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- THE COLLECTED SF, FANTASY & HORROR STORIES OF DAVID A. RILEY
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Wednesday, 30 September 2026
1st October - Submissions open for Swords & Rockets: Tales of Futures Past at midnight tonight
Saturday, 26 September 2026
Plans for 2027
The first major plan for 2027 is the launch in January of a new quarterly magazine devoted to tales of fantasy, science fiction and horror called Beyond, a reincarnation of the one we published in 1995.
This time we intend it to last a lot longer than three issues.
In May next year we will also published Volume 13 of our long-running anthology Swords & Sorceries: Tales of Heroic Fantasy. A submissions period for this will open in April from the 1st till the 30th. Next November will either see Volume 14 published or Volume 2 of Swords & Rockets: Tales of Futures Past. 
The Collected SF, Fantasy & Horror Stories of David A. Riley Volume 2 2011-2026 will also be published in hard cover, paperback and kindle eBook. This is a large book with over 500 pages and 200,000 words, and includes 35 stories.
I also have several sword and sorcery projects of my own scheduled for 2027, including a novel called The Sorcerer's War. I hope to see a novel-style collection of my Horbeck the Mercenary stories published, either by PUP or, hopefully, another publisher, and an updated collection of Welgar tales. More on all of these later.
Sunday, 20 September 2026
Update on The Collected SF, Fantasy & Horror Stories of David A. Riley Volume 2 - 2011-2026
Thursday, 10 September 2026
The Collected SF, Fantasy & Horror Stories of David A. Riley Volume 2 - 2011-2026 - Proof Copy Ordered
Although I haven't decided on exactly when this collection will be published, I have now completed proofreading it and have ordered a proof copy, which should arrive within the next week or so.
Running at 510 pages and just over 200,000 words, with 35 previously published stories included in it, Volume 2 is quite a hefty book, just slightly bigger than Volume 1.
Full details are here: The Collected SF, Fantasy & Horror Stories of David A. Riley
Although the ad states these are, and in the case of Volume 2, will be available in hardcover and e-books, there are and will be paperback versions too.
From the Introduction to Volume 2:
Unlike Volume 1 of my Collected Stories this does not include every short story I have had published between the designated years. Omitted are those involving my sword and sorcery character Welgar, some of which have already been collected in a loosely-woven novel, publish-ed by Tule Fog Press in 2025 as Welgar the Cursed. The stories in this collection are “Ossani the Healer and the Beautiful Homunculus”, “The Dark Priestdom”, “Welgar the Cursed”, “Mask of a Mad God”, “The Forbidden City of Cyramon”, and “Emerging from Their Twilit Realms”. Since then I have written “From the Ashes”, “Trapped in the Dreamlands”, “Escaping the Dreamlands”, and “The Narcolopsia.” “From the Ashes” was published by Savage Realms Monthly in its August 2026 issue.
Besides my Welgar tales, I have also omitted those of Horbeck the Mercenary, the first of which, “The Demon from Another World” was published in 2024 in Anthology of the Damned: Necromoirrium. This was followed by “Lies and Treachery”, serialised in Crimson Quill Quarterly, issues 6 and 7 in 2025. I have written five more Horbeck stories, but these are still looking for a market. In any case, like the Welgar tales, they follow chronologically one after another and I am hoping eventually to have them published as a loosely-woven novel too.
Besides these there are a number of tales featuring my sorcerer Ossani the Healer, two of which were published in Swords & Heroes Quarterly in June 2026, with another appearing in Cirsova magazine in its Fall issue in 2026. Again, these and a number of other stories set in the same time period may one day be collected as Tales of the Azure Sea or some such volume.
The only straight horror story omitted from this collection is “The Tract of Calvanicus”. Although accepted for publication it will not appear till 2027 in Schlock! Webzine. This may also be my last normal horror story, as I have begun to concentrate in recent years on dark fantasy and sword and sorcery.
Tuesday, 1 September 2026
Beyond - Jim Pitts accepts position as Art Editor
Monday, 17 August 2026
A new advert for Parallel Universe Publications
I have just designed a new advert for Parallel Universe Publications, highlighting our next anthology, Swords & Rockets, and the first issue of our quarterly magazine Beyond.
Saturday, 1 August 2026
Beyond - Fantasy, Science Fiction & Horror - a quarterly magazine
Unlike its previous incarnation, this will be a digest-sized magazine (5.25" x 8.25") approximately 100+ pages in length, specialising in fantasy, science fiction and horror. Intended publication dates will be January, April, July and October. Hopefully, we will reach these deadlines. We will also continue publishing Swords & Sorceries: Tales of Heroic Fantasy twice a year or alternating this with Swords & Rockets: Tales of Futures Past. Either way we intend to continue publishing a book-length anthology twice a year.
Submissions should be headed on the subject line BEYOND - Submission.
Please email these to: paralleluniversepublications@gmx.co.uk
Payment will be 1p (GB) per word, payable on publication.
As well as stories, we will also consider book reviews on related genres, plus articles, but there will be limited space for these
Our initial submissions period will be 1st December to the 31st December this year. October is reserved for submissions to Swords & Rockets: Tales of Futures Past. If necessary, we will open a further submissions period for Beyond in January.
Wednesday, 29 July 2026
Beyond
Parallel Universe Publications was started in 1995 to publish a fantasy/science fiction magazine called Beyond. 64-pages long, 11 inches by 8.25 inches, (29.5 cm x 21 cm) it continued for three issues before funds ran out and it was forced to close. Our ambition was to have it available in high street shops, including W H Smiths, John Menzies and other outlets. We even had warehouse distribution throughout the UK by the likes of Smiths and Menzies.
Unfortunately, we were overly ambitious, and with a print-run of over 10,000 copies we were unprepared for the thousands of each issue that were "returned" unsold. (In point of fact, "returned" is a misnomer, as unsold copies were actually destroyed by Smiths and Menzies, etc., and we had to rely on them for the accuracy of their reports.) A lot has happened since then, and PUP returned to publishing in 2015 with the first of what would eventually be over 60 titles in paperback, hard cover and ebooks.
This first was Craig Herbertson's The Heaven Maker & Other Gruesome Tales and from 2020 we have published twelve volumes of our most successful print-run so far with Swords & Sorceries: Tales of Heroic Fantasy. At this stage we are thinking of starting another venture, with the publication of a quarterly digest-sized magazine called Beyond, perhaps 100 pages in length and dedicated to fantasy, science fiction and horror (and, of course, sword and sorcery). This is still in the formative stages as yet and there's no guarantee we will go ahead with it. That largely depends upon the response from people to the idea.
Tuesday, 28 July 2026
DRM (Digital Rights Management) removed from all Parallel Universe Publications eBooks
Tuesday, 21 July 2026
A detailed review of Swords & Sorceries: Tales of Heroic Fantasy Volume 10
I missed seeing earlier a rather good, detailed review of Swords & Sorceries: Tales of Heroic Fantasy Volume 10 on amazon.
Click on the image to get an enlarged version.
Thursday, 2 July 2026
Monday, 25 May 2026
The Collected SF, Fantasy & Horror Stories of David A. Riley Volume 2 2011-2026
I am currently proofreading The Collected SF, Fantasy & Horror Stories of David A. Riley Volume 2 2011-2026, which will be published later this year, initially as a hardback and large-sized paperback.
Like Volume 1 it is just over 500 pages long. At the moment I am up to "Three Eyed Jack", which was originally published in 2020.
Although this book covers a shorter time period than Volume 1 there are more stories, without even taking into account all those sword and sorcery stories I have excluded, like my Welgar tales (recently published in Welgar the Cursed by Tule Fog Press) and my stories of the mercenary captain Horbeck and his companions, which I hope to see published as a loosely-woven novel sometime soon. Plus there are a number of fantasy tales that are scheduled to be published in various places over the coming months. 2011 till now has been a very prolific time for me.
Tuesday, 19 May 2026
The Collected SF, Fantasy & Horror Stories of David A. Riley Volume 1 - 1970-2010 is now available in hardback, paperback and kindle eBook
Further to the hardback and kindle eBook versions of The Collected SF, Fantasy & Horror Stories of David A. Riley Volume 1 - 1970-2010, we have now published it as a 500-page paperback, packed with artwork and illustrations.
Friday, 8 May 2026
Swords & Sorceries: Tales of Heroic Fantasy Volume 12 is now available as a paperback and kindle eBook
Friday, 1 May 2026
Kindle eBook version of Swords & Sorceries: Tales of Heroic Fantasy Volume 12 now available
The kindle eBook version of Swords & Sorceries: Tales of Heroic Fantasy Volume 12 is now available. The print version should be available soon.
Gung-Ho Geeks have posted a lengthy, irreverent, frequently funny but also in-depth review of Swords & Sorceries: Tales of Heroic Fantasy Volume 12
Gung-Ho Geeks have posted a lengthy, irreverent, frequently funny but also in-depth review of Swords & Sorceries: Tales of Heroic Fantasy Volume 12, which is to be published at the start of May as a paperback and kindle eBook.
As a side note, Gundrol Ghonardial, the main character in my story in Swords & Sorceries: Tales of Heroic Fantasy Volume 12, "Vampires in Moratt", appears in just one other story: "Mask of a Mad God" in my collection from Tule Fog Press Welgar the Cursed.
Tuesday, 28 April 2026
Part of the first online review of Swords & Sorceries: Tales of Heroic Fantasy Volume 12 by Gung-ho Geeks
Here's a small taster of the irreverent review by Gung-Ho Geeks of Swords & Sorceries: Tales of Heroic Fantasy Volume 12, (due to be published at the start of May). I'll post more as soon as the rest is online.
Thursday, 23 April 2026
Swords & Sorceries: Tales of Heroic Fantasy Volume 12 - one week to go
There's now just one week to go before the publication of Swords & Sorceries: Tales of Heroic Fantasy Volume 12 as a trade paperback and kindle ebook.
Wednesday, 15 April 2026
Friday, 10 April 2026
Phantasmagoria Magazine #28
The latest issue of Phantasmagoria Magazine includes an advert for Parallel Universe Publication's sword and sorcery books opposite the first page of my story "The Carpetmaker of Arana", originally published in Savage Realms Monthly in 2022 (issue 12).
Thursday, 2 April 2026
First review of The Collected SF, Fantasy & Horror Stories of David A. Riley Volume 1 - 1970-2010
Tuesday, 17 March 2026
Swords & Rockets: Tales of Futures Past to be published in November
In place of the 13th volume of Swords & Sorceries: Tales of Heroic Fantasy, Parallel Universe Publications will publish volume 1 of Swords & Rockets: Tales of Futures Past, an anthology of sword and planet stories.
Volume 13 of Swords & Sorceries: Tales of Heroic Fantasy will now be published in May 2027.
Submissions for Swords & Rockets: Tales of Futures Past will open on the 1st October till midnight GMT on the 31st of that month. Acceptancves and rejections will be emailed out by the end of the first week in November and it is intended to publish before the end of the month.
All submissions should be sent to paralleluniversepublications@gmx.co.uk
Please send only one submission at a time - the one you consider the best fit for us.
Although we like original stories we are always more than happy to consider reprints. Just let us know where and when it was previously published.
You can send in simultaneous submissions, but let us know if your story is accepted elsewhere as soon as possible. Bear in mind you will receive either an acception or rejection by the end of the first week in November.
There is no limit on the size of submissions.
There is absolutely no need to tell us anything about yourself as the only thing that matters is the story. Everything else is irrelevant. We will ask for details about yourself if your story is accepted.
All rejections and acceptances will be sent by email by the end of the first week in November. Please don't enquire about your submission before then.
And good luck!
Saturday, 14 March 2026
The Collected SF, Fantasy and Horror Stories of David A. Riley Volume 1, 1970-2010
Coming shortly before Mr Riley's 75th birthday in May, Volume One includes all of his stories published between 1970 and 2010.
Measuring 9.5 inches x 6.3 inches (24 cm x 16 cm), this 500-page collection of over 200,000 words includes 32 stories. Published in hardcover for £25.00. A kindle ebook is also available for £5.00.
Stories included are:
The Lurkers in the Abyss was first published in The Eleventh Pan Book of Horror Stories, 1970
The Farmhouse was first published in New Writings in Horror & the Supernatural, 1971
Corpse-Maker was first published in Weird Window 2, 1971
After Nightfall was first published in Year’s Best Horror 1, 1971
The Urn was first published in Whispers #1, 1972
A Bottle of Spirits was first published in New Writings in Horror & the Supernatural 2, 1972
A Sense of Movement was first published in From Beyond the Dark Gateway, 1972
Terror on the Moors was first published in World of Horror, 1974
The Shade of Apollyon was first published in World of Horror, 1974
The Satyr’s Head was first published in The Satyr’s Head & Other Tales of Terror, 1975
Prickly was first published was first published in Death, 1982
Writer’s Cramp was first published in Fantasy Tales, 1988
Winter on Aubarch 6 was first published in Fear Magazine, 1989
Retribution was first published in Peeping Tom, 1991
The Shadow by the Altar was first published in Peeping Tom, 1992
Out of Corruption was first published in The Mammoth Book of Zombies, 1993
A New Lease was first published in The Anthology of Fantasy & The Supernatural, 1994
Gwargens was first published in Beyond Magazine, 1995
No Reason in Being Hungry, She Thought was first published in Peeping Tom, 1996
Help-Plants was first published in Aboriginal Science Fiction, 1998
Inside the Labyrinth was first published in Alone on the Darkside, Roc Books, 2006
Hoody was first published in When Graveyards Yawn, 2006
Lock-In was first published in The Black Book of Horror, 2007
The Bequest was first published in Dark Horizons, 2008
Now and Forever More was first published in The Second Black Book of Horror, 2008
Soft Little Fingers was first published in Shades of Darkness, Ash Tree Press, 2008
The Worst of All Possible Places was first published in Houses on the Borderland, BFS, 2008
The Fragile Mask on His Face was first published in Dark Discoveries Magazine, 2009
Their Own Mad Demons was first published in The Fifth Black Book of Horror, 2009
Their Cramped Dark World was first published in The Sixth Black Book of Horror, 2010
The True Spirit was first published in Back From The Dead, 2010
Romero’s Children was first published in The Seventh Black Book of Horror, 2010
Friday, 13 March 2026
The Collected SF, Fantasy & Horror Stories of David A. Riley Volume 1 - 1970-2010
Coming shortly before Mr Riley's 75th birthday in May, Volume One includes all of his stories published between 1970 and 2010.
Measuring 9.5 inches x 6.3 inches (24 cm x 16 cm), this 500-page collection of over 200,000 words includes 32 stories. Published in hardcover for £25.00. A kindle ebook is also available for £5.00.
Stories included are:
The Lurkers in the Abyss was first published in The Eleventh Pan Book of Horror Stories, 1970
The Farmhouse was first published in New Writings in Horror & the Supernatural, 1971
Corpse-Maker was first published in Weird Window 2, 1971
After Nightfall was first published in Year’s Best Horror 1, 1971
The Urn was first published in Whispers #1, 1972
A Bottle of Spirits was first published in New Writings in Horror & the Supernatural 2, 1972
A Sense of Movement was first published in From Beyond the Dark Gateway, 1972
Terror on the Moors was first published in World of Horror, 1974
The Shade of Apollyon was first published in World of Horror, 1974
The Satyr’s Head was first published in The Satyr’s Head & Other Tales of Terror, 1975
Prickly was first published was first published in Death, 1982
Writer’s Cramp was first published in Fantasy Tales, 1988
Winter on Aubarch 6 was first published in Fear Magazine, 1989
Retribution was first published in Peeping Tom, 1991
The Shadow by the Altar was first published in Peeping Tom, 1992
Out of Corruption was first published in The Mammoth Book of Zombies, 1993
A New Lease was first published in The Anthology of Fantasy & The Supernatural, 1994
Gwargens was first published in Beyond Magazine, 1995
No Reason in Being Hungry, She Thought was first published in Peeping Tom, 1996
Help-Plants was first published in Aboriginal Science Fiction, 1998
Inside the Labyrinth was first published in Alone on the Darkside, Roc Books, 2006
Hoody was first published in When Graveyards Yawn, 2006
Lock-In was first published in The Black Book of Horror, 2007
The Bequest was first published in Dark Horizons, 2008
Now and Forever More was first published in The Second Black Book of Horror, 2008
Soft Little Fingers was first published in Shades of Darkness, Ash Tree Press, 2008
The Worst of All Possible Places was first published in Houses on the Borderland, BFS, 2008
The Fragile Mask on His Face was first published in Dark Discoveries Magazine, 2009
Their Own Mad Demons was first published in The Fifth Black Book of Horror, 2009
Their Cramped Dark World was first published in The Sixth Black Book of Horror, 2010
The True Spirit was first published in Back From The Dead, 2010
Romero’s Children was first published in The Seventh Black Book of Horror, 2010
Volume Two, covering the period 2011-2026, will also be a mammoth 500-pages long, containing 200,000 words and 34 stories. This will be published later this year, along with an e-book.


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