A New Project | Speculative Fiction 2012: The Year's Best Online Reviews & Commentary

Press release originally appeared on Pornokitsch: 

Jurassic London are pleased to announce Speculative Fiction 2012: The Year's Best Online Reviews & Commentary, capturing the best of 2012's blogs, websites and other digital publications.  

With the online reviewing community larger than ever before, Speculative Fiction aims to both capture and celebrate the best in genre non-fiction: the top book reviews, criticism and essays of the year. 

The collection will be edited by Justin Landon (Staffer's Book Review) and Jared Shurin (Pornokitsch).  

Speculative Fiction will be available February 2013. All proceeds will go to charity (partner TBA). 

The editors are currently seeking recommendations. Pieces must be longer than 500 words. This is a reprint anthology: work must have been first published online, in 2012 and not in a professional publication. 

Recommendations should be submitted here: Speculative Fiction 2012.

Payment will be on publication, at the reprint rate of one cent a word, plus a contributor copy.

***

Expect more announcements as we move through the process, but generally speaking, Jared and I both feel very strongly that this is an important project. The internet is an incredible place. Post something here and it's here forever. But, that's a blessing and a curse.

Years and years of reviews and commentary about genre fiction have occurred and been lost to memory, occasionally found in a Google search, but more often queried on Twitter, "Anyone know where to find that great post?" We want to help create a record, a snapshot in time of what was important today.

Give us a hand, huh?

WorldCon Link Round-up (for those of us who didn't make it)

I didn't make it to WorldCon this year, for a host of reasons, not the least of which was the complete unwillingness of airlines to provide me with reasonable flight times. But, after reading all of these posts I'm linking here, I feel like I was there. (Not really, but it's SOMETHING!)

First up some news:

Cheryl Morgan updates on Hugo rules updates:

3. The raft of changes to the Fanzine and Semiprozine category were also ratified. An attempt by hardliners to exclude electronic fanzines was defeated (I keep hoping they’ll give up, but I may have to wait for them to die). The main result of these changes will be that Locus is no longer eligible in Semiprozine as it has full-time staff. Liza Groen Trombi is, of course, still eligible in Best Editor: Short Form.

It's nice to see that blogs will be able to continue eligibility. I still believe that over time blogs will largely replace the traditional FanZine. I'm curious about everyone's opinions on the YA category. Personally, I don't want to pull it out as its own, but I understand the argument and it holds some water.

Publisher's Weekly gives a news run down:

Harper Voyager is “actively seeking new authors with fresh voices, strong storytelling abilities, original ideas and compelling storylines” to submit manuscripts for consideration for a new digital-first line, Impulse. Submissions will be open for two weeks only, October 1–14, atwww.harpervoyagersubmissions.com. Distribution for accepted, published titles will be worldwide (world English rights). Executive Editor Diana Gill says they’re looking for “novels, novellas, short stories, interstitials.” Get those manuscripts polished up!

Interesting. Voyager has been way behind all the other big-six genre imprints. I'll be interested to see where this goes. Another cool point in there is that San Antonio WorldCon will be offering a Spanish language programming track.

Also Publisher's Weekly recounts the SFWA Business meeting:

[This post has been taken down and all comments have been hidden, as we erroneously reported on matters that were confidential. Many apologies from the management to SFWA and everyone else affected.]

File 770 breaks down some of the Hugo voting numbers:

However, there was nothing close about the final vote in the Best Fanzine category. SF Signal, the popular blog, started with a 137 vote lead over 2011 winner The Drink Tank and still led by 97 votes when all the traditional fanzines had been eliminated. In the last round SF Signal and The Drink Tank essentially split File 770’sremaining votes with a preference.

Couldn't be happier about this. SF Signal does great work and I'm pleased to see a blog recognized. I'll write more on this in the future.

Some journal style posts:

Kameron Hurley on Attending Conventions After a Long Absence:

I made a lot of mistakes, the chief one being not planning any meals or coffee dates or bar dates with anyone, which means I missed a lot of people. The other was not preparing better with opening salvo conversations for writers I did want to see and could have touched base with when I saw them across the convention hall if I actually had something I’d prepared to say beyond, “Oh, it’s YOU! It’s good to see you!” Because of this, I had a very Twitter-like con, where I felt like I was constantly babbling to people in 140 word chunks and then running off to find a beer or a book or a clue.

Jim Hines on not being a jerk: 

I do think sometimes we mistake the unintentional brush-off for deliberate dismissal. But speaking as an author and HUGO-AWARD WINNING BLOGGER (sorry - the squee is still slipping out occasionally), I also think it’s on me to be more aware of how easy it is to make someone feel blown off, and to try harder to avoid doing that.'

Howard Andrews Jones blow by every blow (long):

It wasn’t long ago that I’d arrive at a convention and be surrounded by strangers or literary luminaries I was too nervous to approach. When I turn up these days there are still a lot of strangers, but there are plenty of familiar faces as well. Before I’d even checked in I bumped into Tom Doyle, and shortly after registering my complaint with Patrick Rothfuss I was welcomed by Arin Komins and Rich Warren to their used books booth, Starfarer’s Dispatch.

Courtney Schafer talks about the Night Bazaar party with photos:

The Night Bazaar party was a hit - we must've had something like 100 books to give away between the lot of us. We stuck to last year's giveaway plan: "Eat a bug, get a book." Enough intrepid folks chowed down on cheddar crickets and sour cream-n-onion worms to carry off every single one of those books by the night's end. (Nobody was brave enough to try the scorpion taffy, though, to our amusement.)

Nick Mamatas goes bulletpoint style:

The first panel I was on was the poorly conceptualized "after the first two pages"—as if page three is some sort of endemic problem. There was also the issue of hookism, but most of the panelists were interested in pushing past the strictures of the panel and just discussing storytelling and such. At the end, we did get the one strange question:How many flashbacks should there be in a chapter? "Three to five," I said, but nobody in panel audiences ever gets the hint, so we were treated to an increasingly baroque summary of the audience member's first chapter, which features a character with two personalities, both of whom are suffering from memory loss, so of course there needs to be plenty of flashbacks, right? Right?

Sounds like WorldCon was a blast, but like the one last year in Reno, there were some complaints. Programming appears to have been a bit of a mess and, as always, WorldCon is so large that it's easy to completely miss the people you came to see. As someone who loves sitting down with 5 or 6 people and having deep conversations, WorldCon seems a bit counter intuitive.

I'm definitely planning to go next year in San Antonio. Anyone need a roommate?

New SF Signal Column by Yours Truly

A few weeks back SF Signal approached me about my interest in doing a column. After some back and forth we decided on a column about small presses. I've always been a fan of reading things a little off the beaten path around here and I hope to do even more of it in the months ahead. It's an important subject and one I'm passionate about. I very much appreciate SF Signal giving me the opportunity.

My point of view with the column centers around what role small presses play in the larger game of science fiction and fantasy. Not just what are they're doing, but hopefully a little bit about why they're doing it. I'll also be reading a few books from the press before each column to get a feel for what they're all about. When appropriate I'll be reviewing them here. I began with Small Beer Press:

I begin with Small Beer Press, founded by husband and wife Gavin Grant and Kelly Link who first teamed up in the late 90′s under the Hugo-nominated zine Lady Churchill’s Rosebud Wristlet. I have no idea what a rosebud wristlet might be, but it sounds smart. Still publishing the zine, Link and Grant have expanded their domain to include chapbooks, original novels, and short story collections. Since Small Beer opened its doors twelve years ago, the pair have published over sixty titles. 

Read the rest...  

When Mainstream Publishers Do SFF

Daniel Polansky's debut novel, Low Town, was released last year by Doubleday. Owned by Random House, Doubleday publishes mostly mainstream fiction, with a smattering of science fiction and fantasy. Some of their more recent genre work includes David Anthony Durham's Acacia Trilogy and Graham Joyce's Some Kind of Fairy Tale. For the most part, they do a reasonably good job of crossing over to the different genres, marking them to the appropriate audience. 

David Anthony Durham's recent covers code perfectly for fans of genre and the George R.R. Martin quotes are fantastic.

With the paperback release of Low Town, not so much.

A quote from the Newark Star-Ledger and cover art that would be more appropriate on a Chuck Palahniuk novel, Doubleday has branded Low Town as literary fiction. If Polansky's novel was a crime thriller, or historical fantasy, or urban fantasy, or magical realism, I'd probably go along with it. Unfortunately, Low Town is second world fantasy with wizards and sword fights. It's as fantasy as something is like to get short of throwing in a dragon and an elf.

Sure, there's a lot of crime fiction noir roots in Polansky's writing, but readers expecting Elmore Leonard are going to be perplexed (although they might enjoy it). I'm not convinced Doubleday did a better job with the hardcover released either.

Comparing it to the UK version, I can only wonder who Doubleday is targeting with Polansky's work.

While I don't much care for the art, it does code fantasy much more clearly. Not to mention better titled.

What do you think of the Doubleday covers, particularly the new paperback one? Would the weird cover turn you off as a fan of genre?

My Hugo Votes

Back in June, I posted my Hugo Nominees. Suffice to say, almost nothing I nominated made the final ballot. That was disappointing, particularly because what was ultimately nominated hardly represents the best work done in 2011. But, as a Chicon 7 Supporting Member, I have a vote and I used it. Below are the categories I voted in, who I voted for, my predictions, and my justifications. I also include the work I thought should have been nominated (and won).

Best Novel Nominees

Among Others by Jo Walton

A Dance With Dragons by George R.R. Martin

Deadline by Mira Grant

Embassytown by China Miéville

Leviathan Wakes by James S.A. Corey

Read more »

As Close to Investigative Reporting As I'll Ever Get

They say curiosity killed the cat. In this case, curiosity killed the tiny little part of me that still believed in humanity. That might be a little dramatic, but who doesn't love a little drama?

I recently visited eBay on a hunch. A few weeks back there were a metric shit-ton (that's a legit measurement) of books handed out to bloggers, booksellers, and readers at Book Expo America (BEA). One in particular caught my interest -- The Twelve, Justin Cronin's follow-up to the bestselling The Passage. I knew I probably wouldn't get a review copy from Random House since Cronin (obviously) doesn't need my help to get the word out. Given my interest, and the hordes of readers that made The Passage a New York Times Bestseller, I wondered if any of those free copies would show up on eBay.

The answer, of course, is yes. That alone doesn't shock or disturb me. I suppose there were probably dozens of people at BEA for that express purpose. With the number of freebies there, a motivated seller could make a couple hundred bucks reselling their swag. While I find that eminently annoying, I'm not offended by it. They're not part of the industry. They're bad actors, to borrow a political term. Unfortunately, my exploration of the underbelly of the advanced copy resale market unearthed something else that did shock me.

Read more »

Debut Authorpalooza (2012)

I have two tenets I will not violate on this blog. First, every review is my honest opinion and I don't pull punches. Two, I'll never run an interview, giveaway, or guest post from an author that I can't personally endorse. It was with some trepidation then when I heard from Courtney Schafer, author of 2011 debut novel The Whitefire Crossing, that a group of recent debut authors wanted to do an event celebrating the completion of their second novel and they wanted me to host it. Given my self enforced rules, my first question was obviously, who?

Before I get to that, I should mention that I read a lot of debut authors (around 30 last year). I even went so far as to recognize Night Shade Books for their tremendous commitment to developing new voices in the field with my 2011 Juice Box Award for Best Editor. See, I love discovering new things. While it's phenomenal to get my hands on the new George R.R. Martin book or a the latest Joe Abercrombie, there's a special feeling that comes reading a new author. There's an allure in finding unexpected brilliance -- to be the first person to the party. I read for that feeling. It turns out each of the authors wanting to come to my blog gave me that feeling. When I saw the list, I accepted and immediately began trying to come with a ridiculous name for the event.

So what is Debut Authorpalooza?

For the next two weeks, starting on Monday July 16, I'm turning my blog over to ten of my favorite recent debut authors from 2011 (and one for 2012, we won't hold it against her). Every weekday for two weeks there will be a guest post in the morning, with the author discussing his or her experiences writing that dreaded second book. Every afternoon there will be an excerpt (most of them for the first time anywhere) from the forthcoming (or in two cases, recently released) novel in question.

Oh, did I mention that everyday we'll be giving away a bunch of signed books? At the end of the two weeks I'll be rolling all the individual entries from the two weeks (maximum of ten entries possible) into a grand prize giveaway that's going to knock someone's socks off (we're still adding up all the things that'll be in it). And just because this is such a great group, it looks like all the giveaways will be open worldwide. I'll be posting the rules for the giveaways as they come.

Without further ado, here are the authors I'm turning my blog over to:

Week 1:

7/16: Mark Lawrence - Prince of Thorns, King of Thorns (Forthcoming)
7/17: Kameron Hurley - God's War, Infidel, Rapture (Forthcoming)
7/18: Elspeth Cooper - Songs of the Earth, Trinity Rising (Forthcoming)
7/19: Courtney Schafer - The Whitefire Crossing, The Tainted City (Forthcoming)
7/20: Stina Leicht - Of Blood and Honey, And Blue Skies From Pain

Week 2:

7/23: Teresa Frohock - Miserere: An Autumn Tale, The Garden (Forthcoming)
7/24: Mazarkis Williams - The Emperor's Knife, Knifesworn (Forthcoming)
7/25: Bradley Beaulieu - The Winds of Khalakovo, The Straits of Galahesh
7/26: Anne Lyle - The Alchemist of Souls, Merchant of Dreams (Forthcoming)
7/27: Doug Hulick - Among Thieves, Sworn in Steel (Forthcoming)

I hope this is as fun for my readers as it was for me to put together. All ten authors will also be participating in a Reddit AMA on July 19 that I'll be helping with. If you have any questions for these brilliant writers be sure to show up for it. I'll be posting more about it next week.

Next up: Mark Lawrence!

Peter V. Brett Says Some Stuff

Peter V. Brett wrote an interesting blog post about several things. The point that came through clearest for me was the fact that even as a New York Times Bestseller, he's still a huge fan who loves nothing more than a new book showing up on his doorstep.

'...every time I get a package, there is a little thrill. Has another of my international children come home in the form of some translation of a Demon Cycle book? It is the new Joe Abercrombie book? A manuscript version of the NEXT BIG THING writer? There is no wrong answer.'

Brett also talks about Shawn Speakman's forthcoming anthology and his need to get get more exercise to keep his life insurance premiums down. While discussing the latter, he mentioned listening to a podcast,

'...with The Functional Nerds interviewing Justin Landon (@jdiddyesquire) and Paul Weimer (@PrinceJvstin). I’ve run into Justin at a couple of conventions this year, and am convinced he is brilliant, as well as a great guy. His review site, Staffer’s Musings, has some of the best written reviews out there. Landon has read literally EVERYTHING, and remembers it all, plus he has something of a journalism background, and it really shows in his writing and general professionalism.'

Well, that's nice, isn't it? And before anyone calls me out, yes, I am a blatant self promoter. 

Oh, and only six months or so to go until The Daylight War hits shelves. I'm stoked. How about you?

A Response to a Response

Pauline Ross, an independent reviewer and active forum participant on Westeros, wrote an essay responding (in part) to my thoughts on the blogger/publisher relationship. Those who read me frequently know I've had some strong thoughts on the subject in recent days. Interestingly, Ross begins with the blogger/reader relationship, discussing the publishing houses only tangentially while lobbing a few gentle grenades at bloggers,

...I certainly don't question their integrity; undoubtedly they write their honest opinion of every book they review. But (and it's a significant but) if they don't enjoy a book, or don't finish it, they generally don't review it. When they give ratings, they tend to use a skewed scale such that even a relatively poor review merits 6 or 7 out of 10. They tend to chase big name or hot books. They tend not to review self-published works. 

Obviously, Ross is painting with a broad brush, something she recognizes and accepts. It's a dangerous activity to engage though. For example, this blogger finishes everything he starts, he reviews everything he finishes, he doesn't use a ratings scale at all. And while he certainly enjoys a big name or hot release, he also reads smaller presses and even the occasional self-published work. She goes on to say, 

Now there are many review blogs out there which stay focused on the original objective of reviewing books the blogger likes to read, and are not much concerned beyond that. But for many established bloggers, and nowadays for many startup bloggers too, the reviews become subsumed into the greater enterprise of maintaining and growing the blog. With a little advertising, paid-for content or tie-in marketing, it can even pay for itself and enable the blogger to give up the day job.  

First off, I'm not aware of any book bloggers who've been able to make a full time living out of it. There are few enough authors who've accomplished that feat. As for me, I have no interest in selling ads, and paid for content, by and large, is anathma to credibility. I know some of the larger blogs like The Book Smugglers sell advertising, and that's a choice although one I'm not likely to make for myself. 

She goes on to compare the idea of generating readership as tantamount to "selling out",

Then the emphasis switches to aggressively selling the blog by linking to it from as many places as possible, guest blogging on other blogs, actively touting for author interviews and the like, or even deliberately provoking controversy to get a buzz going. 

I don't see quite how selling a blog and desiring a readership should be problematic as it relates to credibility. Whether I'm in a publisher's pocket or not, I want people to read me, that's the point is it not? To generate new readers I guest post , I do interviews, and I absolutely provoke discussion. If no one is reading me, why am I spending time writing?

Switching topics slightly, one of the impetuses behind Ross' post stemmed from my view of the relationship between bloggers and publishers. In my original post, I commented on the increasing concern publishers have about how to interact with the blogging community. My suggestion read,

Either way, the answer isn't creating some cockamamie bureaucracy to hold bloggers accountable, or codify some quid pro quo that will only serve to taint blogger integrity. The answer is increasing the publishers access to the community and the community's access to them. It doesn't mean spending more money, just spending it smarter. Rather than casting out wasted review copies that never get read, invest in getting to know reviewers and what they like. Give them exclusive coverage. Be pro-active. Don't expect free books to be a tool by which they can be controlled. In short, treat them like journalists.

Ross misinterpreted me when she replied,

I'm not sure that journalism is quite the analogy he wants here; journalists are paid directly by their industry, do what they're told and write to precise order.

Journalism is exactly the analogy I wanted. Because Ross is absolutely right. Journalists are paid by their industry. My industry is blogging and I write my own checks. I am independent, beholden to no entity other than my own interests and code of ethics (which again, is entirely open to my readers to evaluate). I reiterate, I am not a publicity arm. I recognize publishers will use me as such, but what's important is how I use myself. I won't run an interview, giveaway (sans my bookshelf dump giveaways), or guest post from an author I can't recommend. Nor do I link to anywhere that sells books. I'm not a book seller, and I never want to be.

Even in the face of that, Ross would suggest that receipt of review copies somehow impugns my credibility,

Publishers are prepared to dish out free books (and interviews and other stuff), and they don't want reviewers to be seen to be in their pockets, so keeping a certain distance is part of the game. Reviewers, on the other hand, want the free stuff, sure, they want the big-name authors, they want to be the first with the hot new book, because that's what their readers want, but they also value their independence, and don't want to be poodles for the industry.

I admit, I receive review copies from publishers (large and small and "indie"). I don't apologize for it. Nor do I believe it impacts the fairness of my reviews or commentary. I also admit that if I stopped receiving them it would absolutely change what this blog covers. I wouldn't read small presses, independents, short story collections, and a host of other things because I wouldn't even know they exist. That's just the truth. I am exposed to so much material as a result of my relationship with publishing, and thus I have the opportunity to make others aware of it. 

Does that compromise me? I don't think so. But, that's my readers' decision to make, not mine. If you trust me, read me, value my opinion, and consider it when deciding what to read. If you don't... don't. I'm fine with that. Ultimately, it's my readers who will determine the value of this blog. I can't help but wonder if Ross isn't selling them all a little short.

Interviewed by Another Blogger - What?

Mieneke from A Fantastical Librarian invited me to answer some questions about me, my interest in genre fiction, and blogging. I was all too happy to reply, because let's be honest, who doesn't like talking about themselves?

She asked a lot of questions, but the one I found most fascinating was, "How do you think blogs and reviewers fit in the book business?" I've written about the topic at some length before, but I think my answer sheds some more light on where I stand.

With the decline of the bookstore the vast majority of people moving forward will buy their books on-line. Decline in bookstores, means a decline in conversation between two people who love books. Ask anyone out there, what's the best way to sell books? Their answer is always, "Word of mouth." Well what happens when people stop running into each other in the stacks? When book store employees aren't there to recommend stuff? When book clubs stop meeting in person? The answer is blogs. Blogs are the new conversation. 

Did we ever imagine even ten years ago that on-line dating would be acceptable? That it would become one of the primary ways by which the modern single thirty something meets other modern single thirty somethings? No way! That shit was fringe! In that same way, I think publishers are slow to recognize the importance of blogs now and in the future. I don't think blogs today are a major reason in to whether or not a book is a success. But, that's changing. Moving forward their importance is only going to grow. Amazon and Goodreads will always be the Match.com of book conversation. But, if the publishers want the blogging equivalent of eHarmony, a network of people who target specific readers, they're going to need to start interacting with and treating blogs like major outlets. Because like it or not, we're the word of mouth in a digital age.

What do you think?

Read the interview in it's entirety at A Fantastical Librarian! 

The Best SFF Novels of 2012 - First Half Edition

I was planning on writing this post for a few weeks then the Mad Hatter, Pornokitsch, the OF Blog, and a host of others beat me to it. Jerks. In any case, it's the halfway mark for the year. I've read 49 genre novels so far this year. Included below are very brief and very early looks at my best/worst of lists for the year.

***

Best Novel of 2012:

1. The Troupe by Robert Jackson Bennett (Review)
2. Year Zero by Rob Reid
3. Faith by John Love (Review)
4. The Killing Moon by NK Jemisin (Review)
5. The King's Blood by Daniel Abraham (Review)

It should bear noticing that three of the novels are from Orbit, and the sixth would have been K.J. Parker's Sharps, yet another Orbit title. With Joe Abercrombie and Jesse Bullington both due out with novels later this year from Orbit, it appears to be a banner year for Hachette's genre imprint.

Faith, has been Night Shade's best debut novel from 2012. It's a shame it came out so early this year (January 3), as I worry it'll be forgotten by many come year's end. And while I haven't reviewed Year Zero yet on the blog (next week), I've been raving about it since I finished it back in April. It's the funniest book I've ever read, hands down.

Best Novel Not From 2012 (tie):

• Desert of Souls by Howard Andrew Jones (Review)
• Devices and Desires by K.J. Parker

My review of Desert of Souls speaks for itself, I think. As for the first book in Parker's Engineer Trilogy,  it's amazing, as is nearly everything Parker writes. I don't plan on reviewing it until I finish the whole trilogy, but I already recommend it with great vigor.

Worst Novel (tie):

• The Pillars of Hercules by David Constantine (Review)
• Seven Princes by John R. Fultz (Review)

Orbit makes an appearance here as well and I'll never figure out how Seven Princes made it into the Orbit catalog. It doesn't seem to fit with the editorial perspective of the rest of the novels they've released this year. Nevertheless, there it is, in all its pulpy deus ex machina Mary Sue glory.

Pillars of Hercules, is just a jumbled mess. As I stated last week, Night Shade occasionally suffers from subpar "creative" editing. I think Constantine's novel might be the best example. The novel has a fascinating conceit, and Constantine seems a capable writer writer, but the whole novel is a confusing ping pong match of switching PoVs and unexplained occurrences. Total face plant as far as I'm concerned.

***

Be sure to check back in December for my Juice Box Awards where I'll recognize the Best Novel of 2012, the Best Debut of 2012, and a host of others.

Upcoming Night Shade, Angry Robot, Baen, Pyr and Releases - Fall/Winter

Now that we're at the halfway mark for the year, I thought it would appropriate to point out all the novels coming out from August-December that strike my fancy. I'll be breaking my posts down by publisher. Below are the novels coming this Fall and Winter from Night Shade, Angry Robot, Baen, and Pyr that will be must reads for me. I'll mention that there are likely some books from November and December here that aren't currently listed on the publisher's websites that I'll end up wanting (Anne Lyle's Merchant of Dreams is an example). Either way, I can't read them all. So I'll be looking forward to seeing what interests you.
Here's what caught my eye:

The Constantine Affliction by T. Aaron Payton (NSB - August)

1864. London is a city in transition. The Constantine Affliction–a strange malady that kills some of its victims and physically transforms others into the opposite sex–has spread scandal and upheaval throughout society. Scientific marvels and disasters, such as clockwork courtesans, the alchemical fires of Whitechapel, electric carriages, and acidic monsters lurking in the Thames, have forever altered the face of the city. 

Pembroke “Pimm” Hanover is an aristocrat with an interest in criminology, who uses his keen powers of observation to assist the police or private individuals–at least when he’s sober enough to do so. Ellie Skyler, who hides her gender behind the byline “E. Skye,” is an intrepid journalist driven by both passion and necessity to uncover the truth, no matter where it hides. 

When Pimm and Skye stumble onto a dark plot that links the city’s most notorious criminal overlord with the Queen’s new consort, famed scientist Sir Bertram Oswald, they soon find the forces of both high and low society arrayed against them. Can they save the city from the arcane machinations of one of history’s most monsters–and uncover the shocking origin of . . . THE CONSTANTINE AFFLICTION.

It seems like Victorian London is the new cat's pajamas. It's everywhere -- like herpes. What attracts me to this novel, and believe it or not it's not herpes, is the gender bending conceit. It just feels unique, something Night Shade has become adept at publishing.


The Tainted City by Courtney Schafer (NSB - October)

Dev is a desperate man. After narrowly surviving a smuggling job gone wrong, he’s now a prisoner of the Alathian Council, held hostage to ensure his friend Kiran — former apprentice to one of the most ruthless mages alive — does their bidding. 

But Kiran isn’t Dev’s only concern. Back in his home city of Ninavel, the child he once swore to protect faces a terrible fate if he can’t reach her in time, and the days are fast slipping away. So when the Council offers Dev freedom in exchange for his and Kiran’s assistance in a clandestine mission to Ninavel, he can’t refuse, no matter how much he distrusts their motives. 

Once in Ninavel the mission proves more treacherous than even Dev could have imagined. Betrayed by allies, forced to aid their enemies, he and Kiran must confront the darkest truths of their pasts if they hope to save those they love and survive their return to the Tainted City.

Schafer's debut novel, The Whitefire Crossing, was one of my favorite finds of last year. It came out of nowhere as one of the first novels released from Night Shade's New Voices Program. The story was a pretty straight forward travelogue from one city to another with the author's passion for mountaineering bleeding through on every page. I really can't wait to read this one.


Rapture by Kameron Hurley (NSB - November)

After years in exile, Nyxnissa so Dasheem is back in action in service to the bel dames, a sisterhood of elite government assassins tasked with eliminating deserters and traitors. The end of a centuries-long holy war between her country, Nasheen, and neighboring Chenja has flooded the streets of Nasheen with unemployed - and unemployable - soldiers whose frustrations have brought the nation to the brink of civil war.

Not everyone likes this tenuous and unpredictable "peace," however, and somebody has kidnapped a key politician whose death could trigger a bloody government takeover. With aliens in the sky and revolution on the ground, Nyx assembles a team of mad magicians, torturers, and mutant shape-shifters for an epic journey across a flesh-eating desert in search of a man she's not actually supposed to kill.
The only problem?

Killing is the only thing Nyx is good at. And she already left this man to die...

Kameron Hurley's first novel, God's War, has one of the more fascinating roads to publication. I won't go into it here, but the takeaway is that it's an incredibly difficult book to categorize and therefore to market. It's also fucking incredible. To quote a big-six fantasy author, the ideas in it are "China Miéville level". Sure, it suffered from some storytelling hiccups, but that wasn't enough to hold it back from being one of the best first novels of 2011 and maybe one of the best novels period.

Also released last year, was Hurley's second novel, Infidel, which I actually found even better than the first. With that in mind, it should come as no surprise that I'm frothing to get my hands on Rapture. You should be too.

Knife Sworn by Mazarkis Williams (NSB - November)

After spending most of his life in captivity and solitude, Sarmin now sits upon the Petal Throne of Cerana. But his reign is an uneasy one. Ambitious generals and restless soldiers want war at any cost. An insidious foreign religion stirs fear among the people and the court. And the emperor’s own heart is torn between two very different women: Mesema, a Windreader princess of the northern plains, and Grada, a lowborn untouchable with whom Sarmin shares a unique bond. A natural-born mage, Sarmin also carries within him a throng of bodiless spirits whose conflicting memories and desires force him to wage a private battle for his sanity. 

In times past, a royal assassin known as the Emperor’s Knife served as the keen edge of justice, defending the throne from any and all menaces, but the last Knife has perished and his successor has yet to be named. For his own safety, and that of the empire, Sarmin must choose his own loyal death-dealer . . . .but upon whom can be he bestow the bloody burden of the Knife-Sworn?

Three sequels in a row from Night Shade! They really had a tremendous 2011. I haven't been as impressed with their 2012 debuts, a fact that should take nothing away from what they're doing as a publisher. Knife Sworn picks up where The Emperor's Knife left off.

In my read through of the first novel, I discovered that Mazarkis Williams writes an understated style that layers tension. My main criticism of it related to that subtleness in the lack of foreshadowing for the major reveal. I'm hoping Williams cranks up the volume a bit in this one.

*** 

Seven Wonders by Adam Christopher (AR - August)

Tony Prosdocimi lives in the bustling Metropolis of San Ventura – a city gripped in fear, a city under siege by the hooded supervillain, The Cowl. 

When Tony develops super-powers and acts to take down The Cowl, however, he finds that the local superhero team Seven Wonders aren’t as grateful as he assumed they’d be…

I didn't rave about Christopher's first novel, Empire State. It had some strong points, but really struggled to pull together a coherent conclusion. I'm hoping Seven Wonders has a clearer idea of where it's going. If so, Christopher's exceptional ability to work with setting and tone should make for a great read. 

Superheroes seem to be en vogue this year, with Prepare to Die! by Paul Tobin and Only Superhuman by Christopher Bennett also on the shelves.

The Corpse-Rat King by Lee Battersby (AR - August)

Marius dos Hellespont and his apprentice, Gerd, are professional looters of battlefields. When they stumble upon the corpse of the King of Scorby and Gerd is killed, Marius is mistaken for the monarch by one of the dead soldiers and is transported down to the Kingdom of the Dead. 

Just like the living citizens, the dead need a King — after all, the King is God’s representative, and someone needs to remind God where they are. 

And so it comes to pass that Marius is banished to the surface with one message: if he wants to recover his life he must find the dead a King. Which he fully intends to do.

Just as soon as he stops running away.

The blurb seems to be leaving some things out because immediately I'm asking, why don't they just keep the King they already have? I suppose it's possible Marius tells them he's not a King, but then why would he be able to find a King for them? I might be over analyzing this.

The idea of casting battlefield looters as main characters is great. These guys show up in every fantasy novel to one degree or another and it's time they got their due. I'm looking forward to seeing what Battersby does with it.

***

Captain Vorpatril's Alliance by Lois McMaster Bujold (Baen - November)

Captain Ivan Vorpatril is happy with his relatively uneventful bachelor’s life of a staff officer to a Barrayaran admiral. Ivan, cousin to Imperial troubleshooter Miles Vorkosigan, is not far down the hereditary list for the emperorship. Thankfully, new heirs have directed that headache elsewhere, leaving Ivan to enjoy his life on Komarr, far from the Byzantine court politics of his home system. But when an old friend in Barrayaran intelligence asks Ivan to protect an attractive young woman who may be on the hit list of a criminal syndicate, Ivan’s chivalrous nature takes over. It seems danger and adventure have once more found Captain Vorpatril. 

Tej Arqua and her half-sister and servant Rish are fleeing the violent overthrow of their clan on free-for-all planet Jackson’s Whole. Now it seems Tej may possess a hidden secret of which even she may not be aware. It’s a secret that could corrupt the heart of a highly regarded Barayarran family and provide the final advantage for the thugs who seek to overthrow Tej’s homeworld.

But none of Tej’s formidable adversaries have counted on Ivan Vorpatril. For behind Ivan’s facade of wry and self-effacing humor lies a true and cunning protector who will never leave a distressed lady in the lurch–up to and including making the ultimate sacrifice to keep her from harm: the treasured and hard-won freedom from his own fate as a scion of Barrayar.

My first, and only, Miles book was CryoBurn. I only read it because it was nominated for the Hugo. It impressed me with Bujold's deft use of drama and humor. Given the huge back story associated with Miles I've been hesitant to pick up any of the other books in the series. I'm excited that this new one appears to be departing from that main arc. Sign me up.

*** 

London Eye by Tim Lebbon (Pyr - October)

Two years after London is struck by a devastating terrorist attack, it is cut off from the world, protected by a military force known as Choppers. the rest of Britain believes that the city is now a toxic, uninhabited wasteland. 

But Jack and his friends—some of whom lost family on what has become known as Doomsday—know that the reality is very different. at great risk, they have been gathering evidence about what is really happening in London—and it is incredible. 
Because the handful of London’s survivors are changing. Developing strange, fantastic powers. Evolving. 

Upon discovering that his mother is still alive inside london, Jack, his sister, and their three friends sneak into a city in ruins. Vast swathes have been bombed flat. Choppers cruise the streets, looking for survivors to experiment upon. the toxic city is filled with wonders and dangers that will challenge Jack and his friends . . . and perhaps kill them. But Jack knows that the truth must be revealed to the outside world or every survivor will die.

Steven Erikson blurbed Lebbon's Echo City. That was enough for me to want to read him. Alas, I haven't gotten around to Echo City (for shame). I'm going to make sure I can't say the same about London Eye come next year. This is one of those books I'll be reading the second I get a copy.


The Creative Fire by Brenda Cooper (Pyr - November)

Nothing can match the power of a single voice. . . . 

Ruby Martin expects to spend her days repairing robots while avoiding the dangerous peacekeeping forces that roam the corridors of the generation ship the Creative Fire. The social structure of the ship is rigidly divided, with Ruby and her friends on the bottom. Then a shipwide accident gives Ruby a chance to fight for the freedom she craves. Her enemies are numerous, well armed, and knowledgeable. Her weapons are a fabulous voice, a quick mind, and a deep stubbornness. Complicating it all—an unreliable AI and an enigmatic man she met—and kissed—exactly once—who may hold the key to her success. If ruby can’t transform from a rebellious teen to the leader of a revolution, she and all her friends will lose all say in their future. 

Like the historical evita Peron, ruby rises from the dregs of society to hold incredible popularity and power. Her story is about love and lust and need and a thirst for knowledge and influence so deep that it burns.

I first encountered Brenda Cooper's work in Lou Anders's first Fast Forward anthology. From what I understand her fiction always connects to music in some way. It's an interesting point of view and something I'd like to explore a little bit more. I can't say for sure that I'm going to enjoy Creative Fire. It doesn't really seem like my bag, but I'm intrigued enough by the concept to find out.


The Lazarus Machine by Paul Crilley (Pyr - November)

An alternate 1895. . . a world where Charles Babbage and Ada Lovelace perfected the Difference engine. Where steam and tesla-powered computers are everywhere. Where automatons powered by human souls venture out into the sprawling London streets. Where the Ministry, a secretive government agency, seeks to control everything in the name of the Queen. 

It is in this claustrophobic, paranoid city that seventeen-year-old Sebastian tweed and his conman father struggle to eke out a living. 

But all is not well. . .  

A murderous, masked gang has moved into London, spreading terror through the criminal ranks as they take over the underworld. as the gang carves up more and more of the city, a single name comes to be uttered in fearful whispers. 

Professor Moriarty.  

When tweed’s father is kidnapped by Moriarty, he is forced to team up with information broker Octavia Nightingale to track him down. But he soon realizes that his father’s disappearance is just a tiny piece of a political conspiracy that could destroy the British Empire and plunge the world into a horrific war.

What?! Victorian London, again? It seems like a combination of Sherlock Holmes, Dr. Who, The Prestige, and Guy Fawkes. If it's solely a pastiche of those things, it can't be bad, right?

***

Anything catch your eye? Anything else from these imprints that I didn't mention for the second half of the year? 

Upcoming Tor Releases - Fall/Winter

Now that we're at the halfway mark for the year, I thought it would appropriate to point out all the novels coming out from August-December that strike my fancy. I'll be breaking my posts down by publisher. Below are the novels coming this Fall and Winter from Tor that will be must reads for me. The truth is though, I can't read them all. So I'll be looking forward to seeing what interests you.

Here's what caught my eye:

Black Bottle by Anthony Huso (August)

Tabloids sold in the Duchy of Stonehold claim that the High King, Caliph Howl, has been raised from the dead. His consort, Sena Iilool, both blamed and celebrated for this act, finds that a macabre cult has sprung up around her.

As this news spreads, Stonehold—long considered unimportant—comes to the attention of the emperors in the southern countries. They have learned that the seed of Sena’s immense power lies in an occult book, and they are eager to claim it for their own.
Desparate to protect his people from the southern threat, Caliph is drawn into a summit of the world’s leaders despite the knowledge that it is a trap. As Sena’s bizarre actions threaten to unravel the summit, Caliph watches her slip through his fingers into madness. 

But is it really madness? Sena is playing a dangerous game of strategy and deceit as she attempts to outwit a force that has spent millennia preparing for this day. Caliph is the only connection left to her former life, but it’s his blood that Sena needs to see her plans through to their explosive finish.

I read Last Page, Huso's first novel, when it came out in 2010. I found it fascinating, but would have a hard time recommending it. If I were comparing it to another author I would say it was China Miéville level when it comes to ideas. Unfortunately, the plot was overly cryptic, which led to a great deal of confusion for me as a reader. That said, I have high hopes for Black Bottle. If Huso can get his narrative a little more under control, his work is going to really take off. I already have an early galley of this one and plan to get to it soon.


The Forge of Darkness by Steven Erikson (September)

Steven Erikson entered the pantheon of great fantasy writers with his debut Gardens of the Moon. Now Erikson returns with a trilogy that takes place millennia before the events of the Malazan Book of the Fallen.The Forge of Darkness introduces readers to Kurald Galain, the warren of Darkness, and tells an epic tale of a realm whose fate plays a crucial role in shaping the world of the Malazan Empire.

It's a conflicted time in Kurald Galain, the realm of Darkness, where Mother Dark reigns. But this ancient land was once home to many a power… and even death is not quite eternal. The commoners' great hero, Vatha Urusander, is being promoted by his followers to take Mother Dark's hand in marriage, but her Consort, Lord Draconus, stands in the way of such ambitions. The impending clash sends fissures throughout the realm, and as the rumors of civil war burn through the masses, an ancient power emerges from the long dead seas. Caught in the middle of it all are the First Sons of Darkness, Anomander, Andarist, and Silchas Ruin of the Purake Hold.

I would put anything Erikson writes, particularly in the Malazan universe, in the no-shit-I'm-reading-this category. I include it in this post because I'm sure there are a lot of people out there who haven't read Erikson yet who find the ten book Malazan Book of the Fallen series daunting. Forge of Darkness is a brand new series and I hope will be a nice place for people to start finding out what the hype is about.


The Fractal Prince by Hannu Rajaniemi (September)

A physicist receives a mysterious paper. The ideas in it are far, far ahead of current thinking and quite, quite terrifying. In a city of “fast ones,” shadow players, and jinni, two sisters contemplate a revolution. 

And on the edges of reality a thief, helped by a sardonic ship, is trying to break into a Schrödinger box for his patron. In the box is his freedom. Or not. 

Jean de Flambeur is back. And he’s running out of time.

In Hannu Rajaniemi’s sparkling follow-up to the critically-acclaimed international sensation The Quantum Thief, he returns to his awe-inspiring vision of the universe…and we discover what the future held for Earth. 

Like Huso's Black Bottle, Fractal Prince is the sequel to a novel from 2010 (in the UK) that excelled for its vision. Quantum Thief was well received by some and loathed by others. Hard science fiction merged with detective noir, the whole plot was layered in murk. Time shifting, identity shifting, and gobs of neologisms make it a mind bending read. Damn me if I didn't love it. I'm looking forward to Rajaniemi's second book even if it doesn't cut through some of the crap. But, if it does... award winner.

Pirate Cinema by Cory Doctorow (October)

Trent McCauley is sixteen, brilliant, and obsessed with one thing: making movies on his computer by reassembling footage from popular films he downloads from the net. In the dystopian near-future Britain where Trent is growing up, this is more illegal than ever; the punishment for being caught three times is that your entire household’s access to the internet is cut off for a year, with no appeal. 

Trent's too clever for that too happen. Except it does, and it nearly destroys his family. Shamed and shattered, Trent runs away to London, where he slowly he learns the ways of staying alive on the streets. This brings him in touch with a demimonde of artists and activists who are trying to fight a new bill that will criminalize even more harmless internet creativity, making felons of millions of British citizens at a stroke.

Things look bad. Parliament is in power of a few wealthy media conglomerates. But the powers-that-be haven’t entirely reckoned with the power of a gripping movie to change people’s minds….

If I'm being honest, the only reason I'm interested in Pirate Cinema is because Doctorow wrote it. And I'm only interested in Doctorow because I've never read him. His books don't really make me want to read them, but a lot of people seem to love his work. As a blogger, I feel compelled to see what's going on behind the curtain, so to speak.


Only Superhuman by Christopher L. Bennett (October)

2107 AD: A generation ago, Earth and the cislunar colonies banned genetic and cybernetic modifications. But out in the Asteroid Belt, anything goes. Dozens of flourishing space habitats are spawning exotic new societies and strange new varieties of humans. It’s a volatile situation that threatens the peace and stability of the entire solar system. 

Emerald Blair is a Troubleshooter. Inspired by the classic superhero comics of the twentieth century, she’s joined with other mods to try to police the unruly Asteroid Belt. But her loyalties are tested when she finds herself torn between rival factions of superhumans with very different agendas. Emerald wants to put her special abilities to good use, but what do you do when you can’t tell the heroes from the villains? 

Only Superhuman is a rollicking hard-sf adventure set in a complex and fascinating future.

Bennett has written quite a few tie-in novels related to Star Trek and Marvel Comics. I've never read him or heard of him, but damn if this blurb and that cover don't tickle my fancy. With that cover I bet you were thinking I was going to say something else, didn't you?

Three Parts Dead by Max Gladstone

A tale of intrigue, a murdered god, and the business of necromancy: an urban fantasy set in an alternate reality 

A god has died, and it’s up to Tara, first-year associate in the international necromantic firm of Kelethres, Albrecht, and Ao, to bring Him back to life before His city falls apart. 

Her client is Kos, recently deceased fire god of the city of Alt Coulumb. Without Him, the metropolis’s steam generators will shut down, its trains will cease running, and its four million citizens will riot. 

Tara’s job: resurrect Kos before chaos sets in. Her only help: Abelard, a chain-smoking priest of the dead god, who’s having an understandable crisis of faith. 

When Tara and Abelard discover that Kos was murdered, they have to make a case in Alt Coulumb’s courts—and their quest for the truth endangers their partnership, their lives, and Alt Coulumb’s slim hope of survival. 

Set in a phenomenally built world in which justice is a collective force bestowed on a few, craftsmen fly on lightning bolts, and gargoyles can rule cities, Three Parts Dead introduces readers to an ethical landscape in which the line between right and wrong blurs.

This is probably my most anticipated debut of the year. The color is absolutely tremendous and not just the art. I love the type setting and the location of everything. It's perfect. Read that blurb too, it sounds like an acid trip of awesome ideas. I'm in.

Peace by Gene Wolfe

Originally published in 1975, Peace is a spellbinding, brilliant tour de force of the imagination. The melancholy memoir of Alden Dennis Weer, an embittered old man living out his last days in a small midwestern town, the novel reveals a miraculous dimension as the narrative unfolds. For Weer’s imagination has the power to obliterate time and reshape reality, transcending even death itself. Powerfully moving and uncompromisingly honest, Peace ranks alongside the finest literary works of our time. 

Hailed as “one of the literary giants of SF” by the Denver Post, Gene Wolfe has repeatedly won the field’s highest honors, including the Nebula, the Hugo, and the World Fantasy awards. Peace is Gene Wolfe’s first full-length novel, a work that shows the genius that later flourished in such acclaimed works as The Fifth Head of Cerberus and The Book of The New Sun.

I haven't read enough Gene Wolfe. Have you? Neil Gaiman also wrote a foreword for this addition.

***

Anything catch your eye? Anything else from the Penguin imprints that I didn't mention for the second half of the year?

A Look at the Blogger/Publisher Relationship

Following the coverage of last week's Book Expo America Bloggers Conference left me a little frustrated with how the publishing industry views blogging. For the record, in all the time I've been blogging I've never been pressured by a publisher to do anything untoward. They've never asked me to write a review a certain way or threaten to take away future copies of books. In fact, the only request I've ever had from a publisher is to hold a review until a certain date. What gets my goat is the implication that bloggers exist to help sell books, an assertion that seems to have been echoed again and again at the Bloggers Conference.

I first became aware of this perspective via the infamous William Morrow letter which stated, "Your job is simply to review the book within a month of receiving it and post your thoughts on your blog or site." A poor choice of words, but one that seems to be resonating among those in the book business as expressed on the Book Smuggler review of the Conference. I've never thought of myself that way. It bothers me that those in the business of selling books would think of me that way. I consider myself to be an arbiter of taste. My role, as I see it, is to help readers make informed choices about how they spend their money. If I sell some books as a result, that's fine, but not my ultimate goal.

I could go on about how the blogger conference might have been better run, or what topics would have been more appropriate to discuss. I'm not sure what purpose that serves other than to be nuisance. Instead, I want to talk about the current relationship between blogger and publicist and how it could be improved. Based on a thread at the Westeros Forums, I suspect the public at large (and publishing professionals apparently) have some misconceptions.

The truth is every publisher does it differently. There's "Don't Call Us We'll Call You", "We'll Send You Anything You Ask For", "What The Hell Here's Everything We Publish", "You're Not Begging Hard Enough", "We'll Send It If You Promise to Review It", and everything in between. Most of the genre imprints fall into the category of "Ask and You Shall Receive Within Reason". I've never been rejected by a publisher for a review copy even in the early days, although I have occasionally been met with defeaning silence.

That said, with dozens of books being released every week, how in the world can a blogger keep up with requesting the books he wants to review? Furthermore, how is a publisher doing their job marketing their authors if all they do is send books people ask for? The result would be every blog covering only the most popular authors. Therefore, it's the publicists job to introduce less popular or new authors to the reading public. Blogs have become one of the primary outlets for that, especially in genre fiction.

This is accomplished by exposing reviewers to books they don't know they want. The lazy ones just send books blind. Given enough time and consistency a blogger will soon begin receiving far more books than he can ever read. I'm starting to reach that critical mass now. I've received over a dozen review copies since June 1, many of which are sequels to first books I haven't read and don't even own. What a waste. I'll end up running a giveaway for half of them where hopefully they'll go to a loving home, be read, and recommended to others. For most bloggers they just end up getting donated to a local library. Somehow I don't think that's what the publicist had in mind when it was sent to me.

The better ones dialogue with bloggers. For example, Pyr e-mailed me a few days ago, "Please let me know if you would like a print or PDF ARC of The Skybound Sea - The Aeons' Gate Book Three by Sam Sykes. A press release is below!"

Orbit sends a monthly e-mail of the next month's releases, a link to an electronic galley, and a line that reads, "If you would like a printed copy of the book, please let me know!" Angry Robot does something similar.

Unfortunately, these are the exceptions, not the rule. Random House, for example, has never reached out to me as a blogger (although they've been perfectly nice when I reach out to them). Penguin and Macmillan are very pro-active, but along with Random House it's almost impossible to figure out who's the publicist for which title, leading to an occasional endless runaround.

The bad ones don't do either. They just wait for someone to e-mail them, asking for a book to which they do or do not respond. For bloggers, these publishers can be trying.

Beginning with the William Morrow cluster fuck last year, and continuing to the BEA Blogger Conference, publishers have begun questioning this relationship. What's the return on investment? How do the publishers, struggling with an ever shrinking profit margin, justify sending books into the ether hoping against hope that someone reviews them? William Morrow's answer was to require reviews and use giveaway copies as carrots, intimating that bloggers work for publishers.

I wonder if Angry Robot's policy will be the wave of the future. If they send a hard copy book, they expect a review. Failing to do so results in the discontinuation of the relationship. I'm sure this is a decision based solely on the cost of sending a book and getting nothing back for it. Angry Robot has one of the most robust eGalley systems and they attach no such strings to reviewers who download. It's a pretty good model as far as such things go. For a small imprint it makes perfect sense. While I may not love the notion of requiring a review of a book I may not want to finish, I can respect their need to cut costs.

Unfortunately, there are still many authors who don't get coverage. If no one's reviewing it, no one is talking about it, and word of mouth is still the best way to sell books. This absence can be particularly noticeable in the echo chamber of the on-line reviewing community. The loudest and most obnoxious are typically the self-published authors feeling slighted by the reviewing community. In that cacophony, it's easy to forget that there are many authors from major houses, lacking the undivided attention of their publisher who likewise fall through the reviewer cracks. Not every big-six author is John Scalzi or Charlaine Harris or Justin Cronin. For every one of them there fifteen Kelly McCulloughs.

When McCullough's last last book came out, Broken Blade, I heard nothing about it prior to release. Nor do I know anyone who received a review copy, myself included. I would point out its sequel, Bared Blade, is due out on June 26 and again... I've heard nothing. Despite piquing my interest, it was never raised in my consciousness to the point where I would go out and buy it. I suspect this was true for a lot of people, bloggers and readers alike.

Strangely, Doug Hulick's Among Thieves, and Myke Cole's Control Point were published in mass market paperback from Ace/Roc just like McCullough's novel. Both received broad coverage throughout the blogosphere while McCullough did not. Why was Broken Blade met with a resounding echo of a pin dropping? And whose fault is it?

I don't know the answer. Some authors have gone so far to hire freelance publicists to supplement the work done by their publisher, especially when it comes to on-line outlets. I can't say I blame them. Sometimes it isn't a publicist at all who reaches out to me, but the author. Myke Cole e-mailed me out of the blue last year with a nice note, demonstrating he'd actually read my blog. He recognized that a publicity department isn't always interested or equipped to reach out to bloggers personally so he took some of that burden on himself. It worked. It's very rare that I get this kind of e-mail from a publicist, a fact that remains perplexing to me.

Last month, I downloaded an electronic galley of David Brin's Existence. A few days ago, I received an unsolicited hard copy of the novel. My point is I don't think publishers have any idea how to best interact with bloggers. I think they're guessing. Wasting opportunities like the BEA Bloggers Conference is only further undermining their efforts. When they should be asking for blogger input, they choose instead to push swag. I'm not sure if they're understaffed or just lacking the appropriate tools necessary to track books, reviewers' tastes, and blogs' niches. Either way, the answer isn't creating some cockamamie bureaucracy to hold bloggers accountable, or codify some quid pro quo that will only serve to taint blogger integrity. The answer is increasing the publishers access to the community and the community's access to them.

It doesn't mean spending more money, just spending it smarter. Rather than casting out wasted review copies that never get read, invest in getting to know reviewers and what they like. Give them exclusive coverage. Be pro-active. Don't expect free books to be a tool by which they can be controlled. In short, treat them like journalists. I'm not sure publishing has any desire to do so. To this point they've shown little interest in understanding electronic media at all. So I ask, how can an industry expect to sell something to a group of people they don't understand? The answer...

They can't.

Wouldn't it be nice if there was an event where bloggers and publishers could come together and discuss the industry? Wait a second...