The original editions of The Way of the Wizard and Federations from Prime Books are now out-of-print, but new editions are now available on Kindle and in format. The new covers are by Inkspiral Design.
The Way of the Wizard:
Federations:
The Grasping for the Wind review blog just issued its bests-of-the-year list, which includes my anthology Federations as “Best Anthology” of the year.
Nebula Awards season is upon us. Current Nebula rules dictate that during the annual nomination period (November 15th thru February 15th), eligible members of SFWA can nominate works for the Nebula. The six works that receive the highest number of nominations during the nomination period in each category will be placed on the final ballot. Due to changes in Nebula rules, for this year’s Nebula Awards, works published from July 1, 2008 thru December 31, 2009 are eligible during the current nomination period.
My anthologies include several works that are currently eligible. All stories belong in the short story category unless otherwise noted. Linked stories are available online in their entirety. SFWA members can download the stories via the links provided (email me at johnjosephadams@gmail.com if you’re a SFWA member and have issues downloading the files).
Seeds of Change [SFWA members download]
Prime Books, August 2008
The Living Dead
Night Shade Books, September 2008
Federations [SFWA member download]
Prime Books, May 2009
By Blood We Live
The Improbable Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
io9 has a rave review of Federations:
“Federations aims to be an anthology of short stories about interstellar civilizations — think Star Trek, Star Wars, or Isaac Asimov‘s Foundation series. But really, most of the stories in this collection are just classic space opera, with only a little discussion of the challenges and joys of multi-planetary collaboration. There’s quite a lot of space war, a fair bit of first contact, and a dash of deep-space exploration. And that turns out to be a more thrilling experience, in many ways, than a more tightly thematic collection of stories about deep-space alliances might have been. … Federations is definitely one of those anthologies that offers something for everyone. … Whether they’re taking us to deep-space battles, showing us uneasy collaboration between vastly different races, or satirizing the very idea of a benign interplanetary alliance, the stories in Federations mostly keep a very human perspective on the hugeness and strangeness of a galaxy teeming with life. And that’s reason enough to sign on to its galactic charter.”
The Sacramento Book Review reviews Federations:
“For this anthology of twenty-four stories, editor John Joseph Adams tasked some of the brightest luminaries of speculative fiction to write stories of vast, galaxy-spanning empires and the people that live in them. … By mixing writers with great experience in with newer authors, Adams captures both the feel of the old pulp magazines and the practical elements of the ever-changing science of astronomy and space travel. … Editor Adams has collected both the finest writers and their finest tales in the definitive volume of vast, epic, interstellar Federations.”
Bibliophile Stalker reviews Federations:
“It’s a testament to the strength of the editor when a mixed anthology–one that features both reprints and original stories–features a consistent selection that one has trouble discerning which is which (or ceases to care about identifying them). Federations is one of those anthologies where I open the book and each story is a treat. … Federations is an accessible science fiction anthology and features both recognizable and refreshing elements of the genre. … [O]ne of the more enjoyable books I’ve encountered in quite some time”
BookPage Magazine reviews By Blood We Live:
“More than anything, this anthology demonstrates that the vampire is not only undead but mutable, and in the best writers’ hands, a tool for analyzing our mortal frailty and resilience in the teeth of unadulterated evil and unimaginable love.”
I’ll be guest-curating the New York Review of Science Fiction reading series in July. See the press release below for details!
The New York Review of Science Fiction Readings
&
The South Street Seaport Museum
PRESENT
Readings from Federations
K. Tempest Bradford
Allen Steele
Genevieve Valentine
Guest Curator
John Joseph Adams
Tuesday, July 7th — Doors open 6:30 PM
$5 suggested donation
South Street Seaport Museum
12 Fulton Street
(directions and links below)
Usually our season runs through June, but when editor John Joseph Adams approached us with the opportunity to celebrate his new science fiction anthology, FEDERATIONS, we couldn’t resist adding an extra date to the season.
FEDERATIONS From Star Trek to Star Wars, and from Dune to Foundation, science fiction has a rich history of exploring the idea of vast interstellar societies, and the challenges facing those living in or trying to manage such societies. The stories in Federations continue that tradition, and therein you can find a mix of all-new, original fiction, alongside selected reprints from authors whose work exemplifies what interstellar SF is capable of, including Lois McMaster Bujold, Orson Scott Card, Anne McCaffrey, George R. R. Martin, L. E. Modesitt, Jr., Alastair Reynolds, Robert J. Sawyer, Robert Silverberg, Harry Turtledove, and many more. To learn more about the anthology (or read several complete stories from the book), visit the anthology’s Web site, https://www.johnjosephadams.com/federations.
K. Tempest Bradford’s fiction has appeared in Sybil’s Garage, Electric Velocipede, Podcastle, and Strange Horizons. She also contributes non-fiction essays and columns to Tor.com, Fantasy Magazine, and the Carl Brandon Society blog. Her Web site is http://ktempestbradford.com/
Allen Steele is the two-time Hugo Award-winning author of the novels Orbital Decay, Lunar Descent, Chronospace, Spindrift, and many others. Over the last several years, he’s been focusing on writing and expanding his Coyote milieu, of which his story in Federations is a part. The most recent novel in the Coyoteverse, Coyote Horizon, came out in March, and will be followed by Coyote Destiny. Steele is also a prolific writer of short fiction, with four published collections, and a new one—The Last Science Fiction Writer—on the way. His stories have appeared in the magazines Asimov’s Science Fiction, Analog, The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, Omni, Science Fiction Age, and in numerous anthologies. His Web site is http://allensteele.com.
Genevieve Valentine’s fiction has appeared in or is forthcoming in Strange Horizons, Journal of Mythic Arts, Fantasy Magazine, Farrago’s Wainscot, Sybil’s Garage, and Escape Pod. She is a columnist for Tor.com and Fantasy Magazine. Her appetite for good costumes and bad movies is insatiable, obsessions she tracks on her blog, http://glvalentine.livejournal.com.
John Joseph Adams is the editor of the anthologies Federations, The Living Dead, Seeds of Change, and Wastelands: Stories of the Apocalypse. Forthcoming work includes the anthologies Brave New Worlds, By Blood We Live, The Improbable Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, The Living Dead 2, The Mad Scientist’s Guide to World Domination, and The Way of the Wizard. He is also the assistant editor at The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction and a columnist for Tor.com. To learn more, visit his Web site at https://www.johnjosephadams.com/.
—
The New York Review of Science Fiction Reading Series is wrapping up its 19th season of providing performances from some of the best writers in science fiction, fantasy, speculative fiction, etc. The series takes place the first Tuesday of every month at the South Street Seaport Museum. We have been known to move from one venue to another within the museum, so check each time. We are currently at 12 Fulton Street on the 4th Floor. Admission is by a $5 donation. If circumstances make this a hardship, let us know and we will accommodate you. The producer and executive curator is radio producer and talk show host Jim Freund.
—
WHEN:
Tuesday, 7/7/9
Doors open at 6:30 — event begins at 7
WHERE:
The South Street Seaport Museum
12 Fulton Street — 4th floor
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=12+fulton+street,+ny
HOW:
By Subway
Take 2, 3, 4, 5, J, Z, or M to Fulton Street; A and C to
Broadway-Nassau. Walk east on Fulton Street to Water Street
By Bus
Take M15 (South Ferry-bound) down Second Ave. to Fulton Street
By Car
From the West Side: take West Street southbound. Follow signs to FDR
Drive Take underpass, keep right – use Exit 1 at end of underpass. Turn
right on South Street, six blocks.
From the East Side, take FDR Drive south to Exit 3 onto South Street
Proceed about 1 mile.
By Boat
http://nywaterway.com/ferry/terminals/wallstreet.asp
LINKS:
http://hourwolf.com/nyrsf
http://southstreetseaportmuseum.org/
—
Coming up:
Our 20th Anniversary Season!
—
The New York Review of Science Fiction magazine is celebrating its 20th year!
Subscribe or submit articles to the magazine!
New York Review of Science Fiction
PO. Box 78, Pleasantville, NY, 10570
NYRSF Magazine: http://nyrsf.com
StarShipSofa has posted a podcast of Jeremiah Tolbert’s story from Federations, “The Culture Archivist,” which Tolbert describes as his take on “what if the Star Trek Federation were actually capitalist bastards.”
In other Federations-related news, contributor Catherynne M. Valente (“Golubash, or Wine-War-Blood-Elegy”) has developed a cool an unique piece of work based on her story. It’s a “ReadMix,” which is basically a song with text from the story being read in the background, all mixed and such to create a piece of music. The song is called “Wine is a Story,” and you can read more about it and listen to it here.
New major review of Federations, and it’s a good one. In a starred review, Publishers Weekly calls it “breathtakingly rich,” and concludes: “Superior writing, fantastic storytelling and creative adherence to the theme will keep readers enthralled.” Read the whole review here.
The May 2009 issue of Locus has two reviews of Federations.
The first, from Gardner Dozois, says: “[Federations is] filled with good solid stuff, and a few stories are a bit better than that.” Gardner goes on to single out John C. Wright’s story, “Twilight of the Gods,” as the best story in the book.
The other review is from Rich Horton, who says: “Where the book shines is with the original stories, many of which are by quite new writers. … The mix—of old and new stories, of newer and more established writers, and of tones and styles—is vigorous and impressive.” Horton also offers some nice commentary on a few of the stories, for instance, calling Jeremiah Tolbert’s “The Culture Archivist” “very fine” and saying that it “modulates from an almost Strossian romp to a serious examination of its central issue.”
Come see me debate the merits of science fiction’s best starship captains at the Star Trek Smackdown on May 12 at the Paley Center (formerly known as the Museum for Television and Radio) in New York.
From the Paley Center’s website:
Event: Star Trek Smackdown
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
6:30 pm to 8:00 pm
New YorkJohn Joseph Adams, Editor of anthologies Federations, Wastelands: Stories of the Apocalypse, and The Living Dead
Matt Mitovich, Senior Editor, TVGuide.com
Bones Rodriguez, Author, Captain Kirk’s Guide to Women
Moderated by David Bushman, Curator, Television
Additional panelists to be announced.O Captain! My Captain! Who’s the greatest leader in the history of science fiction on television? We’re pitting Captain James T. Kirk of Star Trek against your choices, based on the results of our Star Trek Smackdown poll. We’re beaming aboard a panel of sci-fi experts to debate the pros and cons of all the leading contenders, but we also want to hear what YOU think, so set your coordinates for the Paley Center and come join the debate.
Bring your tricorders to help you answer some trivia questions to win some DVDs and other special prizes! Costumes welcome!
Tickets include admission to the Paley Center (free to Members, $10 for non-members).
Hope to see you there!