not so much said the cat

November 16, 2016

Meet Michael Swanwick, author of NOT SO MUCH, SAID THE CAT, at Philcon

Alec Checkerfield Uncategorized convention, michael swanwick, not so much said the cat, philcon, the dog said bow-wow

Photo: Beth Gwinn

The acclaimed Michael Swanwick will be attending the 79th Philcon in Cherry Hill, NJ on November 18-20.

Started in 1936, Philcon features cutting-edge programming about literature, art, television, film, anime, comics, science, gaming, costuming and cosplay, music, and other topics of interest to fans of sci-fi, fantasy, and horror. We will also have many other attractions, such as our awesome Art Show and Auction; a Vendors’ Room full of unique merchandise; a full slate of Children’s/Family programming; our Writer’s Workshop (featuring professional authors and editors); Concerts; the Time Traveler’s Masquerade Ball, our Masquerade/Costume Competition, and more!

This year’s Guests of Honor are C.J. Cherryh (Prinicipal Speaker), Dave Seeley (Artist Guest of Honor), and L.E. Modesitt, Jr. (Special Guest).

For more information on NOT SO MUCH, SAID THE CAT, visit the Tachyon page.

Cover design by Elizabeth Story

For more info on THE DOG SAID BOW-WOW, visit the Tachyon page.

Cover by Ann Monn

November 14, 2016

NOT SO MUCH, SAID THE CAT is a KIRKUS best fiction book of 2016

Alec Checkerfield Uncategorized all the birds in the sky, best of 2016, charlies jane anders, elizabeth story, kingfisher, kirkus, michael swanwick, not so much said the cat, patricia a mckillip

KIRKUS named Michael Swanwick’s NOT SO MUCH, SAID THE CAT as one of the best fiction books of 2016.

Tales that, through their extraordinary clarity of thought and expression, showcase precisely why this multiaward-winning author is held in such high regard.

Photo by Beth Gwinn

KIRKUS also similarly awarded Patricia A. McKillip’s KINGFISHER and Charlie Jane Anders’ ALL THE BIRDS IN THE SKY.

For more information on NOT SO MUCH, SAID THE CAT, visit the Tachyon page.

Cover design by Elizabeth Story

October 21, 2016

Tachyon tidbits featuring Michael Swanwick, Kelley Armstrong, and Leslie What

Alec Checkerfield Uncategorized angela matano, campus circle, carnegie medal, cilip carnegie medal, city of weird, city of weird: 30 otherworldly portland tales, forest avenue press, jason squamata, kelley armstrong, leslie what, michael swanwick, not so much said the cat, olympic games, powell's, review, shelf awareness, the masked truth

The latest reviews and mentions of Tachyon titles and authors from around the web.

Michael Swanwick (Photo: Beth Gwinn), Kelley Armstrong (Kathryn Hollinrake), and Leslie What (Rudy Rucker via FLURB)

At CAMPUS CIRCLE, Angela Matano praises Michael Swanwick’s NOT SO MUCH, SAID THE CAT.

With his new collection, NOT SO MUCH, SAID THE CAT, Michael Swanwick once again proves himself one of science fiction’s most consistently imaginative and versatile short story writers, ranging from time travellers in the Mesozoic to obsolete A.I.s put out to pasture.

For the YA novel THE MASKED TRUTH, Kelley Armstrong received a nomination for the CILIP Carnegie Medal. Congratulations to Kelley and all the nominees.

SHELF AWARENESS reported a recent sighting of Leslie What, author of OLYMPIC GAMES.

When author Leslie What brought a copy of CITY OF WEIRD: 30
OTHERWORLDLY PORTLAND TALES to the cash register at Powell’s in Portland, Ore., she was surprised and delighted to find fellow CITY OF WEIRD contributor Jason Squamata working. Jason signed Leslie’s book as editor Gigi Little, marketing coordinator for Powell’s, looked on. Powell’s staffers Doug Chase and Kevin Sampsell also contributed stories to CITY OF WEIRD (Forest Avenue Press, October 2016). The launch attracted 200 attendees and featured a conversation with authors Rene Denfeld, Mark Russell, Brigitte Winter and Dan DeWeese.

For more information on NOT SO MUCH, SAID THE CAT, visit the Tachyon page.

Cover design by Elizabeth Story

October 13, 2016

Tachyon tidbits featuring Michael Swanwick, Ellen Datlow, and Peter V. Brett

Alec Checkerfield Uncategorized black gate, brayan's gold, demon cycle, elizabeth story, Ellen Datlow, interview, john o'neill, josh beatman, michael swanwick, new york comic con, not so much said the cat, nycc, nycc2016, peter v brett, the cutting room, the cutting room: dark reflections of the silver screen, the great bazaar, the great bazaar & brayan's gold, the warded man, unbound worlds

The latest reviews and mentions of Tachyon titles and authors from around the web.

Michael Swanwick (Photo: Beth Gwinn), Ellen Datlow, and Peter V. Brett (Karsten Moran)

At BLACK GATE, John O’Neill showcases Michael Swanwick’s NOT SO MUCH, SAID THE CAT with the cover and a snippet from the starred Kirkus review.

Michael Swanwick’s previous collection with Tachyon Publications was THE DOG SAID BOW-WOW (2007). In NOT SO MUCH, SAID THE CAT he takes a feline turn, collecting 17 stories published between 2008 and 2014, including Hugo nominee “From Babel’s Fall’n Glory We Fled…”.

Designer Josh Beatman spotted Ellen Datlow’s THE CUTTING ROOM: DARK REFLECTIONS OF THE SILVER SCREEN for sale at the New York Comic Con.

Also at NYCC 2016, UNBOUND WORLDS interviewed Peter V. Brett about the forthcoming film and graphic novel based on his best selling DEMON CYCLE fantasy series.

UNBOUND WORLDS: Let’s jump right to it. You have big news about THE WARDED MAN.

PETER V. BRETT: We just signed a movie option with New Harlem productions, so hopefully sometime soon we’ll be putting together a movie for the DEMON CYCLE series. I’m pretty excited about that. We just announced it in Variety this week.

UW: Can you mention any names right now?

PVB: New Harlem productions is the company that optioned it. Spike Seldin is the head of it. He’s also the president of Atlas Comics, so we’re planning to do a companion graphic novel which I’ll write and, at the same time, develop the screenplay.

UW: Is there a schedule for when we can expect to see the comic?

PVB: Not yet. Atlas Comics is just getting back off the ground. It was the original competitor for Marvel Comics, and so their entire library has just come out of some legal contention over the years. There are a lot of people who inherited the property, and finally, it has become unstuck and they’re relaunching it next year. Once its up and running, we’ll get the graphic novel together. I’ve got an artist that I’ve been working with for a few years and I’m really excited to do the book with him. I’m really excited about it, but we don’t have a date yet.

For more information on NOT SO MUCH, SAID THE CAT, visit the Tachyon page.

Cover design by Elizabeth Story

For more info about THE CUTTING ROOM: DARK REFLECTIONS OF THE SILVER SCREEN, visit the Tachyon page.

Cover by Josh Beatman

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

Cover design by Elizabeth Story

October 11, 2016

Tachyon tidbits featuring Lauren Beukes, Daryl Gregory, and STRANGE HORIZONS

Alec Checkerfield Uncategorized /film, alastair reynolds, central station, Charlie Jane Anders, collection, daryl gregory, dreams of distant shores, Ellen Datlow, essays, fundraiser, horror, john denardo, kirkus, lauren beukes, lavie tidhar, michael swanwick, not so much said the cat, patricia a mckillip, podcast, review, science fiction, six months three days, slipping, slipping: stories essays & other writing, slow bullets, speculate, strange horizons, the monstrous, we are all completely fine

The latest reviews and mentions of Tachyon titles and authors from around the web.

Lauren Beukes and Daryl Gregory

In episode 170 of SPECULATE!, the gang discusses Lauren Beukes’ debut collection SLIPPING: STORIES, ESSAYS, & OTHER WRITING.

Welcome to Episode 170 of Speculate! The Podcast for Writers, Readers, and Fans. In this episode we talk about our schedule through the end of 2016 before getting into the show proper, a discussion of Lauren Beukes‘s upcoming short story collection (due out in November) Slipping: Stories, Essays, & Other Writing, focusing in particular on the stories “Algebra,” “Unathi Battles The Black Hairballs” (it’s as good as it sounds!), and the essay “All The Pretty Corpses.” We talk about Lauren’s irreverent, unsparing, sometimes brutal writing style, her honesty in rendering her characters and themes, and her commitment to justice both in real life and in her fiction–and even make a couple of suggestions about how authors can apply some of her strategies to their own work.

At KIRKUS, John DeNardo included Darly Gregory’s WE ARE ALL COMPLETELY FINE in his Unsettling Horror Books that Have Already Been Optioned for TV & Film.

Described as a “post-horror horror” story, WE ARE ALL COMPLETELY FINE is about a group of people – survivors of events straight out of horror films – whose stories are only believed by the psychotherapist who brings them together to form a most unusual support group. In attempting to help her patients, the psychologist, Dr. Jan Sayer, unwittingly unleashes the evils of the past.

If award wins are any indication of a book’s viability as a successful adaptation, then WE ARE ALL COMPLETELY FINE would be a perfect candidate; it won both the World Fantasy Award and the Shirley Jackson Award. Sadly, Wes Craven – the director behind the Nightmare on Elm Street films who was developing Gregory’s chilling novella into a television series for the SyFy channel – passed away recently. However, his production company still has plans to adapt this into a show.

The fine folks over at STRANGE HORIZONS are in the midst of their annual fundraising drive.

Since its launch in 2000, STRANGE HORIZONS has pursued a number of goals. We want to publish great stories and poems that expand the possibilities of speculative fiction; we want to provide a space for in-depth discussions that help us to understand and extend those possibilities. We want to encourage and support new writers of SF from all backgrounds, and pay them professional rates for their fiction. And we want to continue to make all of our content available free of charge, without being dependent on advertisers or corporate sponsorship.

We are a non-profit organization, staffed entirely by volunteers, and so a huge part of our success has been down to you, our readers. STRANGE HORIZONS relies on your donations to stay open.

In our sixteen years, we’ve been proud to publish work by writers such as Saladin Ahmed, Eleanor Arnason, Charlie Jane Anders, Christopher Barzak, Matthew Cheney, John Clute, L. Timmel Duchamp, Hal Duncan, Amal El-Mohtar, Carol Emshwiller, Molly Gloss, Alaya Dawn Johnson, N. K. Jemisin, John Kessel, Ann Leckie, Kelly Link, Ken Liu, David Moles, Nnedi Okorafor, Yukimi Ogawa, Robert Reed, Adam Roberts, Sofia Samatar, John Scalzi, Nisi Shawl, Vandana Singh, Lavie Tidhar, Genevieve Valentine, Jo Walton, Alyssa Wong, Jane Yolen, and too many others to list.

Everyone who donates is entered into the prize draw, featuring an array of books, artwork, and other goodies. Among the prizes are the Tachyon titles Ellen Datlow’s THE MONSTROUS, Michael Swanwick’s NOT SO MUCH, SAID THE CAT, Patricia A. McKillip’s DREAMS OF DISTANT SHORES, Charlie Jane Anders’ SIX MONTHS, THREE DAYS, Alastair Reynolds’ SLOW BULLETS, and Lavie Tidhar’s CENTRAL STATION.

For more information about SLIPPING: STORIES, ESSAYS, & OTHER WRITING, visit the Tachyon page.

Cover art by Clara Bacou

Design by Elizabeth Story

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

Cover design by Elizabeth Story

October 5, 2016

NOT SO MUCH, SAID THE CAT once again proves that Micheal Swanwick is amazing

Alec Checkerfield Uncategorized collection, elizabeth story, geek's guide to the galaxy, hungary, interview, michael swanwick, not so much said the cat, podcast, review, science fiction, sf mag, short stories, wired

The Hungarian SF MAG raves about Michael Swanwick and NOT SO MUCH, SAID THE CAT.

A genre of literature has its masters, and one of those special American writer Michael Swanwick . He is part of a series where Neil Gaiman, Kelly Link, Ted Chiang, Ken Liu and Robert Reed is: we are all a little prose form is quite amazing. As Michael Swanwicket think more highlights from this description, the diversity, that we do not find two narratives are ugyanolyant, both in substance and form an ever-renewable, regulations exciting publishing the author speak.

<snip>

Michael Swanwick requirements of the common feature is that the real story was concerned. Swanwick tells the reader entranced. The stories immediately bevonzanak relatively short cover element is a world opened up, which would require an average of 300 pages talented writer. In many women, at first seems to be lost, but a strong and developing the main characters and supporting cast is unique, character shapes, the problems are personal and szívbemarkolók, science fiction and fantasy elements of the treatment is well done. In fact, sometimes also combines these elements, and the first not to be decided on what we read. At the end of most of the writing just sorry that we can not continue to read novels much longer. Stylistically, almost every expression, it is in place, the geometrical precision with words Swanwick.

The science fiction short stories in literary history all started with a dry kitchen syllabus was reported most were experimenting with style, wild ideas here, and it does a good job Swanwick. The well-contrived situations and in all of there is a hint of humor, wit, which certainly makes digest the often otherworldly adventures.

Postscript: the preface. It’s amazing this man. The book attempts to outline the preface of previous steps taken since 1980, the first publication to where you are now. Five Hugo- a Nebula- in a fantasy world and Theodore Sturgeon Memorial Award, after a multitude of memorable writings still be able to describe what he hopes will one day be as good a writer as much as possible. Michael Swanwick every aspect is amazing.

(Translated from Hungarian by Google)

Photo: Beth Gwinn

The WIRED podcast GEEK GUIDE’S TO THE GALAXY interviews Michael Swanwick.

“The thing about short fiction is that it doesn’t really pay,” Swanwick says in Episode 222 of the GEEK GUIDE’S TO THE GALAXY podcast. “For the amount of time that I’ve put in on these stories, I probably have not earned back—even with the collection—minimum wage.”

That lack of pay has caused many of Swanwick’s peers to give up on short fiction altogether, a fact he finds terribly upsetting. A few years ago he spoke with a friend who was reminiscing about the days when he would spend months carefully crafting a single short story, and lamenting that he could no longer afford to do so.

“My friend doesn’t write short fiction any more because it’s just not profitable, it’s not worth his time,” Swanwick says. “And his novels are doing very well. But I really, really miss his short fiction, because he was one of the best.”

Swanwick believes that short fiction serves as a proving ground for new ideas, and that more of it means more innovation and experimentation. He citesWilliam Gibson’s short story “Burning Chrome,” which served as a test case for Gibson’s classic cyberpunk novel NEUROMANCER.

“It’s really a bad idea to write something new at novel length, because you don’t know whether you can do it or not,” Swanwick says. “But you can risk a short story, and if it works in a short story, you know that you can take it to novel length.”

He fantasizes that someday a MacArthur-style grant may make it possible for more writers to focus on short fiction. But until that time, authors will have to do whatever they can to scrape by. Swanwick’s books all include a grateful tribute to the “M.C. Porter Endowment for the Arts,” a humorous reference to his wife Marianne. It’s a tradition that goes back to his first novel, IN THE DRIFT.

“At that time she was certainly earning more money than I was, so there was a degree to which she was actually supporting me,” he says. “So I would put it in as a gentle little joke.”

For more information on NOT SO MUCH, SAID THE CAT, visit the Tachyon page.

Cover design by Elizabeth Story

September 20, 2016

Meet the sensational Michael Swanwick, author of NOT SO MUCH, SAID THE CAT

Alec Checkerfield Uncategorized elizabeth story, event, geek's guide to the galaxy, main point books, michael swanwick, not so much said the cat, podcast, signing, wayne pa

Photo: Beth Gwinn

Join five-time Hugo Award-winner Michael Swanwick in celebration of his new collection NOT SO MUCH, SAID THE CAT at Main Point Books (Wayne, PA) on Sunday, September 25 at 4:00 PM.

And if you can’t make the signing to hear Micheal Swanwick’s talk (or even if you can), catch his appearance on the Sept 24 episode (#222) of GEEK’S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY.

For more information on NOT SO MUCH, SAID THE CAT, visit the Tachyon page.

Cover design by Elizabeth Story

September 13, 2016

NOT SO MUCH, SAID THE CAT is Michael Swanwick at the top of his game, the height of his powers

Alec Checkerfield Uncategorized elizabeth story, homage, jonathan crowe, manuel preitano, michael swanwick, not so much said the cat, review, strange alliances, tumblr

A pair of new reviews and a humble homage for Michael Swanwick’s full gourmet NOT SO MUCH, SAID THE CAT.

Jonathan Crowe on his eponymous site praises the collection.

It’s hard for me to review Michael Swanwick’s latest collection of short stories, NOT SO MUCH, SAID THE CAT (Tachyon, August 2016), without coming across like a total fangoober. That’s partly because, when it comes to Swanwick’s work, I am a total fangoober, and have been for decades. He’s one of my favourite writers and a literary hero of mine, so I’m primed to like a collection of his — I always have. But it’s also because NOT SO MUCH, SAID THE CAT is such a good collection — far better than any book of its kind has any right to be.

<snip>

Collections like these inevitably have stronger stories and weaker stories, the latter more or less serving to pad out the collection. Here’s the thing: there are no weak stories in NOT SO MUCH, SAID THE CAT. They’re all great. Every last one of them. (I checked this assessment with Jennifer, no small Swanwick fan herself, and she agrees with me.) These 17 stories are all of a very high standard, each infused with emotional insight, clear intelligence, meticulous craft, and the cunning and clever mischief that are Swanwickian hallmarks.

<snip>

The quality of this collection is mind-boggling and has forced me to recalibrate my expectations: I almost have to go back and take one star off my reviews of other short story collections. With NOT SO MUCH, SAID THE CAT Swanwick is at the top of his game, the height of his powers, the insert-whatever cliché-seems-appropriate-here. It’s all the more striking when you consider that at the same point in Isaac Asimov’s career — 36 years after first publication — Asimov published BUY JUPITER AND
OTHER STORIES
(Doubleday, 1975), a collection of feghoots, shaggy dogs and other minor Asimoviana whose prime virtue was that they had not yet been published between boards. But Asimov had largely been phoning it in on the fiction front since the late 1950s. Swanwick has done no such thing: this collection is proof positive of that. Indeed, it is proof that Swanwick, who has spent considerable time talking about the important figures of the science fiction and fantasy field, is one such figure himself — and almost certainly one of our greatest living writers.

If that sounds like fangoobering, so be it.

Photo: Beth Gwinn

STRANGE ALLIANCES enjoyed the book.

These tales are not about writing technique. That looks after itself, chugging away unobtrusively in the background. In NOT SO MUCH, SAID THE CAT it’s the story that’s the thing. Swanick’s stories often tread the type of ground other story makers have trodden (Of Finest Scarlet Was Her Gown, has shades of
THE
MASTER AND MARGARITA), yet it all feels so fresh.

Swanick has an interesting way of telling a story. The framework provides you with plenty of what you are familiar with, then either he slides in the odd anomaly or simply airdrops something extraordinary into the mix, and we’re off.

These are stories of humour, love, subtle or not so subtle-horror and philosophical considerations of life. The styles vary from credible fairy tales, to science fiction by stealth and cyberpunk. Despite the weird and wonderful, this is about humanity in all its guises and expressed so well.

You think you’re getting the kind of hors d’oeuvre many short stories deliver. But settle down, you’re in for a full gourmet meal that makes you feel as if you’ve just enjoyed a novel and lost a friend when you’ve finished it.

On his TUMBLR, Manuel Preitano shared his initial thoughts upon hearing of NOT SO MUCH, SAID THE CAT.

A humble homage to Michael Swanwick’s recent new book. Being a fan of his Darger and Surplus stories, I couldn’t help but picturing this when I heard the title!

For more information on NOT SO MUCH, SAID THE CAT, visit the Tachyon page.

Cover design by Elizabeth Story

September 2, 2016

Win a signed copy of Michael Swanwick’s brilliant NOT SO MUCH, SAID THE CAT

Alec Checkerfield Uncategorized contest, elizabeth story, giveaway, goodreads, michael swanwick, not so much said the cat

With the help of fine folks over at GOODREADS, we’re giving away a a signed copy of Michael Swanwick’s NOT SO MUCH, SAID THE CAT.

For full details, visit GOODREADS.

“Michael Swanwick shows his extraordinary range in Not So Much, Said the Cat (Tachyon) … Swanwick’s stories are wistful and weird, at times tragic yet still hopeful as the mythic and scientific intertwine.”
—Washington Post

NOT SO MUCH, SAID THE CAT

by Michael Swanwick

In this much-anticipated new collection, Michael Swanwick (The Dog Said Bow-Wow) takes a feline turn—prowling the pages with grace, precision, and utter impertinence. The master of short science fiction takes us on whirlwind journeys across planets, time, and space, where magic and science co-exist in endless possibilities. Swanwick’s spectacular offerings are intimate in their telling, galactic in their scope, and delightfully-sesquipedalian in their verbiage.

“Swanwick excels at satisfying conclusions that cause readers to take pause and consider the actions of the characters. Thoughtful, witty, and, at times, disturbing, this collection will appeal to those who enjoy short fiction, no matter the genre.”
—Booklist

In NOT SO MUCH, SAID THE CAT you’ll find time travelers from the Mesozoic partying ’til the end of time, and a calculus problem that rocks the ages. A supernatural horse-guardian journeys with a confused but semi-repentant troll. A savvy teenage girl wagers against the Devil, and is promptly set upon by the most unsuitable of suitors.

“An entertaining read from beginning to end, with plenty of tales to amuse, making for a great collection of short stories. Besides, who wouldn’t want to spend some time with a sly seductive circus performer, some con artists and a robotic scarecrow with a conscience, and all without leaving the comfort of your sofa!”
—Starburst

And of course, you’ll meet Beelzebub the cat, whose subtle influence may not be entirely benign.

“Another collection of speculative fiction from Swanwick (Chasing the Phoenix, 2015, etc.), one of a handful of writers whose short pieces are as impressive as their novels. Versatility, craftsmanship, a dollop of weird, and a delightfully askew sense of humor are key to the 17 pieces here, all of which appeared between 2008 and 2014, together with an introduction that illuminates the contents without revealing too much. Certain themes, of course, are authorial favorites, such as time travel, aliens, and artificial intelligence. There’s a man who, having suffered a crushing loss, finds solace after accidental contact with a time traveler; a group of time travelers hunkered down at the end of the Cretaceous period—where, oddly, nobody’s interested in the dinosaurs; and a scientist who finds a partner worthy of her genius. We also get a fascinating glimpse (which feels like a novel fragment) of a far future populated by humans and centipedelike aliens, narrated by the intelligent space suit of a woman who’s dead as the story begins; and another future where human lives resemble those in fairy tales while advanced, hidden AIs battle for supremacy. Elsewhere, in a literary-games vein, the characters in a fairy tale discuss whether they prefer to remain in books, and immortal, or enter history; there’s a famous Gene Wolfe story stripped down, turned inside out, and rebuilt to perfection; and, in a marvelous conceit, the writer Alexander Pushkin appears as he may have been—in an alternative universe. To round out the collection, we meet a dutiful young woman who, entering hell to challenge the devil to return her father, discovers that things are not as she assumed; Darger and Surplus, those good-hearted rogues with a propensity to shoot themselves in the foot, make an appearance, as does “The House of Dreams,” an entry from Swanwick’s splendid Mongolian Wizard e-book series. Tales that, through their extraordinary clarity of thought and expression, showcase precisely why this multiaward-winning author is held in such high regard.”
—Kirkus, starred review

Introduction by Michael Swanwick
Steadfast Castle
The Man in Grey
The Dala Horse
The Woman Who Shook the World-Tree
Of Finest Scarlet Was Her Gown
3 A.M. in the Mesozoic Bar
Passage of Earth
From Babel’s Fall’n Glory We Fled …
For I Have Lain Me Down on the Stone of Loneliness and I’ll Not Be Back Again
Libertarian Russia
The Scarecrow’s Boy
The She-Wolf’s Hidden Grin
Goblin Lake
Pushkin the American
An Empty House with Many Doors
Tawny Petticoats
The House of Dreams

“OK—it’s official. Michael Swanwick is a god. He makes worlds that work, every tick and tock of them. He makes people who cry, sweat, puke, fall in love, die in conceivable ways. He’s smart and crafty, passionate and wily. Both trickster and life-giver. He creates and uncreates. And yes, he brings Light. If I don’t exactly worship him, I read every story of his I can get my hands on. So thanks, Tachyon for bringing me more stories—some old favorites, some I hadn’t read before. Because gods need their readers, and God knows, I need more Swanwick.”
—Jane Yolen, author of Briar Rose

For more information on NOT SO MUCH, SAID THE CAT, visit the Tachyon page.

Cover design by Elizabeth Story

August 31, 2016

Michael Swanwick’s NOT SO MUCH, SAID THE CAT deserves a spot on anyone’s shelf

Alec Checkerfield Uncategorized beelzebub, collection, elizabeth story, kalanadi, locus online, michael swanwick, not so much said the cat, open book society, paul di filippo, rainy day books, review, science fiction, short stories, timothy c ward

Photo: Beth Gwinn

OPEN BOOK SOCIETY praises Michael Swanwick’s NOT SO MUCH, SAID THE CAT.

This collection of short stories by five time Hugo award winning author Micheal Swanwick is simply a delight to read. Running the gamut between science fiction and fantasy, there is something for everyone inside this aggregate of stories. It really exemplifies ‘speculative fiction’ in the sense it originally had. Reading it is like a full blown blast into the pulp era, with highly digestible stories that will leave your head spinning.

The writing is, in a word, immaculate. There is an ultra-tight word economy in place here. A single word out of context would bring any given story to its knees and it is through, no doubt, skillful editing that this is accomplished. Not So Much, Said the Cat never aims above the readers head, and everything is, almost, believable in any particular story. Even in the most outlandish piece of intertextuality I have ever seen, Swanwick to my delight, pulls it off without a hitch. It is truly a testament to his writing that he can sustain the reader’s attention and suspension of belief at the same time in some of the most bizarre environs the reader travels.

<snip>

Plot is where these stories really entwine the above. In any given story there is, surprisingly, a lot of labyrinthine paths the characters must tread. Not So Much, Said the Cat, exemplifies the plot-driven story and masterfully pulls back on ‘introspective’ pieces. The sheer number of different plots boggles the mind and it’s just a minute fraction of what Swanwick has produced. The reader is engaged in every piece, and it’s a nice ‘put-down, pick-up” book that is necessary to fully digest the implications, usually social, the plots produce.

If the old adage, there’s a story in anything, holds true, Not Much, Said the Cat is proof enough it is valid. Full of life, energy and depth of concept, each individual story can (and could) appeal to anyone. This is a story collection that definitely deserves a spot on anyone’s shelf, electronic or otherwise. It’s a rare glimpse into how short stories should be constructed, and I guarantee, they’ll leave you thinking well after each story is done. High praise is in order for Swanwick’s collection.

At LOCUS ONLINE, Paul Di Filippo lauds the collection.

Mostly unremarked, this year signifies the thirty-sixth anniversary of Michael Swanwick’s first story sale, in Robert Silverberg’s anthology NEW DIMENSIONS 11. The astonishing array of high-quality tales he has graced the world with since then would constitute a sufficiency for most writers. But the damn thing is, nearly forty years into his career he is still working at the top of his game. Not many authors can say that.

<snip>

His entertaining and touching autobiographical introduction fittingly looks backwards at this embryonic stage of his existence, and reflects on the start of his professional writing life and a few intermediate quantum leaps of skill. Then he mentions an attitude he had toward the genre, when he was first getting acquainted with all its stellar practitioners: “I read science fiction as if it had all been written by a single genius possessed of an impossible variety of styles and interests.” This is the key to the stories that follow (and to the fact that Swanwick, debuting during the fabled cyberpunk-humanist rivalry, could never be categorized definitively as one or the other). Swanwick is still striving to embody every good thing SF does, all its modes and styles, themes and tropes, in his one lifetime. This makes for a highly pleasing variety in his tales.

<snip>

All in all, as variegated and smart and ecstatic a ride as you can get from SF these days.

Ultimately, I think what strikes me most forcefully about Swanwick’s fiction, aside from his fresh yet historically resonant conceits, is its elegance and economy. Per the definition of the perfect short story, not a word is extraneous or wasted, not one element of plot inessential. The maximum effects are achieved with the minimum of prose.

Kalanadi discusses Michael Swanwick’s reading and signing at Rainy Day Books.

On TWITTER, Tim Ward, winner of Beelzebub and a signed copy of NOT SO MUCH, SAID THE CAT, posted this adorable video of his son meeting the stuffed cat.

For more information on NOT SO MUCH, SAID THE CAT, visit the Tachyon page.

Cover design by Elizabeth Story

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not so much said the cat

Join five-time Hugo Award-winner Michael Swanwick in celebration of his new collection NOT SO MUCH, SAID THE CAT at Main Point Books (Wayne, PA) on Sunday, September 25 at 4:00 PM.

With the help of fine folks over at GOODREADS, we’re giving away a a signed copy of Michael Swanwick’s NOT SO MUCH, SAID THE CAT.

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