Sriracha-Basted News Nuggets All Up In Your Clicking Mouthparts

Random news bits flung into your eyeblobs:

First up: whoa, the Guardian suggests I’m one of the best young novelists in the SFF universe. *eyes pop out of my skull* Well, that’s all a bit unexpected, isn’t it? Doubly amazing here is that I’m put with a list of incredibly talented people: Seanan McGuire, Joe Hill, Tom Pollock, Lauren Beukes, Saladin Ahmed, James Smythe, Catheryn Valente, Robert Jackson Bennett, Madeline Ashby, China Mieville, Carlton Mellick, Hannu Rajeniemi, Nnedi Okorafor, Elizabeth May, NK Jemisin, Joe Abercrombie, Aliette de Bodard, Francis Hardinge, and Hugh Howey (who may not like being on that list with me at this point, I dunno). Point is: holy list of amazing people. Triply amazing is how some of these people are people I consider friends, which makes me the luckiest little jerk in the whole wide world.

(You better watch for the day that Seanan McGuire and I combine forces. The world will hear our murder ballad, by gosh. AND IT WILL SONG ALONG AS IT PERISHES.)

Let’s see, what’s next?

Oh! Hey holy crap, I’m going to have four novels out in the next few months. For those unaware, that means: Gods & Monsters, The Blue Blazes, Under The Empyrean Sky, and Beyond Dinocalypse. It’s a veritable Wendig-palooza and for that, I apologize. I’ll try to keep the self-promo noise to a manageable level, a sweet seductive murmur in the background of your daily signal. BUT I GOTTA TALK ABOUT MY BOOKS because that’s how I feed my child and oh yeah also my wanton gin habit. (Seriously, spring and summer come around and bottles of gin come and go like hobos riding the rails, man.)

*checks notes*

Ah! Right.

Wanna read the first chapter of The Blue Blazes? Tor.com has you covered.

Need to read a review? Well, in this review, the reviewer notes [sic]:

“The pacing is just short of break neck, but Wendig gives readers a well placed moment or two to catch their breath. But don’t be shocked to find yourself reading well into the night. The action sequences are bombastic, brutal set pieces that leave the surrounding landscape in reduced to gleefully described rubble. It’s all a hair’s breadth from over the top, but Wendig manages never to lean on the gas enough to send the story into a tail spin. It’s a blancing act to keep from slipping into parody  but Wendig manages it deftly.”

And —

“As I’ve said, the real star of The Blue Blazes is the prose. Wendig writes with blunt force choreography, full of brutally disturbing descriptions, and wrecking ball action. Noir sensibilities are in full force here, and Wendig uses them brilliantly to craft a portrait of a New York that is at the same time instantly recognizable and disturbingly alien.  The staccato rhythm of Wending’s prose fits beautifully with the story he tells, and I’ve rarely seen such an usual voice used so effectively.”

We’ll just ignore the fact he misspelled my last name as “Wending.”

Need more? WELL OKAY. Another reviewer notes:

“This is urban fantasy, horror and gangster noir all rolled into one tight, fast-paced drug trip of a story – and the drug trip part is literal a lot of the time. New York City is sitting on top of an open gateway to Hell, and monsters aren’t the only exports. The ‘Blue Blazes’ of the book’s title refers to a mineral, mined from the rock of the Great Below, that allows those who use it to see the true nature of Hell’s denizens through whatever illusions they use to appear human. In the time since Hell broke loose, this mineral has become a new drug of choice, particularly among New York’s criminal organization – but there have been rumours of other kinds of drug. Different-coloured minerals, that are said to have even crazier effects – even one that can help the user to fend off death itself.”

Finally, there’s this German review. Translating a snippet here…

“After I had read Blackbirds by Chuck Wendig and Mockingbird, I knew pretty much what to expect. However, with The Blue Blazes again but he puts up a notch and skin so right on the plaster. Anyone who takes a book from Chuck agile in the hand must be prepared that is cursed without end that are not exactly sympathetic character through the series that the atmosphere from beginning to end is depressing and gloomy that it is not in force come up short and you will not be sure in terms of action on the track.”

Okay, so Google Translate maybe isn’t ideal, there.

I think they liked the book.

So: there you go!

News. Enjoy. Tell your friends. Drink some gin.