Friday, April 4, 2025

"The Tic-Toc Boy of Constantinople" reprinted in the anthology The Apparatus Almanac Ed. Jessica Augustsson; new story forethcoming in Penumbric; bit on Goodreads Dilemma, and other writers' on stories

 "The Tic-Toc Boy of Constantinople"in The Apparatus Almanac: Gizmology and Technomancy Ed. Jessica Augustsson 

It's always a thrill when stories reemerge from the thickets to find new homes. Although a relatively dark story in a deliberately richer vein, 'The Tic-Toc Boy of Constantinople" was originally published in the Aurealis Award finalist anthology Kisses by Clockwork Ed. Liz Grzyb. It was then mentioned by both editors in the introduction to The Year's Best Australian Fantasy & Horror Vol. 5 and was also included in the Recommended Reading List at the volume's end (sadly this anthology with its yearly list of recommended reads is no longer around). 

I thought that was it for the story, although it did get a mention in a captivating essay on steampunk on the Auslit website. But then last year The Conversation had a beautiful article, "Australian writers have been envisioning AI for a century. Here are 5 stories to read as we grapple with rapid change" which included "The Tic-Toc Boy of..." among the five mentioned. I messaged James Bradley about the article as his novel The Clade was also one of the five mentioned. 


And while I added
The Clade to my TBR list (I have also praised his retelling of 'Rapunzel', Beauty's Sister, numerous times on this blog) James, despite the fact that he was on a hectic tour with his latest book (a natural history/memoir/homage to the ocean titled Deep Water: The World in the Ocean) went one step further and read my own story almost on the dot and emailed me the nicest message:

Spoiler alert:  I’ve just read the story and I loved it. It’s very emotional and the world-building is very intricate, but I think the thing I like best is the way it manages to weave echoes of other stories into itself - I loved the flashes of Frankenstein in things like the flight into the forest - because it enacts the ideas of assemblage that are at the centre of the story. And he’s such a great protagonist - innocent but also alarming. And the questions about bodies and identity it’s trying to think about are so important (and questions that often get ignored in SF, which is usually so transfixed by tech and the idea of transcending the physicality of our bodies). I suspect the steampunk elements reinforce that a bit, because it situates it in a more physical and non-virtual universe - I assume that was deliberate!  

As a lover of the natural world, and someone passionate about conservation, I'll definitely be tracking Deep Water down too.


And now 'The Tic-Toc Boy of Constantimnople" has found another home in what looks like a wonderful table of contents in the The Apparatus Almanac: Gizmology and Technomancy Ed. Jessica Augustsson. It's the first story off the ranks, which is always an additional honour, but I'm really keen to devour all the stories. I've had a squiz at the author bios and I think that we are all in for a real reading treat. 

Congratulations to Jessica and the team at JayHenge and to all of the contributors in the ToC listed below:

The Tic-Toc Boy of Constantinople Anthony Panegyres 

A Place for Broken Parts Matt Bliss 

The Golden Age of Science Fiction David Stevens 

 East Wind in Carrall Street Holly Schofield 

Hubris in Retrograde Mike Adamson 

To Them We Are Merely Clay L.D. Colter 

What Washes Ashore Eric Farrell 

The Needy Needle Owen Townend

 Veiled Threats C.J. Peterson 

Thought I Saw Something Jude Atwood 

Inktomi and the Skyship Robert Bagnall 

GENIUS Act Response Pauline Barmby 

The Machine That Makes Things William Kitcher 

The Clock and the Copernicus Jay McKenzie 

The Going Price J.S. Rogers 

The Ethics of Elemental Servitude J. Scott King 

 One Unchecked Box Stephen A. Roddewig 

The Case of the Vanishing Pennyweight Don Norum 

The Breath of Birds Devan Barlow 

Pulling for Victory Stefan Markos 

Tigers in the Sun Gabriel Mara 

Dreams Of Flight Sarah Darbee 

The Business of Ashes and Dust J. Aaron Parish 

First Day on Night Shift Robert Runté 

An Engine with a Difference Gustavo Bondoni 

The Important Button Mike Murphy 

Oubliette Tom Howard 

A Walk in Time J. David Liss 

Ancient Computer Susanne Hülsmann 

Working Their Magic Soramimi Hanarejima 

Thermodemonics Robert Dawson 

This Far and No Farther Mike Morgan 

Other writers on stories

There is quite a nice behind-the-scene commentary on stories from other writers who read your work. I suppose we are all governed by our own principles to a degree, and one of my own self-imposed rules is that I read each and every story in anthologies and journals that I have works in. After all, if it's good enough for your own story home, plus the editor and publisher have gone to all that effort to make the publication eventuate, then surely, at the very least, it warrants a read of the complete final product. I've never regretted that decision, and in every anthology and journal I've been in, I've discovered some of unforgettably great works. 



For instance, I loved "Appearing Nightly", Greg Bossert's story in Bourbon Penn 25. Bossert is a short story machine...well really more of an artisan jeweller... and a World Fantasy Award Winning author, and he posted the following while we were both commenting on a Facebook post by Jonathan Strahan: Hey Anthony, "Anthropophages Anonymous" was fantastic. Best bear story since Bisson!", which meant a lot, both due to the source of the comment and the fact that Bisson did write the canonical bear story with "Bears Discover Fire". 

Goodreads Dilemma and apologies for lack of communication on that platform

I confess that I am lazy with regards to the internet and social media world. In fact, the only reason this blog with it slapdash posts exists is that the publisher of my second ever story demanded a web presence of some kind, and a blog was far easier to create than a website. 

Yet, despite my apathy, I did find Goodreads of interest. As a reader, I was fairly active on Goodreads, and I used to access it via a Facebook link, which was quite easy to do. But when that link vanished, I could no longer access my own account as the old original email linked to Goodreads was closed years ago due to spam along with the fact that my gmail account worked far better.

Believe me, I have wasted plenty of time striving to get myself back on to my Goodreads' author account with my current email address. I'll admit to hounding Goodreads on Facebook, via emails, and also the website contact link. To be fair, the Goodreads Team was apologetic, but despite giving them pre-published blogposts as proof, along with ID, and other evidence, they cannot update and change my account's long lost and defunct email address. 

So apologies if I have appeared rude on the site. Any messages and communication that have been sent to me on Goodreads will never find me. The Goodreads blogposts, fortunately, remain linked to this blog and will continue to be so as that link remains the same. But I cannot accept friends, nor reply to any messages sent, nor add books read etc. Some kind Goodreads reps said that they can add books I'm involved in and also edit my profile, but due to security reasons, I will not have access, both now and in the future, to the Goodreads community along with my friends on there. 

But who knows? I hold hope that Goodreads administrators will one day reach out to me at my gmail address... the one that I've harried them on. 

New Story 

I'll also have a new story out later this year, but I'll save that news for another post. 

Currently Reading

The Book of Magic Ed. Gardner Dozois. This was Dozois' final anthology in a celebrated career. As you'd expect, there are plenty of high quality stories within. 



Talking it Over by Julian Barnes. Really amused by this novel so far in, although it's rapidly turning uncomfortably dark. 



The Arkansas International 07.  Two superb stories well worth tracking down: "Lenin’s Mausoleum" by Ivan Shipnigov, and "Acacia" by JoAnna Novak.


A Traveler's History of Greece by Timothy Boatswain & Colin Nicolson. An impressive overview of the history of Greece in its entirety. What's more they include the often overlooked Venetian era. 



Monday, January 13, 2025

Books Read 2024

A Spindle Splintered by Alix E. Harrow (novella)

All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr

A Special Providence by Richard Yates

The Slap by Christos Tsiolkas

Australian Magpie: Biology and Behaviour of an Unusual Songbird by Gisela Kaplan (natural history)

The Immortal Emperor: The Life and Legend of Constantine Palaiologos, Last Emperor of the Romans by David M. Nicol (history)

The Tortilla Curtain by T.C. Boyle

Hrolf Kraki’s Saga by Poul Anderson

A Mirror Mended by Alix E. Harrow (novella)

Nation of the Night by Sue Isle (novella from the collection Nightsiders)

The Snake Stone by James Goodwin

The Gospel of Loki by Joanne M. Harris

Dreamer’s Pool by Juliet Marillier

Dance of the Happy Shades by Alice Munro (collection)

Warriors 2 Ed. George R.R. Martin & Gardner Dozois (anthology)

Black Light by K.A. Bedford

Meanjin Quarterly Vol.79, Issue 3 Ed. Jonathan Green (literary journal)

Fata Morgana by William Kotzwinkle (novella)

Sultans in Splendour: Monarchs of the Middle East, 1869-1945 by Philip Mansel (history)

The Murders of Molly Southbourne by Tade Thompson (novella)

Nightsiders by Sue Isle (interlinked collection)

Bull: A Farce by Will Self (novella from Cock and Bull)

Overland 203 (lit. journal)

In the Midst of Winter by Isabel Allende

The Heirs of Locksley by Carrie Vaughn (novella)

Cock and Bull by Will Self (collection of two novellas)

White Time by Margo Lanagan (collection)

Labels and Other Stories by Louis de Bernieres (collection)

Smart Ovens for Lonely People by Elizabeth Tan (collection)

Cock by Will Self (novella from Cock and Bull)

Dark Harvest by Cat Sparks (collection)

Overland Issue 238 (literary journal)

The Bookshop by Penelope Fitzgerald (novella)

Out of the Dark by David Weber (novella in Warriors 2)

5 Faves

I could have easily waxed lyrical on plenty more wonderful books, but I’m keeping things to my favourite five due to time parameters.

No plot synopses here, just a few general comments.

                                         A Spindle Splintered by Alix E. Harrow (novella)

A playful take on ‘Sleeping Beauty’. This was a refreshing delight and my favourite read of the year. I’ve really been drawn to meta elements being used in a playful manner over the last few years and this falls right into that alley. Fun, humorous, clever, inventive, touching and beautiful.

A Special Providence by Richard Yates


Yates’ characters are so absorbing. This is a WWII novel that concentrates on the prewar era, along with the aftermath, as much as the battle itself. An intelligent, tender, ironic and insightful work, especially with regards to the intricacies of the 
mother-son relationship

                                     All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr


Another WII novel... but I swear I'm not some world war history buff. This was a gift from a friend and former colleague, Tania Hicks. Although the oncoming tragic elements are inevitable, the narrative journey has  rays of light as it celebrates both humanity and the humanities. I have been keen on reading this ever since I read Doerr's incredible short story ‘The Deep’.


The Slap by Christos Tsiolkas


 

I was wrong before when I claimed Tsiolkas tends to slap you over and again and that he focuses solely on disconnection. I may have been too young when I initially read some of his work and formed a somewhat naïve opinion that was further reinforced when I read Dead Europe, which to me, as an Australian Greek who has experienced life in both countries, was far too repetitively hard hitting. 


A couple of years ago, however, I read Barracuda, which was excellent. And The Slap is arguably even better. Despite exploring some dark themes, the character arcs in The Slap are intriguing and there is also, ultimately, plenty of optimism. The Slap explores what it means to be truly human; not only in terms of our flaws, but also in terms of our strengths and potential. 


Australian Magpie: Biology and Behaviour of an Unusual Songbird by Gisela Kaplan (natural history)



I’m a bird lover who has been observing maggies since a kid. Rightly or wrongly, my dad had one in his pet menagerie growing up, and my Pappou on the other side used to talk and feed a mob in his front yard. We lived with my Pappou and Yiayia on my mum’s side for a while, and then, being one of those stereotypical Greek Australian families, we moved one house over afterwards. The side of their home neighboured our backyard, so there were plenty of backyard convos, and, of course, visits both ways.


To put it in a nutshell, I enjoyed spending plenty of time with these highly intelligent and complex birds while growing up. 


Kaplan, as you’d expect from the world’s leading magpie guru, delivers a thorough exploration on almost everything you’d like to know about our great carollers. I did want a little more on the neurological aspects and cognition, but Kaplan, as stated, covers plenty of ground, especially with regards to magpies' fascinating social aspects and behaviour. A must-read for both bird and maggie lovers. 


Without doubt, these birds deserve to be on a better team flag than Collingwood's! 


Happy 2025

Better late than never...Hope you all have a happy, healthy and meaningful 2025! 

 

Thursday, January 2, 2025

Top 25 Short Story Reads of 2024


This is my annual list of favourite short stories read over the year. It's the usual unapologetic mix of spec-fic and realism, along with the 'newish' and old. Some stories from Dance of the Happy Shades are on previous lists rather than this one as I'd already read a number of stories in other anthologies. I am also still reading The Book of Magic. This year, I managed 102 reads. As always, many fabulous stories were just off being listed, but I'm committed to the yearly cold cutoff at 25.

‘Dirae’ by Peter S. Beagle (from Warriors 2 Ed. George R.R. Martin & Gardner Dozois)

‘Smart Ovens for Lonely People’ by Elizabeth Tan (from Smart Ovens for Lonely People)

‘Day of the Butterfly’ by Alice Munro (from Dance of the Happy Shades, originally published in Chatelaine)

‘An Ounce of Cure’ by Alice Munro (from Dance of the Happy Shades, originally published in The Moitrealer)

‘Red Dress–1946’ by Alice Munro (from Dance of the Happy Shades)

‘Thanks for the Ride’ by Alice Munro (from Dance of the Happy Shades, originally published in Tamarack Review)

‘Recidivist’ by Gardner Dozois (from Warriors 2 Ed. George R.R. Martin & Gardner Dozois)

‘Gunter Weber’s Confession’ by Louis de Bernieres (from Labels and Other Stories by Louis de Bernieres)

‘Andouil and Andouilette Begin Their Holiday’ by Louis de Bernieres (from Labels and Other Stories by Louis de Bernieres) Not overly deep nor profound but a warm comical tale featuring a loving elderly couple.

‘The Friends of Masquelayne the Incomparable’ by Matthew Hughes (from The Book of Magic Ed. Gardner Dozois)

‘Ancient Ways’ by S.M. Stirling (from Warriors 2 Ed. George R.R. Martin & Gardner Dozois) Old school swashbuckling fun.

‘The Boy Who Didn’t Yearn’ by Margo Lanagan (from White Time)

‘Pang & Co. Genuine Scribe Era Stationery Pty Ltd’ by Elizabeth Tan (from Smart Ovens for Lonely People. First published in dotdotdash 2010)

‘Biography of a Bouncing Boy Terror: Chapter II: Jumping Jack in Love’ by Ysbeau S. Wilce (from The Book of Magic Ed. Gardner Dozois)

‘Community Service’ by Megan Lindholm (from The Book of Magic Ed. Gardner Dozois)

‘Seven Years from Home’ by Naomi Novik (from Warriors 2 Ed. George R.R. Martin & Gardner Dozois)

‘Veterans Day’ by Cat Sparks (from Dark Harvest, originally published in Hear me Roar)

‘The Painted Girl’ by Sue Isle (from Nightsiders by Sue Isle)

‘The Shining Houses’ by Alice Munro (from Dance of the Happy Shades, originally published in the CBC programme Anthology)

‘Boys and Girls’ by Alice Munro (from Dance of the Happy Shades, originally published in The Moitirealer)

‘The Time of Death’ by Alice Munro (from Dance of the Happy Shades, originally published in The Canadian Forum)

‘Fata Morgana’ by Cat Sparks (from Dark Harvest, originally published in Mother of Invention) It was a privilege to provide feedback on this story prior to publication.

‘Song of Fire’ by Rachel Pollack (from The Book of Magic Ed. Gardner Dozois)

‘Wealth’ by Margo Lanagan (from White Time)

‘Washing Day’ by Elizabeth Tan (from Smart Ovens for Lonely People, first published in Mascara Literary Review

Friday, August 16, 2024

Aurealis Awards Ceremony

This is very late in the writing, but I did have a fab time in Melbourne at the Aurealis Awards Ceremony. Kudos to all the finalists and winners. It was a real privilege to have another story as a finalist with 'An 80's Tenement Love Story', which had quite a journey as it's an extremely Australian story finding a home in the American Bourbon Penn 31. And I have to confess, like a few of my works, the genre elements are light.

I love that the Aurealis Awards are decided upon by a panel of passionate judges rather than any voting system (which I'm always suspect of). I also appreciate that they're intended to award genre work of 'literary' substance, which is where some of my work is intended to fall: that merry land of fusion. 

All pics courtesy of Cat Sparks.

Below: the winners and finalist on stage with the host CZ Tacks in the foreground. 


The list of winners is here

The awards were at a great central venue, right in the CBD, next to the Melbourne markets. 

I met so many readers and writers over the few days, too many to mention everyone in this rushed space. I will say that it was a pleasure to see the launch of Kaaron Warren and Cat Sparks combined collection Calvary Fell; especially as I had the pleasure of reading most of Cat's works within beforehand. Cat and Kaaron are both genuine, humorous types, who I've always gelled with. Ironically, it was my first Aurealis Award Ceremony (for 'Reading Coffee') back in 2011 that I first got to hang out with Cat and Kaaron, and they, along with the artist, Nick Stathopoulos and his partner, Adrian Robinson, kindly showcased Sydney to me. 

The launch of Calvary Fell by Cat Sparks and Kaaron Warren at the bar pre-ceremony 

I met fellow finalist CH Pearce at the awards, as well as my fashion doppleganger Scott Steensma, while enjoying a laugh with T.R. Napper. And also meeting another West Aussie in J. Palmer, who won an award on the night with his first ever story...

Scott Steensma AKA My Fashion Bro at the bar pre-ceremony 


It was very cool to hangout with another fellow Greek-Australian writer, Pamela Jeffs, along with her hubby Darren. We toured the historical part of the Melbourne markets, indulging in a hot choc and a decadent pastry. I probably embarrassed them all with my buy of a hefty truckle of Ladotyri (as I've never seen it in Perth). Pamela AKA Panayiota held the record of having the most finalist works without ever receiving an award –largely in the highly competitive short story categories– so everyone attending was thrilled to see her break the drought with an Aurealis Award on the night. 

Melbourne has a happening centre. It is a much changed place from my last visit. I feel a though the massive student influx from Asia makes the CBD a livelier and safer place than previously. Of course, that's just an uneducated opinion based on a brief trip and a few evenings eating out and about. It was also great to catch up with the Katavatis cousins, albeit briefly, and I'll have to catch up with another Katavatis, Bel, next time. But my stay was brief and jam packed and I never managed to venture out of  the CBD. 

Currently Reading: Dance of the Happy Shades by the delightful Alice Munro, and the history Sultans in Splendour: Monarchs of the Middle East, 1869-1945 by Philip Mansel. Mansel wrote my two favourite histories: Constantinople: City of the World's Desire, 1453-1924, which is an absolute  must read for anyone interested in Ottoman, Turkish, Greek and Levantine history; and the equally miraculous Levant: Splendour and Catastrophe on the Mediterranean. 

Monday, April 8, 2024

'The Tic-Toc Boy of Constantinople' in the revered The Conversation as one of five "Australian literary works of particular relevance to national conversations about AI"

I've always respected and admired The Conversation, so it is a humbling privilege to have 'The Tic-Toc Boy of Constantinople' written about in The Conversation as one of "five Australian literary works of particular relevance to national conversations about AI"

'Australian Writers have been envisioning AI for a century. Here are 5 stories to read as we grapple with rapid change' by Leah Henrickson, Catriona Mills, David Tang and Maggie Nolan. 

I look forward to reading the other listed works, and I already have James Bradley's novel Clade on my lengthy TBR shelves. 

I also loved James Bradley's elegant fairytale retelling of 'Rapunzel' titled ‘Beauty’s Sister’ which I read in the anthology That Glimpse of Truth ed. David Miller. The work, I have since discovered, can also be found as as a stand alone novelette from Penguin Books. I've also mentioned the 'Beauty's Sister' as a standout in a couple of previous posts on short stories (links below under 'Current Reads of Note').

Regarding 'The Tic-Toc Story of Constantinople', it is available on all the usual ordering platforms in the Aurealis Award Finalist anthology Kisses by Clockwork ed. Liz Grzyb. I'd like to thank Liz Grzyb for selecting the story and for the anthology callout. Liz also allowed me to make some naughty late changes of some magnitude (not something I have ever done before or since as a writer). I would also like to thank my old writing compadre, Daniel Simpson, who was my final draft reader. Dan has been a top mate ever since he plonked himself next to me in a uni class when we both returned to uni part time for interest's sake.   

Other News 

Aurealis Awards:

I will try to make the trip over to Melbourne for The Aurealis Awards Ceremony on the 18th May, as a story of mine, 'An '80s Tenement Love Story' from Bourbon Penn 31 has been selected as an Aurealis Finalist. 

Current Reads of Note:

Two very different, but both superb, WW2 novels: All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr, which I have been meaning to read ever since I read Doerr's magnificent short story 'The Deep', which is coincidentally mentioned alongside James Bradley's story here in a post titled "150 Stories to Help Flatten the Curve" and also here in "24 Superb Short Stories from my 2018 Reading"); and the other novel was A Special Providence by one of my favourite writers, Richard Yates. 

And I started last night on the novella The Murders of Molly Southbourne by Tade Thompson; meaning to just read 10 pages or so, and, 70 pages later, I forced myself to stop to get some much needed shut-eye. Thompson has written an intelligent page turner, and while fascinating, it's also incredibly chilling and not for the faint hearted. I hope it isn't too neatly tied up at the end. 

After Thompson's cold dread, I plan on easing into a few One Story stories. 

Friday, March 15, 2024

"An '80s Tenement Love Story" from Bourbon Penn 31 an Aurealis Award Finalist



It's humbling to see my latest story "An '80s Tenement Love Story" recently announced as a finalist for an Aurealis Award. This is the second time I've had an individual story listed as an Aurealis Award finalist, with the previous one being 'Reading Coffee' (Overland Literary Journal 204). I have been fortunate to have had stories in numerous finalist anthologies, including Bloodlines ed. Amanda Pillar (Ticonderoga Publications), which won the award. 

Tehani Croft is to be lauded with all the background organisation relating to the Awards.

I'd like to congratulate all finalists. I'm a fervent supporter of the Aurealis Awards, and I especially like the fact that decisions are made via a panel of judges, rather than via a populist vote, which can obviously go astray with the juggernaut that is social media and online influencers.  

Personally, I've always felt that all finalists are winners. So a huge 'huzzah' to all! Please see the link for finalist stories.  Hopefully, they'll help shape your TBR shelves. 

And finally, a big shout out to Erik Secker at Bourbon Penn for choosing the story. Bourbon Penn is a world leader in literary stories from the slightly offbeat to the weird. He's a brave editor as there is always an eclectic mix of styles and voices, which I love to see as a reader. 

Currently Reading: Apart from my usual novelette and long short story reads, I've just finished All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr, which impressed, especially in a thematic sense in terms of what it privileged regarding humanity and the arts and learning. Be prepared for an emotional hit though; after all, it is a WW2 novel.  And I'm currently reading A Special Providence by Richard Yates,  one of the finest writers to ever put pen to paper. 

Monday, January 1, 2024

Reading and Writing Review 2023

 Books Read 2023

 

Bourbon Penn 31 Ed. Erik Secker (journal/ anthology)

Constantinople: The Last Great Siege 1453 Roger Crowley (history)

Aurum: A Golden Anthology of Original Australian Fantasy Ed. Russell B. Farr (anthology)

This Immortal Roger Zelazny

Palm Sunday Kurt Vonnegut (memoir/collection)

The Physiognomy Jeffrey Ford

The Gurkha and the Lord of Tuesday Saad Z. Hossain (novella)

Fireheart Tiger Aliette de Bodard (novella)

Lessons Ian McEwan

Not So Much, Said the Cat Michael Swanwick (collection)

Beggars in Spain Nancy Cress (novella)

Bourbon Penn 26 Ed. Erik Secker (journal/ anthology)

The Passenger Cormac McCarthy

My Mother She Killed Me, My Father He Ate Me: Forty New Fairy Tales Ed. Kate Bernheimer (anthology)

Give Me Your Heart Joyce Carol Oates (collection)

Tender is the Night F. Scott Fitzgerald

The Factory Witches of Lowell C.S. Malerich (novella)

Things of the Hidden God: Journey to the Holy Mountain Christopher Merrill (memoir/expository)                                                                              

Yellowcake Summer Guy Salvidge

Asimov’s Science Fiction September/October 2018 Ed Sheila Williams (journal/magazine)

High Times in the Low Parliament Kelly Robson (novella)

When the Tiger Came Down the Mountain Nghi Vo (novella)

Doctor Fischer of Geneva or The Bomb Party Graham Greene (novella)

The Porcupine Julian Barnes (novella)

The Ghosts of Sherwood Carrie Vaughn (novella)

Coffee, Sex & Health: A History of Anti-Coffee Crusaders and Sexual Hysteria Ian Bersten (history)                                                                                        

Doctor Rat William Kotzwinkle                                                                                   

 

I spent most of the year novellaing. I’ve always been a fan of the form, so one day I rocked up at Stephens Books in Perth and bought all the Tor novellas he had on offer. Lucky for me, all read so far have been entertaining.

 

On the short story front, I’ve read two editions of Bourbon Penn (26 31) and four stories from One Story; both publish the longer version of short stories to an excellent standard (Asimov’s also had many wonderful longer stories). Although, I’m a proud lifelong subscriber to Overland Literary Journal and a fanI do wish they’d include a few longer fictional pieces. In fact, Australia’s general word limits in literary journals are creating a false representation of the short story at a national level, which concerns me. 

 

This list of standout reads this year will be short due to time and life parameters. Almost all the books I read over the course of the year are worth reading, with only one I’d warn readers to stay well clear of. 

 

Publishing FrontI had ‘An ‘80s Tenement Love Story’ published in Bourbon Penn 31. Bourbon Penn is a delightful place to have another story in. I can honestly say that all the accompanying stories have more than just merit, so to have a 30 odd pager in Bourbon Penn for the second time is a true privilege. 


The curator of Auslit sent a lovely uplifting message with four simple words: "I loved this one", which made my day as I have no expectations that Auslit ever read my work with their enormous role. 


Erik Secker and the Bourbon Penn team do a fabulous job supporting literature and genre, and that joyous area in which the pair meet. Bourbon Penn is the kind of product that suits my own reading taste to a tee. The stories are layered, often meta, always entertaining, but also sublime in terms of the aesthetics of either a courageous narrative voice or controlled prose. 



Planet Books Mt Lawley                                                       

 

Most Enjoyable Reads


I’m savagely limiting myself to one per genre, which is incredibly unfair on so many great books. I am also keeping it short this year too in terms of commentary. 

 

History: Constantinople: The Last Great Siege 1453 by Roger Crowley

 

Crowley's work is clearly reminiscent of Runciman’s classic The Fall of Constantinople 1453, and like the his predecessor,  Crowly explores the huge siege of a once glorious city, and the small but valiant defence provided by those dying embers of the ‘New Rome’. The siege has ignited the imaginations of writers and readers for hundreds of years. Crowley ensures we understand its international elements and significance, and the fact that this siege had it all: land, maritime, and even underground elements, along with two inspirational leaders of the era in Constantine Palaiologos, and Mehmet, along with unheralded military weaponry. The event itself was a crucial turning point in history with the clear establishment of the Ottomans as a true superpower not only in The Middle East, but also in Europe, along with the demise of the Byzantines; many of who had already fled en masse to the Greek quarter in Venice along with Southern Italy, whereby they, in turn, provided a major impetus for The Renaissance. And there is plenty of irony in the Greek presence in Venice as no place did more damage to Constantinople than Venice itself with its egregious sacking of the city; a sacking from which Constantinople never recovered from. 

 

Like Runciman before him, Crowley manages to focus on the narratives of the siege, rather than a raw bludgeoning of endless details. And it is Crowley’s capturing of these individual stories within the scope of the overall larger narrative, which make it a delight. 




Anthology: Aurum: A Golden Anthology of Original Australian Fantasy Ed. Russell B. Farr 

 

Aurum: A Golden Anthology of Original Australian Fantasy Ed. Russell B. Farr (anthology) is made up of novelettes or novellas, depending on where you believe the arbitrary cut-off is. Each one of these novelettes is an entertaining read. Numerous were in my previous list of best stories read for the year. A couple of works draw on more traditional tropes, which I have no problem with as the execution is superb, while others are innovative and experimental in nature. But I admired each and every work. A consistently superb anthology.



My Mother She Killed Me, My Father He Ate Me: Forty New Fairy Tales Ed. Kate Bernheimer is also excellent. The anthology is incredibly eclectic with many wonderfully written stories. 

 

Novel: This Immortal by Roger Zelazny

 

This novel was awarded the Hugo along with Dune in 1966 in what was a tied place. And while Dune went on to become an iconic cult classic for many SF fans, the innovative, albeit chaotic, This Immortal, fell into relative obscurity.

 

This was not the 'best' read of the year, but for a variety of reasons, I found it the most enjoyable. In This Immortal, post-apocalyptic Earth is in danger of completely collapsing, and it’s now a perilous tourist resort for blue Vegans (an alien people, not entirely different from today’s equivalent…). The hero of the story, Conrad Nomikos, is a mysterious survivor with a long history in the Aegean. He claims he is a kallikantzaros but he is an anthropomorph. But perhaps Conrad is even more than a kallikantzaros, and yesterday’s Pan? As a reader you are unsure at times as to whose side Conrad belongs to, but you can’t help but barrack for Conrad Nomikos, whose Greek island home is destroyed early on in the story along with his lover. Conrad is typical of a Zelazny hero: self-deprecating, cunning and elusive, irreverent, but also laden with hidden powers. 

 

Not all will enjoy This Immortal, but Zelazny’s mish-mash of modern Greek folktale combined with Classical Greek mythology, combined again and with his own zany sci-fi world building is a treat. Zelazny also really understood the Greek cultural elements of the 1960s. 

 

This Immortal will never enjoy the legendary status of Zelazny’s far more controlled Lord of Light, or the adventurous swashbuckling brilliance of The Chronicles of Amber work. Rather, This Immortal is more of a madcap ride through a chaotic wilderness. The seemingly unplanned adventure makes it a compelling read. Perhaps at the time of reading it, I was after something that was less polished, not superbly crafted, but raw and ambitious. 

 

The subversive nature and courage of Conrad is also refreshing when compared to many of today’s almost apologetic heroes. I’ll confess that Dune has dated far less, yet part of the joy of This Immortal is that it has dated to a ridiculous extent. The unexpected unplanned nature of This Immortal is a reward in itself, especially when compared to the modern era of celebrating carefully sculpted works. The climax and lead up in This Immortal is all fairly psychotic. 

 

This Immortal will undoubtedly divide readers, especially if they are going in with contemporary expectations of what good literature is. Characters in This Immortal come and go, scenes and enemies change without an abundance of logic, and there is also an expectation that you, as a reader, will have mountains of cultural capital, especially regarding modern and ancient Greece. All AOK with me, but be warned…

 

If I were to be objective, I’d clearly state that this novel is stuck in a past era, but, for me at least, that made it refreshing. Although a personal highlight, I’ll provide a final caveat: unless you’re a time traveling sci-fi geek and lover of mythology, who can also deal with dated worlds and characters and random rolls, you may want to avoid This Immortal. And although I enjoyed it that’s a pretty specific caveat…


 

Memoir-collection Palm Sunday by Kurt Vonnegut

 

Like This Immortal, this is another text that will polarise readers. Some parts delight more than others, but as always, Vonnegut’s honesty and wit and conversational honesty won me over.  

 

Vonnegut often uniquely manipulated and blended genre, and Palm Sunday is a wonderful example of this. It contains a bizarre collage of family histories, speeches, reflections on works, reflections on his marriages, reflections on his parents, reflections on his home life and children, stories of his own, thoughts on mental health and family, praise of creative types, letters, and even essays and… the list goes on. And a bit like Zelazny’s aforementioned work, at times Palm Sunday appears to have the structure of a randomly rolled die.

 

So, unless you’re a true fan like me, this may disappoint. Vonnegut meanders all over the place with a recklessness in a structural sense. But for a Vonnegut fan, the sentiment and quirkiness will win readers over, but for others, the sporadic, disconnected nature of the text and its many imperfections, will be just that, an imperfect disordered rambling discourse. 

 

Yet, circling back to the fans, for those who like to sit back and hear Vonnegut chat away and digress all over the place, this will be a treasure chest. 

 

For me, Vonnegut is a celebrated rarity: a truly hopeful cynic. Irony abounds…



Novella: The Gurkha and the Lord of Tuesday by Saad Z. Hossain

 

Many came close, but in the end I went with zany The Gurkha and the Lord of Tuesday by Saad Z. Hossain. 

 

After millennia, the mighty Djinn, Melek Ahmar the Lord of Tuesday, is awoken by a cunning retired Gurkha, Bhan Gurung. But those in the nearby city of Kathmandu have forgotten the mystic might of Melek Ahmar. The world Gurung returns Melek to has been ravaged by climate change, and myriad of other disasters. But nanotechnology and microclimates make Kathmandu inhabitable. Karma, the supreme ruler of Kathmandu, is an algorithm of sorts, who supposedly gives out points to its good citizens. Melek wants an old fashioned violent upheaval but modern humans are quite apathetic to his cause, plus the city’s tame inhabitants weirdly don’t share the same passion he has towards old fashioned boozing and brawling. The cunning puppet master, Bhan Gurung, has his own motives for keeping Melek’s outdated egomaniacal spirit alight and firing. 

 

This is simply a fun read, blending the fantasy of Arabian Nights with nano-sci-fi-technology, all in a tale of vengeance that rivals Alexandre Dumas, but at a quarter of the length. The Gurkha and The Lord of Tuesday is a genre-blending mish-mash of entertainment.



 

Collection: Not So Much, Said the Cat by Michael Swanwick

 

Joyce Carol Oates’ Give Me Your Heart contains numerous superb stories, but the bleak overall thematic nature offers little in terms of hope, so Not So Much, Said the Cat by Michael Swanwick is the collection pick this year as the tone and nature of the stories allow for more versatility, and there is also a dose of humour, which can make any text more meaningful and rewarding. I find that Swanwick even at his worst is still a good read, which speaks volumes in itself. As expected, Swanwick has produced an amusing and innovative collection of stories here. It’s nice to know that there’s a writer like Swanwick around who you can turn to whenever you’re in the need of a quality short read. 


 

Happy 2024!

 

Hope you all have a happy and meaningful and healthy year with plenty of good reads!