Category: GENERAL

New Anthology: DEAD MAN’S HAND

This one has been under wraps for a while, but I’m happy to announce that I’ve edited an all-original anthology of “weird west” stories for Titan Books, called Dead Man’s Hand. Here’s the press release and the (not final) cover:

DeadMansHand_roughTitan Books announced today that next spring it will publish Dead Man’s Hand: An Anthology of the Weird West (May 2014, Trade Paperback), an exclusive “weird western” anthology, edited by John Joseph Adams, that will include stories from many of today’s most talented authors, some new to the genre and others well-known to readers.

The twenty-two original works—produced specifically for this volume—will range from a brand new Orson Scott Card tale (his first “Alvin Maker” story in a decade), to an original adventure by Fred Van Lente (creator of Cowboys & Aliens). It will also include stories such as Elizabeth Bear’s story of a steampunk bordello, and new writer Rajan Khanna’s exploration of sorcery found in a magical deck of playing cards.

“The weird western is the forefather of steampunk, with a history that includes Stephen King’s Dark Tower and Card’s Alvin Maker,” editor John Joseph Adams explains.  “But where steampunk is Victorian, weird westerns are darker, grittier, so the protagonist might be gunned down in a duel, killed by a vampire, or confronted by aliens on the streets of a dusty frontier town.”

The phrase “dead man’s hand’ refers to the poker hand held by Wild Bill Hickok when he was shot and killed by the coward Jack McCall.  “What the hand actually was seems to be open to some debate,” Adams continues.  “I suppose the only way we could ever know for sure would be to reanimate his corpse or to travel back in time … both of which are the stuff of the “weird western” tale—stories of the Old West infused with elements of the fantastic.”

Here’s the full table of contents:

  • Introduction—John Joseph Adams
  • The Red-Headed Dead—Joe R. Lansdale
  • The Old Slow Man and His Gold Gun From Space—Ben H. Winters
  • Hellfire on the High Frontier—David Farland
  • The Hell-Bound Stagecoach—Mike Resnick
  • Stingers and Strangers—Seanan McGuire
  • Bookkeeper, Narrator, Gunslinger—Charles Yu
  • Holy Jingle—Alan Dean Foster
  • The Man With No Heart—Beth Revis
  • Wrecking Party—Alastair Reynolds
  • Hell from the East—Hugh Howey
  • Second Hand—Rajan Khanna
  • Alvin and the Apple Tree—Orson Scott Card
  • Madam Damnable’s Sewing Circle—Elizabeth Bear
  • Strong Medicine—Tad Williams
  • Red Dreams—Jonathan Maberry
  • Bamboolzed—Kelley Armstrong
  • Sundown—Tobias S. Buckell
  • La Madre Del Oro—Jeffrey Ford
  • What I Assume You Shall Assume—Ken Liu
  • The Devil’s Jack—Laura Anne Gilman
  • The Golden Age—Walter Jon Williams
  • Neversleeps—Fred Van Lente
  • Dead Man’s Hand—Christie Yant

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Hugos!

Yesterday, the news was announced that Lightspeed is again a Hugo Award finalist for best semiprozine, and I am again a nominee for best editor, short-form. I’m extremely honored to be nominated again, so please allow me to say a big THANK YOU to everyone who voted for me and the magazine.

Speaking of awards, in case you missed the news earlier: The Nebula Award nominees for this year have also been announced, and Lightspeed has two finalists in the short story category: “Give Her Honey When You Hear Her Scream” by Maria Dahvana Headley and “The Bookmaking Habits of Select Species” by Ken Liu.

So congrats again to Ken and Maria, and also to all of the other nominees for both the Hugo and Nebula.

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READING/SIGNING: 7PM Today at Powell’s Books @ Cedar Hills Crossing in Beaverton, OR

I’m on tour! Tor Books is sending me on a short, regional/west coast book tour in support of the release of my new anthology, The Mad Scientist’s Guide to World Domination. Today’s event is listed below, but you can also check out the whole tour schedule to see if I’m coming to a bookstore near you.

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PANEL: 1:20 – 2:15 PM Today at Emerald City Comic Con in Seattle, WA

I’m on tour! Tor Books is sending me on a short, regional/west coast book tour in support of the release of my new anthology, The Mad Scientist’s Guide to World Domination. Today’s event is listed below, but you can also check out the whole tour schedule to see if I’m coming to a bookstore near you.

  • Emerald City Comic Con
    • PANEL: The Mad Scientist’s Guide to World Domination
    • Sunday, Mar. 3, 1:20pm – 2:15pm
    • Hall C | Rooms 602-603
    • Washington State Convention Center, 800 Convention Pl, Seattle, WA
    • Also featuring contributors Daniel H. Wilson, Seanan McGuire, and Chris Claremont!

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READING/SIGNING: 7PM Today at University Bookstore in Seattle, WA

I’m on tour! Tor Books is sending me on a short, regional/west coast book tour in support of the release of my new anthology, The Mad Scientist’s Guide to World Domination. Today’s event is listed below, but you can also check out the whole tour schedule to see if I’m coming to a bookstore near you.

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Oz Reimagined is Now Available!

Oz ReimaginedOz Reimagined: New Tales from the Emerald City and Beyond is now available. Visit the website to learn more about the anthology, or use the links below to purchase the book.

Trade Paperback

Ebook

Single Stories

Each of the stories in the anthology are also available for pre-order individually as Kindle Singles. (You can also see a gallery of all the covers.)

Audio

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SIGNING: 7PM Today at The Poisoned Pen in Scottsdale, AZ

I’m on tour! Tor Books is sending me on a short, regional/west coast book tour in support of the release of my new anthology, The Mad Scientist’s Guide to World Domination. Today’s event is listed below, but you can also check out the whole tour schedule to see if I’m coming to a bookstore near you.

  • Poisoned Pen
    • SIGNING
    • Feb. 25, 7:00pm
    • 4014 N Goldwater Blvd STE 101, Scottsdale, AZ
    • Also featuring contributor Diana Gabaldon!

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READING/SIGNING: 3PM Today at Borderlands Books in San Francisco, CA

I’m on tour! Tor Books is sending me on a short, regional/west coast book tour in support of the release of my new anthology, The Mad Scientist’s Guide to World Domination. Today’s event is listed below, but you can also check out the whole tour schedule to see if I’m coming to a bookstore near you.

Borderlands
READING / SIGNING
Feb. 23, 3:00pm
866 Valencia St., San Francisco, CA
Also featuring contributor Seanan McGuire!

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READING/SIGNING: 7PM Today at Mysterious Galaxy in San Diego, CA

I’m on tour! Tor Books is sending me on a short, regional/west coast book tour in support of the release of my new anthology, The Mad Scientist’s Guide to World Domination. Today’s event is listed below, but you can also check out the whole tour schedule to see if I’m coming to a bookstore near you.

Mysterious Galaxy
READING / SIGNING
Feb. 22, 7:00pm
7051 Clairemont Mesa Blvd Ste 302, San Diego, CA
Also featuring contributor Austin Grossman!

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