Best Horror of the Year Volume 3

Reading through the introduction to Ellen Datlow's The Best Horror of the Year Volume 3 recently, I noticed this description on Cthulhu's Dark Cults:

"Cthulhu's Dark Cults: Ten Tales of Dark & Secretive Orders edited by David Conyers (Chaosium) is an impressive anthology of original stories about the various cults that H.P. Lovecraft dreamed up. Most of the stories are true to their source yet bring something new to the material. Notable stories by John Sunseri, David Conyers, Cody Goodfellow and David Witteveen."

I also got a nice comment on my collaboration "Sweet as Decay" whcih appeared in Macabre.

"The most powerful originals are by Gary Kemble, Kyla Ward, Stephen M. Irwin, Kirstyn McDermott, Richard Harland, Susan Warlde, and a collaboration by David Witteveen and David Conyers."

Always nice to get a review like this, particularly from one of the most respected editors in the horror field.

Albedo One #40 Now Out

Issue 40 of Albedo One has just been released, this time a 100 page issue.

This issue features an interview and short story from Colin Harvey, who unfortunately passed away recently. His writing will be missed. 

There is another interview with James Patrick Kelly, plus stories from Nick Wood, Karen Heuler, Judith Brown, Nigel Quinlan, Peadar O'Guilin and Geoffrey Maloney. The issue also features my regular reviews.

Salisbury Writers Festival Workshop on Getting Started Writing SF and Fantasy

For all start-out speculative fiction authors in Adelaide, I'm running a workshop at the Salisbury Writers Festival this weekend, and I've been told there are still places:

Getting Started Writing Science Fiction and Fantasy
1pm-3:30pm Sunday 21st August
12 James Street, Salisbury
$40 ($30 concession) 2.5 hours

Join me in an open discussion about how to get started as a science fiction or fantasy writer. I’ll cover plotting a story, characters, worldbuilding, getting the science (or the fantasy) right, researching topics, and getting ideas. On the business side of things I’ll cover how to write a covering letter, proper manuscript formatting, where to find markets, the advantages of writing short stories, getting reviews and entering awards, networking, and maintaining a website.

I will also be attending the openning ceremony too, on Friday night:

Opening and Awards Presentation

7pm Friday 19th August
John Harvey Gallery
12 James Street, Salisbury
free event
RSVP essential
Tel (08) 8406 8368
Email dcolbeck@salisbury.sa.gov.au

Full program can be viewed here.

"The Masked Messenger" in Andromeda Spaceways 52

The Andromeda Spaceways Inflight Magazine, ASIM, Issue 52 is about to go to print.  It is edited by David Kernot and features a new Harrison Peel tale, "The Masked Messenger" co-authored with John Goodrich.

This tale takes Harrison Peel to Morocco investigating temporary improvised explosive devices, and an encounter with another well-known deity of the Cthulhu Mythos. As a bonus, I have an illustration included, but they will pale in comparison to the works of Olivia Kernot (who also did the very striking cover illustration) and Kathleen Jennings.

David Kernot is a very talented author and I had the priviedge of working with him on Midnight Echo 6: The Science Fiction Horror Special, so I'm looking forward to what he has come up with this issue.

The line up for Issue 52 is as follows:

Stories:

• A Routine Diplomatic Incident by Ray Tabler
• Eternal Youth by Melanie Typaldos
• First, Do No Harm (Unless They’re Zombies) by Rachel Kolar
• Golden Years in the Paleozoic by Ken Liu
• I am Nano by Sean Monaghan
• Love As You Find It by Margaret Karmazin 
• Midnight Rhino by Brenda Anderson
• Ronnie Linton, High School Flame by Dominik J. Parisien
• Taking Care by Pam L. Wallace
• Taking Over by Felicity Pulman
• The Last Resort by L.K. Pinaire 
• The Masked Messenger by David Conyers and John Goodrich
• The Speed of Darkness by G.R. McLeod
• The Undying Fans of an Unknown Cover Band by Nicky Drayden
• The Unseen Truths by Liz Colter
• Undine Love by Kathleen Jennings
• Vivienne by Natalie Nikolovski
• Wonder In Alice Land by Linda Jenner 
• Zombie Dreams by Peter Cooper

Poetry:

• Babylon by Alexandra Seidel
• Broken Towers by Alexandra Seidel
• City of Clay by Alexandra Seidel
• The Loneliness of the Long Distance Singer by Jack Horne

Non Fiction:

• (H)ER(G)E, Now and Forever by Jacob Edwards

Illustrations by:

• Olivia Kernot
• Kathleen Jennings
• David Conyers

10 Weirdest Things in Space

Space.com often has some great articles to spark the imagination of a science fiction writer. Check out this list: Top 10 Strangest Things in Space, including dark matter, galactic cannibalism, mini-black holes and vacuum energy.

Yes, I know, I get excited about these things.