31
Oct
Click for free reads
The October issue of Apex Magazine starts out with a tale by a much loved Apex regular, Lavie Tidhar. “Blakenjel” is weird and dark, and a bit hard to follow. Tidhar is known for his strange, exotic tales, but this one leaves nearly every semblance of humanity behind. It focuses on Dak, a scentless boy who works in the pits, feeding foul and poisoned sea creatures to blobs on command of the elusive ownerz. There are also the strange dragonish pseudo-god-aliens blakenjel, who answer prayers for an (often high) price. Dak, favored by one of the blobs and one of the blakenjel gets caught up in a very bizarre interpretation of the war for information that many of us find ourselves invested in today. While it feels indecisive, “Blakenjel” finds strength in being not one thing nor another, becoming something else altogether.
“Hunting Aliens” by Erik Williams is a short tale of a couple of good old boys who manage to find a secret alien landing spot, free from tourists and governmental watch dogs. Their intentions are brutal making this a tale that echoes past its end.
Nathan Rosen’s “I Know an Old Lady” is a science fiction twist on the old poem told in a matter of fact way that feels a bit mechanical, which adds to the humor. Reminiscent of “Wikihistory” by Desmond Warzel it’s an amusing space child’s Mother Goose tale.
“Spoiled Meat” by Ryan C. Thomas is the second story in the crossover project between Apex Publications and Permuted Press. In this zombie tale the main character seems strangely immune to the zombies. Being ostracized, not even included in humanity’s gory downfall, can, and does, make one a little crazy. The twist on the zombie theme make this tale interesting while the familiar theme itself makes it an easy read.
Finally is “Dick Does Time” by Adam Roberts, a flash back to the Dick and Jane readers. Some very grown up themes are hidden inside the simple prose, proving that effectiveness is not always about large flowing words and quirky characters.
Review by M.A. Hunt
Click to Buy
Any Given Doomsday, by Lori Handeland, is the first book in her The Phoenix Chronicles series.
Elizabeth Phoenix is a young ex-cop in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, now working in the bar owned by her deceased partner’s wife, Megan Murphy… Murphy’s Bar, of course.
This is a small indication of the kind of wit Handeland brings to this tale.
Phoenix has some latent psychic powers, aided and abetted to partial fruition by two not-quite-human men, Jimmy Sanducci, whom she’s known since childhood, and Sawyer, a Navajo witch, and a dead mentor, Ruthie Kane, who is very much from the same vein as the guide in the Matrix Trilogy, of popular film.
A wonderful romp of a novel, filled with things from the underworld, and beyond, written by a highly intelligent author.
Unfortunately, it’s not until chapter 23 that the real story begins.
The first 22 chapters are mostly filled with fluff, aka ‘back story’, which she would have been better off disseminating in dribs and drabs throughout, as she unfolded the tale, rather than bunch it all upfront.
From there on, Handeland shows considerable and impressive talent in the progression of the tale, even if some of her obvious wit becomes a tad tedious, but it’s a compelling, page-turning read.
If the blurb for the next book is any indication, Doomsday Can Wait promises to be a continuation of very strong storytelling.
27
Oct
*crossposted*
The New York Times has a good article on women in horror. I could add a few more names to their list, like Fran Friel, Mary SanGiovanni and Chelsea Quinn Yarbro (who is surprisingly forgotten in the genre despite the fact that she served as the first female president of the HWA and has gotten Stoker nods as well as World Fantasy and Edgar nods.) But it’s a good start.
25
Oct
ETA: Wordpress keeps stripping the code. You can see it on my website here.
This is an excellent opportunity for writers (and readers) to check out Weird Tales for free. The summer issue is available for free download here. This issue includes original fiction from Norman Spinrad, Nick Mamatas, and Karen Heuler and an interview with Mike Mignola, creator of HellBoy.
23
Oct
The Reincarnationist by M.J. Rose is available as a free download for a very short period of time here. Blurb below (from M.J. Rose’s web site).
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THE REINCARNATIONIST is equal parts modern-day thriller, historical fiction and love story. With one foot in present-day Rome and New York and another in Rome some 1,600 years ago, my story is about two worlds consumed by the fires of intrigue and passion.
Photojournalist Josh Ryder survives a terrorist’s bomb, only to be haunted by near hallucinatory memories of a past life in Rome as a pagan priest whose dangerous congress with Sabina, one of the Vestal Virgins, poses a transgression so serious the lovers will face a certain death if exposed. Scents of jasmine and sandalwood and images of furtive liaisons and violence descend on Josh at will, pulling him to an ancient yet strangely familiar Roman burial chamber harboring the remains of a woman clutching a wooden box.
A trail of present-day murders takes us deeper into a labyrinth at whose heart lies the enigma of a collection of ancient gems or memory stones whose origins trace back to both ancient Egypt and India. The stones’ promise to “assist the wearer in reaching his next incarnation” sets the ancient and modern worlds on a collision course.
23
Oct
Charlie Huston’s first series is being given away as free pdf downloads, one book per month (3 books) plus there’s a chance to win hard copies of the books as well. The blurb for the first book, Caught Stealing, is below and details on this give away are here.
Having fled California for New York City after an injury cut short his promising baseball career, Hank Thompson settles into an aimless life as an alcoholic bartender. Still, Hank prides himself on making Manhattan a bit more hospitable by helping his friends, so how can he refuse when a neighbor asks him to cat-sit?
One lost kidney later, Hank realizes that an Elmore Leonardesque collection of Russian mobsters, short-fused cons, and renegade cops will snuff out all 10 lives he and the cat share between them if that’s what it takes to find the not-so-good neighbor. His dull wits sharpened by pain and fear, Hank must keep one bum foot out of the grave long enough to figure out what the bad guys are looking for–and how to give it up safely.
With a mania familiar to baseball die-hards, Hank keeps an eye on the playoff-contending San Francisco Giants even as he makes several potentially game-ending errors of his own.
This polished debut promises a bright future for Huston and definitely belongs on every Elmore Leonard fan’s to-read list. One note of caution: Lovers of mystery-solving felines should place paws over eyes during the hair-raising cat torture scene.“ – Booklist *Starred Review
Who can enter: Any one who has never published a story and is not under contract by Fall 2009
What to enter: SF/F/H/new weird, etc short story 2000 words or less
Prize: $100 and publication in Bantam Spectra’s promo magazine for Comic Con 2009
Is this another one of those “We take all your rights” contests? NO! Bantam takes first rights to publish and nonexclusive rights to reproduce (online etc). At $100 for a max of 2000 words this is a professional sale.
But? But they really do want works by people who have never, ever been published before. The fine print even says that the story cannot have been submitted to a market before and cannot have been posted online. Make sure to read the full contest rules (because the method of submission is hidden in them) and know what you are getting into with this contest. However, IMHO it can be a great opportunity as the winner will get an official pro sale and have their work distributed along side Bantam’s biggest promoted pros at Comic Con.