More Magic Realism Folks

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Jeff VanderMeer

"Kudos for the small press! I met Jeff VanderMeer when he was editor of Jabberwocky many hears ago. I began sending him stories and though he never published me in the magazine, it didn't matter because a friendship sprang up. After my collection of some 60 to 70 stories was bounced from a national contest (it came in sixth, but they wanted only the top five for "commercial viability"), I was mightily dismayed. In one submission to Jeff, I mentioned what had happened (geeze, I was in such a funk). He said he'd look at it. The next thing I knew he offered to publish 35 of the stories in the collection, Final Trick of Funnyman and Other Stories. He worked unceasingly to promote it. I can't say enough about not only what a fine fellow he is, not to mention getting me out there, but how marvelous he is as a writer as well. Read his work (try City Of Saints And Madmen) and prepare for something very, very nice indeed." -- Bruce Taylor

This April Pan MacMillan releases my book City of Saints & Madmen in the British Commonwealth, in a special expanded-expanded edition in hardcover and tradepaper. They've also bought The Thackery T. Lambshead Pocket Guide to Eccentric & Discredited Diseases for release in November. In addition, Golden Gryphon Press is putting out my collection Secret Life in June, with a nonfiction collection, Why Should I Cut Your Throat?, out from Monkeybrain Books in October. I think all of these books have a little magic realism in them.

To me, magic realism is definitely a real category--it's just a question of whether it is the most appropriate name. Marquez is, of course, famous for saying that he thought he was writing realism. But slight misnomer or not in terms of the original inspiration for the term, magic realism is a definite category. I define it as one in which a fantasy element enters a realistic setting, with the fantasy element being either real or metaphysical, and which does not have to be explained by story's end--its psychological reality may be more important than its corporeality, if that makes any sense. This is different than surrealism, in that surrealism will plunge the reader into an absurdist or fantastical milieu immediately, without necessarily setting forth a realistic entrance to the story--all in the service of "convulsive beauty".

I tend to mix surrealist and magic realist approaches in my fiction -- for me, magic realism is best used in conjunction with other things. Traditional magic realism is, to me, perhaps a little old hat. It's the hybrids that get my blood flowing. I do think magic realism is a useful term, however, and I think a site devoted to magic realism is important.

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Jeff VanderMeer

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