Something Remains

Something Remains A002

Something Remains — stories based on and inspired by the notes left by Joel Lane (1963-2013) is set for publication this autumn with as launch at FantasyCon by the Sea (23-25 September 2016). From the Introduction by Pauline Dungate:

It soon became clear [after Joel’s death] that there was a wealth of material that had never seen the light of day. As well as Joel’s huge number of genre publications, he wrote hundreds of poems. Not every story was completed or published. It seemed a shame that all this should be lost. So I spoke with Peter Coleborn of Alchemy Press, and a good friend of Joel’s. My idea was somehow to resurrect the best of the ideas and ask some of Joel’s friends to finish them. Peter liked the idea.

This book is the result of that collaboration, an anthology brimming with stories inspired by Joel written by a library of talented authors. All profits go to Diabetes UK, a disease Joel suffered.

The table of contents is mouthwatering:

  • Foreword by Peter Coleborn
  • Introduction by Pauline E. Dungate
  • Joel by Chris Morgan (Verse)
  • Not Dispossessed:  A Few Words on Joel Lane’s Early Published Works by David A. Sutton (Essay)
  • Everybody Hates a Tourist by Tim Lebbon
  • The Conscience of the Circuit by Nicholas Royle (Essay)
  • The Missing by John Llewellyn Probert
  • Charmed Life by Simon Avery
  • Antithesis by Alison Littlewood
  • Dark Furnaces by Chris Morgan
  • The Inner Ear by Marion Pitman (Verse)
  • Broken Eye by Gary McMahon
  • Stained Glass by John Grant
  • Threadbare by Jan Edwards
  • The Dark above the Fair by Terry Grimwood
  • Grey Children by David A. Sutton
  • The Twin by James Brogden
  • Lost by Pauline Morgan (Verse)
  • Through the Floor by Gary Couzens
  • Fear of the Music by Stephen Bacon
  • Bad Faith by Thana Niveau
  • Window Shopping by David Mathew
  • Clan Festor by Liam Garriock
  • Sweet Sixteen by Adam Millard
  • Buried Stars by Simon Macculloch
  • And Ashes in Her Hair by Simon Bestwick
  • The Pleasure Garden by Rosanne Rabinowitz
  • Joel Lane, Poet by Chris Morgan (Essay)
  • The Reach of Children by Mike Chinn
  • The Men Cast by Shadows by Mat Joiner
  • The Winter Garden by Pauline E. Dungate
  • Natural History by Allen Ashley
  • The Second Death by Ian Hunter
  • The Bright Exit by Sarah Doyle (Verse)
  • Blanche by Andrew Hook
  • The Body Static by Tom Johnstone
  • You Give Me Fever by Paul Edwards
  • The Other Side by Lynda E. Rucker
  • Of Loss and of Life: Joel Lane’s Essays on the Fantastic by Mark Valentine (Essay)
  • Shadows by Joe X Young
  • I Need Somewhere to Hide by Steven Savile
  • Coming to Life by John Howard
  • The Enemy Within by Steve Rasnic Tem
  • Afterword: The Whole of Joel by Ramsey Campbell (Essay)

The order of stories is more-or-less random. Obviously some items had to start and end the book and we wanted to avoid grouping the poetry or essays together.

Interestingly, only two of our contributors chose the same set of notes. it is interesting to discover how different writers expend on Joel’s ideas.

Cover image by Peter Coleborn