From the the mists of 21st century antiquity we bring you a back issue of the magazine that went on to win back-to-back British Fantasy Awards in 2011 & 2012. Six years ago (September 2007) the first issue of Black Static was printed but problems with that first print run delayed its arrival in the wider world until September. Hence August 2013 is an anniversary of sorts and we celebrate with a Kindle edition of Black Static's very first issue. This issue contains stories by Simon Avery, Jamie Barras, Daniel Bennett, M.K. Hobson, Joel Lane & Tim Casson. Joel's story won the British Fantasy Short story Award in 2008. It also has columns from Christopher Fowler, Mike O'Driscoll, John Paul Catton and Stephen Volk. Peter Tennant's Case Note book review section begins with a feature on the fiction of Michael Marshall Smith and then moves on to reviewing six 'Books with Bite' and 7 more books which don't feature vampires. Tony Lee reviews ghastly events on DVD. Black Static is essentially a fiction magazine containing short stories in the horror and dark fantasy genres. But it covers other aspects of the genre via reviews of books, movies, DVDs and TV. Fiction this issue: Bury the Carnival by Simon Avery Pale Saints and Dark Madonnas by Jamie Barras Acton Undream by Daniel Bennett Votary by M.K. Hobson My Stone Desire by Joel Lane Lady of the Crows by Tim Casson The issue's art is David Gentry's work. Peter Tennant's Case Notes reviews include A Michael Marshall Smith featurette, (on 'The Intruders') bibliography and interview plus reviews of Hard Roads by Steve Vernon Rain by Conrad Williams Double Act by L.H. Maynard & M.P.N. Sims Blood Red by James A. Moore London Under Midnight by Simon Clark The Harlequin (Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter) by Laurell K. Hamilton No Dominion by Charlie Huston Parasite Positive by Scott Westerfeld Fangland by John Marks The Ruins by Scott Smith Gothic Fiction: A Reader’s Guide To Essential Criticism by Angela Wright I Want to Watch by Diego De Silva Going Back by Tony Richards Tony Lee's DVD reviews this issue: The Return, Dark Corners, Karla, The Thirst, Dead And Deader, Dark Water, 28 Weeks Later, The Butcher
Authors
Born in 1971, Simon Avery lives and works in Birmingham. Over the last twenty-two years he has been published in a variety of magazines and anthologies including Black Static, Crimewave, The Best British Mysteries IV, Beneath the Ground, Birmingham Noir, Terror Tales of Yorkshire and Something Remains. He has been nominated for the Crime Writers Association Dagger award and the British Fantasy Award. The Teardrop Method, a novella from TTA Press was shortlisted for the World Fantasy award. He can be contacted via Facebook, Twitter and his blog at: https://simonaveryblog.wordpress.com/
Joel Lane was a British novelist, short story writer, poet, critic and anthology editor. He received the World Fantasy Award in 2013 and the British Fantasy Award twice. Born in Exeter, he was the nephew of tenor saxophonist Ronnie Scott. At the time of his death, Lane was living in south Birmingham, where he worked in health industry-related publishing. His location frequently provided settings for his fiction.
Michael Marshall (Smith) is a bestselling novelist and screenwriter. His first novel, ONLY FORWARD, won the August Derleth and Philip K. Dick awards. SPARES and ONE OF US were optioned for film by DreamWorks and Warner Brothers, and the Straw Men trilogy - THE STRAW MEN, THE LONELY DEAD and BLOOD OF ANGELS - were international bestsellers. His most recent novels are THE INTRUDERS, BAD THINGS and KILLER MOVE. He is a four-time winner of the BFS Award for short fiction, and his stories are collected in two volumes - WHAT YOU MAKE IT and MORE TOMORROW AND OTHER STORIES (which won the International Horror Guild Award). He lives in Santa Cruz, California with his wife and son.
Librarian note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name Christopher Fowler was an English novelist living in London. His books contain elements of black comedy, anxiety and social satire. As well as novels, he wrote short stories, scripts, press articles and reviews. He lived in King's Cross, on the Battlebridge Basin, and chose London as the backdrop of many of his stories because any one of the events in its two-thousand-year history can provide inspiration. In 1998 he was the recipient of the BFS Best Short Story of the Year, for 'Wageslaves'. Then, in 2004, The Water Room was nominated for the CWA People's Choice Award, Full Dark House won the BFS August Derleth Novel of The Year Award 2004 and 'American Waitress' won the BFS Best Short Story of the Year 2004. The novella 'Breathe' won BFS Best Novella 2005.
