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Month: April 2016

Read K. M. Ferebee’s “Tom, Thom” at Tor.com

Read K. M. Ferebee’s “Tom, Thom” at Tor.com

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Tom, Thom by K. M. Ferebee-smallI’m not familiar with K. M. Ferebee, but a quick visit to her website, The Conference of the Birds, tells me she’s published short stories in Shimmer, Fantasy Magazine, Strange Horizons, and Lady Churchill’s Rosebud Wristlet.

It was her recent appearance at Tor.com that really attracted my attention, however. “Tom, Thom” is a dark fantasy tale available free online.

Young Tom has always dreamed of wolves, which everyone knows don’t exist. One day he goes out for a log from the woodpile, and when he returns, there is another Tom, like him, but other. This dark and compelling tale from short fiction writer K. M. Ferebee will make you reconsider what may be lurking in the forest.

“Tom, Thom” was posted at Tor.com on February 3. It was edited by Liz Gorinsky, and illustrated by Rovina Cai. It’s available here.

We last covered Tor.com with A.M. Dellamonica’s epic fantasy “The Glass Galago.” For more free fiction, see all of our online magazine coverage here.”

Future Treasures: Masks and Shadows by Stephanie Burgis

Future Treasures: Masks and Shadows by Stephanie Burgis

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Masks and Shadows-smallStephanie Burgis is the author of the Kat, Incorrigible trilogy of Regency fantasy adventures for kids. Masks and Shadows, a tale of music, masquerades, and magic, is her first historical fantasy novel for adults, and it looks very promising indeed.

It’s getting some marvelous notices from writers I admire, including Aliette de Bodard (“Romance, music, and dark alchemy rise to a pitch-perfect ending”), Ellen Kushner (“Elegant and exciting… [it] delighted and enlightened me as much as it entertained”) and Kate Elliot (“Deftly told and hugely engaging… weaves together… a thrilling taste of love and politics, and the bitter threat of a deadly magic.”)

The year is 1779, and Carlo Morelli, the most renowned castrato singer in Europe, has been invited as an honored guest to Eszterháza Palace. With Carlo in Prince Nikolaus Esterházy’s carriage, ride a Prussian spy and one of the most notorious alchemists in the Habsburg Empire. Already at Eszterháza is Charlotte von Steinbeck, the very proper sister of Prince Nikolaus’s mistress. Charlotte has retreated to the countryside to mourn her husband’s death. Now, she must overcome the ingrained rules of her society in order to uncover the dangerous secrets lurking within the palace’s golden walls. Music, magic, and blackmail mingle in a plot to assassinate the Habsburg Emperor and Empress — a plot that can only be stopped if Carlo and Charlotte can see through the masks worn by everyone they meet.

Masks and Shadows will be published by Pyr on April 12, 2016. It is 300 pages, priced at $17 in trade paperback, and $9.99 for the digital edition.

The Wake by Paul Kingsnorth

The Wake by Paul Kingsnorth

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oie_41116gM9IFpIH                                                                                                             who is thu

                                                                                                             who is thu i can not cnaw

                                                                                                             what is angland to thu what is left of angland

                                                                                                             i specs i specs

                                                                                                             but no man lystens

                                                                                                                                                  from The Wake

For nearly four hundred pages Buccmaster of Holland, protagonist of Paul Kingsnorth’s The Wake, speaks — first warning against impending doom, then trying to rally his fellow Englishmen against their Norman conquerors, and always trying to explain and justify himself. Though most people he meets — his tenants, his family, even his fellow guerillas — don’t listen, I did.

Even though he speaks in an amalgam of Old and contemporary English, he speaks forcefully, and I listened to every word, every mad thought, every angry conversation with gods, and every poetic meditation on England. Numerous times I found myself speaking his words aloud, falling into a cadence at once alien and familiar. Alien because it’s an English stripped of nearly every non-Germanic accretion. Familiar because the author’s invented Saxon vernacular feels like it’s exposing some ancient rhythm that’s encoded into the very syntax and syllables of English. This is one of the most immersive and enthralling books I have ever read.

NOTE: Since readers here don’t have the benefit of the book’s glossary and pronunciation guide, I heartily recommend reading out loud the passages I’ve included in this review. Words that look odd will be immediately familiar when spoken aloud.

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In the Wake Of Sister Blue: Chapter Fourteen

In the Wake Of Sister Blue: Chapter Fourteen

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In The Wake of Sister Blue Mark Rigney-medium

Linked below, you’ll find the fourteenth installment of a brand-new serialized novel, In the Wake Of Sister Blue. The battle for the armory is the main order of business, followed by a benedictory aftermath. But wait, we’re not done yet! The final installment will follow in two weeks’ time, so stay tuned –– and for those who fear I’m writing a doorstop, be reassured. This will be Book One of a pair (but no, not an ongoing, endless cycle), and the Great Divide between the two is all but in reach.

A number of you will already be familiar with my Tales Of Gemen (“The Trade,” “The Find,” and “The Keystone“), and if you enjoyed those titles (or perhaps my unexpectedly popular D&D-related post, “Youth In a Box,”) I think you’ll also find much to like in this latest venture. Oh, and if you’re only now discovering this portal, may I suggest you begin at the beginning? The Spur awaits…

Read the first installment of In the Wake Of Sister Blue here.

Read the fourteenth and latest installment of In the Wake Of Sister Blue here.

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New Treasures: Unhooked by Lisa Maxwell

New Treasures: Unhooked by Lisa Maxwell

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Unhooked-smallLisa Maxwell is the author of Sweet Unrest and Gathering Deep. Her latest is an unusual retelling of Peter Pan…. or, if you prefer, an atmospheric fantasy novel about a kidnapped girl brought to an island inhabited by fairies, a roguish ship captain, and bloodthirsty beasts.

For as long as she can remember, Gwendolyn Allister has never had a place to call home. Her mother believes they are being hunted by brutal monsters, and those delusions have brought them to London, far from the life Gwen had finally started to build for herself. Gwen’s only saving grace is that her best friend, Olivia, is with her for the summer.

But shortly after their arrival, the girls are kidnapped by shadowy creatures and dragged to a world of flesh-eating sea hags and dangerous Fey. And Gwen begins to realize that maybe her mother isn’t so crazy after all…

Gwen discovers that this new world she inhabits is called Neverland, but it’s nothing like the Neverland you’ve heard about in stories. Here, good and evil lose their meaning and memories slip like water through your fingers. As Gwen struggles to remember where she came from and tries to find a way home, she must choose between trusting the charming fairy-tale hero who says all the right things and the captivating pirate who promises to keep her safe.

Caught in the ultimate battle between good and evil, with time running out and her enemies closing in, Gwen is forced to finally face the truths she’s been hiding from all along. But can she save Neverland without losing herself?

Unhooked was published by Simon Pulse on February 2, 2016. It is 352 pages, priced at $17.99 in hardcover and $11.99 in digital format.

The Public Life of Sherlock Holmes: Ronald Howard Dons the Deerstalker

The Public Life of Sherlock Holmes: Ronald Howard Dons the Deerstalker

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RonHoward2SmileArthur Wontner was the first great screen Holmes of the sound era, followed by Basil Rathbone. Wontner was 56 when he first donned the deerstalker and looked older. Rathbone was 54 for his last Holmes film, though he came across as younger.

I’ve already written a post here at Black Gate (Go ahead: read that before continuing on with this one. You know you want to…) on Ronald Howard’s under-appreciated performance as Holmes in Sheldon Reynolds’ television series, which was filmed in France. Howard, son of British actor Leslie Howard (familiar to Bogart fans), was 36 and portrayed a much younger Holmes than the previous standards. His Watson, H. Marion Crawford, was less of a doofus than we’d seen from Nigel Bruce (Rathbone) and Ian Fleming and Ian Hunter (Wontner).

It’s Elementary – Rathbone was not impressed with his successor: “All I can say is, I think he’s too young for the role. I never thought of Holmes being so young…”

While the scripts often left something to be desired, Howard and Crawford gave fresh performances in the 39 episodes they filmed. The first two, while self-supporting, actually formed a two-parter, by design.

The second episode, The Case of Lady Beryl, took place immediately after the conclusion of the first, The Case of the Cunningham Heritage. Reynolds was a savvy operator and he was hedging his bets. If the pilot episode failed to sell, he could splice the two together and sell it as a filler movie. However, the series was picked up and the two episodes aired in back-to-back weeks in October of 1954 on NBC stations in America. Today, we’re going to look at those two episodes.

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Things Your Writing Teacher Never Told You: The Multiple Personalities of Omniscient 3rd Person: Spotlight on “Reporter”

Things Your Writing Teacher Never Told You: The Multiple Personalities of Omniscient 3rd Person: Spotlight on “Reporter”

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Seeing Eye

This is part 7 in the Choosing Your Narrative Point of View Series

There are multiple variations of 3rd Person Omniscient that don’t appear to have industry-wide agreed-upon names. They’re generally just lumped together under “Mixed Viewpoints.” But used effectively, they’re not just a hodgepodge. They have rules, too, that if learned, can help you focus your story and make it the most powerful piece of writing possible.

I’ve broken several of them out and given them descriptive names to make their uses, purposes, limitations, and parameters easier to understand. All of these are, at base, 3rd Person Omniscient. They use a multiple point of view technique that will leap from one character to another and sometimes beyond, to objects, weather fronts, animals, houses, and non-corporeal entities from ghosts to Justice to Death.

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Vintage Treasures: Moons of Triopus by John Rankine

Vintage Treasures: Moons of Triopus by John Rankine

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Moons of Triopus-small Moons of Triopus-back-small

One of the reasons I like to buy collections is that they frequently come with books I’m not looking for. Like this copy of John Rankine’s 1969 paperback Moons of Triopus, with its trippy Richard Powers cover.

I didn’t need to tell you I wasn’t looking for this book. No one on Earth is looking for this book. If there’s a forgotten novel in the canon of 20th Century science fiction, it’s John Rankine’s Moons of Triopus. No one is looking for John Rankine, either. He never existed. ISFDB tells me “John Rankine” was a pseudonym for David R. Mason, the British writer who wrote a zillion SF novels between 1966 and 2003. Has anyone out there read Moons of Triopus? Anyone other than Rich Horton, I mean.

Well, it doesn’t matter. The book is in my hands, so it’s my responsibility now. If Black Gate has a purpose, it’s to explore strange new worlds and seek out neglected SF and fantasy books. My duty is clear; I have to give it a try. The description on the back talks about newly found planets, constant danger, colonists, ominous answers, and “the fate of the galaxy!” Doesn’t sound too bad. Wish me luck.

Moons of Triopus was published by Paperback Library in November 1969. It is 157 pages, priced at 60 cents. The cover is by Richard Powers. It was out of print for 44 years, until it was released in digital format by Golden Apple in October 2013. I got my copy as part of a lot of 42 books I bought on eBay for $9.50. Turned out to be a good deal.

March 2016 Nightmare Magazine Now on Sale

March 2016 Nightmare Magazine Now on Sale

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Nightmare Magazine March 2016-smallThe contents of the March issue of online magazine Nightmare are now fully available at the magazine’s wesbite. This issue contains original short stories from John Skipp and Sandra McDonald, and reprints from Nancy Holder and Charles L. Grant.

Original Stories

“Bringing Out the Demons” by John Skipp
I pull up in front of Stanley’s four-story Los Feliz apartment building at 2:57 ayem Angie and Jack are already out front: Angie pacing, a furious smoke in her hand. Jack smiles thinly, salutes as I block the grade school playground driveway next door (the only available parking left), leaving enough room for the back doors of Jack’s van to load in if need be.

“The Modern Ladies’ Letter-Writer” by Sandra McDonald
Dear Susie: There are customary ways to begin a letter and end it, to address the envelope and set it to post. We have delivered to you (while you slept so prettily, your pale face a serene oval in the moonlight) this polite and improving manual of letters for the Fair Sex. We know you will be grateful. Do be aware that some correspondences may involve vows of fealty, freshly spilled blood, supernatural appeals to divine beings, and sacrifices of unusual scope. A modern lady avoids squeamishness about such matters.

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Deep Space Scavengers, Pirates, and a Space Witch: Rich Horton on Great Science Fiction Adventures

Deep Space Scavengers, Pirates, and a Space Witch: Rich Horton on Great Science Fiction Adventures

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Science Fiction Adventures December 1956 Science Fiction Adventures January 1958-small Science Fiction Adventures June 1958-small

Over at his personal blog Strange at Ecbatan, Rich Horton takes a look at the 1963 anthology Great Science Fiction Adventures, which collects three novellas and a novelette, all from the late-50s magazine Science Fiction Adventures. The stories are:

“The Starcombers” by Edmond Hamilton (December 1956, above left; cover by Emsh)
“Hunt the Space-Witch!” by Robert Silverberg (as Ivar Jorgenson; January 1958, above middle; cover by John Schoenherr)
“The Man from the Big Dark” by John Brunner (June 1958, above right; cover by Emsh)
“The World Otalmi Made” by Harry Harrison (June 1958, above right; cover by Emsh)

Coincidentally, the January 1958 issue also includes the novella “One Against Herculum,” by Jerry Sohl, which was eventually included in Ace Double #D-381 in 1959, paired with Secret of the Lost Race by Andre Norton (which we covered here.)

Not too surprisingly, of the stories in the anthology, Rich prefers the Brunner.

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