Warren Lapine has taken on a yet another acquiring editor for his POD line of sf/f/h titles called Fantastic Books: Douglas Cohen. Cohen wears several editorial hats at Realms of Fantasy magazine (which Lapine’s Tir Na Nog Press recently brought back from the dead); but this new position is in addition to that work. Cohen writes: “I expect to start actively looking for authors and books this Monday, but I am accepting submissions as of now. For those unfamiliar with my tastes, I am open to and enjoy all sorts of fantasy, but definitely have preferences for pieces set in secondary worlds and/or works with a decided dark streak. Favorite authors include George R.R. Martin, Ursula K. Le Guin, Robert E. Howard, and Clark Ashton Smith.
“I like many kinds of science fiction, but hard sf will be a tough sell with me (though I’ll certainly consider it). I often enjoy science fiction where the characters are as developed as the ideas and the science, if not more. Favorite science fiction works include Dan Simmons’ Hyperion Cantos, Frank Herbert’s Dune books, Orson Scott Card’s Enderverse, Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes, and anything by Octavia E. Butler.
“Send me your horror too, but keep in mind that I prefer horror with a supernatural element, and I’ll be a tough sell on old cliches like vampires and werewolves unless you’re bringing something really new to the table. I would point to Stephen King and H.P. Lovecraft as two writers of horror that I’ve enjoyed.
“If interested, please send me a query at fantasticbookseditor at gmail dot com. It’s impossible to give you accurate response times just yet, but right now it’s my intention to answer queries in under a month.”

Related articles previously published on SFScope:
Fantastic Books announces its first slew of reprints (23 April 2009)
Ian Randal Strock joins Fantastic Books as a freelance acquisitions editor (21 April 2009)