Author: Richard Parry

The Same Standard Distribution of Asshats

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I realised today that not *everyone* is an asshole. Bear with me. This might take a while to break down. You know how people are getting depressed or anxious more in today’s world, right, this isn’t exactly news. There have been more meds proscribed for more conditions than ever before, and if you don’t know someone suffering from depression or anxiety you’re probably an insensitive jerk or living in the woods wearing nothing animal skins, and if it’s the latter you’re probably not reading this anyway. I’m wondering, you know, about why this is. People are talking about how it’s the way we live life, the pace of it, or the transitory nature, or the lack of creativity, which I think are all true. These things make sense – if you’re just sweating behind a desk for The Man, you’re Read More …

Finding a Refuge

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It’s a funny world, and I don’t mean ha-ha funny, but epic-small funny. Stephen Dillon crossed my radar as a radical giver-of-time-for-stuff-bigger-than-himself by way of us both knowing Lee Murray. He’s the brains – and, let’s be honest, pretty much the muscle too – behind The Refuge Collection. Besides being an excellent collection of genre fiction set around a mythical town called Refuge, it’s a project that’s attracted a great many authors and artists to his banner to help out charity. Before we hit the pimp my ride part of the show, let’s do some quiet introductions… First up, tell us a little about how you got into this publishing-for-charity gig. Did you approach it as a writer, or from a different angle? Where did the idea come from? I was writing a bunch of stories at the same time, which Read More …

Getting High

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I mean, drug high. We’re having our kitchen countertop resurfaced. It’s impacted the writing a little — I’m either writing a lot worse than before, or my judgement’s improved — but we’ve got a finished product now. Here’s what it looked like about half-way: Aside from feeling permanently high on Jesus, it’s been fun trying to work out how to, say, make a cup of coffee without, uh, anything. Coffee cups, coffee machine, and heck, even the coffee itself. But it’s done now, and here’s the finished product. I can taste tomorrow’s coffee already.

First Review … as a Series

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Lee’s posted an excellent review up on SQMag. I think this is the first review someone’s done of Night’s Champion, as a series. Now, I need to complete the trilogy. Leave that one with me. https://sqmag.com/2016/08/31/edition-28-book-review-nights-champion-series-by-richard-parry/

Interview: Lee Murray

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I like to read. I think it’s a natural condition for those of us in the human race — we like stories. My reading pile (more or less a pile of shame: so many promising books I haven’t got to yet) grew by one. I had a nibble on the sample, grabbed it, and finished it in less than a week (meteoric for me — and only possible because of a last burn to a 3am finish). That book was Into the Mist, a new release from Lee Murray. Not content with the substance of my review, I pestered Lee until she agreed to do an interview. I think she did this to shut me up, or maybe it was out of pity; she’s too polite to say. If you haven’t already, go grab that sample; it’s worth your time. Let’s do Read More …

Movie Reviews from the Front Line

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Actually, from the plane. I was in the Philippines again this week, doing some fun work with excellent people.  Seriously, that place rocks, and I don’t get why they’re not all 180kg because the food there is amazing. One of the things about business travel, aside from it lacking any sort of glamour, is that you get to see a lot of movies.  Here’s my review cycle for this latest trip.

Get Wrapped

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I like covers. I especially like covers when I get to work with people that are basically distilled talent.  Karl did the Night’s Fall covers while in a jungle (true story), trekking out to feed me samples from whatever cobbled together Wi-Fi he could find.  I think you’ll agree that despite the jungle environs, the results are spectacular.  He’s given me artwork that resulted in some spectacular wrap-around covers for the physical editions. E.g., the paperback: Or the hard cover: Enjoy 🙂

Night’s Fall is Out Now

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Yo. You can now get your shiny new copy of Night’s Fall.  Go on, click.  (Hopefully) by the time you read this, you’ll be able to get digital, paperback, and hardcover editions there. It’s been five years since Val climbed out of the ruins of Biomne’s research facility. Five years of running from the creature he’s become. Five years of trying to turn the curse into a blessing. He’s scratching out a living in the heart of Chicago, trying to make ends meet while saving those he can. His friend John has found a home with girlfriend Sky. The three of them share an apartment in a city too big to care. Stories of Val’s dark gift have reached across the seas to Talin Moray, a man who will stop at nothing to possess the power of the Night. Talin Read More …

It’s Alive

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Night’s Fall is … almost finished. By “almost,” I mean that the manuscript has survived the cutting harpies of narrative feedback, and is on its way to getting a series of quality edits.  The story is more or less hammered home.  Fuck yeah. Believe me when I tell you, the hard stuff is done. I showed a draft cover to you before.  Since then I’ve been in touch with the talented Karl Thiart who has done me a glorious cover.  Sure, I can’t give you the book yet, but how about the paperback cover?

Nicknames

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I’ve got this critique group, who I reckon you can blame if Night’s Fall sucks. I call them my Writer Bitches™, because they are a) all writers and b) caustic bitches (meant in a loving way — because you really do need to cut deep with that knife to get a better product).  They, in turn, call me Parry Darling. Of all the nicknames I’ve collected, this one fits the best — or worst.