I’m so excited to share the new book cover for my novella Mirror Souls, A Prelude! I hope you like it as much as I do!
The MCM London Comic Con that took place on 23-25 October 2015 was a huge success with more than 130,000 people attending. Although the place was overcrowded, I much enjoyed the event. I met interesting people, learned a few things, and cosplay was fabulous!
Steampunk is increasingly popular with cosplayers.
The steampunk tent was strategically located near one of the entrances and drew thousands of visitors.
Fantasy was not forgotten: both the light and the dark sides of fantasy were represented.
Last but not least, Halloween celebrations were in full swing. Fun and spooky!
Whether you enjoy books, comic books, movies or TV series, you can’t escape this—“darkness” is everywhere. “Dark”, “darkness”, the words that evoked fear in our ancestors are used nowadays as marketing tools. But what do we mean by “dark” when referring to a work of fiction?
Historically, it was the 18th-century Gothic novel that transformed negative emotions such as fear or melancholy into a source of pleasure (see the Gothic Novel and The Gothic: 250 Years of Success). However, the success of this initial wave of terrifying stories was short-lived, and in the 1820s this genre gave way to a more sophisticated kind of aesthetics—the Romantic movement was on the rise.
During the 19th and the 20th centuries—roughly until the 1970s—horror fiction was little more than an underground culture, although some horror books and movies managed to achieve long-lasting popularity. For example, classic adaptations of Frankenstein by James Whale and Dracula by Tod Browning were successful in the 1930s and remain influential to the present day.
Darkness does not necessarily equal horror, however. Science fiction and fantasy also grew darker in the 70s and the 80s. Those ugly and often ridiculous monsters who terrorized beautiful girls on the covers of pulp magazines were history—a new breed of monstrosities was about to transform science fiction. In Alien (1979), Ridley Scott created a shocking, futuristic aesthetic of fear. Blade Runner (Ridley Scott, 1982) blended science fiction with film noir, and challenged our perception of human condition in the process. The Terminator (James Cameron, 1984) and Predator (John McTiernan, 1987) introduced us to new, disturbingly realistic sorts of killing machines.
Fantasy grew gritty, brutal, sometimes bleak and pessimistic. No need to insist on the influence of the Game of Thrones (this book had enough publicity already). Let’s mention a few noteworthy authors such as Steven Erikson (Malazan Book of the Fallen), Brandon Sanderson (Mistborn series), Joe Abercrombie (The First Law Trilogy), Patrick Rothfuss (The Kingkiller Chronicle), and Mark Lawrence (The Broken Empire trilogy).
In your opinion, why are we craving for this sort of terrifying stories? What makes them so appealing to science fiction and fantasy readers?
In June, one science fiction book and two fantasy books made it to the New York Times best seller list (adult fiction, hardcover):
THE WATER KNIFE, by Paolo Bacigalupi (Knopf) (science fiction)
The author of The Windup Girl delivers a near-future thriller that casts new light on how we live today—and what may be in store for us tomorrow. This book made a brief appearance in 15th position on the NYT best seller list.
DEAD ICE, by Laurell K. Hamilton (Berkley) (fantasy)
The vampire hunter Anita Blake helps the F.B.I. investigate zombie porn.
WICKED CHARMS, by Janet Evanovich and Phoef Sutton (Bantam) (fantasy)
Lizzy Tucker and her partner, Diesel, join a hunt for buried treasure.
The Fold, by Peter Clines (Crown)
A science-fiction thriller about the dangers of teleportation devices.
Briar Queen: A Night and Nothing Novel, by Katherine Harbour (Harper Voyager)
In this installment of The Night and Nothing series, Finn Sullivan discovers that her town, Fair Hollow, borders a dangerous otherworld.
A comment, if I may. I had a bit of fun listing the adjectives and other qualifiers used in the blurb for this book: “dark, moody, mystical, bewitching, intriguing, dangerous, painful, bohemian, terrifying, placid, picture-perfect, eerie, supernatural, wealthy, beautiful, terrifying (again!), striking, mysterious, powerful, brave, malevolent, diabolical, comfortable, magical, shocking, lush, gorgeously written, star-crossed, bestselling.” Whoever wrote this blurb should be nominated for the Purple Prose Award.
Book blurbs are becoming little more than a collection of clichés loaded with empty qualifiers (well, the same can often be said about the books themselves). That makes me sad, unhappy, depressed, downcast, miserable, downhearted, despondent, despairing, disconsolate, dispirited, wretched, broody, glum, gloomy, doleful, dismal, blue, melancholic, low-spirited, woeful, woebegone, forlorn, unsatisfied, and so on.
From a High Tower, by Mercedes Lackey (DAW)
The newest adventure in Mercedes Lackey’s Elemental Masters series, featuring a retelling of Rapunzel’s not-so-happily-ever-after ending.
Nemesis Games, by James S.A. Corey (Orbit)
The fifth novel in James S.A. Corey’s Expanse series—now being produced for television by the SyFy Channel.
Nova, by Margaret Fortune (DAW)
Young adult space opera novel about a genetically engineered human bomb.
The Change: Tales of Downfall and Rebirth, by S.M. Stirling (Roc)
In this anthology, S. M. Stirling invites more than a dozen other writers to join him in expanding his rich Emberverse canvas. The Emberverse is a long-running series of novels set in a post-apocalyptic world where technology failed and magic re-emerged.
The Darkling Child: The Defenders of Shannara, by Terry Brooks (Del Rey)
A stand-alone novel set in the legendary Shannara universe by the NYT bestselling author Terry Brooks.
The Shadow Revolution: Crown & Key, by Clay & Susan Griffith (Del Rey)
A new Victorian-era urban fantasy novel about werewolf hunters.
Trailer Park Fae, by Lilith Saintcrow (Orbit)
Lilith Saintcrow returns to dark urban fantasy with a new series where the faery world inhabits diners, dive bars and trailer parks.
Virtues of War, by Bennett R. Coles (Titan Books)
A military space opera novel praised by Steven Erikson as “top-notch military SF.”
Note: this is a selection, not the complete list.
In May, one science fiction, one fantasy, and one horror book made it to the New York Times best seller list (adult fiction, hardcover):
DAY SHIFT by Charlaine Harris (Ace) (paranormal/urban fantasy)
A psychic mired in scandal turns to a mysterious woman for help.
SEVENEVES by Neal Stephenson (Morrow/HarperCollins) (science fiction)
Five thousand years after a small number of survivors of the moon’s explosion took refuge on an international space station, their descendants contemplate a return to Earth.
THE SCARLET GOSPELS by Clive Barker (St. Martin’s) (horror)
Harry D’Amour, the detective of the supernatural from Barker’s Books of Blood, faces off against Pinhead, the sadistic Cenobite from the Hellraiser series.
Blood Sisters: Vampire Stories by Women, edited by Paula Guran (Night Shade Books)
A tantalizing selection of stories from some of the best female authors who’ve helped define the modern vampire.
Straits of Hell (Destroyermen Series #10) by Taylor Anderson (Roc)
Taylor Anderson’s alternate history Destroyermen series continues as a game-changing conspiracy throws the hope of honor, trust, and survival into chaos.
The Book of Phoenix by Nnedi Okorafor (DAW)
The Book of Phoenix is a work of magical futurism, a prequel to the World Fantasy Award-winning novel Who Fears Death.
Leviathan (Lost Fleet: Beyond the Frontier Series #5) by Jack Campbell (Ace, Penguin)
Jack Campbell’s latest action-packed military space opera novel.
The Water Knife by Paolo Bacigalupi (Knopf Doubleday)
The author of The Windup Girl delivers a near-future thriller that casts new light on how we live today—and what may be in store for us tomorrow.
Trial of Intentions by Peter Orullian (Tor)
The gods who created this world have abandoned it. In their mercy, however, they chained the rogue god—and the monstrous creatures he created to plague mortalkind—in the vast and inhospitable wasteland of the Bourne.
Uprooted by Naomi Novik (Del Rey, Random House)
The author of the Temeraire novels introduces a bold new world rooted in folk stories and legends.
Note: this is a selection, not the complete list.
Read the first part here: Whitby Goth Weekend, April 2015 (Part 1)
Okay, so now we climbed the 199 steps leading to the Church of Saint Mary and the cemetery surrounding it. Photographers huddle around the entrance of the church—the show is on!
The lighting is perfect, making colors rich and vivid. We meet gorgeous models competing for the attention of numerous photographers and visitors.
All imaginary worlds meet here: medieval fantasy, steampunk, cyberpunk, science fiction, horror …
I saved my favorite image for the end. Amid grim tombstones, we meet a lovely fae straight from an urban fantasy novel! What a delightful encounter, isn’t it?
I would like to thank all the lovely people who allowed me to take a picture of them. Very kind of you indeed!
Also read Whitby, in the footsteps of Dracula (Part 1)
In April three fantasy books made it to the New York Times best seller list (adult fiction, hardcover):
The Shadows by J.R. Ward (New American Library). Book 13 of the Black Dagger Brotherhood series.
The Skull Throne (The Demon Cycle) by Peter V. Brett (Del Rey). The saga of humans winnowed to the brink of extinction by night-stalking demons.
Beauty’s Kingdom by A. N. Roquelaure (Penguin). Anne Rice, writing as A. N. Roquelaure, returns to the kingdom of Queen Eleanor in this new chapter of her Sleeping Beauty series.
The Grace of Kings by Ken Liu (Saga Press). Ken Liu has won a Nebula, two Hugos, and a World Fantasy Award. Now he gives us what his fervent legion of fans has requested: a new fantasy series to savor at length.
A Crown for Cold Silver by Alex Marshall (Orbit). Five villains. One legendary general. A final quest for vengeance.
The Rebirths of Tao (Tao Series Book Three) by Wesley Chu (Watkins Media). Five years have passed since the events in The Deaths of Tao. The world is split into pro-Prophus and pro-Genjix factions, and is poised on the edge of a devastating new World War. A Gengix scientist who defects to the other side holds the key to preventing bloodshed on an almost unimaginable scale.
The Silence by Tim Lebbon (Titan). A terror-filled story of one family and their friends, as they struggle to survive in a world overrun by ravenous creatures that hunt purely by sound…
Dark Heir (Jane Yellowrock Series 9) by Faith Hunter (Penguin). Shapeshifting skinwalker Jane Yellowrock is the best in the business when it comes to slaying vampires. But her latest fanged foe may be above her pay grade…
The Unremembered (The Vault of Heaven Book One, Special edition) by Peter Orullian (Tom Doherty Associates). In anticipation of the second volume in Orullian’s epic series, Tor are choosing to relaunch a title with an author’s definitive edition. In addition to updates to the original text, they are also including an exclusive short story set in the world of Vault of Heaven as well as a sneak preview of the sequel, Trial of Intentions, and a glossary to the universe.
Jinn and Juice by Nicole Peeler (Orbit). Meet Lyla: Jinn, belly dancer, and the hottest new urban fantasy heroine in town. To escape an arranged marriage, a jinni granted Lyla her wish: to live a thousand years as a jinni herself.
The Hugo Awards are among the most prestigious awards in science fiction and fantasy. The list of 2015 finalists was announced on 4 April. I must admit the feelings it evokes in me are mixed. An interesting article has been published on io9.com: “The Hugo Awards Were Always Political. But Now They’re Only Political.”
The Hugos now look more like political elections than literary awards – there are parties campaigning for their favorites and against one another. It’s no longer about choosing the best works of speculative fiction, but about making a statement, pushing an agenda.
To make a long story short, a group of people who were unhappy with the Hugo results launched a campaign called Sad Puppies 3 years ago. This is the Hugo slate they proposed this year. This campaign was surprisingly successful. Best Novel: 3 out of 5 books recommended by Sad Puppies made it to the list of 2015 Hugo Awards finalists. Best Novella: all 3 recommended novellas are on the list of finalists. Best Novelette: all 4 recommended by Sad Puppies made it. Et cetera, et cetera.
Sceptics argue that literary awards are always influenced by politics. True, but that doesn’t mean awards are meaningless. Look at the list of Hugo winners – you’ll find many science fiction masterpieces there (in chronological order): A Canticle for Leibowitz by Walter M. Miller, Jr., Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert A. Heinlein, The Man in the High Castle by Philip K. Dick, Dune by Frank Herbert, The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin, Neuromancer by William Gibson, Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card, Hyperion by Dan Simmons, to name just a few.
Now let’s take a look at the 2015 Hugo finalists in the Best Novel category.
This is the second novel in Leckie’s Imperial Radch space opera trilogy. Last year Ancillary Justice (the first book in the series) won an unprecedented number of awards: Hugo, Nebula, Arthur C. Clarke, BSFA, Locus, and Kitschies Golden Tentacle for best debut novel. Ancillary Sword just won the BSFA Award and was also nominated for the Nebula. It was not on the Sad Puppies list.
The first instalment of a space opera trilogy that continues The Saga of Seven Suns. Was on the Sad Puppies list.
Also nominated for the Nebula. High fantasy meets steampunk – a promising genre bender set in an original universe. It was not on the Sad Puppies list.
Another military space opera, a subgenre that seems to be appealing to the sci-fi fandom. Was on the Sad Puppies list.
Of note, 47North is a publishing company owned by Amazon. Some argue this is yet another nail Amazon wants to put in the coffin of the traditional publishing model. That would be a topic for another post.
Was on the Sad Puppies list.
Now that’s a surprise. For two decades urban fantasy received little attention from the sci-fi fandom. Jim Butcher never received any major awards, and was seldom nominated. The same holds true for Kelley Armstrong, Patricia Briggs, Laurell K. Hamilton, Charlaine Harris, Kim Harrison, and other best-selling urban fantasy authors. Charles de Lint and a few others (e.g. Seanan McGuire) seem to be an exception to this rule.
This year the wind turned: Jim Butcher was the guest of honor at the 66th British National Science Fiction Convention, Dysprosium, and now his latest addition to the hugely popular Dresden Files series is nominated for a Hugo. Does this mean that the fandom is ready to embrace urban fantasy – or at least admit that this genre has a role in the evolution of speculative fiction – or is this just a political game?
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Each month I will be analyzing science fiction and fantasy best seller and “best books of the month” lists.
In March three fantasy books made it to the New York Times best seller list (adult fiction, hardcover):
THE BURIED GIANT by Kazuo Ishiguro (Knopf). In a semi-historical ancient Britain, an elderly couple set out in search of their son. From the author of Never Let Me Go and the Booker Prize-winning The Remains of the Day.
TRIGGER WARNING by Neil Gaiman (Morrow/HarperCollins). Stories and poems about the power of imagination.
DEAD HEAT by Patricia Briggs (Ace). Charles and Anna, married werewolves, must stop a dangerous Fae whom they encounter during what begins as a pleasure trip; Book 4 of the Alpha and Omega series.
The Shadows: A Novel of the Black Dagger Brotherhood by J.R. Ward (NAL). Bloody war rages across the Forgotten Realms world in the third book of the Companions Codex, the latest series in R.A. Salvatore’s New York Times best-selling saga of dark elf Drizzt Do’Urden.
The Skull Throne (The Demon Cycle) by Peter V. Brett (Del Rey). The saga of humans winnowed to the brink of extinction by night-stalking demons.
A Blink of the Screen: Collected Shorter Fiction by Terry Pratchett (Doubleday). A collection of short fiction from Terry Pratchett, spanning the whole of his writing career from schooldays to Discworld and the present day.
Prudence (The Custard Protocol) by Gail Carriger (Orbit). Introducing the Custard Protocol series, in which Alexia Maccon’s daughter Prudence travels to India on behalf of Queen, country… and the perfect pot of tea.
Clash of Eagles (The Clash of Eagles Trilogy) by Alan Smale (Del Rey). This work of alternate history imagines a world in which the Roman Empire has not fallen and the North American continent has just been discovered.
Old Venus (Bantam). Sixteen all-new stories by science fiction’s top talents, collected by George R. R. Martin and Gardner Dozois.
Note: this is a selection, not the complete list.
Vision In Silver (Anne Bishop’s Others Series #3) by Anne Bishop (Penguin). The New York Times bestselling author of The Black Jewels Trilogy transports readers to a world of magic and political unrest – where the only chance at peace requires a deadly price.
A Darker Shade of Magic by V. E. Schwab (Tom Doherty Associates). Kell is one of the last Travelers-magicians with a rare, coveted ability to travel between parallel universes, connected by one magical city.
The Slow Regard of Silent Things by Patrick Rothfuss (DAW). In this book, Patrick Rothfuss brings us into the world of one of The Kingkiller Chronicle’s most enigmatic characters. Full of secrets and mysteries, this is the story of a broken girl trying to live in a broken world.
Golden Son (Red Rising Series #2) by Pierce Brown (Random House). By the New York Times bestselling author of Red Rising. Golden Son continues the saga of Darrow, a rebel forged by tragedy, battling to lead his oppressed people to freedom.
Madness in Solidar (Imager Portfolio Series #9) by L. E. Modesitt Jr. (Tom Doherty Associates). The ninth book in the Imager series.
Half the World by Joe Abercrombie (Random House). New York Times bestselling author of Half a King, Red Country and the First Law trilogy: The Blade Itself, Before They Are Hanged, and Last Argument of Kings.
Note: this is a selection, not the complete list.
