by Jeffrey Ford
Acknowledgments
Any writer who’s had even one book published knows that it takes a group effort to get that book into the hands of the reading public. Listed below, though not in order of importance—as they were all equally and absolutely integral to the final product—are my compatriots in publishing The Empire of Ice Cream. I thank each and every one of them for their dedication and hard work in making this collection possible.
Gary Turner, publisher of Golden Gryphon Press, has done an amazing job of bringing readers quality books by quality writers. GGP can claim a large share of the responsibility for keeping the short story collection alive and vibrant in the realm of Fantastic Literature. First, as a reader, I want to thank Gary for doing what he does; and then I want to thank him for publishing a second collection of my work.
Marty Halpern, who also edited my collection The Fantasy Writer’s Assistant and Other Stories for GGP, did his usual, wonderful job on this collection. His dedication to the material, his attention to detail, and his ability to see a disparate group of stories as an integrated collection, make him one of the very best editors of short story collections in the field.
Jonathan Carroll’s novels and stories are perceived by many as existing in the marchland between what is called “mainstream literature” and the genre of the “dark fantastic.” At first glance, this might seem true, but for those of us who have read most, if not all, of his fiction and are inspired by it, we understand that Carroll’s work transcends these simplistic attempts at definition. We are aware that his fiction is its own unique country. The most effective passage of contemporary fiction I’ve read can be found in the closing pages of his novel, The Wooden Sea—a scene in which a man digs a grave. I’m grateful for his having taken the time to write the introduction for this collection.
John Picacio’s incredible cover art has finally come to the attention of both major publishers and the Hugo Awards. I feel blessed to have met him at the outset of his career; otherwise, we may not have been able to engage his time and talents for this cover. His style is both easily recognizable and powerfully original. John’s cover for my previous GGP title, The Fantasy Writer’s Assistant, was easily my favorite cover of any of my books—until, of course, this one. His artistic vision continues to grow and change with each new piece, and I believe that when all is said and done, John Picacio will be considered one of the greats.
Howard Morhaim’s advice, encouragement, and guidance are behind every book of mine that gets published. One couldn’t ask for a better agent.
In addition to those listed above, I’d like to thank all of the editors who published the works found herein—their editorial insights and help made each of these stories stronger. Lastly, I’d be remiss if I didn’t give a nod to Bill Watkins, Rick Bowes, and Mike Gallagher who read all of these stories before they were sent out and gave me valuable feedback with which to make them better.
About the Author
Jeffrey Ford is the author of the novels Vanitas, The Physiognomy, Memoranda, The Beyond, The Portrait of Mrs. Charbuque, The Girl in the Glass, The Cosmology of the Wider World, and The Shadow Year. His story collections are The Fantasy Writer’s Assistant, The Empire of Ice Cream, The Drowned Life, and Crackpot Palace. Ford has published over one hundred short stories, which have appeared in numerous journals, magazines, and anthologies, from the Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction to The Oxford Book of American Short Stories. He is the recipient of the World Fantasy Award, the Nebula Award, the Shirley Jackson Award, the Edgar Award, France’s Grand Prix de l’Imaginaire, and Japan’s Hayakawa’s SF Magazine Reader’s Award.
Ford’s fiction has been translated into twenty languages. In addition to writing, he has been a professor of literature and writing for thirty years and has been a guest lecturer at the Clarion Writers’ Workshop, the Stone Coast MFA in Creative Writing Program, Richard Hugo House in Seattle, and the Antioch Writers’ Workshop. Ford lives in Ohio and currently teaches at Ohio Wesleyan University.
All rights reserved, including without limitation the right to reproduce this ebook or any portion thereof in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of the publisher.
These are works of fiction. Names, characters, places, events, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, companies, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
“The Annals of Eelin-Ok,” first published in The Faery Reel: Tales from the Twilight Realm, edited by Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling, Tor, 2004.
“The Beautiful Gelreesh,” first published in Album Zutique, edited by Jeff VanderMeer, Ministry of Whimsy Press, 2003.
“Boatman’s Holiday,” first published in Book of Voices (a Sierra Leone PEN benefit project), edited by Mike Butscher, Flame Books UK, 2005.
“Botch Town,” copyright © 2006 by Jeffrey Ford. Previously unpublished.
“Coffins on the River,” first published in Polyphony 3, edited by Deborah Layne and Jay Lake, Wheatland Press, 2003.
“The Empire of Ice Cream,” first published online on SCIFICTION, February 26, 2003.
“Giant Land,” first published in The Journal of Pulse-Pounding Narratives #2, 2005.
“The Green Word,” first published in The Green Man: Tales from the Mythic Forest, edited by Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling, Viking, 2002.
“Jupiter’s Skull,” first published in Flights: Extreme Visions of Fantasy, edited by Al Sarrantonio, Roc, 2004.
“A Man of Light,” first published online on SCIFICTION, January 26, 2005.
“A Night in the Tropics,” first published in Argosy Magazine, January/February 2004.
“Summer Afternoon,” first published in Say … is this a cat?, edited by Christopher Rowe, The Fortress of Words, 2002.
“The Trentino Kid,” first published in The Dark: New Ghost Stories, edited by Ellen Datlow, Tor, 2003.
“The Weight of Words,” first published in Leviathan Three, edited by Jeff VanderMeer and Forrest Aguirre, Ministry of Whimsy Press, 2002
Copyright © 2006 by Jeffrey Ford
Introduction copyright © 2006 by Jonathan Carroll
Cover design by Jamie Keenan
ISBN: 978-1-4804-1106-7
This edition published in 2015 by Open Road Integrated Media, Inc.
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