My WorldCon schedule

Okay, so after much biting of fingernails (and that's just me - I'm sure it was much worse for the organisers) the draft AussieCon 4 schedule is out.

Here's where I'm at...

Book launch: Macabre - A Journey Through Australia's Darkest Fears

Explore Australia's dark literature past, present, and future all in one landmark anthology! From the very earliest colonial ghost stories through to grim tales of modern life, Macabre will take you on a journey through the dark heart of Australian horror. With classic stories from Australia's masters of horror alongside the best of the new era, Macabre is set to be the finest dark fiction anthology ever produced in Australia.

Friday, Sept 3, 1600 Room 203

But this is real!

Why are we attracted to fictional horrors when real life can be so much worse?

Paul Haines, Narrelle M. Harris, Gary Kemble, Chris Lawson, Carrie Vaughn

Sunday, Sept 5, 1400 Room 204

Dirty feed

Are attempts to censor the web an assault on our freedom or a necessary precaution? As in Australia, so to the world.

Talie Helene, Shane Jiraiya Cummings, Gary Kemble, Cory Doctorow

Monday, Sept 6, 1200 Room 210

I'm also going to be working on some features for various publications. Writing Queensland, ABC News Online, HorrorScope and my own blog. I've made a start on research for the panels and features, which I'm hoping to develop a bit more now that the election is (kinda) over.

Here's my links on Delicious: http://www.delicious.com/garykemble/research+worldcon

If you've got any links you'd like to share, please do so via delicious, comments, or Twitter.

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Have zombies jumped the shark?

Over at Jonathan Maberry's blog, I argue that zombies will always be in fashion. :)

It’s true, lately there have been zombies everywhere – games, films, books. But I think that’s more that zombies are currently part of the mainstream. Once they drop out of the mainstream, they will still be popular with the people they were popular with before they were ‘cool’.

But don't take my opinion for it! Head on over and get the dope on zombies from a 'roundtable' of zombanistas.

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Felicity Dowker interviewed by Angela Slatter

Check it out at Angela Slatter's blog.

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Books based on video games

I was out at Mary Ryan's in Milton today when I saw the book version of Assassin's Creed II.

Initially, I thought, that's cool, thinking that it's a good way of attracting people who aren't into books (video games must be a massive 'time sink', particularly for kids).

But then I thought, what's the attraction of a book, when you've already got access to a world where you're in control?

Maybe the appeal is that books based on video games take the story in different directions, or reveal elements of back story that are only hinted at in the games themselves.

Is it the same as the Star Wars books, which have a life of their own, independent of the success or otherwise of the films?

OR, is it just a cynical ploy to get money out of people who MUST own EVERY item associated with a particular franchise. :)

I don't know. What do you think?

Leave a comment or tweet me.

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Gruen, Greens and CC

Chances are, you've already seen the Republic of Everyone's 'If you think, vote Greens' ad, which caused quite a stir last week.

The Greens were keen to use the ad, but it wasn't possible because the ABC asks all ad agencies who participate in The Pitch to sign over copyright for the ads they produce.

Greens spokeswoman Ebony Bennett confirmed The Greens contacted the ABC and Republic of Everyone over the possibility of using the ad, but the ABC would not allow the clip to be used during the election.

The ABC says it cannot be seen to pick sides in the campaign.

It got me thinking, I wonder if the situation would have been different if the ABC licensed content featured on the Gruen Nation under a Creative Commons licence?

If licensed under an Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike licence, wouldn't it have meant that other people could have made use of the ad without it seeming like the ABC was endorsing the Greens? And wouldn't it also mean that, in general terms, people would be able to remix content from The Pitch. (You often hear suggestions about what the ad-makers could have done differently -- this would give fans the opportunity to demonstrate what could have been done differently).

This is a genuine question. I could be wrong. So I'm genuinely interested in hearing your thoughts on this.

Of course, the ad has been seen by heaps of people regardless -- over a million people tuned in to watch Gruen Nation last week, and the ad has been shared a lot on social media.

Leave a comment or tweet me.

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Trent Jamieson: Death Most Definite

  
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TrentJamieson.mp4 (312 KB)

Quick interview after the book launch at Avid Reader.

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Movie Minutiae: Green Zone (2010)

Green Zone tells the fictional story of chief warrant officer Roy Miller, whose hunt for WMD in Iraq in 2003 becomes a quest for the truth, leading him to mix it up with shady US government officials, a high-profile journalist, a disgruntled CIA agent and gung-ho special forces dudes.

Read on at The Buzz...

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UPDATE on ebooks/DRM

Cory Doctorow convinces Amazon, B&N, Kobo to sell DRM-free titles. Read more here: http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/columns-and-blogs/cory-doctorow/article/44012-doctorow-s-first-law.html

(via @mean_land)

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Kickstarter... and the value of networks

(Images: http://craigmod.com/journal/kickstartup/) 

This ties in with some stuff I've been thinking about ebooks.

An amazing story -- in 30 days, Craig Mod raised $24,000 to republish Art Space Tokyo.

How did he do it? The short version -- he used crowdfunding website Kickstarter. Clearly, there's more to it, and there's an excellent guide to exactly what went down here.

The other thing I think about a lot is Canadian sf writer Cory Doctorow's technique of giving his books away for free.

"My intuition was two-fold. First of all, that it was likely that giving away books would sell books, giving away electronic books would sell print books, that just seemed really clear to me that for most people ebooks were not a substitute, they were a complementary good."

I love the idea. I love the idea of being unencumbered by the process that we're told we need to go through to publish and sell books. Theoretically, you could use Kickstarter to build enough seed capital to start your own publishing house, and then use Doctorow's strategy to ensure a lively market for those books.

My enthusiasm is tempered by the knowledge that many agents and publishers think that most manuscripts submitted to them just aren't ready for publication. This is the key flaw with self-publishing. Yeah, you can get your book out there. But should it be out there yet?

The second thing is that famous quote from Tim O'Reilly that for most writers, obscurity is a bigger problem than piracy.

Without a 'name', you can post stuff for free on the internet every day, but are your chances of breaking through any greater than jumping through the hoops of traditional publishing?

I'm sure there are many great books that haven't been published, but even if those books had been published for free on the internet, would any of them have been 'discovered'?

What do you think? Leave a comment, or tweet me.

 

See and download the full gallery on posterous

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Fantasy taxidermy

http://www.customcreaturetaxidermy.com/Site/FANTASY_WORKS.html

via @fluffodile

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Knowing when to hold 'em, when to fold 'em

I retweeted this link to an article by Max Barry (Jennifer Government, Machine Man) today and, as you can see above, I declared it 'excellent'.

The premise is that if you're finding it hard to write it's not your fault, it's the book's fault.

"When your scene won’t quite come together, your novel idea won’t stay interesting, your main character refuses to fill out: it’s not because you lack talent. It’s because your idea is stupid. You’re trying to push shit uphill. And you may be a good shit-pusher, with a range of clever and effective shit-pushing techniques, but still: it’s going to be hard, frustrating, and ultimately you’ll discover you still don’t have your shit together."

It was like a revelation to me, because pretty much every day lately has felt like pushing shit uphill.

But, on reflection, while this may be true for Max Barry, maybe I'm just trying to give myself an easy out. Because I have a lot of ideas swimming around in my head, I'm constantly plagued by the thought that whatever project I'm not working on is better than the one I am working on.

And Barry describes this exact process. He worked through writer's block by giving these ideas a chance to emerge.

"The way I got out of it was to write a page of something new every day. The first week, I flushed out a lot of ideas that had been humming around the back of my brain, promising me they were brilliant. They weren’t. I captured them one page at a time and set them aside. The second week I wrote two things that were kind of interesting. Not very interesting. But not abominations, either. It was possible to imagine that in some alternate universe of very low standards, they could become novels. Not popular novels. But still.

"The third week, I wrote something interesting. And I discovered I could write. That the reason I’d been stuck wasn’t because I’d forgotten where the keys were. It was because the story I was trying to make work sucked."

I fear that if I tried the Max Barry strategy, I'd end up with lots of one-pagers, and not much else.

So what do you think? When is it time to cut your losses? And when is it worth pushing the shit uphill?

Leave a comment or tweet me.

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Ebooks: who's leading the way?

(Image: Eirik Newth, Flickr)

One thing I'm hoping to talk to publishers and writers about at WorldCon is what they're doing/planning to do about ebooks.

I've heard a range of theories on ebooks: some people believe they're going to save the industry; others believe they will spell disaster for mid-level authors.

Like many things, the truth probably lies somewhere inbetween. John Birmingham says that maybe you'll have cheap, low-end ebook readers for text, but really lavish books with lots of art/illustration will need to be viewed on something like an iPad.

The other thing I'd like to get a handle on is the state of play with DRM. Is there a format war in progress? Which are the dominant formats? How many publishers are ditching DRM altogether with a view to staking a larger claim on the market.

I'm looking on this with avid interest. I can definitely see the value in ebook readers. I like to read authors such as Birmingham and Stephen King, who don't bother putting out books unless they're over 500 pages. :) And, no offence to either writer, but in many cases I could live without having a dead-tree edition. I like the idea of being able to search text.

What I don't want to happen is 'buy' a book, only to find I can't do with it what I want to do with it. What I don't want to happen is buy an ebook reader only to find I can't get the titles I want due to some DRM format war.

Authors such as Cory Doctorow have repeatedly raised concerns over DRM and the control it gives to distributors over publishers and writers.

"Any time someone puts a lock on something you own, against your wishes, and doesn't give you the key, it's not being done to your benefit."

What I'm hoping to learn while I'm at WorldCon is whether or not speculative fiction publishers are leading the way here. And if not, why not.

So, please, let me pick your brains! Send me your links to interesting ebook articles. Who's leading the way with this stuff? Who do I need to talk to at WorldCon? And what should I ask them! Leave a comment or contact me on Twitter.

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Wanted: military, police sources

(Image: DVIDSHUB, Flickr)

Because of the nature of the stuff I write, I often find myself asking questions such as: 'How far away would you need to be to survive the collateral damage of a Stinger missile hitting an Agusta A109E chopper as it comes in to land'.

Writers who I admire, such as John Birmingham and David Rollins gather around them a posse of peeps who know all about this stuff, and this is what I aspire to do.

I realise that you can look stuff up on Google and read books about military life -- I do both of these -- but at the end of the day there's nothing better than firing off an email and asking the question.

I'm willing to trade my insider knowledge on how journalism works! (May not seem like much, but you'd be surprised how often writers get it wrong).

So, if you have experience in the military or law enforcement, I'd love to hear from you. Leave a comment, or get in touch on Twitter.

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100 days of action: get on board!

(Image: Olly Moss, Flickr)

A friend of mine, Chris Paine, is going to watch 100 action movies in 100 days.

Find out more at the 100 Days of Action site.

Vale Articulate 2005-2010

After five years, ABC News Online has bid farewell to its arts blog, Articulate. I'm crossposting this here because, for the time being, our web developers don't have time to archive all the old Articulate posts. (Some of the links to newer posts won't work, for this same reason)

I know I speak for all the contributors when I say it's been a wild and crazy ride, so I thought I'd have a look at some of the highlights. (And by all means, you can have your say by leaving a comment below)

David O'Sullivan interviewed DBC Pierre, hot on the heels of the author's Booker Prize win:

It [the prize] was a licence to go out and become a real writer and so I felt a duty not to capitalise on what I knew worked in the first one and not to write shit that I knew would go down well but really explore the art and take a punt and so I came out of my comfort zone of the first person voice... but I had all my fun in the dialogue and there's plenty of dialogue in this.

Sean Rubinsztein-Dunlop regaled us with tales from the Berlin Film Festival:

I’m walking down Potsdamer Platz, the modernised square that was once on the border between East and West, when I notice a red carpet surrounded by rose-toting onlookers.

A very over-it young guy with a huge list of names tells me it’s a doo for “celebrities and no-names” held by Germany’s second-biggest TV channel, Pro 7.

“Do you want to go in?” he asks me.

I tell him I’m not on the list but he gives me a wink, ticks an imaginary name and in I go. I kiss the press card hanging around my neck.

As well as schmoozing, Sean fired off questions at the likes of Sigorney Weaver, Alan Rickman, Robert Altman and Hugo Weaving.

Later in the year Sean sparked controversy when he admitted he couldn't see what all the fuss was about when it came to Rolf de Heer's Ten Canoes. Articulate readers came out for and against the film, which went on to become one of the highest grossing Australian films of 2006.

Meanwhile, I found out at the 45th National Science Fiction Convention that Spock ears are an optional extra, and also got to interview sf dignitary Bruce Sterling and author and activist Cory Doctorow.

"When Marxists and the Christian right and pornographers and anti-porn activists all agree that DRM is bad news, then you know that this is a cause that we're going to win out on in the end."

I also got to probe the dark underbelly of the arts world, interviewing horror writers, editors and film-makers from Australia and abroad, and taking the pulse of Australian speculative fiction. I even got to see Stephen King do a rare reading in London.

Emma Rodgers lifted the tone, immersing herself in the world of literature at the 2006 Adelaide Writers Festival http://www.abc.net.au/news/arts/articulate/200603/s1583180.htm, where she says one of the highlights was hearing Michael Cunningham (The Hours) talk about his writing.

Refuse to be talked out of the books you want to write.

More recently, Rosie Ryan probed public opinion on public art, gender bias in the Hottest 100 and, ah, Andre Rieu, as well as MP Graham Perrett's controversial The 12th Fish.

"The din from the party mocked me as Karen attacked my surly worm with gusto. It was as if she was professionally slighted by my medical predicament." (page 168)

"I started to worry about Cylla's jaw muscles cramping … orgasm threw my sense of perspective." (page 155)

We also had lots of fun with our long-running film trivia spot, Movie Minutiae, less long-running but nonetheless enjoyable Endnotes and lots and lots and lots of Eye Candy.

On behalf of Articulate, I'd like to thank everyone who has contributed, either by writing blog posts, being interviewed, or sending up tip-offs and leaving comments.

I'd like to leave you with the timeless words of Kurt Vonnegut: Things die. All things die.

(And so on...)

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The web filter and impact on horror writers/fans

I've started preparing for a panel I'm going to be part of at WorldCon.

It's all about the Federal Government's plans for a ISP-level web filter, and potential impact on horror writers/fans.

What I can immediately bring to the discussion is the reaction to the plans on social media, particularly Twitter. There has been a resoundingly negative response to the plan on Twitter, as has there been on any polls run on news websites (not surprisingly, given that the people who will be most affected are the people who are engaging online the most).

But what I haven't looked into is the potential impact on horror fans/writers.

Potentially, anything that's Refused Classification would be banned, right?

How much of an impact would this have on horror fans?

A quick discussion on Twitter raises a few interesting questions.

1. Has this slipped under the radar for horror fans?

2. What about things such as online role-playing games, fan fiction, webzines? (Thanks Tansy!)

3. What will be the process for deciding which horror content is and isn't okay?

4. How much potentially banned content are people accessing online, particulary via websites?

To date, the debate has focussed largely on child exploitation content (which those against the filter will tell you is irrelevant, given this content isn't shared via 'websites') and sex. But, as a horror fan, I can see the 'general public' being even more anti-horror than they are anti-sex, especially if you're talking about something like non-violent erotica.

If you're a horror writer or fan, I'd love to hear your thoughts on this. Leave a comment or tweet me!

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Picture window

Another test. At qld museum.

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Reading: feast & famine

  
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Feast.mp4 (191 KB)

A tiny snippet. Testing recording on phone and posting via posterous.

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Cover: Macabre

Here's the cover of Macabre: A Journey Through Australia's Darkest Fears, edited by Angela Challis and Dr Marty Young. More info: http://www.brimstonepress.com.au/macabre.htm

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'Feast or Famine': a time capsule

I received and signed off on the galleys of my short story, 'Feast or Famine', which will appear in Macabre: A Journey Through Australia's Darkest Fears (Brimstone Press).

It was an interesting, slightly scary experience, printing off the PDF and reading through it, with my red pen ready.

Slightly scary because I wrote the first version of 'Feast or Famine' waaaaay back in 2005. It was featured in The Writing Show's 2006 Halloween special, and then I submitted it to Macabre shortly after that. Following feedback from editor Angela Challis I rewrote the story, and since then I've been waiting for publication.

So checking out 'Feast or Famine' was a little bit like peeking into a time capsule. I'm happy to say that I'm still fairly happy with it, although I wonder how it's going to go down, given its rather gruesome subject matter.

Three-word synopsis: Journalism. Terrorism. Cannibalism.

Of course, there's much, much more to Macabre than my story. It's a veritable feast of Australian dark fiction, with classics by Australia's earliest horror writers, a selection from our existing 'masters' such as Terry Dowling and Kaaron Warren, and the 'new generation' Shane Jiraiya Cummings, Stephen M Irwin, David Conyers and much, much more.

Macabre: A Journey Through Australia's Darkest Fears is now available for pre-order from Brimstone Press.

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Horror on Articulate

I've put together an obituary for Articulate - ABC News Online's arts blog - which just got a bullet to the head.

In the process I rediscovered a heap of horror-related stuff I worked on during those five years.

Here's a list...

An audience with Stephen King: http://www.abc.net.au/news/arts/articulate/200611/s1786544.htm
Horror fans favourite films: http://www.abc.net.au/news/arts/articulate/200610/s1777062.htm
Jason Nahrung: http://www.abc.net.au/news/arts/articulate/200604/s1616997.htm
Horror, give it a name: http://www.abc.net.au/news/arts/articulate/200604/s1617026.htm
New age for horror? http://www.abc.net.au/news/arts/articulate/200612/s1804935.htm
Scariest books: http://www.abc.net.au/news/arts/articulate/200610/s1763609.htm
Horror re-makes: one for the road http://www.abc.net.au/news/arts/articulate/200604/s1625445.htm
When Evil Reigns, horror on a budget: http://www.abc.net.au/news/arts/articulate/200605/s1634689.htm
Ellen Datlow: http://www.abc.net.au/news/arts/articulate/200605/s1649418.htm
Martin Livings: http://www.abc.net.au/news/arts/articulate/200606/s1657115.htm
Edwina Grey: http://www.abc.net.au/news/arts/articulate/200606/s1655071.htm
And the lurch goes on... http://www.abc.net.au/news/arts/articulate/200605/s1649263.htm
The Zombie Diaries: http://www.abc.net.au/news/arts/articulate/200611/s1795742.htm
Jason and Mil: http://www.abc.net.au/news/arts/articulate/200706/s1945042.htm

I also featured a bunch of horror movies in the regular Movie Minutiae spot:

Aliens: http://www.abc.net.au/news/arts/articulate/200511/s1513926.htm
Cigarette Burns: http://www.abc.net.au/news/arts/articulate/200611/s1791726.htm
Dawn of the Dead (1978): http://www.abc.net.au/news/arts/articulate/200512/s1539509.htm
Dawn of the Dead (2004): http://www.abc.net.au/news/arts/articulate/200604/s1610819.htm
Day of the Dead: http://www.abc.net.au/news/arts/articulate/200509/s1467068.htm
The Friday the 13th series: http://www.abc.net.au/news/arts/articulate/200601/s1546063.htm
Halloween: http://www.abc.net.au/news/arts/articulate/200511/s1513174.htm
Mulholland Drive: http://www.abc.net.au/news/arts/articulate/200707/s1970717.htm
The Omen: http://www.abc.net.au/news/arts/articulate/200606/s1659132.htm
Sean of the Dead: http://www.abc.net.au/news/arts/articulate/200608/s1717760.htm
The Shining: http://www.abc.net.au/news/arts/articulate/200603/s1598933.htm
Slither: http://www.abc.net.au/news/arts/articulate/200605/s1636632.htm
The Thing: http://www.abc.net.au/news/arts/articulate/200703/s1885075.htm

Thank you to everyone who contributed over the years. It sure was fun. Now, onto the next project!

The Horseman: go see it!

I've done a rare post over at HorrorScope, for a very good reason.

The Horseman has finally got a limited cinema release!

Head on over to HorrorScope to find out more.

Why zombies? Why not!

Myself and a bunch of other zombie lovers are hanging out at Jonathan Maberry's Big Scary Blog, chewing the undead fat.

Head on over and find out why we love zombies so much.

(Jonathan Maberry is the author of a bunch of stuff, including the excellent Patient Zero)

Bug Hunt: read it now, online!

You can now read all the One Book Many Brisbanes 5 stories online, for free!

I haven't read them yet but, judging from the conversations I had with various writers, I can guarantee it's an eclectic collection with something for everyone.

Check it out at the One Book Many Brisbanes page.

And if you want to jump straight to 'Bug Hunt', you can find it here.

I'd like to once again thank Trent Jamieson and Stephen Dedman for their input on the story. I'll still take credit for all the sucky bits. :)

If you like the stories, you can buy a copy of the book from Brisbane City Council libraries for $11.

Grants, rewrites, anything

I've got a good excuse for not updating my blog lately. Queensland Writers Centre's Angela Slatter told me to! Or told me not too.

Well, kinda. At the One Book Many Brisbanes masterclass she gave us a few tips about living the writer's life, and one of those was that you shouldn't be updating your blog when you could be writing.

I haven't been the most diligent blogger in the past, and this basically got me off the hook!

But I felt bad because my last post was so lame, so I thought I'd better give a quick update.

The One Book Many Brisbanes masterclass was excellent. I got to work with Trent Jamieson and it was like 'being a writer' for three days. Only better, because Trent was there for metaphorical hand-holding.

So, by the end of the three days I felt that 'Bug Hunt' was a much tighter story. Having said that, when I got the final proofs I decided I didn't really like it anymore! There seemed to be way too many short sentences. Like Raymond Chandler on crack, or something like that. I'm hoping this is because I'd been re-writing it so much that I was sick of it. So it will be interesting to see how people like it.

Since then I've been rewriting the bio-terror novel I wrote last year. Moving it from 'generic US city' to Brisbane has been fun.

Unfortunately, I've been a bit sidetracked by grant applications. I've just sent off an application for the Arts Queensland Career Development Fund. If I'm successful I'll be able to go to WorldCon in September, which would be awesome.

I'm also applying for an Australia Council New Work grant. I'm very happy with my AQ application. Nothing is ever guaranteed with these things because you never know who else is applying. But I figure this really is the right time for me, so I figured I may as well throw my hat in the ring.

So thanks to Kate Eltham and Queensland Writers Centre, because without them I wouldn't have know where to start.

The frustrating thing is that my life at the moment is such that I can only work on one thing at a time, so for the past couple of weeks that has mostly been grant applications. But I'm looking on it as an investment -- if it pays off it will be well worth it.

Well, that's a brief summary of what I've been up to. If you want to know more you can find me on Twitter!

Updated bio

Heading off to the One Book Many Brisbanes masterclass tomorrow, so I thought I should update my bio.

Far from Freedom

This is Far from Freedom, the project I've been working on.

It's a special investigation into the plight of Iraqi refugees in Jordan, by Ed Giles and a bunch of talented people at the ABC.

I've been working on the social media side of it.

Facebook fan page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Far-from-Freedom/308611309085

Twitter: http://twitter.com/farfromfreedom

Please let me know what you think.

2010 Snapshot of Australian Speculative Fiction interview

Kathryn Linge has interviewed me for the 2010 snapshot series (a follow-up on similar series ran in 2007 and 2005).

You can read the 2007 interview with me here.

Australian Dark Fantasy and Horror 3 review

Dark Scribe has a (belated) review of Australian Dark Fantasy and Horror, volume 3 (Brimstone Press), which features my zombie story 'Dead Air'.

Head on over and check it out.

Brisbane battens down for cockroach invasion

Nope, this isn't a State of Origin post!

I can today reveal that I'm one of the winners of the 2009 One Book Many Brisbanes competition.

Later this month myself and 19 other winners will work with mentors to polish our stories, for the 5th edition of One Book Many Brisbanes.

My story is about survivors trying to escape Brisbane after an infestation of dog-sized, brain-eating cockroaches.

The masterclass should be a lot of fun. I'm looking forward to it.

L4D2 tshirt: Kill all sonsab*tches

Official instructions: Kill all sonsab*tches
Originally uploaded by garykemble

You can buy the tshirt here: http://www.redbubble.com/people/garykemble/t-shirts/4536817-1-official-instructions-kill-all-sonsab-tches

Hans, boubie, I'm your white knight

Hans, boubie, I'm your white knight
Originally uploaded by garykemble

T-shirt design. You can buy it here: http://www.redbubble.com/people/garykemble/t-shirts/4514885-1-hans-boubie-im-your-white-knight

LoudTwitter now turned off

Hello there. I just turned off LoudTwitter. I figure, if people want to read my tweets they can go to http://twitter.com/garykemble.

Now I'm going to have to blog about something.

Tweet digest

• 08:29 @jemappellekim 2 legs good, 8 legs bad is coming tonight, hopefully. So I'm a vacillator rather than a traitor. #
• 08:30 In case you were NOT clicking F5 at 10.30 last night. New tshirt: All hail our octopodal overlords: digg.com/u1I6OL #
• 09:48 @qldwriters Yes, and a strange, mildewy smell. #
• 10:24 RT @timmadden: Did a cartoon today for Barrie Cassidy's piece on Wilson Tuckey over on The Drum,,,, bit.ly/87T1Xk #
• 10:24 @ChasLicc oh boy, i think my brain just melted. #
• 13:28 An she was like, 'I'm on leave that week' an he was like 'No, you're not' an she was like 'Check the calendar... chk-chk-BOOM!' #rostering #
• 15:35 Recapping: @firstdogonmoon's guide to how the internet filter will work: digg.com/u1I7Iw #openinternet #
• 15:53 RT @abcnews: Computer says no: Google slams internet filter bit.ly/4OEzcG #
• 15:56 Queensland's ugliest pet. WARNING! It really is ugly: digg.com/u1I7Lo Full story: digg.com/u1I7Lo #
• 16:00 The freakiest thing about that cat is how it's walking LIKE A HUMAN! #
• 16:13 @GemmaLBreen I think I'm going to have nightmares about that cat. #
• 20:26 New tshirt: 2 legs good, 8 legs bad is.gd/5pM9g #octopusoverlords #coconutcarryingoctopus #aaaargh! #
• 20:30 @Dr_Tad This one might be more your speed then: is.gd/5pMrp #

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• 08:51 @jimwhimpey I deserved that. #
• 08:52 @blackvalo Bad, as in good, right? As in, "That Michael Jackson, he's *bad*!" #
• 08:55 RT @abcnews: Coconut-carrying octopus bit.ly/8muzDa <- does anyone else fear they are but one step away from becoming our overlords? #
• 09:17 Aurealis Award finalist Stephen M Irwin (digg.com/u1I3b1) just bought one of my zombie mugs! digg.com/u1I3bb @zazzle #
• 09:19 @jemappellekim We need to take a stand now: 2 legs good, eight legs bad! #
• 10:05 @HarperBooksAus I'm working on an article about advances. Can you recommend someone at HarperCollins I can talk to? #
• 10:14 @blackvalo :) that's okay. I'm used to seeing really bad horror films. It can be worse than Saw V, can it? #
• 10:54 @HarperBooksAus Thank you! I've just dm'ed you. #
• 11:23 RT @jg_rat: RT @readfearn: How to swap your old mobile phone for a chicken.. for Australian readers only! bit.ly/7cIhv4 #
• 11:34 Black hole much closer to Earth than previously thought digg.com/d11Ckj3 <- great, that's all we need. Can anything else go wrong? #
• 12:25 RT @cassie_white: My story for @abcnews on self-gifting bit.ly/8eY7Nr Go ahead, treat yourself this xmas. <- iphone? #
• 12:53 All this talk of R-ratings for games reminds me of playing Barbarian on the C64: digg.com/u1I43r #
• 13:01 RT @rosieryan: when cris said "twitter loves the octopus story" i thought of a certain simpsons meme— i w asn't alone: is.gd/5nV3v #
• 13:08 @blackvalo I saw Saw I, then won a free ticket to Saw V. It had not aged well. #
• 13:34 @jimwhimpey Careful, @cristentilley might block you. #
• 14:50 RT @abcnews: Our internet filtering story is now open for comment. Have your say: bit.ly/5QZ27R #
• 15:51 Over 250 comments on @abcnews internet filter yarn. The vast majority against. THE INTERWEBZ ARE ANGRY! #
• 15:56 And those comments came in in an hour. Phenomenal response. #
• 17:48 In my estimation, 60% of pop songs are about breaking up,35% are about falling in love, & 5% are like tism's i'm on the drug #
• 17:51 ...that killed river phoenix #
• 17:55 heading into city for dinner with wife. #kidfree #
• 22:24 New tshirt: All hail our octopodal overlords: is.gd/5oqrK #octopus #octopusoverlords #overlords #freakyseacreatures #tshirts #

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• 11:54 RT @nic_macbean: Journos who had eaten bananas in 12 hours before a press conf at a school were asked to stay away... Why? <- #bananagate #
• 14:06 RT @abcnews: Have you used Facebook's new privacy settings? What did you think of them? (@sarahcollerton is working on a story it) #
• 14:21 Welcome to Twitter @gemmalbreen! #
• 14:44 I'm mildly surprised no-one wants to buy my @abcatthemovies-inspired 'Oh David!' tshirt: digg.com/u1I0y9 #
• 15:07 @rinosphere I'm trying to factor the difference between 'liking' and 'buying'. :) Crucial t o my plans for world domination. #
• 15:23 No, Mr Butrus Yazid, I do not want to help you transfer $10.5m from Burkina Faso, but thanks for asking. #spam #
• 15:26 @rinosphere Touche, my fine feathered friend. Maybe we should organise a trade. Storey Bridge. Midnight. Be there! #
• 19:26 @rosieryan It depends on the amount of irony invested in the purchases. #
• 19:29 Working on article for @qldwriters. Wow, it's been so long since I opened my Word clone that it *creaked*. #
• 19:58 Paranormal Act ivity Friday evening at South Bank? Drink after at @greystonebar? Who's with me? #smugcocd #
• 20:01 @jimwhimpey It sounds like a snoozefest. #
• 20:01 @pinglo Boom. #
• 20:02 @Templesmith I'd prefer it if they spoke with Hollywood Cockney accents. #

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• 19:02 @fluffodile @sarahcollerton Hear, hear. Awesome night. #
• 19:19 Working on an article for @qldwriters about the pros and cons of advances. #
• 19:30 Why do kids find going to bed so traumatic? It's often the best part of my day. #parenting #

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• 22:11 #newsonlinexmasparty tiny dancer, @amesimmons and @rosieryan dancing #
• 22:15 #newsonlinexmasparty totally needs a back channel #

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• 15:40 Just wrote a personal note for a certain someone for a certain personalised gift for a certain upcoming seasonal event. I've said too much! #
• 20:41 New tshirt: It's wrong on so many levels is.gd/5jqPG #
• 20:45 New tshirt: I'm just here for the lulz is.gd/5jr5C #lulz #

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• 13:35 Remember DIG (Directions in Groove)? digg.com/u1HnUZ #
• 13:37 @rosieryan Some thing in Byron Bay in early 1992. Trout Fishing in Quebec. Spiderbait (maybe?). As discussed. #
• 13:43 @rosieryan I love that @Fishingtweeter is also into Trout Fishing in Quebec. :) #
• 13:46 @rosieryan Lots of people love fishing (twitter search): bit.ly/6INqo3 #
• 14:13 @TAFORU hey there. Wrong ABC. @abcnews is Australian @abc is US. Thanks. #
• 14:14 @cassie_white wow. that is impressive. #
• 14:32 @TAFORU We do our best! No worries. #
• 14:50 RT @cassie_white: Check out my @abcnews interview with the stripper from Bob Hawke's birthday bash last night. bit.ly/5mTsrX #
• 15:15 @anaya_latter I've noticed that people type faster when they're messaging. eg gtalk #

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• 08:28 @fluffodile no worries. Maybe next time. #
• 08:28 @GreenJ Reminds me of the delightful flat my wife and I lived in in Bow Rd, East London. #
• 09:40 @rosieryan and plus, you hate zombies. next time. #
• 09:55 @sharonlives Hey there. You've got the wrong ABC. @abc is US. @abcnews is Australian. Thanks. #
• 11:50 @itsthom David Bowie doing Hamiltonian cycles: bit.ly/77BLCQ #
• 12:51 @rosieryan I actually said ANGRY and CONFUSED. #
• 12:52 @benbarberhays @sarahcollerton no worries. i'll have a drink for all of you. I have to get into practice before the xmas party. #
• 12:56 Someone should make a law against tagging people in school photos #facebookrage #
• 13:13 @redpr :) 'rage' was probably a bit extreme. #facebookmildannoyance #
• 15:11 @riskybusiness Margot O'Neill is there for @abcnews. bit.ly/4MhXU1 #
• 15:12 @granfalloon I'm scared I'll get a call from that number [cue twilight zone music] #
• 16:15 @renailemay My wife had a v. frustrated experience with self-checkout today. Quote: 'I'm never going to use one of these again!' #
• 16:15 @renailemay sorry to hear you're not feeling well. #
• 18:52 Movie sold out. #smugcocd #fail :( #
• 20:22 #smugcocd take 2. 2045 Eldorado. Zombieland. Be there. That s*** just got real, peeps. #

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• 07:27 @julie_posetti re @abcthedrum comments, that's due to moderation resources. Twitter link - because I only set up @abcthedrum yesterday am #
• 07:53 @MediaActive Hi Peter, That's a technical issue we're trying to resolve. #
• 08:09 @julie_posetti I agree. We're also looking at less labour-intensive mod strategies eg karma/peer moderation. #
• 09:03 @MediaActive What do you mean by 'tweeted as news'? Do you mean from @abcnews? #
• 09:30 @MediaActive We tweet a range of content from @abcnews. #
• 09:37 @MediaActive Well, @abcnews has tweeted analysis pieces before. We've been doing analysis for months. #
• 09:39 @MediaActive There aren't opinion pieces in the Just In queue. They're analysis pieces. #
• 09:50 @MediaActive It sure is. And the decisions will be made at pay levels far higher than mine! #
• 09:55 @MediaActive I can't speak for the ABC as a whole. I am but one tiny c og. #
• 09:57 @MediaActive No worries. #
• 10:59 @kristoforlawson Follow up with a phone call. #
• 11:09 @kristoforlawson stick with it. Often it can be a case of having your CV in the right place at the right time. #
• 12:38 @Krasnostein i did the same with a guy i work with. 8 texts in one day. i now have AAA in my address book. #
• 17:11 @jimwhimpey @c ristentilley @rosieryan @cassie_white 9/12: Zombieland + kwik snifter at @greystonebar after? Movie starts 1855. #smugcocd Y/N #
• 18:42 @fluffodile @nic_macbean @sarahcollerton @benbarberhays: 9/12 Zombieland + kwik drink @greystonebar after? Movie starts 1855 #smugcocd Y/N #
• 18:42 @jimwhimpey no worries. #smugcocd is a very casual affair. #

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• 07:19 Working on prep for #thedrum, ABC's new analysis/opinion page. Just set up @abcthedrum. #
• 08:03 @matt_dasilva abc.net.au/thedrum It launches later today. #
• 08:04 @matt_dasilva You can also follow @abcthedrum. #
• 09:09 @neerav Not sure about the tech side of it, but @abcunleashed might know. #
• 09:36 Those waiting for #thedrum, stand by. The bearings have gone in hamster wheel #475 in the basement in Ultimo. Technicians looking into it... #
• 09:39 @neerav not sure. @abcunleashed may be able to tell you. #
• 09:42 RT @abcthedrum: We're live! Come on in everybody and make yourselves at home. abc.net.au/thedrum #thedrum #
• 09:43 @greenj introduces #thedrum. Tell us what you think. bit.ly/8uNAQA #
• 18:30 My motu tshirt has arrived and it is freaking awesome, even if i do say so myself! #
• 19:58 @wolfcat @thejamesglover hah. #
• 20:21 New profile pic, mostly because in the full vers you can see the whole fam'bly (bit.ly/852IUz) #
• 20:28 @Donnas_Blog Thanks! It was pure fluke (although my wife is a dab hand at the photography) #

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• 13:47 Psyching myself for e's 5th birthday party. 29 friends + siblings. Send good vibes! #
• 18:57 Mission accomplished! #

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• 09:36 Accidentally quadrupled birthday cake mix. Standby for cake @abcnews :) #
• 19:26 @CristenTilley Tell me if you hear 'Unskinny Bop' -- it will mean you have time travelled to 1990. #
• 19:26 @rosieryan I thought you didn't do horror? :) #

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• 09:00 @cassie_white don't tell me anything! #
• 14:02 i just had to explain 'budgie smugglers' to an overseas visitor. #embarrassing #
• 14:12 @nic_macbean Did you notice how careful I was with my choice of words? #
• 19:58 @rosieryan i sure could go a cocktail right about now. #
• 19:59 but instead i shall work on my next #webcomic. [cue thunderbirds theme song] #

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• 08:15 @rachelhills @JonathanStrahan @blackvalo Thanks for those thoughts re: advances. If it's ok I may be in touch to put flesh on the bones. #
• 08:45 @rosieryan Impressed. #
• 08:52 @GreenJ Hello there. Can you pls follow me so I can DM you? (It's regarding SEKRIT ABC BIZINESS) :) #
• 12:46 Go away #failwhale, there's some serious laughing i need to do. #

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• 09:07 @awrd I think we're going to have another weird summer. #
• 09:34 Anyone else have problems removing people from lists? I don't seem to be able to uncheck the tick box. #twitter #lists #
• 09:39 @LEIGHSALES favourite articles and YouTube clips of 2009 bit.ly/8REeLx <- love this from the insomnia link digg.com/u1HMkt #
• 10:03 RT @tech_stream: twitter, iphone, augmented reality, geotagging. bit.ly/4xhDhx <- @rosieryan this is what we were talking about. #
• 10:56 RT @abcnews: ETS voted down in the Senate 41-33 #
• 12:33 RT @abcnews: News Editors' blog: @stuartwatt muses on the role of #twitter in the #spill coverage bit.ly/53QxJw #
• 13:03 @moonysark you'll need to ask @abcmarkscott for the 24-hr ABC news channel. :) #
• 13:29 @wolfcat I could do with the overtime, that's for sure. :) #
• 14:12 @awrd let me know how you get on. #
• 14:24 Amazi ng animation: is.gd/59Abq (via @wolfcat @mpesce) <- but i bet the librarian was really annoyed when they returned the book! #
• 14:25 @theburgerman @annabelcrabb I prefer 'The Final Countdown' :) #
• 19:07 RT @julie_posetti: So, @tonyabbottmhr, is that you writing those tweets or do you have a ghost tweeter? <- snap. Inquiring minds need 2 know #
• 20:24 It's funny, the tshirt I spent least time on has been my best seller:is.gd/59R8V People just love zombies and/or guns. :) #
• 20:43 @pinglo @RNFut ureTense Yes, but it's just me... with zombies! :) #
• 20:43 @CristenTilley zing! #
• 20:48 @RNFutureTense I think it's interesting that there are certain types of images eg head turned to side; hand on neck; cartoon. etc #
• 20:49 #writing Are advances a good thing or a bad thing? I'm working on a piece for @qldwriters. Pls msg me with your views. Thanks! #
• 20:53 @jimwhimpey similarly, do you find it bizarre that people use P.S.? (ps... i do) #

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• 08:38 Twitter feed on @abcnews Lib Turmoil page now working. Our techs had to rejig it due to lists being down: digg.com/u1HJdz #spill #
• 08:51 RT @abcnews: Breaking news: Tony Abbott wins Liberal leadership after spill 42-41 #spill #
• 09:15 More on Abbott's shock win: bit.ly/685eGj via @abcnews #
• 09:15 RT @JohnBirmingham: OMFG YES! YES ! YES! About to change my employment designation from part-time political satirist to fulltime. #
• 10:10 RT @Templesmith: Absolutely loving the comments Abbott is getting with his trending topic right now. This may b e as popular as he ever gets. #
• 10:14 We asked @abcnews's FB fans if they would vote for Tony Abbott. digg.com/u1HJp4 Some, ah, interesting responses. #
• 13:09 Finally, some good news on climate change digg.com/u1HKAU (via @boingboing) #
• 13:10 @julie_posetti If they keep delivering the same quality service, most people would stick with them, right? #
• 13:41 RT @abcnews: All aboard the 'People Skills' wild ride: by @annabelcrabb bit.ly/59ewVw <- worth clicking for the montage alone! #
• 14:00 @jendudley is this what @coverington was talking about at #media140? Kindle? #
• 14:01 RT @jendudley: HUGE NEWS: News Ltd papers to feature on an e-book in 2010. Which one? Can't say. #ebook #
• 14:03 'You have a smile request' - has FB hit a new low? #
• 16:48 Writing article for @qldwriters about advances. Looking for horror stories and hooray stories. Are advances a blessing or a curse? Pls RT! #
• 16:49 @rosieryan it's because *he's* wearing it. #
• 16:49 @rosieryan tell it like it is, rosie. #
• 18:07 @wolfcat hang on, i think a 'bias alert' siren just went off somewhere. :) #
• 20:17 In case you've been on Mars today, there's insanely comprehensive coverage of the #spill @abcnews: is.gd/58NQk #
• 20:18 And if you've had enough of the #spill, check out this pic of my kids with a bizarre bear-shaped tree:is.gd/58NTZ #

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• 10:25 @JoeHockey if you become Opposition Leader, will you keep tweeting? And will you keep tweeting yourself, or delegate to your 'team'? #
• 11:17 RT @annabelcrabb: Morning tweeps! My first column for ABC Online... bit.ly/4WV3VA #
• 11:27 RT @abcnews: Joe Hockey in Malcolm Turnbull's office now #
• 13:33 RT @johnbattelle: It's be cool to see trending topics for just the folks you follow. Is that possible? #
• 13:33 Die Hard #spillmovies #
• 14:13 RT @abcnews: Joe Hock ey has told Malcolm Turnbull that it is his intention to run for the Liberal leadership. bit.ly/4IRju9 #
• 14:36 @earleyedition You should've been watching bit.ly/watchABCnow ;) #

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• 09:41 Baking... #
• 09:57 Skeletor photo shoot #
• 10:10 @cristentilley @rosieryan @jimwhimpey #smugcocd is a'comin' #
• 10:11 note to self: the next time you drag a zillion photos from your mobie, don't send them straight to desktop. #
• 15:02 Fixing toys #

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• 19:23 @amesimmons wow. that's awesome. #
• 19:24 @rosieryan how did it go? #

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• 08:14 @stilgherrian there's a link to all winners on there now. #
• 08:22 @stilgherrian Wasn't me, it was our valiant news crew. #
• 08:25 @stilgherrian Re: your article yesterday, did you check stats from other sources eg Alexa? #
• 08:30 @stilgherrian It could just mean more people are coming to news via social media, rather than Google? #
• 08:31 @stilgherrian Which would be bad news for search en gines, rather than MSM. #
• 08:32 @stilgherrian Someone with more money. #
• 08:36 @stilgherrian Thank you for filtering for me! #
• 08:59 RT @CUhlmann: The Liberal Catch-22: you'd have to be mad to want to run the party bit.ly/7WavI8 #
• 09:19 I'm putting together a list for @abcnews of Australian federal press gallery journos on Twitter. Pls send me your suggestions. #
• 09:24 Re: press gallery tweeters, here's what I've got so far: digg.com/u1H8Qa Missing anyone? #
• 11:04 @oliyoung @neerav's list features political journos who may not be based in Canberra. digg.com/u1H8cU #
• 11:12 'dutton' trending in Canberra, according to Trendsmap: digg.com/u1H8dc :) #spill #
• 11:16 No surprises on the map of Australia... digg.com/u1H8dx Although, it's intriguing that 'turkey' is trending in WA. #
• 12:05 @oliyoung No worries. #< /a>
• 12:05 @BernardKeane It's stuffed, on and off. I managed to get in a while back. #
• 12:51 RT @abcunleashed There's a real danger that Twitter will further emphasise journalistic process over substance. bit.ly/5zRK6f #
• 13:37 RT @abcnews: Breaking news: Tony Abbott confirms he has formally asked for a Liberal leadership spill on Monday. #spill #
• 14:50 Reading: @rosieryan's six bridges cycle tour blog. bit.ly/4GuG2y #
• 15:04 RT @renailemay: Word is that Conroy has released the #nocleanfeed filter report, but I can't find an ything about it. Anyone know? #
• 19:45 @JohnBirmingham Okay Birmo. You need to hand. The iPhone. Over. :) #

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