Top Ten Short Stories 2009 - According to Andy Kirby the Writer
November 20, 2009
It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas, according to the sickening adverts. Too early by far in my opinion, but I'm using Christmas (and the end of the year) as an excuse to compile my top ten short stories of 2009.
I've always loved compiling charts - featuring everything from ice creams (on family holidays to Wales) to booze - and as I've had the pleasure of reading a large number of great short stories this year, I thought I'd give you a list of my favourites.
This list is by no means exhaustive, and I know there's going to be one or two I've overlooked or forgotten about, but it's a purely subjective chart. My chart. So who cares. All of these stories are great examples of what it takes to make a good short story; they are thrilling, surprising, scary, intriguing... Enjoy! (And because it's still very early, there might be some ideas for Christmas presents in here!)
AJ Kirby's free to read serial novella starts today...
November 13, 2009
All the best writers used to be published in serial form in the newspapers and that. Dickens, erm... some other fellas. Anyway, AJ Kirby's novella, CALL OF THE SEA, has been commissioned for publication in serial form online on the new website FRIED FICTION. The first two episodes have been uploaded today and new episodes will follow on a weekly basis after this...
Here's a brief summary:
'The Call of the Sea' concerns the supernatural goings-on in a small British coastal town called Whitby. Whitby is the home of the famous gothic Abbey and was also Dracula's landing point when he first arrived in England. It is a placed steeped in mystery, swept by a wild sea for much of the year.
It's been a whirlwind couple of weeks in the career of AJ Kirby the writer, taking into account the big BULLY launch bash in Borders Leeds, the signing session at Borders in York, and of course, the author's appearance at the GRIMM up North festival at the Printworks in Manchester. It's about time we looked back on the highlights of this festival, which was a must for all fans of horror books, movies, video games and comics.
"The films have screened, the guests have all gone home, the exhibitions have all been packed away. Our traumatised and shell-shocked audiences have all stumbled off back to their various bolt-holes. The shadows have lifted and daylight has returned to the city of Manchester. "
If you didn't make it to GRIMMFEST this year, here is just some of what you missed: * The regional premiere of THE DESCENT 2, with director Jon Harris and Stars Myanna Buring and Anna Skellern. * A chance to see HELLRAISER in the company of all three lead Cenobites, as...
Friday night's launch of BULLY, in which AJ Kirby joined fellow northern writers Adam Lowe and Rachel Kendall, proved a roaring success with over seventy people attending the wine-flowing event. If you didn't make the event, don't worry, copies of the book are still available - you can simply use the Paypal link on the home page of this site. Here are some pictures:
AJ Kirby has been added to the list of literary lions attending the Grimm up North festival at Manchester's The Printworks.
Running from 30th October to 1st November, this dedicated horror festival is the first of its kind in the northwest, and will showcase the very best in horror films, video gaming, and merchandise and promises its attendees nothing before has been as big, as bold, and as bloody!" Read all about it here.
Andy will be hosting a horror fiction Q and A session, reading from BULLY and also undertaking a book signing as a part of Saturday's menu of terrifying treats.
Other highlights include:
Over thirty feature and short films screened at the Odeon Printworks
Red carpet movie premieres with special guest appearances
A preview of the gaming industry's hottest unreleased titles on the big screen and in a unique gaming environment
A separate horror fair with unique merchandise and an exhibition of cool props and prosthetics from the movies
Luke Bitmead Memorial Bursary Evening - 29th October 2009
October 26, 2009
This Thursday marks the second Luke Bitmead Memorial Bursary evening. You might remember that last year, AJ Kirby came third in this competition, run by the publishers Legend Press, and carried off a cheque as well as a renewed confidence in his writing career.
Each year, the Luke Bitmead Fund provides a Writers' Bursary, which includes £2,500 for the winner and a publishing contract from Legend Press. It is run by Luke's family, with the support of Legend Press, to ensure that Luke's name and memory lives on - not only through his work, but through this wonderful bursary too. A wonderful aim and a wonderful fund.
This year, the judging panel comprised Legend Press MD Tom Chalmers and Luke's family together with top Swiss fiction writer Zoe Jenny and UK novelist Sam Mills, and the winner will be announced on Thursday. If you would like to donate to the fund, please visit their website.
'Leeds Student' newspaper reviews BULLY by AJ Kirby
October 12, 2009
This week, Leeds Student newspaper's book section was dedicated almost entirely to the writer AJ Kirby. There was an interview with him, regarding his time at the university and how his English degree set him up for a career as an author, as well as an in-depth review of the novel, BULLY.
Here's the review:
Review of BULLY by AJ Kirby
By Hannah Glick, Books Editor, Leeds Student Newspaper.
'When Gary Bull was saved from an explosion at war, he was unaware that the future he faced was worse than the hell he envisaged, as he is haunted for a despicable crime that he never earned redemption for.
Despite what he did, it is difficult for your heart not to go out to him. Gary Bull is frustratingly restless because of the ghosts of his past, and at times I just wanted to inject him with morphine. Reading this book is like trying to get to sleep after drinking too many vodka red bulls; you feel his anxiety and distress.
But where Kirby really shines is his naturalistic, boisterous dialogue. It is rare to read speech that is written as it should sound and it has worked to tremendous effect in this novel.
The Next Installment of the Grant Mortar Adventure published on the Home Defence UK website
October 12, 2009
The latest installment (part four) of Grant Mortar's investigation into the plague of non-league soccer hooligans has been published on the Home Defence UK website. The investigation, which features Grant and Gerald's expose on the West Aaaaaaaam-Millwall incident a few weeks back, takes in the opening game of the new Newton Hills season in the Sanebunnies Super-Soft Bog Rolls Northern Division Two versus Richard 'Twice Nightly' Whiteley's Wetwang Academicals.
This month's HDUK supplement also includes Legend Press author Mark Liam Piggott's new interactive lifestyle column ‘Mustn't Grumble'; your monthly round-up (this time featuring Francew) with Travel Drinking; while Toby Buzzell takes a sideways look at Nobel Prize Winner Barack Obama's early stint in charge of the free world, and "Load " returns with Clint Panzerdivision GAMING for all he's worth (four bob); and finally, Al Likilla commences a new music column, recommending Classic Albums You've Never Heard Of.
In other news, AJ Kirby was interviewed about BULLY in this week's Leeds Student newspaper, and hosted another successful signing session in York Borders on Sunday. The next and final date in this series of events will be Sunday 1st November, where there will be Halloween treats for all buyers! Come along it'll...
AJ Kirby receives Honourable Mention in the Best World Horror of the Year 2008/9
October 5, 2009
News just in: AJ Kirby's short story, 'How to Kill an Hour', which featured in the Nemonymous 8: Cone Zero anthology has received an Honourable Mention in Best Horror of the Year volume 1, as judged by the esteemed New York editor Ellen Datlow. The full list of honourable mentions can be found here (AJ Kirby is listed just after Stephen King...). Although Andy's short story won't feature in the anthology, just to be mentioned in the same breath as some of these fantastic authors is an indication of how far he has come.
For over 10 years, Ellen Datlow's 'Year's Best' list and subsequent anthology have been seen as a great thermometer of the horror fiction industry as a whole. Over the years, authors such as A.S. Byatt; Stephen King; Ramsey Campbell; Terry Dowling; Jeffrey Ford; Theodora Goss; Eric Schaller; Zoran Zivkovic and many more have featured.
Ellen and her team perform an exhaustive search to find the "most rewarding fantastic short stories" from throughout the world, taking into account fairy tales to gothic horror, from magical realism to dark tales in the Grand Guignol style.
Further information about this prestigious listing can be read on the British Fantasy Society website here, and more on Ellen Datlow can be...
Book Review by A.J Kirby: 'The King of America' published by Wild Wolf Publishing
September 30, 2009
Here is a book review by A.J Kirby of a fellow Wild Wolf Publishing title, The King of America (Epic Edition) by North East writer Rod Glenn. The book is available for purchase from here, amongst other places.
"Every great book starts with a great premise, and Rod Glenn's epic The King of America is no different. It asks, what would the world be like if the USA was ruled by a monarchy? And from this fantastic start-point, the author builds a convincing world on the point of collapse.
In an echo of the French Revolution, America's royal family are under threat (members of the royal family are hung in the streets, King Paul is on the run); republicans are fighting to take over. Against the bloody backdrop of this civil war, Rod Glenn paints his terrifying, page-turning plot. It is a story full of the broad brush strokes of war, death, betrayal and revenge, but also full of the more subtle strokes required for characters to develop into fully-rounded people that we care about, and ultimately root for.
As readers of this great book, we are in a very priveldged position; we get to hear the most intmiate thoughts...
In a new article, horror writer Andy Kirby offers an analysis of the horror fiction market to Essential Writers.com, with an insight into the appeal of the genre and where to send your creepiest novels and short stories. You can read the full article here. But here's an extract:
"My name is Andy Kirby and I am a horror writer. And I suppose you could say that I have a habit: I've written around ten published horror short stories and my novel, Bully, has just been published by Wild Wolf Publishing. There, I've said it. I've come out and admitted my embarrassing secret it to everyone. I've stood in front of you all and shown you that skeleton in my closet and I've left it up to you to judge me.
Only, I'm not embarrassed to be a horror writer - stop that sneering at the back there, Miss Literary Fiction - in fact I couldn't be prouder. Good horror fiction is as good as any other writing; in fact, good horror writing transcends the constraints of genre. When it is good it is very, very good; it can entertain, send shivers down the spine, it can...
So here's the crack. I'm asking you to help me. I'm looking to get more reviews for my novel, Bully (a supernatural tale of revenge from beyond the grave) up on the Amazon site. Reviews help drive book sales, especially in the case of writers that aren't particularly well-known. They can persuade readers to make an impluse buy... So please, if you haven't already done it, have a think about buying my book and about reviewing it. It's your chance to see your name in print.
You can buy the book from all good on-line stores, or alternatively, why not order by Paypal from the home page of this site. That way, you can guarantee an AUTHOR SIGNATURE on your copy!
Watch out for the latest published AJ Kirby story in the autumn issue of Telling Tales magazine. 'The Businessman's Redemption Song' has been accepted for publication in the magazine, which is run quarterly by Meadow Publications (of Nottinghamshire) and will be available to purchase in A5 print format in all good stores.
'The Businessman's Redemption Song' is a work-based story of crushed hopes and dreams, which makes it sound rather boring, but don't worry, it's written in Kirby's usual tongue-in-cheek style, and there are plenty of opportunities for laughs. Remember, 'humour is Kirby's weapon.' Ahem.
About Meadow Publications
It is our aim to regularly provide our readers with a selection of tales from lesser-known writers. We hope that ‘Telling Tales' manages to become self-funding through its subscribers. Summer 2009 issue - OUT NOW- Ten more great tales! e-mail : andy.jackson@talktalk.net
We like tales with 'Edge.' We adore strong plots and dialogue
We love fascinating characters. We crave tales with a twist.
AJ Kirby the featured artist on Mill Creatives website...
September 14, 2009
AJ Kirby is this month's featured artist on the Mill Creatives website. Click on the link and have a look-see.
Mill Creatives is a Yorkshire based creative collective and online community aiming to promote creativity and benefit artists: by providing them with information, resources, opportunities and exposure.
...let's talk about you and me, let's talk about all the good things and the bad things that may be. Let's talk about Bully.
Off the back of the SOLD OUT book-signing session at Borders in York, Andy secured an interview with Holly Stacey from the Suite 101 website. (Holly also runs her own publishing company, Wyvern Publications, which is a publisher of quality teen fiction and young adult novels.)
The results of Holly's labour, turning the chaos of the writer Andy Kirby's mind into some coherent articles, can be found here and here. The first article concerns general genre fiction tips and hints and information on how to find that publisher for your work, the second concerns bullying and growing up in a small town. Scary stuff...
The next book-signing session takes place on Sunday 11th October at Borders in York. Come down early to avoid disappointment!
The UK Bully book signing tour kicked off in highly successful fashion with the SOLD OUT event at Borders in York. Many thanks to everyone that attended, bought a book, stole sweets from the table, or even just came up to the desk to say hello during the quiet periods. Thanks also to Borders staff, who located the desk in a great area for footfall (plonking it down right in the middle of the central pathway so there was no avoiding it unless you crawled under, or hurdled over it...), and promoted the event with posters everywhere in store.
It was interesting to meet so many lovely people, from aspiring writers to future stained glass window master craftswomen and from young to old. Everyone I met was happy to share a few words, and all helped to make the day fly past so quickly...
Look out for the next dates in the signings tour:
Bully: Borders York, 1-5 Davygate, York, YO1 8QR; Sunday 11th October 12-3pm Borders York, 1-5 Davygate, York, YO1 8QR; Sunday 1st November 12-3pm
News of the latest review of A.J Kirby's fiction. The Fix, an online short fiction review site, tasked David Hebblethwaite with reviewing the most recent issue of Jupiter 24 magazine, featuring Andy's story.
You can read the full review here. And you can get your hands on a copy of the magazine here.
But here's an extract:
"The Ninth Circle" is an interesting story which I'm not sure I fully understood, but found engaging nonetheless. The setting is a spaceship, one of whose scientists has been murdered; our narrator is the ship's other scientist, who's trying desperately to understand who killed his friend and why. He wants to get the truth out of the hot-headed accused, Jack Roget; and the mysterious android Sam, whom Roget attacks at the start of the tale; but has to deal with a crew and captain who view scientists as essentially worthless. Kirby does a nice job of evoking the sense of decay on board a spaceship too advanced for its crew to repair; but the real strength of his story is the characterisation of its narrator. The scientist's mental framework includes certain touchstones from his discipline to which he keeps returning (such...
Help for Writers: New AJ Kirby article published on Essential Writers.com
August 31, 2009
The latest AJ Kirby article on writing, 'The importance of finding your writing niche' has been published on the Essential Writers website. You can read the full article here.
Here's a brief extract:
"And I suppose this was my greatest discovery, the biggest help in my career so far: the realisation that sometimes my writing best fits with magazines and journals that aren't particularly mainstream, but which are well respected and constructed with love.
Many of these operations get by on a shoestring budget, but in most cases have high production values and quality control measures. And best of all, they were prepared to take a chance on first-time writers, something that much of the mainstream press shies away from.
Publication in the small presses is a great way to get your name out there, and opens a lot of doors. I found that a lot of fellow writers and publishers were prepared to offer the advice and comment on my work and suggest potential avenues for my work that I might not have otherwise discovered.
Gradually I built an audience for my writing, and eventually this became large enough to justify the publication of my two novels, which are...
Keep up with all the latest literature news and views on the Goodreads website, and follow AJ Kirby's progress here: http://www.goodreads.com/curveball
Goodreads is a free website for book lovers. Imagine it as a large library that you can wander through and see everyone's bookshelves, their reviews, and their ratings. You can also post your own reviews and catalog what you have read, are currently reading, and plan to read in the future. Don't stop there - join a discussion group, start a book club, contact an author, and even post your own writing.
Signing up is simple - you just enter your name, email, and a password.
Free Short Story in Wamack: A Journal of the Arts: 'Lip Service'
August 24, 2009
The latest free short story from the author A.J Kirby is now available to read on the Wamack Journal of the Arts website here. 'Lip Service' is a sci-fi take on human frailty; specifically, cold sores...
Wamack: A Journal of the Arts is a US publisher weird fiction, bizarro, the absurd, surreal, horror, and anything else that fits in-between these genres. Take a look; new stories are regularly posted. The site is run by Grant Wamack, who himself writes tasty fiction. (He also lives and dies daily as a student at Northern Illinois University.)
Meanwhle, please remember the easy and free 'Win Immortality' competition regarding CERN ZOO. Please tell others as not many people have yet discovered how easy and enjoyable it is - and the potential reward!
Review
A review of 'Cern Zoo' by the author of 'Salmon Widow' (with his or her persmission) can be found here: http://weirdmonger.blog-city.com/cern_zoo_review.htm Plus, there are hopefully many other reviews of this book in the pipeline.
AJ Kirby's second novel, 'Bully', has been published by Wild Wolf Publishing and is now available to purchase from all good stores and from the publishers direct. In order to launch the book, there will be a big bash in Leeds, and potentially one near Manchester as well, and details will be announced on this blog. But marketing the book has already picked up pace - a number of signings have been scheduled for Borders in Leeds and York, and interviews have been rolled out in the local press and on writing websites.
Signings:
Borders York
Sunday 6th September 12-3pm Sunday 11th October 12-3pm Sunday 1st November 12-3pm
They say you should never go back. But sometimes you don't have a choice.
After Gary Bull's miraculous survival from an explosion in Afghanistan, he is compelled to return to the small town where he grew up, a place that he thought he would never set his eyes upon again. Memories of a past long buried come back to him and he finds himself forced to...
Here is a review from the author of 'Salmon Widow', which is one of the best stories in the anthology from this writer's perspective... Thanks so much, O author of 'Salmon Widow'.
"Untitled": Far more than "sweet nothings": a wistful call to arms for the world's broken hearted. The young inside the old, and - for the lucky few - the other way around.
"Dead Speak": Polonium behind the arras? Weather hawks fight over knowledge and wisdom. Off at a good clip!
"Parker": The messenger not the message. An intimate portrayal - and I raise my own Lady Parker in salute!
"Artis Eterne": I love the timeless, placeless quality - the return to childhood haunts and hauntings. Arthur's legacy passed like a dusty baton. Some very careful writing. I was completely absorbed.
"The Last Mermaid": Big and bold. A rich seafood supper indeed!
"The Lion's Den": Assured and relaxed, the writing becomes invisible - no higher aim for a writer. Bravo! The animalism is powerful and - for me - is the truest embracer of the Cern Zoo concept. A FAVOURITE.
"Virtual Violence": Lord of the Flies meets Cluedo. A wild little number. Liked it.
Home Defence UK announces the death of Margaret Thatcher
August 4, 2009
The latest edition of Home Defence UK has taken the controversial step of announcing the death of the Iron Lady. Breaking the news ahead of the red tops, Home Defence UK has Thatcher dying variously because of swine flu, a collapsing mine tunnel and various other painful ways to go...
And of course, there's the usual round-up of celebrity gossip, sports news and political commentary. Watch out for Grant Mortar on POLITICAL HOOLIGANISM and his exclusive interview with tennis wunderkind Andy Murray...
Here's the month's round-up in full:
"I like being taken to the edge of my own abyss." - Rhys Ifans
Hello all, and welcome to the Summer 2009 death-themed update from your favourite online Paranoia and Lifestyle thing!
'Jodie Foster and the art of ventriloquism' published online
August 2, 2009
The latest horror/ crime fiction from AJ Kirby is now available to read online in The Front View magazine on The View from Here's website. You can read, and comment on, 'Jodie Foster and the art of ventriloquism' by clicking here.
The View From Here are a print and on-line literary magazine with author interviews, book reviews, Exclusively Independent News, original fiction and articles. Designed and edited by an international team, they bring an entertaining mix of wit, insight and intelligence all packaged in beautifully designed pages that mix the new with the famous.
They have interviewed authors like Iain Banks, Julian Barnes, Markus Zusak, James Meek, Tom McCarthy, Paul Torday and Marina Lewycka.
The View From Here has a close working relationship with The Random House Group, Cannongate, Alma Books, Faber, Legend Press, the Arts Council funded Exclusively Independent Scheme and is a member of Publishers Weekly's BookLife.
In 2009 they were shortlisted as a finalist for the best UK blog.
Interesting news for all those readers that kindly bought Cone Zero, and even more so for those that wrote for the Nemonymous anthology: apparently 'there is no Cone Zero'. So what was that you were holding in your hands or reading on the beach, and what's that on your bookshelf? Hmmmm; is Cone Zero an illusion after all? Like in the story 'Oswald Masters'?
"The films have screened, the guests have all gone home, the exhibitions have all been packed away. Our traumatised and shell-shocked audiences have all stumbled off back to their various bolt-holes. The shadows have lifted and daylight has returned to the city of Manchester. "
This week, Leeds Student newspaper's book section was dedicated almost entirely to the writer AJ Kirby. There was an interview with him, regarding his time at the university and how his English degree set him up for a career as an author, as well as an in-depth review of the novel, BULLY.
The 
Here is a book review by A.J Kirby of a fellow Wild Wolf Publishing title, The King of America (Epic Edition) by North East writer Rod Glenn. The book is available for purchase from 
Two new reviews of Nemonymous Nine have been published this week: 
Watch out for the latest published AJ Kirby story in the autumn issue of Telling Tales magazine. 'The Businessman's Redemption Song' has been accepted for publication in the magazine, which is run quarterly by 
The UK Bully book signing tour kicked off in highly successful fashion with the SOLD OUT event at Borders in York. Many thanks to everyone that attended, bought a book, stole sweets from the table, or even just came up to the desk to say hello during the quiet periods. Thanks also to Borders staff, who located the desk in a great area for footfall (plonking it down right in the middle of the central pathway so there was no avoiding it unless you crawled under, or hurdled over it...), and promoted the event with posters everywhere in store. 
Look out for the next dates in the signings tour:
News of the latest review of A.J Kirby's fiction. The Fix, an online short fiction review site, tasked David Hebblethwaite with reviewing the most recent issue of Jupiter 24 magazine, featuring Andy's story.
The latest AJ Kirby article on writing, 'The importance of finding your writing niche' has been published on the Essential Writers website. You can read the full article 
