Monday 14 December 2009

Why Moths Don't Live Here


At the beginning of the year I resolved to subscribe to at least one small press magazine a month (or buy an anthology), and I kept my promise at first, but then I fell off the bookcase mid year and forgot why I was on it in the first place. Now, sitting at the end of the year surrounded by many unread books etc, it seems I forgot the following resolution...

In 2010, I will spend more time reading small press short stories than I do twittering.

Earlier today, Aaron Polson posted a list of all the magazines, anthologies etc he'd purchased in 2010. Here's mine... Subbed to Necrotic Tissue, Murky Depths and Postscripts, and still have issues of all three to read. I also bought Shock Totem #1. I bought one copy and won another of Space and Time, 2 issues of Grave Tales (still waiting on one), and an issue of Talebones.

Thanks to an in-my-favour swap, I received Kurt Newton's 'Black Butterflies', and a generous editor (ie Mark Deniz) sent me a free copy of 'Grants Pass'. I bought and read KC Shaw's 'Jack of All Trades', Rio Youers 'Mama Fish' and Joe Hill's 'Gunpowder' (PS Publishing) and I'm part-way through Paul Jessup's 'Glass Coffin Girls'. Languishing on my to read shelf are Joel Sutherland's 'Frozen Blood', Camille Alexa's 'Push of the Sky', Simon Bestwick's 'Pictures of the Dark', Joshua Reynolds' 'Bury Me Deep', Robots Beyond anthology, Spook City anthology, Grimm and Grimmer anthology, and Vicious Verses and Reanimated Rhymes poetry anthology. Plus Feast by R Scott McCoy is on my Christmas list. Oh, and I've pre-ordered Courting Morpheus. I think that's it, though I'm not convinced.

Next year, as well as reading the above (began my resolution today by finally opening Gratia Placenti, the Apex anthology I bought in 2008), I'm going to devour as many online short stories as I can. I've already read a handful of Clarkesworld stories, and started in on Apex this afternoon.

And as if he wasn't busy enough, Aaron Polson is starting Skull Salad Reviews, which will be reviewing Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror stories in the small press.

I think I need to lie down now...

13 comments:

Adam said...

I don't see Shroud on that list, I think I have an extra copy of #7 rattling around at home. What's your address? I'll send it over to you. I still owe you for that feature you ran way back when.

I sent you a comment on twitter with my email.

Jamie Eyberg said...

Sometimes I wish I had a job so I could buy more books. Then I slap myself and get out my wife's credit card. :)

Cate Gardner said...

Adam, that's so sweet of you.

Jamie, and how naughty of you. LOL!

Fox Lee said...

I think I just swooned...

Jeremy D Brooks said...

3 WOOTS for supporting the small market presses!

WOOTWOOT...HURRAH!

(etc)

Aaron Polson said...

Cate, you shame me (in purchases, that is). I like to keep myself busy. Less time for "the voices". Heh.

Rebecca Nazar said...

Lots of yummy goodness to usher in the New Year.

Anton Cancre said...

Noticed Feast on there. Good read, definitely worth your time.

K.C. Shaw said...

I definitely need to do more to support small publishers next year. I've bought some anthologies and small-press published books, but not very many.

Cate Gardner said...

Natalie, I'm guessing you read the submiminal message about all the Korean boy bands I also bought.

Jeremy, I'll take half a woot as I'm yet to read most of them. ;D

Aaron, last I checked, your list was a similar length to mine (and I bet you read most of yours).

Rebecca, true.

Anton, I'm hoping it will be under my Christmas tree this year. :D

KC, I'm thinking of donating a couple of dollars to online magazines when I read a story that knocks my socks off. Could be an expensive year.

Katey said...

What Jamie said-- except it's my husband's :D

I'm behind on my reading too, as I had the kind of year where I wanted more classics than anything else. Weird when it happens, but who am I to argue with my own brain? I mean, really.

That's a great haul, though! I love it!

Jodi Lee (Morrighan) said...

w00t!

I've got a similar resolution for the coming year - 2 subscriptions and at least 6 books from small presses. However, I think I want to wait to buy until I get to the planned convention. If I don't get there, I'm gonna use the savings to buy more than 6 books. ;)

You're gonna love Gratia. :) And thanks for the CM pre-order!

Cate Gardner said...

I can't believe I left Gratia on my shelf for so long. Looking forward to CM and I promise not to neglect it.