Swords Against Boredom

Some not-good news for fans of heroic fantasy …

Dear Friends and Supporters,

Due to the recent resignation of David Pitchford from his position as CEO of Pitch-Black LLC and also due to mounting financial difficulties, Pitch-Black LLC will, reluctantly, cease all operations on February 1st 2007.

The company will be dissolved. No further publications will be forthcoming and all currently open projects including Lords of Swords 2, Lords of Justice, Magic and Mechanica, and pending novellas will be cancelled.

Flashing Swords E-zine will remain online but on hiatus. Submissions will not be accepted until further notice. All pending submissions including those previously accepted or under contract are deemed returned to the authors.

To our many friends, contributors, and supporters, we extend our heartfelt thanks and appreciation and our regret for this unpleasant, but irrevocable decision.

We are proud of our record and of the authors and poets we’ve published and we look forward to seeing what the future of SF holds.

Daniel E. Blackston, Senior Editor
Pitch-Black LLC

This is a shame, as Pitch-Black put out some good stuff.

What it means for me, specifically, is that I now have to find a new home for “The Mask Oath,” a Faceless Sons story that was to appear in “Lords of Swords 2.” Daniel also had told me in an online conversation that he wanted a Spider John story of mine, “Demon Cake,” for Flashing Swords. So now I’ll have to go looking for another place to sell that one, too.

The lesson for writers? Don’t dawdle. Get it written and get it out there, while there is still there.

– Steve

Here’s an interesting item this week from the Associated Press:

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Religion and science can combine to create some thorny questions: Does God exist outside the human mind, or is God a creation of our brains? Why do we have faith in things that we cannot prove, whether it’s the afterlife or UFOs?

The new Center for Spirituality and the Mind at the University of Pennsylvania is using brain imaging technology to examine such questions, and to investigate how spiritual and secular beliefs affect our health and behavior. Read more »

Here’s the cover of the debut issue of All Possible Worlds, a new print magazine:

The cover was done by artist Ryan Durney. His Web site is well worth a look.

The first issue of All Possible Worlds is due out in March. I don’t know when my heroic fantasy story Two Kings in Zalzalla will appear in APW, but — hot damn! — I hope the cover for that issue looks as cool as this one.

The editors promise a slick publication. I ordered the debut issue, so I’ll report back when I get it in my hands.

– Steve

If you came here to follow the ongoing Undead Monkey Conundrum, that post has been deleted.

In discussing the repeated shooting of undead monkeys, blog readers Deven and Ty uncovered information known to some but unknown to me that shot the previous post in the foot. So, the Undead Monkey Conundrum, being really no conundrum at all, is no longer, as it were, a point of discussion worth … discussing … deliberating … mentioning … (as Capt. Jack Sparrow might put it). Apologies, condolences …

If you have no idea what the heck this is all about, don’t worry about it. Just have a nice day.

– Steve

Over at Ambrose & Elsewhere, fantasy writer and blogger James Enge comments on this interesting Scientific American article on daydreaming. Read more »

Just checked my email one last time before going to bed, and learned that a horror story of mine, “The Bloofer Lady,” has been accepted for the Fall 2007 issue of a new horror Web zine called Down in the Cellar.

I already knew the editors had good taste as they’ve bought a story by my wife, who writes under the name Gere McClellan. Her eerie fantasy, “Dream Thief,” will appear this spring or summer. And before y’all ask … I think her story for Down in the Cellar is stronger than mine. But you can read them both when they arrive.

– Steve

The 2007 edition of this blog includes what I hope is an improved search function. The old search box performed sporadically … the new one is Google-fueled. On my tests so far it has returned results from my posts and from your comments, something the old search box hardly ever did. Try it out and let me know how it works for you.

I also figured out an easy way to post images in my sidebar, so … that’s me over there, drinking to your good health.

I also added an RSS feed button way down there. In theory, those who use RSS can use the button to get updates whenever I post something new here. In practice … I have no idea if it works. If anyone tries it, let me know.

– Steve