Bryce John Stevens (born 1957) is a horror writer, illustrator and editor. He grew up in

Christchurch Christchurch ( ; mi, Ōtautahi) is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand and the seat of the Canterbury Region. Christchurch lies on the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula on Pegasus Bay. The Avon River / ...

, New Zealand and moved to Sydney in the mid-1980s. From childhood he was fascinated with the supernatural and terrifying consequences of events from stories such as "

The Tinderbox "The Tinderbox" ( da, Fyrtøjet) is a literary fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen about a soldier who acquires a magic tinderbox capable of summoning three powerful dogs to do his bidding. When the soldier has one of the dogs transport a sle ...

", a predilection which continued through his high school years and beyond.

Editorial career

Between 1987 and 1992 he co-edited (with Chris G.C. Sequeira and

Leigh Blackmore Leigh (David) Blackmore (born 1959) is an Australian horror writer, critic, editor, occultist, musician and proponent of post-left anarchy. He was the Australian representative for the Horror Writers of America (1994–95) and served as the se ...

Terror Australis ''Terror Australis: the Australian Horror and Fantasy Magazine'' (1988–1992) was Australia's first mass market horror magazine. It succeeded the '' Australian Horror and Fantasy Magazine'' (1984–87) edited by Barry Radburn (who has gone o ...

: The Australian Horror and Fantasy Magazine (1987–92). A column by Stevens, "Every Time the Candle Burns", appeared in Issues 1 and 3 of ''Terror Australis'', and he reviewed books under both his own name and the pseudonym of David Kuraria for the magazine's "In the Bad Books" column. Stevens was the basis for the character 'Doc Martin' as drawn and photographed in various of

Christopher Sequeira Christopher Sequeira (also published as Chris G.C. Sequeira, Christopher G.C. Sequeira, C.G.C. Sequeira) is a Sydney-based Australian editor, writer and artist who works predominantly in the speculative fiction (horror, fantasy, science fiction, ...

occult detective Occult detective fiction is a subgenre of detective fiction that combines the tropes of the main genre with those of supernatural, fantasy and/or horror fiction. Unlike the traditional detective who investigates murder and other common crimes ...

graphic novel series, ''Deadlocke and Doc Martin'' (in ''Pulse of Darkness'' and elsewhere). Stevens contributed interior art to numerous horror magazines in the 1990s in Australia and also cover art for issues of ''E.O.D'', ''Shoggoth'' and ''Bloodsongs''. In the mid-1990s Stevens moved to Melbourne, where he was a key figure (with Steven Proposch and Chris A. Masters) in the Melbourne Horror Society (later known as The Australian Horror Writers) - a forerunner to the

Australian Horror Writers Association The Australian Horror Writers Association (AHWA) is a non-profit organisation that commenced in 2003 with the goal of providing a unified voice and sense of community for Australian writers of dark fiction ( horror and dark fantasy) and to furthe ...

) - where he helped produce Bloodsongs (1994–95) magazine. From 1996 through 1998, Stevens was President of the Australian Horror Writers. He edited issues 5-11 of its official newsletter ''Severed Head''

Writings and Art

In 1999 he held his solo art show, the "Screw the Millennium Bug Exhibition" at Melbourne's Blue Velvet Lounge. His story of the same year, "Rookwood" (''Aurealis'' No 24, 1999) is a collaboration with

Rick Kennett Rick Kennett'(born 1956) is an Australian writer of science fiction, horror and ghost stories. He is the most prolific and widely published genre author in Australia after Paul Collins (fantasy writer), Paul Collins, Terry Dowling and Greg Egan, w ...

and is currently available in the e-book ''Forbidden Texts'' (ed. David Bain (CreateSpace, 2013). In the late 1990s he produced several issues of a personal

zine A zine ( ; short for '' magazine'' or '' fanzine'') is a small-circulation self-published Self-publishing is the publication of media by its author at their own cost, without the involvement of a publisher. The term usually refers to writ ...

, ''Choking Dog Gazette''. Originally a hardcopy zine, the title was revived in 2012 as an online zine; later issues were distributed through the SSWFT amateur press association. Stevens has published several

small press A small press is a publisher with annual sales below a certain level or below a certain number of titles published. The terms "indie publisher" and "independent press" and others are sometimes used interchangeably. Independent press is general ...

collections of horror stories (see below). His short stories have also appeared in ''Black Moon'', ''Bloodsongs'', ''Cold Cuts'', ''Dead By Dawn'', ''E.O.D'', ''Forbidden Tomes'', ''Cthulhu and the Co-Eds: Kids & Squids'', ''Midnight Echo'', ''Misanthrope'', ''Octavia'', ''Outside'', and ''Terror Australis.'' (magazine and book anthology). Stevens is noted for his hard-edged and uncompromising horror content; however he often delves into black humour and amongst his most reprinted stories are a

Lovecraftian Lovecraftian horror, sometimes used interchangeably with "cosmic horror", is a subgenre of horror fiction and weird fiction that emphasizes the horror of the unknowable and incomprehensible more than gore or other elements of shock. It is named a ...

parody called "The Diary of Howard Clark Long Phillips"and "Payday

Some of his horror stories show a black humour reminiscent of a cross between

Ben Elton Benjamin Charles Elton (born 3 May 1959) is an English comedian, actor, author, playwright, lyricist and director. He was a part of London's alternative comedy movement of the 1980s and became a writer on the sitcoms '' The Young Ones'' and ''Bla ...

and Joe R. Lansdale. One of his most acclaimed stories is "Sisters of the Moss", most recently reprinted in ''Orb'' No 8 (The Best of ''Orb'' 1-7). In 2001 Stevens compiled an encyclopedic reference book on Australian dark fantasy and horror writers and artists, which was released on CD-ROM only. In a lengthy review of this work,

concluded: "In later days ''The Fear Codex'' will be the work from where research into Australian horror and dark fantasy will start." Stevens lived again in Sydney from 2004 to 2008. His artwork of that period includes work for the metal band Inslain (see

Sadistik Exekution Sadistik Exekution was an Australian extreme metal band from Sydney. The band formed in 1985, although their main active period was from 1986 until 2004. Known for their outrageous live show antics, notorious behaviour and non conformist att ...

Recent career

He relocated to Johns River

City of Greater Taree The Greater Taree City Council (GTCC) was a local government area on the Mid North Coast of New South Wales, Australia, until 12 May 2016 when it was amalgamated to form part of the Mid-Coast Council. It was originally formed in 1981 from the M ...

NSW in 2009 where he works as an on-call handler of venomous reptiles. He continues to draw and paint, and holds regular exhibitions of his work in different cities in Australia. He has controversially used his own blood in some of his paintings which he refers to as "blood works". His novel in progress is ''The Malign Comedy''.

Collections

* ''Pale Flesh'' (Borderlands Press, 1989) * ''Visions of Torment'' (Spine Publications, 1993) * ''Skin Tight'' (Bambada Press, 1995

* ''Stalking the Demon: Tales of Sex and Insanity'' (Jacobyte Books, 2002). Features cover art by Stevens

Uncollected works

* Review of

Stephen Jones (editor) Stephen Jones (1763–1827) was an English literary editor, best known for his revision of the '' Biographia Dramatica''. Life Eldest son of Giles Jones, secretary to the York Buildings Water Company, and nephew of Griffith Jones (1722–1786), h ...

(ed), ''Shadows Over Innsmouth''. ''Skintomb'' (1994). * "A Humorous Look at Sex in Horror" (nf). ''Severed Head'' 4 (April 1994), 8–9. * "Bandages" (ss) ''Bloodsongs'' #6 (1995) * "Sleep Deprivation and Its Consequences." (nf) ''Severed Head'' 9 (July 1995). * "Clark Ashton Smith". Acrostic. ''Black Moon'' 4 (1995). * "Arthur Machen". Acrostic. ''Black Moon'' 4 (1995). * "Behind the Fear Codex" (nf) ''Orb Speculative Fiction'' #2 (2001) * "The Lord of Lewd:

Clark Ashton Smith Clark Ashton Smith (January 13, 1893 – August 14, 1961) was an American writer and artist. He achieved early local recognition, largely through the enthusiasm of George Sterling, for traditional verse in the vein of Algernon Charles Swinburne ...

and the Fiction of Fornication". arody ''Mantichore'' 2, No 1 (Dec 2006). * "Of Caves, Dark Holes and Vaginas: The Pornographic Prose of the Providence Poet". arody_re_H.P._Lovecraft.)''Mantichore''_2,_No_1_(Dec_2006)_ *_"Two_Acrostics_on_H.P._Lovecraft.html" ;"title="H.P._Lovecraft.html" ;"title="arody re H.P. Lovecraft">arody re H.P. Lovecraft.)''Mantichore'' 2, No 1 (Dec 2006) * "Two Acrostics on H.P. Lovecraft">H.P._Lovecraft.html" ;"title="arody re H.P. Lovecraft">arody re H.P. Lovecraft.)''Mantichore'' 2, No 1 (Dec 2006) * "Two Acrostics on H.P. Lovecraft". ''Mantichore'' 2, No 2 (March 2007). [Poetry]. * "And They Shall Suffer for Their Art" (ss).''Midnight Echo'' 5 (Feb 2011).

Magazines edited or co-edited

(1988–92)(with

and Chris G.C. Sequeira) * Bloodsongs (1993–98). (with Steven Proposch and Chris A. Masters) See: https://web.archive.org/web/20111006213706/http://www.chrisamasters.com/bloodsongs/bloodsongs.html *

Severed Head ''A Severed Head'' is a satirical, sometimes farcical 1961 novel by Iris Murdoch. It was Murdoch's fifth published novel. Primary themes include marriage, adultery, and incest within a group of civilised and educated people. Set in and aroun ...

: Newsletter of the Horror Writers of Australia (1994–96)

Other works

*As editor. *As editor. * As editor/compiler. ''The Australian H.P. Lovecraft Centenary Calendar 1990-1991.'' Sydney: Terror Australis, 1990.S.T. Joshi, ''H.P. Lovecraft: A Comprehensive Bibliography'', Tampa FL: University of Tampa Press, 2009, item III-G-iii-2 (p. 593) * ''Strange Vistas'' (1991) Artwork. * As editor/compiler/artist (with Kurt Stone). ''Razor Caress Calendar 1992-93'' (Spine Publications). Featuring art by Stevens, Kurt Stone, Antoinette Rydyr and Steve 'Carnage' Carter. * As editor/compiler. ''The Fear Codex: The Australian Encyclopedia of Dark Fantasy and Horror'' (2001)(CD-ROM) * "Kurtus Interruptus". An interview with Australian comics artist Kurt Stone. ''Boodsongs'' 4 (Autumn 1995)

References

* Mike Ashley & William G. Contento. ''The Supernatural Index: A Listing of Fantasy, Supernatural, Occult, Weird and Horror Anthologies''. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1995, p. 523 * Donna Maree Hanson. ''Australian Speculative Fiction: A Genre Overview''. Canberra: Australian Speculative Fiction, 2005, p. 115 * Paul Collins (ed). ''The Melbourne University Press Encyclopedia of Australian Science Fiction and Fantasy''. Melbourne, Vic: Melbourne University Press, 1998, p. 162. * "Horror Writers". Feature interview with Stevens and

Kirstyn McDermott Kirstyn McDermott is an Australian writer of speculative fiction. Biography McDermott was born in Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia on 31 October. She grew up in Woodberry, New South Wales and attended the University of Newcastle, Australi ...

. ''The Big Issue'' c. 1997, p. 16-17.

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Stevens, Bryce J. 1957 births Living people Australian painters Australian horror writers New Zealand emigrants to Australia