New Releases by Catherynne M. Valente

The May/June 2015 issue of u003cemu003eUncanny Magazine.u003c/emu003eu003cbru003eu003cbru003e Featuring new fiction by Catherynne M. Valente, A.C. Wise, John Chu, Elizabeth Bear, and Lisa Bolekaja, classic fiction by Delia Sherman, essays by Mike Glyer, Christopher J Garcia, Steven H Silver, Julia Rios, and Kameron Hurley, poetry by Alyssa Wong, Ali Trotta, and Isabel Yap, interviews with Delia Sherman and John Chu by Deborah Stanish, a cover by Tran Nguyen, and an editoral by Lynne M. Thomas and Michael Damian Thomas.

\"A young troll named Hawthorn is stolen from Fairyland by the Golden Wind, and becomes a changeling in our world, a place no less bizarre than Fairyland in his eyes\"--

"The sea is full of mysteries and rivers shelter the unknown. Dating back to ancient Assyria, folkloric tales of mermaids, sirens, rusalka, nymphs, selkes, and other seafolk are found in many cultures, including those of Europe, Africa, the Near East and Asia. Dangerous or benevolent, seductive or sinister -- modern masters of fantasy continue to create new legends of these creatures that enchant and entertain us more than ever. Gathered here are some of the finest of these stories. Immerse yourself in this wonderful -- and sometimes wicked - watery world!"--Page 4 of cover.

The Fairyland Series (Books 1-3): The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making, The Girl Who Fell Beneath Faiyland and Led the Revels There, and The Girl Who Soared Over Fairyland and Cut the Moon in Two \"One of the most extraordinary works of fantasy, for adults or children, published so far this century\"—Time magazine, on the Fairyland series Twelve-year-old September lives in Omaha, and used to have an ordinary life, until her father went to war and her mother went to work. One day, September is met at her kitchen window by a Green Wind (taking the form of a gentleman in a green jacket) who invites her on an adventure, implying that her help is needed in Fairyland. . . . Perfect for fans new to the series, the first three books of Catherynne M. Valente''s Fairyland Series are available together in this bundle. The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making: Upon arriving in Fairyland, September learns the new Marquess is unpredictable and fickle, and also not much older than she is. Only September can retrieve a talisman the Marquess wants from the enchanted woods, and if she doesn''t . . . then the Marquess will make life impossible for the inhabitants of Fairyland. The Girl Who Fell Beneath Fairyland and Led the Revels There: September has longed to return to Fairyland after her first adventure there. And when she finally does, she learns that its inhabitants have been losing their shadows—and their magic—to the world of Fairyland Below. This underworld has a new ruler: Halloween, the Hollow Queen, who is September''s shadow. And Halloween does not intend to give Fairyland''s shadows back. The Girl Who Soared Over Fairyland and Cut the Moon in Two: September misses Fairyland and her friends Ell, the Wyverary, and the boy Saturday. She longs to leave the routines of home and embark on a new adventure. Little does she know that this time, she will be spirited away to the moon, reunited with her friends, and find herself faced with saving Fairyland from a Moon-Yeti with great and mysterious powers.

This book contains all the original fiction published in Clarkesworld magazine during its sixth year.

The cold is coming. An orange harvest moon rises above the horizon and the chill air carries the promise of the first frost that will soon be crunching beneath our feet. There is the tang of smoke in the air, of leaves piled together and burning brightly as we push back against the darkness. It is time now, time to reap so that later it will be time to sow, time to gather in the harvest of summer past to sustain us during the long, cold nights that will arrive far too soon. It is a time for endings, and change, and new beginnings to come. Join the members of the Hugo Award-winning SF Squeecast as they take us on a journey around this world and other worlds not so far from our own, to places where it is time at last for the Harvest Season.

Longing for a new adventure that will reunite her with Ell, the Wyverary, and Saturday, September is spirited away to the moon and charged with saving Fairyland from a moon-Yeti who wields mysterious powers.

Thirty-three science fiction, fantasy, and horror short stories grab readers by their emotional cores to star deep into the source of our humanity and inhumanity. Well-known authors like Ken Liu, Genevieve Valentine, Catherynne M. Valente, Lavie Tidhar, and Alethea Kontis, along with newer voices, sketch surreal pasts, presents, and futures full of characters with familiar and outsized desires and fears. "The Book of Apex Volume 4" collects the original fiction from Hugo-winning editor Lynne M. Thomas''s first fifteen issues at the helm of "Apex Magazine," which included two Hugo Award nominations for the magazine. Table of Contents: "The Bread We Eat in Dreams" by Catherynne M. Valente "The Leavings of the Wolf" by Elizabeth Bear "The 24 Hour Brother" by Christopher Barzak "Faithful City" by Michael Pevzner "So Glad We Had This Time Together" by Cat Rambo "Sweetheart Showdown" by Sarah Dalton "Bear in Contradicting Landscape" by David J. Schwartz "My Body Her Canvas" by A.C. Wise "A Member of the Wedding of Heaven and Hell" by Richard Bowes "Copper, Iron, Blood and Love" by Mari Ness "The Second Card of the Major Arcana" by Thoraiya Dyer "Love is a Parasite Meme" by Lavie Tidhar "Decomposition" by Rachel Swirsky "Tomorrow''s Dictator" by Rahul Kanakia "Winter Scheming" by Brit Mandelo "In the Dark" by Ian Nichols "The Silk Merchant" by Ken Liu "Ironheart" by Alec Austin "Coyote Gets His Own Back" by Sarah Monette "Waiting for Beauty" by Marie Brennan "Murdered Sleep" by Kat Howard "Armless Maidens of the American West" by Genevieve Valentine "Sexagesimal" by Katharine E.K. Duckett "During the Pause" by Adam-Troy Castro "Weaving Dreams" by Mary Robinette Kowal "Always the Same. Till it is Not" by Cecil Castellucci "Sprig" by Alex Bledsoe "Splinter" by Shira Lipkin "Erzulie Dantor" by Tim Susman "Labyrinth" by Mari Ness "Blood from Stone" by Alethea Kontis "Trixie and the Pandas of Dread" by Eugie Foster "The Performance Artist" by Lettie Prell Cover art provided by Julie Dillon.

A woman who dreams of machines. A paper lantern that falls in love. The most compelling video game you’ve never played and that nobody can ever play twice. This collection of Catherynne M. Valente’s stories and poems with Japanese themes includes the lauded novella “Silently and Very Fast,” the award-nominated “Thirteen Ways of Looking at Space/Time,” and “Ghosts of Gunkanjima”—which originally appeared in a book smaller than your palm, published in a limited edition of twenty-four. Also included are two new stories: the semiautobiographical, metafictional, and utterly magical “Ink, Water, Milk” and the cinematic, demon-haunted “Story No. 6.” -- VIZ Media

Under the countless billions of stars in the universe, what forms will alien life take? How will they live? And what will happen when we meet them? From first encounters to life alongside aliens--and stories of the aliens'' own lives--here are many futures: violent and peaceful, star-spanning and personal.

This fifth volume of the year''s best science fiction and fantasy features thirty-three stories by some of the genre''s greatest authors, including Elizabeth Bear, Aliette de Bodard, Ursula K. Le Guin, Jay Lake, Kelly Link, Robert Reed, Lavie Tidhar, Catherynne M. Valente, Genevieve Valentine, and many others. Selecting the best fiction from Analog, Asimov''s, Clarkesworld, F&SF, Strange Horizons, and other top venues, The Year''s Best Science Fiction & Fantasy is your guide to magical realms and worlds beyond tomorrow.

Subterranean Press proudly presents a major new collection by one of the brightest stars in the literary firmament. Catherynne M. Valente, the New York Times bestselling author of The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making and other acclaimed novels, now brings readers a treasure trove of stories and poems in The Bread We Eat in Dreams. In the Locus Award-winning novelette "White Lines on a Green Field," an old story plays out against a high school backdrop as Coyote is quarterback and king for a season. A girl named Mallow embarks on an adventure of memorable and magical politicks in "The Girl Who Ruled Fairyland For a Little While." The award-winning, tour de force novella "Silently and Very Fast" is an ancient epic set in a far-flung future, the intimate autobiography of an evolving A.I. And in the title story, the history of a New England town and that of an outcast demon are irrevocably linked. The twenty-six pieces collected here explore an extraordinary breadth of styles and genres, as Valente presents readers with something fresh and evocative on every page. From noir to Native American myth, from folklore to the final frontier, each tale showcases Valente''s eloquence and originality.

\"One of the most extraordinary works of fantasy, for adults or children, published so far this century.\"—Time magazine, on the Fairyland series September has longed to return to Fairyland after her first adventure there. And when she finally does, she learns that its inhabitants have been losing their shadows—and their magic—to the world of Fairyland Below. This underworld has a new ruler: Halloween, the Hollow Queen, who is September''s shadow. And Halloween does not want to give Fairyland''s shadows back. Fans of Valente''s bestselling, first Fairyland book will revel in the lush setting, characters, and language of September''s journey, all brought to life by fine artist Ana Juan. Readers will also welcome back good friends Ell, the Wyverary, and the boy Saturday. But in Fairyland Below, even the best of friends aren''t always what they seem. . . .

Conflict: a basic human instinct, helping humankind evolve even while threatening the very existence of the species . . . an instinct that will be as much a part of the future as it is now and always has been. For all the glories of war-the defeat of evil, the promise of freedom, justice, protection of the innocent, the righting of wrongs, technological innovation, heroism-there are also the horrors: individual grief, mass destruction, the elimination of entire cultures and great achievments, injustice, villainy, the annihilation of the innocent, and pain beyond bearing. War and Space offers the ultimate speculation on the future of warfare-stories of insectoid anguish, genetically-engineered diplomats who cannot fail, aliens plundering humanity, a weaponized black hole-scenarios of triumph and defeat, great heroism and vile depravity . . . and more.

Fantastist Catherynne M. Valente takes on the folklore of artificial intelligence in this brand new, original novella of technology, identity, and an uncertain mechanized future. Neva is dreaming. But she is not alone. A mysterious machine entity called Elefsis haunts her and the members of her family, back through the generations to her great-great grandmother?a gifted computer programmer who changed the world. Together Neva and Elefsis navigate their history and their future, an uneasy, unwilling symbiote. But what they discover in their dreamworld might change them forever . . .

This original short story tells the tale of how a girl named Mallow defeated King Goldmouth with the help of the Red Wind, Mr. Map, and many fairyland friends new and old--from Catherynne M. Valente, author of the children''s fantasy sensation The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making. At the Publisher''s request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

A glorious retelling of the Russian folktale Marya Morevna and Koschei the Deathless from Catherynne M. Valente, set in a mysterious version of St. Petersburg during the first half of the 20th century Koschei the Deathless is to Russian folklore what devils or wicked witches are to European culture: a menacing, evil figure; the villain of countless stories which have been passed on through story and text for generations. But Koschei has never before been seen through the eyes of Catherynne Valente, whose modernized and transformed take on the legend brings the action to modern times, spanning many of the great developments of Russian history in the twentieth century. Deathless, however, is no dry, historical tome: it lights up like fire as the young Marya Morevna transforms from a clever child of the revolution, to Koschei''s beautiful bride, to his eventual undoing. Along the way there are Stalinist house elves, magical quests, secrecy and bureaucracy, and games of lust and power. All told, Deathless is a collision of magical history and actual history, of revolution and mythology, of love and death, which will bring Russian myth back to life in a stunning new incarnation. At the Publisher''s request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

Brother Hiob, on missionary work in the Himalayan wilderness, discovers a village guarding a miraculous tree whose branches sprout books instead of fruit. These books chronicle the history of the kingdom of Prestor John, and Hiob becomes obsessed with the tales they tell.

Selected from the Hugo award-nominated Clarkesworld Magazine, Realms collects the work of twenty-five visionary writers of short fiction, including such World Fantasy, Philip K. Dick, Tiptree, Hugo, and Campbell Award winners and finalists as Jeffrey Ford, Mary Robinette Kowal, Jay Lake, Cat Rambo, Tim Pratt, Robert Reed, Mike Resnick, and Catherynne M. Valente -- and amazing stories from up-and-comers like Karen Heuler, Paul Jessup, Yoon Ha Lee, Margaret Ronald, and many more

In the Cities of Coin and Spice and In the Night Garden introduced readers to the unique and intoxicating imagination of Catherynne M. Valente. Now she weaves a lyrically erotic spell of a place where the grotesque and the beautiful reside and the passport to our most secret fantasies begins with a stranger’s kiss.… Between life and death, dreaming and waking, at the train stop beyond the end of the world is the city of Palimpsest. To get there is a miracle, a mystery, a gift, and a curse—a voyage permitted only to those who’ve always believed there’s another world than the one that meets the eye. Those fated to make the passage are marked forever by a map of that wondrous city tattooed on their flesh after a single orgasmic night. To this kingdom of ghost trains, lion-priests, living kanji, and cream-filled canals come four travelers: Oleg, a New York locksmith; the beekeeper November; Ludovico, a binder of rare books; and a young Japanese woman named Sei. They’ve each lost something important—a wife, a lover, a sister, a direction in life—and what they will find in Palimpsest is more than they could ever imagine.

Presents a collection of science fiction and fantasy stories originally published on the Internet in 2008.

A Book of Wonders for Grown-Up Readers Every once in a great while a book comes along that reminds us of the magic spell that stories can cast over us–to dazzle, entertain, and enlighten. Welcome to the Arabian Nights for our time–a lush and fantastical epic guaranteed to spirit you away from the very first page . . . Secreted away in a garden, a lonely girl spins stories to warm a curious prince: peculiar feats and unspeakable fates that loop through each other and back again to meet in the tapestry of her voice. Inked on her eyelids, each twisting, tattooed tale is a piece in the puzzle of the girl’s own hidden history. And what tales she tells! Tales of shape-shifting witches and wild horsewomen, heron kings and beast princesses, snake gods, dog monks, and living stars–each story more strange and fantastic than the one that came before. From ill-tempered “mermaid” to fastidious Beast, nothing is ever quite what it seems in these ever-shifting tales–even, and especially, their teller. Adorned with illustrations by the legendary Michael Kaluta, Valente’s enchanting lyrical fantasy offers a breathtaking reinvention of the untold myths and dark fairy tales that shape our dreams. And just when you think you’ve come to the end, you realize the adventure has only begun…. Praise for In the Night Garden “Cathrynne Valente weaves layer upon layer of marvels in her debut novel. In the Night Garden is a treat for all who love puzzle stories and the mystical language of talespinners.”—Carol Berg, author of Daughter of Ancients “Fabulous talespinning in the tradition of story cycles such as The Arabian Nights. Lyrical, wildly imaginative and slyly humorous, Valente''s prose possesses an irrepressible spirit.”—K. J. Bishop, author of The Etched City “Astonishing work! Valente’s endless invention and mythic range are breathtaking. It’s as if she’s gone night-wandering, and plucked a hundred distant cultures out of the air to deliver their stories to us.”—Ellen Kushner, author of Thomas the Rhymer “Refreshingly original in both style and form, In the Night Garden should delight lovers of myth and folklore.”—Juliet Marillier, author of the Sevenwaters trilogy

In the mind of Ayako, an old woman in exile on a mountain in medievalJapan, nothing is certain, and nothing holds a familiar shape for long. This isa map of a psyche exalted and destroyed by solitude, and on its contortedsurface Shinto philosophy, Greek mathematics, Hawaiian goddesses, Egyptianlegend, quantum physics, and Babylonian myth meet and merge... InCatherynne M. Valente''s second novel since the critically acclaimed TheLabyrinth, language and myth construct a strange new geography of theself. This is The Book of Dreams: open it and walk the shadowy paths ofthis extraordinary landscape.

A new novel by the author of The Labyrinth and Yume No Hon, The Grass-Cutting Sword explores the strange landscape of primeval Japan, from the Heaven-Spanning Bridge to the hellish Root-Country: the troubled trickster Susanoo-no-Mikoto, god of wind and storms, is banished from heaven and wanders the earth, lost in human form, in search of his demonic mother and charged with the defeat of an eight-headed serpent . . .

The Oracles of the ancient world spoke for the gods, they spoke for the future: but they could not speak for themselves. Here, their voices bubble up from the depths, enraged and sardonic, sorrowing and wild, finding themselves on new ground -- scattered across the American continent, marking a path for the seeker to follow, from New England universities to Hawaiian volcanoes, from dilapidated factories to Chinatown kitchens, from the Old East to the New West...

Here Monsters are hidden ... A lyrical anti-quest through aconscious maze without center, borders, or escape--a dark pilgrim''s progressthrough a landscape of vicious Angels, plague houses, crocodile-prophets, tragicchess-sets, and the mind of an unraveling woman, driven on by the mocking guidewho seeks to destroy as much as save. Enter the world of the Labyrinth,where Doors do not wait to be opened, but hunt you in the night. This isZarathustra in Wonderland, a puzzle which defies solution, a twisted paththrough language and madness... But where will you hide?