Black Static

I see from the little counter in the corner that this will be the hundredth Case Notes Blog entry that I've posted, which is an occasion that feels like it should be marked in some special way, such as cracking open a bottle of champagne or gorging myself sick on Black Forest gateau, only I don't like champagne and I'm on a diet.

Certainly I should have something momentous to post about, but unfortunately I don't, so business as usual I guess.

Two announcements:-

Anthology Month

The Case Notes section of Black Static #19 will be an all anthology special. I've read thirteen books and over three hundred stories, and I'll be reviewing quite a lot of them (it would be all of them, but Andy insists on running fiction, so space is limited). There'll also be a lengthy interview with Stephen Jones, who has edited more than a few anthologies in his time, including The Mammoth Book of Best New Horror, now in its twenty first year of publication.

Anyway, I thought throughout the month of October I'd post a lot of anthology related material to the Case Notes Blog - various editors on their favourite anthologies, Tables of Contents, maybe an interview, or even a review. So keep watching this space to see what I can come up with.

The Advent Calendar

This was a great success last year - lots of people got to read stories they wouldn't normally catch and lots of authors got feedback - so I've decided that we should repeat the exercise, only this time I'm giving people a little bit more notice.

I've posted a link below to the original post setting out how it worked the first time around, and I don't envisage doing anything different this time.

I won't open to 'submissions' until the 1^st of November as I want to get the anthologies thing sorted first, and if you write me querying anything before then I will delete it, so this is just advance warning that we'll be doing something and to keep your powder dry, or whatever it is that writers keep dry in lieu of powder. Dry ink perhaps? No, that makes no sense at all.

On or shortly after the 1^st of November I'll do a more detailed announcement and throw open the e-doors for people to send me their links.

Right, I believe my work here is done, and so shall exit stage left merrily chirruping 'Happy 100^th to me, to me'.