tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11303103.post135688427199200991..comments2024-03-20T03:12:56.498-05:00Comments on Lou Anders: Me & Mr. Mann: FF1 and SolarisLou Andershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00694362734492222851noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11303103.post-73618026805737177472007-04-18T14:05:00.000-05:002007-04-18T14:05:00.000-05:00I haven't read "Pol Pot's Beautiful Daughter" yet,...I haven't read "Pol Pot's Beautiful Daughter" yet, but Ryman's "The Unconquered Country" is one of my favorite novellas of all time. Utterly magnificent and brutal. I find myself invoking it in conversations about the uniquely powerful things SF&F can accomplish.<BR/><BR/>(Obviously, glad you are enjoying FF1)Lou Andershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00694362734492222851noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11303103.post-59489031486509189752007-04-18T13:43:00.000-05:002007-04-18T13:43:00.000-05:00I'm of the opinion that we've entered a new golden...I'm of the opinion that we've entered a new golden age of SF, and nearly every new book that comes my way provides further evidence of this.<BR/><BR/>I just finished reading Strahan's best of the year anthology (holy cow--"Pol Pot's Beautiful Daughter"! Having lived in Cambodia from 1999 to 2003, I have to say it might be the best representation of the country in fiction) and I'm about 3/4ths of the way through Fast Forward, and they made me happy to be a science fiction reader.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11303103.post-9019658792620085782007-04-18T10:57:00.000-05:002007-04-18T10:57:00.000-05:00Particularly important to me is the placement of t...Particularly important to me is the placement of the first, last, and (for some reason) third stories in the book. They are the scaffolding I hang the rest on. Once I lay that down, I try to mix according to various criteria (theme, length, tone, etc...) I pay a lot of attention to how stories follow each other, just like songs on a mix. Finally, you need to make sure your name authors are peppered throughout, that you haven't put all the women in a cluster (if you have fewer than the men - there's a subject!), that there are upbeat points amid the more dour ones, etc... It becomes a bit of a shell game as you refine it.Lou Andershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00694362734492222851noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11303103.post-46820015273630344912007-04-18T10:08:00.000-05:002007-04-18T10:08:00.000-05:00I'm one of those crazy people who reads anthologie...I'm one of those crazy people who reads anthologies in order. Mostly because if I don't, I'll never finish the book. :) Plus, I view anthologies like albums: while it's not always the case, there's a reason for the order, and sometimes the best way to experience the album/anthology is to read it from beginning to end. <BR/><BR/>But that's me. I'm kind of weird like that. :)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com