In the mail this week, I received a finished copy of Songs of Love and Death, an anthology of new fiction from romance, science fiction and fantasy authors you’ve probably never heard of, like Neil Gaiman, Marjorie M. Liu, Diana Gabaldon, Jim Butcher, Jo Beverly, Mary Jo Putney, Jacqueline Carey and some other people. Gosh, it’s amazing how people with no track record of really honking excellent fiction get to assemble into an anthology AND get really slurpy-good cover art, isn’t it? Outrageous when that happens.
Anyway, because (a) I have an ARC and (b) I’m not done with it yet and also (c) fantasy and science fiction are not what my brain is craving right now and (d) I certainly don’t need a hardcover copy (see [a] re: ARC) I decided to give my copy away. Right here, right now, like that 90’s pop song only with Neil Gaiman instead of Jesus Jones.
This book isn’t out until 16 November, and I’ll mail the book on Friday 5 November Priority Mail, so if you’re in the US, you’ll get it before the release date. I’ll absolutely throw in the customary Smart Bitch Swag that goes into every possible mailing (stickers, SBTB post its, random pieces of cat hair – you know, the regular swag).
If you are the winner, and you want to let me know what you think of it, please do send up a flare, or an email, or both. I can’t require such things due to pesky laws and regulations but I am always curious what people think of the books they win here at the hot pink palace of Bitchery.
What do you have to do to win? Tell me which story or which author you want to read the most – and if you can’t pick one because you’ve never heard of any of these people (gosh who ARE these upstart nobodies anyway? Does NO ONE vet these anthologies for People Who Are Amazing Writers requirement? Sheesh) – tell me which author of romance, fantasy, or science fiction you’d like to see in an anthology next.
Leave your entry in the comments, or, if you’re Neil Gaiman or Tanith Lee and you didn’t get your own copy, you can email me your entry at sarahATsmartbitchestrashybooksDOTcom with “Anthology giveaway” in the subject line. Comments close in 24 hours, and I’ll announce the winner tomorrow afternoon. If I get the address by Friday afternoon, I’ll mail it out Saturday morning. Standard disclaimers apply: I’m not being compensated for this giveaway except for one less hardback and a little less cat hair in my house. I’m watching the world wake up from history. Machine wash cold, lay flat to dry. Not suitable for anyone under the age of 6. May cause extreme giddiness in your pants.
Jim Butcher because I love the Dresden files leikwhoa. *_*
Um, Neil Gaiman is the top story pick. But you know, what better time to start reading Gabaldon, right?
Pick me!
I’m looking forward to the Diana Gabaldon and Jacqueline Carey stories. Those ladies write some seriously epic stuff. Can’t wait to see how they do in the short story arena.
Actually, anthologies are pretty scary in terms of reading stuff by authors I already like since they turn out to be pretty disappointing.
Easily my least favorite stories in the in Death series are the anthology ones.
Diana Gabaldon, because I’m hoping it’s a Lord John story, and it’s been too long since she’s come out with a Lord John novel.
I’d actually like to see a Gaiman/Gabaldon collaboration. They could pair up and write a sassy dark romance with a copious amount of doors and time travel.
I love anthologies, that’s how I’ve discovered a lot of new to me authors. I’d most like to read Jo Beverly.
I would actually like to read all of them because *gasp* I’ve never read one single word by any of those authors. (No, I don’t live in a cave.) And I can always use more cat hair at my house ‘cause lord only knows my cat doesn’t shed AT ALL!
I cannot wait to read Marjorie M Liu’s story! I absolutely devour anything that amazing woman writes! I’ve loved her since Tiger Eye and with Shadow Touch she grabbed my heart and hasn’t let go yet!
Thanks for the giveaway!
For me it’s a tie between Neil Gaiman & Jim Butcher. Pick me and when the book arrives I’ll flip a coin to decide which one to real first.
OH! OH! OH! OH! OH! (Obligatory Mr. Kotter Ref.)
Neil Gaiman! SWOOOOOOOOON.
I also adore Ms. Gabaldon.
Thanks for thinking of us!
I have followed Marjorie since the beginning of her career. She is my absolute favorite author, and as an unpublished writer, she’s my worst intimidator too. Majorie packs a lot of punch with her words! I recommend her to everyone I know!
I’d have to go with a toss up between the two front runners- Gaiman and Gabaldon 🙂
I just checked the blurb on the book and now I have a quandary. Are there any better writers of intriguing fantasy than Gaiman? but I love Peter Beagle, (the scene in The last Unicorn where Molly confronts to Unicorn for having come so late. sigh). Oh and Hobb and Lee and Butcher, all writers I enjoy. But wow they are in company of writer’s I don’t know! New goodness. I want to read them all.
I have not read anything by any of these authors before but I have seen Marjorie M. Liu’s name going around on twitter =) I would like to read something from her. Its the same way I found out about Michele Hauf and she’s awesome! Thanks for the contest.
I have been waiting for this book. I’m looking forward to many of the stories, especially the the Gabaldon.
How to choose? I love ALL the authors listed on the cover…but I guess the first one I’d go for is the Gabaldon (only because there is such a gap between books that a fix would be good)
I am looking forward to reading Jim Butcher and Diana Gabaldon. I can’t get enough of Dresden Files kind of stuff and hot Highlanders! I need an in-between novels fix!
Marjorie M. Liu I was thinking of cutting and pasting the list but well I figured that was to much work. I need to get back to reading. I love anthologies. Thanks for a great contest.
Neil Gaiman – I kept getting dragged to comic book stores in college due to True Love(tm), and the proprietress took pity on my long-suffering visage and placed a Sandman comic (#50) in my hands and told me I would love it. I adored it and so I eagerly went to the comic book store after that. I truly wanted to be Neil Gaiman when I grew up (or at least get his knowledge. The stuff he knows…) I normally dislike short stories, but I love his shorter works. He also has written a (very) short story that changed my view about suicide: I always considered it a viable option in a “well maybe” kind of way, but a vignette he wrote in Endless Nights changed my view completely.
Diana Gabaldon – Her newest (which came out last year, mind you) is taunting me from my book shelf. I love her stuff (Jamie, FTW!) but the last couple books I cried. No, I didn’t cry – I BAWLED! And I haven’t been up to that level of emotional wrenching. So maybe a shorter story could entice me back to her?
Jacqueline Carey – If I didn’t already have a couple of back tattoos already, I would so get the Phedre’s rose. Yes, I know, but her books are the perfect combination of all the genres I love: romance, erotica, history, alternate history … that she is one of my favorite authors. I love the fact that she can change the tone of voice of the narrator of the books so drastically. Imriel has a different voice than Phedre, and Moirin has her own voice as well.
Do I really need to go into Butcher, Vaughn, and Liu? *grin*
Well – you mean I have to choose a favorite!! I can’t I really, really can’t! I like so many of them for various reasons, it’s impossible to choose a favorite.
Neil Gaiman – classic, weird but really good stories.
Majorie M Liu – paranormal books getting better all the time.
Diana Galbadon – classic! I can remember the exact moment the librarian suggested I read her books and I’ve turned multiple people on to her…
Jim Butcher – who doesn’t like magic and a wizard who doesn’t do well with tech or a whole world of elements gone wild.
Carrie Vaughn- Female werewolf kicking butt. Nice.
And list goes on. Who ever gets it will enjoy it like heck. I know I will.
It would be shorter for me to list the authors in this anthology who don’t excite me! There are only a few names here not on my “OMG squee” list, because I am a longtime fantasy reader who also reads a lot of romance. But for argument’s sake, I’ll say Jacqueline Carey, because I just finished her latest book last month, which means this is the only new thing of hers I’m likely to see for at least a year.
Oh man, do I want to read this. All of it.
I would have to say Gabaldon or Marjorie M. Liu. Thanks!
Oh my – such a pity they gathered up so many no-name authors to create this anthology. So glad the editor and publisher are taking a chance on these writers. I really hope at least one of them has talent. I suppose I’ll take a chance on the Gaiman chap – what a great name!
OH jeez, it’s a three-way (ohh la la) tie between Gabaldon, Gaiman, and Butcher. I don’t think I’ve read any short stories from any of them before though, and I’d love to see how they do with the format.
I MUST have this book. Jim Butcher is such a Fav of mine, and he fills in the gaps between his books with stories in anthologies. I have been Butcher-deprived since April becaise he hasn’t released an alternate series to take the place of his Alera Codex (now finished) to fill in when we are all STARVING and CRAVING the Dresdin Files.
After I finally found the correct pronunciation of her name and stopped saying Gabble-Doon, I can freely admit (and write) that Diana Gabaldon is my favorite and the reason I’d read this anthology. Jim Butcher and Neil Gaiman are no slouches either I might add. Gabaldon’s novels are thick and rich with interesting and complicated characters, funny dialogue,and in depth historical facts. But, primarily (although red heads never did it for me before) I dig that Jamie Fraser. Whooee dawgy. Ya ken?
Oh me please me. Jim Butcher – Love the Dresden Files, Majorie M. Liu – Love her books too. Jo Beverly – Wouldn’t mind reading her story either. Actually, wouldn’t mind checking out the whole book. So pick me please!
Gaiman I think first, I like all of the authors. I am also torn, do I really want something that will collect dust (and cat hair)? If it is meant then so be it. Thanks for the contest.
I’ve been hooked on Gabaldon forever! I don’t know how many people I’ve recommended Outlander to!
The Tanith Lee story. I’ve been hooked ever since Silver Metal Lover!!!
Neil Gaiman. Neil Gaiman. Neil Gaiman.
Mary Jo Putney.
Neil Gaiman! He’s the only author I consistently buy in hardcover (and I’ve gone to great lengths to get his out-of-print stuff, like the wonderfully silly Ghastly Beyond Belief, which is a compendium of dreadful quotations from science fiction books and movies). I love his novels, and words cannot express my admiration of and delight in The Sandman, but I think he’s by far most successful as a short-story writer.
I do love me some Jim Butcher and Peter S. Beagle, but Gaiman is by far my favorite.
Neil Gaiman. His short stories are wonderful.
Jacqueline Carey or Marjorie M. Liu. Such a close call…
Oh dear, I might actually live in a cave. I only know Neil Gaiman and Diana Gabaladon from the list even though I’m no rabid D.G. fan as I stopped Outlander at book three. Which means this would be a great way for me to be introduced to these other writers. I have a shortish attention span and I’m
cheapfrugal and books are stupid-expensive in Oz. It’s like they don’t want to encourage book reading or learning or anything that’s not sport related. Let’s give the finger to the bastards who put exhorbitant taxes on books in Australia – send it to me for free! That’ll show ‘em.Definitely Jim Butcher because I’ve yet to read anything of his that I didn’t love and that didn’t totally suck me into the story. Although if George R.R. Martin were a contributor as well as an editor, I’d be all sorts of happy. Looks like it will be a quality collection, but I’d be tempted to get it for the cover alone — how awesome is that artwork?
So hard to choose but I am going to say Gaiman…
Diana Gabaldon. My favorite teacher of all time was right way back in the day when she saw me reading Outlander and promised that Jamie would ruin me for all men.