"It's handsome, slick, professional... hell, it's kind of sexy, to be perfectly frank. Together, Shane Jiraiya Cummings, Andrew McKiernan and Brimstone Press have collaborated to create a superior collection in Shards, filled with fantastic illustrations and razor-sharp flash fiction that won't disappoint fans of the form, and may even create some new ones, given the chance."
You can read the full review at: http://www.asif.dreamhosters.com/doku.ph
- Location:The Kephra Memorial Library
- Mood:artistic
- Music:Jeff Martin - [Live at the Corner Hotel #06] Coming Home
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gillpolack, a few reviews of my work have appeared over the past week or so and I'm going to post notice of them here :)First up,
felicitydowker has reviewed "SHARDS: Short Sharp Tales" over at Specusphere."The overall experience of Shards is that of a dizzying, vivid, frightening rollercoaster ride, plunging the reader repeatedly into dark and horrible places, only to climb up toward the light for a gulp of air before dropping sharply into another nightmare. All lovers of dark fiction will find something to cherish here, and those who appreciate high quality artwork will enjoy McKiernan's touches, too."
[read the full review]
Midnight Echo #2 has also been reviewed at Specusphere by Damien Smith. Of my story "The Message" he had this to say:
"Of course there are the traditional horror staples of blood and death. Particularly noteworthy among these is 'Sweet Music' by Shaun Jeffrey, which puts a unique spin on old fashioned creative pain. It would have won my prize for Biggest Reader Reaction if not for the lingering sense of sadness created from Andrew J. McKiernan's 'The Message'. "
[read the full review]
And the wonderful
azhure has also reviewed Midnight Echo #2 over at OzHorrorScope, and has some very nice things to say about "The Message":"'The Message' by Andrew J. McKiernan is the absolute standout in this issue. Again, a grounding in real life events gives this story real impact. There's a real emotional hit to this one that will linger long after you've closed the magazine."
[read the full review]
Thank you all for your kind words :)
- Location:The Kephra Memorial Library
- Mood:working
- Music:The Doors - [Morrison Hotel #10] Indian Summer
martinlivings) and Cat Sparks (catsparx) both have some very nice things to say about my writing over on Martin's LJ.Martin gives a mini-review of the recent Midnight Echo #2, and my story "The Message" receives some high praise indeed.
Cat chimes in with a comment on how my story 'The Dumbshow' was possibly her favourite story from the CSFG Masques anthology.
Coming from two writers who I admire quite a bit, comments like these really mean a lot to me. Thank you both, and I'm really glad you enjoyed the stories.
- Location:The Kephra Memorial Library
- Mood:
happy - Music:Paul Dempsey - [Eveything is True #03] Out The Airlock
Here are a couple of excerpts:
"Cummings is coming at you with splintered tales of the macabre that will reverberate with you long after you have finished the book."
"Shane Jiraiya Cummings with Shards shows he is not only a master of the flash fiction style of writing but has pretty much written the definitive statement on how it should work. The collection is a strong statement on the validity of an internet driven writing style and is a must have for any collector of Australian Dark Fiction. If you love dark fiction or have ever wondered what flash fiction is about then Shards should speak to you in language that you will understand."
"McKiernan draws in black and white, always an advantage if wanting to hit stark themes without overly cluttering the visual with colour, and clearly has a grasp on what Shane Jiraiya Cummings is after in Shards. It might be just me but I took a sort of 1930s film noir art deco feeling away from McKiernan's work in the book. Hey I'm not an art critic but McKiernan's stylings were working for me here."
Thanks, Jeff, for the absolutely wonderful write-up!
You can read the full review at: http://www.scaryminds.com/reviews/book11.p
- Location:The Kephra Memorial Library
- Mood:working
- Music:Okkervil River - [The Stage Names #1/10] Love To A Monster
It's been a while, and I've got a lot of catching up to do with you all since our big move (which is still going wonderfully), but for now I'm just popping in to smug about a review.
The latest issue of Specusphere includes a review of the new CSFG anthology "Masques". Overall it is an extremely positive review, but I am especially happy with the mention for my story "The Dumbshow":
"The Dumbshow is a noir carnival that shows off Andrew McKiernan’s considerable prowess, effectively conveying the mute character’s emotions and dialogue through the unlikely medium of written mime. King Al’s troupe takes a wrong turn travelling toward Clowntown, and miscommunication, imprisonment and brushes with death follow, culminating in harmony and even romance. The story is action packed, well paced, and could easily be expanded into a satisfying novella. McKiernan’s take on the masques theme works well, and his characters are crystal clear and throbbing with life."
Big thanks to Felicity Dowker for such a wonderful review!
Read the entire Masques review at Specusphere.
- Location:Home
- Mood:
bouncy - Music:Bat For Lashes - [Two Suns #09] Two Planets
