While I was in New York, I was lucky enough to be a guest of Ellen Kushner and Delia Sherman. While I was there, Tremontaine was launched, with attendant publicityOf course I signed up--I love that story world, and Ellen's writing, and will be eager to see what others do while splashing in that world. Collaborative work can be so nifty, each ( Read more... )

For BVC blog day I brought forward a discussion we had here on fantasy and comedy of manners, because I think the topic is always timely, and sometimes different folks come by and have new things to say.

bittercon is off and running! Great conversation on Why YA is Booming, and Limits and Stereotypes--do they limit or spur creativity?.

There's a nifty topic right in bittercon on heritage in fantasy.

Technically this topic on researching in difficult-to-find periods or places was meant for Friday, but hey, unlike cons Out There, we can have pre-discussion ( Read more... )

Fantasy of Manners, or FOM. We've seen it defined. We've even seen it called 'Mannerpunk', which some claim to be an offshoot, others a shorthand term. I hate that term, it sounds to me like the cool look of FOM without any depth or breadth. We know pretty much which books are and aren't. What isn't settled is, are the New Wavers right in ( Read more... )

Autumn seems to be rolling in for most in this hemisphere where my butt is currently aseat; spring is on its way for those over the southern horizon. So what is everybody reading today?

I've got an arc of the third Wrede/Stevermet collaboration, The Mislaid Magician, or Ten Years After... (I am going to put an Amazon link here so I don't have to ( Read more... )

Ellen Kushner's The Privilege of the Sword.
( Read more... )

Did you see the series of essays over on crooked_timber here--and, I just discovered thanks to coalescent that Clarke responds here.

I do wish that this entire series was in print--it's deadly to try to read so much online, especially when the timer is ticking. But I was especially caught by Clarke's statement here:

...I rather like this use of fantasy, partly ( Read more... )

Had not the kids claimed the television last night, as usual, I probably would have been tempted to watch some more Firefly. But as it happened I'd saved a book pretty much all year for summer reading because I really wanted to be able to savor it. I decided to take it out last night, and after chores, before bed, sank into my reading chair with ( Read more... )

Due to the miserable heat and dryness I've been up until midnight or later reading. Finished the Clarke last night.

Brief impressions, spoiler-free:
( Read more... )

No plot points discussed, only impressions
( Read more... )