Okay, so this giveaway is really something!
I have two ARCs autographed by all the contributors (GRRM, Melinda Snodgrass, Carrie Vaughn, S. L. Farrell, Victor Milán, John Jos. Miller, Kevin Andrew Murphy, Walton Simons, Caroline Spector, and Ian Tregillis), as well as two signed posters of Busted Flush (Canada, USA, Europe) up for grabs, courtesy of the nice folks at Tor Books!
The posters (11 x 18) feature the cover art and are printed on glossy paper. A signed combo of these posters and the ARCs should make for quite the collectors' items!
The rules are the same as usual. You need to send an email at reviews@(no-spam)gryphonwood.net with the header "FLUSH." 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!
P. S. A new 10-way Wild Cards interview is on the way. . .:-)
34 commentaires:
I am abstaining from this contest because I don't want to do anything that could be supporting GRRM in doing anything other than complete ASOIAF (love the series, hate the name)...
Thats your problem, anonymous, not ours. GRRM can do whatever the fuck he wants, period. Keep in mind that without the Wild Cards, there really would be no ASOIAF.
well said Juhan I agree completly
Very exciting! Thanks so much for doing this!
GRRM is a genuinely nice and jovial guy, and I wish him the best on whatever endeavor he chooses.
I am not abstaining as GRRM has great plots & amazing characters. You never know who will be standing at the end. ASOFAI will be that much better when it is done. Let be patient.
Here's another vote for Juhan as GRRM's Press Secretary.
While I have never heard a bad word said about him, GRRM won't be getting another red cent from me until he finishes that series. It's a shame, because I have heard nothing but good things about the Wild Card books.
Sooner or later he has got make good on his word.
He promised a story told in a trilogy. Then he promised a story told in five books. Then he promised a story told in seven books.
He updated his blog at Feb. 2007 and at Jan. 2008. I anticipate another this year.
I hope he gets it done. But I won't bet on it.
The best authors listen to their books and how they need to go rather than force them out along a conveyor belt.
GRRM could, of course, put out anything and it'd sell, so it speaks to his integrity that he wants to make something that'll last and not slide into sludge, as other series have.
Or look at what happened when Atari rushed the infamous E.T. video game to market. A bad DANCE OF DRAGONS won't cause the collapse of the video game industry, but I'm sure it'd bring about more bitching than any additional wait would've done.
Things that keep Martin happy keeps me happy :) I'd rather see him finishing the book with a bang than just pushing it out without being satisfied with it. Of course it takes some time, but the books are re-readable so many times, so I keep my abstinence for the next book down by going through them all once again.
And he does blog a lot in "not-a-blog", it is only the news section he doesn't update (and he even writes a reason why). It will be done in due time. I waited a long time for A feast for crows, and I'm ready to wait longer for A dance with dragons.
Have some faith in the man, and be glad he's not just publishing crap.
PS. Awesome competition, thanks for giving us this opportunity!
As excited as i am about Dance of Dragons, i'm more than happy to wait.
I've only recently got into Wild Cards, would love to track down the early books but they seem to not exist in the UK :'(
"The best authors listen to their books and how they need to go rather than force them out along a conveyor belt."
and
"GRRM could, of course, put out anything and it'd sell, so it speaks to his integrity that he wants to make something that'll last and not slide into sludge, as other series have."
You are quite wrong. It speaks for his embarrassing lack of professionalism that he has had to admit - again and again - his failure to keep up with the projected amount of time he needs to write and even the projected number of books his series will consist of in the end (what or whose end soever that will be...).
If he is unable to make approximate conjectures about the working-process (which, while not very impressive, would be acceptable), he simply should stop publicly making such conjectures.
And by the way - there are plenty of writers who publish far more sophisticated books than Mr. Martin and his fellow SciFi/Fantasy-colleagues in far less time. This only, to disprove your hilarious "conveyor belt"-analogy. And by the way, we do not want to cite the lees of literature (Mr. Goodkind's or Mr. Rigney's for example) in order to provide one of the few able - if flawed - representatives of the genre with an apology to watch ridiculous American sports or participate in grovelling nerd-culture events in order to circumvent a good day's work. Of course, nobody can (nor even wants) to clamp a lid on Mr. Martin's favourite chocolate-cookie-can; but one cannot help but wonder, if the big writer still wants to write big.
And here we come to Mr. Juhan's fairly entertaining necrology on reason and taste:
"Keep in mind that without the Wild Cards, there really would be no ASOIAF."
Well, kind fellow, considering certain economic connexions in Mr. Martin's alarmingly extensive biography, that might be the case. But it too is the case, that without 'Wild Cards' there would be one less risible SciFi-superhero-concoction in print. Mr. Martin should strive to meet his own high standard with the 'Song' and not dabble in dawdling lowbrow comic-'literature'.
"A bad DANCE OF DRAGONS won't cause ['anything troublesome on a grand scale' - my paraphrase], but I'm sure it'd bring about more bitching than any additional wait would've done."
The question is not just, if Mr. Martin is willing to finish his books the best way he possibly can. The question is, if he is able to finish his books the best way he possibly can in a reasonable amount of time.
And please, do not now rush into the fray citing Mr. Tolkien, who (as any foreveradolescentfantasygeekwithoutpropereducation surely knows) needed 12 (in words: twelve) years to complete his 'Lord of the Rings' - as deep as it may wound you: Mr. Tolkien (mercifully!) did not spend all those years constantly scribbling - he had a job, actually. Even though I am quite positive, that he did not throw that many working hours away watching football and revelling in the brainless slobbering of his most annoying lickspittle buy-it-all-fanatics.
AFFC was disappointing. ADOD will be worse. He is struggling and the persistent delays prove it. He is afraid to release it because it will show that he has lost his way.
He tries to shore up his income stream with numerous side projects but these will dry up once the market gets tired.
Nah. He might be struggling, but that doesn't mean the books are bad. They will be, though, if he caves in to fan-pressure and decides to rush them... as some of my namesakes would like, it seems. I'd sure like a good book that's late a much more then I would like a bad one right now. Have you ever considered the possibility that the reason he is taking extra care with DANCE is precisely because of the negative response to FEAST? He knows that this one has to be his best work yet. Or at least, it looks like he's thinking that way. So give the man the time he needs to finish his epic masterpiece and be honored that he is taking you into consideration. Even if you seem to be totally ignoring him...
"Even though I am quite positive, that he did not throw that many working hours away watching football and revelling in the brainless slobbering of his most annoying lickspittle buy-it-all-fanatics."
Since you appear to be an expert at what is and is not approprate for authors to do when writting would you be kind enough to let us know how many books you have published?
Ser Scot
I've published three books, and I agree with him 100%. GRRM is full of excuses, nothing more.
Well, maybe tacos, too.
if you don't like GRRM, his work etc, or have given up on him, then fine: just don't read him! But please stop bitching about it. The rest of us believe in them man and are eager to find out what happens next.
As Anonymous #s 1 2 or 3 said ... it is not whether "Mr. Martin is willing to finish his books ... it is IF he is ABLE to finish his books." My edits and emphasis.
Here is the reality: It took him 5years to write Crows; it will be (at least) 4 years to write Dance.
He is 60 years old. At this rate - assuming Dance is published soon, he'll be close to 70 before the next two books are out. If he adds another book, he will be over 70. He's overweight - not a slam, just reality - and honestly in his apparent condition, anything over 70 is a stretch.
If he doesnt start to write faster or get in better shape, he WILL NOT FINISH THE SERIES.
Make all the excuses you want. Back in 2005, when AFFC was published, Martin said that ADOD was _at least_ 50% finished, and should be out in 12-18 months.
So WTF happened, other than a lot of football games, conventions, and house emergencies? Martin managed to published books 1-3 within a four year time period. He's managed to publish one book in the series in the last eight years; and despite claiming ADOD was half finished three years ago, we're no closer to seeing it published now.
Stunning lack of discipline and professionalism.
The books have been delayed, and there have been excuses and missed dates - I know I'm frustrated by not being able to carry on reading my favorite series.
But, George R R Martin is in charge of these books. You can moan and whine all you want, but if he chooses to spend an extra year or three getting it right that it's his series. Personally it's not going to stop me looking forward to the next one.
It's his career and work, he can spend as much time as he wants to over it, because, once it's released his reputation and legacy is tied to it forever.
As for the Wild Cards/American football, etc. It's his life...you can't keep him in a box and make him work on Dance all the time.
Yeah, I get frustrated too that I have to wait for these books, but the selfishness and bitterness this is causing in some people is ridiculous.
I don't doubt his ability to finish the series and tie all the pieces together beautifully. I even believe he could probably do it fantastically well within 5 years or so. I do, though, believe he has Robert Jordan syndrome. These books are his life, his purpose, his thing, so it only makes sense that he wouldn't want them to end. Since he has total control over when he finishes it, I'm not expecting the books any times soon. That said, I hope he can face his fears and complete the series so that he shares the full scope of the story with the world, (and me) and doesn't carry the secrets of Westeros to the grave.
God! What a bunch of pinheads. If you have a problem with GRRM's books taking so long because of his attention to detail (you are probably the same idiots who would roast him for EVERY mistake he might make if he published it before he was totally confident that it was ready), THEN GO READ SOMETHING ELSE! There are thousands of other authors you can support. Better yet, go write your own drivel.
"Now go away, or I shall taunt you a second time..."
I just want to point out that someone who Chose to name themself CyberAlien is calling a bunch of people (who all seem to be stating perfectly legitimate, if contradictory, points of view) idiots.
A DANCE WITH DRAGONS will be awesome.
Such a shame for all little children who're trying to tell someone else how to be professional. You're calling him lazy? Well, he can be lazy if he wants to, I guess he's got enough money to survive it. Also, anyone ever considered the minutes he spends discussing about football on his blog might be free time? I work 8-10 hours a day, being a researcher, sleep about 6, and the rest of the time I do things I like. That's the way it should be for everyone, not working 24/7 because some angsty teens are crying on teh intarwubz.
I am still trying to figure out how anyone can be accused of rushing a man to write a book he said was 50% finished 4 years ago.
It's not unreasonable to wonder if we are ever going to see anything. I'm not going to buy anything. I may not watch the HBO thing if it ever gets made.
There are several best selling authors who write several books a year and manage to keep a "real" job on the side. College professors write serious research while employed and teaching in Universities.
In 8 years we have 1 book. It's not unreasonable to wonder if he's even trying.
Not that it's going to do anything, but I thought I should chime in...
To those who maintain that the book was 50% done when AFfC was released, aren't you aware that GRRM scrapped the better part of that manuscript are rewrote the whole thing basically from the ground up? It's been all over the internet, just so you know.
Everyone with half a brain is aware that ASOIAF will be one of the definitive works of fantasy of the 21st century. 50 years from now, much like LotR, people will still be reading and talking about Jaime, Cersei, Ned, Arya, Jon, and Tyrion, still shaking their heads when they reach the Red Wedding part. I never spoke to Martin about this, but I'm persuaded that the man is aware that this series is the legacy he'll be leaving behind. Hence, he wants everything to be just perfect. And that takes time.
A majority of haters seem to have no inkling as to what it takes to write a novel, let alone a series of ASOIAF's scope. I don't know if those people are mostly bugger flippers, but writing such books requires time and energy. GRRM has a lot of marbles into the air, and there are now so many storylines to keep track of that I can't even begin to understand how everything still fits inside the author's head.
Rome wasn't built in a day, and you can't produce good wine overnight. Rushed bestselling novels always fail to impress, as a number of RJ's WoT books have demonstrated. GRRM seems bent on not making the same mistake.
And yes, the R. A. Salvatores of this world can produce a NYT bestseller every year. So can authors like Laurell K. Hamilton and others. But I for one would rather wait than have GRRM become an author of that ilk and see him come up with crap just to satisfy a minority of grumbling fans.
For you must understand this (and GRRM and his editors know that), those who bitch and moan comprise a very small minority. So you can be a troll and mudsling the author, but when all is said and done ADwD will debut at number one on the NYT list.
As for Martin attending cons and working on side-projects, keep in mind that the author has always gone to cons. Heck, he only missed one Worldcon in the history of the convention, if memory serves me. And remember that not so long ago, ASOIAF was the side-project Martin was working on while putting aside the Wild Cards and other works.
My point is: It's useless to keep bitching. The book will be released when GRRM is done and satisfied with it -- not a day before. And he knows that those who are harping now will do so the day following ADwD's publication, asking for the next volume. It's a no-win situation for him.
Authors like Guy Gavriel Kay and Neal Stephenson take a while between each book, and you don't hear trolls whining the way they do with GRRM. Food for thought...
Everyone here is hoping that this doesn't turn out like the Wheel of Time series.. At his current rate of writing and rewriting, he is likely to be dead before he finishes.
At some level, every writer needs to treat his fans well. Currently, his main fan base are comprised of people ravenous about ASOIF. If he takes took much time to get the next book out he will lose a chunk of them. Maybe he has gotten himself in a bind and doesn't know how to finish the books.
I read every comment on this thread and the only people whining or bitching are the ones who are defending Martin. Apparently voicing an opinion contrary to the "hive mind" is now called trolling. It used to be called thinking for yourself.
I am well aware of the circumstance regarding Dance. It was Martin himself who said that Dance was half done when Feast was released. It was the news that he was starting over that caused a lot of people to worry that the series isn't going to be finished. I am not alone in saying that he is going to have to finish the series before anymore books will be bought.
It's just not worth buying book 5 of 7 if book 7 never gets made.
As far as the quality of Dance goes, Feast took about 4 years to put together and it was not a great addition to the series by many standards.
I think that the hyperbole regarding the supposed quality of Dance is more hopeful than it seems.
I understand that it takes time to write a book. It takes more time to do a good job on it.
Then there's GRRM. Have you seen his blog? It's all posts about football and merchandise. Do you know he does if anyone comments asking about ADWD? He complains and says how you can only ask questions relating to the things in his post.
That's all well and good (well, not really, it's still pretty dick), but I don't think it's a stretch for his fans to want him to give us an update now and then.
He posts so much about random shit at this point I have to wonder how much time he actually has to write. His continual refusal to talk about it makes me think that nothing is getting done. If he was doing well and hitting his deadlines don't you think he'd want to let us, his loyal fans, know about it?
I love the books, they're my favorite books in fact (well, AFFC excluded) and it upsets me to see this man do everything BUT write ASoIaF.
And, if this is his magnum opus, wouldn't he want to actually, oh, I don't know, finish the damn thing? Sure, he's trying to get it just right, but he needs to get his act together at this point.
I think he knows that ADWD isn't good (if AFFC is any indication) and he's scared to publish it because of how long he's taken to work on it.
Call me a hater if you want, I'll call you a slobbering fanboy who wants to eat up every last morsel he gives you to make up for his constant excuses and missed deadlines.
Point is, there's 24 hours a day, you can't expect anyone to work all the time. And that's what it is, work. I don't want to have see the stonemason working 24/7 on a house, chances are it'll collapse. The blogging about football could be called spare time. There's no way any of us can see whether he's working on the series. You can say he isn't working on the books all you want, but I'm thinking he is, but he isn't posting about his progress because everyone will start arguing all over again.
Besides, as said at the beginning, he can do whatever the fuck he wants.
Have you guy's ever thought that maybe he's taking so long because he killed off damn near the whole Stark family and retainers?(Bastards,Sisters cripples and toddlers excluded)Even WinterFell burned. Maybe he wrote himself in a hole to deep to get out. Maybe winter is not just coming Maybe it already came.
Whoever said that the fat bastard could put out anything and it'd sell is exactly right...proof AFFC.
The only thing pissing people off is the rudeness and lack of respect he has for his fans. He is defensive because he is stuck.
Instead of talking to the people who buy his crap (yes, I am looking at you AFFC) he does nothing but peddle more piece of crap collectibles and calenders and write books that have nothing to do with the huge fan base he has today.
The reason people are mad at GRRM is he seriously blew his deadlines numerous times and then lashed out at his fanbase. Need I remind any of you of the February 2009 post where he told his detractors to fuck off?
As for the Tolkien excuse, JRR kept his day job and wrote in his spare time, so of course it took him an exceedingly long time to tell a story of LotR's caliber. GRRM is a full-time writer, no day job commitments.
If George didn't take month long trips, come home for a week to shill more merchandise on his blog and then hop another plane for another six week international trip, he wouldn't have so many people angry at him.
He can write what he wants and publish Wild Cards and "edit" his anthologies, but when you spend five years writing a "50% complete" book while also doing 10 other things and trying to sell everything that isn't nailed down...you bring it on yourself.
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