2014 Ditmar Awards

The past week-end, in a ceremony held during Continuum X, the 53^rd Australian National Science Fiction Convention, at the InterContinental Melbourne the Rialto, Melbourne, the winners of the 2014 Ditmar Awards have been announced.

BEST NOVEL

“Fragments of a Broken Land: Valarl Undead” by Robert Hood (Wildside Press)

BEST NOVELLA OR NOVELETTE

“The Home for Broken Dolls” by Kirstyn McDermott (Caution: Contains Small Parts, Twelfth Planet Press)

BEST SHORT STORY

“Scarp” by Cat Sparks (The Bride Price, Ticonderoga Publications)

BEST COLLECTED WORK

“The Bride Price” by Cat Sparks (Ticonderoga Publications)

BEST ARTWORK

“Rules of Summer” by Shaun Tan (Hachette Australia)

BEST FAN WRITER

Sean Wallace, for body of work, including reviews in Adventures of a Bookonaut

BEST FAN ARTIST

Kathleen Jennings, for body of work, including “Illustration Friday”

BEST FAN PUBLICATION IN ANY MEDIUM

Galactic Chat Podcast, Sean Wright, Alex Pierce, Helen Stubbs, David McDonald and Mark Webb

BEST NEW TALENT

Zena Shapter

WILLIAM ATHELING JR. AWARD FOR CRITICISM OR REVIEW

Galactic Suburbia Episode 87: Saga Spoilerific Book Club, Alisa Krasnostein, Alex Pierce and Tansy Rayner Roberts

The Reviewing New Who series, David McDonald, Tansy Rayner Roberts and Tehani Wessely

Congratulations to all the winners!

Cover art - "The House of War and Witness" by Mike, Linda & Louise Carey (Chizine Publications edition)

I’ve talked extensively of my regret in failing to properly review the little gem of a novel written by Mike, Linda and Louise Carey, “The Steel Seraglio”, or “The City of Steel and Silk” as it was published in the UK by Gollancz. I also promised myself a couple of times, without the desired outcome, at least one more re-reading session, not only for reviewing purposes but also for enjoying again a novel that I consider to be one of the best examples of how fantasy can bring something fresh and original to the table. I will do my best however to review the upcoming novel of this wonderful trio, “The House of War and Witness”, there is not a single doubt that it will end up not being read. If not by the time it is released in the UK, June 19^th, then until November, when Chizine Publications’ edition is out, for certain. Plenty of time until then though to admire the cover Erik Mohr, one of Chizine Publications’ prolific artists, put together. And we certainly have another of the moody and intriguing covers Chizine Publications used us with. I admit that since the synopsis hints of a haunted house I would have liked to see that represented somehow on the cover, but although personally I don’t consider it perfect because of this, it’s still a very good one. Erik Mohr’s artwork suggests a whiff of the epoch when the story takes place, it refers successfully to the haunting part in a subtle and unsettling way, while that look from the corner of the eye that character sends our way is certain to rip any comfortable feeling I might have left. I also like that Chizine Publications kept the same line and design for the both covers of Mike, Linda and Louise Carey’s novels, as Gollancz did in its turn. By the looks of them I am very tempted by the thought of having all four editions of “The Steel Seraglio”/“The City of Steel and Silk” and “The House of War and Witness” on my bookshelves.

Battle-hardened soldiers, a village with secrets and the lost souls of a timeless house collide in this stunning historical fantasy from the acclaimed authors of THE CITY OF SILK AND STEEL.

When a company of Austrian soldiers is sent to the village of Narutsin to defend the border, they find the previous garrison gone, the great house of Pokoj a dilapidated ruin, and the villagers sullen, secretive and belligerent. Convinced the villagers are keeping secrets - and possibly consorting with the Prussians - the commanding officer orders his junior lieutenant, Klaes, to investigate.

While Klaes sifts through the villagers' truths, half-truths and lies, Drozde, the quartermaster's woman, is making uncomfortable discoveries of her own - about her protector, about Pokoj and about herself. Quick-witted and sharp-tongued, Drozde is popular throughout the camp for her salacious and entertaining puppet shows. All her life, she has been in control, but as Narutsin gives up its secrets, it becomes clear to Drozde that she dances on Fate's strings as helplessly as anyone else.

The Soldiers of the empress and the villagers of Narutsin are about to find themselves actors in a story that has been unfolding for centuries. It will end in blood - that much is written - but how much blood will depend on Klaes' honour, Drozde's skill and courage, and the fact that the great house of Pokoj is not nearly as empty as it seems...

2013 Australian Shadows Awards nominees

The nominees for the 2013 Australian Shadows Awards, the award presented annually by the Australian Horror Writers Association and recognizing the excellence in horror fiction written or edited by an Australian, have been announced. The winners will be announced next Thursday.

NOVEL:

“Undead Kelly” by Timothy Bowden (Severed Press)

“Topsiders” by Scott Tyson (Legume Man Books)

“809 Jacob Street” by Marty Young (Black Beacon Books)

PAUL HAINES SHADOWS AWARD FOR LONG FICTION:

“Soul Killer” by Robert Hood (Zombies vs Robots: Diplomacy, IDW Publishing)

“The Home for Broken Dolls” by Kirstyn McDermott (Caution: Contains Small Parts, Twelfth Planet Press)

“The Unwanted Women of Surrey” by Kaaron Warren (Queen Victoria’s Book of Spells, Tor Books)

SHORT FICTION:

“Nip, Tuck, Zip, Pluck” by John Paul Fitch (Diabolique)

“Fence Lines” by Joanne Anderton (The Bone Chime Song and Other Stories, FableCroft Publishing)

“The Nest” by C.S. McMullen (Nightmare Magazine, September 2013)

“Caterpillars” by Debbie Cowens (Baby Teeth – Bite Sized Tales of Terror, Paper Road Press)

“The Dead Way” by J.C. Hart (Baby Teeth – Bite Sized Tales of Terror, Paper Road Press)

COLLECTED WORKS:

There is no shortlist, but there is a winner which will be announced together with the other awards’ recipients.

EDITED PUBLICATION:

“Midnight Echo 9” edited by Geoff Brown (Australian Writers Horror Association)

“A Killer Among Demons” edited by Craig Bezant (Dark Prints Press)

“Baby Teeth – Bite Sized Tales of Terror” edited by Dan Rabarts and Lee Murray (Paper Road Press)

“Star Quake 1” edited by Sophie Yorkston (IFWG Publishing Australia)

Congratulations and good luck to all the nominees!

Crowdfunding campaign - "Coverama", art book by Marc Simonetti

The following crowdfunding project is already a dream come true, it is fully funded and with 40 days left of the campaign it only pushes for stretched goals. For me this is the best of news, as a long time admirer of Marc Simonetti’s artwork an art book project dedicated to his paintings is more than welcomed, ever since I discovered Marc Simonetti’s works I enjoyed every new illustration he made, I was thrilled to see every new cover enriched by Marc Simonetti’s artwork. The covers Marc made for the French editions of George R.R. Martin’s “A Song of Ice and Fire” novels, Patrick Rothfuss’ “The Name of the Wind” and “The Wise Man’s Fear”, Ken Scholes’ “Lamentation” or Jeff Salyards’ “Scourge of the Betrayer”, to give a few examples, made me wish I could hold these books in my hands and fully admire the artworks from up close. No wonder then that I am so excited by “Coverama”, Marc Simonetti’s art book, even more so when this project is a certainty already. Marc Simonetti’s “Coverama” will have 256 pages printed on high quality paper, text in both English and French and will be filled with illustrations covering subjects such as “A Song of Ice and Fire” books, the Discworld, Lovecraft’s worlds, Fantasy and Science Fiction books, video games and advertisements, personal works, “making of” processes and some unseen before sketches. But mainly “Coverama” is a book about covers and cover art, so those will be main feature, with an extensive look behind the full process of creating book covers, including the relationship and interaction with the writers and publishers together with links to online video content showing the process of creation. And since the funding of this project will condition the number of books printed and the higher it climbs over its goal the more goodies and art prints will be available I’ll make sure to offer my support and enjoy Marc Simonetti’s art book when I’ll receive my copy of his “Coverama”.

2014 Grand Prix de l'Imaginaire

Grand Prix de l’Imaginaire is the oldest, still running award dedicated to the French speculative fiction. The first of the Grand Prix de l’Imaginaire was awarded in 1974 and initially it was named “Grand Prix de la Science-Fiction Française”, but in 1992 they were baptized with the current name to include fantasy and horror titles and to better reflect the genre works on the French market. On May 30^th the winners of the 2014 Grand Prix de l’Imaginaire have been announced:

FRENCH NOVEL:

“Anamnèse de Lady Star” (Lady Star’s Anamnesis) by L.L. Kloetzer (Denoël, Lunes d’Encre)

FOREIGN NOVEL:

“L’Homme qui savait la langue des serpents” (The Man Who Knew the Language of Snakes) by Andrus Kivirähk (Le Tripode)

FRENCH SHORT FICTION:

“7 secondes pour devenir un aigle” (7 Seconds to Become an Eagle) collection by Thomas Day (Bélial)

FOREIGN SHORT FICTION:

“Complications” (The Silver Wind) collection by Nina Allan (Tristram)

YOUNG ADULT FRENCH NOVEL:

“Animale. La Malédiction de Boucle d’or” (Animal. The Curse of Golidlocks) by Victor Dixen (Gallimard Jeunesse)

YOUNG ADULT FOREIGN NOVEL:

“Une Planète dans la tête” (Maggot Moon) by Sally Gardner (Galimard Jeunesse)

JACQUES CHAMBON AWARD FOR TRANSLATION:

Bernard Sigaud for “Complications” (The Silver Wind) collection by Nina Allan (Tristram)

WOJTEK SIUDMAK AWARD FOR GRAPHICS:

Didier Graffet for “Steampunk – De vapeur et d’acier” (Steampunk – Steam and Steel) with Xavier Mauméjean (Le Pré aux clercs)

COMICS:

“Souvenirs de l’empire de l’atome” (Memories of the Atom Empire) by Alexandre Clerisse and Thierry Smolderen (Dargaud)

MANGA:

“The Arms Peddler” (Volumes 1 to 6) by Kyoichi Nanatsuki and Night Owl (Ki-oon)

ESSAY:

“Souvenirs de futur. Les Miroirs de la Maison d’Ailleurs” (Memories of the Future. The Mirrors of Maison d’Ailleurs) edited by Marc Atallah, Frédéric Jaccaud and Francis Valéry (Presses Polytechniques et Universitaires Romandes)

SPECIAL AWARD:

“L’Intégrale Stefan Wul” (The Complete Stefan Wul) published by Bragelonne and “Univers de Stefan Wul” (The Universe of Stefan Wul) published by Ankama, for adaptations of the novels to comics by D. Cassegrain, M. Hawthorne, D. Lapiere, J.-D. Morvan, M. Reynes, O.Vatine, Yann…

Congratulations to all the winners!

Table of contents - "The Best British Horror 2014" edited by Johnny Mains

I never believed in fiction genres, I always thought that a book is good because of its merits and not because it is crafted within certain boundaries. Coming from someone reading lately in a low range of so called genres this statement might sound a bit too brave and hypocritical, but I had times when I explored far and wide across literature. And given just a bit more free time I would do it again. One label I am terribly frustrated with it is horror. To a certain point I understand the publishers’ tendency to categorize literature, I even understand the readers’ tendency to follow these categories to a limit, but lately I’ve noticed an injustice done to horror literature just because it is labeled in such a way. In the past several years I’ve read some wonderful pieces of fiction that stepped way over the simple boundaries imposed by the horror label. Psychological, unsettling because it leaves the reader deeply on thought, not because it tries to shock the audience by any means, and emotional visceral I am certain that these books were ignored by some just because they’re labeled as horror. It is a shame in my opinion, because most of them deserve as wider an audience as possible. Now, don’t get me wrong, I do not continue my hypocritical line and attempt to categorize fiction myself, but it seems an injustice to put together such titles with the more gory and violent ones. Like I’ve already said, each one of them deserves consideration for what it is and not for the shallow description set by an identification marker. We can start an entire debate based on my opinion, but it is not what I am trying to do here. Instead, I wish to highlight a title featuring some of the authors, labeled as horror writers, who enriched my reading experience recently. And since British horror (again genre classification) seems to be living a new era of glory, with so many talented writers pushing the limits of the genre, it was only right for a yearly best to be born. “The Best British Horror 2014” is the first anthology, hopefully of many, showcasing the new genre stories coming from the United Kingdom. Edited by Johnny Mains and released by Salt Publishing “The Best British Horror” gathers in its first volume authors who already proved the weakness of a simple label for this entire genre. Ramsey Campbell, Adam Nevill, Gary Fry, John Llewellyn Probert, Stephen Volk, Reggie Oliver or Michael Marshall Smith brought their contribution in the great progress of the genre, while Thana Niveau, Anna Taborska, V.H. Leslie or Robert Shearman come with their own additions to its development. That’s just to name some of those who make a presence on “The Best British Horror 2014” since there are several others very talented writers who wait for a chance to be published in the next British best horror volumes. And once again, I do hope that such chances would arise in the form of many other “The Best British Horror” collections for the years to come and so readers could track powerful stories on yearly basis.

“When Charlie Sleeps” by Laura Mauro (Black Static, Issue 37)

“Exploding Raphaelesque Heads” by Ian Hunter (The Tenth Black Book of Horror, ed. Charles Black, Mortbury Press)

“The Bloody Tower” by Anna Taborska (Terror Tales of London, ed. Paul Finch, Gray Friar Press)

“Behind the Doors” by Ramsey Campbell (Holes for Faces, Dark Regions Press)

“The Secondary Host” by John Llewellyn Probert (Exotic Gothic Volume 5, Part 2, ed. Danel Olson, PS Publishing)

“The Garscube Creative Writing Group” by Muriel Gray (The Burning Circus, ed. Johnny Mains, British Fantasy Society)

“Biofeedback” by Gary Fry (Shades of Nothingness, PS Publishing)

“Doll Hands” by Adam Nevill (The Burning Circus, ed. Johnny Mains, British Fantasy Society)

“Guinea Pig Girl” by Thana Niveau (The Tenth Black Book of Horror, ed. Charles Black, Mortbury Press)

“Touch Me With Your Cold, Hard Fingers” by Elizabeth Stott (Nightjar Press)

“Dad Dancing” by Kate Farrell (The Tenth Black Book of Horror, ed. Charles Black, Mortbury Press)

“The Arse-Licker” by Stephen Volk (Anatomy of Death, Hersham Horror Books)

“Doll Re Me” by Tanith Lee (Nightmare Magazine, May 2013)

“Laudate Dominum (For Many Voices)” by D.P. Watt (Shadows & Tall Trees, Issue 5)

“Someone to Watch Over You” by Marie O'Regan (Terror Tales of London, ed. Paul Finch, Gray Friar Press)

“Namesake” by V.H. Leslie (Black Static, Issue 31)

“Come Into My Parlour” by Reggie Oliver (Dark World: Ghost Stories, ed. Timothy Parker Russell, Tartarus Press)

“The Red Door” by Mark Morris (Terror Tales of London, ed. Paul Finch, Gray Friar Press)

“Author of the Death” by Michael Marshall Smith (Everything You Need, Earthling Publications)

“The Magician Kelso Dennet” by Stephen Volk(Terror Tales of Seaside, ed. Paul Finch, Gray Friar Press)

“That Tiny Flutter of the Heart I Used to Call Love” by Robert Shearman (Psycho-mania!, ed. Stephen Jones, Constable & Robinson)

Free fiction - FableCroft Publishing's titles nominated for this year's Ditmar Awards

Following the opportunity offered by Ticonderoga Publications to experience their Ditmar Awards nominated titles today we can have a taste of more such works shortlisted for this prestigious award. This time FableCroft Publishing offers to our consideration samples of its nominated titles, the short stories “Mah-Song” by Joanne Anderson, from the author’s collection “The Bone Chime Song and Other Stories”, and “Cold White Daughter” by Tansy Rayner Roberts, from the anthology “One Small Step” edited by Tehani Wessely, together with an excerpt from the novel “Ink Black Magic” by the same Tansy Rayner Roberts. You can find each of them with a downloading link on FableCroft Publishing’s website.