Kay Kenyon's Blog, page 14
December 27, 2015
Kay’s Favorite SFF/H Reads in 2015
I read less fiction this year, but among the many fine fantasy, science fiction, and horror stories, here are some of my favorites. The sublime, the infuriating, and the jolly good. Not all published this year.
Never Let Me Go – David Mitchell
Mitchell is back in fine form in another of his ventures into science fiction. This story is more accessible than some of his work (but everyone should read his superb–mainstream– Black Swan Green) and holds the same delights of voice and style. There are evil powers in the contemporary world, and their genesis and motives are fresh, dramatic and convincing.
The Passage — Justin Cronin
I have a weakness for apolcolyptic novels, and this is one of the best. Scary yet humanistic, this is not just another vampire novel. When the story jumped ahead to the survivalist outpost, I could hardly put the book down. The ending felt a bit ramped-up; but it’s a small price to pay for this utterly engrossing read.
Jeweled Fire – Sharon Shinn
Shinn’s Elementary Blessings series gets stronger with each foray. In Jeweled Fire, a young woman in a foreign court sleuths, dodges and engages the corrupt power brokers in a very fun ensemble cast. Lovely dance of tension around Corene’s unexpected romance.
The Accursed – Joyce Carol Oates
The author’s take on vampires and the prim Princeton community is original, even masterful. Lots of meandering indirection, yet her deft touch with terror is worth the read. However the sad ending was annoying. Really, is it necessary to be so fatalistic and contemptuous of human endeavor? I know, life is cruel and we can’t triumph over evil. Or can we?
Never Let Me Go – Kazuo Ishiguro 
A slow and thoughtful read. The sordid mystery at the center of the story is quickly obvious, yet its full horror continuously builds. This book is a fascinating look at the use of the unreliable narrator. We participate in the heartless subjugation of the underclass precisely because the protagonist is one of the victims, and she supports it. Sad and discouraging as a story–but as a work of subtle manipulation and tenderness, it is amazing.
I wanted to mention a few non-genre books that I loved: The Paying Guestsby Sarah Waters; The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt; and Story Fix (Transform Your Novel from Broken to Brilliant) by Larry Brooks.
November 19, 2015
Discouraged writer walks into a bar…
. . . and it was full of other discouraged writers.
OK, lame joke. But sometimes you just have to laugh. It’s that aggravating. Writing, I mean.
The novel being constructed.
What keeps us at it? Naked ambition. Or, more generously: Love. An idiotic addiction to storytelling. Actually, I haven’t figured this out yet. There are a bunch of reasons not to write, certainly: It’s tough to get published, or if you go indie, tough to find readers; it’s tough to keep readers. Also:
Annoying, bad reviews,
WIPs that won’t catch fire.
The doldrums where nothing much gets done despite best intentions.
Watching dreck sell like crazy.
Getting carpel tunnel from too much keyboarding.
People asking “When they’re going to make a move out of your novel.”
But stop me before I head to the bar.
Really, though. There are decent reasons to write, but it’s just a bit elusive to pin them down. This morning my list is:
The amazing experience of plumbing your own depths for a story, and miraculously finding one.
Membership in a community of other people who find storytelling an important way to spend time (i.e., other writers).
Hearing from readers who found your story meaningful, fun, or both!
The odd and mystical experience of loving certain characters one has (after all) made up.
My Summer Vacation, or Existential Dread.
Reprieve from the incessant demands of other options: finding a real job, paying attention to politics, cleaning closets, and using that exercise machine now doing time as a clothes rack.
Keeping existential dread at bay. Um. Just threw that in there, though at some level I believe its true.
I’d like to hear your reasons. But please don’t say: “I can’t not write.” Yes you can. There are always choices. Best to try once in a while to articulate why you chose this exasperating, random, and often rewarding life of a writer. Make a list. It might provide some surprises.
And keep you from griping in the bar at conventions.
A community of writers, e.g., Mike Resnick, Greg Bear, Peter Orullian, Louise Marley, Sharon Shinn, Jay Lake and daughter Bronwyn, J.A. Jance and her dachshund.
October 6, 2015
When the cover artist nails it
When you get a knock out cover for your novel, great happiness ensues. OK, so we writers are a superficial lot. But after working for a year or longer on a novel and investing your heart and hopes in it, the day your editor sends you the cover, your finger hovers over the keyboard. Um. To open email or wait for supportive spouse to come home?
Of course you’re not going to wait. And ta DA! It’s fabulous. Not only beautiful, but just exactly, 
perfectly right. The artist nailed it. Celebration ensues, with giddy pleasure all out of proportion, kind of like sitting in front of your very own generous wedge of cherry pie. (Well, maybe not That good.)
I have had this experience five times over my career of 13 books. In deference to the cover artists who tried to nail it, I won’t mention which books they were–except for the one shown here, my PK Dick nominated novel, Maximum Ice. Cover artist Matt Forsyth captured so much about this story:
The wonder of a crystalized world.
The mystery of an ancient habitation abandoned and rediscovered.
Zoya, my major character, in communion with an unknowable place.
The ambiguity of Ice, both natural and designed.
Well, I told you I was giddy when I saw it.
Maximum Ice is one of 11 PK Dick-nominees and winners available for the next nine days. (Ends October 14.) Pay what you want for this extraordinary group of books! At StoryBundle.
Includes novels by Walter Jon Williams, Liz Hand, K.W. Jeter, William Barton, Sarah Zettel, Lewis Shiner, Kathe Koja, Gwenyth Jones, and Lisa Mason.
September 23, 2015
Prices slashed for PK Dick award novels
Ends October 14. . .
Make an offer on these PKD novels at StoryBundle today!
This collection of 11 Philip K. Dick Award winners and finalists from StoryBundle. Receive 6 books for any price, but if you choose to pay $15 for six novels, you receive five more books.
My novel Maximum Ice is one of the books offered: Zoya Kundara has lived on the space vessel Star Road for 250 years. As Ship Mother, she is awakened from Deep Sleep in times of crisis. Now the ship has returned home, only to discover an Earth blanketed in a pearl-white mantle called Ice–a grand and mysterious ecology of information-bearing crystals. Welcome home.
This offering was curated by Lisa Mason with the support of the Philip K. Dick Trust.
September 2, 2015
On fear of cons
I’m recently back from WorldCon (Sasquan) in Spokane. There were panels on topics related to books, writing, science, fandom, and issues related to futurism and the changing world. Plus gaming, film, costuming, a great writers’ workshop and schmoozing in the bar.
I meet some aspiring science fiction and fantasy writers who have never been to a con. Many beginning writers are oddly reluctant to learn about the industry which they are so keen to be a part of. Here are some of the excuses I hear:
1. Cons are just for rabid fans; hey, I’m a writer.
Just plain wrong. All sorts of people attend cons. Many of them happen to love science fiction and
Sasquan dealers room. Best place to start a conversation.
fantasy and want to write it, just like you. Granted, you’ll see people with whom you have little in common. I must say that cons will stretch you a bit. It’s easy to feel superior to (here fill in descriptor of people you’d rather not be around.) It’s hard to break with a long standing habit of snobbishness. Go to a con and take an open mind.
2. I will be a nobody at cons that worship the big names.
Entering the field of publishing is no time to unpack your insecurities. There will always be people whose careers you envy, but there is little “worship” at cons. People are mostly there to meet others who share their interests and perhaps listen to favorite writers hold forth on panels. It’s not an ego-fest. It’s a sf/f-fest.
3. I don’t have time/money to go to cons.
Do you have the time and money to invest in your career? Sure you do. And cons are a part of it. It’s
Sharon Shinn in her beautiful red tunic.
not just networking, meeting editors or authors who might give you a blurb. It’s immersing yourself in a trade gathering where you’ll learn plenty; there are panels on breaking in and the tropes of sf. You need to know about this stuff. You will learn about new books. Make lists. If you are still reading your favs from a decade ago, you are not keeping up.
4. I won’t know anyone.
That may be true, so find a pal to go with. Tolerate a little anxiety–you’re stretching yourself, remember? Strike up conversation in the halls outside
Mike Resnick signing in the dealers room.
the panels and in the dealers room. Throw yourself into the con events as a keen observer; think of it as research, not a big party where you don’t know anyone. You’ll get a little more out of each con and you’ll start to build a base of acquaintances.
The number one thing you’ll get out of writing science fiction and fantasy is the people you’ll meet. I know. You thought it was getting published. That is a wonderful thing, but still, it’s the people you meet in the field. I’ve thought about this long and hard, and I still think it’s true.
August 15, 2015
Tropic of Creation at $.99
“Kenyon’s vision of a unique universe ranks with those of such science fiction greats as Frank Herbert and Orson Scott Card.” — Publishers Weekly, starred review.
It’s the aftermath of a galactic war with the alien Ahtra. Army Captain Eli Dammand, with his ship and crew, is stranded on remote planet–one that is about to undergo a radical seasonal change. It will give birth to monstrous, rapacious creatures. There are few refuges from the rampaging alternate season. One is in the secret Ahtran habitat. It’s a dread place for a human, as Eli will learn.
The other is in the nests of the monsters themselves. Eli’s 14 year-old passenger Sascha is mistaken for an alien infant. And she’s going to use that misconception to survive.
In ebook. Order here.
This offer ends on Friday, August 21st at midnight.
August 6, 2015
Got a question?
If you have a question or two you’d like to ask me about my writing or writing in general, now’s a good time.
I’ve just started participating in Goodreads “Ask the Author” feature. We can talk about stuff like:
upcoming books
writing process
published work
breaking in
the publishing industry
Next time you’re on Goodreads, navigate over and we’ll talk! http://bit.ly/1eVyT4u
July 20, 2015
Reading quandary for Sasquan
See you in Spokane next month!
My reading on Friday: Should I read from Queen of the Deep or my work in progress? Vote in comments, and I’ll throw your name in a hat for a free short story.
My con schedule:
THURSDAY
3:00 – Autographing. Grab your copy of Queen of the Deep and A Thousand Perfect Things!
5:00 – World building panel – Bays 111B (CC)
FRIDAY
1:00-1:30 – Reading – 303B (CC)
4:00-5:00 – Publishing 101 Round Robin (I’m holding down the how to promote table) Grand Ballroom, Salon III, (Doubletree)
SATURDAY
Writers Workshop until 1:00.
SUNDAY
12:00-12:45 – Kaffee Klatche – 202B-KK4 (CC)
July 10, 2015
All in
A conversation I had today with a friend about a significant failure in a business venture:
She: I tried and I so blew it.
Me: But at least you went for it. You tried.
She: Yeah, but it was Way above my level. Stupid to spend so much time on it.
Me: Well, you should try novel writing sometime. Spend months in the writing and they don’t want it.
She: So is it worth it, then?
Me: (Long silence.) I’m not always sure. But if you don’t try, what do you get? If you step back, you’re out of the rapids, sure. You’re safe. There are two ways to be a published writer: On the shore of the river, skipping stones, half-hearted, playing it safe. Or on the raft with the screamers heading down the rapids. It’s tough, scary, and exhilarating if it doesn’t kill you. We get to decide whether we’re all in or just tentatively in. Tentatively means you never reach for more than you think you can do. All in beats you up, dumps your gear in the water, thrashes your tail bone, and shows you the river.
She: Are we still talking about me?
______________________________________
This topic must have been on my mind in my last novel, Queen of the Deep. Here, near the climactic scene is an exchange between the major character, Jane, and a shadowy mentor figure whose apparent job shipboard is as director of activities:
And then, a hook-nosed man beside a litter. Marcello di Silvio. The Master of Games. He stood outside his palanquin, leaning on his staff, looking bewildered by all the merriment going on without his help.
She rushed up to him. “Master di Silvio!”
“Eh?” He turned to her. “Ah, Jane!”
“Master di Silvio, help me to save the ship!”
“Ah, the ship. But my dear, I cannot. An excellent suggestion, but alack, ’tis not my job.”
“What is your job?!”
“Well, ’tis plain.” He spread his hands wide. “To entice people into the game. To get a full table at whist.” His bearers were watching the celebrations, cutting sideways glances at di Silvio, perhaps wondering why they were still working when others were not. He focused on Jane with a quick, dark glance. “You, in your old life, were sitting things out.”
That was plain stupid. “I was a fucking star of the stage!” Not everything was her fault.
“Mayhap, mayhap. But who knows how long you’d have lasted? Fame is fleeting, you know.” As if the very thought deflated him, he sat heavily upon the litter. At his signal, the bearers lifted it up.
She grabbed the litter curtains to keep them open, tears jamming behind her eyes. It was all coming apart. She was coming apart. “But doesn’t it count? Everything I loved? I loved the theater. I loved my roommate.”
He sighed. “Life an inch deep and a mile wide. Star of the stage? Good, a point! Loyal to your roommate? A point again! But the game itself, no not played with vigor and dash! Did you give it your all, your heart, your very life?”
“What makes you think I didn’t!”
He shrugged. “Well, since you have been dallying with the stage and with nobles when the great game was afoot, I can only cast a guess. But am I right?”
“No, goddamn it!”
“But, my dear Jane, did you give yourself with a full heart?”
There had been a long string of lovers, none of them meaning anything. Then, on the Palazzo, she had fallen for Stephano Primari. . . . the most superficial of them all.
He went on. “Did you know what you’d die for? Ah, that’s the player who’s in the game, who’ll take the rubber, slam home the match point.”
“Well, I’m in it for life or death now!”
“Yes! Well done, Jane! The very thing!”
Jane moaned, “A lot of good it’s done. Now that we’re all going to die.”
“Well, the outcome is never certain. Who would play if it was?”
He waved his clipboard at her. “Carry on, Jane.”
She ducked her head inside the litter, trying very hard not to scream at him. “Well, is it just a game then? All this suffering?”
Startled by her intensity, he held up his hands, palms out. “Of course not. Not just a game. It’s the grand game. The grand voyage.” He nodded at her. “I dealt you in. Now you must make of it what you can!”
The bearers charged forward, bearing him into the crowds as di Silvio barked, “Badminton on the All Commons! Shuffleboard at nine bells!”
Jane watched him go, horrified that she had paused. Sitting it out? Her life, broad and shallow? Well, if so, no longer.
She made her way to the grand stairs and rushed upward.
Queen of the Deep in ebook and trade paper.
July 7, 2015
Queen of the Deep now $3.99
My latest fantasy novel, now at $3.99 in ebook.
Queen of the Deep
Aspiring actress Jane Gray opens a forbidden door:
This is the world of the Palazzo, a magical ship which is both a colossal steam vessel and a Renaissance kingdom. Ruling over its denizens–both human and otherwise–is an exotic and dangerous queen. Jane must find her way home, but the path is hopelessly lost.
The enigmatic Prince Starling and big-hearted crime lord Niccolo vie for Jane’s heart. But she has her eye on the pilot house. Who–or what–guides the Palazzo, and what is the urgent secret of its endless voyage?
“Fascinatingly conceived, brilliantly handled.”–Mike Resnick
