Have you ever been frustrated as hell because you’re trying to do something and to get there you have to do a bunch of other things first? The concept is called Shaving the Yak, and on my latest MEDIUM post I ruminate on how it is a great metaphor for life in general i.e., How being human stops us from being who we want to be.

I also feature artwork fro Brisbane artist and potter, Bianca Samut.

 

 

 

 

 

Hi All,

after a PhD and signifcant life hiatus, I’m excited to share with you that I will have 3 books coming our next year. A novella in a current series, and novel in a new series and a children’s picture book. Also a secret squirrel TV series in the cooking pot.

The details will be coming soon. But just letting you know… I’m BACK!

MDP xxxx

 

 

 

 

 

I’m delighted to be able to share with you the cover of Aiki Flinthart’s new anthology. Here are the details and the line up of writers.

 

Relics, Wrecks and Ruins

Edited by Aiki Flinthart

Publication date 31/1/2021

Futures and Pasts, Fearless and Frightening.

This is a must-read collection for all fans of sci-fi, fantasy, and horror. A celebration of legacy and endurance.

• Bizarre remains of a lost civilisation emerge from the ice.
• The ghosts of a drowned town wait to be awakened.
• A witch with a dragon problem.
• What Elvis will do to protect his fellow artists from annihilation.
• An ancient spaceship carries the last, fragmented memories of Earth.
• Broken souls of the dead are passed on to the new-born

These and many more tales showcase the hopes, remnants, and fears of humanity.

Having been diagnosed with terminal cancer, Aiki Flinthart reached out for works from as many of her favourite authors as would answer the call. And many did.

Between these pages you’ll find stories by some of the world’s best science fiction, fantasy, and horror writers. Find new favourite authors and re-join old friends.

Their 24 fabulous works are threads woven with a sure hand into a tapestry of the weird, the worrying, and the wonderful that make up mankind.

Grab a copy of Relics, Wrecks, and Ruins today. You’ll also help fund a mentorship for emerging authors.

Reviews:

“The deep messages of this anthology make the very bones hum. Taloned onto the page by resistance and vision, these stories invite us to witness how sacrifice crafts wisdom, and how wisdom opens doors for the next generation.” —L.E. Daniels, author of Serpent’s Wake: A Tale for the Bitten

Regardless of their origin, relics, wrecks, and ruins have one thing in common: endurance. They resist entropy. They remain—compasses, warnings, tenacious obelisks—and as such, they are among the wisest of teachers. Through the glittering lens of speculative fiction, the stories of this anthology call us to imagine and become more than we once thought we were. We are invited to explore beyond ourselves and surpass those who tell us what our limits are. Of all the literary traditions, speculative fiction creates a space where our collective future is born. Relics, Wrecks, and Ruins is the articulation of the generous contributions of our contemporary masters, in support of the Flinthart Residency and the next wave of emerging writers. True to their mission, these stories push back against boundaries as they take us light years away, plunge toward the sea floor, and turn time and space elastic. Let yourself be drawn in by these celebrated voices. Listen closely for what resonates within.–L.E. Daniels, author of Serpent’s Wake: A Tale for the Bitten and Winning Short Story Competitions: Essential Tools for the Serious Writer

 “Rich, varied, and bittersweet, this anthology is a fitting and triumphant salute to Aiki Flinthart’s dauntless spirit and irrepressible moxie” – Geneve Flynn, co-editor of Black Cranes: Tales of Unquiet Women

“Relics, Wrecks & Ruins is a priceless assortment of fantasy, science fiction and cross-genre stories. As with any anthology there are stories unique to each reader, tales that stay with you. As you ponder empaths, scientists, witches, historians, celebrities…you’ll know to love and fear the disquieting emblems of history, truth and reality in Relics, Wrecks & Ruins”-– Eugen Bacon, Aurealis Magazine, Feb 2021

The Echo of Love by Marianne de Pierres – a rather obnoxious human expert is asked by the space station management to interview a strange casket that may contain an alien. A story that mixes understanding of language, love with something eerie building to a memorable finale. A lovely puzzle of of a tale for the reader to solve. Runnalong the Shelves.

LINKS

Preorder or Buy universal link: https://books2read.com/Relics

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/56367714-relics-wrecks-ruins

Website: www.aikiflinthart.com

 

AUTHORS

Full Author list: Neil Gaiman, Ken Liu, Juliet Marillier, Angela Slatter, Jan-Andrew (JA) Henderson, Garth Nix, Pamela Jeffs, Marianne de Pierres, Jasper Fforde, Mary Robinette Kowal, James (SA) Corey, Lee Murray, Sebastien de Castell, Ian Irvine, Robert Silverberg, Mark Lawrence, Kate Forsyth, Kylie Chan, Cat Sparks, David Farland, Jack Dann, Dirk Flinthart, Alison Goodman, Aiki Flinthart