Rite Short Work [Deluxe Edition] [Hardcover]

Tad Williams (Author), Mark A. Nelson (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 31, 2006

Though best known for his epic series, Tad Williams is also an accomplished practitioner of the short form. Rite: Short Work gives ample evidence of this, as it contains a knockout novella later expanded to novel length ( Child of an Ancient City ); riffs on the great fantasist Michael Moorcock ( The Author at the End of Time, Go Ask Elric ), along with excursions into some of his most popular creations and beyond. At over 140,000 words, Rite is essential for every Tad Williams fan and fantasy aficianado. Each tale features a full-page black-and-while illustration by Mark A. Nelson.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Those who know prolific novelist Williams from his epic series (Shadowmarch, etc.) may be surprised by this collection of 15 short stories plus a smattering of nonfiction and television concepts. As with his longer work, nearly every story overlays several plot lines, providing an epic aura without the length. "Three Duets for Virgin and Nosehorn" weaves together the life, death and mythology of a fabulous single-horned beast; "Child of an Ancient City" (later expanded to novel length by Nina Kiriki Hoffman) details a fateful tale-telling contest; and "The Writer's Child" is the haunting story of a child telling a story about a child reading a story. The collection's second half falters: Michael Moorcock fan fiction pieces, "The Author at the End of Time" and "Go Ask Elric," and his Otherland series tie-in, "The Happiest Dead Boy in the World," are ponderous with backstory. The flatness of the essays and TV scripts disappoints after the lyrical fun of the fiction. Still, the stand-alone stories make this volume worthwhile. (Dec.)
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From Booklist

Williams is primarily a novel writer. As he says in the introduction to this collection, most of his short fiction has been written for anthologies. The stories here are therefore rather varied: "The Author at the End of Time," a gift story for Michael Moorcock's sixtieth birthday; "Go Ask Elric," which comes from an anthology of stories by other writers featuring Moorcock's fantasy hero Elric; "Nonstop," which nervous fliers shouldn't read; Williams' take on the computer-who-would-be-God trope, "Not with a Whimper, Either"; the original version of "Child of an Ancient City," which Nina Kiriki Hoffman helped him expand into a novel; "A Tale from the Book of Regret," a story to go with the Shadowmarch novels; "The Happiest Dead Boy in the World," to go with the Otherland books; and eight more. Plus six nonfiction pieces and three TV scripts. Williams introduces each piece, which makes these even more of a treat for his fans. Frieda Murray
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Product Details

• Hardcover: 480 pages
• Publisher: Subterranean Press (December 31, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1596060662
• ISBN-13: 978-1596060661
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.3 x 1.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,318,176 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Former singer, shoe-seller, radio show host, and inventor of interactive sci-fi television, Tad Williams is now a full-time writer. His 'Memory, Sorrow and Thorn' series established him as an internationally bestselling fantasy author. The series that followed, 'Otherland', is now a multi-million-dollar MMO launching in 2012 from dtp/realU/Gamigo. Tad is also the author of the fantasy series, the 'Shadowmarch' books; the stand-alone Faerie epic, 'The War of the Flowers'; two collections of short stories ('Rite' and 'A Stark and Wormy Knight'), the Shakespearian fantasy 'Caliban's Hour' and, with his partner & collaborator Deborah Beale, the childrens'/all-ages fantasy series, the 'Ordinary Farm' novels. Coming in September 2012 are the Bobby Dollar novels, fantasy thrillers set again the backdrop of the monstrously ancient cold war between Heaven and Hell: the first is 'The Dirty Streets of Heaven.'

Tad is also the author of 'Tailchaser's Song': his first novel spawned the subgenre of cats and fantasy that we see widely today. 'Tailchaser's Song' is currently in preproduction as an animated film from Animetropolis/IDA.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Tad's first collection, January 23, 2007

By 

Olaf Keith (Dortmund) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Rite Short Work (Hardcover)

Tad's first collection of short and non-fiction is not just a collection, but also a career retrospective. RITE includes material from a twenty-year career and is certainly a must-buy for any Tad Williams fan. The stories collected here can show a broader range of topics, styles, moods and themes than his long and complex novels, because Tad could experiment more within the confines of a small story, but some of Tad's classic themes are still there. In some stories Tad also pays hommage to writers that influenced him (Peter S.Beagle and Michael Moorcock most notably). Tad introduces each story and explains its origins. The intro "Why I Write What I Write" explores what drives Tad to write.
The book is beautifully designed and features many b/w illustrations by Mark A. Nelson. The print-run is limited to 2000 copies each signed by the author. Get yourself a copy while they last!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Tad Williams' Rite - A must have!, July 19, 2008

By 

Jay R. Chase (Houston, Texas) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Rite Short Work (Hardcover)

All of the stories here are awesome, but a few stand out!! The one with the cybergeeks chatting on line and the Otherworld story are incredible works. I don't want to give anything away, just add my two cents that if you like Tad's work, you really should get this book!!!

I highly recommend!

All the best,

Jay