Fantastic Metropolis

City of Saints and Madmen: The Book of Ambergris, Jeff VanderMeer

(Cosmos Books)

It’s impossible to describe this book without appearing to exaggerate, but no praise seems to be enough for Jeff VanderMeer’s City of Saints and Madmen. Ambergris, a fantastic city of criminal beauty, is brought to life by VanderMeer’s exquisite writing—sometimes darkly poignant, sometimes humorously cruel, but never ever short of wonderful. If one book should make it to your Christmas shopping list, this should be the one.

Hideous Progeny: A Frankenstein Anthology, edited by Brian Willis

(RazorBlade Press)

What if Dr. Frankenstein had been successful in his grotesque experiments to create artificial life? That’s what editor Brian Willis invites the reader to find out in Hideous Progeny. The book is alive with eighteen excellent short stories by such authors as Peter Crowther, Ceri Jordan, James Lovegrove, Tim Lebbon, Steven Volk, Steve Rasnic Tem and regular Fantastic Metropolis contributor Rhys Hughes, among many others.

Illicit Illumination, Jason Underglass

(Forbidden Books)

Jason Underglass draws heavily from the likes of Harrison, Aldiss and Peake for his first book, Illicit Illumination. It contains a triptych of novellas set in The City, a vast metropolis stretching out beneath a small artificial sun in a world that would otherwise know no light. “Of Saints and Sinners”, “Of Promises and Prophecies” and “Illicit Illumination” tell the exploits of Ethan Retchfetter, a member of the much-dreaded Bright Yellow Gun Society, in a place where the highest form of currency is knowledge and the punishment for lying is death.

Perdido Street Station, China Miéville

(DelRey)

China Miéville is perhaps one of the most popular voices rising from the Next Wave front, and justly so. His visually elaborate descriptions and mind-blowing setting are sure to send the reader’s imagination soaring, as the characters in the book struggle against all odds to contain a nightmarish force released by accident upon the corrupt metropolis of New Crobuzon. Winner of this year’s prestigious Arthur C. Clarke and August Derleth awards, it’s obvious Perdido Street Station belongs at the top of everybody’s ‘To Read’ lists.

Punktown, Jeffrey Thomas

(Ministry of Whimsy)

This astonishing collection of SF horror stories set in the alien, future city known as Punktown is the book I’m currently reading. It’s so good that I’m willing to stretch the scope of this list so it contains last year’s publications as well.

A Odisseia/The Odyssey, edited by Silvana Moreira and António de Macedo

(Simetria)

The 2001 edition of the yearly bilingual anthology released by the Portuguese Association of SF and Fantasy is the best ever to come out of the Cascais-based organization, especially considering that previous books were barely remarkable and progressively lacking in quality in recent years. However, this year’s anthology showcases the best literature I’ve seen in ages, with enthralling fiction by João Barreiros, Jorge Candeias, Gerson Lodi-Ribeiro, João Seixas, Luís Filipe Silva, and Daniel Tércio. A must have!

Stranger Things Happen, Kelly Link

(Small Beer Press)

Strange, strange things happen in Kelly Link’s short story collection, a rare gem that mustn’t be lost in the bottom of the stagnated pond that is most of Fantasy literature these days. She has a unique writing style, quirky but intensely endearing. Her short story “Most of My Friends Are Two-Thirds Water” will soon be featured at Fantastic Metropolis, so keep your eyes peeled for updates.

Terrarium: A Novel In Mosaics, João Barreiros and Luís Filipe Silva

(Forbidden Books)

After a painful 5-year long wait, the translated magnum opus by the two uncontested masters of Portuguese sf was finally released. Barreiros’ mordant, ferocious prose is counterbalanced by Silva’s poetic descriptions in what is arguably one of the best novels ever published in Portugal, and which you can now have in English language. Plans are afoot to translate the novel’s two sequels, Aquarium and Solarium, which are already eagerly anticipated by the two authors’ few but steadfast fans abroad.

Time-Gifts, Zoran Živković

(Northwestern University Press)

What better way to become acquainted with Yugoslavian author Zoran Živković than through his dreamlike novel Time-Gifts? Four different people from different places and eras are offered the most unique chance to turn the tables on time by a mysterious visitor, only to discover that such gift comes at a price. Professionally translated by Alice Copple-Tosić, the book has much discussion and speculation on all things pertaining time, culminating in a fascinating twist that ties all the seemingly unrelated chapters together. A great chance to become familiar with the superb literature being written over in Eastern Europe. Don’t miss it!

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Luís Rodrigues is a pompous, cynical bastard whose only pleasure in life consists of subtly pushing his opinionated worldviews on everyone else. He lives in Lisbon, Portugal, where he pretends to study Computer Engineering, when in fact he spends the whole time reading and watching movies.