So, about world building in short stories…

There was an article in The Guardian the other day by a writer who made the bizarre assertion that while brick-thick fantasy novels are a dime a dozen, it’s “very difficult” to find fantasy short stories – or, at least, ones that don’t rely on associated novels to have done their world building for them. Presumably the author means “very difficult to find” without turning on the internets or leaving the house and going to, oh I don’t know, a library, a bookshop or a newsagent. Plenty of people have already gone to town on the ridiculousness of the central claim in the offending article’s comments section, so there’s no need to say any more about that here.

The author’s secondary assumption, however, is illuminating. Her deduction from the purported absence of fantasy short stories (in her house, with the internets off) is that they don’t exist because you can’t build a fantastical setting in a few thousand words. What this seems to betray is a fundamentally arse-backwards understanding of the relationship between world building and story.

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Kickstarter for Clockwork Phoenix 5

Mike Allen’s planning another instalment of the Clockwork Phoenix anthology series!

The first 3 books were published by Norilana Books and the 4th Mike published himself under his Mythic Delirium imprint, after Norilana ran into a spot of bother. Volume 4 was also funded by a Kickstarter which was successful enough that Mike was able to pay contributors professional rates for the first time.

This is a great series of books – see here for more about the earlier volumes – and, if you’re a writer who might possibly submit a story, Mike’s a very friendly and constructive editor to submit to.

The Kickstarter for Volume 5 is here.