I will be attending CONvergence 2011 next week in Minneapolis, and am on many, many panels, sometimes with Seanan McGuire, sometimes with Chicks Dig Time Lords co-editor Lynne Thomas, and sometimes with Gargoyles creator Greg Weisman. I am very excited, in part because I haven't actually been to a con with Greg in a zillion years and you can count on me geeking rather a lot, as I am a seriously hardcore Gargoyles fangirl. And also because the Tara-and-Seanan Show is always a good time, and usually involves at least one mention per hour of Monster High.
Please do come and say hello if you are attending!
23 June 2011
08 May 2011
Welcome (back) to Bordertown
Two blog posts in as many weeks! It's like the world has gone mad!
Right, so in the interests of keeping you updated with things what I have been up to, I'm honoured and excited to share with you images I've created, inspired by Terri Windling's Bordertown shared-world series, wallpapers and icons of which are now available on BordertownSeries.com.
Featuring stories by Charles de Lint, Ellen Kushner, Stephen R Boyett and Terri Windling (writing as Bellamy Bach), Borderland introduced me not only to a world where Faerie had returned and both human and fey runaways flocked to a crumbling human city where technology and magic were equally wonderful, unpredictable and dangerous (much like the B-town residents themselves), but to the nascent genre of urban fantasy which I had only sampled up to that point.
(In point of fact, you can blame Windling for that as well, as it was her Fairy Tales Series in the late 1980s which introduced me to Patricia C Wrede, Pamela Dean, Steven Brust, Ellen Kushner, Midori Snyder, and Kara Dalkey. Not to mention made me firmly believe that any book with a cover by Thomas Canty was worth picking up; a rule which has proved fairly reliable over the years, may I add.)
I had done a complete Bordertown series re-read in 2004, but since then the books sat on a shelf, drawing comments, and occasionally being loaned out (don't worry; I have loaner copies of nearly all of them) to visitors. They were constantly referenced, praised, geeked about and like most urban fantasy fans of a certain age, I imagined the stories I would have liked to have told, set in the Borderlands. As Emma Bull and Will Shetterly's B-town novels Finder, Elsewhere, and Nevernever were reprinted for the YA market, I continued touching wood and crossing digits that the original anthologies would be reprinted as well; or at the very least that a "Best Of" collection might emerge. But new stories? I never even dared to dream.
Then my dreams came true in February 2009, when editors Ellen Kushner and Holly Black announced they would be returning to Borderlands in a new anthology, Welcome to Bordertown, 13 years after the last anthology was published. Needless to say, I was beyond overjoyed. Because the Borderlands anthologies shaped my tastes as a reader, and influenced my life in so many ways since I first picked up the TOR edition of Borderlands in paperback from a university bookstore in 1992.
Of course, my first thought was to wonder how B-town would look in the 21st century, a quarter century after the first stories were published? Sure, magic and rock & roll are eternal, but even with retro 80s nostalgia at its height and a whole new generation becomes convinced leggings really are pants, guyliner is completely acceptable if not expected at this point, and your hair can never be too big, I worried that the stories and world would seem dated; quaint even, to the current generation raised on computer animation, iPods, and smart phones.
I needn't have worried. Because the new anthology remains as relevant, real, heart-breaking, exciting and marvellous as the first one—with the added bonus that in Welcome to Bordertown we get to see how B-town reacts to the 21st century.
Ever wonder how the internet came to the Borderlands? Or how B-town holds their own version of Carnival? Ever miss Screaming Lord Neville's dramatic costume changes, or browsing the shelves at Elsewhere Books? Want to meet new Bordertown born-and-breds, humans with the dust of the world still behind their ears, or impossibly beautiful Truebloods with their own spinning racks of issues? Welcome to Bordertown has the hottest new bands in the clubs we know like the backs of our hands, the wildest old magic, and stories and poems and songs that make us laugh and cry no matter where we come from, or in what year we were born. Because no matter how much time passes between visits to B-town, people are still people (even when they're werewolves, elves, and dragons), and we still dream the same dreams. They may not keep us fed or warm, our dreams—but they keep us breathing all the same, and sometimes the only difference between living and merely existing are the dreams we have and the dreams we share.
The new Bordertown hardcover hits shelves this month, with stories and poems by returning B-town residents Charles de Lint, Ellen Kushner, Terri Windling, Steven Brust, Emma Bull, and Will Shetterly, as well as newcomers to its streets Neil Gaiman, Jane Yolen, Nalo Hopkinson, Holly Black, Cat Valente, Amal El-Mohtar, and many others. And between its covers you'll find all manner of dreams, in all shapes and sizes. Maybe this will be your first B-town anthology. Maybe it will open your eyes to a world you never knew existed. Maybe it will teach you something you never knew about life. Maybe it will show you things you never suspected about yourself. There's only one way to find out...
What are you waiting for?
Bordertown lives.
Find your way.
Right, so in the interests of keeping you updated with things what I have been up to, I'm honoured and excited to share with you images I've created, inspired by Terri Windling's Bordertown shared-world series, wallpapers and icons of which are now available on BordertownSeries.com.
Featuring stories by Charles de Lint, Ellen Kushner, Stephen R Boyett and Terri Windling (writing as Bellamy Bach), Borderland introduced me not only to a world where Faerie had returned and both human and fey runaways flocked to a crumbling human city where technology and magic were equally wonderful, unpredictable and dangerous (much like the B-town residents themselves), but to the nascent genre of urban fantasy which I had only sampled up to that point.
(In point of fact, you can blame Windling for that as well, as it was her Fairy Tales Series in the late 1980s which introduced me to Patricia C Wrede, Pamela Dean, Steven Brust, Ellen Kushner, Midori Snyder, and Kara Dalkey. Not to mention made me firmly believe that any book with a cover by Thomas Canty was worth picking up; a rule which has proved fairly reliable over the years, may I add.)
I had done a complete Bordertown series re-read in 2004, but since then the books sat on a shelf, drawing comments, and occasionally being loaned out (don't worry; I have loaner copies of nearly all of them) to visitors. They were constantly referenced, praised, geeked about and like most urban fantasy fans of a certain age, I imagined the stories I would have liked to have told, set in the Borderlands. As Emma Bull and Will Shetterly's B-town novels Finder, Elsewhere, and Nevernever were reprinted for the YA market, I continued touching wood and crossing digits that the original anthologies would be reprinted as well; or at the very least that a "Best Of" collection might emerge. But new stories? I never even dared to dream.
Then my dreams came true in February 2009, when editors Ellen Kushner and Holly Black announced they would be returning to Borderlands in a new anthology, Welcome to Bordertown, 13 years after the last anthology was published. Needless to say, I was beyond overjoyed. Because the Borderlands anthologies shaped my tastes as a reader, and influenced my life in so many ways since I first picked up the TOR edition of Borderlands in paperback from a university bookstore in 1992.
Of course, my first thought was to wonder how B-town would look in the 21st century, a quarter century after the first stories were published? Sure, magic and rock & roll are eternal, but even with retro 80s nostalgia at its height and a whole new generation becomes convinced leggings really are pants, guyliner is completely acceptable if not expected at this point, and your hair can never be too big, I worried that the stories and world would seem dated; quaint even, to the current generation raised on computer animation, iPods, and smart phones.
I needn't have worried. Because the new anthology remains as relevant, real, heart-breaking, exciting and marvellous as the first one—with the added bonus that in Welcome to Bordertown we get to see how B-town reacts to the 21st century.
Ever wonder how the internet came to the Borderlands? Or how B-town holds their own version of Carnival? Ever miss Screaming Lord Neville's dramatic costume changes, or browsing the shelves at Elsewhere Books? Want to meet new Bordertown born-and-breds, humans with the dust of the world still behind their ears, or impossibly beautiful Truebloods with their own spinning racks of issues? Welcome to Bordertown has the hottest new bands in the clubs we know like the backs of our hands, the wildest old magic, and stories and poems and songs that make us laugh and cry no matter where we come from, or in what year we were born. Because no matter how much time passes between visits to B-town, people are still people (even when they're werewolves, elves, and dragons), and we still dream the same dreams. They may not keep us fed or warm, our dreams—but they keep us breathing all the same, and sometimes the only difference between living and merely existing are the dreams we have and the dreams we share.
The new Bordertown hardcover hits shelves this month, with stories and poems by returning B-town residents Charles de Lint, Ellen Kushner, Terri Windling, Steven Brust, Emma Bull, and Will Shetterly, as well as newcomers to its streets Neil Gaiman, Jane Yolen, Nalo Hopkinson, Holly Black, Cat Valente, Amal El-Mohtar, and many others. And between its covers you'll find all manner of dreams, in all shapes and sizes. Maybe this will be your first B-town anthology. Maybe it will open your eyes to a world you never knew existed. Maybe it will teach you something you never knew about life. Maybe it will show you things you never suspected about yourself. There's only one way to find out...
What are you waiting for?
Bordertown lives.
Find your way.
24 April 2011
Chicks Dig Time Lords nominated for a Hugo. Watch Tara's head explode.
I am deeply honoured to announce that Lynne M Thomas and my essay collection Chicks Dig Time Lords has been nominated for a 2011 Hugo Award for "Best Related Work".
Congratulations to the entire Chicks team, including assistant editor Michael Thomas, the book's designer Christa Dickson, cover artist Katy Shuttleworth, and all of our contributors and interviewees:
Elizabeth Bear
Carole E. Barrowman
Jackie Jenkins
Deborah Stanish
Helen Kang
Lloyd Rose
India Fisher
Johanna Mead
Francesca Coppa
Sophie Aldred
Jennifer Adams Kelley
Tammy Garrison & Katy Shuttleworth
Lisa Bowerman
Jody Lynn Nye
Amy Fritsch
Seanan McGuire
Kathryn Sullivan
LM Myles
Kate Orman
Shoshana Magnet & Robert Smith?
Mary Robinette Kowal
K. Tempest Bradford
Christa Dickson
Catherynne M. Valente
As well as our publisher, Mad Norwegian Press, for taking a chance on this collection in the first place. It was a huge leap of faith on their parts, for which we are eternally grateful.
Also, congratulations to our fellow nominees in the "Best Related Work" category:
Bearings: Reviews 1997-2001, by Gary K. Wolfe (Beccon)
The Business of Science Fiction: Two Insiders Discuss Writing and Publishing, by Mike Resnick and Barry N. Malzberg (McFarland)
Robert A. Heinlein: In Dialogue with His Century, Volume 1: (1907 – 1948): Learning Curve, by William H. Patterson, Jr. (Tor)
Writing Excuses, Season 4, by Brandon Sanderson, Jordan Sanderson, Howard Tayler, Dan Wells
I am now going to find the POOFIEST dress ever, for RENOvations shall be my Prom. I plan on dancing with everyone, and drinking a lot of spiked punch.
Congratulations to the entire Chicks team, including assistant editor Michael Thomas, the book's designer Christa Dickson, cover artist Katy Shuttleworth, and all of our contributors and interviewees:
Elizabeth Bear
Carole E. Barrowman
Jackie Jenkins
Deborah Stanish
Helen Kang
Lloyd Rose
India Fisher
Johanna Mead
Francesca Coppa
Sophie Aldred
Jennifer Adams Kelley
Tammy Garrison & Katy Shuttleworth
Lisa Bowerman
Jody Lynn Nye
Amy Fritsch
Seanan McGuire
Kathryn Sullivan
LM Myles
Kate Orman
Shoshana Magnet & Robert Smith?
Mary Robinette Kowal
K. Tempest Bradford
Christa Dickson
Catherynne M. Valente
As well as our publisher, Mad Norwegian Press, for taking a chance on this collection in the first place. It was a huge leap of faith on their parts, for which we are eternally grateful.
Also, congratulations to our fellow nominees in the "Best Related Work" category:
Bearings: Reviews 1997-2001, by Gary K. Wolfe (Beccon)
The Business of Science Fiction: Two Insiders Discuss Writing and Publishing, by Mike Resnick and Barry N. Malzberg (McFarland)
Robert A. Heinlein: In Dialogue with His Century, Volume 1: (1907 – 1948): Learning Curve, by William H. Patterson, Jr. (Tor)
Writing Excuses, Season 4, by Brandon Sanderson, Jordan Sanderson, Howard Tayler, Dan Wells
I am now going to find the POOFIEST dress ever, for RENOvations shall be my Prom. I plan on dancing with everyone, and drinking a lot of spiked punch.
15 April 2011
Social Tara is Social
As always, I am truly terrible when it comes to updating my blog, and for that, I apologise. But this week has been full of lovely adventures. First off, in case you haven't heard, Chicago's One Book, One Chicago selection for this spring is Neil Gaiman's Neverwhere [Amazon] [Mysterious Galaxy]. As someone who has read both the BBC Books version and the American version when they first came out, I was truly delighted--especially as I am currently re-reading the entirety of Terri Windling's Borderland canon in preparation for the release in May of Welcome to Bordertown [Amazon] [Mysterious Galaxy] edited by Ellen Kushner and Holly Black. So, I have had Magical Cities on the brain, you could say.
I wasn't able to attend Tuesday night's event at the Harold Washington Library, but I did trek out to the University of Chicago campus Rockefeller Chapel for Wednesday night's reading and Q&A.
Now, when most schools say "chapel", I tend to picture a bland, 1970s-built utilitarian space meant to accommodate ceremonies of any (or no) religious affiliation possible. Erm... no. When UofC say "chapel" what they really mean is a GIANT GORGEOUS CATHEDRAL. And Neil packed the place, and read from the pulpit which was a source of delight and amusement for all.
Having had the pleasure of hearing Neil read from his own work many times in the past nearly 20 years, I have to say that this instance stood out from all the rest for one main reason: Order of The Odd Fish author James Kennedy's amazing introduction. Do not take my word for it; see for yourself:
I very nearly genuinely damaged myself laughing. (Though, to be fair, breathing at the moment can cause me a bit of difficulty, as I am currently recovering from a nasty back injury.) However, the reading and Q&A more than lived up to that truly epic introduction, I got to visit with old friends and meet new one, and I stayed out far past my bedtime, having much too much fun. I may have paid for it the next day, but as they say (well, at least they said in Mindy Snodgrass' TNG episode "Up The Long Ladder") "Every moment of pleasure in life has to be purchased by an equal moment of pain."
Then last night (I can say that as it is now just gone 2 AM, right?), I finally got to meet Chicks Dig Time Lords [Amazon] [Mysterious Galaxy] contributor Cat Valente "in real life" as we say on the interwebs. She read from her latest novel, Deathless [Amazon] [Mysterious Galaxy] at The Book Cellar in Lincoln Square and she was just as much full of fun, poetry, wicked humour (and--in the end--beer) as promised. Note to any who travel to Lincoln Square staple The Chicago Brahaus in the future: the boot really is the size of a size 6 woman's riding boot which I'm fairly sure holds at least a litre and a half of whichever beer you order. While the entire table contributed to its eventual demise, I can tell you with complete sincerity that Catherynne The Great pretty much killed that soldier nearly all on her own, which I consider a testament to her will of iron and, frankly, her leg of wood.
Lastly, client and friend Seanan McGuire's thriller FEED [Amazon] [Mysterious Galaxy] from Orbit has been nominated for the Shirley Jackson Award, which is in my not entirely unbiased opinion entirely deserved. Also, the sequel, [Amazon] [Mysterious Galaxy], comes out in May and believe me when I tell you, it's on hell of a ride, so you'd better buckle up and hold on for dear life...
I wasn't able to attend Tuesday night's event at the Harold Washington Library, but I did trek out to the University of Chicago campus Rockefeller Chapel for Wednesday night's reading and Q&A.
Now, when most schools say "chapel", I tend to picture a bland, 1970s-built utilitarian space meant to accommodate ceremonies of any (or no) religious affiliation possible. Erm... no. When UofC say "chapel" what they really mean is a GIANT GORGEOUS CATHEDRAL. And Neil packed the place, and read from the pulpit which was a source of delight and amusement for all.
Having had the pleasure of hearing Neil read from his own work many times in the past nearly 20 years, I have to say that this instance stood out from all the rest for one main reason: Order of The Odd Fish author James Kennedy's amazing introduction. Do not take my word for it; see for yourself:
I very nearly genuinely damaged myself laughing. (Though, to be fair, breathing at the moment can cause me a bit of difficulty, as I am currently recovering from a nasty back injury.) However, the reading and Q&A more than lived up to that truly epic introduction, I got to visit with old friends and meet new one, and I stayed out far past my bedtime, having much too much fun. I may have paid for it the next day, but as they say (well, at least they said in Mindy Snodgrass' TNG episode "Up The Long Ladder") "Every moment of pleasure in life has to be purchased by an equal moment of pain."
Then last night (I can say that as it is now just gone 2 AM, right?), I finally got to meet Chicks Dig Time Lords [Amazon] [Mysterious Galaxy] contributor Cat Valente "in real life" as we say on the interwebs. She read from her latest novel, Deathless [Amazon] [Mysterious Galaxy] at The Book Cellar in Lincoln Square and she was just as much full of fun, poetry, wicked humour (and--in the end--beer) as promised. Note to any who travel to Lincoln Square staple The Chicago Brahaus in the future: the boot really is the size of a size 6 woman's riding boot which I'm fairly sure holds at least a litre and a half of whichever beer you order. While the entire table contributed to its eventual demise, I can tell you with complete sincerity that Catherynne The Great pretty much killed that soldier nearly all on her own, which I consider a testament to her will of iron and, frankly, her leg of wood.
Lastly, client and friend Seanan McGuire's thriller FEED [Amazon] [Mysterious Galaxy] from Orbit has been nominated for the Shirley Jackson Award, which is in my not entirely unbiased opinion entirely deserved. Also, the sequel, [Amazon] [Mysterious Galaxy], comes out in May and believe me when I tell you, it's on hell of a ride, so you'd better buckle up and hold on for dear life...
16 March 2011
C2E2!
Sorry for the late notice, but Lynne Thomas and I will be signing at C2E2 in Chicago this week-end at McCormick Place! We'll be appearing at the Alien Entertainment area on the main floor, Booth 947, Saturday March 19, 2-3pm! Bring your copies of Chicks Dig Time Lords and Whedonistas, or pick them up from the booth at the show!
And for you Middlefans out there, at 5:30pm there will be a The Middleman reunion panel featuring creator Javier Grillo-Marxuach, and series stars Natalie Morales, Matt Keeslar, Mary Pat Gleason, and Brit Morgan!
And for you Middlefans out there, at 5:30pm there will be a The Middleman reunion panel featuring creator Javier Grillo-Marxuach, and series stars Natalie Morales, Matt Keeslar, Mary Pat Gleason, and Brit Morgan!
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