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.
Neil Gaiman! I loved The Graveyard Book. I remember reading the end and having to sit back and take it all in. (And cry!) Also, Neil is the best to his fans, he’s net savvy(always posting blogs and answering questions and hosting giveaways), and from everything I’ve heard and seen is a wonderful man to meet in person. Did I mention the charity work he does? That too.
So yeah.
I’m a Neil Gaiman fangirl! 😉
I want to say Mary Jo Putney, but I think I need to accept that the MJP I loved stopped writing around 2000.
So, make it Neil Gaiman, since he’d be an author my husband and I could both read.
Close call between Jim Butcher and Jacqueline Carey, but overall I do love a good Harry Dresden story
Jim Butcher = LOVE!!
There are only two authors in the book that I haven’t heard of (and one of those still sounds familiar) – I read romance, SFF, mystery, and anything else I can get my hands on, because a good book is a good book. So I don’t know how to choose!
If you’re putting a gun to my head, I’d have to say Neil or Tanith. Neil because, well, he’s Neil, and Tanith because I’ve been inhaling her stuff since I was in junior high. (Of course the same is true of Peter S. Beagle’s stuff, so… I think you just pulled the trigger, didn’t you?) 😉
The only authors I’m not dying to read right now are Diana Gabaldon and Jacqueline Carey. The others are all on my must buy list.
The one I want to read most of all is the Jacqueline Carey story, to finally get the romance of Delauney and his prince, but I also want to read the Diana Gabaldon, Neil Gaiman and Jim Butcher stories. I so desperately want this anthology, it’s been on my Must Buy list since I first heard of it.
Can I only choose one? Oh, dear.
There are authors in there I want to get to know better, like Diana Gabaldon and Tanith lee, but also old favourites like Neil Gaiman and Jo Beverley, but if I were to be absolutely honest, I’d say the story I wan to read the most is Gaiman’s.
I was just thinking I need to read some more Gabaldon! I’ve never read Neil Gaiman, but want to because I’ve heard good things about him! And yes, I’d do a review of the book!
OMG. OMG OMG OMG!! Want WANT WANT WANT!
Ahem. Sorry, SBSarah. Got a little carried away over my keyboard. But hey, drool wipes up easil…wait, it’s UNDER the keys? Frack. Me.
Sigh. Look, lady, gimme the hardcover and no more innocent computer accessories need to suffer, m’kay?
Gaiman. Carey. Butcher. Nomnomnomnom…..ACK MORE DROOL! Save the keyboard! Send me the book!
Even though I have a bit of a hate-on for George R.R. Martin (for writing series that he NEVER FINISHES – ahem), I am really excited about this book. For all the authors, but especially Diana Gabaldon and Robin Hobb. Thanks for the chance to win the ARC!
Marjorie Liu’s story is my top pick for sure.
I want the Jacqueline Carey story. I hadn’t heard about it , so I’m glad to see the listing.
So many wonderful authors in one place! I
Peter Beagle (you need the audio version spoken by the author, he does excellent peformances!) and Jim Butcher would be cool, but I am most interested in reading the stories from Carrie Vaughn, Mary Jo Putney, and Jo Beverly. Send it this way!
It’s a tie between Carrie Vaughn and Jim Butcher for me. But I haven’t read anything short from J Carey so that might be interesting 🙂
Of Jim Butcher, Jacqueline Carey or Diana Gabaldon… whoever comes first in the table of contents is who will be read first!! 🙂
So many other great authors but those are the MUST reads for me.
I want to read the Jim Butcher one, even if it has nothing to do with Harry Dresden, because I am madly in love with the perverted spirit Bob The Skull.
Yes, I love that bony little head.
Neil Gaiman – I’ve loved his other short story works (for the most part) and Smoke & Mirrors holds a pride of place on the Shelf Reserved For Favourites And Best Books Ever. It’s shoulder to shoulder with Robin McKinley’s Sunshine, and Nalini Singh’s Slave to Sensation. He’s also written a Doctor Who episode – It’ll be one I actually watch!
I absolutely cannot wait for Jacqueline Carey’s story about Anafiel and Rolande. I’ve been waiting for their backstory ever since I fell in love with the Kushiel series. <3
@ Sarah – if I remember correctly, this was in the works for a long while. But he sys he’s making headway. (I stalk his blog & the Winter is Coming folks) But yeah, GRRM – we love you, we want great things (ie not something spinning out of control like a certain Truth or Wheel) but faster please? We’re dying here.
I have enjoyed reading many of the authors currently starring in the Songs of Love and Death anthology, but if I can just go to my special place for a moment, I would like the next anthology to include a short by Robert Heinlein, and one by Ray Bradbury. I loves me some old school sci-fi…
I’m equally excited about Neil Gaiman and Mary Jo Putney…Never expected to see both of their works in the same anthology!
Oooh, the Neil Gaiman one I think, though it is a tough choice. I have loved him ever since I read Stardust (before the movie!) and I was so impressed with how different and awesome he is.
So torn. As a rule, I simply do NOT buy anything that will pay Gabaldon a red cent, but this is filled with other authors that I love. Ah, dilemmas . . .
First, the Gabaldon, then the Carey, then Butcher and then the rest – what a good looking anthology mix.
Let’s see, I’d like to read the story by: Neil Gaiman, Marjorie M. Liu, Diana Gabaldon, Jim Butcher, Jo Beverly, Mary Jo Putney, Carrie Vaughn….
The one I’d like to read the very most would be Marjorie M. Liu’s, I really enjoy her writing.
I can’t say I know which is the author in question, but the Amazon blurb had me from “faery-haunted rural fields in eighteenth- century England.” Really- Neil Gaiman, Jo Beverly, and a person with my all-time favorite last name of Snodgrass? How can you go wrong?
The main story I am looking forward to is Jacqueline Carey – I really enjoyed her novels, so I am interested to see if she can do the same thing in a short story.
In terms of future authors, I would love to see something by CJ Cherryh.
I really want to read the Neil Gaiman story. No the Jim Butcher one. No I changed my mind again Neil Gaiman…definitely… maybe.. oh I don’t know, but I’m sure I can make up my mind by the time I get the book :). Really both of these authors are amazing.
Butcher would be the first one I would/will read. Or maybe the last if it’s a Dresden story. I am on Turn Coat on CD in my car, and James Marsters has really, really made the stories come alive. I am now waiting impatiently for Side Jobs to come out on audio. It’s killing me. I hate waiting. And then I will be done. And I will cry and go into mourning.
I need more Butcher with a little bit of Marsters on the side.
Jacqueline Carey! Because despite not loving her recent stuff, her original first book was the definition of perfect, so I want to know what her short stories are like. Gaiman, Butcher and Vaughn tied for second since I’m a total fangirl for all three of them ^_^
Jim Butcher because there is nothing so good as a dose of Dresden
Gabadon FTW
It’s a tough choice, as I love the Outlander series, but I am in love with Neil Gaiman’s writing style and his imagination. Although Jim Butcher is AWESOME as is Jacqueline Carey. Too many good choices…guess I’ll stick with Gaiman! 🙂
Really looking forward to the Gabaldon, Butcher, and Carey stories.
I just read a great short story by Marjorie Liu and I love her Dirk & Steele series, so she’s my pick. But there are so many upstart nobodies it’s really hard to choose just one. LOL
Thanks for the giveaway! 🙂
Patrice
I Love, Love, Love Diana Gabaldon. You must really read Outlander, it is the best story and greatest characters. And have been wanting to read Neil Gaiman for awhile now.
Ooh, talk about being chock full of good writers! My first choice is Diana Gabaldon, because I love her stuff – she got me through the tail end of a boring road trip back in 1998, and I’ve yet to be less than thoroughly enthralled by her work.
Second choice is Mary Jo Putney. I started reading her when I was a young teenager, and while I’ve ‘outgrown’ some romance authors from those years, I still delight in whatever she comes up with, because I know the women will be worthy of admiration, and the men honorable.
What a great giveaway. I’m crossing my fingers I luck out.
Um hello! Jo Beverly!
Once upon a time when I was a little college undergrad at UC Santa Cruz and far far away from my mother’s large Garwood/McNaught/Lindsey romance collection and was pining for a good HEA, I wandered into the tiny tiny Santa Cruz public library’s book sale. I got my hands on Something Wicked by Jo Beverly for 50 amazing cents. I was in love love love! In the next 6 years I’ve scoured every used bookstore, library book sale and thrift store for her back list. I think I’ve got it almost covered. (and she’s got an extensive back list) I’m ALWAYS looking forward to some Ms. Beverly!