- Chorus by Holly Herndon – the catchiest pop tune that emerges only in glimpses, sung by a group of otters
- A Walk Down Chapel by Jam City – woozy 1986ish tune from a BP garage compilation tape, half-heard from the back seat of my dad’s VW Polo
- Price Tag by Sleater-Kinney – effortless, focussed, cool and cynical as fuck
- Era of Manifestations by People of the North – seven and a half minutes of Kid Millions’ manic drumming, culminating in a squelchy frenzy that can only end with an abrupt—
- Letter by Blood Warrior – sometimes just being lovely is OK and the ‘Oh Lord we were naked’ transition is wonderful
- Against Archives by Felicia Atkinson – Carter Tutti Void laptop thumps from the next room along and wise whispering in this one
- The Rest of Us by Colin Stetson and Sarah Neufeld – the album track that allows Stetson the freest rein, but Neufeld is vital to keeping the momentum
- Shatter You Through by Daughn Gibson – his ‘Take on Me’, but better
- In Service by David Thomas Broughton & Juice Vocal Ensemble – my favourite lyric of the year: “I deeply regret all events that did pass / I killed a man wi’ a broken glass”
- My Love, My Love by Julia Holter – Julia Holter singing Karen Dalton’s lost lyrics is much as you’d expect until the oboe or an organ comes in and is that a train and it builds and builds and now there’s feedback and birdsong and maybe someone making a cup of tea and that was bloody beautiful
- no.harm.do.no.wrong.Do.No.Harm.Do.No.Wrong.DO.NO.HARM.DO.NO.WRONG by Big Brave – simply enormous
- Venus Fly by Grimes & Janelle Monáe – you should see my son dance to the bassy parts
- Brickfielder by Mind Over Mirrors – best drone of the year; it’s so calm and still that you can hear what you like in there
Blog
Favourite albums of 2015
Dream a Garden by Jam City (Night Slugs)
A few years ago my friend Charley and I did a series of Spotify mix swaps, with each one based on an agreed theme. It was good fun, but the theme that killed off the game for good was titled ‘Found a c90 on the floor of my dad’s VW Polo’ – that is, recent songs that sounded like they could have been released circa 1986 and therefore have been part of our childhoods. Every song on Dream a Garden could have been included in that mix. On first listen, I could have sworn I’d heard these songs before, or versions of them. They’re dated without being self-consciously retro, sweet enough to have been plausible FM hits, filtered through analogue tech and the sound of windscreen wipers.
Platform by Holly Herndon (Rvng Intl.)
It’s easy to imagine looking back at this album in ten years and saying, “That’s where it all first came together.” We’ve heard fractured laptop-pop before, but Holly Herndon manages to fuse pop melodies, techno washout bliss and still have room for moments of Laurie Anderson weird vocal tricks and art-gallery-installation introspection, all without losing momentum. That an album of this weight has standout songs is remarkable, but ‘Chorus’ and ‘Home’ are absolute earworms.
Art Angel by Grimes (4AD) for its joyousness and for demonstrating a savvy, self-sufficient alternative to manufactured pop. No Cities to Love by Sleater-Kinney (Sub Pop), for its immediacy and for shitting on all other rock albums this year, apart from Olimpia Spendid by Olimpia Spendid (Fonal). Au De La by Big Brave (Southern Lord), for call-and-response guitars that The Quietus described as ‘like two steel mills groaning to each other’.
Sintetizzatrice by Anna Caragnano & Donato Dozzy (Spectrum Spools) for Berberian Sound Studio-style wooziness and melodies that float just above head height. Simple Songs by Jim O’Rourke for its effortless evocation of Harry Nilsson at his best. f(x) by Carter Tutti Void (Industrial) for providing a worthy studio successor to 2012’s Transverse. Never Were the Way She Was by Colin Stetson & Sarah Neufeld (Constellation) for its cold, precise beauty.
Letter Ghost by Blood Warrior (Immune), for Baptist General-esque fragile indie-folk that felt immediately familiar, in the best possible way. Carrie & Lowell by Sufjan Stevens (Asthmatic Kitty), Apocalypse, Girl by Jenny Hval (Sacred Bones) and Sliding the Same Way by David Thomas Broughton & Juice Vocal Ensemble (Song, by Toad) for their honesty and frankness.
Compilations
My favourite compilation released this year is Soundway’s Highlife on the Move: Selected Nigerian & Ghanaian Recordings from London & Lagos 1954-66. Everything else can basically go to hell, but the Earthly 6 mix by Jam City is good and the Late Night Tales mix by Nils Frahm is lovely.
2015 reissues
Finally, Domino’s Weird World imprint rereleased The Magic Bridge (2011) and The Glass Trunk (2013) by Richard Dawson and you know what? They’re incredible. For me, the only reissues that come close are the I Crudeli OST by Ennio Morricone (Cherry Red) and 1971 Revolutionary Spiritual Afro Jazz Sounds From Exile by Ndikho Xaba and the Natives (Matsuli).
Favourite albums overall, new to me, from any year
Other than 2015 titles, my first big discovery this year was The Ascension by Glenn Branca (1981). The Adding Machine by Arnold Dreyblatt (2002) scratched a similar itch. And I can’t believe I’d never heard Watusi by The Wedding Present (1994), but I’ve now more than made up for the omission.
Call for submissions: Upside Down anthology (Apex)
Apex really are doing their damnedest to keep us writing throughout the winter… Now that their Christmas flash contest has ended, why not have a crack at a story for their new anthology?
The anthology will be edited by Monica Valentinelli and Jaym Gates and is called Upside Down – and it’s a fascinating concept. The idea is to pick an SF/F trope (i.e. an idea that’s seen so regularly in stories as to become a lazy shorthand or even a cliché), then subvert it. A bunch of stories have already been commissioned, so check the list to make sure you don’t tread on anyone’s toes.
You don’t have long, though! The deadline is the end of December. Find out all about the anthology and submissions on the Apex website.
Call for submissions: Harper Voyager Impulse
It seems like every publisher’s on the lookout for novel manuscripts at the moment…
This time it’s Harper Voyager Impulse (USA). While the imprint publishes ebooks within all fantasy, science fiction, and horror sub-genres, this submission call is particularly geared around urban fantasy and military science fiction. If you’ve a completed manuscript in that vein, and it’s between 60,000 and 90,000 words in length, why not give it a shot? You’ll have to move quickly though – the submission window closes on 6th Nov!
Flash fiction in Body Parts #5
My flash story, ‘The Puzzle Box’, is now up on the Body Parts Magazine website as part of issue #5, available to read for free. It’s only 250 words long, so you’ll have finished reading it before you finish your morning coffee.
The issue also contains some fantastic artwork by David Van Gough, like this:
Call for submissions: Stephen King short story competition
The Guardian and Hodder have announced a new short story contest which ought to interest any writers of genre fiction…
The maestro of modern horror, Stephen King, will judge the contest and the winning story will be published on the Guardian website. The winner will also get to take part in a Guardian Masterclass run by King’s editor, Philippa Pride.
Stories must be 4000 words or less, previously unpublished, and inspired by the following (admittedly vague) brief by Stephen King:
“There’s something to be said for a shorter, more intense experience. It can be invigorating, sometimes even shocking, like a waltz with a stranger you will never see again, or a kiss in the dark, or a beautiful curio for sale at a street bazaar.”
Gollancz unagented submissions window
Guys! Guys! Gollancz UK is opening for non-agented submissions in January!
Submissions will be open from 4th-22nd January 2016. They’re accepting hard copy only, but as long as your postmark checks out as within those dates then you’ll be OK.
They’re interested in seeing SF, fantasy, horror or YA crossover novels, as long as they’re complete and over 80,000 words. You’ll need to send the first 50 pages, a cover letter and a synopsis.
Just scroll down the list of authors on the Gollancz blog, then tell me that this isn’t an incredible opportunity…
Body Parts acceptance
My flash horror story, ‘The Puzzle Box’ has been accepted for publication in Body Parts Magazine (the ‘journal of horror and erotica’; my story is firmly in the first category).
It’ll be in Issue #5, which will appear online next month. Don’t worry about setting a calendar reminder – I’ll be sure to let you know when it’s available.
Call for submissions: Apex’s Christmas Invasion
If you’re a fan of SF, fantasy or horror, then you’re probably also a fan of Apex magazine. And if you write SF, fantasy or horror, then it’s very difficult to imagine a good excuse why you wouldn’t submit a story to their most recent writing contest.
The theme of this year’s annual Apex Christmas flash contest is CHRISTMAS INVASIONS, which ought to conjure up a ton of ideas. And to make things even simpler for you, the word count has to be under 250 words – so today’s lunch break ought to be just about long enough.
The deadline’s 16th Nov 2015. More details on the Apex site.
Announcement: a novel!
I’ve been a little quiet recently, but now I can reveal what I’ve been working on…
I HAVE A NOVEL COMING OUT.
I’m thrilled to announce that my first full-length novel, YOU DON’T BELONG HERE, will be published by Snowbooks next year. It’ll be out in paperback and ebook in September 2016.
It’s a time-travel psychological thriller. Here’s a blurb, though almost certainly not the final one:
Daniel Faint is on the run with a stolen time machine. As the house-sitter of a remote Cumbrian mansion, he hopes to hide and experiment with the machine. But is the Manor being watched by locals, his twin brother or himself from the future? Daniel is terrified about what the future may hold but, as he discovers, there can be no going back.
I’ve previously posted about this book under its working title, The House-sitter. I started writing it in January 2014 and it’s changed dramatically over the course of eight drafts. Even though I’m now sick of the sight of it, I’m proud of it, too.
The book is in really good hands. Emma and the Snowbooks team have been lovely and I’m really looking forward to working closely with them over the coming months. And it’s wonderful to tell people about it, finally. So I’m going to write this out again, because it feels good:
I HAVE A NOVEL COMING OUT.
More details soon.
We Need To Talk anthology launch
Last night I attended the South Bank launch event for the We Need To Talk anthology, jointly organised by The Eve Appeal, Kindred and Jurassic London. It was an excellent evening. I finally had face-to-face conversations with several people who’ve previously only been names attached to email conversations, and I also spoke to some Real Actual Proper Authors, who were all very welcoming and generous. And I was even asked to sign the book a few times!
We Need To Talk is available as a paperback direct from Foyles (currently only £4.99!), or as an ebook via Amazon.
Martian canals and borrowed ideas in SF
I’ve got an article up on the Hodderscape website – it’s about Martian canals, the 1964 film Robinson Crusoe on Mars, and the borrowing of ideas in science fiction. It’s rather a ramble, but the main idea is that even misconceptions can lead to good fictional ideas that are then developed by writer after writer.
Finding Waltzer-Three on Pantheon site
‘Finding Waltzer-Three’ is now available to read for free on the Pantheon website – the fantastic illustration is by Carrion House.
Alternatively, you can buy the print edition of Pantheon #8 from Amazon.com or Amazon UK.
Dark Lane Anthology Volume 2
Dark Lane Anthology Volume 2 is now available as an ebook from Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk. You can also buy a print version from Lulu.com – and an Amazon print version will be out soon. (Update: it’s now available from Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk)
The anthology contains my story, ‘The House Lights Dim’. Though a version of the story appeared a couple of years ago in Sanitarium magazine (my first ever short story sale!), I’ve dramatically reworked it since. It’s better than it was, I think.
Fox Spirit anthology acceptance
I’m really pleased that my story, ‘Winter in the Vivarium’, will be included in the Fox Spirit anthology, Winter Tales, edited by Margrét Helgadóttir. Fox Spirit has been producing fantastic books and I’ve long been eager to get involved…
Winter Tales will be published in February 2016. I’ll post information about the table of contents soon.
Pantheon #8: Nyx
The print edition of Pantheon #8 is available now and includes a reprint of my story, ‘Finding Waltzer-Three’. This issue of the magazine is themed around Nyx, the Greek goddess of the night.
You can buy the print edition of Pantheon #8 from Amazon.com or Amazon UK – or buy direct from Createspace and use code CFAK5JBZ for a 15% discount. The ebook will be available soon.
We Need to Talk anthology acceptance
Oh, I’m pleased with this one.
My story, ‘Cowardy Custard’, will be included in an anthology called ‘We Need to Talk’, which will be published next month . All proceeds will go to cancer charity, The Eve Appeal.
The book will be published by Jurassic London, a company that’s been at the top of my wishlist ever since I started writing short stories. Good grief, Jurassic London is SO ace.
The Singularity, issue 1
The first issue of the new UK SF magazine, The Singularity, has now been released. (And what a fantastic cover image!) It features a reprint of my story, ‘The Sleeper’. Having said that, the best possible reason to buy it is in order to read Andrew Wilmot’s ‘A Window Into The—’, which is one of the best short stories I’ve read this year.
You can get issue 1 of The Singularity in digital versions from Amazon.com and Amazon UK. Print versions will be coming soon, I’m told. (Update – print editions now available from Amazon.com and Amazon UK)
Game Over anthology
The Game Over anthology is published by Snowbooks today!
It features my story, ‘Lines of Fire’, about two teen boys, an old Bomberman arcade cabinet, and a dark secret.
The eleven other horror stories all feature arcade games in some way and are written by a pretty illustrious group of authors. I’m very proud to be hanging around with them and I’d like to thank editor Jonathan Green for a) picking my story, b) making excellent editorial changes and c) turning the project around with incredible speed.
You can buy Game Over direct from the publisher, or from Amazon UK (print / epub) or Amazon.com (epub).
Kitchen Sink Gothic
The Kitchen Sink Gothic anthology from Parallel Universe Publications is now available from Amazon.com (print/epub) and Amazon UK (print/epub).
It includes my story, ‘Tunnel Vision’, about one schoolboy’s dreadful Valentine’s Day. I’ve always been pleased with this story, so I’m very glad to have found it a home.
Game Over anthology acceptance
I’m really pleased that one of my stories will feature in the GAME OVER anthology from Snowbooks, edited by Jonathan Green. And there’s not long to wait — it’ll be available in a couple of weeks!
Short story: For a Tooth
My story, ‘For a Tooth’, is up today on Every Day Fiction. It isn’t my usual sort of thing – it’s a space opera pastiche (the metadata tags on the EDF site are ‘aliens’, ‘military’, and ‘parenting’).
Kitchen Sink Gothic anthology sale
My story, ‘Tunnel Vision’, will be featured in the KITCHEN SINK GOTHIC anthology from Parallel Universe Publications, edited by David and Linden Riley.
I’ve always liked this story, but I was starting to wonder whether I’d be able to sell it. It’s quite personal, and doesn’t feature any SF or supernatural elements, yet it’s a little too creepy to be mainstream. In fact, ‘kitchen sink gothic’ is as neat a descriptor as I can imagine – so I’m delighted that it’s been selected.
KITCHEN SINK GOTHIC will be released as a paperback and ebook in July. You can see the full table of contents on the Parallel Universe Publications website.
Urban Fantasy Magazine review of Carus & Mitch
A new review of Carus & Mitch is now available to read on the Urban Fantasy Magazine website. It’s a lovely review. I’m pleased that the response to the central mystery is to ‘immediately start it over again, desperately piecing together the clues’ and that ‘Carus & Mitch will haunt you and leave you strangely wanting more’.
Ginger Nuts of Horror reviews Carus & Mitch
You can now read David Dubrow’s review of Carus & Mitch over on the Ginger Nuts of Horror blog. I have to confess that this review made me wince a bit…
Tim Major 
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