Let’s go back to Pittsburgh, shall we? Because it’s time for the fourth of six episodes of Eating the Fantastic I recorded during last month’s Nebula Awards weekend, following the lightning-round Donut Jamboree, my dinner with Kelly Robson a mere 48 hours before she picked up a trophy, and a leisurely lunch with A. M. Dellamonica.

This episode’s guest is Matthew Kressel, whose short story “The Last Novelist (or A Dead Lizard in the Yard)” was one of the finalists this year. He was a previous finalist twice before in the same category for “The Sounds of Old Earth” in 2014 and “The Meeker and the All-Seeing Eye” in 2015. His short stories have appeared in Lightspeed, Tor.com, Clarkesworld, Analog, Interzone, and many others, as well as in anthologies such as Mad Hatters and March Hares, Cyber World, The People of the Book, and more. His novel, King of Shards, was praised by NPR as being “majestic, resonant, reality-twisting madness.”

He was also nominated for a World Fantasy Award for his work editing the speculative fiction magazine Sybil’s Garage, and is the co-host—along with former Eating the Fantastic guest Ellen Datlow—of the Fantastic Fiction reading series held at the KGB Bar.

Our dinner Friday night that weekend was at Pork & Beans, which has been voted best BBQ in Pittsburgh. 

We discussed the story of his accepted by an editor within an hour and then praised by Joyce Carol Oates, the ways in which famed editor Alice Turner was the catalyst which helped turn him into a writer, why after publishing only short stories for 10 years he eventually published a novel, how comments from his Altered Fluid writing workshop helped make his Nebula-nominated “The Sounds of Old Earth” a better story, why a writing self-help book made him swear off those kinds of self-help books, the secrets to having a happy, heathy writing career, why he’s grown to be OK with reading bad reviews, what he learned from reading slush at Sybil’s Garage, and much more.

Here’s how you can dig into that BBQ with us— (more…)

It’s only 16 days until the start of Readercon, which I’ve been attending since 1987. I love it so much I’ve only missed one.

Readercon has bounced around Massachusetts over the decades, and this year it’s in Quincy for the third time, where it will run from July 12-16.

Here’s the programming on which you’ll be able to find me—

Thursday, July 12, 8:00 p.m., Salon 5
Writers Who Edit, Editors Who Write
Those who edit as a full-time job rarely do much writing on the side, but many full-time writers bolster their incomes through editing. Why does this equation seem to function better in one direction than the other? How do writers who edit avoid the pitfalls experienced by editors who write? What can be done to address an ever-widening taste gap, and the tendency to self-edit into the ground?
with Julia Rios, Mike Allen, Sabrina Vourvoulias, Mimi Mondal, John Edward Lawson

Thursday, July 12, 9:30 p.m., Salon B
Reading
I’ll be reading “The Stranded Time Traveler Embraces the Inevitable,” which will be published later this year in the anthology If This Goes On.

Friday, July 13, 2:00 p.m., Salon C
In Memoriam: Gardner Dozois
Gardner Dozois (1947–2018) was a towering figure in the field. He won 15 Hugo Awards for his editorial work, which included 20 years as editor of Asimov’s and 40 years of editing annual surveys of SF and fantasy as well as other anthologies. Less celebrated, but also excellent, were his short fiction and novels. We were honored to make him a guest of honor at Readercon 22. Join us in celebrating his life and work.
with Henry Wessells, Shawna McCarthy, Sheila Williams, Michael Swanwick, Gregory Feeley

Saturday, July 14, 10:00 a.m., Seven Masts
Kaffeeklatsch
with Victoria Janssen

I hope to see you there!

The most recent list of the World’s 50 Best Restaurants was revealed yesterday, and I see that over the years, I’ve managed to get to seven of them—the same seven as last year, and one fewer than from the 2016 list.

You can find my reactions to those seven meals linked below.

1. Osteria Francescana (Modena, Italy)
2. El Celler de Can Roca (Girona, Spain)
3. Mirazur (Menton, France)
4. Eleven Madison Park (New York City)
5. Gaggan (Bangkok)
6. Central (Lima)
7. Maido (Lima)
8. L’Arpège (Paris)
9. Mugaritz (Errenteria, Spain)
10. Asador Etxebarri (Axpe, Spain)
11. Quintonil (Mexico City)
12. Blue Hill at Stone Barns (Pocantico Hills, New York)
13. Pujol (Mexico City)
14. Steirereck (Vienna, Austria)
15. White Rabbit (Moscow)
16. Piazza Duomo (Alba, Italy)
17. Den (Tokyo)
18. Disfrutar (Barcelona, Spain)
19. Geranium (Copenhagen)
20. Attica (Melbourne)
21. Alain Ducasse au Plaza Athénée (Paris, France)
22. Narisawa (Tokyo, Japan)
23. Le Calandre (Rubano, Italy)
24. Ultraviolet by Paul Pairet (Shanghai, China)
25. Cosme (New York City, USA)
26. Le Bernardin (New York City, USA)
27. Boragó (Santiago, Chile)
28. Odette (Singapore)
29. Alléno Paris au Pavillon Ledoyen (Paris, France)
30. D.O.M. (São Paulo, Brazil)
31. Arzak (San Sebastian, Spain)
32. Tickets (Barcelona, Spain)
33. The Clove Club (London, UK)
34. Alinea (Chicago)
35. Maaemo (Oslo, Norway)
36. Reale (Castel Di Sangro, Italy)
37. Restaurant Tim Raue (Berlin, Germany)
38. Lyle’s (London, UK)
39. Astrid y Gastón (Lima)
40. Septime (Paris, France)
41. Nihonryori RyuGin (Tokyo, Japan)
42. The Ledbury (London, UK)
43. Azurmendi (Larrabetzu, Spain)
44. Mikla (Istanbul, Turkey)
45. Dinner by Heston Blumenthal (London)
46. Saison (San Francisco, USA)
47. Schloss Schauenstein (Fürstenau, Switzerland)
48. Hiša Franko (Kobarid, Slovenia)
49. Nahm (Bangkok, Thailand)
50. The Test Kitchen (Cape Town, South Africa)

I’ve also eaten at one of the restaurants from the extended list of the Top 100—The Fat Duck, which came in at #74.

Two other awards were handed out this year for restaurants I’ve visited—Gastón Acurio of Astrid y Gastón was given a Lifetime Achievement Award, and Geranium was given the Art of Hospitality Award.

Alas, my travels over the next year won’t allow me to visit any of the other venues. But someday!

It’s time to return to Pittsburgh for another episode of Eating the Fantastic recorded during last month’s Nebula Awards weekend, following up on my Nebula Awards Donut Jamboree and dinner with Kelly Robson. On the Friday of that event, I snuck away with A. M. Dellamonica for lunch at Senti, which my research told me was one of the best places to go in the city for classic Italian.

Dellamonica‘s first novel, Indigo Springs, won the Sunburst Award for Canadian Literature of the Fantastic. Their fourth, A Daughter of No Nation, won the 2016 Prix Aurora. They are the author of more forty short stories on Tor.com, Strange Horizons, Lightspeed and most recently Beneath Ceaseless Skies. They were also co-editor of the Heiresses of Russ anthology.

We discussed how a long list of random things they liked eventually grew into their first novel, the intricate magic system they created for their series, how their novel Child of a Hidden Sea taught them they were less of a plotter and more of a pantser than they’d thought, the doggerel they wrote when they was five years old (which you’ll get to hear them recite), how discovering Suzy McKee Charnas at age 15 was incendiary, which run of comics made them a Marvel fan, what it was like attempting to live up to the pioneering vision of Joanna Russ while editing the anthology Heiresses of Russ, which YouTube series happens to be one of their favorite things in the world, the way John Crowley’s teachings might have been misinterpreted by their class during the Clarion Science Fiction Writers Workshop, the three mystery novels of theirs you’ll hopefully be reading in the future, and much more.

Here’s how you can dig into some lasagna with us— (more…)

Have you digested last episode’s Nebula Awards Donut Jamboree yet? I hope so, because following up on that lightning-round event, it’s time for the first of five one-on-one interviews over meals with writers recorded during this year’s Nebula Awards weekend in Pittsburgh—starting with nominee Kelly Robson, who 48 hours after we dined at Union Standard, became a winner!

Before winning this year’s Best Novelette Nebula for “A Human Stain,” she was also a finalist for the 2017 John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer. Her novella “Waters of Versailles” won the 2016 Aurora Award and was also a finalist for the Nebula and World Fantasy Awards. Her short story “The Three Resurrections of Jessica Churchill” was a finalist for the Theodore Sturgeon Award, and her short story “Two-Year Man” was a finalist for the Sunburst Award. Her most recent publication is the time travel adventure Gods, Monsters and the Lucky Peach.

I’d hoped to visit Union Standard shortly after they opened for one of last year’s batch of Nebula Awards weekend episodes, but sadly, it wasn’t to be, so I’m thrilled I was able to host Kelly there. As for the reason why I was so anxious to eat at that restaurant—Chef Derek Stevens has been called one of the foundational figures of Pittsburgh’s culinary boom. In fact, Pittsburgh magazine has written of him—”If you like dining out in Pittsburgh, you should thank Derek Stevens.” If nothing else, I’ve got to thank him for the Jamison Farm Lamb Sirloin with Anson Mills polenta and grilled asparagus—of which Kelly kindly allowed me a nibble.

We discussed how the first Connie Willis story she read changed her brain, the way a provocative photo got her a gig as a wine reviewer at a top national magazine, what she learned from the initial Taos Toolbox writers workshop, why completing Gods, Monsters and the Lucky Peach was like giving birth to a watermelon, how reading a Battlestar Galactica tie-in novel helped teach her how to write, where she would head if time travel were real, why she’s contemplating writing a “frivolous” trilogy (and what that really means), the reason the story of hers she most likes to reread is professionally published James Bond fanfic, and much, much more.

Here’s how you can have a little lamb with us— (more…)

In 2016, Eating the Fantastic brought you the Readercon Donut Spectacular.

In 2017, you were invited to partake of the Balticon Donut Extravaganza.

And now, in Episode 67, it’s time to experience—the Nebula Awards Donut Jamboree!

That’s right—it’s time for another lightning-round episode of Eating the Fantastic as 15 guests devour a tasty dozen—this time from Pittsburgh’s Just Good Donuts— while recounting their favorite Nebula Awards memories.

During the Nebula Awards weekend which ended yesterday, I sat near registration with a dozen donuts and a sign offering a free one to any who’d come on the show to chat about their memories of this annual event, and waited to see what would happen.

Which is how I ended up listening as Michael Swanwick explained how his love of Isaac Asimov impelled him to walk out on guest speaker Newt Gingrich, David D. Levine remembered catching the penultimate Space Shuttle launch, Daryl Gregory recalled the compliment which caused him to get yelled at by Harlan Ellison, Barry Goldblatt revealed what cabdrivers do when they find out he’s an agent, Cat Rambo put in a pitch for SFFWA membership, Fran Wilde confessed a moment of squee which was also a moment of ooops, Steven H. Silver shared how he caused Anne McCaffrey to receive a Pern threadfall, Annalee Flower Horne told of the time John Hodgman stood up for her onstage during the awards banquet, and much, much more!

Here’s how you can dig into those donuts with us— (more…)

Assuming I survive the upcoming Nebula awards weekend in Pittsburgh, I’ll be attending Balticon 52 over the Memorial Day weekend.

If you’ll also be there, and would like to track me down and hear me pontificate, here’s where you’ll be able to find me—

Crowdfunding New Media
Saturday, May 26, 2:00 p.m.
Panelists who have successfully crowdfunded their non-dead tree projects will discuss the pros and cons of doing so and the hurdles to be aware of.
with Melissa L. Hayden (moderator), J. R. Blackwell, Nobilis Reed, and Nuchtchas

Writing Psychological Horror
Saturday, May 26, 9:00 p.m.
What is it about certain ideas and concepts that disturb us? How can you best incorporate it into your works?
with K. Ceres Wright (moderator), Scott Roche, Paul E. Cooley, Jay Smith, and C.S. Friedman

Best Books on Writing
Sunday, May 27, 11:00 a.m.
What books should you have on your shelf when you’re trying to read about writing?
with Joshua Bilmes (moderator), Val Griswold-Ford, Sarah Pinsker, and Marilyn “Mattie” Brahen

Reading
Sunday, May 27, 1:00 p.m.
I’ll likely share a chunk from my Ray Bradbury-inspired story “The Final Charge of Mr. Electrico”
with Jack Clemons and Tom Doyle

Kaffeeklatsch
Sunday, May 27, 5:00 p.m.

How to Self-Edit That Lousy First Draft
Sunday, May 27, 7:00 p.m.
Panelists will discuss techniques for editing when you don’t have outside readers to help.
with Mark L. Van Name (moderator), John Grant, and Julayne Hughes

Hope to see you there!

Did you listen to the 24-hour Scares That Care Telethon, hosted by Brian Keene and his cohorts from The Horror Show with Brian Keene podcast, which ended at noon today after having raised $21,591 for that 501c3 charity devoted to helping those coping with childhood illness, burns and breast cancer? If not, don’t worry. Because though its content was for the most part livestreamed only, never to be seen or heard again, I’ve got some of it for you right here.

Because once again, Eating the Fantastic invaded!

During last year’s telethon, as captured in Episode 34, I brought BBQ and chatted with that best-selling zombie author himself, while this year I picked up takeout from Viet Thai Cafe for dinner with Mary SanGiovanni.

Mary’s the author of The Hollower trilogy, the first volume of which was nominated for the Bram Stoker Award, plus the recent novels Chills and Savage Woods. Her collections include Under Cover of Night, A Darkling Plain, and Night Moves. She’s also the host of the Cosmic Shenanigans podcast.

We discussed H. P. Lovecraft’s racism and sexuality (or lack thereof), how having grown up in New Jersey might have given her the toughness she needed to survive her early short story rejections, why she ended up writing horror instead of science fiction even though her father read her Isaac Asimov and Frank Herbert when she was a kid, which novella she wrote that will never see the light of day, how watching The Exorcist III changed her life, why she’s no longer afraid of vampires, the reason her motto if she founded a religious cult would be “doorways are meant to be opened,” the first writer she met who treated her like an equal, the identity of “the George Carlin of Horror,” and much, much more.

Here’s how you can help polish off some Pork Pad Thai with us— (more…)

On Monday, April 5, 1976, the Central New Jersey Home News published an article about a one-day comic con (or “Shabang” as they called it) which had been held the day before, just a few days after my 21st birthday. I remember that day, but it’s been a long while since I thought of it, or of who I was back then.

When I came across the article yesterday, and read what the reporter wrote I’d said, several things came to mind.

First, about the fact I’d stopped counting how many comic books I owned once I hit 4,000 of them—

Well, I did count how many comics I owned once I was no longer able to look at them without feeling bitter thanks to my experiences in the industry, and decided to sell almost all of them. I now own no more than a couple of hundred at most, and that includes the ones I wrote, but at the time I disposed of the majority of my collection, I owned more than 7,000.

The attendance at the con of Michael Avallone reminds me—there was a time I wanted to be Michael Avallone, about whom Wikipedia states: “His lifetime output was over 223 works (although he boasted over 1,000), published under his own name and 17 pseudonyms.”

I was once envious of that kind of output, and at some point early on wanted to be the kind of commercial writer who’d end up with an output of hundreds of novels. I’m not sure exactly when I changed, but now, having published one novel, and that a short story which ran away from me, the thought of deliberately attempting a novel seems bizarre to me. Short stories are what I love, and unless another one runs away from me someday and insists on growing through the revision process, it’s unlikely there’ll ever be another Edelman novel for you to read.

And speaking of novels, what made me smile the most was the way the writer of the article described me as “currently working on a novel for children.”

I did finish that novel.

And then I destroyed it.

Along with a couple of other novels and at least 25 short stories written in my teens and early 20s, an erasure I’ve told you about.

The novel about which I was telling the reporter was terrible—flawed in concept and embarrassing in execution. I’m extremely lucky it was rejected by every children’s book publisher which saw the manuscript back when I would have been 22, perhaps 23 at the oldest. I’d tell you the bare outline of the plot, but even that’s too wince-inducing to reveal.

I’m grateful it no longer exists as evidence of how foolish I was.

And hope that when I someday look back on my recent writing, almost all of it out in the world and unable to be recalled and destroyed as my earlier unpublished work was, I won’t consider those works to be evidence of how foolish I am now.

Forty-eight years ago today, Allison Krause, Jeffrey Miller, Sandra Scheuer, and William Knox Schroeder were killed on the campus of Kent State University by members of the Ohio National Guard. Two were protesting against the U.S. bombing of Cambodia, while two others were nearby walking to class. As for me, on that Monday, I was nowhere near a university campus. I was only 15, and in Brooklyn attending Isaac Bildersee Junior High School.

My memories of how my school reacted to these deaths are hazy. I do remember students leaving the school and protesting outside in the days after, but not my part in them or how the administration reacted to those walkouts. I do, however, recall that Joseph Monserrat, president of the Board of Education, gave a speech a few days later urging calm, a transcript of which was posted on a bulletin board … and which for some reason … I took.

I dug it out of my files this morning and reread that statement, which I found depressing, and for more than just the usual reasons. Because unfortunately, the sentiments it expressed are as relevant as ever.

As you’ll see on the bottom of the second page, Monserrat, speaking on behalf of the New York City Board of Education, said—

Yours has been the generation that has never known a day of peace. Your lives so far have been lived in a settling of violence and it may be that some of you have begun to accept violence as a “normal” way for men to live in our country and to resolve our differences. It is NOT!

The same thing could be said of students today. And that’s sad.

(more…)