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How fun to see Fast Forward 2, an anthology of original SF short stories as a finalist for the PKD award!
Congratulations to Lou Anders and the big list of authors, among whom somehow, I also got. (Probably not due to my grammar skills.)
Also, here in a thoughtful Black Gate review on Fast Forward 2 are some thoughts on the eternal subject of "What is science fiction."
Kay's Website
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How sweet it is, the Bookgasm website listed Lou Anders' Fast Forward 2 anthology as the best book of 2008.
Congrats Lou!
Excerpt:
"FAST FORWARD 2 is even more electric than last year's first: Anders has assembled some of the best and brightest current stars of the genre, and they turned in stories that, as a whole, really do represent the cutting edge of fiction. From a fashion designer who grows living gowns to a raid on the doomsday seed bank to a young man getting Cyrano-with-a-twist dating advice in the India of the future, FAST FORWARD 2 is the book to read this year. It's the surest of sure things, and a bargain, to boot"
I have a story here, the one about the fashion designer.
Kay's Website
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Lou Anders' Fast Forward 2, Pyr's anthology of original SF, is now in bookstores everywhere. The opening story ("Catherine Drewe" by two-time Hugo nominee Paul Cornell) is online at the new Pyr Sample Chapters blog. Yours truly also has a story, "Cyto Couture."
Other contributors: Mike Resnick, Pat Cadigan, Ian McDonald, Nancy Cress, Cory Doctorow, Paulo Bacigalupi, Kristine Kathryn Rusch.
Kay's Website
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The strange and marvelous cover art for Lou Anders' anthology Fast Forward 2 is here. This is somewhat changed from earlier versions that have been released on the web. Take a look--with and without cover text. Is this retro-future or what? Love it.
I have a story in there, somewhere: "Cyto Couture." Release date is October 21.
Picacio talked a bit on his blog about his inspiration for this design, and the origins may surprise you.
Kay's Website
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Pyr has the the opening of A World Too Near up on their website (pages that can be downloaded as a pdf file), with a cool banner treatment. Nice job, Lou! This is about 40 pages more than I'm offering on my website. Warning: Ya know this is a series of four, right? A World Too Near is Book Two, and therein lie big spoilers. Here are the first 60 pages. Book One, of course, is Bright of the Sky.
Kay's website
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| » The Non-Themed SF Anthologies |
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This year two of my short stories will appear in publications that are a vanishing breed: the non-themed original science fiction anthology. The first just came out, George Mann's The Solaris Book of New Science Fiction, Volume Two, with Lou Anders' Fast Forward Two to be released this fall. Solaris is a UK publisher of science fiction, fantasy, and dark fantasy.
As George Mann points out in his introduction to this second volume, most anthologies these days are themed or, if not, are reprint anthologies. He quotes James Sallis of "The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction" who noted in his review of Mann's first anthology in the series that there may be a resurgence of interest in this "new breed of original anthology." Let's hope George Mann and Lou Anders are catching a wave.
I've read about half the stories and the book is, in Mann's words, "feeding my addiction." I have especially enjoyed the tales iCity by Paul Di Filippo and Sunworld by Eric Brown for their concept-driven magic.
Kay's Website
Feb. 27th, 2008 @ 06:54 am
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| » Cover for A World Too Near |
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This gorgeous Stephan Martiniere cover adorns my forthcoming novel, A World Too Near. (March, '08.)
I couldn't be more thrilled to have one of Martiniere's uncanny, menacing, and yearning portraits for this book! A World Too Near is book two of my series, The Entire and The Rose, and as with the first book, Martiniere's painting combines organic and inorganic shapes, vivid details, and a superb mastery of depth. Love the concept. Woman in evening gown overlooking battleground? Yow.
The other thing that succeeds so well here, in my opinion, is the ambiguity of the science fiction vs. fantasy styles. My series blends them, leaning to a fantasy feel. And that's just the way Martiniere has conceived these covers. How extraordinary it is to see an artist depict your own story. As much as I've lived in the Entire (my alternate world) for the past five years, it seems Martiniere has gone there before me, or with a more perceptive eye. Thanks to Lou Anders at Pyr for matching my work with Stephan Martiniere. A brilliant stroke.
OK, done gushing.
Nov. 27th, 2007 @ 06:33 pm
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| » Deadlines |
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Here I am on a Sunday night at my computer desperately trying to meet my novel deadline (Book 3 of The Entire and The Rose) and my cat insists on being in my lap and not allow me to type very well with my left hand. I allow this, because basically, I'm lonely. Just me and my novel . . .
Perhaps, by the insistent paw on my arm, he's saying, Man, why bother?
Actually, at this stage of a novel (rewrite) I'm usually--and am this time--fairly euphoric. I still like the thing. I have recently been amazed by the thing. Smoothing out the prose and picking up mistakes is much easier than creating new material. Ah yes, it's all coming together in a high-stakes, memorable, even brilliant piece of fiction! Or, if not, at least it's adequate.
I just wish I had a title for the beast. Lou Anders at Pyr has been patiently listening to about three dozen suggestions from me, and shooting them down one at a time, in the nicest possible way. ("Nope." "Close, but nope") I trust his instincts completely. Hey, Lou, how about "Book Three?"
Nov. 11th, 2007 @ 04:32 pm
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| » Chesley award, Ultraman |
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Pleased to see that Stephan Martiniere has won the Chesley for one of my recent favorite covers... for Ian McDonald's River of Gods.
And here is a quick view WorldCon from Lou Anders in his blog, including a must-see clip of Ultraman!
Sep. 4th, 2007 @ 08:20 am
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| » Hugo harumph |
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Why do the Hugo awards loom so large when fewer than 500 readers usually vote? Well, we're a small community. What we lack in numbers we make up for in bull dog ferocity and banty-rooster defensiveness. So the Hugos are a big deal to the few thousand of us that pay attention. To the mundane mainstream--well, they've never heard of 'em.
I am trying to cover my disappointment with the awards this year. We've all got opinions on who won and who should have won. Looking into the numbers on the runners-up, I can say it sure looks like name recognition can tip the scales. No surprise, but it's another reason I hate to see the Hugos overblown.
I must say that I very much admired what Novik did in the debut of the Tremeraire series. Good Campbell win. I think that fellow Pyr author Ian McDonald's win on novelette is likely the prologue to a deserving sweep of our industry awards next year for Brasyl or River of Gods. So pleased for Frank Wu on best fan artist!
In coming years I expect to see Lou Anders taking home some awards, and the amazing John Picacio. Love to see us pay some attention to the up-and-coming players in our industry.
And of Stephan Martiniere, I can only say, look:
Sep. 3rd, 2007 @ 09:23 am
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