Ben Peek
Encyclopedia
Ben Peek is an Australian author. His middle name is Michael.
Peek's short stories have been published in a variety of genre magazines, including Fantasy Magazine
and Aurealis
. His fiction has been reprinted in various Year's Best volumes. In 2000, he created a zine called The Urban Sprawl Project, a black and white pamphlet of photography and prose, and this remains the name of his online journal. In 2006 his autobiography, Twenty-Six Lies/One Truth
, was published by Wheatland Press
with artwork from Andrew Macrae and Anna Brown. In 2007, Black Sheep, a dystopian novel, was published by Prime Books
. In 2007, Peek also began collaborating with artist Anna Brown on Nowhere Near Savannah, an online comic that in part follows on from their original collaboration on Twenty-Six Lies/One Truth
. Peek has claimed that every incident described in Nowhere near Savannah is true.
Peek holds a Bachelor of Arts (Hons) from the University of Western Sydney
, and a PhD
in Creative Writing from the University of New South Wales
, during which he wrote the novel A Year in the City. His reviews have appeared on several websites including, PopImage, Sequential Tart, and Strange Horizons
. In 2005 he interviewed over forty Australian speculative fiction writers, editors and publishers as part of the The 2005 Snapshot: Australian Speculative Fiction.
Peek's writing is best described as speculative fiction
. However, he often takes fundamental elements of the genre and combines them into other styles. Recurring themes in Peek's work include the representation of race and multiculturalism
. Peek has also written a number of works that play with story form, including Twenty-Six Lies/One Truth
and Johnny Cash.
Reprinted in "The Year's Best Australian Fantasy and Horror, Volume One", eds. Liz Grzyb and Talie Helene, Ticonderoga Publications.
Reprinted in "The Year's Best Australian Science Fiction and Fantasy", 2008, eds. Bill Congreve and Michelle Marquardt, MirrorDanse Books.
Reprinted in "The Year's Best Australian Science Fiction and Fantasy", 2008, eds. Bill Congreve and Michelle Marquardt, Mirrordanse Books.
Recorded as a podcast at Terra Incognita SF, #17, 2010.
Reprinted in The Year's Best Australian Science Fiction and Fantasy, 2006, eds. Bill Congreve and Michelle Marquardt, MirrorDanse Books.
Reprinted in The Year's Best Australian Science Fiction and Fantasy, 2005, eds. Bill Congreve and Michelle Marquardt, MirrorDanse Books
.
Reprinted in The Best of Leviathan, eds. Jeff VanderMeer
and Ann Kennedy. Forthcoming, 2007.
s (Australian SF Award) nine times. He is the second most nominated individual not to win a Ditmar. He has twice been nominated for the Aurealis Award
.
Peek's short stories have been published in a variety of genre magazines, including Fantasy Magazine
Fantasy Magazine
Fantasy Magazine is a U.S.-based online fantasy and science fiction magazine. It was launched as a print edition at the 2005 World Fantasy Convention in Madison, Wisconsin. It continued in this format for six more issues, but in mid-October 2007, it moved online, with daily content, and spun off...
and Aurealis
Aurealis
Aurealis is a Australian speculative fiction magazine published by Chimaera Publications. The magazine was launched in September 1990 to provide a market for speculative fiction writers, with a particular emphasis on raising the profile of Australian authors.In 1995 the magazine instituted the...
. His fiction has been reprinted in various Year's Best volumes. In 2000, he created a zine called The Urban Sprawl Project, a black and white pamphlet of photography and prose, and this remains the name of his online journal. In 2006 his autobiography, Twenty-Six Lies/One Truth
Twenty-Six Lies/One Truth
Twenty-Six Lies/One Truth is a piece of contemporary literature and an autobiography by Australian author Ben Peek published in 2006 by Wheatland Press. The novel is written in a semi-linear excerpt format, using 10 "blog posts" per chapter to tell the story of the novel's narrator and main...
, was published by Wheatland Press
Wheatland Press
Wheatland Press is an independent book publisher, specializing in science fiction, fantasy, and horror short story and poetry collections. It was founded in 2002 by Deborah Layne...
with artwork from Andrew Macrae and Anna Brown. In 2007, Black Sheep, a dystopian novel, was published by Prime Books
Prime Books
Edited by two-time Hugo-nominee and 2006 World Fantasy-winner Sean Wallace, Prime Books is an award-winning independent publishing house, specializing in a mix of literary/commercial anthologies, collections, novels, and two magazines: Fantasy Magazine and Lightspeed Magazine. Some of its...
. In 2007, Peek also began collaborating with artist Anna Brown on Nowhere Near Savannah, an online comic that in part follows on from their original collaboration on Twenty-Six Lies/One Truth
Twenty-Six Lies/One Truth
Twenty-Six Lies/One Truth is a piece of contemporary literature and an autobiography by Australian author Ben Peek published in 2006 by Wheatland Press. The novel is written in a semi-linear excerpt format, using 10 "blog posts" per chapter to tell the story of the novel's narrator and main...
. Peek has claimed that every incident described in Nowhere near Savannah is true.
Peek holds a Bachelor of Arts (Hons) from the University of Western Sydney
University of Western Sydney
The University of Western Sydney, also known as UWS, is a multi-campus university in the Greater Western region of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
, and a PhD
PHD
PHD may refer to:*Ph.D., a doctorate of philosophy*Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*PHD finger, a protein sequence*PHD Mountain Software, an outdoor clothing and equipment company*PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
in Creative Writing from the University of New South Wales
University of New South Wales
The University of New South Wales , is a research-focused university based in Kensington, a suburb in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
, during which he wrote the novel A Year in the City. His reviews have appeared on several websites including, PopImage, Sequential Tart, and Strange Horizons
Strange Horizons
Strange Horizons is an online speculative fiction magazine. It also features speculative poetry in every issue....
. In 2005 he interviewed over forty Australian speculative fiction writers, editors and publishers as part of the The 2005 Snapshot: Australian Speculative Fiction.
Peek's writing is best described as speculative fiction
Speculative fiction
Speculative fiction is an umbrella term encompassing the more fantastical fiction genres, specifically science fiction, fantasy, horror, supernatural fiction, superhero fiction, utopian and dystopian fiction, apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic fiction, and alternate history in literature as well as...
. However, he often takes fundamental elements of the genre and combines them into other styles. Recurring themes in Peek's work include the representation of race and multiculturalism
Multiculturalism
Multiculturalism is the appreciation, acceptance or promotion of multiple cultures, applied to the demographic make-up of a specific place, usually at the organizational level, e.g...
. Peek has also written a number of works that play with story form, including Twenty-Six Lies/One Truth
Twenty-Six Lies/One Truth
Twenty-Six Lies/One Truth is a piece of contemporary literature and an autobiography by Australian author Ben Peek published in 2006 by Wheatland Press. The novel is written in a semi-linear excerpt format, using 10 "blog posts" per chapter to tell the story of the novel's narrator and main...
and Johnny Cash.
Novels and Longer Works
- Dead Americans (2013), short story collection, ChiZine Publications.
- Below in Above/Below with Stephanie Campisi, (2011), Twelfth Planet Press.
- Black Sheep, a dystopian novel (2007), Prime BooksPrime BooksEdited by two-time Hugo-nominee and 2006 World Fantasy-winner Sean Wallace, Prime Books is an award-winning independent publishing house, specializing in a mix of literary/commercial anthologies, collections, novels, and two magazines: Fantasy Magazine and Lightspeed Magazine. Some of its...
. - Twenty-Six Lies/One TruthTwenty-Six Lies/One TruthTwenty-Six Lies/One Truth is a piece of contemporary literature and an autobiography by Australian author Ben Peek published in 2006 by Wheatland Press. The novel is written in a semi-linear excerpt format, using 10 "blog posts" per chapter to tell the story of the novel's narrator and main...
(2006), Wheatland PressWheatland PressWheatland Press is an independent book publisher, specializing in science fiction, fantasy, and horror short story and poetry collections. It was founded in 2002 by Deborah Layne...
. - The Enigma Variant (1999), with Chris Mowbray. MirrorDanse BooksMirrorDanse BooksMirrorDanse Books , founded in 1994, is one of Australia's longest running independent book publishers of science fiction and horror.MirrorDanse Books publishes the The Year's Best Australian SF & Fantasy anthology series, edited by Bill Congreve and Michelle Marquardt...
.
Short Fiction
- There is Something so Quiet and Empty Inside of You That it Must be Precious. In Polyphony Seven, ed. Deborah Layne and Forrest AguirreForrest AguirreForrest Aguirre is an American fantasy and horror author, and winner of the 2003 World Fantasy Award for his editing work on Leviathan 3, for which he was also a Philip K. Dick Award nominee. He recently edited the anthology Text:UR - The New Book of Masks...
, Wheatland PressWheatland PressWheatland Press is an independent book publisher, specializing in science fiction, fantasy, and horror short story and poetry collections. It was founded in 2002 by Deborah Layne...
. Forthcoming. - White Crocodile Jazz (2010). In Sprawl, ed. Alisa Krasnostein, Twelfth Planet Press.
Reprinted in "The Year's Best Australian Fantasy and Horror, Volume One", eds. Liz Grzyb and Talie Helene, Ticonderoga Publications.
- Last Drink Bird Head (2009). In Last Drink Bird Head, eds. Ann VandermeerAnn VanderMeerAnn VanderMeer is an American publisher and editor, and the second female editor of the venerable horror magazine Weird Tales. She is the founder of Buzzcity Press.Her work as Fiction Editor of Weird Tales won a Hugo Award...
and Jeff VandermeerJeff VanderMeerJeffrey Scott VanderMeer is an American writer, editor and publisher.He is best known for his contributions to the New Weird and his stories about the city of Ambergris, in books like City of Saints and Madmen.-Biography:...
, Ministry of Whimsy. - The Nabakov (2009), co-written with Stephanie Campisi. In The Surreal Botany Guide, ed. Janet Cho and Jason Lundaberg, Two Crane Press.
- David Bowie (2008). In 2012, ed. Alisa Krasnostein and Ben Payne.
- The Funeral, Ruined (2008). In Paper Cities: An Anthology of Urban FantasyPaper Cities: An Anthology of Urban FantasyPaper Cities: An Anthology of Urban Fantasy is a 2008 speculative fiction anthology edited by Ekaterina Sedia.-Background:Paper Cities: An Anthology of Urban Fantasy was first published in 2008 by Senses Five Press in trade paperback format. It won the 2009 World Fantasy Award for best anthology....
, ed. Ekaterina SediaEkaterina SediaEkaterina Sedia is a Russian-born fantasy author who is currently living in the United States. Her most recent work is The Alchemy of Stone, a steampunk novel that explores sexism and class bigotry. Alchemy received a star review from Publishers Weekly and was made the LA Timess 2008 Summer...
, Senses Five. - Possession (2007). Fantasy Magazine.
- John Wayne (As Written by a Non-American) (2007), AurealisAurealisAurealis is a Australian speculative fiction magazine published by Chimaera Publications. The magazine was launched in September 1990 to provide a market for speculative fiction writers, with a particular emphasis on raising the profile of Australian authors.In 1995 the magazine instituted the...
, #37, Chimaera Press.
Reprinted in "The Year's Best Australian Science Fiction and Fantasy", 2008, eds. Bill Congreve and Michelle Marquardt, MirrorDanse Books.
- Excerpts from Novels Fifty Years From Now (2007). Overland, #188
- Black Betty (2007). Lone Star Stories
- theleeharveyoswaldband (2006). In Polyphony Six, ed. Deborah Layne and Jay LakeJay LakeJoseph E. Lake, Jr. is a science fiction and fantasy writer. In 2003 he was a quarterly first place winner in the Writers of the Future contest. In 2004 he won the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer in Science Fiction. He lives in Portland, Oregon and currently works as a product manager...
, Wheatland PressWheatland PressWheatland Press is an independent book publisher, specializing in science fiction, fantasy, and horror short story and poetry collections. It was founded in 2002 by Deborah Layne...
. - The Souls of Dead Soldiers are for Blackbirds, Not Little Boys (2006). In Agog! Ripping Reads, ed. Cat Sparks, Agog! PressAgog! PressAgog! Press is an independent Australian book publisher, specializing in speculative fiction short story collections. It was founded in 2002 by Cat Sparks....
.
Reprinted in "The Year's Best Australian Science Fiction and Fantasy", 2008, eds. Bill Congreve and Michelle Marquardt, Mirrordanse Books.
- Under the Red Sun (2006). Fantasy Magazine, #4.
Recorded as a podcast at Terra Incognita SF, #17, 2010.
- Mono (2006). In Phantom, ed. Nick MamatasNick MamatasNick Mamatas is an American horror, science fiction and fantasy author and editor for the Haikasoru line of translated Japanese science fiction novels for Viz Media...
, Prime BooksPrime BooksEdited by two-time Hugo-nominee and 2006 World Fantasy-winner Sean Wallace, Prime Books is an award-winning independent publishing house, specializing in a mix of literary/commercial anthologies, collections, novels, and two magazines: Fantasy Magazine and Lightspeed Magazine. Some of its...
. - The Night of the Dead King (2006), Potato Monkey, #4.
- An Investigation into the Chinese Made Roman Toga (2005), Full Unit Hookup, #7.
- The Elephant's Glass Prison (2005). In Magistria, ed. G.W. Thomas, RageMachineBooks.
- Johnny Cash (A Tale in Questionnaire Results) (2005), Shadowed Realms #4.
Reprinted in The Year's Best Australian Science Fiction and Fantasy, 2006, eds. Bill Congreve and Michelle Marquardt, MirrorDanse Books.
- The Dream of a Russian Princess (2005), TiconderogaOnline #3.
- The Dreaming City (2004). In Leviathan Four: Cities, ed. Forrest AguirreForrest AguirreForrest Aguirre is an American fantasy and horror author, and winner of the 2003 World Fantasy Award for his editing work on Leviathan 3, for which he was also a Philip K. Dick Award nominee. He recently edited the anthology Text:UR - The New Book of Masks...
, The Ministry of Whimsy Press.
Reprinted in The Year's Best Australian Science Fiction and Fantasy, 2005, eds. Bill Congreve and Michelle Marquardt, MirrorDanse Books
MirrorDanse Books
MirrorDanse Books , founded in 1994, is one of Australia's longest running independent book publishers of science fiction and horror.MirrorDanse Books publishes the The Year's Best Australian SF & Fantasy anthology series, edited by Bill Congreve and Michelle Marquardt...
.
Reprinted in The Best of Leviathan, eds. Jeff VanderMeer
Jeff VanderMeer
Jeffrey Scott VanderMeer is an American writer, editor and publisher.He is best known for his contributions to the New Weird and his stories about the city of Ambergris, in books like City of Saints and Madmen.-Biography:...
and Ann Kennedy. Forthcoming, 2007.
- R (2004). In Agog! Smashing StoriesAgog! Smashing StoriesAgog! Smashing Stories is a 2004 speculative fiction anthology edited by Cat Sparks.-Background:Agog! Smashing Stories was first published in Australia in 2004 by Agog! Press in trade paperback format. It was a short-list nominee for best collected work at the 2005 Ditmar Awards but lost to Black...
, ed. Cat Sparks, Agog! PressAgog! PressAgog! Press is an independent Australian book publisher, specializing in speculative fiction short story collections. It was founded in 2002 by Cat Sparks....
. - The Lost World of the Stranger (2004). In Amazing Heroes II, ed. G.W. Thomas, RageMachineBooks.
- Black Sunday Month (2004), Antipodean Sci-Fi #81.
- Adala's Memory: A March Collection (2004). In The Spiny Babbler, ed. Brian Thompson.
- Dr Who? (Or the Day I Learnt to Love Tom Baker) (2003). In Forever Shores, eds. Peter McNamara and Margaret Winch, Wakefield PressWakefield PressWakefield Press is an independent book publishing company in Australia, based in the Adelaide suburb of Kent Town, South Australia. They publish an eclectic list diverse in subject, tone and point, with strong suits in true stories, gastronomy, history, literature and gift books.-History:Wakefield...
. - The Recipe (2003). In Elsewhere (Anthology)Elsewhere (Anthology)Elsewhere: An Anthology of Incredible Places is the third short story anthology published by the Canberra Speculative Fiction Guild. Printed in 2003 and edited by Michael Barry, it contains stories from several Australian speculative fiction authors....
, Michael Barry, Canberra Speculative Fiction Guild. - Cigarettes and Roses (2002). In Passing Strange, ed. Bill Congreve, MirrorDanse BooksMirrorDanse BooksMirrorDanse Books , founded in 1994, is one of Australia's longest running independent book publishers of science fiction and horror.MirrorDanse Books publishes the The Year's Best Australian SF & Fantasy anthology series, edited by Bill Congreve and Michelle Marquardt...
. - Scratches in the Sky (2002). In Agog! Fantastic Fiction, ed. Cat Sparks, Agog! PressAgog! PressAgog! Press is an independent Australian book publisher, specializing in speculative fiction short story collections. It was founded in 2002 by Cat Sparks....
. - Camel (2002), AurealisXpress, December Issue, p 3.
- Antique Spaceman (2002), Antipodean Sci-Fi, #68.
- Killing the French Fry Girl (2001), Voiceworks, #45.
- With the Lights On (1998), Under Magellanic Clouds, #5.
- The Edge of the Universe (1998), Under Magellanic Clouds, #5.
- The Owner of Ankou's Sword (1996), Dragon Soup, #11.
- Seeing Black and White (1996), The Mentor, #92.
- The One Race, One World Conspiracy (1995), The Mentor, #89.
Poetry
- Changeling (1997). In The Goblin Market, ed. Raechel Henderson, Eggplant Productions.
Awards
Peek has been nominated for the Ditmar AwardDitmar Award
The Ditmar Award has been awarded annually since 1969 at the Australian National Science Fiction Convention to recognise achievement in Australian science fiction and science fiction fandom...
s (Australian SF Award) nine times. He is the second most nominated individual not to win a Ditmar. He has twice been nominated for the Aurealis Award
Aurealis Award
Aurealis Award for Excellence in Speculative Fiction is an annual literary award for Australian science fiction, fantasy and horror fiction. Only Australians are eligible for the award.-History:...
.