Lavie Tidhar, author of the John W. Campbell Award winner CENTRAL STATION, and artist Paul Mcaffrey will be signing at the Forbidden Planet London Megastore on Thursday, February 6 from 6 – 7pm.
CELEBRATE WITH US!
Sign up for the Tachyon Publications newsletter! We will send you news of our new and forthcoming books quarterly.
2020 is our 25th anniversary, so this year we will also send out free books on every last Wednesday of the month!
With Write Now!, STORYBUNDLE empowers you not just to become a better writer, but to discover the myriad ways one can become a writer. The 11 extraordinary books include BOOKLIFE: STRATEGIES AND SURVIVAL TIPS FOR THE 21ST CENTURY WRITER and Monstrous Creatures by Jeff VanderMeer, Starve Better by Nick Mamatas, Storyteller: Writing Lessons and More by Kate Wilhelm, Heart of the Original by Steve Aylett, Story First – The Writer as Insider by Kit Reed, and Writing the Other by Nisi Shawl and Cynthia Ward.
There are as many ways to become a writer as there are writers, and as many styles and voices as there are eager readers for them. One writing guide is not enough, and indeed, one type of writing guide is not enough. The Write Now! StoryBundle empowers you not just to become a better writer, but to discover the myriad ways one can become a writer.
STORYBUNDLE
The bundle, perfect for a New Year’s Resolution, to start writing, includes practical guides to the particulars of being a working writer, memoiristic explorations of the writing life, specific deep-dives into issues of representation, and explicit attempts to blow your mind!
With the help of the fine folks at GOODREADS, we’re giving away one Advance Reading Copy (ARC) of Carrie Vaughn’s THE IMMORTAL CONQUISTADOR, the vampire origin story of Kitty Norville’s famed ally, Rick—and his sudden turn to darkness in the seventeenth century. More than 500 years before his friendship with Kitty, noble Ricardo de Avila’s life met a fate-changing twist, and his morally-complex, blood-soaked existence as an immortal began.
“No surprise to anyone, but Carrie Vaughn can write the sixteenth century up through the Old West as well as it’s been done. And it just feels so good to sneak back into the Kittyverse through the vampire door.”
—Stephen Graham Jones, author of Mongrels and The Only Good Indians.
Before being turned, Ricardo de Avila would have followed Coronado to the ends of the earth. Instead he found the end of his mortal life—and a new one, as a renegade vampire.
For over five hundred years as an immortal, Ricardo has followed his own moral code, upsetting the established order in the demon world. He has protected his found family from marauding evil, joined up with a legendary gunslinger, tended bar, appointed himself the Master of Denver, and discovered a church buried under the Vatican.
The life of a vampire is frequently long, but for Rick, it is never easy.
For full details visit GOODREADS.
More“Vaughn presents a gratifying origin story for Ricardo “Rick” de Avila, vampire Master of Denver and partner to the popular werewolf heroine of her Kitty Norville series. Compelled by the vampire Order of Saint Lazarus of the Shadows in Rome, Rick recounts a series of menacing and melancholy stories from the past 500 years of his life spent striving to be a bad vampire and a good man. In the 16th century, Rick, then the living teenage son of a Spanish nobleman, accompanies Francisco Vázquez de Coronado on his search for gold in Mexico and the American west, where a betrayal leads to Rick’s transformation into a demon. Repulsed by his condition and ignorant of his newfound powers, Rick traverses the desert territory for centuries, encountering the formidable vampire Mistress Catalina of Mexico City, confronting the devilish Carlos de Luz, and meeting with American gunfighter Doc Holliday. Fans will wish that the short vignettes of Rick’s adventures, which take place between books in the Kitty Norville series, received greater development but will nevertheless admire Rick’s clever battle tactics and compassion toward his companions. This fun character study works as a standalone but will hold special appeal for series fans.
—Publishers Weekly
The author of over 30 books, Nancy Kress achieved her first great notice with the Hugo and Nebula-winning 1991 novella Beggars In Spain. Several of her other works have won Nebula Awards including Fountain Of Age (2007), AFTER THE FALL, BEFORE THE FALL, DURING THE FALL (2013), and YESTERDAY’S KIN (2015). Among Kress’ other award-winning stories are Probability Space (2003, John W. Campbell Memorial Award) and The Erdmann Nexus (2009 Hugo Award). Other acclaimed works include An Alien Light (1988), Oaths And Miracles (1996), Maximum Light (1997), DANCING ON AIR (1997), Probability Moon (2000), DOGS (2008), Flash Point (2012), Yesterday’s Kin trilogy (Tomorrow’s Kin [2017], If Tomorrow Comes [2018], Terran Tomorrow [2018]), and the forthcoming SEA CHANGE. Under the name Anna Kendall, Kress wrote the young adult The Soulvine Moor trilogy (Crossing Over [2010], Dark Mist Rising [2011], A Bright and Terrible Sword [2012]).]
Her numerous short stories have been collected in Trinity and Other Stories (1985), The Aliens of Earth (1993), Beaker’s Dozen (1998), Nano Comes to Clifford Falls and Other Stories (2008), Future Perfect: Six Stories of Genetic Engineering (2012), The Body Human: Three Stories of Future Medicine (2012), AI Unbound: Two Stories of Artificial Intelligence (2012), Fountain of Age: Stories (2012),The Best of Nancy Kress (2015), and Danses aériennes [French] (2017).
A regular at the Clarion writing workshops and at The Writers Center in Bethesda, Maryland, Kress was, during the Winter of 2008/09, the Picador Guest Professor for Literature at the University of Leipzig’s Institute for American Studies in Leipzig, Germany. She has produced trio of books on the craft for Writer’s Digest: Beginnings, Middles, and Ends (1993), Dynamic Characters (1998), and Characters, Emotion, and Viewpoint (2004).
All of us a Tachyon wish the extraordinary Nancy, a happy birthday.
Join Guest of Honor Kameron Hurley and the acclaimed R. B. Lemberg at Confusion, January 16-19 in Detroit, MI.
In addition to being the longest-running fan-run SF/F convention in Michigan, ConFusion is a premier event for publishing professionals and fans alike. It is hailed as a place to experience programming and guests on the caliber you find at a WorldCon, while located in a convenient and affordable setting.
What is ConFusion?
Pro Guest of Honor: Kameron Hurley
Creative Guest of Honor: Brandon O’Brien
Fan Guest of Honor: Bogi Takács
Science Guest of Honor: Dr. Julie Lesnik
Hurley and Lemberg are participating in several events at the convention.
| Managing and Overcoming Professional Burnout | Fri, 1pm | Panelists: Marissa Lingen (M), Pablo Defendini, Ken Schrader, Kameron Hurley |
| Reading | Fri, 2pm | Bogi Takács and R.B. Lemberg |
| Avoiding Muddled Messes in World-Building | Fri, 6pm | Panelists: Sarah E Gibbons (M), Cherie Melinda Priest, Tracy Townsend, J. Zachary Pike, R.B. Lemberg |
| Ready, Steady, Flash! | Fri, 6pm | Panelists: Lee Harris (M), Brandon Crilly, Seanan McGuire, Stephanie Malia Morris, Kameron Hurley |
| Opening Ceremonies | Fri, 7PM | Panelists: Lithie Dubois (M), Seanan McGuire, Gwenda Bond, Kameron Hurley, Bogi Takács, Brandon O’Brien, Dr. Julie Lesnik |
| Evolving Visions of Toxic Masculinity | Sat, 10am | Panelists: Jason Sanford (M), Marsalis, Jim C. Hines, Kameron Hurley, Brandon O’Brien |
| Emotional Non-Violence In Fiction | Sat, 11am | Panelists: E.D.E. Bell (M), Jason Sanford, R.B. Lemberg, Brandon O’Brien |
| Kaffeeklatsch | Sat, 11am | Kameron Hurley |
| Don’t Fridge The Messenger | Sat, 1pm | Panelists: Nora E. Derrington (M), E. Jade Lomax, K. Lynne O’Connor, Kameron Hurley |
| Masculinity and Trauma Recovery in Genre Fiction | Sat, 2pm | Panelists: Brandon O’Brien (M), Adam R. Shannon, dave ring, John Wiswell, R.B. Lemberg |
| The Art of Writing Non-Linear Narratives | Sat, 4pm | Panelists: E.D.E. Bell (M), Jason Sanford, Gwenda Bond, Kameron Hurley |
| Black Gate Interview with Author GoH | Sun, 10am | Panelists: Brandon Crilly, Kameron Hurley |
| Closing Ceremonies | Sun, 3pm | Panelists: Lithie Dubois (M), Seanan McGuire, Gwenda Bond, Kameron Hurley, Bogi Takács, Brandon O’Brien, Dr. Julie Lesnik |
Confusion
January 16-19
Sheraton Detroit Novi
Detroit, MI
The latest reviews and mentions of Tachyon titles and authors from around the web.
INFINITE TEXT enjoys Carrie Vaughn’s THE IMMORTAL CONQUISTADOR.
What I love about Vaughn’s writing is that she takes you on a fun adventure and secretly sneaks in layers of complexity to her characters where you find yourself thinking about them for days on end. I can’t wait to see where this series is heading!
LA BIBLIOTHÈQUE D’ESPERLUETTE loves Jo Walton’s STARLINGS.
A collection that I recommend with pleasure to all readers of imagination and which I hope will one day be entitled to a French publication in order to benefit as many people as possible!
Translation from the French courtesy of Google
POSITRON CHICAGO included Tidhar’s UNHOLY LAND among the Notable 2019 Reads & Re-Reads.
The visions of alternate worlds are the main strength here—better, worse, stranger than our own—wrapped around the twin issues of Israel as persecuted and persecutor.
For LOCUS, Tidhar reports from the Beijing SF Summit Forum 2019 and Shenzhen.
To make matters more interesting (for me!), my visit coincided with the Chinese publication of my novel Central Station. While the others were relaxing, I was reunited with my old friend Wu Yan at the Citic Bookstore in Beijing for a panel event. Professor Wu, whom one may well call the godfather of Chinese SF, was a central pillar of the convention – a couple of days later he’d be delivering a keynote address reporting on the financial profitability of the growing “SF sector” before the thousands of attendees.
Wu Yan happily informed me that I was known as in China as “the science fiction ghost” – apparently because no one has seen me since 2000. The name seemed to catch, based on the number of interviews I did which introduced me this way….
At ONYX REVIEWS, Bev Vincent praises Joe R. Lansdale’s OF MICE AND MINESTRONE.
The stories featuring both characters illustrate the essential strong bond between the two men. They are—as Lansdale might say—brothers from another mother. They come from very different backgrounds, but they understand each other completely and each would die for the other. It’s the kind of male friendship rarely seen in fiction. Even when nothing of consequence happens, as in “The Sabine Was High,” which takes place during a reunion fishing expedition, Lansdale is able to plumb the depths of their relationship and reveal interesting things about these familiar characters.
They make special notice of the recipes, written by Kasey Lansdale.
The final section of the book contains recipes for the various foods and drinks featured in the preceding stories, illustrated by colorful comments from Hap (and occasionally Leonard) about what to do and what not to do (no running in the kitchen!) for the best results. These recipes contain enough lard and bacon fat to lead to early death, but the witty commentaries make this section fun reading.
Cover artist John Coulthart, on his FEUILLETON blog, discusses the cover changes.
And back in October, I posted what everyone thought at the time was the final design for OF MICE AND MINESTRONE, a new book of Hap and Leonard stories by Joe R Lansdale. The Hap and Leonard books are popular works (there was a TV series based on them a while back) so they’re subject to the demands of the marketplace which in this case required a cover more in line with the red/white/black arrangement of some of Lansdale’s related titles. I’d already done most of this as an additional draft during the work on the first design so the reworking wasn’t too time-consuming. The rodent in the soup is more visible in this version which is another point in its favour.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY reviews the third Ned the Seal story The Sky Done Ripped. The previous two installments can be found in FLAMING ZEPPELINS.
Lansdale combines elements from classic sci-fi adventure stories and mythology into a high-energy steampunk romp. Readers will revel in the humorously purple prose and spot-on illustrations by Timothy Truman.
Excitement grows for R. B. Lemberg and their forthcoming THE FOUR PROFOUND WEAVES.
Jo Ladzinski on their JO WRITES FANTASY (listed without comment) and EVERY BOOK A DOORWAY are excited about the book.
I don’t recall how exactly I discovered this one, but I’m so thankful that I did because it sounds incredible.
EVERY BOOK A DOORWAY
In an interview with PEN AMERICA, Rivers Solomon mentioned Lemberg and THE FOUR PROFOUND WEAVES when asked “Which writers working today are you most excited by?”
I love R.B Lemberg, whose novella THE FOUR PROFOUND WEAVES is forthcoming from Tachyon in 2020. Lyrical and unflinching.
On METAFILTER, Lemberg is mentioned several times in the conversations titled “3 months drinking from the firehose of trans literature/art/poetry/music.” In the beginning post, user protondonor list works by trans people in the order that they finished reading them. Interestingly enough the list begins with Lemberg’s “Grandmother-nai-Leylit’s Cloth of Winds” and finishes with Lemberg’s “The Desert Glassmaker and the Jeweler of Berevyar.”
In the ensuing comments, user thesmallmachine (aka Isaac R. Fellman) further elaborates on Lemberg.
Coming up next year, I’ve read ARC’s of Lemberg’s THE FOUR PROFOUND WEAVES, Daniel Ortberg (now Lavery)’s Something That May Shock and Discredit You, and Julian Jarboe’s Everyone on the Moon is Essential Personnel, and so I can say with confidence that 2020 is gonna be a GREAT year for transmasc writing.
