The Latest from Edelman

David Louis Edelman is funnier than I could ever be:

David Louis Edelman Writing News: May 2008 www.davidlouisedelman.com www.davidlouisedelman.com/blog www.infoquake.net www.multireal.net Something different, you say? No, there’s nothing different about this newsletter... why do you ask? Okay, yes, there is something different. I've redesigned the newsletter to match the new look and feel of my personal website. The link for which is now very prominently displayed at the top of the email, along with the address of my blog and my books. Plus I’ve made it very easy for you to order copies of the books on Amazon, just by clicking on the links in the right column. Funny how that capitalism thing works. (Can’t see anything different? Either you’re not using an HTML email client or you need to click the “Show Images” link or button to see all the pretty colors.) New Website Designs. Go ahead, click on those links at the top of the newsletter and browse around. This email will be waiting for you when you get back. My new personal website is a lot more colorful, better organized, and easier to read. And the Infoquake and MultiReal websites now show off the beautiful artwork that (Hugo Award nominee) Stephan Martiniere has provided for the books. In addition, you’ll find the entire first eight chapters of MultiReal up on that website, for the first time anywhere. Nick Sagan Praises MultiReal. Nick Sagan, author of Idlewild, Edenborn, and Everfree, screenwriter for Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek: Voyager, and former child ambassador to the universe on the Voyager Golden Record, has read and blurbed Infoquake and MultiReal. Here’s what the esteemed Mr. Sagan has to say: “David Louis Edelman’s vision of the future is so alive and full of energy the pages are practically buzzing. Wonderfully intricate with smart, satisfying complexity, Infoquake and its sequel MultiReal serve up a world where mindbending technologies promise a freedom nearly as endless as the Machiavellian ambitions of those who would control them.” That rocks, no? Pat’s Fantasy Hotlist: Infoquake “One of the Very Best SF Debuts I Have Ever Read.” Pat of Pat’s Fantasy Hotlist has given Infoquake the kind of rave review that every author wants to get. “David Louis Edelman’s Infoquake just might be one of the very best science fiction debuts I have ever read,” says Pat. “The book deserves all the praise it has garnered, and then some!” It just goes on from there. (And FYI, Pat is also hosting a giveaway contest for copies of the mass market paperback. I don’t know when it ends, so if you’re interested, you'd better hurry...) More Audio Podcasts Available. I intended to finish podcasting the first seven chapters of Infoquake about two years ago, when the book was first released in trade paperback. For one reason or another, I only got up to chapter 4. I blame it on the cocaine, or the Extended Edition of The Fellowship of the Ring, or perhaps Martians. But now I've posted MP3, Ogg Vorbis, and Windows Media audio versions of the first seven chapters of Infoquake, plus the first five chapters of MultiReal. All read by yours truly. Go to the Infoquake audio page and the MultiReal audio page to download them. Other Reviews. The Washington, DC area cable science fiction show Fast Forward reviews Infoquake, saying “As interesting as his world is, it is Edelman’s characters that make this book shine”... Graeme of Graeme’s Fantasy Book Review called my story “Mathralon” one of his two favorites in The Solaris Book of New Science Fiction, Volume Two in his review ... and Rick Kleffel of The Agony Column talks about (but doesn’t actually review) MultiReal, saying “Edelman’s vision of a corporate future seems ever more relevant as each day goes by.” Upcoming Appearances. Balticon — May 23-26 in Hunt Valley, MD Readercon — July 17-20 in Burlington, MA Don't forget: the Solaris mass market edition of Infoquake comes out next month! (I’ve already received my first copy; See my blog for a peek at it.) And then in July, the Pyr edition of MultiReal hits the stands. So keep your eyes peeled and prepare your mind to be utterly blown. To quote the Zen philosopher Keanu Reeves: Whoa. Towards Perfection, David Louis Edelman www.davidlouisedelman.com Infoquake • Website • Amazon MultiReal • Website • Amazon The Solaris Book of New Science Fiction, Volume 2 • Amazon

Chocolate Covered Spinach

Hey, I've just been informed that Matrix Online has uploaded the full 7,000 word text of the interview that Lon Cohen conducted with me to their website, here as a PDF. (The edited version appeared in Matrix # 186.)

Lou on the Web

Lots of Lou on the Web!

SFSignal is back with another Mind Meld. This one looks at Hollywood Science Fiction and asks "What other story, or stories, do you believe are deserving of being made into movies and why?" In addition to Yours Truly, responses are from Peggy Kolm, Michael L. Wentz, Michael Blackmore, SciFiChick, and the always interesting John C. Wright. Wright argues that, as a visual medium, "A science fiction movie that does not involve spectacle and special effects is not taking advantage of the primary strength of movies." I concur. I'd pick my list from some newer works though, as nothing dates like the future. Still, as I say in my own piece, with the cost of CGI dropping, there's going to be more of everything, so I think they'll be enough to keep us all happy.

Meanwhile, I'm interviewed about illustrator Stephan Martiniere over on io9.com in "The Future Will Be Bio-Mechanical." Some very nice samples of his work, including the concept art he did for the I, Robot film that happens to be the piece that lead me to put him on our edition of River of Gods.(And speaking about Ian McDonald books, although I'm not in it, there is an interview with Ian talking about both Brasyland the forthcoming The Dervish House up at Post-Weird Thoughts.)

Finally, GalleyCat uses the occasion of Michael Moorcock's Grand Masterhood to quote me and others talking about John Picacio's genius in a piece titled "A Grand Master's Greatest Character Reborn." This is, of course, about Picacio's recent work conceiving and illustrating Moorcock's Elric: The Stealer of Soulsreissue for Del Rey as well as our own The Metatemporal Detective.Michael Whelan's Elric has always been the definitive portrayal of the character for me. Until now. Go see why.

Thoughts on Science Fiction Film & Television

There's a really interesting article up at Popular Mechanics right now, "Hollywood Sci-Fi's Bronze Age: Are Comics to Blame?" by Erik Sofge. Erik runs a comparison of the SF films that were released in 1982 - Blade Runner, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, The Thing and Tron, and compares it to 2007's Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem, 28 Weeks Later, I Am Legend, Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, The Invasion, Resident Evil: Extinction, Spider-Man 3 and Transformers. He then asks if the wealth of comic book projects isn't gobbling up the same resources that once went to smart SF.

Now, personally, I love a well-made comic book adaptation, and I think that there's always been loads of crap peppered with a few gems coming out of Hollywood and always will be. It wouldn't be hard to make a list of 100 smart SF films and another list of 100 dumb ones; and the smart ones aren't necessarily the good ones and the dumb ones not necessarily the bad ones (I love The Fifth Element!) Furthermore, the boom in effects technology, coupled with the lowered cost of same, means that the coming years are going to see more SF films than every before, smart and dumb, because the coming years are going to see more of everything than ever before. So I'm sure we've got some gems in the works right now, and some clunkers. And I'm not too worried about it.

Of course, Erik is right to be worried that "interest in science is at a low point in this country. Gadget and robot-related news might score high marks online, but there’s a difference between reading a blog and getting a doctorate." Here he links to "Educator Panel: U.S. Science Needs a Sputnik-ian Wakeup Call" by Matt Sullivan, who says " With American high school seniors performing below the international average for 21 countries in math and science...there needs to be an ambitious plan to increase awareness of scientific education." Amen.

And you know I think more SF is good for that. In fact, the top comment on Erik's article is:

james cameron made me a robotics engineer. i watched terminator 2 when i was 10,and it was the first time i went to a cinema.cameron rocks!!!!

Lately I've been considering how even the dumb stuff (and I'm not counting Terminator 2 in that category) has a role to play in inspiring people. I think that anything expansive and imaginative has benefits, even, you know, that dreadful Lucas stuff... Anything that inspires sense of wonder can inspire, right?

Of course, I have to applaud Erik when he concludes, "What’s missing from Hollywood sci-fi, and what the comic adaptations continue to smother, is a celebration of smarts. The smaller movies have them—films like Sunshine and Primer. In fiction, writers like Charles Stross are pushing the limits of the genre. Maybe next year’s Star Trek reboot will make quantum physics look cool again. And if anyone can return some credibility to science-fiction movies, it’s James Cameron, whose long-gestating Avatar (about a human remote-operating a robot on a distant, alien planet) also shows up next year."

Again, they'll be a lot more films like Primer coming down the pike, as it just gets cheaper and cheaper for a basic level of SF effects to be produced by the almost-average Joe. And they won't all be from Hollywood either. I imagine there's at least one or two mind blowing SF films being cooked up on someone's home computer right now, if not their cellphone.

And I would point to this article from Fast Company, "Rebel Alliance," by David Kushner. It's about the cabal of sf fans that are revolutionizing television with their visions (quite a few of whom - like Battlestar Galactica's Ron Moore - are very knowledgeable when it comes to literary SF.) The article is really about "transmedia" - how TV producers have to think about extending their storylines into other media such as games, comics, and online sites, but it also illustrates without calling out the fact that as movies seem to be getting sillier, television is getting better and better, richer, more "novelistic."

And David's article echoes my own optimism when it concludes, "The Geek Elite are well aware that they're creating a future that may ultimately pass them by. 'There's someone out there who will figure out how to relate the Internet and narrative beyond my old-fashioned notions,' [Joss] Whedon says. 'But I think whoever cracks that is not going to be someone who's made it huge in television. It's going to be some guy we just don't know about yet.'"

I, for one, can't wait to meet 'em.

EerieConXI: A Con Report by Jacinta Meyers

Jacinta Meyers is an Assistant Editor in the editorial department of my parent company, Prometheus Books. Last weekend, she attended EerieConX, a small convention put on by the Buffalo Fantasy League. The con was held April 18 - 20, 2008, at the Days Inn in Niagara Falls, New York. Given the convention's proximity to my dark masters, I am thinking about EerieCon myself for next year. Meanwhile, Jacinta kindly agreed to act as Pyr's goodwill ambassador this time, shouldering the burden of lugging a large stack of Pyr bookmarks, catalogs and (very popular) sampler books along with her. She has also provide us with the following con report. And so, without further adieu, here's Jacinta:

EerieConX. When we walked through the doors of the Days Inn at Niagara Falls, we weren't sure that it was even the right hotel. It was quiet, no one dressed in crazy costumes or standing around with cups of coffee chatting about advanced astrophysics, Star Trek, or Isaac Asimov. In fact, there weren't very many people around at all. Then, over by the desk, we saw the sign: ErieConX, registration downstairs. Making our way down, we were given our badges, programs, and convention booklets. Then began one of the smallest and most authentic conventions I have ever been to.

About a hundred fans of sci-fi, fantasy, and horror turned out for the weekend-long event. With such few people, there was a real quality of camaraderie that you just can't get at massive cons. Some of the panels drew such small audiences that we spoke on a first-name basis with the guests of honor. And there were several: Sephera Giron, Carl Frederick, Joe Haldeman, Nancy Kress, John-Allen Price, Rob Sawyer, Caro Soles, Edo van Belkom, and Jennifer Crow, to name just a few. Panel topics included diversity in the field of genre publishing, habitable planets in the universe, and such practical things as how to hire an agent and how to balance one's life around writing. There were the staples of fantasy and sci-fi conventions - a small dealer's room and art gallery. And then there were the activities you can't see anywhere else: a hilarious game of "Which line's mine?" where the published author-guests have to correctly identify which lines from written works are their own. There was a room showing movies, shows, and animes all weekend, and a gaming room complete with Dance Dance Revolution mats.

What surprised me the most about this hometown convention was the diversity. There were people from all over the US and Canada, of every age and orientation, from every class and education level. Accordingly, the convention programmers had set up many different kinds of interesting panels, with presenters like David DeGraff, professor of astronomy and physics at Alfred University, and space physicist David Stephenson. We had discussions on everything from what weather would be like on giant gaseous planets, to Caesar's military logistics. Authors at one panel spoke about good horror writing while others discussed how to escape over-used clichés in fantasy writing. There was truly something for everyone.

The only real criticism I would have is for the convention programmers. While they did an awesome job with the panel topics and set-up, there were so many panels going on all over the hotel at the same time. We often had to try and decide between two or even three equally interesting panels to attend. Authors kept complaining that there was not enough time to get from the top floor to a panel on the bottom level, and there were no breaks in between. The hallway with the drinks and snacks bar was often crowded, with stuffed chairs and tables blocking movement from the elevators and bathrooms to the different rooms with activities. Perhaps if the planners considered a yearly overall theme, or shortened each panel to 45 minutes rather than a whole hour, to give authors fifteen minutes to answer questions, pose for pictures, or just get from one floor to another, the convention may be a little less chaotic.

Nevertheless, this editor has definitely marked her calendar for EerieConXI next year. Maybe I'll see you there!

Behold the Son of Man

John Picacio has turned in the final artwork for the forthcoming Pyr reissue of Robert Silverberg's classic Son of Man.He talks about the process of creating the preliminary sketches here, with a rare glimpse at some of his pencils, and the final work done on the finished painting here. (I'm intrigued by his Jimi Hendrix comments.)

Son of Man is one of my favorite SF book of all, so I'm thrilled to be reissuing it under the Pyr banner. And Silverberg and I both knew that John was the perfect illustrator for this job. For those who know the book already, I think you'll agree that Picacio has done an incredible job picking up on both the messianic and the sexual overtones, and has managed to get that 60s/70s psychedelic feel without feeling at all like he was going retro or pastiche. Here's the full wrap-around painting:

A World Too Near, A Book Impossible to Put Down

Pat's Fantasy Hotlist has a great interview with Kay Kenyon up today, apparently co-conducted by Patrick and SFFWorld's Rob H. Bedford. Check it all out, but I particularly like Kay's answer to the question of whether there were any "perceived conventions of the science fiction/fantasy genre" that she set out to "twist or break." Kay replies:

"Well, first off, I wanted to celebrate some of the traditions, and make the story an unabashed fantasy quest. Insofar as the story has science fiction underpinnings, I did twist the usual space opera protagonist, making Titus Quinn deeply divided in his loyalties. Through the eyes of his daughter, Sydney, we get an unsparing view of Titus. Her deeply ambivalent feelings for Titus highlight his dilemmas and explore the question of how it’s possible to do good when all actions will create suffering. I wanted to turn a Flash Gordon concept into the thinking reader’s adventure novel. ...As the story proceeded, I wanted to create fault lines in the reader’s assumptions about the Tarig overlords, who by tradition we want to despise. A pervasive goal was to give each character their value as a sentient being. This emphasis on character is also, in my view, a departure from the classic adventure tale."

Meanwhile, earlier this week, Rob H. Bedford posted the SFFWorld review of the second book in Kay's The Entire and the Rose series, A World Too Near, proclaiming that, ""Kenyon does a great job of maintaining the tension of this throughout the novel. "

[Spoiler Alert] If Bright of the Skywas Titus Quinn's book, then this one is Joanna Quinn's, as Rob observes, "While Titus is indeed the main character, Kenyon also shows his wife’s life in the Entire. In fact, the novel opens with a scene of Joanna Quinn, illustrating the grandeur of the Entire while juxtaposing it against the desperation Joanna feels in an otherwise beautiful place. Joanna’s scenes proved even more emotionally charged than those featuring Titus, there is a great deal of conflict within her and at times, she seems resigned to her fate and has given up hope of a return to the life she knew. While Joanna’s scenes aren’t as frequent as Titus’s, they are as powerful."

Rob concludes that, "ultimately, I found myself unable to stop reading. As the novel draws to a close, the pressure builds for Titus and for Joanna, making for a briskly paced conclusion that you want to read through fast, but conversely, you don’t want to end. A tease at the end gives readers just enough to crave the next volume."

Which is perfect, ennit?

Daughter of the Empire

Tomas L. Martin has reviewed Theodore Judson's The Martian General's Daughterfor SFCrowsnest with the intriguing description that it is "worthy sequel in spirit to The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire."Which it is, as the book serves, as he says, as a"a strong, dynamic analysis of what happens when a nation grows too far and collapses under the pressure of its ambition." And there is a large part of the narrative that is a retelling of the history of Marcus Aurelius and his son Commodius (who will be somewhat familiar to fans of the film Gladiator,yes), only that all this history is seen through the person of Justa, the daughter of the title. To me, her voice and her personal story are more powerful than the history she witnesses, which while it has a lot to say about the fall of empire (and, I believe, our own recent efforts at empire-building), is a vehicle for a very personal look at family. My two cents.

Update: Ah, and here comes a review on Neth Space that is the third one to use that word "compelling"when referring to Justa. They echo a little of what I'm talking about when they say, "The story gains new dimensions as it moves forward – becoming as much the story of Justa as the general. We slowly learn bits and pieces of Justa’s past as she relates the story of her father. As an empire decays, we feel that Justa thrives and grows. In the end, we have three stories in one – the death of empire, the biography of a great general, and the growth a young woman."

Update 4/17/08: Jeff Vandermeer opines at Amazon's Omnivoracious blog that, "this slim but satisfying novel is often willfully didactic in the way it treats political/military issues--but it works because of the context. These are the issues the characters are dealing with, this is the way they would talk about them. It's rare that a book will make you think and make you feel in quite this particular way."