Indie sf anthology with Moorcock, Bear, Ford, Reynolds and others
Tony from the StarShipSofa podcast sez,
Anthology (Thanks, Tony!)
Celebrating the show's 100th episode, show host and editor Tony C. Smith unveiled StarShipSofa Stories Volume 1, an anthology of some of the finest stories featured on the show. The book was released simultaneously in print-on-demand paperback (deluxe and standard versions) and a free downloadable ebook. This is absolutely the first anthology to present writers of this calibre without big publisher backing - from Science Fiction Grand Master Michael Moorcock to Hugo winners Elizabeth Bear and Jeffrey Ford to the SF writer who's just bagged the £1,000,000 ten book deal Alastair Reynolds (that's almost $2,000,000 in the USA).Speaking of seeing, that's something you've got to do with this book. Don't take my word for it -- download the free ebook or flip through the pages for yourself with the super-cool online widget. This volume is an homage to the tatty old paperbacks of science fiction past, recapturing the visual wonder of the 1950's pulp paperbacks that we all love so well. Original artwork sets off each story, rendered by top artists published by the likes of 2000AD and Neil Gaiman. Sprinkled liberally throughout are original vintage images and magazine adverts from the 1950's. A true homage to classic science fiction and a daring experiment in the publishing revolution, this is nostalgia nouveau and tomorrow today all in one package.
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I appreciate Boing-Boing giving me a Hugo, but the fact is I haven't won one.
your dedicated reader,
Jeff Ford
Love the logo. You should use that for the 'cast, Tony.
Jeff,
actually, I think it was Tony who gave you a Hugo, enjoy!
Sorry Jeff, and thank you for the most gracious correction. Jeffrey Ford is a Hugo nominee, and he has won and been nominated for many prestigious awards.
"This is absolutely the first anthology to present writers of this calibre without big publisher backing"
Um...Ravens in the Library -- Holly Black, Francesca Lia Block, Charles de Lint, Neil Gaiman, Laurel K. Hamilton, Midori Snyder, Cathrynne M. Valente, Terri Windling, and more?
Space Cadets, from the 2006 Worldcon -- Connie Willis, Mercedes Lackey, Harry Turtledove, Kevin J. Anderson, David Brin, Larry Niven, Mike Resnick, Gregory Benford & Elizabeth Malartre, Kristine Kathryn Rusch & Dean Wesley Smith, Josepha Sherman, Tobias Buckell, Kay Kenyon, Catherine Asaro, Barry Malzberg, John DeChancie, David Gerrold, and more?
I'm sure there have been others I don't know about, too. It's not that Starship Sofa doesn't have good stories; I'm sure it's a great antho. But it's hardly a first.
The first indie publisher to present authors of this caliber? Really?
VOICES FOR THE CURE includes Mike Resnick, Robert J. Sawyer-- and none other than Cory Doctorow himself! You'd think he'd have remembered that one.
http://www.whiterocketbooks.com/index_voices.htm
And what's more, profits benefit the American Diabetes Association.
First such anthology by a podcast, all authors donated their work, and it's available for free download. There have been other great anthologies, but this one is trying something new - and with impressive authors on board. I expect we'll see more of this kind of project in future.
Anon @ 7: It's not the first donation antho to contain big names; it's not the first donation antho without big-press backing to contain big names. It may be the first freely downloadable antho from a podcast to contain big names, but that's not what was claimed. The exact quote is "This is absolutely the first anthology to present writers of this calibre without big publisher backing", and that's simply not true.
Anon @ 6: thanks for the pointer; I didn't know about that one!