Fantastic Asia Film Festival hits Melbourne

VIEW the latest horror, science-fiction, thriller and fantasy films from Japan, South Korea, China, Hong Kong and the Philippines at the inaugural Fantastic Asia Film Festival in Melbourne this week.

Run by Melbourne film distributors Monster Pictures and Cinema Nova the festival features 20 of the most bizarre and extreme offerings from the region’s filmmakers.

It runs from November 10 to 13 at Cinema Nova,

380 Lygon St, Carlton

.

Opening night includes a screening of Yoshihiro Nishimura’s Helldriver, which will include an introduction of the film and question and answer session by the director.

Nishimura’s previous films include such fare as Tokyo Gore Police, while he worked as a special effects artist on The Machine Girl.

Attendees can also attend the opening night after party with the Nishimura at Luwow Bar in Fitzroy.

Tickets are $27.

Online tour planned for Noctuary release

QUEENSLAND author Greg Chapman has announced an online book tour to promote the release of his forthcoming novella The Noctuary.

The Noctuary blog tour will run from December 5 to 16 and involves author appearances and chats with fans on selected blogs.

A limited number of ebooks for review are available here for bloggers who want to host Chapman on his tour.

It is sponsored by Pump Up Your Book.

The book is due to be released in December through Damnation Books.

Chapman’s debut novella Torment was released through the publisher in March.

Conyers releases cosmic horror novella

DAVID Conyers new novella The Eye of Infinity is out now through Perilous Press.

The novella is a cosmic horror which tells the story of an army major who investigates the suicide of an astrophysicist who contracted a hideous mutative plague.

It is available from Perilous Press for $US15.50 plus shipping.

Autopsy trilogy announced

LEGUMEMAN Books has picked up Melbourne author Steve Gerlach’s new novella Autopsy.

According to Gerlach’s website, the novella is book one of a planned trilogy and will be released by Christmas.

It will be released as both a paperback and ebook.

Details on the plot and price are still under wraps but are expected to be released via Gerlach’s website in the next few weeks.

Also on release is The Tumours Made Me Interesting by fellow Melbourne scribe Matthew Revert.

The book follows his 2009 collection A Million Versions of Right and is available in paperback and ebook formats for $19.95 including postage.

Aurealis #46 released

AUREALIS #46 has been released through smashwords and features new fiction by Greg Mellor and Andrew J. McKiernan.

The issue is available free as an ebook download and is the publication’s second release since it transformed from a print publication into a monthly online format.

The issue also contains an interview with Felicity Pullman as well as news and reviews.

The magazine is published by Chimaera Publications.

Surviving the End available for pre-order

DARK Prints Press is taking pre-orders for its debut anthology Surviving the End.

The anthology features stories told by a small band of survivors in a post apocalyptic world.

Authors include Jason Nahrung, Martin Livings, Amanda J. Spedding, Joseph D’Lacey and Michael Bailey.

It has been edited by Craig Bezant.

The anthology is available for $19.95 plus postage and will be released in April, 2012.

Year's Best horror antho out now

TRADE and hardback editions of the Year’s Best Australian Fantasy and Horror anthology are available through Ticonderoga Publications.

The anthology, edited by Liz Grzyb and Talie Helene, features the best 33 genre stories from Australian authors published in 2010.

The anthology is available in hardcover (RRP AU$50) and trade (RRP AU$35).

It will also be released in an ebook edition.