Publishing News: Word Horde set to release in December the trade paperback edition of THE CHILDREN OF OLD LEECH, featuring a new cover by Dalton Rose and Scott R. Jones

I am a short story writer.  And while I have ideas for novels, and will most likely begin work on them soon, I see myself at this stage in my writing life primarily as one who most enjoys scribbling things out in the short form.  Novellas, novelettes, short long fiction, long short fiction, flash fiction and micro fiction - I like it all.  There is a certain compressed power to a complete tale told in a small, confined space. Like a focused punch delivered by a master martial artist, or gunpowder dumped into a metal casing, turning sparkling fire into a deadly concussive force.

All that stated, I realize that to most of the reading and publishing public, the novel is king/queen, and this prevailing fact is no different in the realm of horror fiction.  But, for my money, shorter works are and have been the lifeblood of the dark, the supernatural, and the weird, from the very beginning.  Think of your favorite works of speculative fiction, and I would hazard that many (most?) of them would be classified as something less than a novel, in terms of word count.  I know it is that way with me, as the individual that I consider to be the most talented English language writer of all time (Flannery O'Connor) wrote in the short form. My favorite story of all time is "The Lottery," which is a short story.  My favorite weird fiction writers - Ligotti, T.E.D. Klein, Machen, Bradbury, Lovecraft, Clark Ashton Smith, Robert E. Howard, Poe, Blackwood, Bierce, Bloch, William Hope Hodgson, Fritz Leiber, Charlotte Perkins Gilman, Karl Edward Wagner, Michael Shea, Joe Lansdale, Ramsey Campbell and a host of newer writers currently working in the field - all write either primarily in the short form, or have devoted a large portion of their output to the same.  The premiere dark fiction novelists, including King, Barker, Gaiman, Lawrence Block, and George R.R. Martin, wrote hundreds and hundreds of short stories between them.

In short (my apologies), I am a short story writer, and a short story fan. It just works for me.

Over the past several years, I've been fortunate enough to have my short fiction appear in numerous anthologies, and while all of them have been wonderful opportunities for which I am extremely grateful, several of them have come with a little added zing, based on publisher, editor, theme, or ToC.  A project that combines all of the above is The Children of Old Leech - edited by Ross E. Lockhart and Justin Steele for Lockhart's Word Horde press - which is a "tribute to the carnivorous cosmos of Laird Barron."

Barron's work was some of the first horror fiction I read that wasn't penned in 1930's during my deep immersion into the genre, and has always remained some of my favorite, especially in terms of atmospherics and overall bleak-as-shit cosmic horror. As such, I was quite honored when Ross and Justin invited me to submit a story to a tribute anthology to Barron and his own unique mythos, which combined savage cosmicism with dark wilderness tales, occulted aristocracy, black magic, and bare knuckle Noir.  It's a cosmology that has always resonated with me, and so I was thrilled to see what I could come up with that would fit into the Barronverse.  What emerged was my story - a novelette, actually - "Love Songs from the Hydrogen Jukebox," which serves as an homage to my beloved Beats amid an homage to Laird Barron. Two birds with one tribute stone, and all of that.

The story has receive positive reviews, and - more importantly - the anthology itself has been met with critical accolades and impressive sales.  As such, Word Horde is releasing The Children of Old Leech as a trade paperback in December, sporting a snazzy new cover featuring artwork by Dalton Rose (for a Slate article on Barron) and cover design by Scott R. Jones.

Even if you already have the original hardcover release, featuring that iconic cover by Matthew Revert, it would behoove (and behoof) you to pick up The Children of Old Leech in paperback, as I have a feeling that both will be considered bookends of each other in days to come, as Barron's dark star continues to ascend, and these unassuming works of indie fiction being created today become codified, carved into the damp cave stone of weird literature's canon eternal.

Original artwork by Dalton Rose

Publishing Update: Reviews of THE MISSION

Cover design by Ives Hovanessian

Upon abandoning a long, mediocre stretch as a screenwriter and officially entering the ring of dark fiction in 2010, I've had many stories published in various anthologies, publications and other mediums.  But it wasn't until 2014 that the very first stand-alone book of my work came out with The Mission, which was released as a limited edition chapbook by Dunhams Manor Press/Dynatox Ministries, founded and run by the gifted writer and publisher Jordan Krall, one of the hardest working fellows in indie press.

The book shipped throughout August and September, and the feedback so far has been wonderfully positive.  The Arkham Digest published a review in early October, while Daring Defenders put up a piece on The Mission several weeks back.  Recently, several authors I admire, respect, and count as inspirations in the Speculative Fiction omniverse have chimed in with their thoughts on The Mission, including Laird Barron, Nathan Ballingrud, and Jeffrey Thomas - three greats spinning their craft at the very top of the field.  I'm so very appreciative for all of these reviews and blurbs, and although they cannot lift sales with the book being out-of-print, it is still a lovely thing to know that your work connected with a reader.

As The Mission is not listed on Amazon or Goodreads or any of the usual review sites, I've decided to wrangle reviews into one electronic corral, for personal posterity if nothing else.  This will be - and has been - updated as necessary:
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Award-winning author of the Weird, the Noir, and the cosmically horrific Laird Barron wrote:

"The Mission--an unholy union of Cormac McCarthy's annihilating moral vistas and filmmaker JT Petty's dark vision of the West."

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Shirley Jackson Award-winning dark fiction author Nathan Ballingrud wrote:

"'Goddamn a thief that salutes you first.' 

THE MISSION, by Ted E. Grau, reads like a classic weird tale. It has echoes of Howard, Lovecraft, and even a hint of Clark Ashton Smith's 'Tsathoggua,' but written with greater worldliness and sharper, cleaner prose. A band of unlikely soldiers set off to track down two Lakota warriors in Nebraska, and stumble across something fantastically strange and terrifying. Creepy, bizarre, and fast-paced, this novella satisfied on all fronts.

'Ebke snorted. He had no dog in this fight. Didn't care for a damn thing in the whole wide world, including his own hide. The kind of man who was just born hollow, who just went where he was supposed to. Didn't matter, though. When the chips were down and the dander up, it was always light against dark. To hell with this New World.'

'Farm boys ain't exactly expert trackers. Good to have at your side in a saloon dust up, as those coffee can fists always found purchase, but rosy-cheeked plowboys weren't born bloodhounds like those with a more suspicious nature.' 

Coffee-can fists. I love that. This is the first in what will be a series of stories about Salt Creek, according to the back-cover copy of this sadly out-of-print novella. I'm on board for the full ride."

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Acclaimed Horror, Lovecraftian, and Weird Fiction author Jeffrey Thomas wrote:

"Last night I finished THE MISSION. I can’t express how much I enjoyed it – it’s a knockout. Just one of the most engrossing, riveting, creepiest stories I've read in a long time. Truly, this is the most muscular, gritty, thrilling approach to horror I've experienced since I read Laird’s latest collection (and I include the entire contents of CHILDREN OF OLD LEECH in that assessment...). I was out there WITH those guys, in that hard landscape… experiencing one mind-boggling mystery after another. 

Grau packed an incredible amount of strange revelations and dangerous encounters into one novella, without it ever feeling crowded or overdone. He just pulled that Wild Bunch of cowboys in deeper and deeper, took them further and further, and me as a reader along with them. I hope to see a return to this location and these thoroughly intriguing mysteries in future work, as the back cover hints. 

So very impressed. He just consistently impresses…but this one is especially noteworthy. I don’t know if it quite tops THE SCREAMER, which I have a special fondness for and consider a modern masterpiece, but I’d say it’s pretty damn close. 

Again, I’m proud to possess #1 of this chapbook, which somewhere in the near future could become quite the collector’s item!"

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Rodney Turner of Daring Defenders said:

"I recently acquired The Mission, a weird western by T. E. Grau published by Dunhams Manor Press. I’m sad that it was a limited run because this is a fucking excellent little book. If you didn't get your hands on it, light a candle and mourn your loss.

OK, that is quite enough mourning. Let’s get to it! 

The Mission is the tale of a rag-tag group of soldiers on the trail of a pair of Native-American fugitives. A chance encounter in a town that shouldn't exist sets in motion a chain of events that shatters the sanity of our protagonists. 

This not the West of 1950’s cinema with its bright blue skies and crimson mesas. From the first paragraph, Grau drags the reader into an ugly world. A world in which humanity’s self-inflicted horrors walk hand in hand with the ancient secrets lurking in the frontier. 

Grau’s pacing is frenetic, evoking the sense of urgency felt by the narrator and his companions. Like any good story, The Mission made me feel less like a reader and more like a powerless observer carried along inside the narrator’s head. It is not until the characters arrive at the titular mission that we really catch our breath. Grau gives us a brief moment of wonder and discovery, but it is a moment colored by the fact that the light at the end of the tunnel is just the reflection of the Reaper’s scythe. 

I’m going to give this one a 5 of 5."

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Reviewer and editor and all-around voracious Horrorhound Justin Steele of The Arkham Digest wrote:

"I've always been partial to the Weird Western... T.E. Grau’s The Mission serves as prime example of what can be done when these two genres collide. The novella starts off with a typical Western plot; a group of Army men are on the hunt for a couple of Native Americans. Grau shows what can be accomplished when combining the West with the horrors of Lovecraft, as the men make some strange discoveries. 

The tension of the group is already thick when the novel begins, with some members clashing over racial differences and just skimming the boiling point. Once the stage is set, the already palpable tension ratchets into overdrive for the remainder of the novella. As the group is beset by strange occurrences, such as finding an out of place town where a town shouldn't be, the Captain does his best to stay cool and keep his group from tearing each other apart. 

Some of The Mission brought to mind The Men From Porlock or Blackwood’s Baby by Laird Barron. All three stories are period pieces featuring groups of tough guys coming face to face with horrors beyond their comprehension. Grau nails the rough tone required to portray these types of characters, making for a story that has already moved high up on my list of favorite Weird Westerns."

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Bizarro author David Anderson wrote:

"A few months back, in the thick of summer, I was given a copy of T.E. Grau’s THE MISSION and happily accepted it. Limited to 50 hard copies (I got a digital review copy) I was excited to be able to dig into this tasty gem from Dynatox Ministries’ Dunhams Manor Press...

Grau, who’s work I've read before, not only continues to amaze me with this story but sets a new precedent. The ending is terrifying, and stuck with me for long after the story. I can look back on that feeling of hopelessness and cosmic doom and smile because it was invoked so well. Anchored by a really well done Western Story motif, THE MISSION has a cast of characters that immediately launched off the page and held my interest throughout. The pace is amazing, and given the smaller format here we are just HANDED the goods right away and they keep coming. Fans of Lovecraftian fiction will love, love, LOVE this, as it invokes the dread of the Mythos in a very classic way. There have been a lot of experimental Lovecraftian releases like Jordan Krall’s NIGHTMARES OF A LOVECRAFTIAN MIND that explore different ways to tackle the Mythos, but here Grau delivers what fans of classic Lovecraftian Fiction crave most – cosmic monsters! And scary stuff! There’s still enough to tickle your cranium, mysteries to explore, but we still get some hair raising chills. 

THE MISSION is a valuable edition to your collection."

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Editor David Binks wrote:

"I highly recommend it.  Well written, good pace and it seemed to have a hint of Clive Barker which is always a good thing.  Everville comes to mind.  The characters were believable and flawed like most of us.  Grau takes the reader into the flat lands of Western Nebraska, a part of the world he knows and describes very well,  building up the suspense as he adds more ingredients to the mix. And if that weren't enough, we realize that we are reading a Lovecraftian work. My only hope is that this becomes a full length novel one day."

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While The Mission is no longer available as a chapbook, it will be included in my debut collection of short fiction, which should be completed quite soon.  More updates as they are made available.

Editing News: T.E. Grau Named Managing Editor of Science Fiction Horror for Dark Regions Press, Which Launches First Dedicated Sci-Fi Horror Line in Independent Publishing

I am extremely proud to announce (via a headline written in the third person, something that makes T.E. Grau very uncomfortable) that I have been named Managing Editor of the new Science Fiction Horror line at Dark Regions Press, which - to my knowledge - is the very first dedicated Science Fiction Horror line to emerge in independent publishing.

I am a Horror fan, as a reader, writer, editor, and essayist.  As a thinker, and as a dreamer.  I like looking into the nighted places, and seeing what might be peering back.  And I've always been like this, as I think I'm just wired this way.  I don't believe that you can artificially engineer a Horror fan (although certain experiences or trauma can turn one's interest toward the shadows). Like handedness or an ear for music, you're either born with The Dark Curiosity, or you're not.

Being a Horror fan is simple enough to explain when discussing the topic with civilians, as they all picture a slasher film sequence throughout the whole conversation, or cheap Halloween props.  But when you hash out the subject with a fellow Horror acolyte, it gets a little more complicated, and a few initial parameters must be determined before the conversation can continue:  "Yes, you're a Horror fan, but WHAT KIND of Horror do you like?"

You see, Horror can be (and often is, for both better and worse) divided into numerous subgenres.  Starting with supernatural or non-supernatural, you break it down further into ghost stories, urban fantasy, Weird, zombie, cosmic, vampire, werewolf, psychological, subtle, folklore, splatterpunk, witchcraft, possession, etc... And then there are the slipstreamed mash-ups, that take us out toward infinity.  Each slot has its tropes and its fans, which means it has its loyalists.  And that's great, as loyalty to genre is what keeps alive the greater beast of Horror, propped up by a thousand pairs of tiny, disparate legs, all moving in a different direction, but all still keeping Horror upright and moving.

Horror isn't horror these days with its genres, and the genre I will be overseeing for Dark Regions Press is Science Fiction Horror.

You see, the more I learn about the Horror genre, the more I am understanding my place under this wide, wondrous tent.  I don't think I am a traditional (or conventional) Horror fan, as much as I am a fan of Weird fiction and Cosmic Horror, the latter of which is based in Science Fiction, of the kind practiced so well in the Pulp fictionists of the early 20th century.

As a devoted Cosmicist, I think about the sorts of short stories and novels I like to read, and the types of films I enjoy watching.  The Thing is my favorite horror film (followed by The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, which is more a traditional horror/slasher/chainsawy film).  H.P. Lovecraft is my favorite Horror/supernatural fiction author.  Of my modern writer peers, I prefer those who include at least a smattering of cosmicism in their stories, no matter how subtle.  It's not essential, but it does immediately catch my eye, and my interest.

So, to not put too fine a point on it, and without taking into account acumen or shortcomings, I feel that I was tailor made for this job, as Science Fiction Horror is my favorite type of genre horror Horror, more so than, say, Urban Fantasy or Splatterpunk or ghost stories.

To explain why, I'll let pictures do the typing...

This is Science Fiction Horror:

As is this:

And this:

And these guys:

And that handsome fellow over there to the right:

And those things:

Even this:

And especially this:

In fact, that last one is where Sci-Fi Horror all started, inside the mind of a teenage girl.  Now it's time for us to continue this proud heritage, of producing Horror stories infused with technology, alien influence, interstellar (and inner earth) exploration, experimentation gone wrong, runaway science, genetic tampering, doomsday following Doomsday...  This is Science Fiction.  This is Horror.  This is the new Science Fiction Horror line at Dark Regions Press.

Please find below an excerpt from a recently conducted interview with noted reviewer Justin Steele of The Arkham Digest, who was kind enough to let me share it here on the old TC mothership:

AD: Dark Regions Press is one of the most successful small press publishers, putting out quality work for over two decades. What are you bringing to the team? 

TEG:  I hope that I’m bringing a keen eye for quality writing, first and foremost.  I approach my position as not only an editor, but also as a writer of genre fiction, and a huge fan, as well.  I will seek out authors and help develop projects that I view as the best available from the ever-expanding pool of talent working in speculative fiction, both new and established.

I want to discover and secure the best in contemporary Science Fiction Horror Fiction, and cover art, adding to an already proud roster of DRP authors and impressive catalog of books.

AD: What kind of science fiction horror works for you? What are some examples of novels/short story collections and authors that hit what you feel to be the mark when it comes to the science fiction horror genre? 

TEG:  Something imaginative and bold, and not derivative at its core.  I’m not a big fan of bandwagon horror, where every new story sounds like the last, to take advantage of some marketing flashpoint or cultural trend.  I’m not looking for sparkling vampire stories or florid romance between supernatural creatures… in space.  I want something ORIGINAL and compelling.  I want something terrifying, and profoundly unsettling.  I want a great story, constructed of great prose, be it baroque or Spartan.  I’m a style hound, but those styles can vary, as long as the story is interesting, and appeals to our readership.

As for what authors of Science Fiction Horror might fit my ideal, my answer will be a bit hazy, as Dark Regions is one of the few - and possibly only - publishers that now has a stand-alone, dedicated department devoted solely to Science Fiction Horror, and only Science Fiction Horror.  Chris Morey wants to break new ground in this area, and I want to help him do just that, building the brand and helping add additional accolades to a strong, fair-dealing publisher devoted to bringing the best of speculative fiction to readers and the wider Horror, Fantasy, and Science Fiction marketplace.

So, back to the question:  I don’t want to name any particular authors, collections, or novels as my favorites, as I’m bound to leave someone out of my specific praise, so I’ll wuss out and default to the sorts of Science Fiction Horror films and television series that appeal to me, starting with John Carpenter’s The Thing, which is my favorite horror film of all time.  Other examples of great - or at the very least, interesting – Science Fiction Horror on the big and small screen include Alien, Frankenstein, The Mist, Planet of the Apes, Blade Runner, The Fly, War of the Worlds, Invasion of the Body Snatchers, Alien Nation, The Terminator, The Blob, old Japanese monster movies, 1950’s and 60’s American science fiction creature films, Dr. Who, Lost in Space, the original Land of the Lost and original V, The X-Files, and more recently, Cloverfield and Prometheus, although I had issues with both.  Zombie and post-apocalyptic films count, as well, as long as they have a definite futuristic/science fiction backbone.  Stories that echo some of these themes are all fair game, and will have my immediately interest.

And, as a proud reader, writer, and supporter of Lovecraftian fiction, I’m a sucker for Cosmic Horror, as long as its not Mythos-heavy pastiche.

AD: So as the managing editor of science fiction horror, what kind of work are you looking for?   

TEG:  I’m looking for anything that pushes the boundaries and has a unique voice.  Familiar tropes are okay, as it becomes increasingly difficult to create something 100% original as more and more stories are penned each day, but if the setting is prosaic, make what happens and by whom original and unique in some way.

It can be epic and galactic, or it can be small and intimate.  It can experimental, it can be slipstream, it can even be conventional, as far as setting and other tertiary elements.  It just has to sing.  Overall, I’m tough, but not a snob.  I enjoy a good breezy read as much as a deep, thought provoking piece, as long as it’s well written.  Now, describing what good fiction looks, sounds, and tastes like compared to bad is nearly impossible, but you certainly know both the former and the latter when you come across it.  I want to read – and DRP wants to publish - the good stuff, and won’t settle for anything less.

So, if you have a novel or novella that you think fits the bill, have someone put a bird in my ear.  We aren’t accepting general submissions, and will be operating by invite and referral only, so if I don’t know about an amazing work of Science Fiction Horror that needs to see the light of a dying sun, find a way to bring it to my attention, and I’ll take it from there.

AD: Do you have a "manifesto" or any goals that you've formulated going into this new position? 

TEG:  My main goal is to continue the tradition of excellence and success that Dark Regions Press has established and maintained for just shy of three decades.  That’s incredibly impressive.  As other indie presses have risen and fallen (sometimes in quite surprising and/or painful fashion), DRP has remained, and I take that decorated longevity very seriously in my mission to keep the brand vibrant and strong.

Following that, the ambitious editor in me would like to elevate – if possible – the quality of book that DRP puts out, from the inside out.  Even the best can always improve, and I think with the recent staff additions to the company (including R.J. Cavender of Cutting Block Press fame joining as Managing Editor of Horror), Dark Regions is looking to grow and advance, becoming a bedrock for the very best in Horror, Fantasy, and Science Fiction – and all the delicious amalgamations of the same – in the field today.  My manifesto is to make that happen, and I’ll be dogged in this pursuit.

Thanks again to Justin for inviting me to interview at The Arkham Digest, and allowing me to share a portion of our Q&A here.

NOTE TO AUTHORS:  I will be reaching out to various authors, to gauge their interest in producing something for the line, and/or to see if they have anything already written, currently in progress, or on the docket that would be appropriate.  And while I know many fantastic writers, I don't know them all, and there are so many talented scribes doing work that I have never read.

As such, I am accepting a limited number of queries for completed SFH novellas/novelettes/novels (no collections or anthologies at this time, please), sent to thecosmicomicon@yahoo.com.  If the brief synopsis looks like something we are looking for and/or sparks my interest, I will ask for an extended synopsis and a sample of the first three chapters.  At that point, I should know what I'm dealing with, and with whom.  As these query numbers are limited, I reserve the right to close them at any time, once I have enough/too many potential projects to work through.  They may or may not open back up again, depending on the quality and volume of queries I have received during this initial query period.  Dark Regions Press operates on an invite-only basis, but to get the SFH line started, I feel that I need to cast a wide net, at least initially, to see what's squirming around out there.

Let's be honest - publishers want to sell books, and books written by recognizable names will move better than unknowns.  BUT, what we want first and foremost are EXCEPTIONAL STORIES around which to wrap our label.  Properly prepared dung only burns hot for a brief second, like a cheap candle that lights up the room and gutters out, leaving a disagreeable odor behind.  Dark Regions Press has been and will remain in this industry for the long haul, and in this spirit, we want to put out the best books on the market, in all of our genres, which includes Science Fiction Horror.  Books that will endure, and help define (and possible re-define) contemporary Horror fiction.

A publisher is only as good as their authors (and artists).  DRP has published books from some amazing talents already, and now its time to continue this trend of quality going forward, which is where you just might come in.  Impress me.  Dazzle me.  Leave me terrified, or wonderstruck, or both.  Most of all, leave me wanting more.

I'm so very humbled and excited to be working for Dark Regions Press (joining the esteemed R.J. Cavender, DRP's new Managing Editor of Horror, in the dugout), and eager to get started.  Write hard, spread the word, and hit me up with the best that you've got.  The possibilities in Science Fiction and in Horror are endless, and endlessly fascinating.  Break me off something special, and let's tear down the sky.