Terror-Tree Reviews Abomination Magazine

The debut issue of Abomination Magazine

Theresa Derwin, over at terror-tree.co.uk has reviewed the debut issue of Abomination Magazine, a new Kindle-based horror magazine with short-fiction, poetry and comics. And, as regular readers will know, it contains one of my short stories.

Of my offering, Theresa says:

“‘Whispers in the Skin Garden’ by Matthew S Dent features a garden where skin is grown for grafts. This is a rather creepy tale as follow the gardener through his duties.“

And of the magazine as a whole:

“…this is a good solid magazine that at only £1.30 is worth every penny, if only for the short stories and poetry. I expect good things from this magazine and look forward to issue 2 in July 2012.“

If you want to read my story, and the rest of those featured in the magazine, then as Theresa says it is only £1.30 on Kindle.

Abominations Magazine #1 Published

The debut issue of Abomination Magazine

My writing doesn’t seem to be going all that badly of late, which besides being nice for me makes a nice break from politics-themed blogs.

Anyway, I announced last month that Abomination Magazine had accepted one of my stories for their debut issue, and today I can tell you that said issue has been published. It is currently available for Kindle at the frankly bargain price of £1.30. And for that you get a selection of other delectable stories.

My own offering is entitled “Whispers in the Skin Gardens“, and without giving too much away it’s a dark SF story, about biotech gone slightly mad.

If you buy and read it (which, of course, you should) I would love it if you’d let me know what you think. And if you want to put a review on Amazon, that’d be great too.

But above all, please enjoy. And don’t have nightmares.

The Importance of Variety

Yours truly, trying to save the endless variety provided by libraries.

It’s strange, but as a writer one of the questions I most dread being asked is one of the most frequent: “So what do you write then?” It’s not so much that I don’t like talking about my writing- though I do get a strange modesty conflict- but more that I’m never sure how to categorise myself.

Look at the last piece of writing that I had published. “Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep”, a psychological horror published in the Night Terrors II anthology (which, I’ve recently discovered, is only £3.88 on Kindle. Just saying…). Last night I finished and submitted a near future SF story with an environmental bent. The next story I write will, it seems, be harder SF centred around augmented reality. And I have *holds breath* recently started a novel that seems like it will be a mixture of medium-hard SF and light fantasy.

So it’s a little hard to categorise my writing as a whole. When asked about it today in the barber’s chair, about all I could manage was “dark, horror-y, science-fiction-y stuff”. Which is somewhat embarrassing for someone who is supposed to be good with words.

But “dark” is about the only common thread running through my writing. Whether it’s overt horror, or SF exposing the darker side of humanity, I have an almost macabre fascination with the shadier side of life. I take heart that, whilst he started off with undeniable horror, Stephen King has matured into a taste for variety in the extreme. How would you categorise Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption, for example?

My reading patterns are, generally speaking, just as varied. I make a special point to read a wide range of fiction, since I strongly believe that we write what we read in the same way that we are what we eat. Sameish reading results in stagnant writing.  The last book I read was Tom Fletcher’s The Thing on the Shore, a strange and introspective horror novel which was frankly excellent. And I’m currently reading two books: the first is Greg Egan’s Quarantine, which represents my first forray into reading full-length hard SF. The second is a physical copy of Dragonheart by Todd McCaffrey.

I grew up on Anne McCaffrey’s Dragonriders of Pern books, and was deeply saddened last year when she passed away. I hadn’t read any of the later novels in the series by her son Todd, but seeing it on the shelf at the library the other week I just couldn’t help myself.

Which brings me neatly to another thing that’s been on my mind. Wokingham Borough Council’s plan to privatise the libraries rumbles onwards. The matter has seen scant attention from this blog of late, partly due to the exploding incompetence of the waste collection scheme and partly due to the fact that it’s all being done in secret. The council can claim that the secrecy is due to EU tendering rules, but those rules didn’t prevent the Conservatives from proposing it at the last election, or consulting on it before opening it up to tender.

When I go to the library for a book, I don’t go looking for anything in particular. I look for something that catches my eye, whatever it might be, and that contributes greatly to the variety in my reading. This is why I am determined to make sure that the libraries issue doesn’t drop off the agenda. As I have said before, the world would be a far poorer place without them.

A Tale of Two Literary Awards

Christopher Priest doesn't like the Clarke Award nominees- so thinks the judges should be fired.

It’s been an interesting day in the world of genre fiction. For those of you who aren’t plugged in to that particular social media and niche news corner of the internet, basically Christopher Priest (a much-respected and very talented SF writer) has attacked a number of his colleagues and a literature award of some esteem over the quality of nominees.

You might say that this shows just how little actually happens in the world of SF, but really this was something to behold (it even made the Guardian). Some of his criticism is downright personal, and honestly left me dumbstruck. Take the treatment that poor Charles Stross’ novel gets:

“It is indefensible that a novel like Charles Stross’s Rule 34 (Orbit) should be given apparent credibility by an appearance in the Clarke shortlist. Stross writes like an internet puppy: energetically, egotistically, sometimes amusingly, sometimes affectingly, but always irritatingly, and goes on being energetic and egotistical and amusing for far too long.“

Which I would say is below the belt. Thankfully, Mr Stross has one heck of sense of humour, and responded with this piece of Twitter-brilliance:

I want “Stross writes like an internet puppy — Christopher Priest” on my next book cover!

— Charles Stross (@cstross) March 28, 2012

But on a serious note, there is a problem with Priest’s web-ranting. It’s not that he’s particularly nasty or insulting, it’s that he goes on to call for extreme solutions. Specifically, he says:

“The present panel of judges should be fired, or forced to resign, immediately… These people have proved themselves incompetent as judges, and should not be allowed to have any more say about or influence on the Arthur C. Clarke Award.“

He wants them sacked. Because he doesn’t like the books they picked. Now, I haven’t read any of the nominees (though I have read one of Priest’s suggested alternatives- Lavie Tidhar’s “Osama”). If I had, it may be that I agreed with Priest’s opinion of them (though I wouldn’t express it like that- I am not devoid of tact). The problem is not hisopinion, it’s the fact that he seems to think that his opinion is scripture. That people should be removed from their post because people disagreed with him. I said I was tactful, but frankly that is nothing short of ego-maniacal.

Last year there was another controversy in the genre world, over another literature award. It was, of course, the British Fantasy Awards. This was a slightly more “serious” kerfuffle- serious in that it wasn’t one person losing the plot, but rather a defect in the rules and process. If you want a summary of what went on, you can find it here, but in brief there was a potential conflict of interest with judges.

As a result, author Sam Stone faced frankly embarrassing levels of criticism and sadly felt she had no choice but to return her award. But it did lead to a complete overhaul of the awards’ rules and process, leaving the BFS as a better organisation (in my opinion).

That is not the same as  the present issue. That was a genuine problem of perceived conflict of interest, which necessitated a structural rule change (if not the personal animosity that regretfully seemed to come along with it). What Christopher Priest is trying to do, it seems, is enforce his opinion as law.

And, in my opinion at least, that is where it stops being funny.

Sale to Abomination Magazine!

There are some days when getting out of bed is an effort. Inside is warm, comfortable, and holds the promise of a little more sleep. Outside is cold, and work is waiting. But it always helps when there’s something nice lurking in your email inbox. Case in point, this morning, and the acceptance waiting for me from Abomination Magazine.

Yes, they liked my story “Whispers in the Skin Gardens” and want to publish it in their debut issue. To say I am pleased at this news would be an understatement. It’s my first acceptance this year, and ends a bit of a dry run. And it looks like it’s going to be a cracking magazine.

The story is a dark (very dark) sci-fi story, which I won’t give too much away about now but is one I’m rather proud of. The debut issue is supposed to be coming out in “early 2012″, so that shouldn’t give you too long to wait, and I will of course give you updates as and when developments occur.

Night Terrors II Available on Kindle

Night Terrors II edited by Theresa Dillo and Marc Ciccarone, and featuring my short story "Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep"

The last couple of weeks have been rather politics-heavy on my blog, and with the May elections edging ever closer, that’s only going to get worse, honestly. So it’s nice, occasionally, to be able to break from the theme tune every once in a while with something a little different.

I’ve already announced Blood Bound Books’ Night Terrors II anthology being released, but now it is finally available on Amazon (sort of…) and on Kindle. Which is awesome, because there are some brilliant authors in this collection- and no, I’m not refering to myself. Though my short story “Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep” does feature amongst the offerings.

At £4.57 for the digital format, I reckon it’s a bargain (well I would, wouldn’t I?). So since it’s Sunday, why not treat yourself, and settle down in a comfortable spot with some good old-fashioned horror stories?

And if you do, please let me know what you think. I’m always happy to hear feedback.

An Evening with Quercus

The first party bag I've had in years!

So, last night myself and Ashleigh headed into London for what was styled a “digital shindig”, held by the publishing house Quercus Books. Held in the basement of trendy pub-style establishment Mason & Taylor, we spent a couple of hours with a selection of writers, bloggers and publisher staff.

I’ve said it many times before, but I’m convinced that genre (and writing in general) people are the nicest people you could wish to meet. And Quercus seem to have raised this to an art form; being greeted through the door with a free bar and a huge bag of books (see photo) is a truly excellent welcome!

Of the guests, we spent the majority of the time talking with author Tom Fletcher, and the reviewer Mark from My Favourite Books. I was privy to excellent conversations about books, films, TV, and life in general. It was rather refreshing and inspiring to be having those conversations in the flesh, as opposed to on a screen.

The staff, also, were incredibly friendly and welcoming. It was helpful that they remembered Ashleigh from her work placement stint there before Christmas, but Nicola, Kathryn (sp?) and Dan in particular provided a fascinating insight into the internal workings of publishers.

To an aspiring writer like myself, it was something of a dream. It’s also brilliant to see Quercus taking the internet so seriously, not just from how they can use it directly, but the influence that the (and I loathe this word) blogosphere actually wields. It wasn’t a press briefing, it was simply a chance to chat with and have a drink with some cool people, and leave with a pile of books.

Bravo, Quercus. Bravo indeed.

For the Love of…

I’ve spent the last half hour musing on three letters: FTL.

For the uninitiated, this acronym is short for the phrase “For the Love”. In the writing business, it’s used to indicate the publication of a piece of work that is unpaid. Hence the motivation for the story (writing, submitting, etc) is merely “for the love”.

I’ve had a few pieces published myself that were FTL. There’s a bit of a debate amongst writers about whether or not it’s worth pursuing publication in such venues, or whether it’s better only to submit to paying markets. The line runs that if you’re selling your stories for nothing, then you’re admitting it’s not worth anything.

I don’t really agree with this, as evidenced by the fact that I’ve done it myself. As a general rule I submit to paying markets first (so maybe there is some weight to the selling yourself short view), but if I like the look of an FTL publication, and if I’m slightly sick of looking at a story and want rid of it (as does happen from time to time), I’m not going to hold fire on a submission on moral grounds.

The thing is that writers are vain creatures, we have to be. We all dream of seeing our work in print, caressing it, smelling it (we’re also extremely odd creatures). There’s a rush to be found in publication, and really the pay (whilst lovely) doesn’t make much difference.

But it’s precisely that which makes “for the love” an odd phrase. Even those sales to paying markets aren’t really done for the money. One of my dreams is to see my stories published in Black Static and Interzone- not because they pay a professional rate, but because I’ve been reading and enjoying those magazines since the early days of my interest in writing fiction. In short, for the love.

Nobody gets rich from writing short stories. Very few get rich from writing novels. Some writers make a living from the craft, and most aim to do so, but it isn’t the thought of money that keeps us going. We write because we love to, and if you want to make a writer happy then you should tell them that you enjoyed one of their stories- it’s about the greatest compliment you can pay.

I’m aware this is very rambling and disjointed, so I’ll finish on the recognition that FTL also has a different meaning in SF circles: Faster than Light. In (reimagined) TV series Battlestar Galactica FTL drives are “spun up” in order to allow instantaneous travel- combining with the above spiel to lead me to the frankly beautiful image which led me to this musing piece of nonsense in the first place: spinning up the For the Love drives.

Urban Limbo – A Call for Submissions

This is the draft cover art for Urban Limbo. Which looks bloody amazing.

Right, you lovely folks! Many of you will know of my lovely girlfriend, Ashleigh, who is currently in her final year of a Creative and Media Writing degree at Middlesex University. For her final year project, she is putting together a fiction magazine, based around the frankly brilliant theme of urban horror/fantasy, to be entitled “Urban Limbo“

And for this project, she needs your help. She’s looking for short stories, reviews, articles and photography submissions, in a call which is open to everyone. The current deadline is 20th February 2012. The following is from Ashleigh’s blog:

“Urban Limbo is a literary magazine focused on dark, urban-themed fiction, and is the product of Ashleigh’s undergraduate degree in Creative And Media Writing. She is looking for stories and non-fiction submissions to be a part of this exciting venture, and that’s where she wants you to get involved.

This magazine tells tales of the dark, gritty underbelly of our modern society; the unthinkable filth in alleyways and backstreets; the mutant children of our broken social order. If you can imagine a world of faceless gangs, of grimy streets, of open sewers and endless smog, of derelict buildings and torturous cries, of feral dogs and relentless, desolate night, then you’re one of us. This is Urban Limbo.”

If you’re interested, you can find specific guidelines on word counts, etc, at the submissions call on her blog. It’s unpaid, as it’s a student project, but the magazine will actually be produced, and if your work is featured you’ll get a lovely shiny copy of your own. Submissions (as well as questions or queries) should be sent to UrbanLimbo@live.co.uk.

I’m definitely going to be contributed, because honestly the theme is awesome, and from what I’ve seen so far it looks like the project is going to be great.

Night Terrors II on sale!

"Night Terrors II" edited by Theresa Dillo and Marc Ciccarone

It being Friday 13th, it seems entirely appropriate that this is the day the folks at Blood Bound Books choose to release their new anthology Night Terrors II, featuring a story from yours truly!

My contribution is entitled “Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep”, and having been accepted in the second half of last year is a great way to kick off my 2012. The story is about a recently-single mother, dealing with strange goings on around her daughter, and hopefully it will get the hairs on the back of your neck standing on end.

The anthology doesn’t seem to be up on Amazon yet, but I’ll post an update when it is. For now, it’s available through Blood Bound Books themselves, for a one-day-only special price of $13 (about £8) from the publisher’s website.

In sincerely hope you enjoy it!