Follow-up and news

[cleolinda]

1) Update on the Wicked Pretty Things anthology: Brenna Yovanoff is the fifth writer to drop out in protest.

ETA: Seanan McGuire is #6, and Ann Aguirre is dropping out of a separate anthology.

2) Diana Wynne Jones has passed away. She was one of those writers I knew was amazing but had never read any of her work. Please tell me about your favorite books of hers.

Comments

[undomielregina]

Howl's Moving Castle is my favorite Diana Wynne Jones book. I love everything of hers that I've read, but one of my favorite things about Howl is that I find it's still funny and sometimes funnier on re-reads. I cherish a work where foreknowledge makes me laugh harder rather than spoiling the joke. She's best known for her comic fantasy, but her serious works were also wonderful. From those novels, I adore Fire and Hemlock, her version of "Tam Lin."

Thanks for spreading the news. I knew she was in fragile health of late, but I'm sad to hear she's passed away.

[onyxlynx]

The Tough Guide to Fantasyland, which is supposedly on the table next to my computer (because of the metric ton of paper, DVDs and Other Books also on that table, along with three hats. Dunesk), really cracked me up. Thorough sendup of every fantasy ever written.

Also, any and all of the Chrestomanci books.

Also Dark Lord of Derkholm, which in some ways reminds me of your report of Varney the Vampire.

[polarisnorth]

Diana Wynne Jones. D: She was seriously one of my favorite authors ever. Dogsbody was the first thing of hers that I read and loved, and I adore the Chrestomanci books. Hexwood is awesome and creepy and twisty. I could seriously list just about everything she's ever written; all my copies of her books are battered and loved to pieces.

[vae]

Howl's Moving Castle has been my favourite, constant and beloved companion since I first read it over twenty years ago. The way she embraces and challenges and parodies fairy tale conventions, the style of writing, Sophie (oh, Sophie, how much I love Sophie), Calcifer's shamelessness, Howl's vanity and oh, absolutely everything about it. It's the book I recommend (and lend) to everyone and the one I have to keep replacing because I read it so often that it wears out.

...though it must be admitted, Deep Secret comes very close to my level of adoration for Howl.

[wandererriha]

Diana Wynne Jones has passed away.

DDDDDDD: Noes!!!!1!

;;

I think my favorites are the Chrestomancy series. There's like...5 of them or so. They're all fabulous.
Okay.
I totally need to start collecting her paperbacks now.

[lastscorpion]

Archer's Goon was my favorite Diana Wynne Jones book. I must have read that half a dozen times. I loved the way the narrative unfolded, and it was also funnier than heck.

[sethrak]

I thought I hadn't heard of her - but her Wiki entry says she wrote Dogsbody.

Shit. I loved that book as a preteen.