particle books

August 30, 2019

Mary Shelley, writer of the first science fiction novel FRANKENSTEIN; OR, THE MODERN PROMETHEUS, was born 222 years ago

Alec Checkerfield Uncategorized beyond frankenstein: the complete supernatural short fiction, birthday, elizabeth story, frankenstein, mary shelley, particle books

Mary Shelley’s portrait by Richard Rothwell

The daughter of political philosopher William Godwin and feminist Mary Wollstonecraft, writer Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley was born on August 30, 1797. Her seminal work Frankenstein; Or, The Modern Prometheus (1818), often considered the very first science fiction story, created the iconic mad scientist-monster tale.

Though best remembered for her archetypal creation, Shelley wrote six other novels most notably the historicals Valperga; Or, The Life and Adventures of Castruccio, Prince of Lucca (1823), and The Fortunes of Perkin Warbeck (1834), and perhaps most famously the apocalyptic The Last Man (1826). Her two dozen short stories have been collected in Mary Shelly: Collected Tales and Stories and BEYOND FRANKENSTEIN: THE COMPLETE SUPERNATURAL SHORT FICTION. She penned numerous poems, travel narratives and children’s books and also contributed several entries to The Lives of the Most Eminent Literary and Scientific Men, which comprised ten volumes of Dionysius Lardner’s 133-Volume Cabinet Cyclopaedia (1829–46).

“Frontispiece to Frankenstein 1831” by Theodore Von Holst (1810-1844) – (Tate Britain. Private collection, Bath. Licensed under Public Domain via Commons)

For more info on BEYOND FRANKENSTEIN: THE COMPLETE SUPERNATURAL SHORT FICTION, visit the Tachyon page.

Cover design by Elizabeth Story

April 9, 2019

Happy birthday to our favorite curmudgeon, Tachyon marketing director James DeMaiolo

Alec Checkerfield Uncategorized birthday, camille andre, elizabeth story, goro fujita, invaders: 22 tales from the outer limits of literature, james demaiolo, particle books, the new voices of fantasy, the scarlet letter, the thrill of finding money

With forty years of
experience in the book business as retail bookseller, a book
buyer, and an associate editor, James DeMaiolo brings his extensive
experience in sales, marketing, and publicity to Tachyon. Along the
way, he honed his expertise with stints at Simon & Schuster,
Henry Holt, Berkeley, Tor, and Applause Books.

Since joining Tachyon in 2010, he’s been instrumental in the development and production of many projects, most notably the World Fantasy Award winner THE NEW VOICES OF FANTASY, INVADERS: 22 TALES FROM THE OUTER LIMITS OF LITERATURE, and the Particle Books line.

DeMaiolo is, also, a
published playwright (The Scarlet Letter: the play
[1997]) and edited a collection of essays on the Federal Theatre
Project and a Living Newspaper scenario, The Thrill of Finding
Money (2010).

All of us at Tachyon
wish Jim a happy birthday. May it bring you
joy by being full of things that you don’t hate too much.

For more info on INVADERS: 22 TALES FROM THE OUTER LIMITS OF LITERATURE, visit the Tachyon page.

Cover art by Goro Fujita

Design by Elizabeth Story

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

Cover art by Camille André

Cover design by Elizabeth Story

March 27, 2019

Tachyon tidbits featuring Jane Yolen

Alec Checkerfield Uncategorized 2018 nebula awards showcase, daniel dern, daniel haeusser, elizabeth story, file 770, how to fracture a fairy tale, i read that book, Jane Yolen, john denardo, kirkus, particle books, quirky cat's fat stacks, review, skiffy and fanty show, the emerald circus, the transfigured hart, Thomas Canty

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

Photo: Jason Stemple

John DeNardo at KIRKUS enjoys HOW TO FRACTURE A FAIRY TALE.

Almost as old as fairy tales, or so it seems, is the practice of retellingfairy tales. This proves to be not as repetitive as one might think. As Marissa Meyer states in the introduction to Jane Yolen’s magical collection HOW TO FRACTURE A FAIRY TALE, fairy tales have lots of angles from which to view them. Yolen’s collection is proof of that sentiment. It contains twenty-eight alternate versions of fairy tales that differ slightly from the originals, thus providing a remarkably different kind of story.

<snip>

Each of the stories in this collection are light and fun making the entire collection a breezy read with genuine smile-inducing moments.

QUIRKY CAT’S FAT STACKS also liked the collection.

HOW TO FRACTURE A FAIRY TALE is an absolutely astonishing collection from the mind of Jane Yolen. If you’re a fan of fairy tales, or reading twisted versions of them (not to say that the original versions aren’t exceptionally twisted to begin with…) then this is something you may want to look into. Yolen has mastered the art of looking at a story in a different light, breathing new life into a tale told thousands of times.

But this novel isn’t just a compilation of short stories (though I would have been very happy with that much) but also notes on the stories, and even some poetry. Not every story has an explanation or a poem [an explanation follows every story –TP], but most of them have one or the other. It really adds to the depth of the tales being told. Personally, I loved this touch as I wasn’t always able to identify the fairy tale her works were being based off (more than one of them I was not familiar with in the first place, as it turns out).

The stories and poems here vary from whimsical to disturbingly dark; leaving the reader feeling haunted or chilled. Being that these are fractured fairy tales, most of them have a darker undertone. Sometimes the elements used could be considered disturbing, but they’re all beautifully written despite that.

Daniel Dern for FILE 770 comments about reading Yolen’s World Fantasy Award winning collection THE EMERALD CIRCUS.

I’m about halfway through, it feels wrong to read these hastily.

I READ THAT BOOK! reviews THE TRANSFIGURED HART.

This is a lovely little fairy tale like magical realism like story. Richard and Heather are both 12 years old and both of them have seen the white deer. Richard thinks that it must be a unicorn. They both want to save it from the hunters. We get to know Richard, Heather, and the deer individually and together as Richard and Heather develop an unlikely friendship. I truly enjoyed the story and I think that children and adults alike will enjoy it as well.

Daniel Haeusser at SKIFFY AND FANTY SHOW discusses 2018 Nebula Awards Showcase, edited bv Yolen.

As usual, I’m behind and am just now getting to write up these thoughts on the 2018 Nebula Awards Showcase, edited by Jane Yolen for Pyr. Until April when the 2019 showcase comes out, it is the latest of annual volumes published since 1966 to reprint the nominated and winning stories for the previous year. Though this past year’s winners might be more in the forefront of your mind, revisiting – or discovering – the stories in the 2018 showcase (published 2016 and 2017) could be even more rewarding. I had read many of the stories at their original appearance, and going back to these again for a second or third time felt in some cases like meeting old friends, and in a few cases felt like appreciating something wondrous that I had somehow missed on that read a couple years back.

For more info on HOW TO FRACTURE A FAIRY TALE, visit the Tachyon page.

For more info on THE EMERALD CIRCUS, visit the Tachyon page.

Cover designs by Elizabeth Story

For more info on THE TRANSFIGURED HART, visit the Tachyon page.

Art by Thomas Canty
Design by Elizabeth Story

December 4, 2018

Reviewers, booksellers, and librarians get THE BEST OF MICHAEL MOORCOCK

Alec Checkerfield Uncategorized elizabeth story, michael moorcock, netgalley, particle books, the best of michael moorcock

Review copies of THE BEST OF MICHAEL MOORCOCK are now available via NETGALLEY.

These copies are only for reviewers and librarians. For more details, visit NETGALLEY.

And while you are there, check out other Tachyon titles for review for review on NETGALLEY.

“[Moorcock] introduced me to the ridiculously powerful things that happen when you put a sophisticated, contemporary literary vocabulary at the service of a blackly grim high-fantasy imagination. A giant of the genre in every possible sense.”
—TIME Magazine

Michael Moorcock: Legendary author of the Elric saga, Science Fiction Grand Master, platinum album–receiving rock star, and controversial editor of the new wave fiction movement’s New Worlds. In this definitive collection, discover the incomparable stories of one of our most important contemporary writers.

These exceptional stories range effortlessly from the genre tales that continue to define fantasy to the author’s critically acclaimed mainstream works. Classic offerings include the Nebula Award–winning novella “Behold the Man,” which introduces a time traveler and unlikely messiah that H.G. Wells never imagined; “The Visible Men,” a recent tale of the ambiguous and androgynous secret agent Jerry Cornelius; the trilogy “My Experiences in the Third World War,” where a Russian agent in an alternate Cambodia is powerless to prevent an inevitable march toward nuclear disaster; and “A Portrait in Ivory,” a Melibone story of troubled anti-hero Elric and his soul-stealing sword, Stormbringer.

Newer work handpicked by an expert editing team includes one previously unpublished story and three uncollected stories.

The Best of Michael Moorcock
(Particle Book)

by Michael Moorcock

ISBN:
Digital/Particle Book ISBN: 978-1-61696-312-5

Particle Books/digital publication date: December 2018

Available Format(s): Digital Books

“The 17 stories in this collection demonstrate the breadth of scope and the excellence in storytelling of SF Grand Master and multigenre author Moorcock. Moorcock crosses genres, bends boundaries, and breaks rules as only a master storyteller can.”
—Library Journal

Introduction by John Davey
A Portrait in Ivory
The Visible Men
A Dead Singer
Lunching with the Antichrist
The Opium General
Behold the Man
A Winter Admiral
London Bone
Colour
My Experiences in the Third World War
Going to Canada
Leaving Pasadena
Crossing into Cambodia
Doves in the Circle
The Deep Fix
The Birds of the Moon
The Cairene Purse
Slow Saturday Night at the Surrealist Sporting Club
Afterword by Ann and Jeff VanderMeer

For more info on THE BEST OF MICHAEL MOORCOCK, visit the Tachyon page.

Cover design by Elizabeth Story

August 8, 2018

Lovely and evocative THE TRANSFIGURED HART is a delightful read that shows why Jane Yolen is a master of fantasy

Alec Checkerfield Uncategorized early grey editing services, elizabeth story, fantasy literature, Jane Yolen, particle books, review, tadiana jones, the transfigured hart, Thomas Canty

Tadiana Jones at FANTASY LITERATURE praises Jane Yolen’s THE TRANSFIGURED HART.

THE TRANSFIGURED HART, a 1975 novella by the talented Jane Yolen, was recently republished as part of Tachyon Publications’ Particle e-book imprint. It’s a lovely, evocative tale, juxtaposing fairy-tale-like fantasy and a contemporary rural setting.

<snip>

THE TRANSFIGURED HART has a bit of an edge to it, particularly when the hart is tracked down by a deerhound and a brief, bloody encounter ensues. It’s a brief, shocking scene, a reminder that death can cruelly strike at a moment’s notice.

Readers who are fond of classic fantasy like Peter Beagle’s The Last Unicorn are likely to enjoy THE TRANSFIGURED HART. It’s imbued throughout with a delightful sense of childlike wonder.

Photo: Jason Stemple

EARL GREY EDITING SERVICES enjoys the story.

First published in 1975, THE TRANSFIGURED HART by Jane Yolen is getting a new edition thanks to Tachyon Publications. It remains an enchanting tale about the power of belief and the importance of trust.

The novella sits squarely in mythopoeic tradition, in that liminal space where it’s never quite clear what’s fantasy and what’s reality. The two children have very different ideas about the creature they spied in the woods: for Richard it’s a unicorn, whereas Heather is certain it’s an albino stag. And even though some of the story is told from the perspective of the creature, this doesn’t settle the issue. Nor is it supposed to; it’s the sort of story that allows space for the reader’s interpretation.

<snip>

All in all, THE TRANSFIGURED HART is a delightful read that shows why Jane Yolen is a master of fantasy.

For more info on THE TRANSFIGURED HART, visit the Tachyon page.

Art by Thomas Canty

Design by Elizabeth Story

July 13, 2018

Jane Yolen’s immersive THE TRANSFIGURED HART is magical and full of lush imagery

Alec Checkerfield Uncategorized captain's quarters, elizabeth story, epic stitching, Jane Yolen, lost in a good book, particle books, review, short story, the transfigured heart, Thomas Canty

Jane Yolen’s delightful THE TRANSFIGURED HART continues to impress.

CAPTAIN’S QUARTERS praises the story.

This is a truly wonderful story about two young kids, who unbeknownst to each other, each catch a glimpse of a ghostly white creature in the woods. Richard is convinced it is a unicorn. Heather is convinced is a white deer. Both want to tame it. They don’t count on running into each other by the crystal, shimmering pool in the forest. Danger is lurking for the beast. Heather and Richard slowly realize that they must work together to not only determine what the creature is but also in order to save it.

Jane Yolen is one of those magical writers whose stories are rich in imagery and defy neat categorization. This complexly woven tale is delightful. It doesn’t necessarily feel complicated when reading it. Younger readers will be drawn into the mystery of the creature, the evolving relationship between the two teens, and the adventure that ensues. Older readers will love the unicorn history sprinkled in the tale, the rife symbolism, and the beautiful writing style.

I was completely immersed in the tale and was left in a lovely state of mind pondering the outcome of the story when I finished. I will certainly reread this in the future.

Photo: Jason Stemple

LOST IN A GOOD BOOK enjoys the fantasy.

The story is magical, full of lush imagery and description. The two children are complex characters who act like real children, not with the false precociousness we see in some books. These two navigate the step over from childhood fantasy to young adulthood in the midst of a fairy tale of their own making. Or is it? Was it a hart or a unicorn they encountered in the woods?

I haven’t read any of Ms. Yolen’s other works, but I’ve seen her praised by other bloggers whose opinions I respect. I really need to pick them up. I also need to re-read this book. It’s a book to be savored and I didn’t realize that. I read it far too quickly. It is a good book for a quiet afternoon. I would recommend reading it with a good soundtrack, a cup of tea, a cat and a soft blanket. Yes, excellent plan.

EPIC STITCHING likes the tale.

Beautifully written and in the style of Grimm or Anderson; if you are looking for a ‘new’ fairy tale to read that has that older style of lyric writing I believe you will really enjoy The Transfigured Hart. For me this was a refreshing read as I have been reading a lot of intense historical fiction or bad YA tropes. It was the perfect little read.

For more info on THE TRANSFIGURED HART, visit the Tachyon page.

Art by Thomas Canty

Design by Elizabeth Story

July 10, 2018

Joe R. Lansdale’s fast-paced COLD IN JULY is compelling, dark and twisted

Alec Checkerfield Uncategorized char's horror corner, cold in july, elizabeth story, Joe R. Lansdale, killer joe, life between the frames, pamela scott, paper blog, particle books, reel brew, review

The recent Particle Books digital release of Joe R. Lansdale’s acclaimed COLD IN JULY has renewed interest in the thriller.

For PAPER BLOG, Pamela Scott praises the novel.

I really enjoyed this book. I was hooked from the dramatic opening. The book is packed with twists and turns. I thought I knew where the plot was going and without warning everything is turned on its head when Dane realises certain things about the robbery and the police investigation don’t add up. The plot is compelling, dark and twisted: police corruption, bad guys versus good guys and snuff movies to name but a few. COLD IN JULY ended up a lot of places I wasn’t expecting. The book is dark at times but there is also a lot of humour as well. I had a great time reading it.

CHAR’S HORROR CORNER recommends the book.

I loved the characters in this book, most especially Jim Bob, a redneck expert in the martial arts, who drives a cherry red boat of a Cadillac, and is a private investigator. His down-home sayings were hilarious and it provided that twisted humor Lansdale is known for. I also loved how the story changed throughout and how the characters developed.

<snip>

COLD IN JULY is a fast paced crime novel, with humor and horror mixed in as well as a well developed sense of honor. Set in LaBorde, a place Hap and Leonard fans will recognize, this is a Texas story, told by a Texan in the most entertaining way possible. I highly recommend it!

REEL BREW offers Double Shot: Killer Joe (2011) & Cold in July (2014).

The electric thermostat reads 93 degrees, which for New England is high enough to create one killer July. It’s also that time of the year when the summer humidity begins to weigh down on you like southern fried guilt, squeezing every ounce of sweat until there’s nothing but a worn out shell. Sounds melodramatic I know, but it’s a temperature so stifling it makes you want to curl up in front of a fan and dive into the cool heat of a neo-noir double feature. So in the lazy haze of the summertime heat, that’s exactly what I did, with William Friedkin’s Killer Joe and Jim Mickle’s Cold in July.

<snip>

Few films take a barebones plot – lets say a crime laden revenge story – and a quarter of the way through, twist it into something else entirely. For whatever reason, films nowadays tend to offer what they’ve laid out in the trailers, hoping that you like what you see. With Cold in July – based off the 1989 novel of the same name by Joe R. Lansdale – audiences are shown a synth driven neo-noir set in 1980’s Texas, and before the 30 minute mark, everything sort of metamorphosis. It’s a rare glimpse into the malleability of genre filmmaking, but when executed with precision, it becomes one of the most electrifying and wondrous acts of movie making magic.

<snip>

Rather than perfect the neo-noir genre, Jim Mickle and screenwriter Nick Damici contort their film into a much more inquisitive and often sensitive film. It’s one that prefers its chameleon skin over generic expectations with a story about those that push back against the law and the unlawful. And while Cold in July may seem like standard fare, it’s ultimately a film that knows that at the heart of genre filmmaking lies an appetite for the unconventional, where the ability to toy with expectation heightens the power of its storytelling.

LIFE BETWEEN THE FRAMES enjoys the movie.

So at first Cold in July seems like it’s going to be a thriller about Ben terrorizing the Dane family. That is what it is for a while, and Ben proves to be a capable threat, even managing to lurk inside the Dane house while it’s being watched by several police officers. Including one in the house with him. I was all set to watch this story play out, I was captivated… And then the film totally threw me for a loop and went off in a completely different direction. One that deepened the plot and widened the scope while still remaining very intriguing. Having not read the book, I did not expect the next hour of this film at all.

Scripted by Mickle and Nick Damici, Cold in July is a solid crime flick that was more than I expected. Along the way it even involves Don Johnson as a slick private investigator named Jim Bob Luke, which adds some more points to its score. Johnson has had some great roles lately, in projects like Machete, Django Unchained, From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series, Eastbound & Down, and Brawl in Cell Block 99, and this is another great one.

For more info about COLD IN JULY, visit the Tachyon page.

For more info about COLD IN JULY, visit the Tachyon
page.

Cover design by Elizabeth Story

May 30, 2018

Reviewers, booksellers, and librarians get Edgar Award winner and Hap and Leonard creator Joe R. Lansdale’s COLD IN JULY

Alec Checkerfield Uncategorized cold in july, edelweiss, Joe R. Lansdale, netgalley, particle books

Review copies of the Particle Books digital edition of Joe R. Lansdale’s acclaimed COLD IN JULY are now available via NETGALLEY and EDELWEISS.

These copies are only for reviewers and librarians. For more details, visit NETGALLEY and EDELWEISS.

And while you are there, check out other Tachyon titles for review for review on NETGALLEY.

“This book is a rare treat for fans of crime and noir fiction with a dark side and is a testament to just how good of a writer Lansdale is.”
—Examiner

A shocking crime thriller to chill the even the warmest summer’s night, this gritty Texan thriller inspired the major motion picture Cold in July, featuring Michael C. Hall (Dexter) Sam Shepard (Black Hawk Down), and Don Johnson (Miami Vice).

Richard Dane has killed a man. Everyone in the small town of LaBorde, Texas knows Dane acted in self-defense — everyone except Ben Russel, the father of the criminal who invaded Dane’s home.

When Russel comes looking for revenge against Dane’s family, the two fathers are unexpectedly drawn into a conspiracy that conceals the vilest of crimes. Surrounded by police corruption, mafia deception, and underworld brutality, Dane, Russel, and eccentric PI Jim Bob Luke have discovered a game they may not survive.

“Cold in July is more than a novel of detection; it is an odyssey into the dark recesses of the human psyche….”
-Loren D. Estleman, author of Burning Midnight

Cold in July

by Joe R. Lansdale

ISBN: Print ISBN: 9781616961619
Particle Books Digital ISBN: 9781616963101

Published: May 2014 (Tachyon)
July 2018 (Particle Books)

Available Format(s): Print, Digital Formats

“Impressive Realism-meets-Road House-circa ’89 fight-scenes, tailings, and gunfights… . You’re sure to finish this book fast, but you’re also sure to think on it slowly.”
—Lit Reactor

Tachyon’s Particle Books e-book imprint highlights excellent imaginative fiction. The titles, or Particles, include both young adult and adult fiction; subgenres will include science fiction, fantasy, horror, mysteries, and thrillers.

Lovingly-curated, the Particles are a dynamic mix of original, newly-collected, hard to find, and out-of-print material.

Particle Books was named as an homage to the faster-than-light (and as of now hypothetical) tachyon particle, perhaps best known from Star Trek.

For more info about COLD IN JULY, visit the Tachyon page.

Cover design by Elizabeth Story

May 22, 2018

Reviewers, booksellers, and librarians get James Patrick Kelly’s Nebula Award-winning BURN

Alec Checkerfield Uncategorized burn, James Patrick Kelly, John Picacio, nebula award, netgalley, particle books

Review copies of the James Patrick Kelly’s Hugo Award Nominated BURN are now available via NETGALLEY.

These copies are only for reviewers and librarians. For more details, visit NETGALLEY.

And while you are there, check out other Tachyon titles for review for review on NETGALLEY.

Digital edition featuring a new afterword from the author

“Burn is James Patrick Kelly at his best, and there’s nothing better.”
—Connie Willis, author of Doomsday Book

The tiny planet Morobe’s Pea has been sold and renamed Walden. The new owner has some interesting ideas. Voluntary simplicity will rule in the Transcendent State; Walden is destined to become a paradise covered in lush new forests.

But even believers find temptations in the black markets; non-believers are willing to defend their ideals with fire. Walden’s only hope may lie with a third option: a very unlikely alien intervention.

In BURN, James Patrick Kelly (Think Like a Dinosaur) delivers an innovative, entertaining, and morally-complex vision of the perils of idealism.

For more info about BURN, visit the Tachyon page.

Cover by John Picacio

May 7, 2018

Tachyon tidbits featuring James Morrow, James Patrick Kelly, Peter S. Beagle, Jacob Weisman, and Michael Swanwick

Alec Checkerfield Uncategorized b&n sci-fi & fantasy blog, burn, camille andre, elizabeth story, flogging babel, interview, jacob weisman, James Morrow, James Patrick Kelly, John Picacio, looking for a good book, maria haskins, michael swanwick, once upon a time machine volume 2, particle books, paul semel, peter s beagle, review, the asylum of dr caligari, the new voices of fantasy

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

James Morrow, James Patrick Kelly (photo: Jim Clemente), Peter S. Beagle & Jacob Weisman (Jill Roberts), and Michael Swanwick

LOOKING FOR A GOOD BOOK praises James Morrow’s THE ASYLUM OF DR. CALIGARI.

Morrow provides his unique take on the cult classic horror film from the 1920’s as only Morrow can – with wry humor and a wicked twist. And of course sex.

Morrow’s prose is literate and smooth and it’s like eating a delicious piece of chocolate candy slowly so that you can savor it. You just want to chew on his language and keep moving forward into each new sentence in order to find the next piece of nougat-y goodness. And as if slick writing weren’t enough, Morrow paints characters that have great appeal. Even Caligari is someone you want to know more about and like, in his own way.

And of course a heady story with a deep philosophical undertone runs through this Morrow book, just as it does with everything I’ve read of his. This sort of fiction really appeals to me – something that you can read and enjoy just for the surface story but that has deeper implications if you look for it.

Looking for a good book? THE ASYLUM OF DR. CALIGARI is another tour de force from James Morrow and is a delicious read.

Paul Semel on his eponymous site interviews James Patrick Kelly about the recent Particle Books digital release of his Nebula Award winner BURN.

For those who didn’t read it when it came out in 2005, what is BURN about?

BURN is a sociological adventure story about fighting forest fires on planet where indigenous peoples set forest fires to disrupt the founding of a would-be utopia based on Henry David Thoreau’s Walden. Hijinks ensue.

Where did you get the idea for BURN and how different is the finished novel from that initial idea?

As a science fiction writer, I’ve always had problems with Thoreau’s anti-technological notions of the Good Life. So I tried to extrapolate some of his ideas into a small scale agricultural society that was trying to maintain recognizable human values against the background of an advanced interstellar culture.But as I wrote, I got carried away doing research into forest fire fighting and inventing the dominant posthuman culture that the people of Walden were rejecting.

You’ve released numerous novels and short stories both before and after BURN was published. Were there any writers or specific stories that had a big influence on BURN, but not on your other work? Aside from Walden, of course.

Even though I was pushing hard against Thoreau’s conservative and largely agrarian values, I always respected the essence of humanity that he was advocating for. One of my favorite reviews of the book was in Booklist which makes this astute observation: “Besides its fireman hero (a reversal of Montag in Fahrenheit 451) and its would-be-utopian setting, the warm humanity and rural sympathies of this affectionate, winsome short novel will make many recall Ray Bradbury at his best.” While I wasn’t consciously thinking of Bradbury, as soon as I read this, I blushed. The quote captures an important part of the novel’s sensibility in that the people of planet Walden embrace some of Bradbury’s sunnier impulses.

What about such non-literary influences as movies, TV shows, and video games; did any of them have an impact on BURN?

Movies? TV shows? Video games? What are these exotic amusements of which you speak?

Don’t worry about it. Passing fads. Now, this new version of BURN marks the first time it’s legally available an an eBook. Are there any differences between this new version and the original?

I have written a new afterword which talks about some of the same issues we’re discussing here: the sources of my inspiration, the challenges of writing, and the clash of my imagined cultures. It’s called “What I Wrote and Why I Wrote It.” Thoreau fans will get the nod to Walden.

At B&N SCI-FI & FANTASY BLOG, Maria Haskins includes Peter S. Beagle and Jacob Weisman’s THE NEW VOICES OF FANTASY among 10 Recent Anthologies That Show Us What SFF Can Do.

The official blurb for this anthology states, “the enfants terribles of fantasy have arrived,” and yes, the focus here is on some of the new(er) kids on the block in the fantasy genre. All stories here were written after 2010, and the table of contents is a veritable treasure chest of authors rocking the genre world (and awards ballots) right now, including Alyssa Wong, Brooke Bolander, Sofia Samatar, Max Gladstone, Amal El-Mohtar, JY Yang, E. Lily Yu, and Usman T. Malik. If you’re wondering if anything new and interesting is happening in fantasy, well, first of all, the answer is an emphatic “yes”, and second of all, pick up this anthology and find ample evidence of said.

Michael Swanwick on his FLOGGING BABEL blog.. um.. flogs the new anthology Once Upon a Time Machine, Volume 2.

One way in which comics publishing is like prose publishing is that when a book first comes out, the paying customers have priority. Contributor copies get shipped later.

So, as a small gift to me, Marianne ordered a copy of Once Upon a Time Machine, Volume 2 online and gave it to me this morning. There I am on the front porch reading (of course) my own story.With pleasure, I might add. Because artist Joe DellaGatta did a really excellent job of rendering my vision. He really was the right person for the job.

I’ve already told you that this is my first comic book story ever and that I’m pleased with how it comes out. So that’s all the sales pitch I’ll give you.

For more info on THE ASYLUM OF DR. CALIGARI, visit the Tachyon page.

Cover by Elizabeth Story

For more info about BURN, visit the Tachyon page.

Cover by John Picacio

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

Cover art by Camille André

Cover design by Elizabeth Story

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particle books

The Best of Michael Moorcock(Particle Book)

Table of Contents

Review copies of the Particle Books digital edition of Joe R. Lansdale’s acclaimed COLD IN JULY are now available via NETGALLEY and EDELWEISS.

Review copies of the James Patrick Kelly’s Hugo Award Nominated BURN are now available via NETGALLEY.

The Best of Michael Moorcock
(Particle Book)