PS
Publishing titles arrive
Yesterday, two highly
anticipated PS Publishing Titles arrived. China
Mieville's 'The Tain' and Stephen Gallagher's
'White Bizango'. I would presume that the
hardcover versions of 'The Tain' are already
sold out. But if you do want a paperback copy,
which is also signed, you'd be advised to ask
your bookseller now.
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A 'full size' scan of the new
title from PS Publishing. Cover artist
Edward Miller also did covers for the
PS titles by Paul Di Filippo and Steven
Erikson, as well as 'Perdido Street
Station' and 'The Scar'.
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As I've reported before 'The
Tain' is about a London transformed. It's not a
novella set in Bas-Lag, which is a good choice
on Mieville's part. He's keeping his approach
fresh. It's 89 pages long. The introduction is
by M. John Harrison trading places with
Mieville, who provided an introduction to
Harrison's NightShade Press release 'Things that
Never Happen'. Above the introduction is the
legend:
CAUTION:
IN ORDER TO MAXIMISE YOUR
ENJOYMENT,
WE RECOMMEND YOU READ THIS
INTRODUCTION
AFTER
READING THE STORY ITSELF
I commend Mr. Crowther for
posting this warning. Too often, it seems
forwards should come afterwards and afterwords
should come forward.
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This wonderful, intense cover is
by Chris Moore, for whom Gallagher
provided text in a primarily pictorial
work for Paper Tyger.
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Gallagher's latest is a
welcome return for this talented author. It's a
longish 159 page weird mystery with lots of
voodoo. I'd highly recommend Gallagher's novels,
particularly 'Nightmare, With Angel', which
shows a wonderful sympathy to all sides of a
difficult equation.
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Tananarive Due and her mother,
civil rights activist Patricia Stephens
Due tell their story.
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Tananarive
Due in Holt Uncensored
Why should
you subscribe to Holt Uncensored? This is why.
In the latest issue, which will likely go on
line at her website
next week, she talks to civil right activist
Patricia Stephens Due and her horror-author
daughter Tananarive Due. I've excerpted a brief
bit, but Holt's entire article is really
fascinating. Be sure to look it up.
"How
did it happen that Tananarive would leave her
job at the Miami Herald to become a
successful writer of horror fiction with such
books as "The Living Blood" and "My Soul to
Keep"? In the book she credits her mother's
joy of science fiction movies and the fun of
family gatherings around the television every
week to watch the old sf series, "Creature
Features."
But in an
interview after the Stacey's appearance,
Tananarive agreed that waiting for her
parents to come home from protests she knew
held an element of danger had a horror of its
own. "It was subtle," she said, "but I think
growing up in the movement contributed to an
early fascination with questions of violence
and mortality. I had assumed it was the
science fiction movies that influenced me,
but while writing the book, I realized that I
had sat and wrestled with questions as a
young kid that other 10 and 12-year-olds
hadn't."
"Mostly,
though, my mother's influence let me be free
to pursue my inclinations as a writer. That,
I think is as much a testimony to my parents'
legacy as any of the breakthroughs in civil
rights law they helped to
achieve."
The whole
story is actually almost unbelievable.
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The newest novel by writer
Tananarive Due. One of my
horror-reading friends recommended her
stuff long ago.
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New
Anthology with Gaiman, Lake
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I can hardly wait for this
fan-effing-tastic looking anthology to
come out. Check out the website --it's
extremely well-done and very
entertaining in itself.
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On the
Forteana mailing list, author Jay Lake let us
know about a very intriguing new anthology.
Turns out it's a new meta-fictional bit of fun
from Jeff Vandermeer with a wonderful website.
Contributors include Neil Gaiman, Jeffrey Ford,
Paul Di Filippo and Jay Lake.
I'll quote
his email:
"I just sold
a quasi-cryptozoological piece of fiction to THE
THACKERAY T. LAMBSHEAD POCKET GUIDE TO ECCENTRIC
& DISCREDITED DISEASE.
http://www.lambsheadguide.com/
My piece is a
clinical description of "Mongolian Death Worm
Infestation",describing its larval stage within
human hosts. ;-)
Jay
-- fiction
--
"Story Words"
- daily microfiction at:
http://storyword.blogspot.com/
"Of Stone
Castles and Vainglorious Time" -- REDSINE 10,
Q1-2003
"One Is All
Alone" -- STRANGE HORIZONS,
2003-01-20
"The Angel's
Daughter" -- REALMS OF FANTASY,
mid-2003"
Anne
Rule's Newsletter
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Author Anne Rule sends out a
newsletter periodically. It's quite
interesting if you read this true-crime
writer. And you should certainly read
the story of her work on the radio with
Ted Bundy, before he was known to be a
serial killer.
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Author Anne
Rule sends out a newsletter to those interested
in her work, and the latest issue just arrived
yesterday. (A fast news day to be sure.) She
talked about her newest titles, and even offers
to sign books sent to her. I applaud this
writer's willingness to talk to her readers in
more than her books.
Shuttle
Columbia Down
As I typed
this column, I'm surrounded by the babbling
television voices looping the limited news of
the tragedy of the Shuttle Columbia. It was only
17 years ago last week -- when my oldest son was
born -- that the Shuttle Challenger met its sad
fate. This happened over Palestine, Texas.
Sometimes the world is trying to tell us
something. Are we listening? What's being said?
I'm just here writing, listening to the
reassuring newstream.
