Introduction

Like many such anthologies, Journeys came about through a confluence of unusual events.

Well, sort of.

In fact it started out with several friends and a glass (or three) of wine from a wonderful little boutique vineyard named Two Paddocks.

Acquiring this wine is not easy. I?m periodically obliged to fly to New Zealand, drive through Lord of the Rings country and whine pitifully outside the doors of the Central Otago Wine Company until they reluctantly divest themselves of a few bottles. The proprietor, it seems, prefers to keep most of the Pinot Noir to himself.

What does this have to do with an anthology of speculative fiction-aside from the obscure coincidence that the vineyard’s proprietor has played the lead role in many a spec fic movie? Well, purchasing this fine drop of red velvet requires that I undertake a journey through the most stunning-and oft-times haunting-landscapes on the planet. Now you, the reader, are about to embark on a journey of the mind through landscapes, both stunning and haunting, crafted by some of today’s leading speculative fiction writers.

Between them, this exceptional collection of authors have published over a hundred hardcover and paperback titles in twenty-six languages including Russian, Polish, Icelandic, Hungarian and Japanese, and enjoy a readership in excess of 25 million worldwide. Many are the recipients of prestigious SF and Fantasy awards, and their works have appeared on bestseller lists-including the New York Times. While I?ve included a brief bio on each writer at the end of this collection, I recommend you explore their websites, for therein await many more great travels for those who love superb fiction. This anthology is just the doorway.

As the convenor of this little get together, I slipped one of my own non-fiction titles in on the final pages. If Deron invites us back for further anthologies, I?m hoping to repeat this occasional foray into the slightly offbeat real world, because sometimes fact is indeed stranger than fiction, especially when the two worlds overlap. But what we include next time around is largely up to you, the reader, so drop us a line and tell us what you think. Meanwhile, I hope you enjoy these Journeys of the Mind.

Sonny Whitelaw

editor@journeysanthology.com

www.journeysanthology.com

Contents

Always by Trent Jamieson

Bakermono by Maxine McArthur

Get Out the Garamond by VC Parv

The Tenth Life of Sergeant Tom by Damon Cavalchini

Cross the Nullarbor to the Sea by Cat Sparks

Tesla’s Slippers by Sabine C Bauer

The Processor by JC Jones

Suffer the Little Children by Cory Daniells

The End of the World Begins at Home by Sean Williams

Nikei Love by Marianne de Pierres

The Temptation of Mael by Chris McMahon

White Room by Robert N Stephenson

The Spiffy Cult by Sonny Whitelaw