You can now pre-order one of the finest hand-illustrated horror mags available in the Small Press. Only 110 copies will be printed up, and with stunning ink-to-paper art by some of today’s leading artists in the field (such as Tom Moran), who wouldn’t want to own a copy? This is a limited edition horror digest with fantastic original art!
Fiction and poetry by: Douglas E. Wright, Paul Anderson, Greg Schwartz, MontiLee Stormer, Sam W. Anderson, Lawrence Dagstine, Mark Tullius, Sean Logan, Mike L. Lane, Russell Jackson, David E. Greske, Kris Williams, Jason Hauser, Matthew Bey, James Futch, C.C. Parker, Patrick Rabe, Mo Irvine, Scott Virtes, Kristine Ong Muslim, and Aurelio Rico Lopez III. 17 short stories and 4 poems in all.
Never expected this, but here is what turned out to be a very interesting discourse over at SHOCKLINES (www.shocklines.com). If you’re into horror, you can always depend on meeting some cool people in the business or getting your jollies off there. The subject matter is something I’d been meaning to ask, something I’d been pondering for quite some time. A few of the answers actually surprised me; some even got me thinking. For me, writing is very much an addiction — yeah, sometimes the buck ain’t so bad either — and at the same time that addiction can also be very therapeutic. It’s kind of like a drug. Depending on the strength of the addiction, sometimes it leads to better opportunities, other times it doesn’t. It’s something you need to get out of your system; nevermind the withdrawal symptoms I call “Writer’s Block”.
Now I don’t blog too much, because I don’t really understand the full concept of it. I merely self-promote and give plugs. But like any drug writing is something which is hard to quit. Still, I’m living in the “here and now”. Many an author’s work do cease to exist. Even the way our society is adapting, revolving, just generally changing, and at such a rapid pace, paper may soon disappear and reading as we know it may switch formats and cease to exist too!
My friend once said, “Have fun with this. See where it takes you. See who you meet. But don’t ever make something big of it.” Then he went on how I’d be looking back at this moment in twenty years time, perhaps the victim of diabetes, stroke, or a heart attack. What would I really think about writing for immortality or money then, when I’m old and gray with age? Something to consider…
And here’s a quick appearance from over two months ago to THE RANDOM EYE: An Ezine Dedicated to Alternatives. You can find a lot of cool stuff here (from alternate history to parallel universes). SFWA member Rick Novy is also in this issue, and I believe we’ll be appearing in some other stuff together later in the year. Great writer, and an even greater fella to chat with. In the meantime, be sure to read the premiere edition; it’s only published once per year.
Featuring Work by: Robert Freese, Eric Steele, Robert Paul Blumenstein, M. Jones, Jeffrey Sims, Richard S. Levine, Rick Novy, Emily Neiley, Lawrence R. Dagstine, and Mark Fewell. Edited by Melissa Jones.
This is a fine-looking import, that’s all I have to say. A Spectrum Fantastic Arts award-winning, Anti-Pop, culture-clashing literary magazine which kicks you in the balls at light speed. This magazine breaks the rules, and then some. The quality of material is remarkable. It’s a themed journal, and the running theme for Issue #4 is: QUEER & LOATHING IN WONDERLAND. Edited by Adam Lowe, and distributed by Dog Horn Publishing (www.doghornpublishing.com). Creative Director is Michael Dark.
‘Alice in the Palace’ by Dave Migman
‘Parasol Clerks’ by Rhys Hughes
‘Jeanne’ by Steve Redwood
‘Mouse Diary’ by Daniel Wilson
‘Queer & Loathing on the Yellow Brick Road’ by Deb Hoag
‘A Shade of Yellow’ by Alex MacFarlane
‘Beta Child, Gamma Child’ by Malon Edwards
‘Paint the Town’ by Anne Pinckard
‘Sweet Adult Cell’ by Ray Succre
‘Beauty and the Beast’ by Micci Oaten
‘Heart of Cement’ by Lawrence Dagstine
‘The Bears in the Wood’ by Jim Steel
‘The Androidgenous Zone’ by Andrew Hook & Allen Ashley
‘Velcro Hurt’ by Ernesto Sarezale
‘The Day Hermeneutics Died’ by David McLean
‘Willow Within’ by D. W. Green
‘A Long Hard Look’ by Rhian Waller
‘On Biting Roy’ by Janis Butler Holm
‘Live Without a Net’ by RC Edrington
‘Mona and the Machine’ by Matthew Longo
‘Backseat Ballet’ by Mark Howard Jones
‘Voom and Bloom’ by Frank Burton
‘Alice in Agony Pink’ by Michelle Mead
‘ADD’ by Chris Patton
‘Shedding’ by Rhian Waller
Plus art from: Elaine Borthwick, Ignacio Candel, Luke Drozd, Kurt Huggins & Zelda Devon, Dave Migman, Flavia Testa-Lytle
Previous Issues have featured such names as: Jeff VanderMeer, Michael Moorcock, Rhys Hughes, Steve Redwood, and MORE! This is a Limited Edition magazine. 500 copies of the paperback, 100 numbered hardback! Once it sells out, you won’t be able to get it again. My short story could best be described as “extreme”, and matches the theme of the issue. Hurry and get your copy today. There’s a lot of fine authors here.
No, it has to be a PR stunt as Russell T. Davies leaves the show and Stephen Moffat takes over. It’s a terrible lie, I tell you! No, the next doctor is not some goth kid who just “happens” to look like Peter Davison and Beethoven. Are they blowing the series like John Nathan Turner did back in the 80’s with Colin Baker and Sylvestor McCoy, just blowing it right the hell off television for good? Did they just choose him because his hair was “cool”? Who knows. All I know is that I would have preferred a much older actor — not a “companion” as the Doctor; they might as well have gone with Radcliffe now — maybe a black actor. Colin Salmon, Paterson Joseph, or even Adrian Lester! As a science fiction writer myself, I would have even bargained for Morrissey, Nesbitt, or Sean Pertwee. But who is Matt Smith? Well, if you look at the picture below, that’s him.
He was just introduced the other day on Doctor Who Confidential, and it appears that this man is the Doctor my son will most likely grow up to. And while I am a fan of “young” doctors (Peter Davison is by far my all-time favorite), and while I have faith in Moffat’s writings, I just don’t particularly like the wild card choice he made with some no-name talent; Smith also has a few unmemorable shows behind him. Matter of fact, Moffat and Paul Cornell’s writing in particular are some of the BEST! But Matt Smith doesn’t remind me of a Time Lord. Sorry. OK, so maybe I am jumping the gun. I’ve been to Outpost Gallifrey, Den of Geek, and every other website and forum in-between hoping the news was really just a big old PR stunt — praying that Paterson Joseph walks through the TARDIS door and says in 2010… SURPRISE!!! But at the age of 40, Tom Baker was relatively a no-name actor with only a few creds to his name… look at what he accomplished. Peter Davison was, at one time, the youngest Doctor to take on the role. He was fantastic, too, but he had a hit series like All Creatures Great and Small behind him. Acting experience! Maybe the scripts will make the difference here, not so much the “hairstyle”. Because this, to me, seems like why they chose him. That and his odd finger mannerisms. I guess we have to watch and see, eh? I mean, David Tennant made the part all his own in one season. He grew on us. But how long will Matt Smith last as The Eleventh Doctor? Will he even be any good? What are some of your thoughts on Matt Smith (aka Doctor Number 11)?
Matt Smith promo shot
A while back I held a few Doctor Who fan polls, where you could vote for your favorite Time Lord and so on. This time I have TWO POLLS… Both dedicated to Matt Smith…
Come, take TWO different DOCTOR WHO polls with me…
Didn’t catch my Sci-Fi love story, A Virtual Affair, the first time around…? Well, you can always read it again before it goes into retirement. Below in the January 2009 issue of SURPRISING STORIES. Edited by John and Eric Thiel. This well-received story would be one of the final 30 hobbyist venues which will feature work of mine over the next twelve months.
Featuring Work by: Steve Sneyd, David Zeldis, Lawrence Dagstine, Jamie Meyers, Herbert Jerry Baker, Gerald F. Heyder, Rose Gordy, Bob Bolin, Joanne Tolson, Albert J. Manachino, Anne M. Valley, Paul Truttman, Gary Every, and John Thiel. Reviews by Elmwood Kraemer. Art by Ramos Fumes and Peter Zenger.
My New Years Resolution was to retire from many a small venue, with 350 publishing credits as rocket fuel, and see where I can take these crazy horror stories and science fiction-cluttered thoughts of mine. And while I will still be an integral part of the Small Press, I’ve decided to take a leave of absence from the hobby press to search for a little more. As I invest over four hours per day into a new novella with “true” emotion and real, identifiable characters, make up marketing materials and get ready for the premiere of my first short story collection, and outline fresh ideas for a hopefully pro-paying anthology, I really can’t wait to see what this year off from shorter work brings. In the meantime, please, enjoy what the publication above has to offer.
I’d like to wish all my readers, friends in the small press, friends outside of the small press, peers, family, editors and publishers, and whoever else I may have missed a very healthy, Happy New Year.
With Arkham Tales, Atomjack, and Necrography just around the corner, I would have to say that this will probably be my last story acceptance for the year 2008. I’ll have about 30 stories coming out over the next 12 months to some very fine and familiar publications. However, there’s a new magazine that will be available in print and PDF format come February. It’s a monthly. The pay isn’t big, but with subscriptions and good authors that could change. A very likable venue, too. Simple looking. It’s called M-BRANE SF. It looks very promising, and Christopher Fletcher is an extremely nice editor. He also does reviews and SF analysis, too.
I don’t know who the first two issues consist of yet, but since I could not find a banner, I thought this public domain pic of a space shuttle entering the atmosphere would be cool. In other news…
FRESH BLOOD, my collection from Sam’s Dot Publishing, has currently surpassed the 60,000+ word mark (making it novel-length). Also, writers have been emailing me in regards to my hiatus rumors. Other than Sam’s Dot… YES, where smaller genre publications are concerned, 350 publishing credits will mark a form of retirement for me, and 2009 will not only be a year off… but a year of book promotions, outlining projects, direction, new ideas, and most important, change…
There are some good science fiction webzines out there. Then there are some fine ones. ATOMJACK is by far one of the better ones, and it’s proven rightly so with their material and lineups over the past four years. This would be my 3rd acceptance with them. Published by Susurrus Press, Atomjack is edited by Adicus Ray Garton.
Previous authors have included Bruce Boston, Carmelo Rafala, Kristine Ong Muslim, Rick Novy, Lou Antonelli, Gary Cuba, Cory Doctorow, James Maddox, and more.
Aoife’s Kiss #27 is now available (or up should I say). In both print and online format. For December 2008, I would be in their Web component with a juicy new werewolf story. The artwork for this edition is entitled “Athanor” by Mitchell Davidson Bentley (www.atomicflystudios.net). Check it all out below.
Featuring stories by: Lawrence R. Dagstine, Diane Gallant, Richard Jones, Jamie Killen, and Andrew Knighton
Since it’s the end of the year, and there’s the possibility of the story making it into a Sam’s Dot anthology, you can vote for your favorite tale on the same page. Enjoy.
I’ll have a zombie story coming to the April 2009 edition of NECROTIC TISSUE. They’re a free PDF download and a fairly new webzine with a liking for horror stories which explore the human condition, the Golden Age yarn, or Tales from the Crypt meets the classic morality play. They also give free T-shirts with each acceptance. How cool is that? Link below.
First, I hope everybody had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday. I also hope you braved the Black Friday crowds better than I did. Next, I’ll have a BRAND NEW story coming to the September 2009 issue — I know, a good ways off — of Aoife’s Kiss (Sam’s Dot Publishing). This would be my 10th print acceptance to their magazines; I’ve probably published in the area of thirty with them over the years if you include online. Actually, I’ll have a new story for you in almost every quarterly issue of Aoife’s for some time to come. Including, to my knowledge, the “special” winter issue.
You can view previous issues of Sam’s Dot magazines by clicking below:
Next, Tiptree-nominated writer-editor Tyree Campbell and Sam’s Dot will ALSO be releasing my debut collection, which has a couple of blurbs at the moment, and is going by the title FRESH BLOOD. This will be a collection of stories new and old (a lot of new) in the genres of horror and science fiction. This book has taken over a year of edits, building momentum, and to just carefully compile. At the moment, I’m clueless as to how many stories will appear in it – it should be around a minimum of 50,000+ words. But you’ll get a lot of nice variety here, including the kitchen sink.
I’ll have a story appearing soon in a new and interesting ezine called THE RANDOM EYE. Published Annually, they seem to accept work which is dark and speculative, but borders on the alternative, parallel (like universes), and the overall bizarre. More than just “weird fiction”. Be sure to check them out.
From their homepage:The Random Eye is a yearly anthology of horror and speculative fiction that focuses on the possibilities of parallel universes. Have you ever wondered what would happen if Rob Zombie became president, or if the Titanic was used for space travel, or if television was invented for communicating with the dead rather than entertainment? The Random Eye takes a simple theme for each anthology and encourages authors to imagine an existence far removed from our own, where a myriad alternate universes reside and where these strange possibilities exist.
The most promising-filled anthology of science fiction is now available from Cowboy Logic Press, and it’s slowly creeping up in bookstores. With over 110,000 words and 24 stories set in futuristic societies, post-apocalyptic dystopias, and more! Featuring pro authors such as Steven J. Dines and David Thorpe (Harper Collins Children’s Books). It’s also available on Amazon.
SATIRICA: An Anthology of Satirical Speculative Fiction
Published by Cowboy Logic Press; Edited by Dudgeon
Last I looked, the book was riding at around 900,000 on Amazon; I’d like to see that number drop below the 100,000 mark again. I’d especially like to congratulate one of the book’s authors who helped get SATIRICA carried in the state of Wyoming and has been interviewed on radio. Major thanks go out to Bill Housley, who can be friended at: http://www.myspace.com/sfandf
Other promotion efforts include the Midwest, Canada (British Columbia & Winnipeg), Great Britain, and NYC locals Jason K. Chapman and Myself. But Bill, nobody’s done a better job so far than you. Thank you!
Bill Housley is the author of the very topical piece, “Another Man’s Terrorist”. A science fiction writer, he can often be found at Jim Baen’s place (the JBU slush).
…Well, not quite yet. But the fans are really going at it (and so are the Internet forums) over WHO will be the eleventh actor — or actress — to play the role of scifi’s beloved time traveler. Stephen Moffat takes over the show come 2010 for Series Five. But the question still remains: who can fill Tennant’s shoes and do one up? Who can be a better Doctor now, since the show was revived in 2005, and keep the series going as strong and dynamic as ever before?
Two weeks ago I received word that Tennant was going to retire from the show. His final stories would lead up to Christmas 2009’s special, The Next Doctor.And boy, will there be a regeneration. But Daniel Radcliffe, Russell Tovay, Paterson Joseph, and many other very young names are among the possible contenders to succeed him! You know, I like my Doctors a bit older than my companions. Stephen Moffat has worked alongside fine actors such as James Nesbitt (but he denies any rumors of the part). I first blogged about it here (I also ran a favorite Doctor poll):
So who do you think should be the next Doctor? Better yet, who deserves to be the next Doctor Who? I’ve composed a new poll of 11 names. Eleven names for eleven possible, and rumored, Doctors. Also, I’ve added two additional choices: “None of the Above” and “Cast an Unknown”, to even things out a bit, because I realize that being a Doctor calls for a pretty big list. Please vote below!
Just a follow-up/reminder post that THE WILLOWS MAGAZINE Fall Issue (September-October) is now on sale. Featuring Lovecraftian-styled tales of terror, Neo and Post-Victorian stories, enchanting tales of dark fantasy, steampunk culture, and other weird fiction delights. Get your copy TODAY!
Featuring Fiction by: Sarah Monette, G.D. Falksen, Lawrence Dagstine, Eric S. Brown, Robey Jenkins, and Michelle Pribbernow. With non-fiction & reviews by Reyna Sparby and Skadi meic Beorh. Edited by Ben Thomas.
Also available, and with much more merchandise coming soon, from The Willows…Sundries! Own your favorite Steampunk/Victorian-styled items. Wear and support your favorite authors: http://www.zazzle.com/wrathofposeidon
And there’s yet another positive review of my story ‘A Virtual Affair’, from Issue #22 of Jupiter, over at Stephen Hunt’s: SF CROWSNEST.COM (www.sfcrowsnest.com). Like SF REVU, this would be another good venue dedicated to science fiction and fantasy. Conducted by Rod MacDonald, you can find the review link below…
I’ll add SF Crowsnest to Author Resources. Other than that, over the past three weeks I’ve nabbed another six story acceptances for various publications throughout 2009.
I received word that SF REVU (www.sfrevu.com), reviewed two magazines featuring stories of mine in it. For those of you unfamiliar with SF REVU, they’re a web-based publication devoted to SF industry news, reviews, interviews, book plugs, and more. I see them as a smaller, online version of LOCUS. Review links, magazine issues, and ordering info below:
SF REVU Reviews Jupiter:
Jupiter XXII: Harpalyke – October 2008 Edited by Ian Redman
Cover Artist: R.J. Bartrop
Review by Sam Tomaino
Jupiter ISBN/ITEM#: 1740-2069
Date: 26 October 2008
Tales of the Talsiman – Volume 4 – Issue 1 Edited by David Lee Summers
Cover Artist: Laura Givens
Review by Sam Tomaino
Hadrosaur ISBN/ITEM#: 1558-0377
Date: 26 September 2008
I highly recommend reading Jupiter and Tales of the Talisman… Both fine magazines now going into their fifth years with a slight modicum of success. As for SF Revu, I’ll add them to Author Resources.
Lawrence Dagstine: Author 
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