Copy Link
Add to Bookmark
Report
OtherRealms Issue 27 Part 06
Electronic OtherRealms #27
Spring, 1990
Part 6 of 11
Copyright 1990 by Chuq Von Rospach
All Rights Reserved.
OtherRealms may be distributed electronically only in the original
form and with copyrights, credits and return addresses intact.
OtherRealms may be reproduced in printed form only for your personal use.
No part of OtherRealms may be reprinted or used in any other
publication without permission of the author.
All rights to material published in OtherRealms hereby revert to the author.
Small Press Overview 1989
Evelyn C. Leeper
Copyright 1990 by Evelyn C. Leeper
In November 1989 I was asked to be one of the seven judges for the
Readercon Small Press Awards. (The other six were Thomas M. Disch, John
Shirley, Kathryn Cramer, Paul Chadwick, Jerry Kaufman, and Greg Ketter.)
As a result, I found myself reading seven novels, three chapbooks, six
original collections, five reprint collections, three original
anthologies, one reprint anthology, sixteen non-fiction works, six
miscellaneous works, and 66 volumes of 29 different magazines from the
"small press" -- 113 items in all. Since this area of publishing gets
little notice, I thought I would try to provide an overview of what I
saw. (Note: This is not an exhaustive list; there were many small press
items I didn't see.)
The first thing I found was that the era of proofreading, at least in
the small press, seems to have passed. It is the rare book or magazine
that does not have two or three glaring grammatical or spelling errors.
I would say "typographical errors," but I suspect they were not
accidental transpositions, but that the editor/typist who transferred
the manuscript does not know better. This does not mean that I think R.
A. Lafferty does not know the difference between "its" and "it's," but
it does probably does mean that Lafferty never proofread any galleys
either.
A comment on ordering: I give ordering information (or at least an
address) for everything. Small presses survive on a very small profit
margin, so if you are ordering anything, you should probably include
some additional money for shipping and handling. (You can always write
first and ask how much.) If the press has some special emphasis (e.g.,
feminist) I will try to point this out.
Novels and Novellas
The one thing most of these novels have in common is their specialized
focus. Whether they are feminist, lesbian, or otherwise aimed at a
specific group, the authors may very well have had more success selling
their work to a publisher that specializes in that area, rather than
aiming for the "mass market." In the Blood, for example, is liable to
sell better in specialty bookstores which order the entire Naiad Press
line than in B. Dalton where it has to compete with the large number of
"general" science fiction published each year. (Locus claims over a
thousand new science fiction/fantasy/horror books were published in
1989.)
Aakhus, Patricia; The Voyage of Mael Duin's Curragh; Story Line Press,
Three Oaks Farm, Brownsville OR 97327-9718; 0-934257-31-0; $12.95.
This did not catch my interest enough for me to recommend it strongly,
but it appears to be a well-written novel based on Celtic epic. I may
just be over-Celticked these days. Certainly for those interested in
Irish myth I would give it a mild recommendation.
Ascher, Sheila and Straus, Dennis; The Menaced Assassin; McPherson &
Co., P.O.Box 1126, Kingston NY 12401; 0-929701-03-8; $9.
This "post-modern" novel is a strange combination of literary novel and
old movie plots and references. I'm not quite sure what to make of it,
but it did hold my interest, and I suspect more could be gotten from a
second reading (one sure sign of a book worth giving a first reading).
Banks, Iain M.; The State of the Art; Mark V. Ziesing, P. O. Box 76,
Shingletown CA 96088; 0-929480-??-?; $16.
On the final ballot, but not seen.
Baum, L. Frank; The Sea Fairies; Books of Wonder, 132 Seventh Avenue,
New York NY 10011; 0-929605-00-4, $9.95.
On the final ballot (in the reprint category), but not seen.
Bishop, Michael; Apartheid, Superstrings, and Mordecai Thubana;
Pulphouse/Axolotl, P. O. Box 1227, Eugene OR 97440; $?.
On the final ballot, but not seen.
Columbo, Judith Woolcock; The Fablesinger; The Crossing Press, 22-D
Roche Road, Box 207, Freedom CA 95019; 0-89594-376-X; $7.95.
This short novel has its basis in Caribbean religion and legend, an area
in general unexplored by fantasists. Unfortunately, it seems either
padded out from a short story or condensed from a long novel, with much
of the detail of the main character's development glossed over rather
than shown. (I also found the shifting point of view distracting, but
that is a relatively minor flaw.) The two good people are women and the
two bad ones men -- it is not clear whether one can extrapolate from
that, but this is from a feminist press.
De Lint, Charles; Berlin; Fourth Avenue Press, 105 Fourth Avenue, Ottawa
ON K1S 2L1; 0-9694121-1-8; C$14.95.
This novella is part of the "Bordertown" shared world conceived by Terri
Windling. Punk drug addicts in a Soho world that borders on Elfland just
do not appeal to me, I suppose, but this story didn't catch my interest.
De Lint, Charles; Westlin Wind; Pulphouse/Axolotl, P. O. Box 1227,
Eugene OR 97440; no ; $10.
On the final ballot, but not seen.
Dilsaver, Paul; Nurtz! Nurtz!; Ghost Rocks Press, 209 Park St., Laramie
WY 82070; 0-936204-65-6; $9.
I found this novel very disturbing and, as with the movie A Clockwork
Orange, I can say I think it is very good without actually enjoying it.
The setting is a mental hospital, full of people with a variety of odd
mental and physical problems. I'm not sure I can actually going to
recommend it, but if you enjoy "uncomfortable" novels, you will probably
like this one.
Douglas, Lauren Wright; In the Blood; Naiad Press, P. O. Box 10543,
Tallahassee FL 32302; 0-941483-22-3; $8.95.
Set in a post-plague southwestern United States, this is an acceptable,
if fairly mundane, novel of that genre. There is more emphasis on
characters than on plot, as might be expected: the plot can be found
many places, but Naiad Press concentrates on lesbian fiction.
(References to East Germany as a Communist country along with the
U.S.S.R., Nicaragua, and Cuba may date this novel very quickly.)
Glenn, Nancy Tyler; Clicking Stones; Naiad Press, P. O. Box 10543,
Tallahassee FL 32302; 0-941483-31-2; $8.95.
This is a New Age lesbian novel, with the main character discovering a
"force" which is released by "clicking stones" with someone else. It is
well-written in terms of characterization, but the science fiction
content is too superficial and the symbolism too obvious to make this a
stand-out. Were it not for the explicit sex scenes, this might almost be
a "young-adult" novel.
Lafferty, R. A.; The Elliptical Grave; United Mythologies Press, P. O.
Box 390 Station A, Weston ON M9N 3N1 CANADA; 0-921322-12-7; C$18
This short novel deals with archaeologists who go to "excavate the air"
of an isolated Italian valley, are lured into an anomaly in space, and
are transformed into something new. As usual with a Lafferty story, the
writing and characters outweigh the plot. Unfortunately, in this case
the typos may outweigh both, and provide too much distraction from the
writing. Because of the price, this item, even more so than the next, is
of interest to Lafferty fans and collectors only.
Lafferty, R. A.; How Many Miles to Babylon; United Mythologies Press, P.
O. Box 390 Station A, Weston ON M9N 3N1 CANADA; 0-921322-10-0; C$3.
Someone at United Mythologies Press does not know the difference between
"it's" and "its"; "it's" is used for the possessive throughout and on
page 8 one paragraph alone has ten misuses! This Lafferty novella is
hard enough to follow as it is -- but then Lafferty often is. As a
chapbook, this is probably of interest mainly (only?) to Lafferty
collectors and fans.
Lafferty, R. A.; Sindbad, The Thirteenth Voyage; Broken Mirrors, P. O.
Box 473, Cambridge MA 02238; 0-9623824-??-?; $9.95.
On the final ballot, but not seen.
McKay, Windsor; Little Nemo in Slumberland; Fantagraph Books, 7563 Lake
City Way, Seattle WA 98115; 0-930193-??-?; $?.
On the final ballot (in the bookcraft category), but not seen.
Powers, Tim; The Anubis Gates; Mark V. Ziesing, P. O. Box 76,
Shingletown CA 96088; 0-929480-??-?; $?.
On the final ballot (in the reprint category), but not seen.
Powers, Tim; An Epitaph in Rust; NESFA, Box G, MIT Branch Station,
Cambridge CA 02139; 0-915368-40-4; $16.95.
On the final ballot (in the reprint category), but not seen.
Powers, Tim; The Stress of Her Regard; Charnel House, P. O. Box 633,
Lynbrook NY 11563; 0-927389-01-0; $125.
On the final ballot (in the bookcraft category), but not seen.
Reed, Kit; Opera News For the Dumb; Piratical Primrose, ?; $?.
On the final ballot, but not seen.
Shepard, Lucius; The Father of Stones; Washington Science Fiction
Association, P. O. Box 19951, Baltimore MD 21211; 0-9621725-0-2; $45.
On the final ballot, but not seen.
Stetten, George; Weissenbaum's Eye; Zwitter Press, 302 Carlton Drive,
Syracuse NY 13214; 0-923056-00-9; $4.95.
I suspect this book is self-published; it is full of pseudo-profundities
and poetic turns, with the plot (involving sensory couches, spaceship
launchings, and whales) buried under words explaining the feelings of
the characters instead of portraying them.
Vonarburg, Elisabeth (translated by Jane Brierley); The Silent City;
Porce'pic Books, 4252 Commerce Circle, Victoria, BC V8Z 4M2;
0-88878-277-2; price not listed.
This book seems reminiscent of Phyllis Gotlieb's O Master Caliban!, a
bit of a coincidence in that both authors are Canadian. Perhaps the
similarity is only in their use of biology as a base for science fiction
-- certainly there is much dissimilar about the two books. In any case,
there is a fair amount of science fiction being written in French in
Canada, yet it appears only in the small press can one find any of it in
translation. (There are also two anthologies of Canadian science fiction
which have translations of some shorter works. These are, not
surprisingly, edited by Judith Merril and are titled Tesseracts and
Tesseracts Two.) If this novel is an example, it's a pity more is not
being translated.
[One comment on the translation: I found the use of the word
"congratulated" in the same paragraph as several sentences about blood
clotting confusing, since I first read it as "coagulated." This reminded
me of some piece of advice I once read in which someone was advised not
to use the words "crucifixion" and "cavalry" in the same paragraph,
since the reader would inevitably read the latter as "Calvary."]
Waldrop, Howard; Them Bones; Mark V. Ziesing, P. O. Box 76, Shingletown
CA 96088; 0-929480-??-?; $?.
On the final ballot (in the reprint category), but not seen.
Collections and Anthologies
The collections and anthologies of 1989 small presses form a very mixed
bag. There are (that I have seen, anyway) six original collections
(Ascher/Straus, Carlson, Hood, Nickels, Smith, and Vandermeer), five
reprint collections (Cadigan, Matheson, Shirley, Sterling, and Wandrei),
three original anthologies (Lansdale, Nadramia, Sturgis), and one
reprint anthology (Salmonson). (I hesitate to describe Nickels's two
novellas as a "collection," but I have no better category for them.) The
collections are from forgotten authors from the past (Wandrei),
remembered authors from the past (Matheson), current well-known authors
(Cadigan, Shirley, Sterling), and current lesser known authors
(Ascher/Straus, Carlson, Nickels, Smith, and Vandermeer). The
anthologies have a variety of themes: supernatural stories, feminist
stories, horror poetry, and even (God help us) "cowpunk" stories!
Ascher, Sheila and Straus, Dennis; Red Moon/Red Lake; McPherson & Co.,
P. O. Box 1126, Kingston NY 12401; 0-914232-97-5; $8.
This collection of ten interlocking stories, or at least ten stories
with overlapping characters, is an intriguing stylistic exercise but not
up to the authors' novel, The Menaced Assassin (see above). If you are
interested in structural games in literature, definitely give it a look.
Bendixen, Alfred (editor); The Amber Gods: Selected Fiction of Harriet
Prescott Spofford; Rutgers University Press, 109 Church St., New
Brunswick NJ 08901; 0-8135-1401-0; $15.
On the final ballot, but not seen.
Berry, Shelly Dutton (editor); The Roots of Fantasy: Myth, Folklore &
Archetype; World Fantasy Convention; $?.
On the final ballot, but not seen.
Blumlein, Michael; The Brains of Rats; Scream/Press, P. O. Box 481146,
Los Angeles CA 90048; 0-910-489-28-9; $20.
On the final ballot, but not seen.
Cadigan, Pat; Patterns; Ursus Imprints, 5539 Jackson St., Kansas City MO
64130; 0-942681-07-X; $19.95.
This is Cadigan's first collection, containing fourteen stories
including the highly acclaimed "Pretty Boy Crossover" and "Angel."
Enhanced by introductions to each story by the author, this collection
also has a previously unpublished story ("The Power and the Passion").
The stories range from cyberpunk ("Pretty Boy Crossover," "Angel," and
"Rock On") to horror ("The Power and The Passion," a wonderful new twist
on the vampire story) to off-beat ("The Day the Martels Got the Cable"
and "Vengeance Is Yours"). Given Cadigan's standing in the field, and
the broad range she displays in this collection, this book must be
considered one of the major collections of the year.
Carlson, Larry; Molecular Ramjet; TadAleX Books, P. O. Box 78582,
Seattle WA 98178; 0-929301-01-3; $4.95.
This is a collection of "high-tech bedtime stories"; I can see how it
would put children to sleep. The stories seem full of the sort of
science lectures that books such as Ralph 124C41+ were (in)famous for.
Effinger, George Alec; Author's Choice Monthly Issue One: The Old Funny
Stuff; Pulphouse/Axolotl, P. O. Box 1227, Eugene OR 97440; no ; $4.95.
On the final ballot, but not seen.
Emshwiller, Carol; Verging on the Pertinent; Coffee House Press, 24 N.
Fourth St., Suite 400, Minneapolis MN 55401; 0-918273-57-9; $9.95.
On the final ballot, but not seen.
Gorman, Ed and Greenburg, Martin H. (editors); Stalkers; Dark Harvest,
P. O. Box 941, Arlington Heights IL 60006; 0-913-165-47-6; $19.95.
On the final ballot, but not seen.
Hood, Robert; Day-Dreaming on Company Time; Five Islands Press, Box
1946, Wollongong N.S.W. 2500 AUSTRALIA; 0-9587972-2-6.
This collection from "Down Under" gives the reader well-written,
literary stories. My only (minor) objection is that the stories are at
times a bit diffuse and pointless. This is the sort of writing that I
describe as "reality off by 10 degrees" -- perhaps it is in some sense
magical realism, though I don't profess to understand completely what is
meant by that term. (Definitely write ahead for ordering information on
this; I know neither the price nor what forms of payment are accepted.
Also available from Mark V. Ziesing and other specialty dealers.)
Lansdale, Joe R.; By Bizarre Hands; Mark V. Ziesing, P. O. Box 76,
Shingletown CA 96088; 0-929480-12-0; $25.
On the final ballot, but not seen.
Lansdale, Joe R., and LoBrutto, Pat (editors); Razored Saddles; Dark
Harvest, P. O. Box 941, Arlington Heights IL 60006; 0-913165-49-2;
$19.95.
This original (in more than one sense) anthology is described by the
editors as "The Cowpunk Anthology," though they deny this is the start
of a movement. To which one can add only, "Thank God!"
But seriously, folks, this anthology contains seventeen stories by
authors well-known and not so well-known. Some stories (perhaps more
than my tastes would prefer) are horror stories, but many -- in spite of
the title -- are not. Some of the stories I would also say are not
really Westerns; they seem more like "Southern red-neck" stories, if
such a genre exists (for example, Lansdale's own "The Job"). There are
even two alternate history stories (my particular weakness): one about a
very different fight for "the rights of man to be free from persecution"
at the Alamo ("Thirteen Days of Glory" by Scott Cupp), the other about
how the movies showed how the West was won ("The Passing of the Western"
by Howard Waldrop, who probably could not write a normal story if he
tried). There's also a dinosaur roundup ("Sadalia" by David J. Schow)
and the very haunting "Empty Places" by Gary L. Raisor.
Whether this anthology will succeed is a good question. My understanding
is that the Western as a genre is not thriving, and certainly not enough
to support a hardcover anthology such as this. But whether the fantasy
market (fantasy in its broad sense here of non-realistic, encompassing
fantasy, science fiction, and horror) will buy a book of Western stories
remains to be seen. However, in this time of interchangeable fantasy
trilogies and cyberpunk copies, at least it's a new concept. As Dan'l
Danehy-Oakes asked (see the review of Mindscapes below), at least we see
"writers doing something new."
Matheson, Richard; Collected Stories; Scream/Press, P. O. Box 481146,
Los Angeles CA 90048; 0-910489-10-6; $39.95.
What can I say? Matheson is one of the great science fiction short story
writers and this collection includes 85 of his stories (another ten are
excluded as being non-science-fiction or for other reasons). In addition
to the stories, you get wonderful block-print black and white
illustrations by William Stout. Kudos to Scream/Press for publishing
this. (It's actually published under their "kinder, gentler" Dream/Press
imprint.)
Nadramia, Peggy; Narcopolis; Hell's Kitchen Productions, P. O. Box 370,
Times Square Station, New York NY 10108-0370; 0-962328-61-8; $4.00.
Too many of these poems seem incoherent to me. (I find myself thinking
of the phrase, "It appears vague but is in fact meaningless," but
perhaps that's being too harsh.) I did like this excerpt from "Prophetic
Dreams":
A killer stalks the halls of my high school. Innocent cheerleaders die
by knife. Teachers lock the classroom doors. I must find him, or I'll
flunk.
Some of the interior illustrations are also intriguing, in a Giger-esque
sort of way.
Nickels, Thom; Two Novellas: Walking Water & After All This; Banned
Books, Number 292, P. O. Box 33280, Austin TX 78764; 0-934411-22-0;
$8.95.
The novella form has all but died out except in magazines and reprint
anthologies (yes, I know there are exceptions), so it's encouraging to
see that some people are still publishing them. "Walking Water" is a
surrealist tale not unlike a modernized Divine Comedy with a gay
protagonist and Thomas Merton as the Virgil figure. "After All This" is
a post-(non-atomic)-holocaust story of relationships under
transformation. Both have more emphasis on the characters than on logic
(not surprising in surrealistic fiction) and both are recommended -- in
fact, I nominated "Walking Water" for a Hugo. (I believe that Banned
Books is a gay/lesbian press, but I'm not sure.)
Rusch, Kristine Kathryn; Pulphouse: The Hardback Magazine Issue 5,
Horror; Pulphouse/Axolotl, Box 1227, Eugene OR 97440; $20.
On the final ballot, but not seen.
Salmonson, Jessica Amanda (editor); What Did Miss Darrington See?; The
Feminist Press at City University of New York, 311 East 94th St., New
York NY 10128; 1-55861-006-5; $10.95.
This is a feminist anthology that avoids the stridency of Sturgis's book
(see below). Salmonson presents a collection of highly literate, highly
literary fantasies, understated and gentle rather than the splatterpunk
that has become (alas!) the norm these days. (Even such an academic
press cannot seem to produce a book these days without at least one
typographical error -- in the case, the most glaring one was "Charles
Riving" for "Charles River.")
Shirley, John; Heatseeker; Scream/Press, P. O. Box 481146, Los Angeles
CA 90048; 0-910489-26-2; $25.
This nineteen-story collection contains three previously unpublished
stories; the rest appeared between 1975 and 1988. That many of the
laudatory quotes on the back cover are from "cyberpunk" authors is not
surprising, and should give the reader a fair idea (or fair warning,
depending on your point of view) of what is inside. If you like Shirley,
then this collection will be a must-buy; if you don't, it will be a
must-pass-up; it is unlikely there is a middle ground. I must admit that
Shirley is not on my list of favorite authors (for that matter, I find
most "cyberpunk" unpleasant to read and hard to follow, and haven't
really liked any since Marc Laidlaw's "Nutrimancer"). This may mark me
as a barbarian, but at least you have some idea where this review is
coming from.
I also found the illustrations unpleasant. I'm not sure why, because
they are very reminiscent of J. K. Potter's work, which I do like. But
there you are.
Skipp, John & Spector, Craig (editors); Book of the Dead; Mark V.
Ziesing, P. O. Box 76, Shingletown CA 96088; 0-929480-??-?; $?.
On the final ballot (in the bookcraft category), but not seen.
Smith, Clark Ashton; Strange Shadows; Greenwood Press, Inc., 88 Post
Road West, Westport CT 06881; 0-313-26611-5; $39.95.
One technique used in this book of the unpublished works of Clark Ashton
Smith which would make it of interest to would-be writers is the
indication of the changes Smith made to the included items. The
typography takes some getting used to: "^xxx^" indicates an insertion,
"[yyy]" a deletion, and "^xxx^ [yyy]" a change. But it adds a whole new
dimension to the works, which can be read as exercises in writing as
well as finished products. Of course, there are only eight complete
fantasy stories. The rest are either non-fantasy, non-fiction, or
fragments and synopses, which goes to prove that plots are easy, writing
is hard. But because there is so little of Smith's writing, average
readers will find this unrewarding and would do better to haunt the used
bookstores and dealers' rooms for Smith's works in Lin Carter's "Adult
Fantasy Series" for Ballantine Books.
Sterling, Bruce; Crystal Express; Arkham House, P. O. Box 546, Sauk WI
53583; 0-87054-158-7; $18.95.
This collection of twelve stories (all of which have appeared previously
elsewhere) is important in that it is the first collection of a major
author's short works, but the availability of the contents elsewhere
makes a hardcover edition of this more for Sterling collectors than for
the average reader. (Well, I suppose that's one function of the small
press.)
Sturgis, Susanna J. (editor); Memories and Visions; The Crossing Press,
22-D Roche Road, Box 207, Freedom CA 95019; 0-89594-391-3; $9.95.
I found this anthology to be on the whole extremely strident feminist
fiction, too busy attacking men to worry about good writing. (The
introduction states: "Here were writers who imagined women grappling
with the logical conclusions of patriarchal culture: violence against
women, ecological collapse, nuclear holocaust, christian [sic]
fundamentalism, state repression." I will admit that an introduction
like that may have biased me against the book.) There were a few bright
points, but on the whole Memories and Visions was extremely
disappointing.
Vandermeer, Jeff; Book of Frog; The Ministry of Whimsey, 7701 S.W. 7th
Place, Gainesville FL 32607; no ; $3.95.
This chapbook consist of stories about frogs (and toads). Printed in
8-point type (9 lines/inch), it is hard to read from a physical
standpoint, and I found the stories are in general only so-so (though a
couple were good, and others have liked them more). Still, if you have a
friend who is into frogs, it's a cute gimmick gift, and much better than
giving yet another ceramic Kermit.
Wandrei, Donald; Colossus; Fedogan & Bremer, 700 Washington Ave. S.E.,
Suite 50, Minneapolis MN 55414; 1-878252-00-3, $28.
Donald Wandrei is not one of the better known science fiction authors,
in part because after World War II his output dropped considerably and
he never reached the younger generations of readers. This collection
shows him as in many ways a typical 1930s author, more interested in
stylish writing than in straightforward ("Campbellian") prose or in
scientific accuracy (he has beings living on Antares, even while saying
it is a radiating star!). Yet he was obviously influential -- one scene
from "Something from Above" was reproduced almost exactly in the film
This Island Earth, for example. For readers who like mood pieces,
Wandrei's writing will be enjoyable. (And they managed to misspell his
name in the first sentence of the preface!)
Waldrop, Howard; A Dozen Tough Jobs; Mark V. Ziesing, P. O. Box 76,
Shingletown CA 96088; 0-929480-01-5; $16.
On the final ballot, but not seen.
Wiater, Stanley (editor); Night Visions VII; Dark Harvest, P. O. Box
941, Arlington Heights IL 60006; 0-913165-50-6; $19.95.
On the final ballot, but not seen.
Wolfe, Gene; Slow Children at Play; Cheap Street, Rte. 2, Box 293, New
Castle VA 24127;
On the final ballot, but not seen.
------ End ------
