Philadelphia weekend

Hey folks!
Sorry about not blogging for a week-plus-- had a real busy weekend in Philadelphia with Kat and her cousins. It was a 23rd birthday party and much celebrating was done.
Philly is a pretty cool place to wander around. We were a few blocks from the Art Institute (aka the Rocky steps), across from a really terrific fountain. If I can find out how to download all the shots in my cell phone, you'll see what I mean.
One big plus: the Franklin Institute is having a huge STAR WARS show, with costumes, models, props, and a load of audio-visual supplementary material. It costs $20 for an adult to get in (not including an extra $5 to go into the Millennium Falcon recreation), but after 5pm, that drops to $10. So go late!!
Anyway, terrific weekend and I hope to put up some pics soon.
BTW, loads of great new stuff in this month's SFRevu, including an interview with three Wild Cards writers, an interview with David Cornish (writer of Monster-Blood Tattoo) and plenty of reviews.
Hope you're all great out there!
Drew

Review Preview: LAMPLIGHTER by DM Cornish

For the full review, see SFRevu in April!

Rossamund Bookchild narrowly survived his journey to become a lamplighter in Foundling, book one of Monster-Blood Tattoo by D.M. Cornish. Now he's reached his destination-- but what new dangers await this orphan boy?

Training to become a lamplighter, Rossamund makes new friends-- such as the irascible girl-lighter Threnody and half-mad but lovable Numps--while inadvertantly delving into a plot that endangers the whole Empire. Can he survive being posted to the furthest, most dangerous billet the lamplighters have to offer? And what mysteries surround Rossamund himself?

D.M. Cornish continues to astound and delight in this second novel. It might be a bit intimidating for a series to jump from 300 pages (in Foundling) to 600 pages in Lamplighter, but the tale is engaging and the narrative compelling from start to finish. The summary above barely does justice to the extended subplots, engagements, elements and information-packed chapters of the story; it is a lush tale, set in a deeply-realized and refreshingly original fantasy world.

Cornish also liberally spices up the story with his own pencil artwork, as well as an elaborate series of appendices (which are greatly welcome, considering how many esoteric terms he creates). Readers truly get their money's worth in this volume.

Cornish has devised an intricate mystery at the heart of the story so far, one that is playing out at a leisurely pace. What is the secret of the dark trades, which undermine the law and order of the Haacobin Empire? And why is Europe so intent on Rossamund's service that she... well, that part would be telling.

In any event, this delightful, adventurous and wholly original series is certain to please even the most demanding readers.

Highly recommended.

Travel Plans

Hey everyone,
Kat and I are off to NJ starting Saturday. If my blog posts become erratic between now and then, you'll know why.
A few tidbits in the meantime:

• Absolutely loved VICIOUS CIRCLE (Felix Castor #2) by Mike Carey-- a grim, gritty occult mystery set in modern London, the hero is a likeable underdog caught up in some truly nasty doings. Should be available in the US this summer-- put it on your wish list now! (If you want it even sooner, I recommend Amazon.co.uk)
• Also loving FOUNDLING: MONSTER BLOOD TATTOO #1 by D.M. Cornish-- very much like China Mieville's New Crobuzon stories, with a terrific young boy-hero named Rossamund cast into strange and frightening circumstances far from his city home. Buy it now! And visit the author's blog here. (P.S., I'm reviewing this one for January's SFRevu--it may be a few months' late but what the heck.)
• Work is progressing on my own urban fantasy-in-progress. I also had a great idea for two fanfic works, which I hope to complete in January, as both are fairly short and to-the-point. Which reminds me...
• January 2008 should see the launch of www.drewbittner.com, my own domain. I bought the domain and hosting a couple months ago but haven't done anything with it yet-- well, 2008 will see an end to that.

later, all!
Drew