strange and random happenstance

The Search for WondLa by Tony DiTerlizzi
Published by: Simon and Schuster
Publication Date: September 21st, 2010
Format: Hardcover, 496 Pages
Rating: ★★★★
To Buy (different edition than one reviewed)

Eva Nine has spent her entire life in an underground sanctuary. For twelve years she has been raised by "Muthr," Multi-Utility Task Help Robot 06, and hasn't wondered much about the world outside the sanctuary's eight rooms. Though she finds an image printed on cardboard that makes her question what the outside world contains. The image appears to be of a young girl with another human and a robot with words above them apparently spelling out "WondLa." Could there be others like her out there? Other humans with robot companions? Soon she will be thrust into that world when her sanctuary is attacked by a large creature named Besteel. Muthr gets left behind as Eva Nine flees for her life. She wanders the forest looking for safety and finds another sanctuary identical to her own. Only this one has been abandoned save for a Cærulean, Rovender Kitt, who is taking refuge in the remains. Sadly Besteel catches up to Eva Nine and her and her new companion are captured. Besteel is a Dorcean bounty hunter seeking out specimens for Queen Ojo's Royal Museum in Solas. Eva Nine and Rovender Kitt are brought to his camp, containing countless other specimens. But Eva Nine doesn't plan to be a embalmed and put on display in a museum. She and Rovender Kitt stage a successful escape, gaining Otto, a giant tardigrade, as their new traveling companion. Returning home Eva Nine finds Muthr in the wreckage and they are able to repair her and the unlikely crew decide to head out in search of clues as to what became of the human race. Which means traveling to Solas and the museum that wants Eva Nine as a specimen. It will be a harrowing journey, but in the end Eva Nine will have some answers. She will find her Wondla.

In the before times when I went to conventions and saw people I loved going to WisCon. I mean, who doesn't want to go to a science fiction convention with a feminist agenda? The authors I have met there over the years have filled my bookish heart with glee. But one aspect of the con I loved more than any other was the arcs you were able to get your hands on. They'd be on a large table and they all cost a dollar. Though prized arcs often ended up in the Tiptree Auction, named after famed science fiction author James Tiptree Jr., the pen name of Alice Bradley Sheldon. In my second year attending I had recently devoured the entirety of The Spiderwick Chronicles and I saw this book in the auction that seemed to conflate the titles of children's classics The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and Alice's Adventures in Wonderland hopefully creating a new classic written AND illustrated by Tony DiTerlizzi of Spiderwick fame. I needed The Search for WondLa but was worried I wouldn't win because I had to put in an absentee bid because I couldn't be there for the auction. But someone knew I needed a win and I was surprised to find out that I was the winning bidder when I showed up to the final day of the convention. And the thing is, I was right about the title, to an extent. He was setting out to make a modern classic on par with The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, only heavier on Oz. But the real takeaway is that he succeeded magnificently. It's not just the two-tone illustrations reminiscent of W.W. Denslow that are spot on. But the story feels timeless. There's the joy and wonder of what a child experiences the first time they encounter something new. As a kid I loved exploring museums, and when Eva Nine sees history all in one place for the first time, I felt that connection to my childhood. In that moment I was Eva Nine. But by far the best scene is at the very end. In an homage to the original Planet of the Apes when Eva Nine discovers that what she has been holding onto as a talisman is the cover of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz while in the remains of the main branch of The New York Public Library I actually cried. I knew it was coming but somehow it still shocked me. And that's what the best stories do, make us so invested that even if we see what's coming it hits us hard and it becomes a part of us.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, For the Love of Book Clubs, New York Public Library, Planet of the Apes, The Search for Wondla, The Spiderwick Chronicles, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, Tony DiTerlizzi, WisCon

Alison Goodman is one of those rare authors whose books remind you why you love reading. They are so rich and detailed that you can't help but fall in love with reading all over again. Born in Melbourne, Australia, Alison has an obvious love of learning having been a D.J. O'Hearn Memorial Fellow at Melbourne University. She holds a masters degree and is currently working on her PhD at the University of Queensland. But her academic bent doesn't surprised me in the least with how much detailed research goes into her books. You have to have a love of learning to want to find out how exactly women relieved themselves when they were presented to the Queen in Regency England. While she published her first book in 1998 it was her Eon/Eona duology from 2008 that really cemented her as an internationally bestselling and award-winning author. In fact in 2008 she was a James Tiptree, Jr. Award Honor Book, which is part of WisCon and seriously, if this means she, like Zen Cho, was in Madison at some point and I missed her I'm going to be very sad. At least it was in 2008 and that's before I started going, so at least I can console myself with that.

While it was her duology, before duologies really took off again, that made her a New York Times bestselling author it's The Dark Days Club books that are where it's at for me. This series has won a plethora of awards which proves that occasionally awards get it right. But awards don't matter as much as seeing that an author truly loves what they are writing. Alison lives and breathes the Regency. Just look at her Pinterest boards! I just adore that Alison has Pinterest boards! Because I am a visual person, despite my love of reading, and to visually see inside her brain, to look at her writing process in this medium, to troll through the architecture and art of the Regency period which she absorbed while writing a series I love adds a whole new level of reading enjoyment for me. What's more, she doesn't just virtually live in the Regency world, according to her website "Alison can dance a mean contra-dance, has a wardrobe full of historically accurate Regency clothes and will travel a long way for a good high-tea." Now the problem I have is that there really isn't a good place for high-tea near me to lure her in with... 

Question: When did you first discover Jane Austen?

Answer: I was quite a latecomer to Jane Austen and only started reading her in my late teens. Before that I read all of Georgette Heyer’s Regency books, so that was my real introduction to the era. My Lady Helen series is probably more of a direct descendant of Heyer than Austen - more emphasis on an adventure plot, a rich Regency setting, and lots of banter between the lead female and male.

Question: What do you think Jane Austen would think of her impact with so many literary offshoots, from parody to pastiche?

Answer: For all her gentility, Jane Austen was not without ambition! She published novels that were not in the usual mode for a woman of her time (and let’s not forget that a woman publishing in the early 1800’s was fairly unusual in itself). Not only that, when her brother was no longer able to negotiate with the publishers on her behalf, she took over the management of her career. I think that secretly - and in her letters to her beloved sister, Cassandra - she would have been thrilled and victorious about the afterlife of her novels, but publicly she would have been properly demure.

Question: Where do you get your inspiration from?

Answer: The Lady Helen series is often called Pride and Prejudice meets Buffy, and I can see why - Buffy and her girl power was definitely an inspiration. I find inspiration in all manner of things including Pinterest, newspapers and magazines from the Regency era, diaries written by people who lived at that time, and history books and documentaries (I have a list of my favourite books and documentaries that I used for the Lady Helen series on my website under Research at www.darkdaysclub.com). I also love visiting Regency cities and towns in England, and going to re-enactment events like balls and festivals. Frankly, anything and everything can be an inspiration. Writers are like magpies - we pick up all the shiny things that catch our eye and stash them away in our mind or notebooks for use in a story one day!

Question: What makes the early 19th century mesh so well with magic?

Answer: For me the early 19th century meshes so well with magic because it sits between the superstitions of pre-1700 and the new rationality that came with the Enlightenment. It was also a time when the bawdy, raucous manners of the Georgian era were being replaced by a new civility, which placed an emphasis on manners and gentility. In the Lady Helen series, I play on this duality and have created an underbelly of demonic chaos in the form of the Deceivers, deadly creatures that feed on the wild emotions of people that have been supressed beneath the new gentility.

Question: The world building and system of magic varies greatly in the regency fantasy genre, how did you go about creating yours?

Answer: Oops, I think I kind of answered this in the previous question. But let me elaborate - I built the magic system in the Lady Helen world directly from the idea of how early 19th century society was changing from the boorish Georgian era into the more refined civility of the Regency. With that as a starting point, I created a personification of that wildness in the form of the demonic Deceivers who live in human bodies and move in society, feeding on emotions. As soon as I had worked out their powers, I could then work out the powers of Lady Helen and her fellow Reclaimers, the human counter to the Deceiver threat.

Question: If you had to choose between writing only period literature or only fantasy literature, which would win?

Answer: I think it would have to be period literature. It would pain me to give up fantasy and all its mythic aspects and story freedoms, but in the end I love the research that goes along with writing period fiction. The one thing that I probably wouldn’t miss about writing fantasy is keeping track of the magic system. If you are writing a magic system, I recommend keeping up-to-date notes about what can and can’t happen in your magic world, and also create a chart at the end so that everything is kept straight as you edit. Believe me, you’ll thank me later.

Question: Be honest, have you ever dressed up in Regency clothes just to pretend for a moment you are in the past?

Absolutely - I proudly own my Regency geekdom. I have a full Regency wardrobe including a ball gown, spencer jackets and all the under-things. I’ve also learned how to dance in the Regency manner and go to balls and Regency events in full costume. I love it!

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Alison Goodman, Buffy, Cassandra, Deceivers, Eon, Eona, Georgette Heyer, Georgian, Lady Helen, Magic, New York Times, Pinterest, Pride and Prejudice, Reclaimers, Regency Magic, The Dark Days Club, WisCon, Zen Cho

Zen Cho was born and raised in Malaysia where she read a lot of 19th century British and North American fiction. While not containing the dragons and spaceships she likes, the books did encapsulate an alien world "featuring strange people who spoke a different language, had mysterious, intricate social customs, and used outlandish technology like post-chaises and handkerchiefs." She now lives in London, lucky her, not that I'm jealous or anything. OK, I totally am. Zen has been nominated for a plethora of awards, the most notable being the Pushcart Prize. She was also honour-listed for the Carl Brandon Society Awards which is part of WisCon and seriously, if this means she was in Madison at some time and I missed her I'm going to be very sad. Dammit she was! And I totally had a ticket for that year but couldn't make it at the last minute. I am now very sad. Back to Zen... her debut novel Sorcerer to the Crown, the first in a historical fantasy trilogy, was published in 2015. It is awesome, as it it's followup published this year, The True Queen.

It is staggering the number of best lists and awards Sorcerer to the Crown received, but once you read it you won't be surprised. Sorcerer to the Crown was the first book I read in 2016 that literally blew me away and it lost nothing on it's re-read this spring. Currently Cho isn't a full time writer, she's a lawyer. I suspect that this might not be the case for long, which is totally my opinion not hers. But lawyers due tend to abandon ship for the literary world... just look at Lauren Willig. Aside from her first novel, she has also written a few novellas, The Perilous Life of Jade Yeo, which I bought immediately upon finishing Sorcerer to the Crown, and The Terracotta Bride, bought as soon as it was published in 2016. She also has a short story collection, Spirits Abroad, as well as being the editor of the anthology Cyberpunk: Malaysia. I can see a long career ahead for her; the only problem I see is that I found her at the beginning of her career so now I have an unendurable wait ahead for her next book! Which I really need now, no matter that she just published a new one!

Question: When did you first discover Jane Austen?

Answer: I was around 12 years old – an impressionable age!

Question: What do you think Jane Austen would think of her impact with so many literary offshoots, from parody to pastiche?

Answer: I suspect she'd be delighted, amazed – but also, secretly, not really surprised. I think most authors who are really good know it, even if that conviction is accompanied by the usual self-doubt and neurosis.

Question: Where do you get your inspiration from?

Answer: From everything, but mostly stories – the stories I read and watch, but also those I hear from friends and family and see in the news.

Question: What makes the early 19th century mesh so well with magic?

Answer: When you come to novels and letters from the 19th century as a modern reader, the world they contain may as well be a fantasy world, it's so different from ours. I think SFF readers and writers are drawn to that aspect of 19th century Britain as a setting: it's such a complete alternative society with its own history, social norms and technology, and it's one that is familiar to many people worldwide, since the literature of Britain's Georgian and Victorian eras have had enormous global reach due to imperialism. The focus on the early 19th century specifically, the Regency period, I think to some extent is bleedover from the Regency romance subgenre.

Question: The world building and system of magic varies greatly in the regency fantasy genre, how did you go about creating yours?

Answer: For Sorcerer to the Crown I was really much more interested in magic as a bone of contention than anything else – a resource to be quarrelled over. The worldbuilding went primarily into the power structures surrounding magic. So the chief antagonists are the Royal Society of Unnatural Philosophers, an ancient body of magicians who are very cross about anyone they don't approve of having access to magic, and Fairyland, which is mad at Britain for various reasons.

Question: If you had to choose between writing only period literature or only fantasy literature, which would win?

Answer: Fantasy. You can interpret any period of history you like through the lens of fantasy, so I wouldn't really be giving anything up!

Question: Be honest, have you ever dressed up in Regency clothes just to pretend for a moment you are in the past?

Answer: Nope! If I'd lived in Britain at the time I doubt I would have had anything particularly nice to wear.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Cyberpunk, Fairy, Fantasy, Jane Austen, Lauren Willig, Lawyer, Malaysia, Regency Magic, Regency Romance, Sorcerer to the Crown, Spirits Abroad, The Perilous Life of Jade Yeo, The True Queen, WisCon, Zen Cho

Bookstore: DreamHaven Books and Comics

Location: Minneapolis, Minnesota

The Official Patter: "DreamHaven has been an open shop since 1977. We are leading purveyors of new, used, and rare science fiction, fantasy, horror, film and media books, comics, and graphic novels.

“The Tooth Fairy left the name DreamHaven Books
under my pillow. Usually it’s a 25-cent piece;
but given the current value of the U.S. dollar,
the value of this tip was far more glorious.
DreamHaven is a book-seeker’s cave of miracles.” – Harlan Ellison"

Why I Love Them: Years ago I was searching for the perfect birthday present for my mom. She had recently told me how she thought Neil Gaiman's Coraline was one of her favorite books so I set out to find her a signed copy. Neil had a link on his site to DreamHaven Books and Comics saying that he often popped across the Mississippi River from his secluded Northern Wisconsin home to the Minnesota store and signed books for them and if you were willing to wait a bit he could personalize them. I placed an order long in advance of my mother's birthday and waited. She loved the present when it arrived, Neil had even done a little drawing of a rat in the book! So DreamHaven Books became my go to store for anything Neil Gaiman, from my hardcover editions of Neverwhere and American Gods, to Neil's rather rare guide to The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, I ordered them all from DreamHaven Books!  

Best Buy: About six months after I placed my first order with them I went to my first WisCon. In the dealers' room who should I find but DreamHaven Books! They had by far the biggest display, and what I loved most was it was a mix of new and used. There were books I had been longing to see in person and books I never thought I'd find. My second year at WisCon, knowing that DreamHaven Books would be there I budgeted accordingly and in fact found a wonderful out of print copy of Caroline Stevermer's The Alchemist: Death of a Borgia which I was then able to get signed by her! But my best buy was purchased at what I will always view as my best convention experience ever, the 2011 North American Discworld Convention. The dealers' room was a wonderful mishmash of the unknown, The Cunning Artificer and The Discworld Emporium, and the familiar, DreamHaven Books. On my third day I went to this lovely and intimate event with one of the other guests, Patrick Rothfuss. He passed out copies of his book The Adventures of the Princess and Mr. Whiffle: The Thing Beneath the Bed for us to read as a group. It was a raucous time and so much fun, in fact if you want to read more about it, you can! After this reading I was waiting for my friend by perusing the wares of DreamHaven Books and Pat came by to give them a stack of copies of The Adventures of the Princess and Mr. Whiffle. In fact the stack we had just been reading. Now, I already owned a signed first edition of this book, but then Pat said that these were his own personal copies he got when the book came out, as evidenced by the fact he signed and dated them "Pat Rothfuss 7-21-10." How could I pass up an opportunity to own such a unique copy of this wonderful book? The answer is I obviously couldn't because it is my best buy ever from DreamHaven Books, and let me tell you it had some stiff competition.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Caroline Stevermer, Coraline, DreamHaven Books and Comics, Minnesota, NADWCon, Neil Gaiman, Patrick Rothfuss, Support Your Brick and Mortar, The Adventures of the Princess and Mr. Whiffle, WisCon

Bookstore: A Room of One's Own

Location: Downtown Madison, Wisconsin

Why I Love Them: A Room of One's Own has been around since shortly before I was born. My early experiences weren't of much note. Known as the feminist bookstore they didn't have much variety when they were restricted by their smaller storefront and therefore really leaned into their feminist bent. But every so often I would trudge up State Street to buy my course materials for the overly PC profs who didn't want the University Book Store getting all the students money and would therefore have either A Room of One's Own or the Rainbow Bookstore Co-Op (RIP) carry the required reading or prospectus. I really gained familiarity with them oddly enough not onsite but at their booth at WisCon, which made me really appreciate how they worked with the convention to support the authors. But they still hadn't reached their full potential, which would happen due to a domino effect. The domino effect started thus: Canterbury Booksellers, which had a phenomenal location on West Gorham Street, went out of business and Avol's Books, a used bookstore that was in the basement of the historic Woman's Building which was built for the Woman's Club of Madison took over the lease on Canterbury's space. The space was too much for just Avol's and they were struggling, A Room of One's Own came to the rescue. The two stores' symbiotic relationship has made them reach the full potential they were capable of, as well as bringing the Canterbury space it it's full potential. A store of new and used and the unique all in a wondrous location.

Best Buy: As for my best buy, oddly enough this will be the second post in a row dealing with the Wisconsin Book Festival. The Wisconsin Book Festival usually has their events in the main branch of the public library downtown with different independent bookstores selling their wares at the events. Occasionally, if you're lucky, the event will be at one of these bookstores. Now this isn't because I have anything against the library, far from it, it's just their rooms for speaking are rather sterile and I love to have my book talks surrounded by books, and not just because if the author talk is bad I can still amuse myself by admiring the shelves, though this is a perk. Last year I was very excited to see that Natasha Pulley was coming to the book festival to support her newest book The Bedlam Stacks. The reason I was excited about this is that her books are slightly Steampunk and she's British, and it's rare to get to see a British author on tour. I do not jest, they are like unicorns whenever they appear stateside and then usually it's only on the coasts. The event was in the middle of the store under the skylight that houses biographies. I have found many great biographies in this section and during this event I found another great book. Through my blog I had gotten an Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) or The Bedlam Stacks but hadn't had time to read it yet. Most of the time I actually like going to author events prior to reading their book because you get a little foreknowledge and a little insight that aids you while reading. While I did get this with Natasha's lovely tales, it was her writing that captured my heart. The Bedlam Stacks was easily one of the best books I read last year and is therefore not just a best, but a cherished buy.  

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: A Room of One's Own, ARCs, Avol's Books, British, Canterbury Booksellers, Natasha Pulley, Steampunk, Support Your Brick and Mortar, The Bedlam Stacks, University Book Store, WisCon, Wisconsin Book Festival

Zen Cho was born and raised in Malaysia where she read a lot of 19th century British and North American fiction. While not containing the dragons and spaceships she likes, the books did encapsulate an alien world "featuring strange people who spoke a different language, had mysterious, intricate social customs, and used outlandish technology like post-chaises and handkerchiefs." She now lives in London, lucky her, not that I'm jealous or anything. OK, I totally am. Zen has been nominated for a plethora of awards, the most notable being the Pushcart Prize. She was also honour-listed for the Carl Brandon Society Awards which is part of WisCon and seriously, if this means she was in Madison at some time and I missed her I'm going to be very sad. Dammit she was! And I totally had a ticket for that year but couldn't make it at the last minute. I am now very sad. Back to Zen... her debut novel Sorcerer to the Crown, the first in a historical fantasy trilogy, was published last year. It is awesome.

It is staggering the number of best lists and awards Sorcerer to the Crown is receiving, but once you read it you won't be surprised. Sorcerer to the Crown is the first book of 2016 that has literally blown me away. Currently Cho isn't a full time writer, she's a lawyer. I suspect that this might not be the case for long, which is totally my opinion not hers. But lawyers due tend to abandon ship for the literary world... just look at Lauren Willig. Aside from her first novel, she has also written a novella, The Perilous Life of Jade Yeo, which I bought immediately upon finishing Sorcerer to the Crown. She also has a short story collection, Spirits Abroad, as well as being the editor of the anthology Cyberpunk: Malaysia. I can see a long career ahead for her; the only problem I see is that I found her at the beginning of her career so now I have an unendurable wait ahead for her next book! Which I really needed a few weeks ago. Like the second I finished Sorcerer to the Crown.

Question: When did you first discover Jane Austen?

Answer: I was around 12 years old – an impressionable age!

Question: What do you think Jane Austen would think of her impact with so many literary offshoots, from parody to pastiche?

Answer: I suspect she'd be delighted, amazed – but also, secretly, not really surprised. I think most authors who are really good know it, even if that conviction is accompanied by the usual self-doubt and neurosis.

Question: Where do you get your inspiration from?

Answer: From everything, but mostly stories – the stories I read and watch, but also those I hear from friends and family and see in the news.

Question: What makes the early 19th century mesh so well with magic?

Answer: When you come to novels and letters from the 19th century as a modern reader, the world they contain may as well be a fantasy world, it's so different from ours. I think SFF readers and writers are drawn to that aspect of 19th century Britain as a setting: it's such a complete alternative society with its own history, social norms and technology, and it's one that is familiar to many people worldwide, since the literature of Britain's Georgian and Victorian eras have had enormous global reach due to imperialism. The focus on the early 19th century specifically, the Regency period, I think to some extent is bleedover from the Regency romance subgenre.

Question: The world building and system of magic varies greatly in the regency fantasy genre, how did you go about creating yours?

Answer: For Sorcerer to the Crown I was really much more interested in magic as a bone of contention than anything else – a resource to be quarrelled over. The worldbuilding went primarily into the power structures surrounding magic. So the chief antagonists are the Royal Society of Unnatural Philosophers, an ancient body of magicians who are very cross about anyone they don't approve of having access to magic, and Fairyland, which is mad at Britain for various reasons.

Question: If you had to choose between writing only period literature or only fantasy literature, which would win?

Answer: Fantasy. You can interpret any period of history you like through the lens of fantasy, so I wouldn't really be giving anything up!

Question: Be honest, have you ever dressed up in Regency clothes just to pretend for a moment you are in the past?

Nope! If I'd lived in Britain at the time I doubt I would have had anything particularly nice to wear.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Cyberpunk, Fairy, Fantasy, Jane Austen, Lauren Willig, Lawyer, Malaysia, Regency Magic, Regency Romance, Sorcerer to the Crown, Spirits Abroad, Storytelling, The Perilous Life of Jade Yeo, WisCon, Zen Cho

Of all the authors whose work I love and admire I have to say that if there was one whose life I could live for a day I'd choose Mary Robinette Kowal's. She's like my high schooler dream life personified. Firstly, a puppeteer, so she's got the Jim Henson Muppet side down. Secondly writing work inspired by Jane Austen, but not being limited by that framework. Then there's the whole friends with amazingly awesome writers from Patrick Rothfuss to Neil Gaiman. Sigh. But more then anything it's the talent that I am just in awe of. Seriously, she can write, and the awards she's garnered prove I'm not alone thinking this. She has received the Campbell Award for Best New Writer, three Hugo awards, and the RT Reviews award for Best Fantasy Novel, such an underachiever.

Going back to Pat Rothfuss, it's because of him that I first heard about Mary's Glamourists Histories. I'm still kicking myself that I actually met Mary at WisCon when Shades of Milk and Honey was just out but didn't know about the series till a year later, thanks Rothfuss, I was talking to you five feet away from Mary, you think you could have pointed her out a year earlier? But whenever you stumble upon a great series it doesn't matter when it happens, just that you finally found this author whose work you just connect with. Besides writing and doing puppetry she also uses her performance and theater skills to record the audio books of fellow authors from Seanan McGuire to John Scalzi.

But the most interesting thing about Mary is there's a slim possibility she's Jane Austen... as her publishers Tor pointed out on their website when the recreation of what Jane Austen must have looked like was unveiled:

"After an extensive period of research, utilizing forensics, eyewitness accounts, and the expertise of a period costume designer, the Jane Austen Centre in Bath has determined what Austen really looked like during her life in the 18th century. At which point we replied um, no, that’s Tor Books author Mary Robinette Kowal, puppeteer, Pat Rothfuss impersonator, and...regency author."

So let's ask this author some questions shall we? Like when she "discovered" Jane Austen...

Question: When did you first discover Jane Austen?

Answer: Golly... I don't remember when I first knew about her, but the moment I rediscovered and fell in love with her was in Lyme Regis. I'd read Persuasion, but there is something about buying a copy in a second hand shop and reading it in the town itself that makes it really live.

Question: What do you think Jane Austen would think of her impact with so many literary offshoots, from parody to pastiche?

Answer: I think she'd likely be amused, given how many parodies and pastiches she wrote herself.

Question: Where do you get your inspiration from?

Answer: People. No, really! That's not as facile as it sounds. What I'm most interested in is the connection between people. Writing helps me understand why people make certain choices and the choices I might make in a similar situation.

Question: What makes the early 19th century mesh so well with magic?

Answer: It's an interesting cusp period. They had a very scientific approach to the world, but from our point of view a lot of things that were Science to them look like superstition and magic to us. It's very easy to insert magic and treat it as matter-of-factly as the idea of ill humors.

Question: The world building and system of magic varies greatly in the regency fantasy genre, how did you go about creating yours?

Answer: I knew I wanted to write a Jane Austen pastiche. Specifically, I wanted to find out if I could fit Fantasy into a Jane Austen plot mold. So, having decided that, it meant that my main character needed to be a young lady of quality. I also wanted her to be a magic user, which meant that magic had to be largely impractical and decorative, since young ladies of quality never had jobs.

Question: If you had to choose between writing only period literature or only fantasy literature, which would win?

Answer: I would break the rules and continue to do both.

Question: Be honest, have you ever dressed up in Regency clothes just to pretend for a moment you are in the past?

Answer: Oh... Kind of every chance I get. I hand sew my own dresses, which started as research, and attend events with the Oregon Regency Society. I've spent an entire week wearing nothing but Regency clothes and writing with a quill. Why not? Just because you're grownup doesn't mean you should stop having fun.

Author Photograph © 2012 Rod Searcey

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Glamourist Histories, Hugo Award, Jane Austen, Jim Henson, Lyme Regis, Mary Robinette Kowal, Muppets, Neil Gaiman, Patrick Rothfuss, Persuasion, Regency Magic, Seanan McGuire, Shades of Milk and Honey, WisCon

Caroline Stevermer is a fellow Midwestern girl, growing up on a diary farm in the middle of nowhere. Sadly I only had a defunct diary farm in the middle of nowhere to visit on the weekends, otherwise known as my grandparent's house. Writing since the age of eight she went to Bryn Mawr college and got a B.A. in Art History. Her first sale as a writer happened in 1980 and she has been writing even since. I first found out about Stevermer because I had foisted Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell on my friend Ann, who was then known to quote the book at me, who then said, have you heard about Sorcery and Cecelia? I had not! I was beyond excited to hear about another author writing in the Regency era with a magical bent. What is so unique though about Stevermer's series with Patricia Wrede is that they took their love of Austen even further and wrote the three books in the series in epistolary form, each one writing one of the characters, and therefore writing back and forth in a letter game, to the delight of all readers.

Stevermer's work thrives in magical realms, even if they are magical realms that look very much like our own twisted in her unique way. Her Galazon series features a school of magic, long before Hogwarts made it cool. The acclaimed author Terri Windling called the first book, College of Magics, "charmingly distinctive . . . [marked by] the sly wit and sparkling prose that have earned her a cult following." And as for this cultist, I am happy to say that she still lives in the Midwest because I've been lucky enough to meet her twice at WisCon, getting my Cecelia and Kate books signed of course, and seeing her on several panels on very unique subjects. Here's to her continued success, but enough from me, how about a little something from Stevermer in her own words?

Question: When did you first discover Jane Austen?

Answer: When I was in high school, Scholastic Books featured an edition of Pride and Prejudice for fifty cents. I think I still have it. To be honest, I didn't appreciate her until I was in college. I made the mistake of considering her high literature and missed how wonderful her books are.

Question: What do you think Jane Austen would think of her impact with so many literary offshoots, from parody to pastiche?

Answer: Sad to say, I fear she would find our interest in her sadly ill-bred. She had a keen sense of humor, so perhaps she would enjoy laughing at us.

Question: Where do you get your inspiration from?

Answer: It's difficult to pin down, as the sources are so varied. Often from a desire to read about a girl having and adventure on her own terms.

Question: What makes the early 19th century mesh so well with magic?

Answer: I think many time periods mesh well with magic, but to focus on the early 19th century specifically, perhaps it is because advances in science made at the time could as well be advances in science. Electromagnetism in particular seems magical to me.

Question: The world building and system of magic varies greatly in the regency fantasy genre, how did you go about creating yours?

Answer: I worked with Patricia C. Wrede to make sure our sections matched enough to make sense. In my own "College of Magics" and "Scholar of Magics" novels, I was inspired by the C. S. Lewis book, "The Discarded Image." What if the geo-centric model of the universe actually worked?

Question: If you had to choose between writing only period literature or only fantasy literature, which would win?

Answer: Gosh, I don't think I could separate them! I love writing in historical periods not my own, but I can never, ever stick to facts. So I guess fantasy would win out. But probably not for long.

Question: Be honest, have you ever dressed up in Regency clothes just to pretend for a moment you are in the past?

Answer: Not in Regency clothes, but for summer jobs in college I worked as a costumed guide in historic houses, so I've worn both hoop skirts and a bustle routinely. They do change the way one moves.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: A College of Magics, Caroline Stevermer, Galazon, Hogwarts, Jane Austen, Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell, Patricia C. Wrede, Pride and Prejudice, Regency Magic, Sorcery and Cecelia, WisCon

Will return to it's regularly scheduled programing next week once I've recovered from WisCon... until then, you can always wonder around the new release table at your local bookstore to see what you can see. Let me know if you see anything good!

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Tuesday Tomorrow, WisCon

I know you will all be jealous of my holiday weekend plans when I say I'm spending them at WisCon. The best book geek convention and so near my house, it's fate. While I wanted, but was unable to battle the hordes at BEA this past week (damn inner ear) my consolation prizes (seeing as I couldn't be in two places at the same time) are Catherynne Valente, K. Tempest Bradford, Ellen Klages, Seanan McGuire, Sarah Monette, Mary Doria Russell, Lynne M. Thomas and so many more (go here to drool). It's not really consolation but jubilation. So as you're eating your brats and drinking your brew, I'll be where I'm meant to be, in rooms surrounded by people clutching books. And what's even better? No one thinks you're weird when you geek out at the mention of Joss Whedon or Doctor Who. In fact... they expect it! MY PEOPLE! Expect a full report once I've recovered.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 1 comments  

Labels: BEA, Catherynne M. Valente, Doctor Who, Ellen Klages, Joss Whedon, K. Tempest Bradford, Lynne M. Thomas, Mary Doria Russell, Sarah Monette, Seanan McGuire, WisCon

Magic Below Stairs by Caroline Stevermer
Published by: Dial
Publication Date: June 10th, 2010
Format: Hardcover, 192 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"Young Frederick is plucked from an orphanage to be a footboy for a wizard named Lord Schofield in Victorian England. Is his uncanny ability to tie perfect knots and render boots spotless a sign of his own magical talent, or the work of Billy Bly, the brownie who has been secretly watching over him since he was little? No matter, for the wizard has banished all magical creatures from his holdings. But Billy Bly isn’t going anywhere, and when he discovers a curse upon the manor house, it’s up to Frederick and Billy Bly to keep the lord’s new baby safe and rid the Schofield family of the curse forever. "

I have been dying for this book ever since I met Caroline last year at WisCon and she mentioned it. It's a sort of companion book to her successful Sorcery and Cecelia series which I really loved. Caroline was at WisCon again this year and I coveted her author copy, and said as much as she signed all my backlog of books (boy do I love signed copies). And if you haven't checked out those books, why not I say!?! They are perfect for this month, aka "Jane in June." While this one is for younger audiences, the original trilogy is set in a Regency England that has magic and is written in epistolary form, like Sense and Sensibility was before Jane rewrote it and retitled it from Elinor and Marianne.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 1 comments  

Labels: Caroline Stevermer, Elinor and Marrianne, Jane in June, Magic Below Stairs, Regency, Sense and Sensibility, Sorcery and Cecelia, WisCon

So let me say I think it's shameful, but I've never been to WisCon. I've lived in Wisconsin my entire life, the entire time of which this con has been up and running, and yet I've never been. And now I really question why I've never gone. It was the most relaxed and organized con I've ever been to, and I've been to some badly organized cons, including a Buffy one in the Catskills where the waiting staff only spoke Italian and the hotel hadn't been renovated since Frank Sinatra stayed there some 30 years previously. For the uninitiated WisCon is "The World's Leading Feminist Science Fiction Convention" which celebrated it's 33rd year this past weekend. They have a wide range of authors and other media types that converge on the Concourse to discuss, hang, meet and generally have fun, all for the low price of $45 (not including all that you'll spend in the dealers room). They have face painting and magical knitting and panels and dinners and award recipients.

Due to events of the past week I didn't feel like interacting too much with people so I just went to a few events of the authors I wanted to see, but I'm planning on returning next year to be a more active versus passive participant. When I arrived I was given a packet which had a wonderful circa bound program of events with all the information I could possibly need from guest biographies to maps of the hotel. From there I attended the Gathering, there primarily for the event Galley Ho! But the Gathering also had a wide range of events from more carnivalesque games, like a cow throw and balloon animals to a vintage clothing exchange. I also attended the dealer's room, which besides having independent publishers selling their fare, they also had a few bookstores from DreamHaven Books to Madison's own, A Room of One's Own. I walked away with a slightly lighter wallet after getting a few great books and two Coraline action figures.

On Saturday I found out that an author I like was there, and I didn't know it, so that was a nice surprise to find Catherynne M. Valente present and willing to sign my books. I attended a panel with Patricia C. Wrede entitled "Kick Ass Moms" which discussed the trend in fantasy and sci-fi to not even mention women as mothers, where they either don't have children or they time lapse the series to skip the child rearing years to pick up after they are grown. Some good kick ass moms that were discussed are Piper Halliwell from Charmed, Sarah Connor, Allison DuBois from Medium as well as the totally awesome Nanny Ogg, who really should have a panel all her own just on the hedgehog song. On Sunday I attended a panel with Caroline Stevermer on wish fulfillment, which was good but odd to say the least, with half the panel being more young adult and discreet and the other half talking a lot about slash and men on men action. I liked the summing up of wish fulfillment with a a nod to Calvin and Hobbes, where Calvin wishes for his own continent but Hobbes wished for a sandwich, and Hobbes is the one who's wish is fulfilled.

Finally on Monday was the SignOut, this is the designated time where you can get all the books you've been accumulating and hoarding signed. As you can probably guess from me attending the Patricia C. Wrede and Caroline Stevermer panels that they were the authors I was here to see, due to their wonderful Kate and Cecelia books, Sorcery and Cecelia, The Grand Tour and The Mislaid Magician (with Magic Below Stairs hinted as a prequel coming next summer!)They were very nice and gracious, I could tell that Patricia C. Wrede doesn't seem to like the signings as much, being a "To_____" and "Patricia C. Wrede" person, whereas Caroline Stevermer would add a little comment, which I just love. But to give them their due, they signed everything I brought, which was all the Kate and Cecelia books, as well as the Enchanted Forest Chronicles, the new Frontier Magic Series, the Scholarly Magic Series and River Rats.

So all in all a great con, low stress, low cost, high interest and definitely repeatable. Plus who knows who will be there or who has been there and will make it big down the way, as Caroline Stevermer said to me. With past names like Charles De Lint, Ursula Le Guin, Terri Windling and George R. R. Martin, anyone could stop by so go see what I'm talking about now!

Posted by Miss Eliza at 4:56 PM 0 comments  

Labels: Caroline Stevermer, Catherynne M. Valente, Charles De Lint, Coraline, Galley Ho, George R. R . Martin, Patricia C. Wrede, Terri Windling, Ursula Le Guin, WisCon

So, due to the fact I always have an inbox full of questions as to how I was able to read a book months before it's out I need to tell people about the joys of the ARC. An ARC is an Advance Readers/Reviewers Copy that is an uncorrected proof of the book that's coming out in a few months. By uncorrected it means there are errors and that anything wrong will be supposedly fixed for the final book (not that I've ever seen anyone fix errors, even one's I've written to them about, yes Lisa Lutz's editors this is you, fix that Doctor Who error please for the mass market edition, you didn't fix it yet for the paperback). Usually the ARC is the finished book. It's always paperback, on kind of crappy paper, sometimes it has the cover printed on it along with all the publicity info you will need to help them promote this book (that is after all WHY you got it early, to help them promote it and get the word of mouth out there). In my opinion, the true joy of the ARC is instant gratification for those who can't stand to wait the 2, 3 or 4 months till the books is released (aka people like me). The ARC comes with a few rules though. Legally you are not allowed to sell them because they are not your property, the ARC is the property of the publisher. Bookstores, ebay, wherever, you can't sell them, though people do, despite the restrictions and you can usually find them, usually for scandalous amounts of money (for a popular author like Shannon Hale or Charlaine Harris expect to see people paying $200-500, which is why people are tempted to sell them). Also you usually have to keep your mouth shut about plot points, caveats to what you can and can't say. For example Shannon Hale has been imploring people to not reveal something that happens in Forest Born, out in September...and sometimes it's harder to keep your mouth shut then to wait the few extra months to read it with everyone else.

I will also mention that this past weekend I hit ARC pay dirt! I was at WisCon, the feminist science fiction convention in Madison, Wisconsin, and they had an event called Galley Ho! This was a charity event where you could get 10 ARCs for $10! Most of the books were already in bookstores or just about to be, so it was more for the cheapness that this was a great find. But also I gotta say it, I love ARCs, even if it's already in bookstores, it's fun to have the pre-book if you will, the shadow of the real thing, a paperback while it's still a hardback. The novelty and specialness that the ARC embraces...the preview of what's to come is what I fully and whole heartily embrace. ARCs I love you.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 4:57 PM 0 comments  

Labels: ARCs, Charlaine Harris, Galley Ho, Lisa Lutz, Shannon Hale, WisCon