Uncategorized

August 25, 2014

COLD IN JULY is a pulp styled good tale

Alec Checkerfield Uncategorized cold in july, crime, elizabeth story, joe lansdale, Joe R. Lansdale, lou pendergrast, more2read, movie tie-in, mystery, review, texas noir

Lou Pendergrast at More2Read reviews Joe R. Lansdale’s Cold in July.

His prose is lean and tight, dialogue and scenes have you in and running the the tale through his voice whipped in a well good sentence.

An author breathing amongst us the likes of the great authors James M Cain and Jim Thompson.

A pulp styled good tale but deeper without too much deepness in narrative just the right amount to be enjoyable wherever you restart reading the tale, right chapters sizes, right story length, all hallmarks of Lansdale’s skill as a storyteller.

For more information about Cold in July, visit the Tachyon page.

Cover design by Elizabeth Story.

August 22, 2014

THE EMPEROR’S SOUL does all of the impressive things that any of Sanderson’s novels do

Alec Checkerfield Uncategorized alexander nanitchkov, brandon sanderson, cosmere, elizabeth story, fantasy, forging, Hugo Award, magic, review, the emperor's soul, the undending backlog

Vandal at The Undending Backlog provides this spoiler-free review of Brandon Sanderson’s The Emperor’s Soul.

Be it a thousand-page installment of a 10,000 page epic or a hundred page novella centered on the introduction of a second magic system to an already-existing world, Brandon Sanderson writes better fantasy than anybody else going. The Emperor’s Soul, the 2013 Hugo Award winner for Best Novella, takes on the second of these tasks and through a simple, well-plotted structure and a dynamite conclusion that makes superb use of the newly-introduced Cosmere system of Forging, becomes as deep and engaging a contribution to Sanderson’s universe as any of the other 8 far-lengthier volumes of the series.

<snip>

In the end, this novella does all of the impressive things that any of Sanderson’s novels do, at a length far more modest. We get a look at another fascinating and well-applied system of magic that absolutely MUST make another appearance, either in a sequel volume to this one or a book that merges these two aspects of Sel. Regardless, The Emperor’s Soul is another remarkable, memorable, distinct, and high-quality contribution to his Cosmere and another warrant to the argument that Sanderson is the best writer of fantasy to come along in decades.

Read the rest of Vandal’s review at The Undending Backlog.

For more on The Emperor’s Soul, visit the Tachyon page.

August 22, 2014

YESTERDAY’S KIN is a joy to read

Alec Checkerfield Uncategorized aliens, mark chitty, Nancy Kress, novella, review, science fiction, sffworld, Thomas Canty, yesterday's kin

At SFFWorld, Mark Chitty praises Nancy Kress’ Yesterday’s Kin.

Yesterday’s Kin is a relatively short novel, but one packed with plenty of inventiveness, and more than a few surprising revelations. Because of these it’s quite difficult to discuss much of the finer story elements without venturing deeply into spoiler territory. I’ll try and keep it short and sweet, and avoid too much detail wherever I can.

<snip>

The revelations that come through as the story develops are interesting and not unexpected. Kress handles them well, not dwelling too long on irrelevant details, nor bringing any implausibility to the tale. Her dealings with the characters are also well done, each of them feeling very real with plenty of depth and motivations.

In short, Yesterday’s Kin was a joy to read. Not only was the prose easily digested, but the scientific speculation and facts behind the story really helped in raising enjoyment. A thoroughly recommended novel.

Read the rest of Chitty’s review at SFFWorld.

For more info on Yesterday’s Kin, visit the Tachyon page.

Cover by Thomas Canty.

August 21, 2014

Not for the faint of heart, WE ARE ALL COMPLETELY FINE is a great read!

Alec Checkerfield Uncategorized bibliophilic book blog, daryl gregory, elizabeth story, eric christensen, every free chance, horror, Notes From the Darknet, novella, quoi de neuf sur ma pile?, Reading the end, review, we are all completely fine

A septet of reviews for Daryl Gregory’s wonderfully creepy We Are All Completely Fine.

The Bibliophilic Book Blog:

WE ARE ALL COMPLETELY FINE features a most unusual therapy group, those who have looked into the abyss and been forever altered. It is always an unknown what happens to victims of supernatural or otherworldly entities who happen to be saved or survive. WE ARE ALL COMPLETELY FINE gives us an insight into these survivors who are outcast from society. The writing style leads the reader to feel as if the group is cohesive, when they have differences between them. We learn each poor souls’ story of how they came to be the way they are today and see them grow together as an odd sort of family. The final mystery was intriguing and deliciously disturbing. Not for the faint of heart, WE ARE ALL COMPLETELY FINE is a great read!

Notes From the Darknet:

Jan, as she likes to be known, is the therapist who creates the inciting incident of the story, and Gregory’s light touch in imparting the reasons for the group’s existence is a nice change from the heavy-handed foreshadowing one often comes across in pulp horror. The same goes for the unraveling of the web of history that connects the characters, history they themselves ma be unaware of. You’d think a story that deals so much with the past would drag, but it doesn’t, and the tantalizing hints of back-story definitely left me wanting more about these characters. It felt like I only got a snapshot of the characters’ lives, and that their stories existed long before that snapshot and will keep going long after. And yet the snapshot itself was still very satisfying. That’s something I consider a mark of a superior story–there are loose ends and secrets and histories the reader is unaware of, but it adds to rather than detracts from the story.

Reading the End:

It’s THE BEST. If this were the pilot episode of a show on Syfy, I would set up a Change.org petition for six seasons and a movie.

Eric Christensen:

Gregory is able to convey a lot of depth with quick cuts and small hints that build into a larger, interwoven story that hints at something even larger and more sinister. It’s an impressive feat. I would say it’s a fun read, but that is only how I view it now, days later. After closing the book, I had to start my driving shift, and to be honest, I couldn’t shake the story right away. It’s weird imagery and techniques stuck with me. And in my opinion, that’s the mark of a great read.

Quoi de neuf sur ma pile? (Poorly translated from the French using Google Translate):

It does not read “We are all completely Call fine” mere spectator even interested. We’re intrigued, horrified often, we try to separate truth from falsehood, we take part in one or the other against one or the other, we sympathize with these extreme victims, they have suffered, and what they have left to do because nothing is ever finished. The reader is drawn into the story, driven by the atrocity of the fates to the heart of horror. The author forces him to watch, panting, what lies on the Other Side. The contract is completed, Gregory takes readers far into the dark fantasy that his premises led to believe.

Every Free Chance:

Gregory’s written a wonderfully creepy little book that will make you think twice about going out after dark. If you’ve ever wondered what happens to the people who survive the horror stories, this is the book for you. It’s a fast read – it was a great way to spend a weekend afternoon – but I’d seriously recommend you close the cover before sunset.

For information on We Are All Completely Fine, visit the Tachyon page.

Cover design by Elizabeth Story.

August 21, 2014

Every time I read a Lansdale book, I have trouble putting it down

Alec Checkerfield Uncategorized cold in july, crime, holly newstein, interview, joe lansdale, Joe R. Lansdale, maggie's blog, movie tie-in, mystery, texas noir

In the Three Question interview at Maggie’s Blog, author Holly Newstein praises Joe R. Lansdale and his novel Cold in July.

3. The Random Question: What are you reading currently?

I am reading Joe Lansdale’s COLD IN JULY, and plan to see the movie after I finish it. I love Joe’s ability to pull you into the story and fully engage you with his characters. Every time I read a Lansdale book, I have trouble putting it down, and the characters stay with me. He is definitely one of the most underrated American writers working today.

Read the rest of the Newstein interview at Maggie’s Blog.

For more information about Cold in July, visit the Tachyon page.

Cover design by Elizabeth Story.

August 20, 2014

How to Write a Completely Inadequate Horror Movie With Daryl Gregory

Alec Checkerfield Uncategorized daryl gregory, elizabeth story, guest post, horror, monsters, movies, novella, SF Signal, therapy, we are all completely fine

Daryl Gregory in his SF Signal guest post posits that nobody will make a horror movie out of We Are All Completely Fine.

I grew up during the golden age of slasher flicks. Jason, Freddy, Michael, and Chucky were my teenage companions. I remember being in the theatre for the original Friday the 13th, watching the face of that “final girl” as the credits rolled. She knew the nightmare would never be over. The monster would be coming back, though for a new set of victims and cheaper actors.

It was only years later that I began musing about what happened to those sole survivors after the movie was over. How were they not dysfunctional wrecks for the rest of their lives? Serious therapy-and serious meds-had to be in their future. Even when a hero or heroine returned for a sequel, the years of recovery (or attempted recovery) were barely touched on, or skipped altogether, before the new batch of bodies began piling up. But what was life like for them between the movies?

<snip>

So, since no movie on horror-victim therapy was forthcoming, if I wanted to find out what happened to those damaged folks, I’d have to write it myself. We Are All Completely Fine is about a therapy group made up of those last girls and boys, some of them still suffering decades after the trauma. Each member is from a different subgenre of horror: the escapee from the rural cannibal family; a woman who was the last girl after an attack by a supernatural slasher; a guy trapped in a Ringu-style techno horror story; a girl who fled a demonic cult; a guy who went up against Lovecraftian monsters when he was a kid. They gradually realize that their stories are connected, and not quite over.

There are good reasons why nobody will be making a movie of this story any time soon. The first problem is that except for a (literally) fiery climax, most of the exciting bits are over before the story starts. Decades over.

Read the rest of Gregory’s rationale at SF Signal.

For information on We Are All Completely Fine, visit the Tachyon page.

Cover design by Elizabeth Story.

August 20, 2014

Using Tachyon Publications to teach science fiction and fantasy

Alec Checkerfield Uncategorized college, fantasy, Gordon Van Gelder, macewan university, mike perschon, peter s beagle, science fiction, teaching, the secret history of fantasy, the very best of fantasy & science fiction volume 2, university

Teaching SF and Fantasy using Tachyon Publications

Mike Perschon, who teaches English at MacEwan University and researches steampunk and speculative literature, discussed on Twitter the books needed for a class on science fiction and fantasy. Several of the texts are published by Tachyon.

For more info on The Very Best of Fantasy & Science Fiction, Volume 2, visit the Tachyon page.

For more info on The Secret History of Fantasy, visit the Tachyon page.

August 20, 2014

THE MADONNA AND THE STARSHIP is a delectable morsel of mash-up gumbo

Alec Checkerfield Uncategorized elizabeth story, Expendable Mudge Muses Aloud, humor, James Morrow, parody, review, satire, science fiction, the madonna and the starship

Richard at Expendable Mudge Muses Aloud reviews the laugh-it-up lark The Madonna and the Starship.

What a lark! (And I don’t mean either the cigarette or the Studebaker.) If you’re old enough to have watched Lost in Space or Star Trek at night, you’ll resonate with this tale’s daffy Firesign-Theater-esque Smothers-Brothers-y energy; if Captain Video crossed your eyestalks as a sprog, a sharp pang of nostalgia will pierce your vitals to add tears to the grins.

<snip>

Religion takes its licks…there is nothing on this Earth so satisfying as the mental picture of Jesus arguing that playing god is a bad idea on a show called Not By Bread Alone…but so does rationalism by way of a surrealist romp of acid-trip proportions. Eight-foot-tall blue lobster-women wearing the statue of Prometheus from Rockefeller Center as a necklace tend to fall on the surreal end of my personal story-telling spectrum, don’t know about you.

<snip>

The fun that I had reading this delectable morsel of mash-up gumbo made this trim volume a sterling value.

Read the rest of Richard’s review at Expendable Mudge Muses Aloud.

For more on The Madonna and the Starship, visit the Tachyon page.

Cover and design by Elizabeth Story.

August 19, 2014

YESTERDAY’S KIN is a fast and enjoyable read

Alec Checkerfield Uncategorized aliens, bookaneer, Nancy Kress, novella, review, science fiction, Thomas Canty, yesterday's kin

The Bookaneer really enjoyed the science in Nancy Kress’ Yesterday’s Kin.

One of the aspects that I really enjoyed in Yesterday’s Kin is the science. The plot involves everything from panspermia to the mitochondrial Eve to the bottleneck event theory. The story itself centres around Marianne and her children, the belligerent Elizabeth, the passionate Ryan, and the hapless Noah. Yet although the story is about families, I felt distanced from all of the characters, unable to connect or empathise with any of them. This strange sense of isolation is oddly fitting: in some ways, the characters are cut adrift from one another, trapped in mutual incomprehension of each others’ minds and hearts. Marianne’s emotional and mental distance from her children, her closest family, serves to reinforce and intensify the book’s overall theme of biological kinship.

<snip>

As always seems to be the case with alien stories, much of the plot focuses on determining which side of the trope these particular aliens fall on. While the overall story is promising, I think this would have worked better as a short story rather than a novel. For me at least, it felt as though much of the book’s volume was taken up with rambling or repetitious scenes, and while these may have served to increase the tension, I found them rather tedious. While the ending is interesting, it is eminently guessable from about halfway through. Perhaps my disconnect from the characters warped my viewpoint, but I felt that given the rather limited worldbuilding, the story was too drawn out for the meagre payoff.

<snip>

At the same time, the book is a fast and enjoyable read. I loved the way that Kress intertwined the themes of alien-human ties with family ones. Some of the characters’ thoughts about relationships were especially poignant.

Read the rest of the review at Bookaneer.

For more info on Yesterday’s Kin, visit the Tachyon page.

Cover by Thomas Canty.

August 19, 2014

Visit Tor.com to win a copy of Daryl Gregory’s dark, degenerate, and sublime WE ARE COMPLETELY FINE

Alec Checkerfield Uncategorized daryl gregory, elizabeth story, giveaway, horror, novella, tor.com, we are all completely fine

The fine folks at Tor.com are giving away a copy of Daryl Gregory’s acclaimed and bitchin’ fun We Are All Completely Fine.

For full details, visit Tor.com.

Praise for We Are All Completely Fine

“[STARRED REVIEW] This complex novel—scathingly funny, horrific yet oddly inspiring—constructs a seductive puzzle from torn identities, focusing on both the value and peril of fear. When enigmatic Dr. Jan Sayer gathers survivors of supernatural violence for therapy, she unwittingly unlocks evil from the prison of consciousness. Harrison, a cynical monster-hunter, wallows in lethargy. Suicidal Barbara burns to read the secret messages inscribed on her bones. Cantankerous Stan is the lone survivor of a cannibal feast. After paranoid Martin sees slithery spirits lingering around volatile Greta, a powerful young woman decorated with mystically charged scars, ancient evils usher the rag-tag survivors to a battle with the Hidden Ones, exiled deities trapped in prisons of flesh. Gregory’s beautiful imagery and metaphors bring bittersweet intimacy and tenderness to the primal wonder of star-lit legends. Isolated people, both victims and victimizers, are ghosts in a waking world, blind to their encounters with living nightmares. Blending the stark realism of pain and isolation with the liberating force of the fantastic, Gregory (Afterparty) makes it easy to believe that the world is an illusion, behind which lurks an alternative truth—dark, degenerate, and sublime.”
—Publishers Weekly

“Clever, and filled with the creeping dread of what’s in the flickering shadow next to you and what’s just around the corner that suffuses the best horror. I loved it.”
—Ellen Datlow, Bram Stoker, World Fantasy, and International Horror Guild award-winning editor of The Best Horror of the Year series

“Charming and horrifying—you won’t be able to stop reading it.”
—Tim Powers, award-winning author of Declare and The Stress of Her Regard

“Daryl Gregory’s We Are All Completely Fine is bitchin’ fun and as wicked and strange as a motorcycle leap through a ring of fire without your pants on. Loved it.”
—Joe R. Lansdale, author of Cold in July and the Hap and Leonard series

“Daryl Gregory is a writer I would happily follow into any dark place he wanted me to go. This is a labyrinth of a story, intricate as a spider’s web—and like a spider’s web, each piece informs the whole. Beautiful.”
—Seanan McGuire, author of the October Daye series and Half-Off Ragnarok

“A superb, haunting tale by one of our very best writers. Gregory’s characters are already in therapy; you may want to join them after reading this spicy, disturbing mélange.”
—Robert J. Sawyer, Hugo Award-winning author of Red Planet Blues

“Lovecraft meets Cabin in the Woods in this tale of survivors of various supernatural horrors who come together in a support group to try to heal….fascinating”
—Fantastic Reads

“Gregory (Pandemonium, The Devil’s Alphabet, et. al.) has done it again with yet another singularly unique, genre-blending masterwork about a support group of victims of paranormal violence who realize that their nightmarish traumas are all related. This creepy concoction of supernatural fiction, mystery, and horror is a dark little literary gem that readers will absolutely cherish.”
Paul Goat Allen, Barnes & Noble.com

“We Are All Completely Fine is a remarkably seductive piece of supernatural horror, drawing the innocent reader into the web by dealing with a familiar situation… .fascinating and engrossing… “
—Thinking About Books

“This book is fast-paced, creepy, suspenseful, and yet surprisingly uplifting, with fleshed out characters I genuinely cared about… . This book is seriously awesome. Someone chain [Gregory] to a desk so he stops doing anything other than write.”
—SF Book Reviews

“I’ve not encountered many authors in the horror genre who flex literary muscle as well as Gregory. His approach was perfect for the story vehicle.”
—Out of My Mind

“Gregory does a masterful storytelling job here….”
—MT Void

“A must read”
—Buzz Feed

For information on We Are All Completely Fine, visit the Tachyon page.

Cover design by Elizabeth Story.

«< 231 232 233 234 235 >»