If you’ve visited this blog before, you might remember that I’ve been writing a bunch of weird short stories on the theme of bequests and inheritances. I wrote about it back in 2023 while the idea was still coalescing and since then it’s turned into a pretty fertile source of inspiration. The stories have done pretty well and been published in some really cool places. In addition, The Salted Bones (first published in Black Static) was republished in last year’s Best Horror of the Year and A Little Seasoning (Interzone Digital) was shortlisted for the BSFA award for short fiction. It’s been a neat wee project.
I love the horror and dark fantasy community. There are so many dedicated, inspiring editors out there willing to take a chance on your weirdness (and I do like my weirdness). So, the closure of Black Static magazine was a massive loss. Generally, and personally. If there was one editor I always felt ‘got’ my darker, stranger stories, it was TTA’s Andy Cox. Right from the off, publishing my second ever story way back in issue 2 of The Third Alternative magazine, I always knew Andy would have the best chance of seeing what I was seeing, even if he didn’t always buy the stories, and I’d hoped to hit him up with more of my bequests pieces. But then it was gone.
Fast forward to last autumn and I was proper chuffed when Andy got in touch to say he was thinking of starting up something new. Did I have something I could send him? Well, as it happened, of course I did.
So that’s the story of how issue 1 of Remains came to contain Her Little Ray Of Sunshine. Set in Aberdeen in the winter, this is a story about darkness and light, and a poke at toxic masculinity at its absolute grubbiest. As you can see, artist Richard Wagner (who illustrates Remains beautifully from the front cover to the last page) really captured the repellent self-pity at the heart of the story. I’m so pleased Andy is back on the scene, and to have the chance to team up with him again.
But wait, there’s more…
Back when I realised this bequests idea had mileage I started to wonder whether there might be a possibility of putting them out as a collection. Well… turns out there’s more than a possibility. It’s happening. And I’m absolutely beside myself to be able to say that the publisher will be the OG British boutique horror purveyor, PS Publishing. They were the first name on my wish list and I can’t wait to start pulling this book together with them.
Pub date is likely to be 2026 sometime, but that and other minor details (like a title and what stories will be in it) are yet to be confirmed. There will definitely be several previously unpublished stories in there though.
Check back for details.
ayeahmur 