Wendy Darling's Blog: Wendy's Author Blog - Posts Tagged "wraeththu"

Para Imminence , the new Wraeththu Mythos anthology, is almost out -- should be ready to order any day! But since it's not, let me share the cover image, by official Wraeththu artist Ruby. It's it great?



Storm and I, who edited and also contributed our own stories (two each) and essays, are very proud of this collection.

Book Info

Para Imminence: Stories of the Future of Wraeththu
Edited by Storm Constantine and Wendy Darling
October 2012
ISBN: 978-1-907737-45-9
IP0035
£12.99, $21.99 E15.20
Cover Art: Ruby
Genre: Science Fantasy

The androgynous and mysterious Wraeththu have risen to replace humanity upon a ravaged world. Is it inevitable they will forget the mistakes of the past wrought by their human ancestors or will they truly evolve to become the guardian, sentient race this Earth deserves?

Based on the world created by Storm Constantine for her Wraeththu novels, the stories in this collection explore different, intriguing aspects of Wraeththu’s possible future. Whether that is leaving the earthly realm to explore the uncharted reaches of the multiverse via the Otherlanes, raising the ancient lost continents of humanity’s myths and legends, surfing the psychic equivalent of the Internet, coming to terms with their race’s human past, or simply revisiting earlier territory where pain and disappointment might still lurk, Para Imminence offers a vibrant and colourful compendium of visions of the future of harakind.

Para Imminence features an introduction by TV producer/writer Brad Carpenter, who is working on a film script based on the Wraeththu novels, and stories from eleven writers, some of whom are well known within Wraeththu fandom and/or have written Wraeththu Mythos novels published by Immanion Press.

Featuring stories by: Storm Constantine, Wendy Darling, Martina Bellovičová, Andy Bigwood, Victoria Copus, Suzanne Gabriel, Fiona Lane, Maria J Leel, Martina Luise Pachali, Daniela Ritter and E S Wynn.

Storm and I are thrilled to announce the release of Para Imminence Stories of the Future of Wraeththu!

This is the second Wraeththu short story anthology we've put together and I'm not just hyping when I say it's even better than the first one!

Now, on to details!

Para Imminence:
Stories of the Future of Wraeththu
by Storm Constantine, Wendy Darling

The androgynous and mysterious Wraeththu have risen to replace humanity upon a ravaged world. Is it inevitable they will forget the mistakes of the past wrought by their human ancestors or will they truly evolve to become the guardian, sentient race this Earth deserves?

Based on the world created by Storm Constantine for her Wraeththu novels, the stories in this collection explore different, intriguing aspects of Wraeththu’s possible future. Whether that is leaving the earthly realm to explore the uncharted reaches of the multiverse via the Otherlanes, raising the ancient lost continents of humanity’s myths and legends, surfing the psychic equivalent of the Internet, coming to terms with their race’s human past, or simply revisiting earlier territory where pain and disappointment might still lurk, Para Imminence offers a vibrant and colourful compendium of visions of the future of harakind.

Para Imminence features an introduction by TV producer/writer Brad Carpenter, who is working on a film script based on the Wraeththu novels, and stories from eleven writers, some of whom are well known within Wraeththu fandom and/or have written Wraeththu Mythos novels published by Immanion Press.

Featuring stories by: Storm Constantine, Wendy Darling, Martina Bellovièová, Andy Bigwood, Victoria Copus, Suzanne Gabriel, Fiona Lane, Maria J Leel, Martina Luise Pachali, Daniela Ritter and E S Wynn.

I don't yet have my own print copy of Para Imminence Stories of the Future of Wraeththu but am still very excited to know it's out there and available for ordering. Hope to start hearing feedback from folks soon.

Meanwhile, I would like to thank everyone involved:

First Storm Constantine of course, who contributed two magnificent stories, an essay, co-edited and did the type-setting work, contracts and other things that make a book actually happen.

Next, the artist Ruby, who contributed the cover and lovely pen and ink frontispieces.

For contributors we had some returning faces, people who had written for Paragenesis or written their own Wraeththu Mythos Novels, plus we had some new faces. I'd like to thank Andy Bigwood, Maria Leel, Daniela Ritter, Martina Bellovièová, E.S. Wynn, Victoria Copus, Fiona Lane (La Teapot), Suzanne Gabriel, and Martina Luise Pachali for their wonderful stories. Storm and I split up editing duties and both of us found that we were working with very strong writers.

I'd also like to thank Brad Carpenter for once again writing a short intro to the book and for his continuing efforts to get Wraeththu greater recognition.

Meanwhile, for more information, on the book, see the Immanion Press web site.

Yay, Wraeththu!

Today I've found a couple of people saying they've read all or most of Para Imminence: Stories of the Future of Wraeththu -- and are liking it.

First on the Wraeththu Mythos Facebook fan page, Rachel Jones writes:

Finished about 90 percent of Para Imminence yesterday. Wow wow wow! What an amazing collection of future possibilities! And as Andy mentioned, there's a few old favorites who pay us a visit. thank you storm and thank you wonderful authors for sharing your visions with us.

Then over on the Raythoo LiveJournal fan group, carl_ash writes:

My copy arrived and I have fallen in as much love with it as I did with the one about the past. While no single story calls out to me the way that one about the founding of the library did in the first book (which I would totally love to read more about, lol), there were many moments where I lost my cool with loud giggling and my laughing in glee. The general nature of the future timeline is awesome, with many really cool events occurring, though some of the more dystopian versions don't really call to me. I will say this, I totally love the magic-science and technology of the Wraeththu, its so fitting and perfect and fits exactly how the previous magics all worked. Seeing some old friends was very cool, as well as the nature of reincarnation of harish souls, love it.

Amazing, so glad that it was published, so totally in love with everything about it. I totally wish others were physically around me so we could chat about how all the awesome moments there were in this book! :)

(PS. If anybody is interested an idea for a future short story compilation book might be one about magic, basically stories could cover intriguing and interesting events of a magical nature and the people who forge the new fields of magic and lore. Just a thought.)

Looking forward to more comments and reviews, as well as suggestions for the theme of our next anthology. (And there will be a next!)

I've yet to find any real reviews of Para Imminence: Stories of the Future of Wraeththu, but I did come across a couple short ones from Angelo Ventura, a longtime Wraeththu fan in Italy.

Over on Amazon.com (also Canada & Germany):

These intriguing stories are a future history of Wraeththu, narrated by various Authors, among which Storm Constantine, Wendy Darling, Andy Bidwood, and others old an new to Wraeththu fandom. At turn nostalgic, humorous, futuristic or mystic, they detail a future that says something about our future, too. A great anthology, a must have for the Wraeththu fan!

On Amazon UK he wrote:

These stories on Wraeththu future vary from the whimsically nostalgic like Storm Constantine's "Tour of the house" to the science- fictiony "The bridge" by Martina Bellovicova, from the mystical "Skies of Myacala" by Andy Bidwood to the future nostalgy of "Antiques" by Wendy Darling. But my favourite is "Destiny of choice and change" by Suzanne Gabriel, a wry reflection on the ultimately divisive nature of religion even within Wraeththu. Aworthy collection, a must have for Wraeththu fans!

Thanks, Angelo!

Received a nice note via Immanion Press' Facebook page today:

I have really enjoyed the work you have done for Wraeththu so far. I am currently reading Para Imminence and was wondering, are Ipstillion and Vendillion based on any actual stories of yours? I think it would be pretty interesting to read a story about humans from the perspective of Wraeththu.

My reply to the writer, Vito John Marzona:

Thanks for the note. As regards to Ipstillion and Verdillion, the two novels mentioned in "The Etherline," those are purely figments of my imagination. I was actually writing the story with my own relationship to Storm in mind (finding her books, meeting her via the Internet, becoming friends), so I suppose the early book represents the first Wraeththu trilogy and the new one the second trilogy. But there are of course many book series that have excited me and had me eager for new volumes. One current series is Lynn Flewelling's Nightrunner books, which I love to pieces. Carol Berg is also great although after reading several of her series in a row I have had to step away because they are pretty wrenching. Agreed, though, that it would be interesting to see Wraeththu write about humans. I tried to show that in the other story I wrote for the anthology, "Antiques."

It's that time of year! Yes, Storm Constantine and I are looking for submissions to the new, THIRD Wraeththu short story anthology, which we're calling Para Kindred. Here's the official announcement from Storm:

Storm Constantine's Wraeththu Mythos
Para Kindred: Enigmas of Wraeththu

Call for Submissions

Following on from the Paragenesis and Para Imminence anthologies of Wraeththu Mythos stories, this new collection will focus upon the enigmas that might be found within the disparate tribes of this androgynous race – how Wraeththu might have – or will – develop in strange and unimagined ways.

We are calling for submissions to this anthology, of stories between 3,000 and 10,000 words. As with the former anthologies, we are mainly looking for pieces that do not involve characters from the original Wraeththu books, although such characters may have 'cameo appearances' if it suits the story. Writers who were included in the previous collections may also expand upon characters (or their descendants or ancestors) who they created for their earlier stories, if they so wish.

This collection gives writers a broad canvas for their ideas. Contributors can explore how the mutation from human to har might have unforeseen consequences; how new strains of hara might have come into being with unusual attributes; how tribes might have developed in hidden corners of the world that are vastly different to the mainstream population. Or even within 'regular' Wraeththu communities, harlings might be born who are different in some way, who might have additional mutations to their parents, thus taking them further away from their human progenitors.

Are hara as they exist within their world the 'finished product' or are they perhaps a stage on the way to further evolution? Or would some harlings born to hara be throwbacks to their earlier human roots? They are many avenues to explore, no matter how strange.

Please let us know if you are interested in contributing and provide a short synopsis of your idea, by mailing Storm at the above email address (editorial@immanion-press.com). The deadline for completed submissions is 31st August 2013. As before, there will be a one off payment of $25 per story. Contributors are welcome to
submit more than one.

If you know of anyone who might like to contribute, please feel free to pass this document to them.

Storm Constantine

P.S. from Wendy Darling: You can also contact me either via GoodReads or by email, wdarlingweb@gmail.com.

Just a quick note to say that Storm Constantine and I are once again at work on a Wraeththu short story anthology. This will be our third effort and again we are editors as well as contributors. Storm has written her stories already and I'm working on one and hopefully will write a second, as I have for both prior. And BTW, these are the prior titles: Paragenesis: Stories from the Dawn of Wraeththu and Para Imminence: Stories of the Future of Wraeththu.

Yesterday I received a package of stories I will be editing for the next Wraeththu Mythos anthology, Para Kiddred . As always I was eager to jump in a see what Storm Constantine had sent over. I'm pleased to say that one of those stories is by E.S. Wynn, the author of two stories I edited for Para Imminence: Stories of the Future of Wraeththu (or more like, slightly tinkered with, as they didn't need heavy editing at all). So I picked up the story, printed out, and very rapidly it blew my mind. I haven't read any of Earl's many, MANY other stories, and books, beyond the Wraeththu stuff, but I think I need to put some on my To Read list stat. Very cool speculative science fiction with a philosophical bent.

Over the path month I've been editing stories submitted for the next Wraeththu anthology, Para Kindred, and as of now I have two stories totally in and three I've done first edits. I should be getting a couple of them back this week and the one I just edited probably in a couple of weeks. I'll also be editing my co-editor Storm Constantine's stories, though "editing" is really an overstatement when it comes to her stuff, which is polished and pretty unassailable except on small points. Not flattery but truth! Oh, and then I have to do /my/ stories, but I'm convinced that now that I've swept the deck clear, so to speak, I can get that done in a jiffy.