Comments on: All Of These Books Are Just Like The Others http://bigblogofcheese.wordpress.com/2006/08/16/all-of-these-books-are-just-like-the-others/ and a wheat thin the size of lake tahoe Mon, 09 Nov 2009 22:33:04 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 By: Niall http://bigblogofcheese.wordpress.com/2006/08/16/all-of-these-books-are-just-like-the-others/#comment-73 Niall Thu, 17 Aug 2006 15:04:14 +0000 https://bigblogofcheese.wordpress.com/2006/08/16/all-of-these-books-are-just-like-the-others/#comment-73 <em>I was trying to stick to relatively recent books, so didn’t do the McHugh, a copy of which I’ve had for well over a year now</em> Which is fair enough, although I can't help noting that the Aguirre came out in October 2005, and the Emshwiller dates from April 2005. Similarly, I'm all for giving attention to less-widely-reviewed books, I just read the article as claiming to be more representative than I think it actually is. (Tangentially, we seem to be in for a killer autumn: Susanna Clarke's <em>The Ladies of Grace Adieu</em>, Elizabeth Hand's <em>Saffron & Brimstone</em>, M. Rickert's <em>Map of Dreams</em>, Al Reynolds' <em>Galactic North</em> and <em>Zima Blue and Other Stories</em>, Stephen Baxter's <em>Resplendent</em>, Glen Hirshberg's <em>American Morons</em> ...) I was trying to stick to relatively recent books, so didn’t do the McHugh, a copy of which I’ve had for well over a year now

Which is fair enough, although I can’t help noting that the Aguirre came out in October 2005, and the Emshwiller dates from April 2005. Similarly, I’m all for giving attention to less-widely-reviewed books, I just read the article as claiming to be more representative than I think it actually is.

(Tangentially, we seem to be in for a killer autumn: Susanna Clarke’s The Ladies of Grace Adieu, Elizabeth Hand’s Saffron & Brimstone, M. Rickert’s Map of Dreams, Al Reynolds’ Galactic North and Zima Blue and Other Stories, Stephen Baxter’s Resplendent, Glen Hirshberg’s American Morons …)

]]> By: Matt Cheney http://bigblogofcheese.wordpress.com/2006/08/16/all-of-these-books-are-just-like-the-others/#comment-72 Matt Cheney Thu, 17 Aug 2006 14:35:41 +0000 https://bigblogofcheese.wordpress.com/2006/08/16/all-of-these-books-are-just-like-the-others/#comment-72 Well, of course anyone could add and add to a list, and thus any list is personal, but I don't think the Mieville or Hill, for instance, would have shown any tremendous difference from what is there (Joel Lane and Elizabeth Bear cover some of that territory), and both books have gotten a lot of notice, so I went in favor of the lesser-known. Sterling would have been a very good addition, indeed, and if I'd thought of it I would have tried to get a copy before finishing the piece. I was trying to stick to relatively recent books, so didn't do the McHugh, a copy of which I've had for well over a year now. The MacLeod and McAuley I have to claim ignorance of -- I didn't even know they exist (I try to be omniscient, but fail more often than not...) The U.S. bias is because those are the books I have the most access to (though Tamar Yellin and Joel Lane are both British), so there's no denying it's a U.S.-centric list, alas. Well, of course anyone could add and add to a list, and thus any list is personal, but I don’t think the Mieville or Hill, for instance, would have shown any tremendous difference from what is there (Joel Lane and Elizabeth Bear cover some of that territory), and both books have gotten a lot of notice, so I went in favor of the lesser-known. Sterling would have been a very good addition, indeed, and if I’d thought of it I would have tried to get a copy before finishing the piece. I was trying to stick to relatively recent books, so didn’t do the McHugh, a copy of which I’ve had for well over a year now. The MacLeod and McAuley I have to claim ignorance of — I didn’t even know they exist (I try to be omniscient, but fail more often than not…) The U.S. bias is because those are the books I have the most access to (though Tamar Yellin and Joel Lane are both British), so there’s no denying it’s a U.S.-centric list, alas.

]]> By: Niall http://bigblogofcheese.wordpress.com/2006/08/16/all-of-these-books-are-just-like-the-others/#comment-71 Niall Thu, 17 Aug 2006 12:47:38 +0000 https://bigblogofcheese.wordpress.com/2006/08/16/all-of-these-books-are-just-like-the-others/#comment-71 Ariel -- I got the impression the article was specifically about collections, rather than anthologies, which is one reason I didn't mention Elastic Press (or, say, <em>Twenty Epics</em>). It's also probably only fair to note that with exchange rates being what they are, getting hold of PS books in the US is probably prohibitively expensive. Ariel — I got the impression the article was specifically about collections, rather than anthologies, which is one reason I didn’t mention Elastic Press (or, say, Twenty Epics). It’s also probably only fair to note that with exchange rates being what they are, getting hold of PS books in the US is probably prohibitively expensive.

]]> By: Ariel http://bigblogofcheese.wordpress.com/2006/08/16/all-of-these-books-are-just-like-the-others/#comment-69 Ariel Thu, 17 Aug 2006 11:55:55 +0000 https://bigblogofcheese.wordpress.com/2006/08/16/all-of-these-books-are-just-like-the-others/#comment-69 "..Ian R. Macleod’s Past Magic, Paul McAuley’s Little Machines, Maureen F. McHugh’s Mothers and Other Monsters, and Bruce Sterling’s Visionary in Residence to their wishlists, too. For starters. (Checking out China Mieville’s Looking for Jake and Joe Hill’s 20th Century Ghosts wouldn’t hurt, either.)" Three of which (MacLeod, McAuley and Hill) were all published right here in Blighty by PS Publishing, of course... and let's not forget Elastic Press's 'Elastic Book of Numbers', and 'Alsiso Project' which were very well received as well. Was it just me, or was there a definite US-only-bias in Matt's original article? “..Ian R. Macleod’s Past Magic, Paul McAuley’s Little Machines, Maureen F. McHugh’s Mothers and Other Monsters, and Bruce Sterling’s Visionary in Residence to their wishlists, too. For starters. (Checking out China Mieville’s Looking for Jake and Joe Hill’s 20th Century Ghosts wouldn’t hurt, either.)”

Three of which (MacLeod, McAuley and Hill) were all published right here in Blighty by PS Publishing, of course… and let’s not forget Elastic Press’s ‘Elastic Book of Numbers’, and ‘Alsiso Project’ which were very well received as well. Was it just me, or was there a definite US-only-bias in Matt’s original article?

]]> By: Torque Control » Blog Archive » Out of the Silent Blog … http://bigblogofcheese.wordpress.com/2006/08/16/all-of-these-books-are-just-like-the-others/#comment-67 Torque Control » Blog Archive » Out of the Silent Blog … Thu, 17 Aug 2006 07:16:12 +0000 https://bigblogofcheese.wordpress.com/2006/08/16/all-of-these-books-are-just-like-the-others/#comment-67 [...] Matt Cheney’s overview of recent short story collections and my gripe with the same. [...] [...] Matt Cheney’s overview of recent short story collections and my gripe with the same. [...]

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