In Canberra today – for day job. After I arrive the ash cloud from Chile, and which passed over Australia last week, is passing over again – cancelled all flights from noon today, and all flights cancelled tomorrow. I booked a flight back to Melbourne for Thursday, so here’s crossing my fingers.
Not much time for writing.
FINALLY – got some time to make good progress on my novella/novellete, The Comfort of Beanbags. I actually see an end in sight!
.
.
Whew, without going into a great deal of detail, I managed to do what I think I couldn’t, this weekend:
Happy to say that my Steampunk short story, The Bond, has been published in Runewright’s new anthology, Penny Dread Tales: Gears, Coils, Aether & Steam (Volume 1), edited by Christopher Ficco, and excellent cover by Laura Givens.
This was a most satisfying short to write, and also was picked up blindingly fast, which is much appreciated. Buy it! Enjoy it!
This format slightly takes the publishing sheen off the book – there is some repetition (which would not have been evident in the individual articles), and the organization of the articles are commendable, but not perfect.
Having said this, there is a LOT of good stuff in the book, of a practical, common sense nature – particularly for parents with young children. This is not a book for adults with ASD/AS (there are only a few pages devoted to college/workforce aged people).
I certainly would recommend this book to parents with young children in the spectrum.
4 stars.
SPOILER ALERT
I enjoyed this small anthology by Dark Minds Press (their debut) – none of the stories were poor and no small number were well above average in quality. It is great seeing new and emerging writers do their thing. While the cover is excellent, I have to make an early point – the editing and proofing really needed to be better – the choice of font and internal formatting was, in my mind, weak, and there were typos and lack of indenting of a fair number of paragraphs – this does detract from the overall experience. However, it is not a major factor.
I offer the following reviews against each story.
The Ghost Rain (Gary McMahon )
This was a story that started great and disappointed somewhat in the end. This is the first time I have read Gary and there’s no doubt we have an accomplished writer here – his style, and the way he interweaves character issues with the plot, oozes craftsmanship and talent. The concept of rain as a tangible symbol of the protagonist’s haunted past (which in effect transfers to his present), is thoughtful and interesting, and the way he was able to depict the rain in a myriad of ways, growing in darkness, is commendable.
Even the relationship with the protagonist’s wife is consistent and contributes to the build up of tension, along with the unfulfilled excitement of a new relationship.
Then we had the ending. I love horror and without a doubt there are large slivers of the genre that warrant and are in fact fundamentally right in having oozing, slavering, pinchering supernatural creatures – but not for all stories. Some benefit from the hidden darkness, some aren’t about tangible monsters but instead are about the psychological state of the protagonist, and just some undefined ‘other’ place. The psychological and the dark was the theme of the first three-quarters of McMahon’s story, and then he inexplicably went b-grade at the end.
I give 3 stars, on the basis of the start and middle of this good, but not great, work-horse short story.
Berlin Shushi (Benedict J. Jones).
A short piece that treats the brutality of war very well, despite the poor taste title (this is such a well depicted, serious piece, then Jones throws in a pun/lighthearted title, sheesh). Aside from this weakness, Jones painted a realistic end of war Berlin, and even the cannibalism, as unlikely an outcome as it is, nevertheless resonated well as a metaphor of the consequences of the war.
Well done, I give 4 stars.
The House of Constant Shadow (Stephen Bacon)
A brilliant short story, on a number of levels. This story skirts horror, as it really is a psychological piece about the degradation of Ernest, an aging curmudgeon, who made a fundamental mistake in his youth, and paid for it for the rest of his life – and yet the storyteller paints a picture where (despite himself) the protagonist had found a form of niche in his world, which included tormenting his unwitting disabled wife. His is an ugly, unsightly world, and Bacon paints it very well indeed.
What I particularly like about The House of Constant Shadow is the well crafted characters – the protagonist and his wife are incredibly real, unique, and even the bit players, like Crystal, the aged prostitute and the unsavoury neighbours. The metaphors of the football stadium casting a shadow of their home, the hooligans, the young couple who moved in across the street and reminded him so much of himself.
Is this horror? Yes, of a psychological nature, but I’m not so sure it was necessary to add an extra layer with the mysterious man who stared at him/his home at night – perhaps stretched it slightly too far.
I give this 4 stars.
The Rat Catcher’s Apprentice (Ross Warren)
Warren writes a nice period piece, describing the grotesque story of a rat catcher’s apprentice being disfigured by a large rat, and turning into a…I suppose you could call a ‘were-rat’. It is well constructed and the characters of Black and his wife are convincing and interesting. I think Warren’s effort at Victorian English is weak, and the style and grammar is slightly unpolished. An archetypical example is the use of the modern term "urban legend". I was also distracted by the inexplicable choice of the editor to use single quotation marks for dialogue (which I hate anyway), inconsistent with stories read thus far (and unfortunately used again in one later story).
This is a good work-horse piece. I give the story 3 stars.
The Anchorite’s Daughter (Shaun Hammel)
I have mixed views of this story. There’s a lot of metaphor and symbolism, each individually creative, evocative, insightful. And yet I feel he crammed too much in it. Too many cooks have spoiled this broth. I also have an issue with the extent to which he changed POVs – doesn’t hurt as a principle and can be effective, but this had a loss of symmetry, which is what you at least want, if you have to do it at all. Having said all this, I did like the way it all came together – what we saw, through the eyes of several protagonists, was the degradation of a community to very dark ways, paralleled with the degradation of two men (maybe 4 if you count the itinerants).
This is an ambitious piece that didn’t quite succeed, for the very reason that he tried too much. 3 stars
Gehenna (Anthony Watson)
This is a very well written WWI supernatural story. It doesn’t cover anything original – the number of stories written about the twilight of life and death on the battlefield (and especially WWI) is legion. And yet, Watson was able to add freshness to his short piece, and vividly painted the backdrop.
4 stars
Last Laugh (Colin Hersh)
I enjoyed this story, in its simplicity and its portrayal of the thoughts of an aged stroke victim. I particularly liked his stoicism, right until the end. The twist in the end is not far reaching, nor brow raising, yet it was apt.
I know a few folk who are the main character’s age and have a similar philosophy of life, and that is why it resonated with me.
4 stars
The World Shall Know (Jason Whittle)
I have an issue with this story – not the writer or the story itself – in fact, it is quite reasonable. What my issue is that it isn’t, in any way you look at it, horror. It is a post-apocalyptic, dystopian story, which makes it science fiction, if anything. Since the publisher/editor claims it is a horror anthology, I think this is poor form.
Now that I have that out of my system, I can talk about the short. Whittle doesn’t create anything significantly original in terms of plot, but I do like the characterisation of the main protagonist. A woman – a real woman, but with balls. She will do anything to save her son. I liked it, and I like the way she kept her head high and beat the bastards. I also think that the story is a little unrefined in plot construct and style. The ending, while satisfying for the protagonist (and reader), just didn’t feel like an ending – is there true optimism for the mother and child, or is there a dark future?
3 stars
Blood Loss (Colin Drewery)
This is an (almost) great short story. Getting into the head of a small time hood, beautifully portraying organised crime with all its brutality. Vengeance, so strong, you can taste it. Then the changes that happened to the protagonist – inexplicable, and surprising at the end. As a reader I had the nagging concern why he survived the shot to the gut, and so quickly, and yet it made sense in the end – this was done at just the right level. Very very good. The only concern I have is the need for an explanation at the end. I think it spoiled the story somewhat. Drewery didn’t even need to say ‘vampire’ – it was bleeding obvious (excuse the pun). All he had to do was hint at the blood transfusion – the incredible coincidence, or perhaps intervention. It just told too much, without showing, and somewhat insulted the reader’s intelligence. I think it was unnecessary to paint Alex as some ‘new breed’.
Still, a powerful, wonderful story.
4 stars
Vengeance of Hades (Joe Mynhardt)
This has depth for a zombie story. The bulk of the story is reminiscent of a classic zombie movie – a bunch of people hold up in a derelict house, being assailed by an army of zombies, some of whom were friends. Classic. His action sequences and descriptions kept the interest going, instead of the reader ho-humming and going to the next story. Some character interaction (could have been explored a little more, I think) also held interest, in particular between Nick and Sarah, and it becomes important at the conclusion of the story. The conclusion lifts the story – or should I say more accurately, is the purpose of the story. Love conquers all, including common sense. In a dark, twisted way, Sarah and Nick are joined again. Tragic but with undertones of poignancy.
If Mynhardt had developed the characters just a little more at the beginning – to add the extra sheen of the ending, then I believe this would be a classic zombie story. I praise the author nevertheless for making something that is the ‘taste of the month’, and essentially boring now, into something fresh.
4 stars
Under a Setting Sun (Clayton Stealback)
This story explores, in essence, what would have happened if Father Damian Karras (of The Exorcist fame) failed to kill himself when the demon Pazuzu transferred to his body. It would be unkind to suggest that Stealback exactly intended this, and believe me, this is a compliment. Aside perhaps from an incredibly short exorcism at the start of the story, the short paces extremely well and provides a thorough description of Father Michael’s transformation.
Father Simon’s character is also very well wrought. The ending was appropriate and cosmic in nature – no mean feat.
Aside from the short exorcism, I wonder about the dialogue of the demon – I get it that it speaks perfect English (even idiomatically appropriate to who hears him), but I feel that perhaps the dialogue combined with description should be more otherworldly. Otherwise, the technique (as used) is a little worn.
Terrific story. 4 stars
Bury the Truth (Carole Johnstone)
Probably the best for last. Johnstone’s story is rich with the thoughts and emotions of the protagonist, and reveals information in iterative cycles until the end. It has sorrow and regret, but most of all it has a horrifying inquisitiveness in the main character. I personally cannot find fault – this is an excellent story.
5 stars
I rate the anthology, overall, as 4 out of 5 stars
.
.
Wow. Where do I start? 30 of most of the best dystopian short fiction in the English speaking world’s history. Nothing less.
I normally like to review each story (or the key stories) in anthologies, but this is difficult for 30 of them, spanning nearly 500 close-printed pages. Also, I feel inadequate to comment on specific stories that are now legendary.
The worst stories were still very good. The best are unmatched. Pure and simple. These stories were more than entertaining, they were thought provoking and challenging. I haven’t been intellectually challenged like this for years.
If there is any negative statement – and it isn’t really a deficit, more of a warning, is that reading them straight through is being inundated with (largely) depressing situations for humanity, and notably, the protagonists in the stories. It could dampen one’s spirit, while at the same time lift awareness. Fortunately this is a temporary phenomenon, but tangible indeed.
Bravo to the publisher and the stellar editor – this anthology lives up to it’s industry reputation of greatness.
If you haven’t read it, and you like dystopian stories, just read it. Do yourself a huge favour.
.
.
Can’t resist – Earth has had a revolution, in a most bizarre fashion. Can’t say too much as it would dull the sheen of the story, but imagine if hard core clinical psychologists ran the world – or at least were instrumental at some distant point in the past. Here’s the Ten Commandments that everyone (who can) memorized:
Some people might be offended with some of this post, or disagree. I apologize to the former, but caveat with a simple statement – this is my journey and my observation, and by necessity must work on a generalized level. I can’t be condescending, by the way, because one person who is being described here is myself.
This post is written from the viewpoint of a speculative fiction writer.
I will cover a few topics in writing and publishing, but at the heart, it is about what journey should a writer take to ‘make it’. What are the pitfalls and where does it go wrong and right. I use the term ‘make it’ because it doesn’t have anything specific hanging off it. It is meant to be general and fit all. For me, ‘making it’ means being respected in my genres of writing and making a good enough living to carry it out full time. I would be ecstatic if fame and fortune followed, but that is a whispered hope – I would be a very happy and contented man ‘(vegemite’, for my fellow Australians) indeed to achieve the lesser definition.
My view of how to ‘make it’ has metamorphosed several times over the last several years, the period where I decided to really make a go of ‘making it’ (hmm almost tautological, if not recursive). I started off going the ‘traditional route’ – where you submit or query agents and publishers and convince them to read your first three chapters and love it, want more, and sign you on. Not long after that kick off I also realized that writing short fiction is a well established route to ‘making it’ – get industry to take notice and build up one’s street cred. So I started to write a lot of short fiction. A year or so later, I started to published in mainly obscure magazines, ezines and anthologies – around 12 acceptances a year, and I am still running at that rate. I should add that I love writing short stories now.
But then I got frustrated. I really wanted to be published. Pfaw to those who say being a writer is needing to write. For me it is needing to write and be read. Self publishing, buoyed by innovations in digital printing and publishing, meant it was easy peasy to do, but I held off. But it sure was tempting. I will talk more on that later.
I met like minded people and we formed a small publishing house. It started with a bit of an identity crisis – thinking it can help with self publishing as well as ‘traditionally’ publishing – in a disorganized way to help fellow upcoming writers – but we soon realized the model didn’t work (mainly because from a marketing perspective, the paradigm could not be comprehended). We went traditional. Again, small presses have also been buoyed by the digital printing (and cyber) revolution, and we joined the fray. From a writing perspective it allowed upcoming writers to get published without the backing of the Big Six, but at least get published. Using the career ladder metaphor, it got writers up a few rungs, which allowed access to the next higher points. The idea is to ‘make it’ as a small press as much as a writer. I discovered that there were grades of quality of publishers out there (mags as well as monographs), and as a writer there was often a market tuned to the degree of skills one had. This is goodness.
In the end I chose not to self publish. I know people who did and did well by it (the majority of these successes, however, gained recognition and ended up moving to the ‘dark side’ in order to complete the process of ‘making it’). They are a small number. The majority of self publishers achieve the goal of getting their book onto Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble and sell less than a hundred units, the majority by family and friends. A very large percentage of them are poor writers and should never have published – they just convinced themselves they are good or great, and the companies that sell services are happy not to say a thing, or worse, fan the illusion. Many of these books have poor covers and the stuff between is rife with spelling errors, sad grammar, typos, formatting issues, and brimming with all the stylistic errors an unedited and immature author could possibly come up with. I can go on but I wont. The real tragedy here is that these millions of people drag the entire system down with them. Yes, publishing on demand is great, and so is digital publishing, and being able to get up there is fantastic, but it is almost meaningless when you have 10,000 science fiction romance novels being marketed on Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads and goodness knows what else, at the very same time. Digitial publishing only accentuates the situation. So much more can now be (rapidly) published. It hurts the good, talented writers, and it has also destabilized the industry.
I would be the first person to shake the hands of anyone who says that the industry needs a shaking – because in my mind, from a writer’s perspective, the old model was not helpful to writers. The poor royalties, the way newly signed authors were given next to no marketing budget, etc etc. This was not good. However, I don’t see the shifts helping them much either. I have huge respect for Konrath and his success in going it alone in the digital publishing world, but I can’t personally see the logical path between his (and some others’ success) with a viable model for upcoming writers, and in particular, separating the wheat from the chaff.
In a funny sort of way I see publishing history as having not moved much at all in this particular respect. Generalizing, 50 years ago it was hard to ‘make it’ because publishing was an expensive business and so openings were slight. 25 years ago it was hard to ‘make it’ because greedy corporations preferred to court the shallow, and simply regurgitate the existing stables of authors. Today the good ones have to wade through the human masses, with the strong possibility of getting nowhere, and the traditional publishers are floundering and becoming squeamish with new signings.
And yet, I think there is hope. I’m not going to spew the old adage of ‘if you’re good, you will eventually get there’. No siree. I don’t believe that is always the case. But what I can say is that there are smart ways to help differentiate yourself and get noticed. This is the key: differentiation. One way is to work the social network and possibly in combo with self publishing. Some can do it, but they have to be truly masterful in those disciplines. This is not for me, and I genuinely believe that only a miniscule percentage of people are good at it.
For me, differentiation is by way of short stories. I have traveled back in time 3 years and have concluded that an effective way to be noticed (in the speculative fiction field), is to wow the elite with short stories. Haven’t quite made it yet, but I believe I am close to it. This, at least, is my strategy. In the specfic world a handful of top 10 mag publications IS noticed by publishers in the field. Even better, a Nebula or Hugo wouldn’t hurt (oops, dreaming again). And yes, it is tough to break in. But you know what? I genuinely believe there are two magnificent advantages in going this route: 1. Yes it is hard, but I believe it is a market that is more open than novels in the traditional publishing field; and 2. It well and truly separates the wheat from the chaff. You can’t publish crap in Asimov‘s, Apex or Interzone. It’s just not possible. In fact, you can’t publish in middling mags or anthologies with crap either. The ladder is pretty predictable.
I know some writers don’t like writing short fiction, or perhaps even can’t. If such writers have another differentiating strategy, then that hole is plugged. I suggest – kindly – that if a writer has the skills, talent and determination to ‘make it’, then the short story route is something worthy of serious consideration.
For me, only time will tell whether I am wheat or chaff.
.
.
It would appear that Anthology of Ichor III: Gears of Damnation, will be released on time in April 2011. My short story, The Happy Mouth, is one of the 14 short stories contained therein (along with 2 full length novels) totaling to 550 pages. A large tome (tomb?) indeed.
Thanks to Unearthed Press for including my Mythos story into their project.
So here's the cover – pretty full on; I like it.
.
.
The Chronicles of Evyntyde 