Details

So recently I was thinking about importance of details in both fiction and clothing design. I guess it could be said about just any art, but these two have been on my mind lately.

Just reading work by the beginning writers, one notices that very frequently there's lack of texture -- that is, the details that would make story alive and interesting are not there. There are houses instead of, say, three story brownstones, and the protagonists get into cars instead of beat up hutchbacks with busted shocks. Everything is so vague and generic that there's nothing for the reader's mind to catch onto, words and sentence slide in and out meaningless, impressionless. Details not only give the fiction the sense of veracity, but also texture -- that variation between the piercing and soft, rough and smooth -- that makes any story worth reading.

Now, texture of course is very important in clothing. Textile arts, for example are pretty much entirely dedicated to texture and patterns, as can be seen here:



This is a shawl made by Vilte, a Lithuanian fiber artist who employs a unique felting technique to create this incredible detailed landscapes, using only one color. This is what texture does. And in fiction, one has to create texture with words -- that is, by definition, a very uniform medium. So the variation in texture -- syntax, sentence length, etc. is necessary to make the work interesting.

And I know I've been talking a lot about designer wear, and what makes it different. Attention to detail is what sets apart really special items of clothing, and designers who become famous do just that. For example, take this simple woolen shirt by Catherine Malandrino:



What makes it truly amazing is the sleeve detail, enlarged here:



The ruching there is just exquisite, and it's a small detail that makes this piece so different from everything else. Lesson for a fiction writer: a single embellishment may have a great impact.

Same idea here, on this Olga Kapustina's skirt: very simple silhouette, but notice the stitching on the waist:



Now look at this coat by Alexander Wang:



It's a woolen peacoat that drapes absolutely beautifully. The appeal here is in unexpected combination of a traditionally coat-like silhouette with a more sweater fabric. This little jolt of unexpected elevates both items of clothing and short stories above the average. A beautiful shape is a must. (mickmargo.com)

Embellishments in both fiction and design can get excessive, and in both cases the lavish decorations might work. For example, a blouse by Anna Sui:




Lots of lace and pleating and a bow. It works because the details, even though abundant, are not slapped on randomly but rather are very intentional:



Notice the curving edge of the lace, and how accurately it is fitted. (BTW, this blouse is being sold on ebay as we speak. Just saying.)

On the opposite end, something very spare can be very beautiful -- your simple prose equivalent:



This dress by Ports 1961 is very simply and cleanly cut, but also it has this cowl on the back:



(mickmargo.com)

Now, this is important for writers too: not all the work you've put into something should be out there, slapping the reader in the face. Some things will be subtle, visible only from certain angles, and yet it is those underpinnings, this almost-hidden craftsmanship that makes the whole hang together.

And some details remain hidden entirely, only to be discovered once one gets very close to a particular item. In fiction, we call them Easter eggs -- little unexpected surprises, inside jokes for those who are paying attention. You can get the same in clothing -- Betsey Johnson's work is a great example of little hidden images. This is what's on the lining of one of her raincoats:

The Fashion Show post-mortem

Well, I am pleased that Anna has won. I was a fan since show 2 and the pleated pencil skirt (to be fair, I am such a sucker for pencil skirts), and I was happy to see her get her due. A few pieces from the final collection are being sold on Bravo website, except that the dress I loved last week isn't there. Not that I would actually buy it, but I'm surprised that it was overlooked.

I was a bit sad for James-Paul, who is adorkable. I also loved him when he said that there's plenty of time to make sensible wearable clothes, but the runway show was his one chance to show his vision. I have a lot of respect for his integrity; I also liked how he resisted being molded, and that he was very explicit about how his cultural heritage and being a PoC affected his aesthetic sensibility. I sincerely hope that Comme des Garcons hires him. It's the house that comes to mind in terms of fitting his sensibilities without demanding a compromise. This is what I mean:




The rest of Fall 2009 RTW collection -- seriously, take a gander. Monochromatic and beautiful.

I was frankly surprised that Daniella was the judges' choices. I mean, I understand why -- she is young, she's on trend, and her clothes could be sold at Forever 21 tomorrow. And the show was supposed to be about wearability and daily utility (incidentally, this why it's not Project Runway -- totally different point). Still, while Anna stuff was beautifully constructed and pretty and fun and James-Paul's was just interesting and genius, Daniella's was neither. It was all right. She did a lot of shoulder pads, and she's 22 -- too young to actually remember the eighties. I don't think anyone who does could wear shoulder pads non-ironically. I guess at a show like that I want to see people either bucking the trend or inventing their own, not catering to the most recent and the most uninspired.

Overall, I enjoyed this season and I hope they come back. I also hope that they will learn not to make fun of people with accents. Seriously, Isaac Mizrahi.

Cover for the Czech edition of TSHoM

The Czech edition of The Secret History of Moscow now has a cover. Isn't it pretty?

Custom Jeans

About a month ago, I learned about free jeans for bloggers campaign by a startup company, Thimbler. I sent my URL, because hey, free jeans! Plus, they are custom-made. I was curious to see how much difference would custom fit make. Luckily, they accepted my bid and I headed to the website, to order jeans.

First, the website is awesome. Easy to navigate, it has a great plus-size section with a model who is actually plus-sized (bonus!) She is also a regular contributor to the company blog. Overall, the site gave the impression of being very friendly to plus-sized population, and they have a small but lovely selection of custom items. Also, 20% off right now! Just saying.

Anyway, jeans. The interface was quite user-friendly – you select your style and wash (I went with straight leg, dark wash) and then head over to the customization page. You enter some measurements (waist, hip, thigh, inseam/outseam) into provided boxes. Bonus: when you click on each box, it tells you how and where to measure, without a need for separate instructions page. I loved this little feature. After the measurements, you get to select fit – such as your hip shape (apple, pear, straight, hourglass), belly shape (flat, rounded, etc) and butt shape (flat, average... you get the idea). They also have little pictures for every descriptor, so selecting the right one is easy. Very well thought-out system, allegedly based on scans of 10,000 actual bodies. Yay technology!

I ordered the jeans July 1st and received them July 20th – not a bad lag. And the jeans are great. They have a really nicely designed waistband that doesn't gap on the back, made of good quality very soft medium weight denim with just a bit of stretch. These jeans fit me like a glove. Seriously, the most comfortable pair of jeans I ever owned. They look great too -- see for yourselves:



Another cool thing is that they put your name on the tag. It cracked me up because it reminded me of kindergarten, but it is kinda cool. Also, notice the button and stitching (click to embiggen):



Overall, awesome jeans. I don't own many pairs (three altogether), but whenever I need another one, I'll be ordering from Thimbler. They are cheaper than most designer jeans, they are made just for you, and made really really well. What's not to love?

Oh Etsy, I love you so.

I really do. Besides vintage shirts and affordable jewelry, Etsy is an amazing place to discover wonderful new designers. Which, of course, leads to coveting things, and since actual shopping is out of the question for the moment, I'll settle for the next best thing: posting about the things I'm currently drooling over and genius people who designed them. In no particular order:



A beautiful dress by Layla (LedThread), who makes such simple and beautiful pieces. Unique hems and fluid simple grace make her work so appealing, and make sure to check out the obi belts.

On the other hand, Prizy Sebastian's cotton tank is all about elaborate and very feminine ruffles. The rest of Prizy's pieces are also nicely detailed -- I'm such a sucker for pleats and pintucks, and there's plenty of that.



I first learned about Holly Stalder's designs from Painfully Hip, and was absolutely taken with flowy ruffly shapes and exaggerated sleeves and backless dresses. She also carries more affordable ready-made pieces, such as this little tank embellished with pretty lace. It's a brilliant example of a simple basic item made unique by a talented designer with a great eye for detail.



This shirt/jacket by Lindsay Weatherread is so beautiful I cannot wait to get my hands on it. Seriously, I promised myself this shirt when I sell another book. Just look at it:



It's a piece of art, and it doesn't look too overdone when you wear it. How cool is that? Also, check out the pleating on the sleeves, it is so precise and well done.

The last item of clothing is a jacket made by Idea2Life. I just love the cut of this jacket, the combination of something very flowy and unstructured with crisp, precise pleats. It's such a perfect fall piece; added bonus -- no fussing trying to guess your size.



Finally, a bag. I don't really have any statement bags, mine are all brown and functional (except a clutch or two), but this one I just adore. I love the cut and the texture of it, love the braided handle with the bow. Love that it comes in a bigger size and different color combinations. It's made my Andrea (of Amarie), who is apparently a genius in coming up with irresistible textures and shapes.



Most importantly, these six things exemplify the very idea of a designer items: they all show a singular sensibility, and there's something unexpected about every single one of them, be it the intricate detailing or a very simple silhouette done with amazing craftsmanship. You can't find things like these anywhere else, and this is really it: designer items are not about labels or price points but rather about artistic vision executed with quality. I'm excited about Alexander Wang's latest collection because I know it'll delight and surprise in a way that Forever21 simply can't. And Etsy is an amazing place to look for passion and workmanship of the up-and-coming artists and to sample their vision before they become too famous.

And these are my top six things from Etsy! Do you have a favorite Etsy designer? Link in comments, I love gaping at all the talent that can be found there.

Things

Just when I'm about to quit writing forever, something nice like this happens. (Thanks to Jennifer Jackson, Awesome Agent, for the heads-up). Yay!

Also, The Fashion Show tonight was surprising. Reco did not deserve to be kicked off, the feathered dress notwithstanding (seriously, the thing looked like a giant lobelia. Sort of like this one:


)

Except, you know, colorful. Still, he didn't deserve to go. Daniella's clothes, on the other hand, although not terrible, were poorly constructed and fitted. Not my thing.

Anna's stuff was awesome as usual, especially one floral dress. It's #4 here.

I do feel that she was maybe repeating a bit, but I appreciate the sense of retrospective. As always, great details, amazingly well-made. If I had to summarize Anna's designs in one word, it would be: PLEEEAAATS!!!! Team Anna all the way.

Finally, James-Paul: awesome awesome coats. Monochromatic but experimental and textured and amazingly made. The theme was a bit dicey: use of western clothing by non-Western peoples, and the shift in function inherent in such adaptation. I dug the idea as well as the skirt/sack/veil thingie. Wasn't thrilled about animal bones though. Srsly, James-Paul.

Credit where credit is due

It occurred to me that I rarely give public thanks, and it's probably worthwhile to remedy this situation. So, my first public thanks go to Dave Paretti of Olly Paretti and Son (Waterford, NJ) who recently redid our kitchen tile and did a beautiful job. Here's the floor:



Backsplash behind the stove:



You can also see the travertine backsplash next to it. So, if you're in South Jersey/Philly area and need some tile work done, Dave is the man to go to. He's a true craftsman who does a wonderful job. No matter what HGTV tells you, it takes a long time to become this good at laying tile. Also, many thanks to Al Franchetti, our general contractor.

Friday bits

Attila after a thorough flower inspection:



And my b-day gift:




Meanwhile, The Fashion Show is down to the final four: Anna, James-Paul, Daniella and Reco. By all rights Anna should win this, but I worry a little that since selecting the winner is left to the voters. James-Paul probably doesn't have a chance because he's so idiosyncratic.

Daniella surprised me this week -- a beautifully designed dress. And Anna's pattern choice was a little disappointing for me. I mean, I dig a floral. Giant cabbage roses bigger than the model's head -- not so much. Also, Reco's purple-and-pink chiffon number was NOT better than James-Paul's.

So, James-Paul. He was roundly criticized for his dress, but I liked it. I liked the skirt and the stiff structured bits lined with champaign silk. Black velvet I wasn't crazy about, and the neckline of that dress would've been so much better if he made it a V instead of round, with some pleats or gathers at the bust or shoulder.

Finally, Johnny who was kicked off for basically ripping off someone else's design (and then blaming his helper for not stopping him -- classy!) The only time he won a challenge was when they were paying homage and he created a convincing Versace tribute. I'm surprised that he lasted this long, given lack of a singular vision. I mean, I may not normally like Reco's designs, but the man has an identifiable style. Johnny doesn't. Daniella didn't before, but she is starting to develop into something interesting -- I'm actually looking forward to her final collection.

So yeah, The Fashion Show is certainly a lot less flamboyant than Project Runway, but I've grown attached to it. Mizrahi remains awesome.

Meet my mom, the risk-taker

My mom just vacationed in Indonesia, together with my sister. Apparently, awesome time was had by all (with a possible exception of one lizard and one elephant.)

Here's mom and a giant lizard, making an uneasy but sweet acquaintance:



My mom trusts my sister, even to the point of tottering elephants, flimsy-looking footholds, and water of unknown depth. What can possibly go wrong?



Then several birds tried to carry her off:




While other birds looked on:




Notice the red eye on that last one.

Apparently, best vacation ever!

Lyudmila Ulitskaya -- some thoughts

(from squirrel-monkey.livejournal.com)

Last time my parents visited, they brought me Lyudmila Ulitskaya's DANIEL STEIN, INTERPRETER. I finally got around to reading it, and, eighty pages in, I have to say that it's a wonderfully dense and chewy book. There's a number of things about it that got me thinking very intently.

One, the structure. It's a fractured book that leaps from 1942 Poland to the modern day US, Israel, France…. And it is told in letters, diaries, graduation addresses, memoirs, audiotape transcripts etc. It weaves back and forth, from one narrator to the next, and this is an interesting thing: the protagonist of the book is almost always in the background, present in other people's stories as a figment of their memories, a footnote, a "and there was this strange little man on the train, he showed us some small icons". Very rarely he speaks directly or someone (usually a family member) speaks directly OF him. And this is what makes it work: people are not telling Daniel's story, they are telling their own. He's only relevant as perceived by them, as seen out of the corner of one's eye.

Two, this is a book that largely deals with Jewish identity. And there are quite interesting things there too. When Western writers and filmmakers speak of the Holocaust (much in the same way as what happens when they speak of any other injustice), Jewish survivors tend to be painted as meek victims, either bearing and surviving with quiet resignation or cowering somewhere in hiding. Basically, passive, surviving or being prosecuted. Ulitskaya actually writes abut Jewish guerillas in Russian and Polish forests, living in shelters dug in the ground. One of the protagonists is born in one such guerilla camp and spends the first month of her life in a sleeve cut off her mother's winter coat. Her mother, a fanatical communist, goes from prison to guerillas to war to labor camp with the same possessed dedication – and she is anything but a victim.

I think there's a temptation to take any persecuted group and construe them as completely helpless, as someone whose salvation can only be expected from without (Schindler's List etc). This is a mistake I see done again with (more recently) Muslim women, when those would-be saviors forget that those who they are saving might be in possession of some agency as well. Helpers, yes, I can get behind that. Saviors, however, have to be careful.

Anyway, Jewish identity. One of the characters talks about Jews as ethnicity vs Jews as a religious entity, practitioners of Judaism. Throughout European history, Jewish persecution was framed as a religious issue – even in the terrible late 19th-early 20th century in Russia, they were pressured to convert to Christianity to avoid persecution. And yet, during Pogroms it seems that sufficiently Jewish-looking individuals were persecuted all the same, whether they were wearing a cross or not. And of course during WWII the religious aspect became irrelevant – it was the ethnicity that became the final liability.

So Ulitskaya talks about it, about how "Jewishness" has always been defined from outside, either as a religious or an ethnic construct. "Jews are those who non-Jews THINK are Jews," says one of her characters. And it struck me that this is the core of all persecution and discrimination – the inability to define oneself. If you're defined by others, you are by that definition are not free. And it dovetailed nicely with things I've been babbling about at Wiscon, about multiculturalism being possible only when a minority is given a voice in the mainstream culture – ie, when a minority can add its self-perception to the outside, majority, construct of them. When they get to construct the consensus reality, so to speak.

Then there's religion. The protagonist is a Polish Jew who becomes a Catholic priest. Who is then denied citizenship in Israel because of his Catholicism and despite his ethnicity. Who is scorned because he worked for Gestapo during the war even though he became an interpreter there to help other Jews and was responsible for saving hundreds of lives. Who converted from atheism to Catholicism, thus annoying his secular and religious friends and relatives. So in addition to everything else, there's this complex interplay between religion and ethnicity and family obligations and all that dense dense stuff. As I said, I'm only 80 pages in, but I'm thinking about the things she's saying pretty much non-stop. Expect further updates and natterings.

Cats and their fetishes

Cats are weird. Aja, for example, has a shoe fetish. Yesterday, she started her day by guarding these:



And then spent about fifteen minutes rubbing her face in these:




Meanwhile, her sister Attila was stealthy:



Here's the closeup:



Oh, animals.

Well, this is a first

Apparently, THE ALCHEMY OF STONE just inspired its first piece of art:



Look how pretty! It made me incredibly happy, to have something I wrote to be a catalyst for another person's art.

More fashion!

I am so impressed with Victoria's Secret Fall preview. I love their clothing -- they make a ton of work-appropriate affordable separates and good quality blouses, but this collection just blew me away. Here is the whole thing.

I especially like this trench coat:















And I am definitely lusting after this jacket:








Even the harem pants, the trend I have despised from the very beginning, are made somehow tolerable:

















If I ever had to wander a post-apocalyptic desert, I would definitely wear those pants.

There are also several well-made tops and a beautifully cut shirt dress, but these are my favorites. Well done, VS! I definitely approve the continued transition towards more structured, well cut and well made clothes.

It's a TV kind of morning

Well, I've been working out every day pretty much since I got back from Wiscon. That means a lot of elliptical time ( at 1 hour/day), and since this is when I watch TV, I got to watch a lot of TV lately. Which prompted this note: Dear TV, please stop sucking. Also, since when are Jon and Kate cultural icons? Too many J&K references. And Speidi references. And I miss the days when you had to do something to become famous. Like, juggle or something.

And then there's The Fashion Show. Last night was hilarious: the Tarot reading (and the journey to the site of said reading) exposed our remaining designers as a naive, sheltered, and ultimately sweet lot. Isaac Mizrahi continued to be entertaining. I like how he manages to be simultaneously affected and sincere.

James-Paul continues to be uncomfortable about human body, you know, existing. He complained about his model having a curvature to her spine, which made it difficult for him to dress. You'd think he was talking about a Quasimodo-level hump. But no, a perfectly normal girl, who probably never lived in a belfry. She just had a spine that failed to be razor straight. I really feel that James-Paul would be a lot more at ease with the world if people were geometric planes. Poor kid. Also: what's with the droopy shoulder airbags?

So they designed outfits inspired by their Tarot readings. Reco took a welcome departure from stripperwear, and designed something quite nice (black pantsuit with white piping, jacket with ruffles. You know how I feel about ruffles.) But it was Anna all the way, with a very architectural floral dress in gorgeous white and red. She also won the mini challenge, which placed her little cami-and-shorts combo into Saks. Team Anna!

Merlin was kicked off this time. I suppose I would feel bad since his design was not the worst if he hasn't been so unpleasant throughout. Also, note to self: when kicked off a reality show, make sure to not dis the remaining competitors by implying that they are sellouts catering to the judges, and self is the only uncompromizing artist. Esp. after self designed something generic.

Daniella and Johnny were their usual blah. I think either of them should've went before Merlin, for lack of being in any way interesting. At this point, I'm fairly confident that Reco, Anna and James-Paul will be in the final four. The last slot is between Daniella and Johnny, and I really don't care which one of them it is. Oh, how I wish it was Angel.

Random stuff

(From squirrel-monkey.livejournal.com)

This is yet another reason why I love Painfully Hip: circus!
Just look at it! It makes me so happy.

This blog is an amazing confluence of vintage fashion, thrifting, gorgeous photography, links to other places with gorgeous photography (such as wardrobe remix, discount codes, and other random things. Just great great stuff.

Working on a new short story, after selling another one last week (cannot divulge details yet). Also, just finished dealing with difficulties of mail-ordering stuff from the US to be shipped to Russia (it's my mom's birthday tomorrow). Lessons learned: Lush offers AMAZING customer service, and all problems can be solved by a phone call to England.

The gift will be late, but my dad just informed me that that's ok: mom went to Indonesia for two weeks. With my sister. On one day's notice. Sounds like an awesome birthday, doesn't it?

Pretty new cover!

Second printing of THE ALCHEMY OF STONE will be available in November, with a great new cover. Cover here

The Fashion Show --girl cooties post

(from squirrel-monkey.livejournal.com)

Wow, our young designers were, as expected, perplexed by the task of designing flattering clothing for average women. James Paul, who I liked up until then, whined that he doesn't do average. ANother one was outraged at the very existence of people with 45 in hips. Thinly veiled contempt abounded, and Isaac Mizrahi awesomely called one designer sizist. Oh, Isaac Mizrahi. I love your Target dresses because they presuppose existence of breasts on people who would wear dresses.

On another note, I wanted to give shoutouts to places that do not despise their customer base -- most of these are independent and women-owned. Quite a few offer environmentally friendly options. These tend to be a little pricier than Forever21 and Target, but I would rather save money for an occasional custom-made high-quality piece by an indie designer. And I do believe in acknowledging people who do a great job.

So, for clothing I like:

Ruche -- indie, woman-owner. Available organic clothing and great affordable accessories. Downside: most clothing have limited size options.

ModCloth -- same as above, with slightly higher prices on average and an occasional vintage item. Great shoes.


Econica -- one-woman custom made organic clothing. Can be pricey, but oh so worth it. I have one of her wrap shirts in bamboo/cotton jersey, and it is so comfortable and beautiful.


Dinwiddies -- a female designer, very offbeat, uses a lot of reclaimed fabrics, does custom work. Very quirky, but if you are me, it is also AWESOME.


Ledthread -- another offbeat designer with a strong esthetic. Her specialty are obi belts and tunic dresses. A little on the pricey side, I only have one belt from her. But it is gorgeous and a statement piece that gets a lot of mileage.

Vintage clothing:

I am partial to Greasy Waitress, Artifactory, The Vintage Closet and Gossamer Wings Studio. But really, there's tons of vintage on Etsy. I really like vintage because it is so environmentally friendly, cheap, and you can get amazing pieces.

Other things: of course I adore Sock Dreams for their excellent selection of socks, gloves and petticoats (yes, really) and their larger-person friendly attitude and free shipping. Can't beat that.

For beauty products, Global Goddess is my newest love -- especially their amla hair treatment. It is a miracle in a bottle. And of course Lush cannot be beat for anything bath-related, and Heaven and Earth Essentials carry and amazing line of artisan soaps.

New Stories

I have two new stories online this month. First, in Apex Magazine, there's "Mind of a Pig", and in Clarkesworld Magazine -- "Herding Vegetable Sheep". Both are science fiction, and I hope you like them!

Catherynne Valente's brilliant new book, PALIMPSEST, is now available (AMAZON)

I was fortunate enough to get an early peek, and this was my reaction back then: "Gorgeously written and deliriously imaginative, PALIMPSEST is the book for those who love old maps and grow wistful at the sound of a night train. A modern masterpiece in Valente's unique voice and singular sensibility."

I hope everyone will love it as much as I did.

The Lottery ends Monday

Hurry, and win fabulous prizes -- manuscript critiques, Tuckerizations, books and other fun things here. I donated several things, including a BPAL sampler.

The Lottery benefits Shirley Jackson awards.

Valentine's Day

Not that I particularly care, but I do have a guest blog post about gift-shopping -- mostly plugging some of my fave online places. With a distinctly geeky flavor.

Enjoy!

Almost Christmas!

A surprise from AV Club -- scroll down to Jason Heller's picks.

Otherwise, things are quiet. End of the year is a good time to take quiet stock and watch tons of TV.

Has it been this long?

In any case, here's an interesting feature on BN.com about New Weird, and The Alchemy of Stone is mentioned: look!

Updates

This one is rather in depth discussion of The Secret History of Moscow. Thanks, Bill!

Year's Best Fantasy and Horror edited by Datlow, Link, and Grant is out. I received Honorable mentions for:

Torsion (Nemo)
Clockmaker's Daughter (Horrors Beyond 2)
Seas of the World (Sybil's Garage)
Zombie Lenin (Fantasy Anthology, reprinted in Fantasy Magazine)

From the front matter: "Ekaterina Sedia's short fiction has popped up in magazines such as Analog and Baen's Universe and she is, as well, the editor of several anthologies, including Paper Cities (Sense Five Press).
Her recommended second novel, The Secret History of Moscow (Prime) is set in a murky mythic Russian underworld (as opposed to the criminal underworld more familiar from pop culture) in which myths and legends are juxtaposed with hard-nosed denizens of modern-day Moscow."

So, awesome. I'm especially happy about Moscow rec.

My story, "A Short Encyclopedia of Lunar Seas", is now live at Endicot's Journal of Mythic Arts farewell issue, along with many other deserving folks. Genevieve's "The Red Shoes" is great, you all should read it. And then watch the ballet weird-ass movie by the same name. Go on, it's on Youtube. It will scar you.

German Rights

The super-awesome agent Jennifer Jackson sold the German rights for The Secret History of Moscow to Klett-Cotta. Fun fact: Cotta was the original publisher of Goethe and Schiller, and has been operating since 1659. Yeah, I'm happy.

Updatery with BPAL

Shared Worlds experience was great -- there will be a more detailed report when I guest-blog for Ecstatic Days. For now, let me just say that I have two dragon pictures on my refrigerator, and Jeff VanderMeer is very fun to hang out with. Also, any town that has a sushi restaurant and a beer place with 50+ beers on tap is a pretty good town in my book.

In regards to the ongoing discussion of people being happy/unhappy with Prime, I think it would be helpful to see who had a POD book vs offset, as well as when those dealings had happened. Prime is my publisher and I have been quite happy with them -- I got a strong impression that Sean is working on getting to the next level, from mostly POD to offset books, distributed in bookstores and libraries, with advances and other things writers enjoy seeing. That of course does not negate the experiences of others, but I would be curious to see how the switch to bookstore distribution and offset printing affected writer happiness. Also, in my experience, Prime/Sean was very willing to negotiate with me regarding the contract -- there were several clauses I modified and they approved, including specifying a minimum print run and a time limit on some subsidiary rights.

I have a short story at Voyages Extraordinaires. It involves amber.

Finally, BPAL. As Amal correctly pointed out, I have not been reviewing recent scents, which is really an unforgivable lapse. So, without further ado:

Irrelevant and Disturbing Surreal Crawdad Dream, Forum Only

( An irrelevant, disturbing, and surreal scent: red currant, green tea, red musk, Hawaiian ginger, benzoin, vanilla, coriander, squash blossom, and blueberry. )

This is a very fruity scent in the bottle. Red currant is not as prominent on me as I would normally expect; instead, green tea and musk take the front stage when wet and on the initial drydown. About after ten minutes, the drydown settles into a sweeter smell, with benzoin, coriander, and blueberry blending into something very sweet yet spicy. Then tea comes back, reinforced by ginger, and the last two stages never settle -- every time I smell it, there is a different note in the foreground. Very complex and interesting scent.

Chaos Theory IV: Edge of Chaos (CXLII)

(Random scent, one of a kind)

In the bottle: tea! Not just any tea, but orange pekoe. Very tsrong, sharp, almost astringent. Wet: same, with addition of woods. On dry down, it goes through a very short (mercifully) stage where the astringency of the smell is very unpleasant, but then it settles into a very mellow and warm concoction of tea and ho wood (same wood as in Habu, for those keeping score). Orange pekoe mellows into something much lighter -- the final tea note is almost green. It is not the kind of smell that I would choose based on description, but it makes me shockingly happy and it works.

Mead Moon

(Golden mead, fermented with gruit, nutmeg, clove, cinnamon, ginger root, sweet-briar, rosemary, and lemon.)

Ah, perfect lazy scent. Mostly honey with some fine spiciness from clove and nutmeg. Sweet-briar is very prominent on drydown, and lemon thankfully never shows up. Just lovely.

L'Estate

(Nepalese amber, vanilla infused amber, golden musk, sandalwood, golden lily, sunflower, and honey myrtle.)

This is very different from what I expected -- lily is rather more noticeable in the beginning, and as a result the whole thing is a lot more floral than I expected. Thankfully, lily is one of the few florals I like, and amber and musk gave it added depth and sweetness. Soon after, the floral notes retreated, leaving mostly amber and vanilla -- it's such a perfect scent, so sweet and very deep. Sandalwood grounds the lot with just a hint of resinous spice. I will be wearing this a lot this summer. (Note: I did also get the bath oil and the room spray, and both are just as lovely.)

You know how some of you were complaining that TPB of The Secret History of Moscow was too affordable? Fear no more! There will be a hardcover limited edition (750 copies) extra-fancy, numbered and signed; I am considering including a free rat with each copy.

Now, who will be releasing this expensive marvel? Find out soonish!

Also, fantasybookcritic.blogspot.com reviewed The Alchemy of Stone. I think he liked it.

I am a meme

Clockwork Phoenix is out! Buy a copy, it's really good.

Also, I am a meme. No, really. It was all Matt Staggs' idea.

OMG!

PW gave The Alchemy of Stone a starred review

Free Book

Pat's Fantasy Hotlist is kindly doing a contest for The Secret History of Moscow here

Go enter!

Appearances

1) To those who will be at Wiscon AND likes BPAL: to promote The Alchemy of Stone, I will be handing out imps from the Steamworks series. Yes, I have all 11. I'll even have a tester set in case you want to try several. I'll be mostly in the dealers' room at Prime table and the hotel bar. Find me!

2) I will be at KGB bar on May 21st, 7 pm. I'll be arriving earlier, so if you want to meet and hang out beforehand, drop me an e-mail.

Linkage

There is an interview with me about Paper Cities at SCI FI Wire

Then there is VanderMeer's feature on books and beer at Omnivoracious, which is a good thing too -- how would you know otherwise which beer to choose with your books?

Paper Cities

Today is the official release date of Paper Cities, an anthology I edited -- and it includes a bunch of wonderful and supertalented folks, like Forrest Aguirre, Barth Anderson, Steve Berman, Darin Bradley, Stephanie Campisi, Hal Duncan, Mike Jasper, Vylar Kaftan, Jay Lake, Paul Meloy, Richard Parks, Ben Peek, Cat Rambo, Jenn Reese, David Schwartz, Cat Sparks, Anna Tambour, Mark Teppo, Catherynne M. Valente, Greg van Eekhout, and Kaaron Warren.

So go snag a copy!

LA Times

Holy smokes! Look at this. Yes, I am chuffed.

Meanwhile, reading of occult books and researching Victorian railroads FTW! I doubt I would ever use most of this stuff, but it is very fun to read about. I think it was John Barth who compared research for books with a reverse iceberg -- 90% of what the writer knows about any given topic will end up in the book, with almost nothing hidden. If that is true, then I'm doing entirely too much research.

The Alchemy of Stone cover

Art by David Defigueredo, design by Stephen H Segal. Shiny!

UK coverage

The Secret History of Moscow is mentioned here: http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/books/2008/02/new_womens_worlds_in_fantasy.html

International

Just got a word from the very amazing Jennifer Jackson that Polish translation rights for The Secret History of Moscow sold to MAG JACEK RODEK. Yippee!!!

Sundry Web Things

A fun (well, it was fun for us) conversation between the very fabulous Justine Larbalestier and my humble self, facilitated by Fantasy Magazine's own Tempest Bradford is posted here. We talk about being foreign people (and writers) in the US, and other exciting things.

A story of mine, "The Disemboweler", is now available at Lone Star Stories. Yet another descriptive story title.

Finally, The Secret History of Moscow made the Locus Recommended Reading List. Yay!

Paper Cities rule!

Publishers Weekly posted a review of Paper Cities here (scroll all the way down). And it's a signature review, no less, by Jeff VanderMeer who says interesting things about the antho.

As an editor, I just want to say that I love all the stories in this book. Many thanks to all the contributors -- I think this book has much to offer, regardless of one's reading tastes.

Interview

Larry of OF Blog of the Fallen interviews me here. I think I manage to be occasionally coherent.

Agented!

You know why I love Internet? Because it allows me to appear dignified and composed, graceful even, when I'm really really not.

So: Jennifer Jackson of DMLA is now my agent. I am thrilled beyond words -- her track record is beyond impressive, she represents so many wonderful people, and she likes to cook as much as I do! Many thanks go to Jay Lake who introduced us at WFC, because he's just that cool and nice.

I go lie down now.

Zombie Lenin

Fantasy Magazine online just posted Zombie Lenin, a story I'm rather proud of. It was published in Prime's Fantasy Anthology, among a number of other wonderful tales. Hope you like it.

Amazon!

The Secret History doesn't seem to have any Amazon reviews. So, if you read the book, please consider posting your thoughts at Amazon. Thanks!

The latest Locus had not one but two very positive reviews of this book. I am very pleased.

Happy New Year

For a number of reasons, not the least of which are cultural, New Year is the most significant holiday for me, to be spent with one's family and tons of food. So I cooked lamb vindaloo and naan, and we drank sparkly wine and watched Twilight Zone marathon with cats in our laps and at our feet. Not so much for resolutions and year end's summaries though.

I hope that everyone greeted the New Year in the manner most agreeable to them, and wishing you all the best in 2008.

List!

-> Christmas was good. The cats seem to enjoty the tree and tree water, the spuse likes the blinking lights and the smell of candles, I like working from home. Also, Amazon gift certificates make excellent gifts despite the tautology.

-> Technically, I'm on break; however, this is the time when I have extra hours to commit science. So, I usually enter data until late. I'm on AIM a lot, since I'd rather not enter data.

-> Rewriting one novel while writing another is hard.

-> Facebook is awesome.

-> LSS bought a story of mine. This is a market I've been trying to sell to since forever, so me and the lap cat are pleased.

-> Aja cat (aka the lap cat) is in good health.

Stupid snow

I just got word that Albany NY is likely to be buried under many feet of snow, since there's a storm coming -- and a first serious storm of the season at that. And because people are not insane, they are unlikely to attend book signings in the middle of storms. So the signing is canceled this Saturday, and will be moved to a more favorable date -- I hope, the one without any snow. Stay tuned.

Meanwhile, since the book #3 (The House of Discarded Dreams aka THODD) has been so sloooow, I've been reading a lot. Finally got around to Chabon's The Yiddish Policemen's Union, and this is pretty damn close to a perfect book. It is all sorts of clever, touching, and very very funny. I really can't remember the last time I enjoyed a book so much, or laughed so much while reading. And the language in it! Chabon can turn a phrase to some jaw-dropping degree of awesome.

Then there was Crowley's The Translator -- and it is an excellent book too, although in a completely different way. When I first started reading it, I described it to a friend as 'tormenty', and I still stand by it -- a very painful book for me, for whatever accumulation of personal experiences and neuroses, and an excellent one. One of the things that impressed me about it was Crowley's ability to write about people from a different culture (Russians, in this case, and I am very picky about those). There's this oscillation from iconic to vulnerable that is just wonderfully done, and a great authenticity not just details but thoughts.

Oh, and to chase away the ennui, I've been reading Scalzi's On Writing -- a good book on how to live as a writer rather than on how to write. Also, very funny and insightful and full of amusing tales of writerly cattiness.

And now that the grades are done, I should probably try writing THODD.

Upstate NY

Next Saturday, December 15th, I'll be reading and signing at Flights of Fantasy bookstore (www.fof.net) in Albany, NY. Please come if you're in the area.

Other than that, staying low, and grading the finals and papers and lab reports, occasionally venturing out for beers with a couple of coworkers.

Working on book #3 for Prime, and that's a difficult one for me -- parts of it are very familiar, while the rest is alien and requires a lot of research and talking to people and just noodling. So yeah, slow.

After some positive feedback on the audiofile posted at Amazon, I'm considering supplementing the website with some audio content -- I was thinking about reading some of my favorite Russian poetry. Thoughts? Suggestions? (Of course, it is possible that people who said kind things were just being nice, so please let me know if I should never ever do any audio in the future.

Audio!

An exclusive audio of me reading from the book is available at Amazon blog, thanks to the very awesome Jeff VanderMeer. Have a listen.

The book exists!

Last weekend, The Secret History of Moscow was launched at WFC. We had a fun party with chocolate, cheese, beer, and rubber rats. Overall, WFC was a blast -- got to see many old friends and gape at many luminaries. Met a ton of new people -- everyone was wonderful and kind, and I feel I made new friends too.

Meanwhile, John Scalzi has kindly invited me to contribute to his The Big Idea feature at Ficlets blog -- here is my rambly explanation of how The Secret History came about and why I wanted to write it.

Finally: The Secret History is listed as available at Amazon.com and B&N, so I deduce it's a real book now. It's both exciting and scary, and I hope people like it.

News Galore

Quite a bit is happening here.

First, I'll be at WFC in Saratoga Springs next weekend. I'll be on a panel, even:

SUNDAY, 11 AM. City Center C
Urban Fantasy—Beyond the Usual Suspects. It seems as if most urban fantasy uses the familiar European myths. What other possibilities are there? Which authors have successfully exploited them?
Marie Brennan, David Anthony Durham, Melanie Fletcher, Ernest Lilley, Ekaterina Sedia.

Second, my story from October Analog, "Virus Changes Skin", was selected to appear in Richard Horton's Year's Best SF. Wee!

Finally, Prime will be publishing two more of my books -- THE ALCHEMY OF STONE in 2008 and THE HOUSE OF DISCARDED DREAMS in 2009.

Subterranean #7 Review

Those who have lamented the passing of SciFiction can get their fix of Datlow-edited stories in Subterranean #7, which features a distinguished lineup of familiar names. The issue opens with Lisa Tuttle's "Old Mr. Boudreaux", a lovely portrait of mother-daughter relationship. The protagonist goes to see off her dying mother, and ends up gently drawn back into the life she had left behind many years ago. It is delightful to see a female protagonist who is not young or relationship-obsessed, and it's a quiet story of wistful sadness at the passing of one's parents and one's youth. Unlike many of the going home stories, this one does not greet the returning protagonist with a sinister mystery or earth-shattering tragedy, but a sad mundanity of inevitable loss of one's parents, of getting older -- and quiet revelations of unexpected magic. The speculative element is subtle and brings to mind Garcia Marquez's "An Old Man with Giant wings", but without the grit and dirt but instead a gentle sense of wonder. Yes, gentle and wistful is perhaps the best way to describe the feel of this story, and I found it a great introduction to this issue.

Rick Bowes' "The king of the Big night Hours" is another quiet story -- quiet despite the rather violent rash of suicides in the NYU library. Similar threads run through it as though Tuttle's story: wistful regret for the passing youth, told from the point of view of an aging gay librarian who witnesses the suicides and remembers an old friend -- or his ghost, or the ghost of the friendship. The present-day story is interlaced with the memories from the time of the AIDS epidemic, and the memories are lined with sadness and unease. While the references to 'the plague' are few and subtle, for me the memories of this time seemed to have colored the entire story with not so much fear but the sense of helplessness, when even the smallest gesture that offers solace is precious because of the bleak background -- much like it does in the present day part of the story, during the epidemic of young people's suicides. It seems to me that the reaction to this multilayered story would be very much colored by the reader's individual experience; for me, it left a lasting and profound impression, a deep resonance, and belief that a touch of a shoulder can be life-saving.

Jeff Ford's "Under the Bottom of the Lake" is a lovely story that is difficult to describe. Ford breaks the fourth wall and seems to work his way through the story -- and yet, different beginnings and fits and starts add up to a fractured, beautiful tale of tangled secrets that persist through generations, affecting lives long after the people who brought them in motion are dead. Surprisingly, it is a light, playful tale, despite the oftentimes grim events.

"City of Night" by Joel Lane and John Pelan is a familiar story of a man slipping into an alternate dimension or a nightmare, populated by creepy giant centipedes straight out of Burroughs' "Naked Lunch" and downtrodden handfuls of people. It's a nicely atmospheric tale, but the one I couldn't help but feel I read before.

M. Rickert's "Holiday" is a strange, wistful thing -- a man who is supposed to be writing a book about the innocence of his father accused of child molestation is being visited by ghosts of dead children. Jon Bennet Ramsey (even though she is never named) is the first one to appear. Rickert manages to take a difficult topic of child abuse and murder (and its creepy corollary of children's beauty pageants) and write a touching, poignant story around it. The relationship between the protagonist and his brother add a layer of family blame and damage to both; I was reminded of the Friedman family, where the father and a son were both arrested for child sexual abuse, and the oldest son is still dealing with the legacy of his family history. It's a difficult story to read, and like all Rickert's stories it leaves a strange, somewhat bitter aftertaste. Well worth the read.

Anna Tambour is perhaps one of the most interesting stylists working today, and her "The Jeweler of Second-Hand Roe" demonstrates her control of the language as well as flair for the historical detail. As the title suggests, the story deals with a family that trades in second-hand food; as one would suspect, food takes the center stage -- as well as some of the stranger trophic proclivities of the jeweler's wife.

Terry Bisson's "Pirates of the Somali Coast" takes on a disappointingly moralistic theme -- teenagers and their videogames that make them unable to distinguish between reality and fantasy, and who are not able to see the permanence of death. Of course, the current obsession with pirates among many perfectly reasonable people resonates through the story as well. I guess I would find this story less disappointing if the tone of the teenage (possibly younger -- his age is not mentioned in the story) protagonist was more believable. As is, it rang false, and the epistolary nature of the story made this deficiency of voice more glaring.

And now for the longest and most complex story of the bunch -- Lucius Shepard's "Vacancy". I've been a Shepard fan since I was fourteen, so I was predisposed to like this story; however, I didn't have to be. It's a dark and haunting story, dark fantasy at its best, mixing the timeless and the mysterious with the specific time and place. The source of menace here comes from the Philippines, and for a bit I was worried that the story would cross into the territory of exotic evil. Of course, Shepard is too good a writer who is well aware of the complexities of the America's relationship with less privileged parts of the world and cultures to do that, and the story really seems to be about the damage of American cultural imperialism.

Cliff, the aging has-been actor and currently a used car salesmen starts investigating some strange goings-on at the motel near his car lot, near Daytona FL. What struck me about this tale was the almost palpable sense of atmosphere -- of a town and buildings and people decaying in the tropical climate, dilapidated under the assault of the elements, ready to be engulfed by the suffocating vegetation and swamps and ocean; the sense of the invasion of an unknown menace, mirrored by the constant intrusion of Cliff's memories of his times shooting B-pictures in the Philippines. The nature of the mystery is almost irrelevant here, and, true to the spirit of this recursive story, it remains unexplained -- although Cliff learns something about its cause and his own role in it. An unsettling story that is somehow satisfying despite leaving most of its crimes and mysteries unresolved. Here once again Shepard presents the readers with a thoroughly unsympathetic protagonist and somehow makes them follow along, pulled by the beauty of his prose and precision of detail.

Overall, a wonderful issue. I am glad to have had the chance to read it, and hope that Subterranean will have more of those guest-edited issues in the future.

Oh my god!

The Secret History got a very nice mention here. Yes, I am very happy.

Belated update

My poor cat Aja is ill again -- looks like the problem is chronic, and harder to control than initially thought. The poor thing is on three meds right now, and I built her a nice nest under the skylight, where she can nap and be closely watched. I've been very preoccupied with work and the cat, so if I missed something, hit me via e-mail or phone.

I do, however, have some things to be happy about: I have a story in the most recent Clarkesworld. Midori Snyder says nice things about it at Endicott Redux. And The Secret History of Moscow received a very generous and flattering review at Agony Column.

Early reviews and BPAL

A couple of early reviews for The Secret History of Moscow are in.

First, Heidi Lampietti say nice things here

Then, Paul Tremblay comments here

In more frivolous news, short reviews of some BPAL limited edition scents I am currently sampling and liking. If you're not into perfume oils, feel free to skip.

Bakeneko=very warm amber/citrus scent, with occasional wafts of cinnamon and musk. Thankfully not enough cinnamon to burn.

Red Lantern=caramel and opium notes give it a very nice sweet character, with aromatic blond tobacco just underneath.

Tamamo No Mae= gentle spicy ginger/peachy scent that stays very close to skin, yet persists for 6+ hours. Undertones of light musk and tea. Awesome!

Hexennacht=starts out as a sharp piney smell, then morphs into smoky resin, with warm amber underneath.

Hungry Ghost Moon=similar to Tamamo, but much sweeter -- ginger, sugar, musk.

Lotus Moon=smells like bubblegum in the bottle and stays very sweet; one of the few florals I like for its sweetness and spicyness.

Bloody Mary= sweet cherry and creamy background.

Monster Bait: Closet=blackberry booze and cake.

Blue Moon (2007)=watery floral, prominent cucumber note.

Long-overdue updates

So a bunch of people are doing something with their blogs -- redesigning, adding new content... Paul Jessup of GrendelSong, for example, is posting a serial novel here

Mr. VanderMeer redesigned his entire online presence here

Me? I just neglect mine. Anyway, the good news: a story of mine that was scheduled to appear in Fantasy will now be in August issue of Clarkesworld Magazine.

The bad news: my air conditioning died and the entire system needs to be replaced.

The other news: Work on the novel (The Alchemy of Stone) continues apace -- at 50,000 now, which explains my radio silence.

Stating the obvious: BPAL=crack.

Amazon Pre-order

The Secret History can now be pre-ordered at Amazon. Much rejoicing!

Not much is happening otherwise -- working on the next book, and just working. Summer is the time to get science done. Yes, the summer is here, judging by the mugginess, and by the tropical growth in my backyard -- irises are about to bloom, and wisterias are taking over the... well, everything in sight. Summer!

Wiscon is fast approaching, and I'm very much looking forward to it.

Zencore

My story, [Title redacted], will be appearing in Nemonymous 7: Zencore. This time the stories will be published without their bylines, as is Nemo's custom, but with the list of contributors included. I think trying to match stories to their writers will be great fun.

Cover!

The book now has a cover! Many thanks to Stephen Segal for his graphic design and Frederic Cayet for his mechanical crow art.

Sybil's Garage

Sybil's Garage issue 4 is now available. It has fiction by Leah Bobet, Cat Rambo, Rick Bowes and many many more illustrious individuals. There're also interviews with Jeff Ford and Stephen Segal of Wildside/Prime magazines. Nifty art, inside and out, make this mag a wonderful esthetic experience as well.

Admire it here.

Text: Ur Update

THE NEW BOOK OF MASKS is available on Amazon.

There's also a promotional video for this book.

Enjoy!

Happy New Year!

Apparently, writing a novel is a huge time suck. I'm briefly surfacing with some updates.

My story, "Virus Changes Skin" will be appearing in Analog.

Heidi Lampietti informs that Barnes & Noble is going to carry Medicine Show in the stores.

"Seas of the World" will be appearing in issue 4 of Sybil's Garage.

MAGIC IN THE MIRRORSTONE anthology (ed. Steve Berman, Mirrorstone Books, coming in 2008) will feature a distinguished lineup of authors -- Eugie Foster, Gregory Frost, Nina Kiriki Hoffman, Beth Bernobich, Cassandra Claire, Holly Black, Jim Hines and many many others.

Novel Sold

My second novel, The Secret History of Moscow, sold to Sean Wallace of Prime Books. It will be releasd in early 2008. Here's a brief description:

"Every city contains secret places, and Moscow is no different, its citizens seeking safety under the city during tumultuous times — a cavernous dark world of magic, weeping trees and albino jackdaws, where exiled pagan deities and fairytale creatures still whisper strange tales to everyone who would listen. Through their interlocking stories, a very different history emerges, full of betrayals and unseen hostilities, between the real world and the world below . . . and now, in the early 1990's, the conflict is escalating.

Galina is a young woman, caught like many of her contemporaries in the new economic uncertainty and apparent lawlessness of the country. In the midst of all this chaos, her sister Maria turns into a jackdaw and flies away . . . prompting Galina to help Yakov, a policeman investigating a rash of recent disappearances. Their search will take them to the underground realm of hidden histories and archetypes, to find themselves caught between reality and myth, past and present, truth and betrayal . . . The Secret History of Moscow."

Holiday Special for Fantasy Magazine.

For the first time, Sean Wallace and Paul Tremblay
are offering an online holiday special for Fantasy Magazine,
both for US and overseas subscriptions, which boils down
to ten dollars and thirty dollars, respectively, for four issues. 
US: click here
Overseas: click here

Get a subscription, get two; it's a great magazine.
Also, check out their upcoming sampler (which will contain
my story, "Zombie Lenin").

Pre-orders

Japanese Dreams, an anthology from Wildside Press, is available for pre-order at Amazon. It contains my story "Ebb and Flow".

"Skipping Stones" by Neil Ayres and E. Sedia can be pre-ordered from Jessup Publishing.

Another sale

"Out of the Element" (tentative title) was accepted for MAGIC IN THE MIRRORSTONE anthology (ed. Steve Berman, Mirrorstone Books, coming in 2008).

Plugs!

For the lack of actual content, some plugs:

Farrago Wainscot, a new and interesting place

Mythic 2 is now available

Medicine Show, Volume 1 of Liquid Laughter project will be available soon

Lotus Lyceum, a discussion group for fantasy writers, always jumping with interesting ideas and opinions

And, finally, Greenhorn, the geekiest comic around. Well worth checking out.

Updatery

"Ebb and Flow", a retelling of a Shinto myth, sold to JAPANESE DREAMS, an anthology forthcoming from Prime Books. This one will be distributed to chain bookstores.

An excerpt from my WIP will be published in December 2006 at Farrago's Wainscot, a new ezine. Link is forthcoming.

Another poem is upcoming in Goblin Fruit next spring.

Launch!

GrendelSong launch party is in full swing here: http://kapo.ws/wordpress/?p=559




Listen to the podcast by Jay Lake, and marvel at the art and the lineup. Oh, and buy a copy if you feel like it.

Sale # 16

"The Taste of Wheat" will appear in Issue 6 of Fantasy Magazine, spring of 2007.

Sale #15

"Redemption of Nepheli" will appear in Jim Baen's Universe, probably in April 2007. Hooray!

Review: Show and Tell and Other Stories

Warning: Some spoilers (But you know, a book that can be spoiled by a plot revelation is not worth reading)

I just finished reading Greg van Eekhout's Show and Tell and Other Stories , an elegant chapbook from Tropism Press. I really can't recommend it highly enough, and if you haven't yet bought a copy you're missing out. The most striking thing about these stories is their energy, the crackling and fizzing of words, and the way they combine an almost old-fashioned sensawunda with a very literary narrative.

Here're some thoughts on the stories. I tried to keep them as spoiler-free as I could, but some thoughts demanded context. So there.

My favorite of the bunch was "Native Aliens", hands-down. There are two parallel narratives. The first one details the experience of a Dutch-Indonesian family during the Dutch expulsion from Indonesia after WWII. The ugliness of the situation in Indonesia during WWII, when it was in the middle of hostilities between the Dutch and the Japanese and then during the Japanese occupation, is only hinted at, but that background is effective and horrifying. Same goes for the Dutch colonialism and the fallout of the independence movement. The protagonist and his family go 'home', to the Netherlands they had never seen before.

The other narrative, taking place in the remote future, mirrors the first; only this time the colonialists who go home are the Terrans. This story had a special resonance for me, because really, it was all about people who do not belong anywhere. They find happiness and little joys in the intersices of life, but they will never belong. And there's no going back home, and there is no home, and there never will be.

The rest of the stories do not disappoint. The scope of this collection is quite impressive for a chapbook of six stories -- they range from rather whimsical ("Show and Tell", a wonderful story taking place in the school for elaborated children) to somber ("In the Late December", which takes place after the end of the universe, and deals with Santa trying to carry on the present deliveries to the few remaining survivors, and it is scary and funny and Christmas-y).

We also have "Authorwerx", where a future company recreates dead celebrities (even the most obscure of them, including long-forgotten writers) for encounters with the living. This story starts out as pretty science-fictiony, quickly veers into really realy strange, and ends up being profound and moving.

Then there's "Anywhere There's a Game", a seies of flash stories about basketball. I didn't expect to like this one due to my deep indifference toward spectator sports, but fortunately the story was about weird and wonderful people who happened to play basketball. So I liked it.

"Far As You Can Go" is the only original story here, and it has a broken robot in it. I'm very partial to broken robots and traditionally inanimate objects as protagonists, so I enjoyed this one a lot. And it is hopeless in the beginning, and I really liked that it didn't get all happy in the end, but it ended with a possibility of something... more. Not necessaily better, or happier, or not-broken, but just more than grayness and poisonous air. And this is a fine way to end a book.

I've been really impressed so far with the magazine (Flytrap) and the chapbooks Tropism produced so far. And I have been a fan of Greg's writing for some time now, mostly because he's so unashamed about writing things. So this chapbook was a double treat for me. Oh, and almost forgot: there are also doodles. Tons of interesting and occasionally creepy doodles by the author; they don't exactly illustrate the stories but rather complement them. And there's squid on the cover.

Sale #14

Just heard from Paul Jessup, the esteemed editor of GrendelSong, that the SF novelette "Skipping Stones" co-written by Neil Ayres and myself will be published as a stand-alone illustrated chapbook some time next year. Weee! I'm very happy about that, because this rousing tale of malaria, time travel and a mechanical girl had the hardest time finding a publisher. And because I love chapbooks.

Sales

"The Clockmaker's Daughter" sold to Horrors Beyond II: Strange Devices (Ed. William Jones, Elder Signs Press). "One, Two, Three", a creepy little story of autism and house spirits went to GrendelSong (Issue 3).

Fantasy Magazine

Clarkesworld offers sample stories from Fantasy Magazine online. Check them out here.

Also, specmusicmuse.blogspot.com has published a review of According to Crow, and an interview with me.

Sale # 10

"Simargl and the Rowan Tree", an enthusiastic bastardization of early Slavic myths, sold to Mythic. It will appear in issue 2, Sept/Oct of this year. I have great fondness for Slavic myth, mostly because so much of it is derivative. Quite a few gods are stolen from Egyprian, Phoenician, Persian, and Norse myth, and incorporated wholesale. Oh, and there's also a Celestial Cow. Any mythology with cows and fiery dogs deserves love and respect.

Making Ivy

"Making Ivy", my story from Poe's Progeny (Gray Friar Press), is on the Recommended list for British Fantasy Society Awards. Yay!

Also, Poe's Progeny itself is on the list for the best anthology, along with The Elastic Book of Numbers.

The complete list is here

Cover art and ToC for The New Book of Masks

Text:UR - The New Book of Masks, Ed. Forrest Aguirre

Nadia Gregor - Faure, Envenomed, Dictates
Eric Schaller - Monkey Shines
Toiya Kristen Finley - The Avatar of Background Noise
Christine Boyka Kluge - Parchment and Twigs
Sarah Totton - Bluecoat Jack
Terese Svoboda - The Lindberg Baby
Tamar Yellin - Strangers on a Train
Joe Murphy - Bitter Almonds and Absinthe
Christine Boyka Kluge - No Mooing in the Moonlight
Catherine Kasper - The Theater Spectacular
Joshua Cohen - Last Transmission or Man with a Robotic Ermine
Darren Speegle - Peace Rituals
Jay Lake/Ruth Nestvold - Incipit
Lance Olsen - Six Questions for an Alien
E. Sedia - A Play for a Boy and Sock Puppets
Christine Boyka Kluge - Documenting My Abduction
Tom Miller - When the Devil Met Baldrick Beckenbauer
Rikki Ducornet - The Scouring
Brian Evenson - Fugue-State
Jason Erik Lundberg - Most Excellent and Lamentable

Why I love Lucius Shepard

http://www.electricstory.com/reviews/review.aspx?title=new/duhvinci

Quote: "Public taste has been so corrupted, there's simply not much hope."

I'm sad to say that I actually agree.

Good day today

1) "A Play for a Boy and Sock Puppets" sold to THE NEW BOOK OF MASKS, edited by Forrest Aguirre.
2) ACCORDING TO CROW made the (long)recommended reading list for Carl Brandon Kindred Award.