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PRAISE FOR Darkers
"DuMond is wickedly, but wryly funny, yet keeps the thriller angle coming on strong. A five-star thumbs up for Darkers, a novel of special interest to those who love the conventions of private eye fiction."
G. Miki Hayden, Futures Mysterious Anthology Magazine
Author of New Pacific
"This campy tale of mayhem, mystery, and the truly bizarre is vividly told... A great find for sci-fi and mystery lovers alike..."
Amy Poppenga, BREAK magazine and Reviewlutions.com
"Darkers is a splendid work, compelling, drawing you in; as good if not better than any work of science fiction I've ever read. In fact, as good as any work I've read in any genre."
Charles Wilson, author of Embryo, Game Plan, Deep Sleep
"Lisa DuMond's first novel is an armchair-clenching ride. She combines many of the elements of fantasy, horror, mystery, and science fiction into a story that will make you shake your head in wonder, bring a smile to your lips, put a chuckle in your throat and bubble up a laugh from your belly. It's hard to imagine she can do this during a story of murder, serial killing and organ farms. But she does... it only took me a few chapters to realize that the novel was an adventure, a puzzle, a snide distraction from the weather, all manner of fun which is sorely missing from many of the titles I read. Grab a copy; you won't find the novel's like anywhere."
Rodger Turner for SFSITE.COM
"For the unprepared, Darkers can come as quite a jolt. Initially Phil's wit is delivered with Sten gun effect that can leave the reader feeling quite breathless. There have been witty and sardonic space heroes before, of course, but Phil owes more to the genre of early detective fiction.... Darkers could...fall into the category of cult classic."
Jane Palmer for SF Crowsnest
PRAISE FOR "Some Enchanted Evening," from TOURNIQUET HEART
"The short story, Some Enchanted Evening by Lisa DuMond, contains the same sardonic humour as in the author's full-length novel, Darkers.
The Prince (or Princess) Charming has a passion for the object of their obsession that breathes obscenely from the page. This leads to love in a cold climate in the most literal sense.
The apprehension about the main character's behaviour quickly builds until the sting in the last sentence lances your worst expectations.
Here are two pages worth twenty from many other short story writers."
Jane Palmer, author of The Drune and SF Crowsnest reviewer
UPDATE
7 November 2025
Some artists are only appreciated after they're dead. I'm only appreciate in the UK. Go figure. Crowswing Books has purchased my short stories "Star Child" and "Born to the Night" for inclusion in two upcoming limited-edition anthologies: THE NEW WAVE OF SPECULATIVE FICTION: Book 1 and WHEN GRAVEYARDS YAWN. You have got to love that last title. Get your butt in gear and your name on the waiting list because these are very limited editions and I want them to sell out in record time!
4 March 2025
Darkers is coming out in paperback, at last! So, those of you who just could not bear to read it on screen can soon get a real, bound, luscious paperback.
31 October 2025
I now have in a limited number of copies of Random Planets: A Scifaikus Odyssey and Unspeakable Limericks, both including little snippets by me. I will be signing my own "poems" and the cost will be $8 USD, including shipping, for each book. If you want a piece of me, now's the time to get it and get all of your holiday shopping done in one swat. Could there be a more thoughtful present?
10 May 2025
Woo! I really am behind on updating this part of hikeeba! Since my last entry I sold a haiku to UNSPEAKABLE SCIFAIKUS, also being published by Sam's Dot Library. Of course, neither sale gets me any closer to attaining active status in SFWA, but making a living writing is getting more attractive than a particular letter beside my name in the directory.
By the way, you can also keep up with the travails of the writing life and everything else about the genre in the forums. Do sign up and dive in!
19 March 2025
In yet another bizarre tangent along my career path, I have sold a limerick to Sam's Dot Library for the upcoming UNSPEAKABLE LIMERICKS volume, edited by Tyree Campbell and L. A. Story Houry, and illustrated by Teri Santitoro. I had never thought of doing limericks before, but put the word "publish" in front of me...
Note to self: update more often.
12 December 2025
You just might want to check out artist Denise Ruzich's fantastic site to get your imagination stoked and your appetite whetted. There may well be a joint project coming from Denise and Me, unlike anything either of us has tackled before.
Sneaking in a plug for TOURNIQUET HEART, a twisted little anthology that just happens to include me among a cast of...well...dozens.
Sweet sassy molasssey! According to Amazon, they only have 5 copies of DARKERS left onhand. So, if you are planning on one (or more) for a Hanukkah/Advent/Christmas/ Kwanzaa gift, you'd best act now!
British author Jane Palmer has written a great review of DARKERS for SF Crowsnest, the busiest sf/f site in Europe. The review will run throughout November.
I made it back from Philly in one worn-out, happy piece. Here's the full Con Report.
DARKERS is doing well. Don�t be the last one on your block to own a copy! Hard Shell Word Factory rolled out the first copies on 10 August 2000. There were a few delays but my shipment arrived a full hour before my ChiCon 2000 booksigning. Room to spare. Now, you can get that copy you've been pining for. Check it out here, at Hard Shell, Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble, Peanut Press, powells.com. Buy me...buy me...buy me...
Congratulations to Darkers� cover artist Denise Ruzich's as the winner of the first-ever Dream Realm Awards Best Cover Art for 2000. Say what you will about DARKERS, but that is one stunning cover! Every time I see it, I can't believe how fortunate I am to have connected with Denise. Soon, she will be too famous for the likes of me!
WorldCon in Chicago, UncommonCon, and NorwesCon 24 are just fond memories. Panels, signings, and readings. And, no -- no one got to seem me swoon as I co-hosted the Dream Realm Awards ceremony, but there�s always hope.
Of course, the non-fiction writing goes on unabated. Issue #2 of BlackGate.com magazine is on stands now. If you were fortunate enough to land a copy of the launch issue of Black Gate at your bookstore, you are one of the lucky few, but you have another chance to nab one of the finest fantasy magazine ever in print.
Early in 2002, look for my short story �Some Enchanted Evening� in Cosmos� publication of Tourniquet Heart. Available in hardback and paperback. Yet another item to get signed by me.
Let�s see...WorldCon upcoming...plug for Darkers and Tourniquet Heart...invitation to visit anytime...that just about covers it for now.
I�ll be back soon!
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