Brimstone Press
Encyclopedia
Brimstone Press was an Australian independent publisher of dark fiction (horror
and dark fantasy
). Brimstone Press was established in 2004 by Angela Challis and Shane Jiraiya Cummings
and was based in Western Australia
.
The first publication from Brimstone Press was Shadowed Realms
, an online flash fiction
horror
magazine that was active from 2004 to 2007. Authors published in Shadowed Realms include Terry Dowling
, Richard Harland
, Robert Hood
, Poppy Z Brite, Stephen Dedman
, Kurt Newton, Martin Livings
, Lee Battersby
, Paul Haines, and Kaaron Warren
. Shadowed Realms gained professional status from the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America
(SFWA) in 2005 and was nominated for the Best Collected Work Ditmar Award
in 2006.
Brimstone Press also published HorrorScope: The Australian Dark Fiction Web Log
, a news
and review
webzine. In December 2006, Brimstone Press moved into book publication. Among their published anthologies are Shadow Box and the Australian Dark Fantasy & Horror series.
Brimstone Press produced a newsstand-quality horror magazine, Black: Australia's Dark Culture magazine which ran for three issues in 2008. Many of Australia's best-known horror writers including Rob Hood
, Leigh Blackmore
and others appeared in its pages.
Several stories and projects published by Brimstone Press have won, or been nominated for, Australian and international literary awards.
Horror fiction
Horror fiction also Horror fantasy is a philosophy of literature, which is intended to, or has the capacity to frighten its readers, inducing feelings of horror and terror. It creates an eerie atmosphere. Horror can be either supernatural or non-supernatural...
and dark fantasy
Dark fantasy
Dark fantasy is a term used to describe a fantasy story with a pronounced horror element.-Overview:A strict definition for dark fantasy is difficult to pin down. Gertrude Barrows Bennett has been called "the woman who invented dark fantasy". Both Charles L...
). Brimstone Press was established in 2004 by Angela Challis and Shane Jiraiya Cummings
Shane Jiraiya Cummings
Shane Jiraiya Cummings is an Australian horror short story writer and editor. He lives in Perth, Western Australia with his partner Angela Challis...
and was based in Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
.
The first publication from Brimstone Press was Shadowed Realms
Shadowed Realms
Shadowed Realms was a dark flash fiction online magazine produced by Australian independent publisher Brimstone Press and edited by Angela Challis. A number of stories published in Shadowed Realms have won, or been nominated for, several speculative fiction awards. -Publication history:The first...
, an online flash fiction
Flash fiction
Flash fiction is a style of fictional literature or fiction of extreme brevity. There is no widely accepted definition of the length of the category...
horror
Horror fiction
Horror fiction also Horror fantasy is a philosophy of literature, which is intended to, or has the capacity to frighten its readers, inducing feelings of horror and terror. It creates an eerie atmosphere. Horror can be either supernatural or non-supernatural...
magazine that was active from 2004 to 2007. Authors published in Shadowed Realms include Terry Dowling
Terry Dowling
Terence William Dowling, born at Lystra Private Hospital , is an Australian writer, freelance journalist, award-winning critic, editor, game designer and reviewer...
, Richard Harland
Richard Harland
Richard Harland Richard Harland Richard Harland (born 15 January 1947 in Yorkshire is an English fantasy and science fiction writer, living in New South Wales, Australia. He was born in 1947 in Huddersfield, United Kingdom and migrated to Australia in 1970...
, Robert Hood
Rob Hood
Robert Hood is an Australian writer and editor recognised as one of Australia's leading horror writers. He has published five young adult novels, three collections of his short fiction, fifteen children's books and over 100 short stories in anthologies and magazines in Australia and overseas...
, Poppy Z Brite, Stephen Dedman
Stephen Dedman
Stephen Dedman is an Australian author of dark fantasy and science fiction stories and novels.-Biography:...
, Kurt Newton, Martin Livings
Martin Livings
Martin Livings is an Australian author of horror, fantasy and science fiction. He has been writing short stories since 1990 and has been nominated for both the Ditmar Award and Aurealis Award...
, Lee Battersby
Lee Battersby
Lee Battersby is an Australian author of science fiction, fantasy, and horror fiction. His story "Carrying The God" made him the first Western Australian winner in the Writers of the Future Competition in 2002, and was awarded the 2003 Ditmar Award for Best New Talent...
, Paul Haines, and Kaaron Warren
Kaaron Warren
Kaaron Warren is an Australian author of horror, science fiction, and fantasy short stories and novels.She is the author of the short story collections The Grinding House, which won the 2006 ACT Writing and Publishing Awards and Dead Sea Fruit...
. Shadowed Realms gained professional status from the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America
Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America
Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, or SFWA is a nonprofit association of professional science fiction and fantasy writers. It was founded in 1965 by Damon Knight under the name Science Fiction Writers of America, Inc. and it retains the acronym SFWA after a very brief use of the SFFWA...
(SFWA) in 2005 and was nominated for the Best Collected Work Ditmar Award
Ditmar Award
The Ditmar Award has been awarded annually since 1969 at the Australian National Science Fiction Convention to recognise achievement in Australian science fiction and science fiction fandom...
in 2006.
Brimstone Press also published HorrorScope: The Australian Dark Fiction Web Log
HorrorScope (webzine)
HorrorScope: The Australian Dark Fiction Web Log is a news and review webzine dedicated to horror literature and movies. The zine was created by Australian independent publisher Brimstone Press in August 2005...
, a news
News
News is the communication of selected information on current events which is presented by print, broadcast, Internet, or word of mouth to a third party or mass audience.- Etymology :...
and review
Review
A review is an evaluation of a publication, a product or a service, such as a movie , video game, musical composition , book ; a piece of hardware like a car, home appliance, or computer; or an event or performance, such as a live music concert, a play, musical theater show or dance show...
webzine. In December 2006, Brimstone Press moved into book publication. Among their published anthologies are Shadow Box and the Australian Dark Fantasy & Horror series.
Brimstone Press produced a newsstand-quality horror magazine, Black: Australia's Dark Culture magazine which ran for three issues in 2008. Many of Australia's best-known horror writers including Rob Hood
Rob Hood
Robert Hood is an Australian writer and editor recognised as one of Australia's leading horror writers. He has published five young adult novels, three collections of his short fiction, fifteen children's books and over 100 short stories in anthologies and magazines in Australia and overseas...
, Leigh Blackmore
Leigh Blackmore
Leigh David Blackmore is an Australian horror writer, critic, editor, occultist and musician. He served as the second President of the Australian Horror Writers Association . His work has been nominated twice for the Ditmar Award, once for fiction and once for criticism...
and others appeared in its pages.
Several stories and projects published by Brimstone Press have won, or been nominated for, Australian and international literary awards.
Publications
- Shadowed RealmsShadowed RealmsShadowed Realms was a dark flash fiction online magazine produced by Australian independent publisher Brimstone Press and edited by Angela Challis. A number of stories published in Shadowed Realms have won, or been nominated for, several speculative fiction awards. -Publication history:The first...
online magazine, ed. Angela Challis (2004 to 2007). ISSN 1832-0651 - HorrorScopeHorrorScope (webzine)HorrorScope: The Australian Dark Fiction Web Log is a news and review webzine dedicated to horror literature and movies. The zine was created by Australian independent publisher Brimstone Press in August 2005...
: The Australian Dark Fiction Web Log, ed. Shane Jiraiya Cummings et al. (2005 to present). - Shadow Box, ed. Angela Challis & Shane Jiraiya Cummings (2005).
- Australian Dark Fantasy & Horror 2006 edition, ed. Angela Challis & Shane Jiraiya Cummings (2006). ISBN 978-0-9802817-0-5
- Book of Shadows Volume One, ed. Angela Challis (2006) ISBN 978-0-9802817-1-2
- Australian Dark Fantasy & Horror 2007 edition, ed. Angela Challis (December 2007) ISBN 978-0-9802817-2-9
- Black Box, ed. Shane Jiraiya Cummings (March 2008).
Wins
- 2007 Ditmar AwardDitmar AwardThe Ditmar Award has been awarded annually since 1969 at the Australian National Science Fiction Convention to recognise achievement in Australian science fiction and science fiction fandom...
, FanzineFanzineA fanzine is a nonprofessional and nonofficial publication produced by fans of a particular cultural phenomenon for the pleasure of others who share their interest...
: HorrorScopeHorrorScope (webzine)HorrorScope: The Australian Dark Fiction Web Log is a news and review webzine dedicated to horror literature and movies. The zine was created by Australian independent publisher Brimstone Press in August 2005...
(ed. Shane Jiraiya Cummings et al.) - 2006 Aurealis AwardAurealis AwardAurealis Award for Excellence in Speculative Fiction is an annual literary award for Australian science fiction, fantasy and horror fiction. Only Australians are eligible for the award.-History:...
, Horror short story: "Pater Familias" by Lee BattersbyLee BattersbyLee Battersby is an Australian author of science fiction, fantasy, and horror fiction. His story "Carrying The God" made him the first Western Australian winner in the Writers of the Future Competition in 2002, and was awarded the 2003 Ditmar Award for Best New Talent...
(Shadowed Realms #3)
Nominations
- 2010 Bram Stoker AwardBram Stoker AwardThe Bram Stoker Award is a recognition presented by the Horror Writers Association for "superior achievement" in horror writing. The awards have been presented annually since 1987, and the winners are selected by ballot of the Active members of the HWA...
, AnthologyAnthologyAn anthology is a collection of literary works chosen by the compiler. It may be a collection of poems, short stories, plays, songs, or excerpts...
: Macabre: A Journey through Australia's Darkest Fears (edited by Angela Challis and Marty Young) - 2010 Bram Stoker Award, Long Fiction: "Monsters Among Us" by Kirstyn McDermottKirstyn McDermottKirstyn McDermott is an Australian writer of speculative fiction.-Biography:McDermott was born in Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia on 31 October. She grew up in Woodberry, New South Wales and attended the University of Newcastle where she completed a Bachelor of Arts. In 1995 McDermott moved...
(Macabre) - 2010 Australian Shadows AwardAustralian Shadows AwardThe Australian Shadows Award is an annual literary award established by the Australian Horror Writers Association in 2005 to honour the best published work of horror fiction written or edited by an Australian...
, Edited Publication: Macabre: A Journey through Australia's Darkest Fears (edited by Angela Challis and Marty Young) - 2010 Australian Shadows Award, Short Fiction: "All The Clowns In Clowntown" by Andrew J. McKiernan (Macabre)
- 2008 Ditmar Award, Fanzine: HorrorScope (ed. Shane Jiraiya Cummings et al.)
- 2008 William Atheling Jr AwardDitmar AwardThe Ditmar Award has been awarded annually since 1969 at the Australian National Science Fiction Convention to recognise achievement in Australian science fiction and science fiction fandom...
: "The Spiraling WormThe Spiraling WormThe Spiraling Worm is a science fiction and Lovecraftian horror novel written in the style of a spy thriller, by authors David Conyers and John Sunseri and published in 2007. The novel went on to receive an Honourable Mention for Best Australian Horror Novel in the 12th Annual Aurealis Award and...
review" by Shane Jiraiya CummingsShane Jiraiya CummingsShane Jiraiya Cummings is an Australian horror short story writer and editor. He lives in Perth, Western Australia with his partner Angela Challis...
(HorrorScope) - 2007 Ditmar Award, Short Story: "Surrender 1: Rope Artist" by Deborah BiancottiDeborah Biancotti-Biography:Biancotti was born in 1971 in Cairns, Queensland, Australia. Her first work was published in 2000 with her short story "The First and Final Game" which was featured in Altair and won the 2000 Aurealis Award for best horror short story. In 2001 she won the Ditmar Award for best new talent...
(Shadowed Realms #9) - 2007 Ditmar Award, Short Story: "Cold" by Kirstyn McDermott (Shadowed Realms #9)
- 2007 Ditmar Award, Short Story: "The Bat's Boudoir" by Kyla WardKyla Ward-Biography:Ward was born in New South Wales, Australia. She attended the University of Technology, Sydney where she gained a BA in communications.-Writing:Ward was first published in 1994 with her poem "Mary" which was featured in the magazine Bloodsongs...
(Shadowed Realms #9) - 2007 Ditmar Award, Professional Achievement: Angela Challis (for Brimstone Press)
- 2007 William Atheling Jr Award: "Paraspheres review" by Miranda Siemienowicz (HorrorScope)
- 2006 Ditmar Award, Collected work: Shadowed Realms (ed. Angela Challis)
- 2006 Ditmar Award, Fanzine: HorrorScope (ed. Shane Jiraiya Cummings et al.)
- 2006 Australian Shadows AwardAustralian Shadows AwardThe Australian Shadows Award is an annual literary award established by the Australian Horror Writers Association in 2005 to honour the best published work of horror fiction written or edited by an Australian...
: Shadow Box (ed. Angela Challis & Shane Jiraiya Cummings) - 2006 Australian Shadows Award: "Pater Familias" by Lee Battersby (Shadowed Realms #3)
Reviews
- ASif! reviews of Shadowed Realms issues
- ASif! reviews of Brimstone Press anthologies
- Tangent Online review of Australian Dark Fantasy & Horror 2006
- Tangent Online review of Shadow Box
- Tangent Online reviews of Shadowed Realms issues
- Whispers of Wickedness review of Book of Shadows