Nina Allan makes the BSFA shortlist…

Exciting news. The title story from Nina Allan’s novel/collection The Silver Wind has just been shortlisted for the BSFA (British Science Fiction Association) awards.
Also, Charles Packer at the Sci Fi Online website has given the book a glowing 9/10 review. Here’s what Charles says (although the review is also well worth reading in full in context):

“Occasionally, amongst the good and bad novels which are sent out on a monthly basis, a real little gem slips in. Such is The Silver Wind by Nina Allan. The slim book contains five interlinked short stories, each of which builds on its predecessor, ultimately creating a touching and poignant whole.

Allen’s style is both literate and literary, a real delight to read…

I would recommend this small set of short stories. At its core it is about love, loss and emotion. The structure of time travel should not put off readers who express a dislike for science fiction. The stories have a tonal overlay of this, but it’s the relationships which really make the book.”

Massive Eibonvale Press Sale Now Online

Hi everyone!  I have recently launched a massive sale featuring 30% or so off most eibonvale titles, including some of our most popular items.

The reason is that I and the press will shortly be moving, switching from Kentish Town to Hackney, London. I keep a certain stock of books to hand, even though most orders go through the distributors, and I am offering a sale now in an attempt to reduce that stock a bit. After all, every book sold is one less thing to turn my hair grey when it comes to moving!

So far, we have not offered many special deals like this so this is a good chance to get some books with a nice discount.  Quantities of these are sometimes very limited – in some cases a boxful, in some cases only one copy (first come first served!).  So pop over to the new sale page on the Eibonvale website and take a look.

Please note that as these books are so reduced and as I am posting them myself, I cannot offer free shipping! However, I can still offer some nice reductions, especially for larger quantities! See the website for more information.

Offer available until 29th February 2012

First Look at the Cover for A Glimpse of the Numinous by Jeff Gardiner

Another new title due out very soon is Jeff Gardiner’s dark and haunting collection A Glimpse of the Numinous, and here is the first public release of the cover art!  This will be available for preorder in a matter of days, so watch this space and listen out for news!

First Look at the “Where Are We Going?” Cover

Here is the cover artwork for Eibonvale’s next book – the anthology “Where Are We Going?” edited by Allen Ashley (Subtle Edens, Catastrophia).  This is an ambitious themed anthology based on the idea that the world we live in is still something of an unknown planet, with spectacular encounters, adventures and mysteries still very much possible.

Stay tuned for more information on this.  We shall be launching the book (with discounts) at the BFS Open Night on 2nd March at the Mug House, London and it will soon be available for preorder on the website.

The Horror Zine on The Silver Wind

The Silver Wind by Nina Allan has been reviewed in glowing terms by Kevin Hillman over at the Horror Zine website. He writes:

“I think I can safely say that this book has been my best read of 2011. The writing draws the reader right into the scenes, the characters are real and likeable even when they are engaged in discomforting actions and the storylines manage to make the bizarre entirely credible…
…The print and editing quality in The Silver Wind is first class, just like the writing it contains. If you like your stories full of complexity, with a puzzle to solve, then this is the book for you. It will challenge, it will confuse, but most of all, it will entertain you…”

Late Tackle On Blind Swimmer…

Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water again, Eibonvale’s groundbreaking anthology Blind Swimmer has been reviewed by David Woodruff over at The Short Review. Working to the theme of “Creativity In Isolation”, Blind Swimmer was designed as a showcase for the varied talents of the diverse stable of writers associated with the press. Everyone tackled the theme in different ways, and in a sense it was a group project rather than an edited anthology in the traditional way. Surely no book has ever produced such a widely differing range of reactions. Every story has been both lauded and reviled by one reviewer or another over the last 15 months. David Woodruff discusses a few of the stories in detail and concludes by saying:

“Blind Swimmer is an intriguing and thought-provoking collection, filled with stories which often sit on the edge of genre classifications, sometimes defying our expectations, sometimes challenging them.”

Unpleasant Tales… an autopsy.

We have a late review in for Brendan Connell’s Unpleasant Tales. Robert Butterfield, writing in Dead Reckonings magazine says:

“… in Unpleasant Tales. Reading several of the stories… can only be compared to sitting at an autopsy table, wishing to turn away from the carnage, but being compelled to stay until the process has ended. If this sounds like something a semi-literate goremeister would hatch up for readers, think again; Connell is a stunningly good writer. He is capable of stopping readers in their tracks with a lyrical turn of phrase, yet he never seems to take one out of the story. In other words, Connell’s technical mastery does not invade upon his storytelling capabilities; it enhances them.”