Urban Fantasy Book Cover Parade

Thanks to Cyril van der Haegen for pointing this out:

ImagiCon 2010

Likes like I'll be a guest of Imagicon 2010, joining names like authors Timothy Zahn and JF Lewis, artist guest of honor Larry Elmore, and celebrity guests Michael Hogan, Gil Gerard, and Erin Gray, among many others. The convention is being held at the McWane Science Center in Birmingham, Alabama May 21-23rd.

The Cosmic Balance (i.e. my ego) is Tilted!!

Another review for the The Clockwork Jungle Book, Shimmer magazine's 11th issue, which contains my story, "And How His Audit Stands."

This time, the Mad Hatter Bookshelf and Book Review says:

"Anders surprised me with one of the most well thought-out and adventurous stories in the bunch yet the animal theme is a bit lost. He somehow gives a new life to trains with great Western style flair. I recently learned that Mike Resnick upcoming Steampunk themed series Weird West was initially Lou's idea. I now understand where Lou gestated the thought."

So, two up, one down. And now, the cosmic balance is in jeopardy.

Also, I should point out that I merely suggested to Mike Resnick that he would do well at Weird West/ Steampunk. The story that resulted is entirely his.

Don't Tell Me There's Nothing to Read...

"Kay Kenyon's The Entire and the Rose is one of the very best ongoing science fiction series on the market today. A rich, vivid environment; complex and multilayered storytelling; genuine and interesting characters; brilliant execution; that's The Entire and the Rose in a nutshell....  Prince of Storms is the perfect conclusion to what could well be one of the most ambitious and fascinating ongoing scifi series out there. Highly recommended. . ." Pat's Fantasy Hotlist

"This Crooked Way is an entertaining and exciting novel. This is a must read for those who enjoy Enge’s stories.... Actually, this is a must read for those who enjoy adventure fantasy. Imaginative, witty and surprising." Adventures of a Fantasy Writer

"I found Diving into the Wreck to be an exciting and thoroughly enjoyable read. For me my favourite part was pealing away the layers of Boss's personality. If you enjoy a strong, complex heroine and an exciting plot, then this is definitely the book for you. I will certainly be checking out Rusch's back catalogue. I also absolutely love the cover too. " Book Chick City

"The Silver Skull is a full and satisfying reading experience that leaves one satiated while extremely eager to discover what’s in store for Will Swyfte and England in the rest of the Swords of Albion series." Rob Will Review

The Cosmic Balance (i.e. my ego) is Maintained!!

Reviews are starting to come in for the The Clockwork Jungle Book, Shimmer magazine's 11th issue, an issue of steampunk-toned, anthropomorphic fables. The issue has 172 pages of stories, included among them my own "And How His Audit Stands."

Of which Sam Tomaino, of SFRevu, says:

...makes for a fine story and a truly imaginative one.

But contrast this with Lois Tilton over at The Internet Review of Science Fiction, who writes:

Here, the animal aspect is downplayed to insignificance, despite aphorisms from a fable scattered through the text; the punchline of this, annoyingly, doesn't come at the conclusion as a punchline should, and the actual concluding moral is moralistic.

So, one up, one down. Thus, the cosmic balance is maintained. The universe is safe--for the time being!

(Although I could see a case for Rich Horton's listing of my name under "other good work came from" sufficient praise to start tipping the scales towards megalomania... mwa ha ha...)

In all seriousness, the 18 other contributors are the real reason to check out this issue. Last Short Story writes, "This entire anthology is full of beautiful, fascinating stories. ....the tone was consistent and the stories engaging and well written. Definitely grab a copy! "

Vernor Vinge on Superhuman Intelligence: Extended Interview

Via SF Signal:

Games and the Female Audience

This is brilliant, interesting, and might also have relevance for SF&F publishing:

Got Chadbourn?

If you haven't yet read Mark Chadbourn, here's some added incentive.
His novel The Silver Skull (Swords of Albion) appeared in the Best of the Year lists of Locus magazine critic Paul Witcover, SteveReads, Fantasy Book Critic Cindy’s best of 2009 list, and Fantasyliterature.com.

Meanwhile, the Age of Misrule trilogy was called out in the Best of 2009 lists of Rob Will Review, Fantasy Book Critic Cindy’s list, and Nethspace. Not bad, no?

Cyberabad Days Nominated for 2009 Philip K. Dick Award

The judges of the 2009 Philip K, Dick Award have announced the list of nominees, and I am really excited to learn that Ian McDonald's Cyberabad Days made the list! Here's the press release!

For Immediate Release:

 2009 Philip K. Dick Award Nominees Announced

The judges of the 2009 Philip K. Dick Award and the Philadelphia SF Society, along with the Philip K. Dick Trust, are pleased to announce seven nominated works that comprise the final ballot for the award:

BITTER ANGELS by C. L. Anderson (Ballantine Books/Spectra)
THE PRISONER by Carlos J. Cortes (Ballantine Books/Spectra)
THE REPOSSESSION MAMBO by Eric Garcia (Harper)
THE DEVIL’S ALPHABET by Daryl Gregory (Del Rey)
CYBERABAD DAYS by Ian McDonald (Pyr)
CENTURIES AGO AND VERY FAST by Rebecca Ore (Aqueduct Press)
PROPHETS by S. Andrew Swann (DAW Books)


First prize and any special citations will be announced on Friday, April 2, 2010 at Norwescon 33 at the Doubletree Seattle Airport Hotel, SeaTac, Washington.

The Philip K. Dick Award is presented annually with the support of the Philip K. Dick Trust for distinguished science fiction published in paperback original form in the United States.  The award is sponsored by the Philadelphia Science Fiction Society and the Philip K. Dick Trust and the award ceremony is sponsored by the NorthWest Science Fiction Society.  Last year’s winners were EMISSARIES FROM THE DEAD by Adam-Troy Castro (Eos Books) and TERMINAL MIND by David Walton (Meadowhawk Press).  The 2009 judges are Daniel Abraham (chair), Eileen Gunn, Karen Hellekson, Elaine Isaak, and Marc Laidlaw.

For more information, contact the award administration:
David G. Hartwell (914) 769-5545.

Gordon Van Gelder (201) 876-2551

For more information about the Philadelphia Science Fiction Society, http://www.psfs.org/: 

Contact Gary Feldbaum (215) 665-5752

For more information about the Philip K. Dick Trust: www.philipkdick.com

For more information about Norwescon:  http://www.norwescon.org/
Contact NorthWest SF Society: (425) 686-9737

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Superman - Atari 2600

God, I played this for a million hours. At the time I thought it was revolutionary. At the time, it was.

Super Cycle

Via Chris Roberson, and built by Massow Concept Cycles, "Jaguar: The Leaper," also called "NightShadow."

Good Cause: Comic Creator's Alliance

They say:

Monday, January 11th is National Human Trafficking Awareness Day. To participate, we formed the Comic Creator's Alliance--a group of over eighty comic book creators (both web and print) who volunteered our artistic talents to raise money and awareness for this cause. You may not know it, but there are currently 27 million enslaved people worldwide- more than double the number of enslaved Africans during the trans-Atlantic slave trade. UNICEF estimates that 1.2 million children every year are sold into slavery, most of it sexual. The US Department of Justice estimates 16,000 victims of human trafficking are brought into the United States every year. Unlike slavery in the 19th century, what is happening today is happening in secret. So it won't end until awareness is raised, and people like you and me take a stand.

 

So here's what we did: each creator contributed an original drawing of one of our own female characters, and combined them into a single wallpaper image. The wallpaper features characters from The Phoenix Requiem, Girls with Slingshots, Earthsong, Looking for Group, Shadowgirls, Marsh Rocket, The Uniques and three IDW Publishing titles: Fallen Angel, The Dreamland Chronicles and The Dreamer, and lots, lots more!  Donate today to download this unique, once-in-a-lifetime wallpaper. The Donations Drive will last for two weeks, from January 11th - 24th. All proceeds will be split evenly between Love146 and Gracehaven House- two organizations working on rehabilitation of victims and prevention of this crime.

 

To learn more about the Comic Creator's Alliance visit www.comicalliance.weebly.com.  To learn more about the problem, visit http://love146.org/slavery. (Note: contains adult themes and actual accounts of sex slavery.)

 

How I Spent My Weekend...

The long overdue overhaul of LouAnders.com is now live. Check it out.

Big thanks to John Picacio for the banner and my wife for the tech support!

Podcast: Lou Anders & Kristine Kathryn Rusch

Double your podcast pleasure this morning.

I'm on The Agony Column, talking to the brilliant Rick Kleffel about fantasy (the return of sword & sorcery), trends in science fiction (will sword & planet return?), ebooks and eReaders, Sam Sykes, Ari Marmell, the future of artwork in a digital book world, and the rumored Apple tablet. You can download on iTunes or go to the direct link.

Meanwhile, The Dragon Page Cover to Cover episode #390A has an interview with Kristine Kathryn Rusch, talking about her new space opera, Diving into the Wreck. Again, iTunes or follow the link above to the embedded player.

That's enough listening for one morning, surely.

Is Rachel Rosen Really an Android?

My review of musician John Anealio's new CD, Sci Fi Songs, is up at Tor.com.

In short, I loved it and want a sequel CD.

Also, I can't get this out of my head...

Is Rachel Rosen really an android
Can Rachel Rosen really be alive
Is Rachel Rosen really an android
Can Rachel Rosen really be alive

Books I Edited in 2009

So, it's that time of year again....

Here is the list of all the books on which I served as editor (and art director) in my capacity as Editorial Director at Pyr books for 2009.

Chris Roberson, End of the Century
Kay Kenyon, A World Too Near (Book Two of The Entire and the Rose) (paperback after hc)
Kay Kenyon, City Without End (Book Three of The Entire and the Rose)
Ian McDonald, Cyberabad Days
Tom Lloyd, The Twilight Herald (The Twilight Reign 2)
Matthew Sturges, Midwinter
Ian McDonald, Brasyl (paperback after hc)
James Enge, Blood of Ambrose
Joel Shepherd, Crossover (mass market after trade paperback)
Sean Williams, The Hanging Mountains (3) (paperback after hardcover)
Mark Chadbourn, World’s End (Age of Misrule 1)
Joel Shepherd, Breakaway (mass market after trade paperback)
Mark Chadbourn, Darkest Hour (Age of Misrule 2)
Joel Shepherd, Killswitch (mass market after trade paperback)
Ian McDonald, Desolation Road (reprint)
Mark Chadbourn, Always Forever (Age of Misrule 2)
Mike Resnick, Stalking the Dragon (A Fable of Tonight 3)
Justina Robson’s Chasing the Dragon (Quantum Gravity 4)
Tom Lloyd, The Grave Thief (The Twilight Reign 3)
Paul McAuley, The Quiet War
James Barclay, Dawnthief (Chronicles of the Raven 1)
Joel Shepherd, Sasha (A Trial of Blood & Steel 1)
James Enge, A Crooked Way
James Barclay, Noonshade (Chronicles of the Raven 2)
Mark Chadbourn, The Silver Skull (The Sword of Albion)
Kristine Kathryn Rusch, Diving into the Wreck
James Barclay, Nightchild (Chronicles of the Raven 3)
Mike Resnick, Starship: Flagship (Starship 5)

What a year it's been. I'm proud of every damn one of them, and all my fabulous authors and artists! Thank you all.