I just finished reading Terry Bisson's Planet of Mystery. All I can say is wow. You remember my Best Of 2008 list I posted a few hours ago? I'd amend it and include this book there. Will probably post the review on Monday as usual. In the meantime, here's the summary-blurb on the website. It's all true."Like Pride and Prejudice, it’s an adventure. Like Don Quixote, it’s a love story; and like Lolita, it has a happy ending."
"Little Gods" by Tim Pratt (Little Gods) - It's the story I want every girl I have a remote romantic interest in to read.
"Daltharee" by Jeffrey Ford (The Del Rey Book of Science Fiction and Fantasy) - The Hollywood pitch would be retro-scifi with a modern touch. Also Ford's most upbeat story in the past year or two.
"Vampires in the Lemon Grove" by Karen Russell (The Year's Best Fantasy & Horror 2008) - Simply powerful, effective prose that makes great use of various genres. Makes me love magic-realism.
"Pretty Monsters" by Kelly Link (Pretty Monsters) - Just when I thought I had Kelly Link figured out, she blows me away with an entirely new and exciting story.
"A Fable with Slips of White Paper" by Kevin Brockmeier (Best American Fantasy) - The brevity and simplicity can be misleading as it weaves into something bigger and touching. Also kudos to the ending of the story.
Nemonymous: Cone Zero edited by D.F. Lewis - One of most refreshing magazine/anthology I've read in recent years (of course that could just be due to my ignorance) and each story is distinct and makes an impact. Besides, between the anonymous authors and the "cone zero" concept, how could you fail?The Year's Best Fantasy and Horror 2008 edited by Ellen Datlow & Kelly Link & Gavin Grant - On the non-fiction side, the summary and the honorable mention is a much-awaited list. When it comes to the fiction, it's certainly a strong selection.Best American Fantasy edited by Jeff & Ann Vandermeer, Matthew Cheney - For the most part, it covers territory not featured in other anthologies in addition to including great stories in general.
The Living Dead edited by John Joseph Adams - Blew me away. Okay, here's the thing: this is a thick anthology and each story will do one of two things. Either it'll make an impression on you or it represents a field in the zombie mythos. If nothing else, the sheer content will overwhelm you.
Fantasy: The Best of the Year 2008 edited by Rich Horton - Includes a distinct selection from the other "best of" anthologies out year and bonus points because I'm attuned to Horton's choices which means I really, really liked around 90% of his choices.
20th Century Ghosts by Joe Hill - Hill goes for the jugular as he writes powerful horror stories that are propelled by characterization and technique. One could even consider his fiction Literary (that's with a capital L!) and this is one of the more refreshing collections that I've read in recent times.Pretty Monsters by Kelly Link - I'm a big fan of Link and the titular story, "Pretty Monsters", doesn't disappoint. For the most part, Link fans will want to get this because it compiles some (not all) of her more recent work.
Pump Six and Other Stories by Paolo Bacigalupi - Bacigalupi is one of the hottest SF writers that deals with current issues and this is evident from his most recent stories. This is honestly what I imagine modern science fiction to be.Little Gods by Tim Pratt - "Little Gods" is one of those stories that justifies purchasing an entire book but that aside, Pratt is my Hemmingway when it comes to speculative fiction. He accomplishes so much with so little and one can sense the passion in those pieces. Is Pratt perfect? Not by any means but his stories tend to be enjoyable nonetheless.
The Drowned Life by Jeffrey Ford - There's actually less variety in terms of style compared to Ford's previous collections but there's also a certain maturation in his writing, a "I've settled down" kind of feeling. His sophistication can be nailed down to sheer technique and at the very least Ford proves that he's as skilled as he ever was.
The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman - For a time, I was actually skeptical of Gaiman's recent novels but The Graveyard Book is arguably the author's best work yet and restored my faith in him.
The Secret History of Moscow by Ekaterina Sedia - Sedia's writing makes me green with envy as it's both easy to read and compelling. The strength of this novel is its inclusion of Russian myth and how each chapter adds something new to the novel.
Under My Roof by Nick Mamatas - No wasted space here as each chapter both has an impact and lures you deeper into the narrative. This is a well thought out and well-written book and Mamatas's protagonist is a distinct character.
The Shadow Year by Jeffrey Ford - The impression that Ford gives off is that he is Bradbury reborn as The Shadow Year is both a touching and well-crafted novel with all the right elements and technique thrown in. Easily stands toe-to-toe with my favorite Ford novel, The Portrait of Mrs. Charbuque.
A Field Guide to Surreal Botany by Janet Chui & Jason Erik Lundberg - Strictly speaking, this is an anthology but it's presented in a way that's different and warrants itself a new category altogether. Suffice to say I'm pleased with the execution, both in the production and the actual prose. Definitely a memorable item and one that you could easily give to anyone.
The Hiss of Escaping Air by Christopher Golden - It's a chapbook but it's such a terrific story (in terms of skill) that yes, it deserves to stand well on its own.
Fairy Tales for Writers by Lawrence Schimel - For the most part, this was fun. Poetry combined with a fairy tale theme and writing advice. How can you beat that combo?
The Harlequin & The Train by Paul G. Tremblay - Paul G. Tremblay? An awesome and versatile writer. This book will hook you and proves what you can do with characterization and horror. And yellow highlighters.
12 Collections & The Tea Shop by Zoran Zivkovic - Suffice to say, the experience for me is like someone discovering Gabriel Garcia Marquez for the first time. Or Umberto Eco. Zivkovic's a non-American writer that's talented and bring something new and different to the field, definitely not limited by constraints of genre.
When I first heard of Jeffrey Ford, it was too late. At the time, I was still in college, pursuing my Creative Writing degree, and Ford had yet to publish his wonderful novel The Portrait of Mrs. Charbuque. I was still ignorant of fiction at the time, genre or otherwise, and my typical experience with fantasy was through the epic- and high-fantasy sub-genres. I had at home a copy of The Year's Best Fantasy and Horror and little did I know that Terri Windling would soon be departing from the anthology. Eventually, I read Ford's short story "Creation," thought nothing of it, and forgotten about it until it was brought up by Dean Francis Alfar.
Of course at the time, the Jeffrey Ford novel meant The Physiognomy and the other books in his Well-Built City trilogy. Save for Vanitas, that was the only novel Ford had gotten published. Unfortunately, tracking down an unpopular book five years old is no easy task. I scoured the Internet, browsed through secondhand bookshops, and even tried ordering it from the local bookstore. In truth, my success only happened by sheer chance. A new bookstore had opened just opposite our campus and a few months into the business, they stocked a of The Physiognomy. It was a no-brainer for me, even as I emptied my wallet of that month's allowance.
Memoranda mesmerized me in a way that was distinctively different from The Physiognomy. Ford's language was clearly the strength of the book. But what surprised me was how the second novel diverged from the formula of the first one and I actually enjoyed it. There wasn't so much adventure as much as discovery. Action gave way to epiphanies and character realizations. Between the time I read The Physiognomy and Memoranda, something in me had changed. I reread "Creation" and started cursing myself for not realizing the brilliance of Ford sooner. Here was a well-crafted story filled with minute details that felt very real and made the protagonist's father larger than life. And the ambiguity of the ending was simply genius.
I started scouring for the final book in the Well-Built City trilogy but alas, this out-of-print book would never be found. Again, I tried ordering it from bookstores but failed. My only consolation was that Ford's new novel, The Portrait of Mrs. Charbuque, debuted that same year along with his short story collection, The Fantasy Writer's Assistant and Other Stories. Naturally, I enjoyed both but treasured the latter, especially when I read the last page which mentioned that the book only had a three-thousand print run. I expected American books to have print runs in the tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands. I was shocked that Ford's short story collection should only have so small a circulation. Yet here it was, one of the three thousand books in existence, in my hands. Golden Gryphon Press, the publisher of The Fantasy Writer's Assistant and Other Stories, was my hero.Eventually, I would purchase everything Jeffrey Ford in the years to come. The Girl in the Glass and The Empire of Ice Cream and Other Stories were immediately bought (along with extras for Dean). 2008 echoes that year I discovered Ford. In place of The Portrait of Mrs. Charbuque and The Fantasy Writer's Assistant and Other Stories, we have The Shadow Year and The Drowned Life. And when I finally had given up hope on ever reading the ending to Ford's Well-Built City trilogy, here comes along Golden Gryphon Press, not only reprinting the books but hiring John Picacio to do some of the best covers.
It's come full circle for me. This is also the year that I got to interview Jeffrey Ford for my blog (and that same interview got picked up by SF Crowsnest). I mean how cool is that?
It's an entirely different feeling when you're writing a review and finally seeing it in print (or in my case, published in a blog). In the case of the latter, there's always some detail you want to add or perhaps a typo or two to edit. I tend to correct the latter but stop myself from acting on the former. I could end up in an infinite cycle of revision and the fact is, I'm constantly evolving as a reviewer. If I indulge in perpetual revision, the entire review will become wholly different in a year or even a month's time.
Shaun Farrell and Sam Wynns are the hosts of the podcast Adventures in SciFi Publishing where they interview authors, editors, publishers, and other people in the industry.Hi! Thanks for agreeing to do the interview. I'm a big fan of the podcast. First off, what made you guys decide to start Adventures in SciFi Publishing?
Shaun: I started podcasting because I thought it would be fun. At the time (this was July of 2006) I was conducting interviews for Far Sector SFFH. When I discovered podcasting that summer, I thought the medium would provide a more innovative method for me to pursue my love of SFFH literature. AISFP launched in October 2006 after many months of research and preparation.
How did both of you (Shaun and Sam) meet?
Shaun: Mysterious Galaxy was looking to hire a new bookseller. Patrick, the store manager, was a friend of mine, and he wanted to bring me on, but I wasn’t available, so Sam got hired instead. See, Sam, you owe your MG career to me! In all seriousness, we met at the store, which I frequented often in those days as I lived down the street, and we became friends over time.
Sam: I was introduced to Shaun at Mysterious Galaxy, the bookstore where I work. Patrick, the manager, has known Shaun for some time. I believe, after the introduction, he said something like, "Sam took your job." Yeeeeah. Shaun's well-liked, can you tell? (And I'm not being sarcastic... for once.)
What are your current goals with the podcast?
Shaun: I want to keep the podcast fresh and as consistent as possible. One reason I do this is learn more about publishing and to improve as a writer. I dream of writing fiction professionally, and producing the podcast has brought me much closer to that goal.
I hope the show continues to feature new segments, great interviews, writing tips, analysis of the latest events in publishing, and to be fun and entertaining. We launched a new website this summer, which contains pages for book reviews, text interviews, videos, coverage of live events, and more, all at www.adventuresinscifipublishing.com. So, there’s lots of new stuff happening with AISFP that we’ll be looking to expand as time and life allow.
What's the appeal of science fiction/fantasy to you?
Shaun: The escape from the ordinary, the sense of wonder, the idealism, the bold embrace of social problems, the metaphoric veil that allows us to see our world through fresh eyes, and let me not forget ray guys, talking dragons, and bikini-clad Amazon women.
Sam: Where to begin? Exercising my imagination by escaping to something utterly foreign, unknown and unique. I find peace by escapism: my every day life is hectic and full of responsibility, so it's great to escape to something that bears absolutely no resemblance to it. Also, I was raised on science fiction and fantasy, so it's kind of a nostalgic, comforting thing to me. Think of it as my "woobie".
What's the appeal of podcasts?
Shaun: I am so sick of corporate radio and the mediocrity cramming the airwaves. It’s nothing but talking heads and commercials. Sure, there are a few good shows, but very few that appeal to me. With podcasting, you can find professional level production on just about every subject. Could I learn about basket weaving trapeze artists on the radio? I think not.
Sam: I'm sure there are many reasons for people to listen to podcasts: information about something they're interested in, amusement such as you would find in "talk" radio, something to fill the time during travel. Think of podcasting as good radio without the commercials, static, eventual take-over by Mexican radio stations (which happens a lot in my neck of the woods--Sabado gigante!). Something that is free, can be listened to any time or place and is about anything you desire. What's not appealing about that?
What are some of the difficulties you face in producing the podcast?
Shaun: Editing, editing, editing. Time, time, time. I’m constantly trying to find ways to produce the show more quickly without jeopardizing the quality. I’ve spent 20-30 hours preparing a single episode. I’m a perfectionist, and such a neurosis can really bring down the quality of your overall life. I don’t want to sound like I’m whining, because the show brings me great joy, but I do sacrifice other things (usually social time or date night) to make the show happen.
What preparations do you take for each show? (Research, warm-ups, chatting with the personality, etc.)
Shaun: Yep, all that. We search the internet for publishing news, and I conduct all the interviews, which requires more reading and research. I conduct the interviews, edit them, and Sam and I get together to record. Mostly it’s reading and research and outlining what we’re going to discuss for that episode. The authors themselves are pretty easy to talk to. Most of them are quite experienced at this kind of thing.
How do you decide which personality to feature in each show?
Shaun: Sometimes we schedule guests based on live events. This summer I conducted interviews at Clarion, Comic-Con, and Writers of the Future. So, obviously, the lineup was based on who was present. More often though, it’s just looking around at who has new books out and seeing if they want to talk. Usually they do, time permitting.
When looking for people to interview, I sometimes have problems tracking down authors. How about you guys, what steps do you take to get in touch with the people you want to interview?
Shaun: Well, at this point I know several publicists and editors who are always interesting in scheduling interviews. So, it’s pretty easy these days. In years past I would search author websites for their emails and send a no-expectations request. I would tell them why I wanted to interview them, so they could see that I knew my stuff. I’ve conducted over 100 interviews, and I’ve only been turned down four times. So that strategy seems to work.
Doing lots and lots of episodes, do you still feel nervous interviewing some authors?
Shaun: Not anymore. I’ve really come to learn that these people are just people, no matter how many books they’ve sold. They love good conversation, and I have yet to have a bad experience.
For each of you, what were the most memorable interviews you conducted?
Shaun: The first interview I ever conducted was with my idol, Ray Bradbury. He was very kind, and I’ll never forget that. Other standouts are R.A. Salvatore and Kim Harrison at Starbucks, Lou Anders at World Fantasy, and phone interviews with Terry Goodkind, Robert J. Sawyer, Kay Kenyon, and Sean Williams. I’ve also had a blast interview fellow podcasters like Mur Lafferty and J.C. Hutchins. But everyone has really been great.
Sam: Probably my most memorable time with an author was when John Connolly and I went out for drinks. That man is hilarious, and my face hurt from smiling so much. Plus, you know, the whiskey probably helped.
I loved your Clarion and Keys to Publishing series. How did programs like those come about?
Shaun: Mur Lafferty of I Should be Writing approached me about featuring my Clarion interviews on her show, as she thought her listeners would be interested. I was thrilled by this, of course, and so we started scheming ways to make it a summer event. The Keys to Publishing contest was born, slowly, over the next few weeks. I contacted publicists I knew at Tor and Pyr, and they were happy to sponsor it with book giveaways – we gave away 16 books in all, mostly hardcovers. It was a lot of fun, and we had tremendous participation.
To Shaun: How has the podcast helped you with your writing? What's the best writing advice you've received?
I’ve learned a great deal about how the business really works. That’s has been foundational. Most of that information is in the podcast, actually. So anyone can listen and learn most of what I’ve picked up.
Being able to associate with people who have achieved success is also important. If you want to be rich, you don’t take financial advice from broke people, right? In the past, I found myself getting caught up in the writing advice and theories of people who were never professionally published. I’ve learned that just isn’t the best place to go.
Writing is much more difficult than it used to be, and I think that’s because I’m better at it, more aware of what a story needs to do. I think I’m getting better, but personalized rejections and eventual sales will be the test. I’m still working on that.
The best specific advice I’ve received is probably this: believe in yourself when no one else does, set a writing schedule, and worry about telling the best story you can, not on getting a sale.
To Sam: After interviewing all these authors, have you considered pursuing writing yourself? Has your perception of a particular author changed after doing an interview?
To Sam: How did you first get involved with Mysterious Galaxy Books? Can you tell us more about what you do as Young Adult Program Coordinator?
A friend of mine introduced me to the store when I first moved to San Diego and I became a loyal, if infrequent, customer. I should say that I was only infrequent because I couldn't afford to be, well, frequent. Anyways, when I started to look for a job I knew exactly where I wanted to work. I mean, how could I pass up on a killer discount, ARCs, hanging out with my favorite authors and coworkers that make me giggle uncontrollably? It truly was a no-brainer.
As for the Young Adult Program, I started that a year and a half ago. I saw a need to reach out to the community, especially schools: why not bring the authors to the students? It's a captive audience, the kids are excited, the teachers are ecstatic, the author gets their books sold and the store makes money on sales. It's a win-win situation! Or a win-win-win-win-win situation, as the case may be. I approached Terry, one of the owners of the store, about it and she gave me an enthusiastic thumbs-up. I've been learning as I go from there, but I'd like to think things are going well.
To Shaun: Can you tell us more about your other online projects?
Sure! I own Singularity Audio, through which I help others create and edit podcasts. I’m currently producing the New England Fights! podcast, for all you MMA fans out there, and I have some interesting opportunities in the works of which I cannot discuss. I have a blog that I update from time to time at www.decodingthefuture.blogspot.com.
Recently I joined the Gateworld.net team. Gateworld is the web’s premier site for all things Stargate, and I contribute news stories and interviews.
And while this isn’t online, I am also an actor. Currently I am working on a feature film and a dramatic reading. You can learn more about this at my blog, of course, and at www.shaunfarrell.com
Do you listen to other podcasts? Which ones are your favorites?
Shaun: Tons! I can’t keep up. The Dave Ramsey Show, I Should be Writing, Writing Excuses, Escape Pod, PodCastle, The Future and You, 48 Days to the Work you Love, The 49ers podcast, The Gateworld Podcast, Gateworld Interviews, The Agony Column, and, when I can fit them in, Slice of Scifi and Dragonpage: Cover to Cover
Sam: Can I plead the fifth on this one? ;)
What's in store for Adventures in SciFi Publishing in the future?
Shaun: More great interviews, writing tips, and book reviews! After a crazy summer, we’ll be pulling back a bit for the rest of year, but there is plenty of good stuff to come.
Can you tell us more about the rest of the Adventures in SciFi Publishing staff?
Shaun: In addition to Sam and me, Catherine and Steven write book reviews for the website. You can learn more about them here: http://www.adventuresinscifipublishing.com/about-us/
Sam: Staff? BAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Uh, ahem. Shaun and I are it. And really... Shaun is 90% of it, and I'm 10%. You may call me his Muse. It's not true... but you may call me that, all the same. It will make me feel better.
What advice do you have for aspiring podcasters?
Shaun: Read Podcasting for Dummies, talk to other podcasters, prepare like crazy, and record several test episodes before you release anything. Podcasting is easy once you learn everything required, but it took me several months to learn it all. So, you have to be dedicated, and you have to passionate about your subject of focus.
Sam: Just go for it. Think of an idea, take a few classes/look up some information and just do it. Though it can be hard work, especially if you're a perfectionist like Shaun (and I mean that with love... no really!), it's a helluva lot of fun. I mean, when else are you going to sit down for a chat with Ray Bradbury?!
Advice for aspiring authors?
Shaun: Listen to Adventures in Scifi Publishing. I haven’t accomplished enough as a writer to give advice, but if you listen to the guests on the show, you’ll learn quite a bit about writing and publishing.
Sam: Listen to Adventures in Sci Fi Publishing! You'll become rich and famous! And sexy! Also: write every day. Every author I've ever talked to has pretty much mentioned that that's key.
Anything else you want to plug?
Shaun: Nope, but I would like to thank the listeners who have supported us for nearly two years now. We just won the Parsec Award for Best Writing-Related Podcast, and that wouldn’t have happened without all the encouragement and support. We really, really appreciate it.
Thanks for inviting us over for the interview.
I love Joe Hill but at this point, one can't help but get the feeling that he's slowly becoming overhyped. The true test, of course, is to judge him by his latest work. Gunpowder starts out strong with some interesting passages and scenes. I was actually surprised to find out that Hill was writing science fiction but he seems to fit in just fine. With regards to this book, I have certain reservations. I don't think this is Hill's best work but the story is well-written. There are some portions in which Hill does more telling than showing but considering the length of the work, it's understandable. There are some opportunities where he truly shines, such as showing us a facet of human psychology and behavior: the way the children in the story truly feel about each other for example.
Slipstream for me was the type of fiction that was bizarre and confusing and defied expectations. That's not a bad thing, mind you, but to quote a passage from the introduction of the book, "You don't write slipstream, you read it." And so it was a big surprise when I started reading the stories in this anthology. They're actually -gasp- readable, or at least accessible to lay people without needing literary degrees or geeky credentials. In fact, the selections actually impressed me because they all stood out and I can honestly say there's no bad story in this book. If I have any complaints with this anthology, surprisingly enough, it's because I feel some of the stories aren't that slipstream, that it's still too coherent and identifiable. But is that honestly such a bad trait?
