To whet one's appetite, here is the wraparound jacket for the book:

2011 is drawing to a close… a month left and it must be said that this year has been full of ups and downs: unfortunately more downs. Probably my least favourite year in this ten years of publishing madness – again, in awe at fellow indie presses who have families, and the occasional folk who do this for a living: it has been tough.

As a consequence of this, I cannot afford to attend the British Fantasy Society Open Night in London in two weeks – which also means Visions Fading Fast (Volume One) won't be launched at this event. It is though winging its way to the printer for a delivery date in the New Year. Initially it was decided that all 100 hardback copies would be signed by Gary McMahon (the editor) but unbeknownst to me the printer no longer inserts signing sheets (which makes things much easier on a purely logistical level for me). Therefore, only *pre-ordered* copies will be flat-signed by Gary – though all copies will be numbered.

Since I have many patient pre-orderers already (but still copies left…) of which I am extremely grateful, as I thank you to them I will post a copy of the next Pendragon chapbook free of charge.

The schedule for 2012 is yet to be finalised (yes, this may have been my least favourable year but I'm still hanging on in there… I told you this publishing lark is madness, but addictive!) but I will be posting it to the website before the year is actually out.

In other news, chapbook subscriptions are progressing well – and again very welcome – and the number of acceptances for Nasty Snips II is quite low. In fact, the number of submissions have been quite limited: remember, the closing date is end of January 2012 but if we don't receive an influx soon then it may well be extended… I'm looking at an e-anthology of thirty-something stories.

As always, a big thank you to all past and present customers – it is because of good honest folk such has yourself (who don't scream and shout asking where their book is…) that I continue onwards trying to get good writers out there into the open. I've now written that line, and this has crept into my mind: Matt Monro – Born Free.

Before I descend into more schmultz, hope you all have a happy Christmas/holiday and remember: a book is for life, not just an electronic file.

In other news, I am looking at my schedule for FantasyCon and decided to push-back the publication of Visions Fading Fast to December to coincide with the annual Open Night in London – in the meantime, I will be readying three more chapbooks for publication in Brighton: The Joy of Technology by Roy Gray, Isabel Jane by Catherine Dale and Allegro by Clifford Royal Johns.

Lastly, David has pointed me in the direction of a rather welcome review of popCult! by Paul Magrs:

I’ll just urge you to seek it out from Pendragon press. It’s like anthony Burgess teaming up with the Mighty Boosh to write a science fiction thriller.

In other news, Kingston to Cable is at the printers – and thanks to Gary Greenwood, a typo on the back cover was spotted in the nick o'time – and Gary McMahon has delivered the stories for Visions Fading Fast: Volume One.

Oooooh, an exciting time ahead!

In addition, a review by Nathaniel Tapley of In the Gloaming who rather liked We Fade to Grey:

"The collection as a whole feels, in the best possible way, grim. No one gets out of it alive. Or at least, if they do, they’re bleeding heavily. . . This is British horror, and a great book, from an exciting small press."

And, another review of We Fade to Grey from Matthew Fryer:

"[S]ets the bar high from the off and doesn’t pause for breath. . . All five authors weave genuine human pathos with blood and don’t then go and spoil everything with a happy ending. Brilliant. Grab one while you can."

(. . . and it is also available has a limited edition, signed by all contributors.)

The wonderful artwork for this first volume is by Tomislav Tikulin:

With a publication date of this Summer, we expect the hardcover to sell out very quickly; of course, the paperback edition will be around forever and a day… the second volume should be out in time for FantasyCon in October.

(On a purely personal level, very interested in this anthology since it would mark the tenth anniversary – or so – since I've published a story by Kaaron Warren, the first time being Nasty Snips… all pre-orders of the hardcover edition will receive a free copy of Nasty Snips!)

Feral Companions can now be yours for the low price of £9.99 – that's a signed, limited PPC hardback from Simon Maginn and Gary Fry!

New Writings in the Fantastic edited by John Grant, a huge paperback anthology of sf, fantasy and horror, and yours for £7.99 – 400 pages!

We Fade to Grey edited by Gary McMahon, the limited PPC hardcover signed by all contributors, and yours for £9.99!

Do I need to say any more? Well, apart from the fact that I need to make room and to do that you need to give up some of your shelf space… go on…

If this is the standard of work, then I foresee a string a books with a Neil Williams' credit.

Again, you can pre-order this for just £3… or, if you'd like to order a copy of the limited hardback of We Fade to Grey (which features Simon's Ellen Datlow-selected story "The Narrows") then you will receive a copy gratis!

In addition, anyone who orders a copy of New Writings in the Fantastic, will also receive a free copy of Toiya Kristen Finlay's chapbook.

The schedule at the moment looks like this:

The long-awaited release of Gary Greenwood's Kingston to Cable, which Mr Greenwood has been waiting for as long as Hadrian to see; popCult! by David Barnett, a novel due at Eastercon; Volume One of Visions Fading Fast, the second anthology edited by Gary McMahon and features stories from Reggie Oliver, Kaaron Warren, Paul Meloy, Joel Lane and Nathan Bellingrud (Volume Two will appear later in the year); To Usher the Dead, a collection of Thomas Usher tales from that man McMahon; and,  Fade-Out by Gavin Salisbury.

In addition, I will continue to slot in a number of chapbooks… so, if you want to be in a with a chance then sign up to the mailing list and wait for that e-mail over the Christmas period!

In other news, I've signed up to attend Eastercon next year along with World Horror in Austin (of which there will be a significant development…) and FantasyCon of course – but that goes without saying.

2010 it must be said has been a pretty rough year, but then just about everyone has suffered so it's not just me; in all honesty, I came very close to shutting up shop a month or so ago, but managed to secure some funding to at least help Pendragon hobble along. It also helped that dealers and customers have remained loyal which proves one that: there are readers out there, and they at least want to read the books which emerge from the Pendragon roster.

2010 also marks the tenth anniversary of being involved in the small press, though not continuously. I was hoping to at least be part-time by now, but then I have always been rather naive and rather dysfunctional when it comes to business and financial matters. I think what mostly matters is that Pendragon at least survives, just to put out great pieces of fiction to a growing number of customers. No-one is going to get rich, or employed for that matter in writing in the small press, but if what the books do make cover their expenses and royalty payments well I cannot really complain; I'll continue to chain myself to this 'ere 'puter during the day and work the night-shift.

2011 and 2012? Who knows… apart from a bloody good list of authors and stories of course.

Have fun over the festive period, and remember to keep an eye out in your inbox… it could be you, and you too.

March (World Horror Brighton)
"MaginnFry" – Untitled Double-Novella Collection by Simon Maginn and Gary Fry
(illustrated by Simon Strantzas)

Easter (EasterCon)
Silversands by Gareth Powell
(illustrated by Vincent Chong)

Late Summer (FantasyCon)
To Usher the Dead by Gary McMahon
(illustrator to be confirmed)
Kingston to Cable by Gary Greenwood
(illustrated by Darius Hinks)

End of Year (Christmas BFS Open Night)
popCult! by David Barnett
(illustrated by Darius Hinks)

Depending on funds and timing, there could be another novella squeezed into the schedule but there will be at least two issues of Triquorum, so plenty of good reading material to experience.