FF: Return of the Shorter Novel

One fascinating thing about reading in a genre long enough is watching shifting trends.  I grew up reading shorter SF/F novels, watched the slow evolution toward the doorstop (aka “tree-killer”) novel, and now we’re back again to novels that probably come in at under 100,000 words.  While the opportunity for complexity and subplots are lost, so is a lot of fat and padding.

For those of you unfamiliar with this column, the Friday Fragments lists what I’ve read over the past week.  Most of the time I don’t include details of either short fiction (unless part of a book-length collection) or magazines.  The Fragments are not meant to be a recommendation list.  If you’re interested in a not-at-all-inclusive recommendation list, you can look on my website under Neat Stuff.

Once again, this is not a book review column.  It’s just a list with, maybe, a bit of description or a few opinions tossed in.  And it’s also a great place to tell me what you’re reading. 

Completed:

DreamForge Anvil issue 9.

Across the Green Grass Fields by Seanan McGuire.  Audiobook.  Novel.  Stand alone in the “Wayward Children” series.  Equines and lies.

Come Tumbling Down by Seanan McGuire.  Audiobook (read by the author).  Novel.  Book Five in the “Wayward Children” series.  Back to the Moors.

Bryony and Roses by T. Kingfisher (aka Ursula Vernon).  Novel.  A retelling of Beauty and the Beast.  Dark Fantasy, rather than horror or fairytale, with a liberal dose of Kingfisher’s humor, which is intelligently ironical, rather than sidesplittingly funny.  Well, except when it is…

Triple Jeopardy by Rex Stout.  Three novelettes.  All quite good.

In Progress:

Murder at the Bar by Ngaio Marsh.  Audiobook.  Yes, I know I’ve read this before, but I needed a good story to keep me doing paperwork.

Jack the Giant-Killer by Charles de Lint.  I have owned a copy for years, but I can’t remember if I ever read this one, so it’s a treat.

Also:

Latest Vogue and latest Archeology.

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Frost Warning

Last Blooms

Back date: Monday.  Wind is up and rattling the windowpanes.  Frost warning for tonight, so I’ve been darting out to pick and cut.  The flowers are some of our late season zinnias, with a few random marigolds.

We have some green tomatoes to pick, a few peppers, a single eggplant, about three inches long.  I’m always reluctant to pick, because a freeze here might not kill the plant, and we’ve been known to go to mid-November before we get a decisive killing frost.

On the other hand, that wind is cold.  Green tomatoes will sometimes ripen, and even it they don’t, I have a great green tomato cake recipe.  I also have a great green tomato relish recipe, but I don’t think we’ll have enough for that this year.

This summer we experimented with a couple of new varieties of tomato from Native Seed Search: Punta Banda and Texas Wild.  Both were small varieties.  Punta Banda’s largest fruit was maybe golf ball-sized.  Texas Wild were very small, but with a delightful smokey sweet flavor.  They handled our hot summer pretty well, slowing down when we hit 105, but recovering much more quickly than other varieties did when temperatures dropped into the high nineties.

Most of our green tomatoes will come from a volunteer San Marzano I put in as a filler when we had a gap in one of the rows.  This didn’t handle the heat well, but when temperatures dropped to the low nineties, it really took off.  I’m almost reluctant to pick, because if the cold snap passes, these could continue to ripen.

On the other hand, if we do get that freeze…

Update: Tuesday.  Hit 28 last night.  Most of our vegetable plants are gone.  Birdbath froze.  Some of the local plants are still thriving.  Often proximity to a source of radiant heat (like the side of the house), or shelter from the wind (ditto) proved to be a contributing factor.

Y’know,  being a professional writer is hardly the world’s most predictable, profitable, or stable profession, but compared to gardening, it’s practically punch clock regular!

FF: Looks Like Lots

Roary Strikes a Pose

This week’s list looks quite long, but it’s less long than it seems as many of the books are very short, and tightly focused.

For those of you unfamiliar with this column, the Friday Fragments lists what I’ve read over the past week.  Most of the time I don’t include details of either short fiction (unless part of a book-length collection) or magazines.  The Fragments are not meant to be a recommendation list.  If you’re interested in a not-at-all-inclusive recommendation list, you can look on my website under Neat Stuff.

Once again, this is not a book review column.  It’s just a list with, maybe, a bit of description or a few opinions tossed in.  And it’s also a great place to tell me what you’re reading. 

Completed:

The Grace of Kings by Ken Liu.  Audiobook. 

Maigret Rents a Room, by Georges Simeon, translated by Richard Brain.  French detective/police procedural from the 1950’s.   A window into another world.

Maigret and the Strangled Stripper by Georges Simeon, translated by Cornelia Schaeffer.  Interesting to note that the orginal title was Maigret au Picratt’s, Picratt’s being the name of the nightclub.  Hard to say which reflects the story better.

Isekai Skies by H.P. Holo.  My gaming group hasn’t been able to meet for weeks, and I needed a gaming fix.  H.P. Holo’s work might not work for a non-gamer, as it assumes a basic familiarity with various tropes, but it really hits the spot for this gamer.  Excellent descriptive detail, vivid characterization, and, best of all, a sense the author is having a great time with her insanely over-the-top setting.

In Progress:

DreamForge Anvil issue 9.

Across the Green Grass Fields by Seanan McGuire.  Audiobook.  Novella.  Stand alone in the “Wayward Children” series.

Also:

Various articles. 

Quiet

Roary Has Quiet Time

About two weeks ago, I printed Jim’s copy of House of Rough Diamonds.  Images of quiet time while he did his read-through danced in my head.  Yeah, I had jobs I’d let lie fallow while I finished the manuscript, proofed it, revised it. But I hadn’t realized just how many, or how time consuming they’d be to catch up on.

Nor did I count on the jobs that would pop up, as if sensing that suddenly I had Free Time! 

Some of these are not at all bad.  A short story I wrote for an anthology many years ago will finally be coming out.  (“Deception on Gryphon” in What Price Victory, in case you wonder.)  However, this has meant reviewing the copy edit, then reviewing the page proofs.

Other pop-up jobs have more to do with my making my living as a writer, which is running a small business.  These need to be done, no matter how much you’d rather be exploring that cool idea for a short story.

Let’s just suffice to say, not only haven’t I caught up, I haven’t had the time I thought I’d have to recharge.  I’d like that.  I really would.  But if there’s one thing I’ve learned in my years as a professional writer, it’s “Don’t count on quiet time.”

So, I’m going to go off and do some of that catching up stuff, because that’s as much a part of the job as writing the stories, doing the research, telling the tales.

But telling the tales is a lot more fun!

FF: Something Old, Something New(er)

Roary in the Surreal World

A lot of waiting room time this week meant I had more time to read, but not as much time to listen.  Good to be immersing myself into reading more.

For those of you unfamiliar with this column, the Friday Fragments lists what I’ve read over the past week.  Most of the time I don’t include details of either short fiction (unless part of a book-length collection) or magazines.  The Fragments are not meant to be a recommendation list.  If you’re interested in a not-at-all-inclusive recommendation list, you can look on my website under Neat Stuff.

Once again, this is not a book review column.  It’s just a list with, maybe, a bit of description or a few opinions tossed in.  And it’s also a great place to tell me what you’re reading. 

Completed:

Tales of Hoffman, translated by R.J. Hollingdale and others.  Hoffman (1776-1822) is one of those writers often referenced as influential on Fantasy, Horror, and even Mystery fiction.  This translation does a good job of showing his skill at “nesting” stories within stories as the author (who often breaks the fourth wall) delves into the roots of some occurrence.  My favorite was probably “The Choosing of the Bride,” which had a touch of ironic humor.

In Progress:

The Grace of Kings by Ken Liu.  Audiobook.  The opening several chapters were a bit too grimdark for me, but because of recommendations, I forged on.  I’m definitely liking several characters, but am trying to figure out how this can be expanded to four books.  The author keeps adding characters, so maybe that’s how?

Maigret Rents a Room, by Georges Simeon, translated by Richard Brain.  French detective/police procedural from the 1950’s.   A window into another world.

Also:

Current Smithsonian.  Articles on Sam Adams and J.R.R. Tolkien have been of particular interest.

Autumnal Wanderings

Maximillian Sunflowers

Thanks to all the kind souls who came out in the rain, dealt with nearly impossible parking, and joined me at Beastly Books this last Saturday for my book event.  I enjoyed the chance to spend time with you all.  A reminder: Beastly Books specializes in autographed books.  They also do mail order.

In addition to an amazing collection of works by the store’s owner, George R.R. Martin, there is an increasing selection of works by other authors.  Consider Beastly Books this holiday season, when you’re stuck on a unique gift for the readers on your list.  And, yes, I signed stock, and so several of my titles will be available, as soon as they can get them on their website.

Rain isn’t really usual here in north-central New Mexico at this time of year.  We often get just enough to annoy the people visiting for Balloon Fiesta, but not enough to shut things down.  Jim and I didn’t have a lot overall, but probably all the little rain showers added up to about eight-tenths of an inch.

Temperatures are now dropping into the low-forties, mid-fifties at night, with daytime highs in the seventies and eighties.  Basically, this is one of the best times of the year.  However, the rain is really ramping up the allergens, so Jim and I are doing a lot of sneezing.

Our garden has slowed way down, but we still have enough to accent our meals.  The arugula, which had gotten very, very spicy during the hottest part of the year, is now mellowing—although the older leaves can pack a real bite.  The rain helped our late planting of radishes to develop, and I have some hope for the languishing carrots.

We have some flowers, too.  Featured in the photo are Maximillian sunflowers.  This plant produces a rhizome, not unlike that of a Jerusalem artichoke.  They tend to handle our hot, dry climate fairly well, as long as they get some extra water at the hottest time of the year.  A bonus is that they tend to start flowering in late summer, early autumn, when many other plants are fading.

It’s a nice time of the year…  Very inspirational.  I think I’ll go see what inspiration may bring!

FF: Loose Ends

Mei-Ling Luxuriates

I started a book this week by an author some of whose works I have loved, some of which I have not.  This one fell into the “not.”  It’s an older book, so no need to try and guess…

So, I’m a touch at loose ends, feeling around for what next.

For those of you unfamiliar with this column, the Friday Fragments lists what I’ve read over the past week.  Most of the time I don’t include details of either short fiction (unless part of a book-length collection) or magazines.  The Fragments are not meant to be a recommendation list.  If you’re interested in a not-at-all-inclusive recommendation list, you can look on my website under Neat Stuff.

Once again, this is not a book review column.  It’s just a list with, maybe, a bit of description or a few opinions tossed in.  And it’s also a great place to tell me what you’re reading. 

Completed:

The Lefthanded Booksellers of London by Garth Nix.  Very much enjoyed.

Have Sword Will Travel by Garth Nix and Sean Williams.  Audiobook, relisten.  A tale about preconceptions…  With dragons.  And magic swords.

Convergent Series by Larry Niven.  A collection of short stories, not set in his Known Space.  Some are loosely interconnected.  I enjoyed.

In Progress:

The Grace of Kings by Ken Liu.  Audiobook.  In the early “introduce characters and setting and politics” part.  Thanks to Beverly for reminding me I’d wanted to try this series.

Also:

Sometimes I read deliberately outside my usual range, just to rattle my brain a bit.  This week, I read most of the articles in two issues of a magazine promoting life the Berkshires, which I received as a member of The Author’s Guild. 

Beastly Effort

Lots of Effort!

My continued efforts to get the hang of folding an origami crane continue to produce more “effort” than “crane,” but at least I have something else cheerful to report.

This coming Saturday, October 8, I’m doing a book event from noon to 1:30 p.m. at Beastly Books in Santa Fe.  Featured titles will be my new Over Where novels, Library of the Sapphire Wind and Aurora Borealis Bridge, as well as A New Clan, the newest Star Kingdom, Stephanie Harrington novel, written in collaboration with David Weber—and I have stickers signed by David Weber, so you’ll be able to have the book signed by both of us!

There will be a short talk, a reading, and a question-and-answer period.  I have lots of neat bookmarks, postcards, and buttons.

The store is located at 418 Montezuma Avenue.  For those of you concerned about parking, the bookstore is very close to the Santa Fe Railyard.  It looks as if the Rail Runner is up and (pardon the unavoidable pun), running with a full Saturday schedule.

This is my first book event in New Mexico for these three titles, unconnected with a convention.

Hope to see some of you there!

Oh!  If the bit about folding cranes is confusing, see last week’s Wandering!

Now, off to the writerly side of my writer’s life!