We think this Starred Review from the Publishers Weekly review of Philip Jose Farmer’s latest, Venus on the Half-Shell and Others, in which the author slips out of his own skin and into that of fictive authors says it all: “Finally, after demonstrating how Tarzan might have sounded had he been written by William S. rather than Edgar Rice, Farmer dons the mantle of Conan Doyle’s Dr. Watson and introduces Tarzan to Holmes in ‘The Adventure of the Peerless Peer.’ Only a writer as mature as Farmer could have pulled this stunt off so successfully.”

Trade Hc:

$38

Signed HC:

$125

Lettered HC:

$300

In Mike Resnicks’ The Other Teddy Roosevelts, join intrepid vampire hunter, serial killer nemesis, big game hunter, and World War I doughboy in a series of alternate versions of one our most over-the-top presidents in a gathering of fictive adventures. As Booklist says, “Resnick leaves you feeling that, if ever a president successfully hunted vampires, it would be TR.”

Signed HC:

$35

Thomas M. Disch’s witty novella, Voyage of the Proteus, in which a version of the Author Himself appears, an aged writer transported back into an Age of Pagan Rites!

Signed HC:

$35

After a brief holiday hiatus, we’re back to posting regularly to Subterranean Online. This week’s story is by hisownself, Joe R. Lansdale, who tells us how to prepare a tasty dish called “Dragon Chili.” Be on the lookout for stories by Thomas M. Disch, Tia V. Travis, Rachel Swirsky, Patrick Rothfuss, and Mike Resnick in the coming weeks.

Greg Egan’s new sf collection, Dark Integers and Other Stories, just received a glowing review from Publishers Weekly: “Egan (Teranesia) is renowned for bringing the most abstract concepts of physics and philosophy to life, and these diamond-hard science fiction stories ably showcase his talent.” We expect this review to generate a ton of library and distributor reviews, and might lead to it being out of print shortly after publication. Here’s a glimpse at the not-yet-designed cover art by Steve Montiglio.

Altered Carbon is the novel that put Richard K. Morgan on the map, a fusion of Blade Runner noir and far future hard science tied together with a skull slamming narrative. It’s really that good.

The Subterranean Press edition includes a cover and four full color interior illustrations by Vincent Chong — including that scene in the hotel lobby, done as a foldout. One of the illos will be exclusive to the lettered edition.

Altered Carbon goes to the printer next week and will be available in two unique editions:

Limited: 500 signed numbered hardcover copies: $75
Lettered: 26 signed lettered copies, housed in a custom traycase: $250

“Shiver Me Timbers,” as the cover painting for Tim Powers’ On Stranger Tides is titled. In addition to the original cover — which we felt couldn’t be improved upon — James Gurney graciously dug through his files and provided us with a number of rough sketches which will join Powers’ drawings as exclusives to the Limited and Lettered Editions. If that’s not enough, the Limited and Lettered Edition will feature a completely different cover design than that of the Trade Edition (pictured here). If you’ve never read this modern pirate classic, now is your chance. If it’s as familiar as graveyard dirt, our edition boasts better paper, a sewn binding, and full cloth you won’t find on the first edition.

Due to customer request, we’ve decided to add a Signed Lettered Edition of Backup, which will be handbound and housed in a custom traycase. There will only be 26 copies of this edition, priced $250 apiece. If you’re interested, please drop me an email at subpress@gmail.com

Collector’s Note: The Limited Edition is Now Sold Out, but the Trade Edition is still available for preorder.

***

Let’s get something clear right up front.

My name is Thomas Raith, and I’m a monster.

So begins Backup a twelve thousand word novelette set in Jim Butcher’s ultra-popular Dresden Files series. This time Harry’s in trouble he knows nothing about, and it’s up to his big brother Thomas to track him down and solve those little life-threatening difficulties without his little brother even noticing.

Backup will be available via Subterranean Press in two unique editions:

Limited: 500 signed numbered copies, bound in leather: $45

Trade: full cloth bound hardcover copies: $20

Publishers Weekly has just graced the SubPress signed hardcover of Caitlin’s seminal collection, Tales of Pain and Wonder, with a coveted starred review: “Together, the impact of these stories is stunning: glancing collisions between psychics, runaways, junkies, artists and whores (who, as in Kiernan’s Silk, function as a loose alternative to a family) add up to a portrait of something broken and beautiful.”

Remember, in addition to the book proper, those who order Tales of Pain and Wonder direct from Subterranean Press will also receive an exclusive chapbook of nearly 20,000 words of additional material, including story fragments, short stories, and autobiography.

This Title Replaces The Best of Subterranean Press on our schedule. While attempting to select stories for that volume, we decided instead to look to the future with an original anthology

Fantasy comes in all shades, from gentle tales of elves and fairies, to the blackest of horrors. Subterranean: Tales of Dark Fantasy tends toward the darker edges, where the fantastic mixes with the horrific. With all original tales by a number of SubPress favorites, and writers new to our stable, we’ve aimed to illuminate these shadowed corners, to bring into the light the creatures that venture forth from the sea, those that alter our reality to suit their sinister needs, and others who head into territory so bleak it’s best left undescribed.

Accompanying Subterranean: Tales of Dark Fantasy will be an exclusive chapbook of one of Joe Hill’s signature tales, “Thumbprint,” thus far only available in the excellent UK magazine, Postscripts. Vincent Chong will be supplying a suitably atmospheric cover for this 10,000 word story.

Subterranean: Tales of Dark Fantasy will be available in three unique editions:

Lettered: Fully leatherbound, housed in a custom traycase, with three full color plates, signed by all contributors: $500

Limited: Bound in leather and cloth, housed in a custom slipcase, with three full color plates, signed by most contributors: $150

Trade: Fully cloth bound edition: $40

Table of Contents:

– “Caverns of Mystery” by Kage Baker
– “The Gulf” by Poppy Z. Brite
– “Face” by Mike Carey
– “Thumbprint” by Joe Hill (a separate chapbook)
– “The Steam Dancer” by Caitlin R. Kiernan
– “It Washed Up” by Joe R. Lansdale
– “The Hour of Babel” by Tim Powers
– “Alastair Baffles Emporium of Wonders” by Mike Resnick
– “The Lunatic Miss Teak” by Darren Speegle
– “Penguins of the Apocalypse” by William Browning Spencer
– “Monstrous Embrace” by Rachel Swirsky