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Post by dem on Oct 19, 2008 12:05:53 GMT
They'll appreciate it Ally, and remember. It doesn't have to be just a Years Best New Horror thing. If you've enjoyed other Mammoth's, let Constable-Robinson know. It can't hurt to remind them that those who buy Mr. Jones' titles tend to go for the other horror & supernatural titles too.
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Post by carolinec on Oct 20, 2008 15:34:39 GMT
Hmmm, the dangers of believing everything you read on the internet. I now have egg on my face and am eating humble pie about this issue ...  It seems that maybe BNH isn't as under threat as I thought it was. I've had a little communication with Guy Adams, the new BFS Chair, after he became aware of the initial post from Paul Campbell on the BFS forum, and he says he's been in touch with Steve Jones and BNH isn't about to be cancelled! He's put the following message on the BFS and other forums, and has asked me to do the same here: Just to reassure everyone: Best New Horror isn't being cancelled just yet. I've just had word from Steve Jones that not only are Constable & Robinson publishing Volume 20 as Paul mentions but they are also doing a special commemorative 'best of' to celebrate 20 years of this excellent anthology.
Please don't panic the internets! All is well in the world of BNH!
Guy AdamsSo, I'm not quite sure what's going on here - I reckon Paul C simply got hold of the wrong end of the stick somehow and has been doing this in good faith. I certainly passed the message on in good faith anyway, but I'm really sorry if I've caused anyone any concerns or got you all dashing off to spread the word all over the place. I'm very red-faced.  Still, I guess it can do no harm for people to be saying nice things about any of the Mammoths on the Constable Robinson site, but it seems our initial fears that BNH was about to be cancelled are unfounded. Sorry to have misled everyone ...  |
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Post by jkdunham on Oct 20, 2008 16:05:41 GMT
Still, I guess it can do no harm for people to be saying nice things about any of the Mammoths on the Constable Robinson site Quite so, Caroline. I can't see that you have anything at all to be feeling embarrassed about. When I had a look at the 'Horror Fiction' page of the Constable & Robinson website - which I probably wouldn't have done, if not for this thread - it really brought it home to me how much I take a lot of this stuff for granted. OK, It might not all be my kind of thing (I'm unlikely to ever buy even a Really Tiny Book of Vampire Romance let alone a Mammoth one) but when you see all those titles together like that, it's a great selection of stuff that they're putting out and I really should be making the most of it while it's still available. I may not be the biggest fan of the Mammoth Book of Best New Horror but I'd definitely miss it if it wasn't there. |
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alansjf
Devils Coach Horse
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Post by alansjf on Oct 20, 2008 16:33:20 GMT
Hmmm, the dangers of believing everything you read on the internet. I now have egg on my face and am eating humble pie about this issue ... It seems that maybe BNH isn't as under threat as I thought it was. I've had a little communication with Guy Adams, the new BFS Chair, after he became aware of the initial post from Paul Campbell on the BFS forum, and he says he's been in touch with Steve Jones and BNH isn't about to be cancelled! He's put the following message on the BFS and other forums, and has asked me to do the same here: Just to reassure everyone: Best New Horror isn't being cancelled just yet. I've just had word from Steve Jones that not only are Constable & Robinson publishing Volume 20 as Paul mentions but they are also doing a special commemorative 'best of' to celebrate 20 years of this excellent anthology.
Please don't panic the internets! All is well in the world of BNH!
Guy AdamsSo, I'm not quite sure what's going on here - I reckon Paul C simply got hold of the wrong end of the stick somehow and has been doing this in good faith. I certainly passed the message on in good faith anyway, but I'm really sorry if I've caused anyone any concerns or got you all dashing off to spread the word all over the place. I'm very red-faced. Still, I guess it can do no harm for people to be saying nice things about any of the Mammoths on the Constable Robinson site, but it seems our initial fears that BNH was about to be cancelled are unfounded. Sorry to have misled everyone ... If it helps any, Caroline, I feel exactly the same way, having gone and started a thread over at the Ramsey Campbell message board decrying the death of BNH. You live and learn, I guess... |
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Post by carolinec on Oct 20, 2008 17:13:37 GMT
If it helps any, Caroline, I feel exactly the same way, having gone and started a thread over at the Ramsey Campbell message board decrying the death of BNH. You live and learn, I guess... Aw, sorry, Alan. If you could pop Guy's comment on there too (unless he's already on that board - in which case he'll have done it himself!), that'd be great. You can tell them it was the fault of some silly woman on this board for passing it on if you like! And thanks Mr X - I do feel a bit of a idiot, I must admit. |
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alansjf
Devils Coach Horse
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Post by alansjf on Oct 20, 2008 17:30:59 GMT
If it helps any, Caroline, I feel exactly the same way, having gone and started a thread over at the Ramsey Campbell message board decrying the death of BNH. You live and learn, I guess... Aw, sorry, Alan. If you could pop Guy's comment on there too (unless he's already on that board - in which case he'll have done it himself!), that'd be great. You can tell them it was the fault of some silly woman on this board for passing it on if you like! And thanks Mr X - I do feel a bit of a idiot, I must admit. Somebody had already posted Guy's correction, which is how I discovered I'd got the wrong end in the first place ... But it's no one's fault, really. Just a case of The Internet Strikes Again!  |
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Post by dem on Oct 20, 2008 17:45:04 GMT
Easy on yourselves, you two! You've absolutely nothing to feel "silly" about. It was a genuine mistake - like we don't all make them! Anyone reading the initial post on the BFS would have been struck by Mr. C's obvious sincerity and concern: maybe he just caught Mr. Jones when he was at a low ebb or something, and the message came out a bit garbled (he said, ever so diplomatically). Anyway, look at the good that's come from this. More people are aware of the very worthy Constable-Robinson site and that they can play an active part in contributing to and improving it further. And Steve Jones knows you care and were not about to sit around doing nothing while his series fizzled out in apathy.
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alansjf
Devils Coach Horse
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Post by alansjf on Oct 20, 2008 18:19:07 GMT
Thanks, dem. Hopefully the mixup will result in more awareness of the series, and consequently more sales, which is always a good thing. Long may BNH continue, I say!
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Post by carolinec on Oct 20, 2008 19:13:27 GMT
Aw, thanks Dem - you've put it into perspective nicely. Now, if you'll all give me a big virtual group hug I'll feel a lot better about it ...  ... there, that's better. BTW which one of you is it with the really cheap, smelly aftershave?  |
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Post by dem on Oct 20, 2008 20:13:47 GMT
It's most likely me. I just drank that bottle of Hai-Karate I found in the bottom of the wardrobe. Needs must in a crisis.
Moving onto Mammoth Years Best Horror 19 itself and - blimey! he has a right pop at Shocklines in his yearly round up, doesn't he?
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Post by David A. Riley on Oct 20, 2008 21:02:42 GMT
Which caused one hell of a heated debate on Shocklines, Dem, when news of that leaked there. Anyone interested in the mayhem can check it out here: shocklinesforum.yuku.com/topic/7197David |
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Post by dem on Dec 13, 2010 18:12:59 GMT
Anybody read this? Been hauling a copy with me on my travels over recent days, not had as much time as i'd have liked to take down notes, but from these sample stories there's more of a proper horror slant than in certain previous offerings. The MMS and McMahon stories are particularly affecting. On this occasion, after a super opening which comes on like the work of an evil Ray Bradbury, the Chris Fowler contribution veers off into something more akin to dark fantasy, but it's a must for those who like Ghost Trains. In Conrad Hill's delightfully grim Tight Wrappers we accompany Henry Mantle, devoted collector of first editions, on his trawl of the capital's bookshops in search of rarities he can sell on at huge profits. You'll be glad to hear something really rotten happens to him. Will attempt to knock out some further comment at a later date.
Michael Marshall Smith - The Things He Said: A cabin in the backwoods of Oregon, in the wake of an early outbreak of our favourite virus which left cemetery grounds the world over pitted like "Swiss Cheese". Our narrator explains how, thanks to lessons learnt from his detested father, he's worked out a rigid daily schedule which has served him well so far. It helps that, before the catastrophe, he worked as a handyman. "Probably a lot of people thought being computer programmers or bankers or TV stars was a better deal", he reflects. "It's likely by now they may have changed their minds." Challenging times can cause moral dilemmas for the weak, but our man is a born survivor and pity any fellow human who falls into his clutches!
Gary McMahon - Pumpkin Night: Baxter at home in 'Scarbridge', carving a pumpkin for Halloween. It was his beloved Katy's favourite night of the year, and Baxter does his best to sculpt a replica of her face in the fruit. It's very sad, what happened. Katy, a schoolteacher, died in childbirth which was ironic, seeing as she was at her happiest torturing little kids in the cellar of their home. After a while, Baxter joined in the games and soon acquired a taste for murdering infants that rivalled her own! Unfortunately, it wouldn't do to have anybody snooping around in case they discovered the cellar, so he's not reported his lover's death to the authorities and can't bring himself to bury her. But after tonight, everything will be fine again!
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Post by H_P_Saucecraft on Dec 13, 2010 20:43:03 GMT
Anybody read this? Been hauling a copy with me on my travels over recent days, not had as much time as i'd have liked to take down notes, but from these sample stories there's more of a proper horror slant than in certain previous offerings. The MMS and McMahon stories are particularly affecting. On this occasion, after a super opening which comes on like the work of an evil Ray Bradbury, the Chris Fowler contribution veers off into something more akin to dark fantasy, but it's a must for those who like Ghost Trains. In Conrad Hill's delightfully grim Tight Wrappers we accompany Henry Mantle, devoted collector of first editions, on his trawl of the capital's bookshops in search of rarities he can sell on at huge profits. You'll be glad to hear something really rotten happens to him. Will attempt to knock out some further comment at a later date. Michael Marshall Smith - The Things He Said: A cabin in the backwoods of Oregon, in the wake of an early outbreak of our favourite virus which left cemetery grounds the world over pitted like "Swiss Cheese". Our narrator explains how, thanks to lessons learnt from his detested father, he's worked out a rigid daily schedule which has served him well so far. It helps that, before the catastrophe, he worked as a handyman. "Probably a lot of people thought being computer programmers or bankers or TV stars was a better deal", he reflects. "It's likely by now they may have changed their minds." Challenging times can cause moral dilemmas for the weak, but our man is a born survivor and pity any fellow human who falls into his clutches! Gary McMahon - Pumpkin Night: Baxter at home in 'Scarbridge', carving a pumpkin for Halloween. It was his beloved Katy's favourite night of the year, and Baxter does his best to sculpt a replica of her face in the fruit. It's very sad, what happened. Katy, a schoolteacher, died in childbirth which was ironic, seeing as she was at her happiest torturing little kids in the cellar of their home. After a while, Baxter joined in the games and soon acquired a taste for murdering infants that rivalled her own! Unfortunately, it wouldn't do to have anybody snooping around in case they discovered the cellar, so he's not reported his lover's death to the authorities and can't bring himself to bury her. But after tonight, everything will be fine again! I had this out from the library a while ago, but didn't finish it. Though of the stories I read, i did read the Michael Marshall Smith one - his work is always a highlight for me. I found it very effective & liked the way, that even though zombies are not mentioned, it's quite obvious that's what's going on. He manages to do subtle without it coming over pretentious. I might have to have another look at this one. |
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Post by dem on Dec 14, 2010 9:25:47 GMT
have to agree with you there, Dave. MMS is usually the first author i read in any contemporary horror anthology because he's not once let me down (incidentally, he seems to land the opening story in a number of Mammoth's). His, Joe R. Lansdale's and Gary McMahon's (bonus point for referencing Nick Cave's Red Right Hand) are my picks to date.
Christopher Fowler - The Twilight Express: The Elysium funfair arrives at Cooper Creek just as seventeen year old Billy Fleet is facing the biggest dilemma of his young life. Susannah's period is late and he's facing the nightmare scenario of having to throw away any hope of a future, settle in this dumb town - and all for the sake of a joyless fumble in the local Lover's Lane. And then the idea comes to him. If he can only persuade Molly and Papa Jack to employ him to maintain the decrepit Ghost Train, he can fix it for Susannah to suffer a miscarriage.
So far, so set up for something out of an E.C. comic, but Mr. Fowler isn't in the mood to settle for trad horror. When next we join the action, it is three years later. Billy and Susannah are happily married with a little boy, though Billy still broods occasionally on what might have been. The funfair arrives back at the Creek ...
Tony Richards - Man, You Gotta See This!: The late unlamented recluse Old Man Hubert's oil paintings are, quite literally, spell-binding. When word of his death reaches light-fingered drug-dispenser Jerry Mulligrew, he breaks into the big house on Packwell Street, helps himself to six of the small canvasses, and condemns the world to death by doom yet again.
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Post by dem on Dec 15, 2010 18:29:48 GMT
Joe R. Landsdale - Deadmans Road:
Old Timer sat with a double barrel shotgun resting on his leg, pointed in the general direction of the manacled man. The deputy told all that his prisoner had done while he ate. Murdered women and children, shot a dog and a horse, and just for the hell of it, shot a cat off a fence, and set fire to an outhouse with a woman in it. He had also raped women, stuck a stick up a sheriff's ass, and killed him, and most likely shot other animals that might have been some good to somebody. Overall, he was tough on human beings, and equally as tough on livestock.
"I never did like animals," the manacled man said. "Carry fleas. And that woman in the outhouse stunk to high heaven. She ought to eat better. She needed burning."
Easily my favourite Lansdale novella since the similarly horrible/ hilarious On The Far Side of The Cadillac Desert With Dead Folks! Gun-slinging Reverend Jubil Rains hates his God on account of his God being the entirely unsympathetic, hateful, merciless God of the Old Testament. But Jubil has his duty to do, and that is to go out of his way to confront Evil wherever it can be found. This burden is enough to make him even more of a misery guts than Solomon Kane. Right now he's assisting Deputy Jim Taylor to convey his prisoner, Bill Barrett - see above - to the jail at Nacogdoches. Jim's been shot up pretty good so he's desperate to get the killer behind bars as soon as possible, and if that means taking a shortcut through the haunted Deadman's Road then, frankly, he's all for it. Old Timer suggests he reconsider. The thing that haunts Deadman's Road ain't no ordinary ghost but the animated corpse of that evil sonofabitch, Gil Ginet, the town beekeeper ....
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