Garry Douglas Kilworth Collections

Garry Kilworth's first collection shows him to be one of the most original and enjoyable writers in the field. The thirteen stories in The Songbirds of Pain mix science fiction and fantasy, with a dash of unclassifiable strangeness. Kilworth is particularly adept at evoking colourful and exotic locales in distant parts of the world, as in 'The Dissemblers', a story set in the Arabian deserts, about a man resorting to bizarre self-torture in his attempts to see beyond the veil of death. 'Blind Windows' is an adventure set in the Far East, reminiscent of an updated Rider Haggard: a group of Westerners searching for some fabled crystals find their way into a hidden underground world. 'Scarlet Fever' is about an artist in a sterile future society who gives himself the disease in an attempt to stimulate creativity. And the titled story tells of a woman who undergoes a strange and painful series of treatments in order to achieve perfect beauty.

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Moby Jack and Other Tall Tales is a collection of stories that span some 20 years. They cover a variety of themes and are more different, in style as well as content, than they are similar. As the author himself says, "Some writers follow a path of sameness in order to satisfy their readers' desire for familiarity. To me that's like going to same country for your holiday every year. It's not me. I like going somewhere different every time." The tales range from Chinese fantasy ('Death of the Mocking Man') to science fiction ('Moby Jack'), to fantasy ('The Sculptor') to horror ('The Megowl') to ghost stories ('Hunter's Hall') -- but for the most part they're just plain odd and refuse to slot into any set category. So, if you like weird stories, dark comedy and tales where characters get into impossible situations and only occasionally extract themselves, then you'll enjoy this volume.

Rob derived a huge amount of pleasure from writing these poems (and peoms ) in the last two or three years of his life. Some were written purely out of fun and mischievousness, but some had very serious intent (such as The Field of Tartan and The Passing of Alpha ). He sent multiple versions to family, friends and acquaintances for feedback and relished the ensuing discussions and chats about them. They undoubtedly provide fascinating insights into the real Rob and are, by turn, profoundly moving, thought-provoking, sad, funny, crazy and wonderful. As Garry notes in his Introduction, many of Rob s poems were as elusive as snow leopards . I have tried to track down as many as possible I am sure many more will be lurking in long lost emails and notebooks and I have also tried to second-guess which versions might be definitive but concluded that some were probably works in progress . Apologies from a celestial Rob for this, and from me for any inaccurate transcriptions! I should like to thank Garry, Pete and Nicky (and all at PS Publishing) for initiating and producing this handsome volume and to François for the beautiful cover. Rob would be absolutely thrilled, as am I. He would also be exceedingly pleased and proud that his poems are published alongside those by Garry, whose work he admired greatly . . . and who was, and continues to be, a very special friend to us both. Sarah Biggs (Robert Holdstock s partner)

A set of beautifully crafted tales of the imagination by a writer who was smitten by the magic of the speculative short story at the age of twelve and has remained under its spell ever since. These few stories cover three closely related sub-genres: science fiction, fantasy and horror. In the White Garden murders are taking place nightly, but who is leaving the deep foot-prints in the flower beds? Twelve men are locked in the jury room, but thirteen emerge after their deliberations are over. In a call centre serving several worlds, the staff are less than helpful when things go wrong with a body-change holiday. Three of the stories form a set piece under the sub-sub-genre title of 'Anglo-Saxon Tales'. This trilogy takes the reader back to a time when strange gods ruled the lives of men and elves were invisible creatures who caused mayhem among mortals. Garry Kilworth has created a set of stories that lift readers out of their ordinary lives and place them in situations of nightmare and wonder, or out among far distant suns. Come inside and meet vampires, dragons, ghosts, aliens, weremen, people who walk on water, clones, ghouls and marvellous wolves with the secret of life written beneath their eyelids. 'Kilworth's stories are delightfully nuanced and carefully wrought.' Publishers Weekly 'A bony-handed clutch of short stories, addictive and hallucinatory.' The Times 'Here is a writer determined and well equipped to contribute to the shudder-count.' The Guardian

Twenty-five dark stories that span a daring breadth of genres – by the author of Objects of Worship and The Door to Lost Pages , which Publishers’ Weekly calls “intensely memorable” and “insanely imaginative.” In these noir tales that unfold at the edge of realism, mythic nocturnes from impossible pasts, and disquietingly intimate stories of speculative fiction, Claude Lalumière explores our collective and intertwined obsessions with sex and death. “In Nocturnes and Other Nocturnes Claude Lalumière plumbs the deep trenches of yearning, fear and the agonies of unfulfilled need.” – from the introduction by Garry Kilworth “Claude Lalumière’s stories are dark, mordant, precisely formed.” Lucius Shepard “Lalumière’s protagonists exhibit the sorts of yearnings and proclivities that our most respected social institutions teach us to mistrust: erotic energy, artistic mania, idiosyncratic mysticism, impassioned empathy with the natural world.” James Morrow “Claude Lalumière’s extravagant imagination is matched by only two other qualities: his compassion for his characters, and his sparkling facility with language.” Paul Di Filippo “Claude Lalumière has a poet’s sensibility. He suggests; never overstates.” Richard Calder “Claude Lalumière’s stories are delicious.” Anna Tambour “Montreal’s own master of fantastic fiction.” RoverArts.com “Lalumière’s fiction is indeed fueled by a rich inner psychology … it is potent, memorable stuff.” The New York Review of Science Fiction

Stories from the back of the brain. These short stories span a period of 40 years. They are as eclectic as the insect world, ranging from the bizzare to the quixotic and back again. Plucked from an oeuvre of 145 stories, they are beautifully crafted tales, several of which have snatched awards from the jaws of oblivion or shouldered their way into short lists. Though he writes longer fiction Garry Kilworth considers himself primarily a short story writer, which is his first and last love. There is science fiction, fantasy, horror, folk lore and legend within these pages. What does not fall into any of those categories is simply unclassifiable weird fish. The first tale is a parallel world story in which we, the people who inhabit this planet, can walk on water. The last story involves the kind of madness which is brought on by too much discipline and good order. These two sandwich a vast array of brilliant and sometimes puzzling pieces of prose. "One is left in no doubt about the quality of the writing or of Kilworth’s talent..." Times Educational Supplement "The tales are haunting, often almost poetic, but still chilling." Fantasy Zone on In The Country Of Tattooed Men "His characters are strong and the sense of place he creates is immediate and strong." Sunday Times "Kilworth is a master of his trade." Punch "Arguably the finest writer of short fiction today, in any genre" New Scientist

These prose poems reflect the thoughts and adventures of a boy raised in rural East Anglia in the 1950s