Tucked into my bed here in Salt Lake City, I dreamed that I was wandering a convention, and heard the names of other writers being called, again and again, with no response, in a manner much like the way in which Ben Stein took attendance in Ferris Beuller’s Day Off. The voice echoing through the halls belonged to Barry Malzberg.

And then I heard him call my name. Unlike those other writers (and alas, no, now that I’m awake, I no longer remember who they were), I answered the call, and went into a conference room, and there was Barry, standing in the front of an audience, dressed like Ko-Ko from The Mikado. In the dream, I saw nothing strange about this at all. And I said to him, “Barry, you know that all you ever need to do is call my name three times and I’ll be there.” (Which was odd to be saying, since I’d showed up on his first call.)

He then proceeded to ask me a question as if I was a game show participant. I can no longer remember the exact question, only that it had to do with Groucho Marx (who in the dream I remembered having heard sing “Willow, tit-willow” sometime previously), and in answer to that question I was going to say, “Margaret Dumont,” but before I spoke I suddenly knew that would be the wrong answer, and as I struggled to think of the right one, I woke.

I had a long phone conversation with Barry last week and it was nothing like that, so though this dream was entertaining to me, it makes no more sense than any of the earlier dreams I’ve shared with you here.

Now a dream in which Lee and Nick and me had killed Gary Braunbeck and dumped his body out back in the hotel parking lot—well, after the events of last night, that I would have understood!

Before the Stoker Awards banquet began, the attending nominees in the Long Fiction category came together in an attempt to decide the winner like gentlemen. Here you can see Gary Braunbeck, Lee Thomas, Nicholas Kaufmann, and me attempting to calmly discuss who should walk away with the trophy.

Unfortunately, instead of letting us decide the result in the time-honored manner, through the use of fisticuffs, long knives, and tactical nuclear weapons, the administrators of the Stokers wussed out and let the voters have their say.

I say “Bah, Humbug” to the democratic process! When has listening to the will of the people ever worked out? Which meant that Gary Braunbeck took home the haunted house for “Afterward, There Will Be a Hallway.”

But seriously—it was an honor to have been on the ballot with such talented writers. It truly was an honor to have been nominated.

And you know something? Being a three-time loser doesn’t feel so bad after all.

According to a press release issued by the Horror Writers Association and the administrators of this year’s World Horror Convention, the Stoker Awards ceremony will be broadcast live on the Web a week from Saturday. This means that should I have a reason to take to the stage, you’ll be able to see and hear me from the comfort of your home, without the need to wend your way to Salt Lake City or eat rubber chicken.

Here are the details from the joint press release: (more…)

The Horror Writers Association has just sent me this nifty certificate to prove that I haven’t been fantasizing and “Almost the Last Story by Almost the Last Man” actually is a finalist in the Long Fiction category.

It’s my third such certificate, as I was also nominated for my previous stories “A Plague on Both Your Houses” and “The Last Supper,” but making it this far is just as exciting as ever.

As to whether I’ll be the one lucky enough to end up with the trophy, that will be determined on March 29 at the World Horror Convention in Salt Lake City.

I hope to see you there!

Voting opens today on the final Stoker Awards ballot, and will remain open through March 7. Winners will be revealed at the World Horror Convention in Salt Lake City on March 29.

My novella “Almost the Last Story by Almost the Last Man,” originally published in PostScripts 12, is on the ballot in the category of Superior Achievement in Long Fiction.

If there are any active members out there who would like to see a copy of that piece for possible consideration, please zap me an e-mail and I’ll get one right to you!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

As Co-Chairman of the HWA Stoker Awards Committee, I’m proud to announce the nominees for the 2007 Bram Stoker Awards. Below is the Final Ballot for this year’s awards. The winners will be announced at the World Horror Convention in Salt Lake City during the Stoker Awards Banquet on March 29th.

This information is for immediate dissemination and publication.

Please contact me or HWA President Deborah LeBlanc if you have any questions or need further information.

Thanks in advance.

Hank Schwaeble (more…)

The Horror Writers Association has just released its preliminary ballot for the Bram Stoker Awards, which will be given out at this year’s World Horror Convention, held March 27-30, 2008 in Salt Lake City, Utah. Active HWA members will now vote from this list to create the final ballot. Awards will be given out in the categories of Superior Achievement in a Novel, Long Fiction, Short Fiction, Anthology, Collection, Nonfiction, and Poetry. Congratulations to all the potential nominees.

I’m extremely pleased to be able to say that two of the 12 stories on the preliminary ballot in the Long Fiction category were written by yours truly. Here’s the final dozen:

“Afterward, There Will Be A Hallway” by Gary Braunbeck (Five Strokes to Midnight)
“Almost the Last Story by Almost the Last Man” by Scott Edelman (Postscripts)
“Survival of the Fittest” by Scott Edelman (Summer Chills)
“You Never Got Used to the Needle” by John Everson (Needles and Sins)
“Blood Coven” by Angeline Hawkes & Christopher Fulbright (Dead Letter Press)
“General Slocum’s Gold” by Nicholas Kaufmann (Burning Effigy Press)
“Placeholders” by John R. Little (Necessary Evil Press)
“Blood Wish” by Michael McBride (Delirium Books)
“Frayed” by Tom Piccirilli (Creeping Hemlock Press)
“Lost in Translation” by Gord Rollo (NYX Books)
“An Apiary of White Bees” by Lee Thomas (Inferno)
“Trolling Lures” by Steve Vernon (Hard Roads)

My thanks go out to all those HWA members who liked my stories enough to recommend them. Now that voting is about to begin, if there are any active HWA members out there who’d like to receive copies of either of these two stories for further consideration, please let me know. Voting closes February 10, and the final ballot is to be mailed by February 15. I have no idea what will happen next, but that gives me three weeks or so to be happy and hopeful.