Fantasy

Yes!  Moonlight is going to be on DVD after all, and you can pre-order it now!  For all you fans who watched the vampire series starring Alex O'Loughlin and have been waiting patiently (or not so patiently) to own it on DVD, January 20, 2009 is your day.  And for those of you who have participated in our First To Know system, this is a big win.  We told Warner Home Video about how many of you had signed up to be notified about DVD release.  We told them about your customer reviews and discussion boards.  We told them that you want Moonlight on DVD!  And now it's finally coming.  Of course, the next question is: what about Blu-ray?  No news yet, but just like before, you can sign up to be notified and we'll pass that on too!  --David

Readers may already remember Margo Lanagan from the beer-and-book posts I did several months back. She gave one of the best answers with regard to her novel Tender Morsels, now out in hardcover:

“[It] goes perfectly with a schooner of Toohey’s Old Black Ale, ‘a great Australian dark ale’ to go with a great Australian dark tale. Not knock-you-over in the alcohol stakes (4.4% alc/vol), this is probably a good thing, because there’s a lot to keep track of in this book: bears, babes, treasure, dwarves, giant eagles and a spot of time slippage. The story is lightly hopped, giving the reader/drinker a few underhand laughs during the smooth transition from malty, dead-sexy beginning to bitter, none-too-clean finish. The black malt enhances the forested gloom of much of the book, as well as its nicknames, ‘Black Juice revisited’ and the Doylesque Tender Morsels Bwa-Ha-Ha. Many readers/drinkers are timid when it comes to dark (t)ales. If you are curious about the dark side of beer/bears, Toohey’s Old/Tender Morsels is a great place to begin your exploration. Broad-hipped childbearing flavour gives way to the berry nice esters, which blend well with hoppiness and a hint of raw ptarmigan to finish with a bitter blend crescendo that will leave you wondering WTF? Why haven’t you been a dark ale drinker all your life? Do you dare to turn off your bedside lamp tonight? Try Tender Morsels and Tooheys Old Black Ale with a juicy, still-slightly-bloody roast, with game pies and slow cooked meats. Old is also a great flavour to go with strong cheeses such as gorgonzola, blue vein and Wensleydale. But pretty much anything fart-producing will do. Just don’t expect a comfy night’s sleep after you’ve stomached this lot.”

Now that I've got Tender Morsels in hand, I am happy to report that the book does not disappoint--and, indeed, supports her description above. And it's brilliantly written, full of fascinating characters, dangerous, moving--deeply strange in the best possible way.

Recently, I asked Lanagan if she would add anything to her description above. Her reply? "I would add a salad of spinach, mushrooms and honey-marinated underbark to go with the roast, and probably a flourish of Armagnac and a lot of wood-smoke, rosy cheeks and golden candlelight at the end of the meal."

My first thought on reading that answer was, anyone who can describe food and drink this wonderfully has my attention as a fiction writer. Which seemed to lead naturally into a question about fiction: What gets to you most about the fiction you love?

"As a reader, I want to feel that if I skip even a single sentence, I will miss out on some neat or vivid wordsmithery and on some crucial piece of information. What gets to me more than anything is the impression some books give me that the author is completely unaware of me, that she or he is so deeply engaged in the journey through the story that it’s a privilege to be allowed to just quietly sit in a corner of her/his brain."

Tender Morsels is a great example of the good things that happen when a writer takes this approach to fiction. It's a novel I expect to be on many, many year's best lists.

(You can also read my interview with Lanagan at Clarkesworld.)

The Vertigo Encyclopedia by Alex Irvine is one of the sharpest-looking books to appear on my doorstep recently. A copiously illustrated full-color coffee table extravaganza, the encyclopedia covers the famous Vertigo comics line from 100 Bullets to Young Liars. Modestly priced for the value, the book includes an introduction by Neil Gaiman, multi-page spreads on the most popular series (including Constantine, The Sandman, and Fables), and features an original cover by one of my favorite artists, Dave McKean.

Readers may be familiar with Alex Irvine as the author of several excellent novels, including A Scattering of Jade, The Narrows, and One King, One Soldier (all of which you should pick up if you haven't already). I interviewed him recently about The Vertigo Encyclopedia to get his behind-the-scenes take on both the book and Vertigo's importance to the comics field.

Amazon.com: How did you get involved in this project?
Alex Irvine: It was a surprise, but the story is pretty simple. I'd done some other work for DC (Batman: Inferno and a couple of Supernatural-related books), so when they decided to do the Vertigopedia, they asked me to write it, and I jumped at the chance.

Amazon.com: What's your attachment or involvement in the world of comics prior to this book?
Alex Irvine: I think my story isn't uncommon. I was a hugely devoted fan of comics when I was a kid--especially the out-of-the-way titles like Devil Dinosaur or ROM--and then girls intruded into my worldview and I didn't get back to comics until I was almost out of college. It wasn't until I started working on the Vertigopedia that I fell completely back into the kind of love for comics I had when I was a kid, and even if the rest of the experience had been awful (which it wasn't) I would have been happy about doing it just because it put me back in touch with that feeling.

Also, before I started work on this book, I'd written a couple of short series for Marvel (Hellstorm, Son of Satan: Equinox and Daredevil Noir). That's whetted my appetite to dive all the way into comics again, and rereading all of those classic Vertigo titles...I'm dying to do more with comics. My hard drive is littered with bits of scripts and outlines, both for new stuff and stories involving some of my favorite characters from when I was a kid. I would still give just about anything to write (for example) a Batman comic. Also Dr. Strange. And Devil Dinosaur!

Amazon.com: In researching and writing the book, did you discover anything that surprised you?
Alex Irvine: All kinds of things. There are so many one-shots and short series--Moonshadow comes to mind, Enigma, WE3, Orbiter, newer stuff like Cairo--that don't always get the same kind of notice as Vertigo's tentpole series, but they're great. And they're optimistic, maybe, or even if they're not optimistic they depart from the tragic dark-fantasy mode of Sandman or Fables or Hellblazer, which people tend to think of as Vertigo's default mode. That's a facet of Vertigo's history that is often overlooked, I think, because of the enormous success of its supernatural/horror/dark fantasy titles. It was also funny to note how many of the comics include visual cameos of Alan Moore...or maybe I just started seeing them everywhere because I was looking for them.

Amazon.com: With a project of this nature, what're the best and worst parts of doing it?
Alex Irvine: The best part, other than getting reacquainted with so many great comics and getting introduced to others, was the feeling that this book is going to be the first draft of a history of one of the most influential imprints in the history of comics. Writing that first draft was an honor, really. I was proud to have a shot at it. The worst parts were aspects of the best parts, really. I didn't feel comfortable writing about anything unless I had just read (or reread) it, so I ended up with a really overwhelming amount of reading. Something like 20 to 25 linear feet of comics. Every entry was written with the comics open on my desk next to the computer. (Which didn't prevent some errors from creeping in; John Morgan at DC and I are already compiling an errata list.) And one of the things about writing a book of this nature is that there's a huge body of devoted fans who are going to have their own opinions about what should have been in it, how I should have treated certain series, and so forth. That was on my mind while I worked.

Amazon.com: What kind of influence do you think Vertigo has had on the comics field? Any concrete manifestations you can think of?
Alex Irvine: Well, influence is tough to trace with any degree of certainty, but I think it's probably safe to say that the success of Vertigo had a lot to do with DC and Marvel being willing to take their regular universe books in more mature directions. Also, the Sandman phenomenon brought so much attention to comics in general that it created a huge new appetite for comics with a certain kind of attitude. This in turn meant that people who had worked primarily in indie and underground comics--David Lapham comes to mind, or Paul Pope--had a chance to put their work in front of new audiences. Then that becomes a feedback loop, and because Paul Pope has done 100% and Heavy Liquid (in addition to his previous success in manga), the possibility for him to do a regular DC book comes along, and you get Batman: Year 100. I don't know that it all happened that way, but if it did, you can see how the prominence of Vertigo becomes an opportunity and then creates opportunities for creators in all parts of the industry. Vertigo has also been ahead of the curve in providing opportunities for women creators, and that's had an obvious positive effect throughout the industry.

Amazon.com: What do you want readers to come away from the book with, besides an encyclopedic knowledge of the Vertigo line?
Alex Irvine: First, of course, I want to give a sense of how much fun the books are. And they are fun--also sad, and angry, and everything else that stories should be. The sheer extravagance of invention and ingenuity, on both the visual and narrative levels, is a blast. I also tried to give a sense in each entry of the literary nature of the stories. One of the things about Vertigo books is that they're smart, and saturated with a particular kind of cultural awareness. I'm thinking of things like the visual quote of the Zapruder film in DMZ, or more generally the profusion of allusions in series like Transmetropolitan or The Invisibles or Preacher...the list could go on. Comics have always been full of winks and nods to other comics, but I came away from writing this book with a clearer understanding of how many Vertigo titles are actively engaged in a kind of conversation with the broader literary and philosophical tradition. Maybe that sentence gives me away as an academic nerd, but it jumped out at me over and over again, and I hope the reader of the Vertigopedia starts thinking about comics not in isloation, or just in conversation with each other, but as part of the 'literary' conversation that happens in any culture.

Amazon.com: What are you currently working on?
Alex Irvine: Daredevil Noir starts coming out in January, and in March, Del Rey comes out with my next novel, Buyout. After that, I have all kinds of plans: an alternate-history comic with William Blake as leader of an underground cell of literary terrorists, a novel about a famous 18th-century hoax perpetrated by a guy calling himself George Psalmanazar, another novel about a group of refugees from a nuclear war between India and Pakistan who travel back in time to assassinate HG Wells and thus change the history of the 20th century...on and on.

In this week's roundup, we contemplate parties in our tummies, visit a new Newbery blog, and get tips on writing:

Yo Gabba Gabba board books. Thanks to some of our Amazon toy bloggers, I found out that Yo Gabba Gabba just started its second season this week! You don't need to have kids in your life to love Yo Gabba Gabba. There hasn't been a cooler kids show since the Morgan Freeman era of The Electric Company--and the second season features everyone from Biz Markie to Amy Sedaris to Hot Hot Heat. If you've never heard of it, watch this now:

So what does that all have to do with kids' books? I was wondering if there had been any YGG titles yet, and apparently there's a whole slew of sticker and coloring books and--more importantly, for our 17-month-old Silas--board books coming out in a few months, including Party in My Tummy and Welcome to Gabba Land! We'll keep you posted....

New blog: Heavy Medal. Nina Lindsay, the chair of the last Newbery commitee, and Oakland children's librarian Sharon Senser McKellar have started a new blog called Heavy Medal: A Mock Newbery Blog. They'll talk about Newbery contenders and follow this year's real--and mock--Newbery process:

The actual Newbery Committee is bound to secrecy. But their criteria and procedures are open. Using these, Sharon and I coordinate each year a Mock Newbery Discussion in Oakland CA, where adult participants who've read our posted shortlist discuss some of the best contenders of the year and vote for a medal and honor books. (This year's discussion will be Sunday, January 11, more details to come!).

In previous years, Sharon and I each had blogs to drum up suggestions for titles and discuss issues brought up by the Newbery criteria in relation to some favorites. Must a sequel stand alone? And what about the text of a "graphic" novel?

The Knife of Never Letting Go wins Guardian prize. Patrick Ness' inventive SF tale The Knife of Never Letting Go won this year's Guardian children's fiction prize:

The chair of the judges, Guardian children's books editor Julia Eccleshare, said the panel, made up of children's authors Mary Hoffman, Mal Peet and last year's winner, Jenny Valentine, had been blown away by the "breathtaking quality" of Ness's writing. "It's challenging but not bleak--an excitingly different book," she added.

Ness, 36, said he was "genuinely astonished" to win. "I think it was a super-strong shortlist," he said. "Before I Die is a huge hit, Frank is a great writer, and I'm reading Siobhan Dowd now--it's really great and I kind of thought she would win."

Don't miss some kids' takes on the award shortlist. (Found via Achockablog.)

How to write children's books. Speaking of the Guardian, they recently ran a fun How to Write series, spanning multiple genres, from the hilarious Catherine Tate on comedy to Wendy Cope talking about poetry. Children's Laureate Michael Rosen gives his thoughts on writing for kids and teens, along with some interesting meta-commentary about the genre in general:

It may sometimes seem to you that editors can only think inside specific boxes, whereas a book you liked, The Little Prince, say, defied such boxes. So you'll hear from editors, comments like: "There's no point in writing a picture book text that's longer than a couple of hundred words", "That story is too 'old' for a picture book audience", "Your story is too short" and so on. Bafflingly, if you go to the library and pick up a pile of books, you may well find some that seem to defy such boundaries. Nearly always, that's because it's a famous author who's been granted leeway to write what they want - Roald Dahl's The Minpins is an example of that. Or you've got in your hand a book produced by an independent company, a firm like Tamarind, Frances Lincoln or Barefoot Books.

(Found via Bookninja.)

Ain't no party like a Brisingr party. Readers are still debating the merits of the third and latest installment in Christopher Paolini's Inheritance series (following Eragon and Eldest), but the real question is... how much fun was your Brisingr launch party? You would be hard-pressed to top this six-hour extravaganza, with an Olympic fencing coach, readings from Dugald Steer, foam swords, and more. Foam swords!

September Carnival of Children's Literature. I have been slow to catch up on the monthly kid-lit carnivals (and blog carnivals in general), but what a worthwhile endeavor: a well-organized uber-roundup of linky wonderfulness, from all over the blogosphere. This month's carnival is hosted by Jenny's Wonderland of Books. (Found via Big A little a.)

And just a heads-up: Heidi and I will be taking some time off later this week and weekend to visit NYC--so look for YA Wednesday and the End-o'-the-Week Kid-Lit Roundup to return the following week. If you have any ideas for fun stuff to do while we're there, let us know! We already have our eyes on kid-lit exhibits at the Morgan Library and Museum and Cooper-Hewitt. (And likewise, give us tips for toddler withdrawal: this is the first time that both of us will be away from Silas for more than one night. Is a 17-month-old too young for webcam conversations?) --Paul

In this edition of YA Wednesday, we have questions! And the usual news recaps.

Beautiful, but disturbing: to read or not to read?

This week, I was pretty intrigued by the reviews popping up on various blogs of Elizabeth Scott's Living Dead Girl. It's told from the point of view of Alice, who was abducted when she was ten years old, and who is now 15 and still living with her abductor/abuser.

from Bookshelves of Doom...

"The most disturbing thing about the book, for me, was that it made me feel like a huge voyeur."

"Now I never want to let my future children go on field trips.  Or, you know, outside."

from The Book Muncher:

"While it’s not right to like a story such as this, I think Living Dead Girl should be read by everyone, if not for enjoyment then to inform readers. It is a short but fast read, beautifully written and impossible to ever forget."

The book sounded stylistically unique (a voice people haven't heard before, unusual point-of-view tricks, etc.) but I was worried that it might fall into the category of "great books I will never read" because the scenes are reputedly so disturbing that I would never be able to get them out of my head. (So far, Cormac McCarthy's The Road is the only other book in this category for me.) I guess I have to ask: how disturbing is it, and how great? 

Let's see: The book got starred reviews in both Booklist and Publisher's Weekly.

I read the excerpt, and it is beautiful and haunting and disturbing. I suspect that the "ick" factor of the book is part of its brilliance. Alice's voice is so matter of fact, and while the abuse isn't graphic, it isn't ambiguous either. You feel like you might know what it's like to be there. And that's pretty scary. And gross. 

The thing that finally sold me on the book, though, was this ALAN interview with Scott, which convinced me that it's way more interesting than just an abduction story for the sake of inducing fear and showing abuse:

"I think it’s easy to get outraged over a child’s abduction, but it’s also equally easy for us to see something--someone--that makes us uncomfortable, a moment or an expression that give us pause, and to do nothing. And that moment where we see and turn away is, I think, the heart of Living Dead Girl. Alice’s story isn’t just about what she endures with Ray. It’s what she endures at the hands of the world. How it doesn’t see her."

"...I am Bloodgarm, son of Ildred the beautiful..."

Christopher Paolini's Brisngr, the third book in the Inheritance Cycle, launched last week--with the popular-series-standard Friday night book launch parties--selling 550,000 copies in its first day. While this might seem a mere pittance compared to Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (8.3 million) or Breaking Dawn (1.3 million), it is four times more than the series' second book, Eldest. Brisingr draws on a loyal fan following, which has been growing since the first book, Eragon, was published in 2003 then made into a movie in 2006.

If you're not familiar with the series, I highly recommend listening to Paolini read an excerpt.


YA for Obama: Social Networking or "Undue Influence"?

"Hi, I'm Maureen Johnson. I'm a YA author. I started this site because I realized a lot of my friends who are also YA authors were big Obama supporters. And I thought to myself, 'Wouldn't it be great if we all had a place where we could write about Obama? And if we invited everyone to join?'"

A number of YA-interest blogs have been buzzing this week about the new social-networking site, YA for Obama, founded by Johnson (Suite Scarlett) and other best-selling YA authors like Judy Bloom and Meg Cabot.

Most of the response has been positive, but Chasing Ray asks:

"Is it a good thing to present only one side of the story, on any subject, to teens?"

and suggests that teens need to learn about both candidates to truly learn about the political process. Her post was spurred by this post on Finding Wonderland questioning the potential for "undue influence" of writers on their fans:

"I know that this site intends to provide a place for people who aren't yet voting age to enter into the democratic process, and use their creativity to help Mr. Obama get elected, and a venue like that is certainly a good thing. The content of the site isn't what I wonder about. I do wonder whether we're using our position as storytellers inappropriately. I wonder if we're overstepping our role, and using that privilege as a platform from which to push political views."

(Obama photo posted by Beth, a YA for Obama member. McCain photo from johnmccain.com.)


Quick links:

Flux has a new editor.

Reviewer X asks "What makes the perfect YA guy?"

Authors Michael Grant (Gone) and K.A. Applegate (Remnants series) recently started a blog called Stupid Blog Name. The blog will eventually include posts from other writers, editors, agents, publicists, and teens, including The Book Muncher (featured above), who is currently "the *only* teen contributor."

The Guardian has posted four reviews written by recipients of their Young Critics award. Books reviewed include: Before I Die by Jenny Downham, The Goldsmith's Daughter by Tanya Landman, The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness, Bad Blood by Rhiannon Lassiter. These talented reviewers have one thing in common: they're all 13 years old.--Heidi

You may be familiar with Dark Roasted Blend already, but if not...you should be. Where else can you learn about "Unique Pigeon Towers of Iran,&quo