Tag Archives: James Reasoner

Report on Armadillocon 39

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(i. to r.) Bill Crider, Joe Lansdale, Scott Cupp, William Browning Spencer on Telling Tall Tales

I’m somewhat tardy in getting this written, but I’ve been focusing on fiction writing this week.  Last weekend I attended Armadillocon 39.  It was something of a last minute decision. I had a choice, either go to Armadillocon or go to prison (cuz I was gonna go postal and kill somebody). As I have no aspirations to end up as some lifer’s wife, I chose the former rather than the latter.

The headliners (with one exception) weren’t a draw for me this year, although I did have a brief conversation with the GoH, Nisi Shawl. I found her to be a very nice lady, and I enjoyed my interaction with her. Otherwise I hung around with friends and went to some panels on writing. Continue reading →

Two Stories From “Tales From the Otherverse” Nominated for the Sidewise Award

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Tales From The Otherverse webJames Reasoner announced earlier today that two of the stories from his anthology Tales From the Otherverse have been nominated for the Sidewise Award.  I had the privilege of having a story accepted for that anthology, and no, mine isn’t one of the nominees.

The stories are “The Hero of Deadwood” by James Reasoner, and “It Doesn’t Matter Anymore” by Bill Crider.  If you haven’t read them, you should.  They’re both top notch.  The entire anthology is.  (I’m speaking of the other stories; modesty prevents me fromo commenting on my own work.)  And that’s not just my opinion.  Tales From the Otherverse was the only publication to have more than one story on the short list.  So congratulations to James and Bill on their fine work and congratulations to James on editing such a outstanding anthology.

Details about the Sidewise Awards can be found here.  The winners will be announced at this year’s Worldcon, MidAmeriCon II, this August.

Announcing Rocket’s Red Glare

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I got permission a few minutes ago to announce I’m going to be in another anthology from Rough Edges Press.  This one is a space opera anthology entitled Rocket’s Red Glare.  James Reasoner is the editor.  The release date hasn’t been set yet, but it will be out sometime later this year.  I don’t have a cover image to post yet; as soon as I do, I’ll post it here.  I’ve seen a couple of different preliminary covers, and they all looked awesome.

Rough Edges Press is the publisher of Weird Menace Volumes 1 and 2 and Tales From the Otherverse.  If you’ve read them, you know James puts together some good anthologies.

I don’t know anything about the other stories.  My story kept growing, and James said he thought I should write more in this universe.  I’m going to be working out a future history.  My story has two segments that take place over a century apart.  There are a lot of events before, between, and after that I can fill in.  This could be a lot of fun.

Tales from the Otherverse Now Available

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Tales From The Otherverse webTales from the Otherverse went live today.  It’s available in paper format from Amazon for $9.99 and in electronic format from Amazon and Smashwords for $3.99.

I’m excited to be included in this anthology.  The other authors are an impressive lineup.  I’ve only read Robert Vardeman’s story,  and ti was a blast.  I’m looking forward to diving into this one over the holidays.

Tales From the Otherverse Announced Today

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Tales From The Otherverse webRough Edges Press announced their next anthology earlier today.  I’m announcing it here because I’m included in it and am not above a little shameless self-promotion.  Tales From the Otherverse is an unthemed anthology of alternate history stories, meaning they don’t all deal with the same concept, such as Carthage defeating Rome or the Spanish Armada reaching England or Dewey actually defeating Truman.  I don’t know anything about the other stories (with one possible exception), but looking at the lineup, I’m humbled to be included in that group.  I’m also impressed with some of the company I’m in.  There is at least one person who hits the bestseller lists and at least one who is a multiple award nominee (multiple nominations for mulitple awards).

I said there was one possible exception to my statement that I didn’t know anything about the other stories.  I may have heard one of the authors read their story at a convention early in the year.  I know I heard one of them read a story that would fit this anthology, and I really hope it’s in here because it was awesome.  Since I don’t know the titles of any story but mine, I can’t be sure.

Anyway, setting my ego aside, I would encourage you to check this book out.  There are some top-notch authors in this anthology.  Rough Edges Press puts out some good books.  I’ll let you know when I get a publication date.

Weird Menace Volume 2 Now Available

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Weird Menace 2 WebI know some of you bought Weird Menace Volume 1 when it went on sale a few weeks ago.  (Thank you!)  Well, the second volume is now available in both electronic and print editions. It’s a fine companion to the first volume.  And remember, the set makes a fine Christmas gift!

Here’s the announcement Rough Edges Press publisher James Reasoner posted last night:

The Shudder Pulps are back! In fact, it’s like they never left in this second great collection of new stories inspired by the classic Weird Menace magazines such as DIME MYSTERY and TERROR TALES. Those pulps may have ended in the early 1940s, but some of today’s top authors give us the same sort of pulse-pounding, spine-chilling tales they might have published if they had stayed around.

World War II casts its looming shadow in Mel Odom’s “The Spider-God of Nauru!”

Hell comes to a tropical paradise in Keith Chapman’s “Lust of the Cave Spirit”.

American GIs encounter a horror unlike any they ever expected in Michael Bracken’s “Attack of the Nazi Snow Warriors”.

Weird Menace mixes with hardboiled detective thrills in Paul Dellinger’s “Ghost Writer”.

The protagonist of John McCallum Swain’s “The Hades Mechanism” confronts a legendary, undying evil.

And Ray Lovato’s popular character Doc Atlas returns to face a new challenge in “Howl of the Werewolf”!

These action-packed stories are sure to entertain. Editor James Reasoner and Rough Edges Press are proud to present WEIRD MENACE VOLUME 2!

Weird Menace Volume 1 Now For Sale

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Weird Menace 1 aJames Reasoner announced this morning that Weird Menace Volume 1 is now for sale.  Electronic copies are $2.99 and paper copies are $9.99.  Volume 2 will follow soon.  Look for an announcement here when it does.

Here’s an excerpt from the introduction along with the table of contents.

The Weird Menace pulps flourished for less than a decade, from the mid-1930s to the early ’40s, but while they were popular, they delivered adventure, excitement, and spine-tingling thrills in quantities rarely seen before or since. Mad scientists, deranged henchmen, damsels in distress, and stalwart heroes raced through their pages in breathless, over-the-top, never-ending action. A good Weird Menace yarn really is just one damned thing after another.

Rough Edges Press asked some of today’s best authors of popular fiction to write Weird Menace stories, and they delivered. Settle back and let us spin a few yarns for you…

But keep an eye out behind you. You never know when something might be sneaking up on you.

Stories in this volume include:
“Bodies for the Brain Butcher” by John C. Hocking
“A Night on Madhouse Mountain” by Bill Crider
“The Curse of the Monster Makers!” by Scott Dennis Parker
“Farmhouse of the Dead” by Keith West
“The Hideous Blood Ray” by Robert E. Vardeman
“Blood Treasure for Satan’s Buccaneers” by James Reasoner

Weird Menace Volume 2 is Coming

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Weird Menace 2 WebI’m not in this one, but if you’re interested in Volume 1, I suspect you’ll want to know about Volume 2 as well.

Here’s the Table of Contents:

“The Spider-God of Nauru!” by Mel Odom
“Lust of the Cave Spirit” by Keith Chapman
“Attack of the Nazi Snow Warriors” by Michael Bracken
“Ghost Writer” by Paul Dellinger
“The Hades Mechanism” by John McCallum Swain
“Howl of the Werewolf” by Ray Lovato

Unlike the first volume of Weird Menace, which contains period pieces, these are the type of story the weird menace pulps would likely have published had they continued past the early 1940s.

I’ll post a publication date when one becomes available.

Weird Menace Volume 1 is Coming!

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Weird Menace 1 aI am very pleased to announce that Weird Menace Volume 1 will be published sometime in the next few weeks.  (I’ll let you know the exact date when I know.)

You can see from the cover to the right that it will contain stories by James Reasoner, Bill Crider, John C. Hocking, Robert E. Vardeman, Scott Dennis Parker, and…er…ahem…Your Intrepid Blogger.

Here’s the ToC: Continue reading →

Weird Menace Anthology Open for Submissions

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dime_mystery_193409There was a discussion on James Reasoner’s blog yesterday that he may come to regret, but I certainly hope not.  He was featuring Dime Mystery Magazine, which was one of the top weird menace pulps back in the 1930s.  The September 1934 issue, which is shown on the left.  James said he’d considered doing a weird menace anthology for Rough Edges Press.  Several rabble-rousers, myself included, urged him on.  Any resemblance to the crowd chanting for the guy on the ledge to jump is a product of your warped imagination.

Well, James has taken our advice, and we hope he doesn’t live to regret it.  He sent out an announcement today for the anthology.  Some of you should seriously consider submitting to it.  You know who you are.  I’m going to try to get something ready.  Click the Read More tag for the announcement. Continue reading →