Works I Edited and Art Directed in 2012

Here, for your enjoyment and edification, is a list of all the Pyr novels published in 2012 for which I served as editorial director, editor, and art director. Also included is a list of each work's respective cover artist. Please don't forget to carefully consider illustration and illustrators when you are voting in the various awards and best of the year polls. Our illustrators are an incredible and unique asset of science fiction and fantasy publishing and we should celebrate them. ASFA members please also consider these works when it comes time to nominate for the Chesley Awards.

January

Mark Hodder, (Burton & Swinburne in) Expedition to the Mountains of the Moon
Art by Jon Sullivan


Kristine Kathryn Rusch, Boneyards
Art by Dave Seeley

• 2012 Endeavor Award, winner

February

Ian McDonald, The Dervish House(trade paperback after hardcover)
Art by Stephan Martiniere

• 2011 John W. Campbell Memorial Award winner for Best Novel
• 2011 Hugo Award for Best Novel, nominee

Ari Marmell, Thief's Covenant (A Widdershins Adventure)
Art by Jason Chan


March

Jon Sprunk, Shadow's Master
Art by Michael Komarck


Mark Chadbourn, Jack of Ravens (Kingdom of the Serpent, Book 1)
Art by John Picacio


EC Myers, Fair Coin
Art by Sam Weber


April

Mark Chadbourn, Burning Man (Kingdom of the Serpent, Book 2)
Art by John Picacio


Ken MacLeod, The Night Sessions
Art by Stephan Martiniere


Erin Hoffman, Lance of Earth and Sky (The Chaos Knight, Book Two)
Art by Dehong He


May

Mark Chadbourn, Destroyer of Worlds (Kingdom of the Serpent, Book 3)
Art by John Picacio


John Kessel & James Patrick Kelly, Nebula Awards Showcase 2012
Art by Michael Whelan


June

Ari Marmell, False Covenant (A Widdershins Adventure)
Art by Jason Chan


Sean Williams, The Devoured Earth (Books of the Cataclysm: Four)
(ebook only)
Art by Greg Bridges

July

Philippa Ballantine, Hunter and Fox (A Shifted World Novel)
Art by Cynthia Sheppard


David Freer, Cuttlefish
Art by Paul Young


August

K.D. McEntire, Reaper
Art by Sam Weber


James Enge, A Guile of Dragons (A Tournament of Shadows, Book 1)
Art by Steve Stone


September

Clay and Susan Griffith, The Kingmakers (Vampire Empire, Book 3)
Art by Chris McGrath

• 2012 RT Book Reviews Reviewers' Choice Awards, steampunk nominee

Sam Sykes, The Skybound Sea (The Aeons' Gate, Book 3)
Art by Paul Young


Ian McDonald, Be My Enemy
Art by John Picacio


October

E.C. Myers, Quantum Coin
Art by Sam Weber


Tim Lebbon, London Eye (Toxic City Book One)
Art by Steve Stone

• In development by Alex Proyas for ABC Studios

November

Brenda Cooper, The Creative Fire (Book One of Ruby's Song)
Art by John Picacio


Tom Lloyd, The Dusk Watchman (The Twilight Reign, Book Five)
Art by Todd Lockwood

 
Allen Steele, Apollo's Outcasts
Art by Paul Young


Paul Crilley, SThe Lazarus Machine: A Tweed & Nightingale Adventure
Art by Cliff Nielsen



December

Mike Resnick, The Doctor and the Rough Rider (Weird West Tales)
Art by J. Seamas Gallagher


David Freer, The Steam Mole
Art by Paul Young


Mark Hodder, A Red Sun Also Rises
Art by Lee Moyer


And that's it. Quite a year if I do say so myself.

Death's Heretic

Death's Hereticis my second Pathfinder Tales novel, after Elaine Cunningham and Dave Gross' Winter Witch.The Pathfinder Tales novels are set in the world of Paizo Publishing's Pathfinder Role Playing Game, though knowledge of the game isn't necessary to appreciate either work. In fact, Death's Heretic was chosen as the number three fantasy novel of the year in the Barnes & Noble Book Club's 2011 Best Fantasy Releases (a fact which more than legitimizes the Pathfinder Tales fiction editor, James L. Sutter, in publishing himself in his own line).

Death's Heretic stars Salim Ghadafar, a man from a country of militant atheists, who now finds himself bound in the service of Pharasma, the goddess of death (as well as birth and prophesy, but it's her aspect as goddess of death with which the novel is chiefly concerned). Salim is sent to the nation of Thuvia, where a recently-murdered powerful merchant's soul has gone missing. The local church of Pharasma obviously has an interest in seeing the matter dealt with, as does Neila Anvanory, daughter of the murdered and missing merchant. The novel reads like (and actually is) a classic noir transposed to a fantasy setting, though not in the Jim Butcher sense--no fedoras or trenchcoats, though there is a damsel in distress and a suitably compromised investigator. The plot points don't stray far from the archetype -- eliminate the obvious suspects, identify the guilty party, tables turned while trying to apprehend them -- but it's the richness of the language, the breadth of the world-building, and the depth of Salim Ghadafar himself, hung upon this rather straightforward scaffold, that make the novel exceptional. Without spoiling anything major, the excursions to multiple planes of existence really take the novel into exciting and most unexpected territory, even as everything ties together nicely in the end.

There is a little bit of "male gaze" in the description of women, which I could do without but probably won't throw off fans of either noir mysteries or old school sword & sorcery, and Sutter's language, which for the most part is one of his core strengths, does go a little overblown in a few places, but these are quibbles in a unique, fascinating, engaging, and interesting fantasy work that I have no trouble recommending highly. If every Pathfinder Tales novel is as good as the two I've read so far, then this line is certainly a place for vanguard swords and sorcery fiction. Clearly, anyone expecting merely serviceable, by-the-numbers tie-in fiction is in for a very pleasant surprise.

5 Questions to a Great Story

As part of Wake County Public Libraries' Write On @ Your Library series, Vampire Empire authors Clay and Susan Griffith discuss five questions to create a great story.

The Making of The Creative Fire

Over at the collective artists blog, Muddy Colors, John Picacio talks about his inspiration for creating the cover for Brenda Cooper's The Creative Fire (Book One of Ruby's Song). He shows some classic paintings that inspired his piece, as well as rare glimpses into his pencils and early process pieces.

From John's piece:

"All of us are living in a fragile time for our fundamental rights, at least here in America. It seems our news and social feeds are filled with daily attacks on womens' rights. Revolutionary posters have always been rallying cries, and Lou and I felt like we might have a chance to evoke those here, as well as serve the novel's intentions. When I thought about who Ruby was, I thought of the 1940's image of Rosie the Riveter, as imagined by J. Howard Miller and Norman Rockwell (with genius inspiration from Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel). I thought of the grace of Sandro Botticelli's The Birth of Venus, along with Russian revolution posters, and Howard Chandler Christy's 'Fight or Buy Bonds' painting."

Speculate hosts Pyr Roundtable Podcast

Today, episode 61 of Speculate: The Podcast for Writers, Readers and Fans, features a special roundtable podcast with Pyr editorial director Lou Anders, Pyr authors Brenda Cooper (The Creative Fire) and E.C. Myers (Fair Coin and Quantum Coin), and freelance copyeditor Gabrielle Harbowy. They say:


"We set a new record for single episode participation in this show with four distinguished guests: Brenda Cooper and E.C. Myers (authors of The Creative Fire and Quantum Coin, respectively), freelance editor Gabrielle Harbowy, and Pyr Books‘ editorial and art director Lou Anders speak for an hour on what has made Pyr such a successful speculative fiction imprint, where it’s been and where it’s going in the future. This wide ranging discussion also looks at the finer points of how good editors work with good authors, how important a good cover is to an equally good book, and what makes Dragon Con such a scary (and amazing!) event every year. Our shows normally don’t run this long, but we hope you’ll agree the extra discussion we got with all of these fine people was worth the extra time. If you like what you hear, don’t forget to check back next week when we’ll start a new series of shows on the work of Joe Abercrombie. Until then, thanks as always for listening, and please continue to spread the word about the show!"

The Wisdom of Dan Draper

Writers, take note:

The Roundtable Podcast: Workshop Episode 36 (Guest Host: Lou Anders)

The second part of my appearance on the fabulous, vital Roundtable Podcast is up today. This is the part where a volunteer writer brings in a story idea, and the guest host and two regular hosts - Dave Robison and Brion Humphrey - dispense sage wisdom and/or useless advice. Here's what they have to say about the show:

Lou Anders – Editorial Director at Pyr, the science fiction and fantasy imprint of Prometheus Books Publishing – returns to the Big Chair at the Roundtable to help workshop a story idea by podcaster, writer, and former Guest Co-Host Doc Coleman.  Doc’s idea inspires a wealth of Literary Gold as Lou walks us through some exceptional insights into the storytelling craft (he even assigns homework!). (and if you’re STILL hungry for more writerly goodness, then check out  Lou’s Showcase Episode!)

The Roundtable Podcast Interview

I am a guest today on the fabulous Roundtable Podcast. We talk about Hollywood, TV sets, screenwriting, publishing, and the most famous black blade in fantasy fiction.

I'll be returning to the podcast on November 6th, for their Workshop Episode, where we live-improve a writer's pitch (or perhaps just muck it up horrendously).