Category Archives: Uncategorized

Cover Reveal Redux: The Year’s Best Dark Fantasy & Horror, Vol. 4

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Year's BEst Dark Fantasy & Horror, Vol. 4
The Year’s Best Dark Fantasy and Horror, Volume 4
Publisher: Pyr
ISBN-13: 978-1645060673
Pages: 400
Publication Date: October 17, 2023

Why is there a new cover? Because it was discovered the art for the other cover was AI generated. When the image was selected many months ago from licensable stock art, there was no indication anywhere it was generated by AI. We had no idea. When I “revealed” the cover on 23 July (the cover has been public for a few months on Amazon and elsewhere) it was noted on social media it was AI generated. Thanks to Ellen Datlow, who saw posts online and related the controversy to me, and to Michael Kelly, the ONLY person to actually email me about this, I became aware of the problem. Despite being up against a print deadline, my editor Rene Sears and Pyr art director Jennifer Do immediately took the steps necessary to rectify the situation. Pyr never intended to use AI art. Thus the new cover. Going forward, we will be checking any art more closely.

And yes, THE YEAR’S BEST FANTASY, Vol. 1, is Out There!

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It is, by the way, my FIFTIETH (50!) published anthology.

36EFA694-5C86-4065-BEA5-207EB7B055EFEscape on a journey from the ordinary to the extraordinary with award-winning fantasy editor Paula Guran.

This superbly curated collection explores myth and fable, dark and light—a heroic creature facing a dangerous demon; an earthly love facing the mossy decay of death. With tales of living ball gowns and timid monsters, of modern witches and multidimensional magic, these twenty-four stories will transport you from fantastical realms that push the limits of imagination to alternative realities mirroring much of our own.

Discover bewitchment and wonder, the surreal and the chimerical, in a fantasy anthology representing a diverse array of accomplished talent from around the world . . . and perhaps beyond.

Find places to buy here.

Reviews:

World Fantasy Award Nomination for THE YEAR’S BEST DARK FANTASY, Volume 2

News, Uncategorized, Year's Best

World_Fantasy_Award_treeVery surprised and honored on receiving World Fantasy Award nomination for THE YEAR’S BEST FANTASY, Volume 2! The honor really goes to the authors whose work makes it so much fun to read.

It is unusual for (1) a reprint anthology. (2) let alone one of a series, (3) not to mention a “year’s best” to be nominated for awards. So that makes me triple-chuffed. Super thanks to the judges: C. S. E. Cooney, Julie Crisp, C. C. Finlay, Richard Kadrey, and Misha Stone.

Then there are the other nominees! All great selections you should check out. Here’s the complete list:

  • Professor Charlatan Bardot’s Travel Anthology to the Most (Fictional) Haunted Buildings in the Weird, Wild World (2021 Edition), eds. Charlatan Bardot and Eric J. Guignard (Dark Moon Books)
  • When Things Get Dark: Stories Inspired by Shirley Jackson, ed. Ellen Datlow (Titan Books)
  • The Year’s Best Dark Fantasy & Horror Volume Two, ed. Paula Guran (Pyr)
  • The Year’s Best African Speculative Fiction (2021), ed. Oghenechovwe Donald Ekpeki (Jembefola Press)
  • Speculative Fiction for Dreamers: A Latinx Anthology, eds. Alex Hernandez, Matthew David Goodwin, Sarah Rafael García (Mad Creek Books an imprint of the Ohio State University Press)

The winners of the awards will be announced on November 6th, at the World Fantasy Award Banquet in New Orleans, Louisiana. (No, I have no plans of going.)

Release Day for The Year’s Best Dark Fantasy & Horror, Vol 2!

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Even though print copies (supply chain problems, printers lacks…whatever) have not reached all venues (most importantly, probably, Amazon) The Year’s Best Dark Fantasy & Horror, Volume 2 is officially released.

I do have copies (almost enough for all the authors, more coming) I need to mail out this week. Yay!

Ace publicist Samatha Lien (@samijolien) of Kaye Publicity, Inc. sent me a list of stuff that has been posted. I don’t watch or listen to the podcasts I’m on because I cannot stand to hear or see my recorded self, so I have no idea how any of these turned out. Nevertheless, here are (so far) links:

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