The Smell of Brimstone
I received a wonderful package from Angela Challis and Shane Jiraiya Cummings at Brimstone Press the other day. I now have copies of "Australian Dark Fantasy & Horror - 2006" and "Book of Shadows", their first foray into print publication after the success of the Shadowed Realms webzine and the HorrorScope weblog.
I have to say, they are damn impressive looking books. And they feel good too! You can always tell a well printed and bound book by its feel. There is something about the heft of it, the solidness of it in your hands. These books have that good, solid feel to them, like it's not just the pages, but the stories within that have weight.
Luis Royo's cover for ADFH-2006 is really going to stand out nicely on the bookshop shelves. It is neither too fantasy, nor too horror. In fact, except for the hint of a bloody tear and the detail work on the sword hilt, there probably isn't too much to suggest the sort of darkness I know lurks within. I've already read many of the stories in here when they were first published, so I know what's in store. It is going to be great to have them all together in one volume. The non-fiction pieces included have been quite a welcome surprise though! I haven't read any of these before and they were all great, especially Chris Lawson's "Body Parts".
As for the Book of Shadows: this is a compilation of Dark Flash Fiction from the first six issues of Shadowed Realms webzine, plus five tales original to this collection. I just know this is going to be good because I review Shadowed Realms for HorrorScope and I've found much to like in every issue I've encountered. Not only that, but I trust the author of the back-cover blurb implicitly (as well as explicitly):
"Shadowed Realms can only grow stronger through the standard it is setting in publishing such disarming and disturbing tales."
- Andrew McKiernan, HorrorScope
But, the best thing I've found out about Book of Shadows is that it's perfect outhouse reading material! Now, Shane and Angela shouldn't take this at all the wrong way because I really do mean it as a good thing. The toilet is one of the only places in our house where you know you won't be disturbed and quality reading material is hard to find; I'm not one to lug a great fantasy tome in there unless I have to! But, Book of Shadows is just the right size to carry in, and each story is just the right length! This makes my family happy, because I can read one story and get out! I don't have to be like a normal Dad and hog the toilet for hours on end whilst I read the paper. Now, I'm in and out in a Flash :)
I have to say, they are damn impressive looking books. And they feel good too! You can always tell a well printed and bound book by its feel. There is something about the heft of it, the solidness of it in your hands. These books have that good, solid feel to them, like it's not just the pages, but the stories within that have weight.
Luis Royo's cover for ADFH-2006 is really going to stand out nicely on the bookshop shelves. It is neither too fantasy, nor too horror. In fact, except for the hint of a bloody tear and the detail work on the sword hilt, there probably isn't too much to suggest the sort of darkness I know lurks within. I've already read many of the stories in here when they were first published, so I know what's in store. It is going to be great to have them all together in one volume. The non-fiction pieces included have been quite a welcome surprise though! I haven't read any of these before and they were all great, especially Chris Lawson's "Body Parts".
As for the Book of Shadows: this is a compilation of Dark Flash Fiction from the first six issues of Shadowed Realms webzine, plus five tales original to this collection. I just know this is going to be good because I review Shadowed Realms for HorrorScope and I've found much to like in every issue I've encountered. Not only that, but I trust the author of the back-cover blurb implicitly (as well as explicitly):
"Shadowed Realms can only grow stronger through the standard it is setting in publishing such disarming and disturbing tales."
- Andrew McKiernan, HorrorScope
But, the best thing I've found out about Book of Shadows is that it's perfect outhouse reading material! Now, Shane and Angela shouldn't take this at all the wrong way because I really do mean it as a good thing. The toilet is one of the only places in our house where you know you won't be disturbed and quality reading material is hard to find; I'm not one to lug a great fantasy tome in there unless I have to! But, Book of Shadows is just the right size to carry in, and each story is just the right length! This makes my family happy, because I can read one story and get out! I don't have to be like a normal Dad and hog the toilet for hours on end whilst I read the paper. Now, I'm in and out in a Flash :)