Sharkpunk Saturday - The first reviews

SHARKPUNK has been out for a couple of weeks now, and had its official launch at Forbidden Planet last Saturday, so plenty of people have had a chance to read the 20 short stories contained within, and here's what some of them have been saying.

"There is something for everyone here. Each of the talented authors involved has put their own unique twist on the concept of sharkpunk which contains literally every kind of shark you can imagine, and some you can't." ~ Geek Planet Online

"This collection is well worthy of your time. Every story is a winner in my opinion and they are all a great deal of fun. In all honesty I’d have great difficulty picking a favourite." ~ The Eloquent Page

"Each story will haunt you in a different way and may even change your opinion about sharks." ~ Ginger Nuts of Horror

You can pick up your copy of SHARKPUNK here, and if you come along to Edge-Lit 4 in Derby on Saturday 11th July, I'll even sign it for you, as will Kim Lakin-Smith, author of the short story Goblin, who will also be in attendance on the day.

Gamebook Friday: YOU ARE THE HERO at the UK Games Expo

Surfacing again after a couple of weeks of intense SHARKPUNK promotion, I just wanted to let you know that I shall be attending the UK Games Expo this year, on Saturday 30th and Sunday 31st May 2015, and I shall be bringing the last few boxes of the YOU ARE THE HERO hardback with me.

YOU ARE THE HERO was nominated in the UK Games Expo Awards best RPG supplement category. However because you can't actually play YOU ARE THE HERO it is not eligible for the award. That said, the judging panel are considering giving the book an honourable mention, so watch this space...

In other news, PJ Montgomery and Gavin Mitchell have released a new page of artwork from Steve Jackson's The Trolltooth Wars, featuring a couple of characters who will be very familiar to fans of Citadel of Chaos...

Artwork by Gavin Mitchell

... which also just so happens to have been the inspiration behind a song written by a friend of mine and his band Groan.

(I can see a couple of new chapters are going to be needed for the 40th anniversary edition of YOU ARE THE HERO.)

Sharks by numbers

6 inches - The size of the smallest shark, the Dwarf Lantern Shark.

40 feet - The length of the biggest, the Whale Shark, which weighs up to 20 tonnes.

46 mph - The top speed of the fastest species, the Mako Shark, known as 'the torpedo with teeth'.

250,000 - Mobula Rays, members of the shark family, have been seen somersaulting in the air in balletic courtship displays. The biggest belly floppers have the best chance of attracting a mate.

20 - The number of killer shark stories in SHARKPUNK.

22 - The number of authors who have contributed to SHARKPUNK.

Grab your copy (paperback or ebook) today.

 Dwarf Lantern Shark

 Whale Shark

  Mako Shark

Mobula Ray

SHARKPUNK

Thought for the Day

"Fantasy is an exercise bicycle for the mind. It might not take you anywhere, but it tones up the muscles that can."

~ Sir Terry Pratchett (1948-2015)

The Official SHARKPUNK Launch at Forbidden Planet, London

So yesterday this happened...

Not quite knowing how the event would pan out - there were eleven authors in attendance and myself - I prepared a few words but, as it turned out, the signing yesterday wasn't the place for them, so I'm going to post them here instead.

First of all, I want to say a big thank you to everyone who came along, keeping us all busy signing copies of SHARKPUNK, thank you to Snowbooks, particularly for the banner which everyone signed, and thank you to Forbidden Planet for hosting the event. There were shark-themed tablecloths, rubber sharks, shark teeth, shark cakes, shark biscuits, and even a huge flying shark which spent most of the time menacing the Starship Enterprise.

But most of all, I want to say thank you to the writers who contributed to SHARKPUNK - those who weren't able to attend the Forbidden Planet launch, as well as those who were - for taking a crazy idea and running with it.

SHARKPUNK contributors - Al Ewing, Alec Worley, Laurel Sills, Den Patrick, Rob Spalding, Andy Taylor, Andrew Lane, Kim Lakin-Smith, Ian Whates, Jenni Hill and Jonathan Oliver.

Who would have thought that a throwaway comment on Facebook about calling the genre of terrible shark movies (like Sharknado) Sharkpunk would have brought us to this moment, a month from Jaws' 40th birthday, with an anthology of shark-related stories receiving rave reviews all over the Internet?

If you weren't able to attend the launch, you can order your own signed copy from Forbidden Planet here.

Sharkpunk Saturday - Sharkpunk launches today at Forbidden Planet!

SHARKPUNK officially launches today at Forbidden Planet, London, between 1.00pm and 2.00pm GMT today.

I will be there along with publisher Emma Barnes and twelve very talented writers:

• David Lee Stone - author of the Illmoor Chronicles
• Andrew Lane - author of Young Sherlock Holmes
• Ian Whates - award-winning publisher, editor and author 
• Al Ewing - comic book master and celebrated novelist
• Toby Frost - creator of Space Captain Smith
• Jonathan Oliver - award-winning editor and author
• Kim Lakin-Smith - award-winning YA and SF author
• Alec Worley - comics writer and film reviewer
• Jenni Hill - renowned editor and author
• Laurel Sills - editor of holdfast magazine and BFS Award judge
• Robert Spalding - popular pulp horror writer
• Den Patrick - popular fantasy author

Hopefully we'll see you there.

Sharkpunk on Pornokitsch

Today, Pornokitsch - the geek culture championing website - has played host to my SHARKPUNK-related ramblings, allowing me to submit my five favourite sharks from the silver screen for their weekly Friday Five.

You can check out my list, and add your own suggestions, here.

And don't forget, the official SHARKPUNK launch is taking place on Saturday, at Forbidden Planet in London, at 1.00pm. And there may be cake...