Planetbreaker’s Son
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- $9.99
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- $9.99
Publisher Description
Upending and recombining familiar genres with fearless abandon, Nick Mamatas is known for his wicked satires in which Horror rides shotgun with SF as they power through Fantasy’s rush-hour traffic. Lanes are crossed, speed limits exceeded, and minds often blown.
Our title piece, original to this volume, is something entirely new. Trust me. “The Planetbreaker’s Son” is a starship novella in which interstellar emigrants maintain their stadium-sized vessel with dreams and play. On the fly. Think Pinocchio meets Ender’s Game.
“Ring, Ring, Ring, Ring, Ring, Ring, Ring” is a cautionary tale about the perilous interface between ancient wizardry and modern ringtones. And it’s for you. “The Term Paper Artist” is Nick’s celebrated and hilarious how-to on embellishing the academic establishment with equal parts imitation and duct tape. Based on a true story of lies.
And Featuring: of course, our casually candid Outspoken Interview, in which Greek sailors, Japanese manga mavens, Doc Martens, Lovecraft, Grandma, and Kerouac mingle and mix. Care to dance?
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
A science fiction novella, a fantasy short, a personal essay, and an interview make up the eclectic but impressive latest from Mamatas (Sabbath). The title novella is the main event, exploring a futuristic society that exists inside a vast technological dome connecting disparate pieces, called planets. The planetbreaker, who wanders the dome destroying worlds, has grown uninterested in his wife but longs to connect with his son. But a run-in with other planetbreakers sends the son on a quest that leaves him changed and his parents struggling to adapt. "Ring, Ring, Ring, Ring, Ring, Ring, Ring" features a phone that can call the afterlife and explores the lengths a woman will go to for her long lost love. Veering away from fiction, "The Term Paper Artist" tells of Mamatas's time writing student essays for money and offers amusing advice for those interested in the work. In dynamic if sometimes convoluted prose, Mamatas dances between forms and genres; readers will appreciate the way he builds his fantastical worlds out of the odds and ends of modern life. This is a worthy showcase of Mamatas's skill.
