Lou Anders's Blog, page 26

Books I Edited and Art Directed in 2013

It's that time again, and so for your award consideration, here are a list of the Pyr books for which I served as both editor and art director in 2013. Also provided are a list of cover artists - please consider their fine work in your nominations.

Power Under Pressure (The Society of Steam)
Written by Andrew P. Mayer
Cover Illustration by Justin Gerard


The Crossing (Blood of the Lamb)
Written by Mandy Hager
Cover Illustration by Larry Rostant

The Devil's Looking Glass (Swords of Albion)
Written by Mark Chadbourn
Cover Illustration by Chris McGrath

Earth Girl
Written by Janet Edwards
Cover Illustration by Himitsuhana

Reaper's Legacy (Toxic City)
Written by Tim Lebbon
Art by Steve Stone


Shield of Sea and Space (The Chaos Knight)
Written by Erin Hoffman
Cover Illustration by Dehong He

Never (Lightbringer)
Written by K. D. McEntire
Cover Illustration by Sam Weber

Nebula Awards Showcase 2013
Edited by Catherine Asaro
Cover Illustration by Julie Dillon


In Thunder Forged: Iron Kingdoms Chronicles (The Fall of Llael)
Written by Ari Marmell
Cover Illustration by Jon Sullivan

The Secret of Abdu El Yezdi (A Burton & Swinburne Adventure)
Written by Mark Hodder
Cover Illustration by Jon Sullivan

Kindred and Wings (A Shifted World Novel)
Written by Philippa Ballatine
Cover Illustration by Cynthia Shepherd

Wrath-Bearing Tree (A Tournament of Shadows)
Written by James Enge
Cover Illustration by Steve Stone

23 Years on Fire: A Cassandra Kresnov Novel
Written by Joel Shepherd
Cover Illustration by Stephan Martiniere

The Scroll of Years: A Gaunt and Bone Novel
Written by Chris Willrich
Cover Illustration by Kerem Beyit

The Diamond Deep (Ruby's Song)
Written by Brenda Cooper
Cover Illustration by John Picacio

The Osiris Curse: A Tweed & Nightingale Adventure
Written by Paul Crilley
Cover Illustration by Cliff Nielsen

The God Tattoo: Untold Tales from the Twilight Reign
Written by Tom Lloyd
Cover Illustration by Larry Rostant

Contagion (Toxic City)
Written by Tim Lebbon
Cover Illustration by Steve Stone

Lost Covenant: A Widdershins Adventure
Written by Ari Marmell
Cover Illustration by Jason Chan



The Doctor and the Dinosaurs (A Weird West Tale)
Written by Mike Resnick
Cover Illustration by Andrew Bosley

Hmmm....

Some things are nicely timed.

Further Encounters of Sherlock Holmes

Yesterday I got my contributor copy of George Mann's forthcoming anthology, Further Encounters of Sherlock Holmes. Billed as "a brand-new collection of Sherlock Holmes stories from a variety of exciting voices in modern horror and steampunk, edited by respected anthologist George Mann," this is a follow up to last year's Encounters of Sherlock Holmes.

I'm surprised (very pleasantly so) to see that I made the cover, along with such luminaries as Justin Richards, Andy Lane, Guy Adams, and Scott Handcock. My own story is a bit out there in terms of a Holmes story, though hopefully not too out there. I'm very proud of it - it's a story that's been in my head a long time and I'm grateful George let me take a chance on it - but should caution that it's neither typical Holmes nor typical Lou!

The book debuts February 11, 2014. Meanwhile, Holmes aficionados are encouraged to check out George Mann's recently released novel, Sherlock Holmes: The Will of the Dead.

Lou Interview on Diabolical Plots

I am interviewed today by Carl Slaughter on his blog Diabolical Plots. We talk about the criteria that goes into selecting manuscripts for Pyr books, how my admittedly rather diverse media background prepared me for editing science fiction and fantasy, and my philosophy in anthology editing. Thanks to Carl for conducting this interview. Here's a sample, but please check the whole thing out.

You’ve also been nominated several times for anthology editor.  Give us a thumbnail sketch of your vision for anthologies, past, present, and future.
LA:  Well, I don’t know if I’m going to do any more anthologies in the future. I’ve turned my attention to my own fiction, and given the copious amounts of free time I don’t have, any and all snatches of personal time I have that is not claimed by my family goes into my own creations. But when I did anthologies, my goal was to never simply present reprint collections of themed stories, but to ask questions of where I thought the genre was, where it was going next, and where it should be. Each of my nine anthologies are attempts to engage the dialogue of speculative fiction in a moment, whether that was my frustrations with the limits of post-cyberpunk fiction in Live Without A Net, or my desire to explore the intersection of sword and sorcery values with modern, “realistic” fantasy in Swords & Dark Magic(co-edited with Jonathan Strahan). Every anthology is a question put to the field and hopefully a collection of answers.

Frostborn (Thrones and Bones) available for pre-order

Links and pages for my forthcoming middle reader novel, Frostborn, are beginning to show up around the web.  The novel will be released on August 5, 2014, though I'm told we'll be able to show the (amazing!) cover off sometime very soon. 

Meanwhile here is the Goodreads page, the page for the hardcover on Amazon, the hardcover on B&N (which sadly isn't taking preorders yet), and the page for the Audio CD on Amazon. And here's Indiebound.

From the book description:

Fantasy fans of Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson and John Flanagan’s Ranger’s Apprentice series will embrace this first novel in an adventure-filled, Viking-inspired series by a debut author.

Meet Karn. He is destined to take over the family farm in Norrøngard. His only problem? He’d rather be playing the board game Thrones and Bones.

Enter Thianna. Half human, half frost giantess. She’s too tall to blend in with other humans but too short to be taken seriously as a giant.

When family intrigues force Karn and Thianna to flee into the wilderness, they have to keep their sense of humor and their wits about them. But survival can be challenging when you’re being chased by a 1,500-year-old dragon, Helltoppr the undead warrior and his undead minions, an evil uncle, wyverns, and an assortment of trolls and giants.

Readers will embark on a sweeping epic fantasy as they join Karn and Thianna on a voyage of discovery.

Antics and hair-raising escapades abound in this fantasy adventure as the two forge a friendship and journey to unknown territory. Their plan: to save their families from harm.

Debut novelist Lou Anders has created a rich world of over twenty-five countries inhabited by Karn, Thianna, and an array of fantastical creatures, as well as the Thrones and Bones board game.

Why Picture Books Matter: A Guest Post by Sandra Tayler

A few years ago at DeepSouthCon 50, I had the privilege of meeting Sandra Tayler,  who kindly gave my children an autographed copy of her picture book Hold on to Your Horses (written with illustrator Angela Call). My daughter loves the book, and we have read it together many times. So I was very excited to see that Sandra has just launched a Kickstarter for the sequel, The Strength of Wild Horses . I'm a backer, and I strongly encourage you to check out and consider supporting this deserving project. Meanwhile, I asked Sandra if she'd drop by Bowing to the Future and give us her thoughts on Why Pictures Books Matter. (Hint: They do!).

Why Picture Books Matter 
by Sandra Tayler

Advocates of reading are quick to tell you that picture books are very important, that they are the beginning of literacy. Which is true. Studies have shown that children, who are read to, have an easier time learning how to read later. Experts also say that picture books teach children the shapes of sentences, the sounds of language. Reading time creates bonds between children and their care givers. But picture books do something much more subtle and important; picture books teach story.

Human beings use stories to explain our lives and our history. Cultures have pervasive stories that define them. For example America thrives on the story that anyone can succeed if they apply themselves. It is the American Dream told over and over again in movies, books, and songs. Japan has stories about balance and living in harmony with nature. Other cultures have stories of obedience or strength. As children are read picture books they begin to partake in these cultural stories. They begin to understand what they can expect from the world and how they should fit into it.

This happens on a smaller scale too. The stories that parents choose for their children are expressions of their family culture. They can choose stories that emphasize competition and triumph, or stories that speak of cooperation and sharing. They pick stories that express their values and beliefs, and the children begin understanding “this is who we are” and “these are the things that we do.”

Most parents don’t realize they are doing these things when the pick up Where The Wild Things Are or Make Way for Ducklings. They just want that moment of snuggling and the sharing of a charming story. Or perhaps they’re hoping that the toddler won’t find that one favorite book that mom is sick of reading out loud. However the book that mom hates, tells something to the toddler. When a child loves a book, it is an opportunity for parents to peek inside that child’s life. In Kindergarten my son loved Where’s My Teddy, a story of a boy who wanders in the dark wood seeking his comforting bear. The boy meets with a surprising twist which makes us laugh and then ends the book safe in his own bed. My son loved that twist moment, when everything that was set up in the first part of the book was transformed into something surprising, but completely fitting. And he loved that the book ended in a safe place. Those facets of the book expressed my son’s personality. Through the book, I understood him better.

For me one of the greatest powers of a picture book is to give a child the story they need when they are struggling. The child who is fearful at bedtime can learn to laugh by reading The Nightmare in My Closet. Ishcan help a child who wants to do everything perfectly. Three Cheers for Tacky can help the child who doesn’t quite fit in with peers. All of these stories empower the kids who struggle. The kids can imagine themselves being as triumphant as the characters they read about. When my children are struggling, I try to find a book that speaks to them. On the occasions that I couldn’t find one, I wrote one. Because stories matter. Stories change how people see themselves and once people see themselves differently, they become capable of more. This is true for young people as well as adults. That is how the world changes, through stories, even short rhyming stories with pictures.

Bio:

Sandra Tayler is a writer of children's fiction, speculative fiction, and blog entries. She has sold stories to anthology markets, and her blog won an AML award for online writing. Sandra spends much of her time as the publication and distribution half of the Schlock Mercenary comic business. Sandra’s current project is a Kickstarter to fund her latest picture book, The Strength of Wild Horses. Please stop by and take a look.

Donato Giancola: From Middle Earth to Outer Space and Beyond

Today I traveled to Huntsville, Al to visit the Huntsville Museum of Art for the opening ceremonies of a new exhibition entitled Donato Giancola: From Middle Earth to Outer Space and Beyond.

Donato was on hand for the opening, and took the (considerable) crowd through each of the four rooms given over to some sixty examples of his work, speaking in each room about one or two of the paintings on display. The collection is arranged along four themes: Middle-Earth, Mythological Realism, Science Fiction, and Space/Astronauts, with a room set aside for each.

Obviously, we saw amazing work, from The Doors of Obernewtyn to Shaman's Loss, to his cover for The Hobbit: An Illustrated Edition of the Fantasy Classic , to art for Star Wars and Marvel comics, to the phenomenal personal piece (and Spectrum Gold winner) Prometheus (picked left).

Donato Giancola: From Middle Earth to Outer Space and Beyond runs from November 16, 2013 until January 19, 2014. If you are anywhere near Huntsville, AL or can be, you owe it to yourself to check out this show. It is a once in a life time opportunity to view such a wealth of work from one of the biggest names in science fiction and fantasy art.

From Middle Earth to Outer Space and Beyond November 16, 2013 - January 19, 2014
opening reception Sunday, November 17th,  2-4pmHuntsville Museum of Art300 Church Street SHuntsville, AL  35801256-535-4350

The Motown Version of David Bowie’s “Starman”

Thanks to John DeNardo, a Motown Version of "Starman" from some alternate timeline:

World Con Report

This past weekend was LoneStarCon 3, the 71s World Science Fiction Convention, in San Antonio, Texas. I love San Antonio, which I've only visited once (for John Picacio's wedding) and have been wanting a good excuse to visit again.

Sam Sykes at the Pyr Presents PanelI got in on Thursday, having bumped into Scott Lynch on the plane, and arrived in time to have lunch, register, wander around, and still make my Literary Beer by 5pm. And by the way, Literary Beers are a great idea and starting cons with them even better. Then it was off for a (long) walk down the Riverwalk to Acenar. I dined here years ago and am so glad to say it was everything I remembered. As far from the convention center as it was, it was odd when Scott Lynch was seated at the next table five minutes after I arrived. (Was he following me?) Then I spent the night in the Marriott Rivercenter bar with many, many friends until very late.

Tower of the Americas Picacio wins 2 Chesleys
Friday began with a panel on the relationship between writers and editors, then the Pyr Books Presents panel, and then a panel on New Trends in Sword & Sorcery. Afterwards I hit the opening of the Penguin Random House Party atop the Tower of the Americas, where I caught up with Melinda Snodgrass, but had to leave early to present the first category at the Chesley Awards, where it was my privilege to see John Picacio win twice, once for the cover of Brenda Cooper's The Creative Fire, which I art directed.

Saturday began with an hour long Stroll With the Stars along the Riverwalk, followed by an art portfolio review, then a lunch with Liza Trombi of Locus. In the afternoon, I did my ScriptTips presentation, the talk I have been giving for several years now about how to use my preferred method of screenwriting as a tool for novel outlining. The room was packed, the response was phenomenal, and quite a few people had some very nice things to say about it afterwards.
Writers of the Future
That evening I went out to dinner with John Picacio, his assistant Tara, George R R Martin, his wife Paris, his two assistants and one of their boyfriends (who turned out to be from my hometown). George wanted authentic barbeque, so we hired a van and drove an hour to Lockhart for the Kreuz Market and Barbeque. Unfortunately, when we got there, they were out of everything but beef shoulder and some sausage. All the pork and chicken was long gone, and as I don't eat red meat -- well, I dined on sauerkraut, mac and cheese, and white bread. But I had a lovely conversation with everyone, especially Paris McBride, and the company made up for the lack of edible (for Lou) food. Afterwards, John, Tara, and I made the tail end of the "Drinks with Authors" event at Ernie's Bar, and then I sat up until 3am with some smart young writers who were Writers of the Future winners.
Looking good for Hugos:
Anders, Tayler, Cornell and Picacio
Sunday I had a photo shoot with Locus magazine, a panel on Using Art Briefs, a "Who Painted That?" panel, and drinks with the JABberwocky Literary Agency. And then, the Hugos!
Hartwell and Picacio
Paul Cornell did an amazing job as Toastmaster, bringing a real dignity to the event that I wish every Hugo ceremony had. He was just the right amount of funny vs sincere, and even the slight politicizing went towards making the event feel like what it should be -- the Oscars of science fiction. Also, at one point during the ceremony, they had a tribute to all of the people in science-fiction or important to science-fiction that we had lost in the last year. They played music and showed all the names. This range from famous writers like Iain M. Banks to people like film critic Roger Ebert who has written for the Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction and was an outspoken fan of written science fiction as well. I was very gratified to see the founder of my parent company, Dr. Paul Kurtz, listed on the screen.

Consolation d20 LollipopThe highlight of the Hugos, of course, was watching my friend John Picacio win for the second time. Then it was the Hugo Losers Party (where I broke out the amazing d20 lollipop that Sara Felix brought for me!) and spent some time commiserating with Toni Weisskopf and hanging with John Picacio. 

I really enjoyed hanging with Saladin Ahmed, Paolo Bacigalupi, Myke Cole, John DeNardo, Irene Gallo, Dave Gross, Mary Robinette Kowal, Mur Lafferty, Scott Lynch, John Picacio,  John Scalzi, Sam Sykes, Howard Tayler, Liza Trombi, Vincent Villafranca, Sandra Wickham, and many, many others. Even so, there were friends present like Jess Nevins and Michael Rowley that I didn't even see. I saw Michael Swanwick once from a distance and never got close enough to say hello. I could have used another week just to hang with people.
Airport Viking
Still, this was a fairly low-key World Con for me. I had a LOT of programming and a lot of meetings, and I fought to carve out space for my friends and family, but it wasn't as high energy as running a DragonCon booth, or as stressful as some convention programming can be. This weekend had a different energy. In fact, my highlight was different from any other year. It was taking my son to meet Steve Jackson and spending an hour with him creating a branching track in Jackson's big Steampunk Chaos machine. My boy is a Munchin fan and meeting Jackson was a thrill for him, and the big marble maze was pretty incredible. If I could relive one moment from the entire con again, that would be the one. A close second would be another dinner with my family at Acenar.

LoneStarCon 3: My Schedule

Later this week, I will be attending LoneStarCon 3, the 71s World Science Fiction Convention, in San Antonio, Texas. I'll be appearing on several panels, giving my usual Pyr Books Presents! presentation, and also giving my ScriptTips presentation (for the first time at a WorldCon). Here is my schedule for those interested:

Thursday
17:00Literary BeerExh A - Literary Beers (Convention Center)
Friday
12:00The Relationship Between Writers and Editors101B (Convention Center)
15:00
Pyr Books Presents!007CD (Convention Center)
16:00
The State of Sword & Sorcery: New Trends006B (Convention Center)
Saturday
11:00Art Portfolio Review (Anders)003B (Convention Center)
14:00
Screenplay Structure for Novelists: From the Screen to the Printed Page101B (Convention Center)
  Sunday
12:00Using Art Briefs101A (Convention Center)
13:00
Who Painted That!006B (Convention Center)