Saturday 10 August 2019

Short Story Saturday: Wonderland

I was delighted to receive my contributor copies of Wonderland today, an anthology of short stories inspired by Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.

When editors Marie O'Regan and Paul Kane invited me to contribute something to the anthology they told me that they were looking for stories set within the Wonderland universe, so, of course, I pitched them a story set in a quasi-medieval universe, inspired by the poem Jabberwocky. Fortunately they loved it, as did Titan, and so The Hunting of the Jabberwock seventh story of nineteen in the book.

Wonderland, the anthology, with another Alice-inspired book in the background.

The funny thing is, the pitch was a re-working of a synopsis I first sent to the Black Library that was rejected 19 years ago. It was originally supposed to feature the Kislevite mercenary Torben Badenov and his band*, which just goes to show that a good idea is never wasted.

The Hunting of the Jabberwock is a much better story with the Warhammer elements removed, and I am very pleased with how it's turned out. It is also in good company, as the anthology includes brand new stories by the likes of M. R. Carey, Alison Littlewood, James Lovegrove, George Mann, Lilith Saintcrow, Cavan Scott, Robert Shearman, and Rio Youers.

Wonderland is published by Titan Books on 17th September, and I believe there will be a mass signing at this year's FantasyCon in Glasgow, although I won't be there.

Are you ready to go back down the rabbit-hole... again?

"Beware the Jabberwock, my son!
The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!"


* Does anyone remember the Jabberwock featured in the original WFRP bestiary?

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