#Erinn L. Kemper

[nettirw]

PRISMS - PRE-ORDER

PRISMS – PRE-ORDER

PRISMS, an anthology of dark science fiction and fantasy co-edited by Darren Speegle and Michael Bailey, is now available to pre-order. This anthology was previously published in limited hardcover by PS Publishing in March 2021, but will be made available in a wider release by Written Backwards on March 21st, 2023. Features cover artwork by Ben Baldwin. Prisms are instruments, mirrors,…

[thereadingchallengechallenge]

Read in August 2019

A quieter month than my previous two wrap-ups but let’s be real, I was never gonna keep up the pace of a book each day once I went back to uni 😅 Still, I’m satisfied with 11 Australian books, 1 LGBT+ anthology, and 6 science fiction short stories! 

I’ll list the short stories below and since August was all about reading Australian novels, I’m also going to share my DNFs. Because even though I didn’t enjoy them, you still might, and I would highly encourage everyone to try and track down some #LoveOzYA! 

Reviews: 

Four Dead Queens by Astrid Scholte - 2/5 

The Boy Who Steals Houses by CG Drews - 5/5

Begin End Begin anthology by Danielle Binks - 3/5

Life In Outer Space by Melissa Keil - 4/5

Impossible Music by Sean Williams - 2/5 

As Happy As Here by Jane Godwin - 2/5 

The Secret Science of Magic by Melissa Keil - 4/5 

Pink by Lili Wilkinson - 3/5

Everything I’ve Never Said by Samantha Wheeler - 5/5

Devil’s Ballast by Meg Caddy - 5/5 (US release in 2020)

Words in Deep Blue by Cath Crowley - 3/5

All Out anthology by Saundra Mitchell - 4/5

Short stories (with links to where you can read for free!)

The Song by Erinn L Kemper - 2/5 

Recoveries by Susan Palwick - 4/5  

Angel of the Blockade by Alex Wells - 5/5  

A Burden Shared by Jo Walton - 3/5 

Compassionate Simulation by Rachel Swirsky & PH Lee - 3/5 

Before the World Crumbles Away by AT Greenblatt - 4/5 

DNFs

Take Three Girls by Cath Crowley, Simmone Howell & Fiona Wood

The Incredible Adventures of Cinnamon Girl by Melissa Keil

What I Like About Me by Jenna Guillaume (US release April 2020)

Finnikin of the Rock by Melina Marchetta  

Froi of the Exiles by Melina Marchetta 

Quintana of Charyn by Melina Marchetta 

The Things We Promise by JC Burke

Illuminae by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff

Gemina by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff

Obsidio by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff

[writingdotcoffee]

#79: Not Feeling Like It

Today, I want to share something that I’ve been struggling with over the past few months. I’m still figuring it out, so don’t expect much advice in this post. But I’m curious if anyone will relate.

I like to think that I’m pretty good at habits. They change from time to time, but I tend to maintain several daily habits at any given time.

These days I get up before 7, meditate, journal, read a short story, read 50 pages from a book, write, do push-ups, post on the blog, run (every other day) and a few other things. Habits are basically how I run my life, and although it might seem like the most boring existence ever, I love it.

Lately, I've noticed that it’s getting increasingly more difficult to keep these going. It’s a classic procrastination scenario. Once I start things go pretty well. But I’m willing to do anything just so I don’t have to get started.

I might put on my running gear and then spend 20 minutes doing pointless tasks around the flat before finally heading out. I’ll read shitty news articles online instead of reading a book which is right there in front of me. Sometimes, I even have to talk myself into doing pushups in the morning which literally takes no more than two minutes to complete. I just don’t feel like doing it, and I don’t understand why.

I’ve done some of these on the daily for years and years. I know what I have to do. I understand the value of those habits. If anything, I thought that it will become easier over time, almost automatic. Isn’t that how habits are supposed to work? Why are things getting more difficult? Where is all this resistance coming from?

Honestly, I’m just bloody annoyed.

I guess this was one of Steven Pressfield’s point in War of Art. As you grow, your resistance grows with you. As if every time you get a little comfortable, someone turns up the heat. You have to develop systems and become better at fighting your monkey brain. Maybe it’s a good sign then?

What’s your experience with resistance? Does it get better or worse? Does it stay the same?

What I Am Reading

This week, I read A Moveable Feast by Ernest Hemingway. It’s a collection of short anecdotes from the time he spent in Paris in the 1920s. He hung out with people like James Joyce and Ezra Pound and Gertrude Stein and Ford Maddox Ford. He writes about his struggles with money and publication. In one story, he recounts how they organised a fundraiser for T. S. Eliot because he had to work for a bank and didn’t have enough time to write.

A number of writing quotes that float around the internet originate from this book, and it was cool to see them in context. Highly recommended.

Next, I’ll be reading A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles. This is one of the books that I got for Christmas—not something that I would pick up myself, and the more excited I am to read it. Expanding my horizons time.

Short Stories

I also read these short stories:

Asleep at the Wheel by T. C. Boyle

The Song by Erinn L. Kemper

Borderland by Olga Tokarczuk

Identity Crisis by Andrew Dicker

Gingerbread by Anthony Howcroft

The Meaning of Love by Daniel Abraham

A Better Way to Die by Paul Cornell

Want More?

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Past Editions

#78: Becoming Polynovelous, February 2019

#77: In Praise of Bad Fiction, February 2019

#76: The Negative Review Paradox, February 2019

#75: Winter, January 2019

#74: Audiobooks, January 2019

[weirdletter]

Black Static #69, edited by Andy Cox, TTA Press, May-June 2019. Cover art by Joachim Luetke, info: ttapress.com.

The May-June issue contains new cutting edge horror fiction by Simon Avery, Erinn L. Kemper, Joanna Parypinski, Daniel Bennett, Jack Westlake, and Daniel Carpenter. The cover art is by Joachim Luetke, and interior illustrations are by Richard Wagner, Vincent Sammy, Martin Hanford, and Vince Haig. Regular features: Into the Woods by Ralph Robert Moore; Notes from the Borderland by Lynda E. Rucker; Case Notes book reviews by Georgina Bruce, Laura Mauro, David Surface, Ross Warren and others; Blood Spectrum film reviews by Gary Couzens.

Fiction Where it Ends, Where it Begins by Erinn L. Kemper, illustrated by Vincent Sammy Beach People by Joanna Parypinski, illustrated by Richard Wagner Hunting by the River by Daniel Carpenter Pomegranate Pomegranate by Jack Westlake, illustrated by Martin Hanford When You Decided to Call by Daniel Bennett Messages from Weirdland by Simon Avery, illustrated by Vince Haig

Columns Notes From the Borderland by Lynda E. Rucker Into the Woods by Ralph Robert Moore

Reviews Case Notes: Book Reviews Blood Spectrum: Film Reviews by Gary Couzens

[fanlit]

👍 “The Song” by Erinn L. Kemper (@TorDotComPub @tordotcom) is heavy on setting and atmosphere. https://t.co/1FV9dkBMw5 … https://t.co/3JydzguLGu

[lizabethstucker]

Some of the Best from Tor.com 2019 Edition

This was a free collection on Amazon at the time that I stumbled across it while browsing science fiction selections.  While I’ve always liked both Tor and Baen publications, I was amazed by how very much I enjoyed almost every short story and novella in this collection. Such high quality, and some authors that have been added to my TBR list.  4.5 out of 5.

CURRENTLY FREE ON AMAZON AS OF THE DATE OF THIS POSTING!

“Deriving Life” by Elizabeth Bear

Marq Tames is contemplating suicide or becoming a Host, unable to cope with being alone again after their spouse dies.  Tenants bring many benefits, including being pain-free, living a bit longer, making better decisions for themselves.  Unfortunately the Tenants ultimately consume their Hosts.  Unlike most potential Hosts, Marq is healthy.  Wow.  A really detailed look at grief, cancer, loneliness, and the choices we might make for happiness.  Intense.  Could be triggering for some who are themselves dealing with grief.  4.5 out of 5.

“For He Can Creep” by Siobhan Carroll

The Great Jeoffry the Cat helps keep the demons away from the humans in the madhouse.  His favorite is the Poet who is trying to finish the most important Poem for God.  If only his creditors would leave him alone, stop pushing for the satiric content he once wrote.  Then Satan himself comes to speak with Jeoffry.  Satan deems the Poem to be out of favor style-wise, and not very good.  He wishes to have the Poet write him a poem, one that will drive religion out of the minds of the masses.  To do that, he needs to speak with the Poet without Jeoffry’s interference.  It is, as they say, a devil’s bargain.  Jeoffry may, for the first time since kittenhood, lose.  He must consider and consult.  The fact that this is based on a real poem written by Christopher Smart, who was incarcerated in St. Luke’s Hospital for Lunatics, circa 1763, adds an extra layer of interest and curiosity to the story.  Needless to say, I spent the evening researching the poet online.  3.5 out of 5.

“Beyond the El” by John Chu

Connor struggles to recreate his late mother's dumplings, never quite reaching that bit of perfection. He really doesn't need the stress of his cold abusive sister back in his life.  Although maybe he does.  Very low key.  The relationship between Nick and Connor was more interesting to me.  As to the use of magic to prepare foods, was it really necessary?  3 out of 5.

“Zeitgeber” by Greg Egan

Sam is searching for why his daughter Emma's sleep patterns are suddenly and radically off phase.  It isn't long until this issue with sleep cycles begin spreading throughout the world.  At first it was just puzzling and annoying.  Now there are more and more accidents and deaths.  Life moves on, people adjusting as best it can, with cures both fake and possible appearing.  

Truly fantastic tale.  Scary as well, especially considering how we are waiting for a cure for COVID-19 with trepidation and distrust of the very organizations, such as the CDC and FDA, that are supposed to protect us.  Add on top the discussion of just how much conformity society demands of us.  4 out of 5.

“One/Zero” by Kathleen Ann Gorrnan

The war made its way to Vida Zilan's home in Kurdistan, ending with her parents, aunt, and grandmother dead.  Now Vida is on the run with her three year old brother, traveling with other terrified and displaced children.  Mai Davidson has retired in Washington D.C. after years of helping with various issues through the agency she had given her life to, until her husband died and she began to look for something different.  Her life is becoming increasingly regulated as the AIs begin taking control of medicine and senior care and transportation, among other things.  Or are the SIs, the rumored super intelligent computers now moving out into the world?  Be careful what you wish for has always been what is said in regards to those who can grant wishes.  Perhaps with the right teachers, the right guides, the SIs can help fix the world for the children, with the assistance of the children.  If only, if only.  Magnificent look at how Hal might not be the villain of the piece.  After all, he just wanted to save both himself and his astronaut charges.  4.5 out of 5. 

“Skinner Box” by Carole Johnstone

A trip to Jupiter and back, scientists caught up in their personal cycle of pain and hatred, an engineer who brings some comfort and support.  And a Skinner box filled with nanites.  There are layers upon layers upon layers in this intense story of experimentation and conditioning, the cost of freedom and, ultimately, love.  In essence, there are three reveals.  The first was expected almost from the start.  The second was almost suspected after we met Boris.  But it was the third that, for me, saved the story from the coldness.  3.5 out of 5.

“The Song” by Erinn L. Kemper

The world is moving from beef to whale meat, expensive as it is, taking abandoned oil rigs and converting them to whale meat processing centers.  As the ecowarriors grow increasingly violent, killing those involved in killing the whales, the people on SeaRanch 18 are stranded without relief personnel.  One of the last new scientists to arrive is Suzanne who is staying the changes in communication patterns among the whales.  She tells Dan, a deep sea diver and welder, of attacks by the whales, how humpbacks and blues were congregating for the first time ever seen and apparently communicating.  Whales and dolphins are so very intelligent, yet humans think they can do whatever they want to them.  I don’t understand.  Needless to say, I was primed for this story.  I thought I was prepared, even hopeful.  But the ending was beyond tragic.  4 out of 5.

“Articulated Restraint” by Mary Robinette Kowal

(Lady Astronaut 1.5)  After an accident leads to a lunar rocket slammed into a space station and the airlock jammed, the moon’s astronauts must figure out how to rescue them before their air runs out.  First, they’ll need a plan of action and see if the plan can work on their mockup rocket.  They need a way to get them more oxygen and a way to get a life raft to the vehicle.  Complicating procedures is Ruby’s nasty ankle sprain, especially after she needs the foot restraint which requires her to twist her feet to get into position.  Something snaps, but she perseveres, unwilling to let her injury prevent the rescue of her friends.  In some ways this reminds me of old time science fiction, a neat adventure with threads of backstories I want to know more about, such as the Meteor and what’s going on back on Earth.  Luckily I discovered that this is part of a series, so there is a possibility of learning more.  Although I have a few other of Kowal’s works in my TBR pile (freebies back in the day), I hadn’t as yet read any of her works.  Definitely want to read more based on what I found here.  4.5 out of 5. 

“Painless” by Rich Larson

Mars is a child when he is first found by the men who have been searching for someone like him, a genetic mutation who cannot feel pain.  There’s an organism put inside his body, that can make him stronger and able to repair himself, even grow body parts back.  He is trained to be a soldier, a mercenary, a killer.  He yearns for freedom and someone to be his friend and family.  The story jumps a bit from present to past and back again. It took me a while to get into the author’s rhythm, but once I did it was well worth it.  I can see so many countries and organizations who would kill to have someone like Mars under their control.  Good read.  3.5 out of 5.

“Seonag and the Seawolves” by M. Evan MacGriogair

Seonag was considered strange almost from the moment she was born, but she still loved her homeland.  So much so that she hides when her parents make plans to sail to Canada, unable to afford the croft rent.  Once they leave her behind, Seonag goes to the town bard for help and advice.  She is told about the wolves that were driven out of Ireland.  He tells her to swim west until she can hear the wolves.  The advice is cruel, certain suicide.  Knowing all that, Seonag still decides to do so.  An old style story, a myth, a fable, a fairy tale.  A story about those who only want to belong, yet are different enough to be pushed to the sidelines.  Mystical and magical.  4 out of 5.

“Any Way the Wind Blows” by Seanan McGuire

The Cartography Corps explore and map the parallel universes in order to determine if any ever go missing at a future date.  In this Manhattan, they find an intact Flatiron building, but no killer pigeons in this universe, so win-win.  Then a group of locals ask to meet the Captain.  This should be a television series!  I’d watch each and every episode and cackle at the crew’s adventures.  The only thing I was disappointed by was the length.  It was too short.  4.5 out of 5.

“Blue Morphos in the Garden” by Lis Mitchell

Vivian does love Dash and Lily, their daughter, but she continues to refuse to marry him, unable to deal with what his family goes through upon death.  If she officially marries into the family, she will become a Karner in all ways.  When it appears that Viv may be dying, she will need to make a decision sooner than she had hoped.  Stay, but remain a terminal.  Marry and, once she dies, become something else.  Leave, with or without Dash and Lily.  There's a beauty to having one's death transform into something useful or beautiful or both.  Frankly, I don't understand Vivian's concerns about that.  4 out of 5.

“His Footsteps, Through Darkness and Light” by Mimi Mondal

Love comes in many forms, some never spoken out loud.  Binu had found a home and a job with the Majestic Oriental Circus.  He became a trapeze master, soon heading his own team.  He also continued playing Alladin in Shehzad Marid’s illusionist act.  He was happy and content.  Until he helped the wrong person.  There is so much hinted at and more left unsaid.  But it will always be known that Binu was a good man and a loyal friend.  Bittersweet, yet in that time and place, perhaps the happiest ending(?) one could hope for.  4 out of 5.

“Old Media” by Annalee Newitz

John was as free as he had ever been under his latest Master, a lady scientist who provided him franchise papers that granted him full rights within the city before she went into hiding.  Med, a fan of John's journal on Memeland, becomes his friend and roommate.  She is also a robot and professor, as well as the lady scientist's research partner in the project that caused the woman to flee.  John and Med try to navigate the idiosyncrasies of living among humans, both clueless and bigoted.  3.5 out of 5.

“More Real Than Him” by Silvia Park

Morgan Ito is working on her own robot, one that resembles her favorite actor who is currently doing his two years of military service.  This is the first story in the collection that I struggled with.  Frankly, it read like bad fanfiction, and I'm a fanfiction reader and writer.  I didn't like any characters except Stephen, but he was barely in the story.  I finally gave up, not caring what would happen to pretty much anyone.  DNF

“The Hundredth House Had No Walls” by Laurie Penny

The King of the country of Myth and Shadow is incredibly bored after five hundred years on the throne.  He does what any ruler does in his situation, he decides to travel incognito to the imaginary land of New York City.  There he runs into the Princess of Everywhere and Nowhere.  

I had a hard time at first dealing with random phrases, words, and letters made bold.  This was a strange story.  Once I got past the random bolds, I quite liked it.  Feminist overtones with a message about freedom and allowing each individual to write their own story.  3.5 out of 5.

“The Touches” by Brenda Peynado

Life is separated into clean and dirty.  Clean was living virtually, locked into a tiny cubicle from birth, cared for by an assigned robot, and hooked up to an all-encompassing system for hours at a time.  Dirty is the real world, filled with plagues and viruses and what the narrator calls filth.  Things get more complicated as robots glitch, an accident puts the narrator into quarantine, and a phone number leads to something scary.  There's a layer of disconnection due to a lack of physical contact that cannot be fulfilled by robot hugs and virtual touches.  Add to that the narrator's extreme fear of the dirty world.  She actually has counted the number of real physical touches in her life.  Very intense, more so during our current Pandemic and the separation of friends and family.  Also extremely weird.  I don't know what to say about this one, but I suspect it will linger in my memory for quite a while.  3.5 out of 5.

“Knowledgeable Creatures” by Christopher Rowe

Investigative dog Connolly Marsh is hired by human Professor Thomasina Swallow after she kills a coworker who was threatening blackmail.  Things become increasingly screwy.  The body is missing, the learned mouse who is also Sparrow's adopted father believes historical research into the history of knowledgeable creatures and humans shouldn't be forbidden, and Marsh can't make himself leave the case alone.  Huh.  Another strange story with a lot of dangling threads left behind and even more questions.  Yet this isn't a set-up for a longer story or even a series.  It is complete within itself, with a somewhat sad ending for one character.  Intriguing, almost a noir type of story.  Fantasy with just a touch of science fiction.  3 out of 5. 

“Blood is Another Word for Hunger” by Rivers Solomon

Anger boiled in the heart of fifteen year old slave, Sully.  When she heard that her master had been killed during a battle, she drugged all five of his family members, slicing their throats.  Her actions cause a rift in the etherworld, drawing Ziza to her.  Sully is a product of her life, the cruelty of her upbringing.  She may also hark back to a creature from the country of her ancestors.  Sully shouldn’t be a sympathetic character, but she is.  I wanted her to find, if not happiness, at least a form of peach.  And maybe she will with her revenants, especially Ziza.  Be aware that this isn’t an easy read by any means, but I found it surprisingly satisfying.  4.5 out of 5.

“The Last Voyage of Shidbladnir” by Karin Tidbeck

Saga learns the ship she serves on is a living creature who is outgrowing her shell of a high-rise building.  Saga and Novik, the engineer, are determined to save Skidbladnir from being sold for meat.  She needs a new shell, so they'll find her a new shell.  This gripped me the moment I realized Skidbladnir was alive.  I'm a sucker for stories like this.  So enchanting.  I wish it had been longer or had a sequel, but that is just me being greedy and not wanting to leave Saga, Novik, and Skidbladnir behind.  Lovely from start to finish.  4.5 out of 5. 

“Circus Girl, the Hunter, and Mirror Boy” by JY Yang

Lynette first saw Mirror Boy the night she was almost killed after fighting off a rapist when she was barely 16 years old.  After she survived, Lynette found a friend to unload her pain, her disappointments, and her dreams to the boy who appeared in place of her own reflection.  Once she left the circus she had grown up in and worked for, Lynette had never seen him again.  Until now.  The boy is worried that a serial killer is after her.  A perfect story for the month of October, with a wraith, a witch, and a supernatural hunter who made assumptions that led to so many innocent deaths.  An ending that, while I guess it might be coming, was also so satisfying.  4 out of 5

“Water:  A History by K. J. Kabza

The surveyors badly judged how compatible the colony of Isla would be for the humans who left Earth on a one-way trip there.  The colonists adjusted, but being outside too long led to cancer deaths during the early years.  Marie, in her 50s, is now the last person who has direct memories of Earth.  She has been extraordinarily lucky in that her frequent trips outside hadn’t led to an early death.  A younger colonist, born on Isla, longs to go outside as well.  She wants to smell the planet’s dirt and feel the breeze on her face.  Lian finds a friend and support in Marie.  But no one can expect the good times will last forever.  Deeply emotional and tragic, yet somewhat hopeful as well.  Yet the story needed more depth, more content.  Good, but not as good as many of the others in this collection, in my opinion.  3 out of 5.

“As the Last I May Know” by S. L. Huang

Nyma was just ten years old when she was selected to be the Carrier.  In order to impress the consequences of using seres on another country, the Order choses to hide the codes in the body of a child.  To obtain access, the President must personally kill the child Carrier and rip her heart open.  AS the enemy forces draw ever deeper into the country, Nyma waits.  Oh, this one was gut-wrenching.  Seriously gut-wrenching.  And yet, the logic behind the Order's idea was extremely logical.  Force the President to basically live with the child he must kill to get access to the seres that will kill millions, make it real.  And Otto Han is disgusted by the Order, but it is what it is.  Again, the idea makes sense, but that doesn't mean that it isn't horrifying.  Not to mention torturous for the child who must live with the idea that they can be killed at almost anytime in order to kill millions of other people.  4.5 out of 5.    

“The Time Invariance of Snow” by E. Lily Yu

When the Devil's mirror splinters, it enters the hearts and minds of mankind, spreading hate and violence despair and depression.  G and K are in love, but G is wary of the violence of men.  When K makes a comment on how he would kill her, she protests his cruelty.  He leaves.  Despite knowing how the story will end, G goes on a quest to save him from the Snow Queen.  

A subversion of fairy tales and a treatise on both them and the treatment of women.  I have to admit that I was annoyed by the use of footnotes in this fictional short story.  I barely tolerate them in non-fiction books.  That said, as I struggled on, once G and K came onto the scene it became an easier read.  I think I would've enjoyed this more if it had been expanded.  My least favorite in the collection, but still worth reading.  3 out of 5.

[vateacancameos]

“Deriving Life” by Elizabeth Bear

“For He Can Creep” by Siobhan Carroll

“Beyond the El” by John Chu

“Zeitgeber” by Greg Egan

“One/Zero” by Kathleen Ann Goonan

“As the Last I May Know” by S. L. Huang

“Skinner Box” by Carole Johnstone

“Water: A History” by KJ Kabza

“The Song” by Erinn L. Kemper

“Articulated Restraint” by Mary Robinette Kowal

“Painless” by Rich Larson

“Seonag and the Seawolves” by M. Evan MacGriogair

“Any Way the Wind Blows” by Seanan McGuire

“Blue Morphos in the Garden” by Lis Mitchell

“His Footsteps, Through Darkness and Light” by Mimi Mondal

“Old Media” by Annalee Newitz

“More Real Than Him” by Silvia Park

“The Hundredth House Had No Walls” by Laurie Penny

“The Touches” by Brenda Peynado

“Knowledgeable Creatures” by Christopher Rowe

“Blood Is Another Word for Hunger” by Rivers Solomon

“The Last Voyage of Skidbladnir” by Karin Tidbeck

“Circus Girl, The Hunter, and Mirror Boy” by JY Yang

“The Time Invariance of Snow” by E. Lily Yu

[nettirw]

PRISMS

Prisms (co-edited by Darren Speegle and yours truly) is now available by PS Publishing. Available in trade hardcover or limited signed / numbered hardback (only 100, signed by all). Instruments, mirrors, metaphors, gateways humankind must pass through in order to achieve, to overcome, to realize, to become. Contained herein are nineteen transformative tales from some of speculative fiction’s…

[nettirw]

GAK

We recently lost an artist, a friend, an exemplary role model of human kindness. Gak will forever be with us, his work hanging on walls, filling the pages of books, some of his art even tattooed onto skin. His life will always be remembered because he always made ours a little better.

Below are the illustrations he created for The Library of the Dead, one of his final projects. We had future…

[nettirw]

PRISMS

Although this book will not be published through Written Backwards (scheduled to be released through PS Publishing in 2019), I am proud to announce the next dark science-fiction anthology co-edited by the always-incredible Darren Speegle, and by yours truly. Prisms is perhaps the most diverse project I have ever had the pleasure of working on, and has a ratio of 50:50 male to female writers,…

[nettirw]

WiHM (WOMEN IN HORROR MONTH)

February is home to a few important things worth celebrating: Black History Month, my birthday (I turn 39 this year, in case you were wondering), and Women in Horror Month. WiHM for short. February is a strange month, no doubt. Sometimes it has 29 days, and sometimes 28. The word is even difficult to say: Feb-ru-ary (not like brewery, despite how some pronounce it) and it’s often misspelled with…

[nettirw]

ADAM'S LADDER - 51% FUNDED!

ADAM’S LADDER – 51% FUNDED!

Adam’s Ladder is now 51% funded, thanks to your generosity. Along with pre-ordering the eBook, trade paperback, and deluxe hardback, there are a few editing and book design packages available, but they are going fast. There is even a $4 option for coffee lovers, and rare/signed books available now and again throughout the campaign. Help us get to 100% so we can bring this book to life! Once…

[nettirw]

ADAM'S LADDER PRE-ORDER CAMPAIGN!

ADAM’S LADDER PRE-ORDER CAMPAIGN!

Written Backwards is taking over the production of Adam’s Ladder, an anthology of dark science fiction co-edited by Michael Bailey and Darren Speegle, but we need your help to bring this book to life! To help fund this project, an Indiegogo campaign has been established and will now through October 15th. This is an all-or-nothing campaign, so help out if you can. Full funding will assure that all…

[nettirw]

ADAM'S LADDER

ADAM'S LADDER ... coming soon from Dark Regions Press

ADAM’S LADDER, a dark science fiction anthology I co-edited with Darren Speegle, is coming soon from Dark Regions Press. This is the follow-up to DRP’s highly successful return to science fiction with last year’s anthology, You, Human, and Marc Levinthal’s debut novel, Other Music. We’re hoping for an August release for the trade paperback edition. Table of Contents includes: “Ch-ch-changes” –…

[weirdletter]

Ashes and Entropy, edited by Robert S. Wilson, Nightscape Press, 2018. Cover art by Pat R. Steiner, internal illustrations by Luke Spooner, info: nightscapepress.pub.

Stand on the precipice and prepare to dive down through the event horizon into the bleak and mind-shattering void of both the cosmos and of humanity. Nightscape Press is proud to present Ashes and Entropy edited by Robert S. Wilson, an anthology of cosmic horror and noir/neo-noir. Ashes and Entropy is beautifully illustrated by Luke Spooner and includes brand new stories by Laird Barron, Damien Angelica Walters, John Langan, Kristi DeMeester, Jon Padgett, Nadia Bulkin, Jayaprakash Satyamurthy, Lucy A. Snyder, Tim Waggoner, Jessica McHugh, Paul Michael Anderson, Max Booth III, Lynne Jamneck, Greg Sisco, Lisa Mannetti, Nate Southard, Erinn L. Kemper, Matthew M. Bartlett, Autumn Christian, and more.

Contents: The Gray Room by Tim Waggoner The Head On the Door by Erinn Kemper Flesh Without Blood by Nadia Bulkin Scraps by Max Booth III Yellow House by Jon Padgett What Finds Its Way Back by Damien Angelica Walters We All Speak Black by Lynne Jamneck Ain't Much Pride by Nate Southard The Choir of the Tunnels by Matthew Daniel Birkenhauer Amity In Bloom by Jessica McHugh Red Stars/White Snow/Black Metal by Fiona Maeve Geist Shadowmachine by Autumn Christian The One About Maggie by Greg Sisco Breakwater by John Langan For Our Skin, A Daughter by Kristi DeMeester Houdini: The Egyptian Paradigm by Lisa Mannetti Girls Without Their Faces On by Laird Barron Dr. 999 by Matthew M. Bartlett Leaves of Dust by Wendy Nikel The Kind Detective by Lucy A. Snyder The Levee Breaks by Jayaprakash Satyamurthy I Can Give You Life by Paul Michael Anderson

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Monsters of Any Kind, edited by Alessandro Manzetti & Daniele Bonfanti, Independent Legions, 2018. Cover art by Wendy Saber Core, interior illustrations by Stefano Cardoselli, info: independentlegions.com.

Monsters are difference, change, deviance. Life force. If they want to survive, men need monsters.

Contents: Introduction by Alessandro Manzetti and Daniele Bonfanti Perpetual Antimony by Cody Goodfellow The Thing Too Hideous To Describe by David J. Schow Silt & Bone by Jess Landry Sucklings by Lucy Taylor We All Make Sacrifices by Jonathan Maberry Brodkin's Demesne by Michael Gray Baughan Sealed With A Kiss by Owl Goingback The Other Side Of Semicolons by Michael Bailey Bad Hair Day by Greg Sisco Midnight Hobo by Ramsey Campbell Noverim Te by Santiago Eximeno The Dive by Mark Alan Miller Mammy And The Flies by Bruce Boston Old Sly by Gregory L. Norris The Last Wintergirl by Damien Angelica Walters The City Of Sixes by Edward Lee Crisis Of Faith by Monica J. O'Rourke Cracker Creek by Erinn L. Kemper