“Hold onto your head! Editor Jason Sizemore loads a shotgun with futuristic stories, puts the barrel against your brain and pulls the trigger… Standouts in this sf anthology include James Reilly’s Terra Tango 3, Jennifer Pelland’s Personal Jesus, and Michele Lee’s Meat World. These stories are cutthroat, sinister, sometimes lonely and always disturbing.”
—Jeff Carlson, international bestselling author of Plague Zone
I’ve been called a standout beside Jennifer Pelland. There really is no higher flattery than having your work put on the same level as someone you greatly admire. Thank you so much Jeff!
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Since this is the fifth book in the series readers really should be familiar with Faythe, Marc, Jace and the shifter world before picking this volume up. If you start here you should be able to pick things up, but the true levity of the situation is more complicated than this one book can explain. In fact, when compared to the rest of the series Shift is clearly a focusing book, eliminating some plot lines and focusing as the series comes to an end.
Faythe Sanders is a werecat, the prized female of her family, but abhorred by much of the rest of werecat society, which holds females to be used and manipulated for power (and to pop out babies to get more of the rare “tabbies”.) But in her family Faythe is an enforcer, bodyguard and extension of the alpha (her father)’s rule, and an unheard of position for the valuable females of the species. But living in a society that has fallen to such extremes such as women being kidnapped and bred over and over like in puppy mills, children being snatched to be raise to be broodmares instead of real people and women’s voices being overridden by any male in the area, has made Faythe unwilling to let herself of her cousins and extended family to continue being treated unequally. Her father has risked much to train her to be his own replacement, rather than forcing her to marry off. And for his own choices he’s now facing a full on werecat civil war against the clans that want things to remain as they are (with the power where it is as well).
However, Shift tones down the gender play and focuses on the family and pride dynamics. This book almost side steps from the direct plot arc to the werecat civil war and instead pits Faythe’s pride against a rookery of thunderbirds, avian shifters not seen in decades, who suddenly descend on the pride’s ranch out for blood.
Shift is partly side quest, part calm before the storm, which is saying something since most of the book is spent with the werecats fighting the onslaught of werebirds. But the focus is on untangling the depth of the situations Faythe finds herself in and in her learning how to work autonomously, making her own decisions. In essence, Faythe by this book is no longer working on defending her own right to be a valuable member of her pride rather than a valued possession of it, she’s learning the complications of being an alpha, no doubt preparing her to face the man out for her father’s blood.
Readers might find this the weakest book in the series, since most of the tension comes from an entirely new adversary and most of the drama comes from Faythe being torn between two men. It is still a fast, enjoyable read, pushing the series to a (hopefully) powerful conclusion. The growing up is hugely evident in this book, as is the focusing and accumulation feel to the overall plot line. Readers should savor every word and be ready for the final scene, Alpha, the sixth and last book due out this October (2010).
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Apex Magazine is a free online SF/horror magazine. You can read the April issue here.
This issue of Apex starts with “Dying with Her Cheer Pants On” by Seanan McGuire (also available in audio form in this issue). The tale should be whimsical, but it’s not, pitting a team of cheerleaders, narrow escapees from a vicious alien invasion, against the creatures that killed most of the people at the homecoming game. But this is no Buffy the Alien Slayer, instead it’s a tale of a fantasy and horror showdown against science fiction. Humorous as pitting an urban legend against alien invaders might be, McGuire pulls it off without a tongue-in-cheek or sarcastic style, instead making her cheerleaders the ultimate superheroes.
Another urban fantasy staple, Mark Henry, follows with “Seafoam”. Henry picks up the tongue-in-cheek where McGuire kept things serious, but there’s still a mismatch with “Seafoam”, which uses a humorous tone to tell a serious story of stalking, mermaids/aliens and a shoe fetish. Skewing another urban legend, this one being The Licker, who slips in through the dog door and licks the babysitter’s feet while she’s half asleep, Henry makes the villain less of a bad guy and more of a hapless, and by the end, helpless, guy with a kink that leads into all kinds of troubles. Light as the tone may be, the level of the obsession and actions taken concerning it are genuinely spooky.
“Snipe Hunting” by Jennifer Brozek rounds out this issue (the Close Encounters of the Urban Kind promo issue). This short, punchy tale capitalizes on the city folk vs country folk legends, specifically of “snipe hunting”, the practice of sending ignorant city folk out hunting mythical creatures in the woods. The scary bits involve what the city slicker actually finds in the shadows of the woods.
Overall it’s a fun issue, like a twisted fairy tales theme, only with urban legends instead. A little cheesy (like the legends themselves) but well done and definitely entertaining.
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Twenty Boy Summer, a YA novel about two girls struggling to come to terms with the death of their best friend, hits like a most beautifully wrapped ton of bricks. Frankie and Anna are best friends, journeying on a spectacular trip to California. Last year Frankie’s older brother Matt spend a dazzling month secretly dating their best friend Anna before Matt died of an undiagnosed heart problem.
The book starts out describing how lucky the girls were to have survived the accident (Matt was driving when his heart gave), then proceeds to reveal what a misnomer “survival” is. Even a year later Frankie’s family is torn apart by their loss, and Anna, having sworn to keep her relationship with Matt a secret, is devastated at not being allowed to properly morn her own loss (or even understand what exactly she’s lost).
So the girls make a plan to meet twenty boys in their quest to lose their virginity and leave their heartache behind. But their search only triggers all the fears and emotions left behind, particularly as Anna is terrified that moving on will make what she had with Matt less special.
Twenty Boy Summer is beautiful, heartbreaking and a raw read through and through. While there are very few surprises here, and the plot is all character and angst driven, it speaks, very strongly, to anyone who has lost someone they love and has gone through the mourning process. This is not a fluffy, light-hearted fictional read, or even a fiction tale with serious, dark undertones. Twenty Boy Summer bears a resemblance the nineties film My Girl and the Katherine Paterson book The Bridge to Terabithia, set after the landmark character deaths and in a teen setting. Soulful and beautiful it’s a must, but difficult, read.
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Maria V. Snyder is an award winning author of books Poison Study, Magic Study, and Fire Study, latest release is the young adult dystopian novel Inside Out fromHarlequin Teen.
ML: Let me start by saying I absolutely loved Inside Out. You were clearly channeling the dystopian masters with this novel, and yet you managed to keep it from feeling totally oppressive while I was reading it. Not at all what I expected from a Teen Harlequin book. What made you want to write such a stand out book like this?
MS: A dream! I dreamt the whole story, the world, the characters, the Pop Cops, and even the twists! When I woke up, I wrote it all down before I could forget it. I haven’t ever done that before and haven’t since – I wish I could remember what I ate for dinner that night 😉
ML: You’re writing for a teen audience, and I’ll admit I had to wallow through several English teacher’s attempts to teach dystopian novels in high school. Do you think Inside Out and Trella can reach a teen audience better than Orwell, Bradbury and Huxley and why or why not?
MS: Wow that’s a loaded question – lol! I can’t say I can reach a teen audience better than those three famous authors, but I do think a teen audience can relate to my novel. The main protagonist is a loner who doesn’t want to hang out with her social group, and she only has one friend. She thinks her life sucks and that the upper workers have it made. Trella believes she doesn’t fit in with the other scrubs. Her views of life have been spoon fed to her from an early age. She’s supposed to think that way.
Which is similar to growing up today. Your parents tell you what’s right and wrong and how you’re supposed to act. When brought down to the basic bones of the story, it’s a classic coming-of-age. But I added in adventure, suspense and action–which I hope entertains the readers as well as shows Trella’s growth. And I think today’s teens will be able to relate to Trella verses some of those older characters who lived in an older time. Trella reflects today’s attitudes towards freedom, independence and cynicism.
ML: Inside Out is much different from your other work (to begin with it’s science fiction and your other books are fantasy). For readers and librarians who might not know, can you tell us some of the differences and more importantly, some of the similarities that could interest Inside Out and SF fans in your other titles?
MS: With Inside Out, one of the major difference was I had to keep close track of the setting details. Since the world is completely contained, I had to know where everything was and stay consistent throughout the story. I drew up maps and diagrams in the early stages of writing. And this is the main science fictional element. I do have some advanced weapons and technology, but it remains in the background. I don’t explain the scientific reasons why and how a kill-zapper works, just show one being used and the result.
As for the similarities, I wrote the books in first person point of view with a strong female protagonist, and I kept my style–action packed, complex plot, cliff-hanging chapter ends, some twists, and a little romance 🙂 I didn’t try and change my word choice because this was a young adult book and I didn’t simplify the plot either. Young adults are savvy readers and have been enthusiastic about my all my books.
ML: You’ve done a lot of interesting research for your books. Which experience was your favorite?
MS: I really enjoyed taking the glass classes. I learned how to gather and work with molten glass as well as cut glass, fuse glass, make glass beads and a stained glass mirror. Glass is a fascinating medium and you can reuse it and recycle it forever. I do have to add, learning how to ride a horse (the real Kiki) was the most challenging and educational. Kiki was the best teacher I’ve had so far 🙂
ML: If you were in a library and it was burning down (horrifying I know) which books would you save?
MS: The rare books that are irreplaceable. A decade ago this would have been a harder question as once a book is out of print, a reader was out of luck. But now, with eBooks, the Internet, and scanners etc…if you really wanted a certain book, it’s not hard to find a copy.
ML: What are some of the challenges in writing (and living it) a totally contained world like Inside?
MS: Finding a good hiding place – I had to be very creative with this one 🙂 Waste is an issue – what do you do with the trash? There isn’t much as they have to reuse, repair and recycle everything. Also there are limited resources. I tried to anticipate all the needs of the people living Inside – food, air, water, clothing. Paper was another challenge–paper uses a ton of natural resources and harsh chemicals even when it’s recycled. I didn’t have the space or the resources to have paper in Inside. Instead they use wipe boards and refillable markers. Ink can be harvested from indigo plants grown in hydroponics.
ML: Is there an unknown book you love, but no one seems to know exists?
MS: I really enjoyed Libyrinth by Pearl North – it’s a YA by a new author and I don’t think it’s well known. It has books and a library that’s a maze and good characters.
ML: Likewise, is there a book you love that everyone else seems to hate?
MS: Not that I can think of 🙂 I pick up books based on recommendations from my friends and family and from blogs so usually someone really loved it so I’ll pick it up.
ML: You said on your blog that the idea from Inside Out came from a dream. Have any of your other dreams fueled stories?
MS: No. It was the only one so far. I don’t even get help with stories I’m working on!
ML: What are you working on now?
MS: I’m working on Outside In, the next book in the Inside series. It starts about nine weeks after the end of Inside Out. I really can’t tell you too much or else it will spoil the plot of Inside Out. I’ll just say, Trella finds herself in more trouble.
Apex Magazine is a free online SF/horror magazine. You can read the April issue 