The Year's Best Australian Fantasy and Horror 2014 (Volume 5) Read online

  The Year’s Best Australian Fantasy & Horror

  ~ 2014 ~

  The Fifth Annual Collection

  for

  Cat Sparks

  (L.G.)

  Rocky Wood

  (T.H.)

  The Year’s Best Australian Fantasy & Horror 2014

  edited by Liz Grzyb & Talie Helene

  Published by Ticonderoga Publications

  Copyright (c) 2015 Liz Grzyb & Talie Helene

  All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, recording or otherwise) without the express prior written permission of the copyright holder concerned. The acknowledgements constitute an extension of this copyright page.

  Introduction copyright (c) 2015 Liz Grzyb & Talie Helene

  “The Year in Fantasy” copyright (c) 2015 Liz Grzyb

  “The Year in Horror” copyright (c) 2015 Talie Helene

  A Cataloging-in-Publications entry for this title is available from The National Library of Australia.

  ISBN 978–1–925212–18–1 (hardcover)

  978–1–925212–19–8 (trade paperback)

  978–1–925212–20–4 (ebook)

  Ticonderoga Publications

  PO Box 29 Greenwood

  Western Australia 6924

  Australia

  www.ticonderogapublications.com

  10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

  Contents

  The Year In Review, Liz Grzyb & Talie Helene

  Corpse Rose, Terry Dowling

  Signature, Faith Mudge

  The Box Wife, Emma Osborne

  The Badger Bride, Angela Slatter

  The Preservation Society, Jason Nahrung

  The Oud, Thoraiya Dyer

  The Lady of the Swamp, Janeen Webb

  The Changeling, James Bradley

  Yard, Claire McKenna

  The Love Letters of Swans, Tansy Rayner Roberts

  Bridge of Sighs, Kaaron Warren

  Kneaded, S. G. Larner

  Of the Colour Turmeric, Climbing on Fingertips, Gerry Huntman

  New Chronicles of Andras Thorn, Cat Sparks

  A Prayer for Lazarus, Andrew J. McKiernan

  Soul Partner, Imogen Cassidy

  1884, Michael Grey

  Escapement, Stephanie Gunn

  The Bullet and the Flesh, David Conyers and David Kernot

  Necromancy, Kyla Lee Ward

  Shadows of the Lonely Dead, Alan Baxter

  The Walking-stick Forest, Anna Tambour

  Chiaroscuro, Charlotte Kieft

  Vox, Lisa L. Hannett and Angela Slatter

  Dolls for Another Day, Rick Kennett

  Of Gold and Dust, Michelle Goldsmith

  Metempsychosis, Jason Franks

  Shedding Skin, Angela Rega

  About The Contributors

  Recommended Reading List

  Australian & New Zealand Fantasy & Horror Awards

  About The Editors

  Acknowledgements

  The Year In Review

  Liz Grzyb & Talie Helene

  The Year In Fantasy

  2014 was a year where yet again, many Australasians made their mark upon the world stage. The antipodes were well-represented at the World Fantasy Awards, with nominations for Kaaron Warren in Best Short Fiction, and both Janeen Webb and Angela Slatter in the Best Collection category. Amidst the Sad/Rabid Puppies furore surrounding the Hugo Awards, there was still great news for Australian speculative fiction, as Galactic Suburbia Podcast won Alisa Krasnostein, Alexandra Pierce, Tansy Rayner Roberts and Andrew Finch the Hugo for Best Fancast, and long-running co-operative Andromeda Spaceways Inflight Magazine was nominated for Best Semiprozine.

  Many Australian fantasy authors featured in international publications this year. The Mammoth Book of SF by Women, edited by Alex Dally MacFarlane, included Thoraiya Dyer’s “The Second Card of the Major Arcana” and Lucy Sussex’s “The Queen of Erewon”. Dyer also had stories published in Apex’s War Stories and Crossed Genres’ Long Hidden anthologies, and Analog magazine. Anna Tambour’s “The Walking-Stick Forest” (reprinted in this volume) and Rjurik Davidson’s “Night-Time in Caeli-Amur” were released on Tor.com. Suzanne J. Willis was published in the British Fantasy Society Journal and in Postscripts 32/33, and Deborah Kalin released the Aurealis-nominated “Teratogen” in Cemetery Dance #71. “All the Wealth in the World” by Alan Baxter was featured in Lakeside Circus and he also sold a story to Red Penny Papers’ Superpow anthology and Postscripts. Lisa L. Hannett also appeared in Postscripts.

  Fantasy luminary Garth Nix had an amazing year. His short story “A Cargo of Ivories” appeared in George R. R. Martin and Gardner Dozois’ mixed-genre Rogues anthology, and he published a tale in Ellen Datlow’s Fearful Symmetries. Nix also had a story alongside Isobelle Carmody, James Bradley and Kaaron Warren in Jonathan Strahan’s Fearsome Magics anthology from Solaris Books. Kathleen Jennings’ delightful “Skull and Hyssop” was included in Lady Churchill’s Rosebud Wristlet #3, and Gerry Huntman’s “Husks” appeared in Sword and Sorcery Magazine #2. Angela Rega chalked up a number of international sales, with stories appearing in Black Apples anthology from Belladonna Publishing, Postscripts, and her disturbing story “Shedding Skin” being published in Crossed Genres Magazine, as well as Australian publications in SQ Mag, and Kisses by Clockwork from Ticonderoga Publications.

  Marianne de Pierres was awarded the Curtin Distinguished Alumni Award for significant and valuable contributions made to society, recognising her shining light as an Australian author challenging stereotyping. She also sold her fabulous chick-lit-slightly-paranormal-detective-fiction Tara Sharp series (written under the pseudonym Marianne Delacourt) to Twelfth Planet Press. Nicole Murphy sold her second romantic fantasy trilogy set in the world of Gadda, People of the Star, to Ticonderoga Publications.

  Acclaimed horror and fantasy author Angela Slatter was incredibly prolific in both publications and awards this year. Her stories were included in a number of international titles, such as PS Publishing’s Postscripts 32/33, Stephen Jones’ Zombie Apocalypse! Endgame “The Badger Bride” in Strange Tales IV from Tartarus Press, which is reprinted in this volume, was nominated for the Aurealis Award for Best Fantasy Short Story; “Home and Hearth”, which was released as a chapbook from Spectral Press, won the Aurealis for Best Horror Short Story and was listed on the Locus Recommended Reading List; and the intricate “St Dymphna’s School for Poison Girls”, in Review of Australian Fiction, added the Best Fantasy Short Story Award to Slatter’s Aurealis haul. In addition to her many original publications this year, her stories were reprinted in many 2014 Year’s Bests, such as The Year’s Best YA Speculative Fiction from Twelfth Planet Press, Paula Guran’s Year’s Best Dark Fantasy and Horror and Stephen Jones’ Mammoth Book of New Horror. Slatter’s stories were also translated into such diverse languages as Polish and Romanian.

  Slatter’s boutique collection, co-authored with Lisa L. Hannett, The Female Factory from Twelfth Planet Press won the Aurealis Award for Best Collection, as well as garnering an Honourable Mention in the Norma K. Hemming Award. Her two other collections published in 2014, Black Winged Angels from Ticonderoga Publications, and The Bitterwood Bible and Other Recountings from Tartarus Press, were both shortlisted for Best Collection at the Aurealis Awards, and Bitterwood also
gained Slatter a World Fantasy Award nomination as well as being listed on the Locus Recommended Reading List for the year.

  Crowdfunding continued to grow in importance worldwide, and made a large impact on the independent publishing industry in 2014, with a number of anthologies and other publications gaining significant backing and audience before their release. Cranky Ladies of History from Fablecroft Press was a noteworthy Australian player in this field, which reached one and a half times their projected goal in their crowdfunding campaign during March, Women’s History Month in 2014, ahead of the anthology’s release in 2015.

  Notable novels

  Allen & Unwin released a number of fantasy novels this year, primarily aimed at young adult readers. Garth Nix added the fourth volume to his high fantasy Abhorsen/Old Kingdom Chronicles with Clariel which was long-listed for the Inky Awards and shortlisted for the Aurealis Best Young Adult Novel, Locus Awards Best YA Novel, Ditmar Best Novel and ABIA Older Children Award, as well as being mentioned on the Locus Recommended Reading List. Amie Kaufman & Meagan Spooner followed up their Aurealis Award-winning These Broken Stars with This Shattered World, the second in their adventurous fantasy/science fiction Starbound trilogy, which was shortlisted for both the Best Fantasy and Best Science Fiction novel at the Aurealis Awards. Justine Larbalestier released her crime/fantasy/horror novel Razorhurst, which was shortlisted for the Victorian Premier’s Awards, Queensland Literary Awards, The Norma K. Hemming Award, longlisted for the Inky and Sisters in Crime Davitt Awards and won the Aurealis Award for Best Horror Novel. Lynette Lounsbury brought out Afterworld, her adventure/fantasy novel, which was shortlisted for the Aurealis Award for Young Adult Novel.

  Hachette Book Group published a number of Australian speculative novels, continuing in their tradition of supporting fantasy series. Glenda Larke and Trudi Canavan shared the Ditmar Award for Best Novel for each of their first titles of new series, The Lascar’s Dagger and Thief’s Magic, respectively. Larke’s The Lascar’s Dagger, the first in her Forsaken Lands series, was also nominated for the Aurealis Award for Best Fantasy Novel and won Best Professional Long Work in the Tin Duck Awards. Canavan’s Thief’s Magic is the first in her Millennium’s Rule trilogy. Karen Miller continued her long association with Orbit, releasing the first in her Tarnished Crown Quintet, The Falcon Throne. Prolific paranormal author Keri Arthur rounds out the Hachette Group writers embarking on new series this year, as she released the Aurealis-nominated Fireborn to open her urban fantasy Souls of Fire series.

  Like most of the big publishers, many of HarperCollins’ fantasy novels this year were series related. The three novels of Alan Baxter’s Alex Caine series were released, bringing Bound, Obsidian and Abduction to the table. The series started with a bang, with Bound introducing Alex’s struggle with unleashing his magical power, getting mixed up with a cursed grimoire and a formidable bad guy, and balanced out with a dose of attraction for the powerful Kin fighter, Silhouette. And that’s only the first novel! Bound was nominated for a Ditmar for Best Novel, while Obsidian was nominated for the Best Horror Novel in the Aurealis Awards. Many Harper Collins authors also released their second or third installment of their series this year. Those adding their third title to series were: Duncan Lay, who continued his Empire of Bones series with Wall of Spears; Jo Spurrier with North Star Guide Me Home, which continued Children of the Black Sun; and KJ Taylor released the third in the Risen Sun series, The Shadow’s Heart. Kylie Chan released her second book in the Celestial Battle series, Demon Child, and Traci Harding also continued her Timekeeper trilogy with Book 2, The Eternity Gate. Will Elliott released his quirky novel Inside Out, and Dani Kristoff published steamy fantasy The Sorcerer’s Spell with Harper’s digital Impulse imprint.

  Pan Macmillan released the delightful Dreamer’s Pool, the first novel in a captivating new series from Perth author Juliet Marillier. The novel tells of Blackthorn and Grim, two prisoners locked up in a hellish prison for questioning Lord Mathuin’s despicable actions. The two escape from wrongful incarceration when a mysterious fey lord offers the prickly Blackthorn a very difficult choice. The story is full of surprises from the first page, but the intricate worldbuilding and intense prose will certainly not surprise Marillier’s fans. Dreamer’s Pool justifiably won the Best Fantasy Novel Aurealis Award and was nominated for Best Novel in the Sir Julius Vogel Awards. Marillier also satisfyingly concluded her young adult fantasy trilogy Shadowfell with The Caller, which won the Sir Julius Vogel Award for Best Youth Novel. Both of Marillier’s novels this year were nominated for the Tin Duck Award for Best Professional Long Work.

  Jay Kristoff released the third in his mythical Lotus War series, Endsinger with Pan Macmillan. Jaclyn Moriarty continued her Colours of Madeleine series with The Cracks in the Kingdom, which won the Aurealis Award for Best Young Adult Novel, and the Queensland Literary Awards Young Adult Book Award. Ben Peek’s first book in his Children trilogy, The Godless, and Rjurik Davidson’s first novel of Caeli-Amur, Unwrapped Sky, were both mentioned in the Locus Recommended Reading List, and The Godless was also nominated for the Ditmar Award for Best Novel. K.A. Barker’s young adult adventure novel The Book of Days was released. It had won Barker the John Marsden Prize in 2010 as an unpublished manuscript.

  The digital arm of Pan Macmillan, Momentum Books, has continued to build on their library of speculative fiction. Donna Maree Hanson released two installments of her epic fantasy Dragon Wine series with Momentum: Shatterwing and Skywatcher. Adina West released the second Omnibus edition of her paranormal Dark Child series, Covens Rising, which collects as a novel-length work the episodes she released periodically. Matthew Reilly was another author who serialised his work with Momentum before releasing it as an omnibus in 2014, with Troll Mountain. Felicity Pulman released her Arthurian tale I, Morgana. Sophie Masson introduced her urban fantasy Trinity series with the first book, The Koldun Code. Trent Jamieson added to his excellent urban fantasy Death Works series with Book 4, the novella-length The Memory of Death, which raises as many questions as it answers.

  Harlequin Australia published some romantic fantasy titles this year. Kim Wilkins’ Daughters of the Storm, the first in her Blood and Gold series, was released, along with the e-chapbook of her novella The Crown of Rowan, which was first published in the Dann/Strahan Legends of Australian Fantasy anthology in 2010. Daughters of the Storm was shortlisted for the Aurealis Award for Best Fantasy novel. Harlequin’s ebook Escape imprint introduced Dani Kristoff’s Spellbound in Sydney series, with the saucy Bespelled. Daniel de Lorne also opened his erotic vampire Bonds of Blood series with Escape, releasing Beckoning Blood.

  Angry Robot continued their association with Australian authors in 2014, releasing Craig Cormick’s first novel in his Shadow Master series, The Shadow Master, and Marianne de Pierres’ urban fantasy western Peacemaker. Peacemaker tells the story of Virgin Jackson, a Ranger, and her new partner, U.S. Marshall Nate Sixkiller as they investigate a dead body mysteriously found in Birrimun Park, the last natural landscape. This is the first in de Pierres’ new series of the same name, and was awarded Best Science Fiction Novel at the Aurealis Awards.

  Walker Books released Tony Thompson’s novelised account of Mary Shelley, Summer of Monsters. Tonya Alexandra also introduced her Greek mythology-inspired young adult Love Oracles series with Nymph.

  Australian independent and boutique presses expanded on their novel releases this year. Satalyte Press brought out the first in Satima Flavell’s high fantasy Talismans series, Dagger of Dresnia, which was nominated for a Tin Duck Award for Best Long Professional Work. Ticonderoga Publications released the first of RJ Ashby’s young adult Kingbreaker Chronicles, The Assassin of Nara, and Pantera Press featured Wanda Wiltshire’s Allegiance, the second story in her Betrothed series. Relative newcomer, Hague Publishing, published Janis Hill’s Isis, Vampires and Ghosts—Oh My!

  M.C. Planck released the first in his World of Prime series, Sword of the Bright Lady through Pyr. Penguin brought out Sco
tt Westerfeld’s ghostly new novel Afterworlds, and Random House released Keith Austin’s horrifying young adult fairy tale retelling Snow, White. Andrez Bergen released the coming-of-age story Depth Charging Ice Planet Goth with Perfect Edge Books.

  Jaffa Books published Impossible Magic, which is the second in J.F.R. Coates’ Destiny of Dragons series. Ben Langdon had his novel The Miranda Contract published by Kalamity Press. Tracy M. Joyce opened her Chronicles of Altaica series with Altaica, through Odyssey Books. Hoa Pham released The Other Shore through Seizure Press, and City of Masks by Ashley Capes was brought out by Snapping Turtle Books. D.K. Mok’s The Other Tree was published through Spence City, and Wilde City Press released Kevil Kiehr’s Drama Queens and Adult Themes. Keith Shaw Greenwood published The Clueless Dead through Xlibris.

  Collections

  Victorian-based Satalyte Publishing released a number of collections this year, including Adam Browne’s Other Stories and Other Stories. Andrew McKiernan collected a number of his dark fantasy and horror stories in his Australian Shadows Award-winning Last Year, When We Were Young. Dirk Strasser’s science fiction and fantasy collection Stories of the Sand brought together eighteen of Strasser’s tales and also included illustrations from Andrew J. McKiernan. M. R. Cosby released the dark fantasy/horror collection Dying Embers.

  Ticonderoga Publications continued their focus on single-author collections, releasing three. Angela Slatter’s Aurealis-nominated Black-Winged Angels is a limited edition hardback release of fairytale retellings, illustrated by the magical Kathleen Jennings who was nominated for a Ditmar for this artwork. Death at the Blue Elephant, a collection of Janeen Webb’s deliciously dark tales, has been nominated for a World Fantasy Award and was mentioned in the Locus Recommended Reading List. Ian McHugh collected a number of his internationally published stories in his Aurealis-nominated collection Angel Dust.