eBook Review – Cranky Ladies of History

I was a backer of the Pozible project that made this book a reality.  Now whether that predisposes me to like Cranky Ladies of History, I’m not sure.  I am both fan and friends of the editors and some of the contributors.  Still I shelled out $50 upfront and no amount of friendship or fanboishness would assuage the pain if the book turned out to be a stinker.

Thankfully, perhaps even a little surprisingly, Cranky Ladies of History, turned out to be a great collection.  I was expecting the collection to be good, a belief firmly founded in Tehani Wessely’s and Tansy Rayner Roberts’ eye for good story and good project.  I wasn’t expecting to be quite as fulfilled and engaged. 

Touted as a celebration of 22 historical women, some of whom we might be familiar with but many of whom have been relegated to history or specialist courses of study, Cranky Ladies of History demonstrates that there is ample interesting and underutilised historical material for writers to work with if they want to go with female protagonists. 

Many of us are used to reworkings of King Arthur, Richard III, and William Wallace.  What I found delight in here, was not only original takes on some of the women that I did know about but exciting unearthings of those I hadn’t read about before.

The works run the gamut of straight historical to historical fantasy.  Deborah Biancotti manages to give us a rather straight historical retelling of Elisabeth Bathory or  Erzsébet Báthory.  It was a pleasantly free of vampires, the history being sometimes far more gruesome than the fantasy.  Dirk Flinthart on the other hand manages to give us Irish myth with a tint of Cthulu mythos, in his piece on Grace O'Malley.

While all the stories were self contained, many of them left me hungering for more, for longer tales. Thanks to Foz Meadows and Bright Moon, I want to read more of Khutulun, cousin of Kublai Khan and not the pacified version that informs the western version in Turandot. Likewise, Haava Murat’s, The Pasha, the Girl and the Dagger would easily sate those looking for that historical milieu of  European Christianity versus the Ottoman empire without having to resort to endless retellings of the life of Vlad the Impaler.

I am sure that it would be possible to fill a book with stories from European history alone, so it’s also encouraging to see the diversity in this collection from Amanda Pillar’s tale of Hatshepsut and her daughter, to Thoraiya Dyer’s story of Queen Ranavalona Manjak of Madagascar.

For me Cranky Ladies of History is a unique project in that it delivers entertainment while spotlighting 22 women of history that we should all know more about, even if it’s for the simple reason that their stories are different to those we are used to hearing.

The review was conducted on an advanced reading copy.

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This review is part of the Australian Women Writers Challenge 2015.  Please check out this page for more great writing from Australian women.

 

 

 

 

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Galactic Chat Bonus Episode with Tehani Wessely

The bonus podcast featuring Tehani Wessely of Fablecroft is up:

In today's bonus podcast Alex Pierce interviews Tehani Wessely of Fablecroft.  They discuss how Tehani came to be a boutique press publisher and the freedom and restrictions that places on the work.  They talk about some interesting projects in the works ie Dirk Flinthart's and Jo Anderton's novels.  The big excitement is however about the wondrous and slightly terrifying world of crowd funding that Fablecroft has entered into with The Cranky Ladies of History Project.

Tehani can be found on Twitter at @editormum75 the The Cranky Ladies crowdfunding site can be found here.

 

You can play below or download here.

 

 

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Unbound Special Offer from Fablecroft

Fablecroft are releasing the third book in the veiled world series from Jo Anderton, called Unbound it will be available in print and ebook editions.  (You can read my review of Debris - Book 1 here. It’s worth noting that Booktopia have it at $10.50, a bargain in my opinion.)

Fablecroft proprietor Tehani Wessely offers this deal:

 

In anticipation of publication (and to tide over hard core Veiled Worlds fans – you know who you are!), we are very pleased to offer a pre-order special on both the print and ebook edition. Not only are we offering the lowest prices with this pre-order, but you will also get EXCLUSIVE bonus content.

We have created a very special Veiled Worlds e-collection, containing three short stories set in the Veiled Worlds universe, including one original story never before published, as well as Jo’s unique brand of “author” interviews and more. Only those people who order using this page from now until the official publication of Unbound will be given access to it! You will receive the bonus ebook within 24-48 hours of pre-ordering, and your copy of Unbound will then be sent as soon as it is published (scheduled for April 2014).

So what are you waiting for?

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Episode 3 Last Short Story

Somehow this slipped through/under the radar, released two days ago was the third episode of Last Short story featuring the talents of  Alex Pierce and Tehani Wessely as they chat about  Queen Victoria's Book of Spells: an anthology of gaslamp fantasy (edited by Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling - purchase here)

It’s only 30minutes long so you can probably play it from the player below or if like me you have a long drive tomorrow you can download here.

Podcast Powered By Podbean

 

 

 

 

 

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Ditmars 2013–Best Collected Work

A category dominated by the dedicated (some say slightly unhinged) folk that dedicate their lives and mortgages to bringing us collections of short fiction, a section that speaks of love of the genre. They unearth and support neophyte writers, connive with mistresses and masters of craft to bring us work that might not fit less imaginative markets.

I own all the works on the list, but in what sounds like a familiar tune, I haven’t had time to read them all.  The Twelve Planets are nice, bite sized collections easily devoured the others in the list, particularly the last, are treasure troves that really do need time to sit own and ponder over.

So I have read Cracklescape, Through Splintered Walls, Light Touch Paper…, and have dipped in and out of the others. 

And the difficulty here as in some other sections is that they are almost all different beasts. I don’t know that you can really compare them other than to try and go with an intuitive gut feeling about which one made the greater impression.  A method that invariably leaves books I have barely read at a disadvantage.

Best Collected Work
————————————————————————

• Cracklescape by Margo Lanagan, edited by Alisa Krasnostein (Twelfth
  Planet Press)
• Epilogue, edited by Tehani Wessely (FableCroft Publishing)
• Through Splintered Walls by Kaaron Warren, edited by Alisa Krasnostein
  (Twelfth Planet Press)
• Light Touch Paper Stand Clear, edited by Edwina Harvey and Simon
  Petrie (Peggy Bright Books)
• Midnight and Moonshine by Lisa L. Hannett and Angela Slatter, edited
  by Russell B. Farr (Ticonderoga Publications)
• The Year’s Best Australian Fantasy and Horror 2011, edited by Liz
  Grzyb and Talie Helene (Ticonderoga Publications)

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More cover goodness – One Small Step and The Bone Chime Song

I’m so late on this news that Fablecroft are already taking preorders on the One Small Step Anthology and Jo Anderton’s The Bone Chime Song and Other Stories. You can check out the TOC of One Small Step here.  I think you’ll agree its a killer collection by the names alone.

The Bone Chime Song is one of my favourite Anderton shorts, so I’am pretty much predisposed to picking up this one as well.

 

 

 

 

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FableCroft announces its TOC for One Small Step anthology

It’s in draft stage at the moment, but Tehani has given us a quick look at the authors who will be dazzling us in One Small Step. 

My comments in italics

“Sand and Seawater” by Joanne Anderton & Rabia Gale

I loved Debris (Novel) and the Bone Chime Song (Short) by Jo - she’s one to watch in my opinion.  Couple this with Rabia Gale who’s work I was impressed with this year and yeah it’s looking good

 

“Indigo Gold” by Deborah Biancotti

Deb Biancotti -, nuff said, loved her Bad Power collection

 

“Firefly Epilogue” by Jodi Cleghorn

Haven’t read any of Jodi’s work yet, but she’s a tireless community minded author/editor.  She’s in good company here.

 

“The Ways of the Wyrding Women” by Rowena Cory Daniells

I am a Daniells Fanboy

 

“The ships of Culwinna” by Thoraiya Dyer

Another writer to watch.  Have enjoyed everything of hers I have read.  Been writing quality for some time now.

 

“Shadows” by Kate Gordon

YA Aussie author, who writes about shapeshifting Tassie Devils.  Fresh and interesting.

 

“By Blood and Incantation” by Lisa L. Hannett & Angela Slatter

These two are dangerous together, dangerously good.

 

“Ella and the Flame” by Kathleen Jennings

Wonderful artist and has stories in my TBR pile.

 

“Original” by Penny Love

Haven’t had the pleasure

 

“Always Greener” by Michelle Marquardt

Haven’t had the pleasure

 

“Morning Star” by DK Mok

Haven’t had the pleasure

 

“Winter’s Heart” by Faith Mudge

Haven’t had the pleasure

 

“Cold White Daughter” by Tansy Rayner Roberts

Tansy Fanboy

 

“Baby Steps” by Barbara Robson

Haven’t had the pleasure

 

“Number 73 Glad Avenue” by Suzanne J Willis

Haven’t had the pleasure

So with 50% of the collection filled with damn fine writers I have read and respect I think this might go on the Birthday list.  Its coming out sometime early next year.

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Win a copy of Epilogue on Goodreads!

 

 

The wonderful Tehani has organised a giveaway of the latest Fablecroft press production : Epilogue.

 

The Blurb

ep·i·logue: an ending that serves as a comment on or conclusion to what has happened.
Climate change, natural disaster, war and disease threaten to destroy all we know. Predictions of the future are bleak. But does the apocalypse really mean the end of the world? Is there no hope for a future that follows?

Twelve writers take on the end of the world and go beyond, to what comes next.

The TOC

 

1. “A memory trapped in light” by Joanne Anderton
2. “Time and tide” by Lyn Battersby
3. “Fireflies” by Steve Cameron
4. “Sleeping Beauty” by Thoraiya Dyer
5. “The Fletcher Test” by Dirk Flinthart
6. “Ghosts” by Stephanie Gunn
7. “Sleepers” by Kaia Landelius
8. “Solitary” by Dave Luckett
9. “Cold comfort” by David McDonald
10. “The Mornington Ride” by Jason Nahrung
11. “What books survive” by Tansy Rayner Roberts
12. “The last good town” by Elizabeth Tan

Now go enter dagnamit!

Goodreads Book Giveaway

Epilogue

by Tehani Wessely

Giveaway ends June 08, 2012.
See the giveaway details

at Goodreads.

Enter to win

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Cover Candy–Epilogue from FableCroft

To the left is the cover of FableCroft’s Epilogue.  The artist is the amazing Amanda Rainey,

What’s Epilogue?

Editor Tehani Wessely put out a call for submissions last year on the following idea:

The world is ending: climate change, natural disaster, war and disease threaten to destroy all we know. Predictions of the future are bleak. But does the apocalypse really mean the end of the world? Is there no hope for a future that follows?

FableCroft Publishing is seeking speculative fiction stories on the theme “Apocalypse Hope”. The stories must in some way address the idea that after the apocalypse (whatever and wherever in your universe that might be), there is a future for the peoples who survive it. The rest is up to your imagination.

After the Apocalypse would have been a really cool title but unfortunately it had already been snagged by another author.  Tehani commenced a media campaign to name the book and “Epilogue” was the result.

Who’s in it?

The table of contents can be found here.

But just to throw some names in the air:

Joanne Anderton, Steve Cameron,Thoraiya Dyer, Dirk Flinthart, Jason Nahrung and Tansy Rayner Roberts

Pre-Order special:

The book will be released at Continuum 8, but you can get a couple of dollars off the price here.

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