'Come-From-Aways' is an enjoyable yarn by Tony Pi in which a Viking long-boat washes up in Newfoundland and a forensic linguist tries to identify the origins of the only survivor on board. The insight into linguistics and the glimpses of local history and culture are fascinating. Is the mariner a prankster or has he really travelled through time? As the story develops and with it the possibilities that the voyager's arrival suggests, the story takes on a marvellous spirit of adventure culminating in an endearing and satisfying conclusion.
...two of the stories—Jana Paniccia's "A Swift Change of Course" (a Japanese-influenced tale in the "Age of Sail" set) and Tony Pi's "Sphinx!" (which takes place in a city somewhat reminiscent of early twentieth century Paris)—develop fully separate alternative worlds that were simply inspired by those milieus...some add an element of fantasy to other well-defined genres—the Western in Linda A.B. Davis's "Pony Up," the archaeological horror-mystery story in Pi's "Sphinx!" and hard-boiled crime in Queenie Tirone's "A Bird in the Hand." Pi and Tirone in particular offer more than an easy tweaking of well-known conventions, Pi providing some of the most impressive world-creation in the volume...
On a different front, I'm heading to Las Vegas at some point this summer for rest and relaxation (plus novel research). Anything I shouldn't miss while there?
"The Character of the Hound" is done at 5,700 words and sent off to the Chinese theme anthology. Feedback from Codex and a few friends was positive and useful, so I'm hopeful the editors will like this one. The milieu (war-torn 12th century China; alternate history with magic) seems like a good series setting, and I've got lots of ideas already for other stories. Doing more research now.
ETA: Almost forgot...Gardner Dozois' review of Orson Scott Card's Intergalactic Medicine Show #11 in the June Locus says:
Also interesting in March is Tony Pi's "Tekkai Exhales His Avatar", where virtual entities maneuver and fight and double-cross each other through a game world influenced by Far Eastern metaphysics.
(The others mentioned that issue were Peter S. Beagle and Rebecca Day.)
One thing I didn't prepare, though, was a list of my top ten authors and novels (I named a few I really enjoyed, but I haven't ranked them in a while -- reading preferences change over time too), but I promised to email the professor a copy. Maybe I'll stick to just SF authors for this, and do a separate fantasy list.
Your result for Which fantasy writer are you?...
Robert Jordan (1948-2007)
-13 High-Brow, -7 Violent, -19 Experimental and 7 Cynical!

Congratulations! You are Low-Brow, Peaceful, Traditional and Cynical! These concepts are defined below.
Robert Jordan, the pen name for James Oliver Rigney, Jr, was the author of the best-selling Wheel of Time series. This gargantuan piece of fiction, set in a world where half the source of magic has been tainted by the Evil One, so that only women can do magic without turning insane, was published between 1990 and 2005. It is scheduled to be finished by 2011 by author Brandon Sanderson, who will be working from Jordan's extensive notes, since the latter's tragic and premature death in cardiac amyloidosis made it impossible for him to finish the series by himself.
Fantasy readers across the world will remember Jordan as the creator of one of the most detailed secondary worlds ever imagined by a single person, with carefully crafted cultures, legends and conflicts. This he used as the setting for a grand epic tale of the traditional fantasy theme of Good against Evil and seemingly insignificant people discovering that they are destined to play an important role in this struggle. Although the plot centres around conflict and several important characters are warriors, be it by choice or necessity, Jordan does not bask in gory details of violence and war is described as something evil that essentially does more harm than good. However, he is able to discern the forces that might push countries into conflict, leaving little room for over-romantic notions of ever-lasting peace.
All this makes Jordan's epic tale the choice for those who are not daunted by the scope and length of what is, perhaps, the longest story ever written. There are plenty who would say that it is also one of the best.
You are also a lot like J K Rowling.
If you want some action, try David Eddings.
If you'd like a challenge, try your exact opposite, Gene Wolfe.
Your score
This is how to interpret your score: Your attitudes have been measured on four different scales, called 1) High-Brow vs. Low-Brow, 2) Violent vs. Peaceful, 3) Experimental vs. Traditional and 4) Cynical vs. Romantic. Imagine that when you were born, you were in a state of innocence, a tabula rasa who would have scored zero on each scale. Since then, a number of circumstances (including genetical, cultural and environmental factors) have pushed you towards either end of these scales. If you're at 45 or -45 you would be almost entirely cynical, low-brow or whatever. The closer to zero you are, the less extreme your attitude. However, you should always be more of either (eg more romantic than cynical). Please note that even though High-Brow, Violent, Experimental and Cynical have positive numbers (1 through 45) and their opposites negative numbers (-1 through -45), this doesn't mean that either quality is better. All attitudes have their positive and negative sides, as explained below.
High-Brow vs. Low-Brow
You received -13 points, making you more Low-Brow than High-Brow. Being high-browed in this context refers to being more fascinated with the sort of art that critics and scholars tend to favour, while a typical low-brow would favour the best-selling kind. At their best, low-brows are honest enough to read what they like, regardless of what "experts" and academics say is good for them. At their worst, they are more likely to read what their neighbours like than what they would choose themselves.
Violent vs. Peaceful
You received -7 points, making you more Peaceful than Violent. This scale is a measurement of a) if you are tolerant to violence in fiction and b) whether you see violence as a means that can be used to achieve a good end. If you aren't, and you don't, then you are peaceful as defined here. At their best, peaceful people are the ones who encourage dialogue and understanding as a means of solving conflicts. At their worst, they are standing passively by as they or third parties are hurt by less scrupulous individuals.
Experimental vs. Traditional
You received -19 points, making you more Traditional than Experimental. Your position on this scale indicates if you're more likely to seek out the new and unexpected or if you are more comfortable with the familiar, especially in regards to culture. Note that traditional as defined here does not equal conservative, in the political sense. At their best, traditional people don't change winning concepts, favouring storytelling over empty poses. At their worst, they are somewhat narrow-minded.
Cynical vs. Romantic
You received 7 points, making you more Cynical than Romantic. Your position on this scale indicates if you are more likely to be wary, suspicious and skeptical to people around you and the world at large, or if you are more likely to believe in grand schemes, happy endings and the basic goodness of humankind. It is by far the most vaguely defined scale, which is why you'll find the sentence "you are also a lot like x" above. If you feel that your position on this scale is wrong, then you are probably more like author x. At their best, cynical people are able to see through lies and spot crucial flaws in plans and schemes. At their worst, they are overly negative, bringing everybody else down.
Author picture from Wikipedia. Licensed under the following conditions: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
I'm hard at work on the Chinese anthology story, which I'm now calling "The Character of the Hound". Everything's coming together, but I only have 20 days to the deadline to finish it. The hard part was all the research, but I'm brushing up on my Chinese reading ability as I go. Parts of it will be experimental, so I hope it all hangs together in the end. Guess what I'll be doing for the next two weeks! :)
I'm making good progress on worldbuilding for a new story tentatively called "The Needle Guest" for a Chinese stories anthology. There are still a couple of issues about how the magic works, but I hope to have it sorted out soon.
My story, "Come-From-Aways" in On Spec, received two nice mentions recently:
"A linguist studies a mysterious traveler named Madoc who has drifted into St. John's harbor aboard a Viking ship. The linguist must puzzle the truth of Madoc's appearance and when she does, must then make a life-changing decision. Another strong story from Tony Pi, at times maybe a little heavy with the linguistic details, but since that interests me that's more of a bonus." - Brent Knowles, Associated Content
"...the time travel device has pretty much run its course in small- and big-screen sci-fi. But written speculative fiction is another story altogether – I just finished an excellent short story in On Spec titled “Come-From-Aways” by Tony Pi that features a time-travel puzzle that was solved by way of some multi-disciplinary sleuthing that combined science with forensic linguistics. Very good read. " Lee Hamilton's blog
There was also an attempt at gardening, although I'm not much of a green thumb - my goal this year's to get sunflowers growing, but squirrels dug up almost all my mammoth sunflower seeds. I'm trying to get the mammoths growing indoors to avoid fattening the squirrels again. I did manage to get a different cultivar (with red flowers) going outside, but only four sprouted, and one withered recently. I'll keep at it, I guess.
A couple weekends ago, Cost Gurgu and I got together with Stephen Kotowych, Brad Carson, Eric Choi, and Derwin Mak to form a Toronto critique group; Leah Bobet was out of town and couldn't make it. We came to an agreement about what we wanted to do with the group, set down some rules, but we couldn't come up with a name. The best we could do was 'The Muse Isn't Coming'. I'm hoping we'll find a better one!
A few reviews surfaced recently. Rich Horton said in the May issue of Locus:
The nominations for the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer have just been announced, and there are fine stories by four of the nominated writers on hand this month...
Tony Pi's "Silk and Shadow" (Beneath Ceaseless Skies 2/26) is a fine romantic fantasy, about Dominin, who has at last prevailed in battle against the Stormlord who killed his father. That victory came at a price: a deal with the notoriously treacherous witch Anansya. Dominin has also fallen in love with Anansya's apprentice, and that may make the eventual price even higher. All is resolved imaginatively in a well-enacted magical puppet show.
This story is in the Beneath Ceaseless Skies Reader Poll to choose a recent story for release as a _BCS_ Audio Fiction podcast. I'd love to hear it in audio! ;)
Another story, "Sphinx!" in Ages of Wonder was reviewed in Fantasy Book Critic:
Tony Pi, recently nominated for "The John W. Campbell Award” for best new writer, managed to catch me for good with his text "Sphinx!". In a Modern Period in which the Sphinxes and other hybrid fantasy figures have disappeared for centuries, fate still holds a major surprise for the heroes of our story. I liked the interesting combination of the Sphinx magic with the power of the riddles.
(FBC) Funny and thoroughly enjoyable
Finally, Cinema Spec is months ahead of its publication schedule, and is available for purchase already!
CINEMA SPEC: Tales of Hollywood and Fantasy views moving pictures in all their forms, real and imaginary, from shadow plays to classic films, from videocassettes to animated tattoos. 32 authors have contributed flash fiction, short stories, and poetry to the anthology, transporting readers back to a time when flames flickered and paintings waltzed on cave walls, and forward to possible futures when the heavens themselves might serve as vidscreens. Along the way, the anthology makes multiple stops in Hollywood, the one we know and the one that could never exist, from 30s noir to extraterrestrial infiltration, from a magical "gangland" to destruction after "the big one." Contributors include Greg Beatty, Ruth Berman, Robert Borski, Justin Howe, Vylar Kaftan, Deborah P Kolodji, Simon Logan, Lisa Morton, Gregory L. Norris, Tony Pi, and many others.
University of Toronto – Hart House
7 Hart House Circle
Saturday, May 23, 2 – 2:30 p.m.
Jack McLeod reads from Uproar (fiction). With the University of Toronto as a backdrop, this novel entertains while grappling with ideas and social issues.
Sunday, May 24, 2 – 2:30 p.m.
Maureen Hynes reads from Harm’s Way (poetry). These poems map Toronto in concentric circles of personal, historical and political reflections.
Sunday, May 24, 2:30 – 3 p.m.
Susan Helwig reads from Pink Purse Girl and Catch the Sweet (poetry). The life of a poet in Toronto is captured in these evocative poems.
Coming September 2009
The game is afoot! Night Shade Books is proud to present the improbable
adventures of the world's greatest detective... mystery, fantasy, science
fiction, horror; no genre can escape the esteemed detective's needle-sharp
intellect and intuition.
This reprint anthology showcases the best Holmes short fiction from the last
25 years, featuring stories by:
Stephen King Tim Lebbon Anne Perry Bradley H. Sinor Edward D. Hoch Vonda N. McIntyre Darrell Schweitzer Mary Robinette Kowal H. Paul Jeffers Barbara Roden Anthony Burgess Stephen Baxter Laurie R. King Geoffrey A. Landis Amy Myers Peter Tremayne Sharyn McCrumb Michael Moorcock Dominic Green Barbara Hambly Tony Pi Chris Roberson Naomi Novik Rob Rogers Mark Valentine Tanith Lee Neil Gaiman Robert J. Sawyer
The Improbable Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
John Joseph Adams
978-1-59780-160-7
September 2009
TP - 350 pages - $15.95
The first short story I ever sold was actually a mystery, "Dynamics of a Hanging", to a mystery e-zine called Shred of Evidence in 2005. I'm thrilled to announce that it will be reappearing in John Joseph Adams' reprint anthology, The Improbable Adventures of Sherlock Holmes [Amazon] in September 2009, in a sleeker reimagining of the original version.
The story's about Doctor Watson, Lewis Carroll, Professor Moriarty, and a young medical student named Arthur Doyle. Improbable? Yes!
Just look at the incredible line-up:
The game is afoot! Night Shade Books is proud to present the improbable adventures of the world's greatest detective - mystery, fantasy, science fiction, horror, no genre can escape the esteemed detective's needle-sharp intellect and intuition. This reprint anthology showcases the best Holmes short fiction from the last 25 years, featuring stories by such visionaries as Stephen King, Robert J. Sawyer, Michael Moorcock, Tim Lebbon, Sharyn McCrumb, Stephen Baxter, Naomi Novik, Barbara Hambly, Anne Perry, Tanith Lee, and many more.
The volume will also include a story by Mary Robinette Kowal.
I'm really looking forward to this!
I'm part of a group of Toronto-based authors who love doing these puzzle challenges. My teammate was Jana Paniccia, and we formed an alliance with Leah Bobet and Chris Szego.
We started at 12 noon at the Paupers Pub at Bathurst and Bloor, deciphering clues and planning a route through the city to hit all those spots as fast as we could, taking pictures of us in front of buildings to prove we were there. We were only allowed to use public transit or walk.
It took us 2 hours and 40 minutes, and we came in tied for Second Place. I was going to summarize what we did, but why not try solving it yourself? I'm going to post the clues here first, and post our experience later. All of these can be solved via Google-Fu.
( Read more... )
Post your answers here (comments will be unscreened later, and I'll post the real answers once I get pictures from Jana). Good Cow-Hunting!
I attended a Crime Writers of Canada event last night, where four authors debated the existence of muses. My favourite metaphor out of that discussion was that a muse was like a compost heap. Pile on the garbage and let it sit. Most of it might stink at first, but eventually it'll turn into sweet earth, and letting things grow from it.
The 2009 Hugo Voters Packet is ready, thanks to John Scalzi. Sign up to be a member of Anticipation for US$50 or CAN$55, you get electronic editions of several novels and many of the nominees for the Hugo and Campbell Awards, and the ability to vote for your favourites.
Mary Robinette Kowal has finished posting all 5 Campbell Award nominee interviews. My fellow nominees are wicked cool, and it's an honour to be named among them.
Huge congrats to David Anthony Durham for his induction into the Wild Cards circle...one of my all-time favourite series. He has also posted his own articles on fellow Campbell nominees - me, Gord Sellar, and Aliette de Bodard.
First up is The Best of Abyss & Apex, Volume One, edited by Wendy S. Delmater and published by Hadley Rille Books. It includes my Aurora-nominated long novelette, "Metamorphoses in Amber", and many other great reprints from my distinguished fellow authors, like
( TOC )
Next up is On Spec #76, Spring 2009, which contains my short story, "Come-From-Aways", set in Newfoundland.
( TOC )
Finally, a good review of Ages of Wonder, edited by Julie E. Czerneda and Rob St. Martin.
Rich Horton was pleased with the anthology in his review in Locus Magazine (April 2009), focusing on my short story "Sphinx!" and Liz Holliday's "Fletcher's Ghost". Here's what he said about my story:
In Ages of Wonder, Tony Pi's "Sphinx!" is a delight, set in a quite alternate history, in which the land of Ys is threatened by a sphinx that a film maker has apparently revived for a new movie. But other things are going on - most notably, perhaps, the jealousy of the movie's director about his young wife, the movie's star.
Try them all!
ETA: link to A&A write-up
Canada changes its citizenship laws. Canadian citizenship law plays a part in my upcoming story "Come-From-Aways" (next issue of On Spec), so it's been on my mind.
It appears one of the biggest changes is the new 'one-generation' limitation to Canadian citizenship. If you are Canadian and have a child with a non-Canadian outside of Canada, your child will be Canadian by inheritance; but if your child eventually has a child with a non-Canadian outside of Canada, they don't get the free citizenship. However, citizenship is granted if the birth takes place in Canada.
It's probably more complicated than that, but that's the gist. Also a few loopholes that robbed people of their rightful citizenship seem to have been closed.
(...back to work...)
( Table of Contents )
First time I'm on the same cover with
On a separate note, it appears that 2 stories from Writers of the Future XXIII - my friend Stephen Gaskell's "By the Waters of the Ganga" and my novelette "The Stone Cipher" (available free as a PDF here) - have been assigned as research paper topics in a class at Universidad Pedagógica Experimental Libertador - Instituto Pedagógico de Caracas. Very unexpected!
I also went over "Night of the Manticore" (sequel to "Sphinx!" in Ages of Wonder), which had a rewrite request from Abyss & Apex. Right now I'm rewriting the third in the Leolithic Age series, "The Curse of Chimere", after receiving feedback from the Codex Writers Group. It was originally only 2,500 words, but I'm expanding and making alterations to the plot so it's less of a supernatural cozy, and more in line with the other two stories. It's coming along well, I think, so I hope to keep up the momentum.