Allow me to introduce: J.W. Schnarr

J.W. Schnarr—a remarkable person, and a remarkable writer of horror who makes his living as an award-winning journalist and photographer for the Lethbridge Herald. Again through an introduction by Robert Runté, I met J.W. Schnarr in 2012 when Bill pitched the idea of his collection of stories, Things Falling Apart.  Beyond the comfort zone I have to admit to being shocked when I read Bill’s collection of shorts. He went beyond my personal aesthetic of justifiable…

Day in the Life of an Editor

From the Desk of Robert Runté, Senior Editor: So…my 11 year-old is having trouble getting to sleep one night, so I offer to sit with her until she is asleep. I bring my computer so I won’t be bored and so she can’t talk to me when she should be trying to get to sleep. And I’m doing my email, because that’s the sort of not-having-to-concentrate work you do when you’re in a dark room…

New collection of short horror from J.W. Schnarr

When J.W. Schnarr presented us with a second collection of short horror stories we were more than intrigued, given his dark, eyes-wide-open collection Things Falling Apart, which we published in 2012. This collection, A Quiet Place, marks a distinct development in Schnarr’s very aggressive style, yet demonstrates a growing subtlety into the psychological over the physical. We journey with him through the hazardous discovery of adolescent female sexuality, the imperatives of affordable labour, watch myth become…

Why we published: Things Falling Apart, by J.W. Schnarr

It was Robert Runte who introduced me, virtually, to J.W. Schnarr in 2011. Schnarr apparently had an armful of novels and short horror collections in which we might be interested, some of them self- or previously published, some debut. J.W. Schnarrin one of his classier moments I have to admit I was a bit squeamish about considering a horror writer, having somewhat of an antipathy for the genre’s penchant for gratuitous violence and gore, particularly…

Prix Aurora Awards 2013

It’s that time of year again when publishers scramble to ship books to awards committees, and nominate their titles for peoples’ choice awards. In this latter category is Canada’s Prix Aurora Award. The Prix Aurora Awards are given out annually to honour the best Canadian science fiction and fantasy literary works, artwork, and fan activities from the previous year. This year Five Rivers has several works eligible for recognition. Mik Murdoch: Boy Superhero, by Michell…