Tag Archives: Subterranean Press

The Awesomeness of Subterranean Press

Okay folks. I know you’ve seen a lot of blogs full of donations for the Heifer Fundraiserlately. Don’t get jaded on me. This one is something new. Something ginchy.I’ve known the folks at Subterranean Press for a long while. They were the first publisher to ask if I’d like to contribute a story to an anthology. Bill Schafer actually contacted me two weeks after TNOTW hit the shelves. It was one of the first clues I had that I might have done something right in the book.

What’s more, I’m currently working with an illustrator on a not-for-children children’s book that will be published through through them. (Details on that will be forthcoming.)

Subterranean Press publishes gorgeous books. Beautiful paper. Beautiful bindings. Stuff by great authors. Stuff that’s out of print. Stuff by Neil Gaiman, Tim Powers, Robert Heinlein, Ray Bradbury….

The last time I bought stuff off their website, I looked at my shopping cart and found myself thinking, “Next time I sell them a story, I should just negotiate my contract in store credit and cut out the middle man.”

So when Bill contacted me, saying he was willing to donate some books to my Heifer Fundraiser, I was understandably delighted. Thrilled, in fact.

Then he sent me the list. I was stunned. 120 books. Beautiful hardcovers. Many of them limited editions. Many of them sold out. Most of them signed.

All told, over 8,000 dollars worth of books.

Yeah. They’re awesome.

Subterranean Press has Donated

10 copiesof each of the following. 

 

 

 

 

 

Last Call was the book that really convinced me Tim Powers was brilliant, and the two sequels are just as good. These are matched, limited-edition, numbered sets, signed by Tim Powers himself.

I have it on good authority that owning these books will give you the strength of ten men, cure any illness afflicting you, and grant you eternal youth.

If you don’t believe me, then how about trusting the Los Angeles Daily News when they say Last Call is “Riveting…lyrical and brutal…a thrilling tale of gambling, fate and fantastic adventure.”


 

 

This is a book of revived, never produced (except for a pilot to the series the book was to have become) teleplays by Robert A. Heinlein, mainly adapted from his stories. Paul Di Filippo, for SciFi Weekly says, “All these narratives are gripping and full of hooks and typically engaging Heinlein characters [….] The stories have proved themselves in print for half a century, and their virtues survive the transition to a different medium.”

 

Ursula K. Le Guin tells us, “Keep your eye on Kage Baker! You never know where she’s heading next, but its always worth going there. She’s an edgy, funny, complex, ambitious writer with the mysterious, true gift of story-telling.”

 

 

According to author Charles de Lint, “Blaylock allows us to see the mundane world through new eyes, to perceive the familiar as strange, and therefore exciting.”

 

 

An anthology of stories by Bruce Sterling, who, according to

Strange Horizons, “has done perhaps as much as the work of any other single author to define cyberpunk, steampunk, post-cyberpunk and indeed, the broader course of the genre’s development in the last three decades.” 

 

 

 

Years ago, I was at a party at Worldcon, desperately trying to and prove that I fit in with all these other writer types. After a while, I ended up in a conversation that included a bunch of aspiring writers (myself included) and Larry Niven. We were talking about all sorts of things. Writing, the portrayal of magic… general geeky writing talk. Good stuff.

I mentioned Bridge of Birds by Barry Hugart as being a gorgeous book. Nobody else in the group had read it… except Larry Niven, who agreed enthusiastically. Needless to say, I felt pretty cool….

Hugart’s books have been out-of-print for a long while. But they’re back, collected here. So now you can read them and feel cool too.

In a starred review, Publisher’s Weekly says, “Reading Hughart’s endearing historical fantasy trilogy, first published almost 20 years ago, is much like ‘wandering blindfolded through a myth devised by a maniac,’ in the words of Master Li, the greatest and most frequently intoxicated wise man in a colorful seventh century ‘China that never was.’ Their rollicking adventures pit them against everyone from murderers and thieves to emperors and gods. Numerous Chinese legends, filtered through Ox’s simple perspective, blend seamlessly into both lighthearted and heartrending.”

 

 

 

Publisher’s Weekly says, “With six-guns blazing and tentacles flailing, this nifty all-original anthology delivers impressively on the “pure storytelling” promise Lansdale (Flaming London) makes in his intro. The dozen authors manage to address serious issues while remaining true to their roots and the book’s theme.” 

 

 

Here’s what Publisher’s Weekly said in a starred review: “Lansdale’s The Nightrunners (1987), the centerpiece of this chilling collection, set new standards of graphic violence and is probably the best novel of its type between Psycho and The Silence of the Lambs… This upsetting look at the human capacity for evil breaks with crime novel conventions when a supernatural element enters the story in the form of the grotesque deity known as the God of All Things Sharp. Twenty years later, The Nightrunnersretains its ability to awe and to horrify. Six short stories that grew out of the novel, one previously unpublished, round out the volume.” 

 

 

This book should look familiar to some of you, as it’s similiar to the one I posted up myself in the original blog when I started the fundraiser. However, these books are much cooler, as they’re signed by ALL the authors.

Booklist said this about the anthology, “All the contributors share a gift for sharp-edged prose that keeps the reader pleasantly perturbed for hours.”

 

 

Joe Hill’s first novel won a lot of awards, including the Locus Award for best debut fantasy of 2007. Good on him.

His book was described by the Herald Tribune as “a wild, mesmerizing, perversely witty tale of horror [….] In a book much too smart to sound like the work of a neophyte, he builds character invitingly and plants an otherworldly surprise around every corner.”

 

Want to know how to win these books and other fabulous prizes while making the world a better place? Check OVER HEREfor the blog that describes it all.

 

Lastly,

some people have been asking me if I plan on continuing to match all the donations made. Some people have expressed concerns that I will end up homeless on the street, eating tuna out of a can with my fingers and talking to invisible people.First, let me reassure you that I will be continuting to match donations until December 11th. I can afford it for now, and honestly, if I’m going to be irrisponsible with my money, this is the way I want to go. This is my preferred flavor of stupidity. And besides, if I don’t do something like this, I’d just end up blowing it on something cool but stupid.

Second, don’t overestimate my current lifestyle. Anyone who has met me in person knows I pretty much look like a hobo anyway. I only own one pair of shoes, and when you come right down to it, there’s nothing wrong with eating tuna out of the can with your fingers. It saves you the trouble of washing a fork afterwards.

And I already talk to invisible people. I’m a writer. That’s pretty much my job.

So yeah. I’m still matching donations. Bring it on. I’d love to hit $40,000. Let’s show them what happens when high-minded geeks set their minds on making the world a better place.

Hugs and kisses,

pat

Posted in cool things, Heifer International, recommendations, Worldbuilders 2008 | By Pat21 Responses

A Glimpse of Things to Come.

I thought I might mention this, on the off chance that any of you might be interested….

What’s this? An anthology of some sort? Nice cover by Dave McKean. Wow. It’s got a story by Tim Powers. Oooh, one by Kage Baker, too. And another by… me?

Honestly, it’s just weird to see my name included on the cover with these other folks.

So… yeah. There I am in a book that will be coming out in a couple months. And no, I haven’t been dicking around, writing other stories instead of working on the second book. You see, the story included here is actually FROM the second book. It’s called “The Road to Levinshir.” It’s an excerpt from “The Wise Man’s Fear.”

So. Looking for an early taste of book two? Look no further.

Enjoy,

pat

Posted in recommendations, side projects | By Pat25 Responses

Writing, moving, and talking about books.

Sorry I’ve been gone so long, folks. It’s been pretty crazy around here. In addition to working like a dog on book two, this week I’ve had the untrammeled delight of moving all my earthly goods from one house to another. Moving sucks, in a nutshell. Do you have any idea how many books I own?

Anyway, aside from the general upheave, things seem to be settling down. My move is done, barring the last bit of cleaning I still have to do tonight. So for now I just have time to post a few, brief announcements.

1. I’ll be down in Indianapolis at GenCon from August 15-19th. I will be doing book signings, panels about writing, and workshops. Plus, I’ll just generally be getting down with my geeky self. (I’ll post up specific times and places in a couple days. Stay tuned for that.)

I will neither confirm nor deny the rumor that I might be dressed as a garden gnome at the convention.

2. The online discussion I’ve been having with Orson Scott Card about Harry Potter has turned out remarkably well. By this I mean I managed to avoid making an ass out of myself in front of one of my favorite authors. Plus, as an added bonus, I got to defend poor Tom Bombadil from unwarranted attacks against his character.

3. There’s a new Q & A up over at Subterranean Press. This interview turned out kinda different, as she asked me some probing questions about my geek heritage. So if you’re a gamer, there might be something interesting for you there. Plus I think I might have accidentally flirted with her a little. As with all my ill-considered choices, I blame caffeine.

4. Lastly is part two of the Q & A I did with Straight from the Barrel. It’s a little more serious than the Subterranean Press interview, but I talk about writing, racism, and one of my favorite webcomics. So there’s a little something there for everyone.

And I’m done. I’ve got to go rugdoctor my apartment before I get any sleep tonight. Wish me luck.

pat

Posted in appearances, book two, conventions | By Pat11 Responses
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