I love anthologies. They are the best way to discover new writers.
So when I learn of a new one to be released, I get truly excited. And when the lineup of authors matches my desire to read something new from favorite writers as well as try stories from authors I’ve been meaning to try, I literally cannot wait for it to be published.
Such is the case with Multiverse edited by Greg Bear and Gardner Dozois. The two editors have teamed up to produce an anthology devoted to the genius of Poul Anderson, one of the most significant science fiction writers of the last century. It’s not a surprise that bestselling author Greg Bear is helping to put this together; he is the son-in-law of the late Poul Anderson, bringing his extensive knowledge of science fiction history to produce an anthology that should make all sci-fi readers exceedingly happy.
And why not happy? Look at the line-up that has been put together!
Here is the press release from Subterranean Press:
Subterranean Press is pleased to announce Multiverse: Exploring Poul Anderson’s Worlds, which celebrates the SF Grandmaster’s works with new stories by modern masters of the form.
Poul Anderson (1926-2001) was one of the seminal figures of 20th century science fiction. Named a Grand Master by the SFWA in 1997, he produced an enormous body of standalone novels (Brain Wave, Tau Zero) and series fiction (Time Patrol, the Dominic Flandry books) and was equally at home in the fields of heroic fantasy and hard SF. He was a meticulous craftsman and a gifted storyteller, and the impact of his finest work continues, undiminished, to this day.
Multiverse: Exploring Poul Anderson’s Worlds is a rousing, all-original anthology that stands both as a significant achievement in its own right and a heartfelt tribute to a remarkable writer-and equally remarkable man. A nicely balanced mixture of fiction and reminiscence, Multiverse contains thirteen stories and novellas by some of today’s finest writers, along with moving reflections by, among others, Anderson’s wife, Karen, his daughter, Astrid Anderson Bear, and his son-in-law, novelist and co-editor Greg Bear. (Bear’s introduction, “My Friend Poul,” is particularly illuminating and insightful.).
The fictional contributions comprise a kaleidoscopic array of imaginative responses to Anderson’s many and varied fictional worlds. A few of the highlights include Nancy Kress’s “Outmoded Things” and Terry Brooks’s “The Fey of Cloudmoor,” stories inspired by the Hugo Award-winning “The Queen of Air and Darkness;” a pair of truly wonderful Time Patrol stories (”A Slip in Time” by S. M. Stirling and “Christmas in Gondwanaland” by Robert Silverberg); Raymond A. Feist’s Dominic Flandry adventure, “A Candle;” and a pair of very different homages to the classic fantasy novel, Three Hearts and Three Lions: “The Man Who Came Late” by Harry Turtledove and “Three Lilies and Three Leopards (And A Participation Ribbon in Science)” by Tad Williams. These stories, together with singular contributions by such significant figures as Larry Niven, Gregory Benford, and Eric Flint, add up to a memorable, highly personal anthology that lives up to the standards set by the late-and indisputably great-Poul Anderson.
- Limited: 250 signed numbered copies, housed in a custom slipcase: $125
- Trade: 1500 fully cloth bound hardcover copies: $40
Each story features a full-page black-and-white illustration by Hugo Award-winning artist, Bob Eggleton, who also contributed the full-color dust jacket. Look for Multiverse late in the Summer or Fall.
I love Poul Anderson’s work but I have not read all of it. It’s just an excuse to read more. It will also be fun to see what masters like Terry Brooks, Robert Silverberg, and Tad Williams do with the late grandmaster’s worlds.
To learn more about the anthology, visit the Sub Press website at www.subterraneanpress.com!
This better be good!