Pyr-o-mania

Happy New Things

2012-01-17T07:11:00.001-05:00

Well, I haven't posted in a long time. I was away thinking. Also I played some games. If you'd like to read more pop over to my actual blog Quantum Gravity. Meanwhile PYR books keep us all sane and I'm here to wish all of the PYR readers a late but sincere Happy New Year. Don't stop readin'!

Cover for Shadow's Master Revealed

2012-01-14T12:53:00.000-05:00

Hey everyone,

I've just received the final cover art for Shadow's Master by Michael Komarck (via the very awesome Art Direction of Lou Anders). Check it out!

Adventures Fantastic selects Pyr as the #1 Publisher You Should be Reading in 2012

2012-01-12T11:23:00.000-05:00

Adventures Fantastic have posted a list of "Four Publishers You Should Be Reading in 2012". Pyr made their number one spot. They say:

If you read books from only one publisher in 2012, this is the one you should read. This is by far the most impressive and innovative line in all SFF publishing, although the others on this list are giving them increasing competition. If you've read many of their books, you understand why editor Lou Anders won the Hugo for Best Editor - Long Form last year. I've not read a single book published by Pyr that I haven't thoroughly enjoyed, something I can't say about any other publisher.

They also make the following Recommendations: The Blade Itself by Joe Abercrombie, Twelve by Jasper Kent, Wolfsangel by M. D. Lachlan, Shadow's Son by Jon Sprunk

Thanks!

The Shared DNA of Epic Fantasy and Steampunk

2012-01-09T17:37:00.003-05:00

I am not a sociologist.

Normally, this doesn’t really mean anything. I’m not a lot of things. I’m not a firefighter, or an accountant, or a Buddhist, or an anarchist, or a zucchini. Normally, these are all of about equal relevance.

In this case, however, the fact that I’m not a sociologist matters a little, since what I’m suggesting dips a toe into those waters. But I’m going to speculate anyway, and if I’m way off base, well, it wouldn’t be the first time.

(It would, in fact, be the seventh. I have been wrong exactly seven times in my life. Or eight, if you count this assertion.)

Anyway, all of this is just me dithering aimlessly, so enough of that. It’s time to dither with purpose.

Trends and tastes in entertainment tend to rise and fall in cycles. Something’s popular for a while, falls out of popularity, the pendulum swings back and it comes back for a while, and so forth. Some details my change. Maybe sword-and-sorcery fantasy is popular during one surge, whereas sweeping epics are dominant in the next (Not that such things can’t both coexist, of course; I’m just talking trends being more or less common.) The details may change, but the core aspect of a genre/style/whatever—and the purpose it serves for its particular audience—returns.

My hypothesis, after giving it some thought, is this: The surge in popularity of steampunk over the last decade or so is an upswing in the same cycle that gave us the popularity of epic fantasy from the 70s to the 90s. Not similar. Not related. They are the same cycle and fill the same needs for the speculative fiction audience; only the cosmetic details have changed.

Yes, you now think I’m crazy. Steampunk and high fantasy are pretty far apart on the spec-fic continuum, and when most people do look for connections, they suggest a much closer link between steampunk and sci-fi than between it and fantasy (due, in part, to the reliance on technology).

And you’d be right, I am crazy. But not because of this.

Continue reading here.

A Portion of the Continent of Laent

2012-01-04T10:07:00.000-05:00

James Enge's Morlock the Maker stories and novels take place on the continent of Laent, a land on a world much different from our own. For one thing, the world is flat, and for another, the sun sets in the east. For the novel This Crooked Way,illustrator Chuck Lukacs, who apart from being a brilliant illustrator is also the creator of Fantasy Genesis: A Creativity Game for Fantasy Artists, provided us with a map of a portion of that world. I've always loved the "Tolkien meets Led Zeppelin" feel of Chuck's map. For more about Morlock and his world, you can always read the books.

LEC Book Reviews names Pyr "Best SFF Publisher or Imprint 2011"

2011-12-27T11:05:00.001-05:00

LEC Book Reviews has just released their choice for the "Best SFF Publisher or Imprint 2011" and we are gratified to see that they have selected Pyr. They write:

"...throughout the year, in almost every review of their titles I’ve written you’ll have noticed some mention of how great Pyr is. Under the deft editorial management of Lou Anders, this imprint of Prometheus Books continued to grow on the genre scene, and even expanding a new YA-oriented line of books. But more importantly, Pyr continued to do what we love it for; publishing consistently quality genre novels, adorned with gorgeous artwork from their Art team.

Pyr doesn’t necessarily publish the most thought-provoking novels or those with great literary ambitions - they publish the devilishly creative, offbeat, and fun ones. Their books are often pulpy, hilarious, colorful, and brimful with fantastical goodness. Pyr knows how to pick them, and we’re glad they do."

Thanks! We appreciate this very much!

Last Minute Gift Ideas

2011-12-21T15:20:00.004-05:00

It's December 21st. You forgot about that nephew, or (really?) still don't have anything for mom. AND YOU WILL SEE THEM IN 3 or 4 DAYS. Here are several suggestions, in both fiction and nonfiction, for easy stop-and-grab-on-the-way gifts for every reader on your list:

Holiday Gift Guide #1

and

Holiday Gift Guide #2

We hope they help! Happy holidays.

Pyr: Best SFF Press for eBooks

2011-12-07T11:38:00.001-05:00

Staffer's Musings have just released their Best SFF Press for eBooks (2011). They write:

"What I can judge, is who's making the effort to put out the best eBooks. And that's Pyr.

It shouldn't be new to anyone who reads this blog that I'm a dedicated eReader. The vast majority of books I purchase are eBooks and the vast majority of ARCs I read are electronic. Gone are the days of error ridden eBooks from major publishers (largely), but there's still a huge gap between the quality of hard copies and their eBook counterparts. Lou Anders, and Pyr, are changing that one eBook at a time.

Sure, their eBooks are almost never available on release day. And yes, they're not as affordable as those from Angry Robot or Night Shade (who both do a great job with their eBooks also). But for me Pyr has become the go to source for beautiful, professional eBooks"

Custom Action Figure Mod of George Mann's The Ghost

2011-11-29T09:33:00.001-05:00

George Mann, author of Ghosts of Manhattanand Ghosts of War, was recently a Guest of Honor at TeslaCon II in Madison, WI. While there, a very cool fan named Robert McAlister presented him with "the most awesome thing." It was a 12" action figure of The Ghost, hand converted, and mounted on a specially decorated plinth.

Here are pictures!

IlluXcon

2011-11-13T01:34:00.001-05:00

Cynthia Sheppard at IlluXcon. Above and to the right of her, a sneak peak at a wonderful cover she did for us.

Planesrunner: Some Reasons It Should Be On Your Radar

2011-11-03T10:00:00.000-04:00

Illustration (c) John Picacio

“Smashing adventure fiction that spans the multiverse without ever losing its cool or its sense of style. Ian McDonald is one of the greats of science fiction, and his young adult debut is everything you could hope for: romantic, action packed, wildly imaginative, and full of heart.”
—Cory Doctorow

"Planesrunner is chock-full of awesome. Ian McDonald's steampunk London blazes on a vast scale with eye-popping towers, gritty streets, and larger-than-life characters who aren't afraid to fight for each other. The kind of airship-dueling, guns-blazing fantasy that makes me wish I could pop through to the next reality over, join the Airish, and take to the skies"
—Paolo Bacigalupi, Michael J. Printz Award–winning author of Ship Breaker

‎"Athletic, brilliant, and always ahead of the game, Everett is too perfect, but it doesn't detract from the book's fun. McDonald writes with scientific and literary sophistication, as well as a wicked sense of humor. Add nonstop action, eccentric characters, and expert universe building, and this first volume of the Everness series is a winner."
—Publishers Weekly Starred Review

"What joy to find science fiction based on real scientific concepts... In his debut for teens, established science-fiction writer McDonald builds a world just different enough to charm readers into believing... Shining imagination, pulsing suspense and sparkling writing make this one stand out."
—Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review!

"[Planesrunner's] world is as sharply imagined and inventive as we've come to expect from [Ian] McDonald. And it also may be the first steam-free steampunk novel… first-rate adventure writing… by the cliffhanger ending we're ready to follow [Everett] into whatever new universes McDonald can concoct, and the next one already looks interesting. Planesrunner is not only excellent YA SF in terms of its likeable characters and well-executed setpieces, but is simply good SF in a way which almost reinvents, and possibly makes addictive, the old parallel universe trope. It's fun."
—Locus, November 2011

"Planesrunner is a first class teen science fiction novel, which I believe will appeal to the fans of such boy-oriented books as Paolo Bacigalupi's Ship Breaker and Scott Westerfeld's Leviathan… There is hardly anything about Planesrunner to complain about. Quite the opposite, a lot to complement this novel on: First of all, the science. The whole idea of parallel universes is endlessly exciting and Ian McDonald did a fantastic job coming up with alternate versions of Earth's future… Second, the main character with ethnic background… Third, the teen romance has a great dynamic. Both participants are strong and resourceful young people. Planesrunner is a fantastic beginning to a new teen adventure series that will leave you yearning for more. Score: 4.50 / 5 "
—Night Owl Reviews, Reviewer Top Pick

‎"Ian McDonald's Planesrunner is the first in what I hope is a very long series of young adult science fiction novels.... I can't wait for the next book in this series. Planesrunner, scheduled for release in December 2011, is an appealing alternative to the dystopian YA titles lining bookstore shelves these days."
—Portland Book Review

‎"This is science fiction adventure at its best, and at its core is Everett, the heroic little geekling that we all wanted to be as kids... With "Ten Known Worlds" as part of this book's lore…I want an interdimensional passport ASAP… The adventure simply never stops… Snappy dialogue…and fascinating details round out this marvelous series debut."
—The Examiner

Convinced? Now go check out the Infundibulum Facebook page.

Ay Caramba!

2011-10-29T13:12:00.002-04:00

Just received a few copies of the Spanish version of Shadow's Son. With a nice quote from Charlaine Harris on the cover! Me gusto!

Shadow's Lure available on Kindle

2011-10-08T17:45:00.000-04:00

Hey folks,

Shadow's Lure, book 2 of my Shadow Saga, is now available on Kindle. Yay!

A high water mark in contemporary fantasy

2011-10-06T09:44:00.001-04:00

Adventures Fantastic has this to say about MD Lachlan's Fenrir, and the Pyr brand of fantasy:

"The characters have more depth than most fantasy characters, and Lachlan does a marvelous job juggling a number of major and minor characters, some of whom have multiple names, and making them individuals with their own characteristics, strengths, and weaknesses. These aren't just static characters, either. They grow and change, to the point that one or two switch allegiance.... As good as Wolfsangel was, and it was good, Fenrir is better. If this series continues to improve, it will be a high water mark in contemporary fantasy. It pretty much is already. Series like this one, the Danilov Quintet by Jasper Kent, the First Law Trilogy by Joe Abercrombie, and the Shadow books by Jon Sprunk, just to name a few fantasy series (and that's not even getting into the science fiction), have made Pyr books my favorite publisher. With quality like this, it's no wonder Pyr seems to have a permanent place on the shortlists of all the major awards."

For Your Viewing Pleasure: The Full Jacket of Planesrunner

2011-10-03T10:50:00.000-04:00

Planesrunner © Ian McDonald

Cover Illustration and Front Cover Design © John Picacio

Spine and Back Cover Design by Grace M. Conti-Zilsberger

Coming in December 2011

There is not one you.There are many yous. There is not one world. There are many worlds. Ours is oneamong billions of parallel earths.

When Everett Singh’sscientist father is kidnapped from the streets of London, he leaves youngEverett a mysterious app on his computer. Suddenly, this teenager hasbecome the owner of the most valuable object in the multiverse—theInfundibulum—the map of all the parallel earths, and there are dark forces inthe Ten Known Worlds who will stop at nothing to get it. They’ve got power,authority, the might of ten planets—some of them more technologically advancedthan our Earth—at their fingertips. He’s got wits, intelligence, a knack forIndian cooking.

To keep the Infundibulumsafe, Everett must trick his way through the Heisenberg Gate that his dadhelped build and go on the run in a parallel Earth. But to rescue his dad fromCharlotte Villiers and the sinister Order, this Planesrunner’s going to needfriends. Friends like Captain Anastasia Sixsmyth, her adopted daughter, Sen,and the crew of the airship Everness.

Can they rescueEverett’s father and get the Infundibulum to safety? The game is afoot!

“Planesrunneris chock-full of awesome. Ian McDonald’s steampunk London blazes on a vastscale with eye-popping towers, gritty streets, and larger-than-life characterswho aren’t afraid to fight for each other. The kind of airship-dueling,guns-blazing fantasy that makes me wish I could pop through to the next realityover, join the Airish, and take to the skies”

—PaoloBacigalupi, Michael J. Printz Award–winning author of Ship Breaker

“Smashing adventure fictionthat spans the multiverse without ever losing its cool or its sense of style.Ian McDonald is one of the greats of science fiction and his young adult debutis everything you could hope for: romantic, action-packed, wildly imaginative,and full of heart.”

—Cory Doctorow, author of Forthe Win

Give Yourself to the Rift

2011-09-16T11:25:00.001-04:00

What people are saying about Clay and Susan Griffith's The Rift Walker (Vampire Empire, Book 2):

“I've said it before and I’ll say it again: The future of genre fiction is now – and it’s Clay and Susan Griffith’s Vampire Empire trilogy.”

-Explorations: The BN SciFi and Fantasy Blog, September 9, 2011

“The Vampire Empire series stands out because of its unabashed steampunk leanings and that is both great fun and a refreshing direction for the genre. It creates a world where science (albeit steampunk science) and magic clash head on and this is a major theme of this volume as Adele taps into her powers… I really enjoyed the first book, however I loved the second. The story built apace and left me eagerly anticipating the final part. 8 out of 10.”

-Taliesin Meets the Vampires, September 8, 2011

“The Vampire Empire series is becoming one of my favorite all time series. If you haven't read these books yet, I strongly recommend them. I know there are a lot of vampire books out there but this series sets itself apart from the rest. I can not say enough about this book. The first book blew me away and the second did it again. I absolutely love this series and I can't wait for the third book to come out.”

-2 Read or Not 2 Readblog, September 8, 2011

“I loved The Rift Walker. Clay and Susan Griffith can tell a good story that includes an exciting, fast paced battle, political intrigue, tender romance with believable technology and paranormal aspects. The only thing I didn’t like about this story is that I have to wait for the next book to come out!”

-Literary Escapism, August 28, 2011

“The sequel has hundred extra pages to tell it’s story over first book in the Vampire Empire series and they are packed with more locations, more political intrigue, more vampire mythology, more romance, and the same rich characters who captivated me in The Greyfriar…there is still plenty of action and intrigue that evokes the old pulp novels of the past, dashing and daring adventure though exotic locations, and sweeping romance between these star crossed lovers.”

-All Things Urban Fantasy, September 2, 2011

“The Griffiths…offer us what we came looking for: unrelenting action, adventure, romance and a fair bit of magic. There really is something for everyone here, and this, I think, really is the what makes the Griffiths’ writing so endearing…At the end of the day though, what I keep reading ‘Vampire Empire’, and what I imagine a lot of other readers keep reading these books for, is the all out epic entertainment they provide. In this respect, The Rift Walker really outdoes the first book, providing us with devilish conspiracies, all-out war on a reclusive vampire clan, airship chases, betrayals, heroics and complicated affairs of the heart, all told from a massive, epic scope…[The Griffth’s] continued mixing of tropes from steampunk, epic fantasy, urban fantasy and adventure is still refreshing and proof of how a bit of innovation - even in a purely gratuitous entertainment sense - can bolster a novel’s quality. If you haven’t yet gotten in on the Griffiths’ highly enjoyable, highly diverting ‘Vampire Empire’ trilogy I suggest you do so now. No matter what genre background you have, I can almost guarantee you’ll find something to your liking here.”

-LEC Book Reviews, September 2011

Dragon*Con Author Signing Schedule

2011-08-29T14:49:00.006-04:00

Dragon*Con attendees! Pyr will be in the Marriott's Marquis Ballroom exhibit hall during Dragon*Con (Atlanta, GA) Friday 9/2 - Monday 9/5.

Visit booth 709/711, where you'll find lots of books available for sale at a great discount (cash or credit card only) and many Pyr authors on hand to sign your purchases too. Once again, we will have a limited quantity sampler book for con attendees, this time featuring not just new and forthcoming titles, but excerpts from some of our hottest books of the past few years.

To aid in your planning, here is a schedule of our in-booth author signings (subject to last minute change, of course.) If there's someone you want to see but you can't make the time that's here, stop by the booth just to check and inquire - many of these authors will make impromptu visits at other times, especially on Sunday and Monday.

Friday, September 2

2:00 – 3:00 pm ANDREW MAYER (The Falling Machine)

3:00 – 4:00 pm ARI MARMELL (The Goblin Corps)

3:30 – 4:30 pm CLAY and SUSAN GRIFFITH (The Rift Walker; The Greyfriar)

4:00 – 5:00 pm MIKE RESNICK (The Buntline Special; others)

4:00 – 5:00 pm SAM SYKES (Black Halo; Tome of the Undergates)

Saturday, September 3

11:00 – Noon JAMES ENGE (The Wolf Age; others)

Noon – 1 pm JON SPRUNK (Shadow’s Lure; Shadow’s Son)

1:00 – 2:00 pm ERIN HOFFMAN (Sword of Fire and Sea)

1:30 – 2:30 pm ANDREW MAYER (The Falling Machine)

2:00 – 3:00 pm JAMES ENGE (The Wolf Age; others)

3:00 – 4:00 pm ARI MARMELL (The Goblin Corps)

4:00 – 5:00 pm MIKE RESNICK (The Buntline Special; others)

5:00 – 6:00 pm CLAY and SUSAN GRIFFITH (The Rift Walker; The Greyfriar)

6:00 – 7:00 pm SAM SYKES (Black Halo; Tome of the Undergates)

Sunday, September 4

Noon – 1 pm JON SPRUNK (Shadow’s Lure; Shadow’s Son)

1:00 – 2:00 ERIN HOFFMAN (Sword of Fire and Sea)

Booth hours are Friday 1:00 – 7:00 pm; Saturday and Sunday 10:00 am – 7:00 pm; and Monday 10:00 am – 5:00 pm. We hope to see you there!

Reminder for Dragon*Con

2011-08-25T15:16:00.004-04:00

Dragon*Con is a week away! Many of our authors will be joining us at the Pyr Booth (709/711 in the Marriott Marquis Ballroom,) and of course, we'll have books.

Just a reminder to anyone wondering whether you'd like a book, we have sample chapters available on our website. The books the chapters are from are listed on the right sidebar.

Happy reading! I hope to see you in Atlanta.

For Your Viewing Pleasure: Blackdog

2011-08-25T12:56:00.001-04:00

Blackdog by K.V. Johansen
Cover Illustration: © Raymond Swanland
Design by Grace Continue M. Zilsberger

Long ago, in the days of the first kings in the north, there were seven devils...

And long ago, in the days of the first kings in the north, the seven devils, who had deceived and possessed seven of the greatest wizards of the world, were defeated and bound with the help of the Old Great Gods...

And perhaps some of the devils are free in the world, and perhaps some are working to free themselves still…

In a land where gods walk on the hills and goddesses rise from river, lake, and spring, the caravan-guard Holla-Sayan, escaping the bloody conquest of a lakeside town, stops to help an abandoned child and a dying dog. The girl, though, is the incarnation of Attalissa, goddess of Lissavakail, and the dog a shape-changing guardian spirit whose origins have been forgotten. Possessed and nearly driven mad by the Blackdog, Holla-Sayan flees to the desert road, taking the powerless avatar with him.

Necromancy, treachery, massacres, rebellions, and gods dead or lost or mad follow hard on the their heels. But it is Attalissa herself who may be the Blackdog’s—and Holla-Sayan’s—doom.

Reviews:

"Johansen’s characters project believability, and her world is full of rich and vivid detail. High fantasy for lovers of mythology and of powerful beings in human form, this adult fantasy debut should appeal to fans of Robert Jordan’s ‘Wheel of Time’ series.”

—Library Journal
“I’m hooked. The mix of magic, Tibetan-style religion, and Harold Lamb–style adventure is pretty addicting”

—James Enge
World Fantasy Award–nominated
Author of Blood of Ambrose
and The Wolf Age
“Interesting and absorbing; Blackdog takes as its heart, and its strength, a subject that most fantasy writers shy away from—the Gods themselves.”

—Tom Lloyd
Author of The Twilight Reign series

Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Pyr Editorial Director Wins Hugo Award

2011-08-24T15:08:00.004-04:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Cheryl Krajna
1-800-853-7545
ckrajna@prometheusbooks.com

August 23, 2011

Pyr Editorial Director Wins Hugo Award
Lou Anders Recognized

Amherst, NY– Pyr, a science fiction and fantasy imprint of Prometheus Books, is proud to announce a 2011 Hugo Award win by Editorial Director Lou Anders.

Anders received the trophy for “Best Editor–Long Form” at a ceremony on August 20 at the Peppermill Hotel and Casino in Reno, Nevada. Jay Lake and Ken Scholes presided as masters of ceremony, with additional presenters including Renovation Guests of Honor Tim Powers, Boris Vallejo, and Ellen Asher, along with leading genre writers George R. R. Martin and Robert Silverberg.

The Hugos are international, fan-voted awards. All members of the World Science Fiction Society are eligible to vote.

This was the fifth consecutive nomination and the first win for Anders in the category.

“Words cannot express what an honor this award represents to me,” Anders said. “But what I can express is how privileged I feel to work every day with the host of brilliant authors who have made Pyr what it is.”

“Lou’s taste, vision, and stewardship have been instrumental in shaping the Pyr brand,” said Prometheus Books President Jonathan Kurtz. “We’re extremely pleased and grateful for the tremendous reception Pyr has received since its inception.”

Prometheus Books, an independent publisher of thoughtful nonfiction, launched the Pyr imprint in March 2005. Since then, it has become a brand known for books with quality both inside and out, from rich, engrossing narratives to award-winning cover art and design. Although technically an imprint, Pyr was called “one of a very few publishers I know of who have no bad books to their name” by a BiblioBuffet writer, and “one of the most exciting publishers in the business” by Black Gate magazine.

# # #

2011 Hugo Awards

2011-08-23T09:33:00.001-04:00

Video streaming by Ustream

This Be Nice Praise

2011-08-23T09:19:00.000-04:00

"High fantasy for lovers of mythology and of powerful beings in human form, this ... debut should appeal to fans of Robert Jordan's 'Wheel of Time' series."
-Library Journal on K.V. Johansen's Blackdog

Austin signing

2011-08-16T23:43:00.001-04:00

Hey, guys. If any of you are in/around the Austin area, I'll be doing a signing at Dragon's Lair Comics & Games, starting at 6:00 PM on Wednesday (the 17th). In addition to a variety of gaming books, they should have copies of The Goblin Corps available for sale, and of course I'm happy to sign anything of mine that you might already have.

Hope to see at least a few of you there. :-)

Two Very Nice Reviews

2011-08-16T11:51:00.002-04:00

The Library Journal has reviewed two forthcoming Pyr tites.

Of K.V. Johansen's Blackdog they say:

"When caravan guard Holla-Sayan comes to the aid of a little girl and her dying dog, he unwittingly becomes the protector of the goddess Attalissa and the vessel for the spirit of her Blackdog guardian. In a world where gods and devils walk the land, a wizard-warrior who was once one of the seven devils and the young goddess find themselves embroiled in a web of necromancy, rebellions, and the inevitable shedding of blood. The author of the YA fantasy “Warlocks of Talverdin” series creates a larger-than-life story of gods and demons at play in the world of humans. Despite their divinity, or lack thereof, Johansen’s characters project believability, and her world is full of rich and vivid detail. VERDICT High fantasy for lovers of mythology and of powerful beings in human form, this adult fantasy debut should appeal to fans of Robert Jordan’s “Wheel of Time” series."

Of Clay & Susan Griffith's The Rift Walker (Vampire Empire Book Two) they write:

"An arranged marriage to the boorish, militaristic Senator Clark of the American Republic proves more than Princess Adele of the Equatorian Empire can stand. As Clark’s plan for victory over the British vampire clan that rules most of the Northern Hemisphere evolves into a genocidal campaign, Adele flees her husband and returns to her true love, the enigmatic Greyfriar. With its steampunk setting, enhanced by the mysteries of geomancy and ley lines, this title advances the Griffiths’ chronicle of an alternate Earth forever changed by the emergence of a clan of vampires bent on conquest. VERDICT Pulp adventure, steampunk, and gothic romance meet in this luscious tale of intrigue and derring-do, the sequel to The Greyfriar."

Lost in translation

2011-08-14T16:45:00.005-04:00

I have, on more than one occasion, seen this fantasy author or that criticized for word choice. Not that they picked the wrong word for their intended meaning, but they picked a word that didn't "feel" fantasy enough. It shattered a given reader's suspension of disbelief; it broke the fourth wall, and tore them out of the novel.

I have been accused of such myself, in fact.

And I'm not suggesting that such complaints are automatically invalid. It's absolutely possible for a fantasy author to go too far. Particularly modern slang, for instance, sounds woefully out of place in a fantasy setting. I don't ever want to see a knight in a medieval-style Feudal society utter the phrase "That was the bomb, yo!" or hear an elf refer to the actions of his rival as "Whack."

(Well, I usually don't. Now I suddenly have a perverse urge to read, or even write, a short story in which everyone talks like that. But that's beside the point.)

But the criticism I'm speaking of doesn't extend to examples that egregious. They are complaints such as "You should never have puns in fantasy, because the characters aren't really speaking English, so the puns wouldn't actually work in whatever language they are speaking." Or things like "Timothy Zahn shouldn't have used the word 'katana' in his Star Wars trilogy." Or, to bring the example closer to home, a reviewer who said I shouldn't have used the word "origami" in Agents of Artifice. (Just to be clear, I don't want anyone to get the impression I'm calling the guy out. I'm not; it's just a convenient example. Heck, the overall review was quite positive.)

And while I understand these arguments, I utterly--even vehemently--disagree with them.

Let's take the latter two complaints first. Why shouldn't those terms be used? Because there's no Japan in the universes of Star Wars or Magic: the Gathering? Well, no. But there's also no England, yet we don't mind the fact that most of the terms come from English. Are we suggesting that in none of the Star Wars worlds has anyone ever developed a sword like the katana? And if they have, why is it any less appropriate to use that word for it than it is to use the word "sabre" or "sword" when describing lightsabres?

Magic: the Gathering does include at least one world that is very heavily based on feudal Japan. So there's zero reason to think the art of origami doesn't exist. Again, if it does, why should the author go about finding a brand new word for that art form--which he then needs to take time to explain to the reader--when a perfectly good word exists and already has an accepted meaning (albeit a borrowed one) in English?

It's inefficient. It wastes word count and the reader's time. Now, if there was truly a major flavor difference--if the word in question was something incredibly modern, with major pop culture connotations--that might be worth it. But most of the time, it just isn't. Especially since, even if the author does provide the new meaning to the reader, it still may not have the same impact or recognition as a word they already know.

What about puns and wordplay, though? Okay, that argument holds a little more merit. To use an old, traditional example, there's no reason that the words for "threw" and "through" sound alike in the language of some fantasy culture, even though they do in English. Therefore, characters shouldn't be making puns that rely on that sound, right?

Well, no. It's true that the communal illusion of fantasy, accepted by readers and writers both, is that the characters usually aren't really speaking English, so (in a sense) the author is "translating" the character's dialogue into a language the reader can understand. It's not something most of us think about actively or consciously, but it's the only way the whole setup actually works.

But as any translator will tell you, translating dialogue or fiction from one language to another isn't just about swapping out words. You have to rewrite things. Phrases that flow in one language don't in another. Slang and metaphor don't carry across. Humor doesn't always translate. The act of translation is one of conveying intended meaning and feel, not just precise word choice.

So yes, "threw" and "through" may not sound at all alike in the language of, say, the wood elves of Hippie-Grove Forest. On the other hand, perhaps in their language, the words for "thumb" and "xylophone" do sound the same. Thing is, there's no way to convey that particular pun to English speakers.

My assumption, then--on the rare occasions that I'm bothering to think of it at all--is that, if I come across a pun that wouldn't work in the fantasy language in question, I assume it's a stand in for a pun that would have worked, but wouldn't in our own language.

It may feel a bit convoluted to some of you, and I certainly understand that. But I think it's a necessary leap to maintain the shared fiction. Either we can use the language we're writing in, and justify it, or we can't--and we strip authors of a huge portion of their toolbox, and make their books less flexible, less enjoyable.

Of course, everyone's going to draw their lines in different places. For some, it's the use of words that come from common names. In The Goblin Corps, I used the word "non-euclidean" at one point. I know some people object to it, and I absolutely understand why. I questioned its use myself. After all, there probably wasn't a Euclid in the history of that world. But ultimately, I decided that it was the only efficient way to get that point across, and that I'd just have to assume (if asked) that the name was a "translation" of whatever mathematician invented the concept in that setting. A number of readers won't agree with that choice, but it remains a deliberate one.

(This is also, BTW, why I don't really care for made-up curse words. When it's on TV, or some other medium where you aren't allowed to curse, I can deal with the occasional "frak." But otherwise? Say what you mean, damn it!)

Ultimately, there are always going to be some word choices that pull you, me, or any given reader out of the text. That's just the nature of the beast. Next time it happens, though, give at least a brief bit of thought as to why the author might have chosen that word--and how much it would actually have added, if anything, for him to go back through and have to invent, and then explain, a replacement. I think you'll find that, the vast majority of the time, it wouldn't have been an improvement at all.

Announcing a special Vampire Empire event with actor James Marsters

2011-08-12T12:30:00.005-04:00

Actor James Marsters joins Vampire Empire authors for DragonCon reading and panel event

Amherst, NY—Actor James Marsters—best known for his iconic role as “Spike” in Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel and familiar to genre fans for his roles in Torchwood and Smallville, among others—has signed on to narrate the Vampire Empire trilogy for the unabridged audio books being produced by Buzzy Multimedia for release in spring 2012. In support of this new collaboration, Marsters has announced a very special reading event for fans at DragonCon in Atlanta, GA, on Sunday, September 4th at 7:00 pm (ET).

This ticketed, limited-seating event will open with authors Clay and Susan Griffith introducing the Vampire Empire series—providing an overview of the characters, the setting, and the themes. For the bulk of the event, Marsters will read from The Greyfriar (Vampire Empire, Book One). After his reading, Marsters will join the Griffiths for a conversation with the audience. There will be a book-signing and autographing session to close the event, at which copies of The Greyfriar and the newly published book two, The Rift Walker, will be available.

Marsters, acclaimed for audio work that includes being the voice of Jim Butcher’s The Dresden Files, is ideal casting for The Greyfriar, called “so much more than a vampire novel,” by BN.com and “phenomenal . . . from start to finish” with “amazing vampire mythology, a chilling alternate history, and a poignant romance that grips your whole heart and refuses to let go,” by All Things Urban Fantasy.

Tickets for the DragonCon event go on sale next week. Check the James Marsters Facebook page for more details and to order tickets.

###

For Your Viewing Pleasure: Mirror Maze

2011-08-05T12:09:00.001-04:00

Mirror Maze by Michaele Jordan

Cover Illustration: © Cynthia Sheppard

Cover Design by Grace M. Conti-Zilsberger

Coming in October

Jacob Aldridge is still utterly devastated by the death of his fiancée when he suddenly encounters her doppelganger. Livia Aram’s uncanny resemblance to the late Rhoda Carothers so transcends coincidence that Jacob becomes obsessed with her. The intensity of his passion terrifies her until her compassion is roused by his desperate plight. A demon is stalking him, a succubus-like entity that feeds on human pain and desire. With the help of Jacob’s sister, Cecily, and Livia’s guardian, the mysterious Dr. Chang, they overcome the demon. Or so it appears. . . .

Jacob, Liva, and Cecily are all victims of a single curse, a curse which entrapped and destroyed their parents before them. Now fate has drawn their descendants together again, and the curse is playing out. Nothing can help them, until Cecily’s husband returns from abroad. Colonel Beckford has been missing for years; he has seen strange things and acquired strange powers in his absence. Now he will do whatever it takes to free his wife and eliminate the demon and its curse once and for all.

If Only All Hate Mail Was This Good...

2011-07-18T09:50:00.000-04:00

Dear Jerk,

Who do you think you are? Thanks to your awesome cover design on Mark Hodder's The Curious Case of the Clockwork Man, I decided to buy a fantasy/scifi/ whatever it's called book for the first time ever. Because of Mark Hodder's book, I thought, gee maybe this Pyr Book Publisher might have some other good books. Since March, I've read Twelve, Thirteen Years Later, Ghosts of Manhattan and Vampire Empire! Not only that, but I still have to buy The Strange Affair of Spring Heeled Jack, The Falling Machine, The Buntline Special and Ghosts of War! Where do you get off putting out these books? There are other publishers for god sakes but can I look at them? No. And what books do you have coming up in the next few months? 5 more that I want to read now!... Thanks to you and your publishing company, I check writers blogs. Blogs! And I actually like book covers now. Why? I don't know. I can't explain it. Now all I want to do is write steampunk books with magic and vampires and monsters. I don't know how you sleep at night.

Sincerely,

Andrew Augustine

or (if you thought this wasn't funny)

Sincerely,

Brian Urlacher

Hoffman's Debut Has All the Right Elements

2011-07-14T12:59:00.000-04:00

Erin Hoffman's debut fantasy, Sword of Fire and Sea, is plling up some good reviews.

"Many fantasy novels, especially high fantasy ones, can suffer from bloat and padding, with far too much detail given, making the reading something of a slog. By comparison, Hoffman's novel reads much like Lou Anders, her editor, compared her to: Michael Moorcock. The writing is crisp, sharp, and the text is replete with new and interesting things around every corner. Fire priestesses, gryphons, mind magic using mages, Goddesses, magic weapons, Air knights...Hoffman never lets up in the narrative in introducing us to her world and new characters. The strong elemental theme to the magic put me in mind of the Codex Alera series by Jim Butcher, and, yes, to Avatar the Last Airbender." SF Signal, Four Star Review

"Despite its short length, under 300 pages, Sword of Fire and Sea uses its space wisely. It doesn't waste words or build in details that will have more significance later in the story. Hoffman focuses quite squarely on the here and now for Vidarian and Ariadel, giving us just enough to understand their situation(s) and motivations. This is definitely more like the fantasy series of when I was younger and will likely appeal to anyone who enjoys RPGs (Role Playing Games) or MMO's games (Massive Multipleplayer Online)." Night Owl Reviews, Four 1/2 Star Review

"This series debut by video game designer Hoffman features well-drawn characters, both human and mythical. VERDICT: Introducing a world of elemental magic, intelligent gryphons, and warring forces, this fantasy adventure is suitable for both YA and adult readers." Library Journal

And if you want a taste of Erin's world, head to Beneath Ceaseless Skies, where her story "Sightwolf" is online for free.

The Goblin Corps Wants You!

2011-07-14T08:00:00.000-04:00

Reviews for The Goblin Corps are starting to pour in, and the verdict seems pretty clear:

"Goblins are mean, nasty creatures. As a staple race of most epic fantasy, they usually exist for some sort of sword fodder, beings killed to level up the hero. But some authors like to turn the tradition on its head. Jim C. Hines has done that with humor in the Jig the Goblin series, R. A. Salvatore gave orcs more personality with in the Hunter’s Blades Trilogy, and now Ari Marmell mixes the best ideas of these two authors with the grittiness of Joe Abercrombie in The Goblin Corps. ....I haven’t enjoyed a quest fantasy this much since I read David Eddings back in middle school. Marmell has the wit and charm of Eddings’s stories coupled with the grittiness of Joe Abercrombie or Sam Sykes and a narrative style that is completely his own. If you ever wished that Brandon Sanderson or David Eddings could be a tad bitter more realistic in content, or Scott Lynch and Joe Abercrombie a tad bit funnier then you will love the way that Marmell has struck a wonderful balance between the two. I haven’t laughed so hard or been so into a book in many a year. Highly recommended." Grasping for the Wind

"The Goblin Corps possesses the same elements that made The Conqueror’s Shadow so much fun to read. This includes cleverly subverted fantasy tropes—villains who are more likeable than the heroes, a wolf-like troll, a war against the Dark Lord that doesn’t go quite as planned, etc.—comical David Eddings-like humor, and Joe Abercrombie’s kick-ass grittiness.... As good as The Conqueror’s Shadow was, The Goblin Corps is better. Better written, funnier, more fulfilling, and twice as entertaining. Basically, The Goblin Corps is must-read material for anyone who is a fan of Joe Abercrombie and likes seeing fantasy tropes viciously subverted. Don’t let the Abercrombie comparisons fool you either. Ari has his own style which he is perfecting, and if he can continue writing books like The Conqueror’s Shadow and The Goblin Corps, then I wouldn’t be surprised if exciting new fantasy authors were one day compared to Ari Marmell..." Fantasy Book Critic

"...his is a good story, a very good story. I enjoyed it so much more than I thought I would. The twists and turns in the plot kept me wondering just what would happen next. I enjoyed it so much that I am looking forward to getting a copy of it for my nephew so that he can enjoy it also. This is a fantasy to share with others." Night Owl Reviews

ArtOrder Challenge: Ilustrate a Scene from James Enge's This Crooked Way

2011-07-13T13:05:00.000-04:00

Jon Schindehette is the Senior Creative Director at Wizards of the Coast. He also runs the (incredible! amazing!) ArtOrder blog, which regularly dispenses invaluable advice to aspiring and up-and-coming artists. The blog issues "ArtOrder Challenges," always judged by professional illustrators and art directors in the field. For the latest, Jon asked Irene Gallo of Tor and yours truly of (obviously) Pyr to select passages from our respective imprint's publications.

I've selected two passages from James Enge's This Crooked Way. Enge's monsters are always imaginative, and manage that balancing act of being horrifying and humorous in equal measure. Personally I cannot wait to see a host of interpretations of his imagination. See contest details here.

Ian McDonald's The Dervish House wins John W. Campbell Memorial Award

2011-07-13T10:40:00.000-04:00

Ian McDonald's The Dervish Househas won the John W. Campbell Memorial Award.
The John W. Campbell Memorial Award for the best science-fiction novel of the year is one of the three major annual awards for science fiction.The Award was created to honor the late editor of Astounding Science Fiction magazine, now named Analog. Campbell, who edited the magazine from 1937 until his death in 1971, is called by many writers and scholars the father of modern science fiction. Writers and critics Harry Harrison and Brian W. Aldiss established the award in Campbell's name as a way of continuing his efforts to encourage writers to produce their best possible work. Congratulations, Ian!

Meanwhile, The Dervish House also won the BSFA Award, and has been nominated for the Hugo, the Arthur C Clarke, the American Library Association, and Locus awards.

So how about a Goblin Corps excerpt?

2011-07-12T00:38:00.003-04:00

If you're still on the fence about The Goblin Corps, or are otherwise curious about whether or not the book's for you, I've decided to make your decision easier. I'm making an excerpt of the novel available as a free download, here.

This excerpt includes the entirety of the prologue and Chapter One. (The Goblin Corps has long chapters.) And I can absolutely guarantee that, once you've read it, you'll assuredly, 100% either buy the book or not.

(Oddly enough, I have a slight preference for the former.)

Keeping it Unreal

2011-07-10T22:26:00.008-04:00

(So what is this? Well, Lou's asked me to contribute to the Pyr blog, and since writing and genre are what I most often think about--and since I haven't yet been invited to participate in a round-table :-P--well, that means that blathering about writing and genre is what I'm gonna do, and what you guys get to read about.) ;-)

In one particular episode of Mythbusters, Adam Savage utters the line: "Reality makes a crappy special effects crew."

You know what else reality often makes? Crappy genre fiction.

Obviously, it depends on the story, and it depends on the reader (or viewer, or what have you). But let me give you an example. I will use me as said example, because I've discovered that I tend to be more familiar with my own opinions and preferences than almost anyone else's. Odd how that works out.

Let's take Night of the Living Dead. It's not only the first of the true "zombie movies," but it's still held up today as one of the greatest of the genre. The mood, the story, the effects, the tension, even a societal message... It's, in almost all respects (and allowing for the differences in time period, of course) a phenomenal movie.

I can't watch it.

Not because it's too frightening. Not because I don't like what the movie's doing. But because of Barbra. One character who spends pretty much the entire movie either hysterically freaking out or borderline catatonic. It's partly the way the role is written, and partly the way it was acted, but she annoys. The ever-loving. Crap. Out of me. Enough so that I cannot appreciate the rest of the movie around her.

Thing is, there is no doubt in my mind that her reaction is probably the most realistic one we've ever seen, or ever will see, in a zombie movie. I feel confident in saying that most of you reading this--and indeed, a statistically significant majority of the people writing this--would turn into a big, blubbering ball of whimper (with soiled pants) if we were actually confronted with an uprising of the walking dead.

But the fact that it's realistic doesn't mean it makes for good watching/reading. I watch stories, in part, to see the characters doing things, taking action, overcoming. If I wanted to watch people scream and freak out and not accomplish a damn thing, I'd turn on C-SPAN.

Now, I accept the fact that, as measured against the bulk of the movie's target audience, I'm in the minority with my reaction. I'm not suggesting that Romero should have made the movie differently. I simply bring this up as an example of ways that, for some people in some situations, realism isn't necessarily the right goal for a storyteller to pursue.

Yes, lots of people talk about wanting "realism" in fantasy, sci-fi, or horror. And I believe that they believe that's true. But I also think, for the most part, they're mistaken. They're misinterpreting what they want.

People don't want realism. People want believability. (Or, if you prefer the five-dollar word, "verisimilitude.") It's not about whether something's actually realistic; it's about whether they can believe it.

It's called "suspension of disbelief." I'm sure most of you have heard that phrase. It refers to the audience's ability to lose themselves in the story and believe in what's happening in the story's context, no matter how realistic or unrealistic it might be outside that context.

Every story needs suspension of disbelief, to one extent or another. And every consumer has his or her own line, beyond which something is unacceptable. For some people, that line is really close to "reality" (or what they perceive as reality). But even for these people, I'd argue, the fact that they want their stories realistic is a symptom of the fact that their line for believability is pretty strict, as opposed to itself being the cause.

Some people don't like zombie movies at all, because for them, the idea of reanimated dead is simply too unbelievable. They cannot or will not stretch their suspension of disbelief to that point. So in that regard, they prefer more "realistic" fare than fans of zombie movies.

But how realistic are "realistic" movies? When I was in high school, I went to see Fried Green Tomatoes. (My date at the time wanted to see it. Shut up.) At the beginning of this movie, one of the main characters loses a friend (or relative; I don't remember) because said individual gets his foot stuck in a railroad track and becomes ad-hoc wheel lubricant.

Okay, no problem. But later in the movie (and quite some years later in the story), pretty much the exact same thing happens to a different character. This second character lives, minus a limb, but it's the same situation: Kids playing on the tracks, one happens to get stuck in the exact same way as a train comes by.

And I couldn't accept it. Threw me right out of the movie. It felt like a level of coincidence that was just too much. Is it possible? Sure. Are zombies possible? No (at least not by any laws of science we currently know). And yet, I can accept the latter more than the former, because (at least when they're well done), the portrayal of zombies is believable even if it's not realistic; whereas the sheer improbability of that coincidence in Fried Green Tomatoes might have been technically realistic, but at least to me, it wasn't believable.

Dragons shouldn't be able to fly (wing-to-weight ratio). But even when they're not explained away with magic, we accept them in most fantasy settings because they fit in well enough thematically that we can believe their presence. Most stunts we see in action movies aren't physically possible. (My mention of Mythbusters above? That show has come close to ruining a lot of action movie tropes, because I'm finding them harder and harder to believe. But in a good action movie, where they feel right, I'm far more forgiving.) But sometimes, a writer can just tell a better story by following dramatic necessity rather than "reality." How many times have James Bond or Dean Winchester been knocked out by a blow to the head? You know what happens with a blow to the head that's hard enough to knock someone out in real life? Either they're only out for a few seconds, or they suffer real, lasting damage. There's almost no middle ground. But how much storytelling would you get out of a secret agent or monster hunter who wound up bed-ridden and drooling after the first act of the first episode? (Also, the first reaction most people have to waking up after having been knocked unconscious is to vomit copiously, but most of us don't want to see that happening on screen, either.)

And of course, all of this doesn't even go into the question of "What's real?" That's a philosophical debate I have no intention of getting into, but just as one quick example: In Jurassic Park, Dr. Grant and Screaming Kid #1 avoid the T-Rex by holding perfectly still, because the critter's visual acuity is based on movement. Except that it wasn't, and scientists figured that out well after the movie was made. So does the fact that the science in that scene was wrong ruin it, or does the fact that it was right based on what we knew at the time make it forgivable even in retrospect? (Also, we know now that dinos in the velociraptor family were probably feathered. How's that impacting your view of the movie?)

What's my bottom line here? Well, in part I'm just ruminating about the hazards and pitfalls of genre writing. (Oh, such tribulations! Woe is me!) But in part, I think, it's more a general appeal to writers and the audience both: Don't worry so much about whether something is "realistic." Write it well, write it consistently with the rules you've already established, write it believably, and the audience (or at least the bulk of the audience, which is all you can really hope for anyway) will believe. If it's not believable, it doesn't matter how realistic it may be; and if it is believable, it still doesn't matter how realistic it might be.

Why You Need to Read Sam Sykes

2011-07-05T10:20:00.000-04:00

This review at Pornokitsch of Black Halobrilliantly articulates why you need to read Sam Sykes:

"Mr. Sykes' deconstruction of high fantasy is rooted in the character focus. He can afford to keep the plot mysterious and the world vague because, to some degree, we've all read it before. What he brings to the table is those aforementioned beliefs that adventurers aren't heroes, the 'greater good' is subjective and the battle between predestination and free will has civilian casualties. If traditional (Eddings or Sanderson) high fantasy is the thesis and gritty, dirty realism (Martin or Abercrombie) is the antithesis, Mr. Sykes might be the first synthesis. This is a shamelessly high-magic, cinematic adventure with a huge special effects budget. But, the players are imbued with moral uncertainty and all the familiar tropes are investigated in the harsh light of distrusting logic. Mr. Sykes series isn't Watchmen - seeing how comic book superheroes behave in the real world. It is The Ultimates - layering real world logic over the comic book. As a result, Black Halo represents a raw new maturity in epic fantasy, something that has me bouncing around like a kitten."

The Charnel King wishes you a great Independence Day...

2011-07-04T00:41:00.006-04:00

...and hopes you enjoy your freedom while you still have it. >:-]

All due credit to Claudio Pozas for the awesome artwork.

Join the Empire

2011-07-03T18:22:00.000-04:00

For a limited time, Empire in Black and Gold, the first book in Adrian Tchaikovsky's brilliant fantasy epic, Shadows of the Apt, is available on Kindle at the reduced price of $1.99.

The city states of the Lowlands have lived in peace for decades, bastions of civilization, prosperity and sophistication, protected by treaties, trade and a belief in the reasonable nature of their neighbours.

But meanwhile, in far-off corners, the Wasp Empire has been devouring city after city with its highly trained armies, its machines, it killing Art . . . And now its hunger for conquest and war has become insatiable.

Only the ageing Stenwold Maker, spymaster, artificer and statesman, can see that the long days of peace are over. It falls upon his shoulders to open the eyes of his people, before a black-and-gold tide sweeps down over the Lowlands and burns away everything in its path.

But first he must stop himself from becoming the Empire's latest victim.

"Tchaikovsky succeeds at creating a compelling, absorbing and unique plot populated with characters worth investing time in. Interestingly, the humans in this series could be considered the monsters in any other series, and the insect/human hybrid characters are believable and fascinating. A promising debut by a verbose and lyrical writer. Four stars: Compelling—Page-turner." —RT Book Reviews

"Tchaikovsky's first novel exhibits a vibrancy and creative spirit that commands attention. Set in a world where human tribes are identified with totem insects—e.g., messenger Fly-kinden, military-minded Ant-kinden—the story moves quickly between intensely personal interactions and scenes of large-scale battle... This original and well-told series opener belongs in most fantasy collections and deserves exposure to a wide audience."
—Library Journal

SF Signal says, "Shadow's Son never, ever, gets dull."

2011-06-24T11:28:00.000-04:00

Jon Sprunk's new novel Shadow's Lure has just been released, but for those coming to the party late, SF Signal has just posted a review of the previous book in the trilogy, Sprunk's debut novel Shadow's Son. They write:

"Sprunk hits on all four cylinders and convincingly draws the reader into his secondary fantasy world. ...any good Sword and Sorcery story worth its salt has strong writing in it's action scenes. Not the clash of armies, but up-close and personal combat between the hero and his foes. Shadow's Son delivers impeccably. The novel starts off with Caim working his trade, and throughout the book, we see Caim tangle with his opposition in a variety of immersive and evocative settings and situations. From a pure entertainment point of view, Shadow's Son never, ever, gets dull."

Free on Kindle: Joel Shepherd's Sasha (A Trial of Blood & Steel)

2011-06-24T11:18:00.003-04:00

Reminder that the first book in Joel Shepherd's A Trial of Blood & Steel quartet, Sasha, is now Free on Kinde. Shepherd's series, which is complete now with the publication of Haven, is a complex, gritty, realistic fantasy that drawns numerous comparisons to a certain other series. Here's what they're saying:

"...quite engrossing... this heroic fantasy should please fans of, say, George R. R. Martin’s Song of Ice and Fire novels." Booklist

"Shepherd has created a court fantasy similar to George R. R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire....a good epic fantasy that focuses more on the epic than the fantasy. Sasha is excellent reading for fans of character driven stories. I recommend it." Grasping for the Wind

"Sasha was excellent, especially given that this is Joel Shepherd’s first fantasy novel. It offers a huge fantasy world, a fascinating heroine, heart-pounding descriptions of both small-scale sword fights and full-on warfare, several characters that genuinely grow and change, and — maybe most importantly — the hint that this is just the start of what could become a great series. While I wouldn't rank it quite as high as George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire, I think Sasha will go down very well with fans of that series because it shares some of its characteristics, including its huge scope and cast, its focus on politics and noble intrigue, and (at least in the early novels of ASoIaF) the almost complete absence of magic and mystical creatures. " Fantasy Literature

“I liked [Sasha]. She’s fierce, strong and courageous. She’s also a bit tempermental and stubborn, but in my opinion these qualities make her even more likeable… This book could have some profound and lasting effects on a female reader by instilling within her a fighter’s spirit and the idea that one can accomplish anything regardless of one’s gender. Think about this: how many female sword fighters so we see in such books like Shepherd’s Sasha? I am willing to guess not many… In this book, a woman is the warrior who leads others in a large battle. The cover alone is telling.” -Femspec, Volume 11, Issue 1, 2010

Shadow's Son in Stores

2011-06-21T20:14:00.000-04:00

Hey folks,

At long last, Shadow's Lure is out in stores. I took this photo in my local Borders. As you can see, they also have a few copies of Son.

I hope you enjoy the sequel as much I loved writing it. I'm working hard on book three.

--Jon

June Author Round Table

2011-06-15T08:16:00.000-04:00

Jon Sprunk

Kristine Kathryn Rusch

Andrew P. Mayer

Erin Hoffman

Welcome to another author round table! This month, we're joined by Kristine Kathryn Rusch (City of Ruins), Andrew Mayer (The Falling Machine), Erin Hoffman (Sword of Fire and Sea), and Jon Sprunk (Shadow's Lure).

-How much pre-planning do you do before you begin a book? Do you write to an outline, or more organically? In writing a series, how much of the series is planned before you begin?

Kristine Kathryn Rusch: Sadly (and I mean that for me), I write organically. Stories come to me out of order. The end first, the middle last, part of the next book. It's irritating--rather like putting a puzzle together--but it seems to work for me.

I know the general shape of a book and of a series, but I never know what happens. For example, I wrote the opening two sections of Diving into the Wreck, then the opening section of City of Ruins, then a section about a character not in either book. It took me nearly a year to figure out what order the story actually belonged in. Eventually I did.

And lest critics pounce on this, saying some derogatory remark about how these books compare to other books of mine, let me say this: I write all of my books this way. And I wish I didn't.

Andrew Mayer: I do a ton of planning. I tried to write a number of novels when I was younger and never managed to finish them. It wasn’t until I started seriously outlining that I managed to completely move beyond short stories and a novella or two.

Building a strong outline allows me to figure out the story beats, and make sure that I have the requisite amount of character conflict, drama, action, and all that other good stuff. It also allows me to figure out major plotting problems without having to write thousands of words to uncover them.

And for me it’s just more motivating to be writing a story I already want to read.

Jon Sprunk: I outline extensively from start to finish, and it can take me as long as two months just to do that. But I only do that one book at a time. For the Shadow Saga, I had an idea of what books two and three would be about, but not the details.

Erin Hoffman: Embarrassing amounts of pre-planning. I start with characters and concepts, laying out the things that initially inspire the story -- usually fragments of world imagery or dialogue. From there I dig for theme, and that takes quite a while. There's a lot of research, and a development of ideas that probably has a lot more in common with philosophy than storytelling. Once I've nailed down the theme, I start drawing the story and plot from it. I get a bit more distance from the usually very personal thematic parts and hammer relentlessly until I have the spine of a plot I'm excited to write. Then there's a detailed synopsis, basically a short paragraph for every chapter of the book. This often reveals flaws or structural imbalances that I'll work on more and correct. Throughout this I pepper in paragraphs, key moments of the story, that get shoved in a file with that chapter's short paragraph description. In terms of series, I'll know where I want to go and usually have an idea of how long I want to take to get there, but it can and does change along the way. The outline is a series of signposts, but the space in between is a lot more organic.

-Conversely, how much editing do you do? What's your process to get from first draft to finished manuscript?

KKR: Once I figure out the story order, I put the book in order, add the bridge material, trim or fix details that are out of place, and that's all I do. My husband, Dean Wesley Smith, is my first reader, and he lets me know if something's missing. (For example, in a recent romance novel, I got so caught up in the plot that I forgot the romance. I fixed that after he read it.)

AM: Once I’m into the writing phase I like to be able to put most of my attention to voice and flow, and let the story form around the outline.

I try to push through to a complete draft from start to finish running at about 1,500 to 2,000 words a day. I’ll jump around a bit if I have to, and sometimes I come up with something so inspiring that I need to go back and rework the outline to accommodate it. That can be painful, but never terribly so.

Once the first draft is complete I go back and take an edit pass on the whole thing from end to end. That can be a bear, as I’ll often find loose threads, or half-formed ideas that need completing. Stephen King says that he likes to cut from his books as he rewrites, but I’m the opposite. My drafts tend to grow in size. I probably add around 10% on the second draft.

And once that’s done I’ll read it through again. There’s usually less work this time, but I need to go in and see if broken scenes have really been “fixed”, or if I’ve managed to somehow make things worse. I’ll usually bring in readers at this stage. I don’t envy them much, because there are an infinite number of typos in this draft. I haven’t made any attempts to fix much beyond the tone and flow of the language, so there can be a lot of nonsense in there.

Then, the third draft is all about polish. To be honest there should probably be a second round of polish as well, but I don’t always have the time. That’s when I end up making the copy editor’s life miserable.

JS: I do a lot of editing. It's much more stressful than the actual writing. I put a lot of pressure on myself to get it right. I wish I could say I was 100% successful, but I'm lucky to have an excellent support network, including my beta readers, my agent, and Lou Anders at Pyr.

EH: Once I actually start writing, I try to write straight through. I make notes after every chapter, and throughout the process (I email ideas to myself constantly; my gmail account has 93 label categories), but this doesn't typically change the outline. They're moments to refine, minor things to change, realizations about particular motivations or world details. If anything major comes up, I come to a full stop and have to fix it before I can continue. This can be deceptive; there are times I thought I was just tired or stressed, but invariably if I'm having trouble going forward it's because my subconscious is telling me there's something wrong with the story. Once I figure it out and adjust the outline, it all starts to flow again.

-What does a typical writing day look like for you?

KKR: I get up, herd the cats, do my internet work, exercise, have a writing session, have lunch, more writing, have dinner, more writing, then read, then one hour of TV/movie, and sleep. The next day, I start all over again.

AM: I think my book days are more aspirational than typical.

Actual writing days are relatively easy, since they’re easily measured in pure numbers of words. Either I can park myself in a chair and write 2000 words or I can’t. I do find that meditating before I start usually means the work that will get done, but I can be surprisingly poor at that practice even though I know it’s going to end up a net win.

Editing days are a chapter or so a day. I can usually cover 3,000 words of rewrites. But if I end up trying to pick apart a structural knot that can really slow things down, especially if it ends up being a point that crosses chapters. Also, sometimes scenes need to be completely re-done, so that can throw me back into writing mode for days.

And I’m a truly grass is greener kind of guy: When I’m writing I wish I was editing, and when I’m editing I wish I was writing.

JS: I write in the evenings, Monday through Friday. I have a bit more time on weekends. My goal is a thousand words per day. I try not to take days off.

EH: Oh man, I wish there were typical writing days. Someday there will be. I carve out time wherever I can, and so "typical" for me is about flexibility and, often, mobility. My "rituals" are pretty self-contained -- playlists (musicals, movie soundtracks, and lately a Pandora channel built from Victorian composers), software (PlainText -> DropBox -> Scrivener 2.0), tea, where available (just about any kind of full leaf, with extra points for good earl greys or pu-erhs). Other than that, I write everywhere -- on airplanes, in hotels, on the couch...

-What are some television shows that you enjoy?

KKR: I love Stargate Universe and will miss it. I love Doctor Who. My "candy" show this year is Hawaii Five-O. I've been watching The Closer on DVD. But my favorite show has got to be The Big Bang Theory. I know those people. Some of them might live in my house. :-)

AM: Is anyone not watching Game of Thrones? It’s an amazing translation, and it’s really fun to watch fans of the book engaging with the necessities and shortcuts of television.

I also loved, loved, loved, the Spartacus series that’s on Starz. It’s a rare genre series that can pull out of a bad start the way that show did, but if you watch the first series it goes from good to amazing. The prequels are even better: a good prequel should re-contextualize what you think you “know” about the events that come after it, and Spartacus does that in spades.

Also, something that Spartacus does better than Game of Thrones is make sure that there are emotional stakes in all the sex scenes. It’s a trick worth paying attention to.

Breaking Bad is another amazing show. I tell people that it’s the best “origin of a supervillain” series ever made, and in a lot of ways it’s a non-genre genre story. It does some really breathtakingly brave stuff in terms of creating genuine peril for the “hero” of the show.

JS: My wife and I are enjoying The Game of Thrones on HBO. We also watch Hell's Kitchen and Kitchen Nightmares. Otherwise, I just watch the news. Oh, and Southpark.

EH: I'm more of a movie type than a TV type, but it does seem like TV has gotten better and better over the last few years. I was blown away by Planet Earth, and I have an unhealthy weakness for documentaries about ancient Egypt. I've enjoyed what I've seen of Deadwood, and I think Babylon 5 is a masterpiece of serial SF. I didn't see Weeds until it was five seasons in, and then watched all five seasons in a couple of weekends with my husband.

Thanks to all our authors for stopping by!

The Dervish House nominated for the John W. Campbell Best Novel Award

2011-06-10T11:25:00.000-04:00

The Center for the Study of Science Fiction have announced the 2011 John W. Campbell Memorial Award Finalists. We are thrilled to share the news that Ian McDonald's novel, The Dervish House, is among the finalists. This honor joins The Dervish House's Hugo nomination, Arthur C. Clarke nomination, Locus Award nomination, and BSFA win. At this point, I don't think it's even biased of us to say that if you haven't read The Dervish House yet, you really should.

Defend Yourself, Weakling!

2011-06-03T10:54:00.001-04:00

Sam Sykes ~~interviews~~ attacks Andrew P. Mayer, author of The Falling Machine, in his blog post entitled Defend Yourself, Weakling!

I'm struck by this statement Andrew made:

Science Fiction is about personifying humanity’s relationship with technology, Fantasy is about personifying humanity’s relationship with its symbols.

And this one Sam made:

You are neither an attractive female that might one day say I am kind of cute and thus validate my life, nor do you possess the upper crust high society bourgeois upbringing of these females, as indicated by your filthy fingernails. Please explain how we are to take you seriously and why we should pay attention to you.

Struck in different ways, you understand. Maybe struck physically is more apt for one.

For a limited time!

2011-06-03T10:12:00.000-04:00

For a very limited time, Ian McDonald's Hugo-nominated novel The Dervish House is available on Kindle for just $1.99 and Clay & Susan Griffith's acclaimed The Greyfriar (Vampire Empire Book One) is $2.99. Get 'em while the sale last. Sorry but this is US only.

2011 Chesley Award Finalists

2011-06-01T10:56:00.001-04:00

ASFA, the Association of Science Fiction and Fantasy Artists, have announced the 2011 Chesley Award Finalists. I'm thrilled to be nominated for a fourth time in the category of Best Art Director (I won in 2009), and equally happy to see two Pyr cover illustrations make the list. Congratulations to Todd Lockwood for his nomination for the cover for Tom LLoyd's The Ragged Man and to Stephan Martiniere for his nomination for the cover illustration for Ian McDonald's Ares Express. Both are in the category of Best Paperback. And congratulations to all the nominees. Please follow the link above and check out all the amazing work.

Shadow's Lure released

2011-05-31T19:44:00.000-04:00

Hey folks,

I just wanted to thank Lou and his staff for all that they've done. My second book, Shadow's Lure, is arriving in stores as I type this. Needless to say, I'm devilishly excited. Hope you enjoy.

--Jon

Signing at BEA

2011-05-24T11:37:00.000-04:00

Clay and Susan Griffith, signing The Greyfriar this morning at Book Expo America.

Clay and Susan signing.

The line.

Getting Ready for Book Expo America

2011-05-23T16:35:00.003-04:00

Look at those gorgeous covers? Couch facing wrong way?

Tomorrow is Book Expo America and the team at Prometheus Books is getting ready. Although I (Lou Anders) won't be there, Pyr will be represented at Book Expo America in the Prometheus Books booth, #4566.

They'll be a huge stack of comp copies of Ian McDonald's Hugo-nominated science fiction novel, The Dervish House in the booth, and, n the BEA autographing area, Clay and Susan Griffith, co-authors of the Vampire Empire trilogy, will be on hand signing copies of book one, The Greyfriar , as well as giving away bookmarks for book two, The Rift Walker (forthcoming in September). BEA attendees, get your signed copy at Table #25 on Tuesday, May 24, 10:30 - 11:30 am EST.

Did the stack of Hugo-nominated freebies of The Dervish House

Additionally, the Pyr Fall-Winter 2011-2012 catalog will be available at booth #4566, as will publisher staff in marketing, publicity, ebooks, and sales. If you're a book reviewer or blogger interested in Pyr and are attending BEA, feel free to email publicity@prometheusbooks.com and let us know you'll be stopping by.

Win an ARC!

2011-05-21T13:07:00.002-04:00

I have one advanced reading copy of my new book, Shadow's Lure, to give away. Unfortunately it won't be signed (because it's coming straight from Pyr), but them's the breaks.

Just email me at messages@jonsprunk.com before midnight on June 3rd to enter the giveaway contest. I will draw the winner on June 4th. Good luck.

Jasper Kent's Thirteen Years Later makes Booklist's Top 10 SF/Fantasy 2011

2011-05-19T11:10:00.000-04:00

Booklist have announced their Top 10 SF/Fantasy: 2011, and Jasper Kent's Thirteen Years Later has made the list. They write, "Kent has magically blended history, folklore, and storytelling to produce a superb account of the Dekabrist revolt in 1825 Russia."

Visit Us at BEA May 24-26

2011-05-12T14:59:00.000-04:00

Pyr will be represented at Book Expo America in the Prometheus Books booth, #4566.

Book Expo America is a trade only event that delivers the largest gathering of booksellers, librarians, retailers, and industry professionals anywhere in North America. It takes place at the Javits Center in New York City.

In the BEA autographing area, Clay and Susan Griffith, co-authors of the Vampire Empire trilogy, will be signing copies of book one, The Greyfriar , as well as giving away bookmarks for book two, The Rift Walker, which will be published in September. BEA attendees, get your signed copy at Table #25 on Tuesday, May 24, 10:30 - 11:30 am EST.

The Pyr Fall-Winter 2011-2012 catalog will be available at booth #4566, as will publisher staff in marketing, publicity, ebooks, and sales. Pyr Editorial Director Lou Anders will NOT be at BEA this year, but please do say hello to the rest of us! If you're a book reviewer or blogger interested in Pyr and are attending BEA, feel free to email publicity@prometheusbooks.com and let us know you'll be stopping by.

2011 Locus Award Finalists

2011-05-11T15:39:00.000-04:00

The 2011 Locus Award Finalists have been announced and it's with great pleasure that we congratulate Ian McDonald on his Best Novel nomination for The Dervish House. The Dervish House has already been nominated for the BSFA, Hugo, and Arthur C. Clarke Awards, winning the BSFA.

Questions about Slush

2011-05-02T18:04:00.000-04:00

We recently had a question about response times to unagented manuscripts. For those who don't know me, my name is Rene Sears, and I'm Editorial Director Lou Anders' assistant/ slush reader. Pyr began accepting unagented manuscripts last February, when I was hired. Unsolicited manuscripts are called slush; my job is to read them and pass the exceptional ones along to Lou, who then decides whether they are right for Pyr.

To answer the original question, my aspiration is to keep rejections within four to six weeks; sometimes it may be longer. If I read the first few chapter and like them, it may take me longer to get a chance to read further and see if the manuscript lives up to its initial promise. At the moment, my response times are a bit slower than usual, because I'm also helping prepare our backlist for ebook conversion. If you are worried your manuscript has gone astray, you are welcome to email me.

Any other questions about the slush pile, feel free to ask in the comments.

Lou Anders reads from Spring Heeled Jack at the PKD Award Ceremony

2011-04-29T10:58:00.001-04:00

Ian McDonald's Hugo-nominated The Dervish House optioned by Warp Films.

2011-04-29T09:43:00.000-04:00

Ian McDonald's BSFA-winning, Hugo nominated novel, The Dervish House, has been optioned by Warp Film. The Zeno Agency reported the film option yesterday. From their blog:

Zeno Agency is delighted to announce that film and television rights to Ian McDonald‘s award winning novel THE DERVISH HOUSE have been optioned by Warp Films. The deal was negotiated by Zeno’s John Richard Parker who says, ‘As with all Ian’s books THE DERVISH HOUSE is very much cinematic as well being an imaginative tour de force. I have always believed it has the qualities that make it eminently suitable for film and I am sure that with Warp’s enthusiasm for the project and their fantastic track record, all the ingredients are in place to put together something very special indeed.’

Warp Films have had notable successes recently with SUBMARINE and FOUR LIONS and Executive Producer Peter Carlton says ‘We’re delighted to have the chance to adapt THE DERVISH HOUSE for the screen, set in that most iconic of cities, crossroads of east and west, past and future, Istanbul. It starts with an explosion on a tram and ends in a race to stop a terrorist plot, but in the meantime Ian somehow weaves together speculative share trading, nanotechnology and Islamic microcalligraphy, to name but a few strands in this visual feast that has a narrative sweep and ambition all too rare in contemporary fiction.‘

Two More Hugos, a Gemmell, the PKD, and more.

2011-04-26T12:25:00.000-04:00

Obviously, we're pretty excited about the 2010 Hugo Awards shortlist. Ian McDonald's The Dervish House makes the list of finalists for Best Novel, and yours truly (Lou Anders) makes my fifth appearance in the category of Best Editor - Long Form.

This news follows right on the heels of Mark Hodder's Philip K. Dick Award win for The Strange Affair of Spring Heeled Jack.

Meanwhile, just announced is the the publication of the short list for the David Gemmell Award. Congratulations to Pierre Pevel, whose novel The Alchemist in the Shadows, originally published by Gollancz and just out from Pyr, is nominated for the Legend Award - Best Fantasy Novel, and to Todd Lockwood, whose cover for the Pyr edition of Tom Lloyd's The Ragged Man is up for the Ravenheart Award for Best Fantasy Art Cover.

Finally, congratulations again to Ian McDonald for his BSFA win for The Dervish House for Best Novel.

Philip K. Dick Award: Mark Hodder's The Strange Affair of Spring Heeled Jack

2011-04-26T10:30:00.000-04:00

This past Friday evening at Norwescon 34, Mark Hodder's The Strange Affair of Spring Heeled Jack won the prestigious 2010 Philip K. Dick Award. The Philip K. Dick Award is presented annually with the support of the Philip K. Dick Trust for distinguished science fiction published in paperback original form in the United States. The award is sponsored by the Philadelphia Science Fiction Society and the Philip K. Dick Trust and the award ceremony is sponsored by the NorthWest Science Fiction Society.

Pyr Editorial Director Lou Anders was on hand to read a selection from the novel, and to accept on Mark's behalf. Here is my (Lou's)very brief/off the cuff acceptance speech, which begins 5 minutes, 51 seconds in. (Before that, a moving acceptance speech for the Special Citation winner, HARMONY by Project Itoh, written by the late author's father).

Mark Hodder , awake at 5am in Spain, was able to listen to a live feed of the ceremony. His reaction:

"OMG OMG OMG! Are you kidding me!!!!

Cannot believe it!

Seriously, I'm dumbstruck … And over the moon!!!"

Here is the full ceremony. I (Lou Anders) read the excerpt at 27 minutes, 20 seconds in and accept at 50 minutes, 20 seconds in.

Video streaming by Ustream

Shadow's Lure Trail

2011-04-21T11:55:00.002-04:00

Hello Good People (and the Bad, too),

To celebrate the upcoming release of Shadow's Lure, I have this book trailer, designed by the multi-talented Susan Griffith, co-author of The Greyfriar (also from Pyr Books).

For Your Viewing Pleasure: Shadow's Lure

2011-04-14T08:00:00.001-04:00

Shadow's Lure © Jon Sprunk
Cover Illustration © Michael Komarck
Design by Nicole Sommer-Lecht

Coming in June

The unforgiving Northlands . . .

In Othir, he was at the top of the food chain—an assassin beyond compare, a dark shadow in the night. But Caim left that life behind when he helped an empress claim her throne. And now his past has come calling again.

Searching for the truth behind the murder and disappearance of his parents, Caim discovers a land in thrall to the Shadow. Haunted by temptations from the Other Side, he becomes mired in a war he does not want to fight.

But there are some things a son of the Shadow cannot ignore, and some fights from which he can’t run. In this battle, all of Caim’s strength and skill won’t be enough. For none can resist the Shadow’s Lure.

April Author Round Table

2011-04-13T08:53:00.000-04:00

It's time for another author round table! Joining us this time are Adrian Tchaikovsky (The Scarab Path), Pierre Pevel (The Alchemist in the Shadows), and Joel Shepherd (Haven), all of whom are two or more books into a series.

Pierre Pevel


Adrian Tchaikovsky

Joel Shepherd

-How much do you pre-plan before you write a book? How much does that change, if at all, when you're writing a series? How much of an idea do you have of where the series is ultimately going to go before you start?

Adrian Tchaikovsky: I write up a complete book plan, chapter by chapter - otherwise I find I lose focus or miss important bits out - this doesn't mean I actually stick to the plan necessarily - it tends to go off the rails from about halfway, and I rewrite it as the plot develops, but the basic structure tends to prevail. As I get further into my series, more edits and alterations tend to become necessary, too - as well as balancing the elements within the book, I need to balance the elements within the broader plot arc.

Pierre Pevel: I do an enormous amount of work before actually beginning to write a novel. I take notes, I make information sheets, and above all, I imagine the plot from A to Z. I have trouble writing if I don’t know the story I’m trying to tell. In fact, that’s all I should be doing when I’m writing: just telling the story. Otherwise, I feel uncomfortable.

This preparatory work is even more important before writing the first volume in a series. Because that’s when I’m inventing everything, conceiving the universe for my books, and making decisions which may only become truly important in two or three years’ time, when I’m writing the third volume in the series. So I roughly know which direction the series will go, and how it will end. For the Cardinal’s Blades series, I already knew right from the beginning the closing stages of Book 3.

Joel Shepherd: I pre-plan enough to know the broad structural outline -- what happens and when, and where the main conflicts are. But the smaller detail I leave to resolve itself, because a lot of that stuff will change as you write the book. I like to have in my head some big, dramatic moments, crescendos you might call them, which occur at various points in the plot. Then it's a matter of writing out the rest of the plot to try and hit those marks. But I'm usually pretty sure of the big picture -- where it's going, how's it all going to end -- before I start writing.

-What was the initial idea that sparked your series?

AT: INSECTS! Seriously, I wanted to write an epic fantasy that was also some way off the stock Tolkienade. I could go on forever about insects as metaphors for human nature - Kafka, Capek, Pelevin etc., but basically I like insects, and a world where the people have insect aspects is entirely logical and natural to me. The other main point was the technology - when I had the idea for the Apt/Inapt split, that essentially kickstarted and supercharged (to use Apt terminology) the entire plot - from the first scene in Myna with the Wasps attacking with mechanized ramming engines and aircraft, all the way to my projected final book.

PP: At the time, I wanted to write a cloak-and-dagger novel, which would be a tribute to Alexandre Dumas and which would portray Paris in the 17th century. But I didn’t know how to approach this. I kept looking for an angle and I couldn’t find one. One day, I got fed up with pacing back and forth in my office and I did something I never do: I sat down in front of my computer and I started writing without knowing where it would take me. I thus came up with the initial draft of what would become the first paragraph of The Cardinal’s Blades: an evening scene with Cardinal Richelieu writing at his desk… and a small dragon curled in a ball close by. That’s how I came up with the image of a dragonnet! Quite naturally! And then I immediately understood that I was on to something: musketeers and dragons. It was so obvious! Why hadn’t I thought of it sooner? After that, I went back to my usual methods and did a huge amount of preparatory work. A lot of time passed between that first paragraph and the moment when I resumed writing the rest of the book.

JS: A Trial of Blood and Steel was sparked by a number of different things. Firstly I don't read enough fantasy that has gritty, realist plots that are driven more by characters and their decisions than by magic or prophecies. The big exception right now is probably George RR Martin's Game of Thrones, which Trial of Blood and Steel has been compared to by a lot of reviewers -- though I should point out I wrote Sasha well before I read Martin's work. I think fantasy's a wonderful genre for intense character conflicts because the plots have so much that pivots upon the decisions the characters make.

But I think the initial idea that sparked the series was the main character, Sasha. She's a female warrior in a male world, and obviously in a lot of chauvinist societies, that wouldn't be allowed to happen. So the first problem became, how to let it happen, without watering down her society with any modern political correctness... which I think I achieved, because Lenayin is one of the least PC places I can imagine. Ultimately it's a society that respects individual strengths more than conformity, which is what allows Sasha to be what she is. And that process of creating Lenayin lead to its relationships with the other lands surrounding it, and eventually spread into the entire world.

-What does your typical writing day look like?

AT: I'm probably letting the side down by saying this, but the typical writing day is going to work in an office for my regular nine to five job, coming home, family time, putting my three year old to bed, then sorting out emails, admin, whatever edits are currently on the go, and at about 10pm I get down and write something - the one major point being that I write 1-2 pages every day while I have a book in the works, no matter what else I have on. But life is very busy right now, with all that going on.

PP: I’m almost ashamed to tell you this. I get up very late, around noon. I make myself some tea and then I immediately sit down to work, until 8 pm in the evening. After that, I try to have a social life. Then I return to work, but for less important tasks than during the day: re-reading, correcting the text, etc. I go to sleep around 4 am, after reading a few pages of a good book, or watching a film or some episodes from a TV series on DVD.

JS: I'm working on a PhD at the moment, so I don't have a typical writing day. I fit in my fiction writing where ever I can, morning, night, whenever.

-Outside of research, what kind of books do you like to read?

AT: I am a dedicated fanboy. My fiction reading is almost entirely fantasy and science fiction. Favourite authors include Gene Wolfe, Peter S Beagle, China Mieville, Mary Gentle. I get through about a book a week, on average - reading on the train to and from work, and before going to bed.

PP: Above all, crime novels. I like Elmore Leonard, James Elroy, James Lee Burke, and in particular, Donald Westlake (who in addition to being an extraordinary novelist writes the best closing chapters in the business). I also read historical novels when they take place in the period that interests me, the 17th century. I don’t read much fantasy, Terry Pratchett being an exception.

JS: Given my university work at the moment, I've been falling way behind on my fiction reading.

Thank you to the authors for joining us, and special thanks to Tom Clegg, Pierre Pevel's translator.

Thirteen Years Later makes Booklist Best SFF for 2010

2011-04-12T12:16:00.000-04:00

Great news! We just got the word that Jasper Kent's Thirteen Years Later made the Booklist Editor’s Top 10 Best SFF Books for 2010 (which will appear in Booklist's May 15, 2011 issue).

Aleksandr made a silent promise to the Lord. God would deliver him--would deliver Russia--and he would make Russia into the country that the Almighty wanted it to be. He would be delivered from the destruction that wasteth at noonday, and from the pestilence that walketh in darkness--the terror by night...

1825, Europe--and Russia--have been at peace for ten years. Bonaparte is long dead and the threat of invasion is no more. For Colonel Aleksei Ivanovich Danilov, life is peaceful. Not only have the French been defeated but so have the twelve monstrous creatures he once fought alongside, and then against, ten or more years ago. His duty is still to serve and to protect his tsar, Aleksandr the First, but now the enemy is human.

However the Tsar knows that he can never be at peace. Of course, he is aware of the uprising fermenting within the Russian army--among his supposedly loyal officers. No, what troubles him is something that threatens to bring damnation down upon him, his family and his country. The Tsar has been reminded of a promise: a promise born of blood...a promise that was broken a hundred years before.

Now the one who was betrayed by the Romanovs has returned to exact revenge for what has been denied him. And for Aleksei, knowing this chills his very soul. For it seems the vile pestilence that once threatened all he believed in and all he held dear has returned, thirteen years later...

Sometimes You Really Want to Take a Sword to Someone...

2011-04-08T10:29:00.001-04:00

I know I do!

But maybe it's better to read about it than actually do it. In which case, be relieved to know that Sword & Sorcery is alive and well at Pyr. Here are some of our current and forthcoming works of S&S, for when you know they need it.

Art by Benjamin Carre

The Horns of Ruin by Tim Akers

Eva Forge is the last paladin of the dead God, Morgan.

Eva, forsaken by her parents and forgotten by her family, was the last child dedicated to the Cult of Morgan. Morgan, God of battle and champion of the Fraterdom, was assassinated by his jealous brother, Amon. Over time, the Cult of Morgan has been surpassed by other Gods, his blessings ignored in favor of brighter technologies and more mechanical miracles. Now, Eva watches as her new family, her Cult, crumbles around her.

When a series of kidnappings and murders makes it clear that someone is trying to hasten the death of the Cult of Morgan, Eva must seek out unexpected allies and unwelcome answers in the city of Ash. But will she be able to save the city from a growing conspiracy, one that reaches back to her childhood, even back to the murder of her God?

As Eva wields her sword and wits in a city full of wonders, her story becomes the first perfect merger of steampunk and sword and sorcery.

Art by Chris McGrath

The Silver Skull (Swords of Albion) by Mark Chadbourn

Meet Will Swyfte—adventurer, swordsman, rake, swashbuckler, wit, scholar and the greatest of Walsingham's new band of spies. His exploits against the forces of Philip of Spain have made him a national hero, lauded from Carlisle to Kent. Yet his associates can barely disguise their incredulity—what is the point of a spy whose face and name is known across Europe?

But Swyfte's public image is a carefully-crafted facade to give the people of England something to believe in, and to allow them to sleep peacefully at night. It deflects attention from his real work—and the true reason why Walsingham's spy network was established.

A Cold War seethes, and England remains under a state of threat. The forces of Faerie have been preying on humanity for millennia. Responsible for our myths and legends, of gods and fairies, dragons, griffins, devils, imps and every other supernatural menace that has haunted our dreams, this power in the darkness has seen humans as playthings to be tormented, hunted or eradicated.

But now England is fighting back!

Magical defences have been put in place by the Queen's sorcerer Dr John Dee, who is also a senior member of Walsingham's secret service and provides many of the bizarre gadgets utilised by the spies. Finally there is a balance of power. But the Cold War is threatening to turn hot at any moment...

Will now plays a constant game of deceit and death, holding back the Enemy's repeated incursions, dealing in a shadowy world of plots and counter-plots, deceptions, secrets, murder, where no one... and no thing... is quite what it seems.

The Scar-Crow Men by Mark Chadbourn

Art by Chris McGrath

The year is 1593. The London of Elizabeth I is in the terrible grip of the Black Death. As thousands die from the plague and the queen hides behind the walls of her palace, English spies are being murdered across the city. The killer's next target: Will Swyfte.
For Swyfte—adventurer, rake, scholar, and spy—this is the darkest time he has known. His mentor, the grand old spymaster Sir Francis Walsingham, is dead. The new head of the secret service is more concerned about his own advancement than defending the nation, and a rival faction at the court has established its own network of spies. Plots are everywhere, and no one can be trusted. Meanwhile, England's greatest enemy, the haunted Unseelie Court, prepares to make its move.
A dark, bloody scheme, years in the making, is about to be realized. The endgame begins on the night of the first performance of Dr. Faustus, the new play by Swyfte's close friend and fellow spy Christopher Marlowe. A devil is conjured in the middle of the crowded theater, taking the form of Will Swyfte's long-lost love, Jenny—and it has a horrifying message for him alone.

That night Marlowe is murdered, and Swyfte embarks on a personal and brutal crusade for vengeance. Friendless, with enemies on every side and a devil at his back, the spy may find that even his vaunted skills are no match for the supernatural powers arrayed against him.

Art by Dominic Harman

Blood of Ambrose by James Enge

Nominated for Best Novel in the World Fantasy Awards!

Behind the king's life stands the menacing Protector, and beyond him lies the Protector's Shadow...

Centuries after the death of Uthar the Great, the throne of the Ontilian Empire lies vacant. The late emperor's brother-in-law and murderer, Lord Urdhven, appoints himself Protector to his nephew, young King Lathmar VII and sets out to kill anyone who stands between himself and mastery of the empire, including (if he can manage it) the king himself and his ancient but still formidable ancestress, Ambrosia Viviana.

When Ambrosia is accused of witchcraft and put to trial by combat, she is forced to play her trump card and call on her brother, Morlock Ambrosius—stateless person, master of all magical makers, deadly swordsman, and hopeless drunk.

As ministers of the king, they carry on the battle, magical and mundane, against the Protector and his shadowy patron. But all their struggles will be wasted unless the young king finds the strength to rule in his own right and his own name.

Art by Dominic Harman

This Crooked Way by James Enge

MORLOCK AMBROSIUS RETURNS!

Travelling alone in the depths of winter, Morlock Ambrosius (bitterly dry drunk, master of all magical makers, wandering swordsman, and son of Merlin Ambrosius and Nimue Viviana) is attacked by an unknown enemy.

To unmask his enemy and end the attacks he must travel a long crooked way through the world: past the soul-eating Boneless One, past a subtle and treacherous master of golems, past the dragon-taming Khroi, past the predatory cities of Sarkunden and Aflraun, past the demons and dark gnomes of the northern woods.

Soon he will find that his enemy wears a familiar face, and that the duel he has stumbled into will threaten more lives than his own, leaving nations shattered in its chaotic wake.

And at the end of his long road waits the death of a legend.

Art by Dominic Harman

The Wolf Age by James Enge

Wuruyaaria: city of werewolves, whose raiders range over the dying northlands, capturing human beings for slaves or meat. Wuruyaaria: where a lone immortal maker wages a secret war against the Strange Gods of the Coranians. Wuruyaaria: a democracy where some are more equal than others, and a faction of outcast werewolves is determined to change the balance of power in a long, bloody election year.

Their plans are laid; the challenges known; the risks accepted. But all schemes will shatter in the clash between two threats few had foreseen and none had fully understood: a monster from the north on a mission to poison the world, and a stranger from the south named Morlock Ambrosius.

Art by Lucas Graciano

The Goblin Corps by Ari Marmell

Morthûl, the dreaded Charnel King, has failed.

Centuries of plotting from the heart of the Iron Keep, deep within the dark lands of Kirol Syrreth—all for naught. Foiled at the last by the bumbling efforts of a laughable band of so-called heroes, brainless and over-muscled cretins without sense enough to recognize a hopeless cause when they take it on. Machinations developed over generations, schemes intended to deliver the world into the Dark Lord’s hands, now devastated beyond salvation. But the so-called forces of Light have paid for their meddling with the life of Princess Amalia, only child of the royal family of Shauntille.

Now, as winter solidifies its icy grip on the passes of the Brimstone Mountains, disturbing news has reached the court of Morthûl. King Dororam, enraged by the murder of his only child—and accompanied by that same group of delusional upstart “heroes” —is assembling all the Allied Kingdoms, fielding an army unlike any seen before. The armies of Kirol Syrreth muster to meet the attack that is sure to come as soon as the snows have melted from the mountain paths, but their numbers are sorely depleted. Still, after uncounted centuries of survival, the Dark Lord isn’t about to go down without a fight, particularly in battle against a mortal! No, the Charnel King still has a few tricks up his putrid and tattered sleeves, and the only thing that can defeat him now may just be the inhuman soldiers on whom he’s pinned his last hopes.

Welcome to the Goblin Corps. May the best man lose.

Art by John Picacio

Silverheart by Michael Moorcock and Storm Constantine

This is a novel set at the very heart of Michael Moorcock’s multiverse, in Karadur, city of metal, steam, and ancient families, the mighty clans of the metal. In six days, Max Silverskin, thief and trickster, must discover the secrets of his heritage or die from the witch mark – the silverheart – which will devour his heart. Lady Rose Iron, daughter of the leader of the powerful Clan Iron is thrown into an edgy alliance with Max as she searches for the secrets that could save the city’s future. Captain Cornelius Coffin, head of the clans’ security forces, is in love with Lady Rose and obsessed with capturing Max. And there are others, in Shriltasi, Karadur’s underworld twin, who know the prophecy which says that only Max Silverskin can save both realms.

In Silverheart, Michael Moorcock and Storm Constantine have combined their talents to produce a novel that is both surreal and gothic.

The Cardinal's Blades by Pierre Pevel (translated by Tom Clegg)

Art by Jon Sullivan

Welcome to seventeenth-century Paris, where intrigue, duels, and spies are rife and Cardinal Richelieu's men may be prevailed upon to risk life and limb in the name of France at a moment's notice. And with war on the horizon, the defense of the nation has never been more pressing.

Danger is rising from the south—an insidious plot that could end with a huge dragon-shaped shadow falling over France, a shadow cast by dragons quite unlike the pet dragonets that roam the cities like stray cats, or the tame wyverns men ride like horses, high over the Parisian rooftops. These dragons and their descendants are ancient, terrible, and powerful ... and their plans contain little room for the lives or freedom of men.

Cardinal Richelieu has nowhere else to turn; Captain La Fargue and his elite group of men, the Cardinal's Blades, must turn the tide. They must hold the deadly Black Claw cult at bay, root out traitors to the crown, rescue prisoners, and fulfill their mission for the Cardinal, for their country, but above all for themselves.

It's death or victory. And the victory has never been less certain.

Art by Jon Sullivan

The Alchemist in the Shadows by Pierre Pevel (translated by Tom Clegg)

Welcome to Paris, in 1633, where dragons menace the realm. Cardinal Richelieu, the most powerful and most feared man in France, is on his guard. He knows France is under threat, and that a secret society known as the Black Claw is conspiring against him from the heart of the greatest courts in Europe. They will strike from the shadows, and when they do the blow will be both terrible and deadly. To counter the threat, Richelieu has put his most trusted men into play: the Cardinal's Blades, led by Captain la Fargue. Six men and a woman, all of exceptional abilities and all ready to risk their lives on his command. They have saved France before, and the Cardinal is relying on them to do it again.

So when la Fargue hears from a beautiful, infamous, deadly Italian spy claiming to have valuable information, he has to listen ...and when La Donna demands Cardinal Richelieu's protection before she will talk, la Fargue is even prepared to consider it. Because La Donna can name their enemy. It's a man as elusive as he is manipulative, as subtle as Richelieu himself, an exceptionally dangerous adversary: the Alchemist in the shadows ...

Shadow's Son by Jon Sprunk

Art by Michael Komarck

In the holy city of Othir, treachery and corruption lurk at the end of every street, just the place for a freelance assassin with no loyalties and few scruples.

Caim makes his living on the edge of a blade, but when a routine job goes south, he is thrust into the middle of an insidious plot. Pitted against crooked lawmen, rival killers, and sorcery from the Other Side, his only allies are Josephine, the socialite daughter of his last victim, and Kit, a guardian spirit no one else can see. But in this fight for his life, Caim only trusts his knives and his instincts, but they won't be enough when his quest for justice leads him from Othir's hazardous back alleys to its shining corridors of power. To unmask a conspiracy at the heart of the empire, he must claim his birthright as the Shadow's Son....

Art by Michael Komarck

Shadow's Lure by Jon Sprunk

In Othir, he was at the top of the food chain—an assassin beyond compare, a dark shadow in the night. But Caim left that life behind when he helped an empress claim her throne. And now his past has come calling again.

Searching for the truth behind the murder and disappearance of his parents, Caim discovers a land in thrall to the Shadow. Haunted by temptations from the Other Side, he becomes mired in a war he does not want to fight.

But there are some things a son of the Shadow cannot ignore, and some fights from which he can’t run. In this battle, all of Caim’s strength and skill won’t be enough. For none can resist the Shadow’s Lure.

Midwinter by Matthew Sturges

Art by Chris McGrath

Winter comes to the land only once in a hundred years. But the snow covers ancient secrets: secrets that could topple a kingdom.

Mauritaine was a war hero, a captain in the Seelie Army. Then he was accused of treason and sentenced to life without parole at Crere Sulace, a dark and ancient prison in the mountains, far from the City Emerald. But now the Seelie Queen – Regina Titania herself – has offered him one last chance to redeem himself, an opportunity to regain his freedom and his honor.

Unfortunately, it’s a suicide mission, which is why only Mauritaine and the few prisoners he trusts enough to accompany him, would even dare attempt it: Raieve, beautiful and harsh, an emissary from a foreign land caught in the wrong place at the wrong time; Perrin Alt, Lord Silverdun, a nobleman imprisoned as a result of political intrigues so Byzantine that not even he understands them; and Brian Satterly, a human physicist, apprehended searching for the human victims of the faery changeling trade.

Meanwhile, dark forces are at work at home and abroad. In the Seelie kingdom, the reluctant soldier Purane-Es burns with hatred for Mauritaine, and plots to steal the one thing that remains to him: his wife. Across the border, the black artist Hy Pezho courts the whim of Mab, offering a deadly weapon that could allow the Unseelie in their flying cities to crush Titania and her army once and for all.

With time running out, Mauritaine and his companions must cross the deadly Contested Lands filled with dire magical fallout from wars past. They will confront mounted patrols, brigands, and a traitor in their midst. And before they reach their destination, as the Unseelie Armies led by Queen Mab approach the border, Mauritaine must decide between his own freedom and the fate of the very land that has forsaken him.

The Office of Shadow by Matthew Sturges

Art by Chris McGrath

Midwinter has gone, but that cold season has been replaced by a cold war in the world of Faerie, and this new kind of war requires a new kind of warrior.

Seelie forces drove back Empress Mab at the Battle of Sylvan, but hostilities could resume at any moment. Mab has developed a devastating new weapon capable of destroying an entire city, and the Seelie have no defense against it. If war comes, they will almost certainly be defeated.

In response, the Seelie reconstitutes a secret division of the Foreign Ministry, unofficially dubbed the "Office of Shadow," imbuing it with powers and discretion once considered unthinkable. They are a group of covert operatives given the tasks that can't be done in the light of day: secretly stealing the plans for Mab's new weapon, creating unrest in the Unseelie Empire, and doing whatever is necessary to prevent an unwinnable war.

The new leader of the "Shadows" is Silverdun. He's the nobleman who fought alongside Mauritane at Sylvan and who helped complete a critical mission for the Seelie Queen Titania. His operatives include a beautiful but naïve sorceress who possesses awesome powers that she must restrain in order to survive and a soldier turned scholar whose research into new ways of magic could save the world, or end it.

They'll do whatever is required to prevent a total war: make a dangerous foray into a hostile land to retrieve the plans for Mab's weapon; blackmail a king into revolting against the Unseelie Empire; journey into the space between space to uncover a closely guarded secret with the power to destroy worlds.

Tome of the Undergates by Sam Sykes

Art by Paul Young

Adventurer. The term has long been synonymous with cutthroat, murderer, savage, zealot, and heathen. And Lenk, an errant young man with only a sword and a decidedly unpleasant voice in his head, counts all five among his best and only associates. Loathed by society and spurned by all merciful gods, he and his band are recruited for only the vilest of jobs.
Denaos, the lecherous thug; Asper, the cursed priestess; Dreadaeleon, the pubescent wizard; Gariath, the psychotic dragonman; and Kataria, the savage shict who farts in her sleep, have all followed Lenk out of necessity. But as their companionship increases, so too does their enmity for each other. Thrown together by necessity and motivated by their distrust for each other, it falls to Lenk to keep them from murdering each other long enough to allow something more horrible, the pleasure of killing them.
When an esteemed clergyman hires them to track down a missing book stolen by a zealous foulness risen from the depths of the ocean, intent on using the tome to raise its abyssal matron from her hell-bound prison, Lenk finds his skills put to the test. Faced with titanic, fishlike beasts, psychotic purple warrior women, and the ferocity of an ocean that loathes him as much as his own people do, the greatest threat yet may be the company he keeps.
Full of razor-sharp wit and characters who leap off the page (and into trouble) and plunge the reader into a vivid world of adventure, this is a fantasy that kicks off a series that could dominate the second decade of the century.

Art by Paul Young

Black Halo by Sam Sykes

THE TOME OF THE UNDERGATES HAS BEEN RECOVERED...

...and the gates of hell remain closed. Lenk and his five companions set sail to bring the accursed relic away from the demonic reach of Ulbecetonth, the Kraken Queen. But after weeks at sea, tensions amidst the adventurers are rising. Their troubles are only beginning when their ship crashes upon an island made of the bones left behind from a war long dead.

And it appears that bloodthirsty alien warrior women, fanatical beasts from the deep, and heretic-hunting wizards are the least of their concerns. Haunted by their pasts, plagued by their gods, tormented by their own people, and gripped by madness personal and peculiar, their greatest foes may yet be themselves.

The reach of Ulbecetonth is longer than hell can hold.

What am I doing? - by MD Lachlan.

2011-03-24T18:42:00.003-04:00

What am I doing?

This is a question I often ask myself in all sorts of situations, often without hope of much of an answer.

However, when it comes to writing then, as a writer, I suppose I should have some reply.

Well, the honest answer is ‘I don’t know’. Writing is a mysterious process to me – not particularly related to intellect or intention. When it’s going well I can really understand why the old poets used to talk about having a ‘muse’ – a goddess who sparks your creativity. It feels like it’s not me doing the writing, like I’m just waggling my fingers and something from somewhere else is coming through.

However, I do feel embarrassed sometimes in interviews when asked to talk about what I’m trying to do in my writing.

There’s a temptation for writers – and artists of all sorts – to begin sentences with words such as:

‘What I’m interested in in my work is….’ and then to launch into a two hour spiel about how hegemonic cultural forms intersect with….yada yada yada. The fact is that, if their work really addressed what they think it does, they’d have no reason to spend days explaining it. As Harold Pinter used to say to his actors when they asked him what he meant by a particular line in one of his plays: ‘Ask the author’. That is, look at the text. If he could have said it any better then he wouldn’t have bothered writing the play.

However, it’s seductive to try to act as your own interpreter. I’ve had some reviews of Wolfsangel that have dug things out that were never in my mind when I was writing it. These things may well be there – what the critics said seems to make sense. Having read the reviews, and felt awfully clever, there’s a big temptation to point to the criticism and say ‘that, the bit about Heideggerian moods, that’s what I was trying to do.’ I’m trying to resist it.

On the other hand, there’s a tendency for some genre writers to say that all they’re concerned with is a good story. Of the two views I lean heavily towards the second.

If writing isn’t entertaining, it’s nothing. That is, very few people will wade through 300 pages of lifeless prose with no plot, no surprises and no emotional engagement with the characters. I’m leaving you out of this, English Literature students, you’re forced to read that stuff.

It’s enough to be just entertaining. You don’t need any more. But the writers I really admire do tend to add a bit extra. They fall into two camps. First is the ‘fantasy of ideas’ brigade. In this I’d put China Miéville, Michael Moorcock, Ursula K Le Guin and a fair few others.

These writers engage with cultural issues outside of fantasy – religion, politics, gender identity. Crucially, these concerns don’t overwhelm their work. It’s possible to read any of their books just as an entertaining tale without picking up on any of that stuff.

All this is engaging and interesting but the fantasy writing I really love does something more still. This brings us to the other camp – the stuff that has an effect you can’t really explain. It talks to something deep inside us, feelings we all have but can’t name. Really, what I want from fantasy is the chill and wonder that people sitting around a fire might have felt in the dark ages listening to Beowulf, the feeling you get hearing Macbeth on the battlements as MacDuff’s army comes marching towards him.

(Fantasy writers should reclaim Shakespeare, by the way – next time a literary snob looks down his nose at you and asks what of worth fantasy has ever produced say ‘Macbeth, The Tempest, Midsummer Night’s Dream. A little bit more than middle class people having affairs in Brooklyn brownstones, I think you’ll find.’)

The writing I love conjures up feelings so distinctively that it’s very difficult to describe them. I can’t sum up in a couple of paragraphs the strange sense you get reading Alan Garner’s The Owl Service, the disquiet you feel as Le Guin’s* abused Tenar leaves men to starve in the darkness of the Tombs of Atuan, the sense of nations moving to uncertain and terrible destinies you get in George RR Martin, the urggghh and ahh of Robert Holdstock’s Mythago Wood. I told you I couldn’t put it into words.

These writers express things that you can’t say in any other way than how they said it. Sure, their work can be analysed but it can’t be reduced to an analysis. There is a level at which its effect is inexplicable. If you want someone to share it you have to lend them the book.

Obviously if I set the bar that high in my own writing I’d be too terrified to ever write a word. In my experience, striving for something in your writing is a guarantee of failure. So I just sit waggling my fingers until the story appears.

But if I could aim for anything it would to capture a feeling I had as a kid on vacation in North Wales - one that I won’t be able to explain properly even if I try.

Shivering inside our rain sodden family tent, looking out at the slate grey clouds dropping onto the Black Mountains** I had a sense that there was something in that landscape that had been there for years before I lived and that would be there for years after I die, something that wasn’t particularly well disposed to me or to humanity as a whole. It’s the closest I’ve had to a spiritual feeling and it’s impossible to put into a concise phrase. Impossible for me, anyway, I think some poets give that sort of thing a go. I might, though, be able to summon it up in a novel.

If I could get near to inducing that feeling in my readers then I’d be a happy man. So, to answer my original question: ‘What am I doing?’ I still don’t know. But I know what I’d like to do and I suppose that’s a start.

* One of my favourite writers, someone with a foot in both camps.

^*^* Holidays like this pretty much account for the British national character.

Pyr's 2010 Publications: For Your Consideration

2011-03-23T09:49:00.000-04:00

In these last hours of Hugo Awards nominations, we thought we'd repost this handy-dandy list of all the books Pyr released in 2010. Many of these books and stories are deserving of consideration, as are the wonderful artists who did our covers.

Pyr's 2010 Publications:

Kay Kenyon's Prince of Storms (in hc and paperback). Cover art by Stephan Mariniere.
Kay Kenyon's City Without End (reprint). Cover art by Stephan Martiniere.
Paul McAuley's Gardens of the Sun. Cover art by Sparth.
David Louis Edelman's Geosynchron. Cover art by Stephan Martiniere.
Joel Shepherd's Petrodor. Cover art by David Palumbo.
Adrian Tchaikovsky's Empire in Black and Gold. Cover art by Jon Sullivan.
Adrian Tchaikovsky's Dragonfly Falling. Cover art by Jon Sullivan.
Adrian Tchaikovsky's Blood of the Mantis. Cover art by Jon Sullivan.
George Mann's Ghosts of Manhattan. Cover art by Benjamin Carre.
Ian McDonald's Ares Express (reprint). Cover art by Stephan Martiniere.
Mark Chadbourn's The Devil in Green. Cover art by John Picacio.
Mark Chadbourn's The Queen of Sinister. Cover art by John Picacio.
Mark Chadbourn's The Hounds of Avalon. Cover art by John Picacio.
Matthew Sturges' The Office of Shadow. Cover art by Chris McGrath.
Jon Sprunk's Shadow's Son. Cover art by Michael Komarck.
Ian McDonald's The Dervish House. Cover art by Stephan Martiniere.
Tom Lloyd's The Ragged Man. Cover art by Todd Lockwood.
Jasper Kent's Twelve. Cover art by Paul Young.
Sam Sykes' Tome of the Undergates. Cover art by Paul Young.
Mark Hodders' The Strange Affair of Spring Heeled Jack. Cover art by Jon Sullivan.
Adrian Tchaikovsky's Salute the Dark. Cover art by Jon Sullivan.
Joel Shepherd's Tracato. Cover art by David Palumbo.
Pierre Pevel's The Cardinal's Blades. Cover art by Jon Sullivan.
James Enge's The Wolf Age. Cover art by Dominic Harman.
Clay and Susan Griffith's The Greyfriar (Vampire Empire Book 1). Cover art by Chris McGrath.
James Barclay's Elfsorrow. Cover art by Raymond Swanland.
James Barclay's Shadowheart. Cover art by Raymond Swanland.
James Barclay's Demonstorm. Cover art by Raymond Swanland.
Tim Akers' The Horns of Ruin. Cover art by Benjamin Carre.
Mike Resnick's The Buntline Special. Cover art by J. Seamus Gallagher.

30 novels in 31 bindings. Quite a year. Pyr itself turned 5 in March, and we hit our 100th title in October.

Pyr also released one novelette in 2010, James Enge's "Travellers' Rest," which was made available as a free ebook in both ePub and Kindle formats. Cover art by Chuck Lukacs. 8,471 words.

And that's it for 2010. We do sincerely hope you will check out all the many deserving writers and artists in the list above.

The Dervish House Tops SF Site's Readers' Choice: Best Read of the Year: 2010

2011-03-23T09:14:00.000-04:00

SF Site has posted their Readers' Choice: Best Read of the Year: 2010 and Ian McDonald's The Dervish House tops the list at # 1! They say:

"This is a novel of near-future Istanbul. It begins with a suicide bomber on a crowded tram, and follows the lives of 6 very different people whose lives are all affected by this incident, and whose paths intersect. One witness to the bombing thereafter begins to see djinni and saints; a young invalid witnesses the event through the eyes of a BitBot monkey, and witnesses someone else also spying remotely; this boy shares his concerns with a disgruntled professor who has been forced into retirement; another woman is delayed by the blast in her effort to get to a job interview and consequently takes a job that involves her in a nanoware company; an antique dealer is set on a quest to find a man mummified in honey -- something that may exist or may be mere legend -- while her boyfriend is planning a stock-market scheme of unprecedented proportions. The tightly plotted story takes place over a brief period of time in a confined setting, the sprawling metropolis of Istanbul. But it is McDonald's writing and his handling of character that led SF Site readers to choose The Dervish House as the best book of 2010."

Meanwhile, time to update this page again.

Two Pyr Books Place in Fantasy Book Critics' Best of 2010

2011-03-22T10:27:00.000-04:00

Mihir of Fantasy Book Critic has posted his Top Ten list. Mark Chadbourn's The Silver Skull makes #7 in his list of Top Ten Novels 2010. Mihir says:

The Silver Skull was Mark Chadbourn’s opening Salvo in the Will Swyfte Alternate Hist-Fantasy series. It was a much darker re-imagining of Victorian England and its battle with the Fey court who are as devious as legends foretell and deadlier than the human imagination. Bringing together a cast of characters and a quick paced plot MC fascinatingly showcases bits and pieces of history mingled with a fast paced storyline to give jaded readers a new series to follow and cheer for.

Meanwhile Jon Sprunk's Shadow's Son placed # 2 in his Top 10 Debut Novels list. He writes:

This book was another winner from Pyr who are fast becoming a stable for new fascinating authors. Jon Sprunk debuted with his tale of an assassin with a semblance of a conscience and a unique-ish partner. This tale was very fast paced and in spite of utilizing tropes it managed to give the readers a fresh feel. This book was my nomination for The David Gemmell Legend Award as I feel it best encapsulates DG’s book themes

SF Signal Podcast (Episode 034): An Interview with Kristine Kathryn Rusch

2011-03-21T10:34:00.000-04:00

The SF Signal podcast, Episode 034, features an interview with Kristine Kathryn Rusch. They talk about her forays into ebooks, her many novels (including Pyr novels Diving into the Wreck and the forthcoming City of Ruins), The Freelancer's Survival Guide, and much more. Check it out at the link above or download from iTunes.

Presenting Book: Bio Optical Organized Knowledge Device

2011-03-14T11:29:00.000-04:00

For Your Viewing Pleasure: The Scarab Path

2011-03-14T10:51:00.000-04:00

The Scarab Path by Adrian Tchaikovsky

Jacket Design by Jacqueline Cooke

Coming in April

The war with the Wasp Empire has ended in a bitter stalemate, and Collegium has nothing to show for it but wounded veterans. Cheerwell Maker finds herself crippled in ways no doctor can mend, haunted by ghosts of the past that she cannot appease, seeking for meaning in a city that no longer seems like home.

The Empress Seda is regaining control over those imperial cities that refused to bow the knee to her, but she draws her power from something more sinister than mere armies and war machines. Only her consort, the former spymaster Thalric, knows the truth, and now the assassins are coming and he finds his life and his loyalties under threat yet again.

Out past the desert of the Nem the ancient city of Khanaphes awaits them both, with a terrible secret entombed beneath its stones...

This is the fifth novel in the Shadows of the Apt series following Empire in Black and Gold, Dragonfly Falling, Blood of the Mantis, and Salute the Dark.

The Third Section

2011-03-10T16:12:00.002-05:00

For those of you who can't wait until publication, there's a sneak preview of The Third Section, the next thrilling installment of Jasper Kent's Danilov Quintet, available to read here.

March Author Round Table

2011-03-09T08:41:00.001-05:00

Welcome to another author round table!

Sam Sykes

Mark Hodder

M. D. Lachlan

Joining us this month are Mark Hodder (The Curious Case of the Clockwork Man), M.D. Lachlan (Wolfsangel), and Sam Sykes (Black Halo.)

-How much planning do you do before you write?

Mark Hodder: I use Scrivener on my iMac to organise my early thoughts and the subsequent research. After laying down a very basic skeletal structure for the novel, I begin to outline specific scenes which I then shuffle until they fall into the most appropriate sequence. I do a lot of research, and the results from this are hung on the bones of the story. Before anything resembling a cohesive plot has been worked out, I start writing up the scenes, and in doing so themes emerge that lead to new ideas, new scenes, and, finally, the beginning, middle and end of the story. Drafting the novel involves maybe one step back for every three steps forward, because I revise as I progress.

Sam Sykes: I once sat on a panel with George R.R. Martin who brought up the concept of writers as either "architects" or "planters," the difference being that one plans out absolutely everything about the story and adheres vigorously to a blueprint while the other just sort of shoves an idea into the earth and sees how it turns out. When asked which I was, I said I wanted to be an architect. And it's true, I dearly do wish I could plan out everything ahead of time and know how everything was going to happen. But sometimes, things happen.

When authors say they're not really in control of what they write, it's not necessarily some lazy artistic answer to get out of explaining a difficult question (it's definitely part that, though, slovenly bohemians that we are). Rather, it's a consideration of all motives, events and character actions up until that point when their past and their desires conflict with what they should do.

Hence, I would love to be an architect. I draw up my blueprint. I lay my foundations. But somewhere along the line, a stray seed falls out of my pocket. And when the book is done, vines have overrun my yard, the grass is dry and the daisies are flesh-eating kudzu, there is a pack of weasels that has taken over the guest room and I somehow managed to wall up grandpa and we never discovered him until grandma started complaining about the smell.

M. D. Lachlan: Not enough. I normally begin with a phrase, something evocative that sticks in my head. It can be a snatch of dialogue. I write mainstream fiction as well and I had intended to write a modern comedy of manners - or lack of them - when I sat down at the desk. I then started writing about a werewolf. This was a big surprise to me as I had no plans to write fantasy. As I liked what I was writing, I kept going. Because Wolfsangel went - appropriately enough, if you know the story - through several incarnations before it reached its final form the original phrase that began it all is no longer in the book.

Normally I pile in to the writing immediately and let the characters evolve. When I hit a sticking point then I might start to plan a bit. As I'm writing historical fantasy I do a great deal of reading but that's not the same as planning. I also continue to read as I write and put ideas in as they emerge. My technique is to over-write and then to edit. So Wolfsangel was 200,000 words when I began, clipped back to 15,000 and expanded again to nearer 140,000. If I planned I might have saved myself this considerable effort. But you write how you write and planning has rarely worked for me. I do read novels and listen to music to get into the mood I want and to remain in it over a period of up to a year in which it takes to write the book. For Wolfsangel I read the Norse sagas again, Icelandic fairy tales, Franz G Bengtsson's The Longships, Jean Rhys's Wide Sargasso Sea - for its sense of inescapable destiny and simmering menace - quite a lot of Angela Carter, and listened repeatedly to a favorite album of mine - Dreams Less Sweet by Psychic TV, in particular the track "Thee Full Pack."

-Do you find stories begin more from a character, a setting, or something else?

MH: The characters, definitely. Often I intend that a character will do something, only to find, as I write, that he/she wants to do something else. This is why it's important for me to have a very vivid picture of who my protagonists are, of what motivates them, of how they act, and so forth. They have to be as near alive as possible, so they can take control of the story, reacting to events in a manner in keeping with their personality. My job is to throw circumstances at them that steer them towards the various crises and resolutions the story demands.

SS: Character. Duh. They shape everything. Setting is great and all, but, at its best, it's a conflict for the characters to overcome. There's always going to be a lot of talk about world building and society-crafting and magic systems and how the people of the ancient culture of Wha'defuk are at odds with the upstart nation of Everythingtoprovistan over the proud tradition of anal oratory, but unless it affects the characters, it doesn't do anything but distract the reader.

Granted, there are traditions of world building, traditions prouder than even the most suggestive anal orator, and it's deeply ingrained in fantasy readership. It's not a matter of choosing character or setting, but rather finding out how each culture, each ruin, each kiss and each curse is significant. No one reads a story for a history exam.

MDL: Like I say, normally a phrase, or a snatch of dialogue which leads on to a character. I then work out what my character wants the most in the world and make sure that they don't get it. I like to pose my characters virtually unsolvable problems, things that compromise them and challenge them right at the core of who they are. If you can do that then the story comes quite easily. Sometimes a character will say something I didn't expect them to, or a small character will assume a bigger part. That's one of the most exhilarating experiences in writing - it feels like you've just met a new and exciting friend. Or a new and exciting enemy.

-How is writing a second book different than writing a first book?

MH: I had no idea whether I was capable of writing a novel when I worked on The Strange Affair of Spring Heeled Jack. The fact that I achieved it, it got published, and it had a positive critical reception, meant I was far more confident with The Curious Case of the Clockwork Man. Also, the various criticisms of Jack provided very useful guidance in terms of what to avoid and what to accentuate in Clockwork, so I hope the second book is better than the first.

SS: Not a lot. The plot changes drastically, stakes are increased, loincloths are added. Ideally, each book should be its own story.

MDL: Sometimes harder, sometimes easier. In this case it was easier. I had the mythology worked out, knew who wanted what and what was going on. The second book of the Wolfsangel series wrote itself, really. Writing is a game of pot luck sometimes. You have to start and hope interesting characters emerge. That happened almost instantly in Wolfsangel and in the sequel - Fenrir. I'm hoping it happens in Book III too.

-What are some of your favorite genre tropes? How do you use them or subvert them in your own work?

MH: I think there's a very thin line between a trope and a cliche, so I'm cautious in my use of them. Steampunk, I would say, is perilously close to becoming cliche ridden and needs to now develop beyond the signifiers that have established it as a distinct genre. I love the trappings of steampunk; the mechanical contraptions, the manners and rituals of society, the stiff upper lippedness of its heroes and heroines. But, also, I see these as themes that need to be poked at and pulled apart, so, for example, in my Burton & Swinburne novels the machinery is not only always breaking down but is also causing great cultural upheavals; society is blatantly unjust; and my heroes are badly flawed and might be making the problems worse rather than better. As for the principle icon of steampunk, the airship: I avoid it.

SS: I guess I quite like the idea of romance in fantasy as a trope. It was common enough that the roles of fantasy characters could be summarized as Brave Hero, Cunning Sidekick, Wise Mentor and Girl. Female characters existed primarily to be love interests and that was roughly all that was going on. Counterculture struck back with females who didn't give a crap about men and/or relationships born out of a practical need for sex. Some of them worked, some of them didn't. I thought both kind of sucked. Romance is not easy; it's awkward, angry, violent and frequently sticky (metaphorically and not). It's a conflict, one that we're inherently more invested in.

Close behind is the idea of fantasy races. In many, you seem to have each race fulfilling a role: proud warrior, shrewd merchant, wise ancient, and girl. Often, those labels were about all we ever got to go on, and they're frequently alarmingly divided into good and bad roles (humans walk like THIS, orcs walk like THIS). To define an entire race by a label and have everyone agree with it is to remove another layer of conflict and thus, cheapen the story. I quite like the idea that, with races being as diverse and often wildly different from the standard human in fantasy novels, they sort of don't get along. Why would elves, long-lived and dwindling, just accept that fate rather than blame it on expansionist humans? Why would dwarves bother with either of them and not, instead, develop a severe, paranoiac police state due to their isolationism?

The thing is, I don't think these are subversions. Fleshing out a romance and filling out a culture so that neither are hollow and meaningless seems more like something that should just be done.

MDL: I like what GRR Martin does with multiple characters - an extension of the Lord of the Rings split fellowship sort of thing and I certainly write from the point of view of a few different characters in my books.

I like a lot of fantasy where the characters are self seeking or mean but I don't write it. In my books virtually everyone is trying to do the right thing. I think there are very few truly evil people in the world and my writing reflects that. Fate sets the characters as enemies and they take it from there. Destiny looms very large in the Norse world view and so it does in the world of Wolfsangel. A lot of the characters are fighting to be normal, to be small and ordinary, against the grand destiny that has been set for them.

There's a lot of talk at the moment about the separation between traditional high fantasy and the newer 'gritty' fantasy but I don't see myself as on one side or another. I'm trying to do something that's solidly connected to myth and which hopefully picks up some resonance from that. I try to do ordinary, convincing characters who reflect the outlook of their time. I'm not interested in subverting anything - I just want a powerful, honest story with a big emotional impact - a human fantasy rather than a gritty or a heroic one. My influences here are people like Alan Garner, Ursula Le Guin and Marion Zimmer Bradley - somewhat old school, I know. Also, like these writers, I want a story that is complete in one novel. There are other ways to link a series than leaving the reader - who has paid good money for your book - with a sack of unresolved plot issues on the final page.

The werewolf in Wolfsangel might be seen as a subversion of the traditional werewolf, I suppose. It doesn't change with the full moon, takes months rather than minutes to transform, is unaffected by silver, doesn't make other werewolves with its bite. It's actually truer to the mythic idea of the lycanthropy - which is a condition brought on either deliberately, through sorcery, or inflicted through a curse. The werewolf who transforms with the full moon is largely an invention of Hollywood. Even Lon Chaney's Wolfman in 1941 doesn't change at full moon. Again, though, I didn't set out to subvert this idea of the modern werewolf, I just drew on what I knew from the Norse myths and a different sort of creature emerged.

-Seen any good movies lately?

MH: Hollywood is regurgitating so much tripe, bilge, and drivel these days that I have despaired of ever seeing a good movie again. Then along came The King's Speech and I was blown away. I simply loved that film! In general, though, I think there's far more original, entertaining and creative material on TV than in the cinemas. For comedy, Modern Family and Episodes are hilarious. For detective shows and costume drama, British TV is experiencing something of a resurgence at the moment. I particularly enjoyed Sherlock, then there's Luther, Marchlands and Downton Abbey, and, of course, the fabulous Doctor Who. I'm currently researching a future novel by watching all the old ITC shows from the 1960s and 70s … The Persuaders, The Protectors, The Avengers, The Champions, The Prisoner, The Saint, Danger Man, Thunderbirds, Departments … I adore that stuff! Tightly scripted pulp fun with lots of British eccentricity!

SS: Holy shit, Black Swan. I once killed a man for dissing Natalie Portman.

MDL: I have two very young kids so I have very little chance to go to the movies. The last thing I saw was the Swedish original of Let Me In - Let The Right One In. It was extremely good, one or two episodes of unintentional comedy aside. Beautifully shot, as they say. Actually, I saw Inception too. Very good but I remember next to none of its details.

2011 Compton Crook Award Finalists

2011-03-07T21:39:00.000-05:00

We just got word today that two of the ten finalists for the 2011 Compton Crook Award are Pyr authors! Sam Sykes has been nominated for Tome of the Undergates and Jon Sprunk for Shadow's Son. We are hugely proud of both authors, and of publishing two of the five nominees.

The Compton Crook Awards is presented at Balticon for the best novel in the genre that was published in the year prior to the year of award. The award consists of a check for $1,000 and Guest of Honor treatment for the author of the winning novel for two consecutive years at Balticon. Midnight, April 8, 2011, is the deadline for our members to vote to select the winning novel.

Congratulations to Sam and Jon!

For Your Viewing Pleasure: The Alchemist in the Shadows

2011-03-01T10:53:00.000-05:00

The Alchemist in the Shadows by Pierre Pevel
Translated by Tom Clegg
Cover Illustration © Jon Sullivan
Design by Jacqueline Cooke

Coming in April 2011

"deeply satisfying...the storytelling is wonderful." Publishers Weekly

Welcome to Paris, in 1633, where dragons menace the realm. Cardinal Richelieu, the most powerful and most feared man in France, is on his guard. He knows France is under threat, and that a secret society known as the Black Claw is conspiring against him from the heart of the greatest courts in Europe. They will strike from the shadows, and when they do the blow will be both terrible and deadly. To counter the threat, Richelieu has put his most trusted men into play: the Cardinal's Blades, led by Captain la Fargue. Six men and a woman, all of exceptional abilities and all ready to risk their lives on his command. They have saved France before, and the Cardinal is relying on them to do it again.

So when la Fargue hears from a beautiful, infamous, deadly Italian spy claiming to have valuable information, he has to listen ...and when La Donna demands Cardinal Richelieu's protection before she will talk, la Fargue is even prepared to consider it. Because La Donna can name their enemy. It's a man as elusive as he is manipulative, as subtle as Richelieu himself, an exceptionally dangerous adversary: the Alchemist in the shadows ...

Just Gorgeous

2011-02-28T12:22:00.001-05:00

Mark Hodder's The Curious Case of the Clockwork Man hits stores. Art by Jon Sullivan.

Interview with Suvudu.com

2011-02-24T13:26:00.002-05:00

Click here to check out the new interview I did with suvudu.com.

--Jon

Limitless

2011-02-23T10:38:00.000-05:00

Hmmm, think somebody in Hollywood has read Infoquake? "I see 50 scenarios..." At the very least, it's a good proof of concept that an Infoquake movie/tv series could work.