Bibliophile Stalker

November 9, 2009 Links and Plugs

2009-11-09T06:21:00.059+08:00

The Apex Book of World SF interviews over at SF Signal is still moving along. Last Friday's was with the awesome Kaaron Warren.

On non-personal plugs, everyone should read this nonfiction piece by writer/rockstar Lourd de Veyra about the experience of losing books to the recent typhoons.

After the long, grueling days of cleaning up after September 26, I came up with my own: Books That Are Too Important To Throw Away So You Hold On To Them Even If They Smell Like Shit, Books That You Never Even Thought You Owned, Books You Hail As Masterpieces But Can’t Even Remember A Single Passage, Books That Have Water Lilies Between Pages How The Hell Did They Get There?, Books So Unbelievably Moldy They Should Be Donated To A Bio Lab, and Books So Filthy You Get Sick Just By Looking At Them.

And from the Behance Network:

Interviews

The Agony Column has a recording of 2009 World Fantasy Convention Panel Podcast with Danel Paul Olson (moderator), J. Kathleen Cheney, Laura Anne Gilman, Thomas S. Roche, Chelsea Quinn Yarbro.
Nice Girls Don't Have Fangs interviews J.C. Hutchins.
The Creative Penn interviews J.C. Hutchins (podcast).
Realm Lovejoy interviews agent Diana Fox.
The Sofanauts episode with Peter Watts and Paul di Filippo (podcast).
My Favourite Books interviews Lou Anders.
ActuSF has interviews from video interviews from Utopiales 2009 including Hal Duncan.
The Dragon Page interviews Cherie Priest (podcast).
Off the Hook interviews Cory Doctorow (podcast).
Odyssey Workshop interviews Gregory Frost.
Missions Unknown interviews Jason Limon.
Shareable interviews Kim Stanley Robinson. (via Locus Magazine)
Tor.Com interviews Professor Kelly Joyce (Part 2).
Storytellers Unplugged Q&A with Sarah Monette.

Advice/Articles

Politics Daily on Same Old Story: Best-Books Lists Snub Women Writers. Related: Matthew Cheney on Jury, Meet Peers.
Rich Horton's Summary: Shadow Unit, 2009.
Hal Duncan on Notes from New Sodom: On Blood, Bad Boys and Bottoms.
Sean Wallace on Slushreading and Slushreading Systems.
Kameron Hurley on Surviving the Book Contract that Wasn’t.
Tobias Buckell on The finances of freelancing: some gritty systems details for the geeky. (via Matt Staggs)
The New York Times on Field Guides to Fairies.
Mary Robinette Kowal on The Eight Worst Anachronisms in Fantasy.
Damien G. Walter on Serious Fantasy.
Cory Doctorow on Teen Sex.
Rima Abunasser on A Day in the Life of a Literature Professor, or Why I Do What I Do.
Jim C. Hines SF/F Humor Roundup: 2009.
Victoria Strauss on Rights and Copyright.
T.J. McIntyre on About Writing.
Jason Sanford on The Interzone Sampler.
Graham Sleight on Tipping-Point.
Shawn Speakman on Discovering the Title.
Editorial Anonymous on Fragile: Contains Dreams. Please Do Not Bend, Fold, or Crush.
Juno Books on Will Closing Waldenbooks, etc. Really Hurt?
Juliette Wade on Measures of Intelligence.

News

Plug, plug!

Diving Into the Wreck by Kristine Kathryn Rusch

Book/Magazine Review: Interfictions 2: An Anthology of Interstitial Writing edited by Delia Sherman and Christopher Barzak

2009-11-09T05:36:00.002+08:00

Every Monday, I'll be doing bite-sized book/magazine reviews.

Disclosure: The publisher sent a review copy for the purposes of this review.

It seems only fitting that an anthology such as Interfictions 2: An Anthology of Interstitial Writing has an online supplement over at the IAF Annex. And yet the title is also apropos: this isn't a true collection of interstitial writing in the sense that it only focuses on fiction, as opposed to an anthology that includes comics, art, and other mediums. But as far as stories go, this book does skirt the boundaries and has a unique feel.

I'm not really familiar with the term interstitial fiction as I should be but the introduction by Henry Jenkins does a great job of explaining it that it seems like the most creative genre (or non-genre as the case may be). Also noteworthy is the interview with Delia Sherman and Christopher Barzak by Colleen Mondor at the end of the book. If Jenkins's essay is a primer on the interstitial arts, this interview breaks it wide open and posits possibilities, while admitting that interstitial fiction is a product of its time and what we might consider interstitial today might not be the case tomorrow.

Which perhaps brings me to this conclusion: I'm really an interstitial reader. I don't perceive the stories included in this anthology to be interstitial stories as much as stories, period (and perhaps "speculative fiction"). It takes a conscious effort to trace the boundaries (although no doubt, they are there) and how the various fictions included transcend the said borders. Maybe because interstitial fiction is already included in various publications that I read, whether it's literary venues or fantasy or science fiction or -insert genre here-. Having said that, the works featured here have a unique voice and tone, and a lot certainly deviate from what most people would label a conventional story. There's an experimentation in style and technique, and while not all of them are original, there is a visible effort in the attempt (and actually succeeding).

Of course I don't read interstitial fiction for interstiality's sake. At the end of the day, I ask, did I enjoy this story, and did the form suit the function? In the case of Interfictions 2: An Anthology of Interstitial Writing, it's a resounding yes. There's no bad story here, and only a few are what I consider barely above mediocre. A lot are standouts and favorites (although not the "best of the best") such as "The War Between Heaven and Hell Wallpaper" by Jeffrey Ford, "The Beautiful Feast" by M. Rickert, "The Two of Me" by Ray Vukcevich, "Black Dog: A Biography" by Peter M. Ball, "Child-Empress of Mars" by Theodora Goss, and various other authors that I've never heard of (making this a doubly pleasant read). And when it comes to agenda, as Jetse de Vries pointed out, there's a couple of "international writers" (whether by descent or actual nationality) in this book and one only needs to read their stories to affirm how richer the book is for their inclusion, as opposed to simply being a token presence. (The Anglophone presence is also great.)

There are two stories I want to specifically tackle here because they're undeniable favorites. "The Assimilated Cuban's Guide to Quantum Santeria" by Carlos Hernandez and "Count Poniatowski and the Beautiful Chicken" by Elizabeth Ziemska are brilliant pieces. Now this is actually the first time that I've read Hernandez (or remember doing so), and Ziemska is someone whom I feel is an underappreciated author. Both deliver stories with a lot of emotional resonance, and while they employ fairly standard narrative techniques, both also cross genre lines from fantasy to science fiction to fiction, keeping readers on their toes and making the most out of the tropes of the said genres. The said pieces are so good that I'm perfectly content buying the book and reading just these two.

On a less optimistic note, and this could swing in either direction, but at the end of each piece, the authors talk about their story. While this is an insightful read in some cases, adding new layers to the narrative, it sometimes becomes a defensive explanation of why the included fiction is considered interstitial. Here, the author's confidence and motives become transparent, and while it certainly enhances some stories, it can be disappointing in others.

Lastly, another strength of this anthology is that it has an agenda behind it. I mean I loved Eclipse Three by Jonathan Strahan, and in a certain sense, some stories published there would fit perfectly here (and vice versa), but one also has to take into consideration the long-term plans of the editor(s). Not that unthemed genre anthologies is a less-worthy cause (and in fact is more important nowadays with the discontinuation of such anthologies), but when it comes to Interfictions 2: An Anthology of Interstitial Writing, there's a definite goal that's transparent to readers. For me, Sherman and Barzak succeed in delivering quality stories that follow their agenda, and this book is testament to what they're trying to accomplish.

Book/Magazine Review: Dark Delicacies III: Haunted edited by Del Howison & Jeff Gelb

2009-11-09T05:25:00.002+08:00

Every Monday, I'll be doing bite-sized book/magazine reviews.

Dark Delicacies III: Haunted is in a strange position. On one hand, you have a lot of decent stories: nothing outright horrible, and definitely an entertaining read, but they're not particularly striking. There are exemptions, of course, but for the most part, the shape of this anthology is that it barely hovers above mediocrity. Take for example "Resurrection Man" by Axelle Carolyn: It starts out with a compelling style and while predictability isn't exactly something that does discredit to the story (it's foreshadowed after all), it lacks a particular ooomph that sets it apart from other morality tales. The same might be said for "A Nasty Way to Go" by Ardath Mayhar which has a faithful and unique tone and an otherwise decent narrative but nothing else that makes it memorable. And the problem is a good chunk of the stories here fall under this category.

Not that the book is devoid of other criticisms or praises. When it comes to the former, "In the Mix" by Eric Red feels like it uses too many stereotypes and delivers nothing but gore. "Food of the Gods" by Simon R. Green comes across as too flat and readers can surmise what's coming way too early.

Having said that, there are some brilliant pieces here that unfortunately fall short. "Mist on the Bayou" by Heather Graham has atmosphere and character and while that will probably lump it in the competent category, what caught my attention was the twist she includes in the story which makes this an unconventional haunting story. It's not what I'd necessarily call terrific, but it jumps out from what is an otherwise unremarkable anthology.

"Tyler's Third Act" by Mick Garris really comes close to greatness. For three fourths of the story, it hits all the right beats: a unique voice, engaging conflict, visceral descriptions, a sympathetic character, etc. It even doubles as a commentary for today's media. Unfortunately, while Garris sets up big expectations for the reader, he simply fumbles it when it comes to the ending. Not that it whimpers, but it fails to live up to expectations and quite frankly feels abrupt. This isn't a bad story and far from it in fact, but I can imagine that this could have been one of the best stories for the year had it gone that extra mile.

With no reservations, a sophisticated piece is "The Architecture of Snow" by David Morrell. It doesn't immediately jump out as "Tyler's Third Act" but the author takes his time to build up the narrative. I could jibe at how this is a horror story for those working in the publishing industry, and to a certain extent, the ending is a bit indulgent when it comes to that particular facet, but Morrell works this piece by using good old fashioned characterization. At the end of the day, it leaves readers with an emotional resonance that's both heartwarming and heartbreaking.

There are definitely less enjoyable anthologies out in the market but if you have modest tastes, Dark Delicacies III: Haunted is a good distraction.

November 6, 2009 Links and Plugs

2009-11-06T07:06:00.041+08:00

Panic? No one's panicking. Everything's all swell. Really. Why would I lie to you?

Oh, and check out my interview with the awesome Melanie Fazi.

RIP Louise Cooper.

Interviews

Jonathan Moeller interviews Dave Smeds.
The Agony Column interviews Kim Stanley Robinson (podcast).
The Creative Penn interviews Mur Lafferty (podcast).
Lark Neville interviews Amy Grech.
Fantasy Magazine interviews Garth Nix (video).
Tor.com interviews Ray Bradbury (video).
John Scalzi profiles Jeff VanderMeer.
Fantasy Book Critic interviews Gary A. Ballard.

Advice/Articles

Rich Horton's Summary: Interzone, 2009.
Lavie Tidhar on To Asimov's or not to Asimov's?
The New Yorker on Bolano Backlash? (via Matt Staggs)
Writer Unboxed on Old Bones, New Flesh: Building a novel from a fairy tale concept. (via Matt Staggs)
Suvudu on Visiting Random House.
Megan Crewe on Story Psych: A Question of Character.
LJNDawson.com on Mythbusting the ISBN. (via Booksquare)
Joel Friedlander on Book Design: Beauty in the Details.
Editorial Ass on Writer Question: How Do I Cut Text from My Novel and Not Lose My Soul?!
Kristine Kathryn Rusch on The Freelancer’s Survival Guide: Success Part Five.
Mike Brotherton on Scientists, Sagan, Sincerity.
Alma Alexander on What do we know and when do we want to know it?
Alan Russell on When I Wish I Wasn't a Writer.
Juliette Wade on Layers of Language.
Shine Anthology on Kindred Spirits Part 8.

News

Soon, my pretties, soon...

Battle Royale by Koushun Takami

November 5, 2009 Links and Plugs

2009-11-05T06:27:00.064+08:00

When it rains, it pours: continuing the Apex Book of World SF interviews, the latest one is with Jetse de Vries. My BSC Review essay is up, Gender, Minorities, and International SF. And there's my guest post over at Jeff VanderMeer's blog, A Pre-Summation of Philippine Speculative Fiction 2009.

And Golden Gryphon Press (an excellent publisher) currently has a two-for-one sale.

Also should have plugged this sooner. Odyssey 2009 graduate Lisa Poh is looking for other Singaporean writers. Anyone want to help her out?

Interviews

SF Signal Mind Meld: Speculative Fiction Books That Should Be Assigned in School.
A Writer Goes on a Journey interviews Alan Baxter. (via Aurealis Xpess)
The Agony Column interviews Eric Simons (podcast).
Marshall Payne interviews Angela Slatter.
Odyssey Workshop has a recording of Patricia Bray's lecture.
San Antonio Current interviews Jeff VanderMeer. (via Locus Online)
Tor.Com interviews Professor Kelly Joyce (Part 1).
Dead Robots Society interviews Philippa Ballantine and Dan Sawyer (podcast).

Advice/Articles

Will Hindmarch on Eldritch Visions of Cthalloween.
Mark C Newton on Thoughts on the Dying Earth genre.
Caren Gussoff on The next big punking.
Stomping on Yeti on The Next Big Thing? The FuturePast.
Jennifer Jackson on unsolicited manuscripts.
Guy Hasson on Making His Feature Film Debut (part two).
Cory Doctorow on Radical Presentism. (via Locus Online)
GeekDad on 2009 Holiday Gift Guide #1: Books. (via Locus Online)
Jason Denzel on The Duel, part 1: Help Me Defeat Brandon Sanderson.
Lou Anders on The First Lady of Fantasy.
Megan Crewe on The Sequel Question.
Margaret Ronald on The Book as an Object.
Emma Newman on The Savvy Author’s Guide to Podcasting.
Aprilynne Pike on Firsts. (via Editorial Ass)
Lynne Patrick on Ten reasons publishers don't offer feedback on submissions.
Justine Larbalestier on NaNo Tip no. 4: Word Count is Not Everything.
Dean Wesley Smith on Killing the Sacred Cows of Publishing: Self Promotion. (via Kristine Kathryn Rusch)
Mike Brotherton on Smarts, Sponteniety, Science, and Science Fiction.
Rachelle Gardner on How To Avoid Getting an Agent.
Janice Hardy on What I Learned at World Fantasy Week: Double Jeopardy.
The Intern on NaNoReVisMo #2: two flavors of facts.

News

Barnes and Noble Review reviews Finch.
Warren Ellis releases Shivering Sands. (via David J. Schwartz)
Borders offers free shipping on out-of-stock items. (via Booksquare)
Barnes & Noble Sued Over Nook Design. (via Booksquare)
Amazon.com's Twitter Program Generates Controversy.

Go buy:

House of Windows by John Langan

November 4, 2009 Links and Plugs

2009-11-04T06:51:00.044+08:00

Couple of news that's not exactly genre news per se, but is important and concerns the community. First, Vylar Kaftan has a Letter to the San Jose police. This relates to an incident that happened in or near the San Jose Fairmont Hotel (where World Fantasy Con took place).

The second item is author Catherynne M. Valente is stranded in Germany and is nearly out of funds. You can donate to Fairyland. Or check out the HELP CAT VALENTE AND DMITRI ZAGIDULIN Facebook page.

In personal plugs, my interview with Aliette de Bodard is up at SF Signal. The Apex "World SF" issue is up and includes my interview with Tunku Halim. (Stay tuned to SF Signal this week and next as more interviews go up.)

Expanded Horizons also has a new issue out, with two stories from Filipino authors.

Interviews

The Agony Column has a recording of the SF in SF Panel Discussion Featuring Eric Simons, Kim Stanley Robinson and Terry Bisson on October 17, 2009 (podcast).
TV Guide has 5 Questions with V's Scott Wolf.
New York Post profiles Jonathan Lethem.
The Guardian profiles Margo Lanagan.
Blog Critics interviews John Brown. (via Tor Books)
Genreville interviews Anton Strout.
John Scalzi profiles Steven R. Boyett.

Advice/Articles

Jeff VanderMeer on My Endurance Tour–and Book Tours in the Modern Era and Is it a Book Tour or a War of Attrition or Some Kind of Literary Circus?
Rich Horton's Summary: F&SF, 2009.
Joshua Palmatier on Writing: Exposition.
Amazon's Top 10 Books: Science Fiction & Fantasy.
io9 has The Experts' Picks for Notable Books of the Year at World Fantasy Con. (via Locus Magazine)
Cherie Priest on “Why I destroyed Seattle for the sake of Steampunk”.
Keith McGowan on Letters from Abroad: Sociology and History of Science.
Edward M. Lerner on Alien aliens.
Rachelle Gardner on Foreshadowing vs. Telegraphing.
Janice Hardy on What I Learned at World Fantasy Week: Changing Scale.
Nicola Morgan on Myths About Writing.
The Rejectionist on Chérie Has A Special Form Letter For You To Send Your Friends and Family.

News

Lots of fun stuff over at the Finch Readers Page.
The Fix is back.
Paul S. Kemp will not write Forgotten Realms novel Godborn.
Secret copyright treaty leaks. It's bad. Very bad. (via Eric Reynolds)
Get Ready for the “Why I Write” Contest.

Just got my review copy and it's awesome awesome awesome so far (alas, still half-blind so not much reading for me this week):

Interfictions 2 edited by Delia Sherman & Christopher Barzak

Essay: International Science Fiction Reshelving Day - A Dick Move

2009-11-04T06:40:00.000+08:00

Every Wednesday, I have an essay or feature article on any topic that catches my fancy!

A part of me didn't want to write this essay since it draws undue attention to them but somebody has to say it: International Science Fiction Reshelving Day is a dick move.

The instigators might have their have their hearts in the right place and I can sympathize with what their attempting, especially since I'm a genre fan and writer, but their methods is as annoying as rabid Mac fans whose every response to your computer problem is "get a Mac!" (and yes, I'm using a Mac at the office--doesn't make your "recommendations" sound any more reasonable).

To those unfamiliar with the project, here's what it says on their front page:

Join us this November in a new and unique celebration of science fiction and fantasy literature. Many books from our fine genre are regularly placed in the wrong section of bookstores. This not only hides the books from us, but it prevents readers of those books from discovering the rich tradition to which they belong.

On November 18th that changes. We will go to bookstores around the world and move science fiction and fantasy books from wherever they might be to their proper place in the “Science Fiction” section. We hope that this quiet act of protest will raise awareness of this problem and inspire new readers to explore our thought-provoking genre.

Never mind the fact that there are more Fiction readers than Science Fiction readers, thus an author shelved under the Fiction section will probably have a wider readership than if they were shelved under Science Fiction. I don't like this fact but that's reality.

If you dig deeper into their FAQ, you'll find their motivation:

When a genre fiction book is shelved as general fiction, it does a disservice to two types of reason. Those who enjoy genre fiction may not find the book and non-genre readers may not recognize that they might enjoy other books of that genre.

In addition, it reinforced the notion that non-genre books are somehow better than genre books. It does this by suggesting, however passively, that the misshelved genre books are good enough to have escaped the genre sections of the bookstore.

We do not expect to stop misshelving, but we hope to bring attention to the problem. Consider it an act of protest.

Of course in the same FAQ, you'll find out why they chose November 18 as their date:

November 18th is Margaret Atwood’s birthday. Given how well respected Atwood is as a writer and how vehemently she has denied belonging in the science fiction section, ISFRD seemed like an appropriate birthday present.

Not so benevolent now, are we?

But intentions aside, here are several concrete problems this event will cause, should the movement acquire a following:

Inconvenience to Bookstore Staff

Well, it has to be said, a bookstore is like a library in the sense that somebody needs to catalog and shelve the books. And if you notice bookstore racks, there's a certain pattern to how books are shelved (i.e. arranged alphabetically). Unfortunately, while we are strong advocates of science fiction, this does not happen magically.

The organizers of International Science Fiction Reshelving Day are aware of this. In fact, they have a blog entry stating:

A number of people have commented that this project may cause bookstore workers undue hardship by forcing them to put the moved books back. I suppose there is some truth to this. Given that the books are clearly marked by the bookmarks, I am not sure how arduous their task would be, but I concede the point.

I've highlighted some key words in their statement. There is no may or suppose in this inconvenience. You will cause inconvenience, even if you include bookmarks into the books that you shift around (and hey, that bookmarking tactic? It's not stated anywhere on your front page!).

And let me address something here: books do get shelved around the bookstore normally. Sometimes, it's a bookworm who's afraid that the last copy of his favorite book won't be there the next time they visit, so they hide it. Or it might be someone who picks up several books and before they make it to the counter, realize that they don't have enough cash to purchase all of them and so leaves a book or two at the nearest shelf. (Same philosophy goes for libraries.) This is an inconvenience to employees (or at least those who care and are passionate about their jobs). Systematically re-shelving them, especially without informing the said bookstore, will aggravate this problem.

There's also the problem of limited shelf space. If you're going to re-allocate books from the Fiction section to the Science Fiction section (and vice versa), then you'd better be taking out one book (of identical size and shape) for each one you add or else it won't fit. Good luck balancing the numbers.

To be fair, the blog entry has some sensible alternatives. Unfortunately, they also cite some insensible ones. For example:

Move the books, take a picture of them where they belong, and then move them back. You can use the picture to promote the correct shelving (send us a link, please!), which not causing anyone distress (except maybe Margaret Atwood).

It won't work, at least not in all instances. What if someone re-shelved your book? (See my earlier statements above.) What if somebody actually bought the book? How will you know it's the latter and not the former? (And unless you're the bookstore staff, they certainly won't be showing you the receipts.) Better yet, how will the staff know that a book wasn't actually sold or that it wasn't stolen? (Anyone who's worked in retail that the most common method of checking for inventory sales or theft is counting what's available on shelf.) How will the staff know where to look?

It's Costing Both Bookstores and Publishers

There's this thing called Co-Op. Publishers pay bookstores to get placement in a key location. You don't have to like this practice but it's there. So through this re-shelving practice, you're denying publishers of what they paid for and disrupting bookstores' agreement with publishers. The former might even complain to the latter because they're not getting what they paid for.

It'll Annoy The Publisher's Staff and Everyone Under Them

Well, there's actually a method as to why a book is classified under a particular genre (be it Fiction or Science Fiction). If a book is marketed as Fiction and then shelved under Science Fiction, it'll annoy the hell out of marketing (for one thing, the book covers aren't optimized to attract that particular market). It'll also annoy the authors. And really, what is the message of this project? To create "justice" for the science fiction genre by annoying bookstores, publishers (and their corresponding staff), and the authors themselves?

What Happens to the Non-Science Fiction Customers?

I mean they were looking for, say, Michael Chabon's work in the Fiction section and they saw it there the previous day. What happens to them? They'll think it might have sold out so they approach one of the booksellers. But guess what, the said bookseller also can't find it because it's not where it's supposed to be. Will it be considered theft since it doesn't show up in the receipts?

What Do You Hope to Accomplish?

At the end of the day, this is a question you need to ask and spend time deliberating.

If your goal is to annoy Margaret Atwood, congratulations, you've succeeded. But it also begs the question, if you're so annoyed at Atwood, you're causing this strange relationship where she's mad at you because you're labeling her work as science fiction, but she's also thankful to you for theoretically exposing her work to other readers. Make up your mind!

If your goal is to actual promote science fiction, well, you are promoting it, but you're achieving it in the same way terrorists promote their causes. Now I'm not equating this act with actual terrorism. No lives are lost. There might be some damages and financial costs involved, but obviously not on the scale of an actual disaster. But I associate it as such because you're not respecting the other parties involved. That's what peaceful protests are--advocating for change but nonetheless respecting the boundaries of those that need converting. I mean honestly, if you want to draw attention to themselves and achieve maximum impact, just hold an actual protests (placards and all) and not this quasi-secret sabotage that bookstore patrons might not notice. You'll probably get more media attention that way.

You know what International Science Fiction Reshelving Day really is? It's "I want to help Science Fiction but wash my hands free of responsibility". I mean the reason there's this re-shelving is to remain anonymous, instead of walking up to patrons, introducing yourself, and recommending such and such book. I've seen something similar done in other organizations (and why the group suggested bookmarks) such as religious groups leaving their tracts in books. This is as cop-out, and a malicious one at that, no matter "pro-genre" intentions.

Recommending Fiction books that could be classified as Science Fiction? Good idea. Re-shelving books in a bookstore? Very disruptive.

November 3, 2009 Links and Plugs

2009-11-03T06:59:00.052+08:00

Apologies but today I'm all about personal plugging:

The first of many interviews with The Apex Book of World SF (out now!) contributors is now up at SF Signal: Guy Hasson.

Today (or yesterday--the Philippines is the future) is Kill Brian Keene on Your Blog Day. Consider making a donation to the Shirley Jackson Awards or buying a copy of Jack Haringa Must Die.

And will be hijacking Jeff VanderMeer's blog this month.

Oh, and on a more serious note, New Home Office rules ban graphic novelist.

And since it's post-Halloween, my right eye feels like a hunchback (editing my recently-posted interview is difficult when you have blurry vision...):

Interviews

Eye on Books interviews Brandon Sanderson (podcast). (via Tor Books)
Geekdad interviews Brandon Sanderson. (via Tor Books)
A Working Title interviews Tobias Buckell.
Open Book Society interviews Michael A. Burstein.
The Green Man Review interviews Christopher Golden.
Keeping the Door interviews Greg Egan. (via Fabio Fernandes)
David Steffen interviews Jeremy C. Shipp.

Advice/Articles

Rich Horton's Summary: Fictitious Force, 2009.
Angry Robot Books on Books more popular than games on the iPhone?
Grasping the Wind on Inside the Blogosphere: Best Book Endings in the Genre.
Megan Crewe on Story Psych: What Makes a Good Story (Part 3).
Kassia Krozser on A (Probably Naive) Attempt to Move the DRM Conversation Forward.
Angela Slatter on Howling into the Void.
Rachelle Gardner on Writing a First Draft.
John Scalzi on One Of Those Questions I Wish SF Geeks Would Simply Get Over.
Pimp My Novel on We Regret to Inform You: The Form Rejection.
The Intern on NaNoReVisMo #1: the electric kool-aid conflict test.
Nicola Morgan on Submission Spotlight 8: Picture Book.

News

Wheel of Time eBook Publishing Schedule.

And here's the I-must-plug-this-or-else-Lavie-will-kill-me:

The Apex Book of World SF edited by Lavie Tidhar

Interview: Rose Fox and Josh Jasper

2009-11-03T06:20:00.033+08:00

Every Tuesday, I'll have an interview posted.

Roses Fox and Josh Jasper maintains the Publishers Weekly speculative fiction blog Genreville.

Rose Fox:

Hi! Thanks for agreeing to do the interview. First off, how did you get acquainted with speculative fiction? How did your parents help shape your reading habits?

Harlan Ellison introduced my parents, both of whom are writers whose work includes a fair amount of speculative fiction, so it's pretty safe to say that fictons were bombarding me while I was still in the womb.

Shortly after I was born, my parents divorced, and my mother and I pretty much lived alone for four years until she met and married my stepfather. Somewhere in there, she ditched SF, left the fannish scene (insofar as she'd ever been in it, which wasn't very far), and switched over to reading mysteries. I grew up reading all kinds of mysteries for kids--Nancy Drew, the Hardy Boys, the Bobbsey Twins, Cam Jansen, Billy Jo Jive, Detective Poufy, and my all-time favorite, Encyclopedia Brown--and I'd go around telling people I wanted to be a detective. Then we took a trip to Ireland when I was maybe seven or eight years old, and I went wandering around to the gazebo behind a house we were visiting and found a copy of Doctor Who and the Space War.

I CONSUMED it, and it consumed me. I still have it. I'd never watched an episode of Doctor Who--hadn't until a couple of years ago, actually--but I loved that book with a passion. I read it over and over. I still loved mysteries, but soon I was stealing a lot of books off the one three-shelf bookcase that still housed all my mother's crumbling old Heinlein juvies and Andre Norton and Asimov and the like, and over the next few years all those books migrated into my bedroom. I read them over and over too, and hunted down other books by those authors, and whenever I went to Forbidden Planet (back when it was huge and awesome) or the Science Fiction Bookshop, I always opted for skinny, yellowing paperbacks over anything actually in print, because everything I loved was a skinny, yellowing paperback.

So all the SF I was first exposed to was SF written before I was born. I missed out on pretty much every novel in the field published between the late 70s and the early 90s. And I had no idea! I mean, it didn't even occur to me that reading-wise I was traveling back in time ten or twenty years. I remember being utterly shocked to learn that Robert Heinlein was dead, because he looked so young in all the author photos in the editions I had. In that sense, my mother shaped my reading habits by not being an SF reader, or rather, by being a former SF reader.

As for my father, I remember reading his books when they came out, and once I was in my teens and had firmly established myself as an SF reader on my own, I started picking through the piles of books that people sent him in hopes of getting reviewed. I know that occasionally friends of his would be visiting and autograph books for me (yes, I still have them). Unfortunately, I think the experimental and New Wave books I got that way hit me before I was ready for them, so I bounced off of them and went straight back to my familiar 70s hard SF and juvies.

What made you decide to pursue journalism? Was it difficult finding a venue to write about the genre?

I'm going to put these questions all together because the answer is sort of the same for all of them. My aunt (also a novelist) was a PW reviewer, and she got my mother into reviewing there, and I thought that being paid to read books sounded awesome, so my mother arranged for me to meet Peter Cannon, who was the SF/F/H reviews editor at the time. He was kind enough to give me a trial assignment (I am still paying this favor forward and probably will be for the rest of my life), and he liked my work enough to send me more books. I wasn't thinking of it as "pursuing journalism" at that point; it was just a fun hobby that made me a little money. The hardest part about going into journalism and editing full-time was finding ways to write about things other than the genre, since my goal was to actually make a living.

Mostly what drove me to pursue journalism was being really unhappy as a receptionist. (It's rather a long story how I ended up being a receptionist.) I worked for a decent company but I really didn't feel like I belonged there. A high school friend who was leaving his job as an editorial assistant on a medical journal got them to hire me as his replacement for three months, which was just long enough for it to look really good on my résumé. After that, I took a really long shot and went freelance full-time, throwing myself into a combination of medical journalism (helped greatly by a family friend who farmed out some work to me and introduced me to editors), book reviewing, and blogging. No one was more shocked than I was when I broke even well before the three-month deadline I'd set myself. I freelanced for most of a year before PW hired me on as an editor.

I should note here that I don't think of myself as a journalist. I'm an editor first and foremost. Kids always find some way to rebel against their parents, and mine was to be an editor instead of a writer. Everyone just assumed I was going to grow up to write books. It wasn't just my parents; my mother's father was a printer, my uncle was an art historian and author of many books, and even my father's father, an engineer, wrote an autobiography. I have ink in my veins. Well, I wrote some short stories when I was in my teens and they were all awful. I wrote some awful poems and songs too. Meanwhile, I was my mother's first-pass editor, and I soon realized that I was really good at it (woe betide the misplaced comma that came before my nine-year-old eyes, for I excised it as imperiously as only a nine-year-old can). When I joined my high school magazines, I did so as an editor. In college I was the first sophomore to become copy chief of the student paper. I don't mind writing, and I'm a pretty decent journalist these days, but editing is my true love.

My fiction is still awful. I'm comfortable with that.

How do you juggle your time covering speculative fiction and your duties as a medical writer?

I'm part-time at PW and always have been. I sort of snuck in when another part-time editor left; there was a hiring freeze on, but part-time hires didn't quite count as hiring, and it was easy for them to slot me in as a replacement. So I'm in the office just twenty hours a week, from 2 to 6 p.m. Freelancing happens between 10 and 2 a.m., and I sleep from about 4 to about noon. This schedule makes me ridiculously happy; I've always been a night owl. If I need to make phone calls during business hours, I just get up a little early.

At the moment I'm moving away from medical writing and into various kinds of editing. Medical journalism is a really tough market right now; after the bank crash last fall, all the big companies that publish news magazines for doctors pretty much stopped using freelancers, and when I did get assignments it took months and months to get paid, so I started looking for other things. I still do some writing and interviewing for a continuing medical education company from time to time, but my big secondary gig is with a Columbia healthcare information technology lab, getting their papers into shape for submission to peer-reviewed journals. I'm starting to do more freelance copyediting, which I love with an absolute passion. I just finished copyediting a Popular Mechanics book on how to design and build sheds, and it was so much fun! I'll edit anything, really. The best project so far was a different book for PM, where I compiled and edited articles from 1903 through 1969 that predict the future. It's coming out in fall 2010 with an intro by Greg Benford and I am tremendously excited about it.

Does your medical background have a bearing in the way you read books? (i.e. it might be a pet peeve when a hard sf novel gets the medical science wrong)

I don't have a medical background in the sense of a degree or college study. (I'm a three-time college dropout, and when I was in school I studied math, linguistics, computer science, and architecture.) I've just spent a lot of time around doctors and the medical establishment because I've written so much about them. I suppose I'd roll my eyes at awful medical science in a book, but I'd also be really excited to see anything medical handled in more detail than "She slapped the medpatch on her arm and waited for it to heal the broken bone" or "Nanobots will save us all". It's so rare to see good SFnal predictions of issues in medical ethics or advancements in medical technology. I just (as in, a few hours ago) finished reading Scott Westerfeld's The Risen Empire, which was very timely given the whole argument going on right now about euthanasia, and at times I got really impatient with it because the whole book is built around the ethics of death and life and medical resurrection and the way class divides affect medical treatment and all this really important interesting stuff, and yet I kept feeling like the future tech was getting in the way of really talking about those things. In the end--and this is kind of a big spoiler for the book, so skip to the next paragraph if you care about that--all the ethical and cultural issues get completely swamped by a technical issue, a failure of medical technology, and it's supposed to be this huge reveal and instead it just felt like a cop-out. And then the book ends! I wanted to know how the big reveal affected the culture and the way medical treatment was dispensed and it just... ended. Bah. I had similar issues with Robert J. Sawyer's WWW: Wake, which brings up two major issues in modern medicine--an epidemic in China and the use of medical technology to compensate for disability--and then gets completely distracted by fetishizing tech and loses its grip on the more human issues at hand. So yes, I guess I get very impatient with people who don't think about this stuff in depth.

There's so much going on in medical technology development at the moment that it feels really SFnal, so there's no excuse for neglecting it. Forget nanos, the handwavium of medical SF. Look at what people are doing right now with robots and cameras and microscopic instruments. You can have a hernia repaired with mesh that slowly dissolves into your body after you form new tissue around it. If you have a stroke or heart attack and go to a good hospital, they'll put you on ice--or rather, on a pad that circulates ice-cold water under and around you--because the cooling helps prevent nervous system damage, though no one really knows why. Imaging technology is so advanced that we don't actually know what to do with the degree of detail we get. We can turn genes on and off almost casually. This stuff is amazing. At the same time, we know almost nothing about mental illness despite decades of intensive study, it's still common practice to burn out cancerous tissue with hot pointy metal things (look up "tumor ablation" and then consider that it is the year 2009 and we are still basically at the level of setting people on fire for their health), and completely treatable, curable diseases still run rampant in impoverished areas around the world because medicine is as cultural as it is technical. Any SF author looking for inspiration should pick up a copy of the Journal of the American Medical Association or the New England Journal of Medicine and prepare for their mind to be blown both by what we can do and what we can't.

For you, what constitutes a good book review? How about a good interview?

It should make me go "Huh, I never thought of that" or "Huh, I never knew that".

Personally, what do you look for in a book, speculative or otherwise?

I categorize books by the type of mood they encourage in me, so what book I look for depends on what mood I'm in and what mood I want to be in. I recently started to read Elizabeth Hand's Generation Loss and had to stop because it's a really gripping, powerful book that is completely not the right thing for me to be reading in the summer, when I tend to be depressed and paranoid already. I'll try again in the fall or winter, when I have enough emotional resilience stored up that I can afford to spend some on reading stories about loss and fear and despair. Mind you, I really like books like that, when I have the strength for them.

Other than mood, I look for good proficiency with language, consistency and believability of setting and character, a lack of errors of fact or punctuation, all that technical stuff. I'm entirely willing to read in any genre as long as the writer knows what they're doing.

How did Genreville get established? What are your upcoming plans for Genreville?

Genreville got started in a pretty mundane way: our editor-in-chief wanted more blogs on PW's site, I had been blogging for years on LiveJournal, I offered to write an SF blog. I wasn't geting paid separately for it, so I was trying to write it while I was at work in addition to editing two sections and so on, and as more editors got laid off and my workload increased, I just didn't have the time for it. Our new editorial director mentioned that he was willing to pay for bloggers if they'd bring traffic to the site and I said "Oh well in THAT case" and made what was apparently a very persuasive pitch for PW to pay me and Josh as freelancers, which means we can work on it from home. That changes things entirely. Now the only question is how much work we're willing to do for the amount we're getting paid, and apparently we're willing to do quite a lot. We're going to be writing at least three posts a week and hopefully closer to five, putting up videos, doing tons of interviews, starting serious conversations about controversial issues, posting book reviews, all that jazz.

How is the Internet changing the publishing industry? For you, does it bring more benefits or disadvantages?

For the first half of that, see my recent long SF Mind Meld contribution, where I discuss it in detail. The short version is that the internet is a vast storage space for information about books and publishing and fandom, and as people who didn't grow up in this world start making use of that stored knowledge and using it to get traction for their new ideas in the traditional publishing world, I think we're going to see some tremendous innovation that both works within the current paradigm and really shakes it up.

For the second, I don't know: I've never worked in non-internet-enabled publishing! It's like asking whether I think all the oxygen in the atmosphere is good or bad for me. I'm so thoroughly adapted to it that it's a moot point.

How would you describe the current field of science fiction, fantasy, and horror?

I wouldn't even know where to begin. It's vast and nebulous, and expanding at a terrific rate.

Right now, there's a growing awareness of speculative fiction written by people of color, people outside of the US and Europe, and GLBT. What's your take on this changing paradigm in the field?

Look at that first sentence: when you say "there's a growing awareness" you mean "there's a growing awareness among straight white Westerners". They're still the default, the implied actors and the implied audience. If we talk about "recognition" and "awareness", what we mean is that it's still all about where members of the privileged classes deign to direct their attention, and the underlying paradigm really isn't changing at all. I think the paradigm of assumed privilege does need to change, and the sooner the better, but we're still at the very beginning of making that change and we have a long way to go.

Mind you, some straight white guys get it:

Do not believe -- and I am dead serious when I say this -- do not assume that order and stability are always good, in a society or in a universe. The old, the ossified, must always give way to new life and the birth of new things. Before the new things can be born the old must perish. This is a dangerous realization, because it tells us that we must eventually part with much of what is familiar to us. And that hurts. But that is part of the script of life. Unless we can psychologically accommodate change, we ourselves begin to die, inwardly. What I am saying is that objects, customs, habits, and ways of life must perish so that the authentic human being can live. And it is the authentic human being who matters most, the viable, elastic organism which can bounce back, absorb, and deal with the new.
--Philip K. Dick

I don't think we're going to achieve a privilegeless world in my lifetime. There will be some people with more privilege and some with less. My goal is to see the gap narrowed, and see the privileged class expand and expand and expand. Ideally that will involve privileged people giving up some of their privilege; realistically it will involve less privileged people coming and taking it, demanding to be treated with respect. I support both halves of that, and do what I can to mitigate and make honorable use of the privilege I have as a white English-speaking middle-class white-collar Westerner while never giving up the fight as a queer genderqueer disabled mentally-ill Jewish agnostic.

Is there a particular cause in the genre that you want to champion or see major change take place?

Serial commas. I'm for them. PW doesn't use them and every time I take one out of a review I die a little inside.

[Ed Note: In between when I answered those questions and when the interview went up, PW has started using serial commas!]

More seriously, see above; I'm pushing very hard, personally and professionally, for "we" and "us" to become more genuinely inclusive terms in fandom and in publishing. At PW, I just got in a novel from Blind Eye Books, a wonderful small queer genre press; I'm sending it out for review like I would any other genre title. On the romance end (I also edit the mass market reviews section), I've directly requested submissions from African-American-focused imprints like Harlequin's Kimani Books and Kensington's Brava and Dafina, and my reviewers treat them like they would any other romance novels. I'd love to see more queer mass market romance originals, too. I'm also delighted that my reviewers are starting to call out racism, sexism, and other biases in their reviews and discuss them in depth in their post-review notes to me.

If there's a writer whose personal opinions clash with yours (i.e. John C Wright and Orson Scott Card loathing homosexuality), does this affect your reading preferences?

Not really, no. I think I'd be a pretty poor critic if it did. I still read Roald Dahl's work even though he was a virulent anti-Semite, and Harlan Ellison's work even though he's said a lot of awful things about a lot of people (including my father), and so on. I could name all my favorite authors and I bet each of them would disagree with me in some really major way. They still write great books and stories. When authors I disagree with write things I dislike, then it's even more important for me to be sure I engage with the work and not with the author; criticism can discuss authors, certainly, but I think it is never a book critic's job to criticize an author's personal views.

I bet some of the critics whose work I most like would disagree with me on that!

What advice do you have for aspiring journalists? How about aspiring writers?

To aspiring journalists: Get used to people thinking you aren't a writer. When people ask you "Are you a writer?" what they want to know is whether you write fiction. That's the only kind of writing that matters to most of the world. Don't be shy about saying "Yes, I'm a journalist".

If you're going to freelance, calculate every assignment in terms of how much you get paid per hour of your time, and keep pushing your hourly rate upwards. Never, ever work for less than minimum wage, unless you can honestly say you're volunteering your time for charity. (I say this as someone who only pays a mere $25 per book review, but I also think our reviewers should go on strike and demand higher pay.) Network like crazy; nepotism and helpful friends are the only way to get anywhere in this industry. In general, try very hard to view the journalistic world as a community, and to understand that helping other members of the community--by passing on leads, making deals, farming out extra work, demanding fair pay so that your fellow journalists will get fair pay too, insisting that journalists are writers, and so on--is the only way the community and the business will survive. Stay alert and be flexible. Above all, turn in good, honest work on time.

To aspiring authors (ahem): See above re: networking, community, alertness, flexibility, and turning in good, honest work on time; those all apply to you too. Pick your battles when your work is being edited. Once your writing is out in the world, let it speak for itself. Never read reviews of your work, and if you do, never argue with them except in the privacy of your own head.

Josh Jasper:

Hi! Thanks for agreeing to do the interview. First off, how did you first get into speculative fiction?

I was first read the hobbit when I was 8, and when I could read the whole thing to myself, I knew it cover to cover.

What's the appeal of genre for you?

I like the community more than anything, but the literature is fun too.

Who are some of your favorite authors or what are some of your favorite books?

I'm partial to Spider Robinson, Cat Valente, Tom Holt, Terry Pratchett, and Chris Moriarty, off the top of my head.

How did you get involved with Genreville?

Through Rose Fox, who was writing it on her own for a while.

How did you become director of marketing for Fantasy Magazine?

I emailed Cat Rambo when I heard she was looking.

What exactly is it that a director of marketing does?

I help with strategy for ad revenue, and I'm wokring on long term projects to get more readers, and keep the readers who're current around.

How did you get involved in marketing in the first place?

My last job was at at an internet marketing/advertising firm.

What are the qualities that make a good marketer?

Understanding who your target audience is, how to capture their attention, and how to keep it.

What's the reading culture like in Singapore? How did it shape your current opinions and tastes in books?

When I was there, it was pretty dismal, but I hear from Janet Chui and Jason Lundberg that it's getting better these days. I did get into Julian May in Singapore, which was interesting.

Where is home for you? (Singapore? New York? Neither? Both?)

Both, I think. More NY than Singapore these days. I'm out of touch with what it's like to live there anymore.

In your opinion, how is the Internet changing the speculative fiction scene?

It makes authors acesible in ways they never were before. These days having an internet persona can really help get you noticed. Of course, once you're noticed you still have to be good. And of course, the fanfic communities have grown a lot online. Even if no one is getting paid for it, and it's probably illegal, it's still speculative fiction, and it's got an incredibly dedicated community.

What change would you like to see take place in the genre?

I'd like to see it taken more seriously. The NY times treats it like a Cordon Bleu chef treats day old McDonalds.

In researching possible questions for this interview, Google fails me. Is it difficult to make a name for yourself in the publishing industry considering you have a football player doppelganger?

Get back to me in a few years. I'm only getting started!

Any advice for aspiring writers?

Understand that it'll probably take a while to get good. Be open to criticism, and don't assume that people who're successful got there through some sort of "secret handshake".

Anything else you want to plug?

Harry Connolly's Child Of Fire. It's the best new fantasy set in current day earth I've read. "Urban" fantasy is a hot commodity these days, and if Connolly improves at the same pace (or faster) than Jim Butcher, he's going to be quite popular.

Kill Brian Keene

2009-11-02T10:36:00.002+08:00

The manananggal is usually labeled as the "Filipino vampire" in the same way that Japan's kappa is labeled as the Japanese vampire. It has little resemblance, however, to the Western vampire, save for its habit of feeding on blood of sorts.

A manananggal subsists on fetuses. It usually preys on pregnant women while they are sleeping, extending its retractable tongue and inserting it into the woman's sex. From there, it slithers and probes until it finds it mark, and the manananggal starts sipping. I can imagine the slurping sound it makes, akin to the way Filipinos eat balut.

But what if the manananggal preys on a caucasian male, say the writer Brian Keene? Its tongue will enter the author's anus; the penetration is neither hard nor sharp. In fact, it enters so smoothly (it is a soft tongue after all) that Keene will barely notice it in his sleep. It will eventually come into contact with the linings of his intestines and taste the remains of Keene's dinner. This isn't, however, the food that the manananggal is looking for. It digs deeper until it muscles could no longer be extended. Its tongue has been stretched to its limits, and yet it has found no fetus.

It might as well make the most of its evening. Keene's entrails will suffice as appetizer before it can find another prey. The tongue licks one of Keene's organs, and then it tastes another. The colon is too salty, an anathema to its kind. It settles for the cecum, the bacteria there hosting a plethora of flavors. The tongue starts to suck, drawing bits of the organ out of the anus. The manananggal makes the art of mummification seem like child's play.

When it is done, the manananggal flies away, and Keene is still unaware of the deed. When he wakes up the next day, there is pain in his stomach, and he quickly dismisses it as hunger. He enters his kitchen and starts gobbling on coffee and cereal. It'll never replace what's been lost however, and the pain he feels now is nothing compared to all the experiments the doctors will run him through in the succeeding days.

From Brian Keene:

"Just a thought, folks. If you could, please consider including this link at the bottom of your blog entry, and ask folks to consider making a donation to the SJA: http://www.shirleyjacksonawards.org/sja_support.php"

November 2, 2009 Links and Plugs

2009-11-02T08:53:00.058+08:00

The end of October was more like Murphy's Law than Halloween: typhoon, a 16-hour power failure, blurry vision, and my stye.

On positive news, I won the Last Drink Bird Head Award for International Activism, and as I mentioned in my virtual acceptance speech, such a category wouldn't be possible without the stalwart efforts of James & Kathy Morrow, Lavie Tidhar, and the international authors which we're promoting in the first place. Also check out SF Signal later in the day as we start The Apex Book of World SF interview series (what, you thought that just because I won an award that I could already relax?). The biggest news, however, is the New Awards For SF&F Translated Into English.

Local writers Joseph Nacino and Karl de Mesa has a call for submissions for Filipino horror as they assemble a virtual anthology entitled Demons of the New Year.

Interviews

Salon.com interviews Peter Straub.
Moonlight, Lace and Mayhem interviews Rachel Caine and A.J. Chase.
Fear Zone interviews Nicholas Kaufmann.
Temple Library Reviews interviews various horror writers (via Kaaron Warren) and Larry OF Blog of the Fallen.
Outer Alliance spotlights K L Richardson.
AHWA Chats With Clive Barker. (via Aurealis Express)
Innsmouth Free Press interviews Cheralyn Lambeth.
Tor.com interviews Scott Westerfield.
BSC Review Synergy: Childhood Scary Stories.

Advice/Articles

Rich Horton's Summary: Asimov's, 2009.
Cheryl Morgan on The Trouble with Token Panels #wfc2009.
McSweeney's on Selections from H.P. Lovecraft's Brief Tenure as a Whitman's Sampler Copywriter. (via Lilith Saintcrow)
The World in a Satin Bag on Ten Things No Writer Should Ever Do.
On Spec Fall 2009 editorial.
Jaymee Goh on Return to the Written Word.
Bill Ward on Specialist and Generalist Readers.
Pub Rants on Publishers, You Want An Edge On the Competition?
Katharine Eliska Kimbriel on About that marketing plan...
Robin Agnew on "Dead, Brutalized Women Sell Books".
Justine Larbalestier on The Book You Thought You Were Going to Write.
Mindy Klasky on Writers Behaving Badly.
Alma Alexander on Little Miracles.
Nicola Morgan on Story Structure and Shape.
Alan Rinzler on Ask the editor: The top 5 secrets to getting a book deal.
The Intern on announcing NaNoReVisMo!

News

New magazine, Young Writers Online. (via Grasping the Wind)
New issue of Alternative Coordinates is out.
GUD Halloween Giveaways (ends on November 3!).
New Awards For SF&F Translated Into English Launched.
Crossed Genres' Issue 12 (LGBTQ) has been released! (via Cheryl Morgan)
Crossed Genres anthology pre-order.
The second Interfictions auction!
2009 World Fantasy Award Winners.
2010 Xatafi-Cyberdark Awards.
2010 Grands Prix de l’Imaginaire Winners.

At this point, my vision's blurry so here's your magazine plug:

Clarkesworld #38

Book/Magazine Review: ZOO by Otsuichi

2009-11-02T07:46:00.000+08:00

Every Monday, I'll be doing bite-sized book/magazine reviews.

Otsuichi's ZOO is refreshing and original, I'll give you that. I was a skeptic initially for two reasons. First, the titular story, "ZOO", isn't particularly remarkable, although in retrospect it's an appropriate title for this book as it represents the menagerie that is Otsuichi. Each piece in this collection is very different from one another and the author writes in various styles and genres; the only recurring theme is that they are definitely one of the most bizarre stories you'll read, easily a modern Borges in the sense of surprising and stumping readers. My second doubt appeared when the tropes that Otsuichi uses seem familiar: the narrator who is in fact the murderer, a preposterous debate, a closed room mystery, etc. Yet within those frameworks, the author manages to carve out new territory that eventually endears you.

Holding the book, it's probably a good thing that ZOO's genre is a bit ambiguous. Is it horror? Is it fantasy? Is it science fiction? It's not just that Otsuichi manages to write in all those genres, but the lack of knowing strengthens the stories. For example, one of the most powerful pieces in the book, is "SO-far" and it's partially successful because the reader thinks it belongs to a particularly genre when Otsuichi subverts that impression at the end. But genre-bending aside, one of the strengths of "SO-far" is how it manages to distill the dichotomy the protagonist experiences, exaggerated through metaphor and the speculative element. Another credit to the book is the translation as the language is accessible and upbeat. Despite the varied techniques Otsuichi experiments with, the reader won't feel lost. The best example of this is "Wardrobe" where the revelation at the end is actually rewarding and the clues are presented through a subtle manner. Otsuichi might be using the O. Henry technique in terms of concluding his stories, but they don't feel like cheap tricks. And perhaps that's what makes this book feel distinctly Japanese, the way Ringu and the line of J-horror flicks seem inconceivable in a Western country, and how they're idea-centric stories where much of the emotional impact lies at the end.

ZOO is a must-read, if only for the unique paradigm it features. Otsuichi's technique might not be as elaborate and tricky as, say, Kij Johnson, but he achieves the same effect if Johnson was writing horror.

Book/Magazine Review: Usurper of the Sun by Housuke Nojiri

2009-11-02T07:43:00.001+08:00

Every Monday, I'll be doing bite-sized book/magazine reviews.

Usurper of the Sun is reminiscent of many science fiction classics. For example, this is a novel in the same sense that Isaac Asimov's Foundation stories comprise a novel. There are also shades of Arthur C. Clarke's Odyssey series as the narrative takes place over several years. But Housuke Nojiri also infuses the novel with a lot of modern elements, from credible science to a truly alien mind that makes for great philosophical discourse.

The biggest strength--and weakness--of the book is that this is a hard science fiction novel. What I mean by that is that it features all the tropes of the genre, with exposition and explanation dominating most of the pages. Even character dialogue stretches credulity as everyone seems to know what they're talking about and various scientific concepts are thrown into the air. This can be jarring if you're not a big fan of hard science fiction, but those accustomed to such technicalities will find this to be exciting and riveting (especially with all the plausible science Nojiri postulates).

To the credit of the translator, John Wunderley, he expounds on all these concepts seamlessly and retains the plain and accessible language that the Haikasoru line has developed (at least with all four books released so far). Author Nojiri also anchors the narrative through his protagonist, Aki, one of the more proactive and interesting characters in science fiction. Admittedly, the pace is slow at the beginning, but the short chapters remedy that. Events start to pick up in the third part of the book, as the conflict is ramped up and there's a payoff in what's previously been established.

Nojiri's prose isn't perfect. There are parts where he succumbs to Japanese genre cliches, such as an illuminati-like organization communicating in a dark room without video and only their voices could be heard. Considering that there was no real threat and nothing's stopping them from holding an ordinary board room meeting, I felt that part was a bit exaggerated. Still, weaknesses aside, Usurper of the Sun is a faithful hard science fiction book that explores a lot of possibilities and concepts. If you don't mind reading lots of exposition--and this is probably as accessible as hard science fiction is going to get--this is a good entry into the field.

Book/Magazine Review: Waking the Dead and Other Horror Stories by Yvette Tan

2009-11-02T07:41:00.000+08:00

Every Monday, I'll be doing bite-sized book/magazine reviews.

Yvette Tan is one of those Filipino writers who dared to write speculative fiction before it was fashionable to do so. It's actually a surprise why she hasn't released a short story collection sooner, and Waking the Dead and Other Horror Stories is this quaint collection that looks and feels like a chapbook.

I'll be honest, Tan's fiction never grabbed me at first glance. The problem with her earlier work is that she employs a slow but methodical technique, and if you're the type (I am) that looks for something that immediately engages you, it's likely that you'll drop the book before you get to the good part. This is the case with some of Tan's most lauded stories, such as "The Child Abandoned" or "Sidhi". I wouldn't necessarily call this a weakness on Tan's part as this technique gives way for detail and heavy characterization.

Waking the Dead and Other Horror Stories however is a progression of Tan's growth as a writer. More of her recent work don't have this problem and possess an initial hook that just won't let go. "Boss, Ex?" for example is atmospheric and captures a once-popular locale in Metro Manila, distilling its core elements and projecting it into a science fictional horror piece. What I'm really impressed with, however, is "The Bridge" which is one of Tan's most ambitious pieces. Relying more on description and the reader's zeitgeist of Filipino culture, Tan alludes to a prominent political figure without mentioning her--or the protagonist's--name. It's perhaps not the tightest story as Tan throws a lot of interesting elements that aren't taken to their full potential but it's a well-wrought story that doesn't take the easy way out, and produces a mix of emotions. There's also "Daddy" which blurs the line between autobiography and fictional horror that constantly makes the reader question which part of the narrative is fabricated and which is true.

Not that there aren't disappointments. For example, you'd normally expect your titular story, "Waking the Dead" to be one of the more powerful pieces in the book but because it's a flash fiction piece (and my bias against the form might be coming into play here), it feels like a one tricky pony that lacks a certain weight. No doubt "Waking the Dead" makes a great collection title but the story itself leaves a poor impression. There's also nothing that makes the book look unprofessional (whether it's due to the publisher or the author) when your collection, which features a lot of reprints, lacks a proper bibliography.

Despite my complaints, Tan is one of the writers who injects literariness into the the local horror genre and covers a unique niche in the speculative fiction scene. This isn't the tightest collection, but it certainly has its fair share of gems.

October 30, 2009 Links and Plugs

2009-10-30T07:56:00.061+08:00

Running late again. Will try to lay low next week as my new glasses haven't arrived yet and it's a pain in the ass reading (on the monitor or otherwise) when there's an imbalance in your eyes. That and I have a stye.

Interviews

Center for the Art of Translation interviews Natasha Wimmer (translator of Robert Bolano) (podcast). (via Fabio Fernandes)
If You're Just Joining Us interviews Cherie Priest (podcast).
The Agony Column interviews Eric Simons (podcast).
The Dragon Page interviews Tom Lloyd (podcast).
The Publishing Point interviews Cory Doctorow (video).
Diet Soap Podcast interviews Mark Teppo. (via Marty Halpern)
Stomping on Yeti interviews Alan de Niro. (via Jedediah Berry)
The World in a Satin Bag interviews David Marusek.
Tor.com interviews Ray Bradbury (video).
John Scalzi profiles Diana Pharaoh Francis.
Fantasy Book Critic interviews Hank Schwaeble.

Advice/Articles

Brain Me Up on Maybe Science Fiction is Dying, But if So, the Er is as Crowded and Raucous as that Cantina in Star Wars.
Jason Sanford on Circulation of online SF/F/H magazines. (via Kaolin Fire)
The Washington Post asks various authors on What Story Scares The Hell Out of You? (via Angela Slatter)
The World SF News Blog on New Zealand Speculative Fiction Blogging Week.
Barbara A. Barnett on How Being a Theater Geek Has Improved My Writing. (via Marshall Payne)
Strange Ink has an Alternate Proposal (for NaNoWriMo). (via Ellen Kushner)
Mur Lafferty on Belief.
C.L. Anderson on The Writing Life: Reality.
Ying Compestine On Becoming a Hungry Ghost.
Edward M. Lerner on Just slightly ahead of our time.
Gary Gibson on An open letter to those terrified of e-piracy.
Margaret Ronald on Aural Stories.
N.K. Jemisin on It’s never “just a story”.
Charlie Stross on How habitable is the Earth?
Kristine Kathryn Rusch on The Freelancer’s Survival Guide: Success Part Four.
Matilda McCloud on Avoiding On-the-Nose Writing.
Mur Lafferty on I Am Not Afraid, Dammit!
Janice Hardy on Flipping Out.
John Scalzi on Stupid Ideas Are Still Stupid Even When Amazon Does Them.
Nathan Bransford on The Reverse Snobbery of Low Literary Aspirations.
Pat's Fantasy Hotlist on Why no love among the SFF fandom???

News

Paul Di Filippo reviews The Year of the Flood.
Macmillan US opens up new front in battle over e-book royalty rates. (via Eric Rosenfield)
Here, There Be Dragons is free until 11/9.
New issue of Abyss & Apex Magazine.
TTA Press has a preview of Interzone #225.
Two-Book US Rights deal for British Novelist.

And from classy author/artist James Owen:

The Shadow Dragons by James A. Owen

October 29, 2009 Links and Plugs

2009-10-29T07:28:00.081+08:00

Spotted this from Ekaterina's Twitter and it's geeky on multiple levels: Anli & Laura's Lesbian Gamer Geek Wedding.

Don't forget that the Interfictions 2 Auction will start on November 1, 2009.

And it's almost the nomination deadline for the Best of the Web. Go nominate now.

Honest question: When it comes to genre podcasts (fiction and otherwise), is there a large trucker demographic?

Interview

Writer's Digest interviews Cory Doctorow.
The Agony Column interviews Jeremy Lassen (podcast).
The Sci-Fi Guys Book Review interviews James Enge. (via Pyr Books)
OF Blog of the Fallen interviews David Anthony Durham (part 1).
Suvudu interviews Tony Shasteen.
Dead Robots' Society interviews Scott Sigler (podcast).
Jenni Hill interviews Gail Z. Martin.
Genreville interviews Lilith Saintcrow.

Advice/Articles

Jeff VanderMeer on The Discovery Process: Improving Your Abilities.
Me and My Big Mouth on A Wicked Idea. (via Andrew Wheeler)
Publisher's Weekly on What Do Teens Want? (via Greg van Eekhout)
Gail Z. Martin on The Day After Tomorrow.
Nadia Bulkin on In defense of english class, a.k.a. but what is the point?
Adrienne Martini on Where are the WOACAs?
io9 on Lovecraft 101: Get To Know The Master of Scifi-Horror.
GD Falksen on The Steampunk Cold War, Part One: The Pax Europaea, or “Tommy’s got my bank account, Ivan’s got the bomb” and Steampunk Blogging, aka Tit-Tat.
Jaymee Goh on With this Steam-Powered Prosthetic Arm, I Could Be As Strong as... A Normal Person.
Jeff & Ann VanderMeer on Can Dirigibles Slouch Along? Can They Saunter?
Terribleminds on Writer’s Block Is For Hippies And Slugabeds. (via Angela Slatter)
Lynne Patrick on Cover Story.
Janet Reid on "they like me, they really like me" and Notes from the Effective Query class at SCWW.
Rachelle Gardner on All About Backstory.
Pimp My Novel on Walmart.com: Part Deux.
Nicola Morgan on Interesting Question About Genre-Crossing.
Janice Hardy on Re-Write Wednesday: Jigsaw Wizard.
Juliette Wade on Turn-Taking.
SF Signal Mind Meld: What You Should Know About Speculative Fiction and Mainstream Acceptance (Part 2).

News

Just finished listening to Adventures in SciFi Publishing's latest podcast:

7th Son: Descent by J.C. Hutchins

October 28, 2009 Links and Plugs

2009-10-28T08:35:00.057+08:00

Finally made it to the George Optical V-Mall branch. Unfortunately, been straining my eyes too much so I need to relax them in order to get a proper check-up so no reading for me for the week (eep! time to go on a podcast download frenzy). Don't expect much next week...

When it comes to personal plugs, I have a new essay at BSC Review: eBook Pricing – The Chicken or the Egg Dilemma.

Oh, and since there are a lot of retired tabletop RPG gamers who are also authors, someone should host a one-shot game for them. Perhaps during a con?

And important plug for the day is John T. Unger's situation: Imitator Sues Me to Overturn Copyrights: Please Help Defend My Art.

Interviews

Dragonmount interviews Dragonmount (Wheel of Time website) creator Jason. (via Tor Books)
Dappled Things interviews John C. Wright.
Fanboys of the Universe interviews Steve Berman.
Adventures in SciFi Publishing interviews J.C. Hutchins (podcast).
Ellz Readz interviews Roxanne Rhoads. (via Literary Escapism)
Bitten by Books interviews Raine Delight. (via Literary Escapism)
Marshall Payne interviews Fred Coppersmith.
Genreville interviews Charles de Lint.
Locus Magazine interview excerpts with Connie Willis.
Suvudu interviews Michael Wm. Kaluta.
Jeff VanderMeer interviews Murder by Death.
John Scalzi profiles Nicole Peeler.
Borders Blog interviews R.A. Salvatore.
Fantasy Book Critic interviews Shilpa Agarwa.
Pimp My Novel interviews Shelli Johannes.
Details interviews Brandon Sanderson. (via Tor/Forge Blog)

Advice/Articles

Michael Stackpole on One Example of Why Intellectual Property Rights are Important.
Mark Coker on Do Authors Still Need Publishers? (via Larry Ketchersid)
David Hewson on So why do you want to write? (via Sarah Pinborough)
Online Universities on 101 Book Blogs You Need to Read.
Ying Compestsine on Ghosts to My Rescue.
Megan Crewe on Story Psych: A Semi-Scientific Look at What Makes a Good Story.
Jaymee Goh on The Roundtable of DOO- I mean, of Race and Steampunk.
Angela Slatter On Reverse Engineering for Writers.
Amy Sterling Casil on The Voice That Killed Sci Fi As We Knew It.
Courier Journal on Teen books lure grown-up eyes. (via Justine Larbalestier)
Rachelle Gardner on The Process of Getting an Agent.
Richard Dansky on A Herd of Writers? Of Course I’ve Heard of Writers.

News

Book release day:

By the Mountain Bound by Elizabeth Bear

Essay: Reactions to the Ashok Banker Interview as the Interviewer

2009-10-28T08:28:00.000+08:00

Every Wednesday, I have an essay or feature article on any topic that catches my fancy!

There's a lot of controversy surrounding my recent interview with Ashok Banker over at the World SF News Blog (WSNB). For the purposes of this essay, I'm not here to discuss Banker's points (feel free to agree or disagree with them over at WSNB), but focus more on the methodology of the questions (or rather, one question in particular). Of course bear in mind that I AM the interviewer, so my reactions are biased.

First off, my philosophy when it comes to interviews (other interviewers will have different practices) is that the interview isn't about making the interviewer look good, but rather focuses on the interviewee. Considering the fact that some people commented at how the interview made me look amateurish/idiotic/culturally insensitive and then quotes a couple of Banker's responses, I'd say mission accomplished.

Second, I'd like to thank Mr. Banker for answering all of my questions. As Cory Doctorow put it, "I ask 10 1-sentence questions, you do 10 essays, I get to put my name on it, OK?" is one unfortunate extreme when it comes to email interviews, but right now it's the most convenient tool at my disposable. And honestly, answers reprimanding me isn't the worst thing that could happen. The worst thing that could happen is that the interviewee replies with one-word answers, or worse, not answer the questions at all (with video or audio, an interviewee's silence or no comment can be telling, but that's honestly not optimal in print). The interview certainly had some questions which annoyed Banker but if he was willing to answer them, then it's only fair that I publish them in their entirety, even if it might make me look unflattering.

Third, there's a couple of reactions stating that my interview conveyed my ignorance (culturally as well as with regards to Banker's work). Sure, I'll accept those criticisms. There's one question however that I take exemption to, however, which is what I'm going to tackle:

What made you decide to write in English? Are there any nuances with that particular language that you’re not quite able to accomplish in Hindi?

Not-Lol. I’ve met this particular cultural bogey before and it remains as unfunny as ever! My mother tongue was English, not Hindi, and in fact, there are more English-speaking people in India than in the US – it’s one of our two official national languages in fact. And of course, you probably know that India has the fastest growing publishing industry and English-literate readership population in the world – I believe our publishing business is No. 3 right now and on track to be No. 1 at this rate in the next two decades or less. I grew up speaking only English, learned Hindi only later in school because it was a compulsory subject (as were either Marathi or French – I took French), and English remains the only language I’m completely fluent in even today. So I have no idea what cultural stereotype you have of me, and am not responsible for it but it’s as offensive as my asking someone named Johnson why he chose to write in English instead of Swedish! Still, I guess you didn’t mean anything by it, so let’s chuckle and move on. :~)

Banker is entitled to take offense (and thankfully doesn't take my question personally). I suspect this isn't a one-time incident, but rather a systematic misunderstanding, the same way that Asians in the US are often asked "so you're Asian, do you know martial arts?" or that it's presumed that Filipinos working abroad are maids (and no, Filipinos in the US are not martial-artist maids ala Hayate the Combat Butler). Not that I was aware of this when I was doing the interview, since it's not a question that I've seen in his other interviews online. But I can understand the frustration.

Now for the question itself, which can be broken into two parts. The first: What made you decide to write in English?

Apparently, a plethora of criticisms arose from this, in tandem with my second question and Banker's answers. What I'm really annoyed is when people presume that just because Banker is fluent in English--based on his writings--that it's justification enough not to ask that question because, hey, he's proficient with it so it must be his first language. I have two pet peeves here:

1) Readers assuming that I'm doubting his fluency in English. (I'm asking him why, not whether he's capable of doing so. Which is clear considering the entire interview was conducted in English.)

2) That just because you write in English (and fluent at it) doesn't automatically means it's your first (and only) language.

Here's my context: I'm a Filipino. The Philippines has had two national languages, English and Filipino. Some citizens are proficient with both (and I think it's a cultural misnomer to think that just because you're fluent with one doesn't mean you're not in the other; it's perfectly possible to be fluently bilingual, or trilingual, etc. as the case may be). Others will take umbrage that English is a national language (imperialism!), just as some will take umbrage that you presume they know how to speak Filipino (because like India, the Philippines has a couple of regional languages as well, and some groups don't take kindly to the fact that Filipino is enforced upon them as the national language). A softball answer to the question "What made you write in English?" would be to simply say that it's the language you're most proficient with. For some writers however, they have conscious agendas for using a specific language. It might be to cater to a wider audience, it might be for nationalism, or it might be because of syntax and linguistic nuances. I even know Filipinos who are versed in both languages yet for one reason or another, chooses to write with just one. What I'm interested is the why.

I've asked variations of this question and I get different answers. Take for example French authors Melanie Fazi and Aliette de Bodard. For both of them, English is a second language but the former primarily writes fiction in French while the latter in English. And it's a testament to de Bodard's skill that based on her fiction alone, you wouldn't think that English is anything but her primarily language (thus debunking the stereotype). It's my opinion that a lot of international writers are capable of writing in more than one language, but why they stick to one (or not as the case may be) is an interesting question to delve into.

Where I do err is in my follow-up question: Are there any nuances with that particular language that you’re not quite able to accomplish in Hindi?

Nick Mamatas points out that the flaws of the "silent interview" and this is where it crops up in this interview. The follow-up question is unnecessary based on Banker's answers to the first. My second mistake is including Hindi. The reason I included Hindi is because I was consulting an Indian friend who was more familiar with Banker's work and one of the questions my friend suggested was to ask why he wrote in English as opposed to one of the regional languages. Mind you, I'm not pinning the blame on my friend; I'm the interviewer after all and any questions I use (or not use) is my own responsibility. Here's where my ignorance and cultural stereotypes come in. Somehow, I equated regional languages with national language (which has been pointed out, is not the case). But still, even knowing that, Hindi is still one of India's national language and had Banker not answered it in the interview, I am curious as to why he chooses not to write in Hindi (in the same way that I am curious as to why local author Dean Francis Alfar does not write in Filipino).

Also, some misconstrue the question as me placing English as superior to another language like Hindi. That's not the case. Every language has its own nuances to the point that there is no such thing as a perfect translation. There is always something lost, whether it's English to Hindi, Hindi to English, or some other language. Chinese for example has its brevity and reliance on monosyllables and accentuation. If you want to take it further, Chinese has specific words for the gender of your siblings and the order of their birth. Filipino, on the other hand, uses a lot of syllables and repetition. Both are very different from the syntax of the English language (which, quite frankly, has a lot of exemptions).

***

After what's all been said and done, if I could turn back time, I'd still ask the same question, and my only correction would be to change "Hindi" into "regional languages". The interview after all was a great platform for Banker to share his views. If anything, the interview drew attention to itself because it asked these kinds of questions (or if you prefer, Banker replied with controversial answers to unoriginal questions). At worst, you can see me asking these kinds of questions so that future interviewers don't make the same mistake. But personally, I ask these questions to start dialogue. If I don't bring these points up for fear of retribution, who will?

October 27, 2009 Links and Plugs

2009-10-27T06:49:00.072+08:00

When it comes to personal plugs, my SF Signal review of The Secret History of Science Fiction is up (and it's different from yesterday's review).

You can also check out The Dragon and the Stars Table of Contents (alas, no cover illustration yet).

Interviews

Randolph Carter interviews Rob Rogers.
Josh Jasper interviews Seanan McGuire.
Suvudu Q&A with Max Brooks.
Jaymee Goh interviews Sydney Padua.
Anthony Sullivan interviews Nick Rose.

Advice/Articles

Guy Hasson on Making “Heart of Stone”.
Jeff VanderMeer on Six Elements That Drive Your Personal Booklife, The Discovery Process: Exploring Strengths and Weaknesses, Book Tour Prep in the Modern Age.
Jeffrey Ford on Recommended Reading For November 2009: The Detective & The Boundary.
Bill Willingham on I’ve Seen the Future and It Is…Safe? (via John C. Wright) and A Letter in the Desk.
Amelia Hill on Sexist violence sickens crime critic. (via Kristine Kathryn Rusch)
Alison Flood on Angels are the new vampires, says Anne Rice.
Pamela K. Kinney on An Introduction to Paranormal Investigations.
Media Loper on Is Book Sharing Really a Threat to Publishing? (via Booksquare)
Cherie Priest on Steampunk Wardrobe Customizations for the Lazy, the Poor, or the Crafty.
Megan Crewe no That Ghostly Appeal.
Ben Bova on No writer is an island, either. (via Locus Online)
Steven R. Boyett on ‘The One True Thing’.
Diana Rowland on Clarity, continuity, and how many days has it been?
Janet Reid on Less than Zero.
Stephanie Burgis on The Scary Bits.
Juliette Wade on Story Focus (with Aliens).
The Book Publicity Blog on Why email signatures are important.
Janice Hardy on Being a Kid Again.
Matt Sturges on Things Midwinter Taught Me.
Jason Sanford on Submit your stories, not your idiocy.
The Rejectionist on Today's Quiz: Are You Batshit Crazy?

News

You know you want to read it... (I'm looking at you Moonrat!)

The Gathering Storm by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson

Interview: Diana Rowland

2009-10-27T04:48:00.010+08:00

Every Tuesday, I'll have an interview posted.

Diana Rowland is the author of Mark of the Demon.

Hi! Thanks for agreeing to do the interview. First off, what made you decide to try your hand at writing?

I’ve been writing since I was old enough to write, and I’ve always loved making up stories and writing scenes and adventures. The big step for me wasn’t so much deciding to write, but rather deciding that I wanted to try my hand at being a writer--as in trying to get people to pay money for my stories. And even with that, I don’t remember making a conscious decision to go for it. I think it was simply a steady progression from writing scenes and story fragments to writing complete stories and allowing other people to read them. Once I broke through that barrier of letting others read what I’d written it seemed only natural to do it some more!

Before writing Mark of the Demon, were you familiar with the urban fantasy/paranormal romance genre? What made you decide to foray into that field?

I’ve loved the whole concept of urban fantasy ever since reading Children of the Night by Mercedes Lackey almost twenty years ago. I went on to devour Tanya Huff, Neil Gaiman, and eventually Carrie Vaughn, Charlaine Harris, Kim Harrison, and many many others. I have very eclectic reading tastes, but the core idea behind urban fantasy--that the story is based in something resembling the “real” world--has always appealed to me as an ideal form of escapism. And, since I enjoy reading the genre so much, it seemed only natural to write in it.

What was the road to publishing your first novel like? What was the biggest hurdle you had to overcome?

Mark of the Demon wasn’t the first novel I wrote, though it’s the first one that made it to publication. (And the first one that deserved to make it to publication as well!) I wrote my first novel about fifteen years ago, and even though in retrospect I can see that it was terribly weak (imagine a novel filled with every possible epic fantasy trope you can think of) it was still a terrific book simply because it showed me that I could write a novel. I attended Clarion West in 1998 and upon my return to the real world I did what “everyone” said you were supposed to do: write and sell a bunch of short stories to improve your craft and make a name for yourself. Unfortunately, it really wasn’t the best advice for me--I don’t enjoy writing short fiction, and even though I managed to do well with a few stories, I lost some of my love for writing and ended up taking a several-year hiatus from the writing scene. I stopped trying to sell anything, and though I continued to write snippets and scenes when they came to me, I didn’t try to make anything resembling a “story.” Eventually I woke up and realized that I needed to get my head out of my ass, stop obsessing about short fiction and the market and “making a name”, and just go ahead and write another damn novel and have fun with it. By that time I had several years of law enforcement experience under my belt and urban fantasy was beginning to seriously take off as a genre. I started writing a book about cops and demons, and a few months later I had Mark of the Demon. At that point my time in the trenches with short fiction paid off, because I had a solid understanding of how the market and the publishing industry worked. I researched the market, queried agents, revised my pitch and queried some more, and eventually found terrific representation. Six months later, Mark of the Demon sold to Bantam!

How has your experience as a cop/detective/morgue assistant shaped the book?

How has it not shaped the book? Mark of the Demon is a police procedural/crime thriller at its heart, with the twists that there are arcane powers involved and that some of the characters aren’t human. But the procedures, routines, and interactions are taken from experiences I had in law enforcement and death investigation.

There's a couple of geek references in the novel. What made you decide to include them?

I’m a geek! Seriously. I am. I made a model of the Enterprise when I was in grade school. I wore a hat and scarf a la Doctor Who in high school. I played D&D until the wee hours in college. It felt somehow wrong not to include at least a passing nod to my geek heritage.

What promotional/marketing plans did you have for the launch of Mark of the Demon?

Pretty much all of my promotion and marketing was of the online variety. I’ve been a follower of several book review blogs for a couple of years now, and I figured that the most effective use of my time and energy would be to tap into that network. I sent emails to several bloggers whose sites I followed and enjoyed, asking if they’d be willing to review my book. Once those reviews started appearing, then I was thrilled to see that other bloggers began to show interest, and before I knew it I had a strong word-of-mouth buzz going on for the book. As I mentioned earlier, I have eclectic reading habits, so I knew that urban fantasy had an appeal that reached beyond the Science Fiction and Fantasy community--especially in Romance. And, since most of the bloggers I initially approached reviewed romance as well as urban fantasy, I think that helped considerably with reaching a broad swath of potential readers.

When you wrote the book, did you intend it to be a long series?

I guess that depends on how you define “long.” I certainly don’t want it to be an endless series that goes on for decades. There’s a definite ending to the overall story arc, and I know exactly what happens at that end. (I even know the title of the last book!) I’m not sure how many books it will take to get there, but I don’t intend to string readers along for dozens of books to find out.

What's in store for readers in Blood of the Demon?

Blood of the Demon picks up a couple of months after the end of Mark of the Demon. Kara is trying to cope with the aftermath of the Symbol Man investigation, she’s trying to figure out how she feels about FBI Agent Ryan Kristoff, her aunt is in an inexplicable coma, and a certain demonic lord wants to strike a dangerous deal with her. But something or someone is eating people’s souls and it’s up to Kara to find out if it can be stopped.

How is writing/editing your second novel different from the first one?

Blood of the Demon ended up being much harder to write than the first book. It didn’t help that I was about halfway through writing BotD when I decided to set it aside and work on something else. (This was when MotD was still on submission to publishers. It had been several months and I wasn’t sure if it was going to sell, and I was getting nervous about spending time working on the sequel to an unsold book.) So, when I came back to BotD I realized that the plot had some serious issues, and I ended up ripping out almost a third of it. I nearly missed my deadline (made it by hours!) and I learned some hard lessons about time management, and also learned what writing process works best for me.

How did you end up as a contributor for Magic District?

Actually, I somehow ended up being one of the creators! There are a number of terrific group blogs out there, and I was interested in doing something like that with other urban fantasy and/or up-and-coming authors. I contacted Greg van Eekhout--since he and I both had books coming out from Bantam--and asked him if he’d be interested in something like that. He supplied the name, I set up the website, and we both convinced a handful of other suckers, er, writers, to join in.

How did you end up covering the San Diego Comic Con for Suvudu? What was the experience like?

Purely by chance! It was my first time at Comic Con, and so I often took refuge at the Random House booth to get a break from the press of the crowds. The Suvudu gang was there, and when they saw me and Jackie Kessler standing around apparently doing nothing, they shoved a camera into our hands and thrust us back out to brave the crowds. But Jackie and I had an absolute blast doing it, and we hope to do it again next year!

Do you have any advice for aspiring writers?

Don’t be afraid to take a break from writing. I hear all sorts of advice about how you should always write every single day, keep the butt in the chair, etc... And yes, that’s excellent advice for staying on track, but I think that if you start to dread opening up that file, or if you find ways to put off working on a story or project, you need to step back and ask yourself if you need a break or if you need to make a change. Sometimes you have to take the pressure off and let your mental muscles recover.

Anything else you want to plug?

I definitely want to encourage people to stop by The Magic District. Come by and see what everyone’s talking about! (Okay, maybe not everyone... but there are a couple of people talking about it. Probably. Possibly. Okay, most likely nobody’s actually talking about it, but you should still stop by the site and see what we’re up to.)

October 26, 2009 Links and Plugs

2009-10-26T07:18:00.085+08:00

Let me get this off my chest: George Optical V-Mall is atrocious. Been there twice and no doctor to assist in my eye check-up. (I was content with their Shoppesville franchise but alas, that branch is currently undergoing renovation.)

My pal Elbert is asking me to plug his Sketch-a-thon event, the proceeds of which go to victims of Typhoon Ondoy and Pepeng. Tarie has a Halloween Giveaway for Book Lovers in the Philippines.

And the last of favors is Lavie Tidhar wants me to promote his new blog.

Interviews

Rick Kleffel interviews Clair Light (podcast).
The Sofanauts Podcast features Jeff VandeMeer, Jeremiah Tolbert, Sheila Williams, and Brian Bieniowski.
Science Fiction and Other Odysseys interviews Jennifer Brozek.
Innsmouth Free Press interviews Berrien C. Henderson and Susan Shwartz.
Kerry Lauerman interviews Jonathan Lethem.
Shlomo Porath interviews Bill Willingham.
Jonathan Maberry interviews Del Howison, Joe Lansdale, Ramsey Campbell, Christopher Golden, Deborah LeBlanc, Scott Nicholson, Ellen Datlow, Ray Garton, David Wellington, and Joe Nassise.
Locus Magazine interviews David J. Schwartz.
Outer Alliance profiles Hayden Thorne.
Mihir Wanchoo interviews Alison Sinclair.
Dead Robots Society interviews Mur Lafferty and Christiana Ellis (podcast).

Advice/Articles

Year's Best Horror Honorable Mention Market Breakdowns.
Mike Resnick on Pros and Cons.
Mary Robinette Kowal on Ten Costumes to Make Your Halloween Fantastic.
The Sofanauts Podcast reactions: Brenda Cooper on How is publishing like the tech industry? Eugene Fischer on Behind the Scenes at Asimov’s on the Sofanauts. Jeff VanderMeer on Sofa Nuts: Wubba Wubba Asimov’s 90 Minutes Crazy Town. Sean Wallace on Starship Sofa Podcast: The State of Asimov's.
Jeff VanderMeer on The Organizational Elements of a Book Tour.
DealNews on e-Book Readers Cheat Sheet: Amazon Kindles, Barnes & Noble Nook, jetBook, more.
Michael Stackpole on Are Authors Really Their Characters?, Deconstructing Cory Doctorow’s “Experiment”, and What is Cory Doing Right?
Jennifer Jackson on A quick guide to the query letter.
Carol Heyer on Virtual Reality.
Lilith Saintcrow on Seasonal Writing.
Sara Antill on It’s the End of the World as We Know It.
SMD on Book Shopping Etiquette.
Rich Horton on Summary: Analog, 2009.
Shawn Speakman on My Splintered Psyche: Characters I Am.
Megan Crewe on The Education of a Speculative Fiction Fan (and Writer).
Rachel Aaron on Sorry, that ain’t how it goes (Agent Edition).
Sarah Zettel on Walking the Big Apple.
Editorial Anonymous on Does My Manuscript Need to Be Illustrated? FOR THE LAST TIME: NO.
PJ Nunn on The Buzz You Have to Do Yourself.
Alison Janssen on Identity and Recognition.
Pat Holt on What To Do When the Mainstream Yawns (and Spends): Pt 2.
David B. Coe on Our Books, Warts and All.
Alexandra Sokoloff on First, you need an idea.
Elizabeth Bear on This is a story of true love and perseverance.
James Enge on Golden Age or Silver Age?
Matt Sturges on The Ultimate Performing Art.
Jason Sanford on Don't Panic: 42 Reasons Not to Read the New Hitchhiker's Book.

News

And yay, upcoming zine!

Electric Velocipede Fall 2009

Book/Magazine Review: The Secret History of Science Fiction edited by James Patrick Kelly and John Kessel

2009-10-26T05:45:00.002+08:00

Every Monday, I'll be doing bite-sized book/magazine reviews.

Disclosure: The publisher sent a review copy for the purposes of this review.

The Secret History of Science Fiction -- sounds like the title of a blockbuster movie or exhaustive nonfiction book but this is, in fact, an anthology that features stories that bridge the literary vs. genre divide, or "li-fi" as Orson Scott Card would put it. The book includes authors who are considered literary but has written fiction which could be considered science fiction as well as science fiction authors who've successfully crossed over to the mainstream to some extent.

What's impressive with the introduction by editors James Patrick Kelly and John Kessel is that it has a narrative to it. It starts with a reaction to an essay by Jonathan Lethem which posits what if Thomas Pynchon's Gravity's Rainbow had won the Nebula Award, instead of Arthur C. Clarke's Rendezvous with Rama. Would this have indeed reconciled two opposing genres (the literary mainstream and science fiction)? The editors debunk this myth and along the way, we hear familiar arguments, such as the bias against science fiction by the rest of the world. The pair however temper their views with how science fiction fandom has also been unfair to writers who've transitioned to the mainstream. The aim of this book is to somehow bridge that gap (can't we all just get along?). This is the anthology you give to your literary professors, the ones who profess that they don't read science fiction. Alternatively, this is the same book you give to people who've never read anything else but science fiction.

Much like Tachyon's previous anthology, The Very best of Fantasy & Science Fiction edited by Gordon van Gelder, this could easily double as a history book of the genre, especially with all the notable authors it includes, from Ursula K. Le Guin to Michael Chabon. Even Fiction (with a capital F!) readers must acknowledge writers like Margaret Atwood and Jonathan Lethem. There's a lot of tension in this book, reflective of the two-seemingly opposite worlds of genre and non-genre. On one hand, some stories are idea-centric (the stereotype of science fiction), while others are character-oriented (again, a stereotype of literary fiction). Compounding this are the quotes preceding each story (save fore the last): the first is from the author of the story detailing his or her writing ethos; what follows are statements from one or two contributors, usually stating an anti-thesis or contrary opinion.

The two genres are so blurred that an interesting experiment would be to strip the stories of their titles and their authors, and make unsuspecting readers wonder whether they were originally considered a science fiction story or a literary story (which actually isn't too hard, considering the book lacks a proper biography--intentional or accident?). And honestly, at this point in the review, I'm sick of using "literary" and even "science fiction" as a descriptor, because as the stories here prove, the distinction between the two isn't as clear-cut as some critics would make it so. And because I'm not the most well-read of reviewers, there were some authors whose stances on the divide I was simply unaware of. And you know what, that's probably for the best. These are terrific stories, irregardless of your biases for or against the authors.

Nineteen stories are featured in the book and more than a few are my favorites: "The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas" by Ursula K. Le Guin is just as powerful as I remember it; "Ladies and Gentlemen, This is Your Crisis" by Kate Wilhelm is like wine: it gets better with time and feels more relevant with the advent of reality TV; "Homelanding" by Margaret Atwood is a memorable flash fiction story that's on par with Ted Chiang's "What's Expected of Us" although for different reasons: her disassociation of the familiar makes her thesis all the more relevant; "Interlocking Pieces" by Molly Gloss is compact and tight yet conveys so much in her brevity.

In fact, the fiction selection is so strong that there are only three stories which didn't blow me away, although they're undeniably competently written. A more valid criticism of the book isn't in the quality of the stories but in the choices. As a friend pointed out to me, if the theme of the book is the "secret history" of the genre, why did the editors include their own works? It's not that their pieces aren't well written--I actually loved them--but neither Kelly nor Kessel have really been associated with mainstream literature. Of course if there were genre writes who were to make such a transition, Kelly and Kessel would get my vote, not just due to their writing style, but their actual profession as well (and in fact, these qualities make them ideal editors for this anthology), but at this point in time, the inclusion of their stories leaves room for doubt.

Overall however, The Secret History of Science Fiction is a fantastic anthology. It covers a theme that's fresh but poignant, and there's a strong selection of stories that would have otherwise been unread (whether you're a mainstream reader or a die-hard genre fan). The selection of quotes alone is worth the price of admission, as they summarize many of the debates we currently discuss. Whenever there's a literary vs. genre argument, this is the first book that one should bring out and realize the distinction--or lack of distinction--there is when it comes to fiction.

Book/Magazine Review: Sleeping Beauty ,Indeed & Other Lesbian Fairy Tales edited by Joselle Vanderhooft

2009-10-26T05:42:00.002+08:00

Every Monday, I'll be doing bite-sized book/magazine reviews.

Disclosure: The editor sent an electronic review copy for the purposes of this review.

Sleeping Beauty, Indeed & Other Lesbian Fairy Tales isn't a new anthology but has recently been re-released in paperback form by Lethe Press. My initial impression is that with only ten stories and under two hundred pages, this is a very thin book. However, that judgment was premature. Editor Joselle Vanderhooft aims for quality over quantity and that's not an empty boast. It's not often that I run across an anthology where each story grabs my attention and there's honestly no bad story to be found. Another element that's praise-worthy is how Vanderhooft consistently compiles stories that sound like fairy tales, albeit ones with a lesbian agenda. In a certain way, being aware of this subversion can diminish the impact of some stories (in the same way that a horror reader can brace for the impact of a horror anthology) but overall, this accomplishment should be highlighted.

I'm by no means a fairy tale expert so thankfully, most of the stories here work well without being aware of the original fairy tale they're based on. On the other hand, some stories sound original, while others revel in its metafictional qualities.

What impressed me with "Two Sisters" by R. Holsen is the author's writing style and how she retains this consistency. Related to this is the way she crafts the dialogue of her characters and their motivations. I'm amazed at the direction this story went, and how it tugs the reader's emotional strings.

"Bones Like Sugar" by Catherynne M. Valente is overtly subversive and is in many ways classic Valente with her elaborate and beautiful descriptions--even as the author tackles a dark subject matter. While it might work independent of Hansel and Gretel, for me it made its big impact because of how Valente inserts a new perspective on this familiar narrative.

"The Mute Princess" by AJ Grant has the subtitle that it's based on a Yemeni Fairy tale and that's perhaps the only clue that would make you think this wasn't crafted whole cloth. This is one of the stories that faithfully mimics the conventional form of a fairy tale and including all its tropes, from repetition to the wise phrases. Enjoyable because of its faithfulness to being a fairy tale (as opposed to being a modernized rendition of the story).

"The Seduction and Secret Life of Deirdre Fallon" by Frank Fradella distinguishes itself not only due to the epistolary format but the Victorian atmosphere as well. I wouldn't call this one of the strongest stories in the anthology, but its unique characteristics does make it stand apart.

"Sleeping Beauty, Indeed" by Regan M. Wann is a light story as it injects humor and modern qualities into a popular fairy tale. The narrator's tone is commendable as it possesses a certain beat.

"Future Fortunes" by Kori Aguirre-Amador is this fun, adventurous story and uses an interesting perspective. Given the theme of the book, the mysterious element of the story is easily guessed although that doesn't detract from the rest of the action (action being the operative word here).

"Undertow" by Meredith Schwartz successfully combines two fairy tales we don't normally associate with each other and while I liked the initial hook, what stands out more is the somber mood at the end of the piece.

"Voce" by Kimberly DeCina is ingenious in the first part of the story as it makes you sympathetic to the narrator before subverting your expectations. I'm still not convinced by the change in behavior of the protagonist, but DeCina does make a good attempt. The other elements flow naturally and DeCina includes enough detail to make the setting feel genuine.

"Bird's Eye" Erzebet YellowBoy features elegant language and much like "The Mute Princess", feels like an original fairy tale. The plot won't win you over, but the language and descriptions will.

"Coyote Kate of Camden" by Julia Talbot is an interesting Western "re-skinning" of another familiar fairy tale and that's the strength of this piece--that fact that the elements of an old story was successfully implanted into a new setting.

Tight and consistent, Sleeping Beauty, Indeed & Other Lesbian Fairy Tales has all the elements of a successful themed anthology, and actually reminds me of Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling's fairy tale anthologies.

Book/Magazine Review: Damaged People: Tales of the Gothic-Punk by Karl R. De Mesa

2009-10-26T05:28:00.002+08:00

Every Monday, I'll be doing bite-sized book/magazine reviews.

What got me interested in Karl R. De Mesa's fiction was the praise our editor-in-chief at work gave with regards to his upcoming novella collection, News of the Shaman. Damaged People: Tales of the Gothic-Punk is a a slim (under a hundred pages), four-year-old short story collection. My first impression is that the book is an example of an amateur author's mistake with regards to collections: instead of waiting until the writer has developed a series of strong short stories, this is instead a compilation of the author's recent work (at that time).

There's a lot of lackluster stories here--competently written but predictable and doesn't deliver anything new in terms of narrative. The problem could easily be the flash fiction format, as De Mesa doesn't have a strong handle on what makes them effective. Stories like "Bernardo, His Fortune", "The Lovers, A Symbol of Pain", and "Miguel, Librera Me" simply don't pack a punch. The agenda is clear--to deliver one dominant emotion--but it's unfortunately not impressive. The flash piece where it works is "Isabel, The Damaged", wherein the author creates this bizarre environment and setting.

As for the longer short stories, they are unremarkable. De Mesa is obviously not a "description" writer, although he does try to elaborate on some of the more gruesome scenes. The problem here is that he doesn't really compensate for it in other areas. I'm not looking for a lyrical narrative, but De Mesa is simply too plain, whether it's in structure or in plot. "Turn Loose the Angels" for example is competent, but doesn't do anything for me with regards to the twist at the end. Nor does the characterization of the protagonist make sense for me: he has an unquenchable desire to fly, but it's not revealed why he has this dysfunctional craving. "Lily, Faith and Disease" treads into the transgressive genre territory, but other than the sheer taboo of the acts perpetuated in the story, there's no other reward to be found. "Desiderio, The Afflicted" had a strong opening, but eventually crumbles towards the end.

That's not to say this collection is irredeemable. In the longer forms, De Mesa manages to churn out decent fiction. "Violet, Her Love for the Quick" follows conventional horror tropes and delivers a satisfactory, albeit mediocre, read. "New Wilderness" juggles too many elements but that doesn't make this a bad story, simply one that could have been tighter. There is one story that really impressed me, and hopefully De Mesa comes up with more of these: "Cortez, The Lamb of God" hits all the right beats, from the characterization to the unique Philippine setting and the psychological horror. The author successfully strikes a balance between all the elements of a short story, and while the ending is predictable, it fits the theme and build-up.

One pet peeve of mine is the use of terms in a book's title. In this case, the inclusion of Gothic-Punk draws unnecessary attention to itself and makes this reader question whether such boasts needs to be mentioned. I would have been content with Damaged People: Tales but Gothic-Punk honestly feels unwarranted.

Overall, it's not that De Mesa is a bad writer, but this collection is honestly filled with a lot of disappointments. One terrific short story and one good flash fiction piece is not worth wading through the rest of this muck.

Angela's Sekret

2009-10-23T08:35:00.002+08:00

Angela Slatter has a couple of sekret posts and I got envious so here's my own: