This one includes my “King Tales” series of little folktales involving kings of one sort or another…

That “T.A. Pratt” listed, btw, is Tim Pratt, who’s had a little nip-and-tuck operation on his name. No harm done, though–his gorkusa and his phlabupolagus are both still where they’ve always been.

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From the introduction to the New Weird anthology.

Jeff

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Great M.J. Harrison post about Lovecraft, in which he says Lovecraft starts out with the unfamiliar but ends with the familiar. More or less. Go read it.

And remember that his Nova Express Nova Swing is out this week from Bantam Spectra!

Jeff

Brazil is kicking the USA’s ass in World Cup women’s soccer/football, 4-0. All Hail Brazil. I’m a convert. I think Brazil is unstoppable.

JV

One of the more intriguing publications to enter the house recently is Murky Depths, a “quarterly anthology of graphically dark speculative fiction.” Featuring Richard Calder’s “Death and the Maiden” in serial comics form, Murky Depths also has fiction by Jon Courtenay Grimwood. What makes the publication different is that it features short stories alongside comics, with very sophisticated art. Essentially, Murky Depths is a hybrid antho of comics and fiction, with some pop culture features.

It is exactly the kind of prototype that I think will eventually be successful as a replacement for the staid and non-youth-friendly publications that have seen their subscription bases plummet in recent years. And it’ll happen not by publishing totally different sets of writers, but by doing things like combining comics and fiction, and having a dynamic design style.

Anyway, I highly suggest you get in on the ground floor and order a subscription because Murky’s at that early point in their development where a lot of reviewers get it and kinda go “What is this? A mag or an antho? A fiction mag or a graphic novel?” Every successful mutation encounters this kind of resistance at the beginning–that’s what lets you know it’s something a little different.

Terry Martin, the editor of Murky Depths, was kind enough to answer my questions via email…

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Jeff is feeling ill today, and thus, no posting for him.

Via Kelly Shaw, the welcome news that Virgin Books will release Conrad’s kick-ass The Unblemished, currently a finalist for the IHG Award, in spring of next year. This book is a brutal, raw, savage, and yet unbelievably beautifully written and thoughtful novel.

In any kind of brawl, this book would kick just about everything else’s ass, except, perhaps, the Illustrated History of Godzilla.

Jeff

Matt Staggs has convinced me to join Face Book. Facebook? Fa Cebook? Fac Ebook? I’m not quite sure. Anyway, my profile is here. And apparently there is a cult of Ambergrisians for the Original Inhabitants in Facebook, so I should be right at home.

Coming up soon: interviews with Paul Di Filippo, and many more.

Jeff

As reported on the Tachyon site, the contents for the New Weird anthology are set:

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Several people have emailed me asking who the mysterious publisher is who’s doing a limited of Shriek, as well as what mysterious publisher is doing Last Drink Bird Head. All will be revealed in October…

Jeff