(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.
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Monday, March 02, 2009
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!
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
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.
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.
Friday, February 20, 2009
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.
The Lottery benefits Shirley Jackson awards.
Friday, February 13, 2009
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!
Enjoy!
Monday, December 22, 2008
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.
Otherwise, things are quiet. End of the year is a good time to take quiet stock and watch tons of TV.
Monday, December 08, 2008
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!
Saturday, October 04, 2008
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.
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.
Monday, August 04, 2008
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.
Sunday, July 27, 2008
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.)
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.)
Monday, July 14, 2008
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.
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.
Tuesday, July 01, 2008
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.
Also, I am a meme. No, really. It was all Matt Staggs' idea.
Monday, June 30, 2008
Friday, May 09, 2008
Thursday, May 08, 2008
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.
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.
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
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?
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?
Tuesday, April 01, 2008
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!
So go snag a copy!
Saturday, March 22, 2008
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.
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.
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Thursday, February 14, 2008
UK coverage
The Secret History of Moscow is mentioned here: http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/books/2008/02/new_womens_worlds_in_fantasy.html
Thursday, February 07, 2008
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!!!
Saturday, February 02, 2008
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!
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!
Monday, January 28, 2008
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.
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.
Monday, January 21, 2008
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.
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.
Thursday, January 10, 2008
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.
Friday, January 04, 2008
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.
The latest Locus had not one but two very positive reviews of this book. I am very pleased.
Tuesday, January 01, 2008
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.
I hope that everyone greeted the New Year in the manner most agreeable to them, and wishing you all the best in 2008.
Wednesday, December 26, 2007
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.
-> 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.
Thursday, December 13, 2007
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.
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.
Saturday, December 08, 2007
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.
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.
Monday, November 26, 2007
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.
Saturday, November 10, 2007
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.
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.
Saturday, October 27, 2007
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.
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.
Sunday, October 14, 2007
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.
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.
Monday, October 01, 2007
Friday, August 03, 2007
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.
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.
Tuesday, July 03, 2007
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.
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.
Thursday, June 21, 2007
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.
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.
Friday, May 11, 2007
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.
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.
Saturday, April 28, 2007
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.
Friday, April 27, 2007
Cover!
The book now has a cover! Many thanks to Stephen Segal for his graphic design and Frederic Cayet for his mechanical crow art.
Wednesday, April 04, 2007
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.
Admire it here.
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
Thursday, January 25, 2007
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.
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.
Tuesday, December 19, 2006
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."
"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."
Saturday, December 09, 2006
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").
Thursday, November 30, 2006
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.
"Skipping Stones" by Neil Ayres and E. Sedia can be pre-ordered from Jessup Publishing.
Monday, November 13, 2006
Another sale
"Out of the Element" (tentative title) was accepted for MAGIC IN THE MIRRORSTONE anthology (ed. Steve Berman, Mirrorstone Books, coming in 2008).
Saturday, November 04, 2006
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.
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.
Wednesday, October 04, 2006
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.
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.
Friday, September 22, 2006
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.
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.
Saturday, September 16, 2006
Tuesday, September 12, 2006
Sale #15
"Redemption of Nepheli" will appear in Jim Baen's Universe, probably in April 2007. Hooray!
Tuesday, September 05, 2006
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.
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.
Friday, August 04, 2006
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.
Wednesday, August 02, 2006
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).
Monday, July 24, 2006
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.
Also, specmusicmuse.blogspot.com has published a review of According to Crow, and an interview with me.
Sunday, July 02, 2006
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.
Thursday, June 22, 2006
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
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
Wednesday, June 21, 2006
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
Thursday, June 15, 2006
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.
Quote: "Public taste has been so corrupted, there's simply not much hope."
I'm sad to say that I actually agree.
Tuesday, June 06, 2006
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.
2) ACCORDING TO CROW made the (long)recommended reading list for Carl Brandon Kindred Award.
Tuesday, May 30, 2006
Sale #8
Wiscon was crazy fun, and quite overstimulating. Came back to an acceptance for "The Mermaid Collector" from Book of Dark Wisdom. I also have a story, "Yakov and the Crows", in the upcoming issue (#10).
Saturday, May 20, 2006
Wednesday, May 17, 2006
Reviewer and reviewee
My review of July 2006 Asimov's is posted on Tangent Online. I really liked this issue, since there were several stories that dealt with touching, meaningful questions.
Also, my story upcoming in Fantasy #3 was reviewed here, along with excellent stories by Darby Harn, M. Thomas, and Hannah Wolf Bowen.
Also, my story upcoming in Fantasy #3 was reviewed here, along with excellent stories by Darby Harn, M. Thomas, and Hannah Wolf Bowen.
Thursday, May 11, 2006
Jigsaw Nation is here!
Barnes and Noble has it for a nice discount, so buy a copy. It's a very nice book.
Saturday, May 06, 2006
Saturday, April 22, 2006
New Review
FantasyBookSpot.com just posted a wonderful review of ACCORDING TO CROW.
Excerpt: "According to Crow is ultimately a haunting tale filled with vivid images and disturbing revelations. With war comes choices, and for Josiah these are the most important ones of his life. <> Not for the faint of heart, but those seeking a story deep with history and brimming with colorful characters that tear at your heartstrings with their actions, then look no further. It is wholly captivating."
Check it out!
Excerpt: "According to Crow is ultimately a haunting tale filled with vivid images and disturbing revelations. With war comes choices, and for Josiah these are the most important ones of his life. <> Not for the faint of heart, but those seeking a story deep with history and brimming with colorful characters that tear at your heartstrings with their actions, then look no further. It is wholly captivating."
Check it out!
Friday, April 14, 2006
WisCon
Got my preliminary Wiscon schedule. Rah!
Cultural Appropriation & Writing Fantasy Outside Western tradition (Writing SF&F: The Craft)
Saturday, 9:00-10:15 p.m.
Technologies Other Than Computers (Science and Technology)
Saturday, 10:30-11:45 p.m.
The End Of Reductionism? (Science and Technology)
Sunday, 10:00-11:15 a.m.
Cultural Appropriation & Writing Fantasy Outside Western tradition (Writing SF&F: The Craft)
Saturday, 9:00-10:15 p.m.
Technologies Other Than Computers (Science and Technology)
Saturday, 10:30-11:45 p.m.
The End Of Reductionism? (Science and Technology)
Sunday, 10:00-11:15 a.m.
Sunday, April 09, 2006
Goblin Fruit
The inaugural issue of Goblin Fruit is live! Go check out wonderful poetry by Eric Marin, Mike Allen, and Bruce Boston. Marvel at gorgeous illustrations by Oliver Hunter!
I have a poem there too.
I have a poem there too.
Wednesday, March 29, 2006
Another sale
"Cherrystone and Shards of Ice" sold to HP Lovecraft's Magazine of Horror.
Also, I am going to be at WisCon this year, May 26-29. Is anyone else going?
Also, I am going to be at WisCon this year, May 26-29. Is anyone else going?
Monday, March 06, 2006
Two new sales to report
A Thousand Cuts sold to Other Than, a new venture from Darby Harn. Munashe and the Spirits will appear in the inaugural issue of GrendelSong. Both look like really nice mags, and I'm quite pleased to have placed stories with both of them.
Thursday, February 23, 2006
Flabbergasted!
Just heard that my poem, "Sandman's Sestina", was nominated for Rhysling Poetry Award in short poem category, and will be reprinted in the 2006 Rhysling Anthology. Yay!
Wednesday, February 01, 2006
Sale #3
"Manuel and the magic Fox" sold to Fantasy Magazine. It's a very slick publication, and they published a bunch of great stories in their premiere issue. I'm happy that my fusion of Japanese and Navajo folklore with WWII found a home.
Monday, January 30, 2006
Locus Recommended Reading
"Alphabet Angels", co-authored with David Bartell, made the Locus Recommended Reading list 2005.
A very positive review of "Poe's Progeny" can be found here.
A very positive review of "Poe's Progeny" can be found here.
Thursday, January 19, 2006
Oceans of the Mind
Here is the preview of my story published in Oceans of the Mind. Read! Enjoy! Subscribe!
Wednesday, January 18, 2006
Saturday, January 14, 2006
Stuff
I sold my poem "The Inquisitor's Villanelle" to a new poetry webzine, Goblin Fruit (love the name) for their inaugural issue. Link will be posted as soon as their website is up.
Spent the last week or two in feverish activity, writing and otherwise. Two new stories are now out in the mail; two more are being written. A very welcome change from last fall.
Spent the last week or two in feverish activity, writing and otherwise. Two new stories are now out in the mail; two more are being written. A very welcome change from last fall.
Wednesday, January 04, 2006
First Sale of 2006
"Sagekites' Land", the story I'm inordinately fond of, sold to Strange Pleasures 6, an anthology from Prime. Very happy to have placed that one.
Saturday, December 31, 2005
End of the year stats
Written: 18 short stories, and 1 novel
Sold: 13 short stories, 3 nonfiction pieces, 1 poem
Published: 15 short stories, 1 novel, 29 reviews for Tangent, 2 reviews elsewhere
Next year, I hope to increase my short story output, and finish "The Tinker's Daughter". Also, I would love to snag an agent and get another novel out there.
Sold: 13 short stories, 3 nonfiction pieces, 1 poem
Published: 15 short stories, 1 novel, 29 reviews for Tangent, 2 reviews elsewhere
Next year, I hope to increase my short story output, and finish "The Tinker's Daughter". Also, I would love to snag an agent and get another novel out there.
Thursday, December 29, 2005
Four Things
FOUR JOBS YOU'VE HAD IN YOUR LIFE:
1. Lab tech
2. Seller of used records
3. Bartender
4. Professor
FOUR MOVIES YOU COULD WATCH OVER AND OVER:
1. The Usual Suspects
2. Leolo
3. Stalker
4. Fargo
FOUR CITIES YOU'VE LIVED IN:
1. Moscow
2. Boston
3. New Brunswick, NJ
4. Elizabeth, NJ
FOUR TV SHOWS YOU LOVE TO WATCH:
1. The Simpsons
2. South Park
3. Family Guy
4. Mythbusters
FOUR PLACES YOU'VE BEEN ON VACATION:
1. NYC
2. London
3. Atlanta
4. Kamchatka
FOUR WEBSITES YOU VISIT DAILY:
1. izvestia.ru
2. TTA message board
3. sff.net
4. http://queryletters.blogspot.com/
FOUR OF YOUR FAVOURITE FOODS:
1. sushi
2. pad thai
3. brie
4. stuffed mushrooms
FOUR SCHOOLS YOU'VE ATTENDED:
1. Moscow State University
2. Rutgers
3. My high school
4. that's it
FOUR THINGS YOU FIND YOURSELF SAYING A LOT:
1. If you're a plant...
2. Cats are so great
3. The hell?
4. I have to feed the lizards
FOUR PLACES YOU'D RATHER BE RIGHT NOW:
1. London
2. St Petersburg
3. New Zealand
4. Venice
1. Lab tech
2. Seller of used records
3. Bartender
4. Professor
FOUR MOVIES YOU COULD WATCH OVER AND OVER:
1. The Usual Suspects
2. Leolo
3. Stalker
4. Fargo
FOUR CITIES YOU'VE LIVED IN:
1. Moscow
2. Boston
3. New Brunswick, NJ
4. Elizabeth, NJ
FOUR TV SHOWS YOU LOVE TO WATCH:
1. The Simpsons
2. South Park
3. Family Guy
4. Mythbusters
FOUR PLACES YOU'VE BEEN ON VACATION:
1. NYC
2. London
3. Atlanta
4. Kamchatka
FOUR WEBSITES YOU VISIT DAILY:
1. izvestia.ru
2. TTA message board
3. sff.net
4. http://queryletters.blogspot.com/
FOUR OF YOUR FAVOURITE FOODS:
1. sushi
2. pad thai
3. brie
4. stuffed mushrooms
FOUR SCHOOLS YOU'VE ATTENDED:
1. Moscow State University
2. Rutgers
3. My high school
4. that's it
FOUR THINGS YOU FIND YOURSELF SAYING A LOT:
1. If you're a plant...
2. Cats are so great
3. The hell?
4. I have to feed the lizards
FOUR PLACES YOU'D RATHER BE RIGHT NOW:
1. London
2. St Petersburg
3. New Zealand
4. Venice
Saturday, December 17, 2005
Props!
Andrew Hook (he of the Elastic Press) posted a nice review of Poe's Progeny here . He has quite nice things to say about my story, "Making Ivy":
"Maybe the best story here I think - fantastically understated stuff and brilliant concept!"
I'm quite pleased with such a complimentary opinion from the writer and editor I respect. I tend to write fairly understated stuff, and it's very gratifying to see that people do appreciate it.
"Maybe the best story here I think - fantastically understated stuff and brilliant concept!"
I'm quite pleased with such a complimentary opinion from the writer and editor I respect. I tend to write fairly understated stuff, and it's very gratifying to see that people do appreciate it.
Friday, December 09, 2005
Robert Sheckley
I was sad today to learn that Robert Sheckley died. Along with Kuttner and Simak, he's one of the greatest SF writers ever. At least, I got interested in SF after I read them.
His books always managed to be hilarious, and touching, and profound in a disturbing way... you could feel the Earth tilt under your feet just a little, momentarily disorienting but liberating. With all the hubbub about SF being literature of ideas (Is not! Is too! It's forward-looking!) I thought of Sheckley's books often, since for me he represents SF. It's not the ideas, I think, that made him special; it's the freedom with which he wrote, shamelessly throwing together an incredible jumble of images, philosophies, people... he was not restrained. He wrote marvelous books. I'm sad they were rarely reprinted. I'm sad there won't be any more.
His books always managed to be hilarious, and touching, and profound in a disturbing way... you could feel the Earth tilt under your feet just a little, momentarily disorienting but liberating. With all the hubbub about SF being literature of ideas (Is not! Is too! It's forward-looking!) I thought of Sheckley's books often, since for me he represents SF. It's not the ideas, I think, that made him special; it's the freedom with which he wrote, shamelessly throwing together an incredible jumble of images, philosophies, people... he was not restrained. He wrote marvelous books. I'm sad they were rarely reprinted. I'm sad there won't be any more.
Friday, November 25, 2005
Reviews
My review of Nemonymous 5 was posted on Tangent Online website. Another one, for Chris Barzak's awesome story ("The Boy Who Was Born Wrapped in Barbed Wire")in The Endicott Studio Journal of Mythic Arts, should be posted there shortly. TESJoMA is a neat online magazine, with great fiction and non-fiction. It is edited by Terri Windling. The whole site is well worth exploring -- it's a wonderful resource for all mythologically-minded folks. And they publish some excellent fiction.
My appreciation for Space-time for Springers is up at ED SF Project.
My appreciation for Space-time for Springers is up at ED SF Project.
Tuesday, November 15, 2005
SCIFICTION
I think most of us are mourning the passing of one of the finest publications speculative fiction has ever seen. Dave Schwartz, bless him, started a fine initiative here. I urge you to check it out, pick one of Scifiction's many stories, and write an appreciation for it.
Fritz Leiber's "Space-time for Springers" is mine.
Fritz Leiber's "Space-time for Springers" is mine.
Tuesday, November 08, 2005
Story Sale
"Hydraulic" sold to Spicy Slipstream Stories, edited by the multitalented Nick Mamatas and Jay Lake. Much rejoicing.
Huge thanks to Mike Jasper and Paul G. Tremblay for critiquing this one.
Huge thanks to Mike Jasper and Paul G. Tremblay for critiquing this one.
Sunday, November 06, 2005
Favorite Stories
Ganked from Mike Jasper -- writers talk about which of their stories they like best.
I like all my stories -- which is fairly obvious; I wouldn't have written them otherwise. But I like some more than others, and some of my favorites show recurring themes.
"Kikimora" (Jabberwocky #1) and "Yakov and the Crows" (Book of Dark Wisdom #10, tentatively) are two of my modern-day Russian fairytales. They are similar in that they deal with people who cannot accept the new world that springs around them. Scary world.
"Just Chutney" (Aeon #3)and "Hector Meets the King" (Strange Pleasures #4) are both about mythical heroes who grapple with growing old, and try to pay long-overdue debts.
Among the unpublished ones, "The Clockmaker's Daughter" and "Pastoral with Buddha" are very dear to me. Incidentally, both have young female protagonists -- unusual for me, but perhaps it is another emerging trend.
I like all my stories -- which is fairly obvious; I wouldn't have written them otherwise. But I like some more than others, and some of my favorites show recurring themes.
"Kikimora" (Jabberwocky #1) and "Yakov and the Crows" (Book of Dark Wisdom #10, tentatively) are two of my modern-day Russian fairytales. They are similar in that they deal with people who cannot accept the new world that springs around them. Scary world.
"Just Chutney" (Aeon #3)and "Hector Meets the King" (Strange Pleasures #4) are both about mythical heroes who grapple with growing old, and try to pay long-overdue debts.
Among the unpublished ones, "The Clockmaker's Daughter" and "Pastoral with Buddha" are very dear to me. Incidentally, both have young female protagonists -- unusual for me, but perhaps it is another emerging trend.
Friday, October 28, 2005
WIPs
For lack of better content, some excerpts from WIPs.
"Emissary Togril watched out of his slanted eyes as the sky lit up in streaks of blue and white, and the ribbons of color crackled and danced across the night, obscuring the campfires of the caravan. The light undulated and grew brighter, then faded and dispersed, like a drop of milk in a water bucket.
When only a faint glow remained of the former splendor, the weak phosphorescent shadow stretched downward, toward the flat surface of the steppe. The air grew colder, and Togril could smell the spicy, sun-heated wormwood and tamarisk, the smoke of the campfires, and his own gamy body. The tentacles of light grew thicker, until white roads stretched between heaven and steppe; then, Togril discerned a movement.
Eleven columns of somber riders descended, their horses' hooves clanking, just above the edge of hearing, on the solid milky surface. Their breath did not cloud the cold night air, and their armor – intricately decorated over the breastplate – was made of green translucent ice, or so Togril guessed. He did not stir; even though young, his years in Genghis Khan's army taught him not to make a move until he was certain of it. So he sat, his arms draped around his knees, and watched.
The procession showed no sign of stemming, and streamed onto the ground. A cheetah sat behind each warrior, their eyes glowing frozen gold, their pink tongues hanging out, as if they had just vaulted into their masters' saddles after a chase. The leashes that chained the cats to the back bows of the saddles were spun out of thin links of the same green ice as the rest of the tack and armor."
And another one:
"You want a story? All right, I've got one. Imagine that you are born a prince, the youngest of the three, in a fairytale kingdom. While the oldest is set for life, the other two have to consider their options. Sure, the second son can hang on, hoping – but not quite, for to really hope in such circumstances would be wrong – to succeed his older brother. Fevers, blood poisonings, wars, accidents – all of those things happen. But if you are number three, hope has a tang of monstrosity, your royal blood does you no good whatsoever, and by the time you're old enough to know these things you should start thinking about getting a job."
"Emissary Togril watched out of his slanted eyes as the sky lit up in streaks of blue and white, and the ribbons of color crackled and danced across the night, obscuring the campfires of the caravan. The light undulated and grew brighter, then faded and dispersed, like a drop of milk in a water bucket.
When only a faint glow remained of the former splendor, the weak phosphorescent shadow stretched downward, toward the flat surface of the steppe. The air grew colder, and Togril could smell the spicy, sun-heated wormwood and tamarisk, the smoke of the campfires, and his own gamy body. The tentacles of light grew thicker, until white roads stretched between heaven and steppe; then, Togril discerned a movement.
Eleven columns of somber riders descended, their horses' hooves clanking, just above the edge of hearing, on the solid milky surface. Their breath did not cloud the cold night air, and their armor – intricately decorated over the breastplate – was made of green translucent ice, or so Togril guessed. He did not stir; even though young, his years in Genghis Khan's army taught him not to make a move until he was certain of it. So he sat, his arms draped around his knees, and watched.
The procession showed no sign of stemming, and streamed onto the ground. A cheetah sat behind each warrior, their eyes glowing frozen gold, their pink tongues hanging out, as if they had just vaulted into their masters' saddles after a chase. The leashes that chained the cats to the back bows of the saddles were spun out of thin links of the same green ice as the rest of the tack and armor."
And another one:
"You want a story? All right, I've got one. Imagine that you are born a prince, the youngest of the three, in a fairytale kingdom. While the oldest is set for life, the other two have to consider their options. Sure, the second son can hang on, hoping – but not quite, for to really hope in such circumstances would be wrong – to succeed his older brother. Fevers, blood poisonings, wars, accidents – all of those things happen. But if you are number three, hope has a tang of monstrosity, your royal blood does you no good whatsoever, and by the time you're old enough to know these things you should start thinking about getting a job."
Thursday, October 20, 2005
Poetry Musings
Lately, I find myself reading tons of Russian poetry. I'm not big on most verse, but there are several poets I just can't get enough of, and no matter how often I read them I still get shivers. Mandelshtam, Tsvetaeva, Brodsky… There's a great epic poem by Brodsky, Procession, that features an incredibly varied cast – Lovers, King, Harlequine, Columbine, Hamlet, Devil, Poet, Prince Myshkin, etc etc. And their monologues are just heart-rendingly beautiful. There are also some very interesting bits, such as the story of Pied Piper of Hamelin as told by rats.
I don't know why I never get that same reaction with English poetry. Sure, I like some of it well enough, but never to such a visceral level, when a certain line strikes such a chord that it resonates through your whole body.
And I find it incredibly frustrating that poetry is impossible to translate. It seems so unfair that most of my friends will never be able to feel this, to appreciate it the same way I do. I tried translating often enough; but I suck at poetry. I looked for translations, and some are competent. But they can never capture the emotion – it's like a black-and-white photograph of a painting; gives you a fair idea of what it's about, but loses all savor.
It seems that often foreigners find themselves isolated in such small ways – certain linguistic delights, certain frames of references are not shared by anyone around them, and it creates a sense of isolation more profound than any other. One can learn the language, but one will never be able to fully explain the frames, the earliest memories, the thrills of Hamelin rats' song.
I don't know why I never get that same reaction with English poetry. Sure, I like some of it well enough, but never to such a visceral level, when a certain line strikes such a chord that it resonates through your whole body.
And I find it incredibly frustrating that poetry is impossible to translate. It seems so unfair that most of my friends will never be able to feel this, to appreciate it the same way I do. I tried translating often enough; but I suck at poetry. I looked for translations, and some are competent. But they can never capture the emotion – it's like a black-and-white photograph of a painting; gives you a fair idea of what it's about, but loses all savor.
It seems that often foreigners find themselves isolated in such small ways – certain linguistic delights, certain frames of references are not shared by anyone around them, and it creates a sense of isolation more profound than any other. One can learn the language, but one will never be able to fully explain the frames, the earliest memories, the thrills of Hamelin rats' song.
Friday, October 14, 2005
Food for Thought
I've been reading Medicolegal Investigations of Death (don't ask), and came across this little gem:
"The autopsy of an individual struck by an automobile may be most rewarding."
Some day I swear I will use it in a story.
"The autopsy of an individual struck by an automobile may be most rewarding."
Some day I swear I will use it in a story.
Saturday, October 01, 2005
Liquid Laughter
LL story was sent off, and accepted into the fold. I am quite excited about this project -- I really like the stories so far. I especially like the fact that everyone is so uninhibited, bringing in wildly divergent bits and mythologies and histories. And the time period is quite fascinating -- I learned a lot while researching for the story. Most of my knowledge of that epoch concerns the civil war in Russia, and it was fascinating to learn more about it. I won't give anything away, but LIQUID LAUGHTER is shaping up to be an incredibly fun book. Make sure you get a copy when it comes out.
Many thanks to Michael Kelly for critiquing that one.
Many thanks to Michael Kelly for critiquing that one.
Friday, September 23, 2005
I'm almost a duck!
I avoided quizzes this far, but I liked this one.
Bears are strong and independent creatures who roam in the forest in search of food. Bears are usually gentle, but anger one and be prepared for their full fury! You won't back down from a fight, you have a bit of a temper -- classic attributes of a bear. Intelligent and resourceful, though lazy at times, you are a fascinating creature of the wild.
You were almost a: Duck or a Kitten
You are least like a: Squirrel or a ParakeetWhat Cute Animal Are You?
You Are A: Bear Cub!
Bears are strong and independent creatures who roam in the forest in search of food. Bears are usually gentle, but anger one and be prepared for their full fury! You won't back down from a fight, you have a bit of a temper -- classic attributes of a bear. Intelligent and resourceful, though lazy at times, you are a fascinating creature of the wild.You were almost a: Duck or a Kitten
You are least like a: Squirrel or a ParakeetWhat Cute Animal Are You?
Tuesday, September 20, 2005
Writing Goodness
THE INDENTURED TRANSOMNIAC is done. Yay! Many thanks to Michael Jasper for reading along, and being generally helpful and supportive.
Now, to find out if anyone wants to publish it...
The LIQUID LAUGHTER story is almost done. Reworking an earlier draft, so that should be submittable in a day or two.
Here's an excerpt: "He grew feverish as the steamship traveled through the Bosporos Strait. There were other seas – Marmara, Aegean – with the names that reminded him of Greek myths. But he did not feel like either Jason or Theseus; Orpheus seemed more appropriate. Dardanelles (Hellespont!) led to Lethe, where the poor daughter of Nephele waited for him, coppers on her eyes, her mouth empty and black as the sea. She had the face of the English nurse."
A review of Aeon 3, featuring my story "Just Chutney" was posted on Tangent Online. My review of the latest SCIFICTION story, "Panacea", should be posted there very soon.
Now, to find out if anyone wants to publish it...
The LIQUID LAUGHTER story is almost done. Reworking an earlier draft, so that should be submittable in a day or two.
Here's an excerpt: "He grew feverish as the steamship traveled through the Bosporos Strait. There were other seas – Marmara, Aegean – with the names that reminded him of Greek myths. But he did not feel like either Jason or Theseus; Orpheus seemed more appropriate. Dardanelles (Hellespont!) led to Lethe, where the poor daughter of Nephele waited for him, coppers on her eyes, her mouth empty and black as the sea. She had the face of the English nurse."
A review of Aeon 3, featuring my story "Just Chutney" was posted on Tangent Online. My review of the latest SCIFICTION story, "Panacea", should be posted there very soon.
Friday, September 09, 2005
Thursday, September 08, 2005
Long time with no updates
Mostly due to the current events -- just didn't feel like chatting about current projects much. Everything seems quite trivial at the moment. Plus, a recent surgery seriously ate into my computer time. Regular announcements of upcoming publications and snippets will resume eventually.
Tuesday, August 23, 2005
WIP
I rather like this bit.
"A man could run as long as there was land under his feet, solid ground on which his falling-apart boots could thud, where he collapsed in exhaustion, before getting up and running again. He could ride in the crowded trains, in unbearable stench, being eaten alive by lice. The problem arose when he found himself at the shore of a sea, with nothing but waves from here to the horizon. When there was no more land, there was nothing left but to fall from the abrupt precipice of its edge.
It was his punishment, Obolenskiy supposed, for having lived wrong; he had never felt the country underneath him, and now he had none. No university, Sechenov or Wittgenstein were going to change that.
He had lost his rifle a long while ago, somewhere between his battalion and his epaulettes. The latter seemed superfluous, and he tore them off, like scabs off an old wound. Not to avoid recognition – that was impossible; who couldn't tell a White army officer a mile away? – but to expose his hurt, his failure to belong. He tossed the limp cloth wings on the beach, and sat down, hugging his knees to his chest, flicking one pebble after another into the deep water of the Black Sea."
"A man could run as long as there was land under his feet, solid ground on which his falling-apart boots could thud, where he collapsed in exhaustion, before getting up and running again. He could ride in the crowded trains, in unbearable stench, being eaten alive by lice. The problem arose when he found himself at the shore of a sea, with nothing but waves from here to the horizon. When there was no more land, there was nothing left but to fall from the abrupt precipice of its edge.
It was his punishment, Obolenskiy supposed, for having lived wrong; he had never felt the country underneath him, and now he had none. No university, Sechenov or Wittgenstein were going to change that.
He had lost his rifle a long while ago, somewhere between his battalion and his epaulettes. The latter seemed superfluous, and he tore them off, like scabs off an old wound. Not to avoid recognition – that was impossible; who couldn't tell a White army officer a mile away? – but to expose his hurt, his failure to belong. He tossed the limp cloth wings on the beach, and sat down, hugging his knees to his chest, flicking one pebble after another into the deep water of the Black Sea."
Friday, August 12, 2005
Somewhere in Arkansas...
... there is a person reading my book. I was searching libraries, to see who carried my book -- since it is designed for the library market. Found a new one today, in Arkansas. And Crow was checked out. It gave me a great rush of warm fuzzies. Thank you for reading my book, whoever you are.
Wednesday, August 03, 2005
It's August already...
... and I'm still buried in work, with no hope of digging out before September. Chipping away at Transomniac, but slowly. Also, it occurred to me that this particular story would be better off as a long novella/short novel, so now the nifty progress bar looks like this:
Yeah. I like that. Overall, I noticed that I'm starting to tend toward brevity. I don't think I'm even capable of producing a short story over 6,000 words anymore. Haven't decided whether it's a bad or a good thing.
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Yeah. I like that. Overall, I noticed that I'm starting to tend toward brevity. I don't think I'm even capable of producing a short story over 6,000 words anymore. Haven't decided whether it's a bad or a good thing.
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