Coming From Dragonstairs Press: Singular Interviews

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A quarter of a century ago, I was sitting in the bar at a Worldcon, chatting with John Crowley, and realized that it was an excellent opportunity to ask him a question I'd been wondering about. And, as it happened, I had a cassette tape recorder with me. So I got his permission, turned the recorder on, and asked.

Thus began a project that has just now culminated in Singular Interviews, the latest chapbook from Dragonstairs Press.  Off and on, over the years, I would take the recorder with me to conventions and periodically ask people a single question. Later, I conducted more interviews via e-mail. Most of which were published one at a time in the New York Review of Science Fiction, though the last two or three are new to print.

 Marianne Porter has collected these brief interviews in a beautifully crafted chapbook. The one-question interviewees are: John Crowley, Tom Purdom (a witty joke), Eileen Gunn, Gregory Frost, Paul Park, Mike Resnick, Samuel R. Delany, Karl Schoeder, David Hartwell, Henry Wessells, Greer Gilman, Spider Robinson, Fran Wilde, Tom Purdom (a serious answer this time), and Michael Moorcock.

What I like most about this project is how differently all the writers (and one editor) answered their question. But you don't have to take my word for it. I'll be posting three of the Singular Interviews this week, in the lead-up to the sale.

And for those interested in buying a copy . . .

 The Dragonstairs Press notification letter has just been sent out. It contains all the ordering information and is reprinted below verbatim:

Singular Interviews is a collection of one question interviews conducted by Michael Swanwick, with a variety of science fiction and fantasy's best and brightest. The interviews were carried out over many years, and have previously been published in the New York Review of Science Fiction. They are collected here for the first time. 

The eleven subjects include Greer Gilman, John Crowley, Mike Resnick, David Hartwell, and Samuel R. Delany, among others. The questions range from insightful probes into professional intentions to bits of whimsy about Jules Verne's appearance as Guest of Honor at Philcon. 

Offered in an edition of 60, Singular Interviews are hand stitched, bound in Indian 100% cotton paper in various colors, numbered and signed by Swanwick. They will be available at noon, Philadelphia time (eastern daylight savings) on June 7, 2025 at www.dragonstairs.com.

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