Over the past 24 hours, I’ve pulled together and submitted a 30,000 word book manuscript. It’s a collection of articles (mainly advice for budding authors), interviews and other pieces of writing, some of which first appeared on this website. It’s rough at the moment and probably needs the attention of an editor, but I’m still proud that I’ve managed to pull it together in such a short time – and I’ll post further developments as they happen.

The hardback and paperback editions of my new book, The Last Reef arrived in the post from the publisher this morning – and they look great!

There are more pictures and details of the book launch on my Facebook site: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Gareth-L-Powell/15852124165

As you know, the launch event for my short story collection THE LAST REEF will take place from 2pm until 6pm at the Citte of Yorke pub, 22 High Holborn, London (nearest tube stations being Charing Cross or Holborn) on Saturday 9th August.

The event has been organised by the publisher, Elastic Press and also sees the launch of THE TURING TEST by Chris Beckett, which features cover art by Eran Cantrell, the artist who is providing the cover for THE LAST REEF.

I will be signing books and performing a ten minute reading at the event, and hope to see as many people there as possible.

Facebook users can now find additional information by following the links below:

• http://www.facebook.com/pages/Gareth-L-Powell/15852124165
• http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=14007393925

If you’re on Facebook, you can view the details of the book launch here: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=14007393925

The launch event for my short story collection, THE LAST REEF, will take place from 2pm until 6pm at the Citte of Yorke pub, 22 High Holborn, London (nearest tube stations being Charing Cross or Holborn) on Saturday 9th August.

This event has been organised by the publisher, Elastic Press and also sees the launch of THE TURING TEST by Chris Beckett, which features cover art by Eran Cantrell, the artist providing the cover for THE LAST REEF.

I will be doing a short reading from THE LAST REEF and signing copies, so please come along, say hello, and buy a book!

The Friday Flash Fiction Anthology, Illuminations, has been reviewed by The Fix, in an epic article by Alvaro Zinos-Amaro that manages to comment on every one of the sixty-six stories included in the book. And considering that the book was conceived, edited, designed and published in a ridiculously short period of time, I think it stands up pretty well. His comments on my nine contributions are quoted below, along with links to the online versions of the stories, for your reading pleasure:

William observes a “Snowball” from a dome on the surface of the Moon. The pacing in this very short flash piece is effective, the setting works, and, most importantly, the revelation of the last line is entirely consistent with what we know (and don’t know). This poignant, speculative outing is as fresh as snow.

Contemplating “The Point Furthest from the Sun” may lead one to inaction, even as a loved one is having a rough time. I missed the significance of the title, which, based on the skill of the writing, I’m sure was chosen with care. I found it intriguing. The repetition contained in the last two sentences certainly emphasizes the importance of what we’ve learned, but I’m not sure it heightened the experience for me.

The narrator of this tale learns of the horrors inflicted on some “Fresh Meat.” The attention to detail in this very compressed narrative, in conjunction with the sparse, polished sentences and strong rhythm, worked to make it a chilling experience.

A simple misunderstanding at an Amsterdam “Coffee House” informs this quiet, observational piece. It vividly captures a moment in the interaction between two characters and, through implication, portrays the characters and setting more vividly than might appear at first glance. Perfect coffee house reading.

Ed, on his way to take pictures of a crash site, stops at a roadside café and sparks up some conversation with the waitress, “Natalie.” There is an almost Ballardian sense of fragmentation and despair in this well-written tale, which artfully utilizes technological imagery to build tension in the setting and refract the character’s inner selves. An impressive feat given the space, this riveting piece transcends “flash” and approaches a less formalized version of the Ballardian “compressed novel,” in the best possible manner.

An unplanned hyperspace return to Earth provides Diego and Carla with a direct glimpse of cosmic “Lost Toys.” Powell again manages to imagine an intriguing situation and justify it with a rationale that is not only dramatically plausible but also thought-provoking. Some descriptive details, in particular, stand out. A tale to be found and enjoyed.

The revelation that ensues the narrator’s “Thai Curry” dinner with Nina is conveyed with elegance and emotion in this charged, biting, sad tale. With skill aplenty, Powell artfully builds not only a situation, but a mood, and places it in a broader context. More bittersweet than curry, but just as delectable.

In “The Red King’s Nursery,” Lawrence is vastly outnumbered and hopelessly outgunned by an enemy which, in the form of a talking remote, seems overly chatty and casual to be truly menacing. The whys and wherefores become revealed by the tale’s end. Though there were some clever moments and engaging writing, I didn’t find myself caring enough for the character to make this piece work on the psychological front, and I couldn’t ignore the weakness of the ending enough to make it work on a plot level either.

On his six-month watch aboard a starship forty years from its destination, with the remainder of the crew asleep in their pods, Kurt finds himself on “The Long Walk Aft” and the terrible fate to which it leads. The un-subtle situation is described in the no-frills manner in which its protagonist experiences it, and the detachment and realism only serve to strengthen the inevitability of its ending. It brought to mind Tom Godwin’s “The Cold Equations.” I enjoyed the image of a book being recycled for food; that seems somehow appropriate, under the circumstances.

On the whole, a pretty good review, I thought. You can read the whole thing here: http://thefix-online.com/reviews/illuminations/

In other related news, that cheeky scamp Shaun C Green has done a great impersonation of my flash fiction style over on his blog: http://www.nostalgiaforinfinity.com/?p=127

The Elastic Press website has now been updated with details of my forthcoming short story collection, “The Last Reef”, including the cover art, some blurb, and an extract from the title story:

http://www.elasticpress.com/lastreef.htm

From the back cover:

“Gareth L Powell’s first collection of short stories is stuffed with mind-bending ideas and unforgettable characters. Ranging from the day after tomorrow to the far-flung future, these fifteen stories are perfect for anyone with a craving for intelligent and thought-provoking adventure.”

Regular readers will know that my debut novel – “Silversands” – is going to be published next year by Pendragon Press, with a cover by the award-winning SF artist Vincent Chong. Pendragon supremo Christopher Teague has already described the book as: “a damn thrilling tale of planetary politics, espionage and subtefuge” – and today he sends word that he intends to launch the book in time for next year’s Eastercon, which takes place on 10th -13th April in Bradford.

In addition, the launch event for my short story collection – “The Last Reef” – will almost definitely be 9th August this year, at a venue in London – exact time and place to be confirmed nearer the time.

I’ve been sent the typeset version of my short story collection, The Last Reef, to look at and check over for errors – and it looks great! The book is due from Elastic Press in August, and contains fifteen short stories written by me between 2003 and 2008 – a total of around 60,000 words of fiction – plus an introduction from Interzone co-editor Jetse de Vries.