Feb

15

Posted by : atcampbell | On : February 15, 2004

Witpunk edited by Claude Lalumière and Marty Halpern

Eight people attended this discussion, including our founder, A.T. Campbell. Another person phoned in comments from her sickbed. Seven people read some of the book with five people finishing it.

The big question that everyone had but didn’t have a good answer for: what was the purpose of this anthology? Did the editors pitch it under the cute title and then just go out and buy stories they liked? There seemed no theme or connection between the various stories. Few of them seemed very witty and even fewer were punkish. The back blurb promised stories that were sardonic,

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Feb

03

Posted by : atcampbell | On : February 3, 2004

The Alchemist’s Door by Lisa Goldstein

Ten people attended this discussion and two others phoned or emailed comments. Nine people started the book, eight finished it, and six had read the author before.

The collaboration between John Dee and Edward Kelly already seems the stuff of a fantasy novel: Kelly converses with “angels” he sees in a gazing ball owned by Dee. The two curry favor from royalty by offering to predict the future. To this Goldstein mixes in the story of Rabbi Lowe and his creation of the Golem. Plus: demons, insane rulers, a serial killer and a race to prevent the world from being

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