Borderlanz: Tales From the Edges by Douglas Smith

Borderlanz: Tales From the Edges by Douglas Smith

Author interview for Borderlanz: Tales From the Edges (Short Story Collections)

Borderlanz: Tales From the Edges by Douglas Smith

Author interview for Borderlanz: Tales From the Edges (Short Story Collections)

I'm thrilled to announce my third collection of short stories:   BORDERLANZ: Tales From the Edges   Check out the cool cover to the right, by award-winning Canadian artist, James Beveridge. Borderlanz contains 15 short stories, including award winners, award finalists, "best of the year" selections, and features a mix of fantasy, science fiction, horror, and more. Plus an introduction by award-winning fantasy author, Charles de Lint! The book will be released on March 15, 2026 in ebook, trade paperback, and hard cover editions, but the ebook is available NOW for pre-order at special pricing at all major retailers, including Amazon, Kobo, Barnes & Noble, Apple, Google Play, and many more.   Pre-order pricing:  US$4.99  /  £4.49  /  €4.99  /  CA$6.99  /  AU$6.99 After release:  US$6.99  /  £5.99  /  €9.99  /  CA$9.99  /  AU$9.99   Pre-order Borderlanz now from your favourite retailer and save!   About the book: Take a trip to the edges of imagination in this stunning collection of short stories from the five-time award-winning author described by Library Journal as “one of Canada’s most original writers of speculative fiction.” There’s something here for every reader. Award winners and finalists. “Best of” selections. Science fiction and fantasy. Mystery and horror. Darkness and humor. Love and revenge. An immortal battles the Lords of Order and Chaos to save the woman he loves. A woman plans a very special homecoming for the body of her soldier husband. Strange radio broadcasts haunt a man trying to change the past. A shapeshifter confronts his own dark past as a covert agency hunts him. Bizarre deaths threaten a private eye’s favorite restaurant. A woman makes an unexplained stopover on a transatlantic flight. Disaster strikes a space freighter when an unlucky newcomer joins the crew. The House promises wealth and fame...if it doesn’t kill you first. A thief’s attempt to lift a curse goes less than perfectly. A boy has a plan to find his missing brother—a deeply disturbing one. A new father questions his ability to love his disabled son. To win her freedom, a woman must simply prove she’s human. A shapeshifter must overcome her hatred of humans to help a young girl. Four warriors set out to slay the last dragon. Two young lovers are hunted across dimensions and time. Welcome to the Borderlanz! ~~~ “Doug Smith is quite simply, the finest short-story writer Canada has ever produced in the science fiction and fantasy genres. ... His stories are a treasure trove of riches that will touch your heart while making you think.” —Robert J. Sawyer, Hugo and Nebula Awards winner “The man is Sturgeon good. Zelazny good. I don’t give those up easy.” —Spider Robinson, Hugo and Nebula Awards winner “A great storyteller with a gifted and individual voice.” —Charles de Lint, World Fantasy Award winner Pre-order Borderlanz now!

I announced a while back that my newest collection of short stories, BORDERLANZ: Tales From the Edges, will be released on March 15, 2026 in ebook, trade paperback, and hard cover editions. My ARC (Advanced Review Copy) team has already posted some early reviews on Goodreads and Bookbub.  Borderlanz contains 15 short stories, including award winners, award finalists, "best of the year" selections, and features a mix of fantasy, science fiction, horror, and more. Plus an introduction by award-winning fantasy author, Charles de Lint! Full details on the contents of the collection are here. A reminder that the ebook is available NOW for pre-order at special pricing at all major retailers, including Amazon, Kobo, Barnes & Noble, Apple, Google Play, and many more. The price will be going up after the book's release on March 15: Pre-order pricing:  US$4.99  /  £4.49  /  €4.99  /  CA$6.99  /  AU$6.99 After release:  US$6.99  /  £5.99  /  €9.99  /  CA$9.99  /  AU$9.99 Click here to pre-order Borderlanz from your favourite retailer and save!

Another of the top book review sites in North America has selected my upcoming collection, Borderlanz, for their top honour. Founded by a respected literary agent and an award-winning former book review editor, Blueink Review call themselves "the gold standard in book reviews." Are they? I don't know, but their "Starred" reviews, meaning highly recommended books, are reprinted in top publishing journals, so someone thinks so. Blueink gave Borderlanz a starred review, their top rating. Here's an extract: “Starred review: Smith’s impeccable third collection of short stories … contains a diversity of compelling speculative fiction tales … a testament to Smith’s mastery at crafting short stories. The first lines are all solid hooks, … the writing is razor-focused, [and] each story ends with thematic impact … Aspiring short-form writers could well use this flawless collection as a primer. … sure to delight from the first story to the last. ” —Blueink Review Impeccable? Flawless? Sure to delight? Maybe you want to check it out. See below for how to pre-order it now. ~~~ Borderlanz contains 15 short stories, including award winners, award finalists, "best of the year" selections, and features a mix of fantasy, science fiction, horror, and more. Plus an introduction by award-winning fantasy author, Charles de Lint! Full details on the contents of the collection are here. A reminder that the ebook is available NOW for pre-order at special pre-release pricing at all major retailers ahead of its March 15, 2026 release date. Pre-order pricing:  US$4.99  /  £4.49  /  €4.99  /  CA$6.99  /  AU$6.99 After March 15:  US$6.99  /  £5.99  /  €9.99  /  CA$9.99  /  AU$9.99 Click here to pre-order Borderlanz from your favourite retailer and save!

I am thrilled to announce that today is release day for my third collection of short fiction, Borderlanz. Borderlanz contains 15 stories, including award winners, award finalists, and "best of the year" selections, in a mix of fantasy, science fiction, horror, and more.  Plus, the book includes an introduction by award-winning fantasy author, Charles de Lint! Full details on the contents of the collection are here. The book is available here in ebook, trade paperback, and hardcover editions from all major book retailers, including Amazon, Apple, B&N, Kobo, Google Play, Smashwords, and more, at special release week pricing. Release week pricing: US$4.99 (After release week: US$6.99) Two of the top book review sites recently gave Borderlanz their top honours: “Editor’s Pick: A collection that refuses easy categorization. Spanning cosmic fantasy, noir mystery, and psychological horror, … balancing scale with intimacy is one of the collection’s strengths. Smith excels in character work … Internal struggles drive the narratives, [and] even in fantastical settings … emotional stakes remain grounded and affecting.” —BookLife (full review here) “Starred review: Smith’s impeccable third collection…contains a diversity of compelling speculative fiction tales [which are] a testament to Smith’s mastery at crafting short stories. … Aspiring short-form writers could well use this flawless collection as a primer [which is] sure to delight from the first story to the last.” —Blueink Review (full review here) ~~~ Click here to buy Borderlanz from your favourite retailer.

Kirkus, the premiere review publication in publishing, has given my third collection of short fiction, Borderlanz, their coveted Kirkus Star. Only 3% of indie titles are awarded a Kirkus Star, so this is a big deal, adding to the "Editor's Pick" from Booklife, the starred review from Blueink Review, and the effusive praise from The Ottawa Review of Books. Here are some highlights from the Kirkus starred review: "With an ear for sharp dialogue and an engaging narrative voice, Smith has crafted an irresistible lineup of tales that deeply probe both the dark and light facets of humanity—regardless of how many actual humans appear in the stories themselves. ... Satisfying twists and turns join with humor and deliciously vibrant descriptions to immerse readers in their compelling and eccentric worlds. ... The result is a must-read for anyone craving layered and offbeat chills and thrills. A dazzling array of stories that consistently challenge readers to contemplate the possibilities around them. —Kirkus Reviews (starred review) Borderlanz contains 15 stories, including award winners, award finalists, and "best of the year" selections, in a mix of fantasy, science fiction, horror, and more.  Click here to buy Borderlanz from your favourite retailer.

If you're a fan of flash fiction, you should check out both Merganser Magazine and this book, their first anthology of flash stories. The book contains 44 (!) stories, ranging from mainstream to SF to Fantasy to the undefinable.  My story is "The Stopover" and first appeared in the inaugural issue of the magazine and is the shortest story I've ever written. It is included in my recent collection, Borderlanz: Tales From the Edges. If you read this story, you're going to say, "Ah! This is his COVID story.” Nope. I wrote this in September 2019, a full four months before any pandemic rumours surfaced. I wasn’t being prescient. My go-to apocalypse trigger in my writing has often been a plague. Click on the cover to the right to go to a buying link for the antho.

I was interviewed in late May by Gary Johnson on CHOP-FM, 102.7 in Newmarket, on my newest release, my collection Borderlanz, and on my writing in general.  102.7 CHOP FM is a student-operated radio station serving Pickering College and the wider Newmarket community. Pickering College is the only JK-Grade 12 school in Canada with a CRTC-licensed station. This fully functioning station provides a range of community-based programming including a live morning show, sports updates, and feature programs. I'd been interviewed by Gary on his show back in 2024 about the release of my fourth novel, The Lost Expedition, the final book in The Dream Rider Saga trilogy, and it was great to connect with him again, this time in a brand new studio at the College. If you're interested, you can listen to the interview on the station's livestream when it is rebroadcast at either of the following times: * Wednesday June 17 at 6:00pm * Saturday June 20 at 7am Unfortunately, they don't archive their programs online, so those are the only chances you'll have of hearing it. 

If you're interested, here are a couple of interviews I did recently, one a podcast, one written. Living the Next Chapter — I'm interviewed by fellow Canadian, David Campbell, on his podcast about the release of my third collection, Borderlanz: Tales From the Edges, as well as character-based writing, considerations when putting together a collection, my first story sale, and much more. The Butchered Writer’s Substack — A written interview by Nora Peevy about the release of my third collection, Borderlanz: Tales From the Edges, as well as writing in general. A complete list of my interviews can be found on my website here.

Author interview for Borderlanz: Tales From the Edges (Short Story Collections)

Robert Runté in The Ottawa Review of Books gives my third collection of short fiction, Borderlanz, another glowing review: This is Smith’s third short fiction collection and gives a good cross-section not merely of his career, but of the range of speculative fiction. Zombies, werewolves, wizards, ghosts, dragons, space bar tall-tales, alien encounters, parallel universes, hard-boiled detectives, and straight-up horror are all represented. … However, none of them is what you might expect from those labels. Smith always has an original take that elevates his stories above the regular clichés of those subgenres. … I had read several of these stories before, … and I was surprised how well they have stood up over time and re-reading. … Only a truly brilliant author can write something where the same reader can discover a new level or a new relevance when re-reading it at different point in their life. … Smith’s stories are deeply memorable because they always have something more to say about life and love. … Smith’s collection is a good one, guaranteed to take your mind off things while still saying something important about life, the world, and our place in it. —Robert Runté, The Ottawa Review of Books, April 2026 Borderlanz contains 15 stories, including award winners, award finalists, and "best of the year" selections, in a mix of fantasy, science fiction, horror, and more.  Click here to buy Borderlanz from your favourite retailer.

Recently, one of the top book review sites in North America selected my upcoming collection, Borderlanz, for their top honour. BookLife (part of Publisher's Weekly) awarded Borderlanz their coveted "Editor's Pick," used to denote "a book of outstanding quality."  Read the full review here (page down to find the review below the book description).  Some highlights: “Editor’s Pick: A collection that refuses easy categorization. Spanning cosmic fantasy, noir mystery, and psychological horror, these 15 interconnected stories share a single preoccupation: what happens to people when systems demand everything from them …  "Smith excels in character work … protagonists whose internal struggles drive the narratives. … Even in fantastical settings, emotional stakes remain grounded and affecting … [presenting] love, resistance, and balance as ongoing acts rather than resolved outcomes. … Borderlanz is ambitious, exacting work for readers willing to sit with difficult questions about what we owe each other when the world demands too much.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ ” —BookLife Reviews ~~~ Borderlanz contains 15 short stories, including award winners, award finalists, "best of the year" selections, and features a mix of fantasy, science fiction, horror, and more. Plus an introduction by award-winning fantasy author, Charles de Lint! Full details on the contents of the collection are here. A reminder that the ebook is available NOW for pre-order at special pre-release pricing at all major retailers ahead of its release on March 15, 2026. Pre-order pricing:  US$4.99  /  £4.49  /  €4.99  /  CA$6.99  /  AU$6.99 After March 15:  US$6.99  /  £5.99  /  €9.99  /  CA$9.99  /  AU$9.99 Click here to pre-order Borderlanz from your favourite retailer and save!

Reviewed by Robert RuntéA four-time winner of the Aurora Award (for Canadian speculative fiction and fantasy) and shortlisted for the Sunburst Award (a more literary, juried Canadian Speculative Ficti...