More on the year that was 2008, plus a taster

One of the more pleasant aspects of being involved in the writing game is that one gets a certain level of access to work that hasn't yet seen print. It's not the primary goal, of course, but once a writer starts establishing connections with other writers, unpublished manuscripts start to flow in all sorts of directions. I'm blessed, I think, that I've managed to accrue friendships with some very talented people, and to see this work and know that, for now, I'm one of the few, is quite humbling.

Of course, having said that, I'm absolutely horrid at reading things people send me in anything close to a reasonable time. Despite what my output may convey, I'm really often quite busy with a number of projects, and to read through something means I'm taking time away from other things, and I'm so desperate for time I'm loathe to do that. Nonetheless, I know eventually I must. Having just finished a tale, I thought it would be the perfect time therefore to do so, to read all that work awaiting me, and as I suggested above, I did not come away disappointed.

It's probably not appropriate to name actual titles here, but in the past few days I've managed to read tales by Ian Rogers, Gary McMahon, Joel Alexander, Matt Cardin, Nate Ballingrud, and Joel Lane, and I must say almost all thrilled me beyond words. I know I bitch and moan about the level of writing in the genre today, but it makes me feel reassured to sample some of this work and see that not all is lost. There is power in some words, and it's only a matter of time before it's unleashed on the world. I hope there's enough to wash it clean, but I wonder...

And speaking of other writers (sort of) I'd be remiss if I didn't take this opportunity to publicly thank those that have put my work on their "best of 2008" lists. A lot of work goes out every year, so to know I've done something that has made a mark, however small, is gratifying. So, please, follow the links below to read the year-end comments by some very gracious folk:

IMAGO SEQUENCE: Best of 2008
IAN ROGERS: Favourite Reads of 2008
AT FEAR'S ALTAR: This is not a Best Of

Needless to say, I did not do a 'best of' list for The New Madness. Why? I don't feel I read enough to make it valid, but I've also used this forum to mention anything that's caught my eye when it's caught it. Were I forced to do a list, off the top of my head I'd point people to pretty much any book in the list to the right. I enjoyed them all (because if I didn't I would have stopped reading and removed them from the list). Still, I have to admit I've been contemplating clearing the list and starting again for the new year, and were I to do so this entry would fail to make sense for long. Thus, perhaps I will list some of the stand-out books I've read this year. So, merely in reverse-order of being read, I present my "Just What I Read in 2008" list:

Islington Crocodiles — Paul Meloy (currently reading but still worth mentioning)
The Bleeding Horse — Brian J Showers
How to Make Monsters — Gary McMahon
Glyphotech — Mark Samuels
Coffin Nails — John Llewellyn Probert
Rain Dogs — Gary McMahon
The Tenant — Roland Topor
Dancing On Air — Frances Oliver
The Imago Sequence — Laird Barron
Dangerous Laughter — Steven Millhauser
A Hazy Shade of Winter — Simon Bestwick
Grin of the Dark — Ramsey Campbell
Masques of Satan — Reggie Oliver
Charnel Wine — Richard Gavin

And since I'm thinking about it, here are some of the books I'm looking forward to in 2009 (off the top of my head):

Northwest Passages — Barbara Roden
Mr Gaunt — John Langan
Undertow — Michael Kelly
Madder Mysteries — Reggie Oliver
A Dark Matter — Peter Straub
Dark Awakenings — Matt Cardin
Primeval Wood — Richard Gavin

Now that that's out of the way, the last piece of business I have is to direct you back to the blog of my good friend and fellow writer Richard Gavin. I've been corresponding with him with regularity through email for a year and a half, and I've always felt that our discussions on the craft of writing were extremely interesting. They are for me, at the very least. An idea occurred to me that perhaps the two of us ought to co-write blog about these matters, a sort of ongoing public discussion between the two of us on these matters. I'm still trying to convince my friend it's a good idea (and, probably, it's an idea worth sacrificing precious writing time for), but in the interim I think a good taster for those curious would be Richard's latest entry to AT FEAR'S ALTAR. It deals with a concept he's mentioned to me before that wasn't quite as clear as I thought it might be, and you may go there now, dear reader, and see me try to hammer out a concrete definition of about what he's referring to, all the while doing my best to stifle both our desires to go off on tangents. Again, I find the conversation here, via the comments, utterly fascinating. Your mileage, alas, may vary. Still, if not, let us know! I need more ammunition in my fight to convince the fellow!