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Paul Collins Paul Collins i(A5995 works by)
Also writes as: Roger Wilcox ; Marilyn Fate
Born: Established: 1954
c
England,
c
c
United Kingdom (UK),
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Western Europe, Europe,
;
Gender: Male
Arrived in Australia: 1972
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BiographyHistory

Born on Canvey Island in England, Paul Collins was nine when his family emigrated to New Zealand. In 1972, aged eighteen, he came to Australia and two years later founded the specialist science fiction press Void Publications in Melbourne. The following year he published his first novel - the non-science fiction western Hot Lead, Cold Sweat (1975). According to Sean McMullen, Collins established Void to make a bit of money to support himself while wrote his own stories.

After publishing Hot Lead, Cold Sweat, Collins launched the science fiction magazine Void : Science Fiction and Fantasy, with the first issue appearing in the week leading up to the 1975 World SF Convention. He sold his first professional fantasy story in 1977 to the United States magazine Weirdbook and that same year ceased publishing Void (after five issues) in order to establish the Worlds series of anthologies. The first three volumes were published between 1978 and 1979. By 1980 Collins had also sold another eleven stories to magazines and books in Australia and overseas.

Collins began publishing science fiction novels through Void Publications in 1980, with the first title being Jack Wodhams' Looking For Blücher. He closed Void down in 1981 and immediately set up the Cory and Collins press, with artist Rowena Collins.

In addition to publishing his own and other authors' novels, Collins has edited many science fiction collections, written textbooks and had his works included in educational series such as Crackers, Supa Doopers and Trend. His stories have sold to a wide variety of mainstream and genre magazines. The best of his work has been collected in The Government in Exile (1994). A later collection, Stalking Midnight, has been published by cosmos.com in both POD and e-book. Collins returned to editing in 1994 to compile Metaworlds, an anthology of Australia's best recent science fiction, for Penguin Books. This was followed by Strange Fruit: Tales of the Unexpected, an anthology of dark fantasy tales.

In the mid-1990s Collins began to develop an interest in young adult literature. Angus and Robertson published his children's fantasy novel The Wizard's Torment. It has since been selected by the New South Wales Department of School Education for their Bookshelf List, and extracts were published in School Magazine. Collins also compiled the young adult anthology Dream Weavers for Penguin, the first original Australian heroic fantasy anthology. This was followed by Fantastic Worlds and the Shivers series of children's horror novels (both published by HarperCollins). Hodder published Paul's next anthology, Tales from the Wasteland: Stories from the 13th Floor in 2000.

Collins interest in taekwondo, jujitsu and kick-boxing (he has black belts in the first two disciplines) has seen him write a martial arts series of books, and with Meredith Costain he has also written the Welcome To series of travel books.

Since the early 2000s Collins has been closely involved with The Quentaris Chronicles, a fantasy series which comprises individual, stand alone books by different writers, but with the overall concept managed by Collins and Michael Pryor.

Collins set up Ford Street Publishing and established the speakers agency Creative Net.

Collins has also written under the name Marilyn Fate and he and Sean McMullen have both used the pseudonym Roger Wilcox.

Most Referenced Works

Notes

  • For information about this author's works for children not included in AustLit, see Australian Children's Books by Marcie Muir and Kerry White (Melbourne: Melbourne University Press, 1992-2004).
  • In 2000, Collins and his co-writer Jack Wodhams were nominated for a Ditmar Award for Best Short Story for 'Generation X' (published in Cicada): this publication has not been traced and so has not been indexed.

Personal Awards

2021 winner Leila St John Award
2011 A. Bertram Chandler Award
2002 shortlisted Ditmar Awards Best Achievement For editing. (With Meredith Costain)

Awards for Works

y separately published work icon Rich and Rare : A Collection of Australian Stories, Poetry and Artwork Ormond : Hybrid , 2015 8686130 2015 anthology short story poetry art work

'An anthology can be compared to a patchwork quilt, sewn by many hands. Each piece in the patchwork is different: distinctive in texture, shape, pattern, colour. Each piece, separately created, has its own individuality, is its own thing, and could exist on its own.

'You are about to enjoy some of Australia's best stories, poetry and artwork from the likes of: Shaun Tan Leigh Hobbs James Roy Justin D'Ath Kirsty Murray Simon Higgins Gary Crew Scot Gardner and many others . . .' (Publication summary)

2016 CBCA Book of the Year Awards Notable Book Older Readers
y separately published work icon The Only Game in the Galaxy Ormond : Hybrid , 2013 5992662 2013 single work novel fantasy young adult

'In a galaxy of cut-throat companies, shadowy clans and a million agendas, spy agency RIM barely wields enough control to keep order. Maximus Black is RIM's star cadet. But he has a problem. One of RIM's best agents, Anneke Longshadow, knows there's a mole in the organisation.

And Maximus has a lot to hide.' (Publication blurb)

2014 shortlisted Ditmar Awards Best Novel
y separately published work icon The Beckoning Santa Rosa : Damnation Books , 2013 7456179 2013 single work novel horror fantasy

'When evil intent is just the beginning...

'Matt Brannigan is a lawyer living on the edge. His daughter, Briony is psychic and trouble shadows his family wherever they go. Cult guru Brother Desmond knows that the power within Briony is the remaining key he needs to enter the next dimension. Once he controls this, he will have access to all that is presently denied him. When Briony is indoctrinated into the Zarathustrans, Matt and psychic Clarissa Pike enter the cult's headquarters under the cover of night to rescue her. So begins Armageddon...'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

2014 shortlisted Ditmar Awards Best Novel
Last amended 20 Jun 2014 16:32:03
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