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

Jacob Weisman, Ellen Datlow, and Joe R. Lansdale (photo: Karen Lansdale)

At LOCUS ONLINE in his dual review of Lauren Beukes’ SLIPPING: STORIES, ESSAYS, & OTHER WRITING and Bruce Sterling’s PIRATE UTOPIA, Paul Di Filippo praises Jacob Weisman and Tachyon Publications.

Currently in its twenty-first year of operation, Jacob Weisman’s Tachyon Publications has attained a nigh-legendary stature as one of the leaders and innovators in the modern domain of genre-centric small-presses. Their selections are unfailingly interesting and often end up on award ballots, and the books themselves are handsomely designed. Had Tachyon never existed, the history of our field would be vastly impoverished. We can only hope they continue for a good long time.

Rachelle Smith of THE EMPORIA GAZETTE enjoys Ellen Datlow’s THE MONSTROUS.

For those of us who enjoy reading both horror and short stories, Ellen Datlow’s new anthology, THE MONSTROUS, is a real treat. Packed with twenty stories by such well known authors as Peter Straub, Jeffrey Ford and Caitlin R. Kiernan, The Monstrous makes for a gruesome read on a chilly fall night.

Part of what makes this anthology so enjoyable is Datlow’s unerring eye for good writing, as her ten Hugo awards and multiple Locus, Bram Stoker, and Shirley Jackson awards prove.

So grab a mug of something hot and steamy and prepare to be thrilled — just don’t forget to leave the lights on.

At PAPER KINGDOM, Michael Channing counts Hap and Leonard among his favorite book series.

I’ve read all these at least three times each. I’ve lent out copies and gotten my friend Bob hooked on the series. These are damn good books. Two hard-fighting East Texas guys, one white and straight, one black and gay. They have other differences, but they are blood brothers, sworn and dedicated to each other no matter what trouble comes a-crawling out of the thicket. Over the years, Hap and Leonard have developed from unemployed and down-on-their-luck to just-about-middle-class, nearly respectable private investigators. They’ve fallen in and out of relationships, but the binds between them have remained rock-solid. The cast of supporting characters has grown, the dangers have gotten bigger, but the dialog has always been sharp, the writing always superb. The weather itself is often a character and Lansdale’s descriptions of sunsets, rainstorms, flash floods, and searing heat are pure poetry.

The fight scenes in these books are extremely realistic because Lansdale is a bona-fide martial arts hall-of-famer. He invented his own form of martial arts, as did Bruce Lee, and has his own school in Texas. So when Hap and Leonard wail on a few thugs and knock their heads around, keep in mind the author himself could do the exact same thing to you. But he wouldn’t, of course, because he’s a pacifist. Unless you threaten his family, then you should be prepared to taste dirt and/or your own blood.

For more on THE MONSTROUS, visit the Tachyon page.

Illustration by John Coulthart

Cover by Reiko Murakami

Cover design by Elizabeth Story