Hoorah! Confirmed sightings of my UK books have reached me. I didn't find them in my local Newport Waterstones', so looks like I'd have to travel to Cardiff to see my books on the shelves. Which would be a bit silly really.
However, here's where I ask a favour - if you do spot either THE EVERLASTING or FALLEN, please comment here to let me know!
Here it is:
For years now, Meloy has been writing some of the most startling, striking horror fiction being published today. He's not prolific - which is why this is a landmark collection, and you should buy it - but he is supremely talented. He also swears more creatively than anyone I know.
Paul's won a British Fantasy Award for his short fiction (Black Static), he numbers among his fans such writers as Graham Joyce and Joe Hill, and I really can't urge you strongly enough to buy this book. You will not be disappointed, and by doing so you'll be stating your appreciation for one of the most underappreciated writers out there.
You can buy here from TTA Press.
.... I shall reveal to you the one book you MUST buy this year. And no, it's not one of mine.
Watch this space.
Did a six mile run today, along the canal, through the woods then back home through some country lanes. I was feeling pretty good about myself. Then I read this. Talk about inspiration ....
Just this second finished reading BAD MEN by John Connolly ... definitely one of the best books I've read this year so far. He's such a smooth, assured writer, his plotting is wonderful, and his characterisation is so strong it feels as if I know everyone in the novel. Many of the people I don't want to know, of course, as in this novel Connolly has created some of the most reprehensible characters in fiction: Willard, the pretty-boy killer; and Moloch, even more evil than Willard, who seduces his wife through murder. I've only read EVERY DEAD THING before now - very imporessive, too - but after reading this one, I'm going to go out and buy every Connolly book, and savour them over the next year or so.
I love it when I find a new writer I enjoy as much as this.
Meanwhile, Robert Thompson over at Fantasy Book Critic has come up with the first part of his list of anticipated reads for next year, including my second collaboration with Chris Golden THE MAP OF MOMENTS. Check out the whole article here, if your credit card is feeling fruitful.
Check out a quick interview with me here, where you can discover my favourite word, what flavour jelly bean I'd be, as well as a few writerly-associated questions. Fun.
Also, delighted to report that the centre of the Universe has been discovered.
You decide.
It's been a while since my last original horror novel was released. THE EVERLASTING was the beginning of 2007, and though 30 DAYS OF NIGHT came out early this year, I guess that doesn't really count.
So I'm thrilled to announce BAR NONE, an original short horror novel being published this autumn by Night Shade Books.
Here's the write-up:
Six months have passed since the end of the world, leaving a handful of survivors holed up in a Welsh manor with little to do but survive. They've made the best of things, planting food, drinking their way through the cellar's wine and ale, and reminiscing about the way life used to be. But with supplies running thin, everything is about to change...
The arrival of a stranger named Michael sheds new light on their circumstances. If the survivors can reach Cornwall, a few days' journey south, they will find a safe haven, called Bar None, quite possibly the last bar on earth.
As they make their way across the Welsh countryside, the survivors will experience a world gone strange, where frightening beings fly high overhead, where flora and fauna press in to fill the void left by the fall of man, and, in the wreckage of civilization, where less fortunate survivors, twisted by plagues, hunger, and fear, stalk human prey.
From Tim Lebbon, author of Berserk, Dusk, and Dawn comes Bar None, a novel of chilling suspense, apocalyptic beauty, and fine ales.
It's fantastic to be working with the very excellent Night Shade Books again. They're publishing this as a trade paperback, at the great price of $13.95. You can check out all the details at their website.
This is a really important novel for me. When I planned it, I was calling it my 'real ale apocalypse' novel, and there was always tongue firmly in cheek. But after I began writing, my mum became ill, and I finished this one very soon after she died from breast cancer. That had a huge effect on the novel, and it became a study in memory, and how important memories can be. It remains an apocalyptic novel, and real ale retains a great importance through the book ... but it became a much more serious, much better novel in my eyes.
I hope you'll buy it, and I hope you'll agree.
There's a great review of FALLEN over at SFFWorld. Here's a tasty extract:
I actually think that Fallen could be a 'best kept secret' - one that eventually will be seen in the future as very cool to have been 'in at' in the beginning. It's not only that we've read it, but it's pretty good when we find 'a goodie' first and can tell others about it.
This, in my opinion, is one.
Nice!
Tomorrow, I'll talk about a brand new novel I don't think I've mentioned properly on here before. If you liek real ale and the apocalypse - and hey, who doesn't? - you'll like this one.
Our new pup Blu is coming on leaps and bounds (quite literally). He's a real character - yesterday I saw him having a fight with a snail on our lawn. Blu won, but only just. He's been stung twice by wasps, he barks at socks, and he has met and made friends with the postman. He's sleeping well now, mostly through the night with maybe an occasional 3am whine to be let out for a wee. And today I'm sitting at my computer working (a new novel proposal called OUT AT NIGHT, I'm very excited about it, and I'll blog about it very soon), and Blu's been curled up at my feet for much of the day.
We're doing our best to stop him eating our house and its contents, the consequence of which is that he's taken a fancy to our garden. Here he is with a portion of one of our nicest acers just within reach. Oh, and my vegetable patch is knackered, for this year at least. I decided there's just too much stress involved in stopping Blu from loping across it, so he's trampled the spring onions and leeks, and the broccolli has alreayd fallen victim to cabbage whites.
Still, I had the first of (hopefully) many homegrown tomatoes in my sandwich for lunch yesterday. Green-fingered I am not.
I've just delivered the reworked version of THE ISLAND to my editor at Bantam Spectra! I always quite enjoy the whole editing process - edit letter, revisions, rethinking some parts of the novel. This time has been no exception, and I'm delighted with how much better the book has turned out. Here's hoping my editor will think so too! More news on THE ISLAND as and when it comes, but meanwhile, don't forget that FALLEN is still out there!
Check it out HERE - it gets a nice review, and 8/10. I'm happy with that.
Managed to squeeze a bit of work in today, between looking after the kids and picking up puppy crap from the back garden. I'm working on a couple of novel proposals, and they're ticking over quite nicely. Hopefully there'll be more news soon!
Currently reading:
Call of the Wild, by Jack London
The Last Fighting Tommy
Listening to:
Angel Dust, Faith No More
Today's the day! After the launch last weekend, today is the official release date of FALLEN and THE EVERLASTING in the UK, from publisher Allison & Busby. FALLEN is available in hardback, THE EVERLASTING as a mass market paperback. You can check out the publisher's website for details, keep an eye on this blog for news and reviews, and here are the Amazon links:
FALLEN
THE EVERLASTING
Check your local bookshops for the books, and if they don't have them, order them in. And please leave a comment and let me know if, when and where you spot the books for sale!
FALLEN is Fantasy & SF Book of the Month over at this site! There's a great review there, and one for THE EVERLASTING too, and they praise Allison & Busby's production values to the sky. As do I. These books look seriously sexy.
And FALLEN is also Allison & Busby's book of the month - check it out. Be sure to click on the Latest News bit on the right of the front page for more info.
Loads more reviews of both books coming soon, including in some major magazines and websites. I'll point you their way as and when they're available.
I'm thrilled to announce that I've been nominated for two British Fantasy Awards, in the Short Fiction and Novella categories. I'm especially delighted that Discovering Ghosts is nominated ... it's the most painful and difficult story I've ever had to write, and if you've read it, you'll know why.
Here are those relevant shortlists:
Short Fiction
Ramsey Campbell, DIGGING DEEP, Phobic: Modern Horror Stories, Comma Press
Christopher Fowler, THE SPIDER KISS, The Mammoth Book of Monsters, Robinson
Joe Hill, THUMBPRINT, Post Scripts # 10, PS Publishing
Joel Lane, MY STONE DESIRE, Black Static # 1, TTA Press
Tim Lebbon, DISCOVERING GHOSTS, Post Scripts # 10 Spring 2007, PS Publishing
Novella
Eric Brown, STARSHIP SUMMER, PS Publishing
Tim Lebbon, AFTER THE WAR (DOUBLE NOVELLA), Subterranean Press
Gary McMahon, ALL YOUR GODS ARE DEAD, Humdrumming
Del Stone jr., BLACK TIDE, Telos Publishing
Conrad Williams, RAIN, Gray Friar Press
Conrad Williams, THE SCALDING ROOMS, PS Publishing
And the entire awards shortlisting is as follows:
British Fantasy Award
Alphabetical List of top five nominees in all categories:
(Note: Where the list has more than 5 nominations, this is due to voting ties for one or more runner-up places)
Novel: The August Derleth Award
Ramsey Campbell, THE GRIN OF THE DARK, PS Publishing
Joe Hill, HEART SHAPED BOX, Gollancz
Michael Marshall, THE INTRUDERS, HarperCollins Publishers
Sarah Pinborough, THE TAKEN, Dorchester Publishing Co
Dan Simmons, THE TERROR, Little Brown & Co
Michael Marshall Smith, THE SERVANTS, Earthling Publications
Novella
Eric Brown, STARSHIP SUMMER, PS Publishing
Tim Lebbon, AFTER THE WAR (DOUBLE NOVELLA), Subterranean Press
Gary McMahon, ALL YOUR GODS ARE DEAD, Humdrumming
Del Stone jr., BLACK TIDE, Telos Publishing
Conrad Williams, RAIN, Gray Friar Press
Conrad Williams, THE SCALDING ROOMS, PS Publishing
Short Fiction
Ramsey Campbell, DIGGING DEEP, Phobic: Modern Horror Stories, Comma Press
Christopher Fowler, THE SPIDER KISS, The Mammoth Book of Monsters, Robinson
Joe Hill, THUMBPRINT, Post Scripts # 10, PS Publishing
Joel Lane, MY STONE DESIRE, Black Static # 1, TTA Press
Tim Lebbon, DISCOVERING GHOSTS, Post Scripts # 10 Spring 2007, PS Publishing
Collection
Simon Clark, MIDNIGHT BAZAAR: A SECRET ARCADE OF STRANGE AND EERIE TALES, Robert Hale
Paul Finch, STAINS, Gray Friar Press
Christopher Fowler, OLD DEVIL MOON, Serpent's Tail
Stephen Gallagher, PLOTS AND MISADVENTURES, Subterranean Press
Gary McMahon, DIRTY PRAYERS, Gray Friar Press
Tony Richards, GOING BACK, Elastic Press
Anthology
Charles Black, THE BLACK BOOK OF HORROR, Mortbury Press
John Grant, NEW WRITINGS IN THE FANTASTIC, Pendragon
Stephen Jones, THE MAMMOTH BOOK OF BEST NEW HORROR 18, Robinson
D. F. Lewis, ZENCORE!, Meganthus
Ian Alexander Martin, THE FIRST HUMDRUMMING BOOK OF HORROR STORIES, Humdrumming
Small Press
Andy Cox, Black Static
Peter Crowther, PS Publishing
Peter Crowther, Postscripts
Andrew Hook, Elastic Press
Steve Upham, Screaming Dreams
Artist
Vincent Chong
Les Edwards (Edward Miller)
Dave McKean
Bryan Talbot
Steve Upham
Non-Fiction
Allen Ashley, PLANET DODO COLUMN, Midnight Street
Peter Tennant, WHISPERS OF WICKEDNESS WEBSITE REVIEWS
Stephen Thrower, NIGHTMARE USA: THE UNTOLD STORY OF THE EXPLOITATION INDEPENDENTS, FAB Press
Darren Turpin, UKSF BOOKNEWS
Mark Valentine, WORMWOOD, Tartarus Press
Hot on the heels of my UK book launch, the first reviews and features have come in.
For brief extracts and interviews about FALLEN and THE EVERLASTING - as well as forthcoming novella THE REACH OF CHILDREN - check out Paul Kane's excellent Shadow Writer website here (scroll right down to the end of the Guest Writer page).
Paul's also written two very positive reviews on the Mass Movement website - check them out here (click on 'E' for THE EVERLASTING, and 'R' for THE REACH OF CHILDREN).
More soon ...
Well, this is always how I handle being upset, that's for sure!
Last Saturday was the official launch of my UK novels FALLEN and THE EVERLASTING from Allison & Busby. And what a day.
As most of you will know, I've been looking forward to seeing my books published in the UK for years. At last it has happened .... and we celebrated in style. The venue was Abergavenny Bookshop, and it was well attended. We sold books, and drank much wine and real ale, courtesy of my lovely publishers. Most of the people who attended I was expecting to see (I've been spreading the word far and wide), but there were a couple of nice surprises. First, Mark and Dave - two guys who were on a writing course I ran in Cardiff University a few years back - surprised me by turning up. Not only did they buy books, they bought beer as well. What more could a writer ask for? Great to see you, guys!
And then a gentleman stood before me with his arms crossed and a 'Yeah, so who am I, then?' look on his face. I knew that I recognised him from first sight .... but it took my aging brain a few seconds to realise it was Peter Jones, an English teacher from my old school! Now, I haven't seen Pete for about 21 years. Twenty-one. And having him turn up at my book launch just about made my day.
After many books were sold, we walked 50 yards to the Hen & Chickens pub (mentioned, so I am reliably informed, in the second Harry Potter book), where I proceeded to drink many pints of Reverend James. A big thanks, and beaucoup hugs, to Mark, Dave, Gary, Max, Scott, Morgan, Matt & Kath, Jimbo, Janice & Lizzie, Kath & Craig, and last but not least my missus Tracey, and daughter Ellie, who helped me while away a drunken afternoon in Abergavenny.
So, now I'm published in the UK. Cool.
By the way, if you want to see what Reverend James does to me, check out Gary Greenwood's blog.
First, a reminder that my UK Book launch for FALLEN and THE EVERLASTING (both published by Allison & Busby) takes place tomorrow at Abergavenny Bookstore, 1 Cross St, Abergavenny. There will be wine, there will be beer, there will be books. And yay, there will be much celebration. Please pop along if you can.
I took part in the Radio Wales Arts Programme yesterday evening (FM: 93-104), and it's repeated tonight at 9:30pm on BBC Radio Wales. Alongside me were Professor Mark Brake, and author and poet Phil Carradice. Our brief discussion could ahve gone on for many hours, but it was interesting and a lot of fun.
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