I've never been what the tech media refer to as an early adopter. Didn't have a VCR until well into the eighties (and even then it was a second-hand Betamax), never had an iPod, still don't have a smart-phone, and only signed up for Netflix streaming about a year ago. Sad, I know. So you'll hardly be surprised to learn, my lovelies, that the Atkins oeuvre has heretofore been available only in the form of those relics of the last century, books-on-paper.
Well, strap me onto my HoverBoard and beam me up, Scotty, because we're about to make the jump into hyperspace. Fuck opening the pod bay doors, Hal, check this guy out:
That's right, droogies. It's an e-book. No shit. Thanks to the folks at Cemetery Dance Publications, and specifically the great Norman Prentiss (who, when he's not busy being an award-winning author in his own right, spends his time as editor of CD's e-book line), your Uncle Pete was invited to be one of the initial batch of scribblers in their brand-new series, Cemetery Dance Select.
These mini-collections, retailing (oh, I'm sorry, e-tailing) at $2.99 per, contain four or five stories hand-picked by the author, along with a never-before-published afterword explaining just where they get off inflicting their crap on you how and why these particular masterpieces were written.
The initial series is so new that there's not even a splash-page up on CD's own site yet. You should instead get thee to an online bookstore of your choice (Amazon, B&N, Kobo, iTunes) and type 'Cemetery Dance Select' into their search window. This will open up a panorama of all 11 of the Select titles available and allow you to hesitate before springing for my book. "Oh, wait a minute," you'll be able to say. "They've got Michael Marshall Smith? And Lisa Tuttle*? Fuck you, Atkins. Maybe next month."
*And Jeff Strand. And Lisa Morton. And Bev Vincent. And Lee Thomas. And Terry Dowling. And Kealan Patrick Burke. And John R Little. And Kaaron Warren.
Should, however, you have the remarkably good taste to already possess every word ever written by my ten team-mates then you can settle for mine, wherein you will find a quartet of my Liverpool-set stories: "Between the Cold Moon and the Earth", "The Mystery", "Intricate Green Figurines", and "Postcards from Abroad". Here's the link, kids -- http://amzn.to/1MehCSh -- and remember to channel your inner Ringo or Sir Paul for the narrative accent for each of the tales. They should also, needless to say, be played at maximum volume.
I'll have to pick this up to add to my collection of your work that's outside of the Hellraiser universe. I've read Morningstar and Big Thunder which are both very good. I also would like to get the Wishmaster screenplay that was published awhile back. The Facebook site Rolling Darkness Revue has been very helpful in pointing me to some of your other short story work which I've ordered.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your interest and kind words, Steve. I've got half the bloody print-run of the Wishmaster book cluttering a closet. If you send another message including your street address (I won't publish the message), I'll be happy to send you a copy for free. It's a *terrible* book, by the way. Two good stories (which I reprinted in Rumours of the Marvellous, my first 'proper' collection), two not-actually-awful ones (which I reprinted in Spook City, Angus McKenzie's three-scouser anthology where I'm lucky enough to share space with Clive Barker and Ramsey Campbell), and a bunch of crap that I prefer to leave in obscurity. But it does have the screenplay, along with a kind intro by Ramsey, some fab interior illustrations from Randy Broecker, and a cover by Les Edwards that's way too good for the book it's wrapped around.
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