(no subject)

[ann_leckie]

There's a new issue of Helix, and in it is my story "The Snake's Wife."

There's lots of other good reading there, too, including a story by the fabulous Vylar Kaftan. Enjoy!

Comments

[chomiji]

Wow, that's quite a story! The only trouble is, I want to know more ... .

[ann-leckie.livejournal.com]

More??? It was mighty long as it was. I was afraid I'd never sell it, between the length and the subject matter.

But I'm certainly glad you enjoyed it. :)

There are actually...hang on, counting....three other stories written in that universe, but none of them has sold yet.

[chomiji]

Publishers, on the basis of the taste of the general fantasy-reading public, seem to be really allergic to fantasy that doesn't shriek "I am Tolkien's bastard stepchild out of Anne McCaffrey and Marian Zimmer Bradley (at the same time!)!!!"

That's the only explanation I can find for the tripe that keeps coming out as series of banal novels while P.C. Hodgell goes begging for a publisher and Martha Wells is told that she needn't write any more Ile Rien, thank you very much ... .

Your story reminded me, just a bit, of Tanith Lee, and of Martha Wells, and I mean those as good things. I'd be very interested in an opportunity to read the others (at some point).

[ann-leckie.livejournal.com]

There is some really cool and interesting fantasy out there--read Hal Duncan? I recommend him--but yeah. And in short fiction things seem to be a tad different. One of my other fears for this story was that (despite the castration and homosexuality) it was too traditional. For certain values of traditional.

I think of the banal novels as potato chips--snack reading. Where would life be without potato chips? But it helps to have something else in your diet, too.

Also, thank you very much for the Tanith Lee comparison. It is indeed flattering, and though I wasn't thinking of her while I was writing it I can see some similarities now you mention it. I've never read Martha Wells, and must rectify that! Consciously I was actually raiding my store of "Things I Learned From Reading Foreigner A Million Times." I am waiting for someone to step up and denounce the prince's mother as a much lesser and unworthy descendant of 'Sidi-ji, for instance.

The others are currently each one in a different slush pile. If you're interested I'd be glad to email you one or two and would more than welcome any comments. If not, no sweat. If they sell, I'll certainly put it on the LJ!