Jill is on the Bitten By Books website tomorrow (2010 March 3), participating in a Tesseracts Thirteen on-line Question and Answer session from noon to midnight (with some breaks).
If you RSVP to the event, you will get 25 entries to their contest (details on their website), but you have to let them know that you RSVP'ed when you submit your question.
Note -- As of approximately 11:30am today, a little over 24 hours before the scheduled start of the event, the Bitten By Books server seems to be intermittently down (or at least unavailable) no doubt due to hordes of fans rushing to sign up for the opportunity to ask Jill questions :-)
UPDATED on 2009 March 4, 1:45pm -- it turns out that the online Q&A ran from noon yesterday to midnight tonight, not last night. Still more than 10 hours to go, and Jill has even contributed a prize to the contest.
Showing posts with label Jill. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jill. Show all posts
Tuesday, March 02, 2010
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Guess Who Started Blogging??
OK, so perhaps it isn't momentous news in the grand scheme of things, but I think it is pretty cool.
My wife the author -- and now, blogger!
UPDATE - I added the link to Second Draft in "the Usual Suspects" section with a "Jill Lum" description, and in the "Skiffy" section with a "Michael Skeet and Jill Snider Lum" description.
My wife the author -- and now, blogger!
UPDATE - I added the link to Second Draft in "the Usual Suspects" section with a "Jill Lum" description, and in the "Skiffy" section with a "Michael Skeet and Jill Snider Lum" description.
Monday, June 08, 2009
Another Tesseracts Twelve Review
From Claude Lalumiere, a link to a new review of T12 by Michael Mirella on the Rover Montreal website.
Bottom line? he likes 5 out of the 7 stories in the collection, and concludes
Bottom line? he likes 5 out of the 7 stories in the collection, and concludes
Overall, Lalumière does a good job of presenting a set of stories that represent various aspects of what has come to be called “fantastic fiction.” Perhaps not to the taste of those who prefer a clearer strain of SF, but definitely a way to break open the ghetto [of science fiction].
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
More on Tesseracts Twelve
From Claude Lalumiere's page on Facebook, a most interesting essay by Matthew David Surridge on Tesseracts Twelve, and how it avoids or sidesteps the traditional themes of Can Lit.
I read Margaret Atwood's Survival more than three decades ago for an English class. I was sufficiently impressed with it to go out and buy my own copy. But you'll note (he said, with wry understatement) that English Lit didn't end up being my field of study or the focus of my work life. However, this essay has inspired me to go find and re-read Survival.
Surridge has a much wider knowledge of Canadian literary criticism than I do, and observes that the stories in Tesseracts Twelve largely avoid the recurrent Man-Versus-Nature theme of traditional Can Lit, as extensively documented by Atwood and others, although
Surridge goes on to this conclusion:
I like this idea -- that the collective narrative changes as culture and demographics change, each driving the other but also rooted in the past.
I read Margaret Atwood's Survival more than three decades ago for an English class. I was sufficiently impressed with it to go out and buy my own copy. But you'll note (he said, with wry understatement) that English Lit didn't end up being my field of study or the focus of my work life. However, this essay has inspired me to go find and re-read Survival.
Surridge has a much wider knowledge of Canadian literary criticism than I do, and observes that the stories in Tesseracts Twelve largely avoid the recurrent Man-Versus-Nature theme of traditional Can Lit, as extensively documented by Atwood and others, although
... nature is strongly present in the anthology in the form of animals; but these are animals which in one way or another blend into the human. “Intersections” is probably the only story without an animal presence. Humans and mammoths share mentalities in Derryl Murphy’s “Ancients of the Earth”, Michael Skeet and Jill Snyder Lum give us fox spirits and a surprisingly talkative tanuki in “Beneath the Skin”, Chen has men and women changing into dogs and goldfish, Randy McCharles’ story “Ringing the Changes in Okotoks, Alberta” has witchcraft linking a man and a goat, Gord Sellar’s super-hero tale “Wonjjang and the Madman of Pyongyang” includes a Japanese cat-woman, and “Wylde’s Kingdom” is the story of a man hunting and being hunted by a giant squid — with, inevitably, a hint of empathy between hunter and hunted towards the end. So perhaps this anthology represents a new Canadian mentality; no more of the garrison, no more of the conflict between man and wilderness, now our stories are those of man and nature merging.
Surridge goes on to this conclusion:
...Tesseracts Twelve may signal, ultimately, a change in Canadian literature to mirror the changes in the country itself. Where the country has seen its demography shift, has managed with surprisingly little strain to incorporate a wealth of voices and cultures within itself, has changed its traditional narrative of its own founding and development, the book suggests new themes for Canadian writing, new models for its story. Hints of the old are still there, certainly, as they should be, but not given the stress they might have carried in the past...
I like this idea -- that the collective narrative changes as culture and demographics change, each driving the other but also rooted in the past.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
New Tesseracts Twelve Review!
So a new year began, and there was a Presidential Inauguration in the US, and Stephen Harper didn't think to prorogue the recession, which would have been truly useful as opposed to merely proroguing the current Parliamentary Session.
But in the midst of the January cold and gloom, there is a spot of warmth in the form of a new Tesseracts Twelve review by Jason Sanford on The Fix Online.
Here are the relevant bits:
Yes, I freely admit my bias here, and the following is an unabashed plug for my wife and my friends.
Hugo nominations are now open, and nominations will be accepted until February 28. Among The Usual Suspects, you can nominate Jill's and Michael's story "Beneath the Skin" for best novella. But while you're at it, you should also nominate David Nickle's story "Wylde's Kingdom" at the same time. The entire Tesseracts Twelve collection should be nominated for Best Anthology.
For non-Tesseracts stories (yes, there were some) certainly Karl Schroeder deserves a nomination for Best Novel for "Pirate Sun" (and he has a list of other work from 2008 that is deserving of consideration as well).
But in the midst of the January cold and gloom, there is a spot of warmth in the form of a new Tesseracts Twelve review by Jason Sanford on The Fix Online.
Here are the relevant bits:
...
Then there are the stories in Tesseracts, not a single one of which isn’t good or great....
In Michael Skeet and Jill Snider Lum’s “Beneath the Skin,” ancient Japan comes alive as a samurai, Hirota Satoshi, tries to solve a mystery while being simultaneously manipulated by spirits, ghosts, and his overbearing daimyo lord of an elder brother. Well written with extremely sympathetic characters, this story follows in the footsteps of many recent fantasies set in ancient Japan, with the story’s plot loosely resembling that of Peter S. Beagle’s masterful “The Tale of Junko and Sayuri.” But despite not treading any new fictional ground, this is still a very good story.
...
Overall, this is one of the best original anthologies I’ve seen in the last year and one that deserves more attention than it received.
...
Yes, I freely admit my bias here, and the following is an unabashed plug for my wife and my friends.
Hugo nominations are now open, and nominations will be accepted until February 28. Among The Usual Suspects, you can nominate Jill's and Michael's story "Beneath the Skin" for best novella. But while you're at it, you should also nominate David Nickle's story "Wylde's Kingdom" at the same time. The entire Tesseracts Twelve collection should be nominated for Best Anthology.
For non-Tesseracts stories (yes, there were some) certainly Karl Schroeder deserves a nomination for Best Novel for "Pirate Sun" (and he has a list of other work from 2008 that is deserving of consideration as well).
Sunday, November 30, 2008
More on the Tesseracts Twelve book launch
Derryl Murphy commented overnight on my previous post, and Dave put up some of Karen's photos from yesterday on his own blog. Karen took much nicer photos of Grace and Elaine, and includes one of Corwin, who for most of the afternoon was immersed in reading a book in a back corner, away from excitable adults...
Saturday, November 29, 2008
Tesseracts Twelve book launch
Saturday mornings in the Lum household usually involve a certain amount of being dazed and confused, particularly if the evening before was a late night.
On this particular Saturday, Jill left prior to the first crack of dawn to get groceries from the St. Lawrence Market, a Saturday morning ritual that she performs with Michael and Lorna.
Corwin and I indulged our state of dazed confusion until noon, by which time Jill had returned with groceries. Corwin and I left to get hair cuts from Rocco and Robert, the barbers supreme in Etobicoke. We managed to get home by 1:00pm, which left some leisurely time to get ready for the important event of the day -- the Tesseracts Twelve book launch at Bakka-Phoenix!
We picked up Michael enroute, got over to Queen and Bathurst, and for once, Towedaway, god of urban parking, smiled upon us: we managed to get a street parking spot a few doors away from Bakka. After a careful examination of the lingerie models in the window of Miss Behavin' across the street, I strolled over to Bakka with Jill, Michael, and Corwin.
The launch party was already starting when we arrived. I had an opportunity to meet (and collect autographs from) Claude Lalumiere, editor of the Tesseracts Twelve anthology; Brett Alexander Savory who wrote the Foreword; Grace Seybold, who authored the story "Intersections"; and Elaine (E. L.) Chen, who wrote "The Story of the Woman and Her Dog". Our friend Dave Nickle ("Wylde's Kingdon") was there. And of course, Jill and Michael were participating for "Beneath the Skin".
The highlight of the afternoon were readings. Claude read from the works of the three authors who weren't able to be present -- Derryl Murphy and Randy McCharles in Alberta, and Gord Sellar, somewhere in Korea. The authors who were actually present -- Jill and Michael, Grace, Elaine, Dave -- read brief excerpts from their stories.
Using the video function on Jill's camera, I was able to capture almost the entire reading. I missed the introductory remarks by Chris, the manager of Bakka, and part of the introductory remarks by Brett. A posting to Youtube may be in order.
In the above photo are Brett, Claude, Grace, Michael, and Jill.
Jill, Dave, and Grace during a lull in the signings.
Grace and Elaine. Apologies to Grace, who looks either gobsmacked or else she was goosed by Dave, whose arm you can see on the left. Actually, Grace was being surprised by someone walking up. I used this photo because it is the only shot I took that has Elaine in it. Below is a much nicer photo of Grace, signing our family copy of Tesseracts Twelve.
The turnout was great today. I talked to many friends who came to show their support. And Bakka sold a lot of copies of the book.
Important stuff (the shameless promotional part of this blog post)- If you are in Toronto, you can buy copies of Tesseracts Twelve, which are still available at Bakka-Phoenix.
For our American friends, you can buy this from Amazon.com or Barnes and Noble or Borders. It is almost certainly available at other fine bookstores or websites as well. Let us know if you spot it.
For those of you elsewhere in Canada, Bakka-Phoenix will ship if you order from them. Amazon.ca or Chapters Indigo are alternative choices. Again, please let us know if you spot it in a local bookstore -- let us know the date, the name of the bookstore, and how many copies you saw. (Not that we are obsessively trying to evolve a view of the book's distribution pattern -- no, not at all).
If you visit us, and bring a copy of Tesseracts Twelve, we will do our best to ensure that you get your copy autographed by Jill, Michael, and Dave at the very least.
Finally, note to self -- Gord Sellar is reputed to be in Korea. Must check with Krystal and Peter - after all, the Canadian ex-pat community in Korea will be large, but won't be so large as to rule out the possibility of an acquaintance among them.
On this particular Saturday, Jill left prior to the first crack of dawn to get groceries from the St. Lawrence Market, a Saturday morning ritual that she performs with Michael and Lorna.
Corwin and I indulged our state of dazed confusion until noon, by which time Jill had returned with groceries. Corwin and I left to get hair cuts from Rocco and Robert, the barbers supreme in Etobicoke. We managed to get home by 1:00pm, which left some leisurely time to get ready for the important event of the day -- the Tesseracts Twelve book launch at Bakka-Phoenix!
We picked up Michael enroute, got over to Queen and Bathurst, and for once, Towedaway, god of urban parking, smiled upon us: we managed to get a street parking spot a few doors away from Bakka. After a careful examination of the lingerie models in the window of Miss Behavin' across the street, I strolled over to Bakka with Jill, Michael, and Corwin.
The launch party was already starting when we arrived. I had an opportunity to meet (and collect autographs from) Claude Lalumiere, editor of the Tesseracts Twelve anthology; Brett Alexander Savory who wrote the Foreword; Grace Seybold, who authored the story "Intersections"; and Elaine (E. L.) Chen, who wrote "The Story of the Woman and Her Dog". Our friend Dave Nickle ("Wylde's Kingdon") was there. And of course, Jill and Michael were participating for "Beneath the Skin".
The highlight of the afternoon were readings. Claude read from the works of the three authors who weren't able to be present -- Derryl Murphy and Randy McCharles in Alberta, and Gord Sellar, somewhere in Korea. The authors who were actually present -- Jill and Michael, Grace, Elaine, Dave -- read brief excerpts from their stories.
Using the video function on Jill's camera, I was able to capture almost the entire reading. I missed the introductory remarks by Chris, the manager of Bakka, and part of the introductory remarks by Brett. A posting to Youtube may be in order.
In the above photo are Brett, Claude, Grace, Michael, and Jill.
Jill, Dave, and Grace during a lull in the signings.
Grace and Elaine. Apologies to Grace, who looks either gobsmacked or else she was goosed by Dave, whose arm you can see on the left. Actually, Grace was being surprised by someone walking up. I used this photo because it is the only shot I took that has Elaine in it. Below is a much nicer photo of Grace, signing our family copy of Tesseracts Twelve.
The turnout was great today. I talked to many friends who came to show their support. And Bakka sold a lot of copies of the book.
Important stuff (the shameless promotional part of this blog post)- If you are in Toronto, you can buy copies of Tesseracts Twelve, which are still available at Bakka-Phoenix.
For our American friends, you can buy this from Amazon.com or Barnes and Noble or Borders. It is almost certainly available at other fine bookstores or websites as well. Let us know if you spot it.
For those of you elsewhere in Canada, Bakka-Phoenix will ship if you order from them. Amazon.ca or Chapters Indigo are alternative choices. Again, please let us know if you spot it in a local bookstore -- let us know the date, the name of the bookstore, and how many copies you saw. (Not that we are obsessively trying to evolve a view of the book's distribution pattern -- no, not at all).
If you visit us, and bring a copy of Tesseracts Twelve, we will do our best to ensure that you get your copy autographed by Jill, Michael, and Dave at the very least.
Finally, note to self -- Gord Sellar is reputed to be in Korea. Must check with Krystal and Peter - after all, the Canadian ex-pat community in Korea will be large, but won't be so large as to rule out the possibility of an acquaintance among them.
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Tesseracts 12 Book Launch this Saturday Nov 29
The story which Jill co-authored with Michael is called "Beneath the Skin" and it is available in the collection Tesseracts 12, published by Edge Science Fiction and Fantasy Publishing, an Imprint of Hades Publications Inc. Mailing address -- P.O. Box 1714, Calgary, Alberta, T2P 2L7, Canada.
Edge publishes a *lot* of SF and Fantasy, but I have noticed one unfortunate problem with Tesseracts 12 -- it isn't available yet on Amazon!
We went to the World Fantasy Convention, which was held this year in Calgary over the Hallowe'en weekend. While we were there, Jill met with the people from Edge, and had a chance to do some book signings. Michael and Jill talked with Colleen Cahill, who subsequently wrote a positive review which appeared in the SFRevu website.
Karl Schroeder thinks this could be the best Tesseracts anthology yet, and hopefully a lot of people will agree with him.
There will be an opportunity to do more book signings in a couple of days -- Bakka-Phoenix Books is having a launch party for the book here in Toronto. Besides Jill Snider Lum and Michael Skeet, Claude Lalumiere (the editor) and David Nickle are expected to be there. I understand that possibly some other authors of stories in Tesseracts 12 may be there as well, but at this point I don't know which ones.
Bakka-Phoenix is located at 697 Queen Street West, in the middle of the first block west of Bathurst, deep in the heart of the Queen West Village. Directions to the store are available from their website.
UPDATE:I was wrong about the book not being available through Amazon. The issue was that I did a search on "Tesseracts 12" and got no results. However, it works just fine based on a search on "Tesseracts Twelve", which is the correct title of the book.
Friday, September 19, 2008
Jill is on BoingBoing!
Well, actually, it is the Pirate Issue of Shimmer Magazine, featured on BoingBoing. There is an image of the cover, and Jill's name is right there! Woohoo!
In celebration of International Talk Like A Pirate Day, which is today, Shimmer Magazine is offering a free electronic edition of the Pirate Issue. Only for the rest of the day, though, which is fast approaching its end.
Ahoy mateys! Get yer Shimmer Magazine download!
UPDATE - As of Saturday, September 20, the free giveaway link still works. If you like what you see, please support the folks at Shimmer Magazine by buying an actual printed copy from their website. I should also note that the Pirate Issue is a year old, and Shimmer hasn't been standing still. Their more current issues are here.
In celebration of International Talk Like A Pirate Day, which is today, Shimmer Magazine is offering a free electronic edition of the Pirate Issue. Only for the rest of the day, though, which is fast approaching its end.
Ahoy mateys! Get yer Shimmer Magazine download!
UPDATE - As of Saturday, September 20, the free giveaway link still works. If you like what you see, please support the folks at Shimmer Magazine by buying an actual printed copy from their website. I should also note that the Pirate Issue is a year old, and Shimmer hasn't been standing still. Their more current issues are here.
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Tesseracts 12
Jill and our friend Michael sold a story to Tesseracts 12, edited by Claude Lalumiere. The story is a fantasy, set in medieval Japan.
Among the Tuesday night group of the Usual Suspects, Dave also sold a story. As you can see from Dave's post, all of this happened in late winter/early spring -- months ago. If I wasn't such a casual blogger, you would have known about this earlier.
Tesseracts 12 will be out in September/October this year, likely in time for the World fantasy Convention. Please BUY THE BOOK when it comes out!
Among the Tuesday night group of the Usual Suspects, Dave also sold a story. As you can see from Dave's post, all of this happened in late winter/early spring -- months ago. If I wasn't such a casual blogger, you would have known about this earlier.
Tesseracts 12 will be out in September/October this year, likely in time for the World fantasy Convention. Please BUY THE BOOK when it comes out!
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Avast! Jill Be Sellin' A Pirate Story!
Arrr Mateys! Just in time fer International Talk Like A Pirate Day! Which is today -- September 19!
Jill sold a story ("The Sweet Realm") to Shimmer Magazine, for their special upcoming Pirate Issue. The Shimmery folks in charge at Shimmer have made it known that the issue will be out on November 1, but may be available at the World Fantasy Convention at the end of October for those of you who are going.
Jill's story can be downloaded from the Shimmer Magazine website. Please show your support by buying a copy of the magazine when it comes out! Shimmer's pre-order page is here.
Arrr Mateys! Jill hopes you enjoy the story. Happy Talk Like A Pirate Day!
Jill sold a story ("The Sweet Realm") to Shimmer Magazine, for their special upcoming Pirate Issue. The Shimmery folks in charge at Shimmer have made it known that the issue will be out on November 1, but may be available at the World Fantasy Convention at the end of October for those of you who are going.
Jill's story can be downloaded from the Shimmer Magazine website. Please show your support by buying a copy of the magazine when it comes out! Shimmer's pre-order page is here.
Arrr Mateys! Jill hopes you enjoy the story. Happy Talk Like A Pirate Day!
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