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.)

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.

I heard this morning from Ellen Datlow. She's selected "The Narrows" for her Best Horror of the Year 2008 anthology.

Just scroll down a little and you can read said novelette/novella (which is also one of three long-listed in the novella category for the British Fantasy Award).

:))

Well, it didn't work… so I took each individual novella and converted them individually to Issuu:

Heads

The Mill

The Narrows

These files will be deleted once voting is completed. Enjoy. :)

Best Anthology
We Fade to Grey, ed. Gary McMahon

The PS Small Press Award
Pendragon Press

Best Novella
Heads by Gary McMahon
The Mill by Mark West
The Narrows by Simon Bestwick
(all from We Fade to Grey)

Slightly disappointed that The Reef didn't make the list, but there's still time for a quick nomination before the short-list is announced. Not that I'm hedging my bets, of course…

Anyway, whatever the result, I shall still be in Nottingham in September for FantasyCon: will you?

EDIT: Right click and save the following link to download a special edition of the three novellas within We Fade to Grey that are eligible for the award. This file will be available now until the voting closes – enjoy, and don't forget that these stories are protected by copyright.

Also, as an aside, if any member of the BFS Committee are reading this… can I suggest Mark Charan Newton has a possible contender for this year's Sydney J Bound Best Newcomer award?

Good luck to all on the list…. :)

Therefore, in an attempt at self-promotion, the following Pendragon titles are eligible for recommendation:

Best Novel (the August Derleth Award)
The Reef by Mark Charan Newton

Best Short Fiction
Late Runners by Gary McMahon
Nothing is Forever by Stuart Young

Best Novella
Gingerbread by Paul Finch and Brian Finch
The Mill by Mark West
Heads by Gary McMahon
Bliss by Stuart Young
The Narrows by Simon Bestwick
The Pumping Station by Paul Finch

Best Anthology
We Fade to Grey ed. Gary McMahon
Gingerbread: The Fantasy2008 Pendragon Sampler ed. Christopher C Teague

Best Artist
Darius Hicks
Mark West

Best Small Press
*cough*

Looking at this list, it does seem like I'm a fully paid-up member of the Finch/McMahon/Young fan-club but hey! I can't help but use writers I like. :)

Anyway, I'd be pretty damn ecstatic if The Reef and We Fade to Grey win their respective awards… but the field is pretty damn open this year…

In other news, visited the Big Smoke earlier this month for the BFS Christmas Open Night and had a blast – as usual; took a couple of shots, though not a lot since I neglected to bring any spare batteries:

Also met a few bods from the SFX Forum which was an unexpected surprise.

Anyway, enough for now… have a splendid festivities – regardless of your indoctrination – and I shall see you back you in January with Triquorum all rearing to go…

This rather spiffing review of We Fade to Grey – which I hasten to add was from a purchased copy – has given me the impetus to offer the following:

Anyone who orders a copy of the hardback from now until last post for Christmas will also receive a free "subscription" to the first three chapbooks within the relaunched Triquorum series next year.

The three in question are, and all published in February:

The Red House by David J Thacker: a 13,500 word dark fantasy on a past childhood between three friends and a secret they share… this is this author's first ever story acceptance (he's since placed a story in the recent SFX magazine competition book), and if I do say so myself he's a talent to watch – very Graham Joyce-like, the fusing of a mainstream story with a fantastical edge.

Allegro by Clifford Royal Johns: an sf tale of 13,700 words where the entire population have a great turn of speed.

"Cross the River" by Jeff Crook: a 16,000 word supernatural tale concerning a group of American Civil War re-enactors.

… back to a digression: Cape Fear – Martin Scorcese's remake of the Mitchum/Peck original – it has been ages since I last watched it but picked up the dvd for a bargain price on Friday and it is just superb: to my shame I've not watched the original, but De Niro would take some beating as Max Cady.

The ironic thing I noticed with Scorcese's version is the fact that it almost looks like it was directed by Hitchcock, compounded by Bernstein's adaptation of Herrmann's original score, yet the original was directed by J Lee Thompson – not Hitchcock.

(Being a bit of a film geek there is another tenuous Hitchcock link – not the Saul Bass credit sequence or Bernard Herrman: the first to guess it by 1st December will also receive any other Pendragon book, if they order the hardback of We Fade to Grey).

Copies of both the hardback and paperback edition will be on sale, and there will also be an open bar (a finite amount of cash will be set aside, so be quick…) The authors will be on hand to sign your paperback copy (the hardback having been previously signed and numbered by all) and somehow we'll fill the forty-five minute slot…

Also, Mr John Grant will also be in attendance on the weekend, hopefully to pick up the Best Anthology gong for New Writings in the Fantastic – fingers crossed.

In addition, I've produced a small but perfectly formed chapbook of three stories especially for the Convention that features a novelette by Paul Finch and Brian Finch, along with two tales from Stuart Young and Gary McMahon. Strictly limited to 50 lucky convention goers finding a copy in their goodie bag.

Anyway, that's it for now.