Read 2020 - 17 - Interzone #274

Another weekend and another Interzone. Dom is obsessed with this magazine. I'm beginning to despair that he'll ever pick a Black Static for me to read. I read issue 274 curled up in my chair by the window and accompanied by several stole cans of Pepsi Max (they're the Bestwick's). I love a lazy Sunday. I should have been hanging pictures in our newly-decorated bedroom and attaching the new headboard, but they'll wait for a not-so-lazy weekend.

My favourite story this issue was Michael Reid's Never the Twain. A beautiful sad, sad story about living two lives, and about dying in one of them. My glasses got a little bit misty. I lie there, listening to the sobbing, feeling like a monster because I can't stop dying.

Read 2020 - 14 - Interzone #276

Another issue of Interzone - at this rate I'll be done with my back supply in no time. Although, I will have to insist that Dom picks a back issue of Black Static soon. As this issue dates from July 2018, it's obvious how long it has sat collecting dust. In fact, there was enough to create a dust bunny (no photos as it ran away with dust carrot).

This issue starts with an excellent editorial from Bonnie Jo Stufflebeam, who also has a story in the magazine. My favourites this issue were:

Superbright by Ryan Row
...the pale desert of her chest dotted with moles like negative stars.
There are so many quotable lines in this story of superheroes, villains and a mother and son relationship. Excellent, inventive and a little bit beautiful.

PQ by James Warner
This intriguing story of an ant collective (colony) could easily sit in the pages of Black Static. A researcher discovers a new species of ant who make art from certain found items.

So Easy by Bonnie Jo Stufflebeam
I counted the constellations of misshapen black moles across his body.
I appear to be drawn to the darker stories in this issue. This is an apocalyptic coming-of-age story.

Eyes by Paul Crenshaw
A beautiful story about seeing the world through other people's eyes.

I read this issue while decorating our bedroom. It proved good, relaxing company - well, maybe not so relaxed with the ants or the apocalypse, little things like that.

Read 2020 - 9 - Crimewave

I bought CRIMEWAVE 12: HURTS from Roy Gray (at the TTA Press table) at a convention - I think it was Edge Lit, year unknown. It's definitely lingered on the to-read-shelf for a handful of years. Crimewave is a sister publication to Black Static and Interzone, but published infrequently.

Favourite stories this issue were Melanie Tem's Singularity, a gentle tale of vicious things. Joel Lane's excellent By Night He Could Not See, a story about the past coming back to haunt. The unnerving Unfinished Business by Christopher Priest,where a naked man watches and a debt is to be paid. For me, the best of this issue was Anthony Mann's The Simpson Frames a humorous tale and a quirky, disturbing character that I would love to read more about.

Somewhere in the dark depths of the Bestwick's study lurks Crimewave 13.

Read 2020 - Interzone #277

This is how far behind I (we) have gotten with our reading. Thanks to number generator, I finally got to read issue 277 of Interzone, which was published at the end of 2018. To my shame, there are even older copies on my to-read-shelf. Forgive me, Andy.

My favourite reads this issue were:

Territory: Blank by Aliya Whiteley (a burgeoning superstar). Territory: Blank is told in a series of fragmented diary entries in a future world where there are hungry things.  "I press through it, wait for the mouths to come for me too."

Singles' Day by Samantha Murray. This is the story of four girls in different parts of an overcrowded Earth, who are offered a chance to go to a new world, but will have to leave much behind. The horror part of my brain kept expecting something awful to happen. "We take our stories with us. We take all of our past."

Cereal Murder

Another Twisted Tales event last night. First one in awhile and a bit of a landmark as before snagging the Bestwick, I used to meet him for coffee in Liverpool before Twisted Tales events and then we'd go to the readings.

This time the guests were Adam Nevill (always charming), Stuart MacBride and Steve Mosby. The theme, as you can guess from the poster to the left, was serial killers. Each author read a piece from their books and then David McWilliam hosted a discussion on serial murder, crime and its connection to horror, before opening the questions for the audience to ask the authors.

I haven't read anything by Stuart MacBride or Steve Mosby before so I'm looking forward to checking out their books, especially as I haven't read any crime/thrillers in a wee while. Stares at to read pile. Falls over.

After the event, we went for a meal in China Town with several awesome people including Ramsey & Jenny Campbell, Marie O'Regan, Paul Kane, David McWilliam, Stuart MacBride, Adam Nevill and Glynn Morgan. Lovely food even if I did have a minor spat with the Bestwick over what I was eating because I couldn't make up my mind. I can be annoying. Also good to see Priya Sharma  and Roy Gray again. Hopefully, I haven't missed anyone out.

Actually, food caused me no end of problems yesterday including the death of my porridge. It went splat all over the work kitchen sink. Guess, I'm a cereal killer. You have permission to groan.