SHARKPUNK - The Starburst Review

Another Sharkpunk post and another glowing 9 out of 10 stars review of SHARKPUNK, this time courtesy of Starburst Magazine.

As an editor, it's great when reviewers don't notice the editor's involvement in an anthology. It means you've done your job properly, allowing the different authors' voices to shine through. However, it's also nice when reviewers do recognise your efforts, as Ed Fortune does here:

"The editor, Jonathan Green, has curated an interesting collection and has presented them in the best possible order; some of the tales are deep psychological horror, others are deeply silly parody. It takes a firm editorial hand and a keen understanding of the tone of each piece to make a collection this diverse work, and Green makes it look effortless."

Various stories get singled out for particular attention, as is most often the way in reviews of anthologies. You're rarely going to find a reader who likes everything equally, if you've managed to curate a range of different stories and styles. However, with SHARKPUNK it doesn't seem to be a case of people not enjoying any of the stories, it's just that they enjoy some more than others.

You can read the whole review for yourself here, and you can pick up a paperback or download the ebook edition of SHARKPUNK here.

SHARKPUNK on Tour - SHARKPUNK at the UK Games Expo

On Saturday and Sunday (30th and 31st May) I shall be attending the UK Games Expo at the NEC Metropole hotel outside Birmingham, primarily promoting YOU ARE THE HERO - A History of Fighting Fantasy Gamebooks, but I will also have copies of SHARKPUNK with me.

So, if you've not yet picked up a copy, you know where to come.

SHARKPUNK at MCM ComicCon

Just to report that I had a great weekend at the MCM ComicCon, introducing SHARKPUNK to the world at large. What was even better was how many people came by my stand specifically to pick up a copy.

SHARKPUNK at the MCM ComicCon.

Richard has some amazingly cool plans for his copy of SHARKPUNK . Watch this space...

 Real marine biologists getting very excited about SHARKPUNK.

YOU ARE THE HERO also attracted a fair bit of attention, and my best-seller was my most recent FF gamebook Night of the Necromancer. If you're still to pick up a copy, remember that next weekend I'll be at the UK Games Expo at the NEC Hilton Metropole just outside Birmingham.

Maybe I'll see you there...

SHARKPUNK on Tour - SHARKPUNK at the MCM Expo, London

I will be at the MCM Expo at London's Excel Centre this weekend, along with the killer shark story anthology SHARKPUNK. If you're new to SHARKPUNK, here's what you need to know...

Inspired by such classic pulp movies as Jaws and Deep Blue Sea - as well as such ludicrous delights as Sharknado and Mega Shark vs Giant Octopus - the stories contained within SHARKPUNK are rip-roaring page-turners and slow-build chillers that celebrate all things savage, pulp and selachian. Covering the whole range of speculative fiction genres, from horror and Steampunk, through to SF and WTF, these are stories with bite!

So, stop by the authors area and you'll not only be able to pick up a copy of SHARKPUNK and have it signed by the editor, you'll also be able to get it signed by Kit Cox who has contributed a brand new Major Jack Union story to the anthology.

Now I can't say fairer than that, can I?

Sharkpunk Saturday - The first reviews

SHARKPUNK has been out for a couple of weeks now, and had its official launch at Forbidden Planet last Saturday, so plenty of people have had a chance to read the 20 short stories contained within, and here's what some of them have been saying.

"There is something for everyone here. Each of the talented authors involved has put their own unique twist on the concept of sharkpunk which contains literally every kind of shark you can imagine, and some you can't." ~ Geek Planet Online

"This collection is well worthy of your time. Every story is a winner in my opinion and they are all a great deal of fun. In all honesty I’d have great difficulty picking a favourite." ~ The Eloquent Page

"Each story will haunt you in a different way and may even change your opinion about sharks." ~ Ginger Nuts of Horror

You can pick up your copy of SHARKPUNK here, and if you come along to Edge-Lit 4 in Derby on Saturday 11th July, I'll even sign it for you, as will Kim Lakin-Smith, author of the short story Goblin, who will also be in attendance on the day.

Sharks by numbers

6 inches - The size of the smallest shark, the Dwarf Lantern Shark.

40 feet - The length of the biggest, the Whale Shark, which weighs up to 20 tonnes.

46 mph - The top speed of the fastest species, the Mako Shark, known as 'the torpedo with teeth'.

250,000 - Mobula Rays, members of the shark family, have been seen somersaulting in the air in balletic courtship displays. The biggest belly floppers have the best chance of attracting a mate.

20 - The number of killer shark stories in SHARKPUNK.

22 - The number of authors who have contributed to SHARKPUNK.

Grab your copy (paperback or ebook) today.

 Dwarf Lantern Shark

 Whale Shark

  Mako Shark

Mobula Ray

SHARKPUNK

The Official SHARKPUNK Launch at Forbidden Planet, London

So yesterday this happened...

Not quite knowing how the event would pan out - there were eleven authors in attendance and myself - I prepared a few words but, as it turned out, the signing yesterday wasn't the place for them, so I'm going to post them here instead.

First of all, I want to say a big thank you to everyone who came along, keeping us all busy signing copies of SHARKPUNK, thank you to Snowbooks, particularly for the banner which everyone signed, and thank you to Forbidden Planet for hosting the event. There were shark-themed tablecloths, rubber sharks, shark teeth, shark cakes, shark biscuits, and even a huge flying shark which spent most of the time menacing the Starship Enterprise.

But most of all, I want to say thank you to the writers who contributed to SHARKPUNK - those who weren't able to attend the Forbidden Planet launch, as well as those who were - for taking a crazy idea and running with it.

SHARKPUNK contributors - Al Ewing, Alec Worley, Laurel Sills, Den Patrick, Rob Spalding, Andy Taylor, Andrew Lane, Kim Lakin-Smith, Ian Whates, Jenni Hill and Jonathan Oliver.

Who would have thought that a throwaway comment on Facebook about calling the genre of terrible shark movies (like Sharknado) Sharkpunk would have brought us to this moment, a month from Jaws' 40th birthday, with an anthology of shark-related stories receiving rave reviews all over the Internet?

If you weren't able to attend the launch, you can order your own signed copy from Forbidden Planet here.

Sharkpunk Saturday - The Official Launch at Forbidden Planet

SHARKPUNK officially launches today at Forbidden Planet, London, at 1.00pm-2.00pm GMT.

I will be there along with publisher Emma Barnes and twelve very talented writers:

• David Lee Stone
• Andrew Lane
• Ian Whates
• Al Ewing
• Toby Frost
• Jonathan Oliver
• Kim Lakin-Smith
• Alec Worley
• Jenni Hill
• Laurel Sills
• Robert Spalding
• Den Patrick

Hopefully we'll see you there.

Sharkpunk on Pornokitsch

Today, Pornokitsch - the geek culture championing website - has played host to my SHARKPUNK-related ramblings, allowing me to submit my five favourite sharks from the silver screen for their weekly Friday Five.

You can check out my list, and add your own suggestions, here.

And don't forget, the official SHARKPUNK launch is taking place on Saturday, at Forbidden Planet in London, at 1.00pm. And there may be cake...

SHARKPUNK - The Official Launch at Forbidden Planet

SHARKPUNK - the anthology of killer shark stories I've put together and published by Snowbooks - will be launching at Forbidden Planet, London, on Saturday 9th May at 1.00pm GMT.

I shall be there along with publisher Emma Barnes and these very talented writers:

• Andrew Lane
• Ian Whates
• Al Ewing
• Toby Frost
• Jonathan Oliver
• Kim Lakin-Smith
• Alec Worley
• Jenni Hill
• Laurel Sills
• Robert Spalding
• Den Patrick

(Please note, unfortunately Steven Savile and David Lee Stone are no longer able to attend.)

Please share the Facebook event page, tell all your friends, and if you're in London on Saturday, why not stop by the Shaftesbury Avenue store and grab a signed book! :-)

GAME OVER - Call for Submissions

If you've enjoyed SHARKPUNK and think you have a short story in you, then you might be interested in this...


For immediate release: 

Jonathan Green // Call for Submissions 

GAME OVER 

This is an anthology of brand new material, to be published later this year by Snowbooks.

We are seeking original horror stories inspired by classic arcade games, between 5,000 and 10,000 words in length.

Rights required are exclusive World English language rights for six months, dropping to non-exclusive World English language rights thereafter, with an option for foreign language translation within the anthology should offers be made for overseas editions.

Delivery: 1st June 2015. Submissions will only be accepted by email, in Word doc format.

Payment: A share of royalties.

We want stories inspired by arcade games such as Space Invaders, Asteroids, Ghost and Goblins, Q*bert, Pitfall, Breakout and Pole Position. The stories must not impinge on any IP. For example, you could write a story about an alien invasion, or mention the arcade machine Q*bert in a story set in the real world, but don’t write a story featuring a character called Pac-Man.

We already have a number of well-known horror and games writers on board. Arcade classics to steer clear of are Frogger, Centipede, Pac-Man, Gauntlet, Tetris, Rampage, and Donkey Kong, as we already have stories based on those games.

Due to the quick turnaround on this project, formal feedback will not be given on submissions (unless they are accepted for publication), and discussions will not be entered into regarding reasons for rejection.

Please do not submit your story anywhere else, until you know of our decision, and if you are not happy working to the terms outlined above, please do not submit.

We shall look forward to receiving your stories. Please email your submission, with your Word document as an attachment, to info@jonathangreenauthor.com, and include your name, story title, and the words ‘GAME OVER Submission’ in the subject line.

A Bloke Called Dave talking about Sharkpunk

Sharkpunk contributor David Lee Stone has written a piece about Sharkpunk over on his blog, A Bloke Called Dave. He's also recorded a pair of videos about it.

Sharkpunk making waves already

It's only been out a day, but SHARKPUNK is already making waves across the Internet.

You can read two ace reviews - one here and another here - and then there's this...

SHARKPUNK - Publication Day!

After many months - nay, years! - of preparation, SHARKPUNK is finally here!

SHARKPUNK

An anthology of killer shark stories

"This collection is well worthy of your time. Every story is a winner"

The Eloquent Page

Sharks – the ultimate predators, masters of their watery domain, a world that is entirely alien and inhospitable to man. So many aspects of the shark are associated with humankind’s most primal fears. The tell-tale dorsal fin slicing through the water, the dead eyed-stare, the gaping jaws full to unforgiving teeth, the remorseless drive to kill and feed…

Inspired by such classic pulp movies as Jaws and Deep Blue Sea – as well as such ludicrous delights as Sharknado and Mega Shark vs Giant Octopus – the stories contained within are rip-roaring page-turners and slow-build chillers that celebrate all things savage, pulp and selachian.

Covering the whole range of speculative fiction genres, from horror and Steampunk, through to SF and WTF, these are stories with bite!

Come on in. The water’s fine…

Peter and the Invisible Shark, Jonathan Oliver 

Blood in the Water, Den Patrick 

The Lickspittle Leviathan, David Lee Stone 

Sharkadelic, Ian Whates

Shirley, Amy and Andy Taylor 

Deep Black Space, Toby Frost 

The Shark in the Heart, David Tallerman 

Deep Red Bells, Josh Reynolds 

Sharkcop 2: Feeding Frenzy, Alec Worley 

Sharkbait, Richard Salter 

Goblin, Kim Lakin-Smith 

Blood Relations, Andrew Lane 

Feast of the Shark God, C L Werner 

Le Shark, Laurel Sills 

The Serial Killer Who Thought She Was a Shark, Jenni Hill 

Rise of the Übershark, Robert Spalding 

Swimming with the Fishes, Steven Savile 

Ambergris, Kit Cox 

Silent Waters, Running Deep, Gary McMahon 

YOU ARE THE SHARK, Al Ewing and Sarah Peploe