News: Keep Your Wits About You

Screen Australia, Warp X and Madman call for applications for Keep Your Wits About You, an exciting two-day workshop to develop feature film concepts that steer two well known genres – comedy and thriller – in new and original directions.

Applications are sought from writers or writer/directors who understand that a thriller should be thrilling and a comedy should be funny, but can push the genres in unexpected, innovative and inspired ways for a 21st century marketplace. When developing either, you’ll need to keep your wits about you – and so will your audience. Ideas must have the potential to communicate to a local and an international audience, and be made within low-budget parameters of contained cast and locations. Submissions will be in the form of a one-page outline of the film concept.

The two-day workshop will be held in Melbourne on 17 and 18 November 2008.

Representatives of the partners, as well as industry players with proven comedy and thriller talent, will mentor at the workshop during one-on-one and group sessions. Successful applicants will, where required, have their travel and accommodation costs covered to attend the workshop.

For submission details visit the website.


Source: Mike Cowap, Project Manager - Industry and Enterprise Development, Screen Australia

News: Nightshade Books Seeking Zombie Manuscripts

Nightshade Books is actively seeking zombie novels. Romeroesque end of the world zombie apocalypse novels.

If you have a completed zombie novel, and it doesn't suck, please send it to jlassen@nightshadebooks.com with the Subject Line "Zombie Novel Submission."

From the editor -

Please attached the FULL manuscript as an RTF or word file. In the body of the email, please include a SHORT cover letter covering your personal information and any relevant publication history. Do not give me a summary of your zombie novel. It's a zombie novel. That's all I need to know.

The open submission period for these zombie novels is the next 2 months... September and October of 2008. The submission period is to be strictly adhered to.

Source: Tehani Wessely

REVIEW: BLACK BELT (JAPAN, 2007)

Director: Shunichi Nagasaki
Stars: Akihito Yagi, Tatsuya Naka, Yuji Suzuki.
Released by Madman Entertainment.

Traditional Japanese karate has never been as honestly presented than in this simply told period film of two star pupils who tread different paths following the acquisition of its dojo by the military police. Using real black belt masters, and trading wirework and elaborate stunts for some of the most concise, realistic martial arts captured on film, Black Belt is as much an educational study into a seemingly forgotten art as it is a beautifully told character drama.

Set in 1932, the film acts as a metaphor for western greed on ancient eastern ideologies, with the corrupt MPs favouring women, booze and gunplay to long held notions of honour, respect and humility. But it’s the doomed fate of karate friends Giyru (Yagi) and Taikan (Naka) – whose different life choices ultimately lead to a final showdown for the honour of the dojo – and sensei’s black belt - that keeps your attention.

Taikan is the bold, brash star of the dojo, whose burning ambition to challenge his skills leads him on a downward path of death and dishonour. Giyru is the humble underdog, whose respect to stick to the sensei’s teachings stops him from saving those who really need his help. Needless to say when they finally confront each other in the final frames – it’s spectacular.

Black Belt presents a side to martial arts we rarely see on film, and leaves us with a better respect for it. Those looking of flashy, stunt filled kung fu action best look elsewhere, but those hoping to gauge a greater understanding of the cultural significance karate plays in Japanese lives won’t want to miss it.

DVD extras include a making of featurette and theatrical trailer.

REVIEWER’S NOTE: Ok, so technically Black Belt is not really horror, but then isn’t there something unsettling about someone who can kill someone with a single unarmed strike?

News: A Night Of Horror Screenplay Competition

Sydney's A Night of Horror Film Festival wishes to remind writers of its inaugural screenplay competition.

Sydney, Australia, August 21, 2008 – A Night of Horror Film Festival is urging writers to submit their horror screenplays. The festival, now in its 3rd year, is looking for the next great horror script.

A representative from Lionsgate, the world's leading distributor of horror cinema, will read the three finalist screenplays. This is a great opportunity for budding screenwriters to have their work championed to the industry.

"We realise that their are a lot of talented, unproduced horror screenwriters out there who are just itching for their big break," says festival director Dr. Dean Bertram. "So we are introducing this competition to give them a shot at having their screenplay read by industry professionals."

Festival Co-director, Lisa Mitchell, adds: "We are really excited to be launching the screenplay competition. I believe a great horror film starts with a great script."

The next festival is scheduled to run from March 25 to April 3, 2009.nIt is also currently accepting feature films, shorts and horror themed music videos.

More information is available at: www.anightofhorror.com

Source: Dr. Dean Bertram and David Carroll

News: Not Quite Hollywood

Madman Cinema presents Not Quite Hollywood, the wild, untold story of "Ozploitation"!

Free-wheelin’ sex romps! Bloodsoaked terror tales! High-octane action extravaganzas! They’re the main ingredients of NOT QUITE HOLLYWOOD, the first detailed examination and celebration of Australian genre cinema of the 70s and 80s.

In 1971, with the introduction of the R-certificate, Australia’s censorship regime went from repressive to progressive virtually overnight. This cultural explosion gave birth to arthouse classics, such as PICNIC AT HANGING ROCK and MY BRILLIANT CAREER, but also spawned a group of demon-children: maverick filmmakers who braved assault from all quarters to bring films like ALVIN PURPLE, THE MAN FROM HONG KONG, PATRICK, TURKEY SHOOT and MAD MAX to the big screen.

As explicit, violent and energetic as their northern cousins, Aussie genre movies presented a unique take on established conventions.

In England, Italy and the grindhouses and Drive-ins of America, audiences applauded our homegrown marauding revheads with brutish cars, our spunky well-stacked heroines and our stunts – unparalleled in their quality and extreme danger!

Full of outrageous anecdotes, a large cast of local and International names and a genuine, infectious love of Australian movies, NOT QUITE HOLLYWOOD is a fast-moving journey through an unjustly forgotten cinematic era that was unashamedly packed full of boobs, pubes, tubes… and even a little kung fu.

Opening in cinemas around Australia on the 28th of August - visit the website for screening times and locations.

Source: David Carroll

News: Remix My Lit to climax in August

The Remix My Lit project is entering into its final phase. Whilst you can still remix the stories at the website (and so you should, as there are stories by the likes of Kim Wilkins and Cate Kennedy available for playing with), August 30th will see the whole thing climax at a killer live remixing event as part of the Melbourne Writers' Festival.

Guests at the festival have been invited to bring their laptop or mobile phone and be part of a live multimedia remix event at Federation Square, where they can freely remix available works.

Remixers will find copies of the stories on the day, or can access them in advance at www.remixmylit.com - they can re-imagine and remix them - and then send the remixed short story to a mobile phone number. Using the Fed Sq SMS TV system the RML team will be publishing this flash fiction on the big screen at Federation Square as part of a live A/V set by ".M."

Readings of the original stories have also been recorded by .M. and will be incorporated into her set, which will also feature video images inspired by the stories.

All works created on the day will be posted to the Remix My Lit website, and considered for publication in an upcoming, associated, print anthology.

If you are going to be in Melbourne for the festival, we would love to see you at the event:

Date: Saturday 30 August 2008
Time: 3.30pm - 4.30pm
Venue: Federation Square - The Big Screen in the Plaza

For more info visit the official MWF program.

Source: Lee Battersby

Book Review: The Gone-Away World

Nick Harkaway, Random House, August 2008

The world we know has Gone Away, reduced to nothingness in some mysterious catastrophe. The remnants of humanity exist within a tiny Liveable Zone, protected from the ever-encroaching nothingness by a gigantic pipeline. But now the pipe is on fire, and our unnamed protagonist and his troubleshooter friends are seconded by the authorities to deal with the crisis. And so begins one of the most wonderfully surreal and rewarding novels I’ve ever had the pleasure to read.

The Gone-Away World pretty much defies categorisation as far as genre is concerned – narrated in the first person, it reads, at various distinct stages in the narrative, as SF, horror, fictional autobiography, martial-arts epic, political thriller and wartime adventure, much of which is delivered with wodges of surrealism that would make Salvador Dali gape. From the beginning of the tale, where we are dropped without any sense of context into the near-future of the Gone-Away World, we swiftly jump back to relive the entire life of our protagonist up ‘til the present moment (and a strange and full life it’s been, filled with an increasingly-odd procession of adults and authority figures, radicalist nymphomaniac girlfriends, unintended political insurgency, and Terrible Consequences). From that point (some 200 pages later) things get even stranger, with the very nature of reality itself eventually called into question, and twists a-plenty.

To say that this book is beautifully written simply doesn’t do justice to the quality of the prose. It’s poetic and consistently engaging, with a rich vein of dryly observational humour running all the way through. There is more than a whiff of Terry Pratchett in the way the various characters are so vividly depicted via their actions and speech, and I’ve seldom come across an author so skilled in describing even the briefest of events at such great length without wasting a single word. Despite the humour, there’s a great darkness pervading the entire tale, particularly in those parts dealing with the horrors of warfare (very much recalling the ‘feel’ of Catch 22). This is a book that might have been co-written by Kurt Vonnegut and Phillip K. Dick if, y’know, either of them was actually alive.

I’m backing this novel for some major accolades over the next year, particularly as it’s certain to appeal to readers and critics of both literature and speculative genres (in much the same way that Cormac McCarthy’s The Road did a couple of years back). Be sure to grab a copy as soon as it hits the shelves: it’s simply brilliant.

News: Art That Scares You

ART THAT SCARES YOU

Ever read a short story by Paul Haines? Chances are that afterwards you needed a strong drink, or a long shower. Paul is well known in the Australian speculative fiction community for writing the creepy stuff, the scary shit, the story that makes you go 'whoa' or 'aargh' or 'ewwwwww.' And we love him for it, because he does it so damn well.

Right now, Paul and his family are dealing with some scary shit of their own. After being diagnosed with bowel cancer, having sections of his bowel removed and enduring six months worth of chemotherapy, he has recently discovered he has spots on his liver.

Paul has met this news by reloading his guns and is going to fight it with two other forms of chemotherapy for cancers like his, combined with a monoclonal antibody called Avastin. Avastin, however is not part of Medicare or the private health system's funding at this stage. It costs $20,000 to do it. Money that he doesn't have.

The ART THAT SCARES YOU auction is currently live - and is open at artscaresyou until the 28 August.

Items on offer cover a diverse range of goods - fine art illustration, photography, freaky sock puppets, textile art, jewellery, rare and signed books including some rare Australian horror, and some extremely rare Australian metal releases. There are also some great service pledges and art commissions on offer.

You can peruse a selection of auction highlights in this handy promotional PDF. There are many more beautiful and confronting works on offer - you can view items by category online - so stop on by the auction, and see what extends its claws... and grabs you!

We are accepting donations and pledges of art, books and auctionable goodies right up until the last day. Some auctions are ending early, so come check us out now! All transactions are in Australian dollars.

How to Bid
How to Donate

The Paul Haines fundraising tally recently hit the $16,000 mark which is fantastic, but we're not there yet. If we should overshoot the $20,000 target before the end of the ART THAT SCARES YOU auction, any extraneous donated funds will also be passed directly on to Paul and his family to help with the other costs they need to cover right now.

All enquiries - contact artscaresyou@gmail.com


If you'd like to make a general donation via paypal click the button:







Source: artscaresyou

Review: Deep Inside by Polly Frost

Paperback: 272 pages Publisher: Tor Books (May 29, 2007)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0765315874
ISBN-13: 978-0765315878


Deep Inside by Polly Frost

Look at the cover –------------------------------------------->>

You just know what you’re in for when you curl up on your bed to read this one...and you’d be wrong.

This is not your standard erotic fare. Polly doesn’t find new and unusual ways to describe the hardness of a man’s equipment, or the soft velvety folds of a woman. She doesn’t give the good bits a thousand different silly names, and she doesn’t overdo the sex.

Don’t get me wrong, there’s plenty of sex, but it fits the theme of the anthology, and fits in with the dark nature of each short story. This isn’t a book to read from cover to cover in a single sitting. You should read a single story at a time, enjoy the feelings, the sensations, the unease, and the wicked thoughts that will play through your mind—and other areas of your body.

If the time is taken to savour, this book will serve you well.

A nice mix of dark fiction and sci-fi; with an undeniable heart of lust.

The Threshold

A preppy school where all but one of the student’s claims to have lost their virginity. This one special young lady would be the centre of attention from every angle, boys, girls, creatures from another dimension!

I began reading this thinking it was going to be an interesting insight into teenage girls of today and got way more than I bargained for.

The Orifice

Piercings with a difference. I’ve heard that some find the act of metal passing through different parts of their bodies extremely erotic, but Polly finds a way to take it to a whole new level.

The Dominatrix Has a Career Crisis

This is funny. From the title, to the society it’s set in, to the cult mentality of all the characters. Told from the dominatrix POV, it grinds and thrusts, packing a punch at every turn until the nipple clamps take affect and you piss yourself laughing as you shake your head in amazement.

The Pleasure Invaders

Without doubt my favourite in the whole book. It’s the future, the not-too-distant future, and there’s a new drug of choice. But it’s highly addictive and once turned, you just can’t get enough. Man or woman, straight or gay or anything in between, once you’ve had a bunch of these tentacles wrapped around where your nether regions, there’s no going back, even if you are the preeminent cop in the city. The ending was a little predictable here but it was still a brilliantly told story.

Viagra Babies

Ever wonder what today’s science will actually do to the children of the future, I’m guessing Polly did. Please--don’t free base this stuff, it’ll make you go off.

Imagine It

After covering sci-fi, fetishes, drugs and associated addictions, where else would any self respecting writer of erotica turn to but within. This chick, (the character in the story, but it could be equally directed at the author) has an imagination to make any teenage boy whacking off feel inept, regardless of how much he practises. ‘But it’s not real’ she’s told by her therapist. If it wasn’t real to begin with, her power of self has just given birth to a monster – oh wait, it is a monster, and she doesn’t want to imagine anymore, she also doesn’t want to do it by herself. She’s found a new way to get herself to the pleasure zone.

Playing Karen Devere

Linking in nicely with the last tale, we move to Hollywood. The home of decadence, big dreams, and little scruples--and the home of the female serial killer.

Test Drive

Back to the future we see people struggling to find true sexual pleasure. It’s all been done. The sex toy boom has died out by 2065, people are bored. Time to return to the basics. Time to reawaken the animal hiding in all men--and the women who really hold the reins. This was without doubt the best ending of all the stories. I was lead expertly through the story, building to what I thought an inevitable climax, when the tables were well-and-truly-turned back to the natural order of things.

Visions of Ecstasy

Back to the here-and-now. A sexual-psychic makes a misreading and is betrayed by her own sexual awakening. The past returns, but she’s able to give in to her carnal desires to reach the lifeline that’s offered to her. She just needs to be wary she doesn’t choke on it.

Deep Inside

Where would a dark, deeply erotic anthology be without a tale of voodoo – oh, here we are, but this isn’t just any voodoo. If you intend to go out with your significant other to try one of those mould your private bit kits – don’t read this first. Or, if you really want to try something different, read this first.

News: Apex Publications' Annual Halloween Short Story Contest

In honor of the (American) presidential election, Apex Publications is offering its Annual Halloween Short Fiction Contest, titled "Election Horror" to be guest judged by Jay Lake.

Write a flash fiction story (under 1000 words) based on this year's theme, "Election Horror." and submit online to Apex Digest by 12 midnight, October 15, 2008

Prizes

• First—Publication (10 cents a word)
• Second—Publication (5 cents a word)
• Third—Choice of Apex Book Company Hardcover
• Fourth—Choice of Apex Book Company Paperback

Visit www.apexbookcompany.com for the official guidelines and updates.

If you would like more information about this contest or Apex Digest, please email Jason Sizemore at Jason@ApexDigest.com or phone (859) 312-3974. Thank you in advance for your time.

Source: Jason Sizemore, Editor-in-Chief/Publisher Apex Publications

Book Review: Dreaming Again

Ed. Jack Dann, Harper Voyager, 2008

I’ve always been suspicious of anthologies touted as being the best thing evah, particularly when it’s the editor who’s doing the touting, as Jack Dann does in the introduction to Dreaming Again. Perhaps this is just some outdated Tall-Poppy-Syndrome view of mine. Whatever the case, though, I was happy – and pleasantly surprised – to discover that, in this case, the product well-and-truly lives up to the editor’s hype. Every single one of the stories included is absolutely top-notch – no exaggeration here, folks – and, as such, it’s quite impossible for me to identify any stand-outs. That’s a rare thing, on both counts.

I’m more than happy, however, to identify some personal favourites (which is still no easy task), most of which (perhaps not coincidentally) fall under the banner of dark fantasy or horror: Richard Harland’s ‘A Guided Tour in the Kingdom of the Dead’ is an atmospheric little tale with more than a touch of Ray Bradbury about it. Neat, short, evocative, and deeply satisfying. Sara Douglass’ ‘The Way to the Exit’ brings a distinctly creepy atmosphere to the familiar time-slip plot. ‘Smoking, Waiting for Dawn’ demonstrates exactly why author Jason Nahrung is One To Watch, as he brings freshness and a wonderfully Australian tone to the vampire subgenre. ‘The New Deal’, by Trent Jamieson, is a gritty, scary, pessimistic, and unpleasantly realistic depiction of life after the laws of ‘normal’ existence change. And Christopher Green’s ‘Lakeside’, Jason Fischer’s ‘Undead Camels Ate Their Flesh’, John Birmingham’s ‘Heere Be Monsters’, and Peter M. Ball’s ‘The Last Great House of Isla Tortuga’ all hit my personal G-spot with their fresh and entertaining takes on the zombie theme.

My preference for the darker fare, however, does bring me to one of two exceedingly minor (petty?) niggles concerning this anthology:

Firstly, the cover of Dreaming Again proclaims the contents to be ’35 Stories Celebrating the Wild Side of Australian Fantasy Writing’, and while I (and presumably many others) will correctly take the term ‘fantasy’ to be a cover-all for fantasy, horror, SF, slipstream, magic realism, cross-genre, etcetera, etcetera, I have a sinking suspicion that many potential readers will actively avoid this anthology, assuming it to be a collection of tales about dragons ‘n’ elves. Perhaps ‘speculative’ would have been a better choice, or even the long-winded ‘SF, Fantasy & Horror’. My regret is that those who misunderstand the current label are going to miss out on a brilliant read.

Secondly, the inclusion of a previously-unpublished tale by A. Bertram Chandler – originally written some thirty years ago, and submitted by Paul Collins – didn’t quite seem to gel with either the aims or the other contents of Dreaming Again. ‘Grimes and the Daijin Daimyo’, while an entertaining and interesting exploration of alternate histories and time travel in the vein of Chandler’s excellent Kelly Country, is hardly likely to ‘shake up the established thinking about the ‘shape’ of contemporary writing in Australia’, this being one of the stated aims of Dreaming Again. It’s not a contemporary offering, and the style in which it is written makes this blindingly obvious. A story worthy of publication, absolutely, but possibly not in this particular anthology.

But enough of the negatives: Dreaming Again is a brilliant offering. Buy it. And if the anthology itself, plus its component stories, don’t pick up a swag of awards – locally and overseas – over the next year, I’ll eat my copy of the book. That’s a pledge.

Review: Blood Noir by Laurell K Hamilton

Blood Noir is the latest in the Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter series by Laurell K Hamilton. While this series started out focusing on mysteries solved by Anita and her role as a necromancer, the books have become something completely different as the series progressed, focusing almost exclusively on Anita and her many relationships. This book is no different, though for a change, it is centred on Anita's relationship with the werewolf stripper Jason.

Jason's father is dying, and he persuades Anita to come with him on his last visit, posing as his girlfriend. As to be expected, Anita's issues with relationships come into play. This plot is, frankly, completely overdone by this point in the series and it's tiresome to see Anita struggling with the same old issues, especially as she continues to get ever more powerful.

This book is lighter on the sex scenes than some of the previous books, though there are a few explicity scenes scattered about (and much more angsting about those scenes, or lack of them – by now, if you've been reading this series all the way through, you'll know exactly what to expect).

Blood Noir originally started out as a novella, and this shows. Much of the plot is light on or incompletely developed, and secondary characters are essentially cardboard cutouts designed to do little but act as a backdrop for Anita. Several previously important characters, such as Jean-Claude and Richard, seem to be shoved into scenes with little real regard for them or their character development. Not that you can expect much character development from anyone – one gets the impression that Hamilton is going to be happy to leave her characters at this plateau forever.

Still, this book is probably better written (or edited) than several of the previous books, and it's a light, easy read if you're just after some entertainment.

News: Australian Speculative Fiction Blog Carnival July 08

The July Australian Speculative Fiction Blog Carnival is available for your perusal at the Conflux blog.

To have news listed in the Australian Speculative Fiction Blog Carnival, just send links to philologa@gmail.com

Source: Aurealis Xpress

Review: AntipodeanSF Issue 123

AntipodeanSF Issue 123 is now available online with more short stories for your enjoyment. Among them you will find offerings from a wide range of authors, some first timers stepping into the light of publication, some who have been penning tales for some time and many in between.

Sci-Fi and dark fiction are catered for and some truly original ideas from writers who think outside the box. Again AHWA members are well represented.

My vote for this month goes to: "Now You See Me" by Brent Little.

Congratulations to last issues most voted for story: "Windows To The Soul" by our own Felicity Dowker. Congratulations Felicity!

Jan Napier reviews Dragon Horse by Peter Ward in "Going Critical".

Then we move into the stories. This issues 50 worders are from Simon Petrie & David Kernot gets another birth. I suggest reading Simon’s "Farenheit 41" first and then follow the link within the story back to this 50 worder. Trust me.

Continuing past the brief interlude of the 50 worders, we find a vast array of flash offerings.

Don't forget to vote for your favorite.
(I haven't linked to each story as you're better off starting at the story index and working your way through them using the handy "next story" link at the bottom of the page.)

Fahrenheit 41 by Simon Petrie

A colony ship among the stars but something else is on board, something patient...and hungry.Now You See Me by Brent LittleAn illusionist who uses slight-of-hand to hide a greater secret, until a celebrated debunker uncovers the truth. But the trick here is to make sure no one exposes the truth behind the publicised lies.

A nice little dark piece.

Oracle by Daniel S S Santos

Not all prophecies are huge, civilisation shaping words from a higher power, but the still hurt like a bitch when they come.

Funny.

Saving Time in the Sunshine State by Glenn Davies

Glenn’s first published SciFi tale is an amusing look into the future when Queensland is forced into time alignment with the rest of Australia. I can hear Sir Joh rolling over now.The Luck Pot by regular contributor Shaun A. Saunders

Freeze your mortal remains till sometime in the future medicine has advanced enough to cure anything. A good idea. But what if the future is pissed, and when you’re finally revived, they want retribution for the wrongs done in times gone past. And you’re the only survivor from 400 years ago...

The Empty Swing by Richard Ripyard

A quiet village, and a little girl who is always alone...or is she? A scene of carnage at the playground would suggest otherwise in this supernatural short.

The Mage & I: You Bore Me by Wes Parish

A strange new world where gender is elusive and social structure is—different. A family tree is more akin to a three dimensional maze than a recognisable plant.

KSDH by another regular contributor, Steve Duffy

Well written, interesting and totally beyond me.

Waste Disposal by Trost

Always trust what your dreams are trying to tell you.

The Reaction by David Schembri

A little dark tale that brought a sly smile to me face. When something stings/bites/envenoms you, don’t ignore it. If you have a reaction then you really should see a doctor...and never touch your family members until you have.

To finish off: Nuke has posted a note to further spread the word about WorldCon 2010

AUSTRALIA WINS WORLDCON FOR 2010

At the WSFC Business Meeting held at Denvention 3 on August 10, it was announced that Australia has won the right to host the 2010 worldcon.

Aussiecon 4 will be held 2-6 September 2010 at the new Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre. Guests of Honor: Kim Stanley Robinson, Robin Johnson and Shaun Tan. Co-Chairs Perry Middlemiss and Rose Mitchell.

For more details, visit the Aussiecon 4 website http://www.aussiecon4.org.au/

Contact details: Aussiecon 4

GPO Box 1212

Melbourne VIC 3001

Nuke has also posted a review of "Incandescence" by Greg Egan in the feature section.

All in all, another great issue of the culturally significant publication.

News: AntipodeanSF #123

AntipodeanSF #123 is available for your enjoyment at www.antisf.com

AntiSF continues to provide you with the best flash speculative fiction from around the world; Once again there are ten fantastic pieces of speculative flash fiction for you to enjoy, most of them sourced from right here in the antipodes...

Stories this month are:

• Fahrenheit 41 by Simon Petrie
• Now You See Me by Brent Lillie
• Oracle by Daniel S S Santos
• Saving Time in the Sunshine State by Glenn Davies
• The Luckpot by Shaun A. Saunders
• The Empty Swing by Richard Ridyard
• The Mage and I: You Bore Me by Wes Parish
• KSDH 12 by Steve Duffy
• Waste Disposal by Trost
• The Reaction by David Schembri

While you're visiting, why not take a look at the "Fifty Worders", one of them by Simon Petrie that is an alternative ending to his main story Fahrenheit 41 this month. Meanwhile, Jan Napier discovers the Silk Road and joins Peter Ward to ride to Samarkand on the Dragon Horse, while in Vide Nuke is illuminated by Greg Egan's latest hard SF novel Incandescence.

Source: Nuke, Editor - AntipodeanSF

News: Ned Kelly Awards for Crime Fiction 2008

Perpetrators of theft, deceit, and murder deserve everything they get at this year's Ned Kelly Awards presented by the Crime Writers' Association of Australia and hosted by Jane Clifton.

As well as award of prizes, there will be the annual Crime Writers debate with Leigh Redhead, Jarad Henry, Joel Becker and Tara Moss.

Marele Day will be awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award.

August 29, 2008 - 7.30 pm
Federation Square, Melbourne
FREE EVENT

Nominations: Ned Kelly Awards 2008

Best First Fiction

• Golden Serpent, Mark Abernethy
• Shadow Maker, Robert Sims
• A Fraction Of The Whole, Steve Toltz
• The Low Road, Chris Womersley
• The Butcherbird, Geoffrey Cousins
• Bye Bye Baby, Lauren Crow
• Broken Swallow, JJ Burn
• Green Velvet Shoes, Christina Ann Alexander
• Frantic, Katherine Howell
• Vodka Doesn't Freeze, Lea Giarratano
• Iraqi Icicle, Bernie Dowling
• Maelstrom, Michael MacConnell

Best Fiction

• Trick or Treat, Kerry Greenwood
• Cherry Pie, Leigh Redhead
• Endangered List, Brian Westlake
• Harem Scarum, Felicity Yound
• Sensitive New Age Spy, Geoffrey McGeachin
• Sucked In, Shane Maloney
• Night Has A Thousand Eyes, Mandy Sayer
• Orpheus Lost, Janette Turner Hospital
• Amongst The Dead, Robert Gott
• Appeal Denied, Peter Corris
• Open File, Peter Corris
• Gospel, Sydney Bauer
• Broken, Ilsa Evans
• Skin & Bone, Kathryn Fox
• Fan Mail, PD Martin
• el Dorado, Dorothy Porter
• Shattered, Gabrielle Lord
• The Calling, Jane Goodall
• Shatter, Michael Rowbotham
• Game As Ned, Tim Pegler
• The Tattooed Man, Alex Palmer
• Blood Sunset, Jarad Henry
• Redback, Lindy Cameron

Best Non-Fiction

• Bondi Badlands, Greg Callaghan
• Mr Sin, Tony Reeves
• Underbelly The Gangland War, John Silvester and Andrew Rule
• Killing Jodie, Janet Fife-Yeomans
• Red Centre, Dark Heart, Evan McHugh
• Big Shots, Adam Shand
• Lives of Crime, Tippet & Munro
• Fatal Flaw, Roger Maynard
• Ned Kelly's Jerilderie Letter, Carole Wilkinson
• Wild Colonial Boys, Paula Hunt

Source: Deborah Crabtree and the Crime Writers' Association of Australia

News: JAKE’S WAKE Dorchester Press

JAKE’S WAKEPastor Jake promised his followers everlasting life…he just didn’t say what kind. So when the small-town televangelist and con man climbs out of his coffin at his own wake, it becomes Judgment Day for everyone gathered to mourn—or celebrate—his death. Jake is back, in the rotting flesh, filled with anger and vengeance. And accompanied by demons even more frightening than himself. What follows is a long night of endless terror, a blood-drenched rampage by the man not even death could stop. Horror icon John Skipp launched his career as half of the New York Times bestselling partnership Skipp and Spector in 1986. What followed was an incredible string of bestselling novels that introduced the genre of splatterpunk and changed the face of horror fiction forever. Then, in the mid-90s Skipp seemingly disappeared from the horror scene, leaving millions of fans to await the return of this horror godfather.Be sure to check out the haunting trailer here, and please feel free to add the trailer or links to the trailer to your site. Trailer: http://www.dorchesterpub.com/Dorch/SpecialFeatures.cfm?ID=2525Now he’s teamed up with brilliant newcomer Cody Goodfellow (author of the cult Lovecraftian epics RADIANT DAWN and RAVENOUS DUSK), to map out the new frontier of fear, and instigate a whole new reign of terror for the horror-loving reader.

-Robert Black

News: Narrelle Harris Author Talk

Come and hear Narrelle Harris talk about the triumphs and pitfalls of creating a fantasy universe, and how to combine fantastic characters with a real city.

Her latest novel, The Opposite of Life, is a unique Australian fantasy and crime novel set in contemporary Melbourne, drawing inspiration from the city's distinctive and vibrant street culture.

‘I remember screaming very loudly. In TV shows, that’s where the ad break comes in, while some ninny is screaming her head off. No ad breaks in life, though.’

Lissa Wilson has seen more than enough death in her family, so when people start being savagely killed whenever she has a night out in Melbourne with her beautiful new boyfriend, she’s determined to investigate and make the killing stop. Even when she realises the murders must be the work of a vampire.

Things had been looking up for this librarian and 21st century geekgirl, but the murders make her remember why she prefers books to people. People leave you. People can die.

She finds herself teaming up with the painfully awkward Gary to get to the undead heart of the matter. But there are more challenges in store than Gary’s appalling fashion sense.

The idea of living forever can be a big temptation for someone who has lost so much…

THE PINES LIBRARY
Thursday 28 August, 6.30pm - 7.30pm
Bookings essential on 9841 0555 or any Whitehorse Manningham Region library branch.

Source: Whitehorse Manningham Regional Library

News: Exclusive Screening of Hellboy II, and Live Q&A with Guillermo del Toro

Popcorn Taxi and Cinema Nova present an exclusive preview screening of the highly-anticipated new film HELLBOY 2: THE GOLDEN ARMY, followed by
a live-from-Berlin Q&A with director Guillermo del Toro.

The visionary director behind such cult classics as PAN’S LABYRINTH, CRONOS and THE DEVIL’S BACKBONE, Guillermo del Toro recently produced the award-winning THE ORPHANAGE and is poised to direct the big-screen adaptation of J.R.R Tolkien’s THE HOBBIT. HELLBOY 2: THE GOLDEN ARMY is the follow-up to the Dark Horse comic book adaptation HELLBOY and stars Ron Perlman, Selma Blair and Jeffrey Tambor.

Monday August 18, 9.00pm
CINEMA NOVA
380 Lygon Street, Carlton, Victoria

Preview screening to be followed by phone Q&A. Q&A moderated by Oscar Hillerstrom (Sci-Fi Channel).

All tickets $15.50 (sorry, no concessions or discounts) Book at the Cinema Nova Box Office or online.


Source: Popcorn Taxi and Cinema Nova

News: Australia Wins WorldCon For 2010

At the WSFC Business Meeting held at Denvention 3 on August 10, it was announced that Australia has won the right to host the 2010 Worldcon!

Aussiecon 4 will be held 2-6 September 2010 at the new Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre. Guests of Honor: Kim Stanley Robinson, Robin Johnson and Shaun Tan. Co-Chairs Perry Middlemiss and Rose Mitchell.

For more details, visit the Aussiecon 4 website.

Source: Rose Mitchell, Co-Chair Aussiecon 4 - 68th World Science Fiction Convention

News: Infinitas Newsletter August 2008

The Infinitas Newsletter - published by Infinitas Bookshop - is now available for August 2008 at www.infinitas.com.au. This months edition features the conclusion to the serialised science fiction story by Steven Cavanagh, in addition to book reviews and publishing news.

Readers are invited to join in online discussions at: www.infinitas.com.au/forums

Source: Tim, Infinitas Bookshop

News: Art That Scares You Auction Open!

Ever read a short story by Paul Haines? Chances are that afterwards you needed a stiff drink (or other nasty fortifications), or a long shower. Paul is well known in the Australian speculative fiction community for writing the creepy stuff, the scary shit, the story that makes you go 'whoa' or 'aargh' or 'ewwwwww.' And we love him for it, because he does it so damn well.

Right now, Paul and his family are dealing with some scary shit of their own. After being diagnosed with bowel cancer, having sections of his bowel removed and enduring six months worth of chemotherapy, he has recently discovered he has spots on his liver. Paul has met this news by reloading his guns and is going to fight it with two other forms of chemotherapy for cancers like his, combined with a monoclonal antibody called Avastin. Avastin, however is not part of Medicare or the private health system's funding at this stage. It costs $20,000 to do it.

The ART THAT SCARES YOU auction is now live at until 9pm AEST, 28 August 2008. We are accepting donations and pledges of art, books and auctionable goodies right up until the last day. Some auctions are ending early, so come check us out now!

How to Bid
How to Donate

The Paul Haines fundraising tally recently hit the $16,000 mark which is fantastic, but we're not there yet. If we should overshoot this target before the end of the ART THAT SCARES YOU auction, any extraneous donated funds will also be passed directly on to Paul and his family to help with the other costs they need to cover right now.

Email artscaresyou@gmail.com with any queries about the auction.

If you'd like to make a general donation via paypal click the button:

Source: Alisa Krasnostein

Review: Black Box - it's finally open...

Black Box, the sequel to Shadow Box, has been created by Shane Jiraiya Cummings. It's a superb gathering of a multitude of different artistic talents, covering authors (some of Australia’s finest in the genre and some exciting new voices), alternative musicians (including our own Talie Helene), and visual artists. I was amazed at the range of skill on display, but I’m getting ahead of myself.

Firstly I was somewhat surprised to find it was a multimedia publication presented in a twin CD set. I was very much the uneducated hack when Shadow Box came out and have never had the pleasure of experiencing it, but I was lucky enough to have been chosen to do the review on Gratia Placenti in which Shane’s excellent short “The Cutting Room” made an appearance. From that time on, I was a fan of Shane’s work and eagerly put my hand up to review his latest offering. I haven’t been disappointed.

Black Box is a perfect fit with Shane’s other current major project, Black magazine. He and Angela Challis have produced an excellent publication delving into the alternative dark culture swirling beneath Australia’s apathetic, middle class exterior. Black Box furthers ones education along this alternative path.

I applaud Shane’s administrative skills in bringing together 95 authors, musicians, and graphic artists, to produce an amazing product. Included is a bonus audio CD containing the music in the anthology, so you can take the lingering seeds of fear you’ve just read with you.

Personal favourites include: White Box, Red Box, & Black Box (three separate stories) by Kurt Newton: torture through a simple cardboard box that ends in the unleashing of evil. David Conyer’s Hell’s Ambassador trilogy of tales is an eye opening and amusing look at things from the Devil’s advocate side, while Lyn Battersby’s The Wedding Dress is simply brilliant. Paul Haines is his normal twisted self with The Long Term Planner--but there is still yet a plethora of titles to be mentioned. Recognisable names around AHWA are well represented but there is also a number of authors I’d never read before. The tales get stronger as you work your way through but they don’t begin slow in the first place. There is simply not enough space to review all the stories included. Suffice to say, none drag their feet.

But this is a multimedia presentation so the fun doesn’t stop there.

The music is very alternative but even an old mainstreamer like me found pieces to enjoy. Covering Gothic, Metal, Gothic Metal, even Gothic Electronica, all the way to Hip Hop and two new genre’s I didn’t know existed called Dark Melodic Metal and Esoteric World Folk. I did say it was alternative. I was really hoping that something from Dandelion Wine, Wendy Rule, Opera Macabre, Pathogen, Temujin, Empyrean, The Eternal, Frankenbok, Virgin Black (Very slick website), or 4th Wall would take over from my favourite so I wouldn’t look like I was sucking up. Although all have their up side, my stand out was easily the Black Box Music Director, Talie Helene’s own offering, titled The Black Queen. Hypnotic. I'm looking forward to the EP's release.

The inclusion of some of the video clips is a bonus. Make sure you click on the album covers as you work your way through.

But wait, there’s more. Scattered among the stories of fear and dred, complimenting the theme and accompanying music, are 6 wonderful examples of art from John Banitsiotis, Emily Steigerwald (this was the only link with any real info), Brian Smith, Peter Schwartz, Adam Duncan, and our own Andrew J McKiernan.

I’d be on the lookout for places to purchase these images of twisted imaginings, they are very good.

But Shane is still not done impressing us. On top of all the above, he also presents The Orpheus Project, by Bryn Sparks. A graphic novel of excellent quality both visually and in the story it tells.

The only downside I found in the whole presentation was the inserted sound effects for the stories. They were too short, coming across as gimmicky punctuations of sound rather than added effects. Personally I would have preferred Talie Helene’s score looped in the background. Or maybe a soft cascading of notes to build atmosphere and tension as the reader quickly consumes more and more of the bite-sized tales of terror until they can take no more and rip the head phones from...but I digress.

One minor point is easily overlooked by the quality contained in the sum of its parts. Congratulations to Shane and Angela at Brimstone Press, another winner.

News: Art That Scares You auction goes live on 14th August

The Australian speculative fiction and art community are holding an online art auction to raise funds for Paul Haines, a talented writer currently fighting bowel and liver cancer. The theme - Art That Scares You - was chosen to reflect the kind of creepy, disturbing and macabre fiction that Paul is known for, as well as the fear and horror surrounding cancer itself.

The ART THAT SCARES YOU auction will be going live from from 14-28 August 2008.

Items "on the auction block" include The Survivors by Shaun Tan, Heaven and Earth by Cat Sparks and Chairman Sanders by Andrew Macrae (pictured below). Other items in the auction will include original art commissions, manuscript assessment services, fabric art, sock puppets, cards, jewellery, sculpture, china and various rare and unusual books.




If you would like to donate an item - or pledge a service - contact Tansy at artscaresyou@gmail.com.

You can visit ArtThatScaresYou from 14-28 August 2008 to bid in the auctions. Please feel free to redistribute this information. In the meantime, if you'd like to make a donation via paypal, click here:

Source: Tansy Rayner Roberts and Alisa Krasnostein

Book Review: Cemetery Lake by Paul Cleave

About four years ago I had the pleasure of visiting Christchurch while on holiday in New Zealand and remember thinking what thousands of other overseas tourists probably think, "What a quaint little town. Quiet. Reminds me of a little English village."

So it was a little disconcerting for me to read Paul Cleave's description of Christchurch as a city 'slowly spiralling into full panic mode'. Whereas my Christchurch was a city of parks, natty little coffee shops and museums; his is a swirling maelstrom of moral decay and mayhem.

Theo Tate is a private investigator presiding over a routine exhumation (if there is such a thing) when corpses begin rising to the surface of the titular lake. The subsequent discovery that the wrong person is in the coffin and the attempt by a cemetery worker to abscond with the evidence lead Tate into a quest to track down a serial killer.

Cleave manages to make his narrator a sympathetic character; he's struggling against the odds to do good, having lost his daughter and wife in a car accident several years earlier. The author drip feeds details to you until you realise how morally compromised Tate actually is. It's too late by then as the reader is egging him on in the face of both media and police department hostility.

There are the requisite twists and turns but the writing is spare and stark in contrast to the complex ethical dilemmas that unfold.

Two pieces of advice:

(1) Read this book. It's riveting.

(2) If you go to Christchurch for a holiday, for God's sake, don't go near the cemetery.

News: Black Market in Black magazine

Last month, Brimstone Press launched Black: Australian Dark Culture magazine, which has been available in more than 1,000 newsagencies and Borders stores (and Fantastic Planet, Chainsaw Horror, and Dymocks Southland). Black is now open to creative professionals and groups looking to promote themselves in the Black Market.

The Black Market is a classifieds section in Black magazine that is devoted to creative professionals (writers, editors, musicians, artists, illustrators, film techs, etc.) who would like to advertise their services. Creative groups looking for new members or to promote a competition or special event are also welcome to advertise in the Black Market. Further details are available here.

The Black Market booking deadline for issue #2 is 5pm this Friday August 15.


Source: Brimstone Press

The Age Short Story Competition

Wouldn't it be nice if someone from the dark side won one of Australia's biggest competitions??

Original post from :The Age.

SEEKING AUSTRALIA'S WRITING TALENT

THE AGE SHORT STORY COMPETITION 2008 IS NOW ACCEPTING ENTRIES
Entries must be no longer than 3000 words and should not have been previously published.
Stories for children are not eligible for this competition. Manuscripts must be typed: double-spaced and on A4 paper.
A separate page should be submitted with the author's name, address, telephone number and e-mail address. No entry form is required.
No more than three stories per person should be submitted.
Faxes or hand written submissions will not be accepted and manuscripts will not be returned.

Send entries to:

The Age Short Story Competition
The Age
Level 2
250 Spencer Street
MELBOURNE VIC 3000

or email

shortstory@theage.com.au

Closing date October 10, 2008 - 5pm (unfortunately late entries can not be accepted)

Winners will be announced early December.
The 1st, 2nd, 3rd winning stories will be published in A2 in Janurary.
They will also be published at http://www.theage.com.au/ along with all highly-commended entries.
First prize winner will receive $3000. 2nd prize, $2000, 3rd prize, $1000.For further information please contact Prue Spencer 03 9601 2198.

Book Review: The Undead: Headshot Quartet

Ed. Chirstina Bivins & Lane Adamson, Permuted Press, 2008

Headshot Quartet is the fourth in a series of zombie-themed anthologies from Permuted Press, a U.S. small-press publisher specialising in apocalyptic and zombie fiction. With this collection of four novellas, regardless of the change in editorship, Permuted Press continues to offer excellent production values and engaging fiction that approaches the zombie phenomenon from fresh perspectives.

‘Million Dollar Money Shot’, by John Sunseri, revolves around a mobster-on-the-run struggling to survive the zombie apocalypse. Teaming up with a jaded working girl and a rather unorthodox priest, our protagonist soon discovers that the undead menace originates not from outer space or some biolab, but from a well-known aquatic Lovecraftian source. The zombie/Mythos mix doesn’t really gel as well as it could, but some very nice writing and above-average characterization raises this story above such drawbacks.

Ryan C. Thomas’ ‘Enemy Unseen’ is, for me, the absolute stand-out story in this collection. In a tale that renders the old-fashioned Voodoo zombie completely terrifying again, Thomas paints a bleak picture of the walking dead being used as tools of terrorism. In a post-9/11 world, the scenario offered here comes across as unsettlingly plausible.

‘Lost Souls’, by David Dunwoody, again assigns the zombie a more traditional role – that of the avenging demon. Here we have a tale in the vein of Evil Dead, with four young folk heading out to a rental shack in the woods for a weekend and there encountering a violent supernatural force. While the story moves a little too fast to generate many genuine chills, it certainly makes up for this by maintaining an atmosphere of relentless horror.

D. L. Snell’s ‘Mortal Gods’ defies any sort of neat summing up. It’s a beautifully literary piece – as one might expect from the author of Roses of Blood on Barbwire Vines – that incorporates elements of George Romero, X-Men, The Butterfly Effect and A Nightmare on Elm Street, and blends them to great effect. A fitting tale to end this collection, as the author questions the very nature of reality, and the role of zombies therein.

All in all, this is a great collection, and one which successfully showcases the talents of some of the best current crop of zombie fictioneers. A must-read for horror and zombie fans.

News: A Night Of Horror at AfterDark

Come hear the twisted tales and nightmares, honouring the conventions of the horror genre; featuring dark tunes, scary spoken word, and film.

Presenting: The Evil Doctor Panman, Rebecca (Lesbian Vampire) Louise, Eddy (Zombie) Burger, Jo (Ghost Girl) Mundy, Gayle (Succubus) Reynolds, Leslie (Witchin') Hall and Maurice (Murdering) McNamaris, and others. Limited Open Mic Section, and it's FREE!

A NIGHT OF HORROR
7:30 pm, Thursday the 14th August
AfterDark Bar, 565 High St, Northcote, Victoria

Source: Rebecca Louise

New Release: H.P. Lovecraft Collection Vol. 5:Strange Aeons

H.P. Lovecraft Collection® Vol. 5:Strange Aeons

Lurker Films

Distributed by Microcinema (USA)

http://www.microcinema.com/

(R1 DVD, you'll need a multizone player for this one !)

H.P. Lovecraft (b August 20, 1890, d. March 15, 1937) is considered to be one of the greatest writers of horror fiction since Edgar Allan Poe. His influence on modern horror has been enormous both in print and in film, and stems from his fusing the best traditions of gothic horror on both sides of the Atlantic, and blending in elements of science fiction thus popularizing the notion of "cosmic horror."Adapting Lovecraft to the big screen has never been an easy task given the structure of his stories and the emphasis on atmosphere over action. Screenwriter Kelly Young of Maelstrom Productions had this to say about adapting the works of H.P. Lovecraft to the screen, "I feel that The Thing on the Doorstep is absolutely the most film-friendly of Lovecraft's works in that it fits into a three-act structure and has a strong female presence."The Thing on the Doorstep is a unique story about an unfortunate marriage between a precocious scholar (Edward Derby) and a young heiress (Asenath Waite) who has mysterious hypnotic powers. Edward soon after their marriage exhibits severe mood swings and radical personality changes. What is the source of Asenanth's sway over Edward? What is the influence that her deceased sorcerer father (Ephraim Waite) has over her? The only thing standing between Asenath and her unspeakable plans to sow death and madness is Edward's graduate advisor, professor Dan Upton. But is Dan too late to stop what has been set into motion?The DVD also contains the short films Maria's Hubris by Patrick Weber and the animated short film From Beyond by Michael Granberry, an interview with director John Carpenter regarding Lovecraft, and openners from the H.P. Lovecraft Film Festival.

Robert Black

News: Ticonderoga Publications pitches in with fundraiser

Ticonderoga Publications is joining in the effort to raise funds for Paul Haines. Ticonderoga will donate $10 from the sale of each of its titles sold in August through its online store.

Paul Haines, a much-loved member of the Aussie sf community is going through a tough time. After being diagnosed with bowel cancer, having sections of his bowel removed and enduring six months worth of chemotherapy, he has recently discovered he has spots on his liver. Paul has met this news by reloading his guns and is going to fight it with two other forms of chemotherapy for cancers like his, combined with a monoclonal antibody called Avastin. Avastin, however is not part of Medicare or the private health system's funding at this stage. It costs $20,000 to do it. Money that he doesn't have.

Ticonderoga Publications has not set a limit on its donation, and hopes to raise in excess of $1000.

More info on Paul's fund can be found at the Facebook focus group.

Source: Alisa Krasnostein

News: Anomalous Appetites call for submissions

New Zealand publisher Preshrunk Press are calling for submissions of speculative genre poetry and art, for an anthology titled Anomalous Appetites. As of August 5th 2008, Anomalous Appetites will be open for submissions. Please read the submission guidelines carefully before submitting any work.

Mission statement

"It is our intention to publish in this anthology the very best of poetry in the speculative genres, illustrated by the very best artists. These genres include horror, sci fi and fantasy. It is our intention to make this an annual vent.

We believe passionately that there is a niche for those poets who choose to write in the above genres with more subtlety and even, (dare I say?) whimsy. I want to—no, intend to-- publish an anthology annually that I’m inordinately proud of, filled with what might be called ‘a thinking person’s poetry and art,’ a volume that reflects levels of understanding and poetic entertainment as yet unseen.

We intend to ‘chapterize’ poets in this A4 sized format… that is to say, each poet will be allocated his or her own chapter, complete with short bio and a b/w photo. Or, preferably, a pen and ink sketch portrait of themselves."

A forum has been set up for interested parties to stay updated with the latest information regarding publication dates, and news bulletins. There will also be a place for general discussion.

Submission Guidelines

No traditional hack and slash. Forget Hollywood horror. Will accept gothic , but must have a fresh and devious slant. Whimsical or dry humor approach to mayhem preferred; must still fit the genre. Serious subjects as long as they’re ‘different’ - no dragons and wizards unless outstandingly original approach. Rhyme, western traditional forms, concrete and haiku, senryu, and haibun are especially welcomed. There is no theme.

Each poet required to provide a minimum of five poems, up to a maximum of ten.

Bear in mind the following:

• your poem will need to fit into a 2-column A4 sized page. This way your poem will be readable without a page change, and will complement the artist’s work (on the opposite page) for your successful submission. Not every poem will be illustrated.
• it must be sent to me as a Word ( .doc or .rtf ) attachment in 12 point Times New Roman or Helvetica font. This will ensure that any unusual poem formatting will be in place. Each poem is to be in its own document.

Please allow up to twelve weeks for response.

Payment

• Poets $10.00US per successful submission (regardless of poem numbers), payable only to a PayPal account.
• Artists $10.00US per two illustrations (regardless of number), payable only to a PayPal account.

Deadline is December 7th 2008. Submit to editor John Irvine by email.

Artists please contact for art submission guidelines.

Source: John Irvine, editor and Dave Freeman, art designer - Preshrunk Press

Review: Dreadful Skin by Cherie Priest

Dreadful Skin by Cherie Priest consists of three linked novellas – The Wreck of the Mary Byrd, Halfway to Holiness and Our Lady of the Wasteland. All of the novellas feature the gun-toting Irish nun Eileen Callaghan and follow her as she hunts a werewolf across post-Civil War America.

Sister Eileen is a great character, and following her through this fast-paced tale is great fun. Priest lends her voice well to the Southern gothic tale, and clearly enjoyed writing every word of it.

The decision to write Sister Eileen's story as three linked novellas rather than as a novel is clever and neatly done, but it does serve to fragment the story a little. One feels that the novellas only skim the surface of a greater story – that of Eileen herself. It is sometimes frustrating, as one gets the impression that there are hidden depths to the character that Priest chose not to explore.

This lack of depth extends to the other characters, even the werewolf himself, Jack. The minor characters seem to be little more than stand-ins at time, which leads to a serious lack of impact at the inevitable deaths that pepper the book. Perhaps because of this, the first novella is sometime difficult to follow as the point of view hops from character to character – some clearer definition of character voice would have helped immensely here.

Dreadful Skin is an enjoyable read, but it feels as if, given some more expansion, it could have gone from being a good book to a great one. Still, despite its flaws, it's a worthwhile addition to any fans of Southern gothic and/or werewolf stories.

Dreadful Skin was available from Subterranean Press in a limited hardcover edition; the paperback edition is forthcoming in October 2008, also from Subterranean Press.

News: Ozploitation Cinema at the Chauvel Cinema

Wild, thrilling, bloody and action-packed, OZPLOITATION films are the ‘alternate’ masterpieces of the Australian cinema story.

Fresh from the premiere of the new Australian documentary NOT QUITE HOLLYWOOD as the opening night of the Melbourne Film Festival, Chauvel Cinema is proud to present OZPLOITATION!

PATRICK – 6:30pm Wednesday 3 September
DEAD-END DRIVE IN - 6:30pm Friday 5 September
TURKEY SHOOT – 6.30pm Wednesday 10 September
LONG WEEKEND – 6.30pm Friday 12 September (Brand new 35mm print!)
ROAD GAMES – 6.30pm Wednesday 17 September
STONE – 6.30pm Friday 19 September (Session presented by director Sandy Harbutt!)
RAZORBACK – 6.30pm Wednesday 24 September

Tickets on sale Now!
Adults $14.00/Conc $12.00/Pension/Seniors $9.00
ALL SEVEN FILMS, SEASON PASS - $70.00

phone: 02 93615398
web: www.chauvelcinema.net.au

Source: David Carroll and the Chauvel Cinema

News: Award Winning Australian Writing

Award Winning Australian Writing is an annual anthology presenting a selection of the best winning writing from short story and bush poetry competitions.

Short story writing in Australia is alive and well - and being judged so by over 300 short story writing and bush poetry competitions, from Melbourne to Boyup Brook. Ranging from high profile competitions like The Age Short Story Competition, to wonderful small press prizes such as The ‘Page Seventeen’ Short Story Competition, all of which encourage writers to excel at their craft. While publication in The Age or The Village Voice or the Australian Bush Poets Association bi-monthly magazine is an achievement in itself, where do these stories then go?

Award Winning Australian Writing brings these winning stories together in one convenient volume, and makes them available to a wider audience. It is hoped the volume will encourage and inspire as well as entertain.

This years AWAW anthology features two speculative fiction award winning entries - Homo Canis by David Conyers (winner of the 2007 Australian Horror Writers Association’s Flash Fiction Award), and Toother by Terry Dowling (winner of the 2007 Australian Shadows Award). Toother originally appeared in Eclipse 1, edited by Jonathan Strahan (Night Shade Books), while Homo Canis will appear in the final edition of Shadowed Realms, edited by Angela Challis and Shane Jiraiya Cummings (Brimstone Press).

Award Winning Australian Writing
Published by Melbourne Books
Paperback RRP$34.95
ISBN 9781877096600
264 pages 139 × 210 mm

For interviews, review copy or other queries contact dten@melbournebooks.com.au

Source: David Conyers

Review: Little Evil Things Horror Audio Book CDS

Little Evil Things
Frank Macchia & Tracy London
Bite sized Tales of terror to Chill your Bones !
5 CDs
Web: http://www.littleevilthings.com/


I love horror ! Supernatural tales, werewolves, monsters, strange plot twists and characters you can’t trust. While I adore a great horror film, there is something to be said for mediums which let your own imagination do the work. The horror novel is always good for a rainy night but in today’s hectic world many complain that reading seems to be too time consuming. According, the audio book is always a good option. However audio books are only as good as the production, simply reading a book onto a CD is not enough these days.

Little Evil Things takes the audio book to the next level, they are not just audio books, but tales which have been enlivened with music, special effects, background sounds and a great presentation. They combine the very best sound technology can offer combined with impressive tales which revive the classic elements of horror storytelling and present it in a modern medium.

There are now five CD’s available in the Little Evil Things series and hence there is more than enough to keep you occupied on rainy nights - turn off the lights, turn up the sound and let your mind roam...

The stories vary in content, while many would be seen as reasonable for older children (13+), others do cover some marginally adult themes, I wouldn’t think any of the stories is especially “adults only”, except for the unduly puritan among us ! Considering the wild origins of most traditional myths and fairy tales I think these stories should be considered great entertainment for the older child who wants to stimulate their imagination. At the same time, these are not just for kids only, we loved them and we are all rather a bit older ! Little Evil things can be enjoyed by anyone from 13 to 100...

Little Evil Things
Volume I
Transformation- Little Evil Thing
The Quiet Child- It's After Me
Parasites

The first CD includes five great tales. Transformation offers a man's first-hand experience becoming a werewolf, while in Little Evil Thing a woman gets more than she bargains for when she rescues a strange little creature and we should take care when dealing with the little boy with the power to control minds in The Quiet Child. The man with classic chase nightmares meets with a surprising end in It's After Me! and in Parasites a greedy man gets his just desserts as creatures invade his body. They are all outstanding but I must admit I enjoyed Transformation and Parasites the most, they are all very well presented and will send a shiver down your spine.

Little Evil Things
Volume II
Thing in the Jar - Sisters
It's in the Water - Blubb


Volume II is even more impressive than the first CD. Jim McDonnell has a great voice which really tickles the backbone ! The Thing in the Jar is a real Pandora’s box tale of a strange jar which unleashes the evil inside to all who open it, while in Sisters, Siamese twins get the surprise of their lives as they attempt to separate. In It's in the Water, a man's fear of water threatens to destroy him, while in the final classic tale, Blubb, a giant monster made of fat terrorizes Beverly Hills. Volume II continues the same high standard as volume one and will give you some nice scares and dreams which will hang around for quite a while after listening to it...

Little Evil Things
Volume III
Buried Alive-It’s a Boy
Freaked Out-The Dolls
The Potion


Little Evil Things, Volume III is a real gem with great narration, dramatization and orchestration using the Moscow Symphony Orchestra, never mind the great special effects and mood sounds. I am really impressed with the way these tales balance strong plot with action and gore and yet still are remarkably friendly for younger listeners. Because there are five tales they also to achieve a lot within a short time span, these are good examples of very carefully written and executed storytelling. Buried Alive explores the age old fear of being buried alive and the terror of awakening in a crypt six feet under, while It's a Boy explores what happens when a couple's desire for a child backfires. Freaked Out is set under the big top, step right up and see Zemo's Big Top Freak Show, you will never be the same after. The Dolls explores how a doll collection exacts its revenge on a nasty nephew, while in the Potion, a witch concocts a creepy brew.

Little Evil Things
Volume IV
Lost- Hazardous to Your Health
Infection - In Your Head
The Violin’s Curse

Volume four continues the great success of the earlier series. Personally I think each volume brings something new and offers more and more refinement of the presentation, plot and orchestration. The fact that they are regularly using the Moscow Symphony Orchestra creates background tracks which are textured and layered, even while you are focussing on the tale, the music and sound effects are doing their job ramping up the mood.

Volume four again includes five tales, In Lost: A man suffers the tortures of hell in a nightmarish dream - or is it, while in Hazardous to Your Health: 1940's mobster gets hooked on a deadly habit. Infection explores how a man's life gets turned inside out when he discovers a spot on his arm while In Your Head considers whether those gray hairs really are what they appear to be? The final tale The Violin's Curse is the story of how a haunted violin comes to life. These tales again offer the best in traditional horror stories with new and modern twists, there are all the motifs you would expect in a horror story yet with intelligent plot changes, interesting re-interpretations and unusual endings.

Little Evil Things
Volume V
Whispers in the Attic - The Happy Wanderer
O.S. 666 - Dreamgirl
The Impaler


Volume five completes the series presently available and again offers five top quality tales. Jim McDonnell once again does the job admirably with his “dark” Tom Baker like narration and the other characters, sound effects and background music are better than ever. Whispers in the Attic offer greetings and salutations from an old friend, while the Happy Wanderer tells the tale of a driver who has lost his way finds a new way home. In a rather timely tale in this modern world of the internet and computers, O.S. 666 tells the story of a software giant creates the perfect world and in Dreamgirl, an unfaithful husband finds the girl of his dreams. Volume five ends with The Impaler, an ominous tale about the risks of unbridled science as a mysterious creature is cloned from a fossil.

Little Evil Things are a superb series, while in the US they were released for Halloween, they are enjoyable anytime of the year. They are beautifully produced and are a classic example of the top class products which can be found by looking outside the box of “Hollywood” releases. They offer superior narration, great orchestration, awesome special sounds effects and storytelling which combines the best in traditional horror motifs with a modern sensibility.

Little Evil Things will always be on my music shelf for a rainy night.

The Little Evil Things website offers lots of background information on the series and if this review is not enough, it even includes sample mp3 tracks for you to prove to yourself they are worth purchasing. Don’t take my word for it, go to the website (http://www.littleevilthings.com/) and listen for yourself, I am convinced you will end up placing an order in due haste. They can be purchased from the website, on Amazon and via CDBaby.com. There is also a discount pack available of Volumes I,II and III.

Reviewer: Robert Black

News: AHWA Flash and Short Story Competition Winners

The Australian Horror Writers Association is delighted to announce the winners of the 2008 AHWA Flash and Short Story Competition.


SHORT STORY WINNER

• Drowning, by Alice Godwin

Alice will receive an engraved plaque and her story has been accepted for paid publication in Midnight Echo Issue 1.



SHORT STORY COMMENDATIONS

• The Lord of the Law, by David Conyers
• The Dead End, by Stephen Studach
• The Biting of Nails, by Steven Cavanagh

FLASH FICTION WINNER

• The Exchange, by Benjamin Hayes

Benjamin will receive an engraved plaque and his story has been accepted for paid publication in the very last issue of Shadowed Realms.


FLASH FICTION COMMENDATIONS

• Portrait, by Crisetta MacLeod
• Cold Feet, by Carolyn Eldridge-Alfonzetti
• The Salbine Incident, by Patrick O'Duffy

Congratulations to Alice and Benjamin, and to all of those who made the shortlist. Thank you also to all who entered the competition. There were more than 100 entries this year. The AHWA would like to extend its gratitude to the judges too, who did a wonderful job.

The competition will open again on January the 1st, 2009.

Source: Marty Young, President AHWA

News: A Boy Goes On A Journey Competition

A Boy Goes On A Journey, a social networking site for writers, readers and fans of speculative fiction, is currently running a competition with the following excellent prizes:

• A professional and in-depth critique of up to 15,000 words of your manuscript by Phillip Berrie
• One place in a 2 hr online writing course 'What not to do in your medieval setting 101'

Fantasy Book Pack

• Royal Exile by Fiona McIntosh
• The Accidental Sorcerer by K E Mills
• Winterbirth by Brian Ruckley

Dark Book Pack

• In Bad Dreams vol 1 edited by Mark Deniz and Sharyn Lilley
• The Painted Man by Peter V Brett
• The Scent of Shadows by Vicki Pettersson

Eclectic Book Pack

• Hal Spacejock - No Free Lunch by Simon Haynes SIGNED!
• Daikaiju Vol 1 edited by Robert Hood and Robin Pen
• Daikaiju Vol 3 edited by Robert Hood and Robin Pen

Competition details at A Boy Goes On A Journey.

Source: Nyssa, admin - A Boy Goes On A Journey network

News: Katharine Susannah Prichard Writers' Centre mini-con

The Katharine Susannah Prichard Writers' Centre SF Group is planning a mini-con for 21 September. The group's first mini-con, held in 2006, was an outstanding success, with several score people attending. The panels, readings and inexpensive lunch all contributed to the day’s success, and this year's effort pormises to be even better.

Confirmed panelists include Adrian Bedford, Janet Blagg, Lee Battersby, Lyn Battersby, Hal Colebatch, Stephen Dedman, Russell B Farr, Simon Haynes, Elaine Kemp, Alisa Krasnostein, Martin Livings, Dave Luckett, Ian Nichols, John Parker, and Tehani Wessely.

The one-day mini-con, which starts at 10.00am, will be held at the Katharine Susannah Prichard Writers' Centre, Old York Road, Greenmount, Perth. Gold coin admission, lunch available.

Source: Satima Flavell

Dymocks Southland Bestselling Horror Titles for July ‘08

Dymocks Southland is a general bookshop in Cheltenham, Victoria, boasting a fairly extensive range of genre stock. Below are listed the top 10 bestselling horror titles for July 2008.

1. Twilight Special Edition – Stephanie Meyer
2. Eclipse Special Edition – Stephanie Meyer
3. New Moon Special Edition – Stephanie Meyer
4. World War z – Max Brooks
5. The Zombie Survival Guide – Max Brooks
6. Ten-Second Staircase – Christopher Fowler
7. Marvel Zombies: Series 1
8. Australian Dark Fantasy & Horror 2007 – ed. Angela Challis
9. Heart-Shaped Box (PB) – Joe Hill
10. Necronomicon Commemorative Edition - H. P. Lovecraft

Dymocks Southland also publishes a monthly SF, fantasy and horror newsletter, which can be subscribed to here.

News: Midnight Echo #2 reading period opens

Issue 2 of Midnight Echo, the Magazine of the Australian Horror Writers Association, is open to new submissions from today until 31 January, 2009.

Issue 2 will be edited by Angela Challis (editor-in-chief of Black: Australian Dark Culture magazine, director of Brimstone Press, and editor of Shadowed Realms and several anthologies including the Australian Dark Fantasy and Horror series) and Shane Jiraiya Cummings (managing editor of Black: Australian Dark Culture magazine and HorrorScope, editor of several anthologies including Black Box and Shadow Box, and author of over fifty short stories).

Full submission guidelines can be found at the Australian Horror Writers Association website.

Midnight Echo's first issue, edited by Kirstyn McDermott and Ian Mond, will be published in electronic format on Halloween 2008.


Source: AHWA