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Archive for May, 2009
FREE sample excerpt from Secret Histories
Posted by Paul Raven on May 29th, 2009 at 12:58
If you’ve been following along here recently, you’ll have noticed that we’ve been talking about Powers: Secret Histories a lot – and with good reason.
Not only is Secret Histories easily the most ambitious book that PS Publishing has ever produced, but it’s a unique artefact – not to mention a staggering labour of love and obsession for its editor John Berlyne, and a monument to the work of one of the most influential living writers of genre fiction. I had the fortune to meet Tim Powers at the launch event in London a little while ago, who remarked in a flattered but slightly rueful fashion that it struck him as “the sort of book that only ever gets written about people who’ve already died”…
We’re so proud of Secret Histories that we want everyone to know what it’s like. So we’ve made up a 24-page high resolution sampler PDF file that you can download for free.
It includes a chunk of the bibliography section that lists every edition of Powers’ seminal The Anubis Gates, as well as China Mieville’s tribute to the novel, examples of Dick Berger’s exclusive artwork, excerpts and notes and doodles by Powers himself, and much more – and it still represents just a fraction of what the book itself contains.
And it’s totally free; you can download it as many times as you like, you can send copies to friends, you can even print it off for yourself (if you’ve got a decent colour printer). Copyright of the work remains under the ownership of its creators, though – this isn’t a Creative Commons release, just a gift from us to you. So click on the link below to download; it’s a shade over 10MegaBytes, so it might take a minute or two on a slow connection, but it’ll be well worth the wait.
Download the Secret Histories Sampler – 10.2Mb PDF file
And that’s it – no strings attached! Enjoy!
Of course, should you find your appetite whetted, you can order yourself a copy of the physical book. The trade edition stands alone as a 600-page behemoth, but for the die-hard collector there’s the slipcased edition – which comes with The Waters Deep, Deep, Deep, an 80-page unfinished novel bound separately, plus one signed poster-size reproduction of Dick Berger’s artwork – or the deluxe and extremely limited three-volume edition – which adds a second of Dick’s prints and a 500-page hardback-bound facsimile of the original manuscript for The Anubis Gates. Yes, the actual manuscript, doodles, scribblings and notes and all, the sort of document that only an editor would ever usually see. There’s only five of the deluxe edition left though, so make your move fast to avoid missing out.
Here are the links to the catalogue pages:
- Secret Histories – ultra-limited deluxe three-volume edition – £495 [US$742.50 approx]
- Secret Histories – slipcased two-volume edition – £195 [US$292.50 approx]
- Secret Histories – limited single-volume edition – £40 [US$60.00 approx]
Wednesday reviews roundup for 27th May
Posted by Paul Raven on May 27th, 2009 at 14:09
Greetings, bookworms! I sincerely hope that your Wednesday isn’t as cold, damp and miserable as the one taking place outside my window right now… but hey, we’ve got some reviews to warm our hearts, so let’s get busy!
First up, Dark Fiction Review takes a look at Ramsey Campbell‘s Thieving Fear; it’s the mass-market Virgin Books edition, but that’s the exact same story as can be found in our limited editions, copies of which are still available:
Campbell plays with language beautifully throughout the narrative, creating layers of confusion and displacement around the four cousins. He keeps the character count small, building an insular world for them to play out the story.
It’s impossible, as a reader, not to get caught up in the panic felt by each of the protagonists. For a novel in which there is barely any gore, the scares come from a deeply psychological angle. For me, Campbell has always been a master of the psychological scare and Thieving Fear is no exception. This novel will get under your skin, into your head, and will quite likely take a stroll around the darkest corners of your sleep.
Douglas Smith‘s Showcase collection Impossibilia gets a couple of complimentary mentions, the first from MassMovement:
Rarely have I seen such an apt title to any book! Douglas Smith has given us three amazing stories which are so unusual and beautiful that no other name than Impossibilia could possibly describe this collection. Each tale was rapture and ecstasy, magical and mysterious, perfect and implausible. In short, I loved them all from the first word to the last.
Equally unequivocal is the opinion of the (assumedly pseudonymous) Rainbow Dragon:
While all three stories showcase admirably Doug’s impressive mastery of the short story form, “Bouquet of Flowers in a Vase, by Van Gogh” stands out as the jewel in the crown. If you, like me, like to save the best till last, “Bouquet… ” is that red Smartie, the fine dessert wine, that last delectable bite of cheesecake with one perfect raspberry balanced on top. Not knowing any better, I started reading the book at the beginning — and had to put it down after “Bouquet… “, pour myself a tiny glass from my last coveted bottle of Maple Leaf Distillers’ “Creme de la Creme Chocolate Raspberry Cream Liquor” and sit out under the stars to savour the experience. (Which I imagine I would have done if I’d read the stories in reverse order too, but if you’re hoping to finish this collection in one day, be forewarned: “Bouquet of Flowers in a Vase, by Van Gogh” is a tough act to follow.)
Say no more! On the other side of the globe, meanwhile, Charles Tan tackles Val / Orson by Marly Youmans:
In many ways, this is a coming-of-age story of sorts, with a traditional beginning and end. Where Youmans innovates is everything else, from the characters to the setting. There’s always a dichotomy present in each scene, whether it’s the clash of nature vs the urban, the protagonist vs his sibling, father vs mother, etc. It’s this rich writing that rewards readers and make this a sophisticated read, going beyond what might be expected of a speculative fiction text.
As far as technical skill is concerned, Youmans is to be lauded as Val/Orson is more complex than most novels in the supermarket reading rack. Every single character, every single event, has a purpose and each is part of this diverse web where each element ricochets off each other.
And finally, the Ostentatious Ogre opines upon two PS titles. Firstly, Dandelion Wine by Ray Bradbury:
Doug and Tom remember their summer days by bottling them in the form of Dandelion Wine. One bottle for each day of summer. Whenever they yearn to return to summer they simply go down to the cellar and open a bottle of Dandelion Wine. As they savor the taste of the wine it transports them back to the wonderful moments of summer’s past.
Like Doug and Tom whenever I need to remember my own lost summers I’ll turn to Dandelion Wine again and again. This is a book that will touch your heart. I can’t recommend it highly enough.
And moving from the classics to the cutting edge, here’s his take on Zoran Zivkovic‘s The Last Book:
The premise of the novel is a straight forward mystery. People at Papyrus Books are dropping dead for no apparent reason and it’s up to literature loving inspector Dejan Lukić to get to the bottom of it. Along the way Zakovic hits every trope the mystery/thriller genre has to offer. They’re all here from the femme fatale to the mysterious cult. While it is the same formula we’ve seen a million times Zakovic makes it different enough that I don’t feel like I’m reading the same book I’ve read a million times before. That and the metafictional nature of the story that underpins the narrative adds a wonderful what the hell just happened feeling at the end. This is a mystery that leaves you feeling somewhat in the dark even after the denouement.
[...]
If you enjoy a good solid mystery novel then you’re going to like this book. If you enjoy metaphysical “what the hell” just happened stories then you’re going to love this book.
And that’s your lot – at least for this week. As always, click on the cover art to be taken directly to the catalogue page for any of the books above, or just pop over to the PS webstore to have a browse. And keep your eyes peeled for the next newletter around the turn of the month!
Last chance for Catastrophia submissions
Posted by Paul Raven on May 18th, 2009 at 13:06
As the deadline looms, here’s another update from Allen Ashley on the Catastrophia anthology:
Come in Catastrophians, your time is almost up! Just a quick reminder to all authors that the closing date for this anthology is 31st May 2009. That means, all manuscripts must be received by me by that date. Anything received later will not be considered.
The submission window has been open for a terrific ten months but now it’s time to sit back and seriously collate the anthology.
For your information, North American submissions take between 7 to 14 days to arrive – so if you are posting from abroad, get it in the box today!
Once the submission window has closed, there will still be lots of news, so keep an eye on this blog for latest acceptances, publicity, cover art and other updates. As I anticipated, I have received a swathe of last minute submissions so it will take me quite a while to read them all thoroughly and reply to each individual author. I am also holding several manuscripts for further consideration, so my work is far from done!
So, a big thank you to everyone who has submitted to or enquired about Catastrophia. Your patience is appreciated. Your enthusiasm for the project has been a revelation. Nice one!
You heard the man – get that story in the mail now! I’ll be posting further updates from Allen as soon as receive them, so no need to email either of us asking for news; in the meantime, why not start writing something new? You never know when the next anthology will open… :)
Wednesday reviews round-up for 13th May
Posted by Paul Raven on May 13th, 2009 at 14:05
Wednesday rolls around again… which means it’s time to collect the last week’s worth of PS Publishing reviews from the intertubes!
We’ll kick off with a look at Alex Irvine‘s Mystery Hill over on Soulless Machine:
Ken Kassarjian is a Vietnam veteran who runs a mini-golf course that centers upon peculiar flux in gravity. Mini-golfers experience a disquieting loss of equilibrium while rounding the 17th hole. This strange break in the laws of gravity brings out both the crazies, who need to believe, and the scientists, who need to assure themselves that the world only has one set of rules.
I hope you’ll forgive me interjecting, but that’s the best story conceit I’ve heard in weeks! Anyway, back to the review…
Then, one day, a rugged beauty shows up. She seems to be a debunker and Ken is not in the mood for a debunker. She has all kinds of strange looking devices that Ken knows will take measurements that will likely mount to nothing. But he takes her money all the same and points her in the right direction because he’s got to get out to the highway. She’s told him that she believes that she hit something that looked like a turtle a ways back.
What follows next is an urban fantasy that leads to an eye-popping discovery that will change Ken’s life forever. Ken will help the young attractive scientist travel to another dimension and safely back again, but not without some cost. Ken must first over come Vera, a true believer, who will stop at nothing to be reunited with her “people,” and a bootlegger, who sells psychedelic tea to teenagers.
Mystery Hill
is a fun romp in a strange world where bizarre theories are science fact and some roads should be left unexplored.
Sounds like a good laugh – that one’s going to rise up in my to-be-read pile, I think.
Next up, the fearless and frighteningly prolific Charles Tan tackles Stephen Baxter‘s Starfall:
What Stephen Baxter does with Starfall is that he distills the essential elements of space opera into a hundred pages. Miraculously, it contains everything that such a sub-genre requires: epic battles, a large cast of characters, and an assortment of technological innovations (some of which are hard SF and some not). Despite the limitations of length, Baxter combines all of these disparate elements together and makes it work just as effective as a novel would have. Because it’s shorter however, there’s never a dull moment and to steal a line from The Princess Bride, this is the “good parts version.”
[...]
While Starfall has an invasion-type plot, Baxter showcases both sides of the conflict, drawing in the reader’s sympathy for both factions. What’s interesting with the war is that while it’s tempting to over-simplify the results–especially with your word count limitation–Baxter conveys the “realistic” intricacies of such a battle, although we only get to witness the results as much of the drama is resolved behind the scenes.
… a page-turner which you can consume in one sitting. Want epic SF without the huge time investment? This book will do the trick.
And last but not least, Charles also takes on Joel Lane‘s The Witnesses Are Gone:
I was never the person who enjoyed H.P. Lovecraft’s writing. When I asked fans what they liked about his fiction, they said that he successfully conjured an eerie atmosphere, not dark but creepy and foreboding. That’s precisely how I feel when it comes to Joel Lane’s The Witnesses Are Gone. In just the first chapter, three pages long, one already senses something about the text: subtle and insinuating rather than direct and overt. As one progresses through the novella, there’s this slow build-up but Lane never tips his hand, sustaining the suspense and remaining faithful to the theme of the story.
This is the first time I’ve read Lane’s fiction and I can see his influence on writers like Conrad Williams, who wrote the introduction. There’s an elegance to the author’s prose, direct and compelling and literary.
[...]
Lane is really talented at what he does and The Witnesses Are Gone is simply one of those books where it simply blows me away and makes me seethe with envy–perhaps because this is the first time I’ve encountered his fiction.
Well, we like to think we pick the best writers we can find for publication – so it’s very gratifying when others agree with us! :)
As always, click on the cover art to be taken directly to the catalogue page for any of the books above, or just pop over to the PS webstore to have a browse. Enjoy!
McAuley Postscripts story shortlisted for Sidewise alternate history award
Posted by Paul Raven on May 9th, 2009 at 17:55
Well, there was me thinking we must have used up all our awards-based good fortune for at least a year… until what should appear but the shortlist for the Sidewise Awards, which honour the best alternate or parallel histories of the year.
And in the short-form shortlist is none other than Paul McAuley, for his story “A Brief Guide to Other Histories” that appeared in Postscripts #15 last year (and of which copies still remain). Here’s the complete line-up:
- Tobias Buckell – “The People’s Machine”
(appeared in Sideways in Crime: An Alternate Mystery Anthology (ed. Lou Anders), BL/Solaris 2008) - Albert E. Cowdrey – “Poison Victory”
(appeared in The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, July 2008) - Paul McAuley – “A Brief Guide to Other Histories”
(appeared in Postscripts #15, September 2008) - T. L. Morganfield – “Night Bird Soaring”
(appeared in Greatest Uncommon Denominator #3, Autumn 2008) - Mary Rosenblum – “Sacrifice”
(appeared in Sideways in Crime: An Alternate Mystery Anthology (ed. Lou Anders), BL/Solaris 2008) - Kristine Kathryn Rusch – “G-Men”
(appeared in Sideways in Crime: An Alternate Mystery Anthology (ed. Lou Anders), BL/Solaris 2008)
That’s a pretty stellar roster from the short fiction field, I’m sure you’ll agree – so bravo to Paul and all the other nominees! You can check out “A Brief Guide to Other Histories” on Paul McAuley’s website, by the way.
Wednesday reviews roundup for 6th May
Posted by Paul Raven on May 6th, 2009 at 14:47
Time flies when you’re having fun, doesn’t it? It’s just under a week since we discovered that Ian R MacLeod‘s Song of Time had won the 2009 Arthur C Clarke Award, but it seems like only yesterday… though also like months ago!
Then again, maybe that’s just the sensory time dilation that happens when you spend the bulk of your week bashing away at a computer keyboard in the service of genre fiction, eh? Anyway, enough with my pointless pontifications – let’s get to this week’s batch of reviews!
First up, the Financial Times has a review of PS Publishing’s 2008 reissue of Ray Bradbury‘s S is for Space:
Although the cover for S is for Space doesn’t relate to any single story in the collection, it summarises the book’s overall theme: submission to the new. The swirl of stars into which the astronaut is plunging can also be seen as an invitation to the reader to surrender to the kaleidoscope nature of Bradbury’s prose.
Subsequent editions have sported different covers, but none has worked so well as the original. A first-edition copy is unsurprisingly a rare find. However, PS Publishing, a small-press outfit based in Yorkshire, has recently reissued a limited run of Bradbury’s books, restoring the original Mugnaini cover work where possible. These are the distinctive images that Bradbury aficionados, not to mention the author himself, love the best.
Next up, appreciations are rolling in for Val/Orson by Marly Youmans. Here’s one from Epic India Magazine:
It is a lyrical tale, lush with greenery, brooks and the pleasant sounds of the birds. It is mystical, and set far away from the bustle of the city, it follows its own pace to unwind the story. Being short, it gets to the end quickly, too quickly. Though it stirs deep feelings of mystery, a bit more of depth would enhance the flavour.
The book, while expressing deep respect for nature, also is an ode to human relationships – mother-son, mother-stepfather, stepfather-son… all relate to each other at a level that endears them to the reader, evoking respect for their sensitivity towards, and understanding of, each other.
Though the people themselves are not described in detail, you feel you know and understand them. The author has explored this aspect very well.
And here’s another from SF Crowsnest:
Filled with the beauty of the sequoias and forest they are trying to save, the soft touch of romance and as quiet yet touching as the night walks Valentine takes, the story recounts a re-uniting of more than just brothers. From the first chapter to the last, this novella delivers on all points.
Epic India also took on Stephen Baxter‘s Starfall:
Baxter, despite being very economical with words, very deftly paints the large macroscopic picture of oppression that the empire of Earth unleashes on the stellar colonies, the biggest of which exist around the Alpha. The long drawn tactical moves of the rebels to overthrow the empire, and the intuitive counter defensive measures of the earthlings, form the gripping high point of the novella. The chilling single mindedness of the rebels, the occasional doubt in the mind of the captain of the earth’s navy, the ruthless decision making of the empress, all serve to describe the tension and the actions in a very simple, short and unelaborate manner. The uninvolved tone of the story effectively gets the reader more engaged with its progression.
[...] this new addition to the Xeelee Sequence is an enjoyable read and can be recommended to science fiction buffs because of the large number of interesting ideas generated in the book, many of which may be used in future additions to the series, (or may have already been used in the Xeelee series published so far).
Elsewhere, online genre ubercritic Matthew Cheney takes a close look at Will Elliott‘s The Pilo Family Circus; despite some technical flaws, he praised it thusly:
At its best, Pilo Family Circus mixes dark humor and darker horror without diluting either — a difficult balancing act for even the best writers. It is not, on the whole, a funny book, but the vision of the universe that it offers, despite the nastiness of certain events, is one that could be said to be comic at heart, because it pretty much lets humanity off the hook for most of the evil of the last millennium or two. It’s a vaguely Old Testament allegory without any hint of original sin.
[...]
This is simply the best malevolent clown novel I’ve read, and I have, yes, read a few, though I’m sure there are plenty I haven’t encountered. [...] American clowns can be pretty scary, after all. I mentioned Pilo to a friend of mine who used to be a professional clown and studied at the Dell’Arte School, and he said he thought part of the fear comes from American clowns being so heavily covered in make-up and, more importantly, their mental/behavioral age being that of an 8- or 10-year-old, as opposed to the younger age of the classic European clowns.
I don’t care about the underlying psychology, frankly; clowns are terrifying things, and that’s that. If you like to tweak your own coulrophobia, The Pilo Family Circus is the book for you. *shudder*
Liviu Suciu of Fantasy Book Critic continues to munch his way through some of last year’s titles, and adds to the mass of praise already heaped upon Christopher Evans‘ Omega:
The prose is just superb, the book is riveting since you really are kept on the edge of the seat with unpredictability and suspense, as well as kept guessing what’s real about Owen’s past and what will happen in Owain’s world – since that’s where the tension of the novel lies. The personal of Owen in “our” London versus the military/political and the fate of the alternate world of Owain’s London.
Owen is the narrator, but he is unreliable with respect to his own memories – he recounts his life, alternating between the steady hometown girl Lyneth and the exotic Tanya, all under the shadow of his domineering historian father and autistic, in-out of the hospital brother and leading to his current unhappy marriage with Lyneth and “sort of an affair” with Tanya.
Owain is seen only through Owen’s eyes, but his world and personal history are “reliable” in so far as Owen knows, but the Cold War may be turning hot and Omega may just be real.
Meanwhile, The Ostentatious Ogre has been revelling in the genre spoof of James Barclay‘s Vault of Deeds:
The pacing of the story is perfect as there’s never a dull moment. There’s plenty of sword swinging for those of you who like that kind of thing along with a healthy dose of humor. Caustic one-liners left me chuckling as did the absurd situations that are protagonists encounter along the way. You haven’t lived until you’ve seen Barclay’s take on the Ancient Elfin Language. While the action and humor are all well and good what separates this novel from the pack are the characters.
The relationships the characters develop with each other over the course of 80 pages gives the story a lot of heart. While it is definitely farcical in nature and doesn’t take itself too seriously the way the characters begin to care about one another in turn makes you as the reader begin to form a deeper bond with each of them and this adds a lot of depth to the story.
And finally Jerry Hewett, author of The Works of Jack Vance, wrote in to enthuse about Powers: Secret Histories.
… after 14 straight hours of reading (cover to cover; lots of back-tracking with “ooh!” and “ah!”) I spent all day Sunday napping on the couch.
Truly a brilliant reference, and a high point in small press craftsmanship. This is substantially more than just a bibliography – it’s a frakkin’ Work Of Art. You should clear some shelf space now for the awards this book is going to win over the next year.
I (quite seriously!) aspire to one day produce another edition of The Works of Jack Vance that comes close to what you’ve accomplished with Powers: Secret Histories. Magnificent piece of work. Proud to have a copy in my collection.
We’re just as proud to have it on our catalogue! Don’t forget you can still take advantage of our special offers on Secret Histories, with exclusive Dick Berger artwork prints bundled for free with the two- and three-book special editions… but there aren’t many left, so make a move now before it’s too late!
And that’s all we’ve got for you this week. As always, click on the cover art to be taken directly to the catalogue page for any of the books above, or just pop over to the PS webstore to have a browse. Enjoy!
Bonus prints with Secret Histories, all-new-writers volume of Postscripts, and more gift box upgrades
Posted by Peter Crowther on May 1st, 2009 at 14:00
Hi, folks;
We’re still recovering from the delightful shock of Ian R MacLeod‘s Song of Time winning the Clarke Award, but a new month means new releases and offers from PS Publishing, so let’s get to the good stuff!
Free Dirk Berger prints free with special editions of Secret Histories
We had a great time at EasterCon. John Berlyne’s Tim Powers bibliography Secret Histories went down well, so it’s worth your knowing that there are now officially only a handful of copies left of the 26-copy three-book lettered extravaganza.
It’s also worth your knowing that everyone who orders either of the slipcased states will receive an extra goodie – purchasers of the three-book set will receive two of Dirk Berger’s remarkable limited-edition artwork prints (signed by Dirk plus Tim and John) while folks who shell out for the two-book state will receive one print.
(The prints will be sent under separate cover in a special artwork tube. And before anyone asks, yes… everyone who has already ordered copies of the slipcased states will also receive the posters.)
This offer is good only while stocks last so it’s strictly first come, first served – click through now to secure your copies before they all disappear!
- Secret Histories – ultra-limited deluxe three-volume edition – £495 [US$742.50 approx]
- Secret Histories – slipcased two-volume edition – £195 [US$292.50 approx]
- Secret Histories – limited single-volume edition – £40 [US$60.00 approx]
Postscripts #18 – special all-new-writers volume
After a few days of anxiety when we thought that one of the signing sheets for Postscripts had gone AWOL, we’re all-systems-go again and the book is expected before the end of May.
From here on in, each issue (or rather ‘volume’) will be titled around one of the stories. The first new-look volume – a bumper new writers special – is This is the Summer of Love, taking the title of Rio Youers’s masterful novelette that closes the book. But make no mistake, Rio’s tale is just one of ten wonderful stories… so don’t say we didn’t warn you!
Click through below to order a stand-alone copy, or take out a subscription for big savings on masses of fresh new fiction:
- Postscripts #18 New Writers Special (hardcover) – £12 [US$18 approx]
- Postscripts #18 New Writers Special (limited signed hardcover) – £28 [US$42 approx]
- Postscripts subscription offers
Gift box upgrades – Mystery Hill and The Babylonian Trilogy
The anniversary gift boxes continue to sell well, so we’ve upgraded them again to include two of our newest titles.
For the month of May, the line-up will see one of the random ten books in the novels boxes (trade and deluxe) being exchanged for a copy of Sebastien Doubinsky’s The Babylonian Trilogy.
- Ten trade novels, including The Babylonian Trilogy – £100 [US$150 approx.]
- Ten slipcased novels, including The Babylonian Trilogy – £200 [US$300 approx.]
Furthermore, we’ll exchange one of the random ten books in the novellas boxes (trade and jacketed) for the appropriate edition of Alex Irvine’s Mystery Hill!
- Ten trade novellas, including Mystery Hill – £40 [US$60 approx.]
- Ten jacketed novellas, including Mystery Hill- £100 [US$150 approx.]
But don’t forget, these offers are good only until the end of May.
Newsletter giveaway winners for April
Last month’s winning newsletter readers Martin Goodwin (of Camulodunum Books) and Kerry Johnson from Kentucky, USA managed to land themselves a free trade edition of Secret Histories, just for being signed up to receive PS Publishing updates like this one – aren’t you glad you’re signed up too?
So please tell your friends about us; this month, a lucky winner will receive a slipcased edition of Sebastien Doubinsky‘s Babylonian Trilogy. Maybe it’ll be you!
And that’s about all for this month, except to point out that Mystery Hill, The Babylonian Trilogy and Camp Desolation and an Eschatology of Salt are all freshly in stock and ready to ship from the PS warehouse. If you’re hungry for more, you can pop over to the newsroom to find out what new stories we’ve bought lately, and why yours truly had to grovel on his knees before Paul McAuley at Eastercon…
Look after each other… and happy reading!
Pete