E.C. Blake's Blog

Shapers of Worlds Volume IV, the fourth anthology featuring authors who were guests on my podcast, The Worldshapers, is now available everywhere, including directly from Shadowpaw Press.

Here’s a handy universal URL with links to multiple sources.

When it launched on January 23, it was, for a while, the #1 release on Amazon in Science Fiction Anthologies.

In conjunction with the launch, I was interviewed by Shauna Powers on Saskatchewan Weekend on CBC Radio. I thought it was a great interview, and it turned out really well. 

Listen to the interview

The anthology received an excellent review from Tangent Online. “One of the most overall enjoyable anthologies I have had the pleasure of reading . . . I think that the editor says it best in his introduction: this collection is like a grand feast, made of many varied splendid ingredients, and you are quite sure to leave happy and satisfied when you are done. There is, I think, a little bit of something for everyone . . .” Read the whole review.

In addition, ten stories from the anthology have made Tangent Online‘s annual Recommended Reading List for short fiction, with two, Sarah A. Hoyt’s “Done With Mirrors” and my own “The Canceller” receiving the top ranking of three stars. Also recommended: “Presumed Alien” by David Boop; “Soldier of Fortune” by Edward M. Lerner, “The End of the Sagittarius Arc” by Jean-Louis Trudel, “BWDOC” by James Van Pelt, “Souvenirs” by Gail Z. Martin, and “Nineteenth Century Vase” by David Liss (each with one star); and “There’s Something Under the Bed” by Garon Whited and “Monster in the Second Reel” by Richard Paolinelli, each with two stars.

Just as a reminder, here’s the blurb:

The fourth in a series of powerhouse anthologies featuring some of today’s top authors of science fiction and fantasy

From the farthest reaches of our galaxy to the cozy-yet-mysterious spaces under beds and behind sofa cushions, from mystical realms of fantasy to the here-and-now and the very near future, the nineteen authors in this fourth collection of science fiction and fantasy by authors featured on the Aurora Award-winning podcast The Worldshapers offer readers a kaleidoscope of fantastical adventures in the company of unforgettable characters.

The editor of tyrannical bestselling author thinks she’s finally escaped their hellish relationship when the author dies . . . but she couldn’t be more wrong. A retired ghost-hunter’s life takes an unexpected turn when an immensely valuable magical vase from the nineteenth-century vase is brought to her attention. At the end of a millennia-long journey to the edge of the galaxy, a man who has lived a hundred lifetimes is reunited with his first true love in the midst of a battle for survival. Scarecrows that appear overnight on a lonely man’s lawn prove to be far more than the teenagers’ prank he thinks them to be. A man travels back in time to confront the attacker who destroyed his life, only to make a horrifying discovery. The Monster Under the Bed finally meets his match . . .

Shapers of Worlds Volume IV has new stories by David Boop, Michaelbrent Collings, Roy M. Griffis, Sarah A. Hoyt, Sherrilyn Kenyon, Noah Lemelson, Edward M. Lerner, David Liss, Gail Z. Martin, Joshua Palmatier, Richard Paolinelli, Jean-Louis Trudel, James van Pelt, Garon Whited, and Edward Willett, plus previously published stories by James Kennedy, Mark Leslie, R.S. Mellette, and Lavie Tidhar. Each story features an illustration by Wendi Nordell.

Travel into the past, the present, and the future in stories set in our world, in deep space, in worlds scattered across the multiverse, and in worlds that exist only in the imagination, all shaped by an outstanding collection of authors, many of them bestsellers and award-winners.

An unforgettable journey awaits. All you have to do is turn the page . . .

I’ve already started working on the Kickstarter for Shapers of Worlds Volume V!

Shapers of Worlds Volume III, the third Kickstarted anthology featuring authors who were guests on my Aurora Award-winning podcast, The Worldshapers (hosted under my real name, Edward Willett), is now available everywhere.

It features new fiction from Griffin Barber, Gerald Brandt, Miles Cameron, Sebastien de Castell, Kristi Charish, David Ebenbach, Mark Everglade, Frank J. Fleming, Violette Malan, Anna Mocikat, James Morrow, Jess E. Owen, Cat Rambo, K.M. Rice, and Edward Willett and new poetry by Jane Yolen, plus stories by Cory Doctorow, K. Eason, Walter Jon Williams, and F. Paul Wilson.

The Kickstarter for Volume IV will run in March 2023.

And remember, the previous two anthologies are still available! Use these handy links to order all three of the anthologies from the bookstore of your choice, or order directly from Shadowpaw Press.

Shapers of Worlds
Shapers of Worlds Volume II
Shapers of Worlds Volume III

It’s taken a while, but Faces, the third book in the Masks of Aygrima triolgy, is coming out in audiobook firnat to join the audiobooks of the first two, Masks and Shadows. All are produced by Recorded Books.

Links below are to Amazon.com, but the audiobooks are available everywhere: Audible, Kobo, Apple, etc.

Elizabeth Morton narrates the first two; Sandy Rustin narrates the third.

Masks: The Masks of Aygrima Book 1

Shadows: The Masks of Aygrima Book 2

Faces: The Masks of Aygrima Book 3

Each of the past two years I’ve successfully Kickstarted an anthology featuring authors who were guests of my Aurora Award-winning podcast, The Worldshapers, where I talk to other science fiction and fantasy authors about the creative process (check out the sidebar for the most recent episodes). And I just did it again! The book will be out this fall.

Shapers of Worlds Volume III will feature new fiction from Griffin Barber, Gerald Brandt, Miles Cameron, Sebastien de Castell, Kristi Charish, David Ebenbach, Mark Everglade, Frank J. Fleming, Violette Malan, Anna Mocikat, James Morrow, Jess E. Owen, Cat Rambo, K.M. Rice, and Edward Willett and new poetry by Jane Yolen, plus stories by Cory Doctorow, K. Eason, Walter Jon Williams, and F. Paul Wilson.

And remember, the previous two anthologies are still available! Use these handy links to order from the bookstore of your choice, or order directly from Shadowpaw Press.

Shapers of Worlds
Shapers of Worlds Volume II

Each of the past two years I’ve successfully Kickstarted an anthology featuring authors who were guests of my Aurora Award-winning podcast, The Worldshapers, where I talk to other science fiction and fantasy authors about the creative process (check out the sidebar for the most recent episodes).

It’s time to do it again! The Kickstarter for the anthology feature third-year guests of the podcast is now live at https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/edwardwillett/shapers-of-worlds-volume-iii (or, if you prefer something shorter, https://tinyurl.com/shapersofworlds3. Back now to have your pick of the great backers’ rewards!

Shapers of Worlds Volume III will feature new fiction from Griffin Barber, Gerald Brandt, Miles Cameron, Sebastien de Castell, Kristi Charish, David Ebenbach, Mark Everglade, Frank J. Fleming, Violette Malan, Anna Mocikat, James Morrow, Jess E. Owen, Cat Rambo, K.M. Rice, and Edward Willett and new poetry by Jane Yolen, plus stories by Cory Doctorow, K. Eason, Walter Jon Williams, and F. Paul Wilson.

Backers’ rewards include tons of ebooks, signed paperbacks and hardcovers, limited editions (including a signed ARC of Cory Doctorow’s next book, which won’t be out until 2023), Zoom chats with authors (including Walter Jon Williams), commissioned artwork from Jess E. Owen, and original poetry, written just for the backer, by Jane Yolen.

I hope you’ll come aboard the new campaign and enjoy another fantastical journey into worlds of imagination!

And remember, the previous two anthologies are still available! Use these handy links to order from the bookstore of your choice, or order directly from Shadowpaw Press.

Shapers of Worlds
Shapers of Worlds Volume II

Two new reviews of Blue Fire, my stand-along young-adult fantasy penned as E.C. Blake and published by Shadowpaw Press, came along within twenty-four hours of each other this week, and both were very positive!

Aurealis Magazine is a long-running Australian science-fiction magazine. Writing in Issue #141, reviewer Clare Rhoden says, in part:

“This novel reads immersively because of the deep physical world-building and the meticulous construction of the diverse belief systems. The Nightdwellers and their homes, habits and culture are a triumph of invention.

“E C Blake, author of the excellent Masks of Agyrima trilogy, shows a deft mix of revelation and restraint in this stand-alone work. The teenagers each suffer their own certainties and doubts, often putting a happy resolution in peril. Betrayals, seeming betrayals, and volte-faces from people they trust ring true. It’s refreshing that not all the adults are wrong-headed.

“A thoroughly enjoyable exploration of belief systems and arbitrary divisions between different people who share only one world.”

Meanwhile, over at Sask Book Reviews, Marlin Legare writes:

“Blake’s lore struck a fantastic balance between being grandiose and mysterious enough to be interesting without being convoluted . . . The plot and the storytelling of this novel are the solid core of it. While the lore does help build the world and explain the characters’ motivation and biases, it never gets in the way of the story, nor does it ever seem to be just there for filler.

“The characters are exceptionally well-written as well. Despite belonging to the magical realm of Nevyana, the three central characters still felt distinctly like teenagers. Blake understands that readers, especially young ones, need to connect with their characters to be engaged in the story. Petra, Amlinn, and Jin all carried common traits and insecurities of real-life teenagers that often made me shake my head and smile.

“In conclusion, Blue Fire is a delightful YA fantasy that I can recommend to readers of any age.”

Read the whole thing.

Blue Fire is available from:

Shadowpaw Press | Amazon.ca | Amazon.com | Chapters/Indigo
Barnes & Noble | Indiebound | Kobo | Apple | GooglePlay

The Kickstarter to fund Shapers of Worlds Volume II, a new anthology featuring writers who were guests during the second year of my podcast, The Worldshapers, successfully funded in 2021, raising a total of CA $16,862, 112% of the goal of $15,000, and the book is now available in print and ebook formats.

Shapers of Worlds Volume II features new fiction from Kelley Armstrong, Marie Brennan, Helen Dale, Candas Jane Dorsey, Lisa Foiles, Susan Forest, James Alan Gardner, Matthew Hughes, Heli Kennedy, Lisa Kessler, Adria Laycraft, Ira Nayman, Garth Nix, Tim Pratt, Edward Savio, Bryan Thomas Schmidt, Jeremy Szal, and Edward Willett, plus stories by Jeffrey A. Carver, Barbara Hambly, Nancy Kress, David D. Levine, S.M. Stirling, and Carrie Vaughn. Among those authors are winners and nominees for every major science fiction and fantasy literary award, plus several international bestsellers.

Shapers of Worlds Volume II is a follow-up to Shapers of Worlds, successfully Kickstarted one year ago, which featured authors who were guests during the first year of The Worldshapers podcast.

That anthology included new fiction from Tanya Huff, Seanan McGuire, David Weber, L.E. Modesitt, Jr., John C. Wright, D.J. Butler, Christopher Ruocchio, Shelley Adina, and Edward Willett, plus reprints from John Scalzi, Joe Haldeman, David Brin, Julie E. Czerneda, Fonda Lee, Gareth L. Powell, Dr. Charles E. Gannon, Derek Künsken, and Thoraiya Dyer.

The Kickstarter to fund Shapers of Worlds Volume II, a new anthology featuring writers who were guests during the second year of my podcast, The Worldshapers, has successfully funded, raising a total of CA $16,862, 112% of the goal of $15,000.

When it’s published this fall by Shadowpaw Press, Shapers of Worlds Volume II will feature new fiction from Kelley Armstrong, Marie Brennan, Helen Dale, Candas Jane Dorsey, Lisa Foiles, Susan Forest, James Alan Gardner, Matthew Hughes, Heli Kennedy, Lisa Kessler, Adria Laycraft, Ira Nayman, Garth Nix, Tim Pratt, Edward Savio, Bryan Thomas Schmidt, Jeremy Szal, and Edward Willett, plus stories by Jeffrey A. Carver, Barbara Hambly, Nancy Kress, David D. Levine, S.M. Stirling, and Carrie Vaughn. Among those authors are winners and nominees for every major science fiction and fantasy literary award, plus several international bestsellers.

Shapers of Worlds Volume II is a follow-up to Shapers of Worlds, successfully Kickstarted one year ago, which featured authors who were guests during the first year of The Worldshapers podcast.

That anthology included new fiction from Tanya Huff, Seanan McGuire, David Weber, L.E. Modesitt, Jr., John C. Wright, D.J. Butler, Christopher Ruocchio, Shelley Adina, and Edward Willett, plus reprints from John Scalzi, Joe Haldeman, David Brin, Julie E. Czerneda, Fonda Lee, Gareth L. Powell, Dr. Charles E. Gannon, Derek Künsken, and Thoraiya Dyer.

It’s almost here! The Kickstarter to fund Shapers of Worlds Volume II, a new anthology featuring writers who were guests during the second year of my podcast, The Worldshapers, launches March 9 at 12 noon CST.

 (which will become the project page) to sign up to be notified when it launches.

If it funds, Shapers of Worlds Volume II will feature new fiction from Kelley Armstrong, Marie Brennan, Helen Dale, Candas Jane Dorsey, Lisa Foiles, Susan Forest, James Alan Gardner, Matthew Hughes, Heli Kennedy, Lisa Kessler, Adria Laycraft, Ira Nayman, Garth Nix, Tim Pratt, Edward Savio, Bryan Thomas Schmidt, Jeremy Szal, and Edward Willett, plus stories by Jeffrey A. Carver, Barbara Hambly, Nancy Kress, David D. Levine, S.M. Stirling, and Carrie Vaughn. Among those authors are winners and nominees for every major science fiction and fantasy literary award, plus several international bestsellers.

Backers’ rewards offered by the authors include some 100 signed books (including limited editions), Tuckerizations (a backer’s name used as a character name), ready-to-hang photographs, audiobooks, bookplates, and more.

Here’s the Kickstarter campaign’s pre-launch page, where people can sign up to be notified when the project launches, is www.kickstarter.com/projects/edwardwillett/shapers-of-worlds-volume-ii. This will become the project link when the Kickstarter launches on March 9 at 12 noon CST.

This time around, I’m seeking $15,000 CDN. Most of those funds will go to pay the authors, with the rest going to reward fulfillment, primarily the editing, layout, and printing of the book, which will be published in both ebook and trade paperback formats by Shadowpaw Press. The special Kickstarter edition for backers will be followed by a commercial release this fall.

Shapers of Worlds Volume II is a follow-up to Shapers of Worlds, successfully Kickstarted one year ago, which featured authors who were guests during the first year of The Worldshapers podcast.

That anthology included new fiction from Tanya Huff, Seanan McGuire, David Weber, L.E. Modesitt, Jr., John C. Wright, D.J. Butler, Christopher Ruocchio, Shelley Adina, and Edward Willett, plus reprints from John Scalzi, Joe Haldeman, David Brin, Julie E. Czerneda, Fonda Lee, Gareth L. Powell, Dr. Charles E. Gannon, Derek Künsken, and Thoraiya Dyer.

You can now read the first four chapters of my latest young-adult epic fantasy, Blue Fire! And, of course, you can buy the book, too, at any of these fine places:

Shadowpaw Press | Amazon.ca | Amazon.com | Chapters/Indigo | Barnes & Noble | Indiebound | Kobo | Apple | GooglePlay

Here’s the description again, to whet your appetite:

From the author of the acclaimed fantasy trilogy  The Masks of Agyrima , published by DAW Books, comes another epic YA fantasy adventure.

Centuries ago, the people of Nevyana were forced to leave their old kingdom across the sea after it was devastated by the War of the Twelve Gods. The only three Gods to survive that war, Vekrin of the Earth, Arrica of the Sun, and Ell of the Moon, agreed to leave the affairs of men alone–but not until they gave their followers a few final magical Gifts.

Vekrin and Arrica gave their followers the gift of Blue Fire, a powerful force that could provide light, heat, and protection–or be turned into a powerful weapon. But Ell chose instead to utterly transform her followers into the almost feline Nightdwellers, nocturnal creatures with fur, teeth, and claws.

Enmity quickly arose among the three groups, and now the Nightdwellers rule the night, killing any ordinary humans they catch out after sunset. Vekrin’s followers became the Citydwellers, retreating behind stout walls of stone, protected by the Blue Fire-powered firelances of the Priests. And Arrica’s followers became the Freefolk, able to travel through the wilderness protected by a Fence of Blue Fire, but always in danger of Nightdweller attack.

When sacred objects for channelling Blue Fire are stolen, three sworn enemies, Petra of the Citydwellers, Amlinn of the Freefolk, and Jin of the Nightdwellers, set out to find them, and their paths converge on a collision course with the truth. Can they bridge the centuries-old division among their communities? Or will their search for the truth and the explosive power of Blue Fire signal the end of Nevyana?

“Great world-building, a fantasy feel with an SF twist, admirable characters, and the themes of courage and truth above all make (Blue Fire) a wonderful YA read. I know my teen will really enjoy it.” – Book Horde

“Though many YA fantasies are coming-of-age novels, this one is different in that perhaps it’s time not only for the young protagonists to take on active, responsible roles, but for their communities at large to leave behind old behaviours and interactions . . . In a few images, (Blake) presents the differing communities of his protagonists, making these young people and their surroundings distinct and memorable . . . Anyone who can write with such immediacy about light, rain, and mystic discipline has my attention!” – Paula Johanson, author of Tower in a Crooked Wood

“I really loved this book a whole lot, I fell in love with all three of these individuals…I really loved all three of their relationships…an awesome and fun book to read.” – Lori’s Little House of Reviews