Neil Ayres Essay on Magic Realism

At the request of the Man Booker Prize folks, Neil Ayres has published an essay on the topic of Magic Realism. It's a nice read; I heartily recommend it.

Among other matters, Neil mentions a British "class system" for novels. The same exists in the US, with one puzzling exception: it's okay for anyone on this side of the Atlantic, even the pretentiously literary, to admit to a fondness for mysteries. (This wasn't always so; folks like Raymond Chandler weren't taken at all seriously in the US in their prime, though the British critics were quick to recognize his talent.)

Part of what Neil grapples with in the essay is why writers like Jonathan Carroll and Neil Gaiman aren't considered Magic Realists. I'd never really thought about this before. Gaiman I can explain away as writing too much straight-ahead fantasy. But in the case of the vastly underrated Carroll, I have to confess that Magic Realism is probably the best description of what he is doing. God knows that his distinctive books don't fit comfortably in any other category I can name.

ThrillerFest

Thanks to Sophie Portas (who e-vouched that I indeed had a book forthcoming), I was recently able to join the International Thriller Writers. ITW is a relatively new organization, but unlike most writing orgs--such as Mystery Writers of America or the Crime Writers Association (of the UK)--it is open to all regardless of country of publication. (I'm on the list right next to Susan Isaacs--the Is aren't very crowded--and I'm pretty darned pleased to be in her company, as I've enjoyed many of her novels over the years, starting way back with Compromising Positions.)

ITW does good things for its members, offering free publicity for forthcoming books (their newsletter has 9,000 subscribers and is growing), and, every year, at the annual convention, hands out the Thriller Awards--awards that are beginning to carry some real clout. Those of you who write anything that might be described as 'thrillers' (their definition of the the term is fairly wide-ranging and even includes comic thrillers--are you listening in, Jonathan Drapes?) might want to consider signing up.

Meanwhile, members have been asked to announce the annual ThrillerFest (go here to watch their video announcement), scheduled for July in New York City. I don't think I'll be there this year, but Clive Cussler, Jeffrey Deaver, Heather Graham, Vince Flynn, Lisa Gardner, and James Patterson will all be on hand, so I may not be missed.