My zombie novelette collection Liars, Fakers, and the Dead Who Eat Them officially launched aboard the Queen Mary last month during StokerCon, and though sales have been good, the book hasn’t gotten any reviews … until now.

And it’s a good one.

Eddie Generous of Unnerving magazine reviewed the two stories in the collection, and after stating he was “enthralled” by the first, he ended by writing—

These stories are gritty visions of people being people in a time when the dead roam and priorities are in serious flux. The writing is smooth and inviting, colourful and vivid. I am wholly impressed and as far as zombie shorts go, Only Humans Can Lie is the best I’ve ever read.

I couldn’t have asked for a more positive summation.

If you’d like to learn whether you’d agree, why not buy a copy right now?

And now for something completely different—the first (and likely only) episode of Eating the Fantastic to be recorded during a live-streamed fundraising telethon.

I’d been trying for quite a while to schedule the recording of an episode with Brian Keene—on whose podcast The Horror Show I appeared nearly two years ago, inspiring me to create this podcast. Unfortunately, our schedules never synced.

But when it came time for Brian to record the 100th episode of The Horror Show as a live 24-hour-long telethon to raise funds for the Scares That Care charity, he had a brainstorm—that I invade his event with a meal of some sort, and record my own show as part of his livestream.

So that’s what I did—show up at a conference room of a Hunt Valley hotel with a ton of takeout from Andy Nelson’s Barbecue, which has repeatedly been voted best BBQ by Baltimore Magazine—bringing enough to feed Brian, his co-hosts, and some of the live studio audience you’ll hear in this episode, too.

Brian’s published more than 40 novels, including the best-selling The Rising, and he’s the winner of the 2014 World Horror Grand Master Award. He’s also written comics, including the adventures of the Doom Patrol.

We discussed why the ending to The Rising isn’t as bewildering as some seem to think it is, whether new horror writers should try to replicate his career path, how Marvel Comics creator Steve Gerber is responsible for him becoming a writer, the shady way Brian amassed the largest comics collection in the sixth grade, if he’s a Scully who changed into a Mulder as he got older or if he’s been a Mulder all along, and more.

Here’s how you can share the BBQ with us— (more…)

My mini-collection Liars, Fakers, and the Dead Who Eat Them won’t have its official launch party until next month’s StokerCon—but you can order a copy today.

That’s right! Head on over to Amazon, and in just a few days, you’ll be able to read my two zombie novelettes—”Only Humans Can Lie” and “Faking It Until Forever Comes”—as well as ooh and aah over the many awesome interior illustrations by artist Daniele Serra.

You’ll also get to read a glowing introduction from Brian Keene, in which he has many embarrassingly complimentary things to say about me, including that—

Had it not been for Scott Edelman and the other comic book storytellers of that time, I would have never wanted to become a writer, I would have never persisted until I actually became a writer, and I would certainly have never written The Rising, which means that zombie literature might not have enjoyed this new heyday.

Liars, Fakers, and the Dead Who Eat Them is a 154-page, 8″ x 5″ trade paperback, and costs a mere $8.95. I hope you’ll shamble over to Amazon and take a bite!

Liars, Fakers, and the Dead Who Eat Them, containing two zombie novelettes—”Only Humans Can Lie” and “Faking It Until Forever Comes”—will officially launch from Written Backwards at StokerCon the last week of April.

The book, which I’m told will be available for preorder within a few weeks, is an 8″x 5″ trade paperback priced at only $8.95, with a cover and many interior illustrations by Daniele Serra, plus an introduction by Brian Keene.

Here’s the beautiful, near-final cover, missing only the UPC code and price.

To find out what the two novelettes are about, read the back cover blurb.

You’ll want a copy, I’m sure.

Maybe even two.

I’ve been sitting on this sale for quite some time because I didn’t want to start spreading the news until all details were worked out, but now it can be told—two zombie novelettes of mine are about to be issued as a standalone volume by Written Backwards—perhaps as soon as the end of August.

Bram Stoker Award-winning editor Michael Bailey—who earlier this year published a story of mine in his anthology Chiral Mad 3—will be putting out Liars, Fakers, and the Dead Who Eat Them, made up of “Only Humans Can Lie” and “Faking It Until Forever Comes” (hence the liars and fakers of the umbrella title).

The cover and interior illustrations are by British Fantasy Award winning artist Daniele Serra. You can take a look at his cover art below. (Note that the type treatment may change between now and the pub date.)

For further info on the project, read Michael’s post. And to find out how to order a copy once it’s available, keep checking the Written Backwards blog. Or return here, of course. Because you know I won’t be able to shut up about it.

This looks to be a good year for fans of my writing—eight new stories should (fingers crossed) see print in 2017. Hope you like them!

Earlier today, the Horror Writers Association announced the final ballot for the 2015 Bram Stoker Awards, and I’m thrilled to see that my story “Becoming Invisible, Becoming Seen” is one of the final five in the category of Superior Achievement in Long Fiction.

Here are the five stories which survived the voting process and are now Stoker nominees.

Gary A. Braunbeck – Paper Cuts (Seize the Night) (Gallery Books)

Lisa Mannetti – The Box Jumper (Smart Rhino Publications)

Norman Partridge – Special Collections (The Library of the Dead) (Written Backwards)

Mercedes M. Yardley – Little Dead Red (Grimm Mistresses) (Ragnarok Publications)

Scott Edelman – Becoming Invisible, Becoming Seen (Dark Discoveries #30)

This marks the sixth time a story of mine has been voted onto a final Stoker Awards ballot. I previously appeared there with— (more…)

A few minutes ago, the Horror Writers Association announced the preliminary ballot for the 2015 Bram Stoker Awards, and guess who’s on it in the category of Superior Achievement in Long Fiction? Me!

Check out the ten stories which made the cut.

Braunbeck, Gary A. – Paper Cuts (Seize the Night) (Gallery Books)

Eads, Ben – Cracked Sky (Omnium Gatherum)

Edelman, Scott – Becoming Invisible, Becoming Seen (Dark Discoveries #30)

Gunhus, Jeff – The Torment of Rachel Ames (Seven Guns Press)

Mannetti, Lisa – The Box Jumper (Smart Rhino Publications)

McGuire, Seanan – Resistance (The End Has Come) (Broad Reach Publishing)

O’Neill, Gene – At the Lazy K (Written Backwards)

Parent, Jason – Dia de los Muertos (Bad Apples 2) (Corpus Press)

Partridge, Norman – Special Collections (The Library of the Dead) (Written Backwards)

Yardley, Mercedes M. – Little Dead Red (Grimm Mistresses) (Ragnarok Publications)

Fingers crossed that enough HWA members enjoy my story to vote it on to the final ballot.

If “Becoming Invisible, Becoming Seen” should make it there, that would be the sixth time a story of mine will be a Stoker Awards finalist. I’ve previously been there for “The Hunger of Empty Vessels” (on the 2009 ballot), “Petrified” (2008), “Almost the Last Story by Almost the Last Man” (2007), “The Last Supper” (2003), and “A Plague on Both Your Houses” (1997).

One reason I’d love to move on to the next stage, aside from what fun it is to spend a few months being a nominee, is that according to Locus, even if I get there only to lose, I’d still win!

Because I’d then be tied for the most nominations without a win ever!

Voting on the preliminary ballot will occur from February 1 through February 15, and the final ballot will be announced on February 23. If you’re an Active or Lifetime members of the HWA and would like a PDF of “Becoming Invisible, Becoming Seen,” let me know!

What Will Come After, my Stoker Award-nominated collection of zombie short stories which PS Publishing put out in 2010, is currently available only as an ebook, so if you’re the kind of reader who prefers dead trees to pixels, you’re out of luck. Sadly, the hardcover’s been out of print for a few years.

But that’s about to change.

The latest PS Publishing email newsletter, which mentioned my recent zombification on an episode of Z Nation, took me by surprise with an announcement my collection will soon be out in paperback.

I knew such an edition might be in the offing, but until now, I wasn’t sure.

So for those with an aversion to ebooks … watch out! What Will Come After will be shambling your way soon …

While trying to distract yourself from yesterday’s heartbreak, did you happen to catch last night’s Z Nation? If so, in the Season 2, Episode 10 episode titled “We Were Nowhere Near the Grand Canyon,” you’d have seen one of my favorite writers zombified.

No, I don’t mean George R. R. Martin! Besides, that was a couple of episodes ago. I mean this guy.

That’s right—me!

So how’d that happen? (more…)

As some of you may recall, I arrived in Spokane last month for Sasquan several days earlier than necessary, which allowed me to spend nearly every waking moment the Monday before Worldcon doing something super sekrit which I could not share then but promised I’d share someday.

That someday is today.

Because tonight, the second season of Z Nation premieres on Syfy at 10/9 Central. And if you keep tuning in each Friday night, eventually you’ll see this guy.

Recognize him?

Here’s how I turned from the me you know into that shambling wreck above.

Craig Engler, who was my boss at Syfy for more than a decade as I edited Science Fiction Weekly, SCI FI Wire, and Blastr, plus a print magazine, is the co-creator and co-executive producer of Z Nation, which coincidentally films in the city that hosted this year’s Worldcon. Once I realized this many months ago, I asked whether it would be possible for me to watch filming one day.

Because I love zombies. How much do I love zombies? So much I’ve got a collection out featuring nothing but zombie stories.

After I asked whether I could witness some zombie action, Craig promised he’d do better than that—he’d see if I could actually be a zombie, assuming zombies were needed during filming when I’d be in town.

And lucky for me, they were!

That’s all you’ll get out of me for now, because I wouldn’t want to spoil any of the scenes in which you might spot me. I’ll share more once my specific episode airs and giving you more details wouldn’t ruin it for you.

For now, just enjoy my official set photo above … and try not to say, “gee, I guess they didn’t need that much makeup” … OK?