July '05 Fantasy BOTM: Trash, Sex, Magic by Jennifer Stevenson

[Erfael]

Just wanted to get this one rolling. (Hope Ficus isn't doing the same thing right now.)

I'll be along when I'm less tired to say more, but I really enjoyed this one in most all respects. It was a fun little read and it was nice to see some good, solid earth magic in a modern setting.

[Duanawitch]

Still waiting for my copy, despite having ordered it weeks ago I suspect its making its way slowly from the States as I type.

[FicusFan]

I thought about it when I posted in the August thread Erf, but didn't.

I really liked this book, how it flowed, how the people where what most would call disadvantaged and yet they weren't victims but people who made unconventional choices. I thought they were done with great respect.

The thing that has always stuck with me is the grandmother of the guy from the islands -- she basically sent him to his fate, a fate that I have a hard time seeing as a good thing. So did she really love him, or was she more interested in appeasing the powers that decreed that he end up that way ?

And is he going to walk out of the forest some day like the parents, or end up like the one he replaced ?

I liked the twins and thought that they were well done.

[Erfael]

Sorry. I didn't realize I neglected to post on this one. Maybe I just thought so much about what I wanted to post that I thought I actually HAD posted.

There was almost nothing I didn't like about this one, and some other things I liked a lot. I generally liked Alexander and his transformation, though I thought it came on rather quickly, as did the flood and tornado. Stevenson made it seem like these things were inevitable and inexorable, but then they just sort of hit with very little buildup. Maybe on a reread the buildup would be there between the lines a little more.

I liked the characterization a lot. I couldn't help but think that she had a way of drawing her characters that was very like Stephen King, a way of making them all very human, with human problems and issues, without spending hundreds of pages to do it.

Most of the sex was fine, but some of it didn't make sense, and a couple of the characters seemed a little extraneous, but they didn't really hurt the experience. The bigshot who had sex with Rae in the hole--didn't really get that scene, especially her trying to repair his "hole" and failing. That seemed to be a big deal at the time and then just disappeared from the story. Also, his girl in the red dress rubbing on all the trees and such, other than showing that the vibes were affecting everyone, I didn't quite follow some of that (unless she was the female in all of the animal pairings that he took part in).

I also really liked Ink and Mink.

As far as whether Alexander will walk out, I don't think so. I get the impression that the old tree was sort of the lynchpin to the life they had before. The parents were trees so long as that tree stood. When he came down, all of that unravelled. The river stayed its course until he came down. Now, they talked about the old tree being infected, so I don't know how that may have factored into things.

I also can't quite figure out exactly how the magic works, though I really enjoyed it all. It all seems pretty sex-based with the exception of the shape-changing and the walking into the hill. The walking into the hill was such an isolated incident that it was sort of strange.

She has quite a list of authors and such in her acknowledgements and some pretty tall names in the blurbs. I wonder what her background is...

[intensityxx]

I enjoyed reading the comments here. I really liked this book a lot, but read it a few months ago, so don't remember tons of detail. I was also confused by the sex in the hole, but enjoyed the ride anyway. (Erf, I think she was doing some sort of energy healing re: the "hole" in the man's aura or whatever.) And Ink and Mink were so cool.

My take on the story was that it was not so much "about" sex, but about the Creative Force of nature, as opposed to destruction. Life was celebrated in the form of sex as expression of all that's regenerative and vital. The elements of nature and the undercurrent of huge power here were so vividly portrayed that the descriptions nearly vibrated neon cobalt blue.

It was basically the same theme as the movies Fern Gully and Princess Mononoke, but done differently. Still, the writing was beautiful and evocative, there was humor along with the lessons, and a well-imagined place and people that I'll remember a long time. I highly recommend it.

[FicusFan]

I have sent an email to Jennifer to ask if she wants to join the discussion.

I am glad you joined us Intensity. So now I will ask again, do you guys think the fate of Alexander was a good thing or not ? And what do you think of his grandmother sending him to that fate - it was pretty obvious she knew what was going to happen.

Any luck on your book delivery Dunawitch ?

[Erfael]

Well, it seemed to me that SOMEONE had to become the tree. And the pickings there aside from Alexander were not great. It seemed that the previous tree was a little rotten (as Rae ruminates on as she and Alex the tree have sex), whether it be because he was no good in the first place or due to age. It seems that these people needed something better than the old tree or there would be some trouble (there really isn't evidence to back it up, but the powers-that-be, if they exist, may have arranged both for the old tree to come down and for Alex to take his place). I don't think it's necessarily a negative thing that his grandmother sends him there. The sentence doesn't have to be a bad one, being the sort of caretaker or earth lord to the area.

As to whether Alexander will eventually go bad or not, I guess it may depend on those who help him out, probably why it was so important that Rae be there to give him the start he needed.

I hadn't thought about it before, but there's also quite a lot of sexual/birth imagery at work here, even aside from the obvious phallic trees. When Alex has to fish Mink out of the hole where the young fish, etc. are being born, that's a very womb-like image, and that seems to be the birth of the new shape-shifting Mink. Also, there's the hole where Mink and Ink live and the hill that Rae and her mother go under, all being sort of traditional mythological womb images.

I did find it just a little odd (or perhaps not at all odd, depending) that all of the sex involved men -- men with men or women with men, but never women with women. With all of the energies around there, one would think it would happen, unless that too hinges on seed being planted somehow and trees factoring into it.

[Duanawitch]

Any luck on your book delivery Duanawitch?

It finally came this morning! Better late than never. I'll be getting started with it tomorrow and it doesn't seem too long. I've been trying not to spoil myself by reading all your posts here, but they keep catching my eye.

Must. Not. Read. Posts.

[FicusFan]

Glad to hear it Dunawitch. I have been trying to keep my posts a bit vague so that they don't let the cat out of the bag so to speak.

Erf, I guess you're right about someone needing to take the old one's place, but I still have a hard time seeing it as a good thing. I don't know that I think what happened to the old was arranged, so much as the greed of the developer just killed him. I think losing your humanity, no matter why, is not a good thing and to me that part takes on a 'horror' aspect.

I think the woman with the boss, was there to show the power of life and the truth. When she was able to tap into the earth magic it helped her become who she was, less plastic, and less fake. She realized what was important and that power allowed her to defy her boss and do the right thing, so that she could live a life that wasn't repressed, and wasn't based on someone elses ideas. Conversly it killed her boss because he was evil and filled with hate.

[JenStevenson]

This is so cool! I really appreciate the opportunity to hear the thoughts of readers of this book. Ask me whatever you want, but IMO the reader is always right. You bought the book.

Whoever set it up that you would read Trash, thank you!

[Erfael]

Jennifer,

So what IS your background? I checked out your website (a little) but didn't see too much on your background as a writer and such. Looking on the "books" page, it seems that you've done some essays (even on one of my favorites, John Crowley), some short work, and are now breaking into the longer form, but you've got some pretty well-known names in your acknowledgements page and providing blurbs on a smaller press book. So do, do tell...

I have to say I'll really keep an eye on anything else you write (though I'm not sure romantic comedy is up my alley )

[JenStevenson]

[QUOTE=Erfael]Jennifer,

So what IS your background? I checked out your website (a little) but didn't see too much on your background as a writer and such. Looking on the "books" page, it seems that you've done some essays (even on one of my favorites, John Crowley), some short work, and are now breaking into the longer form, but you've got some pretty well-known names in your acknowledgements page and providing blurbs on a smaller press book. So do, do tell... [QUOTE]

Erfael, are you asking how I got all those cool people to read my book?

Well, I've been around the SF world a long time. Was running SF cons back in the 80s and early 90s, under the mistaken impression that "it's who you know" would help me get published. Wrong! What helps you get published is writing and writing and writing and writing.... Besides, most of those contacts I made assumed I was one of those science fiction fan-girls who is a lifelong hanger-on, perfectly happy to be a handmaiden to the Real Writers.

It took almost 18 years to disabuse them of this misunderstanding. And a lot more writing. At first I would finish a book, send it out, and wait. Bad idea! I wasted =years= waiting. By the time Trash Sex Magic sold and after the all-wise eluki bes shahar had put my feet on the path to the Pink Side of the Force, I had written 10 books--six of them within three years. =That's= the kind of productivity that teaches you better craft and gets you published.

After that, I knew so many hotshots, it was no trouble to find people who would willingly read my book. Though the one I'm proudest of is Audrey Niffenegger's quote, because she didn't know me from Eve and she still read it!

I have to say I'll really keep an eye on anything else you write (though I'm not sure romantic comedy is up my alley )

Not to worry. My next 2 books will be a new sexy fantasy series about a con artist, a reluctant incubus, and a woman who investigates fraud for the Chicago Dept of Consumer Services. Sort of cross between Laurell Hamilton and Janet Evanovich, but much less gore and way more sex. Del Rey, no sooner than November 2006.

Don't ask me why all my sold MSS so far are about sex. It just happened.

Pardon my emoticon impairment. I don't do this online BBS stuff much. GEnie was my spiritual home.

[JenStevenson]

Boy, I really messed up the format on that post. Sorry. Will get the hang of it.

[Erfael]

Originally Posted by JenStevenson

Boy, I really messed up the format on that post. Sorry. Will get the hang of it.

Boy, you sure did. What a mess..... I would fix it but I don't have one of those nifty magic wands...

Help....Mods.....anyone.....???........

[intensityxx]

Originally Posted by JenStevenson

Erfael, are you asking how I got all those cool people to read my book?

Well, I've been around the SF world a long time. Was running SF cons back in the 80s and early 90s, under the mistaken impression that "it's who you know" would help me get published. Wrong! What helps you get published is writing and writing and writing and writing.... Besides, most of those contacts I made assumed I was one of those science fiction fan-girls who is a lifelong hanger-on, perfectly happy to be a handmaiden to the Real Writers.

It took almost 18 years to disabuse them of this misunderstanding. And a lot more writing. At first I would finish a book, send it out, and wait. Bad idea! I wasted =years= waiting. By the time Trash Sex Magic sold and after the all-wise eluki bes shahar had put my feet on the path to the Pink Side of the Force, I had written 10 books--six of them within three years. =That's= the kind of productivity that teaches you better craft and gets you published.

After that, I knew so many hotshots, it was no trouble to find people who would willingly read my book. Though the one I'm proudest of is Audrey Niffenegger's quote, because she didn't know me from Eve and she still read it!

Not to worry. My next 2 books will be a new sexy fantasy series about a con artist, a reluctant incubus, and a woman who investigates fraud for the Chicago Dept of Consumer Services. Sort of cross between Laurell Hamilton and Janet Evanovich, but much less gore and way more sex. Del Rey, no sooner than November 2006.

Don't ask me why all my sold MSS so far are about sex. It just happened.

Pardon my emoticon impairment. I don't do this online BBS stuff much. GEnie was my spiritual home.

Don't worry about the formatting - we all get the gist. Thanks for sharing your own story, it's really interesting, and a shame that you feel so many years were wasted. The Pink Side of the Force....hmmm, I like that. Having been embarrassed in the past to read Pink, I've been dipping into it a bit lately and really am enjoying it. Having seen what you can do in Trash, I look forward to the lighter fare you describe, as well as the more mythic/literary work you might write in the future. Wait...sexier than Laurell Hamilton?! I think this goes beyond Pink and definitely into the Shocking Pink zone. Magenta?