David A. Riley's Blog

 

The first of the planned two-volumes of The Collected SF, Fantasy & Horror Stories of David A. Riley will be published in the next few weeks.

Coinciding with Mr Riley's 75th birthday this May, volume one will include all of his stories published between 1970 and 2010. Measuring 9.5 inches x 6.3 inches (24 cm x 16 cm), this 500-page collection of over 200,000 words includes 32 stories. Published in hardcover, this will cost £25.00 per copy. At the same time an e-book version will be available for £5.00. 

Stories included are:

 TheLurkers in the Abyss was first published in TheEleventh Pan Book of Horror Stories, 1970

TheFarmhouse was first published in NewWritings in Horror & the Supernatural, 1971

Corpse-Maker wasfirst published in Weird Window 2, 1971

AfterNightfall was first published in Year’sBest Horror 1, 1971

TheUrn was first published in Whispers#1, 1972

ABottle of Spirits was first published in New Writings in Horror & the Supernatural 2, 1972

A Sense of Movement From Beyondthe Dark Gateway, 1972

Terroron the Moors was first published in World of Horror, 1974

The Shade of Apollyon was firstpublished in World of Horror, 1974

The Satyr’s Head was first publishedin The Satyr’s Head & Other Tales of Terror, 1975

Prickly was first published was firstpublished in Death, 1982

Writer’s Cramp was first published in Fantasy Tales, 1988

Winter on Aubarch 6 was first published in FearMagazine, 1989

Retribution was first published in PeepingTom, 1991

The Shadow by the Altarwasfirst published in Peeping Tom, 1992

Out of Corruption was first publishedin The Mammoth Book of Zombies, 1993

A New Lease was first published in TheAnthology of Fantasy & The Supernatural, 1994

Gwargens was first published in BeyondMagazine, 1995

No Reason in Being Hungry, SheThoughtwas first published in Peeping Tom, 1996

Help-Plants was first published in AboriginalScience Fiction, 1998 

Inside the Labyrinth was first published in Alone on the Darkside, Roc Books,2006

Hoody was first published in When Graveyards Yawn, 2006

Lock-In wasfirst published in The Black Book of Horror, 2007

TheBequest was first published in DarkHorizons, 2008

Nowand Forever More was first published in TheSecond Black Book of Horror, 2008

SoftLittle Fingers was first published in Shadesof Darkness, Ash Tree Press, 2008

The Worst of All Possible Places was firstpublished in Houses on the Borderland, BFS, 2008

The Fragile Mask on His Face was first publishedin Dark Discoveries Magazine, 2009

Their Own Mad Demons was first published in The Fifth Black Book of Horror,2009

Their Cramped Dark World was first published in The Sixth Black Book of Horror,2010

The True Spirit was first published in BackFrom The Dead, 2010

Romero’s Children was first publishedin The Seventh Black Book of Horror, 2010

 

Volume Two, covering the period 2011-2026 will also be 500-pages long, containing 200,000 words and 34 stories.  This will be published later this year, along with an e-book.

 In a few months time I intend to replace my earlier collections of stories with two hard cover mammoth volumes divided between my stories published between 1970 and 2010, and between 2011 and 2026. 

Below are the covers that will be used for them, which include details of all the stories included in the books. These do not include any of my Welgar, Horbeck or Ossani the Healer stories and quite a few other fantasy stories that have yet to find a market.

 

I am pleased to have been informed that Winter of Sci-Fi & Fantasy edited by Dustin Bilyk will be published in paperback and as an ebook on the 17th February. This gorgeous book will include my dark fantasy story "The Abomination in the Crypt". 

I have just had my first acceptance this New Year, though the story won't appear till 2027.

Lovecraftiana Magazine from Rogue Planet Press and edited by Gavin Chappell, will be publishing my story "The Tract of Calvanicus" in its Lammas Eve (August) issue next year.  

 

 

My science fiction yarn "Visit Fungosia" is now available to read for free online on 4 Star Stories. 

I would like to add that 4 Star Stories would appreciate any contributions through Ko-fi at https://ko-fi.com/4starstories.

 With just two weeks to go before the great day we at Parallel Universe Publications would like to wish everyone a Happy Christmas.

 

 2025 saw a number of my previously published stories being reprinted. These are:

"The Farmhouse" in New Writings in Horror & the Supernatural Omnibus from PS Publishing

"A Bottle of Spirits" also in New Writings in Horror & the Supernatural Omnibus from PS Publishing

"The Shade of Apollyon" in The Complete World of Horror Volume 3 

"The God in the Keep" in Schlock! Webzine February 2025

"The Psychic Investigator" in Lovecraftiana Omnibus Book 7

 "The Dark Priestdom" in Welgar the Cursed

"The Forbidden City of Cyramon" in Welgar the Cursed

"Ossani the Healet and the Beautiful Homunculus" in Welgar the Cursed 

It looks as though my short science fiction tale "Visit Fungosia" will be my final new story to be published this year. 

Here is a summary of 2025:

 

"Mask of a Mad God" appeared in my Tule Fog Press collection of Welgar stories, Welgar the Cursed.  

"Emerging from their Twilit Realms" also appeared in Welgar the Cursed and at that time was my final Welgar story (since then I have written four more). 

 

"Essayan's Terrible Machineries of War" was published in Crimson Quill Quarterly #5.  

 

 

"Lies and Treachery" was serialised in issues 6 and 7 of Crimson Quill Quarterly. This featured my mercenary hero Horbeck and his companions, who first appeared the year before in Anthology of the Damned: Necromorrium in "The Demon from Another World".

 

"Ammanada" appeared in Schlock! Webzine in November. 

"Visit Fungosia" was published in 4 Star Stories, an online magazine. The story can be read here. 

There were also a number of reprints.  

2026 so far has these new stories lined up to be published:

"The Abomination in the Crypt" 

"The Moneylender of Oriaska" 

"Ossani's Apprentice"

"Ossani's Escape" 

Hopefully I'll be able to announce more soon.  

 

 

 

My latest story to be published is "Visit Fungosia" in 4 Star Stories edited by David Gray, "a not so tongue-in-cheek alien invasion story. Harry Nealson III was a bored, thrill-seeking adventurer who got more in "the vacation of a lifetime" than he bargained for. Inadvertently swept up in a secret government investigation, he and his traveling companion hold the fate of humanity in their increasingly alien, fungoid hands."Check it out for free here:https://4starstories.com/Dark.../html/bonus_story7.htmlhttps://4starstories.com/Dark_grove_Issue32/index.htm

It looks like my next story to be published will be a strange little SF tale called "Visit Fungosia" in the online magazine 4 Star Stories. 

I wrote this quite a few years ago. I'll post a link when it's available.