by Jason Fischer | May 2, 2013 | Uncategorized
Okay, so here’s my official con report for Conflux 9: AWESOME.
Perhaps I should elaborate with some highlights. In a bulleted list.
- 20,000 brilliant conversations
- 1 or 2 awkward ones (don’t ask) but these become future anecdotes, so WIN.
- the chance to hang out with my many brilliant writer/publisher/editor peeps. Usually they are mere electrons on the interwebz, but for one four day stretch they were molecular and great.
- Several pitches to agents and publishers. Terrifying but a great feeling of accomplishment for getting through what turned out to be fine.
- Getting on panels with people I admire, and chatting to folks about all sorts of stuff. I was on the “Zombies are Hungry” panel, the “Geeks are Cool” panel, and the “Australian Landscapes” panel.
- Being in the audience at the Star Wars panel, and hijacking it to set up an elaborate pun. For what it’s worth, “ENDOR’S GAME” will happen, and it must happen.
- Random bar and cafe of doom.
- Ditmar Awards. Many worthy recipients, but I took special pleasure this year in seeing my mentee David McDonald pick up the Best New Talent award. Kudos dude, for your star is ascendant!
- Book Launches GALORE. As Cat Sparks said “there is a launch approximately ever 4.5 minutes”. Many of these launched books then proceeded to sell out of all copies, which is all things good.
- Speaking of book launches – I officially launched my zombie novel “Quiver”. Was great to meet a bunch of new readers, sign copies for my mates, and blushed in the background while Cat Sparks said a bunch of nice things about me into a microphone. The posters were a hit (thanks to Baden Kirgan at Black House) and by Sunday all copies of the book had been sold.
So here, have some photos of the “Quiver” launch (nicked from Cat’s Flickr feed). To summarise, it was a great convention. When it was all over I shuffled into the airport, tired, suitcase full of books, and very, very happy.
(images copyright Cat Sparks and purloined from http://www.flickr.com/photos/42956650@N00/)
by Jason Fischer | Apr 21, 2013 | Uncategorized
Life has been a bit flat out here at Fisch Industries, hence the lack of updates. The weekend before last I was fortunate enough to get an author spot in the Dymock’s stand at the Melbourne Supanova. I was there signing copies of my new book “Quiver”, meeting new readers and rubbing shoulders with the other authors. Had an absolute ball, met some great folks and saw just about every configuration of cosplay it’s possible to see. Amazing how much effort con-goers went to with their outfits – it’s all I can do to roll out of bed and get dressed.
Anyway, a picture speaks a thousand words. So have several 🙂
In the thick of it – selling books left, right and centre.
Unwittingly, con-goers run the gauntlet of desperate authors….
One happy author, posing with a GIANT poster of his book.
The Black House Comics crew – top bunch of folks!
by Jason Fischer | Apr 16, 2013 | Reviews
Hey folks! I’m hoping to do a quick write-up of my Supanova experience soon, but in the meantime, here’s a new review of Quiver. Reviewer OzNoir writes:
“…QUIVER encapsulates many of the tried and true formulas common to survival horror; the building of fortifications, scavenging, zombie (or coffin-dodger) hoards and their migration, the fall of Government and the rise of independent parties, but the most important component of this zombie post apocalyptic concoction is the humans themselves who are commonly more inhumane than the walking dead. Fischer goes to great lengths to portray a dead world whose living souls are rotten and more menacing than those who threaten to end mans existence.”
The rest of the review can be read here:
http://justaguythatlikes2read.blogspot.com.au/2013/04/review-quiver-by-jason-fischer.html
by Jason Fischer | Mar 25, 2013 | Reviews
Scaryminds do love them some Aussie horror, and it was great to see them do a lengthy review of my first novel, “Quiver”. It was not without moments of tough love, but all’s fair in the world of reviewing. Having reviewed for many years before writing in earnest, I have nothing but love for anyone who’d take the time to read my work and express an opinion about it.
“The book is a big read that should have a few people squirming as the gore hits the page, but Fischer never drops his narrative edge from first page to last page. A solid example of decent writing in a ghetto sub genre Quiver kept my attention, and more importantly didn’t bounce me off the page, as the journey went increasingly more surreal.”
The rest of the review can be found here: http://www.scaryminds.com/reviews/2013/book161.php
Check out the rest of the Scaryminds site while you’re visiting, these folks are nothing if not prolific when it comes to following and covering the releases in local genre fiction.
by Jason Fischer | Mar 6, 2013 | Pimping
Today, I’ve had the pleasure of guest-blogging over at David McDonald’s site for the “Wednesday Writers” feature. I’m currently mentoring David via the Australian Horror Writers Association, and it was most kind of my talented mentee to give me an opportunity to talk about “Quiver”, how it came about, and the fix-up/mosaic novels that inspired me to put it together.
http://www.davidmcdonaldspage.com/2013/03/wednesday-writers-jason-fischer/
