King donates book to dinner dance auction

A SIGNED first edition of Just After Sunset personally donated by Stephen King tops the list of items donated to next month’s Halloween Fundraiser Dinner Dance auction in Melbourne.

The rare collector item is among several collectable books and items up for auction including personally signed editions of Stephen King, a literary companion and Horrors: great tales of fear and their creators by Rocky Wood, artwork by Greg Chapman and a sterling silver opal pennant.

The dinner dance is hosted by the AHWA and Australian-American Association.

It will raise money for the purchase of an Eye Gaze Device for Rocky Wood, a Melbourne horror author and past president of the HWA who has been diagnosed with an incurable motor neurone disease.

Tickets for the event at City of Melbourne Bowls, Flagstaff Gardens on Saturday, October 29 are $55 and include a buffet dinner and entertainment.

Donations for the auction can be made here.

Check out the auction items or learn how to make a bid here.

New website launched for Midnight Echo

A NEW website has been launched for horror magazine Midnight Echo.

The Australian Horror Writers Association’s official publication has been given its own site as part of a relaunch of the magazine.

Former AHWA president Marty Young has been appointed as the magazine’s executive editor.

The new website includes news, reviews, interviews and submission guidelines

A subscription drive has also been launched.

Print subscriptions are $20 a year (two issues) while PDF subscriptions are $3.85 a year.

AHWA members recieve a free PDF copy of each issue.

In good news for authors, the magazine has doubled its payment rates to 2c/word to $75.

Issue 6, a science-fiction horror special edited by David Conyers, David Kernot and Jason Fischer will be released in November.

It includes stories from Shane Jiraiya Cummings, Joanne Anderton and Alan Baxter.

Daniel I. Russell has been appointed guest editor of issue 7 which will cover the theme taboos.

“Be it sexual fetishes, dreams of violence, the sites you delete from your history, drug cravings and that… thing you like to do when you’re all alone,'' Russell said.

``We want the things you can’t discuss in polite conversation, the guilty, twisted needs that eat away at you.”

For more details go to the magazine’s website.

Demons walk among us in Mammon

PERTH author J.B. Thomas explores a world where humans can degenerate into demons in the young adult novel Mammon.

The first book of the Ferryman Chronicles tells the story of a world where demons walk among humans and of a young man with the ability to open dimensional rifts that lead to other worlds.

It has been published by Random House Australia and is available in print and ebook formats for $18.95.


Mammon is Thomas' first novel.


View a trailer for the release here.

Sara Douglass loses battle with cancer

AUSTRALIAN fantasy author Sarah Douglass has died after a long battle with cancer.

The popular author of the the Axis Trilogy, Wayfare Redemption series and Troy Game books died this morning about 5am.

Douglass had previously spoke of her long battle with the illness via several websites.

The sad news of her passing was posted by a friend on Douglass' facebook feed today.

Snowtown released on DVD

SNOWTOWN, the film which recounts the story of Adelaide serial killer John Bunting, has been released on Blu-Ray and DVD.

Directed by first-timer Justin Kurzel, the film follows the story of 16-year-old Jamie, who is drawn into the world of Blunting when the killer takes on the role of his father figure.

DVD/Blu-Ray special features include audio commentary with Kurzel, deleted scenes, casting footage, a featurette on the real life crimes, the short films Blue Tongue, Bell and Pulse, a stills gallery and trailers.

The film is released through Madman Entertainment.

Conflux 7 event nears

CONFLUX 7, Canberra's annual speculative fiction convention, will be held at the Quality Hotel Woden this weekend.

The three-day event, from October 1 to 3, includes panels, workshops, author readings, book signings, an art show and banquet ball.

This year's guests of honour are Kim Westwood, Natalie Costa-Bir, Lewis Morley and Marilyn Pride.

Tickets are $80 per day or $250 (at the door) for the whole convention.

Children under 12-years-of-age are free with a paying adult.

A full programme is available online.

Donation page set up for Melbourne writer

A DONATION page has been set up for Melbourne writer and former Horror Writers Association president Rocky Wood.

The online donation page is designed to help Wood raise up to $20,000 for the purchase of an eye-gaze device following his diagnosis of a motor neurone disease earlier this year.

The machine will allow him to communicate through eye movements recorded on a computer screen during once he loses the ability to speak.

The machine will be donated to the Motor Neurone Disease Association of Victoria after his death.

Wood is the author of five non-fiction books on the works of Stephen King and a contributor to the Glenn Chadbourne illustrated graphic novel Horrors! Great Stories of Fear and their Creators.

The donation page can be accessed at the Australian Horror Writers Association site.