Basil Copper RIP

Sad news. I've just learned that another member of the Fantasy Family has died. Basil Copper died in hospital yesterday. He was 89. Although we were not close friends I always found him the perfect gentleman. He also seemed to possess a sense of the mischievousness, as evidenced by the photo I took of him in 2008 at one of the BFS's Open Nights.

[Photo (c) Peter Coleborn]

FantasyCon 2007

I thought it was about time to mention another of my editing stints.

In 2007 I was asked by that year’s FantasyCon committee if I would like to produce (i.e., edit and design) their Souvenir Programme Book. Naturally, I said yes; I was easily persuaded (and in turn I persuaded Jan Edwards to sit in the assistant's chair). So I diligently set about acquiring material by and about the Guests of Honour (Terry Brooks, Michael Marshall Smith and Stephen Jones) and the Master of Ceremonies Peter Crowther.

The FantasyCon 2007 committee were (alphabetically) Jenny Barber, Vicki Cook, Pat Barber, Paul Kane and Marie O’Regan. The convention was held 21-23 September in the Britannia Hotel, Nottingham -- a great city-centre venue. It was interesting, visiting that city, seeing how much things had changed, how much hadn't: I worked in Nottingham from 1975 to 1980.

Front cover painting (Beowulf) by Edward Miller

Terry Brooks: The Magic Works by Mark Yon

To Know Magic by Shawn Speakman

Facing Down the Monster by Terry Brooks

You, Too, Can’t be Michael Marshall Smith by Paul McAuley

At Home With the Smiths by Paula Grainger

Last Glance Back by Michael Marshall Smith

Stephen Jones: Loving the Idiots by Neil Gaiman

The Creative Spirit by Christopher Fowler

The Karloff Quartet by Stephen Jones

Lust for Life by Paul di Fillipo

Narrow, and Other Houses by Stephen Gallagher

Dream a Little Dream for Me by Peter Crowther

The Timeless Genius of Leonardo by Mike Carey

The Horror Writers’ Association by David Riley

Marvin’s Summer Nights by Stephen Jones

Bridge of Dreams by Chaz Brenchley

The Write Fantastic by Sarah Ash

Reasons to Join In by Marie O’Regan

Wake Up in Moloch by Joel Lane

Interior artwork/photos by: Randy Broecker, Judine Brooks, Mike Chinn, Peter Coleborn, Bob Covington, Steve Double, Les Edwards, Chris Fowler, Allen Koszowski, Uli Meyer, John Picacio, Anne Sudworth, Dan Skinner and Mandy Slater.

I was pleased to use Paula Grainger’s piece on her husband, Michael Marshall Smith – her first ever publication. I was a bit concerned about using Neil Gaiman’s article on Stephen Jones, which although rather humorous, could be taken as slight criticism of the GoH. Fortunately Steve loved the piece – he even reprinted it on his own website.

I was very happy with this publication and was pleased to have been invited to produce it.

Karl Edward Wagner

Since I'm now the owner of Centipede Press' two volume The Best Horror Stories of Karl Edward Wagner, edited by Stephen Jones, I thought I might share this photo of the great, late, and very much missed Karl. Jones' essay is a moving account of their relationship and, although I didn't know Karl as well as Steve, it brought a tear to my eyes. This photo was taken in 1988 at FantasyCon.

I remember the years when Karl along with Charles L Grant and Dennis Etchison attended FantasyCon on a regular basis as halcyon days. Of these three fine writers only Dennis is still with us.

This photo, which was shot on b&w film (probably HP5), was directly scanned into my computer from the print. I seem to have lost the negative.

Being nominated...

Attentive visitors to this blog will know that I publish books under The Alchemy Press imprint. After a hiatus of about a decade the Press started to published books again, and last year saw the publication of Rumours of the Marvellous by Peter Atkins (co-published with Airgedlamh). This was -- still is, in fact -- a signed limited edition of 250 copies; signed by the author plus Glen Hirshberg (for the introduction) and Les Edwards (for the cover art).

My first book in ten or so years! And even better news: the book has been short-listed for the British Fantasy Awards (Best Collection). Admittedly it is up against stiff competition from Reggie Oliver, Robert Shearman and Liz Williams. Even if Rumours doesn't win, it is great to be nominated. The winners of all the various categories will be announced this September at FantasyCon 2012.

In addition, as already mentioned, Stephen Jones has selected "Dancing Like We're Dumb" from Rumours for his Mammoth Book of Best New Horror.

Both Peter Atkins and I are delighted with the double.

Fantasy Tales

I was sorting out boxes of old magazines and fanzines recently and came across some issues of Fantasy Tales. This A5-sized magazine was edited and produced by Stephen Jones and David Sutton, as a tribute or homage to Weird Tales and similar pulps. It began in the 1970s and ran for several years before the title was published as a paperback book by Robinson. I loved Fantasy Tales, especially the self-published copies – and bought and still have every issue.

Hey, I’ve appeared in its pages! My fiction output is quite small – an un-prolific writer, me. My story, “The Exhumation” was included in the summer 1978 issue (volume 2, number 3). On re-reading the story, I cringe a bit…

Also in this issue: Patrick Connolly, Marion Pitman, John Wysocki, Pat McIntosh, Andrew Darlington, Brian Lumley, Denys Val Baker, and artwork by Stephen Fabian (the front cover), Sylvia Starshine, Russell Nicholson, Alan Hunter, David Lloyd, Jim Pitts and Simon Horsfall (who illustrated my tale).

Ah, such memories…

Olde Horrors

I’d almost forgotten about this: back in the 1980s I decided that the BFS should produce an art portfolio and who else to highlight but Jim Pitts. Jim was a mainstay of the BFS, both as a fine artist and as editor of some of its earlier publications. So I asked Jim and he obliged with six A4 B&W plates illustrating classic horror tropes: Frankenstein’s Monster, Mr Hyde, Nosferatu, the lycanthrope , the resurrectionists, and the Jamesian ghost. The plates were presented in a blue card folder (with three further illustrations including Jack the Ripper) with an introduction by Stephen Jones, titled “The Pitt and the Pendulum”. Olde Horrors, produced by me, was published by the British Fantasy Society in 1989 in a limited edition of 500 copies.

It’s a pity that the society didn’t produce further such art portfolios, championing the best of UK illustrators. Anyway, I gather that they are quite rare, now. You can obtain a copy of this fine publication here for £12.00 – but I have seen it for over £20 on Amazon.

Scream Quietly...

My contributor’s copy of Scream Quietly: The Best of Charles L Grant (edited by Stephen Jones and published by PS) arrived today. It’s nice to see so many of my photos included – but sad to be reminded of Charlie’s passing. Here’s a picture I took of him at FantasyCon XI. More details here.

Photo © Peter Coleborn

Wise guys...

Here's a photo taken at Peter Atkins' home in LA in 2008. Left to right: Stephen Jones, Tony Richards and Mr Atkins. Photo (c) Peter Coleborn