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Blog | November, 24th 2010 by admin

Short Story Syndrome

Dark Fiction Magazine loves short stories – we positively thrive on them. We’re especially happy then to see that this week is National Short Story Week. A whole week dedicated to celebrating short fiction!

We’re joining in the festivities by giving Dark Fiction Magazine listeners two extra episodes this week. Yesterday saw us publishing Clockwork Hunter by Andy Remic, a short fantasy story which ties in to the world of the Clockwork Vampire Chronicles.

Later in the week we’ll be bringing you The Elms, Morecambe by Simon Kurt Unsworth, a ghost story which is due for publication in the Quiet Houses collection in summer 2011.

We’re still working on submissions for the Twelve Days Christmas Anthology: the deadline is fast approaching on that one. We’re due to release the twelve stories on December 21st which is, coincidentally, National Short Story Day!

In other short story related news, Angry Robot Books announced this week that it is launching Nano Editions – a digital short story store which opens its doors on December 1st. Angry Robot Editor Lee Harris said, “Publishing is changing, but our role as publishers remains the same – to find cool stories and bring them to readers. This is another step in Angry Robot’s ongoing plan to embrace the new opportunities digital formats provide – and an excellent way for readers to sample unfamiliar authors, without breaking the bank.” Congratulations to the Angry Robot team and all their authors on this new venture.

What better way to round off this celebratory blog post with a giveaway. Fancy winning a copy of The Mammoth Book of Best New Horror Volume 21? All you have to do is leave a comment below telling Dark Fiction Magazine what your favourite short story is and why it’s so good. We’ll pick a winner on December 7th and the book will be sent out immediately. The giveaway is open to worldwide entries.

8 Comments

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http://www.adamchristopher.co.uk Adam Christopher

My favourite short story is The Mangler, by Stephen King. It's the one about the industrial laundry press that gets a taste of blood and becomes possessed by a demon. I like it (love it, in fact) because the concept is total B-movie nonsense, and yet the story is handled in a completely serious manner. The result is actually a rather grim tale with an unhappy ending. It's bonkers, but brilliant.
Weirdmage

Difficult question. I like Gaiman, Lovecraft and I love reading anthologies.
I'll have to go with a story I read in Science Fiction Hall of Fame Vol.2 -Ed. By Ben Bova;
Universe by Robert A. Heinlein.
I love the mix of the primitive and post-apocalyptic in what is in fact a Science Fiction story. I also love the setting of this short story. -And now I want to read it again.
http://twitter.com/natalief natalief

My favourite short story is The Raven by Edgar Allen Poe. It may be a poem but it is also an expertly delivered dark fiction short story with great mood and plot.<br><br>BTW, I am only interested in winning the book if I can win it in eBook/EPUB format. I cannot read paper books without pain these days.
http://twitter.com/Hickesy Phil Hickes

My favourite short story is 'Whistle And I'll Come To You My Lad" by M R James. An atmosphere of creeping dread permeates the story from the start. And when the cleaner in the guest-house asks the protagonist which bed he'd like making up, because both have been slept in (despite him being the sole occupant), well, the hairs on the back of your neck have probably never stood up quite so tall. A horror classic.
http://www.chrisbell.co.nz @ChrisBellNZ

'Emergency' by Denis Johnson is as dark as it gets but it's also funny and peopled by characters who, although eccentric, are convincing, infuriating and sympathetic, just like real-life addictive personalities you know. First hearing it read on the New Yorker Books podcast by Tobias Wolff certainly helped.
Hagelrat

I like lots but 'Pangs' by Robert Shearman is a fave!
Jeanette Greaves

I've been feasting on short stories since I was a child, thank the Lambs, but when put on the spot, the one that comes to mind is Spider Robinson's 'God Is An Iron'. The title is brilliant, and the images that the story evokes have never left me.
http://twitter.com/DarkFicMagazine DarkFiction Magazine

We've picked a winner! Phil Hickes, would you like to email us directly with your contact details, please? Send to editorial[at]darkfictionmagazine[dot]co[dot]uk.