The Year in Toolbox
by wjw on December 30, 2015
Looking back from late December 2015, it’s clear that veterans of Taos Toolbox had a great year.
Lawrence Schoen’s Barsk: The Elephant’s Graveyard has only been available for a few days, but is already creating quite a buzz. One review claims it “resurrects the smart science fantasy novel,” which is a nifty trick for a book with “graveyard” in its title.
As for me, I have three words for you about this book. Intelligent. Arboreal. Elephants. Bet you didn’t see that coming, did you?
Fran Wilde’s Upraft has been named “one of the very best science fiction and fantasy novels” over on io9. Which is damn well deserved.
Scott Hawkins’ The Library at Mount Char is Goodreads’ Best Debut Readers’ Choice and has been named a Best Book of 2015 by Kirkus Reviews. Praise from critics and readers, can’t get much better than that.
And Alan Smale’s Clash of Eagles is available in no less than four editions, with its sequel, Eagle in 
Exile, available soon.
Over on the indiepub scene, Larry Hodges Sorcerers in Space appeared in November, Corie Weaver’s Young Explorer’s Adventure Guide came out this month, Jeb Kinnison published Shrivers, the third book in his Substrate Wars series, Josh Roseman published The Clockwork Russian and Other Stories, and Brian K. Lowe’s Invisible Cities is available both as a paperback and an ebook.
In addition, 2015 saw short fiction from Shawn Frazier, Kelly Robson, Gerald Warfield, Anna Yeatts, Brian Lowe, Traci Castleberry, Will McIntosh, Effie Seiberg, Jim Meeks-Johnson, Debbie Goelz, Josh Roseman, Fran Wilde, Sean Craven, and probably a lot more.
This list is only the publications I know about. Toolbox vets don’t always tell me everything, and mighty though my memory may be, it’s fallible.
What this should tell you is that if you want to increase your chance of being published, you should attend Taos Toolbox. And if you want to attend, you must first apply.
There are still places available, so get that application in the mail soon!
