Gwenda

Happy first: Janet Maslin gives Julie Phillips’ Tiptree biography a very nice review in the NYT. (The ending’s mention of the suicide is far too simple, compared to, say, life or Carter Scholz’s review.) My new favorite phrase is "the wildness of science fiction."

Now sad: Caitlin Kiernan finds out in the worst possible way that her books have been remaindered. (Hint: It involves breach of contract)

Sort of related: Why the word suck rules.

UPDATED:

On thing one: Lots of discussion about how unlikely it is Maslin has ever read much Tiptree (or "got" it) and inconsistencies in the review. (Which I still think is great for the book’s prospects. But "the wildness of science fiction" — if that phrase alone doesn’t show that Maslin knows only a pinch about genre!) Anyway, it’s Maslin, so yeah. Those seeking more substantial commentary on the biography itself should mosey over to Mely’s Coffee and Ink: here’s a post collecting some of her thoughts about the biography and Julie Phillips’ KGB reading and here’s the reaction to the Maslin review (check out the comments). Meanwhile, putting Tiptree into Google News and having the results not be entirely about water leaks in England makes me happy.

On thing two: Caitlin posts an update on her situation, with some much better news.

On thing three: The word suck still rules.

In the interest of trying to keep these little thumbnails slightly more manageable, a reading update.

40 and 41. Astonishing X-Men (Volumes 1 and 2), Joss Whedon – Now this is the f-ing X-Men. Everything I loved about the book when I was a kid, only so’s I actually like it now. If you have any affinity for the history of these characters, it’s worth a look. Joss Whedon fans will appreciate the quips and zippy plots.

42. Manbug, George K. Ilsley – A love story with bugs. And sex. Sex and bugs. What more do you need? I’ll have more to say about this one later, so I’ll just say that I liked it a great deal and recommend it. There’s an excerpt here.

43. Tantalize, Cynthia Leitich Smith – I’m not going to say TOO much about this one either, since it’s not out until next spring. Takes place in a world much like our own, but with werecreatures and vampires and culture clashes around them. Quincie Morris is the girl holding her family’s business together, by way of relaunching her dead parents’ restaurant as a vampire-themed Italian joint, all while lusting after her unavailable, half-werewolf, HOTT best friend Kieren. Only her chef gets murdered most foul in the first chapter… Simply put: FABULOUS. So good and dark. Best ending I’ve read in ages, and nicely feminist as well. If it reminds me of anything, perhaps a bit of Robin McKinley’s Sunshine, but with the focus and directness of the best YA. I loved this. It would make a great vampy triple bill with M.T. Anderson’s Thirsty and Scott Westerfeld’s Peeps (The Last Days is in the TBR stack, but perhaps it should be a foursome). And Cecil says it’s great too! And isn’t the (probable) cover pretty?