Happy book birthday to THE HISTORY OF SOUL 2065 by Barbara Krasnoff
Today (at long last, or so it seems) is the book birthday for The History of Soul 2065 by Barbara Krasnoff, a book project the author first proposed to me in April 2016, during the launch reading in Brooklyn for Clockwork Phoenix 5.
For me, then, releasing Krasnoff’s debut short story collection/mosaic novel comes as the culmination of a three year gestation period, though for Barbara it’s been in the works far longer, about 20 years. I think she’s pulled off something astonishing.
Here at Mythic Delirium Books, Anita and I love to present stories and poems so that they read as if linked by subjects and themes. Our Clockwork Phoenix anthologies have been praised for this. So has Snow White Learns Witchcraft, the collection from Theodora Goss we released in February.
The History of Soul 2065 is kind of an apotheosis of the form, with 20 tales that depict snapshots in the lives of various members of two Jewish families across multiple generations. Though all of these characters will have otherworldly encounters, some supernatural, some science fictional, most of them will never meet, and they will never know how their destinies are entangled, but when the last story clicks into place, the result, as Publishers Weekly put it in a starred review, adds up to “far more than the sum of its parts.”
Now then: allow me share some incredibly important links of a different kind, that will take you to venues where you can buy this amazing book.
Paperback: Amazon | Amazon UK | Amazon CA | Amazon DE
Amazon FR | Amazon AU | Barnes & Noble | Indiebound | Powell’s
Ebook: Amazon | Amazon UK | Amazon CA | Amazon FR | Amazon DE
Amazon AU | Nook | iBooks | Kobo | Google Play | Weightless Books
Before I ever knew they were connected (and to be fair, some of these stories weren’t written to be so closely connected, but were later revised to fit more snugly) I published a handful of these works as standalones in the Clockwork Phoenix anthologies and in Mythic Delirium magazine, and as a result, they are available to read on this website, so I am linking them here for your perusal. Be aware that these aren’t the final forms of the tales as they appear in The History of Soul 2065, but they are certainly close enough to give you a sense of what awaits.
“Sabbath Wine”
2016 Nebula Award Finalist for Best Short Story
Additionally, here’s video of Krasnoff, who is a terrific reader, sharing a passage from her award-nominated story “Sabbath Wine” back in 2016.
Barbara Krasnoff reading from her short story “Sabbath Wine”
at the New York Review of Science Fiction Readings on Feb. 2, 2016.
To further elucidate the connections the stories have to each other and to real life, Krasnoff has begun a series of blog posts that serve as story notes. Here’s the ones posted so far:
Next month, Anita and I and Barbara will be at Readercon, where we plan to be selling The History of Soul 2065 and where she will be reading from it. Barbara has posted her schedule here.
Lastly, if you really want to help our bottom line and make sure the author receives some royalties, you also have the option of ordering the books direct from us. See below.
