Lucian Poll's Collection

[RJK1981]

Thanks, Tom. A good time was had. It was nice to put more faces to names and to meet up again with those who attended last year's World Fantasy Convention.

Re: projects - barring the odd short story spilling out of me here and there I've been tinkering with a sci-fi detective story, which is coming along slowly but shaping up nicely. (I shelved last year's NaNoWriMo effort as it needs a rethink.)

Very nice adds. Considered getting the Century's Best collection when CD first offered it, but the price was too high for me at the time, and honestly I probably would get around to reading it anyway, lol.

Already decided what I will be doing for this year's NaNoWriMo. Going to be redoing what I did for last year since so much of what I did last year was junk, lol. I really want to read this story, I just need to actually write it, lol.

[Lucian Poll]

Thanks, Tom. A good time was had. It was nice to put more faces to names and to meet up again with those who attended last year's World Fantasy Convention.

Re: projects - barring the odd short story spilling out of me here and there I've been tinkering with a sci-fi detective story, which is coming along slowly but shaping up nicely. (I shelved last year's NaNoWriMo effort as it needs a rethink.)

[bookworm 1]

Some super additions to your collection. I have but not yet read The Century's Best. It is a huge collection. One I really like and look forward to reading myself. Seems like you had a great time. Despite some of the sadness overshadowing the event. .....By the way how is your next project coming along?

[Lucian Poll]

Just as poignant would be my purchase of Cemetery Dance's The Century's Best Horror Fiction. I spotted both volumes on a dealer's table at FantasyCon and was immediately drawn to them. It was only when I picked them up that I realised the whole table comprised books once owned by Joel Lane, who passed away towards the end of last year. His family were selling his books to help raise money for his mother. The purchase of these two volumes was never in doubt, and yet it felt wrong to pay for them and simply dash off without a chat. I'm glad I stayed, if 'glad' is the word. The bittersweet recollections, combined with the dignified yet still-raw emotions in which they were told, will stay with me for some time.

Given that one of Joel's stories features in the second volume of this collection, I have an uneasy feeling I may have purchased the contributor's copy he would have received from Cemetery Dance. Either way, these are two books I'll be taking extra-special care of.


Volumes 1 & 2 of Cemetery Dance's The Century's Best Horror Fiction, as purchased from the late Joel Lane's collection at FantasyCon 2014. by lucian.poll, on Flickr

[Lucian Poll]

The most notable absence from FantasyCon 2014 was Graham Joyce, whose illness had taken a turn for the worse in the run-up to the event. Despite this, it was a sad shock to learn yesterday of his passing. I really enjoyed The Year of the Ladybird (released in the US as The Ghost in the Electric Blue Suit). I've come relatively late to his work, so I'm looking forward to reading this handsome collection of his short fiction, recently launched by PS Publishing, and reading more of the stories he has left behind.


25 Years in the Word Mines - The Best Short Fiction of Graham Joyce (PS Publishing hardcover) by lucian.poll, on Flickr

[Lucian Poll]

I splashed out on the limited edition of Gary McMahon's The End, another book launch at FantasyCon:


The End by Gary McMahon (limited edition hardcover) by lucian.poll, on Flickr


Signature page of The End (limited edition hardcover), signed by Gary McMahon, launched at FantasyCon 2014. by lucian.poll, on Flickr

I managed to hold up the queue while I pumped Gary for answers to umpteen questions regarding his Concrete Grove trilogy:


The Concrete Grove trilogy by Gary McMahon, comprising The Concrete Grove (2011), Silent Voices (2012) and Beyond Here Lies Nothing (2012) by lucian.poll, on Flickr

...which he was only too happy to sign...


The Concrete Grove title page, signed by Gary McMahon. (Comment alludes to an interesting typo that suggested a much grimmer earlier draft (p205, penultimate paragraph) - turns out it was simply a typo. Phew!) by lucian.poll, on Flickr


Title page of Silent Voices, signed by Gary McMahon. by lucian.poll, on Flickr


Title page of Beyond Here Lies Nothing, signed by Gary McMahon by lucian.poll, on Flickr

Even when I pulled out a sneaky fourth book from my bag!


Dead Bad Things by Gary McMahon. by lucian.poll, on Flickr


Title page of Dead Bad Things, signed by Gary McMahon at FantasyCon 2014. by lucian.poll, on Flickr

[Lucian Poll]

Adam Nevill was also there to launch his upcoming novel, due for release at the end of October:


No One Gets Out Alive by Adam Nevill by lucian.poll, on Flickr

He stressed to me that this was by far his grimmest story yet - I guess with a title like that...


Title page of No One Gets Out Alive, signed by Adam Nevill at FantasyCon 2014. by lucian.poll, on Flickr

[Lucian Poll]

The convention hosted a number of book launches. One of the most popular ones was for this little number:


The Spectral Book of Horror Stories, purchased at launch at FantasyCon 2014. by lucian.poll, on Flickr

The line-up made this a no-brainer purchase for me. A lot of the contributors were in attendance to sign copies of the book too. First up, Mark Morris:


The Spectral Book of Horror Stories' introduction, signed by Mark Morris at FantasyCon 2014. by lucian.poll, on Flickr

Aaaaaaand then these fine writers:


Title page of The Spectral Book of Horror Stories, signed by Ramsay Campbell, Conrad Williams, Stephen Laws, Stephen Volk, Alison Moore, Reggie Oliver, Vincent Chong, Gary McMahon, Rob Shearman, Alison Littlewood and Helen Marshall at FantasyCon 2014. by lucian.poll, on Flickr

[Lucian Poll]

Good evening, Dancesters. Having recently returned from FantasyCon 2014 I have all sorts of purchases and signed stuff to show off.

First up here is a shot of the assorted free books gleaned at registration and some of the assorted shindigs:


Freebie books from FantasyCon 2014, including The Alloy of War by Brandon Sanderson, The Heroes by Joe Abercrombie, The Armageddon Rag by George R. R. Martin, Extinction Game by Gary Gibson, plus 7 others. by lucian.poll, on Flickr

(Having one's better half in attendance helped!)

[Theli]

great style to those books, love the endpapers and cover art. Legends is a nice anthology too.

[Lucian Poll]

Thanks, guys. Am I the only one who would pay good money to read "The Corpse That Wouldn't Die"? Still gives me a chuckle!

[bookworm 1]

Yea the end papers are great. Nice adds.

[Ben Staad]

Love the covers and endpapers on those books.

[Lucian Poll]

To mark the return of Doctor Who next week, here are a trio of books by Mark Gatiss featuring the wonderfully icy Lucifer Box.

Mark Gatiss' Lucifer Box trilogy: The Vesuvius Club; The Devil in Amber and Black Butterfly. by lucian.poll, on Flickr

The first two books feature entertaining endpapers:


Front endpaper from the hardback edition of The Vesuvius Club by Mark Gatiss. by lucian.poll, on Flickr


Front endpaper from the hardback edition of The Devil in Amber by Mark Gatiss. by lucian.poll, on Flickr

The author held a reading/book signing for The Vesuvius Club in Norwich circa 2004, shortly before Doctor Who was relaunched. It was standing room only and the evening was great fun, due perhaps in part to him flying three sheets to the wind.


The Vesuvius Club title page signed by Mark Gatiss. by lucian.poll, on Flickr

One's better half then very kindly bought me a signed copy of the follow-up:


Black Butterfly title page signed by Mark Gatiss. by lucian.poll, on Flickr

[Lucian Poll]

Thanks, Tom. They should keep me going for a few years.