The Fifty Year Sword
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| The Fifty Year Sword | |
| Author | Mark Z. Danielewski |
|---|---|
| Original title | Het Vijftig Jaars Zwaard |
| Cover artist | Peter van Sambeek |
| Country | Netherlands |
| Language | Dutch, English |
| Genre(s) | Short stories |
| Publisher | De Bezige Bij |
| Publication date | 31 October 2005 |
| Media type | Print (Hardback) |
| Pages | 100 |
| Size and weight | 33 x 17 cm, 1 lb. |
| ISBN | ISBN 90-234-1856-5 (orig. Dutch) & ISBN 90-234-1877-8 (Eng. trans.) |
| Preceded by | The Whalestoe Letters |
| Followed by | Only Revolutions |
The Fifty Year Sword is a novella written by Mark Z. Danielewski. Only 1,000 first edition English books were released. 51 of those copies are signed in marker with a "Z" (varying in colour and number to coincide with the 5 coloured quotation marks that signify different speakers in the text), while the first copy is signed "Mark Danielewski" in ink. A second English edition of 1,000 was released in October 2006. In a recent interview, Danielewski announced that there are currently plans for a future US printing.
The Fifty Year Sword uses strange formatting and colors throughout the book, much like Danielewski's previous work, House of Leaves. However, unlike House of Leaves which only contained three colors (blue, red, and purple), The Fifty Year Sword contains 5 colors which are used on quotation marks. The colors indicate which of 5 characters is speaking at the moment, according to the introduction of the book.
[edit] Plot summary
The story takes place at a woman's birthday party in a foster home. A storyteller is invited by the social worker to entertain the orphans. He brings with him a long, black box.
[edit] External links
- Exploration Z - links to interviews, reviews, and some book scans
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