CONJUNCTIONS' LATEST ISSUE, THE NEW WAVE FABULISTS, EXPLORES CROSS-GENRE SCIENCE FICTION, FANTASY, AND HORROR Guest Edited by Horror Author Peter Straub and Featuring Illustrations by Master Cartoonist Gahan Wilson, Conjunctions: 39 Gathers Works From M
ANNANDALE-ON-HUDSON, N.Y.—Over the past two decades the genres of science fiction, fantasy, and horror have undergone a major transformation. An adventurous group of writers has been simultaneously expanding and dissolving the rigid borders of those genres, often abandoning or redesigning familiar conventions and templates, to create bold, distinctive fiction. Recognition and appreciation of these works by the wider literary culture, however, has been limited. To explore the phenomenon of modern fantastic fiction, the latest issue of Conjunctions, the literary journal published by Bard College and a source of distinguished and innovative writing from leading contemporary poets, prose writers, and artists for more than 20 years, offers a collection of innovative works from a renowned group of cross-genre science fiction, horror, and fantasy writers.
Conjunctions:
39, The New Wave Fabulists, is guest edited by best-selling horror writer Peter Straub and features a cover and 18 illustrations specially commissioned for the issue by master cartoonist Gahan Wilson. Among the writers featured in the issue are some of the most respected and well-known writers of science fiction, horror, and fantasy. They include veterans like Straub and Gene Wolfe, renowned authors John Crowley and Jonathan Lethem, and some of the most celebrated practitioners of contemporary fantastic fiction, such as Jonathan Carroll, Neil Gaiman, Elizabeth Hand, Kelly Link, and China Miéville.Straub is the author of 14 novels, including Ghost Story, Koko, The Throat, and Mr. X, and is widely known for his collaborations with Stephen King, Black House and Talisman. He describes the transformation in genre fiction as a dramatic and uneasy one that was completely overlooked by the wider literary culture and believes the practitioners of these post-transformation fictions deserve greater recognition. "Strictly on grounds of artistic achievement, these writers should all along have been welcome in thoughtful literary outlets," writes Straub.
Conjunctions
: 39 features two critical essays: one from literary scholar Gary K. Wolfe, and the other from John Clute, a coauthor of both the Encyclopedia of Science Fiction and The Encyclopedia of Fantasy. In addition, there is innovative fiction from John Kessel, Patrick O'Leary, Paul Park, Nalo Hopkinson, James Morrow, M. John Harrison, Karen Joy Fowler, Andy Duncan, Jonathan Carroll, and Joe Haldeman.Conjunctions
is published twice yearly by Bard College. To order a copy, call the Conjunctions office at 845-758-1539 or write to Conjunctions, Bard College, Annandale-on-Hudson, NY 12504-5000. Visit the Conjunctions website at www.conjunctions.com.[Note to editors: To obtain review copies, please call Mark Primoff at 845-758-7412 or e-mail [email protected]]