Over at Horrorscope there is a best horror in 2007 list and, because of course it is, 26lies is on the list.
It is a stupid list, mostly because of the categories that split 'International' authors and 'Australian' authors apart as if Australians were retarded children in need special consideration. But, outside that, the best thing about this list is the game I created just this moment while reading the names of the people involved in making it. I figure you'll all want to play as well, so here are the list of the people involved: Jason Sizemore (publisher of Apex Digest and Apex Books), Ellen Datlow (editor of the long-running Year's Best Fantasy & Horror series and many anthologies), Gary Kemble (ABC journalist and Australian Shadows judge), Stephen Dedman (award-winner and author of The Art of Arrow Cutting, Shadows Bite, and many short stories), Lee Battersby (award-winner and author of Through Soft Air), David Caroll & Kyla Ward (award-winning co-authors of Prismatic), David Conyers (author of The Spiraling Worm and renowned Mythos writer), Andrew McKiernan (HorrorScope editor/reviewer), Mark Smith-Briggs (HorrorScope editor/reviewer and Australian Shadows judge), and Shane Jiraiya Cummings.
The game is called 'Pick the People Who Did Not Read 26lies Because It Would Have Made Them Vomit to Own a Book By Me.'
Ready?
It is a stupid list, mostly because of the categories that split 'International' authors and 'Australian' authors apart as if Australians were retarded children in need special consideration. But, outside that, the best thing about this list is the game I created just this moment while reading the names of the people involved in making it. I figure you'll all want to play as well, so here are the list of the people involved: Jason Sizemore (publisher of Apex Digest and Apex Books), Ellen Datlow (editor of the long-running Year's Best Fantasy & Horror series and many anthologies), Gary Kemble (ABC journalist and Australian Shadows judge), Stephen Dedman (award-winner and author of The Art of Arrow Cutting, Shadows Bite, and many short stories), Lee Battersby (award-winner and author of Through Soft Air), David Caroll & Kyla Ward (award-winning co-authors of Prismatic), David Conyers (author of The Spiraling Worm and renowned Mythos writer), Andrew McKiernan (HorrorScope editor/reviewer), Mark Smith-Briggs (HorrorScope editor/reviewer and Australian Shadows judge), and Shane Jiraiya Cummings.
The game is called 'Pick the People Who Did Not Read 26lies Because It Would Have Made Them Vomit to Own a Book By Me.'
Ready?
- Notes:wheresmyipod?
Comments
my 2008 most horrifying live act list is starting, tho.
I like how on the ball they are too. They discovered Nightwatch this year! Woo, only a couple of years late! n' that Lisa Tuttle, she's a real up and comer. Only about twenty years since she was writing with GRRM... that newbie Alistair Reynolds, too! Arf, arf. Well, at least those key horror movies of this year, The Golden Compass (well, Kidman was horrible!) and Children of Men (wait, that was 2006 anyway...) got a mention! Hahaha.
It is, though, seriously good to see both yourself and Mary Robinette Kowal getting some notice, no matter how ludicrous some of it is.
still, it's nice that kyla and (probably) gary liked 26lies :)
Horror has always been in a near terminal state and lists like these doesn't help things. I get the impression that its rather uninformed: "Joe Hill as an author to watch"? I'm pretty sure that when Stephen King Jnr can sell out a limited edition book and have people flock for his first editions, then he's already been spotted.
It is a pretty silly list, with some stuff that is only horror in the vaguest way, and doesn't really belong. But luckily you've found a way to make reading the list all about you. Some people might lack the perspective to make reading such a list all about them.
Just because there are overseas writers doing a better job than Australian writers, doesn't mean we shouldn't point out some of the quality local content that's out there. And let's face it, Australian writers can use all the exposure they can get.
Would you say the Miles Franklin Award is for 'retarded children', just because it's only open to Australian writers?
and that makes it not about retarded children? come on, gary, if the work can't compete with the rest of the world's, it shouldn't be given mentions like that.
and yes, i would say that about the miles franklin, for i am into saying things about awards. i might, indeed, start calling it the retarded child award from now on :)
but, truthfully, i don't think the comparison is the same. the franklin doesn't make a list of books published internationally that it liked more than the local ones, and then gives the local listing next.
It's like saying the Miles Franklin Award doesn't have any legitimacy because it's only open to Australian writers.
It's more akin to (using a sporting analogy here) nominating your favourite Australian cricket players and your favourite international players.
There's no reason not to draw attention to quality Australian writing.
and the miles franklin doesn't have any legitimacy :)
BTW: Good to meet you the other day.
Cheers,
Andrew
as for the book, man, i figure only in the most liberal sense could it be considered dark or horror fiction... but it's no big. it's cool when people read it and did it, so if that's how you took it, man, all cool.