The Sad Tale of the Brothers Grossbart

Acknowledgments

If only for chronological purposes, any sort of gratitude must first be directed toward my family. My parents, Bruce and Lisa, have been indispensably helpful and patient over the years of our acquaintance, and my brother Aaron and sister Tessa have shown me a sibling’s understanding of a sort markedly different from that of the Grossbarts. The entire multitude of my rabbit-like extended families are likewise deserving of mention, and of course my grandparents-particularly my grandmothers Mary and Ulamae for instilling me with a love of speculative fiction and folklore, respectively.

My wife, Raechel, inspired and encouraged me through every step of the writing process, and my partner-in-skulduggery Molly provided invaluable assistance with the novel’s various incarnations-without Raechel this project would never have gotten off the ground, and without Molly it might have exploded in a fireball rather than landing gently and safely, and a sight better than when it started. John, husband of Molly and so much more, helped maintain perspective as matters progressed, and offered the sagacity of a Buddha in all regards. Andrew Katkin and his father, Dan, both aided in ways they may never comprehend.

The coming recitation of names, of equal import to the catalog of ships in The Iliad, must wait a moment longer as I salute five fair folk who helped with this project and are therefore deserving of a heavy-handed metaphor and an awful pun. Trevor, you are my thumb, conqueror of all comers and gladiatorial judge. Caleb, you are the index finger that points the way to enlightenment. Pat, you are both defender and avenger of my honor, the middle digit. Selena, you are that penultimate finger without which hands are but paws. Jonathan, you are the pinky to be bitten when only the fanciest of giggles will suffice. To you five I say huzzah, and thank you.

Many others have inspired and encouraged me over the years, and while my mind is not what it once was, a handful of names float like cream to the top of my memory mug: Lauryn, Patrick, Jimmy, Becky, Daniel, Tracy, Don, Luke, Robbie, Willem, Joyce, Chad, Lara, Monique, Edgar, Greg, Carrie, Reinhardt, Barbara, Sean, Jeff, Rayford, Victor, Terry, Bobbie, Daylan, Nate, Mary, Allison, Kat, Stephanie, Bill, Angelo, Debbie, Paul, Eddie, Walt, Julie, Eric, Jen, Richard, Albert, Jon, Brenna, Ross, Meg, Ben, Shawn, Erica, Jeremy, Kido, Tom, Brooke, Sheri, Hunter, Ari, Jim, Twyla, Nick, J. T., Orrin, Clint, Music, Holly, Mike, Marlena, and Martin; Phil, Shirley and Olivia; the Zoltens; the Family and Brothers Johnson, the Mother and Brothers Capellari; the Maier-Katkins; the Katkins; the Maiers; the Browns; the Mastrofskis; the Greenbergs; the Reeses; the Lowells; the Jacobsons; the Flemings; the Reeves; the Rambalskis; the Schmidts; the Kenneys; the Hoovers, the Knudson; SAIL; the baristas of All Saints Cafe; the customers of Video 21; my website designer James Childress; and the memories of Alex and Jeff.

Then there are three standup fellows without whose humor and inspiration this novel would not be the work that it is. David, your beard is as spiritual as it is physical, and I quail before its majesty and the witty portal it gilds. Travis, never before have I encountered a tongue and brain in such harmony, each a razor of Occam’s and yet so often nice in more than the sharp meaning of the word. Jonathan, the pinky analogy stands now and forever. I am fortunate to know them, and you are ill-fated not to.

None of this touches on the countless writers, artists, musicians, filmmakers, game designers, actors, historical figures, and everyone else who inspires and inspired me, but such a list would be prohibitively lengthy. A single name that demands inclusion, however, is that of Istvan Orosz, whose art graces the cover of this very tome. Let me close by heartily praising those who are directly responsible for this book being held before your eyes: my peerless agent Sally Harding, as well as Suzanne Brandreth, Mary Hu, and everyone else at the Cooke Agency; my amazing editor, Tim Holman, and everyone at Orbit, particularly Dong-Won Song, Jennifer Flax, S. B. Kleinman, Keith Hayes, Alex Lencicki, Lauren Panepinto, and Mari Okuda; and the inimitable VanderMeers, Jeff and Ann, for their counsel, and for Jeff’s guidance to the Promised Land. Thank you one and all for your faith in this project.

Jesse Bullington

Rebecca Meiers

JESSE BULLINGTON’S formative years were spent primarily in rural Pennsylvania, the Netherlands, and Tallahassee, Florida. He is a folklore enthusiast who holds a bachelor’s degree in history and English from Florida State University. He currently resides in Colorado, and can be found online at www.jessebullington.com.

interview

Have you always known that you wanted to be a writer?

To the best of my memory I’ve always wanted to be a storyteller but I wasn’t always sure in what medium I would most prefer to work. I was writing short stories as soon as I could spell, and my first rejection letter was from Highlights or Cricket, one of those children’s magazines, when I was maybe seven or eight years old. At first it was just an innate desire to tell tall tales, and as I grew up I vacillated amongst ambitions of working in film, television, comic books, theater, and fiction proper, if there is such a thing. In the end I lacked the social-herding abilities required to realize your vision onstage or in front of a camera, and comics were likewise out as I was never able to either render the imagery myself or con a skilled friend into illustrating my stories. This is not to say that I became a novelist by default, but rather that for these flippant reasons combined with a strong literary inclination I found novels to be the ideal medium to transmit my stories.

How did you get your big break into publishing?

By striking up a conversation with a stranger when I was working in a video store. That stranger wound up being the brilliant and generous author Jeff VanderMeer, who offered me greater advice and assistance than we mortals are accustomed to since our oracles fell silent. After checking out my novel Jeff blogged about it and posted an excerpt on his website, which was seen by a very talented agent who offered to read the manuscript. That agent, Sally Harding, loved the novel and things progressed rapidly. The moral here is obvious, I think.

When you aren’t writing, what do you like to do in your spare time?

Hiking is one of my favorite activities. I love few things more than a vigorous walk, regardless of the setting, season, time, or weather. Nocturnal hikes are preferable, as starlight and shadow render mundane landscapes far more interesting, and the increased risk of an animal mauling or a twisted ankle imbues such sport with the heady cologne of menace.

Who/what would you consider to be your influences?

All the usual sources-history, folklore, musicians, artists, film-makers, actors, my friends, my family, my dreams, my experiences, cultures both foreign and domestic, the world around us, and other writers. In general I wear my influences on my page but, that said, I am never one to pass up the opportunity to promote my favorites. Confining myself to a baker’s dozen of all sorts of creative collectives and individuals and resigning myself to thinking up an even better list as soon as I’m finished, my influences include the Tiger Lillies, Vincent Price, Angela Carter, Roald Dahl, Alan Moore, Edward Gorey, Clive Barker, Kentaro Miura, Irvine Welsh, the Coen Brothers, Italo Calvino, Nick Cave, and the Weird Tales triumvirate.

The Sad Tale of the Brothers Grossbart is an amazing novel that’s truly like nothing else out there. How did you derive the idea for this novel?

A question I find every bit as tough as its reputation. I wanted to write a novel set in medieval Europe containing as many of my favorite aspects of fiction as was feasible that also satirized dull literary devices and archetypes. That and I wanted to take the romance out of grave robbing. A different sort of protagonist was mandatory, and once I had the Brothers themselves sussed everything progressed naturally.

As per your studies, are Hegel and Manfried based upon any real characters in history?

The Brothers Grossbart are not based on any particular individuals but history is rife with their ilk. Modern society as well, for that matter.

Do you think the novel is controversial? If so, why?

I think most things worth talking about are controversial if one asks around enough, but I didn’t give much thought to whether or not my novel would qualify as such when I was writing it. I did intend to subvert some of the conventions of mainstream fantasy fiction, so it may well end up being divisive anyway. Much of what I love about fantasy, horror, adventure, and historical fiction seems at odds with what is currently popular in those genres, and this novel probably reflects that.

Now that The Sad Tale of the Brothers Grossbart has been published, what will be next for you?

I have several projects percolating at any given time and anticipate completing two more novels in the next couple of years.

Finally, as a first-time author, what has been your favorite part of the publishing process?

Meeting individuals at Orbit and the Cooke Agency whose humor and friendliness are surpassed only by their wisdom and keen insight. Also, having such a stunning artist as Istvan Orosz create a beautiful cover to house my humble words has made me a very happy fellow indeed.

***