It's not a particular secret that I am exceedingly fond of Catherynne Valente's novels -- the Orphan's Tales duology (Tiptree and Mythopoeic Award winners), Palimpsest (a current Hugo nominee), and The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making being four of the finest fantasy books I've read in the last decade. So I decided to take a fast trip into the city last night to hear her read as part of the KGB Fantastic Fiction reading series along with M.K. Hobson, whose first novel, The Native Star
Hobson read first, describing Native Star as a historical fantasy steampunk romance, or something like that. The excerpt was set in and around a nineteenth-century mine and included a typical romance-novel combination of a spunky young heroine and a condescending hero (who will presumably receive his comeuppance and be a lot less condescending once he falls in love with the heroine) along with magic and, of course, some aggressive zombies. I'm not sure what zombies have to do with steampunk, but they do seem to be a hot trend nowadays. It was an amusing excerpt and she read it well. I intend to buy the book when it comes out.
Cat also read from an upcoming novel, though it's not coming until next spring; very frustrating. The title is Deathless
Though I liked both readings, I didn't much care for the event as a whole. It was way too crowded (KGB is a bar, and not a very big one) and hot for my tastes, with limited seating. I guess they're a victim of their own success, but it's not the sort of thing that I enjoy. So after the readings, I said hi to Cat, complimented both authors, and fled to a nice, quiet dinner with a good friend before heading back home on a late train. It will take another author of Cat's stature to get me back to one of these readings again. But I'm certainly happy to give both authors a shout-out:
Author websites: Catherynne Valente and M.K. Hobson.
Shopping links for pre-order:
What do zombies have to do with steampunk? They're both ridiculously popular. "Boneshaker" was a steampunk book with zombies, too. Luckily the zombies were not a huge part of the story, more like a moving obstacle for the protagonists to dodge. I'm pretty tired of the whole zombie thing.
"Deathless" sounds really good. I've read a couple short stories drawn from Russian mythology, but never an entire novel. I'll be sure to pick it up when it comes out!
Posted by: AJ | July 30, 2010 at 02:59 PM
I had the privilege of reading Hobson's novel long before almost everybody on the planet. By the way, she calls it bustlepunk even though the heroine doesn't wear a bustle. In case you're interested, here is the ad she put together for her book.
Posted by: Serge | July 30, 2010 at 03:34 PM
Ellen Datlow usually has pictures of the KGB readings on her account through LJ, but it's not there, maybe yet.
Posted by: Marilee J. Layman | July 30, 2010 at 07:00 PM
Ellen wasn't at this reading -- out of town somewhere. They announced it, but I didn't make a particular note of it.
Posted by: Susan de Guardiola | July 31, 2010 at 06:31 AM
George Mann's Newbury and Hobbs series (unfinished review lurking in my drafts - in brief, entertaining but not very period-rigorous on relationships) has zombies and steampunk. The zombies are plot important to The Affinity Bridge.
The title of the next novel in the series appears to be The Immorality Engine which I find completely irresistible.
Posted by: Neil W | July 31, 2010 at 06:51 AM
A bit off-topic... It'd appear that Paul A has been replaced by his Evil Universe counterpart. Then again, what the latter is seen wearing does remind me of the KGB.
Posted by: Serge | July 31, 2010 at 11:10 AM
Oh, that's right -- Ellen was in Seattle, and she has pictures from there.
Posted by: Marilee J. Layman | July 31, 2010 at 07:42 PM