Matt Ruff's Blog, page 41

Happy birthday, Duane!

I had a nice time hanging out and signing books at Seattle Mystery Bookshop yesterday afternoon. Store manager Fran Fuller, who'd already written a really sweet review of The Mirage for the store website, had me inscribe a copy of the novel for Rachel Maddow. Fran doesn't actually know Rachel Maddow, but she's decided Rachel really ought to read the book, and if anyone can write a cover letter good enough to make that happen, it's probably Fran.

Last night I was at University Book Store, where SF buyer and event coordinator Duane Wilkins was on hand to introduce me, despite the fact that it was his birthday—because booksellers, like ninjas and postal workers, have a code. Nice audience for the reading, and as an added bonus I scored a hardcover copy of Gordon Dahlquist's The Glass Books of the Dream Eaters, which a friend had recommended to me.

Tonight I'll be reading at the Lake Forest Park location of Third Place Books, starting at 6:30 PM (a few online local event calendars have the start time listed as 7 PM, but I double checked with the bookstore, and we're definitely scheduled for half past six). Then on Sunday afternoon at 3 PM I'll be at Eagle Harbor Book Co. on Bainbridge Island. (For a full schedule of upcoming events, click here.)

Oregon

This week was the Oregon leg of the Mirage book tour. The Oregonian newspaper welcomed me to the state with a wonderful review.

I spent Sunday and Monday in Portland. HarperCollins put me up at a hotel two blocks away from Powell's City of Books, and Powell's offered me a 20% visiting author discount, so I spent most of my free time browsing the stacks. Among my purchases was a copy of Jennifer Holland's Unlikely Friendships, which I got as a Valentine's Day gift for Lisa. (If you see this book in a store and don't want to buy it, then make sure you don't turn to the photo of the lion cub and the caracal kittens on page 72.)

For the Powell's reading on Sunday night I had a big, friendly crowd. The high point of the evening for me was the U.S. Marine (and two-tour Iraq vet) who stood up during the Q&A session. She hadn't read the novel yet and was very disturbed by the concept of it (and, I think, by the fact that the rest of the audience wasn't disturbed by it), but she was also extraordinarily polite in voicing her misgivings, and ended up buying a copy and promising to let me know what she thought of it. It's the people who aren't predisposed to like your work who often make the most interesting comments, so I'll be very curious to get her email.

Monday night I was at Murder by the Book. The owners were incredibly kind to me, despite my persistent inability to keep their names straight, and Jackie Jean Barbara interviewed me for the store's blog. I also got a copy of George Pelecanos' Hard Revolution as swag.

On Tuesday I flew to Sunriver, a resort village in central Oregon. My reading that night was at Sunriver Books & Music, a jewel of a store run by Deon and Rich Stonehouse (she does fiction, he does non-fiction, and there's also a dog; basically, it's a Meg Ryan/Tom Hanks movie waiting to happen). Another friendly audience, and in addition to a copy of Pam Houston's latest, Deon gave me this awesome signing pen to take home:

Today I am back in Seattle. I'll be at Seattle Mystery Bookshop from noon to 1:30, signing books for anyone who wants to drop by, and then tonight at 7 PM I'll be reading at the University Book Store. (For a full schedule of upcoming events, click here.)

#9

I just got home from the Oregon leg of the Mirage book tour. I'll have more to say about that tomorrow once I've caught up on my email (and my sleep), but one bit of good news I wanted to share right away is that The Mirage debuts at #9 on this week's Pacific Northwest Independent Bestseller list. Thanks, local indie booksellers!

Also, a programming note: I'll be at Seattle Mystery Bookshop tomorrow signing books from noon to 1:30 PM. Then tomorrow night at 7 PM I'll be reading and signing at the University Book Store. And on Friday at 6:30 PM I'll be at the Lake Forest Park location of Third Place Books.

The Mirage publication week recap

Hard to believe The Mirage has only been out since last Tuesday. I'm having a crazy fun time so far. Here's a quick recap of the highlights:

Reviews

Publisher's Weekly (STARRED REVIEW) — "Both entertaining and provocative, exactly what the best popular fiction should be."
io9.com — "An addictive, fascinating read, which keeps you guessing."
John Clute — "excellent"
The Seattle Times— "One of the most daring 9/11-inspired novels to emerge after that horrific day more than a decade ago."
Locus magazine — "A Man in the High Castle for the age of global terror."
The Associated Press — "A unique and compelling read… the juxtaposition of realities provides keen insight into the real world."
The New York Post — "Like Philip Roth's The Plot Against America, in which Nazi-sympathizer Charles Lindbergh defeats FDR for president, the premise behind Ruff's alternate-history novel is chilling."
Cory Doctorow on BoingBoing.net — "This is one of those books that you read while walking down the street and long after your bedtime, a book you stop strangers to tell about."
The Stranger — "Ruff is a world-class world builder who, perhaps better than any other writer, can create exotic, mysterious worlds and communicate their unique rules and consistent logics both clearly and concisely."

Essays and interviews

My Big Idea essay for John Scalzi's Whatever blog
My conversation with Alyssa Rosenberg of ThinkProgress.org
Guest post for Seattle Public Library's Shelf Talk blog
Self-interview for the Schuler Books blog
Interview for CBS News Author Talk
Interview for the Islam and Science Fiction website

Finally, a reminder that I'll be in Portland, Oregon at Powell's City of Books (1005 W. Burnside) at 7:30 PM tonight, and at Murder by the Book (3210 SE Hawthorne Blvd.) at 7 PM tomorrow night. On Tuesday evening at 6 PM I'll be at Sunriver Books & Music in Sunriver, OR. For more upcoming Mirage events, check out the appearances page.

At the Ballard library

Still photo capture from Ballard library roofcam

Had a great reading and Q&A this afternoon at the Ballard branch of the Seattle Public Library. Our host, librarian Hannah Parker, took Lisa and I up to see the library's special green roof before the event started. Suzanne Perry from Secret Garden Bookshop was also on hand to stock up on signed Matt Ruff books for the store. Thanks to everyone who came out.

Tomorrow I head down to Portland, Oregon. I'll be reading and signing at Powell's City of Books (1005 W. Burnside) at 7:30 PM tomorrow night, and at Murder by the Book (3210 SE Hawthorne Blvd.) at 7 PM on Monday. On Tuesday evening at 6 PM I'll be at Sunriver Books & Music in Sunriver, OR. For more upcoming Mirage events, check out the appearances page.

Last night

We had a great turnout for last night's book launch event at Elliott Bay Book Company. Among the celebrities who showed up to wish me well were artist Ginny Ruffner, novelist Sean Russell, and my friend Neal Stephenson, who brought news that Paul Constant's review of The Mirage is already being used to wrap fish and chip orders in town. Remember, book reviewer, thou are mortal!

Both the reading and the Q&A went extremely well, and I owe a big thanks to Paul for agreeing to be my onstage interviewer and to Elliott Bay for hosting me.

My next event will be a reading at the Ballard branch of the Seattle Public Library tomorrow afternoon (Saturday, February 11, at 1 PM) sponsored by Secret Garden Bookshop.

Chatting with Alyssa Rosenberg about The Mirage

On Tuesday I did a phone interview with awesome culture blogger Alyssa Rosenberg of ThinkProgress.org. She just posted the transcript of our conversation, along with some of her own thoughts about the novel, here.

Thanks, Alyssa!

 

The Mirage: the Big Idea

This morning I have a Big Idea essay up on John Scalzi's Whatever blog, explaining some of the thoughts behind the making of The Mirage. You'll find the essay here. My thanks to Mr. Scalzi for the opportunity.

Also, a quick programming reminder: I'll be appearing at Elliott Bay Book Company tonight at 7 PM to read from and talk about the novel. If the Big Idea catches your interest and you're in the neighborhood, feel free to come by the bookstore and ask me some questions.

Paul Constant reviews The Mirage for The Stranger

Ruff is a world-class world builder who, perhaps better than any other writer, can create exotic, mysterious worlds and communicate their unique rules and consistent logics both clearly and concisely. Ruff cleverly constructs UAS analogs to our western world: He prefaces certain chapters, for example, with excerpts from the Library of Alexandria, the UAS version of Wikipedia, providing the reader with a crash course in concepts like temporary marriage, the European state of Israel, and more… Ruff strings little teasing morsels throughout the narrative, as when Mustafa scours a bookstore looking for a suspect, walking by a stack of remaindered copies of "the post–November 9 best seller, now heavily discounted, Christianity for the Ignorant."

But there's more to The Mirage than a lighthearted game of spot-the-reference. The narrative moves to war-torn North America, where we are introduced—along with al Baghdadi—to the Christian insurgents fighting against UAS forces with weapons of terror. We meet the familiar figures of the Christian insurgence, and it becomes apparent that The Mirage isn't just an object lesson in geopolitics; it's a secret history, a magic mirror allowing glimpses into the effects of religious fundamentalism of all types on the United States over the last 50 years.

Full review here.

And if you're in Seattle tomorrow night, Paul Constant will be interviewing me onstage as part of The Mirage book tour launch event at Elliott Bay Book Company (Thursday, Feb. 9, 7:00 PM).

Cory Doctorow reviews The Mirage on Boing Boing

…and gives me a wonderful publication day present:

So goes this extraordinary novel, which transcends a gimmicky exercise in Arabifying America and vice-versa and becomes a top-rate war novel, a thoughtful and sly commentary on the war on terror, and a scathing critique of religious partisanship, all at once. This is no doubt partly due to Matt Ruff's extraordinary wife, researcher Lisa Gold, the best researcher I know (she was Neal Stephenson's researcher on The Baroque Cycle and other books). But it's also due to Ruff's sure and steady hand, able to steer a course through a narrow strait with mere parody on one side and tedious exercise on the other, finding the sweet spot right in the middle and coming through with a head of steam that's unstoppable.

This is one of those books that you read while walking down the street and long after your bedtime, a book you stop strangers to tell about.

Thanks, Cory! Full review here.