We’re pleased to present an excerpt from the supernatural noir graphic novel Hard Bargain from writer Steven S. DeKnight and artist Leno Carvalho. Publisher Humanoids is currently running a Kickstarter campaign for the book, featuring contributions from the likes of Pete Woods and Michael Gaydos. The novel follows a private detective crossing paths with the magical underworld of 1940s Los Angeles.
Sigtryggur Baldursson and Birgir Mogensen have been making music for a very long time. They first played together in the group KUKL along with future members of the Sugarcubes; the music the duo makes now as Paddan, though, takes them in a very different direction. Their debut Fluid Time is a hypnotic collection of songs, both propulsive and willing to linger and explore unexpected sonic corridors. I spoke with Baldursson about their debut, their approach to collaboration, and the subgenre they’ve coined to describe their sound
There’s a lot going on in The Rachel Condition, writer and filmmaker Nicholas Rombes‘s followup to his excellent debut, The Absolution of Roberto Acestes Laing. In its broadest terms, it’s about a man sent to Detroit to infiltrate a countercultural group in search of a literary artifact. And if that was the full breadth of this novel, it would be compelling enough — but Rombes goes further. Slowly, it becomes clear that the version of Detroit (and of the United States as a whole) are not quite the same ones we’re familiar with. And it’s these small moments of dissonance which turn out to have huge implications on the story being told. I spoke with Rombes about the genesis of this book, his fondness for nestled narratives, and his own relationship to Detroit’s musical history.
Chapter 27
Joselyn has encouraged me to begin developing my own rituals. Things I do to calm down. Per the new installment of the Freedom of Medical Care Act (FMCA 7.3) “rituals” fall under the category of preventative medicine.
Now every time I brush my teeth I time travel.
Are you, by any chance, seeking some reading recommendations for the month of July? Serendipitously, we happen to have a couple of those at the ready for your perusal. We’re thrilled that a couple of old favorites of ours are returning with new, genre-defying books this month; throw in some moving nonfiction and thoughtful ruminations on creativity and you have a compelling selection to choose from. Here are our recommendations for the current month.
Chapter 26
This week’s QA round table we noticed a strange spike in a competitor’s content—the few competitors we have left. Morgen shows both of her palms to everyone at the table. She says, “I don’t know what the hell you did, but this is an actual tick down for us.”
Daryl Gregory is not a writer who likes to repeat himself. The paperback edition of his novel Revelator was published earlier this year, and tells a story that involves familial secrets, violent clashes between bootleggers, and a godlike being that lives in isolation. It’s a compelling read, and it’s also a huge stylistic shift from his earlier novel Spoonbenders, about a family of psychics. That, in turn, was wildly different from the horror-tinged We Are All Completely Fine; what they have in common are compelling characters, complex themes, and a haunting quality that’s hard to shake. I spoke with Gregory about his latest book, his thoughts on genre, and what’s next for him.
Chapter 25
One million square feet of space can hold a little over 17 American football fields. Joselyn heard back from Hans that we were approved to purchase ten million square feet of undeveloped land for database warehouses.
One issue: before DPZ gets absorbed into PPL on paper (we’ve already made the change on the site) we have to sort out the compensation for our initial business partner: Marcus.