Thursday, November 20, 2008
“The Knife of Never Letting Go” by Patrick Ness w/Bonus Q&A (Review & Interview by Fábio Fernandes)
Official Patrick Ness WebsiteOrder “The Knife of Never Letting Go” HERE (US) + HERE (UK)
Read An Excerpt HERE
Read Reviews via Booklist, The Guardian + Readspace
According to Frank Cottrell Boyce’s blurb on the back cover of “The Knife of Never Letting Go”, the new Patrick Ness novel has one of the best first sentences he has ever read “and a book that lives up to it.”
The sentence in question is:
“The first thing you find out when yer dog learns to talk is that dogs don’t got nothing to say.”
Boyce is right, but I would stretch his comment further and tell you the names of the chapters are also among the best ones I’ve ever read. “The Choices of a Knife” and “The Night of No Apologies” for example, reminded me of hardboiled novels like The Maltese Falcon. Of course, “The Knife of Never Letting Go” is no hardboiled novel. It is in fact Patrick Ness’ debut in the YA market. An extremely auspicious debut by the way. I just couldn’t stop reading it.
It may sound clichéd, or reductionist, to simply compare a book with others in order to review it. A good book should be more than the sum of its parts (or chapters, or characters), but the comparison is made so that the reader can have an idea of the time-honored tradition in which the said book is inserted.
Having said that, let’s move further and say, for argument’s sake, that the reading of “The Knife of Never Letting Go” (a simply beautiful title for a novel – Ness is a craftsman with words) was, for me, an experience reminiscent of some the best stories written by Ray Bradbury and Stephen King, adding a pinch of Philip Wylie to the mix.
Why is that? Well, some people (I’m including myself in the list) still have some prejudice with YA stories. The fact is, they really don’t know what they are talking about. The young adult literature of today is very different to the books we used to read when we were teens (in my case, thirty-some years ago).
The honorable exceptions to that rule being the aforementioned writers. Ray Bradbury in his short fantasy stories and in novels like Something Wicked This Way Comes, in which he respects the intelligence of the reader—never minding his/her age.
The same can be said of Stephen King in the story of “The Body” for example, or in The Dark Tower series, featuring children and/or teenagers in dangerous situations that serve as rites of passage to adulthood. And, as rites of passages go, there is lots of pain and suffering—but there is also a light at the end of the tunnel.
The story of “The Knife of Never Letting Go” is deceptively simple: Todd Hewitt, a thirteen-year-old boy, living in a very small, old-fashioned American town by a swamp, suffers a lot because he is the only boy his age, and none of the older boys will talk to him. That happens because of a sort of manhood ritual every boy must undergo at his fourteenth birthday. And, in a month, it will be Todd Hewitt’s time.
The first thing you notice is there are no women whatsoever in the town. Every single one of them died because of an alien disease . . . and then we discover that they are not even on Earth, but in a colony which was occupied approximately three decades before.
Upon reaching his home in Prentisstown, where he is raised by two guys who were friends with his parents (both dead now), Todd is suddenly told that he must run away from there, because he simply can’t undergo the rite of passage.
Todd doesn’t want to flee, and demands to know why this is being asked of him. But there’s something else: the same disease that took the lives of the colony’s women has also turned every man (and animals, at that) into telepaths. That means Todd can’t be told why he must go; Ben and Cillian, his foster parents, can’t even think it, for their Noise (that’s how they call their thoughts) would be promptly detected by the band of Mayor Prentiss, who rules Prentisstown with an iron fist.
From then on, everything happens so fast it’s just impossible to put the book aside. That’s because “The Knife of Never Letting Go” is a page-turner, and that’s not simply a cliché. Every ten or fifteen pages, something important happens. A new datum (or packet of data) drops on our laps and we can’t ignore it, so we keep on reading the book, following the narrative as if we were right at Todd’s side, running away with him. In this respect, Ness follows the tradition founded in science fiction by A.E. Van Vogt, who systematized his writing method, using scenes of 800 words or so where a new complication was added or something resolved. Patrick Ness does the same, and brilliantly.
Ness´ use of language is pretty good. The personality of Todd Hewitt is also very well-balanced, and, even though he can be a pain in the neck sometimes, the reader sympathizes with him because of all his suffering. Sadly, I can’t write more than that, because the novel is so dense and intricate (and at the same time so easy to read) that everything one writes about it can turn out to be a spoiler. But take it easy, readers: I barely touched the surface of the book. There’s so much more than the first 60 pages I described—after all, the novel has approximately 470 pages, and many a thing will happen that you won’t be expecting.
“The Knife of Never Letting Go” is also reminiscent of the classic Philip Wylie duology about the end of the world, When Worlds Collide and After Worlds Collide. More so of the second novel, which features as its bottom line the following question: What happens when you arrive at a new world to colonize it and everything goes wrong?
In conclusion, I finished “The Knife of Never Letting Go” eager to know what happens next. And since this is the first book of a trilogy, we’ve only skimmed the surface of the story and have so much territory to cover yet in the following two novels…
Bonus Q&A with Patrick Ness:
Q: Upon reading “The Knife of Never Letting Go”, I couldn’t help but think of the many authors who wrote stories featuring teens but were in fact talking to a wider audience, such as Ray Bradbury and Stephen King. Did any of these writers influence you in any way?
Patrick: Not as such. I always say when I'm teaching that the only success I've ever had (and this is 100% true) is when I've written entirely for myself. That is, wrote a book that I would kill to read myself, so in that sense I'm only ever writing for an audience of one. What I find happens is that when I'm really enjoying the story I'm telling myself, that joy sticks to the page in ways you can't see but ways a reader will pick up on and like. So I try to avoid thinking about my “audience” as much as I can, because then I start getting bogged down in what I “should” say rather than what I want to say, then the story suffers and you end up not saying very much at all.
Q: Despite avoidance of profanity (Todd Hewitt uses the word “effing” all the time), the violence to which he is exposed in the story is truly moving—and, sometimes (as in the case of the impossible-to-kill Aaron) bloodcurdling. Can we really see Chaos Walking as a YA series?
Patrick: I think so, though adults have seemed to respond to it very well, which is nice. But yes, a YA series because I think teenagers are pretty tough. It's HARD being a teenager, and they're very articulate and thoughtful about the difficulties in the stuff they write themselves. So I think my main goal is to treat them with as much respect as I can and not pull any punches in the story. Having said that, there's another extreme you can go to where—when you're trying to be “real” for teenage readers—you end up writing only misery, as if that's more truthful than writing only happiness. I tried to tell a tough story truthfully without insulting a teenage reader who would know if I was sugar-coating, but then I also tried to show that even in tough times, there really are opportunities for connection with other people, for humour, for happiness, all those good things. And how much more real do those things seem if you've already been honest about the tough stuff? I've had a great response from teenagers (particularly, interestingly enough, Irish and Australian teens), and I think it's a YA series. If adults like it, too, that's a really pleasing bonus.
Q: Todd Hewitt faces a true rite of passage all over the story—and that’s just Volume One! What can we expect for the next books of the series?
Patrick: Oh, that would be telling! What I can say is that book two is finished and called “The Ask and the Answer” and will be out next year. In thematic terms, though, things do shift gears for the next two books (I'd always planned it as a trilogy); they're about different aspects of what Todd has to face and how he deals with it all. So, lots more to come! But I'm not giving any secrets away...
Q: What are your literary influences?
Patrick: The author I admire most is Peter Carey, who I think is amazing, particularly in how his books seem to be just a smaller slice of a larger imagined world. I love that, the way you can pick up all kinds of richness in his books just by inference, so I'm huge fan of that. I also love an English writer called Nicola Barker, who takes enormous risks with language and style, but still manages to be readable and tremendous good fun. I suppose I like people who aren't afraid to be bold, though not just for the sake of itself. That's what I aim for, boldness but with a purpose. It's risky, because you can fall on your face pretty easily, but the rewards can be equally great.
Q: “The Knife of Never Letting Go” can be read as a libel against intolerance. Is there an underlying message that you wanted to communicate to the readers?
Patrick: I try not to write with a message in mind, because try as you might, you always end up preaching and who wants that? But I also think that any writer responds to a story for a reason, so that story is going to contain messages whether you like it or not. The one that I really like, and what's probably most important to me in “The Knife of Never Letting Go”, is one of connection. Through Viola, Todd finally finds someone he can really trust, someone he has to learn about and get to know and rely on. It ends up, I hope, being so much more than a usual love story; it feels meatier and harder and deeper and therefore all the more valuable between them, and that's where I think the hope in the book lies, in the way that Todd and Viola really learn to see each other, warts and all, and still accept the other and come to depend on them. That's what I like, true connection, and that's where I think our hope as a species lies.
Q: Lastly, congratulations on winning the 2008 Guardian Children's Fiction Prize. How do you feel about it?
Patrick: Winning the Prize was fantastic! It's one of the only prizes judged exclusively by other authors, so it's people who really understand what you're trying to do. And it's been great for the book in terms of raising its profile and getting more people to read it, which is what every author wants, after all.
The sentence in question is:
“The first thing you find out when yer dog learns to talk is that dogs don’t got nothing to say.”
Boyce is right, but I would stretch his comment further and tell you the names of the chapters are also among the best ones I’ve ever read. “The Choices of a Knife” and “The Night of No Apologies” for example, reminded me of hardboiled novels like The Maltese Falcon. Of course, “The Knife of Never Letting Go” is no hardboiled novel. It is in fact Patrick Ness’ debut in the YA market. An extremely auspicious debut by the way. I just couldn’t stop reading it.
It may sound clichéd, or reductionist, to simply compare a book with others in order to review it. A good book should be more than the sum of its parts (or chapters, or characters), but the comparison is made so that the reader can have an idea of the time-honored tradition in which the said book is inserted.
Having said that, let’s move further and say, for argument’s sake, that the reading of “The Knife of Never Letting Go” (a simply beautiful title for a novel – Ness is a craftsman with words) was, for me, an experience reminiscent of some the best stories written by Ray Bradbury and Stephen King, adding a pinch of Philip Wylie to the mix.
Why is that? Well, some people (I’m including myself in the list) still have some prejudice with YA stories. The fact is, they really don’t know what they are talking about. The young adult literature of today is very different to the books we used to read when we were teens (in my case, thirty-some years ago).
The honorable exceptions to that rule being the aforementioned writers. Ray Bradbury in his short fantasy stories and in novels like Something Wicked This Way Comes, in which he respects the intelligence of the reader—never minding his/her age.
The same can be said of Stephen King in the story of “The Body” for example, or in The Dark Tower series, featuring children and/or teenagers in dangerous situations that serve as rites of passage to adulthood. And, as rites of passages go, there is lots of pain and suffering—but there is also a light at the end of the tunnel.
The story of “The Knife of Never Letting Go” is deceptively simple: Todd Hewitt, a thirteen-year-old boy, living in a very small, old-fashioned American town by a swamp, suffers a lot because he is the only boy his age, and none of the older boys will talk to him. That happens because of a sort of manhood ritual every boy must undergo at his fourteenth birthday. And, in a month, it will be Todd Hewitt’s time.
The first thing you notice is there are no women whatsoever in the town. Every single one of them died because of an alien disease . . . and then we discover that they are not even on Earth, but in a colony which was occupied approximately three decades before.Upon reaching his home in Prentisstown, where he is raised by two guys who were friends with his parents (both dead now), Todd is suddenly told that he must run away from there, because he simply can’t undergo the rite of passage.
Todd doesn’t want to flee, and demands to know why this is being asked of him. But there’s something else: the same disease that took the lives of the colony’s women has also turned every man (and animals, at that) into telepaths. That means Todd can’t be told why he must go; Ben and Cillian, his foster parents, can’t even think it, for their Noise (that’s how they call their thoughts) would be promptly detected by the band of Mayor Prentiss, who rules Prentisstown with an iron fist.
From then on, everything happens so fast it’s just impossible to put the book aside. That’s because “The Knife of Never Letting Go” is a page-turner, and that’s not simply a cliché. Every ten or fifteen pages, something important happens. A new datum (or packet of data) drops on our laps and we can’t ignore it, so we keep on reading the book, following the narrative as if we were right at Todd’s side, running away with him. In this respect, Ness follows the tradition founded in science fiction by A.E. Van Vogt, who systematized his writing method, using scenes of 800 words or so where a new complication was added or something resolved. Patrick Ness does the same, and brilliantly.
Ness´ use of language is pretty good. The personality of Todd Hewitt is also very well-balanced, and, even though he can be a pain in the neck sometimes, the reader sympathizes with him because of all his suffering. Sadly, I can’t write more than that, because the novel is so dense and intricate (and at the same time so easy to read) that everything one writes about it can turn out to be a spoiler. But take it easy, readers: I barely touched the surface of the book. There’s so much more than the first 60 pages I described—after all, the novel has approximately 470 pages, and many a thing will happen that you won’t be expecting.
“The Knife of Never Letting Go” is also reminiscent of the classic Philip Wylie duology about the end of the world, When Worlds Collide and After Worlds Collide. More so of the second novel, which features as its bottom line the following question: What happens when you arrive at a new world to colonize it and everything goes wrong?
In conclusion, I finished “The Knife of Never Letting Go” eager to know what happens next. And since this is the first book of a trilogy, we’ve only skimmed the surface of the story and have so much territory to cover yet in the following two novels…
Bonus Q&A with Patrick Ness:
Q: Upon reading “The Knife of Never Letting Go”, I couldn’t help but think of the many authors who wrote stories featuring teens but were in fact talking to a wider audience, such as Ray Bradbury and Stephen King. Did any of these writers influence you in any way?Patrick: Not as such. I always say when I'm teaching that the only success I've ever had (and this is 100% true) is when I've written entirely for myself. That is, wrote a book that I would kill to read myself, so in that sense I'm only ever writing for an audience of one. What I find happens is that when I'm really enjoying the story I'm telling myself, that joy sticks to the page in ways you can't see but ways a reader will pick up on and like. So I try to avoid thinking about my “audience” as much as I can, because then I start getting bogged down in what I “should” say rather than what I want to say, then the story suffers and you end up not saying very much at all.
Q: Despite avoidance of profanity (Todd Hewitt uses the word “effing” all the time), the violence to which he is exposed in the story is truly moving—and, sometimes (as in the case of the impossible-to-kill Aaron) bloodcurdling. Can we really see Chaos Walking as a YA series?
Patrick: I think so, though adults have seemed to respond to it very well, which is nice. But yes, a YA series because I think teenagers are pretty tough. It's HARD being a teenager, and they're very articulate and thoughtful about the difficulties in the stuff they write themselves. So I think my main goal is to treat them with as much respect as I can and not pull any punches in the story. Having said that, there's another extreme you can go to where—when you're trying to be “real” for teenage readers—you end up writing only misery, as if that's more truthful than writing only happiness. I tried to tell a tough story truthfully without insulting a teenage reader who would know if I was sugar-coating, but then I also tried to show that even in tough times, there really are opportunities for connection with other people, for humour, for happiness, all those good things. And how much more real do those things seem if you've already been honest about the tough stuff? I've had a great response from teenagers (particularly, interestingly enough, Irish and Australian teens), and I think it's a YA series. If adults like it, too, that's a really pleasing bonus.
Q: Todd Hewitt faces a true rite of passage all over the story—and that’s just Volume One! What can we expect for the next books of the series?
Patrick: Oh, that would be telling! What I can say is that book two is finished and called “The Ask and the Answer” and will be out next year. In thematic terms, though, things do shift gears for the next two books (I'd always planned it as a trilogy); they're about different aspects of what Todd has to face and how he deals with it all. So, lots more to come! But I'm not giving any secrets away...
Q: What are your literary influences?
Patrick: The author I admire most is Peter Carey, who I think is amazing, particularly in how his books seem to be just a smaller slice of a larger imagined world. I love that, the way you can pick up all kinds of richness in his books just by inference, so I'm huge fan of that. I also love an English writer called Nicola Barker, who takes enormous risks with language and style, but still manages to be readable and tremendous good fun. I suppose I like people who aren't afraid to be bold, though not just for the sake of itself. That's what I aim for, boldness but with a purpose. It's risky, because you can fall on your face pretty easily, but the rewards can be equally great.
Q: “The Knife of Never Letting Go” can be read as a libel against intolerance. Is there an underlying message that you wanted to communicate to the readers?
Patrick: I try not to write with a message in mind, because try as you might, you always end up preaching and who wants that? But I also think that any writer responds to a story for a reason, so that story is going to contain messages whether you like it or not. The one that I really like, and what's probably most important to me in “The Knife of Never Letting Go”, is one of connection. Through Viola, Todd finally finds someone he can really trust, someone he has to learn about and get to know and rely on. It ends up, I hope, being so much more than a usual love story; it feels meatier and harder and deeper and therefore all the more valuable between them, and that's where I think the hope in the book lies, in the way that Todd and Viola really learn to see each other, warts and all, and still accept the other and come to depend on them. That's what I like, true connection, and that's where I think our hope as a species lies.
Q: Lastly, congratulations on winning the 2008 Guardian Children's Fiction Prize. How do you feel about it?
Patrick: Winning the Prize was fantastic! It's one of the only prizes judged exclusively by other authors, so it's people who really understand what you're trying to do. And it's been great for the book in terms of raising its profile and getting more people to read it, which is what every author wants, after all.
3:01 AM | 
Posted by
Robert |
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
NEWS: Solaris concludes a Two-Book Deal with John Jarrold client, Ian Whates
John Jarrold has concluded a two-book deal for British SF writer Ian Whates with Christian Dunn of Solaris, the mainstream genre imprint of Games Workshop’s publishing division, BL Publishing. The first book, titled “The Noise Within”, is due for delivery in October 2009 and publication in 2010, with the sequel coming a year later. The deal is for UK and US rights.
The two books are wide-screen SF featuring war in space, AIs, and a mysterious ship that combines them both…
“This is a terrific deal for Ian,’ said John Jarrold. ‘Having read the synopsis and opening section of The Noise Within, I can’t wait to read the finished article.”
Ian Whates has had short fiction published in a number of magazines. He has been nominated twice and shortlisted once for the BSFA Award for Best Short Fiction. “The Noise Within” will be his debut novel. Multi-award-winning SF novelist Ian Watson has already had this to say about Ian Whates:
“A bright new star rapidly in the ascendant, Ian Whates' fluent and engaging stories range from witty humane SF reminiscent of a latterday Bob Shaw, through inventive fantasy, even unto vampiric horror. Ian here turns his highly versatile hand to galaxy-shaking space opera.”
The two books are wide-screen SF featuring war in space, AIs, and a mysterious ship that combines them both…
“This is a terrific deal for Ian,’ said John Jarrold. ‘Having read the synopsis and opening section of The Noise Within, I can’t wait to read the finished article.”
Ian Whates has had short fiction published in a number of magazines. He has been nominated twice and shortlisted once for the BSFA Award for Best Short Fiction. “The Noise Within” will be his debut novel. Multi-award-winning SF novelist Ian Watson has already had this to say about Ian Whates:
“A bright new star rapidly in the ascendant, Ian Whates' fluent and engaging stories range from witty humane SF reminiscent of a latterday Bob Shaw, through inventive fantasy, even unto vampiric horror. Ian here turns his highly versatile hand to galaxy-shaking space opera.”
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Leopoldo Gout is a producer, graphic novelist, writer, composer, and director. He is currently producing an animated film with NBC and Curious Pictures, and collaborated with bestselling novelist James Patterson on the Daniel X: Alien Hunter graphic novel. “Ghost Radio” is his first novel.
INTRODUCTION: I first heard about Leopoldo Gout’s “Ghost Radio” in the October 2008 edition of Robert's masterful monthly spotlights, but based on the blurb I kind of dismissed it since I am not that much into ghost stories. When I saw the novel in a bookstore though, I decided to browse through it and was immediately hooked by the story and ended up finishing the book in two back-to-back readings. Then I immediately reread it again the next day :) It should be noted however, that “Ghost Radio” is not really a ghost story or horror novel, but an excursion into the fantastic that masterfully blends elements from various genres…
SETTING: “Ghost Radio” starts—and in a very definite sense—is rooted in Mexico about twenty or so years ago when two young boys, Joaquin and Gabriel, have a fateful encounter as the only two survivors of a terrible car crash that involved their families. Later, Joaquin becomes the host of a very successful cult radio show and accepts a lucrative offer—“sells his soul to the devil” as he puts it—to move the show to the U.S. where it becomes syndicated making it even more popular. The show itself airs every night between 1-5 a.m. and takes calls from all over the world about tales of the supernatural, both real and invented. Of these “unexplainable encounters” kind of stories, they range from the sad and the tragic to the macabre such as finding brides/grooms for the recently deceased who are unmarried.
FORMAT/INFO: “Ghost Radio” is 353 pages divided over 55 titled chapters and a one-page prologue that sets the tone for the book. Each chapter is prefaced with an illustration from Joaquin's “Polaroid Journal” that reflects its contents. The illustrations were actually drawn by the author and are absolutely superb, wonderfully enhancing the novel.
The narration switches between the third person POVs of Joaquin, Gabriel and Alondra, and the first-person perspectives of Joaquin and Alondra. The switch between the different narrative modes worked very well for me and added to the many pleasures of the book. The story itself alternates between the past—the tale of Joaquin and Gabriel and the tragedy that brought them together—and the present with Joaquin and Alondra running the radio show. The ending meanwhile is good, pulling together the unexplained mysteries of Joaquin's life, but I would have preferred a more ambiguous conclusion that was left open to the reader's imagination.
October 14, 2008 marks the Hardcover publication of “Ghost Radio” via HarperCollins. Cover designed by Betty Lew.
PLOT HINTS AND ANALYSIS: As I mentioned above, “Ghost Radio” is not easy to pigeonhole in a single genre since the book possesses elements of horror, science fiction, fantasy, thriller/mystery, and contemporary urban fiction, so I recommend leaving all preconceptions at the door and just enjoying the ride.
Now at first, “Ghost Radio” may seem confusing because the short chapters alternate so much between the past and present, third-person and first-person narratives, and the different callers to the show, but the book’s energy is enough to propel the reader through these abrupt transitions. And once you settle in, it becomes easier to recognize when the chapter is taking place, who the narrator is and how the pieces of the puzzle fall in place.
However, do not get too comfortable in your assumptions on where the story is going since it starts moving more and more into unreality forcing readers to question what is actually happening as opposed to what Joaquin may believe is happening. Of course, things will eventually make sense once the book is concluded and readers will be able to appreciate how well constructed the plot is…
Of the characters, former punk rocker/radio host Joaquin is clearly the main protagonist in the novel, with Alondra and Gabriel—Joaquin’s charismatic friend who was the indisputable leader of their two man band years ago—both playing important roles while Watt the sound man has a strange tale of his own. Then there are the callers whose stories blend in very well with the main thread, while the continuously added revelations from the past complement the present progression of the story…
Overall, Leopoldo Gout’s “Ghost Radio” is another unexpected surprise, and an enthralling novel that stays with the reader long after finishing and requires a reread to see how well the story comes together. Highly, highly recommended, I will be rereading “Ghost Radio” for years to come…
INTRODUCTION: I first heard about Leopoldo Gout’s “Ghost Radio” in the October 2008 edition of Robert's masterful monthly spotlights, but based on the blurb I kind of dismissed it since I am not that much into ghost stories. When I saw the novel in a bookstore though, I decided to browse through it and was immediately hooked by the story and ended up finishing the book in two back-to-back readings. Then I immediately reread it again the next day :) It should be noted however, that “Ghost Radio” is not really a ghost story or horror novel, but an excursion into the fantastic that masterfully blends elements from various genres…
SETTING: “Ghost Radio” starts—and in a very definite sense—is rooted in Mexico about twenty or so years ago when two young boys, Joaquin and Gabriel, have a fateful encounter as the only two survivors of a terrible car crash that involved their families. Later, Joaquin becomes the host of a very successful cult radio show and accepts a lucrative offer—“sells his soul to the devil” as he puts it—to move the show to the U.S. where it becomes syndicated making it even more popular. The show itself airs every night between 1-5 a.m. and takes calls from all over the world about tales of the supernatural, both real and invented. Of these “unexplainable encounters” kind of stories, they range from the sad and the tragic to the macabre such as finding brides/grooms for the recently deceased who are unmarried.
FORMAT/INFO: “Ghost Radio” is 353 pages divided over 55 titled chapters and a one-page prologue that sets the tone for the book. Each chapter is prefaced with an illustration from Joaquin's “Polaroid Journal” that reflects its contents. The illustrations were actually drawn by the author and are absolutely superb, wonderfully enhancing the novel.
The narration switches between the third person POVs of Joaquin, Gabriel and Alondra, and the first-person perspectives of Joaquin and Alondra. The switch between the different narrative modes worked very well for me and added to the many pleasures of the book. The story itself alternates between the past—the tale of Joaquin and Gabriel and the tragedy that brought them together—and the present with Joaquin and Alondra running the radio show. The ending meanwhile is good, pulling together the unexplained mysteries of Joaquin's life, but I would have preferred a more ambiguous conclusion that was left open to the reader's imagination.
October 14, 2008 marks the Hardcover publication of “Ghost Radio” via HarperCollins. Cover designed by Betty Lew.
PLOT HINTS AND ANALYSIS: As I mentioned above, “Ghost Radio” is not easy to pigeonhole in a single genre since the book possesses elements of horror, science fiction, fantasy, thriller/mystery, and contemporary urban fiction, so I recommend leaving all preconceptions at the door and just enjoying the ride.
Now at first, “Ghost Radio” may seem confusing because the short chapters alternate so much between the past and present, third-person and first-person narratives, and the different callers to the show, but the book’s energy is enough to propel the reader through these abrupt transitions. And once you settle in, it becomes easier to recognize when the chapter is taking place, who the narrator is and how the pieces of the puzzle fall in place.
However, do not get too comfortable in your assumptions on where the story is going since it starts moving more and more into unreality forcing readers to question what is actually happening as opposed to what Joaquin may believe is happening. Of course, things will eventually make sense once the book is concluded and readers will be able to appreciate how well constructed the plot is…
Of the characters, former punk rocker/radio host Joaquin is clearly the main protagonist in the novel, with Alondra and Gabriel—Joaquin’s charismatic friend who was the indisputable leader of their two man band years ago—both playing important roles while Watt the sound man has a strange tale of his own. Then there are the callers whose stories blend in very well with the main thread, while the continuously added revelations from the past complement the present progression of the story…
Overall, Leopoldo Gout’s “Ghost Radio” is another unexpected surprise, and an enthralling novel that stays with the reader long after finishing and requires a reread to see how well the story comes together. Highly, highly recommended, I will be rereading “Ghost Radio” for years to come…
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
NEWS: US Rights Deals for Two JJLA Clients + A Radical Publishing Book Signing & Comics Panel!
Susan Howe, Rights Director at Orion, has sold the US rights for three books by Stephen Deas and three books by Suzanne McLeod to Ginjer Buchanan of Berkley Ace. Both novelists are clients of the John Jarrold Literary Agency (Stephen Hunt, Ian Cameron Esslemont).
World rights in Stephen Deas’ series, which opens with his debut “The Adamantine Palace” (To be published in Hardback and Trade Paperback in the UK in March 2009), were acquired by Simon Spanton at Gollancz from John Jarrold earlier this year. The first book will be published in the US in hardback in 2009.
“Ginjer and the people at Berkley Ace will do a terrific job with Steve,” said John Jarrold. “Can’t wait to see their editions!”
World rights in Suzanne McLeod’s series, which opens with her debut “The Sweet Scent of Blood” (Published in Hardback and Trade Paperback in the UK in September 2008), were acquired by Jo Fletcher at Gollancz from John Jarrold in 2007. The books will be published as mass-market paperback originals, with the first appearing late in 2009 or early in 2010. The second book, “The Cold Kiss of Death, will be published by Gollancz in July 2009.
“I’ve known Ginjer and her colleagues at Berkley for twenty years, and I know Suzanne is in very safe hands. We’re both delighted with this deal!”, said John Jarrold.
In other news, breakthrough graphic novel publisher Radical Publishing is proud to debut the release of Caliber, its latest graphic novel masterpiece, with a special signing and comics panel discussion on Wednesday, November 19, 2008 at 7:30PM with entertainment industry veteran Sam Sarkar—creator and writer of Caliber, and director of development for Johnny Depp's production company Infinitum Nihil.
The “Caliber: First Canon of Justice” graphic novel contains the entire 5-issue miniseries will be released to comic book stores on November 26, 2008 and made available on Amazon.com on December 3, 2008. Find out about the latest happenings in the industry and discover Radical's new Fall titles while securing your own, signed copy of Sam Sarkar & Radical's new graphic novel debut Caliber at this live, in-store event. A must-see event for all comic and graphic novel fanatics. Admission is FREE. Details included below:
WHO: Sam Sarkar
WHAT: To host Radical Publishing Book Signing & Comics Panel Discussion at Barnes & Noble
WHEN: Wednesday, November 19, 2008—7:30PM
WHERE: Barnes & Noble — The Grove
189 Grove Drive
Los Angeles, CA 90036
323. 525. 0270
World rights in Stephen Deas’ series, which opens with his debut “The Adamantine Palace” (To be published in Hardback and Trade Paperback in the UK in March 2009), were acquired by Simon Spanton at Gollancz from John Jarrold earlier this year. The first book will be published in the US in hardback in 2009.
“Ginjer and the people at Berkley Ace will do a terrific job with Steve,” said John Jarrold. “Can’t wait to see their editions!”
World rights in Suzanne McLeod’s series, which opens with her debut “The Sweet Scent of Blood” (Published in Hardback and Trade Paperback in the UK in September 2008), were acquired by Jo Fletcher at Gollancz from John Jarrold in 2007. The books will be published as mass-market paperback originals, with the first appearing late in 2009 or early in 2010. The second book, “The Cold Kiss of Death, will be published by Gollancz in July 2009.
“I’ve known Ginjer and her colleagues at Berkley for twenty years, and I know Suzanne is in very safe hands. We’re both delighted with this deal!”, said John Jarrold.
In other news, breakthrough graphic novel publisher Radical Publishing is proud to debut the release of Caliber, its latest graphic novel masterpiece, with a special signing and comics panel discussion on Wednesday, November 19, 2008 at 7:30PM with entertainment industry veteran Sam Sarkar—creator and writer of Caliber, and director of development for Johnny Depp's production company Infinitum Nihil.The “Caliber: First Canon of Justice” graphic novel contains the entire 5-issue miniseries will be released to comic book stores on November 26, 2008 and made available on Amazon.com on December 3, 2008. Find out about the latest happenings in the industry and discover Radical's new Fall titles while securing your own, signed copy of Sam Sarkar & Radical's new graphic novel debut Caliber at this live, in-store event. A must-see event for all comic and graphic novel fanatics. Admission is FREE. Details included below:
WHO: Sam Sarkar
WHAT: To host Radical Publishing Book Signing & Comics Panel Discussion at Barnes & Noble
WHEN: Wednesday, November 19, 2008—7:30PM
WHERE: Barnes & Noble — The Grove
189 Grove Drive
Los Angeles, CA 90036
323. 525. 0270
The Drowned Life is the newest collection by Jeffrey Ford, one of the most acclaimed writers in the field, especially recognized for his short stories. There are sixteen stories in The Drowned Life, distributed over 290 pages. Some of them are pure fantasy, while others have no speculative elements of note. Most of them though, could be put in the magic realism field, or stories that are grounded in reality but not quite so. In other words, some unexplainable things do happen in the character’s lives, but those same things are not as terrible or shocking as the events of daily life.
This is more evident in stories like “Present From the Past”, “What’s Sure to Come”, “The Scribble Mind” and “The Golden Dragon”, pieces in which magic is depicted subtly—for instance, a ghostly presence, a card divination, the memory of the uterus, and a curse—and it’s definitely not as disturbing as mundane occurrences like family reunions, greed or drug addiction. But that next layer of unreality is there, for those who look for them. Not the cause, nor the consequence, just another fact of life.
Other titles such as “The Drowned Life” and “The Night Whiskey” make some bizarre facts completely acceptable and quotidian. In the former, the character literally “goes under”, to a drowned city where suicides perpetually rot underwater, but maintain a quite normal society. In the latter, people from a small city drink a certain beverage and make contact with the afterlife year after year . . . until a homicide destroys their lives.
Ford subverts the concept of “strange facts disrupt reality and characters either rationalize it or try to bring their lives back to the former condition”. The biggest example of this can be seen in “The Dreaming Wind”, in which a city is ravaged every year by a wind that blows southward and causes havoc, such as turning people into chairs, or balloons. When the wind stops coming though, simple life makes them miserable.
But there is also “traditional” fantasy and science fiction in Ford’s collection. In “The Manticore Spell”, the corpse of the mythical monster is captured by a wizard and his pupil, both of whom will be changed by the creature’s magic. In “The Dismantled Invention of Fate”, there’s enough for a whole novel: a space explorer, an alien trapped inside her dreams, a robot hunter and a machine to save the universe’s fate.
One story didn’t work for me: “The Bedroom Light”, which lacks the tension of reality and the strangeness of magic present in the other fifteen awesome stories. On the opposite side, “Under the Bottom of the Lake” is surely one of the best short stories I have read this year. Metafictional, beautiful, magical and, what’s best, simple, “Under the Bottom of the Lake” is a lesson in storytelling and style.
In the end, The Drowned Life is a book that shows off the strength of Jeffrey Ford’s diverse imagination and will surely please all fans of good literature, regardless of tastes…
This is more evident in stories like “Present From the Past”, “What’s Sure to Come”, “The Scribble Mind” and “The Golden Dragon”, pieces in which magic is depicted subtly—for instance, a ghostly presence, a card divination, the memory of the uterus, and a curse—and it’s definitely not as disturbing as mundane occurrences like family reunions, greed or drug addiction. But that next layer of unreality is there, for those who look for them. Not the cause, nor the consequence, just another fact of life.
Other titles such as “The Drowned Life” and “The Night Whiskey” make some bizarre facts completely acceptable and quotidian. In the former, the character literally “goes under”, to a drowned city where suicides perpetually rot underwater, but maintain a quite normal society. In the latter, people from a small city drink a certain beverage and make contact with the afterlife year after year . . . until a homicide destroys their lives.
Ford subverts the concept of “strange facts disrupt reality and characters either rationalize it or try to bring their lives back to the former condition”. The biggest example of this can be seen in “The Dreaming Wind”, in which a city is ravaged every year by a wind that blows southward and causes havoc, such as turning people into chairs, or balloons. When the wind stops coming though, simple life makes them miserable.
But there is also “traditional” fantasy and science fiction in Ford’s collection. In “The Manticore Spell”, the corpse of the mythical monster is captured by a wizard and his pupil, both of whom will be changed by the creature’s magic. In “The Dismantled Invention of Fate”, there’s enough for a whole novel: a space explorer, an alien trapped inside her dreams, a robot hunter and a machine to save the universe’s fate.
One story didn’t work for me: “The Bedroom Light”, which lacks the tension of reality and the strangeness of magic present in the other fifteen awesome stories. On the opposite side, “Under the Bottom of the Lake” is surely one of the best short stories I have read this year. Metafictional, beautiful, magical and, what’s best, simple, “Under the Bottom of the Lake” is a lesson in storytelling and style.
In the end, The Drowned Life is a book that shows off the strength of Jeffrey Ford’s diverse imagination and will surely please all fans of good literature, regardless of tastes…
Monday, November 17, 2008
“Memoirs of a Master Forger” by William Heaney (Reviewed by Liviu C. Suciu)
Official Graham Joyce WebsiteOrder “Memoirs of a Master Forger” HERE (UK) + HERE
Read An Excerpt HERE (PDF)
INTRODUCTION: “Memoirs of a Master Forger” by William Heaney is an authorial byline that is a bit misleading since the author is actually Graham Joyce, while the narrator/hero is named William Heaney. The novel will be published in the US as “How to Make Friends with Demons” under Mr. Joyce's name, but the joke in the UK author byline works very well too. Even though I have never read any of Mr. Joyce's fiction before, I bought “Memoirs of a Master Forger” because the blurb and the cover hooked me. The novel ended up being so wonderful and made such an impression on me that I immediately ordered three more books by Graham Joyce and if I like them even half as much as I did this one, I will get the rest of his releases…
SETTING: “Memoirs of a Master Forger” takes place in London 2007 with remembrances of life at a small teacher's college 25 years earlier and some glimpses of the first Iraq War in 1991. The tour of London pubs in this novel is quite impressive and seems accurate from what local people report in reviewing the novel. The fantasy elements in the book are light and it remains unclear how “real” they are, but it does not matter since this is a novel for any lover of great literature.
FORMAT/INFO: “Memoirs of a Master Forger” stands at 308 pages divided over thirty-five chapters. The narration is in the first-person via main hero William Heaney and alternates between a present day (2007) thread and his college years when strange things happened and he first encountered the occult and demons. There is also an interlude from a Gulf War veteran as narrated in his journal that William receives under terrible circumstances and ties in perfectly with the whole thrust of the novel. “Memoirs of a Master Forger” is self-contained and the ending is simply superb.
October 16, 2008 marks the UK Hardcover publication of “Memoirs of a Master Forger” via Gollancz. The Gollancz edition is impressively packaged in old style faux-leather giving the book a very classy look, and is the kind of novel that could be bought purely based on how it looks. Cover designed by Patrick Knowles. The US version, titled “How To Make Friends With Demons”, will be released through Night Shade Books in November/December 2008.
PLOT HINTS AND ANALYSIS: William Heaney is a mid-late forties UK government bureaucrat in charge of a Youth funding umbrella organization. He is also an antique book dealer hobbyist. But under his polished, charming exterior, he is a very complex, tortured man with a fondness for wine and an ability to see the demons inherent in most humans. His wife of twenty years, Fay, left him three years ago for a celebrity chef while his two daughters—Sarah, a college-age teen and Claire, a thirteen-year-old—are still on good terms with him. William’s fifteen-year-old son Robbie though, refuses to talk with him since William cut his posh private school tuition and sent him to a local school as a disciplinary act.
In addition to all of this, William has also been atoning for some perceived misdeeds from his college years that led to much tragedy and death even though he was not directly responsible.
William’s atonement takes the unusual form of selling forged antiquarian books—done by one of his main two friends, the strange painter/artist Stinx—to the rich and using the profits to fund charities, especially the Go To Point, a homeless shelter run by his friend Antonia who cannot get official funding and is constantly being harassed by the government for being such an embarrassment to the powers that be.
William also provides poetry to his other main friend Jaz—a youngish, bisexual, multi-ethnic photo model who finds “marks” for the forgeries. Surprisingly, even though both William and Jaz believe the poetry to be rubbish doggerel, Jaz has become very renowned as a young minority—both ethnic and sexual—poet and is invited to galas, competing for prizes.
Of course, at their bar haunt the three ‘against the world’ friends laugh at their “pranks” and commiserate about their failing personal lives.
But one day William meets an unusual twenty-nine year old woman named Yasmin and through a confluence of strange events, is sent on a journey of redemption…
“Memoirs of a Master Forger” is almost like a fairy tale for adults—dark, full of emotion and suffering as well as love and redemption. In short, the novel instantly became one of my Top 5 Favorite Books of 2008 and is a book that I will reread for many years to come. Simply masterful…
SETTING: “Memoirs of a Master Forger” takes place in London 2007 with remembrances of life at a small teacher's college 25 years earlier and some glimpses of the first Iraq War in 1991. The tour of London pubs in this novel is quite impressive and seems accurate from what local people report in reviewing the novel. The fantasy elements in the book are light and it remains unclear how “real” they are, but it does not matter since this is a novel for any lover of great literature.
FORMAT/INFO: “Memoirs of a Master Forger” stands at 308 pages divided over thirty-five chapters. The narration is in the first-person via main hero William Heaney and alternates between a present day (2007) thread and his college years when strange things happened and he first encountered the occult and demons. There is also an interlude from a Gulf War veteran as narrated in his journal that William receives under terrible circumstances and ties in perfectly with the whole thrust of the novel. “Memoirs of a Master Forger” is self-contained and the ending is simply superb.
October 16, 2008 marks the UK Hardcover publication of “Memoirs of a Master Forger” via Gollancz. The Gollancz edition is impressively packaged in old style faux-leather giving the book a very classy look, and is the kind of novel that could be bought purely based on how it looks. Cover designed by Patrick Knowles. The US version, titled “How To Make Friends With Demons”, will be released through Night Shade Books in November/December 2008.
PLOT HINTS AND ANALYSIS: William Heaney is a mid-late forties UK government bureaucrat in charge of a Youth funding umbrella organization. He is also an antique book dealer hobbyist. But under his polished, charming exterior, he is a very complex, tortured man with a fondness for wine and an ability to see the demons inherent in most humans. His wife of twenty years, Fay, left him three years ago for a celebrity chef while his two daughters—Sarah, a college-age teen and Claire, a thirteen-year-old—are still on good terms with him. William’s fifteen-year-old son Robbie though, refuses to talk with him since William cut his posh private school tuition and sent him to a local school as a disciplinary act.
In addition to all of this, William has also been atoning for some perceived misdeeds from his college years that led to much tragedy and death even though he was not directly responsible.
William’s atonement takes the unusual form of selling forged antiquarian books—done by one of his main two friends, the strange painter/artist Stinx—to the rich and using the profits to fund charities, especially the Go To Point, a homeless shelter run by his friend Antonia who cannot get official funding and is constantly being harassed by the government for being such an embarrassment to the powers that be.
William also provides poetry to his other main friend Jaz—a youngish, bisexual, multi-ethnic photo model who finds “marks” for the forgeries. Surprisingly, even though both William and Jaz believe the poetry to be rubbish doggerel, Jaz has become very renowned as a young minority—both ethnic and sexual—poet and is invited to galas, competing for prizes.
Of course, at their bar haunt the three ‘against the world’ friends laugh at their “pranks” and commiserate about their failing personal lives.
But one day William meets an unusual twenty-nine year old woman named Yasmin and through a confluence of strange events, is sent on a journey of redemption…
“Memoirs of a Master Forger” is almost like a fairy tale for adults—dark, full of emotion and suffering as well as love and redemption. In short, the novel instantly became one of my Top 5 Favorite Books of 2008 and is a book that I will reread for many years to come. Simply masterful…
Friday, November 14, 2008
"Soul Stealer" by Michael Easton & Christopher Shy (Reviewed by Robert Thompson)
Official Soul Stealer WebsiteOfficial Michael Easton Website
Official Christopher Shy Myspace
Order “Soul Stealer” HERE
Watch the Trailer HERE
ABOUT SOUL STEALER: In a universe divided by good and evil, one man has been able to sustain life for over 3000 years, driven solely by the power of undying love. Armed with the ability to bring back souls from the underworld, he must now fight the most dangerous and potent forces the world has ever known, as he wanders the Earth—through the past and into the future—on his near-impossible search for his wife.
A shocking and breathtaking journey through darkness, madness, and ultimately hope, “Soul Stealer” explores a vivid, remarkably unique world drawn from the deepest recesses of human imagination…
CLASSIFICATION: A blend of gothic fantasy and horror, mythology and a tragic love story, “Soul Stealer” is a dark, haunting and atmospheric reading experience that brought to mind everything from The Crow film/comic books to the first Highlander movie, Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, Guillermo del Toro’s wonderful adult fairy tale Pan’s Labyrinth, and the wicked imaginations of Clive Barker and Neil Gaiman. Words however, cannot really describe “Soul Stealer” . . . it needs to be experienced on its own to be fully appreciated…
FORMAT/INFO: “Soul Stealer” is 148 pages long and is the first book of a series. This one is titled “The Beaten and the Damned” and includes an introduction by novelist Peter Straub (The Talisman, Ghost Story). June 1, 2008 marks the publication of “Soul Stealer” via DMF Comics and is available in two formats: a Hardcover Edition and a Softcover Edition. The second “Soul Stealer” book, titled “Blood and Rain”, will be released in 2009.
ANALYSIS: Before this past October, I had never heard of Michael Easton—neither the actor nor the writer—but thanks to an Interview conducted by Newsarama, I was brought to the attention of Michael’s utterly captivating graphic novel, “Soul Stealer”…
First and foremost, the artwork by Christopher Shy is just breathtaking. Now, I could get all analytical here examining the color scheme, the Photoshop techniques, influences and various other nuances, but instead I’ll let the images included in this review speak for themselves. Simply put, the artwork in “Soul Stealer” is absolutely gorgeous, full of evocative surrealism and ambiance, and is worth the cover price all by itself.
Of course, “Soul Stealer” does have a story, which revolves around lovers Kalan and Oxania; Oxania’s eccentric father Strabo; gods and goddesses (Osiris, Azrael, Annubis, Seth); a ruthless warlord named Apis Bull; and a tragic love story that transcends time and distance and death. Now at first, I thought the plot was a bit thin and overly familiar—Michael utilizes a number of recognizable tropes like immortality, resurrection, meddling gods, the tragic love story, good vs. evil, etc—but a second read through made me realize how much I missed the first time around, and how well executed the storyline was, in particular the non-linear narrative. Granted, parts of the story were a bit sparse like how Kalan & Oxania met, the mysterious Strabo, Apis Bull’s background, and Kalan’s soul stealing ability, but I understand that only so much can be fit into a 148-page graphic novel. Thankfully, what the story may have lacked in depth or originality was more than made up for with Michael’s poetic prose which beautifully accentuated Christopher’s artwork:
This body contains the story of my time…
…the life is not mine.
Nor are the pieces.
But the evidence of my soul can never be taken…
It lives with her.
CONCLUSION: Michael Easton’s “Soul Stealer” is a prime example of what can happen when great art and great storytelling is combined with a fertile imagination and unbridled passion. A simply magical experience, “Soul Stealer” will make readers look at graphic novels in a whole new light...
AUTHOR/ARTIST BIOS:
Michael Easton is best known as an actor having appeared on such television shows as Port Charles, VR.5, Two, Ally McBeal, Total Recall 2070, Mutant X and One Life To Live, but he is also a member of the Writer's Guild of America and has written a highly acclaimed collection of poetry titled “Eighteen Straight Whiskeys”, a screenplay based on the life of Montgomery Clift, and the graphic novel “Soul Stealer”. Upcoming projects include “Tales of the Green Woman” graphic novel (DC/Vertigo) co-written with novelist Peter Straub (The Talisman, Ghost Story) and a sequel to “Soul Stealer” called “Blood and Rain” (2009).
Artist Christopher Shy is the founder of Studio Ronin, which has provided illustrations for numerous graphic novels (Ascend, Marvel, DC, Dark Horse, White Wolf) as well as set designs for concerts (Coheed & Cambria) and films (Pathfinder). Recent graphic novel releases include “Soul Stealer” and “Silent Leaves: Exceptions to Life”.
A shocking and breathtaking journey through darkness, madness, and ultimately hope, “Soul Stealer” explores a vivid, remarkably unique world drawn from the deepest recesses of human imagination…
CLASSIFICATION: A blend of gothic fantasy and horror, mythology and a tragic love story, “Soul Stealer” is a dark, haunting and atmospheric reading experience that brought to mind everything from The Crow film/comic books to the first Highlander movie, Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, Guillermo del Toro’s wonderful adult fairy tale Pan’s Labyrinth, and the wicked imaginations of Clive Barker and Neil Gaiman. Words however, cannot really describe “Soul Stealer” . . . it needs to be experienced on its own to be fully appreciated…
FORMAT/INFO: “Soul Stealer” is 148 pages long and is the first book of a series. This one is titled “The Beaten and the Damned” and includes an introduction by novelist Peter Straub (The Talisman, Ghost Story). June 1, 2008 marks the publication of “Soul Stealer” via DMF Comics and is available in two formats: a Hardcover Edition and a Softcover Edition. The second “Soul Stealer” book, titled “Blood and Rain”, will be released in 2009.ANALYSIS: Before this past October, I had never heard of Michael Easton—neither the actor nor the writer—but thanks to an Interview conducted by Newsarama, I was brought to the attention of Michael’s utterly captivating graphic novel, “Soul Stealer”…
First and foremost, the artwork by Christopher Shy is just breathtaking. Now, I could get all analytical here examining the color scheme, the Photoshop techniques, influences and various other nuances, but instead I’ll let the images included in this review speak for themselves. Simply put, the artwork in “Soul Stealer” is absolutely gorgeous, full of evocative surrealism and ambiance, and is worth the cover price all by itself.
Of course, “Soul Stealer” does have a story, which revolves around lovers Kalan and Oxania; Oxania’s eccentric father Strabo; gods and goddesses (Osiris, Azrael, Annubis, Seth); a ruthless warlord named Apis Bull; and a tragic love story that transcends time and distance and death. Now at first, I thought the plot was a bit thin and overly familiar—Michael utilizes a number of recognizable tropes like immortality, resurrection, meddling gods, the tragic love story, good vs. evil, etc—but a second read through made me realize how much I missed the first time around, and how well executed the storyline was, in particular the non-linear narrative. Granted, parts of the story were a bit sparse like how Kalan & Oxania met, the mysterious Strabo, Apis Bull’s background, and Kalan’s soul stealing ability, but I understand that only so much can be fit into a 148-page graphic novel. Thankfully, what the story may have lacked in depth or originality was more than made up for with Michael’s poetic prose which beautifully accentuated Christopher’s artwork:This body contains the story of my time…
…the life is not mine.
Nor are the pieces.
But the evidence of my soul can never be taken…
It lives with her.
CONCLUSION: Michael Easton’s “Soul Stealer” is a prime example of what can happen when great art and great storytelling is combined with a fertile imagination and unbridled passion. A simply magical experience, “Soul Stealer” will make readers look at graphic novels in a whole new light...
AUTHOR/ARTIST BIOS:
Michael Easton is best known as an actor having appeared on such television shows as Port Charles, VR.5, Two, Ally McBeal, Total Recall 2070, Mutant X and One Life To Live, but he is also a member of the Writer's Guild of America and has written a highly acclaimed collection of poetry titled “Eighteen Straight Whiskeys”, a screenplay based on the life of Montgomery Clift, and the graphic novel “Soul Stealer”. Upcoming projects include “Tales of the Green Woman” graphic novel (DC/Vertigo) co-written with novelist Peter Straub (The Talisman, Ghost Story) and a sequel to “Soul Stealer” called “Blood and Rain” (2009).Artist Christopher Shy is the founder of Studio Ronin, which has provided illustrations for numerous graphic novels (Ascend, Marvel, DC, Dark Horse, White Wolf) as well as set designs for concerts (Coheed & Cambria) and films (Pathfinder). Recent graphic novel releases include “Soul Stealer” and “Silent Leaves: Exceptions to Life”.
“Bone Crossed”, the fourth book in Patricia Briggs’ New York Times bestselling Mercy Thompson series doesn’t come out until February 3, 2009, but publicity for the novel is already starting. So included below for your reading pleasure is a galley letter from Senior Editor Anne Sowards, and Tour Dates:
Dear Reader:
Patricia Briggs is what we sometimes refer to in the industry as a “ten year overnight success”. Her first novel, Masques, came out in 1993, and for over ten years she wrote well-reviewed traditional fantasy novels. She developed a devoted, if modestly sized, following.
Then she wrote Moon Called (Ace, 2/06), the first in the Mercy Thompson series, and overnight, everyone was talking about Patricia Briggs. Urban fantasy readers and the online community embraced Mercy Thompson, a shapeshifter and car mechanic who calls the Tri-Cities of eastern Washington home, and the third book in the series, Iron Kissed (Ace 1/08), was a #1 New York Times bestseller.
As a long-time editor, I read a lot of urban fantasy, and Patricia Briggs is truly special. She has a gift for making me believe Mercy’s world of vampires and werewolves truly exists, and that Mercy herself really could be off fixing cars in Washington State. Now, in Bone Crossed, Patricia Briggs delivers the strongest entry in the series yet, as Mercy comes up against the local vampire queen, and has to deal with the consequences of some tough choices.
I invite you to experience for yourself the fascinating world of Mercy Thompson. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.
Happy reading,
Anne Sowards
Senior Editor
Ace / Roc Science Fiction & Fantasy
PATRICIA BRIGGS TOUR DATES:
February 3, 2009
University Books
Seattle, WA (7PM PT)
February 4, 2009
Third Place Books
Lake Forest Park, WA (7PM PT)
February 5, 2009
Powell’s (Beaverton Location)
Portland, OR (7PM PT)
February 6, 2009
Borderland Books
San Francisco, CA (7PM PT)
February 7, 2009
Mysterious Galaxy Books
San Diego, CA (2 PM PT)
February 8, 2009
Barnes & Noble
Huntington Beach, CA (2 PM PT)
February 9, 2009
Borders
Ann Arbor, MI (4 PM PT/ 7PM ET)
Dear Reader:Patricia Briggs is what we sometimes refer to in the industry as a “ten year overnight success”. Her first novel, Masques, came out in 1993, and for over ten years she wrote well-reviewed traditional fantasy novels. She developed a devoted, if modestly sized, following.
Then she wrote Moon Called (Ace, 2/06), the first in the Mercy Thompson series, and overnight, everyone was talking about Patricia Briggs. Urban fantasy readers and the online community embraced Mercy Thompson, a shapeshifter and car mechanic who calls the Tri-Cities of eastern Washington home, and the third book in the series, Iron Kissed (Ace 1/08), was a #1 New York Times bestseller.
As a long-time editor, I read a lot of urban fantasy, and Patricia Briggs is truly special. She has a gift for making me believe Mercy’s world of vampires and werewolves truly exists, and that Mercy herself really could be off fixing cars in Washington State. Now, in Bone Crossed, Patricia Briggs delivers the strongest entry in the series yet, as Mercy comes up against the local vampire queen, and has to deal with the consequences of some tough choices.
I invite you to experience for yourself the fascinating world of Mercy Thompson. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.
Happy reading,
Anne Sowards
Senior Editor
Ace / Roc Science Fiction & Fantasy
PATRICIA BRIGGS TOUR DATES:
February 3, 2009
University Books
Seattle, WA (7PM PT)
February 4, 2009
Third Place Books
Lake Forest Park, WA (7PM PT)
February 5, 2009
Powell’s (Beaverton Location)
Portland, OR (7PM PT)
February 6, 2009
Borderland Books
San Francisco, CA (7PM PT)
February 7, 2009
Mysterious Galaxy Books
San Diego, CA (2 PM PT)
February 8, 2009
Barnes & Noble
Huntington Beach, CA (2 PM PT)
February 9, 2009
Borders
Ann Arbor, MI (4 PM PT/ 7PM ET)
Congratulations to Kimberly Cook (Wisconsin) and Lily Kwan (Nevada) who were both randomly selected to win a COPY of “The New Annotated Dracula” edited by Leslie S. Klinger, thanks to Goldberg McDuffie Communications and W.W. Norton & Company! “The New Annotated Dracula” is out now and you can find more information about the book at its Official Website.
Congratulations also to Victoria Ross (California), Kim Coomey (New York), Joni Chadwell (Pennsylvania) and Csaba Bali (United Kingdom) who were all randomly selected to win SIGNED COPIES of both Dan Abnett’s “Titanicus” and Graham McNeill’s “The Killing Ground”, courtesy of BL Publishing! For more information on these titles, please visit the Black Library Website.
Congratulations also to Victoria Ross (California), Kim Coomey (New York), Joni Chadwell (Pennsylvania) and Csaba Bali (United Kingdom) who were all randomly selected to win SIGNED COPIES of both Dan Abnett’s “Titanicus” and Graham McNeill’s “The Killing Ground”, courtesy of BL Publishing! For more information on these titles, please visit the Black Library Website.
Official Hannah Tinti WebsiteOrder “The Good Thief” HERE (US) + HERE (UK)
Read An Excerpt HERE
Read Praise HERE
INTRODUCTION: “The Good Thief” is the debut novel of Hannah Tinti, a master storyteller whose collection of short stories, “Animal Crackers”, I intend to read soon. I discovered “The Good Thief” by chance browsing online and was intrigued by the blurb. It was the excerpt that hooked me though and as soon as I started the book, I couldn’t put it down until I had finished the novel…
SETTING: In New England, sometime in the second half of the nineteenth century, Ren—a one-handed orphan boy named after the initials sewn in his collar—has been deposited as a newborn on the steps of Saint Anthony, a catholic monastery that functions as an orphanage for boys.
From this orphanage local people, and sometimes strangers, come and pick up a child either for help on a farm or claiming to be a relative. The monks acquiesce in this since the boys are otherwise conscripted into the army when discharged from the orphanage.
Due to his infirmity, Ren is not eligible to be picked up by a local farmer even though he is a presentable boy and looks strong and intelligent. One day however, a young man called Benjamin Nab appears at St. Anthony claiming to be the long lost elder brother of the twelve-year-old Ren and the adventure begins…
FORMAT/INFO: “The Good Thief” stands at 327 pages divided over three parts, thirty-five numbered chapters, and an epilogue. The story is narrated in the third-person present tense and follows the character of Ren. The ending is excellent and fitting, bringing together all of the novel’s main threads.
July 10, 2008 marked the UK Hardcover (see inset) publication of “The Good Thief” via Headline Review. The US version was released on August 26, 2008 via The Dial Press. Cover illustration was provided by David Frankland.
PLOT HINTS AND ANALYSIS: Hannah Tinti’s “The Good Thief” invites comparison with classic adventure tales and orphan narratives. With an action-packed plot and a well researched recreation of several small New England towns of the epoch, Tinti pulls her readers into a story about stories, in which we meet various strange, weird, and sometimes kind and sometimes downright frightening characters each with their own tale that interweave in a rich tapestry that Ren threads and unifies…
One of the most compelling characters in the book is Benjamin Nab whose stories about bandits, dead parents, sailing to exotic places, encountering fabulous animals, searching for his missing younger brother across the years, and many other fascinating adventures are undeniably charming. Of course, the reality is a bit disappointing as Benjamin is a con man and wanted by the government.
Plot-wise, a one-handed boy opens many doors to an expert trickster with a golden tongue so it’s not long before Ren is sucked deeper and deeper into the shady world—carnival tricks and nightly grave robberies—of Benjamin Nab and his associates, forcing the boy to grow up fast and make unexpected friends.
However, deeper and darker secrets revolve around Ren's true name and parentage and the slowly unfolding saga of tricks, deceits, and violence—offset by acts of kindness, love and redemption—ends with several stunning revelations that make us reconsider everything that has gone before and compels an immediate rereading of the book…
When I was a child I read the famous Hector Malot tale (Sans Famille) of the orphan boy Remi and the traveling performer that “buys” him from his adopted family dozens of times, and “The Good Thief” struck me as a more adult and darker version of that tale, but with a similar message of powerful redemption. And like “Sans Famille”, I expect to reread “The Good Thief” dozens of more times. Highly, highly recommended…
SETTING: In New England, sometime in the second half of the nineteenth century, Ren—a one-handed orphan boy named after the initials sewn in his collar—has been deposited as a newborn on the steps of Saint Anthony, a catholic monastery that functions as an orphanage for boys.
From this orphanage local people, and sometimes strangers, come and pick up a child either for help on a farm or claiming to be a relative. The monks acquiesce in this since the boys are otherwise conscripted into the army when discharged from the orphanage.
Due to his infirmity, Ren is not eligible to be picked up by a local farmer even though he is a presentable boy and looks strong and intelligent. One day however, a young man called Benjamin Nab appears at St. Anthony claiming to be the long lost elder brother of the twelve-year-old Ren and the adventure begins…
FORMAT/INFO: “The Good Thief” stands at 327 pages divided over three parts, thirty-five numbered chapters, and an epilogue. The story is narrated in the third-person present tense and follows the character of Ren. The ending is excellent and fitting, bringing together all of the novel’s main threads.July 10, 2008 marked the UK Hardcover (see inset) publication of “The Good Thief” via Headline Review. The US version was released on August 26, 2008 via The Dial Press. Cover illustration was provided by David Frankland.
PLOT HINTS AND ANALYSIS: Hannah Tinti’s “The Good Thief” invites comparison with classic adventure tales and orphan narratives. With an action-packed plot and a well researched recreation of several small New England towns of the epoch, Tinti pulls her readers into a story about stories, in which we meet various strange, weird, and sometimes kind and sometimes downright frightening characters each with their own tale that interweave in a rich tapestry that Ren threads and unifies…
One of the most compelling characters in the book is Benjamin Nab whose stories about bandits, dead parents, sailing to exotic places, encountering fabulous animals, searching for his missing younger brother across the years, and many other fascinating adventures are undeniably charming. Of course, the reality is a bit disappointing as Benjamin is a con man and wanted by the government.
Plot-wise, a one-handed boy opens many doors to an expert trickster with a golden tongue so it’s not long before Ren is sucked deeper and deeper into the shady world—carnival tricks and nightly grave robberies—of Benjamin Nab and his associates, forcing the boy to grow up fast and make unexpected friends.
However, deeper and darker secrets revolve around Ren's true name and parentage and the slowly unfolding saga of tricks, deceits, and violence—offset by acts of kindness, love and redemption—ends with several stunning revelations that make us reconsider everything that has gone before and compels an immediate rereading of the book…
When I was a child I read the famous Hector Malot tale (Sans Famille) of the orphan boy Remi and the traveling performer that “buys” him from his adopted family dozens of times, and “The Good Thief” struck me as a more adult and darker version of that tale, but with a similar message of powerful redemption. And like “Sans Famille”, I expect to reread “The Good Thief” dozens of more times. Highly, highly recommended…
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