Noir Fire contest and giveaway

To celebrate Noir Fire, a gritty speculative fiction anthology that combines the spirit of Noir with the fantastical, futuristic and progressive genres that we love, we are running a micro-fiction writing contest and book giveaway.

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The rules:

To enter the writing contest, write a micro-fiction in the Noir genre, as inspired by the aesthetic and tropes of Noir crime and thriller, from black & white Hollywood classics to cyberpunk novels, which should be both complete and short enough to include in a single tweet with the addition of the hashtag #firenoir. Bonus points if the story has speculative and progressive elements, in addition to traditional noir.

Eligible stories must be tweeted to the hashtag by midnight (any time zone) on Sunday June 19, 2022.

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The prizes:

All entries will be read by the contest judges, Valeria Vitale and Fábio Fernandes, who will pick one winner to receive paperback and e-book copies of the Noir Fire anthology, any one other Futurefire.net Publishing paperback of their choice, and e-book of Dan Grace’s mythical dystopian novella Winter, and up to two runners-up to receive e-books of the Noir Fire anthology, two other FFN anthologies of their choice, and Dan Grace’s Winter.

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(Editors and authors of the anthology, and staff of Futurefire.net Publishing, may post micro-fiction to the hashtag, but will not be entered into the giveaway.)

Micro-interview with Saleha Chowdhury

Micro-interview with Saleha Chowdhury, Cover artist of the Noir Fire anthology.

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TFF: How did you go about designing and illustrating the cover for this noir-themed volume?

Saleha Chowdhury: I started by studying imagery surrounding noir-themed works paying attention to common motifs. Traditional imagery like rain, fog, and a cityscape were things I decided to include. Instead of a traditionally male character I chose to have someone more feminine with a sense of style all their own.

TFF: Have you ever seen a statue or a piece of art that you wished was alive?

SC: I wish some pieces of Jean Giraud's fantasy art were real. It would be really interesting to walk around in them and learn more about those worlds.

TFF: What magical power would you like to possess?

SC: I would love the ability to teleport and visit faraway places. Especially natural places that are really out of the way.

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You can find purchase links and more information about the Noir Fire anthology at http://press.futurefire.net/p/noir-fire.html

Mini-interview with Lorraine Wilson

Mini-interview with Lorraine Wilson, author of “The Bone Children and the Darkness” in the Noir Fire anthology.

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TFF: What does “The Bone Children and the Darkness” mean to you?

Lorraine Wilson: This story was my exploration of the grey area between villain and victim, looking at apparent monstrousness and apparent justice and seeing whether either of those things were 100% true. I also wanted to take characters who have been made monstrous by others and give them back their agency!

TFF: How rich is the connection between ancient Greek mythology and the modern cultures of the Mediterranean?

LW: I’d go further—Greek mythology is deeply connected to most of Western European culture. It’s taught in schools, used constantly in fiction, the names and idioms have entered our languages. It also contributes to idiotic things like western/British exceptionalism, which is ironic, but there we go.

TFF: Have you ever found or left a message in a bottle? Would you like to?

LW: Marine littering! No!

TFF: What is your favourite museum or art gallery?

LW: The ‘bones’ museum! Aka the Natural History Museum in London. For its contents, for the sheer beauty of the building, and for all my childhood memories of wonder.

TFF: Other than Noir and SF, what two (or more) genres would you like to see smashed together in a future anthology?

LW: I was recently part of an audio flash-fiction anthology Ghostlore created by the Alternative Stories Podcast—a ghost story/folklore mash up and it worked so well! I’d love to see that theme in longer form. Also noir/folklore… basically anything blending folklore into other genres is a win for me!

TFF: What are you working on next?

LW: I’m currently editing a ghostie novella set in Iceland, and about to return to editing my third novel, which is coming out next year.

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You can find purchase links and more information about the Noir Fire anthology at http://press.futurefire.net/p/noir-fire.html

Mini-interview with Storm Blakley

Mini interview with Storm Blakley, author of “Salt and Smoke” in the Noir Fire anthology.

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TFF: What does “Salt and Smoke” mean to you?

SB: It’s the first story I’ve ever gotten published, so It will always be special to me. I was honestly unsure my weird little ghost love story would ever find a home, and I’ll forever be grateful to the wonderful folks at Future Fire who took a chance on me.

TFF: Have you ever seen (or otherwise experienced) a ghost?

SB: My childhood best friend grew up in an old farmhouse that made strange, inexplicable sounds, and the family swore it was haunted. We would often hear what sounded like footsteps running up and down the stairs, but maybe it was just the old house settling. Maybe.

TFF: Have you ever tried to write or paint one of your own dreams?

SB: I wish I could! I don’t really remember my dreams; in my whole life, there’s only been a handful. I don’t think in pictures, so that kind of art is difficult for me, but I keep trying to learn how to paint and draw, and maybe one day I’ll improve.

TFF: What is the most terrifying thing about the sea?

SB: All of it! The ocean is absolutely terrifying, in every way; it’s so big, so unknown, unfathomable and indifferent, just chock-full of monsters that could eat me! We’ve mapped more of Mars than we have our own oceans; we know so little about our waters, and that’s a little scary.

TFF: Other than Noir and SF, what two (or more) genres would you like to see smashed together in a future anthology?

SB: Oh, that’s a good one. I think the lines between genres are rather blurry, and there’s fun to be had with any pair or more of genres. I’d honestly be excited for any mash-up, because it will make interesting reading, and it’d be fun to try new things.

TFF: What are you working on next?

SB: Everything! F and SF are my first loves, they’re what got me into reading, so I’m going to keep working on my projects there, but I also want to reach out past my comfort zone, and try new things, because trying new things is what life’s all about!

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You can find purchase links and more information about the Noir Fire anthology at http://press.futurefire.net/p/noir-fire.html

Micro-interview with Lam Ning

Micro-interview with Lam Ning, author of “avenging the sorrow” in the Noir Fire anthology.

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TFF: What does “avenging the sorrow” mean to you?

Lam Ning: It’s a snapshot of the world I know, and it’s a confrontation with the harsh truths of crime and conflict. In fiction it’s tempting to line up an acceptable target for elimination to create the illusion of justice served. In reality, I’m not sure justice exists.

TFF: There is a surprising amount of human goodness in this bloodthirsty story; do you think there’s something about desperation and shared suffering that also brings out sympathy and collaboration?

LN: Those who have been through it already know. Husbands have abandoned their wives when mortars fell; mothers have abandoned their children. But after the first exposure to a crisis, the mind begins to adapt, and we learn to breathe through the panic and shelter each other.

TFF: Who is your favourite kick-ass woman from history?

LN: “I was the conductor of the Underground Railroad for eight years, and I can say what most conductors can’t say—I never ran my train off the track and I never lost a passenger.” (Harriet Tubman)

TFF: What are you working on next?

LN: Something about a one-armed swordsman.

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You can find purchase links and more information about the Noir Fire anthology at http://press.futurefire.net/p/noir-fire.html

Mini-interview with Frances Rowat

Mini-interview with Frances Rowat, author of “Late Night at the Low Road Diner” in the Noir Fire anthology.

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Photo credit: Chelle Parker

TFF: What does “Late Night at the Low Road Diner” mean to you?

Frances Rowat: I find it really hopeful. I tend to miss the darker aspects in my own work, but really—it’s a chance encounter that starts out confrontationally and ends up with pretty much everyone involved better off once a few details about the magic of the world come out.

TFF: Do you use the ghost mythology/ritual in this story in other works? Or did you draw it from somewhere?

FR: I've got another WIP with two of the characters, and the rules of making something “real” show up there as well, but not in my other finished works. I don’t think I drew specifically from anywhere, but the idea of important things coming with a cost isn’t exactly uncommon.

TFF: If you had to invite the protagonist of your current work-in-progress to dinner, what would you cook for them?

FR: Awkward! The protagonist in question is a cook who is interested in mouthfeel and flavour profiles, but I don’t know how he tastes things. And I am really not a cook. I’d probably fall back on chicken with lemon-garlic noodles, and he’d probably be gracious about it not being remarkable.

TFF: What is your favourite optimistic science fiction work?

FR: I am terrible at narrowing things down to a favourite. But for graphic novels I’m going to say Mulligan and Ostertag’s Strong Female Protagonist, and for written work I will say Firebreak by Nicole Kornher-Stace. They’re not light, but the drive and hope in the characters are lovely.

TFF: Other than Noir and SF, what two (or more) genres would you like to see smashed together in a future anthology?

FR: My reflex is “horror and crime!”, but those are a little broad. So I’ll say stories of roads—road trips, travel, getting lost, or just Linda Wojtowick’s excellent “Byway” from The Ghosts on This Road podcast—melded with the dark fantastic.

TFF: What are you working on next?

FR: Honestly, it’s been hard to write lately—there’s a lot going on. I seem to be recouping a little, though, and I’m extremely grateful for that. Mostly I’m revising existing drafts, but I’d also like to revisit “Small-Town Spirit” and see what they do on Hallowe’en.

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You can find purchase links and more information about the Noir Fire anthology at http://press.futurefire.net/p/noir-fire.html

New Issue: 2022.61

“With a genre like film noir, everyone has these assumptions and expectations. And once all of those things are in place, that's when you can really start to twist it about and mess around with it.”

—Lana Wachowski

Issue 2022.61: TFF Noir

Short stories

• ‘Nightingale’s Lament’, Laura Gregory
• ‘A Prayer to St Jude’, M. Bennardo
• “The Fox and the Snake’, Timothy Yeo
• ‘Salt and Smoke’, Storm Blakley

Novelettes

• ‘avenging the sorrow’, Lam Ning

Cover art by Saleha Chowdhury

Guest editorial by Valeria Vitale

Micro-interview with Cécile Matthey

We welcome back Cécile Matthey, illustrator of “Make of Me a Comet” and cover artist of The Future Fire #60.

TFF: How did you go about illustrating “Make of Me a Comet”?

CM: In the first illustration, Elsa is full at work on something we can’t really see—to avoid spoiling the end of the story. There are some hints at her final sculpture in the second illustration, a collage showing her desk. Among various things, like a shopping list, newspaper clippings and a sandpaper sheet, all stained by the bottom of a coffee mug, there are several research sketches. The newspaper clippings were included afterwards, when I fell upon a small article mentioning the… passing of a comet! In the same issue, there was also an article about Georgia O’Keeffe, a famous woman artist whom Elsa might admire, so I added it too.

Illustration © 2022 Cécile Matthey

TFF: With whom, alive or dead, would you most like to collaborate, and on what?

CM: With a friend of mine, a Swiss musician and music producer called Cat’s eye. I made a live illustration on one of his songs ten years ago… already. I’d love to illustrate the cover of one of his next albums, for instance. Usually he designs them himself, because he is also a talented photographer. Anyway, I have been too shy to ask him so far 😉.

TFF: What is more fun, to build or destroy a sand castle?

CM: To build it… and to destroy it right away ! Living rather far from the sea and sand beaches in Switzerland, I didn’t have many occasions to do so when I was a child. But I remember having done something similar with a few medieval castle models made of cardboard.

TFF: What one lesson would you offer to a budding artist?

CM: A lesson in three parts, which appear very simple, but that took me almost a lifetime to understand and practice:

• Try, do not be afraid to fail: that’s the way you learn and get better.
• Be curious, keep your eyes open: inspiration can be found anywhere, anytime.
• Have fun!

Illustration © 2022 Cécile Matthey

TFF: What else are you working on now?

CM: As you already know, I’m also a scientific illustrator in archaeology. I’m currently working on an antique treasure discovered in a Roman villa (Yvonand, Switzerland). It is mostly composed of silver spoons and bracelets, some of which are elaborately decorated, looking very modern. Clearly, this treasure has been hidden, but we don’t know why, nor by whom. It’s moving to think these objects have been used and worn by people, more than 2000 years ago.

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Reminder: You can comment on any of the stories or illustrations in this issue at http://press.futurefire.net/2022/01/new-issue-202260.html

Micro-interview with Marianne Connolly

Welcome Marianne Connolly, author of “Mrs. Daedalus” in The Future Fire #60.

TFF: What does “Mrs. Daedalus” mean to you?

MC: “Mrs. Daedalus” began as a prompt in the Wordos critique group, “How My Mother Became A Drone.” It developed into a story about my own mother, but with more magic and less nagging.

Illustration © 2022 Joyce Chng

TFF: Would you like to be or to own a robot?

MC: I wouldn’t choose to be a robot, but I would appreciate a few enhancements, like super-sharp vision or the power of flight. As for owning a robot, I’d be cautious. I think any robot worth its salt is likely to organize its own liberation. Think about Murderbot (Martha Wells), the Cylons (Battlestar Galactica), and Phillip K Dick’s androids (with or without electric sheep). Maybe it’s better to have a robot roommate and share the chores.

TFF: What are you working on next?

MC: I’m working on two short stories about were-creatures, and an urban fantasy novel set in Boston in 1983.

Extract:

My mother had a knack for appliances. She liked machinery, the way some women like cats or houseplants, and machinery liked her. When I was a kid, she would embarrass me at the department store, talking to the toasters, purring over an avocado green Osterizer, clucking her tongue as though they were puppies whining in a store window, crying to come home. When she did take one home, she would tinker, and the transformation would begin. In my mother’s kitchen, machinery began a second life.

Reminder: You can comment on any of the stories or illustrations in this issue at http://press.futurefire.net/2022/01/new-issue-202260.html

Micro-interview with Katharine A. Viola

Katharine A. Viola, illustrator of “Before We Drown” in The Future Fire #60 came by to chat briefly about her work.

TFF: How did you go about illustrating “Before We Drown”?

KAV: This was easy. The words painted such a vivid description both physically and on an emotional level; it was more difficult on what not to try and paint.

Illustration © 2022 Katharine A. Viola

TFF: What do you dream?

KAV: I, unfortunately like many, have anxiety dreams… I waited tables more than 10 years ago and still have dreams that I get too many tables and can't serve them all. Also, I often am back in school, forget to take class all year, and show up to the final exam unprepared. I’m over it!

You can comment on any of the stories or illustrations in this issue at http://press.futurefire.net/2022/01/new-issue-202260.html

Micro-interview with Jennifer R. Donohue

Welcome, Jennifer R. Donohue, author of “Every Quivering Fold of Flesh” in The Future Fire #60.

TFF: What does “Every Quivering Fold of Flesh” mean to you?

JRD: For me, “Every Quivering Fold of Flesh” is a 'what if?' story. The washed-up blob that I describe is far larger than the mystery blobs that tend to wash up on beaches in the real world, maybe more whale-sized, and I'm not really sure of the typical method of their disposal (though I'm sure we've all seen or heard of the 'dynamite whale' video.) So I thought "well what if a Thing washed up, and nobody really knew what it was, but other than that, it somehow wasn't really remarkable enough either? So it just sat there." And then I thought, well what if somebody ate it? And what if, by eating it, they were transformed? So this is the somewhat alarming (according to my readers) result.

Illustration © 2022 L.E. Badillo

TFF: Is there something you would definitely never, ever eat?

JRD: First of all, I would definitely never eat a blob that washed up on a beach. I'm actually not really a big fan of seafood; when I was little, my palate was very easily overwhelmed by stronger tastes, and since I'm from the Jersey shore, seafood was something I was presented with again and again, and have consistently not liked. There was a time when Orange Roughy was a really popular fish, and I could tolerate that, and my dad (not unreasonably!) thought "well if we tell her the fish we give her is Orange Roughy, she'll eat it and won't know the difference" and that did work...until it didn't! So then I was unwilling to try fish at all for literally years. So now, my very limited fish palate includes things like fried calamari, mahi mahi, canned tuna, and the spicy salmon that's often in/on sushi. I will absolutely not eat octopus, though, I won't even try it. Their intelligence makes me feel really bad about the idea of eating them.

Extract:

When it washed up on the beach, the news said these things tend to be giant squid, or whales, or blobfish. To the locals, it didn’t look like it was the right color for any of those things, gray-green and vaguely warted like a cucumber, but it’s what they said on the news. Whales had bones, though, and so did fish. And squid, at least one big long flat bone, and a beak. This vast mound of flesh, inclined to quiver, had none of those things.

You can comment on any of the stories or illustrations in this issue at http://press.futurefire.net/2022/01/new-issue-202260.html

Micro-interview with Avra Margariti

Welcome to Avra Margariti author of the poem “Degenerate” in The Future Fire #60:

TFF: What does “Degenerate” mean to you?

AM: Looking at the definitions for "degeneration", one is about the alleged moral corruption inherent in any queer state and person, the other about a disease that causes the cells of the body to deteriorate and lose function. When it comes to horror, I am fascinated by concepts such as atavism (the tendency to revert to the body's ancestral state; for example, growing vestigial tails), and teratomata (fully developed tumors of mixed tissue and organs in unsuitable places; for example, an amalgamation of hair, muscle, and bone all growing from the same spot). Body horror and queerness are, for me, inextricably bound as a way to achieve desired metamorphosis.

Illustration © 2022 Josep Lledó

TFF: If you could acquire the ability to speak with one type of animal or monster, which would you choose?

AM: The Lamia, which is also my current favorite creature from Greek mythology. She is a night-prowling serpentine daemon with the gift of prophesy (and the ability to remove and reinsert her eyes in their sockets at will). Originally regarded as beautiful and desirable by gods and mortals, she was later transformed into something ugly and monstrous yet is still a master of seduction (which often ends in anthropophagy).

Extract:

Vestigial wings
Atrophying pseudopodia
& motley degeneration
Of mixed metaphors

You can comment on “Degenerate” or any of the stories, poems and illustrations in this issue at http://press.futurefire.net/2022/01/new-issue-202260.html