REVIEW: “A classic” —PC Gamer
PC Gamer recommends reading WASTELANDS if you enjoyed Fallout 3: “A classic […] perfect for those moments when we want to take a trip to the end of the world.”
Tag: Wastelands
NEWS: WASTELANDS Now Available in Mass Market Paperback!
My first anthology, WASTELANDS: STORIES OF THE APOCALYPSE, is now available in mass market paperback, from Titan Books. Titan will also publish the companion volume, WASTELANDS 2, on Feb. 24.
Gathering together the best post-apocalyptic literature of the last two decades from many of today’s most renowned authors of speculative fiction — including George R.R. Martin, Gene Wolfe, Orson Scott Card, Carol Emshwiller, Jonathan Lethem, Octavia E. Butler, and Stephen King — Wastelands explores the scientific, psychological, and philosophical questions of what it means to remain human in the wake of Armageddon. Whether the end of the world comes through nuclear war, ecological disaster, or cosmological cataclysm, these are tales of survivors, in some cases struggling to rebuild the society that was, in others, merely surviving, scrounging for food in depopulated ruins and defending themselves against monsters, mutants, and marauders. Wastelands delves into this bleak landscape, uncovering the raw human emotion and heart-pounding thrills at the genre’s core.
NEWS: WASTELANDS Discounted to $2 Until Dec. 30!
My first anthology, WASTELANDS: STORIES OF THE APOCALYPSE, is currently on sale in ebook format for just $1.99 until Dec. 30.
- “My favorite anthology of all time—packed with masterworks.” —Paul Goat Allen, Barnes & Noble
- “An exceptional anthology. In scope and vision it can only be compared to Harlan Ellison’s Dangerous Visions. […] I highly recommend this anthology for anyone who enjoys reading anything. […] Wastelands: Stories of the Apocalypse is the best anthology of any kind I have read.” —Grasping for the Wind
- “Everything that is best about the trope, from bleak, empty worlds to beacons of hope.” —Booklist
It’s currently available for just $1.99 at the following ebook marketplaces:
WASTELANDS and THE LIVING DEAD Now Available as Ebooks from Orbit UK
Today, Orbit UK launches the UK/Australian ebook editions of Wastelands and The Living Dead.
Anthologies are Like a Box of Chocolates, and Apparently, I’m Willy Wonka
Reviewer Paul Goat Allen seems to be my biggest fan. In his recent blog post for Barnes & Noble’s BN.com, “The Candy Man Can: Or Why John Joseph Adams is Genre Fiction’s Willy Wonka,” he said so many kind things about me and my anthologies you’d think he was on the Night Shade payroll.
Here’s a taste:
- “The reigning king of the anthology world is John Joseph Adams.”
- “Every anthology this guy is associated with seems to turn to gold: and by gold I mean jaw-droppingly brilliant anthologies with no weak links that I’ll not only read again and again but treasure until the day I die.”
- “[Wastelands] is arguably my favorite anthology of all time – just packed with speculative masterworks.”
- The Living Dead was, simply put, the best collection of zombie fiction stories ever collected. … This anthology is, like Wastelands, one of my all-time favorite short story collections. Fans of zombie fiction shouldn’t just read this anthology – they should own it.”
- “By Blood We Live [is] a killer collection of simply stellar vampire stories that just floored me from beginning to end. … Yet another masterful – dare I say perfect – anthology.”
And as if that wasn’t cool enough for one day, Allen’s article also inspired some…fan art?
Before the Apocalypse, There was Reggaetón
People sometimes ask me about the cover of Wastelands, wondering where they might have seen it before. Some of you may remember that when the cover (by Daniel Kvasznicza) was first revealed, I mentioned how the cover art had been previously used as a backdrop on a rap album or something. It took me a while, but I finally got more of a complete picture (so to speak) as to the history of the image.
First, it was actually first used as the backdrop for an animated film that screened in Austria in 2004. Then Sony licensed the image for use on the album King of Kings by Don Omar (actually Reggaetón, not rap). Here it is:
On the cover, it’s hardly visible at all, though on the second image, which looks to be the back of the CD case, it’s obviously much more visible.
The image has also been posted online in various venues to illustrate posts about post-apocalyptic scenarios, such as at io9.com and elsewhere.
So there you have it. The brief, sordid history behind the Wastelands cover.
Yet Another Way to Win Copies of My Books
In addition to the Tor.com Zombie Caption Contest, another way to win a copy of The Living Dead is to buy a Lottery ticket. In this context, the Lottery refers to a fundraiser to support the Shirley Jackson Awards. In this case, you’d also win a copy of Wastelands.
The lottery begins on February 9th, 2009 at midnight Eastern Time and ends on February 23rd, 2009 at midnight. Winners will be announced shortly after midnight on the award’s blog.
About the award (from the official website):
In recognition of the legacy of Shirley Jackson’s writing, and with permission of the author’s estate, the Shirley Jackson Awards have been established for outstanding achievement in the literature of psychological suspense, horror, and the dark fantastic.
Shirley Jackson (1916-1965) wrote such classic novels as The Haunting of Hill House and We Have Always Lived in the Castle, as well as one of the most famous short stories in the English language, “The Lottery.” Her work continues to be a major influence on writers of every kind of fiction, from the most traditional genre offerings to the most innovative literary work. National Book Critics Circle Award-winning novelist Jonathan Lethem has called Jackson “one of this century’s most luminous and strange American writers,” and multiple generations of authors would agree.
The Shirley Jackson Award will be voted upon by a jury of professional writers, editors, critics, and academics, with input from a Board of Advisors. The awards will be given for the best work published in the preceding calendar year in the following categories: Novel, Novella, Novelette, Short Story, Single-Author Collection, and Edited Anthology.
Locus Recommended Reading list
Locus just announced their 2008 Recommended Reading list, and I’m pleased to note that Wastelands is on it. Congrats to all the other titles and authors that made the list.
Romanian Edition of Wastelands
Just signed and mailed off the contracts for a Romanian edition of Wastelands. As reported by Agent Jenny:
Romanian rights to John Joseph Adams’s WASTELANDS anthology, to SC Nemira, by Jenny Rappaport of the Rappaport Agency on behalf of the L. Perkins Agency, in association with Simona Kessler International Copyright Agency.
There’s a couple other deals pending, but nothing else signed yet. But the Romanian is our first foreign rights deal. It’s a nice milestone to have reached.
The Living Dead & Wastelands now available as e-books
By now most of you have probably heard about Night Shade Books’s partnership with Baen Books to distribute Night Shade titles as e-books via Baen’s WebScriptions store. Well, now there’s even more reason to rejoice: You can now buy e-book versions of The Living Dead* and Wastelands, for just $6.00 each.
* Please note that the e-book version of The Living Dead does not include the following stories: Dan Simmons, "This Year’s Class Picture," Sherman Alexie, "Ghost Dance," and Douglas E. Winter, "Less than Zombie."