NEWS
HELMS OPENS HARDBOILED / NOIR WEBZINE
June 25, 2007: Three-Time Shamus Award nominee Richard Helms has established a new webzine, specifically tailored toward hardboiled and noir literature and commentary.
Entitled The Back Alley, the first issue includes stories by Shamus and Anthony Award nominee Jack Bludis; Edgar Award recipient G. Miki Hayden; Derringer Award recipient Stephen D. Rogers; screenwriter John Lau; and Helms himself, writing as Eric Shane. Future issues will included commentary and historical articles from various acknowledged authorities in the field.
According to Helms, the growth of other hardboiled sites such as ThugLit, Mouth Full Of Bullets, and Destruction has shown that there is both a demand for the genre, and a wealth of new, young writers who have become interested in it. Helms also intends for The Back Alley to become a Mystery Writers of America Qualified Publisher, and toward that end he has made The Back Alley a paying market. Initially, stories will pay $25 each regardless of length, in order to meet the MWA guidelines.
Helms' books up to this point have been edited by C.E. Gaulden (whom those close to Helms know as his lovely spouse, Elaine). With The Back Alley, however, Helms has taken on the role of Executive Editor as well as Publisher. He makes no bones about his goal to seek out the finest established and emerging voices in the hardboiled and noir genres, and to submit stories from The Back Alley for the major mystery award programs.
RICHARD HELMS WINS TWO DERRINGER AWARDS!
May 2, 2008: Richard Helms was the recipient of two Short Mystery Fiction Society Derringer Awards when 2008 winners were announced today.
According to the SMFS website The Derringer Award was created in 1997 by the Short Mystery Fiction Society to honor excellence in the creative artform of short mystery and crime stories. The name 'Derringer' - after the palm-sized handgun - was chosen as a metaphor for a mystery or crime short story -- small, but dangerous. The award is in the form of a certificate suitable for framing.
Helms won in the 4001-8000 Word Category for The Gospel According to Gordon Black, a short story featuring his series character, San Francisco PI Eamon Gold, which was published in the Fall 2007 Issue of The Thrilling Detective Website.
He also won in the 8001-17500 Word Category for Paper Walls/Glass Houses, written under his pseudonym Eric Shane, which was published in the June 2007 Issue of The Back Alley Webzine.
According to the best information available as of this writing, Richard Helms has become the only person ever to win TWO Derringer Awards in the same year!
Finally, The Back Alley Webzine, for which Helms serves as Executive Editor and Publisher, received another win in the 1001-4000 Word Category, with John Weagly's In the Shadows of Wrigley Field, published in the November issue of the Webzine.
In all, Helms and his webzine, The Back Alley, accounted for 75% of the Derringer Awards handed out this year!
All of the stories nominated for the 2008 Derringer Awards were available for review and voting by the nearly 1000 members of the Short Mystery Fiction Society between April 1 and April 30. Winners were be announced on the Short Mystery Fiction Society website on May 2, 2008.