It was a hectic and amazing year at Tachyon.

Tachyon’s 20th anniversary year began with the unveiling of the commemorative logo.

Also in January, we joined NETGALLEY to better facilitate access to our titles by reviewers, booksellers, and librarians.

We released THE VERY BEST OF KATE ELLIOTT to almost universal acclaim.

[STARRED REVIEW] “Elliott’s delightful first collection contains pieces set in the worlds of her major fantasy series—the Spiritwalker Trilogy, the Crossroads Trilogy, the Crown of Stars series,and theJaran novels—as well as several standalone works and four essays about writing. No familiarity with any of the novels is required to understand the stories set in those worlds, but the existing settings lend depth, complexity, and intrigue to what might otherwise be simple tales. “Riding the Shore of the River of Death,” a bildungsroman about a young female horse-nomad who wants to be a warrior, benefit greatly from the depth of setting, as does the slapstick comedy “To Be a Man,” about a shape-shifting saber-toothed cat with an eye for the ladies. But the standalones especially shine, and the political intrigue and subtle humor that Elliott brings to the fascinating culture and government system of “The Queen’s Garden” make it perhaps the finest work in the book. This collection serves beautifully both as an introduction to Elliott and as a treat for fans who want more of her marvels.”
—Publishers Weekly

“Powerful, vivid, masterful—The Very Best of Kate Elliott is a touchstone for the legacy of women in writing and in history.”
—San Francisco Book Review

“The Very Best of Kate Elliott does an excellent job of displaying Elliott’s multi-faceted creativity, her huge talent for inventing a variety of worlds without ever sacrificing the sparkling little details in each one that make her writing so compelling.”
—Katherine Kerr, author of the Deverry Cycle

“Elliott (Cold Steel; Labyrinth of Stars) has built a career out of creating memorable worlds and populating them with strong, amazing women (and the men who love them). While the longer form gives her a bigger canvas, Elliott proves here she can make those same fantastic worlds and characters in short form…. Elliott excels at describing her brilliant worlds, employing a meticulous eye for the significant detail that illuminates a whole landscape.”
—Library Journal

“Collecting stories set in worlds both familiar (including the settings of the Spiritwalker books and her Jaran quartet) and new, as well as non-fiction essays about writing, it makes an excellent introduction to the work of one of epic fantasy’s most reliably fantastic writers.”
—Barnes & Noble

“Elliott is a writer of remarkable talent and sensitivity… . This is, truly, a demonstration of the very best of Elliott’s abilities.”
—Fantasy Literature

and many more…

In February, eight months before it’s release, we felt compelled to share the beautiful and creepy Reiko Murakami cover to Ellen Datlow’s anthology THE MONSTROUS.

March saw the publication of the acclaimed The Essential W. P. Kinsella.

“[Starred review] The career of the incomparable Kinsella (Shoeless Joe) is beautifully represented by these 31 short stories, including, of course, “Shoeless Joe Jackson Comes to Iowa,” the haunting tale of a baseball fan’s obsession with a long-dead star that was developed into a bestselling novel and then the film Field of Dreams. Other charming baseball fantasies include “The Night Manny Mota Tied the Record,” in which a fan agrees to sacrifice himself to bring back the recently dead Yankees star Thurman Munson, and “Searching for January,” which concerns an encounter with the deceased Roberto Clemente. Alongside these stories are several more realistic and mostly gentle satires, such as “The Fog,” that present the escapades of several indefatigable members of Canada’s First Nations. “The Grecian Urn” concerns a couple who can inhabit the interior worlds of great works of art. “K Mart” is the touching tale of three boys who use baseball to escape from their unhappy lives. Kinsella is a masterly writer of short fiction. Though his first-person narrators, mostly men much like himself, can become a bit repetitive when the collection is read straight through, each of these works, whether fantastic or realistic, is individually a small marvel of the storyteller’s art.”
—Publishers Weekly, starred review

“We are reading a writer here, a real writer, muses be praised. “
—Los Angeles Times

A Kirkus Best Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Read for March

“This book’s publication should bring readers back to the once very popular Kinsella, now 79, and one hopes it attracts new readers as well.”
—Booklist

“Mystery and homegrown magic realism at its best and most satisfying. Kinsella is a storyteller of the first order.”
—Joe R. Lansdale, author of Cold in July

“The baseball stories may magically touch on tragic figures such as Roberto Clemente and Thurman Munson, but the tales spend just as much time in the low minors with players who are unlikely ever even to sniff life in Triple A ball, much less the majors.  The Indian stories portray the unexpected humor of life on the reservation – humor that is often more of the “sometimes you have to laugh so you don’t cry” variety, than not.  There are likely to be surprises for everyone in The Essential W.P. Kinsella.  But those who know Kinsella’s work only from his baseball stories are going to get the biggest and best surprise of all.”
—Book Chase

…and many more

Thanks to VARIETY, we at long last learned that Michael Kenneth Williams would play Leonard Pine in the Sundance TV’s HAP AND LEONARD, the adaptation of Joe R. Lansdale’s acclaimed crime series.

Three months prior to the book’s June release, glowing reviews for Alastair Reynolds’ SLOW BULLETS began flooding in.

A UK Guardian Best Science Fiction and Fantasy Book of 2015

“What happens to survivors at the end of an interstellar war? In the latest from Reynolds (“Revelation Space” series), refugees, soldiers, and criminals are loaded aboard the same vessel and plunged into cryo-suspension. When Scur wakes in her capsule, she’s confused, as it seems far too soon and no one is in charge. With the ship’s computer in terminal decline and the only stable source of information the slow bullets injected into their bodies, Scur and the other passengers must decide what’s more important, their personal lives or the larger fate of humanity. VERDICT While shorter than Reynolds’s usual fare, this is no less ambitious in covering vast scopes of space and time while addressing big questions. Suggest to fans of Ian MacDonald or Kim Stanley Robinson, particularly those who liked Aurora.”
—Library Journal, starred review

“Reynolds does his usual fine job of creating a compelling narrative out of the classic materials of space opera as viewed through a modern sensibility and an awareness of the real science of space travel. Recommended.”
—Asimov’s

A Buzzfeed June pick

“This is not military science fiction, this is war opera. Recommended!”
—Bewildering Stories

“Slow Bullets is a huge leap forward for Alastair Reynolds”
—Strange Horizons

“Alastair Reynolds’ new novella Slow Bullets has the scope of a much longer work (Edward Gibbon’s The Rise and Fall of the Roman Empires, say), the literary speed of the most rapidly hurtling bullet, and so many provocative scientific  and / or philosophical ideas that even Steven Hawking’s head might well spin with them. Moreover, Reynolds artfully compresses all these disparate elements into a portable trade paperback or a weightless e-file, the better to accommodate our busy reading habits and the more fully to entertain us.

“Let me also note that Slow Bullets posits a far-future situation akin to the one that we confront on planet Earth today, but leavens his fictional crisis with a hard-won grasp of human psychology and a down-to-the-ground optimism that bestows on its readers reasons for supposing our ‘dammed human race’ nimble enough to overcome our demanding real-world crisis du jour. A fine example of the true science fictionist’s art … ‘with a bullet,’ as the editors at Billboard Magazine  used to say.”
—Michael Bishop, author of A Funeral for the Eyes of Fire, And Strange at Ecbatan the Trees, and Transfigurations

“Alastair Reynolds is the world’s best writer of space opera. If you have any doubts, then read Slow Bullets.”
—Allen Steele, author of Coyote and Spindrift

…and many more

The floodgates opened for coverage on the soon-to-be published  HANNU RAJANIEMI: COLLECTED FICTION.

An NPR 2015 Great Read

A May 2015 Buzzfeed pick

“This is a collection of dexterous, loving, beautifully optimistic work that left me breathless and delighted…. Hannu Rajaniemi’s magnificent science fiction — as is paradoxically appropriate — is pure magic.”
—Amal El-Mohtar, NPR.com

“…the best and most original debut anthology since Angela Carter’s “Fireworks” 40 years ago.”
—Tom Shippey, Wall Street Journal

“This delightful trip into imaginative worlds brings a fresh take to timeless ideas.”
—Publishers Weekly

“You may already know Rajaniemi from his buzzy Jean le Flambeur series (The Quantum Thief, The Fractal Prince, The Causal Angel); if that’s the case, rest assured that his Collected Fiction offer the same fantastical quality, but in a dozen different flavors. If you’re new to his charms, this is an excellent place to start: Rajaniemi writes post-singular fairy tales about computer-dragon romances, technologically-uplifted cats and dogs, and haunted space stations. If you like your science fiction lavish and the science part a little outlandish, this is definitely the book for you.”
—Barnes & Noble.com

“Every story in the collection is a gem, one that delights in playing with expectations before simultaneously dodging and exceeding them. To read Collected Fiction is to be shown something new and wonderful at every turn.”
—Green Man Review

“Rajaniemi combines incredible technological expertise with such a vast imagination that many of his stories leave me overwhelmed by the worlds he creates. This collection demonstrates his breadth as well, involving everything from his invention of neurofiction to his stories of algorithmic romance to his tales that invoke ancient Finnish gods. Whatever the genre or subject, Rajaniemi’s stories are guaranteed to be interesting, unique, and utterly captivating. If a science fiction author’s job is to “think of impossible things,” then I can’t imagine anyone who does it better.”
—Bookaneer

“SF and Rajaniemi’s fiction in particular impart a sense of glamour, otherness, and estrangement…. the best stories are up there with the best.”
—Booklikes

“An excellent and versatile collection…. If you want originality, creativity, imagination and style from your stories, you can’t go wrong by reading these stories.”
—Risingshadows

“Nano-jacked super-beings, carnivorous emergent technologies, the doors of perception yanked wide and almost off their hinges…. Hannu Rajaniemi has a deserved reputation as the very hardest of Hard SF writers, but his range is far wider and far warmer. From stories of tech-driven future nightmare to eerie Finnish mythscapes rewired, quirky surreal mood pieces and experimental fiction genuinely worthy of the name, Rajaniemi writes fiction coded for the bleeding edge of modernity and yet rooted in age-old human imperatives; at the beating heart of these tales is a single concept—the ache of the human heart and the courage it takes to live with it, in this era or any other.  So if you thought Hard SF was sterile stuff, lacking in human affect, think again—put the barrel of Rajaniemi’s fiction in your mouth and blow your mind.”
—Richard Morgan, author of Altered Carbon and The Dark Defiles

…and many more

Near the end of April, DEADLINE revealed that James Purefoy will portray Hap Collins in the Sundance TV’s HAP AND LEONARD, the adaptation of Joe R. Lansdale’s acclaimed crime series.

In May, both Kate Macdonald on her eponymous site and BLACK GATE delivered insightful analysis and overview of James Tiptree’s legendary collection HER SMOKE ROSE UP FOREVER.

Award winning editor Ellen Datlow revealed the table of contents for her terrifying new anthology THE MONSTROUS.

WE ARE ALL COMPLETELY FINE by Daryl Gregory and YESTERDAY’S KIN by Nancy Kress both received nominations for the Theodore Sturgeon Memorial and Locus Award. Gregory additionally garnered a Shirley Jackson Award nomination.

Hannu flanked by project editor Rachel Fagundes and book designer Elizabeth Story. (photo: Jill Roberts)

The amazing and affable Hannu Rajaniemi visited the Tachyon offices.

Our fearless leader Jacob Weisman aiding Hannu. (photo: Jill Roberts)

Taychon head honcho Jacob Weisman, our resident social media maven Rick Klaw (editor of THE APES OF WRATH and contributor to STEAMPUNK), and legendary writer/editor Dick Lupoff (THE BEST OF XERO) watched the home team A’s beat the New York Yankees in a close 5-4 contest.

(Dick Lupoff, Jacob Weisman, and Rick Klaw taking in the game)

On May 26, W. P. Kinsella celebrated turning 80 with an invite-only gathering in his native Newton.

(Image Credit: Boaz Joseph Photo)

June began with Nancy Kress winning the prestigious Nebula Award for  YESTERDAY’S KIN.

Nancy Kress (with her Nebula Award) and Tachyon publisher Jacob Weisman 

A trio of books sold out:

• The entire 2,000 copy print run of HANNU RAJANIEMI: COLLECTED FICTION  sold out. As per the original agreement, there will be no second printing of the hardcover edition.
  

• The first printing of Alastair Reynolds’ acclaimed SLOW BULLETS sold out before publication. 
  

• One month before the official July 14 pub date, Peter V. Brett’s THE GREAT BAZAAR & BRAYAN’S GOLD has completely sold out! 

The latter two were reprinted.

Nancy Kress’ Nebula award winning novella YESTERDAY’S KIN, editor Ellen Datlow (THE MONSTROUS, THE CUTTING ROOM: DARK REFLECTIONS OF THE SILVER SCREEN, LOVECRAFT’S MONSTERS), and artist John Picacio all won Locus Awards.

Jacob Weisman and Jill Roberts

Publisher Jacob Weisman and managing editor Jill Roberts attended a party at the HUMBLE BUNDLE offices.

On the way home from the party, Jacob made some new friends.

Join us tomorrow for the rest of our year long journey.

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

Cover art by Julie Dillon

Design by Elizabeth Story

For more on THE MONSTROUS, visit the Tachyon page.

Cover by Reiko Murakami

Cover design by Elizabeth Story

For more info about THE ESSENTIAL W. P. KINSELLA, visit the Tachyon page.

Cover art by Thomas Canty

Cover design by Elizabeth Story

For more about SLOW BULLETS, visit the Tachyon page

Cover art by Thomas Canty

Design by Elizabeth Story

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

Cover art by Lius Lasahido

Design by Elizabeth Story

For more info about HER SMOKE ROSE UP FOREVER, visit the Tachyon page.

Cover by John Picacio

For more information on YESTERDAY’S KIN, visit the Tachyon page.

Cover by Thomas Canty.

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

Cover design by Elizabeth Story.

For more info about THE GREAT BAZAAR & BRAYAN’S GOLD, visit the Tachyon page.

Cover design by Elizabeth Story.