Jeff VanderMeer's Blog, page 130

Hugo Party, Eclipse 3, Steampunk 2, Shared Worlds Scholarship, and More

Hugo Party

Just a reminder that if you live in Tallahassee and are curious to see what a Hugo looks like, and say hi to Ann, we'll be hanging out at the Mellow Mushroom from 7pm to 9pm on Saturday. A casual, laid-back party.

Eclipse 3
Jonathan Strahan has announced the line-up for Eclipse 3 and it's extremely strong. Let me blunt. In the wake of the fall-out from the mindblowing SF stories antho being all white males, it's just as important if not more important to celebrate anthologies that seem

Best American Fantasy News, Including the TOC for #3, Guest Editors Minister Faust, Junot Diaz, and Catherynne M. Valente

The Best American Fantasy series has undergone a series of important changes, starting with the publisher. Underland Press has acquired the Best American Fantasy series, and will publish the third volume, "Real Unreal," in January of 2010. BAF4, tentatively titled "Imaginary Borders," will appear in March 2011. BAF3 contains work by, among others, Stephen King, Lisa Goldstein, Peter S. Beagle, and John Kessel, as chosen by guest editor Kevin Brockmeier with assistance from series editor Matthew

Glamsham.com Brings Me Messages From Another World

I've not watched many Bollywood films, but somehow I've been on a Bollywood email distribution list for a website called Glamsham for about a year now. I still haven't had time to investigate, but I really like reading the headlines. Gradually, some patterns are beginning to emerge, and I'm getting a handle on it from afar. Sometime soon I must dive in…

Last Drink Bird Head Update

Here's the contributor list for Last Drink Bird Head, the Ministry of Whimsy's (an imprint of Wyrm Publishing) flash fiction anthology for literacy charities. We're on a tight schedule–contributors will hear from Ann soon re contracts and pre-production deadlines–so that the book will be available at the World Fantasy Convention.

Daniel Abraham
Michael Arnzen
Steve Aylett
KJ Bishop
Michael Bishop
Desirina Boskovich
Keith Brooke
Jesse Bullington
Richard Butner
Matthew Cheney
Michael Cisco
Gio Clairval
Alan M

Tell Me Something Wonderful

Finished last big deadline for week and have hit the wall. Brain needs silence. Back Thursday. In the meantime, tell me about some project you're involved with that you're passionate about, or the best book you read recently.

Early Blawg Review of Finchy

A good review of Finch–and thanks for not including any spoilers. Also puts it in great context re the prior books.

Finch went to press today. I don't have to look at it again until it's in printed form. Me happy.

Blame From a Poet (from a fiction in progress)

He blamed me for good reason, to start. But then he began to blame me strangely. He blamed me when his pipes froze over in the winter. He blamed me when a pigeon shat on his shoulder. He blamed me when his poems were rejected by prestigious journals. He blamed me when his published poems contained typographical errors. He blamed me when the summer nights grew too hot, the grass turned yellow, the wells went dry. He blamed me when the seasons changed too abruptly and his investment in crops froze

In Tallahassee? Help Ann Celebrate Winning the Hugo (Mellow Mushroom, Saturday, Aug. 22)

Ann brought a Hugo Award back from Montreal's WorldCon, and this Saturday, August 22, she's going to bring that award to the Mellow Mushroom for an informal little party from 7pm to 9pm. Drop by and help her celebrate. We'll be hanging out in the room next to the bar for the most part, although there's extra space on the deck. Should be fun!

Directions to Mellow Mushroom.

Sneak Peak: Baggage for WorldCon 2010

Ever since 2005, when Ann and I visited Australia, and even before, I've been interested in Australian speculative fiction. Even more so now because I think outside of the U.S. we have more friends in Australia than any other country.

Anyway, Tessa Kum on Silence Without just posted about Baggage, an anthology of original fiction edited by Gillian Polack and coming out at WorldCon in Melbourne in 2010. As I understand it, the theme is basically Australian issues, and that means a lot of the stor

They Are Everywhere Among Us, Their Work Not Yet Done

Pushed this up in the order for those who might've missed it.

Incoming transmission, through the filaments…

Did you ever dream of something coming up through the ground, a spy, a periscope, a conduit? Something so mundane maybe you didn't even think of it that way. Maybe you didn't even see them. Even though they were always there.

Even when you do notice them, you don't think network, you don't think connected. But they are: sentinel towers communicating underneath the soil.

They can look almost de