the stories she appeared in online, if you like.
For something a bit less rough and tumble, why not take a look at Aylmer Vance? The ghost-seer is a more cerebral sort of detective, with a melancholy outlook and strong sense of empathy that served him well in his various supernatural encounters.
And there’s quite a few more listed on Tim Prasil’s wonderful Chronological Bibliography of Occult Detectives. If you haven’t checked it out yet, now’s your chance.
MAKING THE CUT
Today sees the release of The Lovecraft eZine Presents…Making the Cut, an anthology containing all of the stories from the 2012 issues of the Lovecraft eZine which were selected for honorable mention in The Best Horror of the Year 5 by editor Ellen Datlow. I mention it because one of those stories happens to be mine.
The table of contents includes stories by Neil John Buchanan, Jay Caselberg, Silvia Moreno-Garcia, WH Pugmire, Jeffrey Thomas, Tracie McBride, Nicole Cushing, Joseph S. Pulver Sr. and, as I mentioned above, me.
The book is available for Kindle right now, but will be available in print soon. And if you haven’t yet checked out the Lovecraft eZine, I recommend that you do so immediately. The newest issue is available online now, to read for free.
March 5, 2014
NEW WHITECHAPEL DEMON REVIEW
Schlock Magazine has a great review of The Whitechapel Demon over at their site. Why not go check it out?
If you haven’t yet picked up a copy of the book, I hope you’ll take a look at the review and see whether it fans the flames of interest. And if it does, why not grab a copy of the book from Amazon.com or Smashwords and see for yourself?
For an overview of the Royal Occultist series, visit HERE. If you have read the book, and are interested in discussing it, or the world of the Royal Occultist, there’s a dedicated forum at the Emby Press site HERE.
February 22, 2014
ELDRITCH INQUESTS–INSPIRATION
As you may recall, I’m co-editing an occult detective themed anthology for Emby Press at the moment. So far, we’re almost a month into the submission period and we’ve gotten a nice mix of stories, but we could always use a few more. So, to that end, I’ve put together a short list of some links that the prospective submitter might find inspiring.
First, we have the ubiquitous TV Tropes page for occult detectives. The usual warnings apply.
Next up, we have Tim Prasil’s Chronological Bibliography of Occult Detectives. Also by Tim, we have a three part look at how one goes about defining just what an occult detective is: Part 1/Part 2/Part 3
Rhonda Knight discusses occult detective fiction in a two part piece at the Worlds Without End blog: Part 1/Part 2
On a less academic note, we have Grady Hendrix’s breakdown of terrible occult detectives over at Tor.com.
Topless Robot throws out a list of 11 Awesome Occult Detectives for your enjoyment.
Pretty Sinister Books takes a look at E. Charles Vivian’s occult detective Gregory George Gordon Green, AKA ‘Gees’.
For those looking for something a bit more visual, we have Bob Freeman’s ‘Weirder Tales’ webcomic.
By yours truly, we have “NAME OF A BLACK CAT!”, an occult detective themed Tumblr, with loads of images, covers and links for your enjoyment, as well as ‘The Nightmare Men’, a series of essays focusing on occult detectives.
And there we have it. Hopefully you’ll find something in the above list to get the creative clockwork clicking!
February 19, 2014
I Didn’t Write That: But People I Know Did
Mark Bousquet, proving he’s a classy dude, as ever. You should really buy some of his stuff.
Originally posted on Mark Bousquet:
Dillon and the Voice of Odin. Written by Derrick Ferguson. Logo by Percival Constantine. Banner by Sean E, Ali.
As you can tell looking around this site, I’m lucky enough to publish a bunch of books and short stories. I even make enough money doing it that last this past year I bought myself a car. No, not the car I really want, but rather a *coughcough* semi-reasonable facsimile.
Today, instead of encouraging you to buy my new weird western or my new kid’s book or my recent tribute to Doctor Who, I thought I’d offer up my website to any and all of my friends who’ve written books, too. Down in the comments, you’ll find links to books and websites from authors who’ve taken the time to stop by a do a little promotion.
February 13, 2014
NEW WHITECHAPEL DEMON REVIEW
A great review of the first Royal Occultist novel, The Whitechapel Demon has appeared over at the Founding Fields review site.
From the review:
“A delightfully British supernatural adventure that sucked me in with a pair of wonderful characters and a complex and fascinating system of magic and the occult, and left me wanting more.”
If you’ve been on the fence about whether to pick up a copy of the book, I hope you’ll take a look at the review and see whether it fans the flames of interest. And if it does, why not grab a copy of the book from Amazon.com or Smashwords and see for yourself?
For an overview of the Royal Occultist series, visit HERE. If you’ve read the book, and are interested in discussing it, or the world of the Royal Occultist, there’s a dedicated forum at the Emby Press site HERE.
