James Aquilone's Classic Monsters Unleashed

October readin' and dreamin'. James Aquilone's Classic Monsters Unleashed, a who's-who of new stories about famous creatures, from some of the best horror voices in the business. 

Jonathan Maberry's "Höllenlegion", a riff on "The Island of Doctor Moreau", kicks off this delicious autumnal feast. The inimitable Joe R. Lansdale's gobsmackingly good "God of the Razor" caps it. 

Read Lansdale's piece first, I was so excited. Don't do that; it is unfair to all the other great creature stories. Over a year later, I am reading the rest, and enjoying each and every one, from Tim Waggoner's modern werewolf yarn "Blood Hunt" to Lisa Morton's fun "Hacking the Horseman's Code" à la Amazing Stories late 1980's TV incarnation.

Gorgeous cover art, and some stunningly macabre interior story art,  from Colton Worley.

Flattering post about my novel Town & Train

Winnipeg writer David Jón Fuller posted a very flattering comment about my debut 2014 horror novel, Town & Train (Lethe Press). I am quite appreciative of his shot of the railroad tracks, which puts me in a mind of the tracks in my hometown of Cornwall, which I fictionalized in the novel, as they skirted through the woods of my neighbourhood of Riverdale. I also included, for good measure, in my small city of Brandon, Ontario, the Seaway International Bridge, the Domtar Pulp and Paper Mill, and even Brookdale Mall, including Brookdale Cinemas.

Thank you kindly, David. I was having one of those stretches where these words landed just at the right time. And this photo may be new favourite thing to turn to during times of doubt.

It should be noted that Turnstone Press is publishing Fuller’s debut speculative fiction novel, Venue 13, in spring 2026 under the Ravenstone imprint.

Here's what David had to say:

Caution: Octoberly Work in progess

Trying to wrangle: my new short-story collection edits; transcribe/edit a fantastical October tale; pen a book review; file an e-interview about a promiinent queer Canuck poet; wrangle revising my second horror novel Monstrous; wotk up and organize and complete a suite of superhero-related pomes.

Also have two ready-to-print novelettes—one, "Congregation Haul", about an excommunicated queer Jehovah's Witness trying to save upstanding congregation members from their deepest fears made real; the other, "Sketchy", about an empath tracking a serial killer in Ottawa's gay village in 2002; a loveletter to bygone queer bars.

Jason Loo's Dazzler: World Tour

New comic I dug. Absolutely loved writer Jason Loo's Dazzler: World Tour with Rafael Loureiro & Alan Robinson & Terry & Rachel Dodson. 

She's a knockout. Very fun. Gorgeous art. The snappy script is surprisingly nuanced. Hm. Wonder if there's ny more Dazzler in this fellow Canuck writer's future?

Reading with Amanda Earl & AJ Dolman at the Pump

Had a terrific reading with co-pilot AJ Dolman and Amanda Earl at the the Lieutenant's Pump in Ottawa this Sunday. Monsters abounded in our work—vampires, transphobic parents and shapeshifters, including my  longtime pal John Newman, whom I have had the pleasure to know since high school.

In "John Newman, you'll not catch me", he is pitted against a vile shapeshifter in a race through the forest to save the dreams of the residents of a sleepy small-town suburb. 

What an honour that Amanda made this happen.

Made possible by the Canada Council for the Arts and the Writers' Union of Canada.

September 28 Ottawa reading with AJ Dolman & Amanda Earl

Very excited to share this forthcoming Sunday, Sept. 28 event in Ottawa with the magnificent AJ Dolman and Amanda Earl at the Lieutenant's Pump, 361 Elgin. Doors 1:30pm. 2pm reading.

You can order drinks and food and be merry while taking in poetry and spec fic. The Pump carries three ambers, which I support. The Ashton Brewing Company's amber remains one of top five in Ottawa.

(The Pump also does a mean Sunday roast that I have enjoyed in the past.)

Amanda says it's going to be a beautiful event, the second in her Throuple tour, and I believe her. I owe her a thanks for organizing the whole enchilada.

Bios!

AJ Dolman’s (they/she) debut poetry collection is Crazy / Mad (Gordon Hill Press, 2024). They previously authored Lost Enough: A collection of short stories (MRP, 2017), and three poetry chapbooks, and co-edited Motherhood in Precarious Times (Demeter Press, 2018). Dolman’s poetry, fiction and essays have appeared in numerous magazines and anthologies. A bi/pan+ rights advocate and founder of Bi+ Canada, they live on unceded, unsurrendered Anishinaabe Algonquin territory.

Amanda Earl (she/her) writes, reviews, edits, publishes, facilitates workshops, organizes literary events on the unceded lands of the Algonquin Anishinaabeg Peoples. Earl is managing editor of Bywords.ca, editor of Judith: Women Making Visual Poetry and your editor if you’ll have her. Her poetry books include Beast Body Epic, Genesis, Trouble, and Kiki. Her creative missions are whimsy, exploration and connection with kindred misfits. She writes so that fellow misfits don’t feel alone. More info: AmandaEarl.com.

James K. Moran’s fiction collection Fear Itself and horror novel Town & Train were published by Lethe Press. Moran’s poetry and speculative fiction have appeared in Another Dysfunctional Cancer Poem Anthology, Burly Tales: Fairy Tales for the Hirsute and Hefty Gay Man, Bywords, Glitterwolf, On Spec, and elsewhere. He writes across the genres about grief, love, nomadic superheroes and drag-queen warlocks. Moran’s reviews appear in Arc Poetry Magazine, Plenitude and Strange Horizons.

Tom King's Black Canary: Best of the Best is the Best of Comics

Should be laying off social media, but ... Tom King & Ryan Sook's six-issue Black Canary: Best of the Best series is so damn good. Masterful letterer Clayton Cowles Cowles is on the book, too.

Premise: Black Canary, aka Dinah Lance, has a widely publicized bout with undefeated and deadly Lady Shiva to determine who is the world's best fighter. The reader is treated to Dinah's humanizing backstory, her mother, the original BC, putting Dinah through gruelling trainng that would put Bruce Wayne to shame, Sook's gorgeous pencils, all the cameos King works in, King's punchy script, and the kick-ass choreography. My new favourite thing.