Frederic S. Durbin
Author Website | Blog | Reviews | Bibliography & Rights Information
Books for Young Readers
The Star Shard (Houghton Mifflin, February 2012) | Biblio. & Rights Info
Standalone Novels
Dragonfly (2005 reprint, Ace Books) | Biblio. & Rights Info
Short Fiction
The Fool Who Fished for a King (from Cricket Magazine)
The Place of Roots (from The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, Honorable Mention in THE YEAR’S BEST FANTASY AND HORROR #15)
The Gift (from MOOREEFFOC Magazine and Cicada Magazine)
Star (from Cricket Magazine)
Murik and the Magic Sack (from Cricket Magazine)
The Guardian Tree Pt. 2 (from Cricket Magazine)
Ren and the Shadow Imps (from Cricket Magazine)
On the Enchanted Mountain: A Tale of Long-Ago Japan (from Cricket Magazine)
A Tale of Silences (forthcoming from Cicada Magazine)
The Star Shard (from Cricket Magazine)
Poetry
Where the Witches Dwell (from Weird Tales #337)
“Fans of Lovecraft and other horror writers will quickly learn to relish the name of Durbin… hours of enjoyable reading. An outstanding story packed with many unexpected twists and turns.”
– The Bookwatch
“On the line with Clive Barker’s THE THIEF OF ALWAYS. One thing is for sure, it will change some of your thoughts about Halloween.”
– Baryon
…at heart this is an old-fashioned tale of good vs. evil made distinctive by its roots in childhood fears and its gothic scenery, like a quirky campire story made large, or a warper celebration of Hallowe’en.
– Locus
“A lot of fun in many places…”
– SF Chronicle
“Perhaps the most interesting volume published recently by Arkham House is Dragonfly… As a horror-fantasy amalgam, Dragonfly is a marked success. Durbin is gifted with a prodigious fantastic imagination… the verve, panache, and assurance with which Dragonfly is written make us marvel that it could be a first novel; Durbin is a “find” in whom Arkham House can rightly be proud.”
– Weird Tales (Summer 2000)
“A series of exciting and scary adventures in which the familiar tropes of the horror genre (vampires, werewolves, ghoulish creatures, sentient shadows) are used in clever and surprising ways… The protagonists find some very surprising and interesting allies as well. I’m glad I was willing to give this one a try because it was so imaginative and rich in atmosphere–creating suspense, not relying on gross-outs and gore, which here were kept to tolerable minimum. This is a perfect book for the Halloween season (think of an even more twisted version of A Nightmare Before Christmas) and worth a try for something different and for those delightful chills up the spine you get from a great suspense yarn!”
– Rambles
“A fine new book… There are shards of profound beauty in this land of Harvest Moon.”
– MOOREEFFOC Magazine (Winter 2000/2001)
“Durbin has created a world that, though mainly confined to a single mobile city, comes alive with fantastic creatures and a varied cast of supporting characters. Cymbril herself is a strong heroine–loyal, resourceful, and brave. While this story is satisfactorily concluded with surprise revelations and limited loose sends, there is plenty of scope for a follow-up.”
– Booklist
“Evocative imagery, an enthralling world, and a fully realized storyline that does not depend on future installments make this a standout among recent pre-YA fantasies.”
– The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
(Univ. of Illinois)
“An engrossing, fascinating tale that is as imaginative [as] and reminsicent of Hayao Miyazaki’s beautiful stories, including Spirited Away and Howl’s Moving Castle, The Star Shard is a wondrous fantasy read.”
– Paranormal Indulgence
“Durbin expertly weaves magic, mystery, and music throughout the story, giving it a depth that is sometimes lacking in such children’s stories. The Star Shard teaches important lessons about loyalty and determination and how both should be rewarded. It is, truly, an inspiring tale.”
– Indie Reader Houston
“The Star Shard exceeded expectations. . . . With a plot fraught with twists and turns, skeleton keys and potion-induced beauty, The Star Shard reads like a clear well of water. It’s refreshing and free of angst or love triangles. Just pure adventure . . .”
– A Thousand Little Words
“A pleasure to read. The ebb and flow of the action was perfectly paced. . . . very charming.”
– Kiss the Book
“Reading The Star Shard made me feel the magic and excitement I felt when I first discovered this genre as a young adult. Fantasy fans and those looking to try out the genre for the first time – should put this on their to-read list for 2012.”
– 30 Second Book Review
BIBLIOGRAPHY & RIGHTS INFORMATION
- THE STAR SHARD (Houghton Mifflin, Feb. 2012)
- STANDALONE NOVELS
- DRAGONFLY (Hardcover – Arkham House, 1999; mass market – Ace, 2005)
Date: 06/02/2010