Lewis Shiner's Black and White

Last year, I interviewed Lewis Shiner about his Fiction Liberation Front. Now, I've reviewed his latest novel, Black & White, for The Austin Chronicle.

On the surface, Black & White demonstrates the struggles of historical and contemporary racism, but at its core, the story revolves around a son coming to terms with the sins of his father. The always-talented Shiner has produced some of his finest work to date here. Beyond a brief, discursive foray into Ruth's story, he has created a near-perfect novel – steeped in important political and societal issues, neatly wrapped in the trimmings of a mystery story. With Black & White, Lewis Shiner ascends to a literary realm previously reserved for the likes of Michael Chabon and Jonathan Lethem.
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Shameless Plug

My latest Austin Chronicle review, Best American Fantasy, is in today's issue.

Editors Ann and Jeff VanderMeer offer a wide range of tales, most of which do not appear in other "best of" collections, from publications as different as Alaska Quarterly Review, Fantasy & Science Fiction, The Georgia Review, Harrington Gay Men's Literary Quarterly, McSweeney's, New England Review, The New Yorker, Oxford American, The Paris Review, and Zoetrope: All-Story. The VanderMeers chose their selections wisely.
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Shameless Plug

My review of Jeff Somers' debut novel The Electric Church appears in today's Austin Chronicle.


"Cyberpunk stereotypes abound with pop-culture jargon, computer-human interaction, near-future technology, and unsavory characters in an all-too-familiar tableau."


I read 'em, so you don't have to. Great cover, though.

Yet another shameless plug and a book suggestion

My review of The Best of Lady Churchill's Rosebud Wristlet is in the current Austin Chronicle.

The first two pieces, written separately by co-editors Kelly Link – "Travels With the Snow Queen," a nonlinear tale of forbidden love – and Gavin J. Grant – his insightful nonfiction exploration "Scotch: An Essay Into a Drink" – quickly establish the tenor both in quality and content for this stunning anthology. Excellent and unconventional pieces abound:

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This would be an excellent book for us to read. What do y'all think?