Breaking
the Genre Barrier
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An entertaining novel of
historical fiction, filled with
real explorers from the 1820's --
from Tor?
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I suspect that more than a
few readers will associate Tor with Science
Fiction, fantasy and a spot of horror. I know
that's what I thought, until they sent the
Blevins my way.
Win and Meredith Blevins are
a husband and wife who are both writing for
Forge Books, a subsidiary of Tor. Win's fourth
novel is just out -- 'So Wild a Dream', the
first in his 'Rendezvous Series'. Win evokes the
adventure and spirits of the 1820's so well, I
really lost myself in this novel; but a full
review is forthcoming, possibly later today.
Suffice it to say that one does not necessarily
associate Tor/Forge with historical fiction, but
given the sheer joy of reading this novel,
perhaps in the future one should.
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An ethnic mystery about
gypsies set in San Francisco,
with bits of magic realism and a
sense of humor.
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Win's wife, Meredith, has
just released her first Forge novel, 'The
Hummingbird Wizard'. I'm really enjoying this as
well. This is one of the reasons that the radio
station work is so appealing. I find myself
reading books way, way outside my normal range
and usually enjoying them. 'The Hummingbird
Wizard' is about a woman whose late husband was
part of a gypsy clan. When her best friend and
one-time brother-in-law is found dead, she
suspects a man known only as the Hummingbird
Wizard. There are lots of bits of practical
magic, hexes and spells interleaved with the
mystery story. For all the range it covers, it's
very cohesive and has a very wide potential
appeal.
Clearly what we're seeing
here is tough times forcing publishers to widen
their scope, though Tor has been doing mysteries
and thrillers for a while. At least with these
two novels, it turns out to be a very good
thing, and in general it might if it brings new
choices to readers, well, that's a good thing as
well.
Win and Meredith Blevins are
currently touring on the West Coast of the US.
Not only do they both write, but they both
perform music, pulled, if I am not mistaken,
from the actual music that runs in the
background of Win's novel 'So Wild A Dream'. If
you get a chance to see them, take the time to
do so. You'll get a lot more than you might
usually get from an author signing and get
yourself exposed to something beyond the
pale-faced pasty flesh space and vampire opera
crowd. It's never a bad idea to trap yourself
into doing something sort of against your normal
inclinations. As a matter of fact, Terry D'Auray
tells me that she's just ordered a Wild West
mystery from M
for Mystery, so we'll
eventually see a review of that and see whether
this "getting outside yourself" experiment works
as well for her as it has for me. And, as it
happens, M for Mystery is hosting a signing for
Win & Meredith Blevins this Sunday,
September 28, 2003, at 1 PM.
I'll have to ring up Terry
and see if in fact the book she has bought is
one of those by the Blevins. More fun -- and
serendipity -- every day. This just in -- no
it's not the same book, Terry has found
something different. Can't say I'm surprised.
