r/fantasy

June 27, 2022

An excellent introduction to Sam J. Miller, BOYS, BEASTS & MEN is one of the best collections of the past few years

Rick Klaw blog ama, big idea, blue book balloon, boys beasts & men, dominic loise, f(r)iction, hank stephenson, interview, lee mandelo, my favorite bit, r/books, r/fantasy, reddit, review, sam j miller, shelf awareness, the book lover's boudoir, tor.com

Sam J. Miller’s debut collection BOYS, BEASTS & MEN continues to garner from abundant praise in reviews from Hank Stephenson at Shelf Awareness (STARRED review), Lee Mandelo in Tor.com, Blue Book Balloon, The Book Lover’s Boudoir, and Reddit.

Cover of BOYS, BEASTS, & MEN, a collection by Sam J. Miller. — Cover by Jennifer O’Toole
Design by Elizabeth Story

BOYS, BEASTS & MEN is a collection of 14 stories that perfectly captures the desperate intensity of love and is an excellent introduction to a talented writer with wildly varied interests.
Shelf Awareness (STARRED review)

Ultimately, the collected stories of BOYS, BEASTS & MEN overflow with a relentless queer presence. I resonate with the book’s artistic sincerity, as well as its openness to desire, to horny risk and ferocious joy, to the “everything all at once” mess of gay life.
Tor.com

I simply loved this collection. While dark at times, it’s never completely bleak, presenting moments of hope and, as I have said, resistance and weaving a seductive web around the reader.
Blue Book Balloon

I’d recommend this.
The Book Lover’s Boudoir

All in all, this is a well-laid-out collection of character-centric science fiction, fantasy, and horror stories often, but not always, centered on social struggles or issues, primarily those relating to the LGBTQ+ community. It’s one of the best collections I’ve read in the last few years, and it’s the start of my Sam J. Miller reading, but it certainly won’t be the last.
Reddit r/Fantasy

For more BOYS, BEASTS & MEN, continue onto page 2.

March 19, 2021

Patricia A. McKillip’s THE FORGOTTEN BEASTS OF ELD is steeped in poetry and atmosphere

Rick Klaw blog black forest basilisks, german, patricia a mckillip, r/fantasy, reddit, review, Skalpell und Katzenklaue, the forgotten beasts of eld

BLACK FOREST BASILISKS praises Patricia A. McKillip’s THE FORGOTTEN BEASTS OF ELD as part of Top Ten Tuesday: Books Written Before I Was Born.

THE FORGOTTEN BEASTS OF ELD is a stunningly mythic original fairytale. It is steeped in poetry and atmosphere. It’s the sort of book that makes you think that perhaps you’ve simply forgotten a story. The Black Cat Moriah, Gild the Dragon… they’ve never existed before these pages, but they feel as though they’ve been around forever.

In REDDIT r/Fantasy, Cassandra_Sanguine delivers an Author Appreciation of McKillip.

But what if I told you that THE FORGOTTEN BEASTS OF ELD was only the third book she ever published and her first novel (the first two being children’s books) and she has written more than 30 novels since then? If you loved THE FORGOTTEN BEASTS OF ELD imagine how much you’ll love her more recent work where she has had three decades to get better at prose, and story telling. The Forgotten Beast of Eld is good but her newer works really show that she still had room to grow as an author.

The German site SKALPELL UND KATZENKLAUE offers their own view of the World Fantasy Award-winning author.

At about the same time, Patricia McKillip’s second novel, THE FORGOTTEN BEASTS OF ELD , was published by Atheneum Books . She hadn’t written it as a book for young people, but the publisher brought it out as one. However, he found his audience mainly elsewhere. Because what no one expected: The book was enthusiastically received by the SFF community. When the World Fantasy Award was presented for the very first time a year later , The Forgotten received Beasts of Eldthe award for “Best Novel”. McKillip had no connection to the scene at this point and was accordingly surprised when the Lovecraft bust arrived at her place.

[…]

McKillip’s breakthrough on the fantasy market had thus succeeded. Next, a YA novel by her ( The Nightgift ) appeared again, but she could now concentrate on the final realization of a project that she had been working on for a good ten years: an epic fantasy story, the first volume of which In 1976 Atheneum published under the title The Riddle-Master of Hed – the beginning of the trilogy that was first published in 1981 in the classic black Goldmann Fantasy series as Erdzauber .

I think it’s significant that Patricia McKillip wasn’t part of the SFF fandom herself when she wrote Earth Magic . She did not read any of the current magazines or anthologies, had no contact with the scene (if she was even aware of its existence) and was accordingly unfamiliar with the prevailing fashions and currents. Even of the Ballatine Adult Fantasy series, she had read only a few books. It was no coincidence that she began her career at Atheneum, a publisher that had no major genre connections and whose fantastic section consisted mainly of children’s and youth literature. (Which, however, also included Ursula K. Le Guin’s The Tombs of Atuan and The Farthest Shore in 1970 and ’72 .) McKillip was, in a way, a career changer. And that can have its advantages.
Translation from German, courtesy of Google

January 15, 2021

Tachyon tidbits featuring Carrie Vaughn, Lauren Beukes, and Peter S. Beagle

Rick Klaw blog adriana gionea, Carrie Vaughn, fevered scribblings, ian hunter, in calabria, lauren beukes, peter s beagle, post modern, r/fantasy, reddit, review, romanian, slipping: stories essays & other writing, the british fantasy society, the immortal conquistador 0

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

Ian Hunter for THE BRITISH FANTASY SOCIETY enjoys Carrie Vaughn’s THE IMMORTAL CONQUISTADOR.

[F]ans of Vaughn’s Kitty series will be well-pleased to learn more about the origins and adventures of a much-loved supporting character.

Cover art by Rebecca Harp
Design by Elizabeth Story

At REDDIT r/Fantasy, BitterSprings praises Lauren Beukes’ SLIPPING: STORIES, ESSAYS, & OTHER WRITING in /r/Fantasy Review Tuesday – Review what you’re reading here! – January 05, 2021.

This is a collection of Beukes’ shorter works and like most short story collections there are the ones that grabbed me and the ones that didn’t. Thankfully the hits vastly out number the misses. A lot of the stories focus on the theme of commodification – of bodies, of the poor, of women. A lot of them are harrowing. Hits include The Green and the titular story.

Don’t skip the non-fiction section, especially if you’ve read her previous novels, there’s some interesting reflections on her research for Shining Girls and Zoo City. 4/5

FEVERED SCRIBBLINGS mentions Peter S. Beagle’s IN CALABRIA among 4 Random Fantasy Books You Should Totally Read.

Were you a fan of The Last Unicorn book/comic/movie? If you were, you should totally check out Beagle’s 2017 unicorn book. An Italian farmer, Claudio Bianchi, starts noticing a pregnant unicorn visiting his farm. An aloof man, he decides to ignore it, but finds out the unicorn might have come to him for help.

On the Romanian site POST MODERN, Adriana Gionea names the fantasy as one of the 33 books to read during the winter holidays.

The winter holidays are also the ideal respite that allows you to plan your next summer vacation. For many, Calabria is an attractive destination. It is no coincidence that they will be attracted by the title of the novel IN CALABRIA. This novel combines inspired picturesqueness, the suspense of gangster movies, love and magical realism.
Translation from Romanian, courtesy of Google

January 14, 2021

Patricia A. McKillip’s THE FORGOTTEN BEASTS OF ELD is among the favorite reads of 2020

Rick Klaw blog a siegel, best of 2020, booktube, patricia a mckillip, r/fantasy, reddit, the forgotten beasts of eld, the purple book wyrm, youtube 0

A. Siegel on their eponymous site, ranks THE FORGOTTEN BEASTS OF ELD and The Changeling Sea by Patricia McKillip as their favorite reads of the year.

As you can see, I’ve discovered a new favorite author, Patricia A. McKillip. I have read these two novels of hers as well as her short stories, and I am so excited to explore more of her work. Her writing is magical and the characters are deep and feel so real.

THE PURPLE BOOK WYRM praises the classic novel in 2020 Reading Wrap-Up & 2021 Projections || Best & Worst Books of 2020 Included! (Mention starts around 19:11)

The title receives a pair of mentions in REDDIT r/Fantasy.

Books focused on having familiars and/or creature taming?

THE FORGOTTEN BEASTS OF ELD by Patricia A. McKillip has creature taming. There are a lot of other elements to the book, but the protagonist is a magical beast keeper so to speak.

McKillip’s prose is better than most I’ve come across in fantasy and the book is fairly short (a bit more than 200 pages). So if you’re in the mood for something quicker than the typical fantasy tome, this book is very good.
perhapsEeyore

Looking for recommendations for books that spark joy

THE FORGOTTEN BEASTS OF ELD is the first book that came to mind when reading OP’s post. Its one of my top five books ever, easily. I’ve been recommending it incessantly recently.
Soulc4tcher

January 12, 2021

With the delightful THE FOUR PROFOUND WEAVES, R. B. Lemberg creates a complex, gentle story of homecoming

Rick Klaw blog an enduring romantic, best of 2020, booktube, butch poetics, eating authors, gautam bhatia, interview, kelly jennings, lawrence m schoen, m. l. clark, r. b. lemberg, r/fantasy, reddit, strange horizons, the four profound weaves, youtube 0

R. B. Lemberg’s debut THE FOUR PROFOUND WEAVES continues its ascension of the favorite reads of 2020.

Cover by Elizabeth Story based on initial concepts by Francesca Myman

STRANGE HORIZONS share 2020 in Review: Part One and Part Two. THE FOUR PROFOUND LEAVES receives mentions in both parts.

It has become a tradition to begin a new reviewing year by asking the Strange Horizons reviewers to tell us a little about the other things they’ve been reading, watching and playing during the previous year. Despite everything else that has happened, we’re continuing that tradition as we move into 2021.

However, R.B. Lemberg’s THE FOUR PROFOUND LEAVES just hit closer to home, by offering a nuanced unravelling of how gender is a lifelong discourse that we enact not only within ourselves and our changing communities, but also—if we’re very lucky—with the dear ones who become our family along the way.
M. L. Clark

I also very much enjoyed The Midnight Bargain, by C.L. Polk, for its smart, charming fantasy-regency romance; Everyone on the Moon is Essential Personnel by Julian K. Jarboe for its explorations of what it means to be queer under capitalism; THE FOUR PROFOUND LEAVES by R. B. Lemberg for its complex, gentle story of homecoming; and both instalments of Sal and Gabi Break the Universe by Carlos Hernandez for showing how silly, colourful middle grade comedy can also be full of love and respect.
Kelly Jennings

Gautam Bhatia on AN ENDURING ROMANTIC discusses their 2020 In Books in general and the debut in particular.

A delightful little novella with an atmospheric prose style, featuring trans elders and weaving.

On their BookTube, butch poetics includes the novella among favourite books of 2020 | the 10 weirdest & queerest books of the year.

Lawrence M. Schoen welcomes Lemberg to EATING AUTHORS.

LMS: Welcome, R.B. Is there a meal that stands out from all others for you?

RBL: Some of the most memorable meals in my life were the ones I made for Bogi, early in our courtship, in my first home in Lawrence, KS. The meals themselves I remember only vaguely. I was still on a green card, and rising from the ashes of my disastrous first marriage, which ended a year or so prior; Bogi was visiting from Hungary to investigate graduate schools, and to meet US friends.

A few months later Bogi was back, again to visit graduate schools – but also to visit me; and finally, they were back to begin graduate school in Iowa City, about a six hour drive away (longer on Greyhound). We were a couple by then, but because of the mess that visas and the US immigration system made of our lives, we could not live in the same town, so visits were what we had.

REDDIT r/Fantasy continues their fascination with THE FOUR PROFOUND LEAVES.

The /r/Fantasy Monthly Book Discussion Thread:

an interesting novella that I enjoyed. Magic system is cool and the characters are well done.
kjmichaels

Has fantasy changed at all that much in the last 20 years?

Did you say… More queer representation? Hello friend, and welcome to the glories of SFF in the modern day! There’s a ton of awesome queer stuff out there! I’ve found bi rep is a bit less common, but here’s a bunch of queer stuff to take a look at.

[…]

THE FOUR PROFOUND LEAVES by RB Lemberg (middle eastern fairytale-esque novella. Two elderly trans protagonists go on a journey of self discovery)

[…]

Hopefully these will help you dip your toes into the wonderful books modern SFF has to offer you!

EDIT: and if this list didn’t answer it explicitly, yes. The answer is yes. SFF has changed a lot, and it’s getting better and better in my opinion.
eriophora

January 6, 2021

Best and favorite books of 2020 include THE FOUR PROFOUND WEAVES and DRIFTWOOD

Rick Klaw blog best of 2020, driftwood, hoopla, maria haskins, marie brennan, quick sip reviews, r. b. lemberg, r/fantasy, r/suggestmeabook, r/trollxbookclub, reddit, the four profound weaves, the library ladies 0

As the new year begins, lists, recounting the best selections from the previous year, emerge.

On REDDIT r/Fantasy, tarvolon shared their 2020 S u perlatives, naming Marie Brennan’s DRIFTWOOD as Most Creative.

It’s been a long time since the last time I stopped in the middle of a book and marveled at the creativity of the premise, but I did when reading DRIFTWOOD, a tale of the place where worlds go to die, smashing up against each other so that the space of a couple blocks may contain not just different peoples or different landscapes, but even entirely different laws of physics. It felt like I was a kid reading my first story about portals to other worlds.

Serena of THE LIBRARY LADIES names the book as a Favorite Read of 2020.

The story jumps through various people’s tales of their interactions with Last, and through these tales, we explore a taste of the wide variety of worlds and peoples that make up Driftwood. It was such a unique story, I don’t think I’ve ever read anything like it. It’s definitely a must-read for fans of science fiction/fantasy.

HOOPLA includes the novel in Critics’ Picks: Can’t Miss Books of 2020.

At REDDIT r/Trollxbookclub, HelenZass lists the work among the best reads of the year.

As did rumplebike over at r/suggestmeabook What are the four best books that you read in 2020?

At REDDIT r/Fantasy, eriophora names DRIFTWOOD and R. B. Lemberg’s THE FOUR PROFOUND WEAVES in 2020 Fantasy Books With Amazing prose?

Maria Haskins cites both R. B. Lemberg’s THE FOUR PROFOUND WEAVES and To Balance the Weight of Khalem among My Recommended Reading List for 2020.

QUICK SIP REVIEWS includes the novella in 2020 Recommended Reading List.

December 21, 2020

Marie Brennan’s enjoyable DRIFTWOOD is beautiful

Rick Klaw blog driftwood, marie brennan, nicky @ the bibliophibian, r.b. lemberg, r/52book, r/fantasy, reddit, review, the four profound weaves 0

NICKY @ THE BIBLIOPHIBIAN enjoys Marie Brennan’s DRIFTWOOD.

Overall, I found it a really enjoyable novella/collection — and the illustrations help! It’s possible to imagine an infinity of worlds and stories within Driftwood, but the last bit of this book closes it off beautifully. I still have questions, but the more important answer is the one Last finds, smiling at the end of the world.

At REDDIT r/52book, the book is mentioned in Week 49 – What are you reading?

DRIFTWOOD by Marie Brennan, which is written kind of like a collection of oral tales in this really unique fantasy world. Each of these tales concerns a man who outlived the dying of his world and is therefore considered something of a god for doing the impossible. I really enjoyed it!

On REDDIT r/Fantasy, SeiShonagon includes DRIFTWOOD as well as R. B. Lemberg’s THE FOUR PROFOUND WEAVES on their Hugo Award ballot.

My ballot for best novel:
1. Harrow the Ninth
2. Piranesi
3. DRIFTWOOD
4. One of Kingfisher’s three (!) eligible books: The Hollow Places, A Wizard’s Guide to Defensive Bases, or Paladin’s Grace
5. The Vanished Birds

And for novellas:
1. The Empress of Salt and Fortune
2. THE FOUR PROFOUND WEAVES
3. One of the two eligible Penric novellas
4. Riot Baby
5. Ring Shout

December 18, 2020

THE VERY BEST OF CAITLÍN R. KIERNAN is good place to start with the extraordinary writer

Rick Klaw blog Caitlín R. Kiernan, r/booksuggestions, r/fantasy, r/TrueLit, reddit, the very best of caitlin r kiernan 0

Cover by Hannes Hummel
Design by Elizabeth Story

REDDIT continues its fascination with Caitlín R. Kiernan’s work in general and their collection THE VERY BEST OF CAITLÍN R. KIERNAN in particular.

In r/Fantasy Looking for Lovecraft-like “intellectual horror”

Would definitely recommend much of Caitlín R. Kiernan’s work. Most of her anthologies deliver her particular slant on that Lovecraftian dread, sometime within the mythos, sometimes just inspired. Probably more towards a horror of the ocean/Deep Ones kind of stuff, and often from a female POV. Her THE VERY BEST OF CAITLÍN R. KIERNAN is a fine collection and actually seems to have more Lovecraftian stories than some others.

r/booksuggestions Fantasy and science fiction by non-men

One of my favorite writers is Caitlin R. Kiernan. She has written science fiction, fantasy, and horror, oftentimes blending the three together. Her short fiction, especially, is excellent, and her recent collection VERY BEST OF CAITLÍN R. KIERNAN is a good place to start.

/r/TrueLit: Weekly Recommendation Thread December 01, 2020

Anything by Caitlín R. Kiernan, her The Red Tree might be a good starting point (ignore the cover) or the recent collection THE VERY BEST OF CAITLÍN R. KIERNAN

December 17, 2020

R. B. Lemberg’s fantastic THE FOUR PROFOUND WEAVES is one of the top books of 2020

Rick Klaw blog ambling along the aqueduct, best of 2020, clarion west writers workshop, driftwood, erin k wagner, gautam bhatia, marie brennan, new york public library, r. b. lemberg, r/fantasy, reddit, review, the four profound weaves, varian ross, women's web 0

After a tumultuous 2020, R. B. Lemberg’s THE FOUR PROFOUND WEAVES has emerged as one of the most acclaim books of the year.

The NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY cites the novella among Favorite Trans, Nonbinary, and GNC Titles of 2020.

Varian Ross, on their eponymous site, ranks the debut in the Top Books of 2020.

I had no idea how much I needed a book with trans characters who were elders, until I read THE FOUR PROFOUND WEAVES. This book is not only a fantastic fantasy novella, it’s also a very comforting read. Being trans myself, seeing characters like me mostly in young adult books gets…tiring? I’m not sure what the word I want is, but seeing truly *old* characters who’d transitioned was something I *needed* to see.

At AMBLING ALONG THE AQUEDUCT, Erin K. Wagner mentions the work among The Pleasures of Reading, Viewing, and Listening in 2020.

This work builds quietly in tension, exploring community and connection.

WOMEN’S WEB taps Gautam Bhatia for their favorites. They suggested two titles.

THE FOUR PROFOUND WEAVES by Rose Lemberg, and
The Waterdancer’s World by by L Timmel Duchamp

On REDDIT r/Fantasy, SeiShonagon includes THE FOUR PROFOUND WEAVES as well as Marie Brennan’s DRIFTWOOD on their Hugo Award ballot.

My ballot for best novel:
1. Harrow the Ninth
2. Piranesi
3. DRIFTWOOD
4. One of Kingfisher’s three (!) eligible books: The Hollow Places, A Wizard’s Guide to Defensive Bases, or Paladin’s Grace
5. The Vanished Birds

And for novellas:
1. The Empress of Salt and Fortune
2. THE FOUR PROFOUND WEAVES
3. One of the two eligible Penric novellas
4. Riot Baby
5. Ring Shout

On April 27, 2021, Lemberg will be teaching Poetry Techniques for Fiction Writers for Clarion West.

In this workshop, we will learn how to pay attention to language using poetry tools in drafting and revising fiction. We will also learn about poem outlines, and how we can use them to flesh out the characters, the worlds, and the emotional structure of stories.

This workshop is suitable for writers of all levels. Experience writing and publishing poetry is not necessary for this workshop, but please be prepared to experiment with poetic techniques as tools for exploring fiction.

December 15, 2020

With her traditional magical beauty, Jane Yolen’s THE MIDNIGHT CIRCUS is unforgettable

Rick Klaw blog a universe in words, Jane Yolen, r/fantasy, reddit, review, the midnight circus 0

THE MIDNIGHT CIRCUS, along with all the rest of the 2020 titles, is currently 20% off with free media mail shipping on the Tachyon site.

A UNIVERSE IN WORDS praises Jane Yolen’s beautiful THE MIDNIGHT CIRCUS.

Jane Yolen doesn’t consider herself a horror writer, not even a particularly scary one. And yet her stories bristle with the unknown, the edge of something not quite safe, the supernatural. It is not about the blood or the glint of moonlight on a knife. It’s not about the abject sadness of a matchstick girl freezing to death on Christmas eve. Yolen’s stories that are scary are so because they recognize the emotional weight of it all. No need for guts spilling out here! Yolen’s THE MIDNIGHT CIRCUS retains her traditional magical beauty while she pulls back the curtain on the darkness backstage.

[…]

Jane Yolen is a master story writer. Although not all stories with resonate with every reader, there is a gem or three in The Midnight Circus for everyone. Get your ticket, join the queue, and get ready for beauty, horror, sadness and beauty.

At REDDIT r/Fantasy, The_Real_JS agrees.

So, as a rule, short stories aren’t really my thing. I generally try and read one a year just to try new and different things. This year, that just happened to coincide with my first Yolen book ever. And I have to say, there was a lot here to love. I’m coming to this review a bit late, more than a month after I finished it, and there are still stories that have stayed with, ideas that really grabbed a hold. I’ll touch on a few of them here.

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