| Author | Message | ||
     Alansjf (Alansjf) Username: Alansjf Registered: 09-2008 Posted From: 93.97.93.216 |
http://www.britishfantasysociety.org/bfsdiscuss/index.php?topic=1650.0 I'm sure many of you are already aware of this. It's terrible news; as I said in a post over at Vault of Evil, if next year's volume proves to be the last in the series, there will likely only be a single year's best volume left covering horror, and only half of one at that (I don't know what the status is with Prime's Horror: The Best of the Year series; no volume last year, and so far none this year either). | ||
| Simon Strantzas (Nomis) Username: Nomis Registered: 09-2008 Posted From: 99.225.111.224 |
I most certainly wasn't aware of this. It will be a travesty if the series is cancelled. That said, I like that the article mentions me, and implies, unlike McMahon, that I've been in the book more than once ;) | ||
| Des (Des) Username: Des Registered: 06-2008 Posted From: 86.156.32.207 |
Hope this series never disappears. I was in it 3 times in its earlier days, and I see the series as a monument in the fields we know. | ||
| Alansjf (Alansjf) Username: Alansjf Registered: 09-2008 Posted From: 93.97.93.216 |
Simon and Des - I agree 100% | ||
| Zed (Gary_mc) Username: Gary_mc Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 81.96.242.126 |
I really don't like the sound of a world where BNH doesn't exist. For 19 volumes, Steve Jones has introduced me to writers who have become important to my life. What a shitty fucking piece of news. | ||
| Joel (Joel) Username: Joel Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 91.110.203.119 |
FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK | ||
| Joel (Joel) Username: Joel Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 91.110.203.119 |
Forget it. All we'll have in the future is ten thousand POD books and ten million blogs every year, and no actual publications. Everyone who can type, and most people who can't, will be 'published', and no-one will EVER buy a book. Apart from special signed limited editions at $400 per volume. It's all over. Forget it. The Internet has eaten publishing like termites eating a wooden pavilion. Goodnight. | ||
| Gcw (Gcw) Username: Gcw Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 217.43.119.113 |
Joel, Without that poxy interweb thing I may never of had the pleasure of reading your fine book and meeting you. Also, you couldn't find a Ramsey Campbell book to buy in shop between about 1995 -2000 for love or money...until PS Publishing took him up. He could have fallen off the planet in those years for all I knew. I still buy books. I actually buy more now than I did a few years ago because the internet has narrowed the gap between writer & reader...F'instance Conrad Williams collared me at Fcon as I considered The Unblemished...He schmoozing made me laugh so I took the plunge on a promise that he sent me another book . And he did.I respect that & I will read them. If I like them I will buy more. I will buy more of your books too Joel. Perhaps you mean mass market success? I don't have an answer to that I'm afraid. In an ideal world a lot of people here would be feted as the the talented writers they are, but since when did we live in an ideal world? I'm off to bed. Nighty night. gcw | ||
| Coral (Coral) Username: Coral Registered: 10-2008 Posted From: 91.111.9.47 |
I'm with GCW. I have loads of gripes against the net, but he's quite right. Anyway Joel, I read one of your stories for free standing unashamedly in Waterstones, hee hee. Don't be cross. It was super. | ||
| Alansjf (Alansjf) Username: Alansjf Registered: 09-2008 Posted From: 93.97.93.216 |
Pros and cons of the internet aside, 'FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK' is a pretty fair assessment of the situation. But who knows, things might change. It seems Stephen Jones has managed to talk Robinson into a 20th volume next year, so there's time for them to rethink their decision to scrap the series. And if not, with the likes of Virgin starting up their own horror lines, there's always the chance another publisher could continue the series under a new name ... | ||
| Coral (Coral) Username: Coral Registered: 10-2008 Posted From: 91.111.9.47 |
Good thinking, that would be better than nothing, how likely do you reckon that is? | ||
| Alansjf (Alansjf) Username: Alansjf Registered: 09-2008 Posted From: 93.97.93.216 |
I honestly have no idea, Coral. I suppose it depends on Robinson's reasoning behind the decision - if it's a question of poor sales, it might be tough to pitch it to another publisher, if that's what it comes to. But I'd dearly love to see BNH survive. The genre needs - and deserves - at least one annual year's best devoted solely to horror fiction. | ||
| Craig (Craig) Username: Craig Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 67.116.103.241 |
What are you all whining about?... Half of you here are publishers yourselves - this is the perfect opportunity to fill the void! With a BNH collection of your own! Des seems to be doing his part, with his ZenCore Experience and whatnot... so who's next?... | ||
| Des (Des) Username: Des Registered: 06-2008 Posted From: 86.156.32.207 |
Thanks, Craig for name-check. I repeat what I said about BNH above. In fact the Horror genre really needs Sun-Stars like that (and other SJ books), and YBFH (and ther ED books) and (latterly) Virgin. But Sun-Stars sometimes go out (like YBHS did before the Internet took a grip). We hope they don't go out. Equally, without the Universe that these Sun-Stars created, we wouldn't have the asteroids, comets, planets, moons etc like Humdrumming, Pendragon, Gray Friars, Mortbury Press etc etc. Also without the Internet's HELP, these smaller things may not have existed. Certainly without the Internet's help, I would not have produced the ZenCore Universe. So far, Nemonymous has published 114 original stories: paying writers a flat rate of £25 per story in anthologies 1 (2001), 2 (2002) & 3 (2003) and £45 per story in anthologies 4 (2004) & 5 (2005). Stories in anthology 7 (Zencore 2007) were paid £50 each. Stories in anthology 8 (Cone Zero 2008) were paid £65 each. 'Cern Zoo' (Nemo 9) is currently offering 1p per word (roughly equivalent to 'Cone Zero'). What global finacial crisis? :-) | ||
| Tony (Tony) Username: Tony Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 81.157.114.136 |
I don't want to be horrible but this cover is better. I was always put off by the other covers - they felt somehow daft, more juvenile than some of the covers you see on kid's books. God - I hope that doesn't offend the artists, if they're reading. | ||
| Allybird (Allybird) Username: Allybird Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 79.70.23.185 |
I've bought many of the editions and would miss BNH greatly. | ||
| Joel (Joel) Username: Joel Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 91.108.58.24 |
But Tony, some of those covers were awesome. Spectral monks, that kind of thing. The skull last year. | ||
| Huw (Huw) Username: Huw Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 218.168.193.34 |
I like those covers too. Some of them are more on the gruesome side, others more atmospheric, but all are memorable. It really would be a great shame if Best New Horror stops. I've been buying them since the very first volume. | ||
| Hubert (Hubert) Username: Hubert Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 78.22.236.227 |
I suppose they're bound to become collector's items now, like the Fontanas and Pans. Are the older editions readily available? | ||
| Huw (Huw) Username: Huw Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 218.168.187.47 |
I think quite a few of them can be found on ABE, but some years appear to be harder to find than others. I'm glad I bought them as they came out. There's a lot of good stuff in those nineteen volumes. | ||
| Albie (Albie) Username: Albie Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 195.195.244.67 |
Maybe if the authors allowed their work to appear without a fee...just for the sake of a rather nice advert for their books etc...? No? | ||
| Ramsey Campbell (Ramsey) Username: Ramsey Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 195.93.21.74 |
No. | ||
| Guy (Guy) Username: Guy Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 79.144.252.203 |
There's no reason why the author should be expected to provide the content for free, it's hardly a mammoth fee and the cost of the stories is one of the smallest production costs the book incurs. Anyway: a conversation with Steve Jones this morning assures me that Best New Horror isn't going anywhere. In fact there's two volumes next year as they're producing a special 20th Anniversary 'best of'. Reports of its death are exaggerated (as they say)... | ||
| Huw (Huw) Username: Huw Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 218.168.190.116 |
Excellent! | ||
| Simon Strantzas (Nomis) Username: Nomis Registered: 09-2008 Posted From: 38.113.181.169 |
Then why the hell are we talking about it? Let's party! Everybody naked! | ||
| Guy (Guy) Username: Guy Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 79.144.252.203 |
I already was Simon dear. | ||
| Gary Fry (Gary_fry) Username: Gary_fry Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 82.3.65.135 |
He is indeed. I have him on Webcam. | ||
| Allybird (Allybird) Username: Allybird Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 79.70.111.176 |
'Everybody naked!' Just what went on in those hotel bedrooms at Fantasycon then? | ||
| Zed (Gary_mc) Username: Gary_mc Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 213.219.8.243 |
There's a lesson to us all here regarding the internet and Chinese whispers... | ||
| Guy (Guy) Username: Guy Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 79.144.252.203 |
No Zed, I really AM naked. | ||
| Weber_gregston (Weber_gregston) Username: Weber_gregston Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 83.98.9.4 |
Shame he's in an internet cafe and not at home. | ||
| Simon Strantzas (Nomis) Username: Nomis Registered: 09-2008 Posted From: 38.113.181.169 |
There's a lesson to us all here regarding the internet and Chinese whispers... I assumed because the poster was a BFS Volunteer that the info was legit. Plus, no one said otherwise in the comments. I've already posted corrections on my blog, and on two other blogs of writers who I choose not to name. | ||
| Zed (Gary_mc) Username: Gary_mc Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 213.219.8.243 |
I've corrected mine, too, after emailing Steve and learning this was just a rumour. I feel like a right tit now. :-/ | ||
| Simon Strantzas (Nomis) Username: Nomis Registered: 09-2008 Posted From: 38.113.181.169 |
Still, it doesn't mean we shouldn't be prompting people to buy more copies of the books. Let's get them out there. I hear vol 19 has a fantastic line-up! | ||
| Gary Fry (Gary_fry) Username: Gary_fry Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 82.3.65.135 |
I heard that to make the line-up really, really good, he put in two rubbish tales for maximum contrast. | ||
| Guy (Guy) Username: Guy Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 79.144.252.203 |
Shame? They're loving it. I bet they wouldn't even leave if I stopped pointing my gun at them. | ||
| Guy (Guy) Username: Guy Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 79.144.252.203 |
That was in reply to Weber btw. | ||
| Alansjf (Alansjf) Username: Alansjf Registered: 09-2008 Posted From: 93.97.93.216 |
I knew there was a reason I put a ? at the end of the thread title instead of a . That said, I do feel like a bit of a tit, for all that I acted in good faith, and started the thread with the best of intentions. Still I'm a very happy tit, knowing BNH isn't going anywhere. | ||
| Des (Des) Username: Des Registered: 06-2008 Posted From: 86.156.32.207 |
Stet ... the Sun-Star. | ||
| Mark_lynch (Mark_lynch) Username: Mark_lynch Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 212.74.96.200 |
Hmm. Must admit, I'm alwayss urprised when I see another year's best antho out. I'm constantly expecting it to fold. | ||
| Richard_gavin (Richard_gavin) Username: Richard_gavin Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 69.157.35.138 |
What? You mean BEST NEW HORROR is *not* going under? Aw, man, this means I have to shelve all my brilliant zingers about how Simon killed a two-decade-old anthology series with just one story. ;-) | ||
| Craig (Craig) Username: Craig Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 75.16.76.141 |
My exposure to this series is limited, but... is it really the "Year's Best," or is it mostly the "Year's Most Recognizable"...? Hey, whatever it takes to sell flap-jacks.  | ||
| Zed (Gary_mc) Username: Gary_mc Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 81.96.242.126 |
>>is it mostly the "Year's Most Recognizable"...?<< If that were the case, Craig, I certainly wouldn't be in it this year... | ||
| Guy (Guy) Username: Guy Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 79.144.252.203 |
I guess it always has to be a little bit of both (you do need some names to sell a few copies). Having said that Steve Jones is not a man to run a story just because of the byline... | ||
| Gary Fry (Gary_fry) Username: Gary_fry Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 82.3.65.135 |
And the recognisable writers are logically the ones most likely to produce the good stuff. That's where they're recognisable, innit? | ||
| Simon Strantzas (Nomis) Username: Nomis Registered: 09-2008 Posted From: 38.113.181.169 |
Thanks for the support, Richard. Sheesh! BTW, I needed Zed's help; I never could have managed it on my own! | ||
| Richard_gavin (Richard_gavin) Username: Richard_gavin Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 69.157.35.138 |
I kid, Simon, I kid! Who loves ya, baby? Now, give us a kiss... | ||
| Steve Bacon (Stevebacon) Username: Stevebacon Registered: 09-2008 Posted From: 90.211.103.112 |
I've bought every single member of my entire family a copy of BNH for Christmas in a bid to increase the sales figures of the series. I blame this whole rumour thing on Joel, Simon, and Gary M trying to boost their exposure. | ||
| Simon Strantzas (Nomis) Username: Nomis Registered: 09-2008 Posted From: 99.225.111.224 |
Well, if you go back and read the comments on the initial post that spawned this, you'll see Paul Campbell feels he was either misled or Steve Jones is backpedalling a bit on the truth. One feels for him (Paul) either way. That said, it's still a good idea to prompt people into buying the books. More sales certainly couldn't hurt the series, could it? RG: I've got something better than a kiss coming your way. Better pucker up! | ||
| Craig (Craig) Username: Craig Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 67.116.103.241 |
And the recognisable writers are logically the ones most likely to produce the good stuff. That's where they're recognisable, innit?... I was all set to disagree with you Gary... and then I realized, I too, quickly scan the list of authors in an anthology: and if I don't recognize the names... forget it! So I'm as "elitist" as anyone else. Maybe worse, since I only really know the names of the very best horror writers.... But hey, great news - I now know all your guys' names too!  | ||
| Des (Des) Username: Des Registered: 06-2008 Posted From: 86.156.32.207 |
Craig says: I too, quickly scan the list of authors in an anthology: and if I don't recognize the names... forget it! ---------------------- True, but who in the general public (when they pick up a BNH in Smiths) will have heard of many of the names people here would have heard of? Anyway, I'm thinking of going back to publishing books with no names at all listed, let alone randomly listed on the back cover! :-) | ||
| Craig (Craig) Username: Craig Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 75.4.245.251 |
Good idea, Des. You could put this on the back cover instead: "The very best, most famous names in horror, have graced these pages herein... but are humbly keeping their names hidden... so don't bother asking them, they'll deny it... and besides, they're donating the proceeds to charities... the kind that benefit poor whining teary-eyed puppy-dogs, that are daily neglected around the world... remember, the puppy-dogs need you and your support...." True, but who in the general public (when they pick up a BNH in Smiths) will have heard of many of the names people here would have heard of? The key to getting those people who don't know horror writers' names so well, is: kill 'em with loglines. Killer one-sentence descriptions that compel them to pick up the book and buy it. Of course, those stories must support killer loglines. Which means, you must select stories with killer loglines that deliver, however poorly. And reject those with soft loglines, however excelling in artistry. If you want to sell a lot of books. ... There's always the puppies.... | ||
| Frank (Frank) Username: Frank Registered: 09-2008 Posted From: 79.187.206.46 |
I once emailed Steve Jones about submitting work to any possible anthologies doing the rounds. Considering I'm a nobody, he was a real gent and far more helpful than some of the editors who've looked at my work. I mean he didn't tell me to fuck off and die, but instead said he was always ready to look at the work of new writers. Like I said, top bloke. | ||
| Weber_gregston (Weber_gregston) Username: Weber_gregston Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 83.98.9.4 |
You could always put on the back cover that for every copy not sold, a kitten gets stomped on... | ||
| Simon Strantzas (Nomis) Username: Nomis Registered: 09-2008 Posted From: 99.225.111.224 |
It worked for McMahon... | ||
| Frank (Frank) Username: Frank Registered: 09-2008 Posted From: 79.187.206.46 |
Yeah, he was doing the stomping. | ||
| Zed (Gary_mc) Username: Gary_mc Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 213.219.8.243 |
No, I was the kitten. Or was I just wearing kitten heels? Only my therapist can answer that question. Or question that answer. | ||
| John Llewellyn Probert (John_l_probert) Username: John_l_probert Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 213.253.174.81 |
Zed I thought you wore cha-cha heels like the rest of us. | ||
| Zed (Gary_mc) Username: Gary_mc Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 213.219.8.243 |
I like to be different. | ||
| Des (Des) Username: Des Registered: 06-2008 Posted From: 86.156.32.207 |
I don't. | ||
| Zed (Gary_mc) Username: Gary_mc Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 213.219.8.243 |
Des, you are even different from yourself. | ||
| Zed (Gary_mc) Username: Gary_mc Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 213.219.8.243 |
Or should that be "to" yourself? And I have the gall to call myself a writer... | ||
| Guy (Guy) Username: Guy Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 79.144.252.203 |
At least the rest of us don't call you one. | ||
| Mick Curtis (Mick) Username: Mick Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 85.158.137.195 |
 | ||
| Zed (Gary_mc) Username: Gary_mc Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 213.219.8.243 |
Walked into that one, didn't I? :-) |