Happy Book Birthday, NAKED CITY!

[ellen_kushner]

Yes, this is the one with my new story, "The Duke of Riverside," in it!

My thanks to editor Ellen Datlow for putting up with my story's length, tardiness and subsequent revisions.  It's a pleasure and an honor to be in such esteemed company, and I can't wait to get home to get my author copy and read all the rest.

If you're in the Boston area, a

Comments

[ellen_kushner]

Good move! Hope you like it.

[only_fragments]

Just got the book in the mail today! Squeaked for joy, I did.

[jay_of_lasgalen]

I've only read one story from the collection so far (which one would that be?) and it's great! The Duke of Riverside is everything I hoped for, and I simply love the ending. Thank you!

[ellen_kushner]

You fill me with confidence! As you'll see from clicking on the tag, it was a bear to write, and I was never quite sure I'd gotten it right....

[just_ann_now]

We knew you had it right - two of my friends had had the opportunity to hear you read it - the rest of us just had to wait so, so long to read it for ourselves.

[la_marquise_de_]

Yay! Fabulous.

[ellen_kushner]

Thanks!

[just_ann_now]

I'm with jay_of_lasgalen:"The Duke of Riverside" is absolutely everything I hoped it would be. I love the narrator's voice particularly - I can easily imagine him as one of the guards of Riverside House we meet in The Privilege of the Sword.

What I really loved (in addition to the little details, like Richard and Alec together mourning the loss of Alec's long beautiful hair, or how Alec sold his velvet coat to buy an inlaid table to go next to the chaise) was seeing how Alec's surprising act of compassion deepened his acceptance by the Riversiders, and how their spontaneous outpouring of affection uplifted him as well (though he would never, never admit it.)

Thank you so much for writing this!

[ellen_kushner]

I didn't know I could still blush.

But it's with *pleasure*!

And a sense of having my secrets revealed.

[just_ann_now]

We all know Alec is such a softie. Deep, deep, deep inside.

[ellen_kushner]

Well, but the other Riversiders don't love him because he's a softie - if you're thinking it's his "mercy" at sparing Stef's kid, I don't actually think that's it. That's a big turning point for *Alec himself,* because he realizes that Richard killing people on his whim is not what he wants anymore. I think in the end what brings them to accept him is the fact that he has become sort of an institution - and he does return there even though he turns out to be a relative of the nice lady with the swan boat - and even when he's meant to be Duke, he doesn't leave. He's cast his lot in with them in so many ways, they realize he's "one of theirs."