Three Otherwise Unobtainable Dragonstairs Chapbooks!

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Locus Magazine is having its annual fundraiser! I hold it to be a self-evident truth that Locus is a necessary element of the community focused on the genres of science fiction, fantasy, and horror. So Marianne and I have contributed two Dragonstairs Press chapbooks held back for this purpose but otherwise sold out long ago, and one that will not be available for sale until next December. When, experience has taught us, it will then sell out in half an hour.

 

Our contributions—all hand-stitched, numbered, and signed, written by Michael Swanwick and lovingly hand-crafted by Marianne Porter—are:

           

Brief Essays on Genre is a collection of 25 short and often witty discussions of literature including the definition of science fiction and fantasy, why write true crime, the place of gratuitous sex in fiction, and the proper use of the present tense. Indispensable to the gonnabe writer.  Issued in an edition of 75, all of which save this copy are no longer available.

 

 In His Own Words was created to mark the unveiling of a plaque in the Pen & Pencil Club in Philadelphia, to honor Gardner Dozois, who began his writing career as an award-winning journalist in the U S Army. This is a transcription of an interview by Michael Swanwick in which Gardner described his (occasionally wacky) career as a military newsman as well as his philosophy of editing. Issued in an edition of 60 and was bound in hand-made paper from Sri Lanka, crafted from recycled elephant dung. Because Gardner would have thought that was hilarious.

 

Father Winter is a collection of seven father-themed Solstice stories written by Michael Swanwick and his son, Sean Swanwick. It was created as a winter gift to select friends of Dragonstairs Press in an addition of 120. Those that were not given away will be put on sale this coming winter and go out of print shortly thereafter.

 

The chapbooks were donated as a group but the Locus editors are offering them up separately on their Indiegogo page. The first one went up today and the others will be added later in the campaign.

 

You can explore the campaign and its perks—pins, autographed books, story critiques, tuckerizations, coffee mugs, and much more at:

 

https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/locus-magazine-science-fiction-fantasy-horror#/

 

 

And you may notice . . .

 

The photo shown on Indiegogo does not depict Brief Essays on Genre. Somebody did a quick search and came up with another, also sold-out, chapbook. But to make up for that, here are the first two essays in the chapbook:

 

Brief Essays on Genre: Part 1

 

On the Origin of Science Fiction

 

The first written glyph was a straight line drawn with a stick in the mud or sand and it meant: I am here. This was the beginning of history.

 

A moment’s reflection, however, reveals that implicit in the statement was another: I was not always here. This was the beginning of literature.

 

So science fiction, the literature of change, was present in written language from the very beginning.

 

 

Brief Essays on Genre: Part 2

 

On the Nature of Fantasy

 

Why fantasy?

 

Because the world as it is makes us unhappy.

 

Why not make the world as good as you wish it were?

 

Because only in fantasy do we have the power to change the world to that extent.

 

But fantasy won’t do that.

 

Neither will reality.

 

Why not simply accept reality as it is?

 

I spit in your face.

 

Above, last line: Not literally, of course. 

 

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