Wednesday, June 9, 2010

Waiting on Wednesday (11)

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.



Basically, I pick a book I'm excited about that's coming out sometime soon.

And this week's pick is:


Stories by Neil Gaiman

Publisher: William Morrow
Publication Date: June 15, 2010

Summary:

"The joy of fiction is the joy of the imagination. . . ."

The best stories pull readers in and keep them turning the pages, eager to discover more—to find the answer to the question: "And then what happened?" The true hallmark of great literature is great imagination, and as Neil Gaiman and Al Sarrantonio prove with this outstanding collection, when it comes to great fiction, all genres are equal.

Stories is a groundbreaking anthology that reinvigorates, expands, and redefines the limits of imaginative fiction and affords some of the best writers in the world—from Peter Straub and Chuck Palahniuk to Roddy Doyle and Diana Wynne Jones, Stewart O'Nan and Joyce Carol Oates to Walter Mosley and Jodi Picoult—the opportunity to work together, defend their craft, and realign misconceptions. Gaiman, a literary magician whose acclaimed work defies easy categorization and transcends all boundaries, and "master anthologist" (Booklist) Sarrantonio personally invited, read, and selected all the stories in this collection, and their standard for this "new literature of the imagination" is high. "We wanted to read stories that used a lightning-flash of magic as a way of showing us something we have already seen a thousand times as if we have never seen it at all."

Joe Hill boldly aligns theme and form in his disturbing tale of a man's descent into evil in "Devil on the Staircase." In "Catch and Release," Lawrence Block tells of a seasoned fisherman with a talent for catching a bite of another sort. Carolyn Parkhurst adds a dark twist to sibling rivalry in "Unwell." Joanne Harris weaves a tale of ancient gods in modern New York in "Wildfire in Manhattan." Vengeance is the heart of Richard Adams's "The Knife." Jeffery Deaver introduces a dedicated psychologist whose mission in life is to save people in "The Therapist." A chilling punishment befitting an unspeakable crime is at the dark heart of Neil Gaiman's novelette "The Truth Is a Cave in the Black Mountains."

As it transforms your view of the world, this brilliant and visionary volume—sure to become a classic—will ignite a new appreciation for the limitless realm of exceptional fiction.


I'm happy to tell anyone that will listen that Neil Gaiman is my absolute FAVORITE author of all time. In my mind, he can do no wrong (even though occasionally he does, it will just never be wrong to me). And so, when I heard that he was coming out with a new book of short stories, I was of course THRILLED, even if I was slightly disappointed at the same time. I have been NEEDING a Neil Gaiman full length novel for FAR TOO LONG now. I'm not a huge fan of short stories, but I guess for the mean time, this will just have to do. And so I am, of course, super psyched.
At least it's coming out SOON, so I don't have long to wait.

What are you waiting for this week?

17 comments:

YA Book Queen said...

Ha, I love that cover! ;)

Melanie said...

I have this one on my wish list, too!

Thanks for stopping by Reclusive Bibliophile.

Laurel-Rain Snow said...

This sounds really fascinating...and thanks for visiting my blog.

Jan von Harz said...

WOW this looks like a great anthology definitely something worth checking out.

Chachic said...

Oooh I'm thinking of getting this one as well!

Unknown said...

Anthologies like this are a great way to get to know authors I've never read, especially when it includes at least one author I love.

Thanks.

Carrie at In the Hammock Blog said...

That cover is so awesome!

Jennay and Luke the Pup said...

Gaiman is a pretty cool author. I actually added Neverwhere to my wish list this week.

I'm reading North of Beautiful right now. I'm totally enjoying it!!!

HAPPY readings!!!

p.s. I'm a vegetarian and I love cooking up some vegan food!!!

Liz @ Cleverly Inked said...

The cover is cracking me up!

vvb32 reads said...

yay for gaiman! this one is new to me. thanks for the heads up.

Felicity Grace Terry said...

Not a fan of short stories at all, I'm not convinced that this is a book for me. I loved the cover though, despite the heated debate on just what the character was.

Jessica said...

another fan of that cover! I love it. Perhaps should read one of the Neil Gaiman books I do actually own rather than just buying one for the cover?

Tales of Whimsy said...

Ooooo sounds good! I can not wait for your review :)

Alyssa Kirk said...

Sounds like a good one and the cover is funny!

Simcha said...

Just stopped by to see how you are doing. Hope everything is going well.

Jessica said...

I would definitely pick this book up! Plus, the cover is really cool. :D

Jenn (Books At Midnight) said...

Neil Gaiman. Nothing else needs to be said. Except that I still NEED to read his books, haha. Great pick! :)

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