Stephen Kozeniewski's Blog

Hey everyone, it's almost time for another convention and I'm hoping to see you there. Through this Thursday to Sunday, I'll be at GenCon signing books, participating in panels, and hanging out with you guys! 

It's a really fun event with workshops, panels, genre discussions, cosplay, and a whole load of other cool stuff.

Hope to see you there!

Dates: Thursday through Sunday July 30 - August 2 
Location: ICCLOS 
100 S. Capitol Ave 
Indianapolis, IN 46225 

Panels: 
Thursday, 10 am - "BUS 101: Contracts" (w/ Gabrielle Harbowy, James Lowder, Jennifer Uden) - Marriot: Boston Room
Thursday, 11 am - "It's About Zombie Delivery Guys Who Are Also Were-Cats, or, How to Put Together An Anthology (w/ Brian Keene, Johanna Simon) - Marriot Ballroom 2
Thursday, 2 pm - "What to Expect When Expecting" (w/ Aaron Rosenberg, Cat Rambo, Jennifer Udden) - Marriot Ballroom 2
Thursday, 3 pm - "Ask Me Anything - Publishers" (w/ Diana M. Pho, Jeri Red Shepherd, Sean CW Korsgaard) - Marriot Ballroom 3
Thursday, 4 pm - "STORY 201 - Non-Linear Narratives" (w/ Erik Scott de Bie, Gabrielle Harbowy, Kelli Fitzpatrick) - Marriot Ballroom 4
Saturday, 4 pm - "The Panel That Will Get Us All Sued: The Return" (w/ James Lowder, Mary Sangiovani, Richard Dansky) - Marriot Ballroom 2

Howdy everyone! I'm delighted to announce that from today (Sunday 19th July) to Tuesday (21st July), BILLY AND THE CLONEASAURUS is available for only 99c or 99p depending on where in the world you are. 

If you've never come across my weird, dystopian, sci-fi tale of one guy (sort of) on a quest, how best to describe it to you? I'll just show you the synopsis...

Six billion identical clones make up the entire population of Earth, and William 790-6 (57th Iteration) is exactly like everybody else. In his one year of life he will toil in suburban mediocrity and spend as much cash as possible in order to please his corporate masters. When 790’s first birthday (and scheduled execution) finally rolls around, a freak accident spares his life. Living past his expiration date changes 790 profoundly. Unlike other clones he becomes capable of questioning the futility of his own existence. Seeking answers in the wilderness, he discovers a windmill with some very strange occupants, including a freakish, dinosaur-like monstrosity. Which is especially strange since every animal on earth is supposed to be extinct… Dark, haunting, and blisteringly satirical, BILLY AND THE CLONEASAURUS is the story of one “man’s” attempt to finally become an individual in a world of copies.

This offer is only available from AMAZON for 3 days if you're in the USA, UK, Australia, or Canada. Snap them up fast!

Hi everyone,

This Saturday (25th April) I'll be at the Ephrata Public Library for their Local Author Book Fair, and I won't be alone. Swing by to pick up books, get your books signed, and discuss the secrets of the universe with me, Avery Bishop, Somer Canon, Eddie Hall, David Hegedus, Kayla Hicks, Stephanie Jack, Brian Keene, Mary SanGiovanni, Wesley Southard, and Sarah Emily.

I'll be there with my brand new book THE HEMATOPHAGES: SPLATTERINGS and you won't want to miss what my colleagues have on offer either! There'll be plenty of great books and great conversations for everyone that pays us a visit, so if you're in the local area, we hope to see you.

More information can be found HERE but here are the basics:

Date:  Saturday, April 25Location:  

Ephrata Public Library
550 South Reading Road
Ephrata, PA 17522

See you there!

 

Now available from:
Amazon

Around the Internet:
GoodreadsA review on The Voracious GnomeA review on Long and Short ReviewsAn announcement on Happy Goat HorrorA mini-review on Uncomfortably Dark

VIDEOS:

Hey everyone, I have a new book to tell you about. You might have caught the news last month when I announced pre-orders, but now THE HEMATOPHAGES: SPLATTERINGS is finally widely available to purchase. I'd start screaming now before you read it, if I were you (because in space, no one can hear you...never mind.)

This collection of sci-fi horrors is set in the same universe as my novel THE HEMATOPHAGES, and the accompanying novella, SKINWRAPPER. You'll find parasites, things that squirm, strange behaviour, time-looped phantoms, and other things that will plague your nightmares. As a bonus, I've include a lot of story notes that cover my writing experience, inspirations, and some industry tea.

In a galaxy riven by paranoid greed, profane forces marshal to consume humanity…
- On an abandoned ice moon, broadcasts from a long-dead civilization warp both body and soul.
- On a bizarre medical asteroid, a deranged physician discovers a gruesome “cure” for parasitic infection.
- On a deep space derelict, time becomes utterly meaningless and suffering transcends infinity.
- And on Earth itself, a lake transforms into pure blood and becomes infested with the hate-filled, eel-like aberrations known as…
The Hematophages.


Available NOW from:
Amazon

Hi everyone!

AuthorCon VI is quickly approaching (it's this weekend, in fact!) and I just wanted to tell you all I'll be there and I'm hoping to see you. For readers, feel free to find me, get your books signed, and have some great conversation. Preferably at the bar...

AND I will be exclusively releasing my new book at this event.

THE HEMATOPHAGES: SPLATTERINGS is a collection of shorts (and loads of bonus content) set in my Hematophages universe. Body horror, sci-fi, parasites, pirates...even some space werewolves can be expected. Be among the first to feast your eyes (and hopefully hold on to them...) on this new volume.

For authors, I'm participating in a number of panels and events, including not one, not two, but THREE pitching sessions. If you have a manuscript and you're looking for a home for it, my indie press, French Press Publishing could be a good fit. We generally want horror and science fiction (and even better, a combination of the two.)

Click on the banner below for more information about the event or to get your tickets.

Dates: Friday through Sunday February 27 - March 1Location: DoubleTree by Hilton 50 Kingsmill Road Williamsburg, Virginia 23185 Panels: Friday, 6:30 pm - "French Press Publishing Pitch Session" - 2nd Floor, Room EFriday, 10:00 pm - "Who's Line is it Anyway?" (w/ Clay MacLeod Chapman, Nat Cassidy, CJ Leede, Bitter Karella, Shane McKenzie, Wile E. Young, and Jeff Strand) - First Floor AuditoriumSaturday, 11:30 am - "French Press Publishing Pitch Session" - 2nd Floor, Room ESaturday, 2:15 pm - Reading (w/ Jonathan Gensler) - 2nd Floor, Room 8Saturday, 10:00 pm - "Gross-Out Contest) (w/ Wile E. Young) - First Floor AuditoriumSunday, 11:00 am - "French Press Publishing Pitch Session" - 2nd Floor, Room ESunday, 11:45 am - "Weird Westerns, Grimdark, and Military Honor" (w/ M - Robert Whitmore, Daniel J. Volpe, Jonathan Gensler, Andrew Najberg)

Hi everyone,

Since you are my favorite people, I have an awesome deal for you all. My first (and so far, most popular) novel, BRAINEATER JONES, is out now for a limited time for the sweet price of 99c. That's not even a dollar. It's practically nothing. In fact, it's probably more expensive for you to NOT get it.

Don't think about that too hard, just trust me. Anyway, if you haven't had the pleasure to make the acquaintance of BRAINEATER JONES, here's a bit about the book:

 No memory. No pulse. No clue.

The undead private eye everybody calls “Braineater Jones” has an axe to grind. Somebody plugged him and dumped his corpse in a swimming pool.
Worse yet, his memory’s gone. He has no idea who killed him or why.
But he’s damn sure going to find out.
With a smartass severed head as a partner, Jones hangs up his shingle in the city’s undead quarter. When he’s not solving cases (poorly) Jones is always looking to keep his flask full.
Prohibition is in full swing, and the dead need alcohol to function. Without liquor they become mindless, flesh-munching ghouls. (In a word: braineaters.)
Everything will probably be fine. The investigation into his own murder probably won’t point Jones toward the city’s most important bootlegger.
And even if it does, it’s not like he’ll risk cutting off the hooch just to seek justice for himself, right? No one man’s life is worth unleashing a cannibalistic orgy of violence. Right?
Cracking this case will be a tall order, but one thing’s for sure: whatever happens, Braineater Jones isn’t getting out of this one alive…


This offer is available in the USA, UK, Canada, and Australia until the 24th Feb. Don't drag your dead (ha!) feet, gobble up your copy today!
GET YOUR BOOK FROM THIS AWESOME LINK 

Hi everyone,

I've returned to the blood planet, skinwrapping, parasitic universe that many of you know and love from my previous works, THE HEMATOPHAGES and SKINWRAPPER. 

Fasten your eyeballs securely in your sockets and get ready for my brand new short story collection, THE HEMATOPHAGES: SPLATTERINGS. It contains several short stories within this sci-fi horror universe that you probably haven't read, and one you definitely haven't come across. Plus, there's a whole load of extra, exclusive content in the story notes. 

In a galaxy riven by paranoid greed, profane forces marshal to consume humanity…
- On an abandoned ice moon, broadcasts from a long-dead civilization warp both body and soul.
- On a bizarre medical asteroid, a deranged physician discovers a gruesome “cure” for parasitic infection.
- On a deep space derelict, time becomes utterly meaningless and suffering transcends infinity.
- And on Earth itself, a lake transforms into pure blood and becomes infested with the hate-filled, eel-like aberrations known as…
The Hematophages.

You don't need to have read the novel or novella to understand these stories, everything in this universe stands on its own as self-contained stories. If you'd like to plummet into this gory pool of terrors, you can pick it up at AuthorCon VI at its exclusive release. Scares That Care is an awesome charity that we support every year, so I'm thrilled to unleash this carnage there. If you can't make the event though, don't scream about it (no one will hear you in space anyway), you can pre-order it HERE. It will be released to the wider world on March 16th.

But, I mean, you should read them all otherwise you won't know what to do when organ-stealing space pirates raid your ship, or you stumble upon a blood planet. In case you missed it on its original run, let me tell you a little about THE HEMATOPHAGES too, you know, while we're here. And I suppose I may as well also fill you in about SKINWRAPPER too (which is conveniently bundled into one book along with the novel proper).

2018 Splatterpunk Award nominee
Includes the bonus novella prequel, SKINWRAPPER.
Doctoral student Paige Ambroziak is a “station bunny” – she’s never set foot off the deep space outpost where she grew up. But when she’s offered a small fortune to join a clandestine salvage mission, she jumps at the chance to leave the cutthroat world of academia behind.
Paige is convinced she’s been enlisted to find the legendary Manifest Destiny, a long-lost colonization vessel from an era before the corporations ruled Earth and its colonies. Whatever she’s looking for, though, rests in the blood-like seas of a planet-sized organism called a fleshworld.
Dangers abound for Paige and her shipmates. Flying outside charted space means competing corporations can shoot them on sight rather than respect their salvage rights. The area is also crawling with pirates like the ghoulish skinwrappers, known for murdering anyone they can’t extort.
But the greatest threat to Paige’s mission is the nauseating alien parasites which infest the fleshworld. These lamprey-like monstrosities are used to swimming freely in an ocean of blood, and will happily spill a new one from the veins of the outsiders who have tainted their home. In just a few short, bone-chilling hours Paige learns that there are no limits to the depravity and violence of the grotesque nightmares known as…THE HEMATOPHAGES.

A single word strikes fear into the hearts of even the most experienced starship crews…Aboard the freighter Blue Whale, a young girl’s day begins like any other: texting her friends while her parents bicker about breakfast. Then, with a loud, sickening pop, their domestic tranquility is shattered. A single word goes out over the emergency warning system…The galaxy’s shipping lanes are plagued by a gang of vicious pirates. Suffering from all manner of terminal diseases, they require zero gravity to live. They also need a constant influx of fresh blood and organs, so their victims also become their unwilling donors. The band is so ruthless, so violent, that its very name has become a synonym for terror. A single word that chills the blood, even in the utter cold of space…The little girl finds herself alone, lost, and trapped aboard the vessel she called home, praying it won’t also become her tomb. She is about to learn there is nothing in the universe worse than being hunted by a SKINWRAPPER. This prequel novella shoves you screaming back into the world of “space horror masterpiece” (Daily Dead) THE HEMATOPHAGES.


Once again, if you'd like to be drenched in this bloody horror, here are the links:
THE HEMATOPHAGES: SPLATTERINGS
THE HEMATOPHAGES AND SKINWRAPPER

Our company's policy regarding generative Artificial Intelligence can be summarized as follows:
Fuck AI.
That about sums it up.  I don't know why, forty years after the release of The Terminator, we, as a society, are still debating this, but here we are for some fucking reason.  
If you think machines nuking the world and hunting down the survivors is hyperbolic, sci-fi nonsense, sure, maybe you're right for today.  I mean, the world's militaries are all currently tripping over each other in a contest resembling nothing so much as the Cold War's arms race to incorporate AI into every facet of their functions, but, sure, maybe nothing bad will come of giving the nuclear codes to literal code.
But even if the Terminator outcome is a bit farfetched for your tastes, the present stated goal of AI companies is to eliminate every white collar job so that corporate profits can go up.  So if the whole nuclear holocaust thing is, like, a ten year plan, laying off as many humans as possible is the short-term goal.  Why in God's name would anyone support the Great Depression 2.0!
Yeah, that's a great future, one CEO getting paid while five hundred AI programs run the store and the employees all fuck off and join the breadline.  I'm sure the same product that currently produces six-fingered memes and can't recreate words on a sign will accurately and completely conduct all of the accounting, sales, customer service, and marketing for your company, with absolutely no ghosts, glitches, or hiccups.
Oh, is that hyperbolic, too?  Maybe none of this will come to pass?  Sure, I'm also hoping that AI goes the way of the NFT and we never have to worry about any of these nightmarish scenarios.  But even if it all went away tomorrow, that wouldn't change any of the damage AI has already done.  Rivers dried up, rainforests hacked down, who knows how many towns and livelihoods destroyed to build and run data centers.  
Not to mention all of the outright theft!  These scions of the brave new world of the future seemed to think nothing of stealing every copyrighted work of art or fiction ever made.  Not paying, not renting, not composing some kind of fair rate for the novel service of training large language models, no, the AI companies didn't do any of that, they decided to just steal every book ever written and every painting ever painted and pay the human creators nothing.  "Fuck them, let them take us to court," seemed to be the prevailing sentiment.
And the human damage, my god!  I won't even go down the lost revenue rabbithole, because it's pretty much impossible to quantify how many people might have otherwise paid an artist for something they generated instead.  But all the research now is showing that students who use AI are unable to think.  Parts of their brain shut down, even if they eventually stop using AI.  A whole generation's critical thinking skills are being wiped out.  
I'm also deeply concerned about what happens when a mentally ill person - or even just someone who's bored or sad - turns to the yes-man of AI seeking help.  It will justify paranoia and delusions.  "I can absolutely see why you think the lizard people are following you, and it's reasonable to be concerned about it."  It will encourage immature or even dangerous life choices under the guise of being positive.  "Sure, abandon your family and move to Hawaii.  Here are some tips on being a better macadamia farmer."
AI's ethical applications are limited at best and open to flagrant and worrisome abuse at the best of times.  And based on the damage - physical, emotional, environmental - that AI is currently doing and is capable of doing, I'm not sure that it is ethical to use it at all.
But perhaps most fundamental to our position as a publishing company, a person who is using AI to generate content is missing out on the purpose of art.  We write, we paint, we sing, we sculpt because of the joy and pain and fulfillment and frustration that comes from the act.  The durability of the product can range from that of a mandala to that of the Pyramid of Giza.  But it is not the fact that a work of art exists that makes it worthwhile.  It is the blood, sweat, and tears of the creator that makes it worthwhile.  AI-generated slop is not art and, philosophically, AI use is diametrically opposed to what we do here.
Great damage has been done by AI and greater damage still may yet come, but neither I nor my company will be a part of it.  French Press Publishing will categorically:
- not publish any author whose work is partially or wholly created by generative AI- not hire any artist, editor, or other contractor who utilizes generative AI
I am not agnostic on the matter.  I am not uneducated on the matter.  I am actively anti-AI.
(This post was originally published here on the FPP blog.)