Status of YBFH #22 IMPORTANT

[ellen_datlow]

Further to Gavin and Kelly's post about Bad news about YBFH --yes the YBFH is no more but I'm delighted to announce that I've just been offered a two book deal with Night Shade to edit a Best of the Year in Horror anthology (not titled yet)--for this year and next...

The deal is not set in stone but there's no reason to believe it's not a "go."

So thank you Terri, Kelly, Gavin, and of course Jim Frenkel and Tom Canty for the many enjoyable years I've worked with you all on this massive project.

And here's a virtual toast to my new endeavor.

addition: I wrote the above off the cuff yesterday because I felt pressure to get something out but I'd like to add this.

Without Jim Frenkel, the series would haven't existed at all. It was his brainchild from the very first volume, to gather fantasy and horror short fiction in one place. He asked me and Terri Windling to co-edit such a book, she handling fantasy, me horror. We agreed and that's how it all began --Jim was the packager for all twenty-one years of the existence of the anthology.

added January 14:
Terri sums it all up most graciously and eloquently on her blog

Comments

[j-cheney.livejournal.com]

Good luck with it! I hope they continue it past 2 years...

[ellen-datlow.livejournal.com]

Thanks! You're the first to respond :-) --if it does well enough, I presume they will. Our contract with St Martin's was only one year at a time so at least now I know I'm doing it this year and next. (or last year and this, depending on your pov!)

[adsistla.livejournal.com]

Congrats and good luck!

[livia-llewellyn.livejournal.com]

Congrats and also, to be quite honestly selfish, HOORAY!

[ellen-datlow.livejournal.com]

thanks adsistla and Livia --happy to make you happy but now I've got a hell of a lot of work to finish for this year's. aighhh.

[johnjosephadams.livejournal.com]

Is it going to be a YBFH-sized book, but full of horror? Or will it be half YFBH, just the horror half you were already assembling?

[ellen-datlow.livejournal.com]

It's be 125,000 words of fiction so about 300 pages total. (the same as my half now--although if I cut some intro I may be able to squeeze in more fiction, which I'd like very much.

[jonathanstrahan.livejournal.com]

Wonderful news!!! I was sorry to hear about YBFH, but this is terrific! Welcome to the Night Shade clan :)

[ellen-datlow.livejournal.com]

Thank you Jonathan. To be fair, you know my cat reprint antho is with Night Shade, too :-)

[jtglover.livejournal.com]

Congratulations and good luck! The first YBFH I read (1 or 3) opened my eyes to whole new worlds of fantasy and horror. I look forward to seeing what comes next!

[ellen-datlow.livejournal.com]

Thank you, JT. I hope to continue to open your eyes with the horror I pick.

[stephenbacon.co.uk (from livejournal.com)]

Glad to hear there's some hope on the horizon, Ellen. I guess the sales will have to pursuade NS to continue the series. I hope everyone embraces the books by buying them and helping to continue their future.

[charlesatan.livejournal.com]

Yay to Datlow and Night Shade!

Will miss YBFH.

[(Anonymous)]

This marks the end of an era. I'll certainly miss those hefty treasure boxes. 21 volumes is quite an achievement, Ellen, and I'm relieved that the tradition will continue under Night Shade. I hope you'll be able to continue under the banner "The Year's Best Horror." (It's what I've always called the series for short, and I don't think it's taken.)
Best,
Tom English

[steve-vernon.livejournal.com]

Man, sad news, but I'm glad to hear you landed on your feet.

[time-shark.livejournal.com]

Awesome, Ellen! Congratulations!

I'm glad to see you keep on keepin' on. :-D

[ellen-datlow.livejournal.com]

Thank you Charles, Steve, and Mike.

[ecmyers.livejournal.com]

Ai. Sorry to hear this is official. Twenty years is a pretty good run though :) Guess it's okay that I've been slacking on my reading?

[ecmyers.livejournal.com]

Oh yes, and congratulations on the new project! Takes some of the edge off the bad news, I'm sure.

[tithenai.livejournal.com]

I'm deeply sad to see YBFH go, but I'm glad to hear about this. Congratulations!

[lizziebelle.livejournal.com]

Aww, I've so enjoyed YBFH over the years. I'm glad you got a new gig, though! I look forward to reading it. Any news on a similar Fantasy anthology?

[amygrech.livejournal.com]

Ellen, Sorry to hear about YBFH. Congrats on the book deal!

[lagilman]

Sadness at the ending and yippie! for the beginning...

(ah, the joys of a 2 book deal...)

[ellen-datlow.livejournal.com]

YES!

[chalkhorse.livejournal.com]

Very sad to hear of the demise of the Year's Best anthology; gosh I have a bunch of them all the way from Year One!

But good news you have a forthcoming gig and thanks to you, Terri, Gavin and Kelly for all those years of great editing.

[ellen-datlow.livejournal.com]

Yes, it's going to be weird to have a completely different look/size/name etc.
Thank you very much.

[coppervale.livejournal.com]

Just so you know, those anthologies were a massive influence on me as I was ramping up my pro career. And I felt like I knew you before we did meet and become friends - so it's a thrill and a relief to know you're continuing a form of what you do so well at Nightshade. I'm looking forward to those books!

[ellen-datlow.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the kind words.

[glvalentine.livejournal.com]

I'm so sorry to hear the anthology will not be happening, but I look forward to this new project!

[ellen-datlow.livejournal.com]

Thanks Genevieve.

[martinlivings.livejournal.com]

It's such a shame to hear about YBFH, it's always been a yardstick and milestone for me personally, always aiming to make it in one day, one day, one day... never succeeding, mind you, but it's always been good to dream about. ;) So losing that is very sad indeed. It's been such an important part of the industry for all these years, the standard by which all others were measured. It's going to be sorely missed.

On the other hand,though, that's excellent news about the Night Shade project, so the torch will be carried onwards. I can't wait to see what you do with it!

[ellen-datlow.livejournal.com]

I'll be doing exactly what I've always done. Cover the horror ;-) No difference there. Only a different cover and no fantasy (alas).

Bad news and good news

[michaelknost.livejournal.com]

I think you will have a better targeted product, Ellen. I am looking forward to it.

Re: Bad news and good news

[michaelknost.livejournal.com]

Not to imply anything was wrong with YBFH, mind you. I loved it...own many many editions. Good luck!

[pds-lit.livejournal.com]

Well Ellen, when one door closes, another opens providing a new beginning. Wonderful news that it will continue in a new form!

[ellen-datlow.livejournal.com]

thanks Pam.

[beth-bernobich.livejournal.com]

I'm relieved and delighted you landed a two-book deal for YBH.

At the same time, I grieve the passing of YBFH. I loved the stories, of course, but I also loved the summaries up front. I will sorely miss those.

[ellen-datlow.livejournal.com]

Well you'll still get a horror summary. ;-)

[cmpriest.livejournal.com]

Oh hay! Well, I'm happy to hear that it'll go forward in some incarnation or another ... and frankly, the horror end of it was always my favorite part anyway :)

[nihilistic-kid.livejournal.com]

Yes, mine too!

[pabba.livejournal.com]

Sad for the downer, glad for the upper. Best of luck with the new anthos!

[diekreuzen.livejournal.com]

Ellen, any plans to have a retrospective of horror publications in the new anthology? I've always enjoyed tracking down works in those summaries that sounded interesting and discovering new writers.

–Mark

[ellen-datlow.livejournal.com]

Do you mean my regular summary or something else? I'm confused.