New Books

Found myself in the pub last night with various writery types discussing the rise of e-books and our fears for the diminishment of traditional publishing. The subject came up because one of our number has decided to open up an independent book shop and another is to run it for him, and they were tossing […]

Support Our Zines Day

October 1st = Support Our Zines Day, an initiative…um, initiated…by Damien G Walter, and one of which I wholeheartedly approve. I love fiction zines. I fell in love with Interzone in the mid-late 80s and used to read tons of the UK small press mags that flourished during the 90s, but I while still keep […]

Direct Marketing

Two or three interesting blog entries in the last 24 hrs on the subject of connecting creative types directly with their audience. The first, from Amanda Palmer, is a stand-making shout out to the effect that she is pioneering a new model, combining her effervescent web presence with paypal to make money that goes directly […]

No NAF but Pomplamoose

No NAF today, cos I didn’t get out at lunchtime. But that’s okay because it allows me to drop in quick plug for a band I discovered via Chris Roberson’s twitter feed. They’re called Pomplamoose, they’re from California and when I get home I’m going to buy everything they’ve recorded for $9. It’s not just […]

Last Drink Bird Head

Question What do Peter Straub, Caitlin R. Kiernan, Brian Evenson, Henry Kaiser, Gene Wolfe, Hal Duncan, Jeffrey Ford, Rikki Ducornet, Holly Phillips, Stephen R. Donaldson, K.J. Bishop, Michael Swanwick, Ellen Kushner, Daniel Abraham, Jay Lake, Liz Williams, Tanith Lee, Sarah Monette, Conrad Williams, Marly Youmans and sixty odd other contributors have in common? Answer They […]

A Word About Stories

It occurred to me this morning, in a dull flash of latent stupidity, that I’ve not done a terrible amount to point visitors to stories of mine that can be found lying around the web. These were all fanfared when they were first posted, of course, but time has seen the links trampled into the […]

A Grand Weekend, And A Well-timed Shot In The Arm

I’ve been going to conventions a long time now, certainly long enough to have the occasional bum one. The event that you turn up to feeling out of sorts and where you never manage to engage with the event. Where you linger on the periphery while everyone else is having a ball or trawl the […]

NAF: FOL CHEN / Part I: John Shade, Your Fortune’s Made

I like Thursday night gigs. If you’re lucky and the bands are good and there’s a merch table, it means new music to listen to on a Friday while the live performance, the personality of the band is still fresh in your mind. Last night found me at Sleazies to watch the always excellent 2storeys. […]

NAF : TESCO CHAINSTORE MASCARA / Good Foundations

After a bit of a break – small fanfare on a child’s plastic trumpet – the return of New Album Friday! Feeling a bit jaded this morning after two nights out in a row. A little crusty, a little crunchy, can’t quite get rid of the aftertaste of bubblegum and beer. Generally out of sorts. […]

Catch up

A general newsy catchy-upy sorta thing (sorry, Jim): Had a braw time at the Glasgow Cabaret Festival in June. Fabulous acts, great company, wonderful nights out. Had a just-as-braw-but-in-a-different-way time holidaying in North Ireland a couple of weeks ago. First few days were spent in a charming converted station halt up on the North Coast. […]