Out of the Woodwork 153. July 2009
Fantastic Literature - setting the standards for out of print on-line bookselling.

Welcome to our newsletter, it contains up to the minute news and gossip as well as awards details and items requiring help from the collective consciousness. If you wish to contribute please do so! We welcome your thoughts, your news items and any gossip! We do love a bit of gossip here at Fantastic HQ.

In this newsletter:

David Eddings tributes - and sad news about Paul O Williams & Michael Jackson
David Gemmell Legend Award - just who won the first David Gemmell Award
Fantastic Literature Specials - stunning new titles just for you
Alastair Reynolds in £1m book deal - what a sum of money!
Stoker Awards 2009 - Stephen King does well
News about AVATAR the stunning 3D SF film due December
Crime Writer Association Dagger Awards - 2009
Christopher Lee - vampire knight
Guilermo del Toro - horror film news
British Fantasy Award winners - 2009 finalists
Geoff Taylor - art exhibtion
Edgar Awards 2009
John W Campbell Award - 2009
Collective Consciousness - news from the past and a new one for you to solve!
Department of Smug Self Satisfaction - the usual trbutes - always appreciated
Archive

On June 3rd we broke the news about the death of best selling fantasy author David Eddings at the age of 77. Typically tributes flowed in from readers of the newsletter. BBC story

Ernst Dabel wrote: I heard the word this morning. I read Mr. Edding's the Belgariad series when I was in High School and it was one of the greatest books I ever read. He will be missed. Thanks for sharing, really appreciate it.
Hi Simon. Probably my favourite writer, how sad, thanks for letting me know. Kay

Paul O Williams also sadly passed away on June 2nd. His most notable work was the Pelbar Cycle, a series of seven novels set in post-apocalyptic Illinois. He won the Campbell Award in 1983, and published two other science fiction novels outside of the Pelbar novels. Locus

Michael Jackson also died of a heart attack (26th June) in breaking news over night. Singer, dancer and songwriter he made "zombie cool" with his huge album and single "Thriller". BBC Obituary

The shortlisted nominees all received mini-replicas of Snaga, the axe featured in Gemmell's works; the winner received a larger version, approximately two feet in length.

Gemmell Legend Award

Fantastic Literature Specials:-

In October, Craig Cabell's second Ian Fleming related book The History of 30 Assault Unit - Ian Fleming's Red Indians, will be published by Pen & Sword. Fantastic Literature has secured a limited stock of the first edition hardback signed by Cabell, who has agreed to add dedications if FL patrons wish. Order early to avoid disappointment. Order

In April 2010 Crime writer Ian Rankin celebrates his 50th Birthday. Author Craig Cabell has written a book about Ian Rankin and the Rebus series, which will be published by Blake Publishing in the UK. 50 copies will be flat signed by Rankin and Cabell and, numbered and bound in Police blue leather. This is a strict limited edition and offered through Fantastic Literature only. Even by word of mouth ten copies have already been sold. To reserve your copy contact Simon today. The price will be between £50-£80 per each, nothing more specific at this stage. This is bound to be a massive collector's item and will include rare interviews and the most complete bibliography ever, written with the approval and cooperation of Ian Rankin and his publisher. Order

Stoker Awards Announced:

Superior Achievement, Novel - Duma Key by Stephen King

Superior Achievement, Collection Just After Sunset by Stephen King

Superior Achievement, Anthology - Unspeakable Horror edited by Vince A. Liaguno and Chad Helde

Superior Achievement, Poetry Collection - The Nightmare Collection by Bruce Boston

Superior Achievement, First Novel - The Gentling Box by Lisa Mannetti

Superior Achievement, Short Fiction - The Lost Sarah Langan

Superior Achievement,Long fiction - Miranda by John R. Little

Superior Achievement, Nonfiction - A Halloween Anthology by Lisa Morton

Specialty Press - Bloodletting Press (Larry and Debra Roberts)

The Silver Hammer Award -Sephera Giron (for service to organization)

President’s Award - John Little

Lifetime Achievement - F. Paul Wilson and Chelsea Quinn Yarbro

Stoker Awards

Crime Writers' Association Dagger Award nominations 2009. The CWA Dagger Awards are the longest established literary awards in the UK and are internationally recognised as a mark of excellence and achievement. CWA

International Dagger.

Karin Alvtegen, Shadow, translated by McKinley Burnett, (Canongate)
Arnaldur Indriðason, Arctic Chill, translated by Bernard Scudder and Victoria Cribb (Harvill Secker)
Stieg Larsson, The Girl who played with Fire, translated by Reg Keeland (MacLehose Quercus)
Jo Nesbø, The Redeemer, translated by Don Bartlett (Harvill Secker)
Johan Theorin, Echoes from the Dead, translated by Marlaine Delargy (Doubleday)
Fred Vargas, The Chalk Circle Man, translated by Siân Reynolds (Harvill Secker)

Short Story Dagger

Lawrence Block: Speaking of Lust from Crime Express series (Five Leaves Publications)
Judges’ comments: Four tales of lasciviousness and its fatal aftermath by one of the godfathers of the genre.

Sean Chercover: One Serving of Bad Luck from Killer Year (Mira)
Judges’ comments: Neat, tight and economical, this is a new take on the private eye; the auguries are good for a major crime writing career for this writer.

Laura Lippman: Cougar from Two of the Deadliest (Hodder & Stoughton)
Judges’ comments: A serrated knife in the gut of gender politics by an expert practitioner of the genre.

Peter Robinson: The Price of Love from The Blue Religion (Quercus)
Judges’ comments: A boy finally understands the brutal criminal implications of an incident in his childhood.

Zoë Sharp: Served Cold from The Mammoth Book of Best British Crime (Constable & Robinson)
Judges’ comments: Justice, revenge, danger. All elements of a tale of lost love and its tragic consequences.

Chris Simms: Mother’s Milk from The Mammoth Book of Best British Crime (Constable & Robinson)
Judges’ comments: A deceptively low key story of a thief and a conman who has the tables painfully turned on him.

Debut Dagger

Frank Burkett - A View from the Clock Tower (Australia)
Judges’ comments: An interesting first-person portrayal of a murder mystery set in Australia… family betrayals and dark secrets from the past.

Aoife Clifford - My First Big Book of Murder (Australia)
Judges’ comments: A crime caper with witty prose and funny visual jokes.

CJ Harper - Backdrop (USA)
Judges’ comments: A likeable PI protagonist and a solid time slip plot… the 1950 Hollywood setting is sexy…

Madeleine Harris-Callway - The Land of Sun and Fun (Canada)
Judges’ comments: A strong sense of place throughout, coupled with good characterisation and a sense of horror.

Renata Hill - Sex, Death and Chocolate (Canada)
Judges’ comments: An entertaining read with witty dialogue and a quick-moving plot.

Mick Laing - The Sirius Patrol (UK)
Judges’ comments: The enclosed feel of the small Greenland community, the characters and tensions within, make fascinating reading.

Susan Lindgren - Forgotten Treasures (USA)
Judges’ comments: Atmospheric, spooky, and absorbing – the heroine is an interesting character with an intriguing background.

Catherine O’Keefe - The Pathologist (Canada)
Judges’ comments: An uncomfortable, sophisticated, read that also manages to be suspenseful.

Danielle Ramsay - Paterfamilias (UK)
Judges’ comments: Strong plot with good red herrings and a clever twist.

Germaine Stafford - A Vine Time for Trouble (Italy)
Judges’ comments: Nicely written cosy-style murder mystery…with the added enticement of the Italian setting.

Martin Ungless - Idiot Wind (UK)
Judges’ comments: A clever and ambitious story tackling challenging issues.

Alan Wright - Murder at the Séance (UK)
Judges’ comments: Convincing settings, atmospheric and with an air of authenticity.

Veteran Vampire Knighted in Queen's Birthday Honours. Christopher Lee (87 years old), famous for playing Count Dracula and for his role as Saruman in the Lord of the Rings has been awarded a knighthood in the Queen's Birthday Honours. We also thought he was quite maginificent in the Wicker Man as the menacing Lord Summerisle. Full BBC story

Finalists for the 2009 British Fantasy Society Awards have been announced.

Best Novel (The August Derleth Fantasy Award)

Memoirs of a Master Forger, William Heaney/Graham Joyce (Gollancz)
Midnight Man, Simon Clark (Severn House)
Rain Dogs, Gary McMahon (Humdrumming)
The Graveyard Book, Neil Gaiman (Bloomsbury)
The Victoria Vanishes, Christopher Fowler (Little, Brown)
Thieving Fear, Ramsey Campbell (PS Publishing).

Best Novella

Cold Stone Calling, Simon Clark (Tasmaniac Publications)
Gunpowder, Joe Hill (PS Publishing)
"Heads", Gary McMahon (We Fade To Grey)
"The Narrows", Simon Bestwick (We Fade To Grey)
The Reach of Children, Tim Lebbon (Humdrumming)

Best Short Fiction

"All Mouth", Paul Meloy (Black Static 6)
"Do You See", Sarah Pinborough (Myth-Understandings)
"N", Stephen King (Just After Sunset)
"Pinholes in Black Muslin", Simon Strantzas (The Second Humdrumming Book of Horror)
"The Caul Bearer", Allyson Bird (Bull Running For Girls)
"The Tobacconist’s Concession", John Travis (The Second Humdrumming Book of Horror)
"The Vague", Paul Meloy (Islington Crocodiles)
"Winter Journey", Joel Lane (Black Static 5)

Best Collection

Bull Running for Girls, Allyson Bird (Screaming Dreams)
Glyphotech, Mark Samuels (PS Publishing)
How To Make Monsters, Gary McMahon (Morrigan Books)
Islington Crocodiles, Paul Meloy (TTA Press)
Just After Sunset, Stephen King (Hodder & Stoughton)

Best Anthology

Cone Zero, DF Lewis, ed. (Megazanthus Press)
Myth-Understandings, Ian Whates, ed. (Newcon Press)
Subtle Edens, Allen Ashley, ed. (Elastic Press)
The Mammoth Book of Best New Horror 19, Stephen Jones, ed. (Constable & Robinson)
The Second Humdrumming Book of Horror, Ian Alexander Martin, ed. (Humdrumming)
We Fade To Grey, Gary McMahon (Pendragon Press)

Best Artist

Dave McKean for The Graveyard Book (Bloomsbury)
Edward Miller for Vault of Deeds (PS Publishing)
Lee Thompson for The Land at the End of the Working Day (Humdrumming)
Les Edwards for various
Vincent Chong for various

Best Small Press

Elastic Press (Andrew Hook)
Newcon Press (Ian Whates)
Pendragon Press (Chris Teague)
Screaming Dreams (Steve Upham)
TTA Press (Andy Cox)

Best Non-Fiction

Basil Copper: A Life in Books, Stephen Jones, ed. (PS Publishing)
Doctor Who: The Writer's Tale, Russell T. Davies & Benjamin Cook (BBC Books)
journal.neilgaiman.com, Neil Gaiman
"Mutant Popcorn" column, Nick Lowe (Interzone)
What Is It We Do When We Read Science Fiction, Paul Kincaid (Beccon Publications)

Best Magazine

Black Static, Andy Cox, ed.
Interzone, Andy Cox, et. al., eds.
Midnight Street, Trevor Denyer, ed.
Postscripts, Peter Crowther & Nick Gevers, eds.
SFX, Dave Bradley, ed.

Best Comic/Graphic Novel

30 Days of Night: Beyond Barrow, Steve Niles & Bill Sienkiewicz (IDW Publishing);
All-Star Superman, Grant Morrison & Frank Quitely (DC Comics);
Buffy, Season Eight, Vol. 3: Wolves at the Gate, Joss Whedon & Drew Goddard and Georges Jeanty (Dark Horse Comics);
Comic Book Tattoo: Tales Inspired by Tori Amos, Rantz A. Hoseley & Tori Amos, eds. (Image Comics);
Hellblazer: Fear Machine, Jamie Delano (Vertigo);
Hellblazer: The Laughing Magician, Andy Diggle & Leonardo Manco and Daniel Zezelj(Vertigo);
Locke and Key, Joe Hill & Gabriel Rodriguez (IDW Publishing);
The Girly Comic Book 1, Selina Lock, ed. (Factor Fiction);
The New Avengers: Illuminati, Brian Bendis & Brian Reed and Jim Cheung (Marvel Comics). British Fantasy Society

In this exhibition there is a selection from the three styles of artwork I find myself working in, Fantasy and Science Fiction bookcover illustration, the Fantasy Role Playing Games Art of Games Workshop and Wildlife painting.

Thanks very much to the Dock Museum for asking me back to do a second exhibition. All of the paintings on display are new to this venue some have not seen the light of day for many years others painted as recently as this year. I hope you enjoy them.

Geoff

Geoff Taylor Artist - see some of his artwork at www.geofftaylor.btinternet.co.uk

John W Campbell Award Finalists 2009: The John W. Campbell Award is presented during the Campbell Conference Awards Banquet at the University of Kansas in Lawrence, Kansas, July 9 - 12, 2009, as the focal point of a weekend of discussions about the writing, illustration, publishing, teaching, and criticism of science fiction. John W Campbell awards.

Finalists are:
City at the End of Time, Greg Bear (Del Rey)
Valley of Day-Glo, Nick Di Chario (Robert J. Sawyer Books)
Little Brother, Cory Doctorow (Tor)
Song of Time, Ian MacLeod, (PS Publishing)
The Philosopher's Apprentice, James Morrow (William Morrow)
Anathem, Neal Stephenson (William Morrow)

Mystery Writers of America is pleased to announce, as we celebrate the 200th anniversary of the birth of Edgar Allan Poe, the Winners for the 2009 Edgar Allan Poe Awards, honoring the best in mystery fiction, non-fiction, television and film published or produced in 2008.

BEST NOVEL Blue Heaven by C.J. Box (St. Martin’s Minotaur)
BEST FIRST NOVEL BY AN AMERICAN AUTHOR The Foreigner by Francie Lin (Picador)
BEST PAPERBACK ORIGINAL China Lake by Meg Gardiner (New American Library – Obsidian Mysteries)
BEST FACT CRIME American Lightning: Terror, Mystery, the Birth of Hollywood, and the Crime of the Century
by Howard Blum (Crown Publishers)
BEST CRITICAL/BIOGRAPHICAL Edgar Allan Poe: An Illustrated Companion to His Tell-Tale Stories by Dr. Harry Lee Poe (Metro Books)
BEST SHORT STORY "Skinhead Central" - The Blue Religion by T. Jefferson Parker
(Hachette Book Group – Little, Brown and Company)
BEST JUVENILE The Postcard by Tony Abbott (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers)
BEST YOUNG ADULT. Paper Towns by John Green (Penguin Young Readers Group – Dutton Children’s Books)
BEST PLAY The Ballad of Emmett Till by Ifa Bayeza (Goodman Theatre, Chicago, IL)
BEST TELEVISION EPISODE TELEPLAY. “Prayer of the Bone” – Wire in the Blood, Teleplay by Patrick Harbinson (BBC America)
BEST MOTION PICTURE SCREENPLAY In Bruges, Screenplay by Martin McDonagh (Focus Features)
ROBERT L. FISH MEMORIAL AWARD "Buckner's Error" - Queens Noir by Joseph Guglielmelli (Akashic Books)

GRAND MASTER James Lee Burke, Sue Grafton

RAVEN AWARDS Edgar Allan Poe Society, Baltimore, Maryland
Poe House, Baltimore, Maryland

THE SIMON & SCHUSTER - MARY HIGGINS CLARK AWARD
The Killer’s Wife by Bill Floyd (St. Martin’s Minotaur)

One for the collective consciousness, yet another result! and another query - see below

Remember this request from Laurence? I'm writing my master's thesis on R. Murray Gilchrist. His short stories (horror/fantasy) are readily available but his novels are extremely scarce. I'm particularly interested in The Labyrinth, The Abbey Mystery and Weird Wedlock. Have you ever heard of or seen any of these? Any information about Mr. Gilchrist you may have would be deeply appreciated, for he's turned out be quite an elusive subject.

Well Mark Valentine took the time to write to us: Hello Simon

Regarding Laurence's query about R Murray Gilchrist, I don't have the books he mentions, but a while ago I did track down where he lived, and also his grave - Laurence may know these of course. Can you put me in touch with him ? (which of course we did!)

Thanks

Mark

How about this one?

The artist (photographer maybe) is somewhat of an outcast, his art isn't very good. He meets a girl and after a night together finds out that she has a genetic disorder that makes her bruise very easily but the marks are gone the next day. Together they come up with a plan to write poems and draw pictures on her body and then photograph/paint them. He uses the handle of a paintbrush or something similar to do this. He writes poetry and stories on her skin. His art takes off and he is in high demand. It is a very interesting love/hate relationship. I think it was set in Seattle or Portland. I remember the book talking about them sleeping on a pallet on the floor and their apartment being a studio style one. Also in one scene he stands on a ladder and takes pictures of her lying on the floor.

I remember that the girl has very pale, translucent looking skin. He finds out she has this bruising issue when they spend the night together and he wakes to find her sleeping beside him looking like someone beat her. He is horrified because he thinks that he may have done it but then she wakes and explains. I’m fairly certain that the couple engages in “rougher” behavior in the bedroom. Resulting in days where they can not take new photos until her bruises are healed. The artist/main character suffers from "lost time"; he blacks out and forgets where he has been and what he has done.

This book was probably published in the late 80's or early 90's, could be older than that but I doubt newer. I THINK that I picked this book up because someone told me that if I liked Anthony Shriek by Jessica Amanda Salmonson, I would like this one. Anthony Shriek was published in 1992 that may or may not be of any significance. It has been suggested that this may be a short story rather than a book, but I don’t believe that is the case.

a) Dear Laraine,
the book arrived yesterday in perfect condition. Thanks a lot, Gerd

b) The chapbook ("Crypt of Cthulhu" n. 82) arrived this morning.
I don't know if you are the best booksellers in the world; anyway, this is the best packaged item I've ever received! Thank you! Giulio

c) Thank you very much for your research and prompt reply, I greatly appreciate it. I have searched for these books for years. I read a few when I was in the Marine Corps in the 80's and I was was unable to find them when I came back to the states. And yes, I would appreciate it if you could obtain more of the series. Thank you again.

d) fantastic (literally) booklist again, and so easy to read.

e) Just wanted to give feedback on this order. You get and show feedback from Amazon, Biblio etc but not from direct, so here it is by email.

This was another order where the books were excellent as promised and the shipment securely packaged and quickly despatched to overseas.
I'll be ordering more from your fine stock. "10 out of 10"
Thanks again,
Tim

f) Hi Simon, just to say my recent abe order, (of the Alex Bell proof and book), was delivered today in first class order. Many thanks for another excellent transaction.

Best wishes,

John

g) dear simon

i would like to thank you for your excellent service in dispatching The Great Explosion, a book i last read in 1969 and have been searching for ever since.

best wishes

Martin

h) Good afternoon to you both!

I just wanted to let you know that the copy of Anderson's "Late Delivery" has arrived. It's a nice copy, and I am very pleased with it! Thank you again for your very prompt attention to my order.

With best regards,

John Buckelew

We also buy books and travel around the country to purchase, we will pay a finders fee to anyone who puts us in touch with a collection we later purchase.

OotW121. OotW122. OotW 123, OotW 124, OotW 125, OotW 126, OotW 127, OotW 128, OotW 129, OotW 130, OotW 131, OotW 132, OotW 133, OotW134, OotW135, OotW136, OotW 137, OotW138, OotW 139, OotW 140, OotW141, OotW 142, OotW 143, OotW144, OotW145, OotW146. OotW147, OotW148, OotW149, OotW 150, OotW151, OotW 152