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Midnight Never Come by Marie Brennan is a rock-solid, highly entertaining tale of intrigue, magic, and adventure. It received a starred review in Publishers Weekly, which read in part: "Stunningly conceived and exquisitely achieved, this rich historical fantasy portrays the Elizabethan court 30 years into the reign of the Virgin Queen, often called Gloriana. Far below ground, her dark counterpart, heartless Invidiana, rules England's fae. Brennan pairs handsome young courtier Michael Deven, an aspiring agent under spymaster Sir Francis Walsingham, with bewitching fae Lune, who attempts to avoid Invidiana's wrath by infiltrating Walsingham's network in mortal guise. History and fantasy blend seamlessly as Deven and Lune tread their precarious tightropes between loyalty and betrayal." This novel is definitely worth seeking out.

I interviewed Brennan via email recently. For more information on Brennan and the novel, check out the official website for the novel (they're running a contest with a $500 prize).

Amazon.com: Why is underground London so compelling?
Marie Brennan: Underground things of any stripe are neat because they're hidden--the original meaning of "occult." The notion of there being a secret world right next to the ordinary one produces an interesting frisson for the reader or writer--that's the appeal of urban fantasy, at least for me--and if it's underground, it's dark, it's buried, it's a good place to find creepy things or relics of the past.

It isn't just London, of course; Ekaterina Sedia, for example, does it to Moscow in her debut novel. London works well, though, because it's familiar enough to be recognized by your average Anglophone reader. You need a city old enough to have a buried history--I don't think it would work in a suburban housing development, though I suppose you could try--and you need your reader not to feel totally lost. As much as I'd love to read a fantasy about, say, underground Hong Kong, I know nothing about the city or its history, and so much of what's cool in such a book would be lost on me.

Amazon.com: How does your archaeology and folklore degree influence your fiction writing?
Marie Brennan: More than anything, I'd say it's given me perspective. People have not always lived the way we do; they have not always believed the things we believe. (For that matter, the "we" in that sentence is bogus; my way of life isn't identical to yours, nor to those of the people reading this.)

I love, and would like more of, fantasy that extends its imagination to the world the characters live in. Not just in the ways that are plot-centric: what do the characters eat? What clothes do they wear? How does religion figure into their lives? I have nothing against medieval or Renaissance Europe, nor fantasy based on it, but there's thousands of years of a whole world out there to explore. Mind you, it's a bit ironic for me to be saying that when my most recent novel is set in Elizabethan England, but my first two books, and a lot of my short fiction, and many projects I want to do in the future, are dedicated in part to that notion of cultural diversity. Also, I'm not afraid of heavy-duty research.

Amazon.com: You’ve written a kind of dual fantasy/historical novel. What was the hardest part of that?
Marie Brennan: Deciding where to place the boundary between them. Strange as it sounds, this was something of a moral question for me: I hate secret histories that take away all the achievements of real people and say they were the work of hidden vampire masters or the Illuminati or whoever. But at the same time, I want the fae to have an effect on things. So I have to look for the cracks in history: the things that are random or unexplained, the events that could have another cause added to their existing list. It's a constant tension between the facts as we know them and what I choose to invent, and I tried as hard as humanly possible to get the facts right, and not to jar them out of place while telling my own story.

Amazon.com: How long have you been writing, and can you tell us a little about your other books? How is the new one different?
Marie Brennan: The first story I remember writing was for school when I was seven; I started in on fantasy when I was nine or ten; I got serious when I was eighteen. My first book came out when I was twenty-five. I have two other novels out; their original titles were Doppelganger and Warrior and Witch, but they're being reissued in August as Warrior and Witch, respectively. Unlike Midnight Never Come, they're secondary-world fantasies, and more adventure-based--not in the epic "quest to find and/or destroy a magical object" sense, but that's the closest I can come to assigning them a sub-genre. I honestly just think of them as fantasies, as opposed to urban or historical or whatever.

Amazon.com: Tell us a secret. What’s personal in your novels that might not seem like it to a reader who doesn’t know you?
Marie Brennan: Not all that secret (since I have it posted on my website), but Midnight Never Come is based on a role-playing game I ran. It's immensely fleshed out from what started as a very small skeleton, but the backstory and a handful of key plot points came from a particular segment of the game, which was set across 650 years of English history.

But let me add something new to that, which I haven't been mentioning to all and sundry: because of the RPG background to the book, I have a different relationship to some of the characters than I normally would. My players in the game had their own characters, who were the protagonists of the original version of the story (now relaced by Deven and Lune), but all the rest of the characters were my responsibility to play. So I've semi-performed the Goodemeades, Tiresias, Invidiana--spoken as them in conversation, decided on the fly what they would do in response to the protagonists' actions, etc. (I was never able to play Invidiana as well as I wanted to, but when you get right down to it, I'm not nearly scary enough as a person. Which is a good thing.) That's much of the reason why the pivot point in Act III is my favorite: I got to spring a fairly similar plot twist on my players in person, playing out one role myself, and it was fun to watch their heads explode.

Amazon.com: Finally, you’re stuck in old underground London with some food, water, fairy-repellent, a flashlight, a knife, and four books. You may never get out. What four books have you brought with you?
Marie Brennan: Some kind of urban survival manual, because that food and water won't last forever, and I'll need to know how to trap rats. Some City of London publication mapping out the underground works -- sewers, crypts, subway lines, etc.--so I won't get lost. The biggest, fattest anthology of fantasy I can find, so I have a lot of stories to read, and can (with much regret) burn the pages when my flashlight batteries die. And my own novel, which I will burn first, because if I hadn't written it I never would have been hypothetically stuck in London sewers forever in the first place.

When the Porsche Boxster debuted in 1996, I felt like the only person in the world who wasn't exhilarated. It's not that I didn't think the Boxster was a terrific car. On the contrary, at its debut the Boxster was beautiful in design and execution, a redefinition of the open-topped sports car that combined the fun of a Mazda Miata or an MGB but with a much sharper performance edge. All of those things were and are true, and by any measure the Boxster is a fantastic car.

No, I was disappointed because my heart had already been claimed by the Boxster show car that debuted in 1993 at the Detroit Auto Show. Compared to that svelte knockout, the production Boxster felt like a milquetoast disappointment. At a glance the two cars look fairly similar, but the show car was just enough more sultry, just enough more edgy and daring than the elegant but straightforward production Boxster that the show car fired adrenaline while the Boxster merely provoked admiration. Slick, smooth, tightly wrapped, and with the air of the exotic, the concept Boxster recalled the Porsche 550 RS Spyder without obvious retro pandering.

When the Boxster show car debuted, it was also fascinating in that it promised a new kind of Porsche--built only as a droptop, with the engine mounted amidships, and with a strong character of its own. At the time, the long-lived 911 was still air-cooled and had undergone only evolutionary change over the previous decade. Other 911 sidekicks--namely, the 914, 924, 944, and 928--were lauded by a few of us fanatics but didn't really capture the world's imagination.

The Boxster show car had the charisma to change all that--and despite the dilution required for production, the original formula was still potent enough to make the Boxster the most visible and broadly coveted Porsche sidekick since at least the 928 and possibly ever. There must be others that feel as I do about the concept--unlike most show cars, it is available as a die-cast collectible. I am the proud owner of a 1/18-scale version, which is unfortunately as close as I'm likely to get to the Boxster concept car.

The top photo is all over the web; the second is courtesy of the Porsche Club of America, which has a page of great Boxster photography.

--Chris H.

Out on them thar Internets, there's a lot of chatter about Pitchfork's review of the new Black Kids record. As you'll see below, the write-up consists solely of a LOL Dog picture:

Urinating all over the major label debut of a band (who, by the way, pretty much only scored that major label deal because Pitchfork overhyped them a few months ago) is mildly interesting, but that style of curt, succinct put-down does have some precedent. For example, take a look at their 2006 review of Jet's Shine On, which might be NSFW, depending on how your employer feels about you watching a video of a monkey peeing in his own mouth, seeing as how that's all it is.

It's easy to get worked up about a high-profile source of music criticism not taking its position seriously, but, frankly, I'd rather see a quick visual gag than invest the time to read a thousand condescending words by a dude who's looking at his subject down his nose and through his ironic mustache. Honestly, I wouldn't mind if they changed their editorial style to format all reviews like the Music LOLz in this I Love Music thread. People rarely read past the numerical score anyway unless Pitchfork posts a stunt review like this one.

-- Jeff Reguilon

From PetSugar, via the August 2008 issue of Everyday with Rachael Ray. Give your pooch a little lift during those dog day afternoons with this protein-packed meal.

Doggie Tuna Casserole

Ingredients:
½ cup milk
One 6-ounce can tuna in water, drained
1 cup cooked egg noodles
½ cup frozen peas, thawed
2 tablespoons grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese

Directions:
1. In a medium saucepan, heat the milk over medium heat.
2. Mash in the tuna.
3. Stir in the noodles, peas and cheese. Let cool.

--Spanno

The Daily Telegraph alerted us (although we can't remember how we got to the Telegraph article in the first place) to Contrariwise, a blog that collects photos of literary and other wordy tattoos (is it new, or am I just too stupid to figure out how to see the archives?). Vonnegut and the Little Prince appear to be especially popular, and I'm sure the wowser below is not the only Fight Club tattoo walking around out there. (Meanwhile, I can't pass up the opportunity to link yet again to one of my favorite photos ever taken with my camera, of a grand tattoo of one of America's finest writers.)

I love words, but man, some of those giant paragraphs are overwhelming. I've never been much of a tattoo man (I don't even want to tie my identity to something long enough to put a bumper sticker on my car, much less write something forever on my body), but I must admit the Harriet the Spy is pretty sharp. Is there any bit of book that I would be willing to commit to putting on my skin for the rest of my life? My first thought was, "No way," but then I thought I could stick by "Up, and to Clayton!" pretty much for eternity. (First to spot the reference gets, well, my congratulations, triple if no Google was involved.) Or maybe Sam or Mr. Bikferd from Who Needs Donuts?.

Are there any words you'd be willing to wear? --Tom

P.S. Juliet, my colleague who passed this along to me, thought it had come from our friends at Slog, but then she couldn't find it there. But, weirdly, while I was writing my post, their books editor, Paul Constant, was writing his own post about lit tats, featuring a different blog (although some of the same photos). I feel that my mind is not my own...

Tell us...who are we missing out on?

Tell us which artists the world needs to know about, and we may feature him/her/them in this blog.

If we lived in a fair world, the list of artists that had a chance to top charts and grace radio stations across the world would be much longer. There are so many great artists out there, but let's face it--there's a fine line (but a huge gap) between "almost famous" and "famous" when it comes to the music industry. The internet is changing that.

That's what the new "Unsung" blog series is about: the bands that make great music but (for whatever reason) haven't topped the charts... yet anyway.  Each blog we'll have a featured "Unsung Artist," and we need help finding them. We'll sift through those blog comments and seek out the diamonds in the rough--so bring 'em on! They don't have to be signed to a record label or be from any particular genre. They don't have to be the newest band on the block. You just have to think they are good.

Featured artist: City Sleeps (Listen: MP3, CD, Myspace)

You'll like them if you like: Third Eye Blind, Story of the Year, Incubus, Queen

What I like about them: They do a wonderful job of combining some heavy melodic rock with squeaky-clean pop nuggets. You could give yourself whiplash rocking out and sing along at the top of your lungs at the same time. Also, the drummer is freakin' awesome.

Tracks to check out: Not an Angel, Be a Man, Sleep With Me, Prototype

Why aren't they topping charts? This is a genuine case of bad luck. Since I discovered these guys years ago (when they originally recorded there debut album Not an Angel), they have had a hell of a time getting their album released (and had to switch labels).

I wouldn't count them out just yet. They recorded with and have the support of John Feldman, who is a pretty stellar (and popular) producer.

OK, it's your turn.

Who should we feature next time?

--Jordan Thompson

What, No Sprinkles?: From flavors like Cracker Jack and toppings like extra-virgin olive oil and sea salt, the classic soft serve ice cream has gone decidedly upscale. [NY Times]

How Did My TiVo Miss This?: Last night David Chang sat down for a full-hour interview with Charlie Rose.  [Serious Eats]

In a Pickle: Amy Scattergood takes a look at the inventive pickling going on at many Los Angeles restaurants, where everything from pickled ramps to cherries are hitting the menu. [LA Times]

Hold the Mayo? Never!: Heather McPherson puts the summer spotlight on mayonnaise, "the glue of salads and celebrations"[Chicago Tribune]

Make Mine a Double: This year's Tales of the Cocktail is but a memory, but here are eight favorite recipes from food editor Judy Walker. [Times-Picayune]

The Sweet Life: The great Dorie Greenspan, self-proclaimed president of the Pierre Herme fan club, offers a sweet  behind-the-scenes tour of the kitchen of his eponymous boutique in Paris. [doriegreenspan.com]

Bruni Beat: It's two spicy stars ("very good") for Szechuan Gourmet, "a restaurant on a drab Midtown block that fans of Sichuan cooking should be visiting in greater numbers and with greater frequency than they are, the heat is almost always on, and it comes at you in different ways." [NY Times]

--BTP

This drink recipe is perfect for a mid-week (or any day of the week) gathering of friends, hanging out in a backyard and enjoying a (somewhat scarce in Seattle) warm summer evening together. The recipe calls for GranGala liqueur, which is a delicious mix of Sicilian oranges and brandy, and can be found online and in many liquor stores.

Ingredients:
5 oz dark rum
5 oz light rum
3 oz GranGala orange liqueur
12 oz pineapple juice
3 oz simple syrup
3 oz fresh lime juice
3 oz grenadine
1 Tbsp Angostura bitters

Directions:
Mix all ingredients in a large punch bowl, chill and serve over ice. Float pineapple, orange, and lemon slices in the bowl for garnish. Serves 8.

--AndreaLeigh

Back when I was in high school, I remember noticing just how badly space was wasted in cars. Small cars could seat five passengers, and a large car could likewise seat five; the big differences in exterior size dwarfed the small differences in interior space. A few years later, I read about Chrysler's push towards "cab forward" design, pushing the cabin forward in the chassis for better space utilization. Other car manufacturers had toyed with the idea, but apparently Chrysler was planning to dive right in and redo their whole car line based on the concept.

I was excited, because it made sense--better stability and handling, sleeker lines, and best of all, maximum room for people and minimum space dedicated for the machine. I foresaw the Colt becoming a sleek little speedster-ish coupe. I imagined beautiful cars revitalizing the whole Mopar line. I was mostly a Ford fan at the time, but I liked the idea of the underdog Chrysler brands putting out some decent products for a change.

They fulfilled their promise, at least in my eyes, when they unveiled the Dodge Intrepid. I fell in love with that car at first sight. It looked like a sporty sedan should look like; it looked like the automotive version of an F-5 Freedom Fighter. Best of all, from what I can remember of reviews from the time, it didn't suck. That alone was a victory for Chrysler.

One semi-immutable rule of car manufacturing is that when you have a decent car (and even when you don't), you re-badge it with minor modifications to match your established brands. For the Intrepid, this meant that a slightly higher-tech version was designed and sold as the Eagle Vision. The Vision is just a little bit more of a sports sedan than the Intrepid, a little more technologically advanced, and featured a slightly different front fascia/hood design that just made it look tougher and more menacing. I loved it.

My favorite Vision was the 1996 edition, with the 3.5-liter V-6 engine. Of course, back then I was far more ignorant about cars and performance than I am now (he said modestly), so during the time I was caught up in lust, all I could really tell you about the Vision is that I really, really liked its appearance, and it probably had some gee-whiz techno tweaks on it.

Now, however, having done the research, I have a much better grasp of its features.

• Automatic Stick: The ability to control gear shifts without a clutch is commonplace now, but at the time was only available on exotics. You'd think new technology like this would be fraught with malfunctions, but apparently Chrysler engineered it well enough to avoid a pratfall with the shifting.
• 214-horsepower, 3.5-liter V-6: This engine pushed the Vision 0-60 in 8 seconds (fair) and returned 17/22 mpg (ugh! ...but par for the course in those days).
• Anti-lock four-wheel disc brakes: ABS was part and parcel for upscale cars at the time, and all sports sedan manufacturers know you need great brakes to get out of trouble.
• Gas shocks and stabilizers: These increased its stability and maneuverability.
• Anti-fog heating elements in side mirrors
• Keyless entry: This is nearly a standard feature now, but that wasn't the case a decade ago.
   

Interestingly, the TSi's 16-inch wheels were an upgrade over the standard 15s; at the time those were considered a useful upgrade for handling and comfort, but now those are either standard or slightly small for a sports sedan. I've read some complaints about road noise and, as should be expected, the more the car is tweaked toward firm handling, the more you feel the bumps.

Still, the Eagle Vision was a credible mid-size family sports sedan. It wasn't exorbitantly expensive (about $23k new), and offered an enjoyable driving experience comparable to much more expensive mid-level European sports sedans. That wasn't what Americans expected from a U.S. car manufacturer, which is probably why the car failed to garner much interest from the buying public.

Given that, you probably won't be surprised to hear there aren't that many available these days. One online search yielded only 21 for sale in the whole United States, and that's all years and all trim levels.  Prices ranged from $700 to more than $7,000, which seems a bit high, but I have no idea how these cars age mechanically. I would probably test drive one just for the fun of it, but there isn't a single one for sale within 600 miles of my location. I don't know if that's a result of self-destructing build quality or merely are result of the Vision's scarcity.

--Nathan of Brainfertilizer Fame