THE THACKERY T. LAMBSHEAD CABINET OF CURIOSITIES

At last! The entire table of contents for the forthcoming Lambshead tome has been unveiled at io9. I can't say how jazzed I am to be a part of this, even though my contribution is miniscule compared to that of the other contributors. Jeff and Ann run a first-class operation. I'm always excited by the prospect of participating in one of their madcap publishing endeavours.

THE THACKERY T. LAMBSHEAD CABINET OF CURIOSITIES

Exhibits, Oddities, Images, & Stories from Top Authors and Artists

Edited by Ann & Jeff VanderMeer

A showcase for some of the world's greatest imaginations, copiously illustrated…

A stunning find beneath the famed Dr. Thackery T. Lambshead's house years after his death: a basement space lost under a collapsed floor, in which were found the remains of a remarkable cabinet of curiosities. Containing artifacts, curios, and keepsakes collected over Dr. Lambshead's many, many decades, the cabinet of curiosities took over a year to unearth, document, and catalog. Thus, in keeping with the bold spirit exemplified by Dr. Lambshead and his exploits, we are now proud to present highlights from the doctor's cabinet, reconstructed not only through original visual representations by the likes of Mike Mignola, Greg Broadmore, and Jan Svankmajer, but also through exciting stories of intrigue and adventure. (Sumptuous title pages provided by John Coulthart.)

Introduction: The Contradictions of a Collection, Dr. Lambshead's Cabinet (by the Editors)

Holy Devices and Infernal Duds: The Broadmore Exhibits

The Electric Neurheographiton - Minister Faust

St. Brendan's Shank - Kelly Barnhill

The Auble Gun - Will Hindmarch

Dacey's Patent Automatic Nanny - Ted Chiang

Honoring Lambshead: Stories Inspired by the Cabinet

Threads - Carrie Vaughn

Ambrose and the Ancient Spirits of East and West - Garth Nix

Relic - Jeffrey Ford

Lord Dunsany's Teapot - Naomi Novik

Lot 558: Shadow of My Nephew by Wells, Charlotte - Holly Black

A History of Dunkelblau's Meistergarten - Tad Williams

Microbial Alchemy & Demented Machinery: The Mignola Exhibits

Addison Howell and the Clockroach - Cherie Priest

Roboticus the All-Knowing - Lev Grossman

Shamalung (The Diminutions) - Michael Moorcock

Pulvadmonitor: the Dust's Warning - China Miéville

The Miéville Anomalies

The Very Shoe - Helen Oyeyemi

The Gallows-Horse - Reza Negarestani

Further Oddities

The Thing in the Jar - Michael Cisco

The Singing Fish - Amal El-Mohtar

The Armor of Sir Locust - Stepan Chapman

A Key to the Castleblakeney Key - Caitlín R. Kiernan

Taking the Rats to Riga - Jay Lake
The Book of Categories - Charles Yu

Objects Discovered in a Novel Under Construction - Alan Moore

Visits & Departures

1929: The Singular Taffy Puller - N.K. Jemisin

1943: A Brief Note Pertaining to the Absence of One Olivaceous Cormorant, Stuffed - Rachel Swirsky

1963: The Argument Against Louis Pasteur - Mur Lafferty

1972: The Testimony of a Respected Lichenologist - Ekaterina Sedia

1995: Kneel - Brian Evenson

2000: Dr. Lambshead's Dark Room - S.J. Chambers

2003: The Pea - Gio Clairval

A Brief Catalog of Additional Items, Featuring Micro-Fictions by:

Hugh Alter, Charlie Jane Anders, Julie Andrews, Christopher Begley, Jayme Lynn Blaschke, Nickolas Brienza, Tucker Cummings, Kaolin Imago Fire, Jess Gulbranson, Jen Harwood-Smith, Willow Holser, Rhys Hughes, Incognitum, Paul Kirsch, Michael J. Larson, Therese Littleton, Graham Lowther, Claire Massey, Tony Mileman, Adam Mills, Annalee Newitz, Ignacio Sanz, Steven M. Schmidt, Grant Stone, Norman Taber, Brian Thill, Nick Tramdack, Nicholas Troy, Tom Underberg, Horia Ursu, William T. Vandemark, Kali Wallace, Tracie Welser, Amy Willats, Nadine Wilson, and Ben Woodard.

Over 60 images, by: Aeron Alfrey, Kristen Alvanson, Rikki Ducornet, Greg Broadmore, John Coulthart, Scott Eagle, Vladimir Gvozdariki, Yishan Li, Mike Mignola, Jonathan Nix, Eric Orchard, James A. Owen, Ron Pippin, J.K. Potter, Eric Schaller, Ivica Stevanovic, Jan Svankmajer, Sam Van Olffen, Myrtle von Damitz, III, and Jake von Slatt.

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Paging Dr. Lambshead

Mark your calendars, kids: I've got a small piece accepted for publication in the forthcoming Thackery T. Lambshead Cabinet of Curiosities (HarperCollins, July 2011). They say lightning doesn't strike twice, but as this is the second thing I've placed with editors Jeff and Ann VanderMeer (the first being in their excellent antho Fast Ships, Black Sails), you gotta wonder. Although, to be honest, the extremely brief nature of my contribution probably counts as more of a static shock. My effort, titled "Mother of Spirits," was submitted for their micro-fiction, and was disproportionately fun to write. I've half a mind to homebrew up some of the stuff (I have my ways, even without a still or an actual "Mother of Spirits") and send it to the VanderMeers for fun. Here is the sum total of those making it into the micro-fiction section of the book:

Hugh Alter – The Sea Scroll
Julie Andrews – Mellified Alien
Christopher Begley – Unhcegila’s Scales
Jayme Lynn Blaschke – Mother of Spirits
Nickolas Brienza – The Fort Chaffee Polyhedral Deck
Tucker Cumming – “Our Greatest President”
Kaolin Imago Fire – Leary’s Pineal Body
Dr. Galubrious – St. Blaise’s Toad (text and image)
Jess Gulbranson – Coffin Torpedo
Jennifer Harwood-Smith – The Dinner Bell of the Mary Celeste
Willow Holser – Silence, One Ounce
Rhys Hughes – Reversed Commas (box of)
Paul Kirsch – Much Smaller Cabinet
Michael J. Larson – Unlabeled Wax Phonograph Cylinder
Therese Littleton – Czerwatenko Whelk in Olive Oil
Graham Lowther – Ear Eye
Claire Massey – Harness & Leash for Fly
Tony Mileman – Untitled Booklet
Adam Mills – Bear Gun
Ignacio Sanz – Oneyroscope
Steven M. Schmidt – Tycho’s Astronomical Support Garment
Grant Stone – Kepler the Clock
Brian Thill – The Dander of Melville
Nicholas Troy – South American Insult Stone
Nick Tramdack – Bullet Managerie
Tom Underberg – American Night Quilt
Horia Ursu – Dracula’s Testicles
William T. Vandemark – The Decanter of Everlasting Sadness (submitted via email due to use of proprietary material)
Kali Wallace – Human Skeleton, Irregular
Tracy Welser – Parsimonius Skull (owl)
Amy Willats – Skull
Nadine Wilson – Tomb-Matches

And here is some of Jeff's commentary on their selection criteria:

We also tried to look for variety in terms of length of entry, and try to make sure longer entries truly supported their initial concept by opening up and expanding on ideas in a satisfactory ways. A few very short entries worked well by getting in and getting out with the necessary speed. Some, like Bear Gun, were just plain hilarious, while others, like American Night Quilt and Mother of Spirits, displayed nice use of detail and no one submitted anything quite like them. The Untitled Booklet’s conceit of a publication that was actually an insect struck us as brilliant, as did Rhys Hughes’ Reversed Commas box. Others, like Ear Eye and Coffin Torpedo, had us at the title, and luckily held up. We took the baldly humorous and the oh-so serious because the good doctor’s cabinet can incorporate both extremes. But, we digress…

I suspect the Thackery T. Lambshead persona has become something of a literary cottage industry for the VanderMeers. It wouldn't surprise me at all if we see more silliness in this vein, and hopefully I'll be able to contribute my fair share.

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