Sunday, January 24, 2010

Australian Horror Writers Association

I am proud to announce that I have been appointed as Executive Editor of Midnight Echo, the official publication of the Australian Horror Writers Association.

http://www.australianhorror.com/

http://www.australianhorror.com/index.php?view=115

Monday, January 18, 2010

AHWA NEWS DIGEST [02.01.10-17.01.10]

The following digest of recent horror news is compiled from pieces published to HorrorScope and the Australian Horror Writers' Association website.

Popcorn Taxi presents The Wolfman
Popcorn Taxi is proud to present a very special screening of The Wolfman, an exciting resurrection of a cinematic horror icon. Featuring the talents of Benicio del Toro, Anthony Hopkins, Emily Blunt and our own Hugo Weaving – The Wolfman is an exciting and gothic horror/thriller that takes state-of-the-art special effects and make-up techniques from legendary effects guru Rick Baker alongside our very own Oscar nominated creature and make-up effects maestro David Elsey – who will also be taking part in a live Q&A after the film.

Theatre Of Blood Season One Finale!

If you were thinking of catching Season I of The Theatre of Blood, better clear the night of Friday the 22nd, and get along to the Newtown Theatre. Better yet, book your tickets now!

Terra Incognita Podcast 015
Terra Incognita SF podcast #015 is now available for streaming and download at www.tisf.com.au, or on itunes! This episode features Marianne De Pierres reading In The Bookshadow and  Keith Stevenson reviewing Greig Beck's Beneath The Dark Ice.

Australian Studies in Weird Fiction seek review material
Australian Studies in Weird Fiction (Equilibrium Books) is now publishing reviews. The bi-annual critical journal devoted to Australian horror, Gothic and dark fantasy writing, are seeking review copies of locally-published or written works; horror short story collections, and novels by Australian writers. Review copies may be sent in book form, or as PDF. Click through for contact details.

Tasmaniac Publications to publish Tom Piccirilli's The Last Deep Breath
Set for an August release and now up for pre-order is Tom Piccirilli's THE LAST DEEP BREATH, his second 'noirella' with Tasmaniac Publications that will blow you away! Click through for the thrilling blurb and cover sneak-peak!

The 2009 Genre Bookselling Year in Review
From the blog of Horrorscope reviewer Chuck McKenzie, offering an Australian bookseller's perspective on the year that was; includes lists of bestselling genre series, individual titles, media tie-ins, and Australian authors. Venture yonder to ponder those market trends! 

Submitting News


If you have news about Australian and New Zealand Horror publishing and film, or news of professional development opportunities in the field, feel free to submit news to Talie Helene, AHWA News Editor. Just visit HorrorScope, and click on the convenient email link. (International news is not unwelcome, although relevance to Antipodean literary arts practitioners is strongly preferred.)

For information on the Australian Horror Writers' Association, visit australianhorror.com.

This AHWA NEWS DIGEST has been compiled, written, and republished in select Australian horror haunts by Talie Helene. Currently archived at the
AHWA MySpace page, and Southern Horror; hosted at the social networking sites Darklands and A Writer Goes On A Journey; and hosted by AHWA members Felicity Dowker, Brenton Tomlinson, Scott Wilson, and Jeff Ritchie (Scary Minds: Horror's Last Colonial Outpost).

If you would like to support the AHWA News effort by hosting a copy of the AHWA News Digest on your blog or website,
contact Talie to receive a fully formatted HTML edition of the digest by email.

Sunday, January 3, 2010

AHWA NEWS DIGEST - [11.12.09-01.01.10]

The following digest of recent horror news is compiled from pieces published to HorrorScope and the Australian Horror Writers' Association website.

Indie Books support Toodyay BushFire Appeal
For the next two weeks Indie Books Online are donating $5 from every paperback and $10 from every hardback sold through the online store to the Toodyay Bushfire Appeal. Please, if you have a spare moment, check out the shop, buy something, and help Indie Books Online help out a small town. Direct donation is also possible. Click through for more details.

AHWA Flash & Short Story Competition 2010
The AHWA Flash & Short Story Competition is open to submissions from January 1, until May 31, 2010! We're after horror stories - tales that frighten, yarns that unsettle us in our comfortable homes. All themes in this genre will be accepted, from the well-used (zombies, vampires, ghosts etc) to the highly original, so long as the story is professional and well written. No previously published entries will be accepted – all tales must be an original work by the author. Stories can be as violent or as bloody as the storyline dictates, but those containing gratuitous sex or violence will not be considered. Click through for full competition guidelines.

Antichrist extended season at Chauvel Cinema
Sydney's Chauvel Cinema are screening Lars von Trier's controversial film ANTICHRIST.

Terra Incognita Podcast 014
Terra Incognita SF podcast features a bumper selection of speculative fiction stories read by the authors who created them! Trent Jamieson reads Always; Keith Stevenson reads ... They First Make Mad; Brendan Duffy reads a suitably Christmasy tale of familial joy, Come To Daddy, complete with rap and beatbox artistry from Matthew Chrulew! Free for streaming and download at www.tisf.com.au, or on itunes.

Contributors sought for The Book Show blog

The Book Show, ABC Radio National, has a new blog and they want you to write for it. The Book Show and Express Media are in partnership to find a team of young Australian writers to contribute. If you’ve got an internet connection you can be part of it. Applications close January 25; for full submission details, visit The Book Show blog.

2009 Chronos Awards nominations open
Nominations for the 2009 Chronos Awards, for excellence in Victorian SF, fantasy and horror in 2009, are now open. All nominated works must have been published during the 2009 calendar year. All nominations must be received by final post on 10 January 2010; Winners of the Chronos Awards will be announced at Continuum 6: Future Tense. Click through to view all awards categories open for nomination.

Submitting News


If you have news about Australian and New Zealand Horror publishing and film, or news of professional development opportunities in the field, feel free to submit news to Talie Helene, AHWA News Editor. Just visit HorrorScope, and click on the convenient email link. (International news is not unwelcome, although relevance to Antipodean literary arts practitioners is strongly preferred.)

For information on the Australian Horror Writers' Association, visit australianhorror.com.

This AHWA NEWS DIGEST has been compiled, written, and republished in select Australian horror haunts by Talie Helene. Currently archived at the
AHWA MySpace page, and Southern Horror; hosted at the social networking sites Darklands and A Writer Goes On A Journey; and hosted by AHWA members Felicity Dowker, Brenton Tomlinson, Scott Wilson, and Jeff Ritchie (Scary Minds: Horror's Last Colonial Outpost).

If you would like to support the AHWA News effort by hosting a copy of the AHWA News Digest on your blog or website,
contact Talie to receive a fully formatted HTML edition of the digest by email.

Thursday, December 10, 2009

AHWA NEWS DIGEST [01.11.09-10.12.09]

The following digest of recent horror news is compiled from pieces published to HorrorScope and the Australian Horror Writers' Association website.

Aurealis Awards finalists
The finalists for the 2009 Aurealis Awards have been announced! The Aurealis Awards celebrate the best of Australian science fiction, fantasy and horror publications. Winners will be announced at the Aurealis Awards ceremony at the Judith Wright Centre of Contemporary Arts in Brisbane on Saturday 23 January 2010. Click through to view the finalists!

'100 Lightnings' anthology seeks submissions
100 Lightnings is a new anthology edited by Stephen Studach, to be published by iconic cult publishers Paroxysm Press; this will be a one hundred work anthology, featuring some of the best new flash fiction from Australia and around the world. Please see the publisher website for MS format guidelines.

Your Big Break film competition
Screenwriters take note! Tourism New Zealand is offering aspiring filmmakers a once-in-a-lifetime chance to get their work in front of director, producer, and screenwriter Peter Jackson. The short film competition 100% Pure New Zealand Presents Your Big Break will give the top five entrants time working with the Academy Award-winning team responsible for the The Lord of the Rings trilogy. Click through for details.

Dymocks Southland Bestselling Horror Titles for November ‘09
Dymocks Southland is general bookshop in Cheltenham, Victoria, boasting a great range of speculative fiction. Click through for the Top 10 bestselling horror titles for November 2009.

Brimstone Press horror film special offer
Brimstone Press is running an amazing deal for lovers of horror. The next 15 Australian customers who order a Brimstone Press book through the publisher's website will receive FREE double passes to see two of the hottest horror films of the year: Paranormal Activity and Zombieland (value $64).

Australian Dark Fantasy & Horror Volume 4 available for pre-order
Angela Challis, editor of the Australian Dark Fantasy & Horror series of 'year's best' anthologies, has announced the line-up for Volume 4. Featured writers include Peter M. Ball, Lee Battersby, John Birmingham, Stephen Dedman, Paul Haines, Richard Harland, Robert Hood, Pete Kempshall, Kirstyn McDermott, Jason Nahrung, and Miranda Siemienowicz. Click through to preview the fabulous contents! ADFH Vol 4 will go on sale nationally in March 2010, but can be pre-ordered immediately from the Brimstone Press website.

Australian Shadows Award entry deadline reminder
The deadline for entering work into the Australian Shadows Award is drawing near (December 31). The Australian Shadows Award is coordinated by the Australian Horror Writers Association and is the peak award for horror fiction in Australia. Full details on the award can be found here.

Midnight Echo #3
Assembled by guest editor Stephen Studach and his talented crew, in these hallowed pages you will find a slew of stories, a devil's clawful of poetry, a clutch of dark and macabre art, and an exclusive interview by Lucy Sussex with Barbara Baynton - her first since her death in 1929! Obtain your copy at the Midnight Echo website. AHWA members receive a PDF version of the magazine free!

World Fantasy Award Winners 2009
The 2009 World Fantasy Awards were presented at the World Fantasy Convention held in San Jose, California in November. Two Australians were honoured with awards; Margo Lanagan in the category Best Novel (tied result), and Shaun Tan in the category of Best Artist.


Submitting News


If you have news about Australian and New Zealand Horror publishing and film, or news of professional development opportunities in the field, feel free to submit news to Talie Helene, AHWA News Editor. Just visit HorrorScope, and click on the convenient email link. (International news is not unwelcome, although relevance to Antipodean literary arts practitioners is strongly preferred.)

For information on the Australian Horror Writers' Association, visit australianhorror.com.

This AHWA NEWS DIGEST has been compiled, written, and republished in select Australian horror haunts by Talie Helene. Currently archived at the
AHWA MySpace page, and Southern Horror; hosted at the social networking sites Darklands and A Writer Goes On A Journey; and hosted by AHWA members Felicity Dowker, Brenton Tomlinson, Scott Wilson, and Jeff Ritchie (Scary Minds: Horror's Last Colonial Outpost).

If you would like to support the AHWA News effort by hosting a copy of the AHWA News Digest on your blog or website,
contact Talie to receive a fully formatted HTML edition of the digest by email.

Saturday, October 31, 2009

AHWA NEWS DIGEST - HALLOWEEN BUMPER EDITION

The following digest of recent horror news is compiled from pieces published to HorrorScope and the Australian Horror Writers' Association website.

Australian Premiere of the Horror-Comedy Blockbuster Zombieland tonight!
This Halloween, October 31 at 7:00pm, A Night of Horror International Film Festival is proud to present the Australian premiere of ZOMBIELAND. The special screening is taking place as part of Fantastic Planet: Sydney Sci-Fi & Fantasy Film Festival, which is invading the screens of Dendy Newtown from October 30 to November 6.

HorrorScope Competitions for Saw VI and The Box closing today!
HorrorScope readers can enter the draw to win double passes to Saw VI and The Box . Closes October 31st! Get those entries in!

Rocky Wood peeks Under The Dome

HorrorScope is delighted to celebrate Halloween with a contribution from very special guest reviewer Rocky Wood, looking at the new Stephen King novel Under The Dome. Wood's review is one of only 200 pre-launch reviews worldwide, and the only such review from an Australian journalist. Melbourne based author Rocky Wood is a Bram Stoker nominated author of non-fiction, and an expert on the works of horror master Stephen King.

Within His Reach from Tasmaniac Publications

Tasmaniac Publications are proud to announce the forthcoming release of Within His Reach by Steve Gerlach!

ScaryMinds review milestone
ScaryMinds has reached the hundred review milestone! Top this off with two recent interviews with celebrated Australian Dark Genre Authors! Shane Jiraiya Cummings talks about writing in Western Australia and turning professional in The Sharp End of Horror, and Rocky Wood welcomes you to the Kingdom!

Eclecticism #10
The Eclecticism E-zine reaches double-digits! It’s a great read, so be sure to clear your schedule – you don’t need those after-work drinks! Download the free online magazine!

Theatre of Blood opening night a sold-out success!
Theatre of Blood is a late-night horror theatre in the tradition of the Grand Guignol. The first performance is already sold out, but tickets are still available for subsequent Friday nights, including a special show on Friday 13th of November... so get booking!

George Ivanoff at Dymocks Southland
Local genre author George Ivanoff will be appearing at Dymocks Southland on Saturday the 2nd November (11.30am), signing copies of his latest book, Gamers Quest.

Share your zombie experiences on ABC Pool
In conjunction with ABC News Online and the Brisbane Zombie Walk, ABC Pool has launched 'The Dead Walk!'. They would like to see your zombie-related photos, video, audio and flash fiction (500 words max). ABC News will also upload footage from Sunday's zombie walk, for you to mash up and remix. The best content will be incorporated into a zombie extravaganza on ABC News Online.

Terra Incognita 012

Terra Incognita Speculative Fiction Podcast #012 is now available for your listening pleasure at www.tisf.com.au; also available on iTunes. This month, Miranda Simienowicz reads her story Aleph Mem Tav, and Keith Stevenson reviews Horn by Peter M Ball (Twelfth Planet Press).

Paul Haines - Slice Of Life
Paul Haines new book Slice Of Life is now available for sale direct from www.paulhaines.com, as well as from the publisher The Mayne Press. Seventeen glistening stories from the decaying mind of the winner of the 2005 Ditmar for Best New Talent.

Severed Press's Zombie Zoology anthology open to submissions
Following the release of Dead Bait, Melbourne's independent horror publisher Severed Press has announced a new anthology, Zombie Zoology: A Natural History of Zombies, which is currently open to submissions. Full submission guidelines are here.

Writer's Digest Popular Fiction Awards
Compete and Win in All 5 Categories! Romance, Mystery/Crime Fiction, Science Fiction/Fantasy, Thriller/Suspense, Horror!

DigiSPAA Finalists announced
The Screen Producers Association of Australia (SPAA) has announced the finalists for the 2009 DigiSPAA Feature Film Competition; finalists include Australian horror film Family Demons, produced by Sue Brown.

Writers' Retreat in Leura
A speculative fiction writing retreat for 10 participants held at Leura House in the Blue Mountains, NSW. Tutors are Terry Dowling, Robert Hood and Cat Sparks.

Ramsey Campbell to judge the 'Nameless' competition

The AHWA and 'Nameless' competition director Stephen Studach are thrilled to announce that the ‘Nameless’ competition will be judged by multi-award winning master of dark fiction Ramsey Campbell. In honour of Mr. Campbell’s involvement, the competition’s deadline has been extended to the 13th of March, 2010. Read the story here. Come up with a conclusion and a title! Make your $10 donation and enter the competition here. Competition prizes include a $500 winner’s cheque, and a prize pool of horror goodies! All proceeds from this competition go to award-winning author Paul Haines, to assist Paul and the Haines family, while Paul undergoes treatment for cancer.

Dymocks Southland Bestselling Horror Titles for October ‘09
Dymocks Southland is a general bookshop in Cheltenham, Victoria, boasting an extensive range of genre stock. Click through for the top 10 bestselling horror titles. For the first time this year, Stephanie Meyer's 'Twilight' series did not make the Top 10! Has the bubble finally burst?

AHWA Critique Group produces 'horrifying' results
The AHWA Critique Group celebrates its first birthday in October, and it has had a productive 12 months. The AHWA is in the process of forming a second Critique Group, scheduled to commence in late October. Interested writers need to possess a valid AHWA membership, a desire to improve their writing, and a willingness to provide and accept honest feedback. Expressions of interest can be submitted to Mark Farrugia at crits@australianhorror.com

Dead Bait contents announced

The contents for the debut anthology from Melbourne-based publisher Severed Press, Dead Bait, has been announced. Dead Bait is edited by Romana Baotic & Gary Lucas. NZ writer Hayden Williams is amongst the contributing authors. Click through for all contributors.

Midnight Echo #3 is coming
Pre-order Midnight Echo #3 today: http://midnightecho.australianhorror.com (in PDF or print format).

X6 – a novellanthology
Coeur de Lion Publishing is pleased to announce the October release of X6 – a novellanthology, edited by Keith Stevenson. A collection of all-new novellas from six of the most exciting speculative fiction authors working in Australia today – Margo Lanagan, Terry Dowling, Paul Haines, Cat Sparks, Trent Jamieson, and Louise Katz.

Blade Red Dark Pages Volume 1 open to submissions
Australian independent press Blade Red Press has opened to submissions for its first dark fiction anthology, Blade Red Dark Pages Volume 1. Submissions are open until November 30. Full submission guidelines are here.

A Writer Goes On A Journey competition
To celebrate a new-look site and three years online, A Writer Goes On A Journey have cracked open the champagne and are breaking out the prizes with a competition. If you're a writer, you can create a piece of flash fiction. You can also join in by writing reviews! Even if you just blog about the competition, you still can win prizes!



Submitting News


If you have news about Australian and New Zealand Horror publishing and film, or news of professional development opportunities in the field, feel free to submit news to Talie Helene, AHWA News Editor. Just visit HorrorScope, and click on the convenient email link. (International news is not unwelcome, although relevance to Antipodean literary arts practitioners is strongly preferred.)

For information on the Australian Horror Writers' Association, visit australianhorror.com.

This AHWA NEWS DIGEST has been compiled, written, and republished in select Australian horror haunts by Talie Helene. Currently archived at the
AHWA MySpace page, and Southern Horror; hosted at the social networking sites Darklands and A Writer Goes On A Journey; and hosted by AHWA members Felicity Dowker, Brenton Tomlinson, Scott Wilson, and Jeff Ritchie (Scary Minds: Horror's Last Colonial Outpost).

If you would like to support the AHWA News effort by hosting a copy of the AHWA News Digest on your blog or website,
contact Talie to receive a fully formatted HTML edition of the digest by email.

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Paranormal Nightmare

Paranormal Nightmare
By Scott Wilson
Word Count: 518

“That’s a dirty, rotten lie!” Petula screamed at her boyfriend, Edward.

“No, it’s true,” Edward said. “There are vampires at school. I don’t know how they can stand being out in the sunlight, but they can.”

“You’re such a homo,” Petula said. “Reading all of those paranormal-romance novels, like Twilight, Vampire Diaries and Sookie Stackhouse. It melted your sense of reality, dude.”

“Oh yeah, Vampire Diaries. That’s it. They must be wearing those special rings that allow them to go out in the sun.”

“I’m doubting if we can keep going out with your obsession with vampires, Ed.”

“But you’re a Goth,” Edward said. “I thought you were into the dark side, vampire and stuff like that?”

“I am,” Petula said. “But I’m not a fucking nut job. I know the difference between reality and fantasy. You seemed to have crossed that line.”

Petula stood up to leave his bedroom. He grabbed her arm.

“Wait,” he said. “Please don’t go. I know what’s real and what’s not. I was just joking man.”

“Yeh, right,” Petula said, shaking his hold from her arm.

Edward leapt to his feet and tackled her. Petula bumped her head on the dresser on the way down and past out.

“You’ll believe me soon,” Ed said as he dragged his girlfriend to the cellar.

He chained Petula against the concrete wall, next to his mother and father, who were still gagged and half drugged from the sleeping pills Ed put in their breakfast. Edward went back upstairs and phoned the vampires from school and sat patiently on the couch until there was a knock at the door half an hour later.

“Have you got them all?” the tall, pale teenager asked Edward.

“Yep, there are three of them,” Edward said. “That’s one for each of you.”

The three teenagers pushed past Edward and entered the house.

“I thought you had to be invited in?” Edward said.

The last teenager kicked the door shut, and then smacked Edward over the head with a sock filled with sand, knocking Ed out cold.

When Edward came to, he too, was chained to the wall in his basement.

“What are you doing?” he said to the three teenagers.

“You fucking freak,” the tallest teenager said. “We are sick of this hype about vampire and Goths. If we send out a message loud enough, maybe the paranormal romance fad will die, like you and your family.”

“What about Petula, she’s one of you. A Goth?”

“She was, until she brought you into the fold.”

The three Goths withdrew gloves with two thick needles attached and rammed them into Edward’s mother, father and girlfriend’s necks while he watched on helplessly.

“After you drink their blood, you will feel so remorseful that you will take your own life,” the Goth said.

“No I won’t!” Ed said.

“I think you will,” one of the other Goth’s said as they hung a noose from the rafters. “With a little help that is.”

THE END

Happened

Happened
By Scott Wilson
Word Count: 197

“You ain’t gonna believe what just happened to me,” Tara said.

“What?” Pete said. “What happened to you this time?”

Tara sat upright and opened her mouth. Black, liquid tentacles poured out, wrapping themselves around Pete’s head. They seeped into the pores of his skin and gripped on to his arteries, infiltrating his circulatory system in seconds. Pete did not have a chance to yell or move away before the process was over and the tentacles retracted back into Tara’s mouth.

Pete shook his head, oblivious to what had just happened.

“What were you saying?” Pete said.

“I didn’t say anything,” Tara said.

“I must be hearing things,” Pete said. “I could have sworn you were about to tell me something.”

Tara shook her head and shrugged her shoulders.

“Don’t think so?”

Pete shook his head, “Oh well.”

There was a knock at the door. Pete’s brother, Josh was at the door.

“Hey, bro,” Pete said. “You ain’t gonna believe what just happened to me.”

THE END
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