Best Damn Title, and other praise

[desperance]

Just quickly (I am supposed to be working, y'know...?), here's a review of the Year's Best Fantasy & Horror vol 21, which includes my story "The House of Mechanical Pain". Which the reviewer liked. Yay!

Comments

[athenais.livejournal.com]

Oh, I am putting this on my list for Christmas. I love your story, and Kij Johnson's, and I want to read most of the others. Thanks for reminding me. The review was positive, but I would liked to have heard just a little more than "it fulfills the promise of the title."

[desperance.livejournal.com]

Oh, well, so would I - but it is undoubtedly selfish of me to expect all reviews of a fat anthology to be All About Me, so I do try not to express that overmuch.

But yes, get yourself a copy, absolutely; it's a fab collection. (And I too adore Kij's story. Even though I don't know how to pronounce her, even to myself...)

[athenais.livejournal.com]

Her name rhymes with midge.

[desperance.livejournal.com]

Oh, does it? Thank you! That was of course my first reaction; but then I started thinking, maybe it's pronounced "kee" and I'll sound like an idiot if I ever say "Kidge", and like that...

[shewhomust.livejournal.com]

Oh, well, if Chaz is allowed to compete in the Best Damn Title stakes, everyone else might as well go home now...

[desperance.livejournal.com]

Hee. I blame Harlan Ellison, with a side-order of Theodore Sturgeon: I grew up in an era of exotic titles, and they rooted deep in my soul. (A few years ago I read an article that disparaged extravagance in titles, but it didn't stick; as witness, I don't even remember what the argument was.)

Also, I do tend to think of titles first and then write to them. I think that encourages both aptness and resonance...