THE FANTASIST

The Dark Pages Anthology by Australian publishers Blade Red Press is now available at fine retailers in Australia, and other upside down countries, and online at Amazon.com and other fine online retailers (or just follow the link above). The Kindle edition is right around the corner, if you are one of those types that can’t wait for all that barbaric shipping and handling business, and just want to get your dirty little hands on this collection of wonderfully dark speculative fiction stories right away. The opening story, The Stain of the Psychopomp King, is mine.

The Table of Contents and review copies are making their way around the web and out into the physical world as we speak, but once you read it and love it, go to Amazon, B&N, or your favorite review site online and let people know you enjoyed it and why. The publishing industry, especially the smaller companies in the shadow of  “Giants,” really rely on word of mouth.

I have read, and endorse this great little collection. I really believe there is some talent here to watch.

And of course, there’s me.

Let’s chat more later,

- L

Dark Pages Anthology, 2010

I’m quite pleased that Mythic Delirium has agreed to publish one of my all time favorite poems–a long, ninety-eight line epic about a marriage, called The Wedding Party.

I hope you’ll check it out when it’s published. I’m quite proud of this one, and quite proud to be in such a well thought of publication. There aren’t many poetry publications out there that Neil Gaiman would agree to write an exclusive poem for.

Right now, I’m watching a special on Jasper Maskelyne called The War Illusionist. It might blow my mind. I smell a novel here.

- LEGS

I was just notified that my poem FAMILY JAUNT was nominated for a Rhysling award, and will therefore at the very least, be included in The 2010 Rhysling Anthology, a collection of the poems nominated for the Rhyslings (published by the Science Fiction Poetry Association); members use the Rhysling Anthology to cast their final votes for the Rhysling Awards.
Poets appearing in past anthologies include: Isaac Asimov, Margaret Atwood, Diane Ackerman, Alan P. Lightman, Ray Bradbury, Ursula Le Guin, Bruce Boston, Peter Redgrove, Jane Yolen, Robert Frazier, Gene Wolfe, Joe Haldeman,  Thomas Disch, Catherynne M. Valente, Nobel laureate Roald Hoffmann, John M. Ford,  Michael Bishop, Lucius
Shepard, Jeff VanderMeer, Mike Allen, David Kopaska-Merkel, and Amal El-Mohtar.

This is indeed quite an honor.

OK. Here are the most recent updates:

* Blade Red Press has purchased my story The Stain of the Psychopomp King for their forthcoming anthology, Dark Pages. This story won an “Honorable Mention” at the prestigious Writers of the Future awards, and has gone through quite a few re-writes since then. It’s a story that I love, and the basis for my first novel.

* One of my poems, Family Jaunt, has been published in a “Best of 2009” anthology called Niteblade: Nothing to Dread. It’s available HERE and it’s one of my favorites. There are all kinds of quality shorts in that little anthology. I hope you buy it.

* I have a graphic novel coming out in the next year or so. The Swedish company Albumförlaget has agreed to take on the four issue mini-series, pare it down to TWO large issues in the European format (think Tintin), and release it in the French and Swedish languages. The mad genius, Christoffer Saar pulls it together in the way that only he can. I’ve finished the first two issues, and am waiting for a go from Christoffer for issues 3 & 4.

* Star*Line, the official magazine of the Science Fiction Poetry Association, has accepted my Spenserian sonnet about the last days of Nikolai Tesla, called Nikolai’s Bird for their July Issue. This is a great publication and organization whose aim is to bring more Spec-Fic poetry to the forefront. Please check them out.

* I’ve been doing lots of voice acting work for the Colonial Radio Theater lately. They have just wrapped up Walter (Star Trek) Koenig’s, Buck Alice and the Robot Actor, they have 1.2 million listeners on Sirius/XM Radio, and the most popular show on the Book Radio channel. I’m quite proud. My work has been  good chewy character work, the kind that suites me best. You can learn more about that here on the new Film/TV page.

* I’ve had a few stories nominated for a Preditors and Editors award. This is mostly a popularity/marketing contest, but what are these industries if not for a marketing/popularity contest? You can’t sell a book/film/story/song if no one knows about it.
I’m pleased to see that a few of my nominations are at the top as well. One of them is my favorite Sci-Fi site, SF Signal; the other is one of my favorite editors, Myrrym Davies; and the last is my favorite up and coming writer, Pete Tzinski (Damien). Trust me folks. You will know his name.
By the way, they do ask for your email, but they DON’T sell it or do anything with it. It’s just to make sure people don’t vote twice.

So…vote for them:
Best Non-fiction ‘Zine: SF Signal
Best ‘Zine Editor: Myrrym Davies
Best SF Short Story, Revolving Door, (Dunesteef Audio Fiction): Pete Tzinski (Damien)

And then vote for me:
Best Poem, Family Jaunt (Niteblade) and Alligator Xylophone (Everyday Poets): Lucien E.G. Spelman
Best Short Story, Seven and Four (The Boston Literary Magazine): Lucien E. G. Spelman
Best Non-Fiction Article, Joe Abercrombie Interview (SF Signal): Lucien E. G. Spelman
Best SF Short, The Wavelength of Maybird (Absent Willow Review): Lucien E. G. Spelman


A few last notes:

* The magazine that I started a few years back, and then sold off to a new publisher, Blood, Blade, and Thruster, the Magazine of Speculative Fiction and Satire, has finally bitten the dust. There are still back issues available HERE and HERE so people can still get those incredible stories, articles, and interview with luminaries such as NEIL GAIMAN (the only interview ever done in a dead language), GEORGE R. R. MARTIN, RILEY MARTIN, EARL B. MORRIS, and PIERS ANTHONY. The final issue, #3, should be available soon enough. That one’s got Joe Hill!
I can’t believe I’m pimping a magazine that I haven’t had anything to do with in three years. Sit boy, sit.

* I have taken the liberty of adding a bunch of OLD VIDEOS to the site, and will do the same with whatever media I can dig up in the future.

Love,
LEGS

Hi there,

A new story, The Wavelength of Maybird, is up at Absent Willow Review.

Go check it out. I’m quite happy with this one. It’s quirky sci-fi..

Also, I was truly flattered when I stumbled onto an interview of  fellow writer Angel Zapata and he listed my story “Seven and Four” (Boston Literary Magazine, Summer 2009) as one of his two favorites. I was even more pleased after reading his work, because is a remarkably talented writer.

Go check out his interview here, and check out his site too.

LEGS