| Author | Message | ||
     Andrew Hook |
Allen Ashley is a leading independent press writer with one novel, The Planet Suite, one short story collection, Elastic's own Somnambulists, and one stint as editor, The Elastic Book of Numbers under his belt. If you have any general chat for Allen - as opposed to feedback on the Elastic books which might be more readily posted on their individual threads - then do it here. This space is also an opportunity for Allen to promote his own work. | ||
| Allen |
Come on, folks - get posting! I promise to answer. | ||
| Allen |
Andrew has mentioned on his board that Gary Fry's anthology "Poe's Progeny" is now available to pre-order. As well as work by Ramsey Campbell, Joel Lane, Andrew Hook, Simon Clark, etc, the book also features a new story from me. Entitled "Turbulent Times", the piece is inspired by the work of Ambrose Bierce, particularly "The Devil's Dictionary" and "An Occurrence At Owl Creek Bridge". There's a terrific line-up in the book so click on the link at Andrew's board if you want to make sure you get hold of a copy. | ||
| Allen |
"This space is also an opportunity for Allen to promote his own work," quoth the estimable Mr Hook. So, a quick mention that along with the launch of Andrew's fabulous collection, some other important business was conducted over the weekend of 4th / 5th June: namely a chat between me and Sean Wright of Crowswing Books to agree in principle that we make a few changes to the line-up of my next collection "Urban Fantastic", due from Crowswing in May 2006. Essentially, this will involve chopping 3 or 4 older stories and bunging in - or indeed writing - 3 or 4 newer ones. Despite being a Dodo, I wouldn't want to seem old-fashioned or out of date. My most famous / most published piece "Dead To The World" will survive the cull as will Tim Nickels' favourite "The Quiet House". However, many of the rest are currently in limbo, with a decision expected in late July. Phew, it's as exciting (or not) as the London Olympics bid. By the way, if nobody posts me any interesting messages, I'll probably "blog" (if that's the word) this page with yet more wonderful and detailed updates on the fascinating selection process for "Urban Fantastic". You have been warned. | ||
| Nick papadimitriou |
Hi Allen It was a delight to see you and hear you read last July. Sorry its taken so long to get back to you but have been busy writing my own stuff. Keep up the good work, I was impressed. Did not get Somnambulists but will try TEBON. Sorry to reach you this way but did not have your personal email address. keep the faith! | ||
| Allen |
Hi there Nick, Good to hear from you - and it was a pleasant surprise to see you at my launch last year. I'm bound to say that you should, of course, read both "Somnambulists" and "The Elastic Book of Numbers". Get your local library to buy a copy if all else fails! | ||
| Allen |
Sorry Folks, Don't know who is filling up my pages with weird casino links. Is it because we had a game of Bingo at the Numbers launch? | ||
| Andrew Hook |
God knows, I've asked Marie to remove it so it'll be gone in a day or so... | ||
| Marie |
Hiya, just got back online - been out and about this weekend. I've deleted the offending post, someone shout if it happens again and I'll take care of it. | ||
| Allen |
Thanks ever such a lot , Marie. In the mean time, just a little note to everybody that another one my collaborations with the Elastic head honcho Mr Hook has recently been published. The story is called "Vitamin X" and is in issue 9 of "Jupiter" SF magazine. Anyone who has ever watched "Big Brother" or hummed along with a Kylie Minogue song - I kid you not - should enjoy this near future adventure. Yes, I'm blowing my own trumpet but... details at: www.jupitersf.co.uk | ||
| Marie |
You're welcome :-) New story sounds...surreal, which is always a good thing. | ||
| Allen |
Hi Everyone! The British Fantasy Society booze-up otherwise known as Fantasycon is taking place in Walsall in less than a fortnight's time, so if you're going to be there, come and say hello! I've been shorlisted for "Best Collection" for "Somnambulists" plus Elastic Press and "The Alsiso Project" are up for awards, so fingers firmly crossed. I've also got two brand new stories which will be officially published at Fantasycon (30th September - 2nd October 2005 inclusive). The first is "Turbulent Times", an Ambrose Bierce inspired piece which will be in Gary Fry's "Poe's Progeny" anthology which also features Ramsey Campbell and various other legends of the genre. The second story is "Black Forest Manoeuvres", which will be in the debut multi-author anthology from vibrant Norfolk publisher Crowswing Books: "New Wave Of Speculative Fiction" edited by Sean Wright. "Black Forest Manoeuvres" is a novelette and will only be available in this anthology. I have a short story collection, "Urban Fantastic", due from Crowswing next year, but "Black Forest" is not on the track list. So, snap it up while you can. Official press release follows. See you at Fantasycon. - Allen. "New Wave of Speculative Fiction: The What If Factor" edited by Sean Wright (a collection of new short stories) is brimming with quality writing, speculation about what might be, a mix of horror, fantasy and sci-fi, as well as some new twists on classic themes. The anthology will be published by Crowswing Books on the 24th September 2005 as a limited edition (300 copies) trade paperback ISBN 1905100127, priced ten pounds. "New Wave of Speculative Fiction" has a strong contemporary line up. "Many of the authors are known for their vision and imagination, as well as the quality of their prose," editor, Sean Wright said. Sean Wright feels that the stories he has chosen for this book reflect the current demand for exciting writers prepared to break barriers and see this and other worlds with a fresh eye. "New Wave of Speculative Fiction" has an international flavour with writers from USA, Australia, South Africa, Canada, and the UK. It includes stories from Allen Ashley, Che Ballard, Paul Finch, Michelle Ponto, Michael Mirolla, Gary Moeser, P. Grey, Andrew Hook, Lisa DuMond, Sian Orthello, Sam Mills, Jeff Gardiner and Sean Wright. There's South African P. Grey's atmospheric 'Obituary', a new twist on the collector mentality; Michelle A. Ponto's fast-paced sci-fi thriller, 'Mission Rejected'; award-winning Canadian author, Michael Mirolla's 'Inside/Out', a strange, vibrant masterly story of what might be; British Fantasy Award winner for 2002, Paul Finch's suspenseful conspiracy tale, 'And the Rivers Ran Red to the Sea,' and Sam Mills' exquisitely clever 'Tic Tac Man.' British Fantasy Award nominee Allen Ashley's slick short story "Black Forest Manoeuvres" examines myth and religion's possible importance in the future, Jeff Gardiner's "The Curious" escorts us on a poetic journey of other worldly exploits, while Sean Wright's "The Numberist" takes God Himself to task. Last but certainly not least, three times British Fantasy Award nominee Andrew Hook's masterpiece, 'Fen Shui' tells a memorable tale of strange time-travelling scientists. The book will be on sale in the book seller/dealer's room. (END PRESS RELEASE). | ||
| Allen |
Hi Everyone, Just a quick message to let you all know that I’ve been given the honour of addressing the Birmingham Science Fiction Group on 4th November. The Birmingham Science Fiction Group has been running since 1971 and previous speakers read like a who’s who of SF, including Harry Harrison and Brian Aldiss. I’m really honoured and will have to come up with something really special to deserve to follow in such a lineage. The meeting is at the Britannia Hotel, off New Street, Birmingham at 7.30pm on Friday 4th November 2005. I assume you have to be a member to attend,. Membership is £16 per year and is very good value. I’m sure that they can be persuaded to admit guests for this particular event, if you ask them nicely and in good time. So, if you’re in the Birmingham area on the evening of the 4th – look out for me. The email contact for the Birmingham Science fiction Group is bhamsfgroup@yahoo.co.uk and their web addres is www.bsgf.freeservers.com . I’m really looking forward to it. I will, of course, have the odd copy of “Somnambulists”, “The Elastic Book Of Numbers” and the BFS award-winning anthology “The Alsiso Project” if anyone wants to obtain one on the night. Hope to see you there. | ||
| Allen |
Can't let that idiot with the poker brain be the last person to post here. So, latest Allen Ashley news: I'm getting a web site very soon and will have a message board there but you can still get in touch via Elastic. Also, I've got an as yet secret / rumour only special publication coming out later in the year. I hope that's whetted a few appetites! More soon. | ||
| Allen |
As our estemmed head honcho is fond of saying, "Eagle-eyed readers will have noticed..." that I've got a story "Petrified" plus a short-short "Hey Grandma" in the latest issue of Gary Fry's lovely pocket sized fiction magazine "Fusing Horizons". That's issue 5 for all you collectors and loyal readers out there. Things are progressing well with my next collection "Urban Fantastic" and the big news is that publisher Sean Wright (Crowswing Books) and I will be the Guests of Honour at the BFS Open night on June 2nd... where we will be launching the book. I'll post details nearer the event. By the way, Andrew Hook and Dave Swann are guests in March, so it's a great time to be a BFS member and an Elastician! | ||
| Allen |
Right, I'm back in temporary control of this board instead of those poker saddoes. Did I really call the illustrious Mr Hook "Estemmed" rather than "esteemed"? These new-fangled computer thingies certainly make one's typing pretty sloppy. Anyway, for those of you who are interested or just want a cracking good read next time you're travelling on a train somewhere, I'm pleased to announce that my novella "The Interlopers" has been published by Chris Teague's Pendragon Press as part of a 3 story anthology called "Triquorum One". The other authors are multi-award winner John Grant and rising new star Lavie Tidhar. Plus there's an introduction by Paul Di Filipo. So, modesty finally kicking in, even if you're not 100% grabbed by my piece, there's real quality surrounding it. As for the cover - for those of us who remember Panther and Mayflower paperbacks from the 1970s, this is a real warp down memory lane. And the whole book only costs £5.99, so what are you waiting for? Official launch is at Eastercon; or otherwise stop reading this and log onto the Pendragon site. Aside from this, I hope everyone is in good form and good shape and if the poker spam man will let me, I'll be posting some exciting Dodo news shortly. | ||
| nickjack |
Is there a link to the Pendragon site for lazy people to click on to order your book, Allen? | ||
| nickjack |
Not being such a lazy person myself, I clicked on the link to Pendragon on the Elastic Press contacts page and this whisked me to the Pendragon Professional Pensions site! Could this be an accidental bug or are you on commission? :¬) | ||
| Allen |
Nick, my good mate, I'm sorry I haven't posted a reply earlier but my server was blocking access to the site, probably because those poker demons had been up to their tricks again. I hope you are well - you certainly sound like you're in good form to judge by your witty postings. Anyway, the correct web address for Chris Teague's Pendragon Press for anybody who wants to investigate a copy of "Triquorum One" - which features novellas by me, John Grant and Lavie Tidhar - the address is: www.pendragonpress.co.uk Of course, one should be concerned to set up a suitable pension as well but I'm not in the business of recommending anyone! Lastly, just to confirm that my non-fiction book "The Days of the Dodo" has now been published by Dodo London Press. This book collects all my "Dodo" articles from "back in the day" with TTA plus lots of bonus material. And... it's free upon personal request. You can go to my web site, you can email me, or you can leave your details here if you want to get a copy before it becomes Ebay / collector's mark up only! | ||
| nick |
Thanks, Allen, I've now ordered "Triquorum One" after a brief tussle with paypal! | ||
| Allen |
Hi there Nick, I had a very long tussle with Pay Pal and had to re-verify my identity(if there is such a concept), so you have my sympathy on that. Hope you enjoy the book. Actually, it's just struck me that re-verifying my identity fits neatly with the themes of "The Interlopers"! Cheers. | ||
| Allen Ashley Username: Allen Registered: 07-2006 |
Hi there everyone, Now that the spammers have been vanquished - permanently we hope - and I've gone to the trouble of getting a password etc, I thought I'd better post here. So, here goes: If there is anybody out there still desperate for a FREE copy of my "The Days of the Dodo" book, you'd better get your skates on as whatever copies I still have left by 22nd September will be donated to the Fantasycon raffle. So, if you want a copy - post a reply with your email or real address here and I'll put one aside. By the way, if anyone reading is going to Fantasycon, come and say hello... in the secure knowledge that as well as shaking your hand I will probably try and sell you a book! | ||
| Nick Jackson Username: Nickjack Registered: 07-2006 |
And "The Days of the Dodo" book is certainly worth having, I'm sure it will be a sought after collectors' piece in the future, Allen. I also enjoyed your piece in Triquorum One. So much for those double mortice locks I had fitted! | ||
| Allen Ashley Username: Allen Registered: 07-2006 |
Hi there Nick, Thanks for your good wishes. I'm almost down to my last box of "Dodo" books but there's an exciting announcement about the future of the "Dodo" up on my message board at my web page. So, a quick reminder: anyone who wants me to save them a FREE copy of "The Days of the Dodo", get in touch before 20th September when I start packing my case for Fantasycon! | ||
| Allen Ashley Username: Allen Registered: 07-2006 |
As many of you will know, at various points in my life I've been a singer, songwriter and performer, including 3 gigs with Hawkwind back in the late 1980s / early 1990s. A couple of years ago I was asked if I would like to revive my songwriting career and write some lyrics for a new band called Foul House. Despite all my other commitments - writing career, editing career, day job, and so on - it was a flattering offer from the band's founder and ace guitarist, Mark House, and I was happy to oblige. Anyway, to cut a long story short, I've written several lyrics for the band which now comprises: Mark House on bass, vocals, guitar, sequencing; Kate Paxton (my daughter) on vocals; Tony Fowler on lead guitar; and Billy Strachan on drums. Mark has written most of the music, with the band embellishing the arrangements. Kate and Mark have written several lyrics of their own - there's even a song called "Good People" to which we all contributed. Kate and Tony have written one song so far. I can't adequately describe their music as it's a unique sound. There's touches of Pink Floyd, Roger Waters, punk, pop, reggae, Massive Attack, dub, even Bob Dylan (although that's probably down to my lyrics). The best thing I can suggest is to check out their entry on My Space where they've posted 3 songs - "Gravity Space", "rescue" adn "Work Song", all with Allen Ashley lyrics. Better still, get to see them at a couple of forthcoming gigs. These are both in London (UK). 7pm at The Pleasure Unit, Bethnal Green Road, Bethnal Green E2 (very close to Tesco's) on Tuesday 31st October 2006; and at 7pm on Wednesday 15th November at The Bull and Gate pub, Kentish Town, opposite the tube station. These are support slots, of course, as these are their debut London shows. Go along and support great new music; but get there on time or you'll miss Foul House. I'm hoping to make both gigs. They are promising to do several of "my" songs such as "Gravity Space" - which is about the search for Eden, that regular Allen Ashley theme; "Work Song" which is about the daily grind; "Picasso" which is about graffiti; possibly an emotional piece called "Rescue" and the environmental protest song "The Sea, Land and Sky". So, get along and see/hear Foul House in concert! I've got some more exciting and surprising news on the music front, which I will post here and /or at my web site: www.allenashley.com when everything is absolutely definite. More soon. | ||
| Andrew Hook Username: Andrew_hook Registered: 07-2006 |
Hi Allen Sounds great! I'll pop along to MySpace and give them a listen. | ||
| Allen Ashley Username: Allen Registered: 07-2006 |
Foul House - the band I write lyrics for, see above - have now played two London gigs. For reviews and further information about the band, please go to my web site, which is at <www.allenashley.com>. We've had a few spam problems on my message boards, to put it mildly, so you will either have to already be a registered member or register at the site. Please don't let that put you off. I have some further music news which I'll be posting very soon at my web site, so I hope that's whetted your appetite. | ||
| Allen Ashley Username: Allen Registered: 07-2006 |
OK folks, I have posted this on my own web site but I thought I would also put it here. Guess Who's Got a Record Deal? Many an action in the past has a habit of catching up with you. So, back in the early 1980s, when I was working under the name "Allen A. Lucas", I had a little band called Existence. Mostly it was just me - vocals and acoustic guitar. In the manner that several "modern" artists have adopted a band name - Aphex Twin, The Streets, and so on - I was onto this trick way back when. The sort of music I was intending to write could be broadly described as acoustic psychedelic - think Hawkwind's "We Took the Wrong Step Years Ago", Spirit's "Nature's Way", Love's "Forever Changes", Neil Young's "Will To Love" and Steve Miller's "Journey From Eden". I was, I will have you know, writing songs with "proper" structures - verses, singable choruses, middle eights - probably because I didn't have the technology (or ability) to experiment too far. Anyway, for a while I was joined by Jenny Yeatman on vocals. Jenny had an astonishing vocal range - it's Jenny on verse two of "I'm Glad", pitching her voice lower than mine. I had a few contacts in London and the South East, we were hoping/expecting to hustle a few gigs, so I went ahead and self-financed the recording and production of a 45rpm single. (No CDs, I-pods or downloads in those days, folks!) We recorded two tracks - the poppy, North London accented A-side "I'm Glad" and the more complex and dreamy B-side "The Premonition" at Woodbine Studios in Leamington Spa. This was the very same studio in which The Specials recorded "Ghost Town", their classic depiction of inner city deprivation under Thatcher. The engineer was John Rivers, who also helmed "Ghost Town". Augmenting my group Existence, we had local session drummer Richie Metlock and on bass Sir Horace Gentleman - from The Specials! Adopting the punk, post-punk "Do It Yourself" ethos of the time, I got a few hundred copies of the single pressed back in London. I did the lettering; the cover was my concept, ably drawn by my then girlfriend Sarah Paxton (mother of my adored daughter Kate). Unfortunately, the release of the record didn't lead to chart success / John Peel sessions / "selling out" to EMI / headlining Hammersmith Odeon. The "band" effectively split in 1984. I had years on and off as a singer and lyricist with other bands, notably The False Dots (see my article "Birth of a Story", in "The Days of the Dodo"), Nukli and as guest poet with Hawkwind on 3 separate occasions in the late 1980s / early 1990s. I also had a career as a performance poet and ran my own cabaret for a while. Alongside all this, I was slowly but surely building my reputation as a short story writer. Just a couple of years back, I returned to lyric writing for Kate and Mark's band Foul House (see earlier entries). Then, completely out of the blue in May 2006, I received a letter from Chuck Warner, an American record collector / producer / archivist who runs his own independent company called Hyped To Death. Definitely something of an Anglophile - his grasp of English geography is much higher than my ability with American locales - as well as a punk and post-punk obsessive, he has put together a series called "Messthetics". The name "Messthetics" variously comes from a Scritti Politti song or a misheard Undertones' lyric. (See the CD ""Messthetics 100" or www.messthetics.com for further details). Postulated as an amalgam of Mess and Aesthetics but also readable as a mash-up of Message and Aesthetics, through this series of compilation CDs, Chuck is seeking to preserve and re-present lost gems from the punk and post-punk era. Amazingly, he'd not only got hold of my slightly punkish single "I'm Glad" but wanted to licence it for one of his CD compilations! "That's just so random!" as Kate and Mark put it. Now, after several months of exchanging emails and "real" stuff in the post, I can happily announce that my song and my performance "I'm Glad" by Existence has been repackaged and released onto the compilation CD called "Messthetics number 101: London D.I.Y", which features "indie post punk from London and the Home Counties" and includes "I'm Glad" by Existence as track number 14! The record company is called "Hyped To Death" and is based in America. They specialise in old punk, so-called "DIY - do it yourself" music, as well as some modern bands who continue the tradition. If you want to have a look at the CD, go to www.hyped2death.com, click to enter the site and "Messthetics 101" featuring Existence should be the first thing you see. The CD retails for $11.00, which given the current strength of the pound is excellent value. British release is set for January 2007. A review has been promised in "The Wire". Previous Hyped To Death CDs have been reviewed in places like "The Guardian" and "The Independent". The record should be available in HMV Oxford Street and other such flagship stores that don't simply stock Westlife and Britney. British price - not sure, at a guess about £10.99. And it's not just me on the CD - anyone who yearns for the less formulaic, more plug in and play ethos of the old days will find plenty to enjoy on "Messthetics 101". You should definitely check out the Hyped To Death web site and buy some of their CDs. So, in quick summary: Allen's old song "I'm Glad" has been surprisingly made available on CD and you should check it out. And are Existence going to reform / am I going to forsake the pen and PC for the mike and the six string? Well, if I get offered a couple of spots at a friendly gig, I'll doubtless take them but don't expect to see me on "The X Factor" or "MTV Cribs"! | ||
| Tim Nickels Username: Tim_n Registered: 07-2006 |
Folks, try and track down the Messthetics 101 album - I've been spinning it all day and "I'm Glad" stands out as a spikey melodic (twin harmony) micro-dub fest. The intro is straight ahead, the finale a slipstream epic of dreamy guitars making full use of their studio time. I freely admit to being a buddy of Allen's (er, groupie?) but there is much here for everyone to enjoy. I've actually downloaded it onto my mobile and can currently be seen wandering around Dorset mouthing along to Existence lyrics. Congratulations and bravo! Tim x PS Sorry I couldn't put this on your own Dodo site - my browser can't read the confirmation code. Boringly. | ||
| Allen Ashley Username: Allen Registered: 07-2006 |
Hi Tim, Thanks for your kind words and recommendation. Yep, I've also been having some trouble accessing my own site either through Internet Explorer, Google or MSN Live. I will get in touch with Marie and see what the problem is. | ||
| Andrew Hook Username: Andrew_hook Registered: 07-2006 |
The article, "Writing, Perseverance and Shaggy Dog Stories: An interview with Allen Ashley, Author of Urban Fantastic" has been published at OhmyNews International and will also be appearing on Blogcritics.org, Conversations with Writers, the Leicester Review of Books as well as other citizen journalism websites. The link is: http://english.ohmynews.com/articleview/article_view.asp?no=342090&rel_no=2, | ||
| Allen Ashley Username: Allen Registered: 07-2006 |
Thanks, Andrew. I can add an update to that, so,lazily copied over straight from my web site: I recently took part in an interview with freelance journalist Ambrose Musiyiwa. The results have been posted at the following sites, using the hyper links, so take a look on: Blogcritics.org, http://blogcritics.org/archives/2007/02/20/071258.php Conversations with Writers http://conversationswithwriters.blogspot.com/2007/02/interview-with-allen-ashley -author-of.html and The Leicester Review of Books, http://leicesterreviewofbooks.wordpress.com/2007/02/19/interview-with-allen-ashl ey-author-of-urban-fantastic/ The interview may also appear on one or two other sites soon. Also, if you get time, take a look at the interview with my great friend and occasional writing collaborator Tim Nickels, also posted at The Leicester Review of Books. By the way, I wish I still possessed enough head hair to qualify as a shaggy dog! | ||
| Allen Ashley Username: Allen Registered: 07-2006 |
Just to let everybody know that I've got a new story "Murdoch Celeste" in issue 50 of the BFS magazine "Dark Horizons". Plus there's my Fantasycon report and a piece about awards criteria and eligibility in the new issue of "Prism". By the way, all these boards have been a little quiet of late. Let's get chatting! | ||
| Nick Jackson Username: Nickjack Registered: 07-2006 |
Hello Allen Nice to see the "Return of the Dodo" in Midnight Street. I have to say I agree with your sentiments about railways. Bring back British Rail, I say, though perhaps the tea would be a little stewed by now! | ||
| Allen Ashley Username: Allen Registered: 07-2006 |
Hi Nick, Good to hear from you again. I certainly agree with you about "Bring back British Rail". In fact, I'm so old that I still refer to it as British Rail rather than whatever fancy title the individual companies are using this week. Next "Dodo" due very soon in "Midnight Street". What are you up to? | ||
| Nick Jackson Username: Nickjack Registered: 07-2006 |
Well, Allen, my next story is coming up in Nemonymous, 7, rather to my surprise! Apart from that it's all work, work and more work. | ||
| Allen Ashley Username: Allen Registered: 07-2006 |
Hi again Nick, Congrats on getting into "Nemo 7" - anonymously, I presume. I shall do my best to identify yours without any help or tips! I left it too late to even submit anything this time around - yeah, I know pretty pathetic excuse considering how few short story markets there are these days. | ||
| Nick Jackson Username: Nickjack Registered: 07-2006 |
It's a bit big-headed of me blowing my trumpet on your message thread, isn't it, Allen? However, I am excited at the prospect of having a story published anonymously and having people guess which one is mine! And, of course, I'm contractually bound not to help you out with any tips! Will you be selecting the slip-stream anthology stories anonymously? | ||
| Allen Ashley Username: Allen Registered: 07-2006 |
Hi Nick, I shall be reading stories for "Subtle Edens" from June. I expect all submissions to follow the usual procedure of decent, legible layout; cognisance of maximum word length; adequate return postage or email address if disposable; etc. Basically, much the same rules as I applied for "The Elastic Book Of Numbers". So, to answer your specific question - Des Lewis and the "Nemonymous" anthologies have their own unique identity (often hidden!); but I expect all authors submitting to "Subtle Edens" to affix their name to each page of their story. Yes, I'm only human and there are a few authors whose work hasn't always inspired me in the past but I treat each submission as an entity in its own right. The story has "no previous" - either it's right for the book or it's not. Right, enough waffling from me. As Andrew says, "Get scribbling!" | ||
| Allen Ashley Username: Allen Registered: 07-2006 |
If anybody wants to see me desperately appealing for votes for the BFS Awards - and, let's face it, there may be some sort of post-ironic fun in doing so - I now have a video clip on that new-fangled My Space TV invention. Just follow this link: http://myspacetv.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=12654862 | ||
| Allen Ashley Username: Allen Registered: 07-2006 |
Still looking for more submissions for "Subtle Edens", so get scribbling! | ||
| Allen Ashley Username: Allen Registered: 07-2006 |
Been busy with initial promotion for “Slow Motion Wars”, the collection of collaborations between me and the mighty Andrew Hook, which will be published by Screaming Dreams Press later this year or early next year. It’s only a couple of weeks till Fantasycon and it’s possible that Screaming Dreams publisher Steve Upham may have a CD sampler available at the convention, which will feature an excerpt from “Slow Motion Wars”. All the stories in the book, by the way, are proper collaborations – which means both Andrew and I contributed. Some he started, some I started; ditto with the conclusions. Anyway, hope to see lots of friends old and yet to be(!) at this year’s Fantasycon. | ||
| Allen Ashley Username: Allen Registered: 07-2006 |
A bit of news hot off the press: I've been asked to moderate a panel on the independent press at this weekend's British Fantasy Society's annual convention Fantasycon. So, look out for me there on Saturday afternoon (22nd September 2007), along with panellists David Sutton, Chris Teague, Andrew Hook and Gary Fry. | ||
| Allen Ashley Username: Allen Registered: 07-2006 |
News confirmed at Fantasycon: My novella "Today We Were Astronauts" will be the lead-off story in the next British Fantasy Society special publication "Houses on the Borderland" edited by David Sutton. Should be available around about December this year. | ||
| Andrew Hook Username: Andrew_hook Registered: 07-2006 |
You kept this one quiet! Love the title, and look foward to reading it. | ||
| Allen Ashley Username: Allen Registered: 07-2006 |
You know me, Andrew, I might occasionally spout off with a "Dodo" column or a rant in the bar but there's a lot I keep private. I've had the title and part of the idea for donkey's years. Fortunately, I have added some new material though! | ||
| Allen Ashley Username: Allen Registered: 07-2006 |
Good news: "Dark Horizons 51" is due out any day and contains my story "The Perils of Pentavir" - the new chapter for my long ago novel "The Planet Suite". Should be with all subscribers and contributors within a couple of weeks. | ||
| Allen Ashley Username: Allen Registered: 07-2006 |
Hi again everyone! Just to let you know that my web site has been updated as of 2nd January 2008, so there are a few more things to read in “News”, “Biography”, reviews of published work etc. So go to www.allenashley.com Hope to hear from you all soon. | ||
| Allen Ashley Username: Allen Registered: 07-2006 |
Hi Everyone, Don’t forget to visit my web site at www.allenashley.com which now includes Jonathan Oliver’s fantastic review of “The Elastic Book Of Numbers”, originally published in the BFS magazine “Prism”. Just click on the “read a review” part under the picture of the book’s cover in “Bibliography”. |