Muhahahaha!

I love October. The air is that perfect sleeping temperature. Darkness reigns long, but not so long it causes depression. The breeze holds the promise of change..and just the slightest taste of decay. And I love Halloween most of all.

Christmas is nice, but has become so stressful. My birthday is fine, but there's a reaper pointing at a watch every time it rolls around.

All Hallow's Eve though, is magic. Kids love it, adults love it, no stress and all joy. No need to even decorate, throw some candy in a bucket and you're part of the fun.

I was always Zorro or Darth Vader growing up, both my heroes and villains had to be guys dressed in black swinging a sword around (I'm partial to ninjas as well). These days I'm too big around the gut to do them justice, but I do fine as a shambling zombie. The picture above is my new wallpaper; it's The Headless Horseman Pursuing Ichabod Crane (1858) by John Quidor

Honorable Mention

Stewart Sternberg and I had our names mentioned a couple of times in The Year's Best Fantasy and Horror. We were both given honorable mentions for our stories in High Seas Cthulhu. Other writers in the anthology whose work interested editor Ellen Datlow were: Matthew Baugh, Tim Curran, John Shire, and Lee Clark Zumpe. Congratulations to everyone involved.

Black Glass

I recently copy edited John Shirley's latest cyberpunk novel Black Glass for Elder Signs Press. I haven't had a good dose of 'punk in a while and this one delivers the goods. Bleeding edge tech; a corrupt, dystopian society; balls-out, in your face attitude; and crisp, tear through the chapters writing.

Here's the back copy, for those interested in the storyline:

Taking the fall for his younger brother, Richard Candle went from being cyber cop to condemned criminal. After four years of UnMinding–, his mind suppressed, his body enslaved–he’s released to discover his brother has slipped back into the underworld of the V-Rat, the virtual reality addict.

Meanwhile, Candle’s harried by the murderous Grist, the head of the world’s biggest multinational. But his real enemy is something else: a conscious program, the Multisemblant, a meld of copied personalities, the dark side of five powerful people, with its own brutal agenda.

Human society is sinking ever deeper a mire of escapism–but Richard Candle, looking for his missing brother, fights his way through the real world of underground stock markets, flying guns, the trash-walled labyrinth of Rooftown and the fringe of the fringe….

My ConClave 33 Experience

I had a wonderful time at ConClave 33, both watching the other panelists and speaking on a few of my own. The RPG panel flew by, the Lovecraft panel was fun, but I really liked being on the zombie panel, it seemed to have the most give and take with the audience. Rick Moore astounded me with the skill evinced during his panels, I aspire to one day work a room like him, truly a marvel to behold. William Jones was informative and enjoyable to listen to as always, and Stewart Sternberg-taking the dais for the first time-was charismatic and knowledgeable.

The guiltiest pleasure, I must confess, was listening to the "writers widows" panel, in which Deborah Jones and two other writer's wives dished on the inner lives of their spouses. I cannot relate the sidesplittingly funny things revealed that evening because I was sworn to secrecy...well, actually, I was threatened with acts so heinous they bordered on crimes against humanity. Funny, funny stuff.

Kudos to Jody Harrow, Freon and the other unsung heroes behind the scenes who made this such a wonderful evening.