We're proud to feature a sneak peek at Irwin Shaw's classic novel The Young Lions, which debuted in ebook form yesterday, in time for Shaw's centennial today.

Considered by critics to be one of the most lucid visions of war in American fiction, The Young Lions remains a benchmark of twentieth-century war literature. Told from the points of view of one German and two very different Americans, this sweeping fresco brings home the reality of the most important historical event between the Great Depression and September 11, 2001: the Second World War. It was made into the famous film starring Marlon Brando, Montgomery Clift, and Dean Martin.

Please enjoy the below excerpt, which introduces Margaret Freemantle, a young American woman vacationing in Austria:

The Young Lions by Irwin Shaw {Excerpt} by OpenRoadMedia



Irwin Shaw (1913–1984) was an acclaimed, award-winning author who grew up in New York City and graduated from Brooklyn... College in 1934. His first play, Bury the Dead (1936), has become an anti-war classic. He went on to write several more plays, more than a dozen screenplays, two works of nonfiction, dozens of short stories (for which he won two O. Henry awards), and twelve novels, including The Young Lions (1948) and Rich Man, Poor Man (1970).

For more about Shaw's life and work, visit: www.irwinshaw.org. 

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This Science Fiction and Fantasy Wednesday, we are taking a look at Alan Dean Foster’s offbeat Spellsinger series.

When musician Jonathan Thomas Meriweather (Jon-Tom) is yanked into a supernatural realm by the turtle wizard, Clothahump, he finds himself in a magical world populated by talking animals—and forces of evil. Though he originally believes he is under the effects of marijuana, Jon-Tom quickly realizes that there is nothing hallucinatory about this new universe, and he may be the only hope for saving two very real worlds. During his adventures, he is aided by an ex-thieving otter named Mudge, the beautiful Talea, and his duar, a guitar-like instrument that unleashes Jon-Tom’s magical powers when it is played. Although he is not the best duar player (he’s actually pretty terrible at first), Jon-Tom’s playing of classic rock songs such as “Purple Haze,” “Little Deuce Coupe,” and “California Dreamin’” often leads to interesting results. As you read each title, see how many of your... favorite songs you can spot. 

Throughout the series, Jon-Tom desires to return to his old world, but feels a duty to protect his new home. As he realizes that it is possible to create a fulfilling life in his new world, the novels trace his struggle to reconcile his sense of belonging and his development as a wizard—with the series ultimately ending with a middle-aged Jon-Tom in Chorus Skating. 

Foster’s ability to bridge our real world with his fantasy world makes the series even more appealing. Even if you are not a lover of fantasy novels, his references to our world make these novels accessible to a wide variety of readers. There has even been talk of taking the books to the big screen due to the series’ popularity. Although there are currently no concrete plans for a film, during the Rainfurrest convention in 2011, Foster shared concept drawings of two of the main characters in the series: Clothahump and Mudge.

To learn more about Foster, and the Spellsinger series, visit his author page here. These concept drawings of Mudge and Clothahump from the Spellsinger series may eventually be brought to film.

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