Hi Grim Oakers,
I'm really excited to finally announce our new anthology!
But first, some backstory. Four years ago, I attended the World Fantasy Convention where Terry Brooks was being honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award. It was a lovely affair and well deserved. While there, I had the chance to meet several of my editorial heroes. One of them was John Joseph Adams.
John is one of those amazing people in SF&F. He is a genuine and nice guy. He's also bald, which I like for obvious reasons. But his work is outstanding. He is an editor. He runs several award-winning SF&F magazines. He runs a book imprint. And he has a Hugo Award to his name. As I was talking to him at World Fantasy, I told him that I'd love to work with him one day if he ever had an anthology he felt would be a great fit for Grim Oak. We parted ways after a wonderful conversation.
Several months later, I received an anthology pitch from John. It was for Lost Worlds & Mythological Kingdoms. I loved the pitch. I loved his line-up of contributors. And I felt like it would be the perfect book to publish as Grim Oak's first themed anthology.
We decided to make it happen. The writers went to work and delivered amazing stories! Artist Allen Morris painted a gorgeous wrap-around cover. And on March 8, 2022, the finished book will be in fine bookstores!
Here are more details about Lost Worlds & Mythological Kingdoms:
“Here be dragons . . . and a lot of stories that would make a dragon blink. A fascinating kaleidoscope of people and places and Things That Might Have Been—or Might Be.” —Diana Gabaldon, New York Times bestselling author
From Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea to Journey to the Center of the Earth, from the fabled island of Avalon to the lost oasis of Zerzura, from The Land That Time Forgot to the golden city of El Dorado, storytellers have long imagined what exists beyond the edges of the map.
The need to seek and discover the unknown is embedded in who we are, no matter the culture or era. To celebrate this sense of wonder, award-winning editor John Joseph Adams has gathered together some of the best SF&F writers working today, collecting adventure and mystery in this spectacular anthology. With original contributions from Kate Elliott, Tobias S. Buckell, Dexter Palmer, E. Lily Yu, Jonathan Maberry, and a dozen more, there are short stories sure to enthrall every reader.
Explore the rich tradition begun centuries ago with this all-new compilation full of imagination and delights. What lies beyond the edge of the unknown? Only you, brave reader, can find out.
Featuring new tales by today's masters of SF&F:
- Tobias S. Buckell
- James L. Cambias
- Becky Chambers
- Kate Elliott
- C.C. Finlay
- Jeffrey Ford
- Theodora Goss
- Darcie Little Badger
- Jonathan Maberry
- Seanan McGuire
- An Owomoyela
- Dexter Palmer
- Cadwell Turnbull
- Genevieve Valentine
- Carrie Vaughn
- Charles Yu
- E. Lily Yu
Grim Oak Press will be producing several editions. Lost Worlds & Mythological Kingdoms will have a trade hardcover distributed to Amazon, B&N, and other fine bookstores. This edition will only have 3000 copies produced and you will want to pre-order it from your favorite retailer. The anthology will have an ebook. And it will have a 250-copy limited edition signed by all contributors and John Joseph Adams, which won't go on sale until the signature pages are nearly complete (right now, 5/18 have signed, which means the on-sale date won't take place until sometime in March or April 2022 if all goes well).
To pre-order and secure your trade hardcover or ebook, here are some links to help you:
Go! Pre-order now! I'm really excited about Lost Worlds & Mythological Kingdoms. I grew up on these types of stories, handed down from my grandfather and father. Hope you enjoy John's new anthology as much as I did!
With Magic,
Shawn Speakman
Publisher & Creative Director