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CHANTICLEER
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ORNITHOLOGIAE
Ed. Mark Beech
Egaeus Press (2022)
Words - 4,000
A poultry polymath meets his match in a lurid farmyard, inspired by Chaucer and with the freaky anthropomorphism of a West End spectacle. Part of Egaeus Press’s gorgeous Ornitholoigaeie anthology of weird and fantastical fiction exploring all things birds. .
(more.)
'Chanticleer — dilettante, bon vivant, recounteur, a flâneur of course, and a poet; fearless gambler, virtuosic foxtrotter, amateur alchemist and leader of the call, fluent at raising the sun in over two-dozen languages and composer of symphonies in two-dozen more — Chanticleer, mighty and unquestionable king of the farmyard, his red hair curled and his featherlight shirt freshly pressed, strode languidly from the coop at the tail-end of a fine summer’s night and lit a cigarette.'
Egaeus Press publish fiction in limited and ornate volumes. Ornithologiae is a lithographically printed, 288 page hardback with colour endpapers; limited to just 460 copies.
Find a copy here
Ed. Mark Beech
Egaeus Press (2022)
Words - 4,000
A poultry polymath meets his match in a lurid farmyard, inspired by Chaucer and with the freaky anthropomorphism of a West End spectacle. Part of Egaeus Press’s gorgeous Ornitholoigaeie anthology of weird and fantastical fiction exploring all things birds. .
(more.)
'Chanticleer — dilettante, bon vivant, recounteur, a flâneur of course, and a poet; fearless gambler, virtuosic foxtrotter, amateur alchemist and leader of the call, fluent at raising the sun in over two-dozen languages and composer of symphonies in two-dozen more — Chanticleer, mighty and unquestionable king of the farmyard, his red hair curled and his featherlight shirt freshly pressed, strode languidly from the coop at the tail-end of a fine summer’s night and lit a cigarette.'
Egaeus Press publish fiction in limited and ornate volumes. Ornithologiae is a lithographically printed, 288 page hardback with colour endpapers; limited to just 460 copies.
Find a copy here
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MRS PEPPER'S GHOST
THE DARK SIRE
Ed. Bre Stephens (2021) Words - 3,000 An artistic entrepreneur takes extreme measures to deal with a mischievous stage spirit. A witty piece of steampunk Victoriana on theatrical hauntings and memory. (more.) Winner of the Dark Sire Literary Journal's Gothic Fiction Prize. Find it here |
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HELEN/HERMIONE
MUSINGS OF THE MUSES
Eds. Heather and S. D. Vassallo BrigidsGate Press (2022) Words - 2,200 "Think yourself lucky you were never on the battlefield.” “You think I don’t know battlefields?" The legendary Helen of Troy trades ideas with her only daughter, asking how can those who live in fame control the narrative? Part of a new anthology exploring women of Greek myth. (more.) Find a copy here |
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MISS SCARLETT
THE BOOK OF EXTRAORDINARY
FEMME FATALE STORIES Ed. Maxim Jakubowski Mango (2022) Words - 4,700 ‘She’d let the act drop if she could, but she’s forgotten how, and she doesn’t know who she’d be if she did. Not to mention the fact that she might be a killer: she really doesn’t know herself at all.’ Life is one of death’s great mysteries. A noir fever dream of endless murders in crumbling mansions, tickling the dark underbelly of Cluedo and playing a game of its own. (more.) Find a copy here |
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LIGHTENING
SHADOWS ON THE HILLSIDE
Ed. Storm Constantine NewCon Press (2021) Words - 2,000 Fern, Briony, Amber and Ash are a headstrong group of nature-lovers making their way towards something unexpected. Part of an anthology exploring landscapes in experimental ways. (more.) A note from Ian Whates of NewCon Press: A few months before she passed away, Storm Constantine sent me the manuscript for Shadows on the Hillside, a project we first discussed two years previously and which Storm had been working on ever since. Little did I imagine it would be the last book we would work on together. Storm chose her contributors carefully, wanting stories that take the reader deep into the strangeness of the landscape, where reality flickers like summer’s heat. Weirdness generates inexplicable events that mystify and intrigue – asking questions that can never fully be answered. For Storm. Find a copy here |
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THE TARTEST OF FLAVOURS
BITTER DISTILLATIONS
Ed. Mark Beech Egaeus Press (2020) Words - 4,700 A rare chance to glimpse the one and only Jack Heart, reformed scoundrel and high society darling, as he attempts his most outrageous plan yet. It’s all one can do to survive the soiree. (more.) "Anyone who was anyone was at Lady Red’s summer garden party. There were also several people who weren’t anyone at all, to add potential." Egaeus Press publish fiction in limited and ornate volumes. Bitter Distillations is a lithographically printed, 320 page hardback with colour endpapers; limited to just 340 copies. Find a copy here |
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THE CHANDELIER BID
THE BOOK OF
EXTRAORDINARY NEW SHERLOCK HOLMES STORIES Ed. Maxim Jakubowski Abaddon (2020) Words - 6,200 The second story of mine to feature the indomitable Irene Adler, approached by an aesthetically-blocked Sherlock Holmes to solve an artful mystery - why is there public adolation for the questionable paintings of W. Bart. (more.) Find a copy here |
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THE NEW WOMAN
CREATURES
Ed. David Thomas Moore Abaddon Words - 16,000 As an array of bohemian characters gather to celebrate the fin de siècle, a sculptor and her medical student lover refine their philosophy of art and beauty. (more.) "Distinct and original" - Nina Allan Strange Horizons books of 2018 Find a copy here |
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THE GHOST OF
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SOOT & STEEL
Ed. Ian Whates
NewCon Press
Words - 4,000
‘Remember the system, O spirit; please knock once for yes, twice for no.’ He raises his arms slightly. ‘As per the usual.’
Snow falls on London and a priest,
a ghost and Dictionary Johnson
gather to play a game of trust.
(more.)
Included in Best of British Fantasy Recommended Reading 2019
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THE AROUSING
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THE EXTINCTION EVENT
Ed. Jared Shurin
Jurassic London
With Introduction by Claire North
Words - 5,200
'She takes one last look at the bed; and there - oh look, oh yes, see what he’s left on the pillow there: an elegant pale yellow with a mint leaf on top and a small spoon made of silver. It’s a glass of sorbet! She fans herself with relief: he hasn’t left a goodbye sundae as is his wont sometimes, or (worse) the banana split when he doesn’t stay the whole night. No, this is quite a different message altogether. A sorbet is merely a refresher between courses. He’ll be back!'
In a sweet neapolitan setting, our dashing gentleman thief scampers over rooftops in candy-striped trousers, outwitting his nemesis and getting into saucy trouble.
(more.)
"...the following tale, though absolutely 100% true, is not for the semi-skimmed. Crime, betrayal, kidnapping, romance, thwarted passion, monologing; and that’s just the starter. Proceed if you dare, but consider yourself warned. In “The Arousing Adventures of Gelato Parlour”, there really is no accounting for taste. "
CLAIRE NORTH
(author of The First Fifteen Lives
of Harry August)
Ed. Jared Shurin
Jurassic London
With Introduction by Claire North
Words - 5,200
'She takes one last look at the bed; and there - oh look, oh yes, see what he’s left on the pillow there: an elegant pale yellow with a mint leaf on top and a small spoon made of silver. It’s a glass of sorbet! She fans herself with relief: he hasn’t left a goodbye sundae as is his wont sometimes, or (worse) the banana split when he doesn’t stay the whole night. No, this is quite a different message altogether. A sorbet is merely a refresher between courses. He’ll be back!'
In a sweet neapolitan setting, our dashing gentleman thief scampers over rooftops in candy-striped trousers, outwitting his nemesis and getting into saucy trouble.
(more.)
"...the following tale, though absolutely 100% true, is not for the semi-skimmed. Crime, betrayal, kidnapping, romance, thwarted passion, monologing; and that’s just the starter. Proceed if you dare, but consider yourself warned. In “The Arousing Adventures of Gelato Parlour”, there really is no accounting for taste. "
CLAIRE NORTH
(author of The First Fifteen Lives
of Harry August)
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THE MODJESKA WALTZ
THE ADVENTURES OF MORIARTY
Ed. Maxim Jakubowski Constable Robinson Words - 6,000 'The Professor’s jaw was set firm, and there was fierce concentration in his eyes. Even the most casual onlooker would know that he was counting. I decided against reminding him of the need to smile, as I felt certain it wouldn’t help his mood. We managed the corner thanks to my subtle steering - I dreaded to think how the Professor would get on without a guide. He was in the arms of fate, as were his partners. I had a momentary respite when the first change arrived. The Professor positively had to be pushed away from me. I enjoyed the smalltalk of a friendly young man who claimed to be a writer and wit living in the city, who told me he had witnessed my Desdemona at the Royal and enjoyed it immensely. Having not yet played Desdemona, I made do with giving him the ghost of a smile. When Moriarty returned, he clutched my wrist as if it was the only thing keeping him on the floor.' Irene Adler, repositioned in the starring role, is approached by a buffoonish Moriarty - a man inconveniently coy around matters of the body and in need of finishing lessons in high society etiquette to pull off a diamond heist. (more.) Find a copy here. |
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A GAME PROPOSITION
IRREGULARITY
Ed. Jared Shurin Jurassic London Words - 3,700 'Well, now. There’s a hostelry in Port Royal, or there was; little to no point in going there these days, unless you’ve a fondness for charred things. Were you to go there yourself you’d see some old posts and a plaque but once, oh once, once there were people and games and frolics and what fun we had — until there wasn’t any more fun to be had, if you understand me, you pretty thing.' Four sex workers in seventeenth-century Jamaica play dice against the explorer William Dampier. (more.)
'And if you’ve never heard Rose Biggin read “A Game Proposition”– her voice echoing off the National Maritime Museum’s collection of figureheads – well, I’m sorry for you. Because that was a reading.' – PORNOKITSCH |
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THE GUNMAN
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A MAP TO CAMELOT
Betwixt Magazine (2016)
Words - 3,000 |
THE QUANTUM QUADRANT
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TREASURE MAP
The Cafe Irreal (2017)
Words - 1,200 |
THE TIME TRAVELLERS' BALL
NOW WE ARE TEN (2016)
Ed. Ian Whates NewCon Press Words - 10 |
A TALE TOLD
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PUT TO SILENCE
Jurassic Gold Medal (2014)
Words - 2,100 |
THE RUSSIAN REVOLUTION
THE RITE OF SPRING
Ed. Jared Shurin (2013) Words - 750 |
THE WETHERBY WAKE
(Award Winner - Retreat West)
THE COLOUR OF LIFE & OTHER STORIES Ed. Amanda Saint Retreat West (2013) Words - 1,450 |
