Fun stuff that I read in February

Continuing my monthly reading round-up that a/passes on some recommendations of neat stuff and b/ proves that I’m keeping the resolution going. “The Gutenberg Boys” by Ian Boyter (The Vanity Press). More of a rolling anecdotal memoir than a novel, but I was pretty taken with the evocation of time/place, language and technology in this […]

Polyphony

Wheatland Press, a US-based independent publisher, produce many wonderful books. Here’s a sample sales pitch from my recent trip to WFC . WP : “Imagine if Lennon had quit The Beatles before they got big, emigrated to America and teamed up with Bob Wills…” Me : “HOW MUCH IS IT!!!” Result : one sale of […]

FINCH

One of the things I was looking forward to most about WFC was picking up a copy of Jeff Vandermeer‘s new novel, Finch. Like many people interested in the development of fantastical fiction over the last ten years or so I have followed the unfolding story of the creepy, decaying fabled city of Ambergris, consumed […]

Judgement by Fergus Bannon

Being An Recommendation: At the beginning of this year I was privileged to read a novel called Judgement by GSFWC member Fergus Bannon. Now Fergus hasn’t written much in recent years and the book was actually written a few years ago, but some work has been done to bring it up to date (by Gary […]

New Books

Found myself in the pub last night with various writery types discussing the rise of e-books and our fears for the diminishment of traditional publishing. The subject came up because one of our number has decided to open up an independent book shop and another is to run it for him, and they were tossing […]

Last Drink Bird Head

Question What do Peter Straub, Caitlin R. Kiernan, Brian Evenson, Henry Kaiser, Gene Wolfe, Hal Duncan, Jeffrey Ford, Rikki Ducornet, Holly Phillips, Stephen R. Donaldson, K.J. Bishop, Michael Swanwick, Ellen Kushner, Daniel Abraham, Jay Lake, Liz Williams, Tanith Lee, Sarah Monette, Conrad Williams, Marly Youmans and sixty odd other contributors have in common? Answer They […]

A Grand Weekend, And A Well-timed Shot In The Arm

I’ve been going to conventions a long time now, certainly long enough to have the occasional bum one. The event that you turn up to feeling out of sorts and where you never manage to engage with the event. Where you linger on the periphery while everyone else is having a ball or trawl the […]

Catch up

A general newsy catchy-upy sorta thing (sorry, Jim): Had a braw time at the Glasgow Cabaret Festival in June. Fabulous acts, great company, wonderful nights out. Had a just-as-braw-but-in-a-different-way time holidaying in North Ireland a couple of weeks ago. First few days were spent in a charming converted station halt up on the North Coast. […]

Return of The Fist

For reasons that only a few people will understand, but which will take too long to go in to here (next time it’s a dark and stormy night, ask me to tell ye the tale…), I found this discovery by the Vandermeers in their latest expedition in the incredible repository of paperback entertainments, the Chamblin […]

New book watch

For anyone looking for a something-to-read recommendation, two new books out this week which excite me: 1/ The Accord by Keith Brooke. I love Keith’s writing and anything – ANYTHING – new from him I consider an absolute treat. As soon as this hits the shelves in Glasgow I’m having it. 2/ Seeds Of Earth […]