Publication News Archives

The Island

28 March 201826 March 2018 Nathan Rogers0 comment

“The Island” is a fun fantasy adventure for children set in a world of magic populated by goblins, trolls, fire-breathing drakes, and more.

The Island soars through the clouds keeping everyone safe, and the Lords and Ladies use its power to strike terror across the world. Their hounds also patrol the city, but Sky and the other imps chase and play in the narrow streets anyway, magnets for trouble.

Bored by her job helping to maintain the engine that keeps the Island flying, Sky longs for adventure and daydreams about the mysterious lands that lie below. But when an act of mischief goes terribly wrong, Sky is thrown from the Island into a strange new world. Hunted for reasons she doesn’t understand, Sky is forced to use every bit of her wit and cunning to survive. But even that might not be enough as the Island’s murderous hounds close in. | Read More...

Featured Work Kiwi Writers Publication News

Get Changels Nemesis, part one Dark Side

13 July 201712 July 2017 Peter Kingscience fiction

Tracking Al Qaeda in Pakistan, sex on a Fijian beach, fighting UFOs in Africa – Sam Kahu’s 2009 might sound exciting for a fifteen year old, but there’s no room for error. Earth’s alien overlords want no repeat of the last battle. They want Sam and the rest of the Changels eliminated. But as natural psychics spiritual risks also haunt them. Sam learns he must still deal with his father’s legacy of evil, then he discovers his partner, the beautiful but manipulative Tahira, is way ahead of him. Has Tahira… | Read More...

Anthologies Featured Work Kiwi Writers Publication News

Armistice: The Inlari Sagas

18 January 201729 January 2017 Dan RabartsAnthology, science fiction0 comment

ARMISTICE collects tales of a time millions of years ago on far off worlds, a time when the inlaris’ home planet still existed; Woelf Dietrich, M.J. Kelley, Dana Leipold and Elaine Chao give us stories about intergalactic space travel and tragedy wrought by a global war that tore Earth asunder; narratives of hope and love, and yes, we take you to the wastelands of North America, where… Well, you’ll just have to read it to find out. But mostly these stories involve Earth: exploring first contact, the golden era of alien collaboration, the Great War, and the interspecies conflicts that still rattle the world. | Read More...

Featured Work Kiwi Writers Publication News

Shield, by Rachael Craw

2 September 20163 September 2016 Rachael Crawnovels, science fiction0 comment

Shield by Rachel Craw

“This is the Affinity Project – where freewill is turned to ash.”
Evie is out of options. She must comply with the Affinity Project – obey their rules, play their deadly games, give up Jamie. And her losses keep growing…

When she decides to help a small group of Shields trying to affect change, Evie finds herself in the firing line. Counsellor Knox is intent on revealing her secrets and shackling her to the Affinity Project for life. To protect her family, Evie must betray those closest to her. | Read More...

Featured Work Kiwi Writers Publication News

Hand of the Trickster

7 August 20162 September 2016 Mike Reeves-McMillanfantasy, novels0 comment

Hand of the Trickster by Mike Reeves-McMillan.

Leverage meets Lankhmar in this sword-and-sorcery novella, as a thief who serves the Trickster God pulls daring heists in other gods’ temples.

Since the War of Gods, the high gods have grown silent and distant. The Trickster, though, is still at large in the world, humbling the exalted and exalting the humble. And the Hand of the Trickster is the thief called Now You Don’t.

He and his new crew are up for any challenge, whether it’s stealing a book from Wisdom’s library, dealing with a dark remnant from the War of Gods, or slipping the Grim Spear of the Inexorable Hand of Justice back into the heavily-guarded Justice Temple before it can be missed. | Read More...

Interspecies

15 May 201617 October 2016 Woelf Dietrich0 comment

At last, the paper and glue version of Interspecies has arrived and, oh wow, is it a pretty thing.

Interspecies has had a good run thus far, reaching the top-ten of two Amazon bestseller lists and staying there for a couple of weeks, even becoming the number three hot new release in its category. Our collective smiles touched our earlobes as we watched our baby climb the charts.

And now, after so many requests, the paperback is also available. So, if you prefer a more tactile reading experience, click here . We’ve even lowered the price to $9.99 for a short time. Or, if you prefer the ebook version and haven’t picked it up yet, it’s only $1.99 right now to celebrate the paperback release. | Read More...

Release day for Daughter of Night by Helen Lowe

27 January 2016 Elizabeth0 comment

It’s release day for Helen Lowe’s Daughter Of Blood — not just here NZ but in the US, UK, and Australia as well — and of course she is celebrating in style with a virtual party on her blog. To join in, just click on

Let’s Welcome Daughter Of Blood

There’ll be more happening soon with interviews, guest posts, including a Reddit Fantasy AMA, a number of interviews around the world and guest features coming up on the week on SF Signal, TOR.com and more. Keep checking Helen’s blog for details! | Read More...

Kiwi comics anthology available for pre-order now

30 November 201530 November 2015 Elizabeth0 comment

Three Words, an anthology of Kiwi women’s comics, is available to pre-order from Beatnik Publishing now! It has a special pre-order price of $45 and will be published in March 2016. The first 300 people to pre-order will also receive a zine.

Capricious Issue 1 out now!

22 September 2015 A.C. (Andi) Buchanan0 comment

Issue 1 of Capricious, a new speculative fiction magazine edited by SpecFicNZ member A.C. Buchanan is now available for free download. The issue includes fiction by A.J. Fitzwater and Sean Monaghan, who are both New Zealand based, alongside work by Sabrina Amaya Hoke and Bogi Takács. This issue takes you through fairy tales and to other worlds in none of the ways you’d expect. The authors challenge and interrogate genre boundaries, exploring themes of consent, communication, and obligation. Their work is filled with the senses of exploration, danger, and ultimate success that characterise so much of the best speculative fiction. | Read More...

2015 SpecFicNZ Publishing Grants Awarded

29 June 201528 June 2015 Darusha Wehm0 comment

The grant funding allocation which the panel has agreed upon is as follows:

(a) $NZ400 for the Capricious project, edited / published by Andi Buchanan

(b) $NZ1100 for the At The Edge project, published by Marie Hodgkinson (Paper Road Press) and edited by Dan Rabarts and Lee Murray

The panel was impressed by the overall quality of applications. Inevitably, not all worthwhile projects could be fully funded.

The panel felt that Capricious was particularly deserving of funding in filling a niche (local speculative fiction periodical) that is currently absent from the NZ scene; offers local authors and artists an attractive remuneration ($US50 per contribution); and looks likely to establish a distinct online identity, thus furthering the visibility of its contributing NZ artists and authors. The project builds on Buchanan’s recognised talents as an editor/anthologist, and we note that, since the publisher is meeting the other costs personally, no additional external funding is required for the zine’s first year of publication. | Read More...

Paper Road Press launches new SHORTCUTS series

27 April 2015 Darusha Wehm0 comment

Last year SpecFicNZ ran a novella-writing competition in partnership with Wellington-based Paper Road Press, offering our members the chance to win prize money and potential publication in Paper Road Press’ SHORTCUTS series. The titles of the first six SHORTCUTS stories have now been released and we’re happy to see that not only are four of the stories from the original competition (including the first-, second- and third-place winners) but all six stories are authored by SpecFicNZ members! | Read More...

Deryn Pittar wins the 2014 Story Quest writing contest

5 January 2015 Marie Hodgkinson0 comment

SpecFicNZ would like to extend our congratulations to member Deryn Pittar, whose short story “The Carbonite’s Daughter” has won the 2014 Story Quest writing contest. We asked Deryn to write a short article about the processes and challenges of worldbuilding for a competition with a specific theme and setting.

Twisty Christmas Tales needs your support

13 October 201414 October 2014 Lee Murray

At least a dozen of our members have stories appearing in this Christmas anthology for children to be released on 12 November in Wellington.

PRE-ORDER YOUR COPY, SUPPORT THE MUSCULAR DYSTROPHY ASSOCIATION OF NZ, AND HELP THIS PROJECT SPRING TO LIFE.

The Best of Twisty Christmas Tales—31 children’s stories by 27 authors, including international best-sellers Joy Cowley, David Hill and Dave Freer.

What will Santa put under your tree this Christmas? A present that growls? Or one that smiles? The Best of Twisty Christmas Tales – crazy Christmas adventures for the whole family! Christmas in outer space or at the beach, havoc in Santa’s workshop, monsters running amok, and mad scientists who turn Christmas into chaos. Come along for the sleigh ride of your life. These Twisty Tales will weave their festive magic, whipping across NZ pastures, scattering fairy dust on the way to a Christmas BBQ! | Read More...

Interviews Kiwi Writers Publication News SpecFicNZ

Interview with member Alan Baxter

24 June 2014 Darusha Wehm0 comment

SpecFicNZ member Alan Baxter‘s new book, Bound, is coming out in July 2014 from HarperVoyager Australia. We asked Alan a few questions about the book and his writing process.

Can you describe your writing for someone who is unfamiliar with it?

I write mostly dark urban fantasy, playing with magic, monsters, martial arts and mythology. Think Clive Barker meets Neil Gaiman, with doses of Alan Moore thrown in. Kinda.

Did you bring anything from your own life to this story? How did that work? | Read More...

New Release: Lost in the Museum

15 June 201416 June 2014 Grace Bridges0 comment

A new Te Papa anthology of wacky fun from Phoenix Writers, a group that includes many SpecFicNZ members…Get lost in the museum where past, present and future collide. What does Weta’s giant mechanical baby do after hours? Who is altering the time space continuum? Where or when has James gone? And what secrets is Tui Merriweather hiding?

Dive into mayhem at a well-known Wellington waterfront destination. Going to the museum will never be the same again.

Stories are set in Te Papa, New Zealand’s national museum. | Read More...