Cats

The day starts well when you receive wonderful books in the mail!

My story, “Tiger Kill” which first appeared in a bizarre little mag called The Earwig Flesh Factory, has been reprinted by Nightshade Books in Ellen Datlow’s Tails of Wonder and Imagination. My copies arrived today. It’s a gorgeous book full of amazing writers.

Nightshade also sent me a couple of other books, two I’ve been dying to read! One is John Langan’s House of Windows, the other is Graham Joyce’s How to Make Friends with Demons.

They also sent Mark Teppo’s Lightbreaker. I heard Mark read from his Paper Cities story a couple of years ago so I’m really looking forward to this one.

Odd old reads

My latest odd old read is The Cobweb, by William Gibson. Not that one! This book was written in 1954 and I bought it at our local tip, a place of much wonder and joy.

I picked it up because of the author’s name, thinking perhaps it was an early book by that other William Gibson. Then I was intrigued by it. It begins, “The trouble about the living-room drapes arrived in the shape of a fat brown envelope in a bagful of mail on the Friday morning train.”

A novel about living-room drapes? Surely not. And of course it isn’t; it’s about what happens to a group of people involved with a psychiatric clinic over the course of a few weeks. All of it stems from the drapes and the many different ideas as to how they should be installed. Do you install a drape? I’m sure there must be a better word than that.

It wasn’t an exciting novel, and I really only persisted because Gibson manages the sense of impending doom so well. I knew something was going to happen because of his language.

He’s very much into detail. That first sentence was not out of place throughout the novel. Details about colours of envelopes or shoes or cars, details about how exactly someone moved through the house, including the furniture they pass, how the carpet feels on their feet, what object de art they notice.

Very, very detailed. I talked about this at dinner with my husband and kids and it turned into a meme.

Son: “I am now picking up my bright green glass and drinking the last sip of my raspberry cordial. Now I am putting the glass down on the slightly old dining table and leaving a round circle of a mark of cordial.”

Daughter: “I am getting out of my blue cushion chair. It makes a scraping noise as I push it back. The noise makes me think of other chairs pushing up and also the gate when I open it. Now I’m walking to the kitchen which we just got fixed up.”

Etc. It went on for some time.

I was curious as to why someone would write this way throughout an entire novel, so I looked Gibson up. He was a theatre writer! Used to giving specific stage directions! That answered the question. He didn’t translate well from theatre to novel. His editor should have said, “We don’t need to know how many steps it took from the bathroom to the bar.”

Still, it was an interesting book.

Prelim Stoker Ballot

This early list has been announced, and Slights has made the cut! The next stage is to make it to the final ballot, which will be tough, given the other fantastic first novels on the list.

Stephen H. Irwin was also nominated for Best Horror Novel at the Aurealis Awards for The Dead Path. I must grab hold of a copy of that one.

Here’s the full list. What a great to-be-read pile!

2009 PRELIMINARY STOKER BALLOT

Superior Achievement in a Novel

AS FATE WOULD HAVE IT by Michael Louis Calvillo (Bad Moon Books)
SACRIFICE by John Everson (Leisure)
ETERNAL VIGILANCE II: DEATH OF ILLUSIONS by Gabrielle Faust (Immanion Press)
TWISTED LADDER by Rhodi Hawk (Tor/Forge)
VORACIOUS by Alice Henderson (Jove)
THE BONE FACTORY by Nate Kenyon (Leisure)AUDREY’S DOOR by Sarah Langan (Harper)
PATIENT ZERO by Jonathan Maberry (St. Martin’s Griffin)
QUARANTINED by Joe McKinney (Lachesis Publishing)
CURSED by Jeremy Shipp (Raw Dog Screaming Press)

Superior Achievement in a First Novel

THE BLACK ACT by Louise Bohmer (Library of Horror)
BREATHERS by S. G. Browne (Broadway Books)
SLAUGHTER by Marcus Griffin (Alexandrian Archives Publishing)
THE DEAD PATH by Stephen M. Irwin (Hachette Australia)
SOLOMON’S GRAVE by Daniel G. Keohane (Dragon Moon Press)
DISMEMBER by Daniel Pyle (Wild Child)
THE FOREST OF HANDS AND TEETH by Carrie Ryan (Delacorte Press/Random House)
DAMNABLE by Hank Schwaeble (Jove)
THE LITTLE SLEEP by Paul Tremblay (Henry Holt)
SLIGHTS by Kaaron Warren (Angry Robot)

Superior Achievement in Long Fiction

DREAMING ROBOT MONSTER by Mort Castle (MIGHTY UNCLEAN)
THE HUNGER OF EMPTY VESSELS by Scott Edelman (Bad Moon Books)
ROT by Michelle Lee (Skullvines Press)
THE GRAY ZONE by John R. Little (Bad Moon Books)
DIANA AND THE GOONG-SI by Lisa Morton (MIDNIGHT WALK)
THE LUCID DREAMING by Lisa Morton (Bad Moon Books)
BLACK BUTTERFLIES by Kurt Newton (Sideshow Press)
DOC GOOD’S TRAVELING SHOW by Gene O’Neill (Bad Moon Books)
LITTLE GRAVEYARD ON THE PRAIRIE by Steven E. Wedel (Bad Moon Books)
MAMA FISH by Rio Youers (Shroud Publishing)

Superior Achievement in Short Fiction

NUB HUT by Kurt Dinan (Chizine)
ONE MORE DAY by Brian Freeman (SHIVERS V)
WHERE SUNLIGHT SLEEPS by Brian Freeman (Horror Drive-in)
BLANKET OF WHITE by Amy Grech (BLANKET OF WHITE)
KEEPING WATCH by Nate Kenyon (MONSTROUS: 20 TALES OF GIANT CREATURE TERROR)
PLAGUE DOGS by Joe McKinney (POTTERS FIELD 3)
THE CROSSING OF ALDO RAY by Weston Ochse (THE DEAD THAT WALK)
THE OUTLAWS OF HILL COUNTY by John Palisano (Harvest Hill)
IN THE PORCHES OF MY EARS by Norman Prentiss (PS Publishing)
THE NIGHT NURSE by Harry Shannon (Horror Drive-in)

Superior Achievement in Anthology

HARLAN COUNTY HORRORS edited by Mari Adkins (Apex Publications)
HE IS LEGEND: AN ANTHOLOGY CELEBRATING RICHARD MATHESON edited by Christopher Conlon (Gauntlet Press)
MIGHTY UNCLEAN edited by Bill Breedlove (Dark Arts Books)
LOVECRAFT UNBOUND edited by Ellen Datlow (Dark Horse Books)
POE edited by Ellen Datlow (Solaris)
DARK DELICACIES 3: HAUNTED edited by Del Howison and Jeff Gelb (Running Press)
BUTCHER SHOP QUARTET 2 edited by Frank J. Hutton (Cutting Block Press)
BRITISH INVASION by Chris Golden, Tim Lebbon and James Moore (Cemetery Dance Publications)
MIDNIGHT WALK edited by Lisa Morton (Dark House)
GRANTS PASS edited by Amanda Pillar and Jennifer Brozek (Morrigan Books)

Superior Achievement in a Collection

SHARDS by Shane Jiraiya Cummings (Brimstone Press)
MARTYRS AND MONSTERS by Robert Dunbar (DarkHart Press)
DARK ENTITIES by David Dunwoody (Dark Regions)
GOT TO KILL THEM ALL AND OTHER STORIES by Dennis Etchison (Cemetery Dance)
SHADES OF BLOOD AND SHADOW by Angeline Hawkes (Dark Regions Press)
UNHAPPY ENDINGS by Brian Keene (Delirium Books)
YOU MIGHT SLEEP… by Nick Mamatas (Prime)
A LITTLE HELP FROM MY FIENDS by Michael McCarty (Sam’s Dot)
A TASTE OF TENDERLOIN by Gene O’Neill (Apex Book Company)
IN THE CLOSET, UNDER THE BED by Lee Thomas (Dark Scribe Press)

Superior Achievement in Nonfiction

WRITERS WORKSHOP OF HORROR by Michael Knost (Woodland Press)
ESOTERIA-LAND by Michael McCarty (BearManor Media)
MORBID CURIOSITY CURES THE BLUES edited by Loren Rhoads (Simon & Schuster)
CINEMA KNIFE FIGHT by L. L. Soares and Michael Arruda (Fearzone)
THE STEPHEN KING ILLUSTRATED COMPANION by Bev Vincent (Fall River Press)
STEPHEN KING: THE NON-FICTION by Rocky Wood and Justin Brook (Cemetery Dance)

Superior Achievement in a Poetry Collection

DOUBLE VISIONS by Bruce Boston (Dark Regions)
NORTH LEFT OF EARTH by Bruce Boston (Sam’s Dot)
MORTICIAN’S TEA by G. O. Clark (Sam’s Dot)
STARKWEATHER DREAMS by Christopher Conlon (Creative Guy Publishing)
VOICES FROM THE DARK by Gary William Crawford (Dark Regions)
BARFODDER by Rain Graves (Cemetery Dance)
GRAVE BITS by Todd Hanks (Skullvines Press)
TOWARD ABSOLUTE ZERO by Karen L. Newman (Sam’s Dot)
CHIMERIC MACHINES by Lucy A. Snyder (Creative Guy Publishing)

Walking the Tree

I am now holding Walking the Tree. It’s here, it’s done and it is absolutely gorgeous.

Ican now let on the secret about this book.

I wrote it twice. Once from the point of view of Lillah, the teacher and main character. Once again from the point of view of Morace, the student and other main character. You can read why over at the Angry Robot Blog. Basically, I felt Morace’s voice so strongly I wanted to tell his story as well. I also loved the idea of publishing an adult and children’s version of the same book at the same time.

Writing Walking the Tree from a second point of view helped me write the final draft of the adult version. Interesting to see things from a different perspective. It helped me see logical flaws, character inconsistencies and parts which didn’t fit. It also helped me understand both the characters better and to build Morace’s character into someone you will hopefully care about.

My son has read Morace’s Story. He was nervous at first, because I’ve told him about the sorts of things I write and he was worried it would give him nightmares.  There is some stark imagery and some frightening things, but he says he is nightmare free!

Naming Characters

How do you name your characters? Do you write the story first, using ‘protag’, as I do sometimes, then find a name which fits? Or do you plan the name beforehand?

In The Story of O, O is never named. Neither is the woman in Rebecca. I love not knowing her name in Rebecca; a brilliant decision from Daphne du Maurier. It means that Rebecca is the name we think of, Rebecca is the image we have, and the main character seems pale in comparison.

I found my notes on how I named Stephanie Searle in Slights. I knew I wanted her to admire Stalin. Stalin means ’stone’. I wanted a name starting with S, and found that Searle means armour, which seemed to match ’stone’ and gave me an idea as to what sort of character she was. Stephen means ‘crown’. I thought that worked because she is monarch in the dark room, centre of all attention.

I have two or three name books. I don’t always use them. If I’m struggling, though, I’ll seek out the meaning and match a name that way.

In Walking the Tree, all the characters are named for trees. I sat down with my 1978 Encylopedia Britannica and made a long list. I still love flicking through those books my parents bought for me when I started high school.

Aurealis Awards

The Aurealis Awards Weekend is over. I always feel so invigorated after spending time with the Spec Fic community. Lots of dinners, drinks and huge brekkies. Lots of book talk, movie talk, writer talk. Very very little ego. Lots of laughter and support.

Trudi Canavan and I did a signing at Pulp Fiction Books along with Sean Williams, Scott Westerfield and others. Brilliant bookshop, this one. Here’s Trudi and me at the table. Photo taken by Trudi, who just won her first Aurealis for Best Fantasy Novel!

“Slights” didn’t win the Best Horror Novel. That honour was taken by “Red Queen” by Honey Brown, so congrats to Honey.

The good news is that Ellen Datlow has taken “The Gaze Dogs of Nine Waterfall” for her Year’s Best Horror 2. I am totally thrilled about this. Gaze Dogs is a Fijian story, inspired by a news item in the Fiji Times talking about vampire dogs killing stock.

Free!

Angry Robot books have posted sample chapters of three books releasing in Feb. I’ve already downloaded The World House by Guy Adams, because it sounds fascinating. There’s also Edge by Thomas Blackthorne (who seems to be someone else as well) and my Walking the Tree.

I’m also reading Dead Souls, the horror anthology edited by Mark Deniz of Morrigan Books. It’s gorgeous to look at and to hold and the stories look very interesting. The only one I’ve read elsewhere is Stephanie Campisi’s “The Ringing Sound of Death on the Water Tank” and that’s a ripper. My story “The Blue Stream” is in there.

Maths

This weekend, I’m heading up to Brisbane for the Aurealis Awards. Slights is shortlisted for best horror novel.  I’ll be dressing to win, so here’s hoping!

I’ll be appearing at Pulp Fiction Bookshop in Brisbane with Trudi Canavan at 10.30 on the Saturday. Here’s the full schedule of fab authors appearing:

Trudi Canavan and Kaaron Warren at 10.30 – 11.30am

Sean Williams, Scott Westerfeld and Justine Larbalestier at 11.30am – 12.30pm

Karen Miller and Glenda Larke at 12.30 – 1.30pm

Pamela Freeman and Katie Taylor at 2.30 – 3.30pm

To take my mind off the award, I’m sorting papers as I unpack our boxes. I found a folder of early notes for Walking the Tree, when I already had the story in mind but was thinking about the themes, layers and the nitty-gritty.

There is one precious piece of paper where my brilliant mathematician friend, Phil Kilby, figured out the size of my island. In Walking the Tree, schooling consists of the children leaving their home communities at the age of 8 and walking around the tree, stopping in other communities to get to know and understand the people living there.

Given the number of days the children walk and how manyhours a day they could be expected to walk, Phil figured out that my island was approximately 772,882 km squared. Approximately equal to Turkey.

It was important to know how big the island was to give me a sense of space. at first, I thought there would be many hundreds of communities, but as I wrote, a sense of isolation came through, of separation. knowing how big the island was meant i could imagine how far apart the communities were.

Phil is not related to Steve Kilbey, an Australian musical genius. This is the Church’s “Under the Milky Way“, one of those songs guaranteed to stop conversation at parties while everyone sings quietly and reverently.

Guardian

I mention The Guardian newspaper quite often as a source of material for stories and as a form of research.

I was delighted when they published my short piece about the shops of Suva last November, and in their latest Book Podcast SF Blogger Damien Walter has mentioned my novel “Walking the Tree” as a book to watch out for this year.

Gotta love The Guardian!

I’m sorting through copies from 1993 which moved with us from Sydney, I think.

Hard to throw them out, but they now smell of possum wee from being in the shed and are becoming brittle.

Still, I have to flick through them to see if there’s anything I need to know. The articles were longer then and the world seems like a different place.

Top 3!

Chales Tan, at Bibliophile Stalker, has posted his Year’s Best. He lists Slights as one of his favourite novels! He also lists Angry Robot as the best new publisher, and I wouldn’t argue with that.

Angry Robot have just released this incredible cover for Lauren Beukes’ Zoo City:

John Picacio is the artist. A talented, charming man.

I finally sorted out the study. It was full of boxes labelled ‘odds and ends’ ‘files and folders’ and ‘papers’, but those boxes are all emptied and distributed. I now have a clear desk, where I can spread out my papers and not have to pack them up every night so we can eat dinner. Making a writer blissful is simple, really!