Focus 2013: highlights of Australian short fiction hits the virtual shelves on October 1, 2014. The second of an annual series, Focus 2013 collects an elite selection of work which has received acclaim via national and international Awards shortlisting.
Focus 2013: highlights of Australian short fiction features work by…
D.K. Mok – “Morning Star”
Juliet Marillier – “By Bone-Light”
Joanne Anderton – “Mah Song”
Thoraiya Dyer – “Seven Days in Paris”
Tansy Rayner Roberts – “Cold White Daughter”
C.S. McMullen – “The Nest”
Cat Sparks – “Scarp”
Kaaron Warren – “Air, Water and the Grove”
Kirstyn McDermott – “The Home for Broken Dolls”
Kathleen Jennings – Illustrations and cover art
The book is officially on sale on October 1, and is currently available for pre-order at Amazon, Kobo and Smashwords for US$4.99.
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We woke up this morning (in Australia) to the very exciting news that DK Mok’s wonderful story “Morning Star” from One Small Step has been shortlisted for the Washington Science Fiction Association’s Small Press Award! This is one of my absolute favourite awards, and I’m delighted to see DK’s story recognised, and amid fantastic company! FableCroft author David McDonald is also shortlisted, alongside another Aussie Sean McMullen — yay Aussies!
In other excitement, Tansy Rayner Roberts’ essay collection Pratchett’s Women is having a good week – first it appeared on the MetaFilter site amid some fantastic discussion, and then it got a mention at BoingBoing! This makes us very happy 
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Tsana at Tsana Reads and Reviews has lovely things to say about Guardian by Jo Anderton, including: I highly recommend it to fans of technological fantasy or just fantasy which differs from the mainstream. The worldbuilding is very original and one of the real strengths of the series. The magic is very structured; leading some to call the series science fiction. In that light, fans of slipstream and genre-bending fiction should find much to like here.
We’re delighted to see people talking about Tansy Rayner Roberts’ essay collections 50 Roman Mistresses and Pratchett’s Women, saying things like: “Thoughtful and entertaining“, “wonderfully useful and interestingly corrective“, and “makes learning history a fascinating experience“.
We’re counting down to the release of Phantazein, a new anthology of fantastical short stories (and poems), out in early October. We are launching the book in style at Conflux, the annual Canberra speculative fiction convention, 5.00pm Saturday 4 October. Come along if you can! What is Phantazein? Well, if you were one of those readers who enjoyed To Spin a Darker Stair but bemoaned the fact it was too short, Phantazein is TOTALLY the book for you!
Speaking of Conflux, FableCroft is hosting a pitching session for novels (also on Saturday, midday!) – we aren’t open to submissions, so it’s you’re only chance to hit us with your best book!
We really appreciate ratings and reviews on Goodreads and Amazon – a big thanks to our wonderful readers who share the love!
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I’m a bit under the weather, and I’m watching jealously as so many friends are making their way to Loncon3, this year’s Worldcon, so I’ve decided to express my pique with FREE BOOKS!
For the duration of Worldcon, the following FableCroft ebooks are ABSOLUTELY FREE to all readers! Go! Fetch them!
Worlds Next Door (anthology)
Focus 2012: highlights of Australian short fiction (reprint anthology)
Splashdance Silver (Mocklore Chronicles #1) by Tansy Rayner Roberts
The Aware (Isles of Glory #1) by Glenda Larke
“Flower and Weed” by Margo Lanagan
“Sanction” by Dirk Flinthart
Disclaimer: I’ve made the discounts on Smashwords only for the top four items (all formats available here!), but these will probably filter through to Amazon etc via price matching, if that’s your preference. “Flower and Weed” and “Sanction” are only available on Amazon, and the free pricing will kick in tomorrow for five days!
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It’s been a busy busy couple of weeks for interviews, with the 2014 Australian Spec Fic Snapshot taking place. Many of FableCroft’s creators have been snapshot already, and it’s been great reading the interviews from all facets of the Aussie Spec Fic scene! I particularly enjoy seeing what people are working on, and what they’ve been reading.
Tehani
Katharine Stubbs (our wonderful intern!)
Jo Anderton
Tansy Rayner Roberts
Dirk Flinthart
Kathleen Jennings
Amanda Rainey
And many many more writers we have published are part of the Snapshot – check out the hashtag #2014snapshot on Twitter or follow the tag links in one of the posts to see them!
Some other reviews and interviews around the traps! Dirk Flinthart is interviewed as part of Simon Petrie’s Use only as directed series.
There’s a lovely review of Ink Black Magic by Tansy Rayner Roberts new on Goodreads, which says:
Tansy Rayner Roberts has a gift all her own that sets her apart from all other fantasy writers.
and
…it is a story marvellously complete in itself. So do read and love the Mocklore Chronicles in any order you like, because that’s what I intend to do.
Thanks Carol on Goodreads!
If you’ve reviewed any of our books, please let us know! And we really appreciate cross-posted reviews on Amazon and Goodreads.
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Alex Stephenson has written a fantastic review of Guardian in Aurealis #72 – among other things, Alex says:
Guardian is a tremendously satisfying conclusion to an already celebrated series.
…Anderton is to be commended for her ability to create such rich and original settings.
A fitting end, or entry, to the trilogy, Guardian is as excellent as Anderton’s fans deserve. It is a pleasure to read modern science fiction driven by a female lead as strong and nuanced as Tanyana.
Thanks Alex! You can read the whole review (and new fiction and other things as well!) in the issue, just $2.99 at Smashwords.
Another review of Jo’s Veiled World books comes from Paul Bonamy on Goodreads, who calls them: “…an excellent series, and well worth reading.”
Jason Franks has interviewed Dirk Flinthart over at his blog, talking a lot about Path of Night and what’s coming up next. Don’t forget that while you wait for book 2 in the series, “Sanction”, a short story set after the events of Path of Night, is available super cheap from Amazon!
Did we mention that The Bone Chime Song and Other Stories won Best Collection at the Australian Shadows Awards last month? It DID! Nice double with the Aurealis Award – congratulations Jo!
Speaking of The Bone Chime Song and Other Stories Dave Versace reviewed the book on Amazon, saying it’s full of, “Beautiful, dark stories of humanity on the fringes of normality or the verge of extinction.” Much appreciated Dave!
Elanor Matton-Johnson gave Ink Black Magic by Tansy Rayner Roberts five stars on Goodreads, saying it’s, “A brilliantly batty romp…” – we agree! And Cissa on Amazon said, “VERY recommended, especially if you like surreal mash-ups.” Thanks Cissa!
Let us know if you review a FableCroft book on Amazon, Goodreads or your blog, and we’ll happily link to it!
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It occurred to me recently, that given we have Jo Anderton’s launch next weekend, I probably should (finally) post about the OTHER book celebrations we’ve had recently. Well, in the past year. Hmmm, yes, it HAS been a busy 12 months! (more photos of events over at the FableCroft Facebook page)
First off the rank (gosh, was it really in APRIL last year?!) was the dual launch for The Bone Chime Song and Other Stories by Joanne Anderton and One Small Step, an anthology of discoveries at Conflux, the 2013 Natcon in Canberra in October. We had a great spot in the thoroughfare, and a good time slot too, and it was lovely to see so many con-goers in attendance. Kaaron Warren acted as launcher (for both our books AND Thoraiya Dyer’s Twelfth Planet Press Twelve Planets Collection Asymmetry!), and Joanne, Thoraiya and I said a few words too. Lots of fun!
So we had an intimate but fun launch for Dirk Flinthart’s debut novel, Path of Night, way back in November 2013. It’s the first book of ours that has been launched by the local mayor, which was exciting, and the author and cover designer both attended in fine style. Was lovely to meet some of the good people of Scottsdale, and we had a great evening.
Earlier this year, we had a FableCroft Book Party, hosted by the great folks at The Hobart Bookshop. The wonderful Lian Tanner said lovely things about Ink Black Magic and Path of Night, and Tansy and Dirk both got to read some of their novels too. Was a good turnout, particularly for the Sunday afternoon of the long weekend, and we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves!
Photo by Helen Merrick
Just a few weeks ago (okay, okay, it was nearly two months – goodness me, the year is flying!) we celebrated two wins at the Aurealis Awards, with The Bone Chime Song taking out Best Collection and One Small Step sharing the glory with The Year’s Best Fantasy & Horror 2012 in the Best Anthology category. With several other FableCroft works on the shortlists, including Path of Night and Ink Black Magic, we had a brilliant night, and enjoyed being able to spend the evening with the best and brightest of Australian spec fic.
Now we’re gearing up for next weekend’s celebration of Jo’s new book Guardian, and I’m still a bit boggled that it’s been over a year since the launch of The Bone Chime Song and Other Stories! Hopefully it won’t take me so long to blog about the fun we have there… All attendees of Continuum X are welcome to join us for the launch, 4pm on Saturday 7 June. Hope to see you there!
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Join the FableCroft Publishing team at Continuum X in Melbourne to launch Jo Anderton‘s new Veiled Worlds novel, GUARDIAN. Tansy Rayner Roberts will officiate proceedings, Jo will be there to sign books, and there will be prizes, treats and special launch prices available!
We’ll be in “The Big Top” following the Fan Fund Auction and would love to see you there – let us know you’ll be coming by joining the Facebook event page or by commenting below.
FableCroft will have a presence in the Dealer Room most of Saturday and Sunday of the convention, with Slow Glass Books stocking our publications on Friday and Monday – come say hi!
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I think we’re having way too much fun with this. Not only have we offered a bunch of free fiction to celebrate our Ditmar shortlistings, but now we’re discounting books!
For the month of May, the ebooks of Ink Black Magic by Tansy Rayner Roberts and The Bone Chime Song and Other Stories by Joanne Anderton are HALF PRICE – that’s less than three dollars each! This special is currently live on Smashwords and Kobo, and Amazon will no doubt follow real soon.
Enjoy!
The annual Ditmar Awards shortlists were announced a few days ago, and we’re absolutely over the moon to have several works feature in various categories, alongside lots of other excellent Australian stuff! To celebrate, we’re offering up some free fiction, including our two shortlisted short stories, samples of Faith Mudge’s wonderful work, and an extract from Tansy Rayner Roberts’ Ink Black Magic. We’ve also linked to Kathleen Jennings’ Illustration Friday posts, as one of her pieces was on the cover of Focus 2012 (and we think she’s awesome…). Click on the highlighted links below to download the samples!
Best Novel
- Ink Black Magic, Tansy Rayner Roberts (FableCroft Publishing)
- Fragments of a Broken Land: Valarl Undead, Robert Hood (Wildside Press)
- The Beckoning, Paul Collins (Damnation Books)
- Trucksong, Andrew Macrae (Twelfth Planet Press)
- The Only Game in the Galaxy (The Maximus Black Files 3), Paul Collins (Ford Street Publishing)
Best Novella or Novelette
- “Prickle Moon”, Juliet Marillier, in Prickle Moon (Ticonderoga Publications)
- “The Year of Ancient Ghosts”, Kim Wilkins, in The Year of Ancient Ghosts (Ticonderoga Publications)
- “By Bone-Light”, Juliet Marillier, in Prickle Moon (Ticonderoga Publications)
- “The Home for Broken Dolls”, Kirstyn McDermott, in Caution: Contains Small Parts (Twelfth Planet Press)
- “What Amanda Wants”, Kirstyn McDermott, in Caution: Contains Small Parts (Twelfth Planet Press)
Best Short Story
- “Mah-Song“, Joanne Anderton, in The Bone Chime Song and Other Stories (FableCroft Publishing)
- “Air, Water and the Grove”, Kaaron Warren, in The Lowest Heaven (Jurassic London)
- “Seven Days in Paris”, Thoraiya Dyer, in Asymmetry (Twelfth Planet Press)
- “Scarp”, Cat Sparks, in The Bride Price (Ticonderoga Publications)
- “Not the Worst of Sins”, Alan Baxter, in Beneath Ceaseless Skies 133 (Firkin Press)
- “Cold White Daughter”, Tansy Rayner Roberts, in One Small Step (FableCroft Publishing)
Best Collected Work
- The Back of the Back of Beyond, Edwina Harvey, edited by Simon Petrie (Peggy Bright Books)
- Asymmetry, Thoraiya Dyer, edited by Alisa Krasnostein (Twelfth Planet Press)
- Caution: Contains Small Parts, Kirstyn McDermott, edited by Alisa Krasnostein (Twelfth Planet Press)
- The Bone Chime Song and Other Stories, Joanne Anderton, edited by Tehani Wesseley (FableCroft Publishing)
- The Bride Price, Cat Sparks, edited by Russell B. Farr (Ticonderoga Publications)
Best Artwork
- Cover art, Eleanor Clarke, for The Back of the Back of Beyond by Edwina Harvey (Peggy Bright Books)
- Illustrations, Kathleen Jennings, for Eclipse Online (Nightshade Books)
- Cover art, Shauna O’Meara, for Next edited by Simon Petrie and Rob Porteous (CSFG Publishing)
- Cover art, Cat Sparks, for The Bride Price by Cat Sparks (Ticonderoga Publications)
- Rules of Summer, Shaun Tan (Hachette Australia)
- Cover art, Pia Ravenari, for Prickle Moon by Juliet Marillier (Ticonderoga Publications)
Best Fan Writer
- Tsana Dolichva, for body of work, including reviews and interviews in Tsana’s Reads and Reviews
- Sean Wright, for body of work, including reviews in Adventures of a Bookonaut
- Grant Watson, for body of work, including reviews in The Angriest
- Foz Meadows, for body of work, including reviews in Shattersnipe: Malcontent & Rainbows
- Alexandra Pierce, for body of work, including reviews in Randomly Yours, Alex
- Tansy Rayner Roberts, for body of work, including essays and reviews at www.tansyrr.com
Best Fan Artist
- Nalini Haynes, for body of work, including “Defender of the Faith”, “The Suck Fairy”, “Doctor Who vampire” and “The Last Cyberman” in Dark Matter
- Kathleen Jennings, for body of work, including “Illustration Friday”
- Dick Jenssen, for body of work, including cover art for Interstellar Ramjet Scoop and SF Commentary
Best Fan Publication in Any Medium
- Dark Matter Zine, Nalini Haynes
- SF Commentary, Bruce Gillespie
- The Writer and the Critic, Kirstyn McDermott and Ian Mond
- Galactic Chat Podcast, Sean Wright, Alex Pierce, Helen Stubbs, David McDonald, and Mark Webb
- The Coode Street Podcast, Gary K. Wolfe and Jonathan Strahan
- Galactic Suburbia, Alisa Krasnostein, Alex Pierce, and Tansy Rayner Roberts
Best New Talent
- Michelle Goldsmith
- Zena Shapter
- Faith Mudge
- Jo Spurrier
- Stacey Larner
William Atheling Jr Award for Criticism or Review
- Reviews in Randomly Yours, Alex, Alexandra Pierce
- “Things Invisible: Human and Ab-Human in Two of Hodgson’s Carnacki stories”, Leigh Blackmore, in Sargasso: The Journal of William Hope Hodgson Studies #1 edited by Sam Gafford (Ulthar Press)
- Galactic Suburbia Episode 87: Saga Spoilerific Book Club, Alisa Krasnostein, Alex Pierce, and Tansy Rayner Roberts
- The Reviewing New Who series, David McDonald, Tansy Rayner Roberts, and Tehani Wessely
- “A Puppet’s Parody of Joy: Dolls, Puppets and Mannikins as Diabolical Other”, Leigh Blackmore, in Ramsey Campbell: Critical Essays on the Master of Modern Horror edited by Gary William Crawford (Scarecrow Press)
- “That was then, this is now: how my perceptions have changed”, George Ivanoff, in Doctor Who and Race edited by Lindy Orthia (Intellect Books)
Voting is now open for the Awards, for anyone who is a member of the 2013 Natcon (Conflux) or this year’s Natcon (Continuum X). Thank you so much to everyone who nominated our work!
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Focus 2013: highlights of Australian short fiction hits the virtual shelves on October 1, 2014. The second of an annual series, Focus 2013 collects an elite selection of work which has received acclaim via national and international Awards shortlisting.
