Open Road Media and Genre-Bending Novels (and a Book Sale)
Open Road Media is running a sort of awareness campaign / sale for novels which essentially defy categorization. There are quite a few interesting books on the list, so in case you’re interested in that sort of thing, here are the details: Jonathan Carroll. Edward Whittemore. Robert R. McCammon. James Morrow. All of these authors have written novels that defy our understanding of conventional genres. More than just literary fiction, these novels rejoice in the fantastic and the sublime. Since their initial publication, many of these stories have been categorized as science fiction, fantasy, magical realism, and “other.” This week, Open Road Media is celebrating these tales of the in-between. Novels that, for one reason or another, refuse to be categorized. We encourage you to take a look at the ten ebooks we’ve selected and expand your conception of genre fiction. The titles with the asterisk* will be on sale for $3.99 or less until August 20th. 1. The Summer Isles* by Ian R. MacLeod2. From the Teeth of Angels by Jonathan Carroll3. Black Light by Elizabeth Hand4. Sinai Tapestry* by Edward Whittemore5. The Eighth Square* by Herbert Lieberman6. Expiration Date* by Tim Powers7. Mine by Robert R. McCammon8. The Broken Land* by Ian McDonald9. The Only Begotten Daughter by James Morrow10. The Long Trial of Nolan Dugatti by Stephen Graham Jones Cross genre boundaries and join the conversation this week. Feel free to share your thoughts on your site, or contribute to ours. Even our authors are speaking out. “The real reason I write across genre lines,” explains Stephen Graham Jones,” “is because I want to see cool stuff.” You can find details about the books on sale here. There’s an interesting question behind all of this: what are some of your favorite genre-bending stories? And so that’s the question I’ll leave you all with: What are some of your favorite genre-bending novels, short stories, or films?
Week of Joy (Day Six): Heart of Fire by J. Damask (A Mini Interview)
J. Damask (a.k.a. Joyce Chng) was kind enough to answer a few questions about her new book, Heart of Fire, which hits digital shelves in September. The book comes from Masque Books, a digital-only division of Prime Books, a notable small press genre publisher (notable most recently for releasing the absolutely amazing Yoon Ha Lee collection, Conservation of Shadows — check out the Skiffy and Fanty interview here). In other words, Heart of Fire is sure to be damned good! Though you’ll have to wait for a little while, you should bookmark this page and remember to buy it in a couple months! Now for the mini interview: If you had to describe your novel to someone who doesn’t read a lot of genre fiction, how would you describe it? It is set in Singapore, has a lot of mythological animals and creatures and Singapore food. And oh yes, it has werewolves. What do you think makes fantasy such a compelling genre for so many readers? I think it’s compelling, because it allows readers to slip into other worlds. You know, make-believe world. It’s like Narnia! How would you say Heart of Fire fits in with the rest of your work? Does it share certain sensibilities or thematic concerns? It does, come to think of it. I tend to examine tropes of transformation and transfiguration, as well as motifs like family ties and relationships. To me, the family is central and it does appear in many of my stories. I often wonder if this is an Asian thing, to feature the family as an important motif/theme. As a Singaporean author writing in English, what would you say are your greatest challenges in terms of reaching audiences abroad (particularly in other English-speaking parts of the world — not just “the West,” mind you)? Authenticity? (Then again, what is authenticity?) I am Singaporean Chinese. So, I sometimes feel that people would want me to write in Mandarin Chinese (no, I couldn’t – and my last (and only) Mandarin spec fic story was written when I was a kid as a school composition). I think people want to see an “authentic” voice, so to speak. I think there are no such things as authentic voices. What one thing that you know now do you wish you’d known when you first started treating writing as a professional endeavor? That it couldn’t be a full-time job. That it won’t be easy for people from Southeast Asia? (Wait, that’s two things…) And, last, for a silly question: If you had to choose an animal to write your next book for you, which animal would you choose and why? A wolf. Because it’s cool. (But hey, it doesn’t have opposable thumbs…) —————————————————— About the Book: Jan Xu, wolf and pack leader, faces more dangers when she saves a foreign male wolf in love with one of her ancient enemies, a jiang shi, a Chinese vampire. Throw in a love-struck drake—and Jan finds her situation suddenly precarious, with her reputation and health at stake. How much is a wolf going to take when everything is out of control again and her world thrown into disarray? How is she going to navigate the complexities of Myriad politics while keeping her pack and family intact without losing her mind? The third book of the Jan Xu Adventures will see Jan Xu’s continual fight as pack leader, her clan’s Eye (seer) and mother of three young children. Her mettle, courage and love for her family will be tested to her utmost limits.
2012 Nebula Awards Winners (w/ Brief Thoughts)
Last night, the SFWA folks hosted the 2012 Nebula Awards. I didn’t get to watch the live stream because I was trying to recover from the episode we recorded for The Skiffy and Fanty Show on Friday night (I’m still sort of recovering). However, now that the awards have been announced, I see fit to talk about the winners. Here they are: Best Novel 2312, Kim Stanley Robinson (Orbit US; Orbit UK) I like Robinson more than a lot of my friends. I’m not sure why. Most people I’ve talked to can’t stand his Three Californias series, while I find them fascinating (especially The Gold Coast). Regardless, I honestly had hoped to see Throne of the Crescent Moon by Saladin Ahmed or The Killing Moon by N.K. Jemisin take the award. Both will probably appear on this list again, though, so maybe it’s just not their time yet. Best Novella After the Fall, Before the Fall, During the Fall by Nancy Kress (Tachyon) I love Nancy Kress, and this collection really was quite good. Granted, de Bodard, Lake, and Liu were also on the finalists list, each them worthy of awards too. Still, I’m satisfied with this selection. Besides, Tachyon is bloody amazing. Best Novelette “Close Encounters”, Andy Duncan (The Pottawatomie Giant & Other Stories) Honestly, I have no real opinion here. I’m sure Duncan’s story is great. I am, of course, a Liu fan, so I will always be partial to his work. But Liu can’t win everything, right? I did get to hear Duncan read/speak at ICFA, and he’s not bad. So I’m OK with this selection. Best Short Story “Immersion“, Aliette de Bodard (Clarkesworld 6/12) The right choice. End of story. Moving on. Ray Bradbury Award for Outstanding Dramatic Presentation Beasts of the Southern Wild, Benh Zeitlin (director), Benh Zeitlin and Lucy Abilar (writers), (Journeyman/Cinereach/Court 13/Fox Searchlight ) I’m really trying to understand why this film is so loved. Everything I’ve seen from it looks awful. Am I missing something? To be fair, the rest of the finalists list was painfully predictable. There was no Cloud Atlas, so as much as I would have liked to see Chronicle win…oh, right, that was not on the list either. So it goes… Andre Norton Award for Young Adult SF/F Fair Coin, E.C. Myers (Pyr) Honestly, this is probably the right choice. I’ve heard nothing but good things about Fair Coin and I’m sure I’m not the only one who didn’t think Railsea was Mieville’s best. So kudos to Myers! 2011 Damon Knight Grand Master Award Gene Wolfe Yeah. It was time. Good. A+ Solstice Award Carl Sagan and Ginjer Buchanan Nod. Yes. Perfect. Kevin O’Donnell Jr. Service to SFWA Award Michael H. Payne Alright. I have no idea who this is, but since I’m not part of SFWA, that’s probably expected. Good for Mr. Payne. ———————————————————- And that’s all I’ve got to say. What say you?
Hugo Awards Finalists (Plus Preliminary Commentary)
I’m too lazy to offer a proper introduction, so I’m just going to dive in (give me a break; I walked over five miles today). The only thing I will say is that most of these are preliminary, most-likely-haven’t-read-it thoughts. For the most part, I will have nothing to say about a work except why I didn’t pick it up during hte year. The sad truth is that most of the stuff I nominated this year (my first nominating year) didn’t make it. Here goes (Hugos): Best Novel 2312 by Kim Stanley Robinson (Orbit) Blackout by Mira Grant (Orbit) Captain Vorpatril’s Alliance by Lois McMaster Bujold (Baen) Redshirts: A Novel with Three Codas by John Scalzi (Tor) Throne of the Crescent Moon by Saladin Ahmed (DAW) Nothing I loved last year made it on the list. The only book I’m particularly excited about is Ahmeds, but that’s based on what others have said. I haven’t read anything on this list and probably won’t read at least two of them (nothing interests me about Scalzi’s nostalgic book and I just can’t bring myself to read Mira Grant’s novels, even though I probably should — I blame that on people frequently telling me to read something, which turns me into a rebel). But since I’ll get copies of all these books in my Hugo voting package (right?), I’ll probably read them anyway. Overall, I’m sort of “meh” about this particular category, though. It’s too…familiar. Best Novella After the Fall, Before the Fall, During the Fall by Nancy Kress (Tachyon Publications) The Emperor’s Soul by Brandon Sanderson (Tachyon Publications) On a Red Station, Drifting by Aliette de Bodard (Immersion Press) San Diego 2014: The Last Stand of the California Browncoats by Mira Grant (Orbit) “The Stars Do Not Lie” by Jay Lake (Asimov’s, Oct-Nov 2012) I’m pleasantly surprised to see Nancy Kress on the list. I quite like her work, though I must admit to having missed the work in this category. I’m already rooting for her and Aliette de Bodard, who is another one of those really good writers currently, well, writing. I’ll profess complete ignorance about Lake’s new story, though his recent work has greatly impressed me. Grant and Sanderson? The one thing going for Sanderson is that Tachyon published The Emperor’s Soul. I feel mostly the same about the Grant as I did in the previous category. Best Novelette “The Boy Who Cast No Shadow” by Thomas Olde Heuvelt (Postscripts: Unfit For Eden, PS Publications) “Fade To White” by Catherynne M. Valente (Clarkesworld, August 2012) “The Girl-Thing Who Went Out for Sushi” by Pat Cadigan (Edge of Infinity, Solaris) “In Sea-Salt Tears” by Seanan McGuire (Self-published) “Rat-Catcher” by Seanan McGuire (A Fantasy Medley 2, Subterranean) Aside from the excessive number of nominations for Seanan McGuire on this ballot (she is also Mira Grant), I quite like this list. I’ve not heard of Heuvelt, but Postcripts is a damned good publication. I’ve also quite liked some of Valente’s work and I am pleasantly surprised to see Pat Cadigan making an appearance. I should note that I don’t actually have anything against Seanan McGuire. I’ve not read most of her work. I’ll probably change my tune in a few months. As a rule, though, I am skeptical about any author who appears more than twice on a ballot. There is so much good work out there that I find it a little weird that one author could suck up so many votes in one nomination cycle. But what do I know? I’m a curmudgeon who likes to complain… Best Short Story “Immersion” by Aliette de Bodard (Clarkesworld, June 2012) “Mantis Wives” by Kij Johnson (Clarkesworld, August 2012) “Mono no Aware” by Ken Liu (The Future is Japanese, VIZ Media LLC) Now this is interesting! I quite like Ken Liu’s work, and I did nominate de Bodard’s “Immersion” (happy). I’ve not read Johnson’s newest story, though I’m told by fellow literary curmudgeon Adam Callaway that it is one of her best. I am, however, disappointed that the votes were so divided among various stories that these three were the only ones to pop out of the crowd. It’s not right… Best Related Work The Cambridge Companion to Fantasy Literature Edited by Edward James & Farah Mendlesohn (Cambridge UP) Chicks Dig Comics: A Celebration of Comic Books by the Women Who Love Them Edited by Lynne M. Thomas & Sigrid Ellis (Mad Norwegian Press) Chicks Unravel Time: Women Journey Through Every Season of Doctor Who Edited by Deborah Stanish & L.M. Myles (Mad Norwegian Press) I Have an Idea for a Book… The Bibliography of Martin H. Greenberg Compiled by Martin H. Greenberg, edited by John Helfers (The Battered Silicon Dispatch Box) Writing Excuses Season Seven by Brandon Sanderson, Dan Wells, Mary Robinette Kowal, Howard Tayler and Jordan Sanderson In order: 1) Cambridge Companion = wonderful! 2) Chicks Dig Comics (same folks who did that other one, I think) 3) Chicks Unravel Time (bored of Doctor Who appearing on everything; yeah, it’s really great, but it’s really not the greatest science fiction TV show EVER — it just happens to be the only good one on the air right now, one which I happen to like, of course) 4) I Have an Idea for a Book (never heard of it; sounds interesting) 5) Writing Excuses (yeah, it belongs here and I’m happy to see it get nominated in the proper category) What? No VanderMeer or what not? Pah! Of course, I would laugh my toosh off if this list were dominated by academic books. It will never happen, but my pretentious side is plotting and cackling… Best Graphic Story Grandville Bête Noire written and illustrated by Bryan Talbot (Dark Horse Comics, Jonathan Cape) Locke & Key Volume 5: Clockworks written by Joe Hill, illustrated by Gabriel Rodriguez (IDW) Saga, Volume One written by Brian K. Vaughn, illustrated by Fiona Staples (Image Comics) Schlock Mercenary: Random Access Memorabilia by Howard Tayler, colors by Travis
Zoo City by Lauren Beukes Sells Film Rights
I just broke the news over at The Skiffy and Fanty Show, but I figure you all should know about it too! Lauren Beukes, South African author of Moxyland and Zoo City, has sold the film rights to her Arthur C. Clarke winning novel, Zoo City to Helena Spring, a renowned South African filmmaker. Here’s an excerpt from the press release: Helena Spring, widely regarded as one of South Africa’s most accomplished motion picture producers, has just been awarded the highly sought-after film rights to Zoo City, the Sci-Fi thriller penned by South African author Lauren Beukes – who garnered the 2011 Arthur C. Clarke Award for best Science Fiction novel. In the wake of whopping sales figures, multiple awards and critical acclaim Beukes’ book generated fierce interest from numerous bidders in the entertainment industry, putting Spring alongside major US and UK producers eager to tell Beukes’ unique tale. And: Spring’s career in the entertainment industry spans nearly three decades, during which time she has produced over twenty motion pictures – including the first ever South African film to receive recognition at the Academy Awards®: Darrell Roodt’s Yesterday earned a Best Foreign Picture nomination in 2004. Spring, who has worked with some of the foremost filmmakers in the world – such as Paul Greengrass who helmed the box office smash hits The Bourne Supremacy and The Bourne Ultimatum, and Academy Award® winner, Tom Hooper (The King’s Speech), will soon be putting the project out to a select party of directors, while Beukes has first look as screenwriter to adapt her novel for the screen. “Lauren is perfectly placed to do this. The characters are alive inside her,” says Spring. This is huge news! Congrats, Lauren! You can read my review of Zoo City here and the Skiffy and Fanty interview with Lauren here.
RIP: Anne McCaffrey
It seems that Anne McCaffrey, one of the great science fiction writers, has passed away. Needless to say, the genre community has suffered some big losses in the last few years. McCaffrey will be remembered for a long time to come, if not for being a great writer (she was), then certainly for helping shape genre fiction (she did). She’ll be placed along side E. E. “Doc” Smith, Isaac Asimov, Octavia Butler, Robert Heinlein, Poul Anderson, Joanna Russ, and many more. We’ll miss you, Anne.