This is an interesting idea: Jeff VanderMeer just released a special edition of his collection Secret Life, which is being called the “Select Fire Remix.” I can’t say I’ve seen a collection remix before, but the idea intrigues me. It says here on the letter enclosed with the book:

This remix contains new material (including graphics), edited original material, and a far greater sense of play. It also excludes five stories that [VanderMeer doesn’t] think hold up under scrutiny (although they are still present in a way).

In addition, the story notes have been greatly expanded, the title story now snakes its way through the whole narrative, and [they’ve] added a meta story on what traditionally would be blank pages.

The letter also promises other changes that the editors will leave it up to the reader to discover.

While on the subject of remixes, I’ll go ahead and blather on about metal for a bit. Trivium recently released a new album, whose title track, The Crusade, is a virtuoso instrumental piece with brilliant, complex guitar work. But. My only gripe with the song is that instead of concluding, it merely fades out, which felt to me like a complete let down. The reason I bring it up in relation to remixes is that this is a song that could really be remixed — if only to change the ending. And the thing is, I think the right ending is right there in the song; there’s one part of the song that, if brought back around at the end, seems to me like it would have been a perfect return to what I think is the best part of the song, and would be a way to conclusively end the damn thing, rather than trailing off. I’m tempted to play around with it in Audacity, to make my own remix, but I fear that it’s probably pretty complicated and would only frustrate me.