Monday, September 11, 2017

6 Books with Jonathan Strahan

Photo Credit: Cat Sparks
Jonathan Strahan is a World Fantasy Award award-winning editor, anthologist, and podcaster. He has edited more than 70 books, is reviews editor for Locus, a consulting editor for Tor.com, and co-host and producer of the Hugo-nominated Coode Street Podcast.

Today he shares his 6 books with us...


1. What book are you currently reading? 

I’m currently reading the latest Tom Holt novel, The Management Style of the Supreme Beings, which is a lot of fun. It’s a satire on religion, and reminds me a lot of Jeremy Leven’s Satan, His Psychotherapy and Cure by the Unfortunate Dr. Kassler, J.S.P.S., which is a weird book I read years ago, and a bit of James Morrow’s Only Begotten Daughter, which I adore.





2. What upcoming book you are really excited about? 

William Gibson’s Agency. I am always floored by Gibson’s work and I don’t think we’ve ever needed his worldview more than we do right now.








3. Is there a book you're currently itching to re-read? 

Hmm. I don’t get to re-read much at all. You know how life is when you’re up to your neck in reading new stuff. There’s no time. But I’d love to re-read some Terry Pratchett. Possibly Guards, Guards! or Night Watch. Terrifyingly smart, funny, and also kind. Pratchett’s best books are always worth revisiting.






4. How about a book you've changed your mind about over time--either positively or negatively? 

Hmm. Asimov’s Foundation. I loved it when I was young. Was sure it was going to be terrible to revisit when I was in my 20s, and found that it was actually surprisingly fresh and readable when I went back to it.




 

5. What's one book, which you read as a child or young adult, that has had a lasting influence on your editing? 

One book? There are a couple, but probably the single most influential book on my editing was Michael Bishop’s superb 1984 anthology Light Years and Dark, which changed my reading, opened me up to new approaches and perspectives and introduced me to a whole pile of writers who have since become favourites. It’s the benchmark in the back of my mind every time I start work on a new book.



6. And speaking of that, what's *your* latest book, and why is it awesome? 

Infinity Wars. It’s the latest in the Infinity series and, as the title suggests, this time it’s looking at war and conflict. It’s awesome because fifteen smart, talented people have produced incredible stories that give new perspectives on war and living through and beyond it. The stories are whipsmart and great stuff. Whether you loved Starship Troopers, The Forever War, or Miles Vorkosigan and Honor Harrington, there’s something for everyone.



POSTED BY: Joe Sherry - Co-editor of Nerds of a Feather, 2017 Hugo Award Finalist for Best Fanzine. Writer / Editor of the mostly defunct Adventures in Reading since 2004. Minnesotan.