Some kind words

Futuredaze hits the streets today and as a nice little release present I stumbled across this review at Tangent.


Reviewer Barbara Melville had some nice things to say about the anthology and my story The Cleansing.

“The Cleansing” by Mark Smith-Briggs is proof you can have YA fiction with deeper themes. Our narrator is waiting for his grandfather to die – not from natural causes – but thanks to a worldwide lottery designed to reduce the population. We're shown how both death and population crises can creep up on us, echoed when the grandfather’s execution is moved forward for no apparent reason. A sharp and heart-wrenching story."

Futuredaze released

Futuredaze: An Anthology of YA Science Fiction will be released on February 12.


The anthology features my short story The Cleansing.

It is available for pre-order at Amazon.

For more news, go to my website at http://www.freewebs.com/marksmithbriggs

Scintillae 2012

In very satisfying news my story Where the Wild Children Play has been accepted into the Scintillae 2012 Literary Anthology.

The anthology, to be launched in conjunction with the inaugural Bendigo Writer's Festival in August, will feature about 50 authors from Central Victoria and is designed to feature the best writers in and from the area.

It is being put together by the Bendigo Regional Institute of TAFE's Professional Writing and Editing course, of which I was a graduate back in 2001.

To be included in an anthology that celebrates the best writers from the course and region is a great honour and I'm really looking forward to seeing the line up.

I understand at least one fellow AHWA member will be appearing in it, while I'm hoping to see work from Ian Hobson, Justin D'Ath and John Holton.

Snap to screen at A Night of Horror

My short film short film Snap will be screened as part of next month's Sydney A Night of Horror program.

The film will be screened as part of the program's Australian Horror Showcase - Short Films section on Wednesday, April 6 at the Metro Screen, Cnr Oatley Rd and Oxford St, Paddington.

It was directed by Cameron Oliver and written by myself and Cameron.

Tickets are available at the door.

For screening details on the short film segment and other films visit the festival's website.

Daily Flash available to buy

Daily Flash 2011: 365 Days of Flash Fiction (Anthology), which contains my short-short story, ‘Peer Pressure’, is now available for purchase.

The anthology contains 365 stories of 500 words or less (one a day) for `busy readers'. There is a whole bunch of Aussie writers featured in this one so check it out.

You can pick up a copy from the Publisher or Amazon.

New story picked up

Chris Bartholomew has picked up my story the Bite of Politics for his anthology Closet Monsters.

The anthology is being published by Static Movement and is due out some time in the near future.

Four more in the bag

Apologies for the break in transmission, although I believe I had a good excuse with the birth of my daughter and all...

Just a note to let you know of some new stories which have been picked up in the past month.

Electicism has taken my story Famous for its January 2011 issue, while Paroxysm Press' 100 Lightnings anthology has snagged my story Feeding Time.

Also due out soon is Red Eye in the Cup of Joe Anthology and Peer Pressure gets another run in Daily Flash: 365 Days of Flash from Pill Hill Press.

Now if only I could find time between nappy changes to do some new writing...