Congratulations all around!
June 10, 2008
I owe a belated congratulations to two splendid people:
Fellow Clarion classmate and wicked-talent Catherine Cheek has just joined forces with Secret-Agent Exemplar Kate Schafer-Testerman to rock the world of adult speculative fiction. Catherine (Kater to those in the know) is a multi-talented writer and graduate of the Clarion Class of 2007 (as is yours truly) and Kate is the owner of KT Literary (of which yours truly is a client).
It’s nice when good things happen to good people.
Superheroes.
June 1, 2008
John Hodgman wrote a great review for today’s New York Times on comics. Though it still irks me that the Times tends to lump all genre material together for these kind of group reviews, it is nice to see them get some respected ink. The best part of his essay was the review of Jack Kirby’s reprinted Fourth World Omnibus - a psychedelic, epic space opera about warring gods and superheroes.
Superheroes.
What tickled me so much about Hodgman’s review was the focus a classic superhero story. It’s become trendy, if not yet fashionable, to praise comics as a medium while ignoring the slightly awkward, pimply-faced gorilla in the room wearing tights. I wholeheartedly agree that comics is much more than men-and-women-in-capes, it’s a platform for telling all sorts of stories.
But I love superheroes. I love the history, the legacy of decades worth of stories written drawn by hundreds of writers and artists. Most of those writers faded into obscurity, and a few achieved a certain level of fame, but they all contributed to the greater whole, this enormous shared world mythology. There’s really nothing else like in popular culture. We meet these characters when we are young and they stay with us forever. Batman. Superman. Spider-man. How many different hands have touched their stories? And how long will their stories go on?
Plus, I mean, c’mon. Admit it - Batman’s just cool.
A Long Time Coming
May 19, 2008
Sorry I’ve been off the radar for a while but I’ve been . . . er . . . off the radar.
So a here are a few things that I’ve been neglectful in mentioning some Salooners during my surprise hiatus:
Justin Howe has co-authored a great article on the influence of role-playing games on fantasy writers over on Clarkesworld. Included are interviews with Jeff VanderMeer, Jay Lake, Paul Witcover, Tim Pratt, Tim Waggoner, Catherynne Valente, John O’Neill, Howard A. Jones, and China Mieville. That’s a lot of talent rolling them 20-sided dice.
Also, if it’s not too late pick up the April/May issue of Asimov’s for Nick Wolven’s story “An Art, Like Everything Else”. I saw an early draft of Nick’s story at last year’s Clarion Workshop and lemme tell you - it’s good. Heartbreaking, but good. If you can’t find a print copy you can get an e-book of the issue at fictionwise.
Check this stuff out. These guys are good.
Drafts delivered and a ripping good yarn
April 9, 2008
So I’m sorry that I’ve been MIA lately - between finishing edits on Powerless and watching the unbearable cuteness that is my son I have had little time to blog.
But I have been reading and man it’s a good one. The Lies of Locke Lamora is one of those door-stopper sized fantasy novels that intimidate 98 pound readers like me. But I am about 400 pages through it so far and I am loving every page. No “chosen one” farmboys here, no axe-wielding orcs and Scottish dwarves or boy wizards - just good old fashioned skullduggery! Think Ocean’s Eleven set in a fantastical Venice filled with wit and adventure. The writing is superb. The story is absolutely engrossing.
What a great read. (so far, if the ending blows I’ll find Scott Lynch and hammer him to death with this twenty-pound monster)
The Saloon is Open for Business!
March 22, 2008
Miracle of miracles - I left the house the other night for beers and burgers with friends. Trust me, between deadlines and dirty diapers this is an event worth marking.
To sweeten the deal, the friends were some buddies from my old writing group, The Fantastic Saloon, and I’m happy to say that the band (as they say) is getting back together.
Writing groups are a unique thing - I can’t really picture groups of painters, for example, huddling together over coffee and suggesting changes to each other’s works - “You know the yellow bit really works for me, but I just don’t buy the brushstrokes in the bottom corner there. But maybe that’s just me.”
And in New York the various groups of speculative writers have taken on a certain prestige. There are hard-to-get-into groups, boasting memberships of hot published writers and influential junior editors, as well as the countless groups of passionate unknowns.
The Saloon definitely belongs to the latter category. But just look out, because we’re taking our vitamins.
New Book, New Author, Candy-Eating Fiend!
February 25, 2008
My old gaming buddy Anton Strout’s first novel is out tomorrow - Dead to Me hits stores 2/26. Look for the big ol’ cardboard displays!
Dead to Me is described as paranormal detective story full of mystery, deadpan humor and if I know Anton - candy. Okay, there may not be much candy in the book, but there should be. The author has a definite sweet tooth, and I suspect that there are a least a few chocolate stained manuscripts scattered around the offices of Ace Books.
In all seriousness, congrats Anton. I look forward to reading Dead to Me’s sugary sticky pages.
Read a Good Book - Help a Writer in Need
February 9, 2008
I just picked up from Ecstatic Days that that there is yet another freelance writer who needs a little help paying the medical bills. This time it’s Caitlín R. Kiernan, the popular writer of dark fantasy and horror. I don’t know Caitlín personally, but I do know plenty of other writers and artists who’ve ended up in the same predicament. It’s disturbing to see how many successful freelancers are forced to go without health insurance in this country. Too many Americans have to roll the dice against their health - forced to choose between insurance and the other necessities such as rent. Here’s to hoping that whichever party takes over the White House in January ‘09, the two sides can finally sit down and do something about this national disgrace.
In the meantime, scoot over to Caitlín’s site and buy a book. A good read for a good cause.
Take a quick moment . . .
February 5, 2008
. . . And read this lovely piece of flash fiction, City of Beautiful Nonsense by the writer Justin Howe. Justin is a buddy of mine and I can vouch for him as a stand-up fella. His work speaks for itself.
Weird 101
February 5, 2008
My copy of The New Weird anthology arrived in the mail yesterday, and I have to say I’m mighty impressed. What the editors Jeff and Ann Vandermeer have done is put together not only a great sampling of authors (such Barker, Mieville, Moorcock, Ford, Harrison and many others) but they have also assembled this hefty book as a dialogue on the very topic of the new weird genre. There are essays, histories. There’s even a reproduction of the original internet thread that coined the term “New Weird.” This book’s a primer, a debate, an analysis and a darn good read for those interested in mature speculative genre.
The New Weird - at it’s weirdest.
