Space Opera is not a book to read all at once. It is a book to savor. You should read one chapter at a time and bask in the afterglow. I have a chronic illness that causes me to spend a lot of time in the bathroom, so when I say that this was a perfect, incandescent, practically glowing bathroom book, I mean it, unironically, as the highest praise. If it can punctuate the last week … Continue reading Space Opera by Catherynne M. Valente
Here are the main things you need to know about The Refrigerator Monologues: it is intense, painful, and triumphant. It is NOT a romance. Readers would benefit from some familiarity with common comic book tropes while reading. Also, it’s feminist as fuck. The book derives its inspiration from the Women in Refrigerators website created by Gail Simone in 1999. Simone launched a conversation that is still going strong about the frequency with which female characters are … Continue reading The Refrigerator Monologues by Catherynne M. Valente and Annie Wu
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy meets Eurovision in an over-the-top science fiction spectacle from bestselling author Catherynne Valente has galaxies competing for glory in a universe-wide musical contest—where the stakes are as high as the fate of planet Earth. A century ago, the Sentience Wars tore the galaxy apart and nearly ended the entire concept of intelligent space-faring life. In the aftermath, a curious tradition was invented—something to cheer up everyone who was left and … Continue reading Space Opera
The lives of six female superheroes and the girlfriends of superheroes. A ferocious riff on women in superhero comics From the New York Times bestselling author Catherynne Valente comes a series of linked stories from the points of view of the wives and girlfriends of superheroes, female heroes, and anyone who’s ever been “refrigerated”: comic book women who are killed, raped, brainwashed, driven mad, disabled, or had their powers taken so that a male superhero’s … Continue reading The Refrigerator Monologues
As I’m writing this, Boston is getting hit with a snowstorm, delivering 8-14 inches (hehehe). Both of my roommates are working from home with me, so this drink cocktail post has turned into a full day-drinking party. I couldn’t be happier. Snow. A beautiful, boozy cocktail. Good books. Marie has Swing Time by Zadie Smith. Stephanie has At the Edge of the Universe by Shaun David Hutchinson. And me…I’m finishing up Wintersong and oh, boy. … Continue reading Covers & Cocktails Giveaway: Crescendo
Koschei the Deathless is to Russian folklore what devils or wicked witches are to European culture: a menacing, evil figure; the villain of countless stories which have been passed on through story and text for generations. But Koschei has never before been seen through the eyes of Catherynne Valente, whose modernized and transformed take on the legend brings the action to modern times, spanning many of the great developments of Russian history in the twentieth … Continue reading Deathless
From the Sunday Times bestselling author of The Wolf and the Woodsman comes a gothic retelling of The Juniper Tree, where a young witch seeks to discover her identity and escape the domination of her abusive wizard father. Perfect for fans of Angela Carter, Catherynne M. Valente and Shirley Jackson. A gruesome curse. A city in upheaval. A monster with unquenchable appetites. As the last true witches living in a city shifting from magic to industry, Marlinchen and her two … Continue reading Juniper & Thorn
I’ve always maintained that it is difficult to do a romance short-story because the format doesn’t allow for the required amount for character or relationship growth. I’m happy to say that the anthology Someone in Times: Tales of Time-Crossed Romance is the exception that proves the rule, with an amazing collection of love stories in short-story form (some with happy endings and some not) and not a bad story in the lot. All of these … Continue reading Someone In Time edited by Jonathan Strahan
Anthology of inclusive tales of people through time looking for one another and for ways for the world to be better. Love brought together or torn apart by time travel. This anthology is the latest collection of time-travel romance sci-fi short stories from prominent, award-winning sci-fi authors including Nina Allan, Carrie Vaughn, and Seanan McGuire. Follow timetravelers of all genders as they go backward and forward in time, sometimes to save the one they love, … Continue reading Someone in Time
Free event alert! Tomorrow – Tuesday, November 2 at 7:00pm: I’m so please to continue some awesome romance programming at Belmont Books! Join us for the launch of Vanessa King’s debut, A Certain Appeal! Expect a lively discussion as King talks with burlesque performer Viola Vainglory about her release. Attendance is free and you can register here! Next week on November 10th, we have another romance event with K.M. Jackson for How to Marry Keanu … Continue reading TOMORROW: Vanessa King in conversation with Viola Vainglory
What if America’s founding ideals finally became reality? A future of peace, justice, and love comes to life in original speculative stories that challenge oppression and embrace inclusiveness–from N. K. Jemisin, Charles Yu, Jamie Ford, and more. For many Americans, imagining a bright future has always been an act of resistance. A People’s Future of the United States presents twenty never-before-published stories by a diverse group of writers, featuring voices both new and well-established. These stories imagine … Continue reading A People’s Future of the United States
