The 5 new Malazan covers

Kind of makes you wonder what it was all for, doesn't it?

I'm not saying the book covers are atrocious, but I did prefer the originals. Are these any less generic, any less fantasy?

Food for thought. . .

I'll be damned. . .

Here's the synopsis for Paul Kearney's (www.paulkearneyonline.com) forthcoming The Ten Thousand:

The world of Kuf, an ancient Assurian Empire, dominant, prestigious and thought to be invincible, is about to be shaken to its very foundations. An exile from the empire, the Great King’s brother, hires a force of ten thousand elite mercenaries of a legendary race known as the Macht to take the throne by force. But when their employer is killed, the Ten Thousand find themselves abandoned. This is the story of their fight for freedom, and marks the start of a brand new series by one of the finest writers of fantasy around.

Mark Newton, one of the editors at Solaris Books (www.solarisbooks.com), emailed me about this yesterday. He knew I was a fan of Kearney, and thought I'd be interested in learning more about what Paul was working on.

Now, I've mentioned elsewhere how running this blog engendered quite a few "fuck me" moments since its creation. Newton's email was the latest of those. It turns out that he learned about Kearney's misfortune with Bantam Press and Bantam Dell from my "This really sucks" blog post from last May. A fan of the author, Newton contacted him and voilà! Paul Kearney signed with Solaris Books.

As a matter of course, I'm aware that my reviews, interviews, giveaways, etc, have had a positive influence on many writers' careers, and I'm delighted about that. I really am. And all I ask in return is a drink or two. Well Paul, if you're reading this, given the fact that you already owed by at least a drink, I figure that you now owe me a few. A pitcher, even, if I may be so bold!;-) Seriously, I'm really happy that my little rant about the unfairness of it all helped you find a new publishing home.

Hmmm, it occurs to me that I should stop dealing in booze from now on. . . At least with GRRM I had the presence of mind to ask to be murdered in the A Dance with Dragons. Maybe I should try to get myself killed in as many SFF novels as I possibly can. Think my mom would be proud of that!?!

Okay, so Kearney's misfortune really sucked. But to all you SFF editors out there, you want to know what really, really sucks!?! Well, the fact that I have yet to find a publisher myself! My agent Matt Bialer has two of my manuscripts, so someone step up to the plate and offer us a book deal, damn it!:p

Win a copy of THE SOLARIS BOOK OF NEW FANTASY

Thanks to the cool folks at Solaris, I have a couple of copies of their brand new anthology, The Solaris Book of New Fantasy, for you guys to win. For more info about this title: Canada, USA, Europe.

The anthology is comprised of short stories by authors such as Janny Wurts, Hal Duncan, Jeff VanderMeer, Chris Roberson, Mike Resnick, Jay Lake, Steven Erikson, and more. It's a great line-up, and I'm curious to see how good it is.:-) For more information, check out www.solarisbooks.com.

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

Help Raise Funds for Breast Cancer Research

Hi guys!

With the Holiday shopping just around the corner, I just wanted to remind everyone that all the proceeds from my Amazon Associates Program will by donated to the Canadian Breast Cancer Research Foundation. All you need to do is click on one of the links you can find in my reviews and other posts (Canada, USA, Europe), and a small percentage of all your purchases will be donated to that worthy cause.

Whether you're planning on buying books, CDs, DVDs, video games, an Ipod, a laptop, a plasma screen, or just a gift certificate, I invite everyone to shop through those links. I'm glad to announce that the test results are in, and there is no trace of cancer left in my mother's body!:-) Sadly, too many women cannot claim the same.

As I stated in September when Robert Jordan passed away, I will donate all the proceeds generated by the Amazon Associates Program till December 31st to the foundation. Hopefully, one day soon a cure for Breast Cancer will be found.

Until then, every single penny counts. So if you want to help make a difference, you guys know what to do!

Win an autographed Advance Reading Copy of GRRM and co.'s INSIDE STRAIGHT

Thanks to the kind folks at Tor Books (who are going all out for this giveaway!), I have two Advance Reading Copies of the newest Wild Cards novel, Inside Straight (Canada, USA, Europe), up for grabs. As if this wasn't enough, both ARCs will be signed by all nine authors, making these two prizes collector's items of great value! Each copy will hence bear the signature of George R. R. Martin, Daniel Abraham, Melinda M. Snodgrass, Carrie Vaughn, Michael Cassutt, Caroline Spector, John Jos. Miller, Ian Tregillis, and S. L. Farrell. Is that cool or what!?!;-)

The rules are the same as usual. First off, you need to send an email at reviews@(no-spam)gryphonwood.net with the header "STRAIGHT." 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. GRRM sent me the 9-way Wild Cards interview yesterday, and it's going to be something! Stay tuned for that!:-)

Joel Shepherd contest winners!

Each winner will receive a complimentary copy of Joel Shepherd's intelligent and action-packed Killswitch (Canada, USA, Europe), courtesy of Pyr.

The winners are:

- Christopher Robbins, from Brigantine, New Jersey, USA

- John M. Lohman, from Traverse City, Michigan, USA

- Dave Wyatt, from Fukton, Maryland, USA

Thanks to all the participants!;-)

K. J. Parker contest winner!

Thanks to Orbit's generosity, our lucky winner will get his hands on all three volumes of K. J. Parker's The Engineer Trilogy; Devices and Desires (Canada, USA, Europe), Evil for Evil (Canada, USA, Europe), and The Escapement (Canada, USA, Europe).

The winner is:

- John D. Sill, from Round Lake, Illinois, USA (the pesky complainer known as Jaxom 1974 on asoiaf.westeros.org!)

Hmmm, I'm tempted to send him a Stanek set instead. . .:p

NFL Showdown: GRRM vs Pat (Week 11)

Dallas Cowboys 28

vs

Washington Redskins 23

New York Giants 16

vs

Detroit Lions 10

This from GRRM's Not A Blog:

I have a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach that we're headed toward a Cowboys - Patriots Superbowl. There's no teams I loathe more. I'll have no one to root for. Is there some way both of them can lose?

Unless the Cowboys choke, it looks as though a grisly death is in store for Patrick St. Denis. I think I'll kill a couple of guys named Romo and Teo along with him.

(Sits down to sharpen his axe).

He he he!;-) Music to my ears. . .

Still, the Giants are hanging in there and they continue to win. So we're not out of the woods yet. . .

But things are definitely looking up!

Special Subpress 50% off Sale

This from the Subterranean Press website:

This special is good until the end of the day on Tuesday, November 20, 2007.

Order at least 5 Limited or Trade editions priced $150 or less (in print or forthcoming books are eligible, but Lettered editions are not) and your total order is 50% off. To take advantage, you must mention this special when checking out. Your shopping cart and automatic email confirmation won’t refect the sale price, but don’t worry, we’ll catch it when processing your order. Limit of one copy of any given title.

A few other things to note. If paying via PayPal, do NOT go through our store. Drop us an email for a PayPal invoice. This special may not be combined with any other special offer, coupon, or savings certificate. Regular shipping charges apply.

Since forthcoming books are eligible, check out the new Gaiman, Erikson, GRRM, Novik, Morgan, etc, Bill and co. have on the way!;-) Check out www.subterraneanpress.com.

Dreamsongs, Volume 1

Before I begin this book review, I feel the need to point out the fact that I'm not the most conversant of readers when it comes to short fiction. I wish I could read more novellas and short stories, but SFF anthologies have seldom managed to really satisfy me. The main problem with anthologies is that they're too much like Beastie Boys albums (barring License to Ill), meaning that they habitually contain a couple of gems that are worth your while. And yet, inevitably, these gems are buried underneath lackluster and uninspired works, which naturally kills the anthology for me.

As was the case with the bulk of fantasy readers, I was a bit taken aback by the buzz surrounding Martin's A Game of Thrones when it was initially released. Like most, I was unaware of GRRM's award-winning body of work in terms of short fiction. To me, he was simply the "Wild Cards guy." Yes, in retrospect, I was an idiot. Incidentally, many contend that I still am, but I digress. . .

Hence, Dreamsongs appeared to be the perfect opportunity for me to get better acquainted with the material which allowed George R. R. Martin to win every possible speculative fiction award, or so it seems. But still I was reticent, wondering if this collection of short fiction was for me. Well, I'm sure glad I elected to give this one a shot!

As a compendium of GRRM's early work, Dreamsongs is a veritable journey through the author's long and celebrated career. Each section begins with an extensive and insightful commentary that permits us to learn quite a lot about the man and his stories. As good as the material is -- and believe me, anthologies don't get much better than this! -- I found Martin's commentary to be at times as fascinating as the tales themselves.

As a matter of course, detractors and haters will bitch and moan about the fact that, once again, this is not A Dance with Dragons, that GRRM is spending too much time working on various other projects instead of focusing on his bestselling series. In all honesty, this might not be the next ASOIAF installment, yet I believe that it's the next best thing. In many ways, I was more impressed by Dreamsongs than by what I've read thus far of the ASOIAF saga. This collection demonstrates just how talented and versatile an author GRRM truly is.

While some stories are better than others, I think that every piece which was selected to comprise this anthology belongs within its pages. Indeed, it allows the reader to grasp how GRRM's career and writing style evolved over the years. My favorites include The Exit to San Breta, The Second Kind of Loneliness, With Morning Comes Mistfall, A Song for Lya, The Way of Cross and Dragon, The Lonely Songs of Laren Dorr, Remembering Melody, and Nightflyers.

Only rarely does a book make such an impression on me. Truth to tell, I really feel like a dumbass for ever referring to GRRM as the "Wild Cards guy." I've been reading and appreciating speculative fiction for more than two decades, yet I've only just discovered what made Martin the writer he has become today.

Dreamsongs is a book to own, no question about it. I received ARCs of both volumes, but I'm buying copies of the finished edition for my permanent collection.

Dreamsongs is as engrossing and satisfying as any novel you are likely to read this year. If it's not there already, add this one to your Christmas present list.

The final verdict: 8/10

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

More drivel!

As if there isn't enough nonsense on this blog of mine, I was asked to participate in another Q&A. So if you're interested, follow this link to read my answers to a few review-related questions.

It's a round table interview with a couple of fellow bloggers/online reviewers that Aidan Moher put together. This link will take you to the first part, with the second installment coming up soon, I would guess. I think I was a bit harsher in some of my replies than my counterparts, but what the heck!?!

I have to say that it was a bit funny to realize that Rob Bedford was in on this as well. Though we've worked together on a couple of projects in the last couple of years, Rob was, for quite a while, my most trusted source for SFF reading material. Truth be told, he still is. But if I'm considered "old school," I wonder what that makes him!?!;-)

Enjoy!

The Farseer Graphic Adaptation

Many thanks to Serpent Blanc for informing me that Laurent Sieurac had posted new material on http://www.rivages-maudits.com/.

Looks good!:-)

The Castles of Westeros

GRRM fans, check out Ted Nasmith's website:

Working closely with Martin, the artist has been commissioned to illustrate an assortment of castles from the series for the upcoming ASOIAF sourcebook . There will be 13 works produced, each a distinct location based on the author's descriptions.

The artwork looks fantastic, so follow the link if you want to see those beautiful paintings!

I have a feeling that these illustrations will whet ASOIAF fans' appetite for that sourcebook. . .;-) It sure looks like this will be a 100 times better than The Wheel of Time sourcebook which was published a few years back.

The Malazan Book of the Fallen Graphic Adaptation

Steven Erikson approved this character sketch of Topper for the forthcoming Dabel Brothers graphic adaptation.

Not that I don't like it, but I have to admit that I never pictured Topper quite like this. . .

This week's New York Times Bestsellers (November 13th)

In hardcover:

Laurell K. Hamilton's A Lick of Frost is down seven positions, ending its second week on the charts at number 9. For more info about this title: Canada, USA, Europe.

Clive Barker's Mister B. Gone debuts at number 20. For more info about this title: Canada, USA, Europe.

R. A. Salvatore's The Orc King is down six spots, finishing its sixth week on the bestseller list at number 23. For more info about this title: Canada, USA, Europe.

Michael Reaves and Steve Perry's Death Star is down nine positions, endings its third week on the NYT list at number 28. For more info about this title: Canada, USA, Europe.

Stephen R. Donaldson's Fatal Revenant is down thirteen spots, finishing its fourth week on the prestigious list at number 34. For more info about this title: Canada, USA, Europe.

In paperback:

Cormac McCarthy's The Road is down two positions, ending its 31st week on the charts at number 10. For more info about this title: Canada, USA, Europe.

Quote of the day

Memories make us who we are, dreams make us what we become.

-- ANONYMOUS

This is one of my favorite quotes. . .

Win a signed copy of Jack Whyte's STANDARD OF HONOR

Thanks to the nice folks at Penguin Books, I have an autographed copy of Jack Whyte's latest, Standard of Honor, up for grabs!

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

Publishers Weekly's Best books of the year

Again, better late than never! Here's the link to the full article.

The picks:

Inferno Edited by Ellen Datlow (Tor)

Acacia by David Anthony Durham (Doubleday)

Ilario: The Lion's Eye by Mary Gentle (Eos)

In War Times by Kathleen Ann Goonan (Tor)

Bright of the Sky: Book One of Entire and the Rose by Kay Kenyon (Pyr)

The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss (DAW)

The Winds of Marble Arch by Connie Willis (Subterranean)

Lists like these always remind me of how many titles I managed to miss during the year!

Amazon.com's Best of 2007 in the SFF category

I know I should have posted this earlier, but better late than never!;-)

Here's Amazon's Top 10:

1. The Terror by Dan Simmons

2. Brasyl by Ian McDonald

3. Territory by Emma Bull

4. The Traitor by Michael Cisco

5. Spaceman Blues: A Lovesong by Brian Francis Slattery

6. Shelter by Susan Palwick

7. The Name of The Wind by Patrick Rothfuss

8. Thirteen (Black Man) by Richard Morgan

9. Tin House: Fantastic Women by Aimee Bender

10. The Coyote Road edited by Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling

The link to the full story. . .

I loved The Terror, yet I think that both Brasyl and Black Man deserve to be ranked higher.

False ASOIAF rumors

Adam Whitehead (Werthead) asked me to spread the word around, so let's hope that this will help set the record straight.

A few days back Mystar (yes, him again), came out and claimed that the ASOIAF series to be produced by HBO had been canned. The announcement was made in this thread on http://www.sffworld.com/. Needless to say, the news caused a bit of a stir among GRRM online fans. So let's make one thing clear: This is utter bullshit. Most people should have known better, especially with the news coming from that man and his "sources," at Tor Books no less!

This from Parris, George R. R. Martin's girlfriend (censored a bit):

Who would believe or write anything based on third hand information from a person supposedly connected to a publishing house that is not publishing the original source material?

A total load of steaming toxic pig censored.

Publishers only get involved with a movie/tv production if there's going to be a big promotional campaign that's going to cross over between the studio and the publishing house. TOR has nothing to do with the ASoI&F series. Now, if these rumours were based on a WILD CARDS film project, one would have to pause for a moment and consider the source. But TOR is not the publisher of ASoI&F, Bantam Spectra is, and the chasm between the SF publishing world and Hollywood studios is deep, wide and vast.

We have not heard anything, anything at all, about the current status of the option and possible pilot at HBO. We do know that HBO has a pilot script for AGOT, and that several layers of studio 'suits' have liked what they've seen so far. As Ran pointed out, with the current WGA strike and looming strikes by the other creative unions, few, if any, new projects can be confirmed right now, and it is unlikely studios will start filming new projects until the outcome of the strike(s) is determined. Usually what happens is the WGA takes it on the chin, and then the following guilds say "we'll have what the WGA had, only with extra pickles" and all is good in Hollywood and production schedules fill up once again. Yes, the studios are taking this opportunity to dump various development deals with indy producers and writers. There is NO indication that HBO is trying to dump the HBO project at this time.

There is a possibility that HBO could 'greenlight' pre-production. But no work on polishing the pilot script or working on creating following episodes/show bibles/anything to do with writing more on a ASoI&F series for HBO can be done under present circumstances. Still, it's further along than much of its competition at HBO, having a completed pilot script, and at least some pre-production could conceivably happen, or at least be ready to start once the strike was settled.

Did (the source) even try to find a second source for his 'news'? Does he understand what happens when a literary work is optioned and then is adapted for a film or tv series? I don't think so, and I resent him attempting to spread unfounded rumours, if not outright confabulations, about a project he can know nothing about.

To those who were a bit concerned about this, don't you think that GRRM himself would come out with the news on his own blog or website? Anything coming from Terry Goodkind's webmaster and friend for stuff which is not TG-related should not be given any credence, especially where GRRM and ASOIAF are concerned. . .