Muses & Musings (and also Amusing)

“Sure to have something to appeal to almost every reader of science fiction.” 

— Tangent Online, on M&M

What's M&M (besides a favorite candy)? Funny you should ask.

I'm pleased to announce the re-release by ReAnimus Press of Muses & Musings: A Science Fiction Collection.  Originally published in 2019, M&M offers seventeen stories at every length from flash to novella -- works selected from over a decade’s output -- chosen from four separate magazines and three original anthologies. And as a bonus, there’s a guest intro from every-conceivable-award-winner Robert J. Sawyer.

Alternate history. Parallel worlds. Rogue artificial intelligences. Alien invasion. Biting satire as to where the Internet is leading us. A Sherlock Holmes for the next century. Deco punk. Deep thoughts about, well, deep thoughts. In this book, you’ll find these—and more—together with my reminiscences as to what led me to create these seventeen stories in the first place.

This being a commercial announcement, here are the Amazon links for the Kindle, trade paperback, and hardback editions.

“He is science fiction down to the bone, but he very often takes the ‘serious’ stuff not so seriously. Or he does, but he still squeezes a modicum of wit and whimsy into his subjects. He can catch a salient point in a couple of pages or explore a well-trodden road like AI with new insight.”

— Galaxy’s Edge, on M&M

Starting off the new year with a bang(s)

Last September, I was delighted to report new ebook and print editions of four novels from comparatively early in my career -- see "Happy day (they're here)". (The new releases are lovely, if you haven't yet checked  them out.)

Today I'm as pleased to announce -- with the ink barely dry -- the signed contract to re-release two more of my earlier books. 

First-edition cover

Trope-ing the Light Fantastic: The Science Behind the Fiction: "Edward M. Lerner has produced the best-ever guide to putting the science in science fiction, and he's done it with clarity, wit, and panache." -- Robert J. Sawyer, Hugo Award-winning author of  The Downloaded.

First-edition title

Muses & Musings: A Science Fiction Collection: "He [that being me] is science fiction down to the bone, but he very often takes the ‘serious’ stuff not so seriously. Or he does, but he still squeezes a modicum of wit and whimsy into his subjects. He can catch a salient point in a couple of pages or explore a well-trodden road like AI with new insight." -- Galaxy’s Edge

The new publisher for both is the aptly named ReAnimus Press.

But wait -- there's more start-of-the-year good news. One of my 2024 short stories, "The Dark at the End of the Tunnel," is under contract to reappear in the upcoming  anthology The Year’s Top Hard Science Fiction Stories 9. 

  
More news as it happens. Also ... huzzah!

Better than Punxsutawney Phil not seeing his shadow

Over at Phoenix Pick, the featured ebook for February's promotion/deal/steal is Muses & Musings: A Science Fiction Collection by ... Yr. Humble Blogger. Said promo being accompanied by deep (and likewise temporary) ebook discounts on several other Lerner titles. Just sayin'

Check it out at https://www.publisherspick.com/

(And if Phil was mistaken, and you find yourself snowed in? All the more reason to want a good book or three on hand.)

Latest review of Muses & Musings

Excerpt from a review of my 2019 collection, Muses & Musings, upon which I just stumbled:

He is science fiction down to the bone, but he very often takes the "serious" stuff not so seriously. Or he does, but he still squeezes a modicum of wit and whimsy into his subjects. He can catch a salient point in a couple of pages or explore a well-trodden road like AI with new insight.

"He" and "him," in this context, being me.

The full review, for anyone curious, can be found at http://www.galaxysedge.com/. Once there (cuz the review page is for some reason not accessible via a direct link) click on "Recommended Books".

Does size matter?

At a con a few weeks past ("Back (exhausted!) from Capclave"), one of my panels, Does Size Matter?, dealt with the perennial topic of story lengths. As this is a matter of perennial interest among con-goers and aspiring writers, I decided to make it the subject of a post.

How I write: 

• When the idea comes first -- and for me, usually, it does -- I let the story evolve into whatever length it sees fit.
• Exception: targeting a market with length (or budget) constraints. Then I start by pondering a (hopefully) compatible story idea.
• Exception: fine-tuning a completed story to fit a target market’s length constraints.

Now on to a pair of war stories ....

M&M: first review

Popular genre website Tangent Online recently posted their review of Muses & Musings: A Science Fiction Collection. My favorite passage (from among many):

Sure to have something to appeal to almost every reader of science fiction

Click here for release-day post

For anyone curious, here's the full Tangent Online review of M&M.

Muses & Musings: A Science Fiction Collection

Last updated September 2, 2024. Copies are temporarily unavailable. New editions to come.

=====

I am delighted to announce the release of Muses & Musings, my first short-fiction collection since 2010.

Muses & Musings offers seventeen never before collected stories at every length from flash to novella, chosen from four separate magazines and three original anthologies. And as a bonus, there's a guest intro from every-conceivable-award-winner Robert J. Sawyer

Quoting from the cover copy:

Best known for his SF novels – including the InterstellarNet series and (with Larry Niven) the epic Fleet of Worlds series – Edward M. Lerner is also a prolific author of short fiction. This collection showcases many of his finest stories, featuring works selected from over a decade’s output.

Alternate history. Parallel worlds. Rogue artificial intelligences. Alien invasion. Biting satire as to where the Internet is leading us. A Sherlock Holmes for the next century. Deco punk. Deep thoughts about, well, deep thoughts. In this book, you’ll find these – and more – together with Ed's reminiscences as to what led him to create these seventeen gems in the first place. 

This being a commercial announcement, here are the Amazon links for Muses & Musings for the Kindle and Muses & Musings in trade paperback. (M&M is also available in a plethora of other ebook formats -- check your favorite site.)

If your preferred bricks-and-mortar bookseller doesn't happen to have the print edition on its shelves, the staff will happily order you a copy (for which, as a convenience, you might want to offer the publisher, Phoenix Pick, and the ISBN: 978-1612424408). 

To my Kindle-inclined readers

Updated September 5, 2019 Pre-order discount on the Kindle edition ends at midnight (ET, I believe) tonight.

Muses & Musings, my first short-fiction collection since 2010 -- and whose cover I was first able to reveal just yesterday -- won't be available till September 6.

Click to enlarge

But here's the (good) thing: in advance of official release, Amazon is offering -- in Kindle format only -- a "pre-order special." Order before September 6, and wake up that day to find a discounted (from $6.99 to $3.99) copy on your Kindle.

(And if you're not a Kindle reader? On the 6th, the print edition and more ebook formats will be released. I'll post again then with updated links.)

About the book: Muses & Musings offers seventeen never before collected stories at every length from flash to novella, chosen from four separate magazines and three original anthologies. And as a bonus, there's a guest intro from every-conceivable-award-winner Robert J. Sawyer

Cribbing from the cover copy:

Best known for his SF novels –- including the InterstellarNet series and (with Larry Niven) the epic Fleet of Worlds series –- Edward M. Lerner is also a prolific author of short fiction. This collection showcases many of his finest stories, featuring works selected from over a decade’s output.

Alternate history. Parallel worlds. Rogue artificial intelligences. Alien invasion. Biting satire as to where the Internet is leading us. A Sherlock Holmes for the next century. Deco punk. Deep thoughts about, well, deep thoughts. In this book, you’ll find these – and more – together with Ed's reminiscences as to what led him to create these seventeen gems in the first place. 

End of commercial announcement :-)