Photo: Paul Todisco

In the May/June 2017 issue of FANTASY & SCIENCE FICTION, Elizabeth Hand praises Peter S. Beagle’s SUMMERLONG.

Tales such as this are told oft for a reason: like all great myths, they lend themselves to endless recursion and reinterpretation. Beagle’s writing here is lovely—the dialogue is sharp, the parallel storylines of estranged daughters moving. And he pulls no punches with his ending. Gods and goddesses may follow their own timeless, unchanging scripts, but fallible humans have to deal with the consequences of their messy actions. Love can’t always be restored, any more than youth can. That’s why we read, and need, stories like this one.

Neshama Franklin of the MARINA COUNTY FREE LIBRARY recommends the book.

I fell in love with his THE LAST UNICORN decades ago and was delighted to get back in touch via this reworking of a classic myth in contemporary times. Lioness shows up at a diner on a small island in the Pacific Northwest, gets a job, and intrigues everyone with her mysterious presence. She’s taken in by Abe, whose younger long-time girlfriend, a flight attendant, is based in in Seattle.  He also has a grown daughter, Lily, an unhappy lesbian. Many fall in love with the new arrival, and the climate seems to change in her presence. Things get predictably complicated and yes, Lioness is reclaimed by the fate she was fleeing from, but what a surprising journey that transforms many lives along the way. Sweet, sad, and satisfying. 

The Overlook book club makes the title their May selection.

A family finds their lives changing for the better after taking in a mysterious woman that seems to have appeared out of nowhere. However, thought the summer appears perfect for the family, it can’t last forever, and a dark secret from the mystery lady’s past could prove troublesome.

The amazing author behind THE LAST UNICORN, Peter S. Beagle shares his imagination with the world once again! Mr. Beagle’s life has, unfortunately, not been quite as fantastic for him.

Time is running out to participate in the CON OR BUST auction, which includes a signed, advance reading copy (ARC) of SUMMERLONG.

Con or Bust’s annual online auction is its principal source of funds for the entire year. Items may be submitted for auction now through Sunday, April 23, 2017, at 9:00 p.m. Eastern (time zone conversions, countdown). Bidding will begin Monday, April 24, 2017 at 12:01 a.m. Eastern (time zone conversions) and end Sunday, May 7, 2017 at 4:00 p.m. (time zone conversions, countdown), EXCEPT that last-minute bidding on an item will extend the bidding for that item (see below).

For more info on SUMMERLONG, visit the Tachyon page.

Cover art by Magdalena Korzeniewska

Design by Elizabeth Story