Fantasy Book Critic: Fantasy Book Critic’s 2008 Review/2009 Preview

2008 FAVORITES:

I didn't read a great deal this year—always the case when I've got a novel to finish—but I did work my way through a handful of Cormac McCarthy's novels: “No Country For Old Men”, “Child of God” and “Blood Meridian”. That last has got to be one of the bleakest pieces of fiction I've ever read, but the language is so dazzling, so out there on its own in terms of inventiveness and quality, that, personally, I would follow him into the deepest pits of hell to see what he produced next.

I also read—because I was asked to write an introduction—Joel Lane's novella “The Witnesses Are Gone” (to be released in 2009 by PS Publishing), a harrowing tale about a cineaste who discovers an old film by an enigmatic director called Jean Rien. As the protagonist tries to find out more about the film and its creator, he is dragged into a strange hinterland where nothing is as it seems and the truisms of self, identity and reality are distorted. It's a brilliant piece of work and well worth investigating, as is anything by this award-winning British writer, who has not received the adulation his work deserves. Check out his novels, published by Serpents Tail in the UK . . . his is a unique voice.

ON THE HORIZON FOR CONRAD WILLIAMS:

2009 should be pretty busy for me. I've got two novels coming out: “One” from Virgin (April 2, 2009) and “Decay Inevitable” from Solaris Books (August 2009). I'm also putting together material for a new collection to be published by PS Publishing in 2010 which will be called “Penetralia” . . . but maybe I should talk about that next year!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Since the late 80s, horror/dark fantasy author Conrad Williams has sold around 80 short stories and has published three novels (Head Injuries, London Revenant, The Unblemished), four novellas (Nearly People, Game, The Scalding Rooms, Rain), and a short story collection “Use Once Then Destroy”. He’s also won the Littlewood Arc Prize, the British Fantasy Award, and the International Horror Guild Award. For more information, please visit the author’s Official Website.

NOTE: For more author responses, please visit Fantasy Book Critic's 2008 Review/2009 Preview index HERE.