China Miéville interview


Here is the Q&A many of you have been waiting for!:-)

Many thanks to the good people at Del Rey Books and to China Miéville for making this interview possible. Once more, several questions comprising this Q&A were submitted by fans. You see, it pays to give it a shot!

Enjoy!

Patrick
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1- Without giving too much away, what can you tell us of UN LUN DUN?

Un Lun Dun is a book designed for younger readers - though of course I hope that adult readers will also enjoy it. It's a classic story of children from our world who find their way into another, odder place. The place is sort of a twisted city. It's a homage to that tradition of books like the Alice books, the Narnia books - cross-fertilised with the urban tradition of books like Michael de Larrabeiti's Borribles. It has a playful attitude to some of the assumptions often associated with Golden Child books. It also has plenty of monsters, of course, probably even more per page than most of my other books. And some of my very favourite I've invented ever. More than that, without spoilers, I cannot say.

2- Speaking of your newest novel, it begs the questions: Why a children's book?

I've always wanted to write a children's book. No book that I read as an adult, no matter how much I love it, has an impact on me the way books did when I was a child, and I think there's something very inspiring about that absolute fervour and abandon with which children read. It's also because the kind of fairy-tale logic I can use in a YA book I could never get away with in an adult book, so there's a real narrative freedom.

3- What do you feel is your strength as a writer/storyteller?

I don't think that's for me to say - I think writers are often the worst judges of what they're good or bad at. The thing I enjoy most, and that I _hope_ I do well, is monster-creation.

4- Your political beliefs regarding Marxism are well known, especially with the recent release of your book on the subject. How do these beliefs affect your writing?

I once said, in answer to this question, "both hugely and not at all". Because obviously like anyone who has strong opinions, my world-view, the kinds of concerns and interests I have, has a big impact on the kind of things I'm interested in examining in the fiction. But not at all, in the sense that the fiction has to be its own end. No matter what any writer's interested in - politically, socially, emotionally, scientifically, whatever - their fiction has to work as a story in its own terms, including for readers who don't agree or aren't interested in what I'm interested in.

What I hope is that for people who are interested in the same stuff I am - political and other - there's texture to the books, but for those who aren't, the story, and the monsters, keep them happy and turning the pages.

5- Your fans are eager to know when you will be returning to Bas-Lag?

I will definitely be returning to Bas-Lag, but I have a couple of books I want to write first. I suspect I'll be going back to Bas-Lag the rest of my writing life, but I want to intersperse it with non-Bas-Lag books. The worst thing possible would be to turn into a self-repeating machine.

6- In the past, you have never been shy about expressing your opinion concerning the genre. You have been critical of traditional, epic fantasy. What are your thoughts about the current state of the genre? Where would you like to see it go?

It seems to me fantastic literature at the moment is in a very healthy state. What I hope is that we continue that trend, and that people continue to experiment.

I'm interested to see more fantastic fiction written in non-traditional prose styles - drawing on avant-garde techniques at the sentential level of prose, as well as structure, for example. Of course you wouldn't want that all the time, but even if it doesn't always work, it's always worth experimenting. Trying new stuff.

7- Now that many purists and aficionados consider you one of the best fantasy authors in the world, is there added pressure when it comes down to writing a new novel?

I'm ludicrously flattered by how you put the question. In fact I feel great pressure every time I write anything. I'd love it if everyone loved everything I ever wrote, but of course it won't happen, and I think in the long term it's worth risking that - even knowing that - for the sake of not always doing the same thing. You ask an indulgence of your readers that way, no question, but I hope they'll think it's worth it in the long term, even if they don't always love each individual book.

In this case, obviously, the fact that it's a YA book is a major change, and I hope people think it's worked.

8- What was the spark that generated the idea which drove you to write PERDIDO STREET STATION, THE SCAR, KING RAT and IRON COUNCIL in the first place?

Monsters.

9- Were there any perceived conventions of the fantasy genre which you wanted to twist or break when you set out to write those novels?

In the first few years of my writing I spoke quite often about this sort of thing. Most of my opinions on that topic are public record, and I think there's a real danger of me becoming a complete bore about it, particularly fairly simple and uncontroversial opinions which can sound very self-important. I'm reminded of Alan Alda's comedian in 'Crimes and Misdemeanors' endless repetition of his trite mantra 'If it bends, it's funny: if it breaks, it's not funny', each time thinking he's saying something remarkable and profound. So I hope you'll forgive me ducking the question in an effort not to become too much of a self-parody.

10- Your books have garnered what can best be described as a cult following. However, many doubt that they will ever become "mainstream." With that in mind, how rewarding is it to realize how successful the novels have been worldwide and continue to be to this day?

Of course any success is incredibly rewarding, and a success that allows you to write full-time is as much as I, or any writer I know, could possibly hope for. I've been extremely lucky.

11- You have won the Arthur C. Clarke Award, the British Fantasy Award, and you were a finalist for the Hugo Award, the Philip K. Dick Award, the World Fantasy Award and the British Science Fiction Award. How important are those accolades to you?

It's incredibly flattering to have the books acknowledged by juries and/or prize committees. Of course these things are always subjective, so I think you'd be very foolish to think that if you win over another book, your work is necessarily 'better' - that would be ludicrous. And of course I disagree with the decisions of prize-juries easily often enough to know that they're not infallible. But it's always a huge honour and kick to win, even with those - perfectly true - caveats.

12- Honestly, do you believe that the speculative fiction genre will ever come to be recognized as veritable literature? Truth be told, in my opinion there has never been this many good books/series as we have right now, and yet there is still very little respect (not to say none) associated with the genre.

Probably not, unfortunately. I hope I'm wrong, and certainly there's more of an open-mindedness now than there has been for a while, but these things are often cyclical.

13- Characters often take a life of their own. Which of your characters did you find the most unpredictable to write about?

I'm never surprised by my own characters. I just don't write that way. Sometimes they change a lot in the development of the book, but I don't tend to feel like they're escaping me. I know plenty of magnificent writers who do write, and feel, that way, but I'm not one of them.

14- Tolkien -- Middle Earth meets Middle England: This article did not sit well with many readers, many of whom claim that you came out as pompous in that text. Some wonder how you could make such claims about Tolkien's writing and the clichés it has spawned, while Michael Moorcock's novels suffer from the very same issues. What would you respond to such postulations?

You're right, plenty of people hated that article (which had a life of its own that startled me - that's the internet effect. It was written, don't forget, intended as a humorous polemical critique for a relatively small audience) and there are at least two reasons. One is that they disagree: the other is that they didn't like the tone. Of course I don't like it if people think I'm pompous, partly just because I don't relish that idea, and partly because it can mean that the actual arguments don't even get addressed. If people ever do want to argue about it, I think it's very important to establish which of those two criticisms - or both - is being levelled. To criticise the piece on grounds of pomposity, for example, because someone disagrees with the specific claims, which has sometimes happened, seems to me something of a category error.

But in fact I prefer not to rehash that ground. I've said my piece, my opinions haven't changed and they're very easy to find, but I also blush rather at some of my earlier formulations and think that my critique of Tolkien is neither new nor particularly interesting, and there's not much point reiterating it, so (for reasons similar to those in my answer to question 9), I don't like going over that - I've already done so far too many times. It's hardly radical to criticise him these days.

Much more interesting to me recently is the question of which elements of Tolkien's work, criticisms notwithstanding, I admire and/or find interesting: his obsessiveness; his tragedianism; his pathological relationship to war; and above all his hostility to allegory. These seem to me very fecund areas for consideration, even perhaps inspiration.

(One thing I would add parenthetically is that I don't understand the point about Moorcock, whose novels seem to me predicated on extremely different moral, political and aesthetic foundations than Tolkien's. Apologies for not understanding.)

15- Anything you wish to add?

Only, I guess, that if anything I'm more nervous about people's responses to the illustrations even than the text of ULD, because I've had books published before, but never put art out there in the same way. I would hate it if people thought it was a vanity project and that the pictures massively detracted from the book - I want to stress that I never insisted my illustrations be used in the book. I hope people like them, but if not, I hope they don't think they're lamentable.

Many thanks again for accepting to do this interview. I wish you continued success with your writing career and best of luck for the release of UN LUN DUN.

Thanks very much, Patrick!

C.

David Weber contest winners


All right, the names of our two winners have been drawn. Both will receive a signed copy of Weber's latest novel, Off Armageddon Reef, courtesy of Tor Books.

The winners are:

- Chris Bonnici, from Windsor, Ontario, Canada

- Joseph Mclawhorn, from Winterville, North Carolina, USA

Thanks to all the participants!;-)

Ink


You all know how much I enjoyed reading Hal Duncan's Vellum. Only rarely have I been that impressed with a novel. Hence, I wondered if the author could do it again in the sequel, Ink. After all, Duncan set the bar incredibly high with his explosive debut.

Well, let me tell you that Hal Duncan wrote the perfect sequel to Vellum! Ink is everything I wanted it to be and then some!;-) In my opinion, it will doubtless establish Duncan as one of the very best speculative fiction authors in the world today. Too ambitious and unusual to ever be considered mainstream, The Book of All Hours will indubitably become a cult classic.

Evenfall has come, unravelling reality as a whole. In its wake, Hinter has settled over the myriad folds of the Vellum. As was the case with its predecessor, Ink showcases a fascinating variety of locales spread out across time, space, history, and mythology. Duncan's kick-ass, "no holds barred" prose makes each reality leap off the pages.

Once again, the tale is not told in linear fashion. Jumping from one dimension to the next, Ink remains a challenging read. But a very satisfying one, have no fear. The novel is separated into two parts. The first, Hinter's Knights, is at times a little more difficult to get into. Yet the second part, Eastern Mourning, takes you on an unbelievable journey.

The characters which made Vellum such an unforgettable read are back, though a good chunk of the story revolves around Mad Jack Carter. I have to admit that it's been a while since I've liked a character to such a degree.

The Book of All Hours is a mind-blowing feat of ambition and imagination, written by a master storyteller with a "take no prisoners" attitude who's not afraid to experiment. You will either love it or despise it. I doubt Vellum and Ink can leave any reader indifferent. Both volumes are extremely dense, so forget about bringing them along for the morning/evening commute. Essentially, I think that a second and third reading would reveal a ton of details I've missed the first time around.

Ink is without the shadow of a doubt an early frontrunner for the 2007 Book of the Year. Indeed, it will give any other contenders a serious run for their money. Who knows? Perhaps it will even win a Word Fantasy Award or a Hugo Award this time. . . If you can only afford one book this season, make it this one!:-)

As for Hal Duncan, well the guy is pretty damn close to being a fookin genius. With his fertile imagination and a middle finger raised high against the establishment, Duncan has pushed the boundaries of what we consider speculative fiction to new heights. Whatever this man writes next, I'm reading it!

My only complaint pertaining to this multilayered tale would have to be that the ending is a bit anti-climatic. Other than that, this novel will satisfy even the most jaded of readers out there.

The Book of All Hours is a "must" in every fantasy collection.

The final verdict: 9.25/10

For more info about this title: Canada, USA, Europe

This week's New York Times Bestsellers (January 30th)


In hardcover:

Christopher Moore's You Suck: A Love Story debuts at number 6. For more info about this title: Canada, USA, Europe.

David Weber's Off Armageddon Reef is down two positions, ending its second week on the NYT list at number 27. For more info about this title: Canada, USA, Europe.

In paperback:

Eric S. Nylund's Ghosts of Onyx is down three spots, finishing its eleventh week on the prestigious list at number 29. For more info about this title: Canada, USA, Europe.

Forthcoming interviews and other news

Hi guys,

Well, it sure looks like there will be a good number of interviews on the Hotlist in the coming weeks!:-) China Miéville has sent me his answers, so expect that Q&A very soon. Both Tad Williams and Greg Keyes have received their questions, so keep an eye out for their interviews as well.

Next month I'll be teaming up with Adam Whitehead (Werthead) for a Q&A with Peter F. Hamilton, and I will also conduct one with newcomer Patrick Rothfuss.

I've recently invited a couple of authors for a chat, and so far Steven Erikson, Ian Cameron Esslemont and Jacqueline Carey have accepted. I'm still waiting for Scott Lynch's response. You can expect a Q&A with each of them coming your way in March or April.

In addition, I'm trying to set up something with C. S. Friedman, in collaboration with Daw Books.

As always, stay tuned for more!;-)

Patrick

P. S. Fans of books giveaways rejoice, as there are more contests coming your way! Signed copies of Alan Campbell's Scar Night, Tad Williams's Rite, Hal Duncan's Ink, and Joe Abercrombie's Before They Are Hanged will be up for grabs in February!

Quote of the day

Fat bottomed girls you make the rockin' world go round!

-- QUEEN, Fat bottomed girls

C. S. Friedman contest winners

Hi there!

The names of the lucky bastards have been drawn! Five winners will get their hands on a signed US hardcover edition of Feast of Souls, while five others will received the UK trade paperback. Many thanks to both Daw Books and Orbit for their generosity!:-)

The winners are:

US edition

- Tim Bangert, from Gilberts, Illinois, USA (The Wedge on asoiaf.westeros.org and The Right People)

- Jesse Fehrenbacher, from Tracy, California, USA (MSI101 on asoiaf.westeros.org)

- Peter Schroeder, from Harrison Twp Missouri, USA (Fred Gaidin on wotmania.com)

- Paul Stotts, from Murrieta, California, USA

- Cynthia Medeiros, from Chico, California (Thianna at melanierawn.com)

UK edition

- Antti Vaisanen, from Oulu, Finland (Vaiski at malazanempire.com)

- Hazel Kendall, from Great Cambourne, Cambs, UK (Hetan on malazanempire.com and Phalanx on asoiaf.westeros.org)

- Syed Zaidi, from London, England (Tif the Barber Boy on malazanempire.com)

- Philip Knight, from Mold, Flintshire, Wales, UK (Ancient One on asoiaf.westeros.org and Gildor on sffworld.com)

- Emma de Laat, from Houten, the Netherlands

Thanks to all the participants!;-)

Drew C. Bowling contest winners!

The names of our winners have been drawn. Each of them will receive a signed copy of The Tower of Shadows, thanks to Del Rey Books and Drew himself!:-)

The winners are:

- Patricia Jackson, from Colchester, Vermont, USA

- Seth Goldstein, from Redondo Beach, California, USA (Dolorous Edd at asoiaf.westeros.org)

- Brandon Herrington, from Franklin, Tennessee, USA (mapthis on wotmania.com)

- Jeremy Husted, from North Canton, Ohio, USA (dingo on asoiaf.westeros.org and wotmania.com)

- Donnie Russell, from Rock Creek, West Virginia, USA (Paetram at wotmania.com)

Thanks to all the participants! And stay tuned for much, much more!;-)

Win a copy of China Miéville's UN LUN DUN


Hi!

Thanks to the great folks at Del Rey, I have a copy of China Miéville's latest, Un Lun Dun, up for grabs. For more info about this novel: Canada, USA, Europe. Okay, so I don't have confirmation yet, but the prize should be signed by the author. I'll know for sure next week, but that's almost on the date of release, and I didn't want to wait this long before doing the giveaway. In any case, you'll know for certain when I announce the name of the lucky winner!:-)

In related news, the interview questions have been sent to Miéville, so a Q&A with the author is on its way.

The rules are the same as usual. First off, you need to send an email at reviews@(no-spam)gryphonwood.net with the header "CHINA." Remember to remove the "no spam" thingy.

Second, your email must contain your full mailing address (that's snail mail!), otherwise your message will be deleted.

Lastly, multiple entries will disqualify whoever sends them. And please include your screen name and the message boards that you frequent using it, if you do hang out on a particular MB.

Good luck to all the participants!

This week's New York Times Bestsellers (January 23rd)

In hardcover:

David Weber's Off Armageddon Reef debuts at number 25. For more info about this book: Canada, USA, Europe.

In paperback:

Eric S. Nylund's Ghosts of Onyx is down five positions, ending its tenth week on the bestseller list at number 26. For more info about this book: Canada, USA, Europe.

Dan Simmons Interview


Hi guys!

I wasn't expecting to post this Q&A for a while, but the author responded in just a few hours! Many thanks to Miriam at Little Brown and Company for helping me get this interview.

Other than my George R. R. Martin and Steven Erikson interviews, this is the Q&A that garnered the most questions submitted by fans. Some will be pleased to discover that their questions made the final cut.

Perhaps I should have, yet I did not expect The Time Traveler to resurface in such a fashion, nor did I expect passions to run so high on a topic I believed Simmons had clarified rather satisfactorily the month following its appearance on his website. To my dismay I discovered that this issue had not been put to rest (perhaps, for some, it never will). Many dared me to question Dan Simmons on the subject, and I did. If anyone was expecting an apology of some sort, I daresay you'll be disappointed!;-)

As for me, The Terror is next on my list, so expect a review in the near future!

Enjoy!

Patrick
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Dear Mr. Simmons,

Let me begin by thanking you for being gracious enough to take some time off your undoubtedly busy schedule to answer our questions.

1- Without giving anything away, what can you tell your readers about THE TERROR.

The Terror is based on the actual historical event surrounding the 1845 Sir John Franklin Expedition sent out to force the Northwest Passage connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans north of Canada. Both ships – HMS Erebus and HMS Terror, advanced icebreakers of their day with food and other provisions for five years in the ice if need be, with 126 crewmen aboard – disappeared completely. The following decades of English, American, and other search attempts constitute the largest search-and-rescue operation in history. All to no avail.

My novel The Terror is a fictional treatment of the days and years after these ships became stuck in the ice near King William Land (actually an island), more than 1,000 miles from any hope of rescue.

2- At this point in your career, was it necessary for you, as an author, to step outside of speculative fiction and explore other interests?

No, of course it wasn’t “necessary” for me to “step outside of speculative fiction.” I could make a living writing SF for the rest of my career. But anyone looking at my career to date will notice that actual SF makes up only a fourth or less of my published fiction.

One of the things I’ve worked hard to do in my 25-year publishing career – and the 24 novels I’ve published – is to reserve the freedom to write whatever kind of book I’m interested in writing. In that sense, many of my books that have been labeled genre novels – The Hollow Man, Carrion Comfort, Phases of Gravity, A Winter Haunting – are not comfortable in any specific genre. Most of my books, even the presumed solid-SF novels such as Ilium and Olympos borrowed tropes and protocols from many areas.

I have a track record of writing suspense- and historical-suspense novels – The Crook Factory about Ernest Hemingway’s summer of 1942 chasing spies and German submarines in Cuba is one example of the latter. The Terror was another such blend of researched history and suspense.

3- What is it about polar expeditions that caught your fancy to such a degree that you felt the need to write a novel on the subject?

The combination of such terrible isolation and absurdly harsh conditions has always fascinated me. I’ve read true tales of Arctic and Antarctic adventures since I was a kid and still marvel at the courage and endurance such explorers showed. Our astronauts are brave men and women, but there’s nothing in our current space program in any way comparable to the extremes of isolation and hardship suffered by so many of the figures in the so-called Heroic Age of Arctic exploration.

4- After what can only be called an illustrious and prolific career, what motivates you to keep on writing?

I’m a writer. Writing is what we writers do. The trick is never to write “just to keep writing.” Luckily, I have enough ideas that fascinate me – and call me to research them (which is a great part of the appeal of historical fiction) – that one lifetime doesn’t seem nearly enough to explore a fraction of them.

5- What do you feel is your strength as a writer/storyteller?

I think I have some strengths as both stylistic writer and as storyteller – the trick is not to slight the one at the expense of the other.

6- What advice would you give a younger Dan Simmons concerning his writing career? Looking back, would you have done anything differently?

My earliest career decisions as a young(er) published writer – to continue to write the kind of book I want to write and not to bow to publishing or readership pressure to repeat myself, to make all final editorial decisions myself, and to take great risks (financial, career-wise) whenever necessary – have served me well.

I still tend to set my course by those same stars.

7- After producing all those bestsellers and selling millions of copies worldwide, after winning literary awards, is there added pressure when it comes to writing new series/novels, knowing that the expectations will always be high?

No. It’s not external expectations that put pressure on a writer – or at least not on me. It’s the fact that with a bit of age and maturity, one’s own expectations keep rising.

8- This is likely the most frequently asked question you encounter, but fans are always eager to discover if you'll ever consider writing a prequel or sequel to the Hyperion series?

There will be no novel-length prequels or sequels to the four Hyperion-universe books. Not while I’m alive and not from someone else when I’m dead.

I deeply appreciate the reader response – in many countries – to those four interlaced novels, but as I’ve explained before, except for some possible short fiction set in that universe, should I find some new ideas to explore there, those tales are finished. It’s a tempting trap – finding such a lucrative slide and then greasing it for decades – but not one that appeals to me.

As a reader, I know that urge to read the same thing over and over – to go back to the old neighborhood again and again, as it were. But as both reader and writer, I know how destructive such a habit can be to the author (and to the characters and “universe” the author keeps returning to.)

9- What project will you be tackling next? Rumor has it that it will be something in the space opera vein. Care to shine some light on the topic?

I have several ideas for novels and will be deciding in the next few weeks which one to embark on after this book tour for The Terror is finished. None of these involve another space opera type of SF book.

10- Will you ever write additional stories set in the Ilium/Olympos universe?

I don’t really know if I’ll revisit the Ilium-Olympos universe. There was one last story – involving Odysseus and the Circe-figure called Sycorax (and her monstrous offspring Caliban) – that I was tempted to explore. It would have been very . . . mmm . . . “adult” fiction indeed, but there are a lot of tales in the queue ahead of that possible book.

11- There seem to be many common motifs that run through your novels, particularly a love of the literature of past ages. The works of Homer and Shakespeare were obvious influences for your Ilium/Olympos duology, and John Keats seemed to play the role of muse in your Hyperion Cantos. Are there any writers/poets from the past who have been major influences on you but have not been explicitly referenced in your work?

One would certainly hope so. One possible novel that I’m researching now involves Charles Dickens. But as with the historical Hemingway – whom I researched for 7 years for The Crook Factory but who was a writer and a person I was pretty skeptical about before beginning that research – Dickens was not “a major influence” on me. As was true with E.M. Forster, I’ve always tended to be put off by Dickens’s sensibilities, sentimentalities, and even his characters’ names.

But his life . . . ah, that’s very interesting. Especially the last years after his involvement in a train wreck at Staplehurst where he experienced . . . .

But I get ahead of myself.

12- How would you like to be remembered as an author? What is the legacy you'll leave behind?

I don’t think in terms of legacies. (I tend to think in terms of the next chapter I’m working on.) But I have to admit that as suggested legacies go, I enjoy what I once heard my dear friend Harlan Ellison say about his possible “literary epitaph” – “I’ll be happy if they say after I’m gone – ‘He never popped out of the same hole twice.’”

13- Honestly, do you believe that the speculative fiction genre will ever come to be recognized as veritable literature? Truth be told, in my opinion there has never been this many good books/series as we have right now, and yet there is still very little respect (not to say none) associated with the genre.

Assume the year is 1930 and substitute the word “jazz” for “speculative fiction” in your query and comment above and you have my answer.

14- The Time Traveler short story which appeared on your website last spring created quite a commotion and repercussions of that uproar can still be felt today. People accused you of isolationism and calling for the genocide of the Muslims in the Middle East. Your subsequent post did little to assuage the flaring tempers of many readers. Looking back, are you still shocked by the response this short story generated?

The Time Traveler essay on my web site was not a short story and anyone accusing me of “isolationism and calling for the genocide” of anyone would be too stupid to be allowed out of his or her room, much less onto the Internet.

The essay, as my readers and any regular web site visitors understood at once, was not a political statement or prediction but was a cautionary tale to provoke conversation, in the tradition of Orwell’s 1984 or Huxley’s Brave New World. The only “flaring tempers” were from hotheads in the blogosphere who came ranting and roaring in without knowing the context of the essay or anything about me or my work.

The Internet is a wonderful thing in many ways – my January ’07 Message from Dan on my web site discusses how it’s the major part of the future that no one predicted in decades past, and expresses my real pleasure at knowing some of the first prophets of cyberspace, people such as Bill Gibson and Bruce Sterling – but the Internet and its blogosphere spawn is also too frequently a shallow, tendentious place because it combines two very dangerous attributes: anonymity and a total lack of consequences for the most extreme sorts of shallow thinking and rhetoric.

15- In retrospect, knowing now that The Time Traveler short story would engender such outrage among the online community, would you do things differently if you could do it all over again? Conscious that this issue remains a bone of contention between you and some of your readers, is there anything you wish to add that would perhaps clarify certain points in the presumed stance ascribed to you by your detractors?

See above. There is no “bone of contention between [me] and some of [my] readers.” There is no “online community” any more than there is a “highway community” or “sidewalk community,” only people using those spaces – and the outrage you’re talking about is as useless as “road rage” on the highways. It doesn’t take content to trigger it, only the pathology of the road-rager and an opportunity for the person to express that rage, either with a 2-ton vehicle or via extreme postings on forums.

Those screamers and saliva-splatterers and fatwa-announcers who came galloping in from elsewhere, and who’d misunderstood what they’d misread out of all context in the first place, are gone now (and were shortly after the essay and its follow-up explications appeared.) Back to their all-think-alike forums and extreme chat rooms where they can scream bumper-sticker slogans to their angry, narrow hearts’ content. They had no interest in discussions of any issues – a discussion that still goes on across a wide range of topics, most of them related to literature, on my rather interesting and generally extremely polite forum.

It’s silly to be proud of anything so diverse and out of one’s control as a web site forum, but it’s true that I’m proud of the general mutual respect, civil tone, and high-level of discussion that is the norm on my little forum. The people who tend to come back to the dialogue again and again tend to be capable folks who know things and – perhaps even more important in the age of anonymous Web attacks and expletive-ridden pronouncements of the Absolute Truth – are curious about others’ opinions and know how to discuss things.

It’s what I encouraged as a teacher for 18 years (I actually created a curriculum on how to come up with great questions and follow up on them in creative dialogues) and I don’t think it’s condescending to say that I’m delighted that the vast majority of visitors on my forum, many of them readers of mine, understand the need for context, civility, and restraint when it comes to discussing difficult topics with strangers.

Once again, I wish to thank you for taking the time to do this interview. I wish you continued success in your writing career and best of luck with the release of THE TERROR.

Mystar Strikes Back

Well, it was to be expected.:-) Honestly, though, I thought that it wouldn't be so long in coming.

This guy took multiple shots at me, and I then called him on it by exposing his rant in my year-end awards. Mystar has just posted his reply. You can read it here. I doubt I'll be making new friends among that crowd!;-) In any case, it will be interesting to see what sort of responses his post generates.

I have no wish to get involved in a pointless war of words with this guy. But I feel I must clarify some absurd ineptitudes he raised in his post on TG's website and in the comment section of my year-end awards post.

Pertaining to the interview I was trying to get around the time Chainfire was released, I told him this summer and I'll say it again: I have never called Tor Books, nor do I know who Barb and Elania are. I never use the phone, only email. Blame my law training, but I ALWAYS leave a paper trail. My contact at Tor back then was Lisa Mondello, who is no longer with the company. This summer, I got in touch with Patty, who is also Steven Erikson's publicist. I also discussed the possibility of an interview with Rebecca, press officer at Voyager Books (UK), who has now moved on and works for Headline. Ron, as a reviewer I have contacts with every major fantasy/scifi publisher on both sides of the Atlantic. So before you throw names around, you better get your shit together, my friend.

I think you have a rather high opinion of your supposed importance in the publishing industry, making it sound like you're such an insider and all. You also seem to suffer from delusions of grandeur, but that's of no moment. For some unfathomable reason, you believe that the industry will repudiate me and this blog because I don't like Terry Goodkind. Last summer, you claimed that Tor Books would never work with me again, yada yada yada. Again, why? I may not like Goodkind, but do you have any idea how many different Tor authors I've helped promote since this blog's creation? David B. Coe, Brandon Sanderson, David Keck, Steven Erikson, L. E. Modesitt, jr., Melanie Rawn, Peter Watts, Kate Elliott, David Farland, and John Scalzi immediately come to mind. And there are more.

Why would other publishers reject me when I can give their writers a lot of exposure? You wonder if those year-end awards and the brand of humor contained therein cost me a lot of interviews? Well, let's see. . . Since then I've had the privilege to interview Guy Gavriel Kay, and I have Dan Simmons, China Miéville, Peter F. Hamilton, Tad Williams and Greg Keyes all lined up. Yeah, that really did hurt my chances to get interviews with great authors. Speaking of my awards, the story was even picked up by www.locusmag.com. I guess some people have the intellectual capabilities to see what lies beyond the humor. . . Heck, Pyr even used my bit on them as the title of their first press release of 2007!

This blog's mission has always been to raise awareness and spread the word about all that's good in the fantasy/scifi/speculative fiction circles. I've been doing this for two years now, and I've garnered quite a following. Needless to say, it's something I'm quite proud of. It never ceases to amaze me that so many people drop by in my little corner of the blogosphere. And I would never have been able to achieve this if I was the turd you seem to portray.

Aficionados of the genre know the TRUTH: Terry Goodkind is not the literary god you guys proclaim him to be. Live with that. Stop telling us that we don't get it. We DO get it. We just don't care much for it, that's all.

To all the Goodkind fans who find themselves in these parts for the first time, welcome.:-) You might want to take a look around before leaving, for chances are that you'll discover new authors and works that are well worth reading!

And that's all I'm going to say on the subject.

P. S. This song just came on the shuffle of my computer, and I had to add this little bit. Just like that 112 remix by Puff Daddy says, "I thought I told you that we won't stop." Mystar, my friend: I'm not going anywhere. Much to your chagrin, I know. . .

Shameless Plug


Hi there!

It all started when I posted my interview with the author. Ever since my book review of Ysabel was posted, it continued. To my uttermost dismay, many people here don't know Guy Gavriel Kay!!! Sacrilege, I say!

No but seriously, Kay remains, in my opinion at least, one of the most underrated and underappreciated fantasy authors in the world today. So my consternation was replaced by a desire to raise awareness in a man who has been ranking among my favorite writers for years now. You know it's my sworn duty to help promote Canadian authors, so I pimp Canucks like Kay, Bakker and Erikson relentlessly!

If you haven't had the pleasure to read one of Guy Gavriel Kay's works yet, please do so ASAP! Heck, if my review of Ysabel did not intrigue you in the least, nothing I say or do will sway you. But if you've been reading about Kay on various message boards, and if you've seen his novels at your local bookstore, perhaps the time has come for you to give him a shot!;-)

Here are links to all of his books, so you can see what other people are saying about Kay. You may also want to check out www.brightweavings.com, his official website, where you'll find tons of information on Guy Gavriel Kay and his wonderful novels.

As for me, my personal favorites are Tigana, The Lions of Al-Rassan, and both volumes of The Sarantine Mosaic: Sailing to Sarantium and Lord of Emperors. I encourage you guys to check any of these titles out. Believe me, you'll be glad you did!

Here are Kay's novels:

The Fionavar Tapestry

The Summer Tree (Canada, USA, Europe)
The Wandering Fire (Canada, USA, Europe)
The Darkest Road (Canada, USA, Europe)

Tigana (Canada, USA, Europe)

A Song for Arbonne (Canada, USA, Europe)

The Lions of Al-Rassan (Canada, USA, Europe)

The Sarantine Mosaic

Sailing to Sarantium (Canada, USA, Europe)
Lord of Emperors (Canada, USA, Europe)

The Last Light of the Sun (Canada, USA, Europe)

Beyond this Dark House (Canada, USA, Europe)

Ysabel (Canada, USA, Europe)

And to all you Kay fans out there, feel free to leave a comment so that potential readers will be even more curious to discover what a fantastic author Guy is!;-)

Win a signed copy of David Weber's OFF ARMAGEDDON REEF


Wow!

I didn't expect to be running that many contests all at once. You see what I mean when I say that these things sometimes happen out of the blue!?!

Tor Books have accepted to supply two complimentary copies of Weber's newest science fiction epic, Off Armageddon Reef, both of them signed by the author. Tor Books are really backing this novel, there's no doubt about it. Indeed, the book has a 175, 000$ national marketing campaign plan. So here's your opportunity to discover what the hype is all about!:-) For more info about it: Canada, USA, Europe.

The rules are the same as usual. First off, you need to send an email at reviews@(no-spam)gryphonwood.net with the header "REEF." Remember to remove the "no spam" thingy.

Second, your email must contain your full mailing address (that's snail mail!), otherwise your message will be deleted.

Lastly, multiple entries will disqualify whoever sends them. And please include your screen name and the message boards that you frequent using it, if you do hang out on a particular MB.

Good luck to all the participants!

Win a copy of Drew C. Bowling's THE TOWER OF SHADOWS


Yep, a bonus contest!

Funny things do happen sometimes. It turns out that the author saw my blog and learned about my contests. Don't know if he's a regular visitor or not, but that's beside the point. He then contacted his publisher's publicity manager to see if it would be possible to do the same sort of thing. So I get this email from my contact at Del Rey Books, asking me if I'd be willing to do a giveaway for Bowling's The Tower of Shadows. Why not!?!

Del Rey offered me the novel last fall, but my reading schedule is already backed up all the way to April and beyond, so I declined. I checked out the reviews and advance praise, and people seem to have enjoyed the book. Here are the links: Canada, USA, Europe.

Anyway, as it's obvious that you guys simply love to win free books, I have 5 copies of The Tower of Shadows up for grabs, each autographed by the author. You guys can't say I'm not looking out for you!;-)

The rules are the same as usual. First off, you need to send an email at reviews@(no-spam)gryphonwood.net with the header "TOWER." Remember to remove the "no spam" thingy.

Second, your email must contain your full mailing address (that's snail mail!), otherwise your message will be deleted.

Lastly, multiple entries will disqualify whoever sends them. And please include your screen name and the message boards that you frequent using it, if you do hang out on a particular MB.

Good luck to all the participants!

Win a copy of Tad Williams' SHADOWPLAY


Once more, thanks to the generosity of the folks at both Daw Books and Orbit, I have ten copies of Tad Williams' sequel to Shadowmarch, Shadowplay, to give away. For more info about it: Canada, USA, Europe.

Here is what we have up for grabs: 5 copies of the US edition, all signed by the man himself. And 5 copies of the UK hardback edition. Now, if that ain't cool, nothing is!;-)

The rules are the same as usual. First off, you need to send an email at reviews@(no-spam)gryphonwood.net with the header "SHADOWPLAY." Remember to remove the "no spam" thingy.

Second, your email must contain your full mailing address (that's snail mail!), otherwise your message will be deleted.

Lastly, multiple entries will disqualify whoever sends them. And please include your screen name and the message boards that you frequent using it, if you do hang out on a particular MB.

Good luck to all the participants!

This week's New York Times Bestsellers (January 16th)

Nothing to report in hardcover. . .

In paperback:

Eric S. Nylund's Ghosts of Onyx is down seven positions, ending its ninth week on the NYT list at number 21.

Robert Jordan's Knife of Dreams is down six spots, finishing its sixth week on the bestseller list at number 31.

Win a copy of C. S. Friedman's FEAST OF SOULS


Hey there!

Thanks to the nice folks at both Daw Books and Orbit, I have ten copies of C. S. Friedman's latest fantasy novel, Feast of Souls, to give away. It's the first volume of the Magister trilogy. For more info about it: Canada, USA, Europe. The Coldfire trilogy still ranks among my favorite series ever, so I'm pretty excited about this one!

Here is what we have up for grabs: 5 copies of the US edition, all signed by the author. And 5 copies of the UK edition, which will be released in April. So the winners of the UK trade paperback version will have to wait a few weeks before they'll get their prize delivered to their mailbox.

The rules are the same as usual. First off, you need to send an email at reviews@(no-spam)gryphonwood.net with the header "SOULS." Remember to remove the "no spam" thingy.

Second, your email must contain your full mailing address (that's snail mail!), otherwise your message will be deleted.

Lastly, multiple entries will disqualify whoever sends them. And please include your screen name and the message boards that you frequent using it, if you do hang out on a particular MB.

Good luck to all the participants!

You better stay tuned, for I will be announcing more contests soon!;-)

Accepting questions for a new Tad Williams interview


Hi guys!

To help promote the release of Tad Williams' newest novel, Shadowplay, I will be interviewing the author. As always, I welcome questions submitted by fans. Feel free to leave yours in the comment section or on the numerous message boards where this announcement will be made.

Huge Sale!

Just wanted to let everyone know that Clarkesworld is running their largest sale ever!;) So if you're looking for discounted fantasy/scifi/speculative fiction titles, check it out at www.clarkesworldbooks.com.

Good hunting!

Coming Attractions


Just thought I should give you guys a little update.:-)

Upcoming Reviews

I'm currently reading Hal Duncan's Ink, sequel to Vellum, and it's da bomb! I'm about 150 pages into it and, if the author keeps it up, Ink will establish itself as the book to beat in 2007. For more info about it: Canada, USA, Europe.

After that, the next novel on my list should be Dan Simmons' The Terror (Canada, USA, Europe). Chances are that Katherine Kurtz's Childe Morgan (Canada, USA, Europe) will follow that, or Sean Williams' The Blood Debt (Canada, USA, Europe).

Of course, should Steven Erikson's Reaper's Gale manuscript reach my mailbox before I'm done with Ink, I'm persuaded that most of you will understand that it will come next! For more info about Reaper's Gale: Canada, USA, Europe. Same thing goes for Tad Williams' Shadowplay (Canada, USA, Europe).

Upcoming Interviews

Well, you already know that I have China Miéville, Peter F. Hamilton and Dan Simmons lined up. You can add Patrick Rothfuss, author of The Name of the Wind (Canada, USA, Europe) to that list.

In addition, I'll try to get another Q&A with Tad Williams, which would -- hopefully -- coincide with the release of Shadowplay. In the same vein, I'd love to get mini-interviews with both Steven Erikson and Ian Cameron Esslemont, to promote their newest releases. I would also like to get an interview with Katherine Kurtz, whom I have always admired.

I always have things cooking up, so there might be more interviews in the near future!;-)

Upcoming Contests

Ha! Now I have your complete attention, right!?!:-)

Since many of you complain that I should spread the word about what will be up for grabs in the coming weeks so they won't pre-order them, this is for you!

Okay, I will have three signed copies of Joe Abercrombie's Before They Are Hanged (Canada, USA, Europe).

Received word from Del Rey this week, and I will have giveaways for both China Miéville's Un Lun Dun (Canada, USA, Europe) and Hal Duncan's Ink. And although this must be confirmed, I was told that the prizes should be autographed copies! Stay tuned for more info!

I will have a few copies of Patrick Rothfuss' The Name of the Wind up for grabs as well, probably around March.

Also, I've already received confirmation concerning giveaways for the UK edition of both C. S. Friedman's Feast of Souls (Canada, USA, Europe) and Tad Williams' Shadowplay. I'm just waiting for word from Daw Books, for I'd like to run one contest for both the UK and US editions of each book.

Finally, PS Publishing confirmed that they would supply a copy of Steven Erikson's new novella, The Lees of Laughter's End, for a forthcoming giveaway. To all you Malazan fans, have no fears! I will have both Esslemont's Night of Knives (Europe) and Erikson's Reaper's Gale up for grabs.

There's likely more, but I can't really recall at the moment. So stay tuned for more details. . .;-)

Accepting Questions for a Dan Simmons Interview

Hi guys!

Thanks to Little Brown and Company, I have secured an interview with Dan Simmons!:-) As always, I welcome questions from fans everywhere. Feel free to submit them here or on the message boards where this announcement will be made.

The questions should be forwarded to the publisher in a week or two.

Ysabel


Prior commitments prevented me from reading this novel as soon as I would have wanted to. And now that I've finally read it, I wish I could have done so earlier. Typical of Kay, Ysabel stands head and shoulders above most fantasy books out there. Some might disagree, but Guy Gavriel Kay is likely the only writer who has yet to disappoint me. Every time this author releases a novel, I always know that I'm about to plunge into a superior tale. And Ysabel is no exception!

This one takes place in a contemporary setting, namely in and around Aix-en-Provence, in the south of France. Kay was living in the area while researching and writing Ysabel, and his firsthand experience ensures an authentic feel throughout the novel. Not surprisingly, the narrative is evocative and the resulting imagery leaps through every page.

Kay took on quite a challenge when he made a teenager the story's main protagonist. Indeed, very few authors succeed at developing believable and genuine teenage characters. Two that immediately come to mind are Robin Hobb and George R. R. Martin. Well, I think that Kay did a splendid job with Ned Marriner, capturing how awkward those years tend to be for young men.

Guy Gavriel Kay is perhaps best known for his thoughful insight into human nature. His characterizations rank among the very best in the genre, and he can somehow convey layers of emotions that few writing today can match. In Ysabel, Kay demonstrates how skilled he is at developing a cast of disparate characters. Understandably, the relationships between the Marriner family members take center stage. And yet, several secondary characters provide depth to a work that already resounds with it.

The author always does his homework, which is evident once again in Ysabel. The pace and the dialogues are perfect. The storylines are convoluted enough to keep you turning those pages well past your bedtime a few nights running!

As a Montrealer myself, I got quite a kick out of all those Montreal references (the Marriner family hails from MTL). I have to admit that it's kind of neat to have a Canadian as the main character of Ysabel. In addition, the narrative brought me back in time, back to when I first visited Provence. For the record, my first experience in Aix was nowhere near as traumatic as Ned's. The highlight for me, if I remember correctly (keep in mind I was part of a Contiki tour) was finding a working ATM!

Although universally acclaimed, or so it seems, at times it feels as though Guy Gavriel Kay remains the most underappreciated fantasy author in the world today. If you haven't had the pleasure already, do yourself a favor and read Kay's brilliant works in which history and fantasy come together and create something only a Kay novel can deliver! Believe me when I say you'll be glad you did!

Ysabel is without the shadow of a doubt one of the books to read in 2007. Be sure to check out the novel's website: www.ysabel.ca

The final verdict: 8.5/10

For more info about this novel: Canada, USA, Europe

This week's New York Times Bestsellers (January 9th)


Nothing to report in hardcover. . .

In paperback:

Eric S. Nylund's Ghosts of Onyx maintains its position, ending it eight week on the bestseller list at number 14.

Robert Jordan's Knife of Dreams is down four spots, finishing its fifth week on the charts at number 25.

Dan Simmons contest winners!


Hi guys!

Well, the names of our winners have been drawn! Many thanks are owed to both Transworld and Little Brown and Company for their support. Each lucky winner will receive a hardback copy of Dan Simmons' The Terror.

The winners are:

Dan Feola, from Collegeville, Pennsylvania, USA (Syler on sffworld.com)

Mike Sutton, from Marquette, Missouri, USA (Krassos on wotmania.com)

Jacob Krotzer, from New Brighton, Minnesota, USA (Alric seVinta on wotmania.com)

Chris Emden, from Tampa, Florida, USA (Tempra on asoiaf.westeros.org)

Jason McFadden, from Saint Lazare, Quebec, Canada (Derfel27 on asoiaf.westeros.org)

Daniel Minett, from Manchester, England (Imperial Historian on malazanempire.com)

Tomas Dudas, from Mostova, Slovakia

Matthew Cotton, from Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire, England

Stephany Kong, from Issy les Moulineaux, France

Nils Miehe, from Bochum, Germany (Threepwood on malazan.de)

Online Charity Auction

Got this press release yesterday, and I know that some of you might be interested.:-)

Patrick
--------------------

Toronto – January 8, 2007

To celebrate the launch of Ysabel, Guy Gavriel Kay’s much anticipated new novel, Penguin Group (Canada) announced today that the first book off the press, autographed by the author, will be auctioned on Ebay.com. Signed and verified by the publisher, this first copy includes a product identification slip and letter from the printing press identifying the book as the first copy printed in Canada.

Ysabel will go on-sale in Canada on January 10, in the US on February 6, and in the UK on March 5. All proceeds from the auction will be donated to Indigo Books & Music, Inc.’s Love of Reading Fund. The fund directly supports high-needs elementary school literacy programs across Canada. “This is another great way to ensure the future of our country by enriching the grown-ups of tomorrow.” said Sorya Ingrid Gaulin, Vice President, Public Relations and Corporate Giving for Indigo. The auction starts on Monday, January 8, running for ten days (until Wednesday, January 17) and is accessible at http://cgi.ebay.ca/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=290069862340.

In December, Penguin Group (Canada) launched http://www.ysabel.ca/, a website dedicated entirely to Kay’s new novel, and featuring an array of stunning photography as well as teaser excerpts, book synopsis, Canadian tour information, author interviews, a blog, and a feature page of Kay’s bestselling past works. With a nod to his massive online fanbase, the site also invites readers to submit Ysabel-inspired art and other multimedia.

Guy Gavriel Kay is the author of nine previous novels and an acclaimed collection of poetry, Beyond This Dark House. His work has been translated into twenty-two languages and has sold over two million copies worldwide. Kay has twice won the Aurora Award, is a three-time World Fantasy Award nominee, and is the recipient of the International Goliardos Award for his contributions to the literature of the fantastic. He is currently writing the screenplay for the second of his novels in development for film. Last Light of the Sun has been optioned by Chartoff Productions and Ravinett Productions.

Ysabel is an exhilarating, moving work in which Kay casts brilliant light on the ways in which history – whether of a culture or a family – refuses to be buried. Ned Marriner, fifteen years old, has accompanied his photographer father to Provence for a six-week “shoot” of images for a glossy coffee-table book. On one holy, haunted night of the ancient year, when the borders between the living and the dead are down and fires are lit upon the hills, Ned, his family, and his friends, are shockingly drawn into this tale, as dangerous, mythic figures from conflicts of long ago erupt into the present, claiming and changing lives.

Hardbacks vs Paperbacks

Brandon Sanderson wrote an interesting essay on the difference between hardcover and paperback sales, and what they mean to an author. Read it here.

Thanks to Larry (Dylanfanatic) for the "heads up!"

Links

As you can see, I have just updated my list of links. Yes, it was a long time in coming, I know. So if you made it in there, good for you! I'm persuaded that I have forgotten a lot of stuff, and I'm sure you guys will remind me of what's missing.

But fear not, for those websites/blogs will be added during our next update! As to exactly when that will occur, I advise you not to hold your breath!;-)

Who knows!?! Perhaps next time I'll put everything in alphabetical order! There are few things I hate more than screwing around with my blog template. . .

The Name of the Wind


You may or may not have heard of Patrick Rothfuss' debut. Word is beginning to spread around the internet, so chances are that you'll be hearing more and more about this one soon. Last fall I received an email from Rothfuss' agent, Matt Bialer, asking me if I'd consider reading an ARC of The Name of the Wind. Bialer revealed that Betsy Wollheim, Daw Books' president, considered the novel the best fantasy debut she's ever read in over 30 years as an editor. Well, let it be said that a lot less is required to pique my curiosity! Both wanted me to be one of the first reviewers to get a crack at it, and I wish to thank them for thinking of me. Apparently they respect my reviews. . . Imagine that!;-)

Of course, when a debut comes with such high praise on its front cover, it's impossible to treat it as just another debut. For obvious reasons, all of a sudden you find yourself judging it against works such as Robert Jordan's The Eye of the World, Tad Williams' The Dragonbone Chair, George R. R. Martin's A Game of Thrones, Stephen R. Donaldson's Lord Foul's Bane, and other opening chapters of superior series. Understandably, this can have positive as well as negative repercussions.

In a nutshell, The Name of the Wind recounts the tale of Kvothe, a young man destined to become the most powerful wizard the world has ever seen. It begins with Kvothe's childhood years, first as a member of a traveling troupe of musicians and artists, and then as a street urchin forced to fend for himself in a violent environment. Later, the story shifts to his adolescence, at a time when he is admitted to the University, renowned school of magic.

Reading along, I found the structure of the story a little odd. The better part of the novel is comprised of Kvothe's back story, with only a few scenes occurring in "real time." Having never encountered something like it, I discussed it with Betsy Wollheim. She did shine some light on the matter, and it turns out that Rothfuss' first trilogy will focus on the main character's past, with occasional tantalizing hints of things to come. A second trilogy will then recount Kvothe's "present" tale.

The Name of the Wind is told in a first person narrative. Hence, other than those "real time" segments told in the third person, most of the book is told from Kvothe's perspective. Those who have a problem with single-POV narratives similar to that of Robin Hobb's The Farseer and The Tawny Man trilogies, consider yourselves warned. The main danger in using the first person narrative is that the entire story rests on the shoulder of a single character. If you like Kvothe, terrific. If you don't, that's where it gets tricky. I had no problem with that facet of the novel, but I'm acutely aware that some readers don't care much for the first person perspective.

The worldbuilding doesn't play a big role in this debut. And yet, Rothfuss hints at a much vaster depth, hopefully to be explored in future sequels. The author has an eye for details, and the story does come alive as you turn the pages. The magic system appears to be well thought of and interesting, and I'm eager to learn more about it.

The Name of the Wind is a character-driven book. As a first person narrative, it can't be anything but that. The supporting cast is composed of a relatively small number of characters, which is rather rare for a book of this size. I'm looking forward to learning more about them in the upcoming installments.

The novel suffers from only one flaw -- a flaw shared by various Daw books: it's too long. I feel that Rothfuss' attention to details slows the pace in several portions of the book. Now, the tentative pagination of The Name of the Wind weighs in at 904 pages, making this debut a heavyweight. I feel that some scenes could have been truncated and others excised without the readers missing out on any major plotlines. In my opinion, this would quicken the rhythm and improve the overall quality of the book.

Unlike some debuts that are not easily accessible -- Hal Duncan's Vellum and Steven Erikson's Gardens of the Moon come to mind -- I'm persuaded that The Name of the Wind can appeal to both neophytes and long-time fans of the genre. As such, it's similar to both Brandon Sanderson's Elantris and Joe Abercrombie's The Blade Itself in that regard. It's also a throwback work, which brought fantasy novels likes Raymond E. Feist's Magician and David Eddings' Pawn of the Prophecy to mind.

Although a bit overlong, The Name of the Wind is a solid and ambitious effort. Two years ago I would have claimed that it could well be the debut of the year. But Hal Duncan and Scott Lynch have forced us to look at debuts in a different way. Still, Patrick Rothfuss wrote an auspicious debut, and I'm curious to discover the rest of Kvothe's tale.

A website dedicated to Rothfuss and The Name of the Wind is in the making. It will include sample chapters, which means that I'll post a link as soon as the site goes live.

The final verdict: 7.5/10

For more indo about this novel: Canada, USA, Europe

Dan Simmons contest news

Hi there!

Just wanted to let you guys know that Transworld will supply 5 copies of the UK edition of The Terror. Which means that there are now 10 copies up for grabs!

You see the things I do for you guys!;-)

This week's New York Times Bestsellers (January 2nd)


Nothing to report in hardcover. . .

In paperback:

Eric S. Nylund's Ghosts of Onyx is hanging in there, up seven positions to end its seventh week on the bestseller list at number 14. For more info about this book: Canada, USA, Europe.

Robert Jordan's Knife of Dreams continues to sell, up two spots to finish its fourth week on the NYT list at number 21. For more info about this book: Canada, USA, Europe.

Troy Denning's Star Wars: Legacy of the Force: Tempest is down three positions, ending its third week on the charts at number 34. For more info about this book: Canada, USA, Europe.