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Peter S. Beagle On Unicorns, Golems, and the Law
Peter S. Beagle Soars With "We Never Talk About My Brother"

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FallonAerosmith
03/15/09

In reply to Peter S. Beagle On Unicorns, Golems, and the Law
Chris - great job, hope you'll continue the dialogue at SF in SF on April 18th with Peter as our guest. www.sfinsf.org
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Grey_Area
03/16/09

@FallonAerosmith: Thanks, looking forward to it. Me talk pretty.
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GikiGalore
03/13/09

In reply to Peter S. Beagle On Unicorns, Golems, and the Law
Famous Monsters sounds like fun. Nice job, Chris, er, Grey.
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Grey_Area
03/13/09

@GikiGalore: Thanks Kat, uh, Giki.
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Lieutenant 030
03/13/09

In reply to Peter S. Beagle On Unicorns, Golems, and the Law
Damn. No news about Writing Sarek. I paid Conlan Press for my copy of that book in 2005. Still waiting.
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Grey_Area
03/13/09

@Lieutenant 030: Can't help you there. There are claims it'll be going to press "real soon". If I find out anything I let you know.
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Pope John Peeps II
03/13/09

In reply to Peter S. Beagle On Unicorns, Golems, and the Law
Do you see much distinction between being a musician and being a writer?

really? seriously?
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Grey_Area
03/13/09

@Pope John Peeps II: Hey, I'm new at this.

I knew he used music as inspiration for his writing and I wondered if he felt the creative process was the same. Gimme a break, I barely passed High School.

At least I didn't ask him, "Where do you get your ideas from?"
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Pope John Peeps II
03/14/09

@Grey_Area: HAha. the only question that I know of that pisses off more authors is "do you write with a pen, or on a computer". That gets their goat every time.
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Pope John Peeps II
03/14/09

@Grey_Area: and don't worry. Everyone's first interviews are really rocky.
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braak
03/13/09

In reply to Peter S. Beagle On Unicorns, Golems, and the Law
Django Reinhardt is the best of the gypsy jazz guitarists.
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Grey_Area
03/13/09

@braak: So true. In fact, he had so much talent in his little and ring fingers he didn't even use them.
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crashedpc - Haifisch
03/13/09

In reply to Peter S. Beagle On Unicorns, Golems, and the Law
Seriously, Grey, I'm going to need to hit you up for some cash money cuz robbing libraries is getting expensive. I just started on the "prequel" for the Polity series. Quite a jarring transition from the Buyadeen trilogy.
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Grey_Area
03/13/09

@crashedpc: Well save up because next week I'm reviewing the 20-volume letterpress Mercedes Lackey Omnibus with the hand-tooled leather binding and hologram illustrations.

Honestly, you don't have to buy every book I mention. Just the ones I get a kickback* from.

*I am not receiving any kickbacks from any publisher.

WHY?!
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crashedpc - Haifisch
03/13/09

@Grey_Area: I will keep buying your recommendations until one day I read a real stinker, then I'm going to hunt you down and burn piles of secondhand novels on your front doorstep.
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Ghede
03/15/09

@crashedpc: Hey! Don't steal my weekend activities! Except replace recommendation with author. I'm still only halfway down the list. I've gotten as far as the Meyer's.
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steampoweredboy
03/13/09

In reply to Peter S. Beagle On Unicorns, Golems, and the Law
I have to thank you folks at io9 for highlighting this book last week. I picked it up and absolutely devoured it. Mr. Beagle is a treasure and a delight. Thanks.
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Grey_Area
03/13/09

@steampoweredboy: Glad you enjoyed it!
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PascalBucco
03/06/09

In reply to Peter S. Beagle Soars With "We Never Talk About My Brother"
'Fine and Private Place' a better novel than 'Last Unicorn' my petunia! 'Fine and Private' is a very impressive, well managed debut novel that set the tone for Beagle's work, but 'The Last Unicorn' is simply one of the best novels ever written, beautifully written and full of tender sadness and wonder. The underlying wisdom and significance of 'The Last Unicorn' puts it on the short list of books essential for the inveterate dreamer and outsider.

Curiously, this morning was spent re-watching the '80s movie of the book, which captures the spirit of the book without quite achieving its depth and quality. I have obnoxious insomnia, and anything last unicorn related calms my nerves in a serious way. 'Fine and Private' just makes me mildly suicidal.
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lightninglouie
03/06/09

@PascalBucco: Yes, but you have to admit A Fine and Private Place is the best debut novel by a young Beagle, at least besides It Was A Dark And Stormy Night.
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lightninglouie
03/06/09

In reply to Peter S. Beagle Soars With "We Never Talk About My Brother"
Peter S. Beagle is not only the best living fantasy writer, hands down, but one of the best living writers, period. A single short story by this guy is worth several dozen cinder-block fantasy epics. Even if the book in question isn't necessarily great, like The Folk of the Air, the language carries the experience to another level. I used to wonder why more fantasy writers didn't imitate him, but now I realize he is flat-out inimitable.
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Grey_Area
03/06/09

@lightninglouie: I was going to say Beagle is as good as Jorge Luis Borges but with more heart & soul. But Borges is like unto a god for me, so I chickened out.

Neck and neck with Gene Wolfe, assuredly.
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Sir Winston Thriller
03/06/09

In reply to Peter S. Beagle Soars With "We Never Talk About My Brother"
I recommend Engine Summer and Little, Big by John Crowley. Wonderful.
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Grey_Area
03/06/09

@Sir Winston Thriller: Little, Big, good one that. A contemporary fantasy with elves and Faery but not at all like DeLint, more magic realism influences. It's also a looong book and bogs down in a few places but really worth the time.

I find it very similar to Winters Tale by Mark Helprin.

Never did Engine Summer, think it's out of print which can be telling.
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lightninglouie
03/06/09

@Grey_Area: Little, Big is waaaaaaay better than Winter's Tale.
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Grey_Area
03/06/09

@lightninglouie: I really liked Helprin's portrayal of NYC. It felt very real, busy, fleshed out yet still magical. In Little,Big only Edgewood feels "real", the city is like cardboard cutouts and mannequins. But I suppose that was the point.
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rihahn
03/06/09

@Sir Winston Thriller: @Sir Winston Thriller: @Rasselas:

Interestingly, Niel Gaiman commented on this book:

"For over forty years, Peter S. Beagle has been the gold standard of fantasy, one of the most elegant and genuine writers of fantastic fiction out there. His short stories are jewels. In Japan they declare their finest, most irreplaceable artists national treasures, and if there was any justice in the world Peter would be declared a treasure and be left alone to get on with making magic."

[www.conlanpress.com]
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rihahn
03/06/09

@rihahn:

Bah. This was supposed to be a reply to the first post...
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Grey_Area
03/06/09

@rihahn: It's still one heck of a great endorsement from another fine creator of modern fantasy. Thank you for sharing it with us.
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jbq
03/06/09

In reply to Peter S. Beagle Soars With "We Never Talk About My Brother"
Embarrassing, I know - but I've never heard of the guy before! Thanks for the article, Grey, I'm almost out of new stuff to read, and this is just what the doctor ordered!
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Grey_Area
03/06/09

@jbq: I also highly recommend The Rhinoceros Who Quoted Nietzsche which has 7 stories and 3 journalism pieces from Beagle spanning 40 years. I See by My Outfit is a memoir of the adventures of Beagle and his pal Siggy traveling across the USA on Vespa scooters. Very cool.
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MarlboroTestMonkey7
03/06/09

In reply to Peter S. Beagle Soars With "We Never Talk About My Brother"
I'll say this only: James Branch Cabell - Figures of Earth.
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Grey_Area
03/06/09

@MarlboroTestMonkey7: Cabell is one of Beagle's early inspirations along with Lord Dunsany and James Stephens. Can't go wrong with classics like that.
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Tish Wells
03/06/09

In reply to Peter S. Beagle Soars With "We Never Talk About My Brother"
I tend to think that Patricia McKillip's the finest fantasy writer, but Beagle's right up there. I'll never get rid of my copy of "The Last Unicorn."

Short stories collections are often more enjoyable than long novels. Some of the Ray Bradbury collections have proved this. I like Beagle, and on the basis of above, I'll pick up a copy of this one.
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Grey_Area
03/06/09

@Tish Wells: I tend to shy away from much High Fantasy. Overdosed on it as a kid. Ms. McKillip really is leagues beyond your average elf/castle/quest sort of story.
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Rasselas
03/06/09

In reply to Peter S. Beagle Soars With "We Never Talk About My Brother"
"Peter S. Beagle" would be a good name for a Neil Gaiman protagonist.
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lightninglouie
03/06/09

@Rasselas: Oddly enough, Neil Gaiman is kind of like a Peter Beagle protagonist.
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