grimdark magazine

January 5, 2023

A pleasant surprise, Naseem Jamnia’s triumph THE BRUISING OF QILWA delivers some of the most memorable voices ever

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Samuel R. Delany Fellowship recipient Naseem Jamnia’s debut novella THE BRUISING OF QILWA collects even more praise with Jo Ladzinski at Jo Writes Fantasy including the novella among their favorite reads of the year. For Ambling Along the Aqueduct, Cheryl Morgan finds the novella a pleasant surprise. Carrie Chi Lough in Grimdark Magazine feels much the same.

Cover for THE BRUISING OF QILWA by Naseem Jamnia — Cover by Elizabeth Story

The most compact fantasy novella I’ve ever read

Truly a triumph of worldbuildng

Jo Writes Fantasy

One of the most pleasant surprises of the year has been THE BRUISING OF QILWA. This novella from Naseem Jamnia is not much about gender, though it does have a non-binary protagonist. It is a medical mystery set in a fantasy world that manages to approach the medical and magical sides of the story with the rigor of hard science fiction.
Ambling Along the Aqueduct

THE BRUISING OF QILWA contains some of the most memorable voices I’ve read in fantasy. Having an assistant healer as the protagonist unfolds a different kind of fantasy story. In many ways, THE BRUISING OF QILWA is more slice of life than epic. A good majority of the story is Firuz’s day to day life in Qilwa. They are treating patients and disposing of deceased bodies. They are guardian to their brother and a young refugee they adopted. As they uncover secrets regarding this disease, they also are adapting to their new homeland and protecting their family. These small moments of Firuz’s daily struggles are where Jamnia’s writing shines brightest.
Grimdark Magazine

October 6, 2022

THE EMPEROR’S SOUL ranks not just among Brandon Sanderson’s best works but the very best novellas of all time

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In less than two weeks, THE EMPEROR’S SOUL: 10TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION by Brandon Sanderson will be available from all finer booksellers (Copies are currently available directly from Tachyon). John Mauro for Grimdark Magazine reviews the novella, Connie J. Jasperson ranks the book in her essay “When your novel is only a novella #amwriting” among the very best novellas ever, and Sanderson teases the book in his weekly update.

Cover of The Emperor's Soul — Cover art by Alexander Nanitchkov
Design by Elizabeth Story

THE EMPEROR’S SOUL is also proof that you don’t need hundreds of pages to create a well-realized fantasy with compelling characters, a unique magic system, and thought-provoking questions on morality, art, politics, and the nature of human existence itself. Sanderson accomplishes all of this in a little over 100 pages, with a conclusion that leaves an enduring emotional impact on the reader. THE EMPEROR’S SOUL ranks among the best work by Brandon Sanderson over his incredibly prolific career.

5/5
Grimdark Magazine

Novellas hold a special place in my heart. A powerful, well-written novella can be a reading experience that shakes the literary world:
1. THE EMPEROR’S SOUL, by Brandon Sanderson
2. A Christmas Carol, by Charles Dickens
3. Breakfast at Tiffany’s, by Truman Capote
4. Candide, by Voltaire
5. Three Blind Mice, by Agatha Christie
6. The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, by Robert Louis Stevenson
7. The Time Machine, by H.G, Wells
8. Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck
9. The Old Man and the Sea, by Ernest Hemingway
10. Animal Farm, by George Orwell
11. The Turn of the Screw, by Henry James
When your novel is only a novella #amwriting

June 19, 2020

A remarkable study of friendship, Joe R. Lansdale’s OF MICE AND MINESTRONE is home cooked comfort food for the mind

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More love for Joe R. Lansdale’s OF MICE AND MINESTRONE – HAP AND LEONARD: THE EARLY YEARS.

Brad Proctor enjoys his first Hap and Leonard experience.

At GRIMDARK MAGAZINE, Chris Haught praises the book.

This book is a remarkable study of friendship, as Hap and Leonard are faced with several challenges of their times and geographic setting. The late 1960s were a time of Vietnam, racism, and the old South good ole boy system where women were treated as property. Hap and Leonard weren’t defined by these issues, however, and had a strong sense of right and wrong which motivated their decisions.

I was actually born in the southern part of the East Texas region where these stories are set, and though my family moved away when I was quite young, I remember several occasions where we went back to visit family. These stories struck home for me and stirred up some of these memories. Starting out the collection with “The Kitchen” brought back those experiences of the family gatherings, and the food we had. This was a great way to settle in and get comfortable, before striking out with Hap and Leonard to face the challenges presented by the other stories in the book.

An extra bonus to these stories is the section at the back of the book, where recipes are included of the main foods experienced in the stories themselves. This section was written by Lansdale’s daughter Kasey, and she did a great job of providing entertaining recipe notes in Hap’s narrative voice. This was a great addition to the stories, giving them a little extra flavor. My arteries might just have hardened a little bit after reading these…

KLTV interviews Lansdale about the book and racism.

The Nacogdoches-based author said the response to his new book has been phenomenal.

Lansdale said in the interview that one of the things he hates the most is racism. He explained that he saw it first-hand growing up in a small East Texas town.

He said he can remember a time when there were separate water fountains for white and black people. Once, when he went to the movies with his mother, he noticed that there was a separate line for black people, who had to sit in the movie theater’s balcony. If they had to go to the bathroom, they had to leave the theater and go across the street.

“My mom told me, ‘It’s not right. I can’t explain it, but it won’t always be this way,’” Lansdale said.

Lansdale added that treating people unfairly because of the color of their skin has always struck him as wrong. However, the Nacogdoches-based author said that the people who want to ban books like “Huck Finn” and “To Kill a Mockingbird” are missing the point.

“I feel human guilt over racism, but I don’t necessarily feel white guilt,” Lansdale said. “However, the struggle is real.”

May 12, 2020

A must read, Joe R. Lansdale’s OF MICE AND MINESTRONE is an experience worth savoring

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Joe R. Lansdale’s OF MICE AND MINESTRONE and other things Lansdale continue to garner effusive praise.

CHAR’S HORROR CORNER recommends the book.

I originally rated this 4 stars, but thinking about it overnight-I decided to change it to 5. I didn’t think about the corona virus at all when reading this, and I read it over two days, but could easily have done it in one. I wanted to savor the experience. I think you should too! The only caveat to that would be that I recommend you reading the Hap and Leonard series in order. If you do, these tales will be that much more meaningful-providing insights into the lifelong friendship of Hap and Leonard.

My highest recommendation!

Alan Cranis at BOOKGASM concurs.

A unique feature of this collection is the recipes for the food mentioned in the stories, compiled by Kasey Lansdale. They are fun to read, even if you do not prepare the dishes themselves. (But don’t worry – the recipe for the Minestrone does not include mice.)

OF MICE AND MINESTRONE is a must-read for all Lansdale devotees. If you somehow missed or avoided the previous Hap and Leonard novels or story collections – or are new to the works of this prolific and distinctive author – this anthology of stories from the duo’s early years is a wonderful introduction.

On his DAVE WRITES AND DRAWS (AND READS), David M. Simon felt much the same about the earlier HAP AND LEONARD: BLOOD AND LEMONADE.

BLOOD AND LEMONADE is a hybrid beast, a group of short stories held together with loose connective tissue. If you’re new to Hap and Leonard, this is not the one to start with. For fans, though, this is a goldmine, because we get to know Hap and Leonard as young men when they first met. I loved it.

June 19, 2019

Pre-pub excitement for Kameron Hurley‘s brilliant MEET ME IN THE FUTURE

Alec Checkerfield Uncategorized booklist, carl sutton, ellizabeth story, grimdark magazine, kameron hurley, meet me in the future, Publishers Weekly, review

Though not due out until August, Kameron Hurley’s MEET ME IN THE FUTURE has already garnered several fantastic notices.

Both PUBLISHERS WEEKLY and BOOKLIST awarded the collection starred reviews.

PUBLISHERS WEEKLY:

With snapshots of futures that haunt, obsess, or tantalize, this collection from Hugo-winner Hurley (The Light Brigade) offers 16 hard-edged pieces that gleam like gems in a mosaic.

BOOKLIST:

In her introduction, Hurley (The Light Brigade, 2019) admits that short stories aren’t her typical fare: her heart belongs to novels. And yet, she has produced one of the best story collections of the past few years. Hurley imagines brutal worlds, and her work is typically violent and vulgar. But as these stories make clear, her visions offer much more than shock value: these tales are emotionally powerful, lyrical, occasionally hopeful, and flirt with the profound. She creates worlds and characters as full and fascinating in a dozen pages as any she offers in her longer works.

GRIMDARK MAGAZINE expressed similar sentiments.

MEET ME IN THE FUTURE is a brilliant story collection that both amazes the reader with Hurley’s incredible imaginative genius and writing chops as well as it takes hold of the readers emotions like only the best fiction can. These stories are not only great reading, but they’re also great re-reading, as I’ve found in the process of writing this review. Readers who appreciate the best that SFF and grim science fiction have to offer should definitely be reading Kameron Hurley.

For info on MEET ME IN THE FUTURE, visit the Tachyon page.

Cover by Carl Sutton
Design by Elizabeth Story

January 7, 2019

Kameron Hurley’s APOCALYPSE NYX was one of the best books of 2018

Alec Checkerfield Uncategorized apocalypse nyx, best of 2018, elizabeth story, grimdark magazine, kameron hurley, pat's fantasy magazine, wadim kashin

Both GRIMDARK MAGAZINE and PAT’S FANTASY MAGAZINE (without comment but links to their originalk review) include APOCALYPSE NYX among the best books of 2018.

From GRIMDARK MAGAZINE:

APOCALYPSE NYX is the new collection of novelettes from multi-award-winning author Kameron Hurley (The Stars are Legion, the Worldbreaker Saga, and the God’s War Trilogy), and make no mistake: it’s grimdark AF. Set in the world of the God’s War Trilogy, the stories’ titular anti-hero, mercenary and bounty hunter Nyx (Nyxnissa so Dasheen) might be the grimmest darkest badass protagonist I’ve come across in SFF. She doesn’t give a crap about anything but the job and the money, and maybe the whisky… and maybe the fucking.

Is it grimdark? You bet your ass it is. Try not to root for Nyx as she blasts away innocents who happen to be in the way of the next payoff. It’s impossible. And the question of grey morality itself makes a couple of unobtrusive appearances in the stories and in the delightful banter between her crew of freaks. Grab this nice introduction to Nyx’s life and world. You won’t regret it.

On her eponymous site, Hurley releases her 2018 in Review: Writers Do Things.

I put off doing all my year-end admin, mainly because I wanted to have a couple of days that were actually days off, and then because I’ve been head down working on The Broken Heavens and then my latest Patreon story there at the month’s end.

Year-end is a time of reflection for good reason. When you get to the end of a year during the coldest, darkest time of year, it can feel like you did absolutely nothing.

So, to dispell that notion, here’s some shit that got done despite 2018’s desire to murder me:

For more info on APOCALYPSE NYX, visit the Tachyon page.

Cover by Wadim Kashin

Design by Elizabeth Story

June 7, 2018

Kameron Hurley’s APOCALYPSE NYX will blow you away

Alec Checkerfield Uncategorized apocalypse nyx, elizabeth story, get to work hurley, grimdark magazine, ignotus awards, kameron hurley, las estrellas son legión, locus magazine, podcast, review, the stars are legion, wadim kashin

GRIMDARK MAGAZINE recommends Kameron Hurley’s forthcoming APOCALYPSE NYX.

APOCALYPSE NYX is the new collection of novelettes from multi-award-winning author Kameron Hurley (The Stars are Legion, the Worldbreaker Saga, and the God’s War Trilogy), and make no mistake: it’s grimdark AF. Set in the world of the God’s War Trilogy, the stories’ titular anti-hero, mercenary and bounty hunter, Nyx (Nyxnissa so Dasheen) might be the grimmest darkest badass protagonist I’ve come across in SFF. With maybe an exception or two, she doesn’t give a crap about anything but the job and the money, and maybe the whisky… and maybe the fucking.

<snip>

The magic, violence, action, and twisting plots are great in their own right, but these are character-driven stories ferociously propelled by Nyx’s fierce and implacable personality. She can move from wanting to fuck Khos to killing him for the job in a heartbeat. She admires Rhys’s delicate features and devout nature but he’s just a Chenjan deserter and if he doesn’t like the work, he can fuck off. Rhys serves as her unwanted moral conscience and she hates him for that. Her best mate is Anneke because she is always ready with the guns and the whisky even if she is always way too wasted and nearly gets them all killed in a drug-induced psychotic outburst. Nyx’s love-hate relationships with her messed up crew and herself provides full-depth intellectual and emotional stimulation on top of the insane plots and twists of these compelling though somewhat conventional conflicts. Yes, the stories and the way they are plotting are extremely engaging, but you are definitely reading about Nyx in this book and what she actually does provides the backdrop on which Hurley paints a truly fascinating and absurdly screwed up character. It is not the high concept SFF that her award-winning and excellent novel The Stars Are Legion is, but I happen to love successful character-driven fiction, and this is primarily the reason I absolutely love APOCALYPSE NYX and intend to purchase God’s War as soon as I catch up on my reviews.

I usually talk about themes in reviews because I think they contribute to what the reader takes away from a book. Forget about it. Just let APOCALYPSE NYX blow you away with its deep portrayal of a person in constant intellectual and moral crisis, and don’t worry about what it means. You will be immersed in love, lust, hate, revenge, desire, and will question the value of human life. You will empathize with Nyx for her faults yet be appalled at her lack of human conscience. It’s a heady mix and entertaining as hell.

Is it grimdark? You bet your ass it is. Try not to root for Nyx as she blasts away innocents who happen to be in the way of the next payoff. It’s impossible. And the question of grey morality itself makes a couple of unobtrusive appearances in the stories and in the delightful banter between her crew of freaks. If you’re reading this review, then you obviously appreciate grimdark. Grab this nice introduction to Nyx’s life and world. You won’t regret it. Most highly recommended.

The translated The Stars Are Legion is a finalist for the 2018 Ignotus Awards, given annually to the best Spanish science fiction and fantasy publications.

Foreign novel

Behind Their Eyes by Sarah Pinborough (ed. Alianza)
The Archive of Atrocities by Charles Stross (ed. Unusual)
Fuego by Joe Hill (ed. Nocturna)
The Fifth Season by NK Jemisin (ed. B)
The Stars Are Legion by Kameron Hurley (ed. Alianza)

Congrats to all the finalists.

The new episode of Hurley’s monthly rant/podcast GET TO WORK HURLEY is available for your listening pleasure.

EPISODE NINE: Real talk about why women in every industry are done with the bullshit, why it’s OK to delete Facebook (yes, even if you have books to promote!), writing and mental health, and some advance craft discussions about how to manage burnout and writing expectations.

Hurley contributed the article “On Patience, Goal-Setting, and Gardening” to the June 2018 issue of LOCUS.

What all of this work has taught me are lessons I sorely need repeated: the importance of planning, goal setting, and patience. We want everything all at once in our culture. We want our first book to sell millions. We want our first job to lead us to greatness. We want everything now, immediately. To have to wait, to toil for it, can make us frustrated. But the truth is that there are so many things we simply won’t ever achieve unless we strive to complete them a piece at a time, like this garden. If, standing in the middle of those lots, I thought about all the time and money it would take and just gave up, I would never be standing in this garden, amazed to have taken a vision from my head and made it into a tangible thing.

And so it is with writing a difficult book. The toil can be frustrating and intense. There are times when you feel alone and disheartened. You feel you’ll die before you finish.

It’s the ability to envision something that doesn’t exist, that, perhaps, makes us believe in the act of creation. I’ve learned that the trick of seeing past what is to what may be isn’t necessarily a trait shared by everyone. Watching a few episodes of House Hunters will demonstrate that effectively. Imagination is a skill that must be honed and sharpened like any other. I’ve found myself leaning hard on my imagination more recently, trying to imagine my way out of a future that seems increasingly bleak.

Have you entered the Kameron Hurley’s APOCALYPSE NYX Sweepstakes?

For more info on APOCALYPSE NYX, visit the Tachyon page.

Cover by Wadim Kashin

Design by Elizabeth Story

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