2017 update

Thanks to you, our readers and authors, 2016 was the biggest year yet for Brain Lag. The addition of our fifth author, Stephen B. Pearl, and his Tinker books, along with Hugh A. D. Spencer’s Why I Hunt Flying Saucers And Other Fantasticals and J. R. Dwornik’s Green Light to Paradise expanded the Brain Lag lineup by 67%!

In 2017, we’re working on getting out to more local events. Here is our schedule so far:

March 17-19: Toronto Comicon
April 1: Kitchener Comicon
May 5-7: Ad Astra
May 13: The Bookshelf
June 2-4: Niagara Falls Comic Con
August 17-20: Gen Con

Our event calendar will be updated as new events are added, and stay tuned to our Facebook and Twitter accounts for up-to-date news on upcoming events and other author appearances.

Finally, our submission guidelines have been updated. We hope that this update clarifies what we are looking for in submissions. Also note that we are actively seeking works by or featuring women and minorities. We believe in diversity in fiction at Brain Lag, so please spread the word so we can help bring more inclusive tales to life.

We’re looking forward to another great year!

 

Two new books this summer!

We are thrilled to announce our tenth title, coming this summer, Green Light to Paradise by J. R. Dwornik!

June 20, 2016

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Milton, ON – Science fiction and fantasy publisher Brain Lag is proud to announce the August 4, 2016 release of GREEN LIGHT TO PARADISE by J. R. Dwornik. In this fun new science fantasy, super powers aren’t something to celebrate, but to fear. Private security force Sentinel keeps humanity safe, but Kali, infected with superhuman bad luck, finds Sentinel up to no good instead.

GREEN LIGHT TO PARADISE is the second novel by author J. R. Dwornik. His first novel was the 2011 epic fantasy RUINS OF CHANGE. Written in the style of a Japanese light novel, GREEN LIGHT TO PARADISE will feature original illustrations from four different artists.

GREEN LIGHT TO PARADISE will be released during Gen Con (http://www.gencon.com/), North America’s largest table top gaming convention, taking place August 4-7 at the Indiana Convention Center, 100 S Capitol Ave, Indianapolis, IN. Brain Lag will have a booth in the exhibit hall and the author will be on hand. The book will then be available for purchase by the general public in paperback (MSRP $15.99 CAD) and ebook (MSRP $2.99 CAD) formats in online and brick-and-mortar bookstores everywhere.

 

TINKER’S SEA coming this summer!

We are thrilled to announce the upcoming release of Tinker’s Sea, the highly-anticipated sequel to Stephen B. Pearl’s Tinker’s Plague!

Ebooks are already available for preorder! Visit the ebook purchase pages on Amazon and Smashwords and be one of the first people to own this exciting post-apocalyptic seafaring story.

Tinker’s Sea will be released during The Pirate Festival, happening July 30-August 1 at Marden Park in Guelph, Ontario.

Full press release:

Milton, ON – Science fiction and fantasy publisher Brain Lag is proud to announce the July 30, 2016 release of TINKER’S SEA, sequel to the post-apocalyptic scifi novel TINKER’S PLAGUE by Stephen B. Pearl. In a world ravaged by the exhaustion of fossil fuels, small societies in southern Ontario re-introduce modern technology, powered by sustainable energy, into lands without electricity. While fulfilling her Coast Guard service obligation, aquatic tinker Tabby Drivensky saves a boy who turns out to have information vital to stopping a pirate who has been plaguing the Great Lakes for years in an ancient, nuclear-powered submarine.

Stephen B. Pearl, a southern Ontario native, has written nine novels that run the gamut of speculative fiction from historical fantasy to military science fiction to paranormal romance. With a strong focus on the way advanced technology or classical mysticism affects the worlds he writes, Pearl brings the science into science fiction and the real world into fantasy.

In TINKER’S SEA, environmental and nuclear technology, medical procedure, seafaring, and politics form a backdrop to a story of how terrors from the past can continue to haunt the present, even after societal collapse. The book follows up TINKER’S PLAGUE, also published by Brain Lag in spring 2016, which readers have hailed for its realistic predictions of environmental changes, clashing ideologies, and both the advancement and devolution of technology in a world without oil.

TINKER’S SEA will be released during The Pirate Festival (www.thepiratefestival.com), taking place July 30-August 1 at Marden Park, 7368 Wellington Road 30, Guelph, Ontario. The book will then be available for purchase by the general public in paperback (MSRP $16.99 CAD) everywhere. Ebooks (MSRP $2.99 CAD) are now available for preorder and can be purchased from Amazon (https://amzn.com/B01F6FARNS) and Smashwords (https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/634390).

 

Ad Astra schedule and double launch party!

If you’ve been following the Brain Lag social media, you’ve seen that we’ve now posted four parts of Alan Gordon’s five-part interview with Hugh A. D. Spencer about Why I Hunt Flying Saucers And Other Fantasticals, along with a dramatic production of a scene from one of the stories and a complete radio play of the same story to our YouTube channel. Please like and subscribe to our channel, as we still have the final part of the interview to share, which is coming this Friday before Ad Astra.

We have also released the full schedules for Brain Lag authors at Ad Astra! Check our events calendar to see the many panels and readings that our authors are participating in. We will also be featuring these events throughout the week on our Facebook and Twitter feeds.

We are also thrilled to announce our double launch party during the convention celebrating the release of Why I Hunt Flying Saucers And Other Fantasticals and Tinker’s Plague!

Full press release follows:

April 25, 2016

Milton, ON – On Saturday, April 30, science fiction and fantasy publisher Brain Lag is hosting a double launch party celebrating the release of its two newest titles. The launch party will take place during Ad Astra, the science fiction, fantasy and horror literary convention taking place April 29-May 1 at the Sheraton Parkway Toronto North, 600 HWY-7 E, Richmond Hill, Ontario.

WHY I HUNT FLYING SAUCERS AND OTHER FANTASTICALS collects thirteen critically-acclaimed short stories by author Hugh A. D. Spencer. Featuring malfunctioning household robots, an apocalyptic endless loop, potash-fuelled interstellar travel, and more, these truly Canadian stories stretch science fiction to its limit and bring it into our back yards at the same time.

TINKER’S PLAGUE is a post-apocalyptic medical thriller by Stephen B. Pearl. In a world ravaged by the exhaustion of fossil fuels and environmental degradation, small societies in southern Ontario re- introduce modern technology, powered by sustainable energy, into lands without electricity. Brad Cooper is on his usual route in Guelph when a plague breaks out. Stranded without support as the villagers fight against the quarantine, he seems to be fighting a losing battle as the casualties mount. The launch party will also feature an exclusive preview of the cover art for the upcoming sequel to TINKER’S PLAGUE, TINKER’S SEA.

Both authors will be on hand at the launch party to give readings and sign autographs, and free snacks and drinks will be provided. All convention attendees are invited to join Brain Lag, Hugh A. D. Spencer, and Stephen B. Pearl in celebrating the release of these books. The launch party will be taking place in the penthouse suite of the Sheraton, room 1080, on Saturday, April 30 from 6:00- 8:00 p.m. The books will then be available for purchase by the general public in paperback and ebook formats in online and brick- and-mortar bookstores everywhere.

 

Alan Gordon interview with Hugh A. D. Spencer, in five parts

Accomplished Producer/Writer/Actor Alan Gordon (Fighting Words, 90 Minutes Live, Heaven Hell or Purgatory, Cannibal Girls) dropped by the McLuhan Center at the University of Toronto to talk to author Hugh A. D. Spencer about his new book Why I Hunt Flying Saucers & Other Fantasticals.

Insight? Insanity? Idiocy? Imagination? Watch to find out!

We will be posting a new part of the interview every two weeks leading up to Ad Astra, so stay tuned to the Brain Lag Facebook, Twitter, or YouTube channel to watch each piece of the interview as it releases!

The interview is also available as a podcast which you can download and listen to from our new media section here on the website.

 

Brain Lag brings back TINKER’S PLAGUE by Stephen B. Pearl!

Brain lag is thrilled to announce that we will be launching two new titles at Ad Astra! We would also like to extend a warm welcome to our newest author, Stephen B. Pearl!

We will be releasing his Tinker’s Plague at Ad Astra April 29-May 1 and its sequel Tinker’s Sea later in 2016.

Full press release follows:

February 29, 2016

Milton, ON – Science fiction and fantasy publisher Brain Lag is proud to announce the April 29, 2016 release of TINKER’S PLAGUE, a post-apocalyptic medical thriller by Stephen B. Pearl. In a world ravaged by the exhaustion of fossil fuels and environmental degradation, small societies in southern Ontario re-introduce modern technology, powered by sustainable energy, into lands without electricity. Brad Cooper is on his usual route in Guelph when a plague breaks out. Stranded without support as the villagers fight against the quarantine, he seems to be fighting a losing battle as the casualties mount.

Stephen B. Pearl, a southern Ontario native, has written eight novels that run the gamut of speculative fiction from historical fantasy to military science fiction to paranormal romance. With a strong focus on the way advanced technology or classical mysticism affects the worlds he writes, Pearl brings the science into science fiction and the real world into fantasy.

In TINKER’S PLAGUE, environmental technology, medical procedure, sanitation, and politics form a backdrop to a story of how terrors from the past can continue to haunt the present, even after societal collapse. Readers have hailed TINKER’S PLAGUE for its realistic predictions of environmental changes, clashing ideologies, and both the advancement and devolution of technology in a world without oil. The story will continue later in 2016 in TINKER’S SEA, the second book in the Tinker series, also being published by Brain Lag.

TINKER’S PLAGUE was previously published by Draumr Publishing, which closed in 2013. Brain Lag has picked up the title and will be re-launching it during Ad Astra, the science fiction, fantasy and horror convention taking place April 29-May 1 at the Sheraton Parkway Toronto North, 600 HWY-7 E, Richmond Hill, Ontario. The book will then be available for purchase by the general public in paperback (MSRP $15.99 CAD) and ebook (MSRP $2.99 CAD) formats in online and brick-and-mortar bookstores everywhere.

 

Announcing WHY I HUNT FLYING SAUCERS AND OTHER FANTASTICALS!

Brain lag is proud to announce our next title, Why I Hunt Flying Saucers And Other Fantasticals by Hugh A. D. Spencer!

This book collects thirteen of Spencer’s best-loved short stories, previously published between 1990 and 2007 in a variety of magazines and anthologies including On Spec and Tesseracts and broadcast on a satellite network of National Public Radio in the United States. Includes the Aurora Award- nominated story “Why I Hunt Flying Saucers”! For more information, visit the book detail page.

Why I Hunt Flying Saucers And Other Fantasticals will be released during Ad Astra, Toronto’s original science fiction and fantasy literary convention, April 29-May 1. Stay tuned to this website or Brain Lag social media pages as details of the upcoming launch party are released!

Full press release follows:

NEW BOOK COLLECTS THE BEST STORIES BY HUGH A. D. SPENCER

WireService.ca Press Release (01/11/2016) MILTON, ON – Science fiction and fantasy publisher Brain Lag is proud to announce the April 29, 2016 release of WHY I HUNT FLYING SAUCERS AND OTHER FANTASTICALS by Hugh A. D. Spencer. It’s a collection of thirteen of Spencer’s best-loved short stories, including the Aurora Award-nominated “Why I Hunt Flying Saucers”.

WHY I HUNT FLYING SAUCERS AND OTHER FANTASTICALS features malfunctioning household robots, an apocalyptic endless loop, potash-fuelled interstellar travel, and more, promising a blend of outrageous science fiction with truly Canadian roots. For a complete list of stories included in the collection, visit Brain Lag’s website (http://www.brain-lag.com/). The book also includes all-new introductions to each story by the author as well as a foreword by Dr. John Colarusso, Professor of Linguistics at McMaster University.

Hugh A. D. Spencer has been a part of the Canadian science fiction community for over 25 years. His first novel, EXTREME DENTISTRY, also published by Brain Lag, was released in 2014. His short stories have previously been published in a variety of magazines and anthologies over the years, including ON SPEC, TESSERACTS, and OMINOUS REALITIES: THE ANTHOLOGY OF SPECULATIVE HORRORS, and broadcast on a satellite network of National Public Radio in the United States. Spencer’s writing has been described as, “Lucid, lyrical, and savvy,” by Paul Levinson, author of UNBURNING ALEXANDRIA and THE SILK CODE. Cory Doctorow, author of LITTLE BROTHER and HOMELAND, says of Spencer’s writing: “Hugh’s work never fails to crack me up and make me think.” Dale Sproule, author of PSYCHEDELIA GOTHIQUE, says: “If you like to laugh and cower at the same time, if you like science fiction that is simultaneously progressive and retro, then you need to read this. Like nothing I’ve ever read before. Highly recommended.”

WHY I HUNT FLYING SAUCERS AND OTHER FANTASTICALS will be released during Ad Astra (http://www.ad-astra.org/), the science fiction, fantasy and horror convention taking place April 29-May 1 at the Sheraton Parkway Toronto North, 600 HWY-7 E, Richmond Hill, Ontario. The book will then be available for purchase by the general public in paperback (MSRP $15.99 CAD) and ebook (MSRP $2.99 CAD) formats in online and brick-and-mortar bookstores everywhere.

ABOUT BRAIN LAG

Brain Lag is a publisher of science fiction and fantasy books based in Milton, Ontario. Operating since 2010, Brain Lag focuses on new and GTA-based authors. WHY I HUNT FLYING SAUCERS AND OTHER FANTASTICALS is Brain Lag’s seventh title and first short story anthology.

CONTACT

Catherine Fitzsimmons
Owner, Brain Lag
(647) 899-0714
publishing@brain-lag.com
http://www.brain-lag.com/