Celebration!

[eldritchhobbit]

* Today is the second anniversary of my favorite press, Valancourt Books, which specializes in quality new editions of rare and "endangered" literature from the 18th and 19th centuries. I'm a great fan of their many books (some of which, such as The Witch of Ravensworth by George Brewer, I have used in past classes, and several of which, including the recently released The Veiled Picture by Ann Radcliffe, I will be using in my class next semester), and I recommend that those of you who are interested in literature of historical and especially Gothic flavor check out the Valancourt Books website.

On a related note, I am pleased to say that I am currently editing my second book for Valancourt Books, a new edition of the 1845 English translation of Emilie Carlen's 1841 Swedish masterpiece, The Magic Goblet. It will be published later this year.


* Today also is the birthday of the wonderful jasonbsizemore, Managing Editor and Publisher of Apex Science Fiction and Fantasy Digest (see the publication's blog at apexdigest), and Co-Editor of the 2006 Stoker-nominated anthology Aegri Somnia. Jason is a class act, and I'm proud that my work has appeared in his terrific Apex Science Fiction and Fantasy Digest publication. Here's to a great birthday! May this year be your best yet.


* In other news, those of you who are interested in the works of both J.K. Rowling and H.P. Lovecraft may want to join the conversation in the comments section here.


The breast of a man may be likened to a battle-field, where the combat never ceases -- where evey conquered combatant lies bleeding, and only waiting for the moment to renew the fight.
- Emilie Carlen, The Magic Goblet

Comments

[estellye.livejournal.com]

I look forward to hearing more about The Magic Goblet!

[eldritchhobbit.livejournal.com]

Thank you so much! It's a wonderfully compelling book, and I'm thrilled to be working on it. I'll post more soon.

[eldritchhobbit.livejournal.com]

Happy birthday, old man! :)

[witchcat07.livejournal.com]

Hurrah for Valancourt! Are there any other books from them you particularly recommend for a Tolkien/Pratchett fan?

[eldritchhobbit.livejournal.com]

Oh goodness - they're all so much fun! The Witch of Ravensworth has very wicked humor and lots of twists and turns. The Italian is a mesmerizing classic, as well.

[witchcat07.livejournal.com]

Okay, will have to check them out once I've finished The Magic Ring.

[eldritchhobbit.livejournal.com]

Cool!

[sittingduck1313.livejournal.com]

I've always noticed the way that certain aspects of The Chamber of Secrets resembled The Rats in the Walls. And when the Gaunts were first introduced in Half-Blood Prince, they just screamed Whateleys. The funny thing is that I get the impression that Rowling has never read Lovecraft. Her main favorites are your classic chick lit authors. Not much of an overlap.

[eldritchhobbit.livejournal.com]

Great connections! Excellent points. I think Lovecraft has seeped into culture, and into other literature, to such a degree that his work can influence others even if they've never read his work. Then again, she might surprise us: she's admittedly well versed in the literature of alchemy, for example, and ancient mythology, and other subjects HPL loved... Who knows?

[dracschick.livejournal.com]

good luck with the editing!

[eldritchhobbit.livejournal.com]

Thanks so much!