The folks over at Litro Magazine in England have posted a couple of interesting pieces on Robin Sloan’s Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore.  Penumbra, the magazine’s current “book club book,”  was one of my favorite books in 2012, a great example of the balance between technologies old and new.

The first article posted to the magazine’s site is an interview with Sloan about his background and writing experience.  From the beginning of the interview you get a sense of Sloan’s optimism, which is nice (and I’m not always the most optimistic about technology).  He also mentions Lloyd Alexander’s Chronicles of Prydain, which is a series I read and loved during my time in Texas.  When asked about technology and how it changes the way we read:

I think it’s giving us new ways to read. . .  “Reading” is not just one thing, and right now we’re seeing a sort of Cambrian explosion of different kinds and contexts. That’s nothing but exciting.

Best unexpected interview prompt: Tell us about the first time you realised that the world may not be as it seems.

The second article posted to the site is a review/opening discussion about the book from Thomas Chadwick that’s worth the read if you’re already acquainted with the novel.