Locus, April 2013
Page 15
Given the theme of the anthology, it’s not surprising that many of the offerings are metafictional. Standouts include Daryl Gregory’s ‘‘Begone’’, which took the first line from David Copperfield as inspiration for a stunningly affecting deconstruction of Dick York’s departure from Bewitched, of all things, and Jack Campbell’s ‘‘Highland Reel’’, which employs the first line of Macbeth in a sharply thoughtful look at the myth of the Highlander as engineered by outsiders, narrated by Nicola Barber in a lovely Scottish accent. Other notable contributions include Mary Robinette Kowal’s ‘‘The Lady Astronaut of Mars’’, which begins with the first line of The Wizard of Oz and concerns an aging astronaut weighing the chance to go into space one last time against remaining with her beloved husband in his final days; Elizabeth Bear’s ‘‘No Decent Patrimony’’, which kicks off with the first line of Christopher Marlowe’s Edward II and is about a long-lived clone who can neither escape his progenitor’s shadow nor the socioeconomic upheaval it engendered (read by the always solid Scott Brick); and James Patrick Kelly’s ‘‘Declaration’’, which uses the first line of the Declaration of Independence to explore both virtual emancipation from the physical world and the strain experienced by family members of a disabled child. The more emotionally and philosophically weighty pieces are balanced by broadly humorous (and occasionally contrived-seeming) offerings from Resnick, Steele, Williams, and Di Filippo, among others.
At this point, there are no plans to issue this anthology in print, and it’s unlikely you’ll have a chance to experience this many excellent narrators elsewhere in a single production. Pick this one up.
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City of Dark Magic, Magnus Flyte; Natalie Gold and Orlagh Cassidy, narrators (Penguin Audio, digital download, $27.97, 13.5 hr., unabridged) November 2012.
Musicology student Sarah Weston joyously accepts the chance to spend the summer in Prague cataloguing original Beethoven manuscripts in preparation for a museum opening at the Lobkowicz Palace. But her once-in-a-lifetime opportunity soon takes on a more sinister sheen: her academic mentor has apparently leaped from a window in the palace days before, spies are lurking everywhere, a powerful US senator and presidential hopeful will stop at nothing to hide a dangerous secret in her past, and the standoffish but dangerously attractive Prince Max Lobkowicz introduces her to a mysterious drug that grants dizzying visions of the past, visions that he hopes will lead him to an ancient treasure.
This genre-crossing debut, the first in a series, leaps disconcertingly but entertainingly from humor, to hot passion, to psychedelic freakout, to deadly serious thriller. Plenty of action and small shocks keep the story moving along at a good clip, always an asset in an audiobook. The narration is split between Natalie Gold, who performs all the chapters where Sarah appears, while Orlagh Cassidy does all the chapters featuring the schemes of villainous Senator Charlotte Yates. Gold is great at accents, not so much at pitch; she can’t go deep enough to really seem male. Cassidy has a charming, almost aristocratic, voice, but I’m not really sure why a second narrator was necessary. What is sadly lacking from this production is a soundtrack. The book is saturated with references to specific compositions and performances of classical music, none of which we get to hear. Clearly, the authors (Magnus Flyte is the nom de plume for Christina Lynch & Meg Howrey) thought a soundtrack was important, otherwise they wouldn’t have provided a link to a Spotify playlist on their website:
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Three Parts Dead, Max Gladstone; Claudia Alick, narrator (Blackstone, 978-1-4708-0983-6, 11 CDs $32.95, 13 hr. unabridged [also available as MP3-CD and digital download]) October 2012.
Tara Abernathy is a newly hired associate at the firm of Kelethras, Albrecht, and Ao, a job that blends magic, necromancy, and law. Her first assignment is in the city of Alt Columb, whose patron god Kos has died under mysterious circumstances and who owes power to many creditors. How those debts are paid – and the form that Kos’s eventual resurrection will take – depends on how well Tara can advocate for Kos, which means understanding how and why he died, while outmagicking and outthinking her opponent, the dangerously powerful, treacherous professor who literally had her tossed out of the school where she acquired her magical training.
Narrator Claudia Alick has a slight, but noticeable, thickness in her tone – almost a lisp – which is somewhat distracting at first. After a while, the story becomes so absorbing, and Alick is accomplished enough, that this verbal tic slowly fades from awareness for the most part, only occasionally resurfacing. Alick provides a creditable cast of voices, although the ‘‘ice queen’’ tones of Tara’s boss Elayne are perhaps a bit overdone, and the young priest Abelard is decidedly too nasal; many narrators seem to associate that vocal quality with shy nerdiness, and I really wish they wouldn’t. But Alick has a good sense of drama and pacing in the action scenes, and the story is sufficiently compelling that it makes up for any minor narrative deficiencies. This is a fresh, strong debut from Gladstone, and I look forward to what he does next.
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Devil Said Bang, Richard Kadrey; MacLeod Andrews, narrator (Brilliance Audio 978-1-4692-0794-0, 10 CDs, $24.99, 12 hr., unabridged [also available as MP3-CD and digital download]) August 2012.
James Stark begins this fourth installment of the Sandman Slim series stuck in Hell. Again. But this time, he’s ruling it as Lucifer, the former holder of that name having moved home to Heaven. Unfortunately, Stark’s previous method of egress, the Key of Thirteen Doors, remains with his angelic self, ‘‘St. James,’’ who’s gone off somewhere. Hell’s interminable bureaucracy, endless politicking, and assassination attempts have Stark missing the old days when he was a gladiator in the Arena. When Stark finally does manage to get back to LA, the sky’s turning all kinds of weird colors, a little-girl ghost is stabbing magic users, and a lot of people are really mad at St. James and perfectly willing to express their ire at Stark instead. So, basically, it’s business as usual….
The Sandman Slim books are much of a muchness. It all depends on whether you enjoy James Stark being very surly, doing serious damage to people, creatures, and property, and, incidentally, saving the world. I do happen to enjoy these things, so, while nothing new, this was enormous fun for me. Brilliance Audio has been relying a bit too heavily on MacLeod Andrew these days, but Stark is the role Andrew was born to voice. He’s got a lovely deep growl for Stark, as well as a wonderfully fussy one for Stark’s demonic personal assistant Brimborian. However, I’m not sure why Father Traven sounds exactly like Jimmy Stewart, and Mr. Muninn’s voice bears a strong, strange resemblance to Kermit the Frog’s. All in all, though, this was 12 hours of profane pleasure.
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The Freedom Maze, Delia Sherman; Robin Miles, narrator; (Listening Library/Random House Audio 978-0-449-01463-9, 8 CDs, $55.00, 8.25 hr., unabridged [also available as a digital download]) September 2012. Cover by Kathleen Jennings.
In 1960, dreamy, bookish Sophie is sent to spend the summer with her aunt and grandmother on what remains of her family’s Louisiana plantation. She’s been brought up on the romance of plantation life and her family’s casual racism, and doesn’t question either until she meets a mysterious creature and wishes for a magical adventure. The puckish creature sends her back to her family’s plantation in 1860, where her bare feet, muddy clothes, frizzy hair, and deep tan get Sophie mistaken for a slave, and grant her an opportunity to shake up some deeply held assumptions and prejudices.
Delia Sherman succeeds at the delicate task of displaying the ugliness of slavery, while remaining appropriate for her tween and teen readers. It wasn’t without con
siderable effort on Sherman’s part, according to the 13-minute author’s interview included here. In the ensuing discussion, which is considerably more candid and illuminating than most post-audiobook interviews, Sherman explains that the process of researching and writing the book took 18 years. Amazingly, she rewrote it 27 times, rooting out the unconscious racism she admits appeared in earlier drafts. When the time came to record the audiobook, Sherman specifically chose someone who could sound old-fashioned and could put on a variety of Southern accents, and she chose successfully. Robin Miles has a narrative voice of silk, and she is certainly more than able in all these accents. More than that, she’s so capable with male voices you might even forget she’s a woman. Every library should have a copy of this.
–Amy Goldschlager
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MAGAZINES RECEIVED: FEBRUARY
Analog Science Fiction and Fact –Trevor Quachri, ed. Vol. 133 No. 5, May 2013, $4.99, 10 times a year, 112pp, 15 x 22 cm. Part two of a four-part serial by Edward M. Lerner; novelette by Martin L. Shoemaker; short stories by David W. Goldman, Walter F. Cuirle, H.G. Stratmann, and Patty Jansen; a science article by Richard A. Lovett; reviews and etc. Cover by Dominic Harman.
Asimov’s Science Fiction–Sheila Williams, ed. Vol. 37 No. 4 & 5, Whole Number 447 & 448, April/May 2013, $7.99, 10 times a year, 192pp, 15 x 22 cm. Novella by Neal Asher; novelettes by Joel Richards, Colin P. Davies, Alan Wall, and Tom Purdom; short stories by Linda Nagata, Karl Bunker, Naomi Kritzer, Leah Cypess, and Ken Liu; poetry, reviews, etc. Cover by Andrea Radeck.
Dreams and Nightmares–David C. Kopaska-Merkel, ed. No. 94, January 2013, $5.00, irregular, 20pp, 14 x 21 1/2 cm. Magazine of fantastic and speculative poetry, with work by Hanes Bach, Ann K. Schwader, Richard H. Fay, and others. Cover by Denny E. Marshall. Subscription: $25.00 for six issues/$30.00 outside USA, to David C. Kopaska-Merkel, 1300 Kicker Rd., Tuscaloosa AL 35404. Make checks out to David C. Kopaska-Merkel. E-mail:
Foundation: The International Review of Science Fiction–Graham Sleight, ed. Vol. 40, Issue No. 113, Spring 2011, £6.00/$12.00, three times yearly, 96pp, 14½ x 21 cm. Published by the Science Fiction Foundation. This issue includes Patrick Parrinder’s introduction of The Journalism of H.G. Wells: An Annotated Bibliography, David Smith’s bibliography of H.G. Well’s journalism, short stories and serialized fiction; Sandra Lindow’s examines morality, sexual addition and marriage in Geoff Ryman’s Lust; Gregory Stephenson’s search for metaphoric meaning in Anna Kavan’s Ice; Andrew Wenaus’s examination of the cyberpunk fiction of Kenji Siratori; and reviews. Subscription: UK and Ireland £18.50/Rest of Europe £20.00/ Elsewhere £23.00/USD$39.00/Students £13.00/USD$21.00 (proof required) for three issues to Roger Robinson (SFF) 75 Rosslyn Avenue, Harold Wood, Essex RM3 0RG, UK; e-mail:
On Spec–Diane L. Walton, ed. Vol. 24 No. 4, Whole No. 91, Winter 2012/2013, C$6.95, quarterly, 108pp, 13½ x 20½ cm. Small-press fiction magazine, with stories by Steven Popkes, Kim Neville, and others; an op-ed piece by Allan Weiss; interviews with author Kevin Cockle and artist Kenn Brown; and poetry. Cover by Kenn Brown. Subscription: C$24.00 Canada/USD$25.00 US/Overseas USD$35.00 a year, to On Spec, Box 4727, Edmonton, AB, Canada, T6E 5G6; website:
Science Fiction Studies–Arthur B. Evans et al., eds. Vol. 39 No. 2, Whole #117, July 2012, $25.00, three times a year, 189pp, 15 x 23 cm. Academic journal, with articles, and book reviews. In this issue Elana Gomel’s examines alien infestations in SF literature as a manifestation of the resistance to post-humanity; Thomas M. Barrett discusses the Cold War SF of Murray Leinster; Carl Abbott considers Colorado and the Rocky Mountains as a refuge in SF literature; Umberto Rossi looks at the narrative architecture in Philip K. Dick’s VALIS; Amanda Thibodeau challenges heteronormativity and argues for the alien body as a representation of utopian ideals of queerness; and Andrew Hageman puts forth the challenges of imagining an ecological future using Paolo Bacigalupi’s The Windup Girl. Subscription: $30.00 per year digital-only/$40.00 print plus digital/$65.00 print plus digital outside US (all rates listed are for individuals, institutional subscriptions available though JSTOR), or free with a membership in the Science Fiction Research Association, to Arthur B. Evans, Science Fiction Studies, East College 203, DePauw University, Greencastle IN 46135; website:
Science Fiction Studies–Arthur B. Evans et al., eds. Vol. 39 No. 3, Whole #118, November 2012, $25.00, three times a year, 201pp, 15 x 23 cm. Academic journal, with articles, and book reviews. This is a special issue on SF and globalization with Roger Luckhurst’s analysis of the World’s Fairs from 1851-1939 to show the interrelatedness of colonial expansion and SF thought; Sherryl Vint’s analysis of global networks in Los Angles as shown in Karen Tei Yamashita’s Tropic of Orange; Lysa Rivera places US and Mexican SF border texts in dialog to offer a critical vision of globalization and colonial relations in the age of NAFTA; Diane Nelson uses the anthropological social SF as a basis for considering capital in the context of a Guatamalian ponzi scheme; Jerome Winter explores post-colonialism in Ian McDonalds’s Evolution’s Shore and River of Gods; and Istvan Csicsery-Ronay, Jr. attempts to define ‘‘global SF.’’ Subscription: $30.00 per year digital-only/$40.00 print plus digital/$65.00 print plus digital outside US (all rates listed are for individuals, institutional subscriptions available though JSTOR), or free with a membership in the Science Fiction Research Association, to Arthur B. Evans, Science Fiction Studies, East College 203, DePauw University, Greencastle IN 46135; website:
Science Fiction Studies–Arthur B. Evans et al., eds. Vol. 40 No. 1, Whole #119, March 2013, $25.00, three times a year, 206pp, 15 x 23 cm. Academic journal, with articles, and book reviews. This issue, guest edited by Yan Wu and Veronica Hollinger, focuses on Chinese science fiction. Articles include Yan Wu’s introduction to Chinese SF with a timeline of milestone in Chinese SF; Hon Song’s discussion of important Chinese SF authors and of the state of modern Chinese SF; Liu Cixin’s reflection on his personal journey to becoming an SF writer and fan, and on what SF can offer the world of literature; Nathaniel Isaacson’s look at the first native Chinese SF novel, Yuequi zhimindi xiaoshuo [Tales of the Moon Colony] by Huangjiang Diasou, and traces the birth of modern Chinese fiction; Shaoling Ma’s consideration of narrative subjectivity in Late Qing SF using as an example ‘‘Xin faluoxiansheng tan’’ [‘‘A Tale of New Mr. Braggadocio’’] by Xu Nianci; Lisa Raphals’s analysis of Martian dystopia Maocheng ji [Cat Country] by Lao She and compares it to Stanley G. Weinbaum’s ‘‘A Martian Odyssey’’; Mingwei Song’s examination of different conceptions of utopias by contemporary Chinese SF authors Han Song, Wang Jinkang and Liu Cixin; Jia Liyuan discussion of the SF of Han Song and Song’s view of ‘‘Gloomy China’’ not only as a national allegory, but as an exploration of the meaning of existence; Qian Jiang’s history of western translations and their influence on the birth of Chinese SF; and Wei Yang’s analysis of modern Chinese SF films. Subscription: $30.00 per year digital-only/$40.00 print plus digital/$65.00 print plus digital outside US (all rates listed are for individuals, institutional subscriptions available though JSTOR), or free with a membership in the Science Fiction Research Association, to Arthur B. Evans, Science Fiction Studies, East College 203, DePauw University, Greencastle IN 46135; website:
Tales of the Talisman–David Lee Summers, ed. Vol 8, Issue 3, $8.00, quarterly, 98pp, 21 x 27 cm. Fantasy and speculative fiction magazine with short fiction, poetry, and reviews. Cover by Laura Givens. Subscription: $24.00 per year to Hadrosaur Productions, PO Box 2194, Mesilla Park NM 88047-2194; website:
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