Jeff VanderMeer's Blog, page 79

The National Museum of Women in the Arts: Loïs Mailou Jones, Elisabetta Gutt, and Leonora Carrington

(A sculpture installation outside of the museum; photo by Ann.)

We had an extra day or two in Washington DC after the Capclave convention (post about the con here). So we looked over the lists of museums and realized we were burned out on natural history museums and the like, but the National Museum of Women in the Arts looked really interesting. So we went, and are we glad we did—it was one of the highlights of our trip.

In addition to the permanent exhibits, they were featuring the book-art of Italian artist Elisabetta Gutt and a full-on retrospective of the entire career of African American artist Loïs Mailou Jones. The two collections were stunning for completely different reasons. Gutt had taken something specific and focused on a very narrow range to create something universal. Jones had taken in everything and, using many different styles, had incorporated her experiences in the United States, Europe, African, and the Carribean to create just amazing art over a lifetime.

Gutt's work has a kind of streamlined, deceptive simplicity to it. Here, for example, is a book housed in a nut and a decorated page from the Koran, taken from the exhibit's catalog.

Here, on the left, she's created a Kafka cigarette using a page of his writings. On the right, she's taken sheet music to create an insect exploding three-dimensionally out of the page. I immediately think of the immediacy of cricket song and love the idea of being able to show form, movement, and sound in this piece. Although I must say the description of the Kafka cigarette is one of my favorites. When challenged about Kafka not being a smoker she reportedly said, "Well, I imagined him as a smoker," end of story.

Jones' work struck us by its continual evolution. She didn't paint in one style just as she didn't live in one place, and she let all of the places she visited into her work. We were also struck by quotes from her about how living in France had allowed her to really focus on her art in ways that being in the U.S. hadn't—as well as the effect Haiti had on her.

There's a wonderful photo in the exhibit of her painting along the Seine in the 1950s. Even more wonderful–she was still painting well into her eighties and what she was painting wasn't a pale imitation of what had come before. It was vital, strong, assured.

Here are just two examples because I'm not sure if doing more would still constitute fair use.

(Reproduced in the context of an article in part about the crisis in Haiti)

(Taken from here.)

This doesn't even begin to get at the richness and variety of her paintings, but perhaps gives you a small glimpse. It's hard to pick a favorite, but there were a few paintings from her seventies in which she'd combined a kind of symbolic-surrealist approach with themes from Haiti and Africa that we found particularly compelling. (Unfortunately, I can't find these online.)

Of course, the permanent collection had a lot of variety as well, including a Kahlo…but the moment of wow came to us when we rounded a corner and were confronted by a Leonora Carrington original: "How Doth the Little Crocodile," which you can see as a reflection here and as a sculpture here. That one really got to us, in part because we've acquired a Carrington story for our The Weird anthology and in part because our sympathies are always going to be with the surrealists, and she is one of the best–94 and still going strong!

I think seeing the Carrington toward the very end like that, too, just made it all that more emotional. It was like seeing part of the history of surreal fantastic–a part that's still vital and in the world. The museum's highly recommended.

…and in that vein, do go check out Ann's latest artist profile on io9, The oddly disturbing royal portraits of Carrie Ann Baade, one of which I've reproduced below.

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The National Museum of Women in the Arts: Loïs Mailou Jones, Elisabetta Gutt, and Leonora Carrington originally appeared on Ecstatic Days on October 29, 2010.

Of Steampunk Reloaded, Backlash, and Vaporpunk Translations

Bear with me–there's a lot to talk about, and it's a bit rambly…

Charlie Stross has a really thought-provoking and often spot-on blog entry that's basically about feeling supersaturated by Steampunk. He's sick of it, and especially of escapist versions of it. (There's also a totally separate but related discussion to be had here regarding "commercial" versus "literary" fantasy/SF, to the extent such terms can be defined, and escapism versus realism. What's acceptable? When do we find it fun and when do we find it icky? Is it consistent? Since there's a lot of escapism readers seem to have no problem with whatsoever.)

Anyway, I can sympathize, since Ann and I spent a fair amount of our time earlier this year reading for Steampunk Reloaded to bring readers the best of the last decade…and I'm burned out on Steampunk. That's one of the hazards of being an editor, exacerbated by the work S.J. Chambers and I did on the Steampunk Bible recently. I am really proud of both books, but I can't look at another word of Steampunk right now.

That said, I think Stross's post, as one of the waves of periodic backlash against Steampunk, while serving as a good reminder and general corrective, fails to take into account that there is a decent amount of socially and politically aware Steampunk out there, even satirical Steampunk (much of it at the short length captured in our antho). Indeed, my own "A Secret History of Steampunk," original to Steampunk Reloaded and featuring additional contributions from Fabio Fernandes, Rikki Ducornet, Matt Cheney, Felix Gilman, Lisa Hannett, Angela Slatter, and others, attempts to recontextualize the Edisonade without ignoring its racism—perhaps what Jess Nevins refers to as "cooking"—while exemplifying the tinker/maker impulse in parts of the Steampunk community that harkens back to Ruskin and the crafts movement, among other artistic impulses.

Stross also seems annoyed at the massive amount of Steampunk coverage on io9.com and Tor.com. I can definitely see his point, but, again, given the timing, this seems a little unfair. Take, for example, Tor.com's ongoing Steampunk Fortnight. There's been some really serious commentary mixed in with the lighter stuff. Not just Shawl's post, but Jaymee Goh on Steampunk and commodification, and G.D. Falksen's run-down of Steampunk and History with an interesting primer on issues like women's rights and the plight of the working class in the context of the Victorian era. And, perhaps my favorite post, a wonderful personal essay by Ay-leen the Peacemaker on The Ao Dai and I (don't miss it!).

I find myself simultaneously agreeing and disagreeing with Stross's post in large part because of the timing. For the past year Beyond Victoriana and Silver Goggles, SteamPunk Magazine (for a lot longer), and other sites have been posting a lot of material on the bleeding edges of Steampunk, re-examining Steampunk through perspectives that are anything but escapist—and in some cases reclaiming the "punk" part of the name. (Yep, I'm leaving out sites and foci, but feel free to add your own.)

In terms of international approaches, the Brazilian Steampunk community has been quite active, sparking publication of two anthologies, one of them pictured above. French Steampunk is suddenly ascendent (lumping individual European countries in with the UK is a big mistake, since their traditions in literature and the arts all differ, often significantly), and other communities also seem to be on the rise. Not to mention, on Tor.com, Nisi Shawl recently talked about her own, unique approach to Steampunk and about new approaches to Steampunk generally here, and Yakoub Islam is working on a Steampunk novel titled The Muslim Age of Steam–check out this fascinating post connected to that effort.

All of this new energy, combined with the trend in the past few years for more and more women authors to write Steampunk—the literature better reflecting what seems to be a rough gender parity in the related subculture—makes it seem like this is the best time to be entering into a dialogue with Steampunk as a reader or writer, despite my jaded statement above. You could even say that to some extent the forthcoming anthology Steam-Powered , focused on lesbian characters and featuring great new writers like Shweta Narayan, N.K. Jemisin, Amal El-Mohtar, and Matt Kressell, is just one early natural results of such energy and discussion. I expect there will be others.

In fact, despite the barrage of near-constant Steampunk posts and references, this is one of those times in the history of a subgenre where it simultaneously creates echoes or copies of copies of itself while also entering into new and interesting spaces. In part this is because Steampunk now offers an important entry point for writers interested in innovation precisely because it has become commercial–potentially, you can use "Steampunk" for seriously weird, beautiful, unique, non-trad material because it's an acceptable delivery system that publishers have begun to be able to market effectively. ("New Weird" had a similar if much more limited effect in the early aughts, in part because it was too single-platform in terms of media and in part because it didn't make a good mimic.)

I should note, perhaps ironically, that I don't write Steampunk (despite one story I call "anti-steampunk," "Fixing Hanover") but have been so deeply involved in documenting it that I find this crossroads fascinating; I do realize and respect that I may have a slightly different perspective than those more personally involved with it.

Anyway, perhaps the most important reason for this post is to announce that—as part of the idea of using the aircraft carrier that is Steampunk Reloaded to escort and give visibility to other ships, er, texts—we'll be offering not only Jacques Barcia's "A Life Made Possible Behind The Barricades" (check out his story in a recent Clarkesworld) as a mid-November online supplement to the anthology but also translations of the beginnings of all of the stories in the recent Vaporpunk antho. These latter translations are courtesy of Fabio Fernandes and Larry Nolen, and meant to give English-speaking readers a taste of what Brazilian Steampunks are up to. (And, hopefully, lead to full-on translations of some stories later on.) Many, many thanks to Larry and Fabio for that. Barcia's story will later appear in the second Apex Book of World SF, btw.

(The antho has reached bookstores faster than expected, but contributors never fear: we are in the process of sending out your copies.)

Of Steampunk Reloaded, Backlash, and Vaporpunk Translations originally appeared on Ecstatic Days on October 28, 2010.

2010 Last Drink Bird Head Award Winners

(Ann VanderMeer at Capclave prior to announcing the awards, with Neil Clarke)

We're pleased to announce the winners of the second annual Last Drink Bird Head Awards. The purpose of the awards is to celebrate those in the genre community who enrich us with their time, energy, and words, for causes greater than themselves. (Finalists here.) The winners for activities in 2009-2010 were announced at Capclave in Washington D.C. on the evening of Saturday, October 23, in conjunction with the WSFA Small Press Award ceremony (winner "Siren Beat" by Tansy Rayner Roberts, published by Twelfth Planet Press, edited by Alisa Krasnostein). Neil Clarke and Ann & Jeff VanderMeer presided over the ceremony. Winners receive a bird head figurine, a certificate, and chocolate.

Gentle Advocacy

In recognition of individuals willing to enter into blunt discourse about controversial issues…

Winner: Ay-leen the Peacemaker (for Beyond Victoriana)

Tireless Energy

In recognition of individuals who selflessly give of themselves for worthy causes, websites, or organizations…

Winner: Leslie Howle (for Clarion West and Hugo House activities)

Promotion of Reading

In recognition of individuals whose efforts contribute to the promotion of reading or an increase in reading proficiency…

Winner: Colleen Cahill (for Library of Congress work as a genre fiction advocate and as the library's representative to the ALA)

Expanding Our Vocabulary

In recognition of writers whose nonfiction, through reviews, blogging, and/or essays, exposes readers to new words and, often, new ideas…

Winner: Matthew Cheney

International Activism

In recognition of those who work to bring writers from other literary traditions and countries to the attention of readers in North America, the United Kingdom, and Australia…

Winner: Lavie Tidhar (for The World SF Blog)

The Neil Clarke Special Achievement Award

Winner: L. Timmel Duchamp – The Special Achievement Award is geared toward recognizing individuals who are proactive behind the scenes but whose efforts often don't receive the measure of public recognition they deserve. The winner will receive an elegant Hieronymous Bosch bird-with-letter figurine, a certificate, and chocolate. The award is named after the first year's winner, publisher and editor Neil Clarke. As founder of and editor for Aqueduct Press, L. Timmel Duchamp has demonstrated great creativity, care, and love as the guiding force in creating a strong line of feminist science fiction and fantasy. Although Aqueduct Press is a for-profit publisher, it serves a greater purpose in providing a valuable space for women's fiction, often publishing otherwise marginalized authors. Further, Duchamp has often set aside her own career and fiction over the past five years to run Aqueduct Press. For these efforts, she is the 2010 recipient of the Neil Clarke Special Achievement Award.

The awards are named after the anthology Last Drink Bird Head from Ministry of Whimsy Press (an imprint of Wyrm Publishing). The proceeds from the anthology benefit the ProLiteracy charity. Contributors include Peter Straub, Ellen Kushner, Gene Wolfe, Tanith Lee, and over 60 others. To buy the Kindle edition, click here. To buy the limited hardcover and support literacy, visit the order page.

Special thanks to Capclave for hosting the awards this year, as well as to Michael Swanwick, accepting the award for Leslie Howle, and to Anne Sheldon, accepting for L. Timmel Duchamp.

(Transcript of acceptance speeches by Ay-leen the Peacemaker and Leslie Howle after the cut…)

Ay-leen the Peacemaker: "I'm very humbled to be nominated for this award, because Beyond Victoriana wouldn't be as thought-provoking or insightful without the amazing people I've worked with. So really, this award doesn't just belong to me, but an entire team of thoughtful contributors who have dedicated their time and effort to its content. And, coinicidentally enough, today is also marks the first year anniversary of Beyond Victoriana (yay!), so I can only look forward to working with more wonderful folk in the future.

"So, in no particular order, I'd like to thank the following people: Jaymee Goh, Matt Delman, Evangeline Holland, Michael Redturtle, Noah Meernaum, and Kevin Mullins for your emails and your contributions; The Wandering Legion of the Thomas Tew, Jake von Slatt, Mike Perschon, Allegra Hawksmoor, Leanna Renee Hieber, Karin Lowachee, Kevin Steil, Jeff VanderMeer and SJ Chambers for your continuous support; all the wonderful artist, creators, and steampunks I've met in the community through this site; the readers; my family for tolerating my weirdness; and lastly but mostly lovingly, my fiancee Ashley Rogers."

Leslie Howle:

"First I want to thank all the little people. No wait, I AM the little people! When I was twelve, my older brother came home on leave from the Army with a box of primo science fiction and fantasy paperbacks. Naturally I dragged the box out of his closet the minute he went back to the Army and consequently was exposed to radically new ideas and ways of thinking about the world and humanity at exactly the right age. I was never the same. I was always a reader and a writer, but I became an educator and provocateur, and the experience of working with and being inspired by creative, wildly imaginative minds like yours Michael, for instance, is what fuels my so-called tireless energy.

"I've spent over 20 years working as Workshop Director for Clarion West, another three years working at the Science Fiction Museum and Hall of Fame as Senior Manager for Outreach and Education, and two more years working on the museum's Hall of Fame Committee since leaving that position. In 2006 I started my own non-profit dedicated to running a series of speculative fiction writing workshops and readings through Richard Hugo House and the University Book Store, and that highly successful program continues to this day. I help out with the annual Locus Awards Weekend and this year will head up programming for writers at Norwescon.

"My work is not so much a function of tireless energy as it is the fact that all of the talented writers, readers, artists, and other imagineers I've had the good fortune of working with and learning from stoke the fire that keeps my motor running. I'm excited and engaged by all the new work being published by both beginning and established writers.

I love this community and am continually inspired to do what I can to help writers and promote their work. We live in troubled times, and more than ever need science fiction and fantasy's ability to serve as a politically subversive medium for commentary and warning against possible futures. I do this work because I believe that what all of you do goes beyond entertainment. It's important and meaningful. You hold a mirror up to humanity and ask who are we? You ask what if?

I believe in you and I got your back. Thanks."

2010 Last Drink Bird Head Award Winners originally appeared on Ecstatic Days on October 24, 2010.

Centipede Press: Luxurious Limited Editions of the Tems, Farris, Kuttner

Centipede Press continues to put out beautiful editions, four of which just arrived in the mail: In Concert: The Collected Speculative Fiction, Steve Rasnic Tem & Melanie Tem, Dragonfly by John Farris, Sacrifice by John Farris, Masters of the Weird Tale: Henry Kuttner

Some additional photos of the lovely detail of these books below…

Oh, snap! Steampunk Reloaded just arrived today. (We're headed off soon to Capclave so will mail contributor copies after we get back.)

Centipede Press: Luxurious Limited Editions of the Tems, Farris, Kuttner originally appeared on Ecstatic Days on October 20, 2010.

Psst. I've Got Something to Show You. Come Closer…Closer…

….

Yeah, okay, so it's just more previews of the Steampunk Bible, written by me and S.J. Chambers…ignore the poor quality of title pages–captured from a low-res PDF…one page from each chapter. Shhh. Keep it sekrit. Don't share it with nobody, or I'll give you a steampunk noogie, which involves a rather large beveled and bejeweled screw.

Psst. I've Got Something to Show You. Come Closer…Closer… originally appeared on Ecstatic Days on October 19, 2010.

Capclave in Washington, D.C.: VanderMeer Schedule

Ann and I will be at Capclave in the Washington DC area this weekend, as Guests of Honor along with Connie Willis. You can find our schedule below. Also note that my The Three Quests of the Wizard Sarnod, published to benefit the parent organization that sponsors the con, will be available.

A few highlights below. On Saturday afternoon, Ann and I will be doing a visual preview of some of our upcoming projects, including The Thackery T. Lambshead Cabinet of Curiosities, The Steampunk Bible, new issues of Weird Tales and, possibly, even some Top Sekrit projects. Saturday night, we'll be announcing the winners of the Last Drink Bird Head Awards. Sunday morning we'll be doing a reading…but it's a lot more than that. Light-hearted, and featuring the infamous true-life professional cockroach//Romanian navy story…don't miss it.

Friday, October 22

7:00pm (Ann) – Is Steampunk Here to Stay?

Michael Dirda, Dr. Charles E. Gannon, Tee Morris, James Morrow, Ann VanderMeer – Lasting literature or passing fad: will steampunk be with us in the future? Authors discuss past and future of this popular genre which has an influence far beyond books.

8:00pm (Jeff) – Writers and the Internet: When Is Enough Enough?

Oz Drummond, Walter H. Hunt, Tee Morris, Karen Wester Newton, Jeff VanderMeer, Jean Marie Ward – How much of the Internet is needed for an author to successfully promote themselves and their works? And how much is too much?

9:00 to 11:00pm – Hmmm, we might be in the hotel bar.

11:00pm (Ann & Jeff) – From New Weird to Next Wave: Where's the Action Coming This Decade?

Jim Freund (M), Alisa Krasnostein, Michael Swanwick, Ann VanderMeer, Jeff VanderMeer, Lawrence Watt-Evans – A discussion and exploration of writing on the fringe, writing from new generations impacting the center of genre, and all sorts of cool cross-genre fiction in between.

Saturday, October 23

10:00am (Ann & Jeff) – Best 2010 Short Fiction

Neil Clarke, Ann VanderMeer, Jeff VanderMeer

What is the best of the recent short fiction in 2010? The panel will talk about where the stars are being published, authors to watch and tales to track down.

12:00pm to 2:00pm (Ann & Jeff) – Creative Writing Workshop (pre-submitted m.s.)

3:00pm to 4:00pm (Ann & Jeff) – Spotlight on Ann & Jeff VanderMeer

Dr. Lambshead, Steampunk, Weird Tales, Imaginary Animals, and You: Join Weird Tales editor and Hugo Award winner Ann VanderMeer and her World Fantasy Award winning husband, writer and editor Jeff VanderMeer as they take you on a whirlwind visual exclusive inside look at a cornucopia of exciting new projects, from The Thackery T. Lambshead Cabinet of Curiosities, featuring work by Mike Mignola and Greg Broadmore, to the Steampunk Bible coffee table book, from the rejuvenated Weird Tales to the insanely entertaining Kosher Guide to Imaginary Animals, featuring recipes for Wookie and Cthulhu by Ace of Cake's Duff Goldman. With discussion, interrogation, arguments, and, er, Mongolian Death Worms. Nom nom.

8:00pm to 9:00pm (Ann & Jeff) – Capclave autograph session

9:00pm to 10:00pm (Ann & Jeff) – WSFA Small Press Awards and Last Drink Bird Head Award presentation

Sunday, October 24

11:00am to 12:00pm (Ann & Jeff) – Reading

Join Ann & Jeff VanderMeer for an entertaining Sunday morning reading that should not be missed. Ann will read recipes for animals included in the Kosher Guide to Imaginary Animals. Jeff will tell the harrowing-absurd true-life Professional Cockroach/Romanian Navy anecdote as prelude to a short (related) selection from his novel Finch.

12:00pm to 1:00pm (Jeff) – Writing in Shared Universes

Brenda Clough, Iver Cooper, Dr. Charles E. Gannon, Jeff VanderMeer

Shared universes have been around for many a year. Panelists will discuss the advantage, disadvantages and what it take to work in this type of writing.

Capclave in Washington, D.C.: VanderMeer Schedule originally appeared on Ecstatic Days on October 19, 2010.

The Tiger's Golden Age and Gravity's Rainbow

How'd I wind up reading three books at once? I don't know. Gravity's Rainbow is like the bible in this trinity–I dip in and out of it, reciting sacred verse–The Tiger is my connection to the physicality of the world and my re-read of The Golden Age is my anchor to the intellect, to metaphor, to immersive strangeness.

Whatever happened to bring me to this point, it's working out well. All three are amazing books. My first-read admiration for The Golden Age has deepened into adoration upon this second read, and brings me to the thought that I'm a little sick of lovers of self-defined commercial, escapist fiction claiming that's the stuff that needs our support; I think it'll do just fine without me, thanks. The first-time discoveries within The Tiger are startling and evocative, and somewhat documented in this Amazon blog entry I just posted. In parsing Gravity's, I reflect sadly that no real banana or banana feast will ever seem as grand as that documented within these pages.

(Soon, a Capclave schedule, since Ann and I are two of the GoH at this Washington DC con this coming weekend…)

The Tiger's Golden Age and Gravity's Rainbow originally appeared on Ecstatic Days on October 18, 2010.

Steampunk Reloaded…Almost Here

(There are so many contributors to this @#%@@#!! anthology that I'm not going to list them here. Go here for the full run-down.)

Starred Review, Publishers Weekly: "The dynamic VanderMeers follow 2008′s Steampunk with this engaging anthology of 23 stories [that] define, deepen, and demonstrate the clockwork beauty of automaton-laden science fiction…Fabulous interior design by John Coulthart completes this worthy sequel to its well-regarded predecessor." (Also check out the NY Journal of Books review.)

So….let's talk about Steampunk Reloaded, if you've got a moment, and I know you do… Let's talk about how we can get you to Steampunk Overloaded. Fascinated by Steampunk but ready to be sick of it already? You know you are. But how exactly can you get to that point? Our humble suggestion is to let the sheer mad variety of approaches to the subgenre available through Steampunk Reloaded do the job. (20% discount publisher direct) That way, you'll have hours of reading pleasure, followed by a single sharp shock of "OMG–I'm filled to the top with Steampunk," followed by the blessed realization that you can go on with your life clockwork-free from that moment forward.

…Except, dear reader, it won't quite be over with because we'll be posting Brazilian writer Jacques Barcia's "A Life Made Possible Behind the Barricades" as an online adjunct to to the anthology, as well as a further, somewhat-related surprise that Fabio Fernandes and Larry Nolen have kindly agreed to prepare. So hold on for that. Hold on.

And then you'll want to hang in there a little longer, because this anthology coming out in January features original fiction by Shweta Narayan (also in Steampunk Reloaded), the mighty Amal El-Mohtar, many other worthies, and an excellent reprint by N.K. Jemisin.

And then you may rest your clock-worn souls and be truly sick of Steampunk without missing anything…until the Steampunk Bible comes out and then all you have to do is OD on the pretty pictures, pass out, and then wake up refreshed…and ready to go on to Dieselpunk.

Steampunk Reloaded…Almost Here originally appeared on Ecstatic Days on October 17, 2010.

Weird Tales #356, Uncanny Beauty–Now Out! (And the Future!)

Weird Tales #356, Uncanny Beauty: A Celebration of the Eerily Sensuous, is now out and available! Fiction from Catherynne M. Valente, Ian R. MacLeod (at his most playful), and others. A wonderful Lady Gaga tarot card feature by one of my new favorites Amal El-Mohtar, a really great essay on the subject of uncanny beauty by Theodora Goss, an epic poem by Natania Barron, and a feature on classic Weird Tales artist Margaret Brundage written by Paula Guran. The full TOC is here, on the Weird Tales website, which has rumbled back to life after a short hiatus. Check out the one-minute videos, for example, which will now be produced by Gregory Bossert and debut on a regular basis, along with posts of exclusive original fiction and nonfiction.

As some of you may know, my wife, Ann, is now the editor-in-chief of the magazine, and Uncanny Beauty (a theme issue proposed by former creative director Stephen Segal) was the transition issue. That transition took longer than expected due to a number of issues, but the new team of Ann, nonfiction editor Paula Guran, and art director Mary Robinette Kowal, along with the rest of the staff, is now going full-steam ahead on future issues, re-establishing a regular schedule. It's a good time to subscribe, especially if you love dark, weird fiction that isn't just rehashes of Lovecraft. Weird Tales, as Ann often says, wasn't meant to trade in nostalgia for the past but to publish contemporary examples of unclassifiable and strange dark fiction.

Part of that means taking chances on new and idiosyncratic voices, and one thing that has me salivating is the sneak peek Ann gave me at the fiction for the next issue, #357, which will be out in early December. It's going to be as strong an issue as any magazine produces this year, in my opinion. What's in it?

J. Robert Lennon – "Portal"

Karin Tidbeck – "Augusta Prima"

N.K. Jemisin – "The Trojan Girl"

Peter Ball – "The Last Thing Said Before Silence"

Karen Heuler – "Fishwish"

Mark Meredith – "A Short Trek Across Fala Moor"

Why am I so excited? Well, let's see. The Kafkaesque J. Robert Lennon is one of my favorite American writers of what I would call surreal gothic literature, and here he turns his hand to outright dark fantasy with a story that would be worthy of Shirley Jackson. Swedish writer Karin Tidbeck is one of the great new talents out there, and "Augusta Prima," her first English-language sale, is one of the best stories I've read in the last year. Jemisin, meanwhile, has, with good reason, quickly made a name for herself as one of the most impressive of the next wave of fantasy writers. Peter Ball caught my attention with his short novel Horn, and hasn't let up–he's going to make a major mark in the field. Meanwhile, Heuler continues to delight with her thoughtful brand of modern surrealism/magic realism—a criminally underrated writer—and, well, the Mark Meredith story Ann's chosen, "A Short Trek…", a first sale, is by far one of the oddest stories I've ever read. Taken as a whole, this is going to be a great issue to look forward to…

Ann's also just told me that she's now caught up with submissions to the magazine, except for the handful she's holding onto for further consideration—and that Weird Tales will reopen to submissions January 1st.

Oh, snap! It's a Finnish Surprise! One of Ann's favorite magazines. In its latest installment…

Weird Tales #356, Uncanny Beauty–Now Out! (And the Future!) originally appeared on Ecstatic Days on October 16, 2010.

The Suburbs, Sarnod, Traitors, and Tidbeck

I can't stop listening to The Suburbs by Arcade Fire, and especially the title track, along with track 9, "Suburban War". The music's sad and beautiful and yet alive and vibrant. Something about that line "Sometimes I can't believe it/I'm moving past the feeling" really gets to me. The song and the CD are rapidly becoming the soundtrack to my novel Borne, although my interpretation of the lyrics is for a kind-of post-collapse city and the regret and nostalgia and emotion in the music is all being channeled into another place. Something similar happened when I listened to the Robbers in the High Street EP while reading Pullman's Dark Materials trilogy–something in the mood of the songs fit the books so well, had a kind of magical, dark, wintery feel to them.

I'm now past the 30,000-word mark in Borne and I think the long time between finishing Finch and starting Borne means I have a lot of pent-up fiction in me. I'm still in an altered state and ideas and dialogue and scenes continue to pour out of me. All it takes is getting to the coffee shop in the morning and three hours later I kinda look at my scribblings in a daze. I feel really lucky. I held onto Borne the last three years while writing other things. I took the rough scenes I had and notes and set them aside, and trusted that it'd all still be there when I got back. In fact, the time apart seems to have enriched the material and given it life and depth only hinted at before. And I'm even more convinced that the core of the story, which I've not even alluded to anywhere (and will not), is unique and powerful.

In other news, I just posted a review on Amazon's Omnivoracious blog of the new John le Carre novel, Our Kind of Traitor. I'm sure some sloppy reviewer somewhere will say something like "a welcome return to form," which is the kind of review he's been getting for the past six or seven novels. Le Carre's become one of those novelists who get that reaction a lot, in part, I guess, because we're surprised he's still around. "Oh, that guy? He was good. But then he sucked for awhile. But he's turned it around this time. Or maybe it was that time or that time, or that other time."

(One book was small and one book was slightly smaller, but Alice noticed that the small book contained merely a world while the slightly smaller book contained worlds. "I'll take the slightly smaller book," Alice told the Caterpillar, "because there's more inside of it." "It's written in a language you can't read," the Caterpillar said. To which Alice haughtily replied, "Read?! Did I say I was going to read it? I'm going to live in it. My, the impudence of metamorphosally-arrested butterflies around here. This neighborhood's going to heck in handbasket." As she said those words, the Caterpillar stood up, pointed to the violet-tinged sky, let out a single shriek…and unpeeled from head to end like a cheap zippered bag. Out stepped the members of the band Abba, each with iridescent green butterfly wings. The lead singer stepped forward and said, "Oh, you will read it, Alice, or you'll spend an eternity with the Mad Hatter, and we don't mean Johnny Depp. You'll learn Swedish and you'll like it, and you'll even learn how to pronounce the writer's name, Karin Tidbeck." Alice wanted to say, "Can't I wait for the English translations?" but found that she had turned into a reindeer and her mouth was stuffed with cloudberries.)

The Suburbs, Sarnod, Traitors, and Tidbeck originally appeared on Ecstatic Days on October 15, 2010.