I am delighted to announce the final line-up of authors, and show off the gorgeous and classic late-Victorian cover art, for the fifth volume of The Year’s Best Australian Fantasy and Horror – the series I co-edit with the vivacious Liz Grzyb.
We have compiled an impressive list of fantastic and darkly delectable stories first published in 2014, from New Zealand and Australia’s finest writers.
The official selection is as follows:
- Alan Baxter, ‘Shadows of the Lonely Dead’ [Suspended in Dusk]
- James Bradley, ‘The Changeling’ [Fearsome Magics]
- Imogen Cassidy, ‘Soul Partner’ [Aurealis 74]
- David Conyers & David Kernot, ‘The Bullet & The Flesh’ [World War Cthulhu]
- Terry Dowling, ‘The Corpse Rose’ [Nightmare Carnival]
- Thoraiya Dyer, ‘The Oud’ [Long Hidden Anthology]
- Jason Franks, ‘Metempsychosis’ [SQ Mag]
- Michelle Goldsmith, ‘Of Gold and Dust’ [Andromeda Spaceways Inflight Magazine 60]
- Michael Grey, ‘1884’ [Cthulhu Lives: An Eldrich Tribute to H.P.Lovecraft]
- Stephanie Gunn, ‘Escapement’ [Kisses by Clockwork]
- Lisa L. Hannett & Angela Slatter, ‘Vox’ [The Female Factory]
- Gerry Huntman, ‘Of The Colour Tumeric, Climbing on Fingertips’ [Night Terrors III]
- Rick Kennett, ‘Dolls for Another Day’ [The Ghosts & Scholars Book of Shadows: Vol 2]
- Charlotte Kieft, ‘Chiaroscuro’ [Disquiet]
- SG Larner, ‘Kneaded’ [Phantazein]
- Claire McKenna, ‘Yard’ [Use Only As Directed]
- Andrew J. McKiernan, ‘A Prayer for Lazarus’ [Last Year, When We Were Young]
- Faith Mudge, ‘Signature’ [Kaleidoscope: Diverse YA Science Fi]
- Jason Nahrung, ‘The Preservation Society’ [Dimension6]
- Emma Osbourne, ‘The Box Wife’ [Shock Totem: Curious Tales of the Macabre & Twisted #9]
- Angela Rega, ‘Shedding Skin’ [Crossed Genres]
- Tansy Rayner Roberts, ‘The Love Letters of Swans’ [Phantazein]
- Angela Slatter, ‘The Badger Bride’ [Strange Tales IV]
- Cat Sparks, ‘New Chronicles of Andras Thorn’ [Dimension6 Annual Collection 2014]
- Anna Tambour, ‘The Walking-stick Forest’ [Tor.com]
- Kyla Ward, ‘Necromancy’ [Spectral Realms #1]
- Kaaron Warren, ‘Bridge of Sighs’ [Fearful Symmetries: An Anthology of Horror]
- Janeen Webb, ‘Lady of the Swamp’ [Death at the Blue Elephant]
In addition to the above incredible tales, the volume will include an overview of 2014 in fantasy, horror genre and Australian publishing, and a list of highly recommended stories.
The editors will shortly begin reading for the sixth volume of The Year’s Best Australian Fantasy and Horror.
The Year’s Best Australian Fantasy and Horror 2014 is scheduled for publication in late-October 2015 and can be pre-ordered at indiebooksonline.com. The anthology will be available in hardcover, ebook and trade editions.
