Today, I feel the need to spread my love of the art of Stephanie Pui-Mun Law, an artist of extraordinary talent whose work I first came across on Elfwood, a large online community of SFF writers and artists. I immediately fell in love with Stephanie’s stunning watercolours, which are often inspired by mythology and folklore – Asian, European, and otherwise. In short, her pieces are breathtaking, and fantasy fans in particular should make sure they head over to her site and have a look through her wonderful galleries. She also has books, prints, jewellery, and tarot decks available (I have her tarot, and it’s gorgeous!), should any of her works take your especial fancy!
Just click on the beautiful banner below to head over to Shadowscapes! You won’t regret it, I assure you…
Just a quick post about some exciting new blogs that have emerged over the past couple of days.
First there is Fantasy Mistressworks, started by Amanda Rutter, editor of Strange Chemistry (Angry Robot Books’s YA imprint). This site aims to promote fantasy novels written by women, published in the 20th Century or earlier.
Next, we have Daughters of Prometheus, started by Michaela Staton. Inspired by Ian Sales’s SF Mistressworks site, DOP aims to draw attention to SF works by women published in the 21st Century.
Excitingly, the first review to be posted on Daughters of Prometheus was my review of Lauren Beukes’s Zoo City — which will probably (and hopefully productively) spark discussion about cross-genre works from the get-go!
Both of these websites are looking for suggestions of books to add to their lists, and they are also seeking reviews of eligible works. They are well worth checking out and contributing to.
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I haven’t gone into detail about the history that prompted these new blogs, but you can find out more about recent discussions of the (lack of) visibility of women in SFF by following the clickety-click of blog trails. Some links to start you off (there are many more to dig up):
Some news. Print copies of Doctor Fantastique Books’s steampunk Shakespeare anthology, ‘The Omnibus of Doctor Bill Shakes and the Magnificent Ionic Pentatetrameter’ are now available for pre-order, here. They will be shipped after 11th May, the official release date. There will also be an e-book version available after that date.
The world of Shakespeare is accustomed to constant reinvention. This time, however, things are taken in a Steampunk direction. These 17 poems and short stories take a Shakespearean sonnet or play and bring into the Steampunk world.
If you weren’t already aware, one of the 17 stories is mine! Entitled ‘Richard, Dismantled’, it riffs off Shakespeare’s marvellous ‘Richard II’, using a steampunk twist in order to emphasise and explore the play’s concerns with kingship, divine right, and identity.
Payment for the anthology is currently Paypal only, but if this doesn’t suit you then an alternative payment system will be available in the near future.
Finally, here is the wonderful cover! Isn’t it awesome?
2012 looks set to be an good year for SFF fans, who can anticipate a number of exciting releases (no, I’m NOT talking about G.I. JOE: Retaliation or, worse, John Carter). Here are my top five picks of new SFF material coming out in 2012 (not including novels):
5) The Hunger Games movie (release date 23 March 2012 (NB. UK release date, as found on IMDB)) – Having just finished reading the books (find my reviews here and here), I’m curious to see how director Gary Ross will transform these brutal YA novels into film. My hopes are high, as the trailer looks pretty good:
4) The Dark Knight Rises (20 July 2012)- I will confess, The Dark Knight is the only Batman film I’ve seen (apart from the oldie, which has the whole POW, SPLOSH, KABOOM! action going on), but it was more than enough to whet my appetite. And now I’m picturing more of that awesomeness, with the additions of Anne Hathaway, Tom Hardy, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt! WOOT! ‘Tis gonna be amazing.
To add my opinion to the whole ‘I can’t understand what Bane is saying’ debate: that’s only ONE LINE in the trailer that you’re having difficulty hearing, and I’m sure it won’t be that hard to understand him all the way through (it just CAN’T be). And, if you really can’t figure out the line in the trailer, he says: ‘When Gotham is ashes, you have my permission to die.’ Which is, you must agree, a brilliantly badass thing to say. I think I’m going to like him…
3) The Master and Margarita performed by Complicite (15 March 2012, Barbican theatre London) - A more obscure choice, but OHMYGOODNESS am I excited about it! The Master and Margarita is one of my favourite books, and Complicite is one of my favourite theatre companies. What a combination! If you haven’t heard of Complicite, they are a company under the artistic direction of Simon McBurney (who you will have seen in films and TV series, mainly as side characters/cameos e.g. Oliver Lacon in Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy, Archdeacon Robert in Rev, Fra Pavel in The Golden Compass etc.). Aside from this, he also happens to be a theatrical genius. Complicite are known for their innovative physical performances, and their employment of ‘total theatre’ i.e. using light, sound, setting, projections, etc. to create a piece of theatre in which all the elements are in harmony and play a crucial role in the telling. I have my ticket booked for their show in April, and I cannot wait!
2) Game of Thrones, Season 2 (April 2012)- Need I explain? Wasn’t Season 1 awesome?? Isn’t Jon Snow gorgeous? (*ahem* OK, so I can be shallow, right?) Heh… Anyway, BESIDES gazing at Jon Snow I’m also looking forward to seeing how they depict Sansa’s storyline this season, because I felt that her character really bloomed and became much more likeable/interesting in A Clash of Kings. Bring it on, HBO!
1) Yep, you’ve guessed it… The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (14 December 2012) – How could this not be my number 1? I mean, have you SEEN the trailer (well, it’s OK if you haven’t ’cause I’ve embedded it below)?? It makes me PAINFULLY excited. Yes, that’s NEAR PHYSICAL PAIN. REAL PSEUDO-PHYSICAL PAIN. (No, I don’t know what I mean either, but it hurts, I tell you, it HURTS!) From the looks of the trailer, The Hobbit will be just as excellent as LOTR, albeit with a necessarily lighter tone, as stakes in The Hobbit are not as high as in LOTR. NB. I have to say, I couldn’t quite believe it when I heard that Richard Armitage was cast as Thorin, but now I understand; he has such regal, aquiline features, and manages to remain sleek and noble-looking even with that bushy dwarven beard!
So those are my year’s top excitements mapped out — which 2012 releases are you looking forward to most?
Merry Christmas, one and all! Here’s wishing you a day of much festive consumption and cheer and merriment etc. etc.!
Happy non-denominational holiday to those of the one and all to whom the above does not apply!
And season’s greetings also from my character Ambrose! He’s usually a sullen fellow, so it’s a rare treat to find him celebrating anything. If you look carefully, you’ll see that he has decorated his hat with a little piece of holly for the occasion. This is as much as you can hope for from him…
(Ambrose is a character from a full-length play, The Heights, which I wrote and co-directed while an undergraduate student. Ambrose remains one of my favourite creations, which still doesn’t seem to cheer him up.)
I’m delighted to announce that my short story, ‘Augury‘, is now live over at the wonderful Shortfire Press! Available for the bargain price of only 99p, it is a departure from my usual works of science fiction and fantasy, and was inspired by a visit to Guernsey in 2010. Here is what Shortfire Press says about it:
The winner of Cambridge University’s prestigious Quiller-Couch prize for creative writing, ‘Augury’ is a stunning story from a young writer with a glittering career ahead of her. Set in Guernsey in 1941, it’s the story of betrayal and longing, beautifully told.
Why not pop over to Shortfire Press and give it a try? And while you’re there, make sure to pick up a few of the other wonderful short stories available (I’m privileged to be in the company of such amazing writers!).
Upon realising that I haven’t posted on this blog since *gasp* OCTOBER, I thought it high time to fill the abyss of silence with a modest little post. I don’t have any excuse for the lack of reviews — I’ve got my notes about The Hunger Games scribbled in my notebook, but just haven’t got round to writing them up yet. Apologies for the slackness. The review will appear here when I’ve finally got onto that…
In other news, I’ve recently heard that my submission for Doctor Fantastique books’s Steampunk Shakespeare anthology has been accepted – woop! Look out for ‘The Omnibus of Doctor Bill Shakes and the Magnificent Ionic Pentatetrameter’!
…and I hope you’re having a great lead-up to Christmas, whoever and wherever you are! (if indeed you celebrate Christmas, otherwise I just hope you’re having a generally awesome life.)
Hello again! Just another update to let you know that part 1 of my Young Adult fantasy story, ‘To Be True’, has just gone live on Cast of Wonders… in podcast format! Graeme does an excellent job of the reading; it’s thrilling to hear my story being told aloud! Check it out, and tune in next week for part 2!
Whilst another book review has been slow in coming (blame my dissertation – it’s tying my brain in knots), I can announce that another piece of mine has today gone live at Bewildering Stories e-zine. A short drama entitled Morning Light, it features teacups, sunflowers, and memories of fire.
So, while I’m still dawdling with the reviews, I have some news: my fantasy short story, A Mixed Catch, is now live at Lightning Flash Magazine! And if this didn’t make me happy enough, it also bagged the best fiction prize for the July issue! In a word: chuffed.
It’d be great if you’d take the time to check the story out, and let me know what you think of it! Also be sure to read the other two stories in the issue: Atomic Number Fourteen by Davyani Borade, and The Chase by Ken Liu. They’re both wonderful — and funny!
Check it out, and tune in next week for part 2!
