Places open in 100 Lightnings anthology

PAROXYSM Press' flash fiction anthology 100 Lightnings is accepting its final round of submissions.

The anthology is now looking for unpublished flash works of no more than one thousand words in Horror, Science Fiction, Fantasy, Dark Realism, Experimental and cross genre hybrids.

It also seeks the talents of a B&W fine detail artist to do some interior illustrations.

100 Lightnings has already gathered blasts of plasma from Rick Kennett, Stephanie Campisi, Martin Livings, Paul Haines, David Witteveen, Matthew Chrulew, Aaron Polson, Eugene Gramelis, Chuck McKenzie, Mark McAuliffe, Michelle Jager, C.S. Fuqua and M.K. Hobson.

Send all submissions in word document to paroxysm@paroxysmpress.com

Payment is in contributors copies.

Submissions close on September 30, 2011.

The One That Got Away contributors announced

DARK Print Press has released its contributors list to its debut crime anthology The One That Got Away.

 

The line up includes a mix of crime masters and new voices in the genre, including a strong Australian contingency.

 

The 12 authors to appear are:

Lawrence Block – ‘Catch and Release’

Chris Simms – ‘Gaffed’

Will Elliot – ‘Hungry Man’

Deborah Sheldon – ‘Garland Cove’

Zane Lovitt – ‘Kahraman’

Cameron Ashley – ‘Whole Lotta Julio’

Vanessa Skye – ‘The Piece’

Brooke Maggs – ‘My Wife and I’

Alan Baxter – ‘In the Name of the Father’

Brian G Ross – ‘A Rhyme for the Crime’

Kathryn Hore – ‘Late Night Train’

Andrew Nette – ‘Two Blind Cats’

 

The anthology will be available for pre-order from September 1.

 

It will be published early next year.

2011 Australian Shadows awards now open

JUDGES for the Australian Horror Writers Association’s annual award – Australian Shadows -  have been announced.

Steve Gerlach, Jeff Richie and James A. Moore will judge the short story/collection/edited works category, while Marty Young, Kirstyn McDermott and Greig Beck will oversee the novel/novella category.

The awards recognise the finest horror short stories, collections, novellas and novels written or published by an Australian each year.

Past winners include Lee Battersby, Will Elliott, Terry Dowling, Kaaron Warren, Deborah Biancotti, Kirstyn McDermott and Bob Franklin.

The awards are now open for works published in 2011. Entries close on February 29.

 

 

House of the Dead: Overkill game banned in Australia

UPCOMING horror game title The House of the Dead: Overkill – Extended Cut has been refused classification in Australia.

The game was due to be released exclusively through Playstation Move on Playstation 3 on October 27.

Game distributors Sega Australia has appealed the decision with the hope of having the classification ruling overturned without the need to edit the final game.

"There are far worse titles currently available in the marketplace which involve more than shooting down mutants in humorous circumstances,” managing director Darren Macbeth said.



“We will do everything we can to prove that House of the Dead: Overkill is worthy of an MA15+ rating in Australia."

Eclecticism 4th anniversary edition released

THE fourth anniversary edition of Eclecticism e-zine has been released online.

The `Pile of Rubbish' themed issue features stories from Simon James, Lynley Stace, Cameron Trost, Erol Engin, Rebecca Fung, Ian Harrison, Wilda Morris, Harold Mally, Karen Zelas, Guy Salvidge, and artwork from Courtney Bernard.

It is available as a free PDF download.

The magazine is now accepting submissions for its Tales O Halloween issue to be released in October.

Death Works conclusion draws near

TRENT Jamieson will launch two books at Avid Reader Bookshop in Brisbane on Thursday, September 15.

The books include the conclusion to his Death Works trilogy - The Business of Death - as well as the first book in his Nightbound Land steampunk fantasy series - Roil.

The launch runs from 6pm. 

Roil will be released through Angry Robot, while The Business of Death is out through Orbit.


Find out more details about the launch event here.

Trailer released for Mclean's Dark Axis series

FANGORIA has released a teaser trailer for Greg Mclean's new four-part comic series Dark Axis - Secret Battles of WWII.

The trailer, tells part of the origin story for McLean's new series in which the Nazi's attempt to create a super soldier.

It was filmed in Melbourne and directed by Cameron Oliver.

The comic is the first project through Mclean's new comic and graphic novel publishing line Diezel Punk.

It is penned by Mclean, Chris Wheeler and Jason M. Burns with artwork by Xavier Irvine and Luis Guerrer.

Issue 1 of the series will be released in October.

Dark Axis comic preview

GET a sneak peak at Greg McLean’s new WWII horror comic series Dark Axis in this month’s in Previews.

Issue 1 Dark Axis: Rise of the Overmen will be $2.99 and is scheduled for release in October.

A detailed blurb from the issue has been released and reads as follows:

A battle-hardened veteran, Sgt. Bryce, is given a cushy mission to scout a mountain valley. Only problem is, he’s given a squad of useless recruits for the job. After finding a treasure map on a dead SS deserter, Bryce leads his squad to a hidden German facility, full of incredible machines and advanced technology. It appears completely deserted, but when one of his squad vanishes, ripped apart by ‘something’ lurking in the shadows, Bryce realizes too late…they’re not alone.

Check out a few pages at Ape Comics.

SUFF program released online

THE Sydney Underground Film Festival has launched its 2011 program online.

Dedicated to “screening unique, independent, experimental, provocative and uncompromising films”, the festival opens with James Gunn’s (Slither) superhero film Super.

Also on the program is Japanese zombie apocalypse Helldriver, fellow Japanese ghost story Tomie: Unlimited, independent rape revenge movie Run! Bitch Run!, black comedy Chop, and psychosexual thriller Guilty of Romance.    

The festival runs from September 8 to 11 at The Factory Theatre, Sydney College of the Arts and the MuMeson Archives.

Festival passes are $85.View the full program and timetable here.

Greg McLean Dark Axis comic book announced

WOLF Creek director Greg McLean has turned to comics for the release of his next project Dark Axis.

Described by Mclean as ``Saving Private Ryan mashed with Evil Dead 2’’ the comic series presents an alternate World War II history in which a battle-hardened veteran stumbles across a deserted German facility occupied by something lurking in the dark.

A release date is expected to be announced soon.

Meanwhile, production for Wolf Creek 2 appears in full swing after reports that the sequel to the international hit has been funded.

The sequel was one of more than a dozen projects announced by Screen Australia's Ruth Harley at the Melbourne International Film Festival last month, shock till you drop reports.

The original 2005 film was made for about $1.1 million but earned $27.8 million at the worldwide box office.

The sequel will include the return of John Jarratt as the psychotic outback killer Mick Taylor.

According to IMDB the film is scheduled for release in 2013.

Source: shocktillyoudrop.com

Tickets on sale for Conflux banquet

 

TICKETS are available for this year's Conflux banquet.

Hosted by Dr Gillian Polack and put on as part of the Canberra convention which runs from October 1 to 3, the banquet will be a recreation of the LZ-127 Graf Zeppelin's first round the world trip in August, 1929.

It will include a historically accurate menu and entertainment by Talie Helene.

The dinner will be held in the Hellenic Club in Woden (about 400m from the Convention Hotel).

Tickets are $50 and available to non-convention guests.

Rocky Wood's Stephen King books go digital

 A REVISED kindle ebook edition of Rocky Wood’s Stephen King companion Uncollected, Unpublished is available from Cemetery Dance.

The book is a comprehensive review of almost 100 unpublished and uncollected works of fiction including novels, short stories, screenplays and poems.

It also features the first publication of two lost works, including an entire chapter from King’s unpublished 1970 novel Sword in the Darkness.

It is listed for download through Amazon and Nook for US$9.99.

Also available in ebook format is Rocky Wood and Justin Brooks’ Stephen King: The Non-Fiction.

This book reviews more than 650 of King’s non-fiction articles, essays and works.

It can be downloaded from Amazon, Nook and ibookstore for US$9.99.

Slatter story to feature among horror royalty

ANGELA Slatter will join an illustrious line up in the forthcoming A Book of Horrors edited by Stephen Jones.

Her story The Coffin-Maker's Daughter is one of 15 stories selected for the anthology to be published by the UK’s PS Publishing.

The book will also feature new original stories by Stephen King, Ramsey Campbell, John Ajvide Lindqvist, Richard Christian Matheson and Michael Marshall Smith.

It is available for pre-order and scheduled for release later this year.

A limited hardcover bookshop edition of the book is available for $60.

The edition is limited to 1000 copies and is signed by Stephen Jones and cover artist Les Edwards.

An extremely limited edition signed by all of the authors had been offered by Cemetery Dance, but all 83 copies appear to have already sold out.

Brett McBean's The Last Motel novel tie-in re-released

BRETT McBean’s debut novel The Last Motel has been re-released through Legumeman Books in a limited lettered and standard edition.

As recently revealed by McBean, the book – originally released in 2002 - is a novelisation of Bruce ‘Butch’ Callaghan out of print 1981 Australian film the Last Motel.

It was written in honour of the film, but was not promoted as such because of Callaghan’s bitterness towards the original movie.

McBean explains more here.

Following Callaghan’s death, the book has been revised to more closely resemble the film.

BLURB:
The Lodgepole Pine Motel, is the setting for nerve-wracking terror when a group of unsuspecting travellers find themselves trapped in a nightmare of violence and mayhem. Madge Fraiser is the kindly old owner of the rustic mountain hideaway, which, during one long night, will become awash with blood, as the guests are stalked one by one by a sadistic killer. Who will live to see the dawn, and who will learn that this is one motel where checking in can be murder? They only wanted to stay one night. But one night can last a lifetime at…The Last Motel.

The revised edition is available from Legumeman Books in an extremely limited lettered edition (26 copies only) for $50 or $20 for the standard edition.

Source: Sinister Reads.