Author Archives: ogresan

Unknown's avatar

About ogresan

Richard Parks' stories have have appeared in Asimov's SF, Realms of Fantasy, Fantasy Magazine, Weird Tales, and numerous anthologies, including several Year's Bests. His first story collection, THE OGRE'S WIFE, was a finalist for the World Fantasy Award. He is the author of the Yamada Monogatari series from Prime Books.

Public Service Announcement

Posted on by

Well, ok. I consider it a PSA. You might not, but it’s my blog, so there. To cut to the chase, PS Publishing is having a sale. They’re clearing out the almost-but-not-quite-gone items in stock, and that includes a few (a very few) of the regular signed hardcover of Hereafter, and After, including the lovely introduction by Andy Duncan. Once these are gone, that’s it. They’re selling them for 6.99L, which is around $11.18 USD. They originally sold for $40, so if someone would prefer the hc to the ebook edition, now is pretty much your last and best chance, because I can guarantee that the dealers won’t let it go for that.

Ok, besides me, they also have books by Jeff Ford, Chris Roberson, Tim Lebbon, and Joe Hill, among others on the sale page. And I’ll tell you something else–I looked at the sale page yesterday, and I looked at the sale page today. Guess what? It was a LOT shorter. They’re going fast.

Just sayin’.

The Heavenly Fox, Reviewed

Posted on by

Charles de Lint, writing in the November/December F&SF really liked The Heavenly Fox. 

Quote:

“I’m not sure how much of this book is based on actual Chinese fox mythology. I just know it’s a delight from start to finish: fresh, with a charming cast of characters, and the kind of prose that is both immediate and timeless.

In other words, Parks has delivered another winner that I can shelve in the keepers section of my library—right alongside my Thomas Burnett Swann books like The Goat without Horns and Moondust.”

It’s not every day I’m compared to Thomas Burnett Swann, who I confess was an early influence. You can read the full review here at Books to Look For.

We Gotta Think About This

Posted on by

In the November Locus magazine, Corey Doctorow has an article entitled “It’s Time to Stop Talking About Copyright.” Now, I admit up front that I’m a bit old school and protective when it comes to copyright, and Corey Doctorow is about three jumps ahead of the cutting edge on the subject. Which is to say that I always find whatever he has to say on the topic of Intellectual Property (IP) thought-provoking and well worth reading, even when I don’t agree with him. Odd thing, though–on several occasions when I emphatically did not agree with him, I find myself, unprompted and over time, slowly coming around to something a little closer to his position. So when I saw the title of the new Locus article, my immediate reaction was “Ok, convince me.”

Took about two paragraphs. Continue reading →

Just a Brief Note Admitting I Was Wrong

Posted on by

Carol and I had a minor disagreement at the Halloween party last night. The subject was a quote from Shakespeare. I was certain it was from Othello. She was certain that it was from Mac–oops, I mean “The Scottish Play.” She was right, of course.

And no, I didn’t lose a bet or anything. The point of this point is to pointedly (get the point?) remind me of a simple fact–when I am absolutely, positively, for darn sure that I’m right, that’s a good time to double check. In fact, it’s the best time. One can be racked with doubt. I do get that. Yet sometimes a little skosh of doubt keeps one from making a complete ass of oneself. Politicians and religious leaders fail that test all the time. I don’t want to be like them.

That is all.

The Company We Keep

Posted on by

In the last several months I’ve heard more than one established pro say something along the lines of “I’m sure glad that I broke in when I did. It’s a lot harder now.”

Whether you accept that premise or not depends mostly on how you define your terms. If you’re working strictly at novel length, that’s one thing. If you consider “breaking in” the process of making your first few decent short fiction sales and going from wannabe to neopro, then the statement is absurd on the face of it. It’s not easy to sell to a top-notch market starting out, and the fact that some people manage doesn’t change that. It wasn’t easy 10-20 years ago and it’s not any easier now, and if it was much if any easier back in the true pulp era I’d be amazed.

If, otoh, you define “breaking in” as establishing yourself and becoming a recognized name in the sf/f field, that’s a different kettle of herring. Over the past twenty years or so that’s gotten quite a bit harder. There are a lot of reasons for that: competition from other media, a fragmented readership, et many ceteras. Whatever the reason(s), I think it’s quite arguable that establishing yourself in the sf/f field is harder now than it’s ever been.

So why do new writers insist on making it harder than it has to be? Continue reading →