Crowley in London, L.A.

Sat 3 Nov 2007 - Filed under: Not a Journal., , , , | Leave a Comment| Posted by: Small Beer Press

and other disingenuous titles. Actually, the London Review of Books. Has to be read on paper, one copy of which John will receive in, yes, Saratoga. Where much swapping of paper will occur.

Tomorrow in Ed Park’s L.A. Times column, Astral Weeks, he writes about Endless Things and the conclusion of the whole shebang:

The “Aegypt” cycle has always been about its own slow process, its private alchemy, its impossibility, but in the brisk “Endless Things” Crowley dismantles the machinery while dazzling us, showing how each part gleams.

Also, Strange Horizons are reviewing all the World Fantasy Award novel finalists—including The Privilege of the Sword.

More reviews:

Interfictions at Fantasy Book Spot.

Water Logic at the Feminist Review.

LCRW 20 at Horrorscope.


The day’s mail

Thu 28 Jun 2007 - Filed under: Not a Journal., , , | Leave a Comment| Posted by: Small Beer Press

The last issue of Punk Planet (order) came in — which is always a great read and is incredibly frustrating that it had to stop. There’s a great review of Liz Hand’s Generation Loss (any other music mags want a copy? email us)

“A literary page-turner of impressive thematic heft and cohesion, illuminating surprising insights on the relationship between art and imitation, death and photgraphy, and art and madness.”

Part of the frustration with losing the zine is the ads. There aren’t that many places where you see ads from tiny bands and zines, so this was one way to keep up (interested or not) with what other people are doing out there.

The Privilege of the Sword CoverOk, so. Next exciting thing: the mass market paperback of Ellen Kushner’s The Privilege of the Sword. This is the original mannerpunk Young Trollopian interstitial novel. Katherine’s uncle invites her to live with him in the city. While she envisions dancing the night away the reality is quite different. Ellen’s take on the unexpected ways the adolescent years can take you is quite wonderful. Also, Ellen reports the trade paperback has just gone back to press, which is lovely news. Our hardcover edition is puttering along nicely. Doubt we’ll ever reprint it, but it sure is fun to make books like that.

Lastly, not actually in the mail pile, just finished Nancy Farmer’s brilliant follow up to The Sea of Trolls, The Land of the Silver Apples. More on this book later. Just to say, if you liked the first this one is—without denigrating the first—even better. Farmer enriches the world, folds back unexpected corners of history, and joins threads of stories in the most beautiful and unexpected ways.


Happy Locus Privilege News

Thu 21 Jun 2007 - Filed under: Not a Journal., | Leave a Comment| Posted by: Small Beer Press

Ellen Kushner, The Privilege of the SwordOk, we are slow, but very groovy news for Ellen Kushner whose novel The Privilege of the Sword just added to its booty pile a Locus Award. Congrats to all the winners!

We have signed copies here (shipping is slow over the next week or two, sorry).

More info on the Awardiness of the Novel:

Read more


Romantic Times Winner

Fri 4 May 2007 - Filed under: Not a Journal., | Leave a Comment| Posted by: Small Beer Press

Did we mention that The Privilege of the Sword won

BEST EPIC FANTASY NOVEL at the Romantic Times 2006 Reviewers’ Choice Award Winner. 

Yay fun!


Wed 10 Jan 2007 - Filed under: Not a Journal., , | Leave a Comment| Posted by: Small Beer Press

Good news for Ellen Kushner, her novel The Privilege of the Sword is on the preliminary Nebula ballot—along with lots of other good books by Rick Bowes, Paul Park, Jeff Ford, David Marusek, etc., etc. Barzak, Delia Sherman, Dora Goss, and many other interesting things on there. What fun.

Ellen will also be at the New York ComicCon at the Bantam Spectra booth and will be signing and giving away 100 copies of TPOTS (sometime between Feb. 23-25).
Lasty, Ellen reports that Privilege has been sold to a Dutch publisher. More swashbuckling around the world!
On rights sales that (sadly) really don’t have anything to with us except that it’s cool, Sean Stewart’s Perfect Circle has sold to the following: La Factoria de Ideas, Spain; Fabryka Publishing, Poland; and Karisto Oy, Finland.


Wed 10 Jan 2007 - Filed under: Not a Journal., , | Leave a Comment| Posted by: Small Beer Press

Good news for Ellen Kushner, her novel The Privilege of the Sword is on the preliminary Nebula ballot—along with lots of other good books by Rick Bowes, Paul Park, Jeff Ford, David Marusek, etc., etc. Barzak, Delia Sherman, Dora Goss, and many other interesting things on there. What fun.

Ellen will also be at the New York ComicCon at the Bantam Spectra booth and will be signing and giving away 100 copies of TPOTS (sometime between Feb. 23-25).
Lasty, Ellen reports that Privilege has been sold to a Dutch publisher. More swashbuckling around the world!
On rights sales that (sadly) really don’t have anything to with us except that it’s cool, Sean Stewart’s Perfect Circle has sold to the following: La Factoria de Ideas, Spain; Fabryka Publishing, Poland; and Karisto Oy, Finland.


Ellen Kushner signed book

Mon 25 Sep 2006 - Filed under: Not a Journal., | Leave a Comment| Posted by: Small Beer Press

Ellen Kushner, The Privilege of the SwordWe kidnapped Ellen Kushner, whished her away to one of our secret locations in a sunny place, made her juice*, and asked her politely to sign some of her lovely swashbuckler The Privilege of the Sword. And, you know, she did. So, if you want a signed copy, now’s your chance! Wordpress love: cut’n'pasted button below:

PS We have lots of other signed books, here.

* A lie. We made apple juice today and when we looked for Ellen, she was not to be found.


Alan, Ellen, Condor

Fri 18 Aug 2006 - Filed under: Not a Journal., , , | Posted by: Small Beer Press

Worried about stagflation? Glaciation? Decapitation? Save your head and the global economy (can’t do much about global warming*) by getting multiple copies of Alan DeNiro’s Book Sense Pick, Harvard Book Shop Select Seventy Pick, etc., etc:

SKINNY DIPPING IN THE LAKE OF THE DEAD: Stories, by Alan DeNiro “This is a great debut collection of loopy, off-the-wall, and still-somehow-packing-emotional-weight stories; DeNiro can weld words into some mighty strange configurations.”
–Caleb Wilson, Davis-Kidd Booksellers, Nashville, TN

Quick interview with Julie Phillips (have some rougher stuff that might post later — this was meant to be a longer interview, but ran out of time after the simple stuff).

Keep up with Ellen Kushner’s schedule (the hardcover is at the printer — more news when we have it). Good review of The Privilege of the Sword over at Green Man Review. If you’re in NYC, don’t miss Ellen et al at Shriek: the Movie Event.

Green Man Review also provides one of the first reviews of the Year’s Best Fantasy & Horror: 2006. More on this, too, when we see it!

Kelly is reading this Sunday on Nantucket. Doesn’t look like she will be at Worldcon next weekend — hope it’s a blast and that Anaheim gets to show off its hidden depths.
* A lie. Brought to you by G.W.Bush & Co. Ask Joe Turner from Three Days of the Condor what it’s all about.


Privilege quotes

Tue 25 Apr 2006 - Filed under: Not a Journal., | Leave a Comment| Posted by: Small Beer Press

Another couple of great advance quotes came in for Ellen Kushner’s The Privilege of the Sword:

“Unholy fun, and wholly fun . . . an elegant riposte, dazzlingly executed.”
– Gregory Maguire, Wicked

“Splendid — a swashbuckler for women! Katherine is everything I love in a female hero: Impudent, lively, idealistic, fierce, and in over her head.”
– Tamora Pierce, Trickster’s Choice


Future books

Wed 1 Mar 2006 - Filed under: Not a Journal., , | Leave a Comment| Posted by: Small Beer Press

Since we’re talking about the future, two more books: June 1, 2006: Small Beer will publish a trade paperback of Maureen F. McHugh’s Story Prize finalist collection, Mothers & Other Monsters. This will have added material (no extra stories, so no worries there, completists) for book clubs and reading groups. There’ll be an interview with the author, questions, and a reprint of Maureen’s fabulous essay, “The Evil Stepmother.”

You can pre-order this one on Book Sense, Powells, Amazon, etc. or from here. Do not miss!

September 1, 2006: Small Beer is happy to announce that they will publish a small hardcover edition of Ellen Kushner’s new novel The Privilege of the Sword. This edition will complement the Bantam trade paperback edition (available here). The publication date is Sept.1 This one won’t be on Amazon, etc., for a bit, so if you want to make sure you get your copy of the first edition (which by our contract is pretty small), order it here.