Macabre: Available for Pre-Order

Macabre: A Journey through Australia's Darkest Fears (edited by Angela Challis and Dr Marty Young and featuring my collaboration with David Witteveen, "Sweet as Decay") can now be ordered through Brimstone Press. The anthology retails for $44.95 and will be available in stores in October/November, but Brimstone Press are offering Macabre for sale at $30 + postage. The anthology will be shipped from Brimstone in September.

Macabre is a snapshot of the fears that have gripped Australians for over 200 years: the isolation of the bush, monstrous fauna, supernatural terrors, violence, war, terrorism, alienation, cannibalism, and murder. From the very earliest colonial ghost stories through to grim tales of modern life, Macabre will take you on a journey through the terrifying heart of Australian horror.

Macabre includes a detailed essay on the history of Australian horror, an Australian horror fiction timeline, and 38 stories from three eras (classics, modern masters, and new era originals) – at a massive 672 pages.

Contributors in the Classics and Modern Masters sections include Henry Lawson, Marcus Clarke, Mary Fortune, Barbara Baynton, A. Bertram Chandler, Kaaron Warren, Terry Dowling, Robert Hood, Stephen Dedman, Rick Kennett, and Sean Williams.

The largest section, the New Era, includes original stories from Will Elliott, Stephen M. Irwin, Kirstyn McDermott, Richard Harland, Martin Livings, Shane Jiraiya Cummings, Kyla Ward, Paul Haines, David Conyers, and Bob Franklin (and many more!).

Macabre will be launched at Aussiecon 4, the World Science Fiction Convention, in Melbourne on the weekend of September 4-5 (exact details of the launch will be publicised when they become available). The editors and many of the contributors will be in attendance to sign copies at the launch (David Witteveen will be there, alas I cannot make it).

Midnight Echo #6: The Science Fiction Horror Special

It's official, the guidelines for Midnight Echo #6 are now out, the science fiction horror special, and submissions are being accepted from September 1. I'll be editing this issue with Jason Fischer and David Kernot.

Here is a recap of what we are looking for:

"We are looking for stories that blend the science fiction and horror genres. We are especially looking for stories set on worlds other than Earth, or in deep space, and especially, stories in the future. Themes might include contact with alien species that defie explanation, plagues or viruses destined to wipe out humanity, enslavement by an alien race, nanoplagues gone wrong, alien artifacts that are death traps, future totalitarian governments, gothic alien worlds, or enslaving technology are just some ideas. Films like Alien and 28 Days Later are obvious influences. Alternatively imagine what Iain M. Banks, Charles Stross, or Alastair Reynolds might write if they got really dark - that’s what we are looking for.

"We are not looking for fantasy stories. Vampires, werewolves, ghosts, demons, and zombies are unlikely to impress us unless you can deliver something outstanding within these guidelines. We will consider Lovecraftian/Cthulhu Mythos tales provided they meet the theme, and then, we are likely only to select one such tale in this style at most. Remember, the key ingredient to getting your story picked up is to write a science fiction tale with horror elements, not a horror tale dressed up with science fiction references."

Books that I have read this year

Catching the train to and from work every weekday has dramatically improved my ability to read books. This is what I've read so far:

• The Prefect, Alastair Reynolds
• House of Suns, Alastair Reynolds
• Marrow, Robert Reed
• Phoenix and the Darkness of Wolves, Shane Jiraiya Cummings
• Monster Blood Tattoo 1: Foundling, D.M. Cornish
• Grants Pass, edited by Jennifer Brozek & Amanda Pillar
• Time, Stephen Baxter
• The Time Traveller's Wife, Audrey Niffenegger
• Blood Oil, James Phelan

I am currently reading several books:

• Inca Gold, Clive Cussler
• After You'd Gone, Maggie O'Farrell
• The Best of Best New SF, edited by Gardner Dozois

I've also read a manuscript for Permuted Press which is yet to be released.

Now that I've put a list down in writing it doesn't seem like a lot, about a book and a half a month. I'll see how I go in the latter half of the year, and if I can improve upon this.

GenCon Australia 2010 Cancelled

It's a shame GenCon Australia 2010 is not going ahead. I was planning on attending and speaking at various forums. I was even going to run an unpublished Call of Cthulhu scenario I have based upon Lovecraft's "Arthur Jermyn".

Read the official press release here. Hopefully we'll se GenCon return in 2011.

Two Short Story Appearances at WorldCon

Unfortunately I won't be appearing at WorldCon (AussieCon 4), but I will be appearing in two anthologies that will be launched there, and I'm excited about both of them.

"Sweet as Decay" which I co-authored with David Witteveen, a Lovecraftian style tale blended with spook skullduggery in West Africa, which David and I wrote more than five years ago. It's appearing in Macabre, A Journey Through Australia's Dark Fear, edited by Marty Young and Angela Challis (Brimstone Press).

The book will explore Australia's dark literature past, present, and future all in one anthology. From the very earliest colonial ghost stories through to grim tales of modern life. There are classic stories from Australia's masters of horror alongside the best of the new era. It looks to be a very comprehensive anthology, with nothing like it every published before.

I really like the cover too. There have been three planned covers to date, but this is the best so far, and I'm glad it is the one Brimstone Press finally settled with.

The second story is "Dream Machine" which I wrote for the Australian version of Scenes from the Second Storey, edited by Amanda Pillar and Pete Kempshall. For the first time in my career I have the openning story in an anthology. A nasty tale about hell.

Each story in this collection has been inspired by a track from the album, Scenes from the Second Storey by God Machine, and reflects the emotions and images our authors experienced when they heard ‘their’ song from The God Machine's record. Authors include Kirstyn McDermot, Felicity Dowker, Martin Livings and others.

I won't be at WorldCon, but at least my words will.

First Review of Cthulhu's Dark Cults

The first review of Cthulhu's Dark Cults has just been published at Innsmouth Free Press by Bryan Thao Worra. Bryan's favorite stories are "Perfect Skin" by David Witteveen, "The Whisper of Ancient Secrets" by Penelope Love, and he said some nice things about my story too, "Sister of the Sands":

"As might be expected, Conyers’ own story, “Sister of the Sands”, neatly encapsulates the cosmic, international grandeur of the subject and provides a fine glimpse of what he was reaching for as he tried to assemble this work. It anchors the anthology solidly."

Read the full review here.

Meanwhile, the anthology has remained in the Top 12 best selling horror anthologies on Amazon.com since it was released.

Ditmars and Aurealis Awards

It's awards time here in Australia, with everyone in the industry busy nominating works for eligibility in both the Ditmar and Aurealis Awards.

Since the Ditmar's is a popularity vote, many members of the industry are posting their select choices on various website and online journals everywhere. Many of those sites are very informative and helpful on the best of 2009 in Australian speculative fiction publishing.

I unfortunately can't be helpful because I just haven't read enough this year to form an objective opinion on what has been published by Australians in 2009, although what I have read I have enjoyed. What I can do is point you towards my publications if you want to vote for me. Since you're looking at my online journal anyway and have read this far, I figure you have some interest in my writing. So here they are:

Best Novella/Novellete Category

• David Conyers "Black Water", Jupiter 24
• David Conyers "The Octagon", Jupiter 26

Best Short Story Category

• David Conyers "The Lord of the Law", The Fourth Black Book of Horror, Mortbury Press
• David Conyers "The Garden Fortress", Thrilling Tales #4, Rainfall Books
• David Conyers & Brian M Sammons "Six-Legged Shadows" Monstrous, Permuted Press

Voting is simple, just go to this website and vote as many times as you want for whoever you want. You have to be an active member in the industry, such as a writer, editor, publisher, artist, reviewer, and so forth. Voting closes 23 July 2010 Australian time.

If you do vote for any of my stories, thank you!