Photo: Rina Weisman

Suncerae Smith at READ WELL loves Peter S Beagle’s forthcoming IN CALABRIA.

Magical realism at its best, In Calabria is a modern incarnation of the unicorn fable! Lyrical and sweet, Beagle’s elegant prose reinforces the quiet joy of an old man’s attempt to capture the impossible magic of a moment through poetry. The unicorn is an embodiment of all that is sacred, pure, powerful, and free, starkly contrasted against the earthy farm with its old goat and three-legged cat. But although Bianchi cannot fathom the unicorn’s presence, his time with her kindles a delicate passion for the magic of the mundane in his own life.

The plot employs simple archetypes, including a mustache-twirling villain and a new love for Bianchi twenty years younger, which taken out of context might be bothersome, but Beagle uses these tropes to his advantage in such a short, simple, and gently profound story.

NERDS OF A FEATHER, FLOCK TOGETHER praises the book.

8/10 “well worth your time and attention”

If this story sounds like a fairy tale, that because it is in a way. It is truly a romantic tale of love and loss and how hope never really abandons us. The animals as characters are phenomenal, especially given how Beagle builds their personalities solely through their actions and Bianchi’s reactions to them (no talking animals here).

THE BIBLIOSANCTUM can’t wait for the novel.

A new unicorn fable from Peter S. Beagle, whose books I’ve wanted to read for a while!

B&N SCI-FI & FANTASY BLOG includes both IN CALABRIA and THE NEW FANTASY in their listing of 96 Books Sci-Fi & Fantasy Editors Can’t Wait for You to Read in 2017.

IN CALABRIA, by Peter S. Beagle (February 14) What better way to begin the year with the wonderful Peter S. Beagle—and unicorns! Beagle’s legacy as one of our most beloved storytellers continues with in modern-day Southern Italy, where farmer and poet Claudio Bianchi is both set in his ways and suspicious of outsiders. One chilly morning, an impossible visitor appears in his vineyard. When Claudio comes to her aid, an act of kindness throws his world into chaos. Lyrical, gripping, and wise, In Calabria is a powerful new fable for a complicated time. Beagle’s writing is, as always, beautiful, possessing quietly bittersweet intensity and loveliness.

THE NEW FANTASY, edited by Peter S. Beagle and Jacob Weisman (August)
This vibrant anthology presents cutting-edge new fantasy to adventurous readers ready for the next big thing. The up-and-coming authors in The New Fantasy have been primarily published in the last five years— many of them have or are about to put out collections and novels for the first time. Their new take on fantasy combines their personal, societal, and diverse views of the world—or worlds, as the case may be. Contributors include Alyssa Wong, Sofia Samatar,Brooke Bolander, Sarah Pinsker, Max Gladstone, Ursula Vernon, E. Lily Yu, Hannu Rajaniemi, and more.

For more info about IN CALABRIA, visit the Tachyon page.

Cover design by Elizabeth Story

For more info about THE NEW FANTASY, visit the Tachyon page.

Cover art “The Tree Child” copyright © 2011 by Camilla André

Cover design by Elizabeth Story