Tag: DK Mok

Huge congratulations to all the Aurealis and Ditmar Awards finalists!

~ Tehani ~ Leave a comment

AA logoWe’re ecstatic to see several FableCroft mentions on the 2015 Aurealis Awards and 2016 Ditmar Awards (covering the same year of work…) shortlists.

In the Aurealis Awards, special mention to Dirk Flinthart, finalist for Best Collection for Striking Fire AND for Best Horror Novella with “Night Shift” from the collection,  Joanne Anderton, shortlisted for Best Science Fiction Short Story with “2B”, and DK Mok, shortlisted for Best Fantasy Short Story with “Almost Days” (both stories being from Insert Title Here). It’s also super exciting to see Focus 2014: highlights of Australian short fiction on the Best Anthology list.

The complete shortlists are available on the Aurealis Awards website, and showcase some of the absolute best of Australian writing produced in 2015 – such an honour to be part of it!

For the Ditmars, it’s fantastic to see Joanne Anderton double up with “2B” on the Best Short Story ballot, alongside Deborah Biancotti’s creepy Cranky Ladies of History story “Look How Cold My Hands Are”. The Cranky Ladies anthology also made the Best Collected Work ballot, and Kathleen Jennings’ gorgeous cover and internals for the book are shortlisted for Best Artwork. Editor Tehani Wessely is also on the ballot for the William Atheling Jr Award for Criticism or Review for both the team efforts of “Squeeing Over Supergirl” (with David McDonald) and “Reviewing New Who” (with David McDonald and Tansy Rayner Roberts). If you were a member of Swancon last year, or of Contact 2016 this year, you are eligible to vote, so please do (for ANY of the fabulous work shortlisted!).

Congratulations to everyone appearing on these shortlists – it really shows the strength of Australian speculative fiction.

It’s Year’s Best time!

~ Tehani ~ Leave a comment

It’s that time of year when it seems a bunch of Year’s Best anthologies are announced, and we’re so pleased to see a number of our 2013-published stories recognised.

Focus2013-CoverOur own Focus 2013, which collects award-recognised Australian stories, features DK Mok’s “Morning Star” (One Small Step, an anthology of discoveries) and Joanne Anderton’s “Mah Song” (The Bone Chime Song and Other Stories).

Joanne Anderton’s story “Mah Song” will also appear in the inaugural Year’s Best YA Speculative Fiction from Twelfth Planet Press, which has an astonishing international lineup, and Rowena Cory Daniells’ “The Ways of the Wyrding Women” (One Small Step) has made the table of contents for Ticonderoga’s Year’s Best Australian Fantasy and Horror.

“By Blood and Incantation” (One Small Step) by Lisa Hannett and Angela Slatter received honorable mentions in two anthologies, Imaginarium 3: The Best Canadian Speculative Writing and Ellen Datlow’s, with Datlow also highlighting Kathleen Jennings’ “Ella and the Flame” (One Small Step), “Sand and Seawater” by Joanne Anderton and Rabia Gale (One Small Step), and Joanne’s “Mah Song” and “Fencelines” from The Bone Chime Song and Other Stories. 

 

New release – FOCUS 2013: highlights of Australian short fiction

~ Tehani ~ Leave a comment

Focus2013-CoverFocus 2013: highlights of Australian short fiction hits the virtual shelves on October 1, 2014. The second of an annual series, Focus 2013 collects an elite selection of work which has received acclaim via national and international Awards shortlisting.

Focus 2013: highlights of Australian short fiction features work by…

D.K. Mok – “Morning Star”

Juliet Marillier – “By Bone-Light”

Joanne Anderton – “Mah Song”

Thoraiya Dyer – “Seven Days in Paris”

Tansy Rayner Roberts – “Cold White Daughter”

C.S. McMullen – “The Nest”

Cat Sparks – “Scarp”

Kaaron Warren – “Air, Water and the Grove”

Kirstyn McDermott – “The Home for Broken Dolls”

Kathleen Jennings – Illustrations and cover art

The book is officially on sale on October 1, and is currently available for pre-order at Amazon, Kobo and Smashwords for US$4.99.

Awards special! One Small Step on sale

~ Tehani ~ Leave a comment

OneSmallStepCoverdraftTo celebrate the WSFA Small Press Award shortlisting of D.K. Mok’s wonderful story “Morning Star”, we’ve got a special offer on the anthology it first appeared in, One Small Step! 

Save on the print anthology (included postage world-wide):

Awards Special “One Small Step” (inc. postage worldwide)
Awards special $17.99 AUD

Save on the ebook anthology:

Purchase on Smashwords and use the coupon EL65E to save a whopping 50% on the RRP!

Offers end October 13, 2014.

FableCroft excitement!

~ Tehani ~ 1 Comment

OneSmallStepCoverdraftWe woke up this morning (in Australia) to the very exciting news that DK Mok’s wonderful story “Morning Star” from One Small Step has been shortlisted for the Washington Science Fiction Association’s Small Press Award! This is one of my absolute favourite awards, and I’m delighted to see DK’s story recognised, and amid fantastic company! FableCroft author David McDonald is also shortlisted, alongside another Aussie Sean McMullen — yay Aussies!

Pratchetts WomenIn other excitement, Tansy Rayner Roberts’ essay collection Pratchett’s Women is having a good week – first it appeared on the MetaFilter site amid some fantastic discussion, and then it got a mention at BoingBoing! This makes us very happy 🙂

 

DK Mok book launch in Sydney

~ Tehani

DK Mok, whose brilliant story “Morning Star” from One Small Step is shortlisted for an Aurealis Award this year, is officially launching her debut novel, The Other Tree (from Spence City), in Sydney next weekend. I was lucky enough to receive an advance review of the book (spoiler: I loved it!) and highly recommend it to you. If you are going to be around the area, why not check out the launch party – I reckon it will be great fun!

Date: 
2-3pm, Sunday 2nd March 2014

Location: 
Lvl 2 Meeting Room, Customs House Library, Sydney

News-2014-Invitation

Aurealis Awards shortlists!

~ Tehani

AA logoWe’re very excited to see the Aurealis Awards shortlists announced last night! It’s always lovely to see all the marvellous talent on the lists, but it’s particularly nice when some of our own work is there too!

Huge congratulations to Joanne Anderton, Tansy Rayner Roberts, Dirk Flinthart and DK Mok for their individual shortlistings, and to all the contributors to One Small Step and Focus 2012! None of our books are made in a vacuum, and all our writers, artists, designers and proofers play a huge role – thanks to you all!

Congratulations to all the finalists for the 2013 Awards. Look forward to seeing everyone at the ceremony in April!

More information about the shortlists and the Awards ceremony can be found at the website.

Book Review: The Other Tree by D.K. Mok

~ Tehani

I don’t usually review books here on the FableCroft site, but like to periodically do so when it’s a book by one of the authors we have published in the past. D.K. Mok appeared in One Small Step in 2013 with the story “Morning Star”, a novelette length, far reaching, space-based science fiction story that is thoughtful and exciting by turns. The Other Tree is D.K.’s 2014 debut novel, from the publisher Spence City, and while I’ve seen it noted as urban fantasy, I’m not sure it quite fits that genre marker – it’s one of those books that is tricky to classify as anything but “put it on your to-read list”!

17314951If Seanan McGuire had written The Da Vinci Code, the outcome might have been a little like The Other Tree! Given I adore Seanan’s work and think The Da Vinci Code could have been quite fascinating in the hands of a different author, this is definitely a compliment.

I don’t know much about the heritage behind this story but the religious, scientific and geographic elements, whether real or invented, are believably written, and underpin an action packed yet inherently character driven story.

The book rollicks along very nicely, maintaining tension and gradually unpacking characters along the way. I absolutely loved cryptobotanist Chris and conflicted Luke, and their personal journeys are as important to the novel as the overarching plot. Even the secondary characters are multi-faceted and interesting, although I have to say if I have one nitpick, it was with the random head hopping of perspective in a couple of places. Otherwise though, an impressive debut for a very talented writer! Mok is most definitely on my “want more” list!

Thank you to the publisher for my review copy of the book. It is available in ebook from your favourite e-tailer or ask your bookstore about the paperback.

New reviews and more guest posts

~ Tehani

OneSmallStepCoverdraftA few days ago, DK Mok (whose excellent story “Morning Star” closes out the One Small Step anthology), wrote a guest post for SF Signal. We have such knowledgeable and talented authors here at FableCroft! DK’s post looks at humour in fantasy, and why it is so tricky to do well but why it’s good to do!

Humour can be a tough sell. It might take a reader several chapters to realise that a dramatic novel isn’t to their taste, but in a light-hearted novel, the first pun can be a dealbreaker. It’s the exquisitely subjective nature of humour that makes it such a tricky element to handle. A reader who loves Hogfather might loathe Red Dwarf. Someone might find Douglas Adams thigh-slappingly hilarious, but Piers Anthony leaves them cringing. Reading a mediocre drama might be boring, but reading a mediocre comedy can be excruciating.

In other news, Dave Versace gave One Small Step a great review on Goodreads – among other things, he says: Smart, heartfelt and a little bit otherworldly. Thanks Dave!