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Archive for June, 2009
Song of Time shares the John W Campbell Award!
Posted by Paul Raven on June 30th, 2009 at 12:54
Wow – much as we believed it to be a great novel, we weren’t expecting Ian R Macleod‘s Song of Time to win the Arthur C Clarke Award earlier in the year.
We certainly weren’t expecting it to win the Clarke and tie for first place in the 2009 John W Campbell Award, but that’s exactly what has happened. So bravo, Ian – we’re as proud as can be! [news via Science Fiction Awards Watch]
Song of Time shares the top slot with Little Brother, the much-lauded young adult novel from sf-nal stalwart Cory Doctorow, so many congratulations to him – and to all the other nominees as well.
Both Doctorow and MacLeod will be appearing at the awards ceremony, held by the University of Kansas on 10th July. If you’re able to attend, please buy both the winners a drink on us! :)
Wednesday reviews roundup for 24th June
Posted by Paul Raven on June 24th, 2009 at 14:01
Well, the longest day of the year has been and gone, and it seems like only weeks ago I was sat grouching in the cold darkness of midwinter. Where’s this year going to, I ask you?
I’ve always suspected PS head honcho Pete has some sort of time dilation machine to allow him to get everything done, but I’m increasingly fearful that as a part of the team I’ve somehow been caught up in its temporal backwash, and am experiencing a compressed perception of time as a result…
… but enough of my existential waffle. Let’s take a look at this week’s reviews!
First of all, author Clare Dudman reviews Val / Orson by Marly Youmans:
Marly Youman’s work bridges its own fantastical space. It is a charmed forgotten world into which the modern day somehow seamlessly intrudes. The effect is startling. In Val/Orson, as in all her work, there is the atmosphere of a myth. It is not just the basis of the story – the separation of twins at birth – but the general ambience of the piece. Extraordinary things are accepted with a fairytale nonchalance: in this tale for instance there are tree-sitters. They are not introduced; why they are there and what they are doing has to be gleaned from the text, and this gives the whole setting depth and power. It manages to incorporate important messages about the environment as well as give a highly satisfying tale of loyalty and search for identity. For a novella there is an impressive range – from mesmerising accounts of fairy stories to gripping and realistic accounts of childbirth.
There’s also an interview with Marly Youmans further down, so go take a look!
The Baton Rouge Advocate also took a look at Val / Orson. As it was a print piece I can’t link to it, but here’s a few snippets:
Somehow Youmans manages to tightrope along that margin between the real and the surreal in this book to create a tension that harkens back to classic fantasy novels like W.H. Hudson’s Green Mansions and the works of Jules Verne.
[...]
Val falls in love with the beautiful Diamond, a tree-sitter. But then one day she just disappears. Was she taken away by Orson? As the mystery intensifies, Youmans introduces more characters and more elements into the tale which explain previous mysteries. It’s a well-crafted and enjoyable story. As always, Youmans’ writing is something beyond mere prose. It’s near-poetry.
Also in print is a featured review of Paul Di Filippo‘s Harsh Oases in the new issue of Albedo 1:
What is striking about Di Filippo as a writer, as evidenced in previous collections, is his range, both in terms of style and subject matter. Previous collections have demonstrated a multitude of ideas that are treated sometimes in a serious vein, sometimes humorous. It is this very variety that has perhaps kept Di Filippo out of the limelight to an extent; there is no easy label that can be applied to him, there is no typical Di Filippo trait or trope that can be handily identified. And yet there is such a thing as a Di Filippoian or Di Filippesque story. It is not always easily recognised, but there is a certain gonzo quality to a typical Di Filippo story. Harsh Oases offers fresh and rewarding evidence of this in what proves to be a bumper edition of short stories.
[...]
All told, a cracking collection and one I would highly recommend as a good entry point for anyone not already familiar with the work of Paul Di Filippo.
Agreed – he’s a difficult writer to pin down stylistically, but Di Filippo’s range is his strong point, as is his sense of fun.
As always, click on the cover art to be taken directly to the catalogue page for the book in question, or just pop over to the PS webstore to have a browse. Have you read a PS Publishing title recently? If so, let us know so we can link you back from here!
Wednesday reviews roundup for 17th June
Posted by Paul Raven on June 17th, 2009 at 23:49
It’s that time of week once again! Let’s see what people have been saying about PS books in the last seven days…
First of all, The Baryon Review tackles the mammoth tome that is The Very Best of Gene Wolfe:
Many years ago, the first time I met Gene Wolfe, he wrote in my autograph book “even if he won’t tell me what he likes about my stories”. Here it is some thirty years later and a lot more stories and books read and I’m still disappointing Gene Wolfe. I can’t just say that they are well written, interesting and thought provoking, which they are on many levels. My answer is that I like them and they stir my emotions. No one else writes like Gene Wolfe and that’s what I like about his stories. I hope that’s a good enough answer, it’s the only one I have.
This is a well produced volume, as are all of PS Publishing’s offerings. It deserves a place in your library. I know it demands a place in mine.
Do bear in mind that this hefty and handsome book is very close to selling out in advance of its actual publication at the turn of the month, in all editions – so click through on the cover and place your order now to avoid disappointment!
And our second mention is doubly special. Not only is it a starred review in Booklist, the prestigious magazine of the American Library Association, but it is for The Painting and the City by our very own Robert Freeman Wexler:
At a friend’s party in Manhattan, sculptor Jacob Lerner sees an 1842 portrait of a young woman and quickly becomes obsessed with it. He sets a librarian friend searching for information about artist and subject, which eventuates in finding the painter’s journal of his New York sojourn for the commission. Philip Schuyler’s testimony (which appears in two separately paginated inserts in a different typeface) discloses that the painting is one of five that together constituted a threat to the subject. That threat is tangentially related to the commercial growth of Manhattan, another of Lerner’s obsessions and the motive behind a pair of installation pieces, one a dour vision of modern New York, the other a serener conception. As he sleuths the painting and builds the installations, Lerner has hallucinations in which, guided by a glass marionette, he observes scenes related to Schuyler’s and his subject’s fates, in which a not-quite-conspiracy of property owners, dating from Manhattan’s Dutch colonial days, is implicated. Seemingly informed by an artist’s eye and driven by its fantastic elements, this complex, enthralling novel is concerned with relations between art and commerce, and nature and commerce; the importance of the past; the everyday oppression of capitalism; and how art may shape history.
So, there you have it – if librarians don’t know a good book when they read one, who does?
As always, click on the cover art to be taken directly to the catalogue page for the book in question, or just pop over to the PS webstore to have a browse. And if you’ve read one of our books, new or old, be sure to drop us a line and let us know what you thought, be it good or bad – that way we can keep on improving. :)
More Catastrophia acceptances
Posted by Paul Raven on June 16th, 2009 at 12:30
Here’s the latest news from Allen Ashley, tireless editor of the forthcoming Catastrophia anthology:
Exciting news: Catastrophia has now reached double figures. I am pleased to confirm that I have now accepted stories number nine and ten for the anthology. They are “Something for Nothing” by Joe Essid and “Pixels on a Screen” by Patrick Shuler. Joe Essid has published several academic articles, as well as poetry and non-fiction in Pangaia and Mother Millennia. Patrick Shuler has been published in The Clapboard House and is working on a novella.
Please note that Catastrophia is closed to all new submissions. I am still reading the remaining submissions – about 100 or so – and all authors will hear from me in due course. If you’ve sent me a story, your patience is appreciated. There will be more news soon, so keep checking this blog.
You heard the man – we’ll update you here as soon as we have more news!
Wednesday reviews roundup for 10th June
Posted by Paul Raven on June 10th, 2009 at 23:46
Well, it’s just about still Wednesday here in the UK, so that still counts, right? :)
Just a couple of reviews this week, the first of which is of Alex Irvine’s Mystery Hill at SFrevu:
Irvine manages to pack a lot into this novella — drugs, conspiracy theories, budding romance, surly teens, a redneck moonshiner, gravitational anomalies, fishing, employee relations — along with a well crafted story that will keep you chuckling and wonder “what if…”
[...] Ken, our protagonist, was well drawn and about as down to earth as you could be. [...] The people who show up at Mystery Hill are just about what you’d expect if you’ve ever stopped into one of these roadside gems. Not only that, but the dialog was crisp, witty, intelligent, plausible, and sharp enough to cut at times — and individualized for each speaker.
I was totally entertained and charmed by the story. I certainly will keep Alex Irvine on my to be looked for list for future reading.
And the other is a review I can’t link to… but given that it appears in Locus, arguably the most prestigious venue for reviews of genre fiction titles, we’re not going to complain about that! The review in question is of John Berlyne’s epic Tim Powers bibliography-with-multitudinous-extras, Secret Histories; here are a few snippets:
It’s such a career-capping volume that one wonders whether the publisher might be tempted to off the writer, just to keep it from becoming out of date.
(No chance of that, I can assure you!)
[Secret Histories is] the life of an author laid bare… a celebration of books and the process by which they come into being.
That’s no understatement, either. I’ve never read a Powers novel in my life, but I’ve been unable to keep my nose of of my copy of Secret Histories since it arrived, and I’m now intrigued enough to be considering hunting down as many of his books as I can find. If you’re a Powers junkie, this book will be the equivalent to a kilo of Pablo Escobar’s personal stash.
So feed your habit… before someone else snorts the lot!
British Fantasy Society Awards shortlist announced!
Posted by Paul Raven on June 9th, 2009 at 20:11
The BFS has announced the shortlist for this year’s BFS Awards, and we’re pleased as punch to see a number of PS titles in the running – you can go take a look over at the BFS website for the full list, but here are our candidates:
- Best Novel: Thieving Fear by Ramsey Campbell
- Best Collection: Glyphotech by Mark Samuels
- Best Novella: Gunpowder by Joe Hill
- Best Artist: Edward Miller (for Vault of Deeds), plus Les Edwards and Vinnie Chong (who both supply art to PS on a regular basis)
- Best Non Fiction: Basil Copper – A Life in Books by Stephen Jones
- Best Magazine: Postscripts
Also, this is the first year that we’re sponsoring the Best Small Press Award instead of contending for it, as mentioned last year. The publishers in the running for the £250 prize pot are:
- Elastic Press (Andrew Hook)
- Newcon Press (Ian Whates)
- Pendragon Press (Chris Teague)
- Screaming Dreams (Steve Upham)
- TTA Press (Andy Cox)
As always, congratulations to everyone on the shortlist, regardless of who published them; fan-voted genre awards are all about celebrating a diverse and lively scene, and we are but one proud component thereof.
And don’t forget to vote if you’re eligible – which includes not only BFS members but also signed-up attendees of FantasyCon 2008 and 2009. We promise not to be too embarassed if you vote for one of our titles… :)
Wednesday reviews round-up for 3rd June
Posted by Paul Raven on June 3rd, 2009 at 12:37
Wednesday again, already? And how did we arrive in June so fast, I ask you? Still, I’m not complaining – it’s warm and sunny, and there are reviews to share…
Praise for the long-sold-out novella Gunpowder by Joe Hill is till trickling in. Here’s Joe Sherry’s take:
This is straight science fiction. Distant world, psi-powers, terraforming, and starships. Except, these are children with all the power, children developed to have terrible powers available to use, to shape a planet. Yes, it spoils nothing to say that those initial plans go awry. Plans must. The boys aren’t perfect, they aren’t angels (or demons). They are kids with remarkable power. Elaine is assigned to them, but loves them and they love her. It’s that love, naturally, that is the cause of all the pain that is to come.
What works here is that Joe Hill builds to a natural confrontation, and then twists it all to go not where we might expect, but in a direction that suddenly feel organic and natural and right – and brutal. Gunpowder has a tough ending that very much works, and one which raises the question of what happens next.
Oh – if you weren’t sure – I liked it and I wanted more of it.
Likewise! I finally got round to reading Gunpowder a few days ago, and if you’ll believe the words of the in-house publicity guy, every review of this book has been spot on; it’s a dark but touching story against a backdrop of brilliant worldbuilding. If Hill does more stories in the same universe (and there are rumours that he might), he’s going to make quite a significant dent in the sf scene.
The rest of this week’s feedback is all about Postscripts #18. This special all-new-writers issue seems to be going down well – first off, here’s the low-down from The Baryon Review:
Peter Crowther is going against the grain by converting his successful Postscripts into a hardcover anthology. This is the first volume in the new format and with the lineup of new writers that appear in this volume; it should add to his readership and create interest in future volumes.
[...]
There’s not a bad one in the bunch and each has a reason to make you think about what the author has written and a lot of them will end up on you “be on the look out for” list.
PS Publishing has taken a good thing and made it better. $18 is not a bad price for a hardcover anthology, most especially one of this caliber.
Rob at The Fiction Desk is also impressed:
While I wouldn’t necessarily say that “This is the Summer of Love” is the high point of Postscripts #18, it certainly doesn’t do a bad job of rounding out what must be one of the most satisfying anthologies I’ve read in a long time [...] I liked some of the stories more than others, a few had shaky endings, and there were one or two that I felt might have been better executed a little differently in general, but this kind of cavilling is really part of the pleasure of reading a good anthology.
I’ve now got three months to wait for Postscripts #19. I have plenty of other books to read in the meantime, but I suspect I might revisit a few of these stories as well, or better yet, start looking at PS Publishing’s stock of back issues.
Still not convinced? Well, the Ostentatious Ogre has only read a handful of the stories so far, but he’s already found a new favourite:
It’s always a treat discovering new authors and so far I’ve only read three stories but I’ve already found an author who I think is great.
[...]
["The Wages of Salt" by Deborah Kalin is set] in a Desert Dystopia [... where] an archaeologist and her crew dig up something that should have remained buried. That’s all I’ll say as far as the story’s plot goes but this one is worth the price of admission alone. Kalin from the first paragraph brought me into this world she’s created and I’ll be honest; I’m fiending for more. I’ve already read the story twice now and I want, no I need more. Can’t wait to get my hands on some more material by this author.
That’s excellent news all round. Obviously we place great faith in everything we publish here at PS, but I know that Pete and Nick are especially keen to discover and expose exciting new writers to the short fiction scene – and the above reviews suggest that mission has been accomplished!
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 if you’ve read one of our books, new or old, be sure to drop us a line and let us know what you thought, be it good or bad – that’s how we keep improving. :)
Very Best of Gene Wolfe out soon and selling fast!
Posted by Peter Crowther on June 3rd, 2009 at 9:00
Hi folks;
Very Best of Gene Wolfe out soon
Boy, the months fly by! It’s ever more hectic here in the offices of PS but there’s just time to give you a heads-up that our Very Best of Gene Wolfe volume is running down… with more than 200 of the 300 trade copies and 50 of the 100 slips already spoken for. We’re expecting finished copies in a couple of weeks, so pre-order now to avoid disappointment!
- The Very Best of Gene Wolfe (hardcover) – £50 [ US$75 approx. ]
- The Very Best of Gene Wolfe (deluxe slipcased hardcover) – £100 [ US$150 approx. ]
FREE sampler from Powers: Secret Histories
We’ve finally received the special packing materials to send out the deluxe 3-book and 2-book editions of Powers: Secret Histories. The 3-book sets will be going out this week, along with the promised posters. We have just five copies left of the 3-book edition! If you still remain to be convinced, why not check out the special free sampler PDF we released the other day? If you’re a fan of Powers, you’ll not want to miss out!
- 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]
Martian Chronicles definitive edition shaping up
Edward Miller just called to say that his five – yes, five! – new artwork pieces for our definitive Martian Chronicles collaboration with our chums across at Subterranean Press should be delivered next week. It’s shaping up to be a beautiful book, and the ultimate Bradbury collector’s item! Check it out over at Subterranean’s catalogue and pre-order a copy.
No giveaway winner this month
Sadly, the owner of the randomly-chosen email address from last month’s newsletter didn’t respond to our message. But that’s good news for one of you, as last month’s prize – a slipcased edition of Sebastien Doubinsky’s Babylonian Trilogy – rolls over to be offered again this time round. Keep an eye on your inbox!
As always, there’s loads more going on – so take a look at our forthcoming releases page for some of the great titles and authors we’ve got in the pipeline. One last thing: the PS offices will be closed for business from 12 June through to the end of the month. All orders received during that time will be logged and stored in the strict order of their arrival. All enquiries will be dealt with – and books sent out – during the first week of July.
Until then, happy reading!
Pete
Catastrophia now closed to submissions
Posted by Paul Raven on June 1st, 2009 at 11:59
Here’s the latest from Catastrophia editor Allen Ashley:
That’s it, folks – Catastrophia is now completely closed to all new submissions. 31 May 2009 was always going to be the closing date and we are now beyond that. The submission window was open for 10 fantastic, fruitful months – so no hand wringing or excuses if you didn’t get round to submitting.
For those of you thinking this is the end of the process – far from it! I have so far only officially accepted 8 stories or about half a book’s worth. I am in close but secret negotiations over a couple of other stories and expect to announce their acceptance soon. But I still have, at a quick count on my submission list, 111 stories to consider and as many authors to respond to. So, you will all hear from me over the next two or three months, including all those authors who have received a “holding for second reading” email. For the record, I received 40 submissions in the final fortnight. You guys certainly like to leave it late!
Ah, deadlines – the writer’s greatest motivator! Good luck to all those who have submitted – Allen will be updating us on acceptances as the process continues, so watch this space. :)