When your good friends have books come out, it’s almost as exciting as if it’s your own. Especially, when you’re in a writer’s group with them and have been connected with the book since the raw manuscript stage. That’s certainly the case with Trent Jamieon’s new series for Angry Robot books. Roil was the first story Trent brought to ROR and we all fell instantly in love with his brilliantly realised world. It’s been through a few incarnations since then and I can hardly wait for the final version. Anything Trent writes is a gift, but this series is extra special.
And it resonates beautifully with another Angry Robot series that’s not far away. Jo Anderton’s first novel Debris is going to be out in October next year. If you’re at all enamoured with the steampunk genre it’s in that ballpark but … different and unique.
So while I’m waiting for these two, I’ll have Margo Lanagan’s latest collection to be gobbling up. Though the stories in this one are not ones I’ve been involved in work-shopping, I always feel close to Margo’s stories, because her work is her. Not the content … but the incredible depth of intelligence and poetry. But hey … everyone knows that!
