The reviews are starting to come in for Eclipse, which will be in stores in the next couple weeks. PW have given it the following starred review. Good taste prevents me from mentioning how many consecutive stars that is . I’m very proud of the book, and hope you’ll check it out. As always, many thanks to the authors and the publisher for their amazing work on the book.
Eclipse One: New Fantasy and Science Fiction Edited by
Jonathan Strahan. Nightshade (www.nightshadebooks.com), $14.95 paper (263p) ISBN 978-1-59780-117-1
Each of the 16 selections in Strahan’s superb anthology (the launch of an annual series) does a disturbing take on a premise that genre fans may find familiar from more mundane examples of science fiction, fantasy or horror. Paul Brandon and Jack Dann’s “The Transformation of Targ” and Ysabeau S. Wilce’s “Quartermaster Returns,” both horror stories, simultaneously unsettle and amuse. Jeffrey Ford’s metaphorical “The Drowned Life” explores a debtor’s despair. Peter S. Beagle’s “The Last and Only or, Mr. Moscowitz Becomes French” veers all too close to contemporary reality, while Terry Dowling’s “Toother” is as much about the grim realities of the Napoleonic and American Civil Wars as it is about the horror of serial killers. Ellen Klages’s “Mrs. Zeno’s Paradox” plays a delightful twist on the classical thought experiment. Gwyneth Jones’s “In the Forest of the Queen” is at once hauntingly ethereal and an arresting reinterpretation of humans wandering into faerie. Every selection both defines and challenges our genre expectations. (Nov.)
I had a great time in Canberra (many thanks to Nicole and her committee for making me so welcome), but today I’m sort of anxious and on edge and ready to go home. While I’ll probably settle down and be fine (and certainly won’t make any decisions till Monday or so), I’m thinking about either cancelling my trip to the US or significantly shorten it. I find I really just want to stay home.
Well, I’ve been up and out this morning. Had breakfast with Simon, Ally and Graham, watched The Bionic Woman in my room (it’s ok), and then went for a walk in the city. Bought some Billy Bragg cds in a cd ‘superstore’ (more Superchicken super, than Superman super), which was cool. This is a not-so-great laptop photo of the view from my room. More soon…
Yesterday was all about the travelling thing. I didn’t sleep well, so was awake early. I finished packing, kissed the family and said farwell (with no little sense of trepidation), and got in a cab. The flights were flights. Surprisingly free wireless access at the Perth airport, a cramped aircraft from Perth to Sydney, a lousy movie with Robin Williams in it (the only kind he does these days), 45 minutes in Sydney airport, and an hour to Canberra. The evening was very nice, though. I was met by Conflux chair Nicole Murphy at the tiny Canberra airport, went to the hotel, dropped my bags in my room, and then hit the bar to see Kaaron, Graham, Simon and Ally. After a drink, we headed out for a nice meal at a local yacht club where I chatted with a lot of friends, old and new. It says something for conventions that I spent time chatting with Perth locals Dave Cake, Ian Nichols, and Dave Luckett – something that doesn’t really happen at home. I almost got to chat with Trudi Canavan – we know each other from Eidolon days – but did get to talk to Trevor and others. After a late night drink, it was off to bed. Of course I’m up too early this morning, but that’s cons. Breakfast soon, then a lunch with the gang. Should be good.
From about 8am on Thursday I’ll be gone. I spend a good chunk of today travelling to Canberra, and then I’m in Canberra till late on Tuesday evening. If you need to contact me, I’ll be sporadically available on email (I’ll try to check it early in the morning and late at night). If it’s super-urgent, I’m at Conflux staying in the Con hotel. But let’s not have super-urgent, if that’s ok? I’ve just survived one case of that on Wednesday morning, and I really would rather not do it again any time soon.
Eclipse One: New Fantasy and Science Fiction Edited by
