Short Story: “The Get” by Ellen Neuborne

Posted on December 10, 2011 by Erin Underwood

To celebrate the holiday season properly, Underwords brings you a reprint of “The Get” by Ellen Neuborne. Happy holidays from Ellen and Underwords.

~

The Get
by Ellen Neuborne

I’d finally made it through the line to the revolving doors at FAO Schwarz when my cell blared Don’t Stop Til You Get Enough. Work. Damn. Had to take it so I stepped in and tried to maneuver the spinning glass container while flipping the clamshell open to my ear. I was still yelling “Hello? Hello?” into my fist when I missed my exit and had to go around another spin. Okay, two actually. I got disoriented.

The blond family dressed in coordinated LL Bean parkas laughed. The FAO security guard, in tin-solider red, was less amused. He glared and swung his arms officiously, as though he were directing jet planes rather than toy shoppers.

“Please step outside to use your cellular device!’ he boomed. “Please show courtesy to other shoppers!”

At that point, I had managed to exit the revolving door and was standing on the red carpet of the store’s entryway. I’d waited 20 minutes and endured two performances of the sidewalk fire-eater to get inside and I wasn’t about to leave. I kept the phone to my ear and ducked behind the two-story stuffed gorilla for cover.

“Pia? Can you hear me? Pia?” I tried to enunciate without shouting and alerting the Nutcracker cop to my position.

“Hannah, yes, I can hear you. Omigoodness, I’m glad I finally got you. We are in gi-normous trouble,” she purred. My assistant had a truly astonishing vocal combination of deep Mexican accent and Valley Girl jargon. Her throaty delivery was surely going to get her leap-frogged over me and onto the air at Channel 3 in a matter of months. But I understood this, and she did not. Thus, her stress level.

“It is going very very badly. I don’t see how we are going to get this ‘get’,” she said, using TV industry slang for a high-profile interview. “We are doomed. I heard today at the gym that the company is simply waiting for after Christmas to announce layoffs.”

“Don’t panic,” I told her.

“How can you say that? I have called everyone. The publicist isn’t returning my calls. The publisher isn’t returning my calls. The author is not listed.”

I shifted the phone and started walking towards the escalators. “Don’t let that stop you. The only way to get this interview is to be aggressive. You know Channel 4 is not sitting around waiting for call backs.”

“But who else –“

“Stop banging your head against the wall trying to get the PR guy on the line. Obviously, he’s blowing you off. Find out the name of his assistant and work her instead.”

“Oh, good idea,” Pia trilled. And the line went dead.

Pia wasn’t wrong. She and I needed to find some way to land Loreli D’Chella and her book Ciao Tao on the show for Christmas night or we were both candidates for a New Year’s rightsizing. Just this morning, we’d debated the possibility of an Air Kiss  – that’s the euphemism for the highly unethical practice of swapping favors for airtime. Pia was worried enough to suggest it. I was old enough to know better.

The Air Kiss is like using anti-matter in the photon torpedoes. It seems like a good way to solve the immediate problem, but it comes back to bite you in the ass later. Anyone caught doing it gets fired. And in the chatty, catty news biz eventually, everyone eventually gets caught. I tried to explain this to Pia. The panic in her voice on the phone told me I’d not quite made my point.

But this afternoon, I had more pressing matters to tackle. I needed to secure one Zorianna, Princess of the 7th Dimension, for Casey, for the first night of Chanukah, or losing my job was going to be the least of my problems.

“It’s the only toy of the season,” Casey had said to me at breakfast. “It’s all anyone is talking about.”

“What does it do?” I asked her.

“Do? It’s a doll, Mom,” Casey said. She drained the milk from her cereal bowl and pulled a pink Spandex headband over her brow. “What do you expect?”

Withering delivery from an eight-year-old is more than I can manage most mornings before my second latte. So I just smiled and told her it was all under control.

This was before I discovered that Zorianna Princess of the 7th Dimension was in ridiculously short supply at retail and getting your hands on one was listed in Vegas at 100 to 1. This for a doll that didn’t “do” anything.

I was sure FAO would do the trick. But the line in front of the building should have been my first clue. By the time I got to the doll department and waded through the milling crowd, a cheerful elf with a wireless mike taped to her cheek informed me that Zorianna was sold out.

“Will you be getting more?” I asked her.

“You can check back next week,” she said.

“Next week is already Chanukah,” I told her. “By next week, I’ll be late.”

“Actually, by last week, you were late. We’ve been sold out since Thanksgiving,” the elf said, breaking her cheerful character to look down her tiny little nose at me. “It’s the only toy of the season,” she said.

“So I’ve heard,” I answered.

Macy’s was not any better. Wall-to-wall shoppers, aisle-blocking end cap displays, and Christmas music demanding I be joyful.

The clerk at the toy department counter did not have an elf costume, a wireless mike, or a Zorianna doll. “Sold out,” he said. “However, I can still save your Christmas!”

“Really?” I said hopefully. I needed a save.

“Absolutely,” he answered. He ducked behind the counter and emerged with four boxed dolls – all with silver and gold packaging. He began to tell me the stories of each.

“Kayla is very popular this year. She comes with a matching lead crystal pendant and faux gem Prada footwear.”

I leaned in to hear him over the crowd when my cell rang again. Miss Gultch’s theme music. Great, just what I needed.

“Hi, Mom.”

“Hannah, honey, I know it’s not a good time to reach you—”

“No, not really.”

“—but I really do need to get the planning underway. How many are you going to be for dinner next week?”

I sighed. “Mom, it’s me, David and Casey. That’s three. Same as last year. Same as the last eight years since she was born. I did not have another baby and forget to tell you.”

“If you were going to have a second you should do so before you’re 40.”

“Which is next month, so that deadline isn’t looking good.”

I kept eye contact with the sales clerk and gave a sheepish shrug in the hopes he would forgive my cell phone discourtesy. He seemed oblivious and continued his pitch.

“Ming Li comes with three silk outfits and a bilingual Mandarin ‘All About Me’ scrap book.” I leaned in on the glass counter to show my continued interest as he went on. “Isobel—”

“It’s just that there are health risks,” my mother continued. “I saw your friend Katie Couric do a piece on it last week.”

“Mom, Katie Couric is my rival.”

“Really? She seems so nice and friendly.”

“She’s on another network.”

“Well, they’re all the same to me.”

“Great Mom, that’s just great, I’ll let the guys in marketing know. They’ll be thrilled you can’t tell the difference.”

I looked at the array of dolls before me and realized something was missing. “Don’t any of these have a space theme?” I asked the clerk.

Mom was still talking. “Now with cable it’s just hours and hours of talking heads anyway.”

The clerk shook his head no.

“I just let your father watch his sports most of the time.”

“Well, I think I really do need to find a space theme. Thanks for your time, though.”

“You’re welcome,” he said. “Merry Christmas.”

“Merry Christmas.”

“Hannah!”

“I’m talking to the clerk, Mom.”

“I don’t care who you are talking to! A nice Jewish girl does not wish anyone a Merry Christmas.”

“Mom, it’s an expression.”

“So’s Heil Hitler!”

“Okay, I’m hanging up the phone now.”

“I thought I raised you better.”

“I’ll see you next week, Mom.”

“If you can still manage to remember it’s a Jewish holiday, we and the six million would all be appreciative,” she sniffed.

Back out into the Herald Square crowds, I began pushing south along Sixth Avenue, ducking into every store that seemed likely – Kmart, KayBee even Duane Reed. No Zorianna. I checked in with Pia. Three calls had come in: Tiffany’s, Home Depot and Toys R Us. Would I please please please consider including them in my holiday coverage? Still no D’Chella interview. But Pia had managed to turn up the information that Loreli D’Chella was nee Lauren Dechesky. “Try information for that name in New York City,” I told Pia. “Then do Long Island, headed East. Try to get her at home.”

I was about to flip my phone shut when a text message came across. “Still getting C at 5:30?” it read.  Shit. I was on pick up duty. I texted back to David. “Of course!” And spun around to flag down a cab.

In the backseat of the sedan that smelled of cardamon and wet umbrellas, I sat back for a moment and pondered my work crisis. Christmas night is normally a dead zone. The Christian world and its secular followers are generally so wiped out on comfort and joy, getting them to tune into anything but a football game is a Herculean challenge.

That’s why I volunteered for it in the first place. I needed something big, something splashy. I was, as my mother had noted, perilously close the Age That Must Not Be Named in television journalism. I needed to show I was worth keeping around through my Botox years. It was no longer enough to be smart and articulate and easy on the eyes. I needed a big moment. I needed a “get.”

When Loreli D’Chella’s unlikely little volume on transforming your life into a harmonious peace zone shot up the best-seller charts, I knew this was my chance. This little book – and its rags-to-riches author – was going to get me my moment in the spotlight. In the dawn of the New Year, in the glare of the conspicuous consumption holiday, I was going to deliver the path to true peace and happiness to television millions. It was the perfect Christmas spot.

Sadly, I was not the only one who had that bright idea. The past week had been flurry of calls, voice mail, emails and brush-offs as the publisher, publicist and author juggled the panting media requests. I’d put everything else on hold to chase this interview. David even had to send me an email to tell me he thought I was obsessed. Fine. Wall Street analysts don’t age out of their jobs. I, on the other hand, may as well have a lit fuse attached to my taupe sling backs.

I dug into my purse for the sheaf of printouts. I scanned for names we hadn’t tried. I shuffled through them, trying to sort the work papers from out from the collection of additional paper crap I had crammed in here. Flyers, invitations, drawings by Casey I’d promised to look at later. It looked like a recycling bin in there. Shit!” I yelled as my hand slipped and flipped the entire paper collective all over the inside of the cab. “Goddamn it,” I muttered as I tried to get my papers together in the dank, dark foot well.

“You need to relax,” said the voice from the front seat.

I didn’t even bother to straighten up. I grabbed handfuls of email prints outs and business lunch receipts and stuffed them back into my bag.

“Stress is not healthy.”

“Is that so?” I said giving up on the main compartment of my purse and starting to stuff the outer pockets.

“It can kill you. You need to reduce stress.”

I put my purse and paperwork to the side and leaned forward, putting my elbow up on the ridge of the bulletproof plastic partition.

“You know what? I’m sick of that attitude. I’m sick of people trying to push it back on me.” The driver looked startled at my proximity and turned his head back to face the road. “I don’t want stress. I don’t seek out stress. Stress is what happens when I try to make other people happy. Do I give a damn what people watch on television? No. But Procter & Gamble won’t be happy unless I cook up draws a 30 share. How exactly would you recommend I reduce that stress? And do I know why Happy Kids toys only made a limited number of Zorianna Princess of the 7th Dimension dolls? No, but my kid wants it. And is it my fault that Cohen Katz merged Citigroup and now there’s a fight to death to see which analysts survive the combination? Is it my fault there are more Christians than Jews and so their holiday, their music, even their small talk takes over the whole Western world for the month of December? Did I do any of that? Can I control any of that? My stress is not of my making. I am unhappy recipient of stress packages from every corner of my fucking life. So you and all the other critics who see fit to pile on can stuff it.”

I finished. Too spent to sit back, I rested my forehead on the sliding plastic window frame. I hardly noticed when the cab stopped.

“$9.50, please,” the driver said, frozen with his hands at 10 and 12, eyes on the road.

I handed him $15 and lumbered out of the back seat. It was dark already, and the street in front of Casey’s school teemed with rush hour traffic. I tried to check in with Pia again. Dead battery. Great. That’s a freaking metaphor. I began trudging towards the school.

There seemed like more people than should be in front of the school. Lots of parents and kids. I expected it to be quieter – the usual trickle of workaholics picking up from the tail end of the after-school program. As I got closer, I noticed the family groups. Smiling kids, parents, even grandparents. Some of the kids were holding flowers and balloons.

I looked up at the banner over the school door. “Welcome families!”

A holiday recital. I’d missed the holiday recital. I dug back into my purse to see if I had the flyer. Then I stopped. It didn’t matter. It was over. I had been absent. I stood on the sidewalk and stared at the building. The lights in the auditorium had already been dimmed. I looked over the whole facade. One panel of lights was still aglow. That’s the office, I knew. The office, where the kids who were still waiting for their parents to turn up were sitting, coats on, backpacks on, game faces on.

I turned away from the school and darted across the street, running half a block to the corner. I dug once more into the depths of my purse and came out with a quarter. I stepped up to the ancient grimy phone booth. It took a minute to wade through the automated voice mail system, but Lucy Finn, publicist for Toys R Us, picked up.

“Hi Lucy, it’s Hannah Hersh from Channel 3. How are you?” I let her do a minute or two of pleasantries before I hit her with the pitch. “Listen, I have a proposition for you.”

And then I did it. I made the deal. I offered the Air Kiss. I would feature her client in my pre-Christmas show, excluding all the other retailers. If she could get me a Zorianna doll.

“Deal?” I asked. “Deal,” she answered. I hung up the phone. The greasy receiver slipped out of my hand and banged down. I left it swinging in the air and turned back to the school.

When I arrived in the office, a handful of kids were sitting on the long wooden bench. The security guard was watching the evening news – Channel 4. I watched as the orange ribbon crawled across the bottom of the screen. “Tune in Christmas Night for Katie Couric’s Exclusive Interview Loreli D’Chella.”

Casey slid off the bench when she saw me. “You need to sign me out,” she said as she put her hat and mittens on. I fumbled through the paperwork and followed behind her as she walked out into the hall.

We walked in silence for a block down the cold dark avenue. “I’m sorry I missed the concert.”

“Whatever. It wasn’t very good.”

“Still, I’m sorry.”

“Okay.”

“Maybe you can sing some of the songs for me?”

“Jingle Bell Rock?”

“Oy.”

“Yeah, me too.”

We turned off the avenue and headed east. “I was thinking we could make some plans for Christmas week.”

“Can I have a playdate with Heather?”

“Sure, but I was thinking us.”

“I thought you were working.”

I thought about my Air Kiss and pondered the time it would take for my inevitable firing. “Maybe not so much,” I said to Casey.

“That’s funny.”

“I guess. So we could do something. We could bake cookies.”

“Cookies? That is so lame.”

“It is?”

“Yes. It is. Who bakes cookies?”

“I don’t know. I thought someone did.”

“No.”

“Okay.”

I shifted my overstuffed purse on my shoulder. “There’s this guy in midtown. He’s doing a whole fire-breathing act. But I think he’s faking.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, I didn’t get enough time to watch but I think it’s a hoax.”

“A mystery! Cool,” said Casey. “I’m in.”

“Me, too,” I said, stepping up the curb onto the sidewalk, heading for home.

~ The End ~

Ellen Neuborne is a writer, editor and ghostwriter living in New York City. She is the co-author of the children’s novel How Ella Grew an Electric Guitar. She is currently at work on a short story collection titled Mommy Noire. You can also find Ellen’s new short story “Anarchy Becomes Electra” in the Pop Fic Review.

“The Get” was originally published in December 2007 in The Chick Lit Review and republished on Underwords with permission of the author.

Posted in Books and Literature, Fiction, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Review: TRSF (Technology Review Science Fiction Magazine)

Posted on December 7, 2011 by Erin Underwood

Title: TRSF — (an annual science fiction magazine)
Editor: Stephen Cass
Publisher: Technology Review

Cover Blurb:
The best new science fiction inspired by today’s emerging technologies.

~

For me, the most exciting thing about the new annually published science fiction magazine TRSF is that it’s published by Technology Review Magazine, one of the most interesting science and technology magazines on the market. What’s so special about Technology Review? It’s published by MIT, a.k.a. the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, which is the premiere engineering, science, and research institution in the world.

I should also mention that I work at MIT, and I received my copy of TRSF from the publisher. So, I may be a slight bit biased here, but good fiction speaks for itself and TRSF sings! Given MIT’s intellectual and scientific resources, it is not surprising that Technology Review (TR to those of us who know and love the magazine) features some of the most fascinating articles about cutting edge science, clever new inventions, and mind-boggling discoveries being written today. Science + Fiction + MIT = TR, an awesome hard science fiction magazine that will get your imagination going.

The concept behind the publication of TRSF is fascinating. After all, how many science and technology magazines start a science fiction magazine in this day and age?

Having Technology Review branch out into new territory and publish TRSF as an annual science fiction magazine, featuring near future hard science fiction is truly exciting. After all,  imagination goes a long way toward spurring and encouraging new scientific discoveries. You never know, maybe someday the science fiction in one of these stories may become science reality. Now, that would be exciting!

The contributors of the first annual TRSF are all very talented writers, most of whom I’ve read before. In the introduction, editor Stephen Cass says:

Inspired by the real-world technological breakthroughs covered online and in print by Technology Review, these authors bring you 12 visions of tomorrow, looking at how the Internet, computing, energy, biotecnology, spaceflight, and more might develop, and how those developments might affect the people who have to live with them.

While all of the stories in TRSF were engaging, well written and inspiring, there were a few that stood out:

  • “Complete Sentence” by Joe Haldeman is one of my favorites in the bunch. It’s a chilling tale of crime and punishment that will make you think twice about guilt, innocence, and the the choices we make.
  • “Real Artists” by Ken Liu has a flavor of being a little too true and will make you wonder how those big blockbuster movies are really made. The next time you go to the movies, you might even find yourself looking around the theater wondering . . . *spoilers!*
  • “Private Space” by Geoffrey A. Landis is a high flying story that captures the spirit of combining imagination and science into something that not only could happen but probably will happen–at some point. On a side note, while this wasn’t my favorite story in the magazine, it did a wonderful job of capturing the MIT spirit of curiosity, invention, and contributing to science.
  • “The Brave Little Toaster” by Cory Doctorow is a nice way to kick-off TRSF. It’s a short piece that will make you think twice about automatically accepting those nifty product samples that marketing reps handout at malls, on the street, and other public places. While it is an exciting to think of living in a truly networked world, there is something to be said for the simple technologies that do what we want them to do no matter what they think they should do.

The Table of Contents for TRSF is listed below.

  • The Brave Little Toaster – Cory Doctorow
  • Indra’s Web – Vandana Singh
  • Real Artists – Ken Liu
  • Complete Sentence – Joe Haldeman
  • The Mark Twain Robots – Ma Boyong
  • Cody – Pat Cadigan
  • The Surface of Last Scattering – Ken MacLeod
  • Specter-Bombing the Beer Goggles – Paul Di Filippo
  • Lonely Islands – Tobias Buckell
  • The Flame Is Roses, The Smoke Is Briars – Gwyneth Jones
  • Private Space – Geoffrey A. Landis
  • Gods of the Forge – Elizabeth Bear

TRSF is available in print as well as in a digital format for your Kindle or Nook.

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Review: Firebird by Jack McDevitt

Posted on November 16, 2011 by Erin Underwood

Title: Firebird, an Alex Benedict Novel
Author: Jack McDevitt
Publisher: Ace Hardware

Cover Blurb:
Forty-one years ago the renowned physicist Chris Robin vanished. Before his disappearance, his fringe science theories about the existence of endless alternate universes had earned him both admirers and enemies.

Alex Benedict and Chase Kolpath discover that Robin had several interstellar yachts flown far outside the planetary system where they too vanished. And following Robin’s trail into the unknown puts Benedict and Kolpath in danger…

~

The stakes have never been higher for Benedict Enterprises when Alex puts his reputation on the line in stubborn pursuit of the mysteries surrounding Chris Robin’s death.

Firebird the newest Alex Benedict novel by Jack McDevitt is a terrific read full of exciting scientific revelations, social intrigues, and fascinating looks into the past from the historical perspective of a man with a talent for finding valuable objects and dangerous answers. Antiquarian Alex Benedict and his assistant Chase Kolpath find themselves in the center of a scientific mystery that has put uncounted lives at risk over thousands of years, bringing them face-to-face with impossible relics from the past.

For diehard Alex Benedict fans, Firebird maintains the elements of suspense, intrigue, history, and exploration that are staples of the series. However, Firebird goes a step further, incorporating topical social and ethical issues that have been lingering on the edge of the previous novels without getting much attention–until now. While Alex may have opened a can of worms for himself in his attempt to raise interest in Robin’s possessions, he has also raised public awareness about the status of AIs in society as well as the  mysterious interstellar ships that have been swept under the proverbial rug for centuries.

Given the intense personal and professional pressure they are under in Firebird, it’s not surprising that Alex and Chase find themselves in situations that reveal (at least to readers) how close these two have become over the years. This development creates potential for their relationship to deepen in the future. They are a natural fit in every sense of the word, and McDevitt deftly creates a subtle sense of expectation in Firebird that will leave readers waiting for Alex and Chase to discover what we already know–they are perfect for each other. The question is, will they ever get together? Whatever happens you can be sure that their relationship will be the spice on top of a superbly told story about a clever antiquarian and his savvy assistant.

With his fiction set thousands of years into the future, McDevitt makes future tech seem like everyday technology. Even better, he never stops the action to admire the fabulous ideas and plots that fill his novels. Firebird is full of intriguing plots about missing spaceships and abandoned planets that will keep readers turning the page to see what happens next. As a non-scientist reading Firebird, I found the physics well explained, leaving out all of the technical jargon and theories that would have bogged down the story in difficult to parse exposition. At no point will you find yourself wishing for more technical detail nor will you find yourself struggling to keep up with Alex and Chase as they sort through the clues and possibilities surrounding each new mystery. Instead, McDevitt keeps us focused on the characters through exciting new twists and turns that take us closer to understanding what Robin was up to and what really happened on the night he disappeared.

One of the most interesting developments in Firebird, if not in the entire series, is the idea that the AIs might be sentient lifeforms. Over the last few books, it has been increasingly apparent that AIs act, respond, and feel like living beings. However, the people living within McDevitt’s world have been unable to acknowledge AIs as a conscious and evolved species. People have become comfortably complacent in their beliefs that AIs are little more than interactive software/holographic programs created or deleted as the pleasure of their human owners. At least that’s the case until Alex and Chase uncover an ancient AI who makes people begin thinking differently about what really “lives” inside of their little black boxes.

Science fiction and mystery fans are sure to love Firebird. It’s not necessary to read the previous novels in the series before reading Firebird. However, I can guarantee you that once you finish Firebird, you will find yourself searching for the earlier books–all of which I highly recommend. McDevitt’s Firebird was a true pleasure to read, and I look forward to the next installment in the series. I just wish it weren’t a year away.

Posted in Reviews, Science Fiction | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments

Epic Literature and The Sacred Band: An Interview With David Anthony Durham

Posted on October 13, 2011 by Erin Underwood

Underwords has had the special opportunity to interview award winning fantasy writer David Anthony Durham, author of the acclaimed Acacia series. It is always so much fun to interview a person like David. Not only is he witty and talented, he is also a generous writer who has a great deal to share as he discusses his work on The Sacred Band, his writing career, and his family’s recent move to Scotland.

David Anthony Durham received his M.F.A. in creative writing from the University of Maryland, and he currently teaches Popular Fiction in the Stonecoast MFA Program through the University of Southern Maine. He and his family live in Scotland. You can visit David online at http://www.davidanthonydurham.com/ as well as on Facebook.

~

Before writing the Acacia series, you were most well known for your historical fiction Gabriel’s Story, Walk Through Darkness, and The Pride of Carthage? – all of which are award winning or noteworthy novels.  What inspired you to write an epic fantasy trilogy, which has since been compared to the likes of J.R.R. Tolkien and George R.R. Martin?

It’s simple, really. I read fantasy as a kid. I discovered a love of reading in Middle Earth and Narnia and Earthsea. I forgot about that for a while as I worked through an MFA and built a “literary” career, but I came back to fantasy when I saw how much it was becoming a part of my kids’ life. I watched them and went, “Yeah… I remember being that excited about a book. I want some of that feeling back.”

I think we should honor that–to some degree or another–as adults. I wish more literary writers would acknowledge this. I’ve heard many of them admit to the same love of fantasy as children, but they only do so after some prodding–as if I have to pull the old memories up from wherever they’ve buried them.

The transition from historical fiction to epic fantasy seems like a big step for a writer to take. What was it like to transition from historical to fantasy fiction? How did the two writing experiences conflict or conform to each other?

Historical fiction made for a great base from which to launch into fantasy. I’d just come off dealing with lots of large-scale issues with Pride of Carthage, and I used that experience as I began to build my fantasy world. Many of the things I covered in that novel I wanted to cover in Acacia: The War With The Mein, also. I think it helped create an imagined world that feels lived in and tangible. I hope it does, at least.

The main transition I was aware of was that I began with a fairly low-magic world with the first book. I wanted magic to become a larger part of the world as the novels progressed, so that by the end it was a much more full-fantasy than at the beginning. That made sense to me, but it also allowed me to grow more comfortable writing about fantasy creatures and actions as the novels progressed.

The books grow more fantastical. So did I as a writer.

The Acacia series tackles a story of epic proportions with multiple main characters, plots, and locations. When writing The Sacred Band, what was your biggest challenge in bringing this story together in only three books?

The hard part was not giving in to the impulse toward gigantism. Near the end of The Sacred Band I had a crisis. I couldn’t bear the thought of ending the book in only a few more scenes. Instead of the ending I’d been writing toward, I was suddenly sure that I needed to expand, not wrap up. I wanted one more book, and I hastily sketched out exactly what that would entail. I wrote my editor an impassioned email explaining my reasoning and asking for his okay for a fourth book. When I wrote it, I couldn’t imagine any other option.

How did he respond? He said the editorial equivalent of “No Freaking way, dude”. He felt strongly that I needed to finish it as a trilogy, and that my impulse to go longer meant that the story was getting away from me. He suggested I take a deep breath, come to grips with a trilogy again, and that he and I work together to grab the beast before it devoured me. He even suggested we push back the pub date by a year.

I took about a half an hour to process this, and then responded with the authorial equivalent of “No freaking way, dude”. I wasn’t saying no to the trilogy, though. As soon as he called me on it, I knew I really could and should finish it as promised. That urge toward gigantism in epic fantasy is completely understandable. I mean, what gets an author more invested than creating an entire world and all the people in it? Of course we want to stay in those worlds for as long as we can! But that’s clearly not a good impulse in lots of ways, including that we drag stories out in ways that can be pretty self-indulgent–not to mention callous to our readers.

My editor said no, and I had to admit that he was right. I wasn’t going to push the publication back by a year. Instead, I proposed a new deadline–more like a couple of months away–and I said I’d write like a madman, day and night, awake and sleeping, until I was done. He agreed. I did that, and I’m very happy to say that he loved the novel I delivered.

It was a close call, though. If I’d held my ground I don’t know what would have happened. And if I’d taken that extra year… Either way, I was at the edge of a career crisis. I’m rather proud–and relieved–that I came through it in a manner that I’m pleased with. And that Doubleday is pleased with, too. They signed me for another book, and in this publishing climate that’s not something to take for granted.

Over the course of the series, which character has surprised you the most or developed furthest beyond your original concept?

Corinn. I knew at the beginning that she wasn’t as trivial as she seemed, but I didn’t know how she was going to face the things thrown at her. In each case, she makes decisions that readers have every right to think are wrong, but for me there’s logic to everything she attempts. It comes–as I think is true of many people–from the betrayals and disappointments that shaped her in her childhood. I found her wonderfully full of contradictions, full of flaws and strengths in equal measure. She was very rewarding to write, I think she might be the most complicated character in the series.

My favorite scene to read in The Sacred Band was Dariel’s last scene because of everything that moment represented. What was your favorite or the most compelling scene for you to write in The Sacred Band?

That’s nice to hear. Thank you.

For me, there’s no one scene. I could never pick one of them. I enjoy different ones for different reasons. Mena and Elya at war… Corinn with her dragons and the ghost that haunts her… Dariel discovering what the sacred band is… Another character that I shouldn’t mention by name shaping the future of the empire… A lot came to completion in this book. No one plot line is more important than another. They all feed into the whole.

Are there any characters in the series whose stories you would like to continue after The Sacred Band either as a second Acacia series or as a short story? If so, is there any chance we can convince you to write it?

I could happily write lots of different standalone stories of various characters. All that needs to happen to convince me is for the series to sell well enough that publishers want to continue to publish me writing about this world. It depends on that more than anything–on readers.

My father in law, on finishing the book, said that surely I had to write something that deals with the hounds after they’ve grown up. Forget about the people. He wants to see the hounds in action! I kinda do too, really. He suggested a title: The Hounds of Acacia.

We all make mistakes as writers. Some good, some bad. What was the best or worst writing mistake you ever made? What was it about that mistake that qualifies it for the best/worst title?

It’s something I had to work through, but I guess it qualifies as a mistake… Youthful “literary” arrogance. I had a healthy dose of it. I floated atop a mighty wave of it during grad school. I believed my work to be terribly important. Important enough that it was all right for me to punish readers with unrelenting grimness as they read it. I was grim. And arrogant in that I almost felt my fiction was medicine readers should thank me for tipping it down their throats.

I’m being a little simplistic. I also learned a lot about writing during my MFA program. But it wasn’t until a few years after that I really came to understand the most important thing about this process. Readers don’t owe me anything; I owe them a ton, though, and I better repay them as much as I can with stories that reward them. That’s what I try to do.

You and your kids have a great relationship. How has that fed into your writing? Has story time with the Durhams resulted in any new fiction or new ideas that you have incorporated into one of your novels? Do you see any children’s stories in your future?

My kids are great. I love them a bunch and I’m happy to have spent so much of their childhood with them. They were homeschooled for the last five years or so. It was great. They’re both in school now and loving it, but I really do think having that longer period of time with each other has been wonderful for us.

You bet they’ve affected my writing. Actually, since you ask… I have been writing for kids. With their help, I’m 150 pages into a middle-grade solarpunk epic fantasy novel. It’s set in ancient Egypt. We’ve been having great fun playing with the gods, with history, with bringing a magical version of the distant past to life. For the first time, Maya and Sage are my beta readers. They’re good at it, too!

This was a side project. I sort of slipped in the writing of it between other projects. When I first told my agent about it he was highly skeptical. I showed him different proposals and explanations of it, but he didn’t really get it. Eventually, he said, “Fine. Just give me the whole thing and I’ll read it. And then I’ll give you my honest, frank opinion.” He was clearly expecting that not to have a very high opinion, at least as translates into the project’s commercial potential–into it being worth my time as compared to writing other stuff.

He got back to me recently. He…loved it. He really, really liked it. Stay tuned. I’ll soon know if this thing has legs. Or wings, as the case may be.

You and your family recently moved to Scotland. How has it been settling into your new home? How has the move affected your writing?

My writing has become wetter and windier, with the baying of sheep an ever-present soundtrack. All my characters now drink whiskey and are mad for football (soccer). They all say, Alright, pal? This is a problem considering that I’m writing an historical novel about the Spartacus rebellion. Now I find that Crassus is an Arsenal fan, while Pompey is all Manchester United. And Spartacus, he supports Aberdeen, which is not exactly a winning proposition…

Okay. I’m joking, obviously. The only way I’m aware of it affecting my writing is that the move has been a long period of disruption. It’s tough getting my routine back. I don’t really have it yet. I’m not in my own space, and that’s making it a bit tricky at the moment. I’ll sort it out, though.

Bunnies. Spartacus. Graphic novels. Oh, my! What more needs to be said? Do you think there is any chance that Clan Durham might collaborate on The Spartacus Bunny Wars, even as a fun little web project? Could be fun!

I’d love to. I don’t know where the idea for The Spartacus Bunny Wars came from, but it cracks me up imagining gladiator bunnies in armor, smacking each other with carrots, turnips or–most frightening–beets. I see the guards whipping them into submission with garlic scapes, and the crowd roaring for carnage as they munch celery sticks.

It could definitely be fun.

What’s up with those Scottish cows that are peering inside through your kitchen window?

I wish I knew. It might just be that they like the smell of a good curry, but I fear it’s something more sinister. I just haven’t figured out what.

Now that you’re living in the UK, there is a cultural requirement that you have a favorite Doctor.  Mine is 10 with Matt Smith’s Doctor coming in as a strong second. So I ask, the oldest question in the universe, the question hidden in plain sight, “Doctor Who?” Why that Doctor?

David Tennant? I don’t have any good reason other than I’ve watched more episodes with him in them than anybody else. I like him. He’s Scottish. That helps.

Everyone has a secret superpower. What is your superpower and what would be your superhero name? Okay, now ask your kids how they would answer that question for you. What did they say?

I am a shape shifter. I don’t mind admitting it. It’s not my fault. I was just born this way. My kids will tell you that same thing.

As to a superhero name… Now, that’s just silly.

David, thank you so much for taking the time to do this interview. As always, it has been an honor and a pleasure.

I’m honored. It’s been fun.

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The Sacred Band and the Thoughts of a Beta Reader

Posted on October 5, 2011 by Erin Underwood

David Anthony Durham

Yes, I am a beta reader. Yes, I’m a friend of David Anthony Durham’s. And, yes, this isn’t a standard review of The Sacred Band, the last book in the Acacia series. Writing a review under these circumstances didn’t seem like the right course to take. However, because I love the book and the series, I wanted to write something that in some way addressed my views and experiences with the series since The Sacred Band was published on October 4, 2011.

The best thing about being a beta reader is that it gave me a unique perspective on the final version of the book that I wouldn’t have experienced any other way. In addition to getting that sneak peek, it was a sincere honor to have one of my mentors ask me to be a beta reader for his upcoming novel–not to mention a little terrifying. After all we’re talking about David Anthony Durham, who won the Malcolm C. Braly Award for Fiction, the Zora Neale Hurston/Richard Wright Fiction Award, and the John W. Campbell Award–just to name a few of his honors. So, before digging into The Sacred Band, I reread the first two books in the series, Acacia and The Other Lands, in order to make sure that the story was fresh in my mind.

For those of you who haven’t yet read the Acacia series by David Anthony Durham, open your eReader, head to your local bookstore or go to the library and check out Acacia. Now. I really mean right now. It’s a fantastic epic fantasy series that rivals anything from Tolkien, Martin, or Brooks.

A master of his craft, Durham draws upon the best that the fantasy tradition has to offer, combing it with his talent for writing historical fiction that doesn’t shy away from addressing social topics that that are as significant today as they were a hundred years ago or will be a hundred years from now. Reading the Acacia series is like reading an exciting and captivating history of a real place, told from the point of views of real people, and depicting events that feel as if they happened in the real world with a dash of magic. This is what first drew me to the series. However, what kept me reading was Durham’s superb writing style and sense of story that allows him to deftly maneuver from plot to subplot, from character to conflict, and from anticipation to delivery.

The Sacred Band hits the ground running with Queen Corinn’s preparation for battle with the Numrek. Now, there is a fight scene for the ages! Can’t say more. Spoilers. Durham sets the stakes high from the start and then methodically drives each plot forward through character choices that are meaningful and that produce interactions that keep the reader, turning page after page to see … what … happens … next! … until the last page is turned.

Taking on a series the size and scope of Acacia is a daunting task, but finishing it in only three books and making the story feel whole and complete is a sign of mastery over both fiction and form for any writer. What’s most remarkable is that this is Durham’s first fantasy series, and it includes the novel for which he won the John W. Campbell Award in 2009.

So, what does all of this have to do with being a beta reader for The Sacred Band? Well, it’s my special way of saying that I am extremely proud of David Anthony Durham, his Acacia series, and The Sacred Band. These are books that any fantasy reader will love and cherish.

It was a pleasure to comb through The Sacred Band, noting little things like the occasional typo to the lack of scents in a scene that needed some specific smells or finding an opportunity to foreshadow an upcoming choice that a character will make, or catching a timing issue or a character that has been absent for too long. When a writer is dealing with a series that is thousands of pages long, it is impossible to keep every detail in mind, and it can never hurt to get a little help from your friends. Enter the beta reader.

It’s not the job of a beta reader to edit or revise a manuscript. Rather it is our duty to call out the things that will help to create a finished book that reflects the author’s vision, allowing him to make informed editing decisions to elicit the effect he wants, and to let him know what is working especially well in the story. It’s the beta reader’s job to find those nitpicky little things that are easy for a writer to miss, but will be spotted by fans who tear through the novel hungry to consume every detail possible about the Known World, the Other Lands, and the Akaran children as well as the various plots, characters, and schemes that keep readers wanting more!

Looking back over my experience with Acacia, The Other Lands, and The Sacred Band, I am most surprised to find that my favorite character in the series changed so dramatically and multiple times. First, it was Dariel who captured my attention—a young curious and cunning boy who grew into an absolutely engaging man. Then, it was Mena who caught my eye, trading the role of princess for that of priestess before evolving into the physical aspect of a regional goddess known as Maben on Earth. From there Mena, powerful and smart, grew into her role of warrior princess.

I found Corinn to be an interesting character caught in difficult circumstances within the first two books of the Acacia series, but she didn’t hold the same intensity of spirit that Dariel and Mena carried. I can’t tell you when that changed. However, the change was slow, imperceptible at first, but then Corinn transformed, growing into the shining star of the series. Her character development is significant and she fully embraces the role of one of the most powerful female characters in fantasy fiction.

Of all the characters, Corinn gained and lost the most, her point of view and her desires evolved the furthest, and she made the most horrible mistakes and sacrifices. Through it all, she never lost her humanity. She clung to what it meant to be human, to be a woman, to be a mother, and to be Queen. At the end of the series, at the end of The Sacred Band, it is she who will burry your heart in tears. I would not be surprised if Queen Corinn becomes one of the legendary figures within the fantasy genre and one of the powerful women that we look toward as an example of how female characters in fantasy fiction can  be done right, and be done well.

The Sacred Band is meant to be read and David Anthony Durham is a writer to follow. Visit David online at his website and his blog. You can also read an excerpt from The Sacred Band.

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What’s on Your “To Read” List?

Posted on September 17, 2011 by Erin Underwood

One of the things that I struggle with is my “To Read” list. Now that my time is so limited, I can only read one or two books per month, which makes it difficult to tackle all of the amazing selections on my “To Read” list.

Since I was just making lists and lists of lists for all of the things that I need to do, I thought I would share my “To Read” list so that you can see what’s on the horizon for me. If you have a “To Read” list, I’d love to know what is on it. So, grab a coffee, pull up a chair, and lets compare lists.

Mile 81 by Stephen King
Any new Stephen King story is always added to my list, even if I can’t get to it right away.

The Magician King by Lev Grossman
I loved the first book in Lev’s series, The Magicians. It was one of those books that found me, rather than me finding it. In any case, it was a wonderfully well written fantasy tale set in the modern world. From what I have heard, The Magician King is just as good.

Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare
Well, what more is there to say than…”It’s a new Cassandra Clare book. Put it on the list!” Seriously though, Clockwork Angel was a great novel. I absolutely loved it (as you can see in my review.)

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Am I really the only person who hasn’t read this book? It’s high time for that to change, so I’m adding it to my “To Read” list. No more excuses. I need to find out why people are so hungry for this book.

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
Look at that cover! It’s genius. The cover blurb about a mysterious circus that appears out of nowhere got my attention right away. Add the mysterious description and the lovely cover together, and you get a book that I need to read!

The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making by Catherynne Valente
This book should be on everyone’s list. The way that Cat Valente wrote the book is fascinating, the fact that it got picked up and republished by TOR is impressive, and having it hit the New York Times bestseller list is beyond amazing. Plus, she’s such a wonderful writer!

Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs
I literally just found out about this book. It’s about a strange school that was thought to have been destroyed, but wasn’t–as one young man soon finds out. After his grandfather death, Jacob’s journey begins when he sets out to find the truth behind some very odd photos and letters that belonged to his grandfather. Definitely list-worthy.

The Steampunk Bible: An Illustrated Guide to the World of Imaginary Airships, Corsets and Goggles, Mad Scientists, and Strange Literature by Jeff Vandermeer and S. J. Chambers
Okay, who doesn’t need a handy Steampunk Bible sitting on their shelves?!!! And check out this cover; it’s made of “cool.” Plus, it’s written by Jeff Vandermeer who is known for writing, editing, and publishing some of the most fascinating stories that have hit the market in recent years.

The Immortality Engine by George Mann
This book had me at “Victorian secret agent Sir Maurice Newbury.” The blurb goes on to describe some deep dark plot twists that range from opium dens, dead men, and a potential copycat killer. Must read!

Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson
To be fair, this book has been on my list for a long time. I still haven’t gotten around to it, but it looks so good that I refuse to let it drop too far down.

So, that makes up the top 10 books on my “To Read” list.

However, there are two books that are coming out soon that would have made it to the list, if I hand’t already had the special opportunity to read them. In fact, I’ll be doing a special blog post about both of these books soon.

Unleashed by Nancy Holder and Debbie Viguie
Nancy and Debbie are known for writing supernatural books with an edge that makes their “fantastic” fiction feel real.

The Sacred Band by David Anthony Durham
People have compared David’s work to Tolkien, Rothfuss, and Martin. I couldn’t agree more. It’s a wonderful book and you’re going to have to wait for the rest of my thoughts on it.

As with all “To Read” lists, this is a work in progress. Books will come and go, and I will love something about each of them. Maybe that something will be only a single character or a particular scene, maybe it will be the excitement of the plot, or maybe it will be gorgeously written prose that sweeps me off my feet. In my experience, all books have something of value to offer, and I look forward to finding out what gems lay hidden within my “To Read” list.

Posted in Books and Literature, Fantasy, Fiction, Signal Boost, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , | 7 Comments

London Review: The Doctor Who Experience

Posted on September 11, 2011 by Erin Underwood

If you’re heading to London, one of the things any Whovian should do is to visit the Doctor Who Experience. That’s exactly what I did.

During my recent trip to London, I met up with Nancy Holder and her family and we headed off for some Whovian fun. The Experience comes in three parts.

The first section is a live-action exhibit that walks you through an exciting, interactive adventure with  Doctor Who played by Matt Smith as he communicates to your tour group through video screens while you make your way through the exhibit. Along the way, you’re going to see a variety of sets and experience some very cool live-action moments. I really can’t say more than this. *Spoilers* don’cha know. Plus you’ll even get to see a life-sized TARDIS console. Amazing!

Here is a photo from the Doctor Who Experience’s website that shows the console, the Doctor on the screen, and the crowd in the room.

Each person is given a pair of 3D glasses, allowing you to see a host of awesome 3D monsters and spaceships from the show. Eventually, you figure your way out of the experience and enter the next section of the exhibit.

The second part of the Experience is a Doctor Who museum. While the live-action section of the Experience was fun, the museum was by far my favorite part of the exhibit.

With a host of tools and objects from the show, you get the unique opportunity to get up close and personal with three different TARDIS consoles: one from Tom Baker’s Doctor,

another from David Tennant’s Doctor,

as well as the console from Matt Smith’s Doctor–featured in The Doctor’s Wife written by Neil Gaiman.

All of these things were so much fun to see in person. In addition, there were costumes from all of the Doctors,

the Assistants,

Captain Jack Harkness,

and K-9. Plus, there are some gorgeous Time Lord costumes that have to be seen in person.

You’ll also see life-sized Daleks as well as Cybermen, including a series of Cybermen heads from various models throughout the life of the series. Sadly, my photos of the Cyberheads didn’t come out well. Also, the iPhone may take some great photos, but sometimes they just don’t come out with enough light. However, the Dalek photos were great!

And don’t forget the Silence. Seriously, these monsters are quite frankly even creepier in person than they are in this photo or on the television.

There is also a life sized model of the TARDIS that deserves a few minutes of time just to look at because it is that cool. Here’s a photo of me and the lovely Nancy Holder as we stand cast in BLUE TARDIS light with a life size wax figure of Matt Smith in the background. I should mention that Matt’s hair isn’t done justice with this wax-man.

There are so many amazing things to see, along with the information cards for each item, that hardcore Whovians can easily spend an hour wandering through the area.

The last section of the Experience is the gift shop, which includes a jaw-dropping display of Doctor Who goodies. Everything you can possibly imagine is there from Lego sets to coffee cups to lunch boxes, books, videos, and more. It’s an easy place to drop some well-spent cash that will give you fun souvenirs to take home.

All in all, the Doctor Who Experience is well worth the time and money. A definite “must do” for any Whovian heading to London. Highly recommended.

Posted in London, Reviews, Television, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Review: American Gods by Neil Gaiman

Posted on September 8, 2011 by Erin Underwood

Cover Blurb:

Released from prison, Shadow finds his world turned upside down. His wife has been killed; a mysterious stranger offers him a job. But Mr. Wednesday, who knows more about Shadow than is possible, warns that a storm is coming — a battle for the very soul of America . . . and they are in its direct path.

One of the most talked-about books of the new millennium, American Gods is a kaleidoscopic journey deep into myth and across an American landscape at once eerily familiar and utterly alien. It is, quite simply, a contemporary masterpiece.

~

It is important to take a moment and look at the books on our shelves and to give them a second read. With so many books and so little time, we can’t possibly do this for all of our favorite books, but there are some classics and classics-in-the-making that deserve another reading. One such book is American Gods by Neil Gaiman.

Before I start, I should mention that I dedicate this review to Wednesday. If you don’t know what I’m taking about, it’s time to visit your bookstore. Go now.

This year is the tenth anniversary of the publication of American Gods. I can’t tell you how many people I know who have been shocked by the fact that ten years have passed since Gaiman’s novel first hit the shelves. What surprises me most about this book is that it feels as fresh and relevant today as it felt ten years ago. Likely, I’ll be saying these same words ten years from now. I have no doubt that readers and scholars alike will be picking up American Gods in fifty or sixty years and using it as a stick in the sand by which to measure other books that were written in the early twentieth century, but only time will tell.

In a nutshell, American Gods is one man’s journey to rebuild his life after getting released from prison. Little does Shadow know that the gods have other plans for him, and little do they know that he has his own plans.

American Gods is a beautifully told story that is gorgeously written. The characters are all strong, unique individuals. With each turn of the page, you feel like you are getting to know a live person replete with all of the human (and inhuman) flaws that come with wanting to hang onto whatever form of “life” they may be experiencing. This novel spreads out, telling a complex tale that spans a huge geographic area, a large number of people, and quite a bit of history and lore. However, as sprawling as American Gods may be, it maintains a cohesiveness that broadens and deepens the reading experience.

When I first finished reading American Gods, I remember feeling like I had lost something important (innocence, perhaps), but I gained something of much greater value in return (wisdom, I hope). After rereading American Gods, I was left with the feeling that if there must be gods among us in this “new” world of ours, let them be writers who weave tales, tell stories, and keep us bound together in myth and fiction that helps us to better understand ourselves and our world. Neil Gaiman is a phenomenally brilliant writer and storyteller, especially when he turns his hand to these darker adult novels that dare you to think in unconventional ways and inspire you to imagine “what if” there were ancient and new gods among us? What would the world be like? Would we even know? Would we want to know?

American Gods is one of those books that you will not forget. It is a book that will likely remain on your bookshelf for years to come. If it’s on your shelf now, I urge you to open it and to give it another read. If you haven’t yet had the opportunity to read American Gods, you are missing out on something special.

It also bears mentioning that HBO is planning to produce American Gods as a multi-season series. More information on the development of the series is sure to be coming soon.

~

From Neil Gaiman’s Website: Neil Gaiman’s work has been honoured with many awards internationally, including the Newbery and Carnegie Medals. His books and stories have also been honoured with 4 Hugos, 2 Nebulas, 1 World Fantasy Award, 4 Bram Stoker Awards, 6 Locus Awards, 2 British SF Awards, 1 British Fantasy Award, 3 Geffens, 1 International Horror Guild Award and 2 Mythopoeic Awards. 

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London Review: Much Ado About Nothing

Posted on September 2, 2011 by Erin Underwood

One of the things that I enjoyed most during my trip to London was attending the live stage play Much Ado About Nothing at the Wyndham Theater, starring David Tennant and Catherine Tate.

In a word: Brilliant.

The experience was wonderful from start to finish. The interior of the Wyndham Theater is gorgeous and it was fun just to sit in the stalls and look around the theater before the play began. The walls, the private boxes, and the ceiling were works of art with gorgeous plaster work and paintings. It’s a small intimate theater, which made the lovely scenery that much more enjoyable.

Hands down, Much Ado About Nothing was one hell of a show. My husband and I attended the performance on August 16, 2011, which featured several understudies whose names I failed to catch at the time since the announcement was made moments before the curtain lifted. When the manager appeared on stage, dressed in his suit and tie and looking awfully dour, the audience went deathly silent as he announced that several understudies would be in tonight’s performance. As soon as the understudies names were announced, none of which were Tennant’s or Tate’s, a palpable sigh of relief echoed through the theater. Moments later, the play began with Catherine Tate lying on a lounge chair and reading a book.

This updated version of Shakespeare’s masterpiece embraces the modern world, exporting the story from the writer’s time into a contemporary setting with dancing, golf carts, and rock music. With a rotating stage, moving columns, and a cabana like backdrop, the atmosphere was warm and inviting. The perfect setting for a romantic comedy.

Much Ado About Nothing is a story about two young lovers whose pending marriage is put in crisis and contrasted against the mischievous planning of several friends who have conspired to bring together two lovers who claim staunch resistance to marriage and to each other–and yet they are a perfect match.

Both Tennant and Tate have a wonderful stage presence that extends beyond the boards, bringing in the entire audience. When neither Tate or Tennant is one stage, you do miss them. However, several members of the supporting cast did a fantastic job of continuing the action of the play without losing a beat. The most notable were Adam James (playing Don Pedro, Prince of Aragon), Jonathan Coy (playing Leonato, Governor of Messina), and John Ramm (playing Dogberry, Master Constable).

Adapting stories for new audiences and updating them to reflect current times can be a tricky business, especially when you’re dealing with one of Shakespeare’s masterpieces. There is always the danger of the adaptation going horribly wrong. However, when you’re dealing with a well-conceived adaptation–which has been updated in a way that enhances the story’s strengths by drawing upon it’s best parts, and then you throw in a powerhouse cast–you are going to get a play that comes off at the top of its class.

It was no great surprise that David Tennant and Catherine Tate would both give excellent performances. Their ease and comfort with each other was noticeable immediately, building on their past working relationship in the Doctor Who Series without ever bringing those character onto the stage with them. The scenes in which Benedict (Tennant) “overhears” that Beatrice (Tate) is in love with him and Beatrice overhears that Benedict is in love with her are brilliant among the best. Tennant’s delivery is hilarious and flawless. The combination of slapstick comedy and top notch acting had the audience roaring with laugher. I think Mr. Shakespeare himself would have been exceedingly pleased with both of those scenes.

One of the most remarkable things about watching a play featuring actors who know how to command an audience is that you tend to forget that you’re watching a play. They draw you into the action and emotion of the story with an ease that is shocking. In the second half, when Benedict (Tennant) confronts the Prince and Claudio, Tennent’s performance sparkled. You could feel the emotion and anger flowing from him at the injustice served to young Hero (Claudio’s fiance). When watching a play, it can be difficult to suspend your disbelief and to fall into the story, but with performances like this, it’s almost impossible not to let go and get lost in the action.

The way that Tennant and Tate played with each other on stage and the knowing glances they exchanged with the audience, stripped away the barriers between player, stage and audience, bringing all of us together into an intimate experience that was made of perfection. All in all, it was a wonderful performance and one not to be missed.

When the curtain closed the audience cheered and cheered, giving the actors a standing ovation. It was a spectacular performance.

Afterward, we headed outside to the stage door to see Tennant and Tate as they came outside to give autographs. Brilliant actors. Brilliant people. Brilliant time.

~

From the Wynham Theater’s Website:

This summer, David Tennant and Catherine Tate appear together on stage for the first time in a brand new production of William Shakespeare’s timeless comedy Much Ado About Nothing.

Two young lovers, Claudio and Hero, are to be married imminently but the devious scheming of a resentful Prince looks set to thwart the nuptials.  Meanwhile, marriage seems inconceivable for reluctant lovers Beatrice and Benedick whose endless witty sparring threatens to keep them apart forever.

Directed by Josie Rourke, Artistic Director of the Bush Theatre, Much Ado About Nothing is one of Shakespeare’s great plays and reminds us all of the failings and triumphs of the human condition in our never ending search for perfect love.

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Damned & Crusade: An Epic Urban Fantasy Series in the Making

Posted on August 31, 2011 by Erin Underwood

It felt wrong to write a review of Damned since I know both authors so well and I am closely connected to the series. So, instead I decided to write a rumination on the Crusade series since there are a few things about the series that have always struck me as significant within the fantasy genre, but haven’t really generated much discussion. Therefore, since the Damned Book Tour is stopping at Underwords today, I’m going to talk about aspects of the Crusade series that I find most compelling but haven’t really generated much discussion…until now.

Damned (which released on August 30th) is the second book in the Crusade series by Nancy Holder and Debbie Viguié, which features a group of vampire hunters who have come together to save the world from the insidious vampire horde that has taken over.

When I first read Crusade, the series struck me as being a unique story packed full of familiar fantasy elements. It is reminiscent of an old school epic fantasy trilogy with its band of misfit characters who have join together from different races, who each have a unique talent to lend to the group, and who are willing to fight for a hopeless cause in order to stop an impossibly powerful force from destroying the world. In true epic fantasy style, both Damned and Crusade are told using multiple points of view, and they send the team of hunters out on missions, forcing them to travel vast distances to foreign lands in their quest to conquer the invading vampires. However, the series doesn’t take place in a mystical world with a rural setting or historical feeling societies that are noticeably absent of modern science. Instead we get contemporary characters, modern technology, and familiar cities from our own world as well as a host of supernatural beings. These are definitely elements that do not belong in an epic fantasy, but would be right at home within the urban fantasy genre.

The result of this mixing and blending of urban and epic fantasy elements is the creation of a hybrid genre: Urban Epic Fantasy. While there are quite a few urban fantasy series like the Dresden Files by Jim Butcher, the Dark Fever series by Karen Marie Moning, and the Sookie Stackhouse novels by Charlaine Harris (all of which I love), they don’t have the same epic scope as Crusade in that they are either serialized novels or they take place in primarily one geographic region. Other than the Crusade series, there really aren’t many urban fantasies that also fit so well within the parameters of an epic fantasy.

Even better, Holder and Vigué avoid the trap of writing a paranormal romance that binds two characters, one human and one supernatural, into a romantic relationship that defies reason. In Crusade and Damned, Jenn and Antonio are the paranormal romantic couple who are desperately trying to keep their relationship going, but they have known each other for two years. They have fought together, dined together, and trained together before beginning their romantic relationship. They have a history together. As expected, they hit the inevitable vampire/human bumps in the road that constantly require them to fight to stay together, which is much more realistic than I had expected. Moreover, you get the very real sense that there is no guarantee that their love will overcome all. The dangers they face emotionally are as real as the dangers they face physically in battle.

There’s really nothing out there that I can compare to the Crusade series other than itself. It feels a bit like Joss Whedon’s Buffy with a dash of Anne Rice’s eye for history and elegance, a pinch of George R.R. Martin’s epic storytelling style, and a smattering of Bram Stoker’s and Stephen King’s big bad vampires mixed in with the relentlessness of the Terminator, the magic of Charmed, and hormones from Sex in the City. If this series were a film, it would be the perfect date movie because you get such a great mixture of exciting elements that gives everyone something to enjoy. Action. Romance. Fantasy. Reality. Holder and Vigué tease all of these threads into the story, giving it a wonderfully dynamic scope without sacrificing the narrative with cheap magic tricks and sex to keep readers interested.

The characters all feel like real people with pasts, desires, and needs that compel them to make choices that may not always be wise, but are always understandable. The use of multiple points of view may be a little confusing at first, especially for people who are unfamiliar with the epic fantasy genre. However, by telling this story through multiple points of view, Holder and Vigué allow readers to get to know each character from the inside out as you see them operate from their own perspective as well as through the perspectives of others. For example, you see how painfully scared Jenn is and how questionable her choices are when viewed through Jamie’s eyes, but you also understand why she won’t just surrender to her circumstances when the story is being told from her perspective. As with most epic fantasy series, you get a very three dimensional story that takes you behind the scenes and also places you on the front lines of the action from the perspective of the humans as well as the vampires.

I highly recommend both Damned and Crusade to anyone (guys or girls) who loves reading epic fantasy, urban fantasy, horror, or paranormal romance. Just be warned that you’re going to get real relationships, friendships, and fights–flaws and all. You’re going to get adventure on a grand scale with a plot that reads like World War III. Romance, drama, and mystery – the Crusade series is wonderful fun and embraces its nature at an urban epic fantasy.

From start to finish both Crusade and Damned will have you wondering “what happens next?!!” For me, the Crusade series combines everything that I love best into one exciting series that I don’t want to put down. I hope to see more series like this.

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The Crusade Series:

  • Passing – the short story that inspired the series
  • Crusade (Book 1)
  • Damned (Book 2) – available in stores and online as of August 30, 2011

Nancy Holder is a multiple Bram Stoker Award-winner as well as a New York Times bestselling author (the Wicked series), who, with her coauthor, Debbie Viguié, has sold two more young adult series, Crusade and Wolf Springs Chronicles. She and Erin Underwood write a column together for the Science Fiction Writers of America Bulletin. She lives in San Diego with her daughter, Belle, two corgis, and three cats. You can visit Nancy online at www.nancyholder.com
In addition to writing with Nancy, Debbie Viguié also writes the Psalm 23 Mysteries series and has several retold fairy tales, including Midnight Pearls. She and her husband, Scott, have a cat named Schrödinger. Visit Debbie online at www.debbieviguie.com.
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Damned Contest & Giveaway!!!

Oh, yes, I have the keys to the goody box, and there will be prizes!

Leave a comment below by midnight on Sept 5th, and you’ll be entered into a random drawing for one of three prizes: 1) a signed nameplate, 2) a signed Damned Tour Poster, and 3) a Crusade wristband. Each comment equals one contest entry. Open to U.S. and Canadian residents only.

If you’re under 14, please get your parent’s permission to enter.

Posted in Fantasy, Horror, Reviews, Young Adult Literature | Tagged , , , , | 25 Comments