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January 8, 2016

Finally more images from SundanceTV’s HAP AND LEONARD

Alec Checkerfield Uncategorized bill sage, christina hendricks, collection, crime, hap and leonard, hap and leonard ride again, james purefoy, jimmi simpson, joe lansdale, Joe R. Lansdale, michael k. williams, pollyanna mcintosh, short stories, sundanceTV', texas, texas noir, the wrap, tv insider

THE WRAP and TV INSIDER both shared images from the highly anticipated HAP AND LEONARD SundanceTV series, based on Joe R. Lansdale’s popular books.

Michael K. Williams and James Purefoy as the titular characters

Christina Hendricks as Trudy

Bill Sage as Howard

Pollyanna McIntosh as Angel

Jimmi Simpson as Soldier

Visit THE WRAP and TV INSIDER for more images from the series, which comes your way in March.

Also coming this March are two new collections featuring the dynamic duo:

For more info on HAP AND LEONARD, visit the Tachyon page.

For more info about HAP AND LEONARD RIDE AGAIN, visit the Tachyon page.

Covers by Elizabeth Story

January 8, 2016

Even more Tachyon among the very best

Alec Checkerfield Uncategorized andrew wheeler, anthology, best of 2015, christina scholz, chuma hill, collection, damien angelica walters, elizabeth story, Ellen Datlow, falling in love with hominids, hannu rajaniemi, hannu rajaniemi: collected fiction, horror, ian sales, it does have to be right, james everington, john coulthart, lius lasahido, los angeles public library, novella, reiko murakami, review, science fiction, short stories, slow bullets, strange horizons, the conversationalist, the monstrous, this is horror, Thomas Canty

Several Tachyon titles were included on many a pundit’s list for the best publications of 2015.

Christina Scholz at STRANGE HORIZONS loved Nalo Hopkinson’s FALLING IN LOVE WITH HOMINIDS.

As long as we’re talking short stories, Nalo Hopkinson’s FALLING IN LOVE WITH HOMINIDS has also earned a special place in my heart. If you’re looking for a distinctive and powerful woman’s voice in weird fiction, you should definitely read this book. Hopkinson writes from a transcultural, postcolonial, feminist, LGBT perspective, and her work is empowering and fun to read. I especially enjoyed her use of patterns from oral storytelling and her interweaving of Carribbean myth with contemporary Weird (and other things, including Shakespeare).

The LOS ANGELES PUBLIC LIBRARY included FALLING IN LOVE WITH HOMINIDS on their best of the year list.

This collection of short stories by celebrated fantasy author Nalo Hopkinson is incredibly original and beguiling. The stories throw you straight into new and fantastic worlds that you will wish to stay in longer. Whether it be the quirky and adorable world of “Miss Emily Breakfast,” or the chilling coming of age “The Easthound,” this is a collection you will not be able to put down.

THE CONVERSATIONALIST included the collection among it’s favorite books.

This was such a strong and interesting collection to read! Once again I was reminded that given the right context, I do really enjoy short fiction. I savoured this book, I really enjoyed it and I tried to let all the words seep into my bones. Before this collection I was unfamilar with Hopkinson’s work – but she’d been on my ‘to-read’ list for absolutely ages! I’m so glad I got a chance to read this collection because I really got a sense of her writing, the kind of stories she wanted to tell. I’m so glad I had an opportunity to read this, it’s easily one of the best things I read this year.

Without comment, Damien Angelica Walters listed Ellen Datlow’s THE MONSTROUS with the best anthologies and collections of 2015.

Also without comment (though he wrote effusively about the book in his THIS IS HORROR review), James Everington included four tales from the anthology in his annual Favourite Short Stories selections.

Andrew Wheeler on his THE ANTICK MUSINGS OF G.B.H. HORNSWOGGLER, GENT. mentioned Alastair Reynolds’ SLOW BULLETS among his favorite books of 2015.

But the pride of place for the month has to go to a short book that made me want to read science fiction again, after a long period of being sour on fiction in general and techno-babble in particular. Alastair Reynolds’s SLOW BULLETS uses SFnal ideas to tell a story that mainstream fiction never could – and that’s a story of characters, about memory and redemption and second chances and traditions and justice and revenge.

At IT DOESN’T HAVE TO BE RIGHT…, Ian Sales laments the poor quality of 2015 science fiction books covers with the exception of HANNU RAJANIEMI: COLLECTED FICTION.

I’ve had a quick look at my bookshelves, and online, for cover art from genre books published in 2015… and failed to find any which particularly stood out. Except, perhaps, the cover art to Hannu Rajaniemi’s COLLECTED FICTION, which is by Luis Lasahido. But I shall continue to look, in the hope I find enough candidates for my ballot before the end of the year.

For more information on FALLING IN LOVE WITH HOMINIDS, visit the Tachyon page.

Cover art by Chuma Hill

Design by Elizabeth Story

For more information on THE MONSTROUS, visit the Tachyon page.

Cover by Reiko Murakami

Illustrations by John Coulthart

Cover design by Elizabeth Story

For more information about SLOW BULLETS, visit the Tachyon page.

Cover art by Thomas Canty

Design by Elizabeth Story

For more information on HANNU RAJANIEMI: COLLECTED FICTION, visit the Tachyon page.

Cover art by Lius Lasahido

Design by Elizabeth Story

January 8, 2016

THE MONSTROUS is an utterly compelling cornucopia of horrors

Alec Checkerfield Uncategorized adventures in sci fi publishing, anthology, elizabeth story, Ellen Datlow, horror, james everington, john coulthart, john dodds, John Langan, reiko murakami, review, signing, the monstrous, this is horror, word

The reviews and mentions for Ellen Datlow’s impressive THE MONSTROUS keep streaming in.

Ellen Datlow and friend

For ADVENTURES IN SCI FI PUBLISHING, John Dodds praises the anthology and the editor.

In THE MONSTROUS (Tachyon Publications), the latest anthology in which she holds the editorial reins, Ellen Datlow presents us with yet another utterly compelling cornucopia of horrors. In this case, tackling the theme of monsters and the various interpretations thereof. In her fascinating introduction, Ms. Datlow gives us the entomology of the word “monster”; originally it had benign interpretation meaning “to warn or instruct.” Arguably within the following pages we are indeed being warned or instructed, but not in any benign way whatsoever. If you require any warning up front, I would say this: don’t read these tales if you usually like to sleep with the light off (you may find your electricity bill increasing and you may possibly enjoy a touch of insomnia, to boot).

<Dodds then reviews every story>

When I learned that Corpsemouth by John Langan was set in and around Glasgow (where my own Kendrick Chronicles trilogy takes place), I was doubly keen to read it. On a visit to his ancestral Scottish home, the American protagonist learns that the final words of his dying father have profound and terrifying import. A fabulous story, and a great way to end this sterling anthology.

On a final note, my ARC didn’t contain the accompanying illustrations by John Coulthart. But from what I see on his website, they are brilliant. You can see a couple here illustrating this review.

At THIS IS HORROR, James Everington declared that there are “no bad stories” in the book.

Monsters are a staple of the horror genre, with countless books serving up reheated stories of vampires, were-creatures and Cthulhu. But as you might expect from editor Ellen Datlow, THE MONSTROUS is altogether more ambitious in its scope.

This anthology collects together stories about monsters from across the globe and different traditions. There’s nothing formulaic here and even where a recognisable creature from the horror pantheon appears, it’s not as we know it. This is also an anthology that largely steers clear of the overdone ‘humans are the real monsters’ trope–the beings in THE MONSTROUS are for the most part defiantly Other.

It opens strongly with ‘A Natural History of Autumn’ by Jeffrey Ford. This is a modern day Japanese noir, in which a business man takes a hired escort to an onsen (a thermal spring bathhouse). Like all good noirs the stories secrets are revealed gradually and the monster, presumably one from Japanese folklore, is for Western readers something of a surprise.

<Everington then reviews every story>

Overall, THE MONSTROUS is one of the most impressive themed anthologies of the year, varied in terms of theme and style, but fortunately not in terms of quality. There are no bad stories and the standard caveat applies: every reader’s favourites will differ. Datlow’s reputation as one of the best anthology editors in the business endures.

THIS IS HORROR further honors the anthology with a nomination for the THIS IS HORROR Award 2015.

It’s that time of year again, friends. The This Is Horror Awards 2015 are now open. Please send your votes to awards@thisishorror.co.uk with the subject line ‘Awards 2015’. To cast a vote simply write the category and your vote for each award. You may vote for your top two in each category. For example:

Award
1. First choice
2. Second choice

This is in place in the event there is a tie breaker for first place after the votes have been counted.

Anthology of the Year

Aickman’s Heirs, edited by Simon Strantzas
Choose Wisely: 35 Women Up To No Good, co-edited by H. L. Nelson and Joanne Merriam
Cthulhu Fhtagn!, edited by Ross E. Lockhart
Exigencies: A Neo-Noir Anthology, edited by Richard Thomas
Hanzai Japan: Fantastical, Futuristic Stories of Crime From and About Japan, edited by Nick Mamatas and Masumi Washington
The Monstrous, edited by Ellen Datlow

In the conclusion to his October report (issued on December 28), THE MONSTROUS contributor John Langan recounts the Halloween event at the Brooklyn bookstore WORD.

John Langan at WORD.

A considerable crowd filled the bookstore’s basement reading space; I was happy to see Ellen Datlow, Michael Calia, Robert Levy, Ardi Alspach, and well-known diva Theresa DeLucci among its numbers. The reading itself went well: Ryan Britt made some interesting and amusing references to vampire trousers. Laird [Barron] read from his introduction to THE CASE AGAINST SATAN, and a brief excerpt from the novel, itself. Livia [Llewellyn] delivered a powerhouse reading; she’s a talented and inspired performer of her own work who never fails to impress, and if you have a chance to see her read, you should. Tobias Carroll read about half of one of Thomas Ligotti’s stories, and I have to say, brought out a humor I hadn’t recognized in Ligotti’s work before. I read a self-contained narrative from my story, “Corpsemouth,” which appeared in Ellen’s THE MONSTROUS.

For more on THE MONSTROUS, visit the Tachyon page.

Cover by Reiko Murakami

Illustrations by John Coulthart

Cover design by Elizabeth Story

January 7, 2016

Tachyon tidbits featuring Kelley Armstrong, Joe R. Lansdale, and Lavie Tidhar

Alec Checkerfield Uncategorized blu gilliand, central station, collection, crime, elizabeth story, hap and leonard, horror, joe lansdale, Joe R. Lansdale, kelley armstrong, lavie tidhar, led astray, led astray: the best of kelley armstrong, margo bond collins, mystery, october country, paranormal romance, review, science fiction, sff180, short stories, texas noir, urban fantasy, vampires, werewolves, words words words

The latest reviews and mentions of Tachyon titles from around the web.

Kelly Armstrong (photo: Kathryn Hollinrake)/Joe R. Lansdale/Lavie Tidhar (Photo: Kevin Nixon. © Future Publishing 2013)

Margo Bond Collins of WORDS WORDS WORDS reviews the five star LED ASTRAY: THE BEST OF KELLEY ARMSTRONG.

Kelley Armstrong’s short fiction is often delightfully dark, drawing as much on the horror roots of urban fantasy as it does on the fantasy. The pieces included in Led Astray are no exception–this anthology collects short stories set both in and outside of Armstrong’s established universes, most of them with more surprising twists and horrifying endings than the novels set in those same universes.

Ultimately, Armstrong’s collection is an excellent companion to her other works for current fans, and a wonderful introduction to the author’s versatility and style for new readers.

Five stars.

At THE OCTOBER COUNTRY, Blu Gilliand in his recount of the year’s best reads, predicted his possible favorites for 2016.

In my 2014 reading recap, I discussed how a number of familiar names dominated that year’s Top Ten, and I predicted that several of those names would resurface in 2015 – names like Joe Lansdale, Ace Atkins and Stephen King. Well, not only did that prediction come true, but I’m making a similar prediction for 2016. Lansdale has both a Hap and Leonard novel and a Hap and Leonard short story collection on deck; King has the finale of his Bill Hodges trilogy ready to go; and Atkins will once again favor us with new entries in his Quinn Colson series and his continuation of Robert Parker’s Spenser series. Don’t be shocked if some (or all) of those titles make the Top Ten for 2016.

The video blog SFF180 included Lavie Tidhar’s CENTRAL STATION in it’s 16 in ‘16: Highly Anticipated SFF! feature.

For more information on LED ASTRAY: THE BEST OF KELLEY ARMSTRONG, visit the Tachyon page.

Cover by Elizabeth Story

For more information on HAP AND LEONARD, visit the Tachyon page.

Cover by Elizabeth Story

For more information on CENTRAL STATION, visit the Tachyon page.

Cover design by Elizabeth Story

January 7, 2016

More Tachyon titles rank among the very best

Alec Checkerfield Uncategorized alastair reynolds, ambling along the aqueduct, anthology, best of 2015, cheryl morgan, chuma hill, collection, elizabeth story, Ellen Datlow, falling in love with hominids, greeburgh public library, hannu rajaniemi, hannu rajaniemi: collected fiction, horror, james everington, Lit Reactor, lius lasahido, livia llewellyn, nalo hopkinson, novella, reiko murakami, richard thomas, science fiction, slow bullets, steve reads, the monstrous, Thomas Canty, val's random comments

Tachyon titles were included on many a pundit’s list for the best publications of 2015. Here’s a selection of six such rankings.

Kathy at the Greenburgh Public Library named Alastair Reynolds’ SLOW BULLETS as one of her books she read and loved in 2015.

The ideas were new and different and disturbing and good all at the same time.

Without comment, JAMES EVERINGTON named Ellen Datlow’s THE MONSTROUS as one of the best anthologies of the year.

Richard Thomas of LIT REACTOR included “The Last Clean, Bright Summer,” Livia Llewellyn’s contribution to THE MONSTROUS, among his favorite short stories of 2015.

I’m always fascinated by ritual, and this story embraces that habit, and adds a layer of innocence to the equation. I’ve become a huge fan of Livia’s work, and I seek it out now whenever I can. A mixture of rural simplicity and surreal grandness, the way this story unfolds, the outcome, the inevitability of it all, the ways that the people see their lives, the violence and rebirth—it’s quite unsettling. And yet, also touching, if that’s possible.

In her Year in Review column for AMBLING ALONG THE AQUEDUCT, Cheryl Morgan mentions HANNU RAJANIEMI: COLLECTED FICTION.

HANNU RAJANIEMI: COLLECTED FICTION is worth checking out even if you only do so for “The Haunting of Apollo A7LB”, which I adore.

VAL’s RANDOM COMMENTS admits that Nalo Hopkinson’s FALLING IN LOVE WITH HOMINIDS just missed the top ten books of the year.

While over at STEVES READS, FALLING IN LOVE WITH HOMINIDS was the number one book of the year.

Here at the end of the year, I’m a bit surprised that the best sff book of 2015 was not only a short story collection but also one that veers so close so often to the border of YA. And yet, Nalo Hopkinson’s FALLING IN LOVE WITH HOMINIDS is just a stunning success of a creative vision, even when that vision is presented in shards and fragments of eighteen different stories. Some of those stories – pieces like “Message in a Bottle” or “The Easthound” – are more effective than others, but the overall effect is joyous.

For more information about SLOW BULLETS, visit the Tachyon page.

Cover art by Thomas Canty

Design by Elizabeth Story

For more information on THE MONSTROUS, visit the Tachyon page.

Cover by Reiko Murakami

Cover design by Elizabeth Story

For more information on HANNU RAJANIEMI: COLLECTED FICTION, visit the Tachyon page.

Cover art by Lius Lasahido

Design by Elizabeth Story

For more information on FALLING IN LOVE WITH HOMINIDS, visit the Tachyon page.

Cover art by Chuma Hill

Design by Elizabeth Story

January 7, 2016

Reviewers, bloggers, and librarians get World Fantasy Award Winner Lavie Tidhar’s CENTRAL STATION

Alec Checkerfield Uncategorized arc, central station, galley, lavie tidhar, netgalley, science fiction

Review copies of the British Science Fiction award winner Lavie Tidhar’s CENTRAL STATION are now available via NetGalley.

These copies are only for reviewers and librarians. For more details, visit NetGalley.

And while you are there, check out the other Tachyon titles for review.

CENTRAL STATION

by Lavie Tidhar

ISBN: 9781616962142

Published: May 2016

Available Format(s): Trade Paperback and Ebooks

A worldwide diaspora has left a quarter of a million people at the foot of a space station. Cultures collide in real life and virtual reality. The city is a weed, its growth left unchecked. Life is cheap and data is cheaper.

“If you want to know what SF is going to look like in the next decade, this is it.”
—Gardner Dozois, editor of the best-selling Year’s Best Science Fiction series

When Boris Chong returns to Tel Aviv from Mars, much has changed. Boris’s ex-lover Miriam is raising a strangely familiar child who can tap into the data stream of a mind with the touch of a finger. His cousin Isobel is infatuated with a robotnik—a cyborg ex-Israeli soldier who might well be begging for parts. Even his old flame Carmel—a hunted data-vampire—has followed him back to a planet where she is forbidden to return.

“A dazzling tale of complicated politics and even more complicated souls. Beautiful.”
—Ken Liu, Nebula, Hugo, and World Fantasy winner and author of The Grace of Kings

Rising above all is Central Station, the interplanetary hub between all things: the constantly shifting Tel Aviv; a powerful virtual arena, and the space colonies where humanity has gone to escape the ravages of poverty and war. Everything is connected by the Others, powerful entities who, through the Conversation—a shifting, flowing stream of consciousness—are just the beginning of irrevocable change.

“Lavie Tidhar weaves the threads of classic and modern science fiction tropes with the skills of a gene surgeon and creates a whole new landscape to portray a future both familiar and unsettling. A unique marriage of Philip K. Dick, William Gibson, C. L. Moore, China Miéville, and Larry Niven with 50 degrees of compassion and the bizarre added. An irresistible cocktail.”
—Maxim Jakubowski, author of the Sunday Times bestselling Vina Jackson novels

For more information about CENTRAL STATION, visit the Tachyon page.

Cover design by Elizabeth Story

January 6, 2016

Tachyon titles rank among the very best

Alec Checkerfield Uncategorized amal el-mohtar, bea's book nook, best of 2015, book chase, collection, elizabeth story, Ellen Datlow, fantasy, fantasy literature, hannu rajaniemi, hannu rajaniemi: collected fiction, horror, julie dillon, kate elliott, kelley armstrong, led astray, led astray: the best of kelley armstrong, lius lasahido, magic realism, npr, paranormal romance, reiko murakami, science fiction, short stories, the essential w. p. kinsella, the mo, the very best of kate elliott, Thomas Canty, urban fantasy, w. p. kinsella

Tachyon titles were included on many a pundit’s list for the best publications of 2015. Here’s a selection of five such rankings. More to come over the next several days.

NPR named HANNU RAJANIEMI: COLLECTED FICTION as one of 2015′s great reads.

In Hannu Rajaniemi’s collected short fiction, godhood is a plague, the city of Paris woos a Finnish man, a record chain’s logo is a dense symbolic capsule, and stories occasionally read you while you read them. Mixing myth, fairy tale and hard science fiction in dazzling proportions, these stories are mind-blowing, engrossing revelations of which I can only speak hyperbolically. From Finland to the farthest reaches of outer space, Rajaniemi weds vast scope to marvelous intimacy in prose reminiscent of a ringing glass bell.

— recommended by Amal El-Mohtar, book critic

BEA’S BOOK NOOK mentioned LED ASTRAY: THE BEST OF KELLEY ARMSTRONG on her Top Ten Books I Read in 2015.

This anthology really showcases Armstrong’s strengths and her diversity plus I enjoyed the stories from her established series that gave us new perspectives from secondary and new characters as well as brand new stand-alones.

BOOK CHASE named THE ESSENTIAL W. P. KINSELLA as the number one fiction book of the year.

It is a difficult concept to explain to non-fans of the game of baseball, but there is a strong feeling of kinship between hardcore lovers of the game. Kinsella is one of those people,and it shows in the beauty and sweetness of his baseball stories. The man is a master short story writer and, thankfully, many of his stories are about baseball. This collection covers the entire Kinsella range of writing – and it is wonderful. Not just for baseball fans

Without comment, FANTASY LITERATURE included THE VERY BEST OF KATE ELLIOTT among its favorite books of 2015.

Also without comment, SHOTGUN LOGIC named Ellen Datlow’s THE MONSTROUS as one of the best anthologies of the year.

For more information on HANNU RAJANIEMI: COLLECTED FICTION, visit the Tachyon page.

Cover art by Lius Lasahido

Design by Elizabeth Story

For more information on LED ASTRAY: THE BEST OF KELLEY ARMSTRONG, visit the Tachyon page.

Cover by Elizabeth Story

For more information on THE ESSENTIAL W. P. KINSELLA, visit the Tachyon page.

Cover art by Thomas Canty

Cover design by Elizabeth Story

For more information on THE VERY BEST OF KATE ELLIOTT, visit the Tachyon page.

Cover art by Julie Dillon

Design by Elizabeth Story

For more information on THE MONSTROUS, visit the Tachyon page.

Cover by Reiko Murakami

Cover design by Elizabeth Story

January 6, 2016

Bad science: Notable studies retracted in 2015

Alec Checkerfield Uncategorized cbs news, christopher wanjek, science

For CBSNEWS, Christopher Wanjek reports on the 5 most notable scientific studies that were retracted in 2015.

Image: Getty

Or maybe it just seems that way when you’re reading through the retraction notices that scientific journals are posting with greater and greater frequency. There has been a 10-fold increase in the percentage of scientific papers retracted because of fraud since 1975, according to a study published in 2012 in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Among the more than 2,000 retracted life science papers that researchers reviewed in this study, only about 20 percent were retracted because of honest errors. A whopping 70 percent were pulled as a result of scientific misconduct – that is, lying, cheating and/or stealing.

A retraction implies that the paper is flawed, that it should never have been published and that the presented results shouldn’t be considered trustworthy. Unfortunately, while you can scrub a paper from a journal, you can’t always erase it from public consciousness. One of the most notorious papers that has been retracted is the fraudulent 1998 study by Andrew Wakefield proposing that the MMR vaccine might cause autism.

Read the rest of Wanjek’s interesting and insightful piece at CBSNEWS.

January 6, 2016

The mind-blowing FALLING IN LOVE WITH HOMINIDS is amazing

Alec Checkerfield Uncategorized afrocaribbean, canada, casey the canadian lesbrarian, cedar door books, chuma hill, collection, elizabeth story, event, falling in love with hominids, her.commonplace.blog, nalo hopkinson, review, science fiction, short stories, signing

More reviews for Nalo Hopkinson’s strong FALLING IN LOVE WITH HOMINIDS.

Nalo Hopkinson recent reading at Cellar Door Books.

From HER.COMMONPLACE.BLOG:

The explanations before each short are really neat! Nalo Hopkinson often lays out how she came about creating the following story and what inspired her, etc. It gave me a better appreciation and understanding for each short story. Even though the stories were strong as they were, the added explanation helped make their impact stronger!

Overall I enjoyed this anthology, even though I felt there were some stories that were a bit confusing to me, either with the flow of the story or the concept or what not. I wasn’t disappointed though! The title is a good indication of the content of the anthology. The word Hominid instead of another similar word, makes me think of humanoid creatures, so people who aren’t really human but appear to be. Which a lot of the stories are more or less about, people who aren’t entirely Human or normative. Sneaky sneaky!! But smart. Like I said, this book is about finding ways to feel for a variety of living beings who are, “same same but different“.

Read the rest of thew review at HER.COMMONPLACE.BLOG.

CASEY THE CANADIAN LESBRARIAN:

Well, Nalo Hopkinson’s latest book, a short story collection called Falling in Love with Hominids, has managed to surpass even my insanely high expectations. It is simply an amazing, mind-blowing, I-can’t-think-of-enough-superlative-adjectives-to-describe-it kind of book. As the blurb by Junot Diaz on the cover says, Hopkinson is a “writer with an imagination that most of us would kill for.” Time and again, the twists and turns in these stories will leave you in shock, awe, and with a trippy, WTF kind of feeling that will probably remind you of being stoned.

Aside from all that incredible content, what you should also know is Hopkinson’s writing is gorgeous, and the stories are populated by an ethnically diverse cast and plenty of queer characters (men and women). You can especially look forward to black and indigenous characters, a gay dad, and a bit of a love triangle between queer women.

What are you waiting for? I dont know if you’ll be in love with all hominids, but I bet you’ll be in love with a certain one by the time you’re done reading this book.

Read the rest of Casey’s review at CASEY THE CANADIAN LESBRARIAN.

For more information on FALLING IN LOVE WITH HOMINIDS, visit the Tachyon page.

Cover art by Chuma Hill

Design by Elizabeth Story

January 5, 2016

A look back at 2015 continues

Alec Checkerfield Uncategorized anthology, central station, chuma hill, collection, daryl gregory, dreams of distant shores, elizabeth story, Ellen Datlow, falling in love with hominids, fantasy, horror, john coulthart, kelley armstrong, lavie tidhar, led astray, led astray: the best of kelley armstrong, nalo hopkinson, paranormal romance, patricia a mckillip, reiko murakami, review, science fiction, shirley jackson award, short stories, the monstrous, urban fantasy, vampires, we are all completely fine, werewolves, World Fantasy Award

Yesterday we started the Tachyon playback of 2015. Now we continue in July with the first of the reviews for Nalo Hopkinson’s extraordinary FALLING IN LOVE WITH HOMINIDS.

“Hopkinson’s stories dazzle”
—NPR

“The stories all share a common thread of magic, which is often woven, whether subtly or blatantly, into the fabric of everyday reality, allowing characters to react to the strange or the impossible as it crosses into their world. Hopkinson also draws frequently on her Caribbean upbringing and heritage, and her characters’ voices are distinct and authentic, both in their speech patterns and in their ways of looking at their surroundings. Hopkinson’s fans will be delighted by these examples of her wide-ranging imagination.”
—Publishers Weekly

A Barnes and Noble Bookseller’s Pick for August 2015
“The award-winning author of Midnight Robber and Brown Girl in the Ring returns with a collection of fantastical short fiction, assembling a decade’s worth of stories of magic and the supernatural intersecting with everyday life.”
—Barnes and Noble

“There is something for everyone in this collection. Hopkinson manages to make a reader’s skin crawl in one story and smile in the next. It’s a mixture that keeps you reading just to see what she will come up with next. A great collection from a highly imaginative and insightful mind, Falling in Love with Hominids is a must read for fantasy and short story fans”
—Portland Book Review

“Hopkinson’s stories stack up well against their source of inspiration, but her voice is clearly her own, charged with deep feeling and vast imagination.”
—San Francisco Chronicle

“Every reader will surely find something to love, as this collection is often hilariously funny, deeply tragic, intensely engaging, and strongly steeped with fantastic elements.”
—Civilian Reader

and many more….

Daryl Gregory’s extraordinary novella WE ARE ALL COMPLETELY FINE won the prestigious Shirley Jackson Award.

The first reviews for the forthcoming LED ASTRAY: THE VERY BEST OF KELLEY ARMSTRONG started coming in.

“[STAR] From the first moment, this collection of fantastical tales sizzles with dark promise, rich world-building, and complex, often haunting characters. In “Rakshashi,” Amrita has long since completed her penance for the crimes she committed as a mortal, and is willing to take any avenue to capture her reward. Tanya is a woman with a gaslighting husband and a complicated history in “A Haunted House of Her Own.” “Dead Flowers by a Roadside” features a grieving man who can speak to ghosts—all but the ones he most longs to hear from. “Harbinger” introduces a group of spirits who have a message but no voice. Each story feels innovative and exciting, and they work together to create a harmonious whole from glittering supernatural fragments. The stories are set at various times and places but all feel as though they spring from the same dark, dangerous, and fantastical world. This excellent anthology will thrill Armstrong fans and new readers alike.”
—Publishers Weekly, starred review

“…excellent escapism for urban fantasy readers!”
—Risingshadow.net

“…excellently written…. I’m impressed, deeply impressed by almost every story in this book.”
—Fangs for the Fantasy

“If you are a fan of any of Armstrong’s series then this book is one that you NEED!”

—Night Owl Reviews

“Shocks, horror, grief, magic and a little romance [—] this collection has it all!
—Just Talking Books

“Kelley Armstrong’s Led Astray hits all the notes it’s supposed to, and quite a few higher ones as well…. plenty for hard-core fans and newcomers alike to enjoy.”
—Green Man Review

and many more….

HOLLYWOOD LIFE revealed that Christina Hendricks in her first major post MAD MEN role will play Hap Collins’ ex-wife Trudy on Sundance TV’s HAP AND LEONARD, the adaptation of Joe R. Lansdale’s acclaimed crime series.

Through the Zeno Literacy Agency, we announced the forthcoming publication of the acclaimed Lavie Tidhar’s new book CENTRAL STATION.

The first views of John Coulthart’s incredible and horrific illustrations for Ellen Datlow’s THE MONSTROUS went public.

After teasing and hinting about it for months, we finally officially announced HAP AND LEONARD, a collection of the finest Joe R. Lansdale short stories featuring the not-so-dynamic East Texas duo.

Tachyon enjoyed Armadillocon 37.

Claude Lalumière and James Morrow have a good laugh at the con (photo: Jayme Lynn Blaschke)

In August, we shared the cover to Lavie Tidhar’s CENTRAL STATION.

Joe R. Lansdale produced an original story for the forthcoming Hap and Leonard collection.

We celebrated James Tiptree, Jr.’s centenary.

Alice B. Sheldon (James Tiptree, Jr.)

Ars Necronomica featured John Coulthart at their showcase of the legacy and future of Lovecraft in visual arts.

Coulthart standing beside his LOVECRAFT’S MONSTERS title page image.

(photo: courtesy of Providence Art Club)

Though not due out until October, reviews started coming in for Ellen Datlow’s anthology THE MONSTROUS.

[STAR] Datlow, horror anthologist extraordinaire, brings together all things monstrous in this excellent reprint anthology of 20 horror stories that explore the ever-widening definition of what makes a monster, with nary a misstep. The varied sources of monstrosity include a very troubled kindergarten teacher, a catering company that puts humans on the menu, and spirit-devouring creatures out of Japanese mythology, all creating distinctive microcosms where monsters reign in many forms. In Gemma Files’s “A Wish from a Bone,” an archeological reality show filming in Sudan uncovers evidence of the Terrible Seven, ancient beings who are bent on destruction and domination. Adam-Troy Castro’s “The Totals” skewers bureaucracy and the daily grind by populating a drinking hole with monsters, who create mayhem, commit murder, and kvetch with their deadly coworkers with the same sense of ennui felt by any office drone. Other standouts by Sofia Samatar, Dale Bailey, and Christopher Fowler round out this atmospheric and frequently terrifying collection. (Oct.)
—Publishers Weekly, starred review

“The only direction editor Datlow gave her contributors when compiling this collection was that she didn’t want any human monsters. While some of the tenty stories here skirt that rule, there are a nice variety of inhuman beasties as well. A moody Japanese tale from Jeffrey Ford, “A Natural History of Autumn,” opens the collection, followed by Peter Straub’s school-set riff on Cinderella, “Ashputtle.” Other standouts include Adam-Troy Castro’s “The Totals,” which gives us a competitive monster office and “Down Among the Dead Men” from Jack Dann and Gardner Dozois about a vampire imprisoned in a World War II concentration camp. The anthology also finishes strong with John Langan’s Scottish-set “Corpsemouth,” the single story original to this collection. VERDICT The list of contributors, including Gemma Files, Caitlín R. Kiernan, Adam L.G. Nevill, and Kim Newman, will be enough to get horror fans excited. The assortment of styles means that there is a monster here for everyone’s taste.—MM”
—Library Journal

“[T]he writers whose yarns appear in this collection are definitely responsible for eliciting some genuinely unsettling responses to their tales. Unsettling is a desired response for those who write and read horror fiction, and The Monstrous fulfills the desire… .The twenty high caliber tales in Tachyon Publications’ The Monstrous delve into egregious behavior with intelligent observations. Eerie and artfully executed, the narratives are highly imaginative and chilling.”
—Diabolique

“It is the monstrous wonders that come from the intelligent minds of these authors that make this book amazing.”
—Suspense Magazine

“For my money, this is the official book for Halloween 2015, a collection of shadows, scales, flesh and bone that is beautiful and unsettling all at once.”
—Ensuing Chapters

and many more….

September began with the exciting news that World Fantasy Award winner Patricia A. McKillip was returning to Tachyon with the short story collection DREAMS OF DISTANT SHORES.

That same month, we announced Jacob Weisman’s guided tour along the borders of fantastic fiction: INVADERS: 22 TALES FROM THE OUTER LIMITS OF LITERATURE.

Featured guest W. P. Kinsella hit a homer at The Word on the Street: Saskatoon Book and Magazine Festival.

Photo: Pat Covello

The excitement came quick in October as we finally got a first look at James Purefoy and Michael K. Williams as Joe R. Lansdale’s Hap and Leonard.

Shortly after, we made another Lansdale-related announcement. Coming out in March, 2016 concurrently with the print only HAP AND LEONARD, the ebook HAP AND LEONARD RIDE AGAIN delivers more adventures of the not-so-dynamic duo, including an original vignette only available in this edition.

The first big news of November was Daryl Gregory’s WE ARE ALL COMPLETELY FINE winning the World Fantasy Award.

Daryl Gregory and Tachyon publisher Jacob Weisman after the World Fantasy Awards ceremony (photo: Sunil Patel)

Tachyon’s 20th anniversary party happened on November 15. In honor of the event, we produced a limited 300-copy chapbook edition of Charlie Jane Anders’ Hugo Award winning tale SIX MONTHS, THREE DAYS.

For the party, writer Effie Seiberg produced an astonishing cake of the Tachyon logo.

And Associate Editor Rachel Fagundes showed up in her custom made dress.

(photo: Francesca Myman)

Managing editor Jill Roberts getting to know the local wildlife off Skywalker Ranch (photo: Ellen Datlow)

November ended with the Tachyon crew leaving the relative safety of their San Francisco offices and venturing to the legendary Skywalker Ranch.

Associate editor Rachel Fagundes, Managing Editor Jill Roberts, Editor of many groundbreaking, award-winning anthologies Ellen Datlow, Publisher Jacob Weisman, Lead Designer Elizabeth Story, and facilitator of this whole shebang Gregory Norman Bossert at Skywalker Ranch.

A relatively quiet December was punctuated by two events, both centered around Joe R. Lansdale.

At the Courmayeur Noir in Festival, Lansdale was presented with the prestigious Raymond Chandler Award. Previous recipents include Elmore Leonard, Scott Turow, and John le Carre.

Christina Hendricks as Trudy in SundanceTV’s HAP AND LEONARD

And at long last, Sundance TV released a teaser trailer for HAP AND LEONARD.

Thank you for being part of our adventure. Happy new year to everyone out there. And here’s to Tachyon’s 21st year. We’re finally legal!

For more information on FALLING IN LOVE WITH HOMINIDS, visit the Tachyon page.

Cover art by Chuma Hill

Design by Elizabeth Story

For more information on WE ARE ALL COMPLETELY FINE, visit the Tachyon page.

Cover design by Elizabeth Story

For more information on LED ASTRAY: THE VERY BEST OF KELLEY ARMSTRONG, visit the Tachyon page.

Cover by Elizabeth Story

For more information on THE MONSTROUS, visit the Tachyon page.

Cover by Reiko Murakami

Illustrations by John Coulthart

Cover design by Elizabeth Story

For more information on CENTRAL STATION, visit the Tachyon page.

Cover design by Elizabeth Story

For more information on HAP AND LEONARD, visit the Tachyon page.

Cover by Elizabeth Story

For more information on DREAMS OF DISTANT SHORES, visit the Tachyon page.

Cover by Thomas Canty

For more information on INVADERS: 22 TALES FROM THE OUTER LIMITS OF LITERATURE, visit the Tachyon page.

Cover by Goro Fujita

Design by Elizabeth Story

For more information on THE ESSENTIAL W. P. KINSELLA, visit the Tachyon page.

Cover art by Thomas Canty

Cover design by Elizabeth Story

For more information on HAP AND LEONARD RIDE AGAIN, visit the Tachyon page.

Cover by Elizabeth Story

For more information on SIX MONTHS, THREE DAYS, visit the Tachyon page.

Cover design by Elizabeth Story

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