Panda Book of Horror Now Available

Ding Ding! All aboard! Room for a little 'un at the back!

Iris, Panda and their transtemporal double decker Routemaster bus are just about ready to leave the terminus and set out on their most terrifying adventures yet!

Yes, The Panda Book of Horror will soon be on its way to the printers, with a publication date in November 2009!

Along for the ride this time are...

Paul Magrs
Mark Clapham
Mark Michalowski
Simon Guerrier
Ian Potter
Paul Dale Smith
Phil Craggs
Eddie Robson
Nicholas Nada
Blair Bidmead
Matt Kimpton
Mark Morris
Jac Rayner & Orna Petit

Many of these names will be known to Who book fans from the Virgin, BBC, Telos and Big Finish ranges, but new to Who-related fiction are Nix Nada and Blair Bidmead, both of whom submitted stories via the Obverse website, and Phil Craggs, editor of blankpages magazine. As for Orna Petit, who can say? All we know is Jac insisted and who are we to argue...

With cover art by Paul Magrs and a pretty damn nifty pastiche of the original Pan Books of Horror design by Cody Schell, we think you'll enjoy The Panda Book of Horror...though perhaps enjoy is the wrong word...

Available for pre-order from Obverse Books now! Publication date: Late November 2009

And don't forget - the Celestial Omnibus is still available!

The Scottish Zagreus

"Zagreus likes a game of Yahtzee,
Zagreus is a massive Nazi,
Zagreus doesn't cheer for Hearts he,
Supports an old firm team like other fascists.

Zagreus has a bacon bap,
Zagreus has a little nap,
Zagreus wakes up, has a crap,
That's weekdays for Zagreus"

[courtesy of Swyrie]

On the Blog...

Been meaning to point these out for ages - some my favourite blogs which I haven't mentioned before...

http://thepenguinblog.typepad.com - regular but not too frequently updated blog covering book cover design mainly.

http://goldenmasks.blogspot.com - knowledgable and interesting reviews of OTR. If you're one of the idiots who didn't like The Hornets' Nest and/or think that OTR is 'old-fashioned' or 'crap' then it's probably not for you. But you are clearly thick as three week old mince, so that's no loss to anyone...

http://www.paulmagrs.com/blog/blog.php - Beautiful looking site, this one, with daily updates.

http://www.nickelinthemachine.com - my favourite blog ever and one which I would gladly buy in book format. Informed articles on obscure corners of London and its history. Go and read it now, you'll love it.

Finn's Reviews - not a blog really, more a massive collection of film, tv and book reviews by oen of my favourite reviewers (even when some of his opinions are bonkers!)

And a late entry which is also not a blog - Cav Scott (co-author of one of the fantastic stories in the Celestial Omnibus) has a new website: http://www.cavanscott.co.uk

Barry Letts (1925-2009) RIP

[reposting in full an email from Jim Smith about the sad news]

Doctor Who's only writer/director/producer. A man who worked on the series in each decade of the twentieth century in which it was made. The co-writer of 'The One With The Giant Maggots'. The director of 'The One With The Giant Spiders'. Author of one of the most admired Target novelisations. Indeed, the man who said 'Yes' to the *idea* of Target novelisations. A decorated naval officer. An actor for twenty years. A man who took on the job of producing 'Doctor Who' because no one else would and despite never having wanted to be a producer, only a director and who *doubled* its ratings inside two years. The director of the dayglo pop glory that it 'Terror of the Autons', one of a handful of 'Doctor Who' stories to gain viewers for every week of its original run. The creator of Sarah Jane Smith, Jo Grant and the Master. Producer of the Timothy Dalton-starring 'Jane Eyre'. A director on 'Z Cars' and a famous, admired 'EastEnders' two hander. Producer of the BBC's lauded 'Diary of Anne Frank'. The man who said 'Why don't you write the *geneis* of the Daleks'. The man who asked Tom Baker to play Doctor Who. The architect, directly and indirectly, of millions of childhoods.

The earth will shake.

Competition Time

Paul Magrs, mine host for the Novelcon later this month in Manchester, has book four in his excellent Brenda and Effie series out next month, and he's giving five copies away for free on his website.

To grab a freebie copy of Hell's Belles, go to http://www.paulmagrs.com/competition.php and say why you'd like to go to Whitby and meet the ladies...