Silverthought Press

2010-10-02T22:14:00.002-04:00

Hi. Paul Hughes here. It's been a while. If you're wondering why Silverthought hasn't been updated in almost a year, the reason is that the recession has forced me to start picking up cigarette butts at the railyards, stand in line at soup kitchens for half of each day, and go on cross-country road trips with Henry Fonda. No, the real reason appears over there in that photograph. I've been on paternity leave. It's been difficult being away from the Silverthought community and setting projects aside, but becoming a father has been the most intensely rewarding event in my entire life, and I wouldn't trade one dirty diaper for all the vampire stories in the world. Okay, so maybe I would. The point is that I've been busy and other things have taken priority over publishing.

During Silverthought's year of silence, exciting things have continued to happen. Thank You, Death Robot received the silver medal at the 2010 Independent Publisher Book Awards for Fantasy/Science Fiction, Silverthought's sixth IPPY. Victor Giannini and Dan Kopcow, both contributors to TYDR, attended the awards ceremony.

In my absence, I appointed Mark R. Brand to the position of Editor. He has been doing a fantastic job not only improving his own writing practice and assembling top-notch anthologies but also spreading the word about Silverthought and developing new initiatives for marketing and social networking. This update features the debut of "Breakfast with the Author," an episodic, guerrilla-media-style video podcast show developed by Mark featuring independent writers, critics, and industry professionals having breakfast and talking shop. The guests on this month's episode are Ben Tanzer and Jason Fisk.

I've worked diligently these last months to strip the Silverthought site down to its core and rebuild it in a familiar yet subtly different image (beyond the obvious switch from a black to a white motif), a leaner and meaner presentation. Our goal in this year off has been to assess what we've been doing right and where we could improve. On the surface, Silverthought is still largely the same beast with some minor cosmetic changes. However, some of the structural (and some could argue cultural) changes are significant.

Beyond the revised motif we have updated the submission guidelines for both the online and print divisions. Please review both sets of guidelines prior to submitting new material to Silverthought. The most significant change to the submission process is the fact that we will no longer be accepting unsolicited manuscripts via postal mail or email. We have partnered with SubMishMash to present you with a submission management system that will streamline and simplify the process of submitting work. You may now upload submissions online and receive automatic updates on our staff's review process. This will give the staff the opportunity to offer far more feedback and communicate with submitters much more easily than the email-based system of the past. In addition, we have updated the compensation rates for submissions to the online division from a flat fee of $10/short to a variable fee depending on submission category (micro, flash, short, novella, etc.). Writers accepted into the print division will continue to receive 50% royalties.

I'd like to make this clear--Silverthought has been and will remain open for submissions to both our online and print divisions. It has been difficult to sort through the slush pile given my other obligations for much of this year, but we are still accepting submissions, and the new SubMishMash system will make the selection process much easier for both the staff and submitters. In fact, I would like to offer an open invitation to anyone who submitted material within the last year who did not receive a response to resubmit the work through our new submission manager system.

As the year winds down, I am working frantically to have two books ready for holiday release. Excerpts from these novels, The Damnation of Memory by Mark R. Brand and Human Sister by Jim Bainbridge, appear in the latest ST Online update. This update also features short fiction from Victor Giannini and Dan Devine and a novel by yours truly. We also have the winner of the Silverthought "Birth" contest, "Visitation" by Roger Haller.

Speaking of contests, we have two new ones currently running. The fourth-annual Win EVERY SILVERTHOUGHT BOOK EVER Contest gives you the opportunity to win EVERY SILVERTHOUGHT BOOK EVER published or that we ever WILL publish. Yes. The Silverthought Sparkly Vampire Jamboree Contest is about vampires, which I hate. So if you can write a short story about vampires that I actually like, I'll give you a free book and $100 and include your story in a future update. Check the contests page for full details.

So yes, Silverthought is back, although we've never really gone away. Sometimes things just need to simmer awhile, like soups or divorces. I'd like to encourage you to join us on the Silverthought Forum, and you can find us on an increasing number of social media sites like Facebook and Twitter, so book our face and ter our twit.

Thanks for your patience and continued support. Enjoy the update, and tell your friends.

—PEH

ST Online update: 24 October 2009

2009-10-24T13:40:00.000-04:00

Hi. How are things? How was your summer? Fantastic. Me? Oh, I've been okay; thanks for asking. Since the last ST update, I've gotten married, conceived a child, published three books, killed two computers, and tried to prevent my garage from becoming infested with porcupines. But enough of my lame excuses for not updating sooner; no one will believe them anyway.

In the spirit of the season, the October update of Silverthought Online is heavy on horror: horrific things, horrific actions, horrific people, and it even has some whores (I'm looking at you, Chas Dash). To give readers a taste of what our print division has to offer, we have excerpts from our latest releases along with interviews with Michael Gold and David LaBounty. The third chapter of Michael's serial also makes an appearance. We have short fiction from previous contributors Gregory Adams, David S. Grant, and Sasha Janel McBrayer and newcomers-to-ST Robert Laughlin, Dawn Marshallsay, Shona Snowden, and Mercedes M. Yardley. There are big, big burgers and flat, flat worlds, big red blobs and fluffy white puppies, an eye without a head and a head without a body, a werewolf's eschatological crisis and a shitload of vodka.

Stay tuned for details on Silverthought's twentieth print release and our 2010 publication queue. Holiday deals are on the way in our bookstore, as is the third annual Win Every Silverthought Book Ever contest. So take a look. Buy a book.

Enjoy.

http://www.silverthought.com/online/

now available for pre-order: Thank You, Death Robot, edited by Mark R. Brand

2009-07-29T16:47:00.000-04:00

NOW AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER:

THANK YOU, DEATH ROBOT
edited by Mark R. Brand

pre-order link: http://www.silverthought.com/tydr/

THANK YOU, DEATH ROBOT
edited by Mark R. Brand
Publisher: Silverthought Press
ISBN: 978-0-9815191-9-7
270 pages
paperback: $13.99 ~~$14.99~~ + S/H

If you run, it will catch you.
If you hide, it will find you.
If you resist, it will destroy you.

A jaded ex-wife prepares a deadly surprise for her husband’s new bride, a robotic executioner discovers there’s more to lethal injection than just needles, an army of war machines not interested in polite conversation have humanity in their gun-sights, an aging actor treads the line between man and machine, and from beyond come the towering steel shadows of monsters that blot out the starlight.

It is estimated that within our generation’s lifetime a computer will be built that can exceed the raw computational power of the human mind. Shortly thereafter, a computer will be built that can “think” faster than the human race…

From the earliest stories of Golems and clockwork men in the nineteenth century to Hollywood films full of steel-skinned mechanical killing machines, authors and filmmakers for the last two hundred years have given birth to an emerging archetype: a manifestation of industrial malevolence, a cautionary tale of technological hubris, and a call to reassert the tenuous hold modern man has over the machines that do his bidding.

An enduring icon much beloved of science fiction fans everywhere, the Death Robot comes to life in this collection of stories by some of the brightest upcoming stars in speculative fiction.

CONTENTS:

"Death Robot: Mythology and Imagination": a foreword by Mark R. Brand
"Bitty-Bright is Lonely" by Gayla Chaney
"Thank You, Death Robot" by Victor Giannini
"Commission Report on the Virginian Confessor Program" by Scott Lyerly
"A Better Mousetrap" by Norm Vigeant
"Deadlines" by Andy Laughton and Paul Hughes
"The Cobbler Cherry" by Dan Kopcow
"Growing Pains" by Gary Starta
"Mortal Coil" by DJ Burnham
"Garage Angel" by Roger Haller
"The Hill" by Russell Lutz
"Command Authority" by Justin Oldham
"Cost-Ner, Inc." by Becci Noblit Goodall

pre-order link: http://www.silverthought.com/tydr/

now available for pre-order: Horror House Detective by Michael Gold

2009-07-20T19:06:00.001-04:00

NOW AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER:

HORROR HOUSE DETECTIVE
—a novel in stories—
by Michael Gold

pre-order link: http://www.silverthought.com/hhd/

HORROR HOUSE DETECTIVE
a novel in stories
by Michael Gold
Publisher: Silverthought Press
272 pages
paperback: $10.99 ~~$11.99~~ + S/H

The Weirdness swirls around Harold Schreiber and his family like snakes made of black mist. Where it comes from is unknown, but what it is doing is clear—it’s eating away at the woodwork of this man’s life.

During his childhood, Harold's mother is more concerned with her garden club than with raising her two sons. His father is a silent lump of rage. His brother Derek is damaged to the edge of psychosis, and possibly beyond. Decades later, the neighborhood is going to hell. A visit to an abandoned mansion reveals two impossible men whose response to being discovered is not kind. Harold's sons are filled with inexplicable fury—and Halloween candy. A giant sea beast strikes at people on the beach where the Schreiber family is trying to vacation, and his wife is accused of murder. A steroid-addled colleague turns violent in health clubs and on the road. An old man is hit by an SUV on the big boulevard running through town and turns into an otherworldly being that may or may not be attacking drivers.

Any other man might try to crawl into a hole and hide. His wife suggests he call the police when trouble comes. Harold is having none of it. He’s got problems. His family, his neighborhood, and his bowling alley are under attack. He doesn’t think much about what to do, he just wades into fights with his fists held high and takes whoever happens to be around into battle against the demons lurking in the streets. Voices are calling out to Harold to join the chaos of the neighborhood, to take part in the pure wanton joy of destruction. He can’t do it. Somebody has to fight back, to put some order into things. Somewhere in the core of his being, he believes that he is the man to do it, even if his name is Schreiber.

Horror House Detective, a novel in stories by Michael Gold, is the tale of a hard working family man besieged on all sides by The Weirdness—and he's sure as hell not going to run away from the fight.

pre-order link: http://www.silverthought.com/hhd/

now available for pre-order: Affluenza by David LaBounty

2009-06-18T15:11:00.001-04:00

NOW AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER:

AFFLUENZA
—a novel by David LaBounty—

pre-order link: http://www.silverthought.com/affluenza/

AFFLUENZA
by David LaBounty
Publisher: Offense Mechanisms, an imprint of Silverthought Press
148 pages
paperback: $8.99 ~~$9.99~~ + S/H

Charles Dash has everything a young insurance executive rising through the ranks of Midwestern Accident and Life can hope for—a beautiful wife, a white Mustang, a townhouse, a tape deck, satin sheets, and contemporary leather furniture. As Dash climbs the corporate ladder, his superiors soon recognize his brutal skill set: denying customer claims with a ruthlessness they had seldom seen. Midwestern rewards Dash with promotions. Banks reward him with credit cards.

Soon Dash finds his spending spiraling out of control. He lives paycheck to paycheck to support his suburban lifestyle of golf on weekends, owning the first SUV in his neighborhood of luxurious McMansions, and a growing penchant for prostitutes. He applies for—and banks are more than willing to give him—more credit cards. Ensnared in the vicious cycle of spending, he finally has to remortgage his house, but soon, even that isn't enough.

Broke and desperate, Dash decides to wage a violent one-man war against the credit card companies. His spree of destruction leads him to a financial solvency that comes with a very heavy price—but it is a price he is more than willing to pay. He will do anything to keep his lifestyle intact.

Affluenza, the third novel by Michigan author David LaBounty, is a scathing critique of credit card culture, a tale of consumerism, vanity, debt, and sexual addiction torn from today's headlines. Relevant to these troubled times, Affluenza is a dire warning to those who choose to spend their way to the American Dream.

pre-order link: http://www.silverthought.com/affluenza/

Mark Brand interviewed at Printer's Row Lit Fest

2009-06-05T17:24:00.000-04:00

Host: Amy Guth
Date: Saturday, June 6, 2009
Time: 2:00-2:30PM CST
Location: http://www.chicagonow.com/blogs/chicago-subtext/

The Chicago Tribune is host to the 25th annual Printer's Row Lit Fest this weekend, and their ChicagoNow affiliate literature blogger Amy Guth will be interviewing local Chicago authors and streaming live from the event.

Silverthought author and associate editor Mark Brand will be interviewed on Saturday at 2:00PM. You can log in from home and watch. Mark encourages you to check out the other authors Amy will have on hand also, including James Kennedy at 11:00AM.

link: http://www.chicagonow.com/blogs/chicago-subtext/

ST Online update: 01 June 2009

2009-06-01T19:44:00.000-04:00

The June 2009 update of Silverthought Online features the second chapters of the serials Mr. Head by Michael Gold and The Cowboy Trilogy by Thomas Henry Dylan along with new short fiction from ST's Mark R. Brand, who took time from his recent adventures at the Pilcrow Lit Fest and editing Thank You, Death Robot to write a story that prominently features ham. I'd also like to welcome Leah Erickson, Sasha Janel McBrayer, Jon McRae, Jason D. Moore, Jennifer Shumate, and Cavan Terrill, who make their debuts on Silverthought with short fiction that runs the gamut from travel guides to DOD reports, from junk mail to wooden fish, and from a hole in the ground to, well, the most vomit I've ever found in the slushpile. Prospective submitters take note: the work presented in this update is some of the best we've seen on ST. It embodies the contemplative, challenging, and sometimes downright bizarre material we're looking for.

I'm happy to report that ST's print division is finalizing our Summer 2009 releases, Thank You, Death Robot, edited by Mark R. Brand, Affluenza, by David LaBounty, and Horror House Detective by Michael Gold. Stay tuned for pre-order information and for first looks at excerpts and covers. With just over eight thousand publishing queries since we opened for print submissions again in January, response time has slowed. I'm finding some gems among the hundreds of Twilight clones, and if one of those gems is yours, you'll be hearing from me. But no more vampire novels, please. Just please.

And on a final staff development note, drop by the forum and say hello to Silverthought's summer intern, Intern Andy. What? you say. Silverthought has a summer intern? That's what I said too. This is a cool development for a company whose corporate headquarters contains more woodchucks than human beings.

Check back soon for news about further site improvements, more social networking crap, our shiny new ST Book Club, and maybe even some good old fashioned dead tree reading.

—PEH

ST Online update: 02 February 2009

2009-02-02T22:23:00.001-05:00

Welcome to the February 2009 Silverthought update. Happy Groundhog Day. And New Year. Merry Christmas. And don't forget to vote. Okay, sorry for the wait. We've been working frantically on some necessary improvements under ST's hood, but now that those are in order and now that the Pennsylvania Bastard Snow Rat has been scared away by his shadow, take some time over the next six weeks of winter hell to enjoy this fiction.

The February update features the last chapter of Out of Nothing by Thomas Henry Dylan and the first chapter of Mr. Head by Michael Gold. We have short fiction by returning writers Gayla Chaney, Alex Clark, Ken Dean, Joseph Hirsch, Chris Hlad, Kimberly Raiser, and Joel Van Valin, along with the ST debuts of Patrick Anderson Jr., David J. Batista, and Tim Lieder. You'll find grenades, cannibalism, Nazis, mercenaries, robots, ghosts, and multiple stabbings—everything from Mr. Head to Mr. Toes.

On the print front, I'm pleased to say that ST has received nearly five thousand queries since we opened for print submissions again in January. We've begun putting the 2009-2010 print lineup together. First up, the long-awaited Thank You, Death Robot anthology edited by Mark R. Brand, which you can expect in the spring. I've also accepted Brand's The Damnation of Memory, How It Ends by Scott Lyerly, Bliss: A Novella and Blood: The New Red by David S. Grant, Horror House Detective by Michael Gold, and Affluenza by David LaBounty. More announcements about the print division will soon follow, including a planned limited-edition horror collection, a women's collection edited by Becci Noblit Goodall, and perhaps the most heartbreakingly gorgeous sf novel I've read in years. Stay tuned for details.

Those of you wishing to submit material to our online or print divisions should peruse our updated submission guidelines closely. We've made some minor changes to simplify the process and clarify who we are and what we do. I'm talking to you, two hundred people who lied when they said they picked up an issue of Silver Thoughts and liked what they saw. Sure you did.

And now on a more serious note, if you didn't read "Strangedays" by Rhian Waller in our last update, you really missed out. You should read it now. You should also consider donating to Rhian's fundraising campaign for Amnesty International: http://www.justgiving.com/rhianwaller. She's going to shave her head. More information is available on the Facebook group "Rhian Goes Bald for Amnesty" at: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=46506923946. ST wishes Rhian all the best at her endeavor. I'd show my support by shaving my head, but if winter continues like this, I will have pulled the rest of my hair out in frustration by our next update anyway.

Enjoy.

—PEH

ST Online update: 15 November 2008

2008-11-15T14:15:00.003-05:00

The November update of ST Online features serial fiction from Thomas Henry Dylan and short fiction from Jeff Baker, Elena Clark, Ken Dean, P.S. Gifford, Joseph Hirsch, and ST newcomers Chris Hlad and Rhian Waller. We've also included the winner of Mark's "Modify the Phase Variance, Carl" comedy writing contest, "The Fable of Luck - Amendments.doc" or "Milos Shizz" by Andrew Murphy, which also wins the award for having the most superscript/footnotes of any piece on ST.

Some of you may have heard of a little novel called The Department of Off World Affairs by Russell Lutz. In this update, you'll find two (or three) interviews with Russell by two (or three) ST staff members. Learn more about the book, the writer, the legend, and the cure for cancer.

This update has heaping helpings of footnotes, electroshocks, cowboys, devastated futures, sexy fun times, wedding shenanigans, and stump-fuckings. This is change in which you can believe.

--PEH

ST Online update: 20 September 2008

2008-09-20T00:24:00.002-04:00

ST Online's September update features new serial fiction by Victor Giannini and Kimberly Raiser and short fiction from Jeff Baker, Dan Devine, Thomas Henry Dylan, Joseph Hirsch, Andrew Murphy, and Joel Van Valin, along with two excerpts from The Department of Off World Affairs by Russell Lutz. Anyone who's been around ST for a while may recognize "Heliopause" and "Junior," but we've crossed a few eyes and dotted a few tees. These are the submissions that novels are made of.

Since the official announcement of our latest writing contest fell between updates, we've extended the deadline for Mark R. Brand's "Modify the Phase Variance, Carl" comedy contest. See the update for details.

There are some big ideas and adult themes in this update. I blame the LHC. Drop by the forum to join the conversation and exercise your Caps Lock.

--PEH

ST now accepting pre-orders for The Department of Off World Affairs

2008-09-03T22:49:00.004-04:00

NOW AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER:

THE DEPARTMENT OF OFF WORLD AFFAIRS
—a novel by Russell Lutz—

pre-order link: http://www.silverthought.com/dowa/

The Department of Off World Affairs
by Russell Lutz
Publisher: Silverthought Press
ISBN-10: 0-9815191-7-2
ISBN-13: 978-0-9815191-7-3
488 pages
hardcover: $19.99 + S/H

Since the time of Copernicus, we have asked if we were alone in the universe. Now we know the answer:

Not even close.

Astronomer Vanessa Hargrove longs for the days when mankind sent ships like Voyager toward the stars. When she accidentally alerts the galaxy to the presence of Earth, she gets her wish. Thousands of alien species, previously unknown to Earth, populate the galaxy. Many of them come to visit.

Air Force test pilot Terry Youngblood is one of the first to interact with these visitors, transforming him into the military’s leading expert on the tens of thousands of interstellar guests to Earth. But is the task of avoiding interstellar incidents, defusing accidental war-provoking situations, and preparing a defense against possible threats too much for one man?

As a brilliant young engineer and one of the leading authorities on the physics of space travel, Keira Desai is selected to be one of the designers of Earth’s first starship. She sees first hand the marvels that alien technology can accomplish. But such marvels can quickly become horrors when they are not properly understood.

And what of Sylvester, the mysterious snakelike traveler who arrives on Earth to peddle his wares? He helps to cure mankind’s worst diseases and gives Earth the means to watch its stellar neighborhood. But what is his game? Can he truly be trusted?

Leading the United States—and, in fact, the world—in this exciting and dangerous new time is the Department of Off World Affairs. DOWA’s mission is to ensure Earth is ready for the visitors, and that the visitors are ready for Earth.

The Department of Off World Affairs: It's your galaxy.

RESERVE YOUR COPY OF DOWA TODAY:

The Department of Off World Affairs will be released in October 2008. For a limited time, Silverthought is offering pre-order sales of DOWA for $19.99. Orders will ship to pre-release customers in October 2008. Reserve your copy today, and be sure to check back for updates.

pre-order link: http://www.silverthought.com/dowa/

ST Online update: 25 July 2008

2008-07-25T00:07:00.002-04:00

The July 2008 update of ST Online features another KMXT radio interview with Justin Oldham, and our staff interviews Mike Philbin about Bukkakeworld and Planet of the Owls, two books Silverthought released a few weeks ago much to the chagrin of just about everyone. The update also features another chapter in Kimberly Raiser's serial, the three winning entries from our "Eat Me" cannibalism fiction contest by Katrina Autem, Kathleen Hood-Haskins, and Roger Haller, and new short fiction from Gregory Adams, Kay Calkins, Dudgeon, Thomas Henry Dylan, and Robert Lewis. There are quite a few new voices mixed in with our regulars and a few writers we've not seen for a while.

In the next month, look for a new writing contest sponsored by Russell Lutz, e-book versions of Philbin's latest, continued work towards bringing you our next hardcover, The Department of Off World Affairs, and watch in amusement as Andy slowly cracks under the pressure of community management and deletes the internets.

--PEH

ST Online update: 25 June 2008

2008-06-25T16:16:00.002-04:00

June's 2008 ST Online update is heavy on the interviews and novel excerpts, but it also features a new serial entry from Kimberly Raiser and three excellent new shorts from DJ Burnham, Michael Gold, and Justin Oldham. Justin Oldham... You may see that name scattered around ST a lot these days, since we've just released his sf novel Tales from the Kodiak Starport. Another name showing up quite a bit is Mike Philbin. Love him or hate him (and I know most of you hate him), he can write. Stay tuned next month for the release of Bukkakeworld and Planet of the Owls, two books that are guaranteed to give you the warm fuzzies.

Since the last ST update I've assembled three books, so the online division has suffered a little for that. No worries--our print queue is finally thinning out and we'll be back in July with plenty of shorts from the pile and the announcement of the winner of the "Eat Me" contest.

--PEH

ST now accepting pre-orders for Planet of the Owls by Mike Philbin

2008-06-13T16:48:00.001-04:00

NOW AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER:

PLANET OF THE OWLS
by Mike Philbin

pre-order link: http://www.silverthought.com/poto/potopreorder.html

PLANET OF THE OWLS
by Mike Philbin
Publisher: Silverthought Press
ISBN-10: 0-9815191-4-8
ISBN-13: 978-0-9815191-4-2
~180 pages
paperback: $13.99 + S/H

The world is coming to an end, and the angels don’t give a damn.

Oxford, England: Marcus (who works part-time at the falafel kiosk in town) awakens to find a giant black and white bird at his window. He’s sure that’s what he sees: a giant bird with feathers that throb with sinister portent. He shakes himself awake and gets ready for work, unaware that his world no longer exists.

Beijing, China: Su-Ki Chin (a fourteen-year-old schoolgirl) stands at the bus stop with her schoolmates, but their bus never arrives. Returning home, she finds the family chickens have gone berserk, chasing her brothers around the yard and leaving her parents for dead. It’s like she’s in a dream—the chickens tower over her terrified brothers. She will soon become one of those hybrid birds.

Planet of the Owls, a new genreclectic novel by UK-based artist/writer Mike Philbin, is a split-narrative story that tells of the time-and-space traveling powers of the Gods who have finally arrived on planet Earth in the guise of birds: robins, crows, magpies and owls. An age-old political conspiracy is revealed among the angel clan, and mankind becomes its innocent victim.

The fate of the Earth lies with Marcus and Su-Ki Chin—only their extra-species love can save a planet about to be abandoned by the Gods.

Planet of the Owls is a radical new interpretation of ‘spirituality’ as seen from a higher dimension.

RESERVE YOUR COPY OF PLANET OF THE OWLS TODAY:

Planet of the Owls will be released in July 2008. For a limited time, Silverthought is offering pre-order sales of Planet of the Owls for $13.99. Orders will ship to pre-release customers in July 2008. Reserve your copy today, and be sure to check back for updates.

Cover design and page count subject to change.

pre-order link: http://www.silverthought.com/poto/potopreorder.html

ST now accepting pre-orders for Bukkakeworld by Mike Philbin

2008-06-13T16:44:00.002-04:00

NOW AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER:

BUKKAKEWORLD
variations on a vile and dismal theme
by Mike Philbin

pre-order link: http://www.silverthought.com/bw/bwpreorder.html

BUKKAKEWORLD
by Mike Philbin
Publisher: Silverthought Press
ISBN-10: 0-9815191-3-X
ISBN-13: 978-0-9815191-3-5
~200 pages
paperback: $13.99 + S/H

When you’re drowning in the corporate world, you’ll need a mentor to keep you from going under.

Bukkakeworld is the conscious evolution of the staid three-act narrative horror genre. It’s a book about YOU, the corporate lackey, the indentured, the subordinate. Stuck in a job you cannot stomach, under a manager you want to annihilate, in a corporation that wants to grind you into nothing more than human grease to lubricate its inhuman profit-making machine.

You are not alone. There are literally millions of you all over the world, the true Samaritans of contemporary democracy. You take it in the face every working day of your life. There seems to be no respite from your suffering, no reward for your hardship. But even in the depths of your drowning desperation, there is a light, a tiny light, beaming out to save you.

She looks nothing like you. She is clean and tidy. The constant drizzle that rots everything it touches doesn’t seem to settle on her. She has a light in her eyes, like a terrorist bomb exploding very, very slowly. Frame by frame, a new star blooming. She is your corporate messiah. But who is her little furry companion, Kitten? And what of the sinister chrome-like Glimpsers? How do they tie in to a swirling narrative that drags you through a death camp of corporate revelation?

Bukkakeworld is a savage indictment of the corporate mentality, a challenging, twisted book that assails the underpinnings of modern society and does so much more than spit in your face.

RESERVE YOUR COPY OF BUKKAKEWORLD TODAY:

Bukkakeworld will be released in July 2008. For a limited time, Silverthought is offering pre-order sales of Bukkakeworld for $13.99. Orders will ship to pre-release customers in July 2008. Reserve your copy today, and be sure to check back for updates.

Cover design and page count subject to change. Cover photograph © Robert Standish

pre-order link: http://www.silverthought.com/bw/bwpreorder.html

David S. Grant interview on Olivia Wilder Times™

2008-06-05T01:32:00.004-04:00

ST author David S. Grant will be appearing on Olivia Wilder's online radio show at 10pm EST 05 June 2008 to discuss everything from his novels Emotionless Souls and BleachBlackout to Thai food and dead hookers.

Tune in here: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/olivia

DDV wins bronze in 2008 IPPYs

2008-05-22T00:04:00.003-04:00

A Dark and Deadly Valley, edited by Mike Heffernan and published by Silverthought Press in 2007, has won the bronze medal in the horror category of the 2008 Independent Publisher Book Awards. This is the fifth time Silverthought has been honored by the IPPYs since 2003.

The winners in the horror category were:
Gold: The Portrait, by Joseph Barron (iUniverse)
Silver: Something Bad, by Richard Satterlie (Medallion Press)
Bronze: Cluck: Murder Most Fowl, by Eric D. Knapp ( BookSurge); Heart of Scars, by Brian Easton (iUniverse); A Dark and Deadly Valley, edited by Mike Heffernan (Silverthought Press)

Congratulations again to Mike and to everyone involved in DDV.

DDV: http://www.silverthought.com/ddv/
Independent Publisher: http://www.independentpublisher.com

ST now accepting pre-orders for Tales from the Kodiak Starport by Justin Oldham

2008-05-21T23:57:00.003-04:00

NOW AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER:

TALES FROM THE KODIAK STARPORT
by Justin Oldham

pre-order link: http://www.silverthought.com/kodiak/kodiakpreorder.html

Tales from the Kodiak Starport is a collection of science fiction stories chronicling the efforts of adventurous Alaskans to facilitate mankind’s move toward space-based commerce, stepping from the Last Frontier into the final frontier. Each tale, set in a different period, explores an aspect of the space industry and its impact on the economic and ecological well-being of the people of Earth.

In today’s world, Kodiak Island, Alaska is home to the Kodiak Launch Complex (KLC), a 3,717-acre rocket launch facility. The KLC is a joint venture between the state of Alaska and the investors of the Alaska Aerospace Development Corporation (AADC). At this point, KLC's services are geared to the safe launching of polar-orbit satellites and sub-orbital research payloads. In time, the complex may grow into an entity similar to, or even better than, the facility depicted in these stories.

From the pioneers who build the businesses supporting the various launch activities of the complex and those who defend the facility from a close encounter of the government kind, to the man who’s just trying to keep his family’s business running, the perseverance and tenacity of the Alaska business community is put to the test. Some stories explore the potential of the site, its customers, and those involved in its day-to-day operations, while others provide a glimpse at the impact of scientific advances on relationships between individuals and society and the effects of international politics on the environment and the facility’s role in reversing them.

Welcome to the Kodiak Starport—gateway to the future.

RESERVE YOUR COPY OF KODIAK TODAY:

Tales from the Kodiak Starport will be released in June 2008. For a limited time, Silverthought is offering pre-order sales of Kodiak for $11.99. Orders will ship to pre-release customers in June 2008. Reserve your copy today, and be sure to check back for updates.

pre-order link: http://www.silverthought.com/kodiak/kodiakpreorder.html

DDV a Semi-Finalist in the 2008 Independent Publisher Book Awards

2008-05-10T00:39:00.003-04:00

It's that time of year again. The 2008 IPPY semi-finalists were announced today. This year, we had no semi-finalists in the Fantasy/Science Fiction category. That's probably because ST didn't publish any fantasy or scifi last year. However, we did have one of our four 2007 releases pick up some recognition: A Dark and Deadly Valley, edited by Mike Heffernan, is a semi-finalist in the horror category. The full list of semi-finalists in that category:

Something Bad, by Richard Satterlie (Medallion Press)
Cluck: Murder Most Fowl, by Eric D. Knapp ( BookSurge)
The Portrait, by Joseph Barron (iUniverse)
Heart of Scars, by Brian Easton (iUniverse)
A Dark and Deadly Valley, edited by Mike Heffernan (Silverthought Press)

Gold, silver, and bronze medal winners will be announced 23 May 2008, and the awards presentation will take place at BookExpo on 30 May 2008.

Congratulations to Mike and everyone involved in DDV for making it to the semi-finals.

DDV: http://www.silverthought.com/ddv/
Independent Publisher: http://www.independentpublisher.com

ST Online update: 01 May 2008

2008-05-01T18:58:00.003-04:00

This month's ST Online update features a new serial from Kimberly Raiser and new short fiction from Gayla Chaney, Lawrence R. Dagstine, Thomas Henry Dylan, Isaiyan Morrison, Justin Oldham, Mike Philbin, and Pavelle Wesser.

You may also see a name pop up here and there--David S. Grant. David's latest books, Bleach and Blackout, and now available in a topsy-turvy little double edition from Offense Mechanisms, and we've included excerpts from each in this update. You'll also find Andy Laughton's review of BB and interview with David. According to Andy, BB smells like smoke and tastes like Nicolas Cage. I have no idea what that means. Regardless, BB is now shipping from ST's luxurious corporate headquarters. Check out the forum for a visual guide to the double edition. The books are not yet listed on Amazon, but they will be soon, assuming the Amazon stormtroopers don't take away our Buy It Now buttons because I refuse to let Booksurge print new editions of ST's titles. If you don't get that reference, see the forum for my rant.

We're also running a new contest: Eat Me, a cannibal fiction competition sponsored by Scott Lyerly. If you're sitting on a great man-eats-man tale, send it to Russell. He loves cannibals.

Enjoy,
PEH

"Eat Me" Contest

2008-03-22T03:45:00.003-04:00

The new "Eat Me" speculative cannibal fiction contest is now online and open to entries.

Please see the following link for details:

http://www.silverthought.com/forum/index.php?topic=1964.msg19497#msg19497

ST now accepting pre-orders for Bleach/Blackout by David S. Grant

2008-03-12T18:30:00.008-04:00

NOW AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER:

BLEACH/BLACKOUT
—two novels by David S. Grant—
in one Offense Mechanisms edition

pre-order link: http://www.silverthought.com/bb/bbpreorder.html

This is a story about living.

Fans of fluffy romance novels and that all-too-familiar, over-hyped, edge-of-the-seat crap should steer clear. This is life at its most jaded. Offense Mechanisms is proud to present Bleach/Blackout by David S. Grant, two novels about drugs, sex, revenge, the corporate crunch, and the inevitable unpleasantness of life and death. Bleach and Blackout are presented here in one double format (tête-bêche) volume.

BLEACH opens during the last sixty seconds of 2003 in a bathroom where Jeremy, our jaded navigator through the endless repulsiveness of the world, watches a girl lay dying. Before diving into an explanation of what the hell is going on, Jeremy doubles back eight days. The entire story builds up to the climax of Sharon Winkler's infamous annual New Year's Eve party, where all the men are dressed as prostitutes, all the women look like pimps, decadence and debauchery dictate the rules, and the next guy through the door is sure to have a gun.

Written in a cynical voice that rings true with today's young business class, Bleach is a story that encompasses the sentiments of a generation while examining the meaning of life in a world driven by greed.

BLACKOUT begins in Las Vegas, where Stoner and friends celebrate his bachelor party in a blur of strippers, crack cocaine, a little Thai, and Nic Cage. The next morning in Los Angeles brings an unwelcome surprise when Stoner's friends Chip and Jeremy wake to find police officers and a dead body for which they are allegedly responsible. Chip is charged with murder and his trial is being fast-tracked... What would Steven Tyler do?

Beneath the stories of hangovers and death, this is a story about living for the moment and having a story to tell. Blackout is a fast-paced ride that will leave you wanting more—and maybe a cold beer.

RESERVE YOUR COPY OF B/B TODAY:

Bleach/Blackout will be released in April 2008. For a limited time, Offense Mechanisms is offering pre-order sales of Bleach/Blackout for $16.99. Orders will ship to pre-release customers in April 2008. Reserve your copy today, and be sure to check back for updates.

pre-order link: http://www.silverthought.com/bb/bbpreorder.html

ST Online update: 29 February 2008

2008-02-29T15:21:00.004-05:00

And we're back.

By now, some of you may have noticed a few changes here and there around Silverthought. The changes to ST represent more than two months of work, seventy gallons of coffee, twelve cartons of cigarettes, and more migraines than I care to say--they represent a renewed commitment to providing our readers with the finest speculative fiction both online and in print.

All sites evolve over time, and since 2001, ST grew from half a dozen novel excerpts to a sprawling mess of thousands of pages. Insert comment about how the design reflects the designer here. What we've attempted to do with the site update is unravel that mess and present a clean, professional look that represents what ST is and what ST will be. You'll now find three distinct (yet interrelated) components to silverthought.com: ST Online, our original online publishing division, the ST Forum, our online community of readers and writers, and ST Print, our offline publishing division. Maybe I'm just tired of people trying to submit novels to our online wing and flash fiction to our print arm.

Speaking of submissions, please note that we've made important changes to the submission guidelines for both ST Online and ST Print. ST Online has always been and will remain a free site on which readers will find some great reading; the major difference is that now we're going to pay writers whose work we accept on ST Online a flat fee. No, it's not a pro rate, but it's something. Tell your friends.

We have many exciting projects lined up for ST Print this year, including the March/April release of David S. Grant's two-in-one Bleach Blackout. Watch for pre-order information coming soon. Now that the site update is (mostly) out of the way, I'll get my ass back to publishing books.

This month's ST Online update includes some fantastic fiction from ST mainstays and quite a few new writers. Time travel is a predominant theme in many of the pieces, perhaps particularly appropriate for a day that comes but once every four years. Insert Andy Laughton joke about my love life here.

We'll have a new contest very soon, "Eat Me", a writing contest conceived by rookie staff member (and source of much inspiration for our site update) Scott Lyerly. I can only hope it ruins the universe as thoroughly as Russell's Tone Challenge did. Oh, we do have fun.

Andy's made some changes in the ST Forum to reflect our new site, so all of you lurkers should run right in and register and post your little hearts out. Say something inappropriate. Stir things up. Laughton enjoys a good flame war/mass-ban.

And if you've not yet signed up for the ST Newsletter, send me an email (editor@silverthought.com) saying you want in. Scott's done a hell of a job with this thing, and as we settle in to the new ST, it'll only get better.

So welcome back, readers and writers of sf. I hope you enjoy the new site. Like all of my pages, this is a work in progress, so stay tuned for more features, more bells, more whistles, and more things breaking. Read a story, buy a book, start a debate. This is Silverthought, and we're back.

--PEH

The Newsletter Is Coming...

2008-02-29T08:02:00.002-05:00

With the redesign of the site and changes being unfurled today, I thought I would tease everyone with the cover of the newsletter that will be coming out approximately the same time.

Miss it at your own risk...