Clockwork Storybook
Encyclopedia
Clockwork Storybook was a writer's collective and independent book publisher based in Austin, Texas
. It specialized in the fantasy
, horror
and adventure genres.
Clockwork Storybook was formed in the late 1990s by fellow Austin-based writers Mark Finn
, Chris Roberson
, Matthew Sturges
, and Bill Willingham
, beginning as a writing group which met weekly to critique its members' short stories and novels. Soon thereafter, the four began producing monthly content for an online shared world anthology of urban fantasy
, revolving around the fictitious city of San Cibola, California, where magical inhabitants co-existed with normal citizens, at www.ClockworkStorybook.com. The website is no longer there, and is only partially accessible through the Internet Archive Project, although content from it surfaces occasionally on the respective authors' websites.http://www.chrisroberson.net/2007/10/free-fiction-friday-trick-or-treat.html
Each issue featured a short story by each of the four founders, plus "an occasional story by guest authors invited to play in our fabricated realm", an editorial and intermittent reviews of various notable books, etc. (The second issue, for example, included contributions from artists Brian Hagen and Jeff Dee) In 1999, they were joined by their first 'Associate Member' - Harold Covey, described as an "artist/designer/renaissance man extraordinaire", who designed the ClockworkStorybook logo. (Above, left)
After a couple of years, the development and increasing popularity of print on demand
technologies suggested to them that they could create their own imprint (also called Clockwork Storybook) through which they would publish their own novels and short story collections. They launched with four print titles in spring 2001.
Ultimately, after continuing with the online anthology for a couple of years, and publishing a handful of books, the Clockwork Storybook collective fell apart, and the individual authors went their separate ways.
is best known for his Vertigo Comics series Fables. Matthew Sturges
is probably best known as the co-writer (with Willingham) of Fables spin-off Jack of Fables
. Mark Finn
is a noted Robert E. Howard
scholar and playwright. Chris Roberson
is author of several books, and publisher of MonkeyBrain Books
.
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
. It specialized in the fantasy
Fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...
, horror
Horror fiction
Horror fiction also Horror fantasy is a philosophy of literature, which is intended to, or has the capacity to frighten its readers, inducing feelings of horror and terror. It creates an eerie atmosphere. Horror can be either supernatural or non-supernatural...
and adventure genres.
History
Mark Finn
Mark Finn is the pseudonym of Mark Farr-Nash, a science fiction and fantasy writer, essayist, and playwright...
, Chris Roberson
Chris Roberson (author)
Chris Roberson is a science fiction author, tromboner, and publisher based in Austin, Texas, best known for alternate history novels and short stories.-Biography:Chris Roberson grew up near Dallas, Texas, and attended the University of Texas, Austin...
, Matthew Sturges
Matthew Sturges
Matthew Sturges is an American writer of comics and fantasy novels.-Biography:Sturges is best known for the Eisner-award nominated Jack of Fables from DC/Vertigo...
, and Bill Willingham
Bill Willingham
Bill Willingham is an American writer and artist of comics.-Career:Willingham got his start in the late 1970s to early 1980s as a staff artist for TSR, Inc., where he illustrated a number of their role-playing game products...
, beginning as a writing group which met weekly to critique its members' short stories and novels. Soon thereafter, the four began producing monthly content for an online shared world anthology of urban fantasy
Urban fantasy
Urban fantasy is a sub-genre of fantasy defined by place; the fantastic narrative has an urban setting. Many urban fantasies are set in contemporary times and contain supernatural elements. However, the stories can take place in historical, modern, or futuristic periods...
, revolving around the fictitious city of San Cibola, California, where magical inhabitants co-existed with normal citizens, at www.ClockworkStorybook.com. The website is no longer there, and is only partially accessible through the Internet Archive Project, although content from it surfaces occasionally on the respective authors' websites.http://www.chrisroberson.net/2007/10/free-fiction-friday-trick-or-treat.html
Each issue featured a short story by each of the four founders, plus "an occasional story by guest authors invited to play in our fabricated realm", an editorial and intermittent reviews of various notable books, etc. (The second issue, for example, included contributions from artists Brian Hagen and Jeff Dee) In 1999, they were joined by their first 'Associate Member' - Harold Covey, described as an "artist/designer/renaissance man extraordinaire", who designed the ClockworkStorybook logo. (Above, left)
After a couple of years, the development and increasing popularity of print on demand
Print on demand
Print on demand , sometimes called, in error, publish on demand, is a printing technology and business process in which new copies of a book are not printed until an order has been received...
technologies suggested to them that they could create their own imprint (also called Clockwork Storybook) through which they would publish their own novels and short story collections. They launched with four print titles in spring 2001.
Ultimately, after continuing with the online anthology for a couple of years, and publishing a handful of books, the Clockwork Storybook collective fell apart, and the individual authors went their separate ways.
Publications
Several books/anthologies were printed by Clockwork Storybook, and mostly available through the website. Some reprinted online content, many featured new stories. A partial bibliography includes:- Clockwork Storybook Offline, Volume I: Mythology by Finn, Roberson, Sturges & Willingham
- Clockwork Storybook Offline, Volume II: The Goblin Market by Finn, Roberson, Sturges & Willingham
- Voices of Thunder by Chris RobersonChris Roberson (author)Chris Roberson is a science fiction author, tromboner, and publisher based in Austin, Texas, best known for alternate history novels and short stories.-Biography:Chris Roberson grew up near Dallas, Texas, and attended the University of Texas, Austin...
(Feb, 2001) - Beneath the Skin & Other Stories by Matthew SturgesMatthew SturgesMatthew Sturges is an American writer of comics and fantasy novels.-Biography:Sturges is best known for the Eisner-award nominated Jack of Fables from DC/Vertigo...
(Mar, 2001) - Gods New & Used by Mark FinnMark FinnMark Finn is the pseudonym of Mark Farr-Nash, a science fiction and fantasy writer, essayist, and playwright...
(Mar, 2001) - Down the Mysterly River by Bill WillinghamBill WillinghamBill Willingham is an American writer and artist of comics.-Career:Willingham got his start in the late 1970s to early 1980s as a staff artist for TSR, Inc., where he illustrated a number of their role-playing game products...
(Apr, 2001) - Road Trip by Mark FinnMark FinnMark Finn is the pseudonym of Mark Farr-Nash, a science fiction and fantasy writer, essayist, and playwright...
- The Clockwork Reader Volume 1 (Nov 2001) by Clockwork Storybook
- Set the Seas on Fire by Chris RobersonChris Roberson (author)Chris Roberson is a science fiction author, tromboner, and publisher based in Austin, Texas, best known for alternate history novels and short stories.-Biography:Chris Roberson grew up near Dallas, Texas, and attended the University of Texas, Austin...
(Dec, 2001) (reprinted by Solaris, 2007) - Cybermancy Incorporated by Chris RobersonChris Roberson (author)Chris Roberson is a science fiction author, tromboner, and publisher based in Austin, Texas, best known for alternate history novels and short stories.-Biography:Chris Roberson grew up near Dallas, Texas, and attended the University of Texas, Austin...
(Dec, 2001) (cover by Michael LarkMichael LarkMichael Lark is an American comics artist.Lark has provided pencils for DC Comics' Batman, Terminal City, Gotham Central and Legend of the Hawkman. His work for Marvel Comics includes The Pulse and Captain America...
) - Year of the Hare by Mark FinnMark FinnMark Finn is the pseudonym of Mark Farr-Nash, a science fiction and fantasy writer, essayist, and playwright...
(Dec, 2001) - Midwinter by Matthew SturgesMatthew SturgesMatthew Sturges is an American writer of comics and fantasy novels.-Biography:Sturges is best known for the Eisner-award nominated Jack of Fables from DC/Vertigo...
(Feb, 2002) - Hyde and Seek by Bill WillinghamBill WillinghamBill Willingham is an American writer and artist of comics.-Career:Willingham got his start in the late 1970s to early 1980s as a staff artist for TSR, Inc., where he illustrated a number of their role-playing game products...
(May, 2002) - The Monster Maker by Bill WillinghamBill WillinghamBill Willingham is an American writer and artist of comics.-Career:Willingham got his start in the late 1970s to early 1980s as a staff artist for TSR, Inc., where he illustrated a number of their role-playing game products...
(May, 2002) - Any Time at All: The Lives and Time of Roxanne Bonaventure by Chris RobersonChris Roberson (author)Chris Roberson is a science fiction author, tromboner, and publisher based in Austin, Texas, best known for alternate history novels and short stories.-Biography:Chris Roberson grew up near Dallas, Texas, and attended the University of Texas, Austin...
(Sep 2002) (cover by John PicacioJohn PicacioJohn Picacio is an award-winning American artist specializing in science fiction, fantasy and horror illustration.-Biography:...
)
After Clockwork Storybook
Bill WillinghamBill Willingham
Bill Willingham is an American writer and artist of comics.-Career:Willingham got his start in the late 1970s to early 1980s as a staff artist for TSR, Inc., where he illustrated a number of their role-playing game products...
is best known for his Vertigo Comics series Fables. Matthew Sturges
Matthew Sturges
Matthew Sturges is an American writer of comics and fantasy novels.-Biography:Sturges is best known for the Eisner-award nominated Jack of Fables from DC/Vertigo...
is probably best known as the co-writer (with Willingham) of Fables spin-off Jack of Fables
Jack of Fables
Jack of Fables was a spin-off of the comic book Fables, both of which were published by DC Comics as part of that company's Vertigo imprint. It shows the adventures of Jack Horner after his exile from Fabletown. A preview of the series was shown in Fables #50, and the series itself debuted in July...
. Mark Finn
Mark Finn
Mark Finn is the pseudonym of Mark Farr-Nash, a science fiction and fantasy writer, essayist, and playwright...
is a noted Robert E. Howard
Robert E. Howard
Robert Ervin Howard was an American author who wrote pulp fiction in a diverse range of genres. Best known for his character Conan the Barbarian, he is regarded as the father of the sword and sorcery subgenre....
scholar and playwright. Chris Roberson
Chris Roberson (author)
Chris Roberson is a science fiction author, tromboner, and publisher based in Austin, Texas, best known for alternate history novels and short stories.-Biography:Chris Roberson grew up near Dallas, Texas, and attended the University of Texas, Austin...
is author of several books, and publisher of MonkeyBrain Books
MonkeyBrain Books
MonkeyBrain Books is an independent American publishing house based in Austin, Texas, specialising in books comprising both new content and reprinting online, international or out-of-print content, which show "an academic interest," but which "reach a popular audience as well."-A brief history of...
.
External links
- Clockwork Storybook content, partially accessible through the Internet Archive
- Chris Roberson's homepage
- Matthew Sturges' homepage
- A partial bibliography of Bill Willingham
- Infinity Plus Chris Roberson Timeline
- Clockwork Storybook at everything2.com
- RevolutionSF article on CWSB's Clockwork Novel Weekend, 2001