We are expecting delivery of Paul Meloy’s much anticipated story collection Islington Crocodiles on the 11th September. Copies that have been pre-ordered, particularly those overseas copies, will be despatched immediately unless you want to pick up your copy at FantasyCon, where I’m sure author and other contributors will be happy to sign the book for you.

Paul Meloy published his first story in The Third Alternative (now Black Static – thanks Paul!). ‘The Last Great Paladin of Idle Conceit’ was a truly remarkable debut, and he followed it with stories like ‘Raiders’, ‘Don’t Touch the Blackouts’, ‘Dying in the Arms of Jean Harlow’ and the British Fantasy Award winning ‘Black Static’. We decided to publish a later story, ‘Islington Crocodiles’, in Interzone, which gained Paul a lot of new fans (as well as, it’s fair to say, leaving some IZ readers slack-jawed!).

All these stories are collected here, along with several others published elsewhere, including ‘The Vague’ (published outside Britain in the British Invasion anthology) and two previously unpublished stories ‘The Last Place on Earth for Snow’ and ‘An Ocean by Handfuls’.

Paul can also count amongst his fans writers like Joe Hill, Charlie Williams, Tim Lebbon, and Graham Joyce who provides a wonderful introduction to this collection. As does Paul’s long time friend and first reader, and my Interzone colleague David Mathew.

Award winning artist Vincent Chong also made his debut in The Third Alternative, and illustrated many of Paul Meloy’s stories there, plus ‘Islington Crocodiles’ in Interzone. It’s only right, then, that some of Vinny’s work on those stories graces this book’s cover. The main image (tinted red for this book) is The Toyceivers (illustration originally for ‘Islington Crocodiles’) and the smaller image on the back cover is The Coleopterist (illustration originally for ‘Dying in the Arms of Jean Harlow’). I hope you’re intrigued and want to find out more about Toyceivers, The Coleopterist, and even more intrigued when I mention that you can also meet characters like Nurse Melt and Doctor Mocking…

(click the image for a larger view)

Here are a few nice things said by nice people:

“Paul Meloy is unique. No other writer plumbs the dream pool to such depths and sculpts addictive fiction from the awful things he finds there. He is the comedian that Hieronymous Bosch never was, the philosopher that Tommy Cooper failed to be. Make no mistake: Meloy is one of the most relevant writers in the world today. And these stories are pure gold. Treasure them” Charlie Williams

“Meloy’s voice is startlingly original, his stories both shocking and beautiful, and this book is destined to become a classic” Tim Lebbon

“In the stories of Paul Meloy – where walk the living dead, genetically modified pandas, and the mad and terrible Nurse Melt, among others – raw, tell-it-like-it-is comedy brawls with trippy horror in a cage match for the human soul. Take a front row seat. Try not to get any blood on you” Joe Hill

“Crisp and inventive, fresh and distinctive. Really, an unmissable gig!” Graham Joyce

Tim Lebbon also said recently that Islington Crocodiles is “the one book you must buy this year,” causing another flurry of orders. You might want to get in quickly. Buy it here. And enjoy!

Tags: Black Static • Charlie Williams • David Mathew • Graham Joyce • INTERZONE • Islington Crocodiles • Joe Hill • Paul Meloy • The Third Akternative • Tim Lebbon • Vincent Chong

This book has now been added to the website shop and can be ordered now. (Those who have already pre-ordered will be given priority of course.) Publication date is 19th September. This long awaited collection contains stories like The Last Great Paladin of Idle Conceit, Raiders, Don’t Touch the Blackouts, Black Static, Dying in the Arms of Jean Harlow, Islington Crocodiles, The Vague and others, including two that are previously unpublished. Art is by Vincent Chong. Introduction is by David Mathew. Foreword is by Graham Joyce.

“Paul Meloy is unique. No other writer plumbs the dream pool to such depths and sculpts addictive fiction from the awful things he finds there. He is the comedian that Hieronymous Bosch never was, the philosopher that Tommy Cooper failed to be. Make no mistake: Meloy is one of the most relevant writers in the world today. And these stories are pure gold. Treasure them� Charlie Williams

“Meloy’s voice is startlingly original, his stories both shocking and beautiful, and this book is destined to become a classic� Tim Lebbon

“In the stories of Paul Meloy – where walk the living dead, genetically modified pandas, and the mad and terrible Nurse Melt, among others – raw, tell-it-like-it-is comedy brawls with trippy horror in a cage match for the human soul. Take a front row seat. Try not to get any blood on you� Joe Hill

“Crisp and inventive, fresh and distinctive. Really, an unmissable gig!� Graham Joyce

Buy it now to avoid disappointment!

Tags: David Mathew • Graham Joyce • Islington Crocodiles • Paul Meloy • Vincent Chong