Well, we’ve completed our first week over at Weirdfictionreview.com and Ann has some thoughts in her editorial. I’d say it was an unqualified success, as noted in this post by Ann. If you haven’t checked out this source for all things weird, take a look. Luis Rodrigues, who build this blog, did a great job with it—love the image slider. The site has a donation button, which is important.

Ann’s editorial goes into what’s planned for next week. All I have to add is that before the end of the year you’ll see more on international weird over there, more translations, interviews with the likes of Liz Williams, Michal Ajvaz, Tanith Lee, Lucius Shepard, and Gio Clairval, some great old classic weird articles, a 101 Weird Writers ongoing feature, the continuation of Leah Thomas’s webcomic, and some other cool stuff we can’t mention yet.

Also, of course, the site supports the launch of our The Weird: A Compendium of Strange & Dark Stories from Atlantic/Corvus, with media coverage beginning for the most part next week. You can check out the contents and all 116 first lines here and here.

Who Fears Death by Nnedi Okorafor has won the World Fantasy Award–I’ve posted a profile of her and the book, along with a list of the other winners at Omnivoracious.

Today the CBS Morning Show did a feature on Steampunk hosted by Mo Rocca. It focused on a steampunk convention and featured, among others, Jake von Slatt. The piece also nicely spotlighted the Steampunk Bible, showcasing several pages from the book. It’s not online yet, but you can go to the preview page for links to the material featured in the bit (scroll down).

You can also visit the Steampunk Bible site for S.J. Chambers’ reportage on her European tour for the book.

Ann and I did a podcast about Odd?, the Lambshead Cabinet, and The Weird for Functional Nerds. I babbled on a bit, but it still turned out good. We talk about process, labels, doing so many projects, transmedia, etc.

Congratulations to Jennifer Brozek, the winner of the ODD? antho contest on SF Signal. Her true-life story will be included in ODD? #2 and she receives a three-issue e-book subscription to ODD. The two runner-ups, Ryan Lindsay and Weird Vision, also receive a free subscription.

By now, if you read this blog, you have a good sense of our new anthology series ODD?, we hope. Fiction that falls between classifications. New translations of stories from the past century. New fiction from great new writers. Targeted reprints that cut across false mainstream and genre lines, many of them from out-of-print or rare sources. Tending toward the surreal, the darkly fantastical. Where else can you get Amos Tutuola side-by-side with Jeffrey Ford, Caitlin R. Kiernan and Leena Krohn, Rikki Ducornet and Hiromi Goto?

Want to come along with us on a wild and exciting journey? Now’s the time to sign up. Support the kind of literature you love. Make sure it’s nourished, so it can flourish. All the details for subscriptions and more can be found below. We will also roll out a new website soon.

—Ann and Jeff VanderMeer

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By now, if you read this blog, you have a good sense of our new anthology series ODD?, I hope. Fiction that falls between classifications. New translations of stories from the past century. New fiction from great new writers. Targeted reprints that cut across false mainstream and genre lines, many of them from out-of-print or rare sources. Tending toward the surreal, the darkly fantastical. Where else can you get Amos Tutuola side-by-side with Jeffrey Ford, Caitlin R. Kiernan and Leena Krohn, Rikki Ducornet and Hiromi Goto?

Below you’ll find all the information you need to make up your mind. Want to come along with us on a wild and exciting journey? Want to be there from the beginning and see it grow? Now’s the time to sign up. Support the kind of literature you love. Make sure it’s nourished, so it can flourish.

Going forward, you can also help us by embedded or linking to the video above.

—Ann and Jeff VanderMeer

****

Each volume of ODD? will contain surreal, weird, fantastical, strange reprints (some of them not available otherwise except in expensive limited editions), previously unpublished stories, and new translations of classic and hard-to-find stories. This first volume features, among others, Amos Tutuola, Nalo Hopkinson, Jeffrey Ford, Rikki Ducornet, Caitlin R. Kiernan, Hiromi Goto, Stacey Levine, and Jeffrey Thomas—with new translations by Gio Clairval, Larry Nolen, and Brian Evenson of such classic writers as Gustave Le Rouge, Leopoldo Lugones, and Karl Hans Strobl as well as a brand-new story by Leena Krohn! (Full table of contents here.)

The print versions will appear at the same time as the next e-book installment–i.e., ODD? Vol 1 will appear in print at the same time as the e-book of Vol 2. Every year starting in 2012, we will publish two volumes.

You can subscribe now and be assured of receiving each volume at a reduced price. It’s a chance to support a cool new project that brings you fiction from writers from around the world.

—For the 3 initial volumes in e-book form, $19.00 (regularly $21)
—For all 3 initial volumes in trade paperback form, $42 (regularly $45)
—For the next two volumes in e-book form and all three in trade paperback form, $51 (regularly $59)

—Shipping and handling within the US is included free for print volumes; outside of the US please add $25

Or, become one of our valued “Oddkins” for $65 and receive the e-book and trade paperback versions *plus* all kinds of…odd and unique extras…with the delivery of your trade paperbacks. (US only offer: Extend it now to an additional year for only $110 total.)

—Oddkins living outside of the US alas must add $30 to cover shipping.

A “Super Oddkin” at $275 receives every volume until we die or the series is discontinued (this $275 value is guaranteed with books of equal value written or edited by us should ODD? end early) For those outside of the US, a Super Oddkin status is $400.

—You may designate different delivery email/addresses for the print versus ebook versions if ordering both; i.e., give one version as a gift.

Send a check made out to “Jeff VanderMeer” to POB 4248, Tallahassee, FL 32315, or paypal to vanderworld@hotmail.com - you must confirm via email before October 22 that you plan to take advantage of this offer.

Thus far, the response to our call for subscribers, Oddkins, and Super Oddkins for our new ODD? anthology series has been great! In fact, it’s been good enough that we’re extending our special discounts, listed below, through October 21. We have a real chance to provide stability for this series now, at its inception—thanks so much for your support of unique and exciting fiction.

You can also help us by embedded or linking to the video above and to this post so others can take advantage of this offer.

In other news, ODD will help to bolster content and discussion on our forthcoming weirdfictionreview.com site and check out the cool Greg Bossert backdrop for the forthcoming Cheeky Frawg/ODD website, coming soon:

—Ann and Jeff VanderMeer

****

Each volume of ODD? will contain surreal, weird, fantastical, strange reprints (some of them not available otherwise except in expensive limited editions), previously unpublished stories, and new translations of classic and hard-to-find stories. This first volume features, among others, Amos Tutuola, Nalo Hopkinson, Jeffrey Ford, Rikki Ducornet, Caitlin R. Kiernan, Hiromi Goto, Stacey Levine, and Jeffrey Thomas—with new translations by Gio Clairval, Larry Nolen, and Brian Evenson of such classic writers as Gustave Le Rouge, Leopoldo Lugones, and Karl Hans Strobl as well as a brand-new story by Leena Krohn! (Full table of contents here.)

The print versions will appear at the same time as the next e-book installment–i.e., ODD? Vol 1 will appear in print at the same time as the e-book of Vol 2. Every year starting in 2012, we will publish two volumes.

You can subscribe now and be assured of receiving each volume at a reduced price. It’s a chance to support a cool new project that brings you fiction from writers from around the world.

—For the 3 initial volumes in e-book form, $19.00 (regularly $21)
—For all 3 initial volumes in trade paperback form, $42 (regularly $45)
—For the next two volumes in e-book form and all three in trade paperback form, $51 (regularly $59)

—Shipping and handling within the US is included free for print volumes; outside of the US please add $25

Or, become one of our valued “Oddkins” for $65 and receive the e-book and trade paperback versions *plus* all kinds of…odd and unique extras…with the delivery of your trade paperbacks. (US only offer: Extend it now to an additional year for only $110 total.)

—Oddkins living outside of the US alas must add $30 to cover shipping.

A “Super Oddkin” at $275 receives every volume until we die or the series is discontinued (this $275 value is guaranteed with books of equal value written or edited by us should ODD? end early) For those outside of the US, a Super Oddkin status is $400.

—You may designate different delivery email/addresses for the print versus ebook versions if ordering both; i.e., give one version as a gift.

Send a check made out to “Jeff VanderMeer” to POB 4248, Tallahassee, FL 32315, or paypal to vanderworld@hotmail.com - you must confirm via email before October 22 that you plan to take advantage of this offer.

(Myster Odd based on a character created by Jeremy Zerfoss. Music by Danny Fontaine; lyrics by Jeff VanderMeer and Danny Fontaine.)

WHAT IS ODD?

Announcing the release of the unique new fiction anthology ODD?, which asks the question “Is it odd, or are you too normal?” A mix of originals, new translations, and reprints (many of them hard-to-find) that qualify as “strange fiction”, some of it surreal, some horrific, some fantastical, and all of it…odd. (Unless it’s just because you’re too normal.)

—Featuring, among others, Amos Tutuola, Nalo Hopkinson, Jeffrey Ford, Rikki Ducornet, Caitlin R. Kiernan, Hiromi Goto, Stacey Levine, and Jeffrey Thomas—with new translations by Gio Clairval, Larry Nolen, and Brian Evenson of such classic writers as Gustave Le Rouge, Leopoldo Lugones, and Karl Hans Strobl as well as a brand-new story by Leena Krohn! (Full table of contents below the cut.)

—Brought to you by Ann & Jeff VanderMeer, the team behind such anthos as The New Weird, Steampunk Reloaded, Last Drink Bird Head, The Thackery T. Lambshead Cabinet of Curiosities, The Weird: A Compendium of Strange and Dark Stories, and the Best American Fantasy series.

WHERE CAN I BUY IT?

In addition to Amazon in Germany, France, and the UK, you can buy ODD? at:
—Amazon.com
—B&N
—Weightless Books
—Wizard’s Tower

WHERE CAN I SUBSCRIBE?

You can subscribe now and be assured of receiving each volume at a reduced price. It’s a chance to support a cool new project that brings you fiction from writers from around the world.

—For the 3 initial volumes in e-book form, $19.00 (regularly $21)
—For all 3 initial volumes in trade paperback form, $42 (regularly $45)
—For the next two volumes in e-book form and all three in trade paperback form, $51 (regularly $59)

—Shipping and handling within the US is included free for print volumes; outside of the US please add $25

(The print versions will appear at the same time as the next e-book installment–i.e., ODD? Vol 1 will appear in print at the same time as the e-book of Vol 2. Every year starting in 2012, we will publish two volumes.)

Or, become one of our valued “Oddkins” for $65 and receive the e-book and trade paperback versions *plus* all kinds of…odd and unique extras…with the delivery of your trade paperbacks. (US only offer: Extend it now to an additional year for only $110 total.)

—Oddkins living outside of the US alas must add $30 to cover shipping.

A “Super Oddkin” at $275 receives every volume until we die or the series is discontinued (this $275 value is guaranteed with books of equal value written or edited by us should ODD? end early) For those outside of the US, a Super Oddkin status is $400.

—You may designate different delivery email/addresses for the print versus ebook versions if ordering both; i.e., give one version as a gift.

Send a check made out to “Jeff VanderMeer” to POB 4248, Tallahassee, FL 32315, or paypal to vanderworld@hotmail.com - you must confirm via email before October 22 that you plan to take advantage of this offer.

WHAT’S WITH THE COOL VIDEO?!

The video featured above is a unique short film by Greg Bossert celebrating ODD? Bossert, based just over the Golden Gate Bridge from San Francisco. has done research and design for feature films—including the Neil Gaiman/Roger Avary adaptation of Beowulf and Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland—and worked on creating visuals and sounds for independent films, including the One Minute Weird Tales video series. His stories have appeared in Asimov’s Science Fiction and ESLI Magazine. Find out more at Sudden Sound and his website.

WHAT THE HECK IS A CHEEKY FRAWG?

Cheeky Frawg specializes in quality, self-aware e-books. We hand-craft every e-book on a letterpress using only the best, most perfectly formed 00000s and 111111s. Our e-binding is hand-rolled by former Cuban cigar makers, our interiors are lovingly formatted by Neil Clarke, and our covers, unique back covers, and wallpapers are designed by the Las Vegas Madman, artist Jeremy Zerfoss. Cheeky Frawg is a joint production of Ann and jeff VanderMeer. Join us on facebook!

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As you know, it’s an uncertain time for the publishing industry, and everyone is experimenting with new models for delivering content and paying creators. In our case, we think it’s the perfect time to launch a new anthology series devoted to eclectic fiction, usually with a fantastical, magic realist, weird, or surrealist approach. You might call it…odd. At least, we are, with ODD?, “Is it odd or are you too normal,” the e-book anthology that we will be launching late this week.

Each volume of ODD? will contain reprints (some of them not available otherwise except in expensive limited editions), previously unpublished stories, and new translations of classic and hard-to-find stories. This first volume will be accompanied by a professionally produced short film featuring an original song.

The print versions will appear at the same time as the next e-book installment–i.e., ODD? Vol 1 will appear in print at the same time as the e-book of Vol 2. Every year starting in 2012, we will publish two volumes.

You can subscribe now and be assured of receiving each volume at a reduced price. It’s a chance to support a cool new project that brings you fiction from writers from around the world.

—For the 3 initial volumes in e-book form, $19.00 (regularly $21)
—For all 3 initial volumes in trade paperback form, $42 (regularly $45)
—For the next two volumes in e-book form and all three in trade paperback form, $51 (regularly $59)

—Shipping and handling within the US is included free for print volumes; outside of the US please add $25

Or, become one of our valued “Oddkins” for $65 and receive the e-book and trade paperback versions *plus* all kinds of…odd and unique extras…with the delivery of your trade paperbacks. (US only offer: Extend it now to an additional year for only $110 total.)

—Oddkins living outside of the US alas must add $30 to cover shipping.

A “Super Oddkin” at $275 receives every volume until we die or the series is discontinued (this $275 value is guaranteed with books of equal value should ODD? end early) For those outside of the US, a Super Oddkin status is $400.

—You may designate different delivery email/addresses for the print versus ebook versions if ordering both; i.e., give one version as a gift.

Send a check made out to “Jeff VanderMeer” to POB 4248, Tallahassee, FL 32315, or paypal to vanderworld@hotmail.com - you must confirm via email before Friday of this week that you plan to take advantage of this offer.
Below the cut you’ll find a sneak peek in the form of sample lines from each story…

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Ann and I are proud to announce our latest release, and the first of many Cheeky Frawg titles not by us: Amal El-Mohtar’s The Honey Month! We’ve added it to the temporary Cheeky Frawg website (new site coming soon), and updated the information on our other books.

You can buy The Honey Month at:

Weightless Books
Amazon.com
Amazon.co.uk
Barnes & Noble

For the print version visit the publisher’s website.

Amal El-Mohtar’s The Honey Month, with an introduction by Danielle Sucher, ranks among the year’s most exquisite treasures. This beautiful volume of short fictions and poems takes as its inspiration the author’s tasting of 28 different kinds of honey, one per day. Each tasting leads to a different literary creation, each entry beginning with a description of the honey in terms that will be familiar to wine connoisseurs: “Day 3–Sag Harbor, NY, Early Spring Honey,” which has a color “pale and clear as snowmelt” and the smell “cool sugar crystals,” but also brings to mind “a stingless jellyfish I once held in my hand in Oman.” The taste? “…like the end of winter…[when] you can still see clumps of snow on the ground and the air is heavy with damp…” The differences between the types of honey allow El-Mohtar to move back and forth between the poetic and the more casually contemporary, with the experiment of the tasting as the unifying structure. A perfect gift, a hidden treasure, a delight for the senses.

Amal El-Mohtar is an Ottawa-born child of the Mediterranean, currently pursuing a PhD in English literature at the Cornwall campus of the University of Exeter. She has been nominated for the Nebula award, and is a two-time winner of the Rhysling award for Best Short Poem. Her work has appeared in a range of publications both online and in print, including Weird Tales, Strange Horizons, Shimmer, Cabinet des Fées, Sybil’s Garage, Mythic Delirium, and Ideomancer, as well as in the anthologies Welcome to Bordertown and The Thackery T. Lambshead Cabinet of Curiosities. She also co-edits Goblin Fruit, an online quarterly dedicated to fantastical poetry, with Jessica P. Wick.