And the winner is…

Three weeks ago we ran a competition to name a new science fiction imprint we will be setting up in the next year or so, for which we received a lot of entries amongst which were some truly brilliant suggestions. Unfortunately, as great as they were (which made choosing one extremely difficult), there could only be one winner and one runner-up. So, in reverse order as is customary, the runner up was:

KATE PROBERT with Distant Earth (inspired by Arthur C. Clarke).

Congratulations – Kate wins a signed copy of the very publication to be issued under the new imprint.

The grand prize winner though is JAY EALES (who wins all the imprint’s output as it gets published) with:

rEvolution SF

This perfectly encapsulates the aims and ambitions of the new line: fiction which provokes a response – cutting edge, adventurous, arcane, challenging, boundary-pushing, and genre-busting. Fiction that ventures into unexpected areas, and delves into places not traditionally associated with science fiction. Thinking people’s science fiction – in other words, the EVOLUTION of science fiction through REVOLUTIONary literature.

Well done and congratulations to Jay!

NEWS

“VURT” by Jeff Noon

And, in further rEvolution SF news, we are proud to announce that sci-fi alumni Jeff Noon (Vurt, Pollen, Automating Alice) will be the first author published by the imprint. Expect it within the next 12 months. 

Something a little different…

 

As is often said, “From small acorns do great trees grow…” and our esteemed chief editor and publisher Simon Marshall-Jones took that to heart. As a collector of diecast vintage commercial vehicles from the years 1900 – 1970, the promotional item pictured above was a natural choice – although, disappointingly, no vintage vehicle models were available to customise. Instead, however, we have this DAF Turbo artic instead in 1:87th scale, which is still verily imposing. We all have to start somewhere…

Many thanks to Taff of Oxford Diecast Models for sending me in the right direction – and thanks also to Tony Graham of Code 3 Models for producing the model. Now, next step is to make the real thing happen – now that WOULD be imposing…

Shirley Jackson Awards: three nominations

Spectral Book of Horror Stories, edited by Mark Morris – ©2014 respective individual authors/Spectral Press. Artwork ©2014 Vincent Chong

It is with immense, nay ECSTATIC, pleasure that we can announce that The Spectral Book of Horror Stories has been nominated in three categories in the extremely prestigious Shirley Jackson Awards 2014, named after the writer who brought us the classics The Haunting of Hill House (brilliantly brought to the big screen as The Haunting by Robert Wise in 1963), We have Always Lived in the Castle, and the short story ‘The Lottery’. The nominations are:

The Spectral Book of Horror Stories, edited by Mark Morris, BEST ANTHOLOGY
‘The Dog’s Home’ by Alison Littlewood, BEST SHORT FICTION
‘Newspaper Heart’ by Stephen Volk, BEST NOVELETTE

The awards ceremony will be held at Readercon on July 12th, at the Burlington Marriott, Burlington, Massachusetts.

The rest of the nominees can be seen HERE.

Congratulations to all concerned, and the best of luck to all the nominees!

THE SPECTRAL BOOK OF HORROR STORIES VOL 1

THE SPECTRAL BOOK OF HORROR STORIES vol 2 edited by Mark Morris

Spectral Book of Horror Stories 2, edited by Mark Morris – ©2015 respective individual authors/Spectral Press. Artwork ©2015 Vincent Chong

Volume 2 in the annual anthology series is coming along well too – once again edited by the inestimable Mark Morris and featuring cover artwork by Vincent Chong, this is guaranteed to follow in the magnificent steps of its predecessor. You can also pre-order a copy on the buttons bleow

THE SPECTRAL BOOK OF HORROR STORIES vol 2 – PRICES INCLUDE POSTAGE!

Cover reveal: Spectral Book of Horror Stories 2

Spectral Book of Horror Stories 2, edited by Mark Morris – ©2015 respective individual authors/Spectral Press. Artwork ©2015 Vincent Chong

Vincent Chong has done it again – he’s provided the absolutely stunning artwork (see above) for the cover to the 2nd Spectral Book of Horror Stories, edited once again by Mark Morris. And in about three or four months we should be able to reveal who has made it into the second edition of this prestigious annual horror anthology. In the meantime, you can preorder your copy right now. Even better, if you’re going to FantasyCon 2015 in Nottingham in October then you get pay for your copy now (saving postage) and get it signed at the convention.

It’s going to be one hell of a tasty selection!

 

The inaugural Spectral Book of Horror Stories is still available to purchase.

Spectral Book of Horror Stories, edited by Mark Morris – ©2014 respective individual authors/Spectral Press. Artwork ©2014 Vincent Chong

 

Special offer: Leytonstone, Albion Fay, & The Bureau of Them

All three of the titles mentioned in the heading will be launched at Edge-Lit 4 this year in Derby, UK on July 11th, where the authors will be in attendance to sign copies. But we here at Chateau Spectrale like to share the love around, and so we have decided to make all three limited hardbacks available as a package at a special price for a limited time (until the end of the month). All prices include postage to the respective regions of the globe.

LEYTONSTONE by Stephen Volk

“Leytonstone” ©Stephen Volk/Spectral Press 2014. Artwork ©Ben Baldwin 2014

One evening in 1906 a chubby little boy of seven, son of a London greengrocer, is taken by his father to visit the local police station.

There he suddenly finds himself, inexplicably, locked up for a crime he hasn’t committed – or has he? Blinking into sunlight, traumatized by his overnight stay, he is told by his father the next morning: “Now you know what happens to naughty little boys!” But the incident is the catalyst for a series of events that will scar, and create, the world’s leading Master of Terror in the century to come…

*
The boy is Alfred Hitchcock.

ALBION FAY by Mark Morris

Albio Fay ©2014 Mark Morris/Spectral Press. Artwork ©2014 Ben Baldwin

Albion Fay, a holiday house in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by nature’s bounty. For the adults, a time for relaxation and to recharge the batteries, while for the children, a chance for exploration and adventure in the English countryside. A happy time for all: nothing could possibly go wrong. Or could it? What should be a magical time ends in tragedy – but what really happened that summer?

THE BUREAU OF THEM by Cate Gardner

You’re not the first to talk to your dead here, the vagrant said. The living always chase after their dead until they come upon their own.

Formed from shadow and dust, ghosts inhabit the abandoned office building, angry at the world that denies them. When Katy sees her deceased boyfriend in the window of the derelict building, she finds a way in, hoping to be reunited. Instead, the dead ignore, the dead do not see and only the monster that is Yarker Ryland has need of her there.

ALL PRICES INCLUSIVE OF P+P

£50UK (Normally £63 incl. p+p)

£60EU (Normally £72 incl. of p+p)

;

$120US & RoW (Normally $150 incl. of p+p)

SBoHS 1 – DLS Review

Spectral Book of Horror Stories, edited by Mark Morris – ©2014 respective individual authors/Spectral Press. Artwork ©2014 Vincent Chong

Reviews are still coming in of the debut volume of The Spectral Book of Horror Stories edited by Mark Morris – case in point is this latest one from DLS reviews, written by Chris Hall – hop over to the site by clicking HERE to read his verdict.

THE SPECTRAL BOOK OF HORROR STORIES – PRICES INCLUDE POSTAGE!

£12.50 UK

£15 EU

$30 US & RoW

Don’t forget that the second volume, which Mark is working on at the moment, will be with us later this year – you can preorder that one below (and there’s also a special preorder option for those attending Fantasy Con 2015 in Nottingham – save on postage!).

THE SPECTRAL BOOK OF HORROR STORIES vol 2 PREORDER – PRICES INCLUDE POSTAGE!

£12.50 UK

£15 EU

$30 US & RoW

FANTASYCON 2015 PREORDERS

If you’re going to be attending FantasyCon 2015 this year in Nottingham, UK, where this book will be launched, then why not take advantage of this offer of preordering your copy and then picking it up at the event? Overseas visitors can save postage and spend what they’ve saved on books and beer! 

£10UK & EU

$15US & RoW

Aurealis Awards 2015

Aurealis Awards: “Home and Hearth’ ©2014-2015 Angela Slatter/Spectral Press

See that photo above? That has brought BIG smiles to us here at Chateau Spectrale, as well as a huge boost – Angela Slatter’s Spectral chapbook Home and Hearth won in the ‘Best Horror Short Story’ category at this year’s Aurealis Awards, which were presented last weekend in a glittering ceremony in Canberra. It just goes to show that quality will always win out.

We must thank Angela for sending us the story in the first place, and trusting us with it. Plus, we must also thank the illustrious Neil Williams for providing such an atmospheric cover for it.

Onwards and upwards!!

Home and Hearth © Angela Slater/Spectral Press. Artwork © Neil Williams 2014

Darker Terrors full contents list

‘Into the Fire’ by Les Edwards ©2014

‘Very creepy stuff!’

—John Landis, director of American Werewolf in London

and Michael Jackson’s Thriller

This is the moment you have been waiting for – the full contents list for the Darker Terrors: A Best of Dark Terrors volume coming this October from Spectral Press. Quiver in delicious anticipation at this TOC:

Foreword – Stephen Jones

More Tomorrow –Michael Marshall Smith
I’ve Come to Talk with You Again  – Karl Edward Wagner
A Really Game Boy – Brian Lumley
To This Water – Caitlin R Kiernan
The Museum on Cyclops Avenue – Harlan Ellison
Free Dirt – Ray Bradbury
Self Made Man – Poppy Z. Brite
The Wedding Present – Neil Gaiman
Family History – Stephen Baxter
Inside the Cackle Factory – Dennis Etchison
My Pathology – Lisa Tuttle
At Home in the Pubs of Old London – Christopher Fowler
Barking Sands – Richard Christian Matheson
Destroyer of Worlds – Gwyneth Jones
The Retrospective – Ramsey Campbell
The Two Sams – Glen Hirshberg
The Prospect Cards – Don Tumasonis

Afterword – David A. Sutton
Appendix: Index to Dark Terrors

 

 

Whitstable & Leytonstone: a review

Nancy Scuri talks briefly about both books on her Ink-stained Life blog – which you can access right HERE.

In the meantime, here’s another special offer for you – order both books and save money! All prices include postage and packing.

LEYTONSTONE HB + WHITSTABLE PB

£25UK

£28EU

$46US & RoW

LEYTONSTONE PB + WHITSTABLE PB

£17.50UK

£19EU

$36US & RoW

Spectral Book of Horror Stories 2: pre-orders

Spectral Book of Horror Stories, edited by Mark Morris – ©2014 respective individual authors/Spectral Press. Artwork ©2014 Vincent Chong

Mark Morris, editor of this annual anthology, has received over 600 submissions for this already, and the deadline isn’t until June 30th. We have a feeling that this is going to be a good one, more than following the high standard set by the first volume. Even though it’s not available until October this year, given the popularity of the inaugural edition we are putting it on pre-order now for those who would like to secure a copy ahead of time. The prices will be exactly the same as last year. Also, like the first volume, the cover will be by the award-winning Vincent Chong, whose artistic kung-fu is legendary (see his cover for the the first one above).

THE SPECTRAL BOOK OF HORROR STORIES vol 2 – PRICES INCLUDE POSTAGE!

£12.50 UK

£15 EU

$30 US & RoW

FANTASYCON 2015 PREORDERS

If you’re going to be attending FantasyCon 2015 this year in Nottingham, UK, where this book will be launched, then why not take advantage of this offer of preordering your copy and then picking it up at the event? Overseas visitors can save postage and spend what they’ve saved on books and beer! 

£10UK & EU

$15US & RoW