The publishing blog Galleycat reports that the Times Magazine's "Funny Pages" will feature a tale by Pulitzer Prize–winning novelist Michael Chabon as its fifth serialized contribution. (Previous contributors were Elmore Leonard, Patricia Cornwell, Scott Turow, and Michael Connelly.) Galleycat gets the gist of the story from the announcement — it's "an adventure yarn set in the tenth-century kingdom of Arran, which the Times press release helpfully notes was 'in the Caucasus Mountains between the Black and Caspian seas'" — and follows up with an e-mail to Chabon, asking about his inspirations for the project. "Well, the novel carries a dedication to Michael Moorcock," Chabon replies, mentioning "his stories of Elric and other ironic sword-wielding heroes." And, well, of course he does. For Chabon, isn't it always about acknowledgements and, um, swords?

Michael Chabon Prepares Swashbuckler for NYT [Galleycat/MB]
Earlier: Michael Chabon, Defender of the Acknowledgement