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Why I love my small press
Several Hadley Rille authors and associates are in an email discussion right now about 'what makes Hadley Rille Books special'. It's been a great exchange of ideas and impressions; and I wanted to put my own thoughts out on livejournal, just to share them in a more public forum.
I've been able to read at least one book from each of HRB's areas of emphasis: science fiction, fantasy, historical fiction (specifically, the archeology series) and anthologies. In trying to pinpoint some common thread between them, I think what distinguishes HRB publications is the depth and authenticity of the characters. Men and women alike, even the villains, are complex individuals with histories and world views that readers can understand, relate to and sympathize with. We see a little bit of ourselves reflected in all of them -- whether 'good' or 'bad' -- and that makes for truly engaging reading.
With respect to female protagonists in particular, I believe HRB is a step (perhaps even a generation) ahead of all the rest. So many small presses out there bill themselves as interested in 'strong female protagonists' when all they really want is a "kick-ass girl" who can do martial arts and slice up her opponent with a mega-saber while never ceasing to be sexy. Now, if that's what you're after as a reader, more power to you. But HRB really demands much more than that, in terms of characterization, from its authors.
A few examples that come to mind:
We have Kim Vandervort's Ki'leah in THE SONG AND THE SORCERESS, who starts her story young and uncertain, even a little foolish, and then goes through this incredible journey where she discovers her own powers of leadership and courage. And yes, she also learns to handle a sword along the way, but that's not really what the story's all about.
Then, there's Jenny Blackford's Thrasulla, the priestess in THE PRIESTESS AND THE SLAVE, remarkable for many reasons, but most of all because she's an "old" woman -- past her child bearing years, past all hope of kick-ass sexiness -- and yet her depth, strength and vision are thoroughly engaging.
Then of course, Terri-Lynne DeFino has the wonderful Zihariel in FINDER, a slave whose most powerful weapons are her inner strength, her sincerity and her gift for music.
And Chris McKitterick's memorable Janus Librarse in TRANSCENDENCE, probably the closest we have to a 'kick-ass space heroine', except she breaks the stereotype with her depth and intelligence, the complexity of her history, and her power to hate and to love with equal intensity.
Well, I'm getting a little sentimental here, but the more I read of HRB publications, the more I admire the work that's being done by this small press. And the prouder I am to be a part of it. To paraphrase Gerri Leen, there's nothing published by Hadley Rille that can be called "formula", by any stretch of the imagination. I think this is a special accomplishment, particularly in the case of female characters and 'villains', as it's the women and villains who don't always get such a fair shake in other presses.
Glad you like Janus, by the way!
Edited at 2011-02-21 07:26 pm (UTC)
Thanks for stopping by to comment!
To the point that I was actually sad when . . .
LOL - I loved it when *that* happened!