Distributor orders are pouring in for David Marusek’s instant classic collection, Getting to Know You, making it likely to go out of print on or shortly after publication. If you’re interested in some of the finest short sf produced over the past decade, take heed of Publishers Weekly’s Starred Review: “Marusek, in a blurb for this superb collection of 10 stories (all the shorter SF he’s published to date), gives fair warning when he says he lays his stories ‘like traps and bait[s] them with shiny ideas…’ Marusek’s ’shiny ideas’–cloned laborers, electronic ‘proxies,’ the ’boutique economy’–sparkle, but these assured stories also draw on core SF themes: in the face of change, what does it mean to be human, and where do we draw the line between helping ourselves and hurting others?”

A whole host of books are reaching low stock levels, just a distributor order or two from being out of print. They include:

– The Last Unicorn: the Lost Version (Peter S. Beagle)
– Farewell Summer Lettered Edition (Ray Bradbury)
– Quicksilver & Shadow (Charles de Lint)
– The Painted Bride (Stephen Gallagher)
– The Life of Riley (Alexander C. Irvine)
– Tales from the Woeful Platypus Limited Edition (Caitlin R. Kiernan)
– The Green Mile (Stephen King)
– Flaming London (Joe R. Lansdale)
– Lords of the Razor (Joe R. Lansdale)
– Mr. Fox and Other Feral Tales (Norman Partridge)
– Dreadful Skin (Cherie Priest)
– Missile Gap (Charles Stross)

Though long since sold out, we thought we’d share some photos of the Lettered Edition of Stephen King’s The Green Mile. Head over to the book’s page and have a look. For those interested in the Gift Edition, itself nicely turned out in a green Sierra cloth, with foil stamping on each volume, we’re down to our last 35-40 copies.

Over at Subterranean Online, this week we’re serializing an 11,000 word novelette by none other than hisownself, Joe R. Lansdale, taken from his new collection, The Shadows Kith and Kin, due to ship in two weeks. Take Joe’s hand as he revisits the gun-toting Reverand Rains from Dead in the West, as he travels “Deadman’s Road.”

Next week, look for “Wax,” another tale of Detective Crown Inspector Abigail Irene Garrett by Elizabeth Bear.

The first review is in for Charles de Lint’s new short novel, Promises to Keep. As Rambles.net says, “Since his earliest Newford tales, de Lint has been sketching out his portrait of Jilly. The intriguing, enigmatic figure grew clearer and more defined with each story, and with the publication of Widdershins and The Onion Girl, some readers might have thought there was nothing more to tell.

“But, as the title of this story suggests, Jilly has miles to go before she sleeps. The character has an incredible, perhaps endless number of layers, and each is fresh and exciting. In this case, the young runaway, recovered addict and budding artist does not yet believe in magic or mystery in the world; that impression is about to change.”

We’re more than three quarters of the way through shipping the Limited Edition of Joe Hill’s electrifying debut novel, Heart Shaped Box, which recently hit the NY Times Best Seller List (Congrats Joe!). We expect all of the copies to be out the door, winging their way to customers via UPS or USPS by the end of the week.

Speaking of the end of the week, we’ve finally received the traycases for the Signed Limited Edition of The Jack Vance Treasury, and will be shipping those over the weekend. At over 230,000 words, this is one mammoth volume of the best science fantasy ever written, and signed by the master himself.

The first review of David Brin’s Sky Horizon is in, from Green Man Review: “Sky Horizon got only better and better as the story progressed. The momentum in the second half of this short work was solid, and in the end, Brin achieved what he meant to, I think; he made me want more. I would definitely read the next book. I look forward to it, in fact. The narrative seemed to be hitting its stride in the final quarter of the novel, effectively setting up a much wider story arc. This was intended as the first installment of a longer series, and it does a fantastic job of wrapping up one storyline while opening a whole new realm of possible action and adventure.”

The Spring issue of Subterranean Online has just been posted, with an sf short story by Caitlin R. Kiernan, and the first two reviews by Dorman T. Shinder of a new Harlan Ellison title, and Gardner Dozois’ essential anthology, The Best of the Best 2, which collects a number of classic short novels. Friday will bring an original short story by SubPress favorite Neal Barrett, Jr.

Next week look for a serialized novelette by Joe R. Lansdale featuring the anti-heror from his cult horror novel, Dead in the West, to celebrate the forthcoming release of his standout new collection, The Shadows Kith and Kin.

The first review for Elizabeth Bear’s dark fantasy narrative, New Amsterdam, is just in from Publishers Weekly, and we’re only to glad to offer up this quote: New Amsterdam “introduces a tough, witty female sleuth. Abigail Irene Garrett is the perfect Victorian hard-boiled detective… Teaming occasionally with vampire sleuth Sebastien de Ulloa, Irene cuts a figure of crime-fighting confidence through five of the six stories…plunging into wildly unpredictable adventures such as those recounted in “Lumière,” a stunning blend of steampunk and eldritch horror. Bear’s tales are not only ingeniously mysterious but also richly textured with details that bring the society and history of her alternate America to vivid life. Readers who like the grit of Laurell K. Hamilton’s Anita Blake novels and the historical heft of Chelsea Quinn Yarbro’s vampire tales will find similar pleasures here.”

First, thanks to everyone who participated in the Ebay auctions for Joe Hill’s HEART-SHAPED BOX on Ebay. When the last auction closes, we’ll have raised more than $4000 for The Lupus Alliance of America.

As a reminder, the last auction standing includes:

– Copy #1 of the book
– The original cover proof signed by Joe
– The first page of the digital blue lines, also signed by Joe
– A set of f&g pages (printed but not yet bound pages of the book) sent to the publisher for approval before binding.
– All will come with a letter of provenance from the publisher

Please head over to Ebay and check out the HSB auction.

The good news for readers is we’ve seen the first advance copy of the book, and it’s drop dead nasty gorgeous, just as the novel deserves. We’ll be packing up copies all weekend, and hope to have everything going out UPS/USPS on Monday or Tuesday of next week.

The great news for readers is that we will have copies of both the regular limited edition and the deluxe limited edition available after we’re finished shipping all existing orders. Keep your eyes on our newsletters. At this time, we plan to offer the regular limiteds for direct sale, and set up a raffle to buy the rights to the few remaining deluxe limiteds.