Real Unreal: Best American Fantasy, Vol. 3 Edited by Kevin Brockmeier. Underland (PGW, dist.), $14.95 paper (318p) ISBN 978-0-9802260-8-9
Brockmeier (The Brief History of the Dead) compiles 20 eclectic and exceptional stories that “graft” fantasy with realistic fiction for this third installment of the annual anthology cofounded by Ann and Jeff VanderMeer. Standout selections include Stephen King's poignant “The New York Times at Special Bargain Rates,” in which a woman receives a phone call from her recently deceased husband, and two World Fantasy Award finalists: Peter S. Beagle's “Uncle Chaim and Aunt Rifke and the Angel,” an exploration of redemption and salvation as an angel demands to be a 76-year-old painter's muse, and John Kessel's “Pride and Prometheus,” a mashup uniting Pride and Prejudice's plain sister, Mary Bennet, and Victor Frankenstein. These and other wildly imaginative tales will appeal to fans of fantasy and literary fiction alike. (Feb.)
22 December 2009
BAF 3 Publisher's Weekly Review
We've received some praise from Publisher's Weekly:
20 August 2009
Best American Fantasy 3 Contents
Best American Fantasy 3: Real Unreal
Guest Editor Kevin Brockmeier, Series Editor Matthew Cheney
to be published by Underland Press, January 2010
Table of Contents
"Safe Passage" by Ramona Ausubel (One Story, Issue 106)
"Uncle Chaim and Aunt Rifke and the Angel" by Peter S. Beagle (Strange Roads)
"Cardiology" by Ryan Boudinot (Five Chapters, 2008)
"The Pentecostal Home for Flying Children" by Will Clarke (The Oxford American, Issue 61)
"For a Ruthless Criticism of Everything Existing" by Martin Cozza (Pindeldyboz, July 6 2008)
"Daltharee" by Jeffrey Ford (The Del Rey Book of Science Fiction and Fantasy)
"Is" by Chris Gavaler (New England Review, Volume 39, Number 2)
"The Torturer's Wife" by Thomas Glave (The Kenyon Review, Fall 2008)
"Reader's Guide" by Lisa Goldstein (F&SF, July 2008)
"Search Continues for Elderly Man" by Laura Kasischke (F&SF, September 2008)
"Pride and Prometheus" by John Kessel (F&SF, January 2008)
"The New York Times at Special Bargain Rates" by Stephen King (F&SF, October/November 2008)
"Couple of Lovers on a Red Background" by Rebecca Makkai (Brilliant Corners, Summer 2008)
"Flying and Falling" by Kuzhali Manickavel (Shimmer, The Art Issue 2008)
"The King of the Djinn" by David Ackert & Benjamin Rosenbaum (Realms of Fantasy, February 2008)
"The City and the Moon" by Deborah Schwartz (The Kenyon Review, Spring 2008)
"The Two-Headed Girl" by Paul Tremblay (Five Chapters, 2008)
"The First Several Hundred Years Following My Death" by Shawn Vestal (Tin House 34)
"Rabbit Catcher of Kingdom Come" by Kellie Wells (Fairy Tale Review, The White Issue)
"Serials" by Katie Williams (American Short Fiction, Summer/Fall 2008)
Recommended Reading: 2008
Best American Fantasy 3 guest editor Kevin Brockmeier and series editor Matthew Cheney would like to call special attention to the following stories published in 2008:
"Run! Run!" by Jim Aikin
F&SF, September
"The Lagerstatte" by Laird Barron
The Del Rey Book of Science Fiction and Fantasy, edited by Ellen Datlow
"Within the City of the Swan" by Aliette de Bodard
Shimmer, The Art Issue 2008
"What the Redmond Men Found" by Matthew David Brozik
Zahir, Summer 2008
"The Loa and the Gaping Jaw" by Brendan Byrne
Flurb, a Webzine of Astonishing Tales, Fall-Winter 2008
"Jimmy" by Pat Cadigan
The Del Rey Book of Science Fiction and Fantasy, edited by Ellen Datlow
"Poor Little Egg-Boy Hatched in a Shul" by Nathan Englander
McSweeney's, Issue 28
"Drone" by Gemma Files
Not One of Us, Issue 39
"All the Little Gods We Are" by John Grant
Clockwork Phoenix: Tales of Beauty and Strangeness, edited by Mike Allen
"The Difficulties of Evolution" by Karen Heuler
Weird Tales, July/Aug 2008
"The Hand of the Devil on a String" by M. K. Hobson
Shimmer, Spring 2008
"The Last Dead" by Drew Johnson
Virginia Quarterly Review, Winter 2008
"Far and Wee" by Kathe Koja
Weird Tales, November/December 2008
"Litany" by Rand B. Lee
F&SF, June 2008
"We Love Deena" by Alice Sola Kim
Strange Horizons, February 11, 2008
"But Wait! There's More!" by Richard Mueller
F&SF, August 2008
"The Glazers" by Joyce Carol Oates
American Short Fiction, Winter/Spring 2008
"On the Banks of the River of Heaven" by Richard Parks
Realms of Fantasy, April 2008
"The Joined" by Helen Phillips
Mississippi Review, Spring 2008
"The Small Door" by Holly Phillips
Fantasy, May 19, 2008
"Creature" by Ramsey Shehadeh
Weird Tales, March/April 2008
"Detours on the Way to Nothing" by Rachel Swirsky
Weird Tales, March/April 2008
"The Body Autumnal" by Lisa Wells
Ecotone, Spring 2008
"A Different Country" by Wayne Wightman
F&SF, December 2008
"Two Tales" by Imants Zicdonis
Fairy Tale Review, White Issue
"Run! Run!" by Jim Aikin
F&SF, September
"The Lagerstatte" by Laird Barron
The Del Rey Book of Science Fiction and Fantasy, edited by Ellen Datlow
"Within the City of the Swan" by Aliette de Bodard
Shimmer, The Art Issue 2008
"What the Redmond Men Found" by Matthew David Brozik
Zahir, Summer 2008
"The Loa and the Gaping Jaw" by Brendan Byrne
Flurb, a Webzine of Astonishing Tales, Fall-Winter 2008
"Jimmy" by Pat Cadigan
The Del Rey Book of Science Fiction and Fantasy, edited by Ellen Datlow
"Poor Little Egg-Boy Hatched in a Shul" by Nathan Englander
McSweeney's, Issue 28
"Drone" by Gemma Files
Not One of Us, Issue 39
"All the Little Gods We Are" by John Grant
Clockwork Phoenix: Tales of Beauty and Strangeness, edited by Mike Allen
"The Difficulties of Evolution" by Karen Heuler
Weird Tales, July/Aug 2008
"The Hand of the Devil on a String" by M. K. Hobson
Shimmer, Spring 2008
"The Last Dead" by Drew Johnson
Virginia Quarterly Review, Winter 2008
"Far and Wee" by Kathe Koja
Weird Tales, November/December 2008
"Litany" by Rand B. Lee
F&SF, June 2008
"We Love Deena" by Alice Sola Kim
Strange Horizons, February 11, 2008
"But Wait! There's More!" by Richard Mueller
F&SF, August 2008
"The Glazers" by Joyce Carol Oates
American Short Fiction, Winter/Spring 2008
"On the Banks of the River of Heaven" by Richard Parks
Realms of Fantasy, April 2008
"The Joined" by Helen Phillips
Mississippi Review, Spring 2008
"The Small Door" by Holly Phillips
Fantasy, May 19, 2008
"Creature" by Ramsey Shehadeh
Weird Tales, March/April 2008
"Detours on the Way to Nothing" by Rachel Swirsky
Weird Tales, March/April 2008
"The Body Autumnal" by Lisa Wells
Ecotone, Spring 2008
"A Different Country" by Wayne Wightman
F&SF, December 2008
"Two Tales" by Imants Zicdonis
Fairy Tale Review, White Issue
BAF News: Future Guest Editors, Staff Changes, Latin America...
The Best American Fantasy series has undergone a series of important changes, starting with the publisher. Underland Press has acquired the Best American Fantasy series, and will publish the third volume, "Real Unreal," in January of 2010. BAF4, tentatively titled "Imaginary Borders," will appear in March 2011. BAF3 contains work by, among others, Stephen King, Lisa Goldstein, Peter S. Beagle, and John Kessel, as chosen by guest editor Kevin Brockmeier with assistance from series editor Matthew Cheney. The cover of BAF3 was designed by John Coulthart.
The guest editors for volumes 4 through 6 will be: Minister Faust, Junot Diaz, and Catherynne M. Valente. Each of these critically acclaimed writers will bring excellence and expertise to the position. BAF4 will include work published in 2010, as the series skips a year to accommodate the time needed for the change in publisher and general reorganization.
"Victoria Blake at Underland has worked hard to create the perfect home for this unique series," BAF co-founder Jeff VanderMeer said, "and the guest editors we've put in place reflect an exciting diversity of opinions about and approaches to fiction. Each will bring their own spin to the volume they edit, and that's going to be great in terms of keeping the series vital and relevant."
Starting with BAF4, the series will consider stories published in English in Latin American publications, as well as translations of Latin American writers into English in North American publications. In short, any story published in English in a Latin American or North American publication or website, and written by a Latin American or North American resident, is eligible for inclusion in BAF. (As and when possible, and keeping in mind constraints such as expense and a need for additional personnel, the Best American Fantasy series eventually hopes to consider material published in Spanish and Portuguese.)
A series of staffing changes have also occurred. Matthew Cheney, who has done wonderful work on the first three volumes, will be stepping down as series editor due to other demands on his time. Ann and Jeff VanderMeer will perform the role of series editor going forward, while Cheney remains in an advisory position. Former first readers Clayton Kroh and Tessa Kum will serve as assistant editors for BAF beginning with volume 4. Fábio Fernandes and Larry Nolen have been added in an editorial capacity, especially as regards the Latin American publishing community. Further staff additions will occur over the next year as necessary.
Guidelines for BAF4 will be made available by January of 2010. Any publications sent to Matthew Cheney will be forwarded to the VanderMeers. Publications should not be sent to the guest editors at this time. Please address queries to POB 4248, Tallahassee, FL 32315. The BAF website will be updated with all of this information shortly.
Guidelines for BAF4 will be made available by January of 2010. Any publications sent to Matthew Cheney will be forwarded to the VanderMeers. Publications should not be sent to the guest editors at this time. Please address queries to bestamericanfantasy@gmail.com or POB 4248, Tallahassee, FL 32315. The BAF website will be updated with all of this information shortly. Bookmark http://www.bestamericanfantasy.com and http://www.bestamericanfantasy.blogspot.com for future updates.
The guest editors for volumes 4 through 6 will be: Minister Faust, Junot Diaz, and Catherynne M. Valente. Each of these critically acclaimed writers will bring excellence and expertise to the position. BAF4 will include work published in 2010, as the series skips a year to accommodate the time needed for the change in publisher and general reorganization.
"Victoria Blake at Underland has worked hard to create the perfect home for this unique series," BAF co-founder Jeff VanderMeer said, "and the guest editors we've put in place reflect an exciting diversity of opinions about and approaches to fiction. Each will bring their own spin to the volume they edit, and that's going to be great in terms of keeping the series vital and relevant."
Starting with BAF4, the series will consider stories published in English in Latin American publications, as well as translations of Latin American writers into English in North American publications. In short, any story published in English in a Latin American or North American publication or website, and written by a Latin American or North American resident, is eligible for inclusion in BAF. (As and when possible, and keeping in mind constraints such as expense and a need for additional personnel, the Best American Fantasy series eventually hopes to consider material published in Spanish and Portuguese.)
A series of staffing changes have also occurred. Matthew Cheney, who has done wonderful work on the first three volumes, will be stepping down as series editor due to other demands on his time. Ann and Jeff VanderMeer will perform the role of series editor going forward, while Cheney remains in an advisory position. Former first readers Clayton Kroh and Tessa Kum will serve as assistant editors for BAF beginning with volume 4. Fábio Fernandes and Larry Nolen have been added in an editorial capacity, especially as regards the Latin American publishing community. Further staff additions will occur over the next year as necessary.
Guidelines for BAF4 will be made available by January of 2010. Any publications sent to Matthew Cheney will be forwarded to the VanderMeers. Publications should not be sent to the guest editors at this time. Please address queries to POB 4248, Tallahassee, FL 32315. The BAF website will be updated with all of this information shortly.
Guidelines for BAF4 will be made available by January of 2010. Any publications sent to Matthew Cheney will be forwarded to the VanderMeers. Publications should not be sent to the guest editors at this time. Please address queries to bestamericanfantasy@gmail.com or POB 4248, Tallahassee, FL 32315. The BAF website will be updated with all of this information shortly. Bookmark http://www.bestamericanfantasy.com and http://www.bestamericanfantasy.blogspot.com for future updates.
27 February 2009
BAF Moving to Underland Press!
We are pleased to announce that the Best American Fantasy series is moving to Underland Press for the future, starting with Best American Fantasy 3, guest-edited by Kevin Brockmeier. We owe thanks to Prime and Sean Wallace for helping the series get launched, and thanks to Victoria Blake at Underland for giving us a new home.
Kevin has made his preliminary selections for BAF 3, and once I have secured reprint rights for all the stories, I'll announce the contents -- it's a pretty exciting list!
BAF 3 will be published by Underland in early 2010.
Kevin has made his preliminary selections for BAF 3, and once I have secured reprint rights for all the stories, I'll announce the contents -- it's a pretty exciting list!
BAF 3 will be published by Underland in early 2010.
17 February 2009
Volume 2 ... still coming...
As Jeff has noted, volume 2 of Best American Fantasy got held up because of the economic downturn that has affected the entire publishing industry. According to Amazon.com, it is now in stock there, and with luck it will be available elsewhere soon.
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