Fantastic Metropolis

The Etched City, K. J. Bishop

Bishop has been compared to other writers, the bane of the first time novelist, but, in truth, she has a style and voice all her own. This novel mixes strong plot, wild characters whose reality is rendered utterly convincing, and incredible surrealist imagery that does not detract from the story but deepens it. The Etched City is a perfect hybrid of fantasy tradition and idiosyncratic vision, so the adventure in Copper Country and Ashamoil should appeal to readers of traditional, contemporary, and cutting edge fantasy. It’s a really singular creation, and I can’t wait to see what she comes up with next.

The Lightning Cage and China, Alan Wall

I owe Michael Moorcock a tip of the hat for turning me on to Wall. All you have to do is begin one of Wall’s novels and like a river the prose effortlessly takes you away in its current. There are great themes of history, philosophy, morality, at work in these books, but they are rendered with the lightest touch, resonating with instead of subsuming the importance of the journeys and struggles of the characters. Wall is probably the best “new” (new at least to me) writer I’ve read in recent years.

Edgar Cayce: An American Prophet, Sidney D. Kirkpatrick

The definitive biography of one of the most remarkable individuals who ever lived. This story is totally fucking amazing. Predictions, cures for the terminally ill conjured in a sleeping trance, famous individuals of the time. It’s got it all. I don’t usually go in for this stuff, but this was a fascinating read. Kirkpatrick has done an exhaustive job on this book.

The San Veneficio Canon, Michael Cisco

If you missed The Divinity Student when he was first around, here’s your chance to catch him, along with the sequel, The Golem. Cisco does remarkable things with language in his writing. With a simple deletion or switch of an expected word, he creates subtly hallucinatory effects. Like in a dream, the most mundane situations can suddenly take on a sinister or mysterious aspect. Nothing comes out the way it seems destined to. At the same time, there is nothing obviously difficult in reading these works, and there is much to enjoy. The Golem is as intriguing as its predecessor. Also out this year, but I have not yet read it, is The Tyrant, which looks, at first glance, to be a completely different direction for this original writer.

Veniss Underground, Jeff VanderMeer

A whirling, twirling nightmare descent with unforgettable characters, creatures, and comedy. Don’t forget the god damn Meerkats. This story is like some weird cloned mutation itself, but it definitely lives! And look for VanderMeer’s collection, Secret Life, in ‘04. You won’t be disappointed.

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Jeffrey Ford is the author of The Physiognomy, Memoranda, The Beyond and, recently, The Portrait of Mrs. Charbuque.