Hear Ye, Hear Ye!

[kerravonsen]

I got a letter this week, which had me bursting with squee.

A fantasy novel I had read an early draft of many years ago, a novel I utterly adored, a novel I dared not hope would ever be published... has been published.

SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

(Ahem)

http://www.manycoloured.com/

The author is Annie Hamilton, long-time friend of mine, who taught me huge amounts about writing and editing, back in the day.

The story itself, which I read when it was titled "Tumbl'tower", might, at first glance, seem to be just another of the ten million children's fantasy novels around - it's got goblins and elves and magic, and human protagonists on a quest through a fantastical land - but there are places where it subverts the tropes, and others where it introduces things that are completely new. There are characters I loved, and a sort of mythic depth to it - you feel as if the Realm is old, with layers of history in it, not just a clone of modern Europe with magic-technology slapped on the top of it.

And, as the author points out on the site, there isn't a map. (grin)

Comments

[altariel.livejournal.com]

Wasn't she a regular contributor to Enarrare? Or am I mistaking her for someone else?

[kerravonsen]

No you aren't mistaking her for someone else; she was an editor and contributor. I wasn't aware that you were familiar with Enarrare, that's all.

[altariel.livejournal.com]

A friend of mine agented it in the UK back in the early 90s. I read her copies, and I have a copy of the beautiful big black collection, which I used to take round cons to get signed by actors. Some of the best B7 fic I've ever read.

[kerravonsen]

Ah yes, the Big Black Zine, the Opus, the Special Edition. Probably the most impressive zine I've ever seen.

If you like Space: Above and Beyond, Annie also wrote an awesome series of stories set after the end of SAAB. They were in Enarrare issues 10-11 and 14-16, alas, out of print. (Note to self: go and re-read them).

[altariel.livejournal.com]

I'm not sure I ever watched more than a couple of episodes of S:AAB. I think it might have been on while I was moving around a fair bit.

It's a stunning zine. I'm just sorting through my zines at the moment, I might pull it out and have a read.