Tessera

British Fantasy Society@britfantasysoc.bsky.social · 3mo ago

How exciting is this?! Congratulations to all, in particular @laurenwrites.bsky.social whose story "No one Know the Old Ways Anymore and it Will be the End of Everything" from Hiding Under the Leaves is among these excellent shortlistees!

The shortlisted works the category of Best Short Story are: 📚 Godzilla As A Young Man Named Mike, by E M Faulds (Podcastle) / @bethkesh.bsky.social 📚 Shadow Jack, by CL Hellisen (Giganotosaurus) / @clhellisen.bsky.social 🧵⬇️

The shortlisted works for the British Fantasy Award 2026 in the category of Best Short Story are:

📚 Godzilla As A Young Man Named Mike, by E M Faulds (Podcastle)
📚 Shadow Jack, by CL Hellisen (Giganotosaurus)
📚 No One Knows the Old Ways Anymore and It Will Be The End of Everything, by LJ McMenemy (Hiding Under the Leaves anthology, The Slab Press)
📚 Down Street, by James Bennett (Blood in the Bricks anthology, NewCon Press)

Have you caught up with The Good Book Life yet? Catch this interview with author Mia Dalia on the channel, and more. We're new so we need subscribers! youtu.be/IC2N8p2nBxc?...

Mia Dalia

YouTube video by The Good Book Life

youtu.be

In more news, we have added the ebook and Kindle of Obsidian to our Payhip store. You can of course still find the Kindle on Amazon, and it's also available through Kindle unlimited. payhip.com/TheSlabPress

The Slab Press

The Slab is an innovative publishing press, specialising in quirkier sorts of books, in particular short fiction anthologies. Established in 2023 by Donna Scott.

payhip.com

All yesterday's launch videos are online at The Good Book Life YouTube channel (see Videos and Live) www.youtube.com/@thegoodbook... What a fun day!

The Good Book Life

Award-winning editor, comedian and devout bookworm Donna Scott talks about all things bookish. Expect enthusiasm and positivity!

youtube.com

Interview with Obsidian author, Addison Smith Your contribution to Obsidian blends cosmic scale with intimate human vulnerability. What sparked the initial idea? While everything in this story is an original work, I very much consider it a fanfic. There was a string of Sam Neill movies (and one…

Interview with Obsidian author, Addison Smith

Your contribution to Obsidian blends cosmic scale with intimate human vulnerability. What sparked the initial idea? While everything in this story is an original work, I very much consider it a fanfic. There was a string of Sam Neill movies (and one miniseries) in the 90s that had an oversized role in shaping my interests, and one of those was…

theslab.press

Interview with Obsidian Author – Aatiqa Mankani To celebrate the launch of Obsidian, we have a mix of events happening today, Saturday 9th May, from video interview premieres, live Q&As, a space quiz and more... Author of novella Destination: Opportunity - Aatiqa Mankani - has kindly agreed to…

Interview with Obsidian Author – Aatiqa Mankani

To celebrate the launch of Obsidian, we have a mix of events happening today, Saturday 9th May, from video interview premieres, live Q&As, a space quiz and more... Author of novella Destination: Opportunity - Aatiqa Mankani - has kindly agreed to answer some questions about her writing. Your story in Obsidian explores the psychological toll of isolation in space. What initially drew you to that emotional landscape?

theslab.press

I'm having an Online Book Launch this Saturday! Lots of fun things going on, but two live events I would love an audience for. A quiz at 2pm and an author Q&A at 7pm GMT. Please spread the word! theslab.press/2026/05/07/o...

Online launch – Obsidian

Join us for a day of space-fun on Saturday May 9th as we celebrate the online launch of Obsidian – an anthology of dark space fiction. Most of the action will be streamed via Facebook and You…

theslab.press

Online launch – Obsidian Join us for a day of space-fun on Saturday May 9th as we celebrate the online launch of Obsidian - an anthology of dark space fiction. Most of the action will be streamed via Facebook and YouTube. We begin the fun at 2pm for a live space-lit-themed quiz with comedian and…

Online launch – Obsidian

Join us for a day of space-fun on Saturday May 9th as we celebrate the online launch of Obsidian - an anthology of dark space fiction. Most of the action will be streamed via Facebook and YouTube. We begin the fun at 2pm for a live space-lit-themed quiz with comedian and editor Donna Scott - join in the chat and keep your scores!

theslab.press

It's Earth Day! So treat yourself to a magic collection of science fiction that celebrates the natural world, including BSFA-Award-shortlisted "One Step at a Time" by @rickandwrite.bsky.social 99p from Payhip: payhip.com/b/LNWd2

Book "Vivid Worlds" on Green background
Text:
Happy Earth Day
Celebrating the natural world
e-pub/kindle
99p
Until Friday
24th April
2026

Shows bunting and a heart hugging the earth.

Lauren (LJ) McMenemy @laurenwrites.bsky.social · 4mo ago

People of #Cirencester who love #books! In one month's time The Slab Press will be one of many traders bringing their wares to your town. Pop the date in your diary! #booksky

Cirencester Book Festival One Month to Gosaturday 16th May 2026
10:30-16:00 Free Entry
Bingham Hall, Cirencester
www.rosiesretrobazaar.co.uk

Career milestone achieved: One of my stories got referenced in a blog about trees in folk horror! Thanks @stephellis.bsky.social 😎 cc @theslabpress.bsky.social @wishusdonna.bsky.social

British Fantasy Society@britfantasysoc.bsky.social · 4mo ago

As part of her ongoing series examining the elements of folk horror, @stephellis.bsky.social has us talking to trees. What is hiding in the sacred groves, and where might it be leading you? britishfantasysociety.org/folk-horror-...

The background image shows a wide old tree with many branches covered in greenery. The sun peeks from behind it, where another old tree sits as well.

Meet author Addison Smith, whose brilliant story "Flesh Soft as Memory" can be found in Obsidian. Pre-order details available here: theslab.press/store/

“The fear I have of space is the same fear I have of the dark, and of being underwater. All around you is the unknown, and its mere existence threatens your life. Imagine thousands, even millions of miles around you, and the ship around you is the only life.”
Obsidian Author: Addison Smith
What scares you about deep space?
Preorder from
Theslab.press
Out April 30th

As Artemis rushes moonward, it's time to meet one more author from Obsidian. This time, Caolán Mac an Aircinn, who also had a story in Vivid Worlds. Live launch tomorrow at 7.30pm in Sussex, Hilton Metropole, Birmingham as part of Iridescence Eastercon. Pre-order details here: theslab.press/store/

“The distance, unquestionably. It is impossible for me, and I suspect for any human, to really grasp just how remote deep space is, how far you are from help; this is something which made it particularly into the dénouement of ‘The Tumbleweed’. If something comes for you out there, even the inexorable dangers of depressurisation or suffocation, civilisations will have risen and fallen by the time you are discovered.“
Obsidian Author:
Caolán Mac an Aircinn
What scares you about space?
Preorder from
Theslab.press
Out April 30th

ICYMI we have a new open call for submissions. Window is way off in November, mind. theslab.press/calls-for-su...

Open Calls for Submission

The Space Heist Anthology Photo by Polina u2800 on Pexels.com Pyrite, to be published March 2027. The next anthology in the Minerals series will be Pyrite aka Fool’s Gold. Pyrite is a very sp…

theslab.press

Iridescence Incoming A week tomorrow, The Slab Press will be winging its way to Birmingham for Eastercon where we will be selling books all weekend in the Dealers' Room. In addition, we have a live launch event for Obsidian, shared with Guardbridge Books on Friday at 7.30 pm in Sussex. Do join us…

Iridescence Incoming

A week tomorrow, The Slab Press will be winging its way to Birmingham for Eastercon where we will be selling books all weekend in the Dealers' Room. In addition, we have a live launch event for Obsidian, shared with Guardbridge Books on Friday at 7.30 pm in Sussex. Do join us there! Online events will follow in which we will discuss the inspirations and intentions behind this anthology of dark space stories - watch this, er, space.

theslab.press

Meet Obsidian author Mia Dalia, whose novelette "Contingency Protocol" about the ill-fated crew of the Prometheus 4, whose terraforming mission to Mars goes disturbingly awry, is in the dark space anthology. daliaverse.wixsite.com/author Pre-order details here: theslab.press/store/

Space background
Obsidian book cover
Photo of author wearing neon 80s shades.

“’Contingency Protocol’ was written on a dare. I like to challenge myself as a person and a writer. Science is very challenging to my non-scientific brain. Consequently, most science fiction I write is of the "soft" variety. So I challenged myself to write hard sci-fi, et voilà! A story was born.”
Obsidian Author:
Mia Dalia
What inspired this story?
Preorder from
Theslab.press
Out April 30th

Meet Elana Gomel whose novelette City of Voices is being published in the Obsidian anthology, exploring dark stories from the depths of space. www.citiesoflightanddarkness.com theslab.press/store/

Space background, black book cover. Photo of author standing near a rock.
Obsidian Author: Elana Gomel
“The immensity of space is something that is impossible for us to comprehend. When we are confronted with the idea of infinity, our minds just shut down. It's not fear exactly, but more like terror and awe mixed together: the sublime. Deep space is sublime.”
What really scares you about space?
Preorder from
Theslab.press
Out April 30th

Not long until Obsidian is out! April 30th! For readers who prefer their space fiction unsettling, introspective, and brutal. Pre-order on Kindle around the world, or in the UK in Paperback from The Slab Press. theslab.press/store/

Space background with book and picture of the Editor, a blonde smiling woman in glasses.
Obsidian Edited by Donna Scott
With stories by Robert Bagnall, Elana Gomel, Mia Dalia, Caolán Mac an Aircinn, Addison Smith and Aatiqa Mankani.

What really scares you about space?

“Space is dark and isolating. I would struggle as much with limited human company as the lack of gravity, I reckon. Not to mention the increased risk of death, just getting up there.”

Pre-order from theslab.press
Out April 30th

Interesting first go at Whatnot... I'm giving it another go on Thursday at 9pm. Join me then! www.whatnot.com/live/f0fff34...

The Good Book Life with The Slab. An open book, pink petals and a yellow flower head, and a smiling bee buzzing in front.

I'm trying something a bit unusual tomorrow... I'm doing my first 'show' on Whatnot! There will be some buy now options for The Slab Press books, and a few preloved bargains for auction too. Join me Monday 16th at 3pm here! www.whatnot.com/live/23d0ff1...

Blue poster with pink letters, petals and books spelling out The Good Book Life. In the centre is a yellow circle saying "with The Slab". An open book with sparkles is at the bottom and a smiling cartoon bee flies in front.

Obsidian and Award News Hello everyone Long time, no post, but I am very excited to share some very exciting news with you. First of all, huge congratulations to Rick Danforth, whose short story "One Step at a Time" from The Slab Press's solarpunk anthology Vivid Worlds has been shortlisted for…

Obsidian and Award News

Hello everyone Long time, no post, but I am very excited to share some very exciting news with you. First of all, huge congratulations to Rick Danforth, whose short story "One Step at a Time" from The Slab Press's solarpunk anthology Vivid Worlds has been shortlisted for the BSFA Awards, so if you are a member of either BSFA or Eastercon, you will be able to vote for it.

theslab.press

Many congratulations to @rickandwrite.bsky.social whose story "One Step at a Time" from The Slab Press's anthology Vivid Worlds has been shortlisted for the BSFA Awards, Best Short Fiction.

Vivid Worlds Book cover - green space ship and leaf design.
edited by Donna Scott
with stories by Ana Sun
Cévile Cristofari
David Cleden
Liam Hogan
Holly Schofield
and many more...

Just two days to go!

Poster reads:
Coventry Book Extravaganza
Join us at the Albany Theatre
Saturday 28th February 2026
10:30 - 16:00 Albany Theatre, Coventry
www.rosiesretrobazaar.co.uk