Babes in Toyland’s Fontanelle available for pre-order

Can you believe that 30 years ago, Babes in Toyland’s Fontanelle was unleashed on the world? The band was changing lives years before this, but this was the album that broke through the mainstream and has kept them being rediscovered again and again.

Babes in Toyland were a formative discovery for 12-year old me (I know, I know–there were quite a few seminal experiences along the way), and it has been an honor and a privilege to devote my next book to them and Fontanelle.

While it won’t be out in time to celebrate this huge milestone, it is available for pre-order at the following places:

Resurrection: Pseudopod episodes 699 & 715

I’m very excited that Pseudopod has adapted not one but two short stories this year. The first is “Dr. Lambshead’s Dark Room,” that appeared in a special Edgar Allan Poe episode (#699). I’m not sure, but this may be the first time I share actual billing with Poe! Initiate self-actualization mode.

The other was one was “Dive in Me,” which I wrote with Jesse Bullington, and is a story near-and-dear to both of us as it is set in a town based on where we both grew up and became friends. A lot of grunge, Florida Gothic mess going on. You don’t want to miss the creeps.

You can listen to host Alasdair Stuart introduce and make some awesome comments, and hear the lovely Tatiana Grey read “Dr. Lambshead’s Dark Room” here.

Jordan Shiveley opens up “Dive in Me,” and has a really neat response to it at the end you should stick around for. Floridaian sister Alethea Kontis performs the story, and brings 100% authentic to the Moirai, even nailing the melody to “Dive in Me.” Check it out here.

Lost Transmissions: The Secret History of Science Fiction and Fantasy

Lost Transmissions

Congratulations to Desirina Boskovich, who has done it again with the glorious coffee table book LOST TRANSMISSIONS: The Secret History of Science Fiction and Fantasy. Published by Abrams Image, all sorts of people are spilling the beans in here: Charlie Jane Anders, Neil Gaiman, Paul Tremblay, Molly Tanzer, Nick Mamatas, Annalee Newitz, Christie Yant, Darran Anderson, Jesse Bullington, William Gibson, and many many more. I especially enjoyed the essay about Jane Loudon, Assassin’s Creed, and Janelle Monaé!

My humble essay is about “The Ideal Men,” which were the competing, celebrity robot rascals of the 1930s and 1940s including my favorite, Elektro the Smoking Robot.

Anyway, if you think you are a SFF buff, think again and buy this book!

Publishing Notes: New story in MIXED UP, edited by Nick Mamatas & Molly Tanzer

Mixed Up

Mixologists and Fabulists are going to be thrilled with this new anthology from Nick Mamatas and Molly Tanzer. MIXED UP: COCKTAIL RECIPES (and Flash Fiction) FOR THE DISCERNING DRINKER (and Reader), published by Skyhorse Publishing, is a lovely new gift book that pairs fantastic fiction with annotated and updated recipes. Even better, it’s now shipping out WAY early from Amazon.

My story, “Arrangement in Juniper and Champagne,” riffs on the French 75. It’s about Hannah Höch, friendships strained by adulthood, and of course, public drinking.

And, man, in addition to having an excuse to write about all of that, I am honored to be sloshing about with these other amazing contributors:

• Maurice Broaddus
• Nick Mamatas
• Jim Nisbet
• Jarret Kobek
• Benjamin Percy
• Libby Cudmore
• Dominica Phetteplace
• Gina Marie Guadignino
• Tim Pratt
• Elizabeth Hand
• Robert Swartwood
• Cara Hoffman
• Jeff VanderMeer
• Carrie Laben
• Will Viharo
• Carmen Machado

If you enjoy pouring over great stories while decadent booze pours into you, order your copy here now.

Publishing Notes: Wandering Spirits, Fall Update

WS Cover Whoops. I have been meaning to do an update for…two months?…and just haven’t. Blame the lassitude and election anxiety.

Anyway, as you may recall, Wandering Spirits: Traveling Mary Shelley’s FRANKENSTEIN is my travelogue through three key geography points in Mary Shelley’s seminal text. It was nominated for a Best of the Net a few years back and is available now as a bicentennial, special-limited edition designed and annotated by Yves Tourigny and Tallhat Press. I write more extensively about it here.

Only 200 copies will be made, and only then available for 9 months from its initial release.

So, current stats are: there are 140 copies of Wandering Spirits: Traveling Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein left, with 4 months to go.

If you would like to purchase a copy, you can do so at the below links:

Order now on Amazon.com
Order now on Amazon.ca
Order now on Amazon.co.uk

Numbers of the bEast: xChambers

Collage_Pulver_xPulver Today is Numbers of the bEast, a lovely blog-o-sphere tribute honoring/roasting/ultimately celebrating the King in Yellow himself, Joesph S. Pulver, Sr.

Joe is one of my favorite writers, editors, and people all around. A bridge between the symbolist, beat, and weird movements, Joe wields words on the page like Jackson Pollock and I can’t think of anyone else writing right now that utilizes space akin to Mallarmé and Apollinaire. How does he do it? I think it’s all in the mustache, whose magical wonders I tried to unleash in this Cindy Sherman-esque tribute. I’m not really sure it works, after editing these portraits, I tried my hand at the Selectric II and all that kept coming out was:

~!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!~~~

Thanks to Mike Griffin and John Langan for asking me to play and help celebrate xPULVER!

Love ya, Joe!

EDIT:

After the fact, I figured no one wants to go backwards for the individual images, so I have included them below for the bEast’s (and the viewer’s) convenience.

Also, be sure to check up the round-up from Mike Griffin of all the Numbers of the bEast, and Joe’s lovely thank you note here.

xPortrait of the bEast #1:

xChambers1