Overview of Terry Goodkind's THE OMEN MACHINE

Can't afford to buy Terry Goodkind's The Omen Machine (Canada, USA, Europe), but you don't want to miss out on all that triumph of the human spirit stuff??? Rejoice!

Salazar is posting a snarky chapter-by-chapter overview of the Yeard's latest masterpiece on Neogaf. Follow this link to read about the latest adventures of Richard and Kahlan. . .

2011 Hugo Awards

Kudos to Lou Anders (about time!) and Clarkesworld Magazine!!!

BEST NOVEL

Blackout/All Clear by Connie Willis (Ballantine Spectra)

BEST NOVELLA

The Lifecycle of Software Objects by Ted Chiang (Subterranean)

BEST NOVELETTE

“The Emperor of Mars” by Allen M. Steele (Asimov’s, June 2010)

BEST SHORT STORY

“For Want of a Nail” by Mary Robinette Kowal (Asimov’s, September 2010)

BEST RELATED WORK

Chicks Dig Time Lords: A Celebration of Doctor Who by the Women Who Love It, edited by Lynne M. Thomas and Tara O’Shea (Mad Norwegian)

BEST GRAPHIC STORY

Girl Genius, Volume 10: Agatha Heterodyne and the Guardian Muse, written by Phil and Kaja Foglio; art by Phil Foglio; colors by
Cheyenne Wright (Airship Entertainment)

BEST DRAMATIC PRESENTATION, LONG FORM

Inception, written and directed by Christopher Nolan (Warner)

BEST DRAMATIC PRESENTATION, SHORT FORM

Doctor Who: “The Pandorica Opens/The Big Bang,” written by Steven Moffat; directed by Toby Haynes (BBC Wales)

BEST EDITOR, SHORT FORM

Sheila Williams

BEST EDITOR, LONG FORM

Lou Anders

BEST PROFESSIONAL ARTIST

Shaun Tan

BEST SEMIPROZINE

Clarkesworld, edited by Neil Clarke, Cheryl Morgan, Sean Wallace; podcast directed by Kate Baker

BEST FANZINE

The Drink Tank, edited by Christopher J Garcia and James Bacon

BEST FAN WRITER

Claire Brialey

BEST FAN ARTIST

Brad W. Foster

JOHN W. CAMPBELL AWARD FOR BEST NEW WRITER

Award for the best new professional science fiction or fantasy writer of 2009 or 2010, sponsored by Dell Magazines (not a Hugo Award).

Lev Grossman

Quote of the Day

The success of The Windup Girl makes me wonder whether or not we even know what the term ‘science fiction’ means to people. I hope my novel uses the same tools science fiction has always used, but turns them to some pressing, timely concerns of today. Maybe science fiction lost its track a little bit, and got off on some lines of speculation which are pretty interesting but not necessarily connected to today’s questions, as previously it had been core to our conception of ourselves and where we were headed. You want our genre to be perceived as the most relevant of storytelling methods. That science fiction is specifically about our world and what’s going on with it, imposing a sense of meaning over that world that otherwise is muddy.

- Paolo Bacigalupi, author of the excellent The Windup Girl (Canada, USA, Europe) in an interview with Locus Magazine.

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

In hardcover:

George R. R. Martin's A Dance With Dragons maintains its position at number 2. For more info about this title: Canada, USA, Europe.

Sherrilyn Kenyon's Retribution debuts at number 4.

Jim Butcher's Ghost Story is down four positions, ending the week at number 5. For more info about this title: Canada, USA, Europe.

Karen Traviss' Gears of War: Coalition's End debuts at number 23.

Charlaine Harris' Dead Reckoning is down one position, ending the week at number 24. For more info about this title: Canada, USA, Europe.

Charlaine Harris and Toni L. P. Kelner's Home Improvement: Undead Edition debuts at number 28.

In paperback:

George R. R. Martin's A Game of Thrones maintains its position at number 2.

George R. R. Martin's A Clash of Kings is down one position, ending the week at number 4.

George R. R. Martin's A Storms of Swords maintains its position at number 7.

George R. R. Martin's A Game of Thrones is down one spot, finishing the week at number 10 (trade paperback).

George R. R. Martin's A Feast for Crows is up one position, ending the week at number 11.

George R. R. Martin's A Clash of Kings is down thirteen positions, ending the week at number 26 (trade paperback).

Stephenie Meyer's The Host debuts at number 26.

Orson Scott Card's Ender's Game is up three spots, finishing the week at number 30.

Stephen King's Full Dark, No Stars returns at number 31 (trade paperback).

George R. R. Martin's A Feast for Crows is up one spot, finishing the week at number 32 (trade paperback).

Jim Butcher contest winners!

Each of our winners will get their hands on a copy of Jim Butcher's Ghost Story, courtesy of the folks at Roc. For more info about this title: Canada, USA, Europe.

The winners are:

- Jonathan Massaquoi, from Washington, D.C., USA

- Mi Young Jun, from Glendale, Arizona, USA (Moreta on asoiaf.westeros.org)

- Milad Fereshtehnezhad, from Arlington, Texas, USA (Milad on sffworld.com)

- Parto Barkhordari, from Leesburg, Virginia, USA

- Arvind Raghupathy, from Plantation, Florida, USA

Many thanks to all the participants!

Win a copy of Brian Ruckley's THE EDINBURGH DEAD

I have three copies of Brian Ruckley's latest, The Edinburgh Dead, for you to win, compliments of the fine folks at Orbit. For more info about this title: Canada, USA, Europe.

Here's the blurb:

Edinburgh: 1828

In the starkly-lit operating theaters of the city, grisly experiments are being carried out on corpses in the name of medical science. But elsewhere, there are those experimenting with more sinister forces.

Amongst the crowded, sprawling tenements of the labyrinthine Old Town, a body is found, its neck torn to pieces. Charged with investigating the murder is Adam Quire, Officer of the newly- formed Edinburgh Police. The trail will lead him into the deepest reaches of the city's criminal underclass, and to the highest echelons of the filthy rich.

Soon Quire will discover that a darkness is crawling through this city of enlightenment - and no one is safe from its corruption.

The Edinburgh Dead is a powerful fusion of gothic horror, history, and the fantastical.

The rules are the same as usual. You need to send an email at reviews@(no-spam)gryphonwood.net with the header "EDINBURGH." 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!

A bit of humor. . .

Dorky but funny Star Wars/Energizer commercial!

Joe Abercrombie's A RED COUNTRY

Most of us have been waiting for news regarding Joe Abercrombie's fantasy/western project, and the author just gave his fans a little update!

This from Abercrombie's blog:

So I’ve finished the first draft of the second part of my latest masterwork, workingly titled, ‘A Red Country,’ or possibly just, ‘Red Country,’ we will see on that score. For those who have failed to follow this blog religiously for the past few months (shame on you faithless scum), it is another semi-standalone set in the world of The First Law, and fusing fantasy elements with western elements, in the same way that The Heroes was a fantasy/war story and Best Served Cold fantasy/thriller-ish. That puts me about 40% of the way through a first draft, though I suspect there’ll be a fair bit of work to do once the first draft is complete. Isn’t there always? Now the terrifying wait for feedback from my editor and readers while I try and sort out what exactly I’m going to do with my next part. I guess one could say that if Part I was a little bit Searchers then Part II rolled into Lonesome Dove territory and Part III has something of a Deadwood/Fistful of Dollars motif.

I feel a fair bit more comfortable with this second part than I did with the first, as you’d expect or at least hope. One generally aims to get a better and better handle on the plot, settings and characters as one goes through a draft, until by the time you’re finishing your first draft you know pretty much exactly what you’re aiming at, and editing becomes largely a case of bringing earlier parts into line with that final one.

I’ve made quite a significant change to the personality of one of my two central characters – or perhaps not a change but a clarification, a shift of emphasis and a refinement of style – and he seems to be working quite a bit better now. In essence, I’ve made him a bit more of a shit than he was before, which tends to be a fruitful direction for me to go in with characters on the whole. Who knew?

It’s taken me a little longer to get this part together than I’d hoped, what with one thing and another, but if I can up the pace a little from here on in we should still be looking at delivery early next year and publication somewhere around late summer early autumn 2012. Such is the hope. But you know what they say about hopes.

Don’t make a parachute out of ’em.

Update: Girls of Geek 2012 Calendar

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

Jon Sprunk contest winners!

Thanks to the generosity of the folks at Pyr, our winners will get their hands on a copy of Jon Sprunk's Shadow's Lure. For more info about this title: Canada, USA, Europe.

The winners are:

- Kai Mundwiler, from Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA

- Marta Kowalczyk, from Kraków, Poland

- Brannigan Cheney, from Redondo Beach, California, USA

Many thanks to all the participants!

New cover art for Joe Abercrombie's BEST SERVED COLD and THE HEROES

Orbit is going in yet another visual direction for their Joe Abercrombie covers. The photography is by Michael Frost. The photo illustration is by Gene Mollica.

Video interview with Patrick Rothfuss

Shawn Speakman sat down with bestselling author Patrick Rothfuss during the San Diego Comic Con. In this interview, Rothfuss answers questions from his fans.

Enjoy!

Patrick Rothfuss Answers Fan Questions | San Diego Comic Con 2011 from Suvudu on Vimeo.

Win a copy of the 20th anniversary edition of L. E. Modesitt, jr.'s THE MAGIC OF RECLUCE

I have five copies of the 20th anniversary edition of L. E. Modesitt, jr.'s The Magic of Recluce for you to win, courtesy of the nice folks at Tor Books. For more information about this title: Canada, USA, Europe.

Here's the blurb:

With The Magic of Recluce, L.E. Modesitt made his impressive hardcover debut, breaking out in wide scope and grand scale with a novel in the great tradition of the war between good and evil in a wonderful fantasy world. Modesitt had been producing fast-paced, slickly-written novels of SF adventure, often compared to the work of Keith Laumer and Gordon R. Dickson. Then, in his biggest and best book yet, he broadened his canvas and turned to fantasy and magic, stepping immediately into the front rank of contemporary fantasy writers.

The Magic of Recluce is a carefully-plotted fantasy novel of character about the growth and education of a young magician. In it, Modesitt confronts real moral issues with gripping force, builds atmosphere slowly and convincingly and gives his central character, Lerris, real intellectual challenges. This is the kind of highly-rationalized fantasy that Poul Anderson and Gordon R. Dickson write when they write fantasy, colorful and detailed.

He is given the standard two options: permanent exile from Recluce or the dangergeld, a complex, rule-laden wanderjahr in the lands beyond Recluce with the aim of learning how the world works and what his place in it might be. Many do not survive. He chooses dangergeld.

Though magic is rarely discussed openly in Recluce, it becomes clear, when Lerris is sent into intensive training for his quest, that he has a natural talent for it during his weapons lessons. And he will need magic in the lands beyond, where the power of the Chaos Wizards reigns unchecked. He must learn to use his powers in an orderly way or fall prey to Chaos.

Lerris may resent order, but he has no difficulty choosing good over evil. As he begins his lonely journey, he falls into the company of a gray magician, once of Recluce, who tutors him in the use of magic and shows him some of the devastation caused by the Chaos Wizards in the great wars between Chaos and Order of past times.

Lerris pursues a quest for knowledge and power that leads him across strange lands, through the ghostly ruins of the old capitol of Chaos, down the white roads of the Chaos Wizards to a final battle with the archenemy of Order, discovering in the end true control of magic, true love, and the beginning of true wisdom. An epic adventure, The Magic of Recluce0, is a triumph of fantasy.

The rules are the same as usual. You need to send an email at reviews@(no-spam)gryphonwood.net with the header "RECLUCE." 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 (August 9th)

In hardcover:

Jim Butcher's Ghost Story debuts at number 1. For more info about this title: Canada, USA, Europe.

George R. R. Martin's A Dance With Dragons is down one spot, finishing the week at number 2. For more info about this title: Canada, USA, Europe.

Kelley Armstrong's Spell Bound debuts at number 19.

Charlaine Harris' Dead Reckoning is down two positions, ending the week at number 23. For more info about this title: Canada, USA, Europe.

Timothy Zahn's Star Wars: Choices of One is down nine spots, finishing the week at number 26. For more info about this title: Canada, USA, Europe.

Glen Duncan's The Last Werewolf is down four spots, finishing the week at number 29.

In paperback:

George R. R. Martin's A Game of Thrones maintains its position at number 2.

George R. R. Martin's A Clash of Kings is up one position, ending the week at number 3.

George R. R. Martin's A Storms of Swords maintains its position at number 7.

George R. R. Martin's A Game of Thrones is down two spots, finishing the week at number 9 (trade paperback).

George R. R. Martin's A Feast for Crows is down two positions, ending the week at number 12.

George R. R. Martin's A Clash of Kings is up two positions, ending the week at number 13 (trade paperback).

George R. R. Martin's A Feast for Crows returns at number 33 (trade paperback).

Orson Scott Card's Ender's Game is down eleven spots, finishing the week at number 33.

Hitler digs ASOIAF!!!

He's not quite pleased with Ned's fate in the HBO Game of Thrones Series.



And he's not too thrilled by the scene in which Ser Patrek of King's Mountain meets his own end. :P

Hawkwood and the Kings

I've been meaning to read Paul Kearney's The Monarchies of God for several years now, and when the two omnibus editions were released I knew I had no excuse not to. As always, it took a while, but I finally had the opportunity to sit down and read the first omnibus, Hawkwood and the Kings.

Given the excitement and rave reviews regarding this series, expectations were high. I'm glad these books are now back into print, for Kearney truly delivers!

Here's the blurb:

The world is in turmoil. In the east the savage Merduks, followers of the Prophet Ahrimuz, have captured the holy city of Aekir. The western kingdoms are too distracted by internecine bickering to intervene and the Church seems more obsessed with rooting out heresy. It is an age where men go to the stake for the taint of magic in their blood, where gunpowder and cannon co-exit with werewolves and sorcerers. It is the turning point when two get reilgions will fight to the death and the common folk will struggle to merely survive.

The worldbuilding is probably the most interesting aspect of these books. First of all, the story takes place in a world that is more technically advanced than the usual Western European medieval setting. There are canons and firearms, and science is more advanced than in the popular Dark Ages that are so commonplace in fantasy these days. Secondly, Paul Kearney makes religion once of the most important themes of this series, pitting the equivalent of Christinanity against Islam in a war of conquest. With POV characters from both faiths, you witness the tale unfolding through two different perspectives, giving The Monarchies of God a lot more depth. Finally, the exploration of the fabled western continent add a certain South American flavor to the setting.

Known for his brevity, this characteristic of the author sometimes plays against him. Although the story moves forward at a crisp pace and the plotlines are engrossing, I often found myself bemoaning the fact that more information would have given more depth and/or impact to certain scenes. While I certainly wasn't expecting Kearney to turn into Katherine Kurtz, I would have liked more background information to flesh out the Church a bit more, what with it playing such a key role in every major event of the book. The same can be said of Dweomer magic, which is barely explained at all. It's all nitpicking, I know, and yes at times too much is worst than too little. And yet, I feel that elaborating a bit more on various concepts would have been more than a little beneficial to the series.

Though the books themselves may be short, The Monarchies of God is nevertheless a sprawling series with quite a few layers. The characterization reflects that, with a number of POV characters through whose eyes we see the tale unfold. That variety of points of view really elevates Kearney's work to another level. Some of the supporting cast could use a bit more fleshing out, but the main protagonists are a three-dimensional bunch for the most part. To all ends and purposes, it might be Richard Hawkwood and King Abeleyn's story, but Corfe, Albrec, and Avila play pivotal roles in what is to come. I particularly enjoyed the Merduks' perspective. With several cliffhangers before the end, it will be interesting to see what is to become of most of the protagonists in the sequel, Century of the Soldier.

Since this omnibus edition is comprised of Paul Kearney's Hawkwood's Voyage and The Heretic Kings, it doesn't read like one of those doorstopper fantasy novel, but like two short and relatively fast-paced books. The rhythm is fluid throughout, without a single dull moment from start to finish. The author may have gone a bit over-the-top with his naval expertise, but that's his prerogative. It certainly gives the novel a more genuine feel.

If you are looking for something different, Kearney's The Monarchies of God could be just what you need!

Recommended.

The final verdict: 7.75/10

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

Flashback: Mystar vs ASOIAF

I was discussing the HBO series Game of Thrones with someone earlier tonight, and we reminisced about Mystar (Terry Goodkind's friend) lying about the TV deal falling through a few years back. Given the HBO series' great success and the Emmy nominations compared to Legend of the Seeker ending up being a travesty and being taken off the air, we shared a few laughs!

Found the original thread on sffworld.com. Here are a few nuggets of entertainment for you to enjoy:

Actually, I was talking to a friend at TOR today, the TV/mini-series deal for ASOIAF fell through. HBO decided not to take it and the production company was said to have discontinued with the option In other words, they backed out. I was truly looking forward to seeing how this would be adapted to cinema.

It is a pretty reliable source, but like any only time will tell

Hopefully someone else will be able to pick it up...

[...]

The problem is the breath and scope of the story line. Condensing that down into a project for the TV is not an easy task. That and the fact that there really is no demonstrable reason to the story line that woudl appeal to the masses... No hero figure..who doesn't get killed, to many random killings for no more than someone was in someones elses way...things like that. HBO kicked it out, but that doesn't mean another could take it and make it work...

[...]

No malace at all.

I was polite and quite frank.

While I understand it GRRM's GF may offer her opinion, we also have to understand her possable reluctance(sp) to let out the fact that it did in fact get dropped....and perhaps having dinner with several agents in New York and jabbering about projects and books my information could also be rhumor heard and passed along.

~shrugs~

So what?

I was simply stating what I was privy to. I also said I hoped it would be picked up....if in fact that was the case.

There is no need to insult or attack me for simply discusing my thoughts. We can be civilized and polite, or at least I can...

[...]

I was however in Vegas a few weeks ago at the convention, while bidding, discussion and other news was being bantied about, So I would guess my information is just as creditable, as I was specificly asking HBO, agents and the money reps...

~shrugs~

But thepoint is, I don't have to offer any proof... the proof will be know when it never happens.

~shrugs~

Or this on Westeros:

BUT ABC/Disney would not be denied. "We know a block buster when we see it"... This also is fleshed out in the aspect that even BEFORE any hype, trailers or much of anything, this series has been picked up in over 98% of the markets...again a record breaker, and stunning ABC/Disney.

All because this is a story about Hero's...TRUE heros!. Heroic people acting in a manor that underscores the true Nobility that is mankind. It proves what Goodkind has been telling us for over 15 years now... People want heros... TRUE Heros. This is the same thing Sam Raimi, Rob Tapert Ned Nallie, ABC and Disney all agree on... This is why you see something like George R R Martin's A song of Ice and Fire always failing by comparison, why it is still sitting on the shelf, why the screen play has had to have been rewritten several times already, and it is still sitting there... It has no true hero's and no honor for life... People want to feel good about their heros, they want Heros, they can believe in!!!

Sweet memories. . .

Ah, Mystar. . . Gotta love the guy! I mean, who wouldn't want the Mystar action figure!?!

The guy made me the original Lemming of Discord, after all. . . :P

Awesome!

These three videos are wonderful, especially if you love to travel! Check them out:

3 guys, 44 days, 11 countries, 18 flights, 38 thousand miles, an exploding volcano, 2 cameras and almost a terabyte of footage... all to turn 3 ambitious linear concepts based on movement, learning and food ....into 3 beautiful and hopefully compelling short films.....

= a trip of a lifetime.

move, eat, learn

Rick Mereki : Director, producer, additional camera and editing
Tim White : DOP, producer, primary editing, sound
Andrew Lees : Actor, mover, groover

MOVE from Rick Mereki on Vimeo.

LEARN from Rick Mereki on Vimeo.

EAT from Rick Mereki on Vimeo.

New online venture. . .

Hey folks,

As you know, I considered hanging them up last fall. Though I reconsidered after realizing that Pat's Fantasy Hotlist had been a very important part of me since 2005, I've been aware for the last couple of years that I needed something new, something different.

For a long time I believed that it would be in the political field, as I received a number of invitations to join forces with other political bloggers/analysts. I also knew I wanted to do something that would allow me to blog in French as well as in English.

When I boarded that plane bound for Bucharest in June, I knew that I needed to make up my mind before my return. There were two alternatives I was juggling inside my mind. Enter the political field, which would have been very interesting. Yet I also wanted to have fun putting together this new online venture. So my second alternative ultimately won me over. If you rank among my Facebook friends, then you are probably aware that I've created a new blog last month. And after toying with the layout and a number of ideas, on July 20th it became official.

Most of you know that I'm a huge fan of the reality show Survivor since it first aired in the spring of 2000. After spending the last two years commenting and debating each new season on various online venues, I've decided to devote a little corner of the internet to my favorite TV show. In addition, since I fell in love with the French adaptation of Survivor last summer, I'd love to introduce English-speaking francophiles to Koh-Lanta.

Fear not, I won't shut down the Hotlist. This new blog is sort of an experiment for me, to see if I can "make it" reviewing another medium. A bilingual blog is also a first, I think, and some have mentioned that it might be a bit too ambitious of me to go down that road. But what do I have to lose??? Without any connections and resources, I somehow managed to make Pat's Fantasy Hotlist one of the most popular SFF blogs on the internet. So I'm game to try to do it again!

This little experiment of mine will be conducted throughout the fall season. I'll cover both Survivor: South Pacific and Koh-Lanta: Raja Ampat in tandem (as they'll run simultaneously) and see where it goes from there. They are currently shooting the 24th season of Survivor in Samoa, which will be aired in January or February 2012. Rumor has it that a new Koh-Lanta All-Stars will also be aired in the winter of 2012. Hence, if I'm having fun and people enjoy the site, I may cover those seasons as well.

As I did with the Hotlist, I want to try to make things interactive with the new blog, and I'll try to get former castaways for interviews and/or guest blogs. Time will tell which way the wind blows. . . As usual -- and I've already begun -- I'll post related news regarding both TV shows.

In order to find my new "voice," I began a rewatch of Survivor: Borneo, the very first season of Survivor. My reviews of the first four episodes have already been posted. I've done the same with Koh-Lanta: Vanuatu, first aired in 2006, which featured the first love story of the show. Yes, my review of the first episode is much longer than my Survivor reviews, but Koh-Lanta episodes last twice as long as their American counterparts.

After two back-to-back crappy seasons of Survivor and the worst Koh-Lanta season to date, the networks are promising great things for both Survivor: South Pacific and Koh-Lanta: Raja Ampat. Let us hope it will be the case. . .

So feel free to go have a look and chime in with your own two cents! You can find Redemption Island here: www.redemption-island.blogspot.com.

Melanie Rawn contest winners!

Thanks to the folks at Daw Books and the author herself, our winners will receive an autographed copy of Melanie Rawn's The Diviner. For more info about this title: Canada, USA, Europe.

The winners are:

- Tiffany Dall, from Belton, Missouri, USA

- Gwendolyn Bruno, from Portsmouth, Rhode Island, USA

- Joan Digney, from Redcliff, Alberta, Canada

- April Vrugtman, from Orlando, Florida, USA

- Shawn T. King, from Meridian, Mississippi, USA

Many thanks to all the participants!

Authors@Google with George R. R. Martin

About an hour-long Q&A with George R. R. Martin!

Quote of the Day

Comedy is just complaining in an entertaining way.

- JERRY SEINFELD

I guess I'm a comedian, then! :P

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

In hardcover:

George R. R. Martin's A Dance With Dragons maintains it position at number 1. For more info about this title: Canada, USA, Europe.

Timothy Zahn's Star Wars: Choices of One debuts at number 17. For more info about this title: Canada, USA, Europe.

Charlaine Harris' Dead Reckoning is down four positions, ending the week at number 21. For more info about this title: Canada, USA, Europe.

Glen Duncan's The Last Werewolf is up seven spots, finishing the week at number 25.

In paperback:

George R. R. Martin's A Game of Thrones is down one spot, finishing at number 2.

George R. R. Martin's A Clash of Kings maintains its position at number 4.

George R. R. Martin's A Game of Thrones is down one spot, finishing the week at number 7 (trade paperback).

George R. R. Martin's A Storms of Swords maintains its position at number 7.

George R. R. Martin's A Feast for Crows maintains its position at number 10.

George R. R. Martin's A Clash of Kings is down four positions, ending the week at number 15 (trade paperback).

Orson Scott Card's Ender's Game is down five spots, finishing the week at number 22.

Stephen King's Full Dark, No Stars is up five positions, ending the week at number 26.

Max Brooks' World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War returns at number 28.

Charlaine Harris' Dead in the Family returns at number 33.

A truly epic discussion on epic fantasy

The latest edition of Clarkesworld Magazine contains an article titled "Something Greater: An Epic Discussion of Epic Fantasy, part 1."

They have gathered 28 pros (26 authors, 1 editor, and one literary agent) to discuss one of the most popular sub-genres on the market. Taking part are: Steven Erikson, Terry Brooks, Kate Elliott, Peter Orullian, Gaie Sebold, Erin Hoffman, Lou Anders, James Barclay, Elizabeth Bear, Trudi Canavan, Rowena Cory Daniells, David Anthony Durham, Ian Cameron Esslemont, Lynn Flewelling, Ed Greenwood, John Jarrold, N. K. Jemisin, K. V. Johansen, J. V. Jones, Paul Kearney, Juliet McKenna, Robin McKinley, Robert V. S. Redick, Patrick Rothfuss, Brandon Sanderson, Michael A. Stackpole, Victoria Strauss, and Gav Thorpe.

In the first part of this enormous interview, they answer three questions: What is at the heart (or core) of Epic Fantasy? Why do you write Epic Fantasy? What is the relationship between characters and settings in Epic Fantasy?

Here's Patrick Rothfuss' answer to the first question:

It depends on who you ask, really. In my opinion, Epic Fantasy is one of the most vaguely-defined genres out there.

It's sort of like "pornography" or "art." Most everyone uses those terms very loosely, and they don't really have a definition for them. They operate under a policy of "I know what it is when I see it."

With Epic Fantasy, the real question is what part of the story is supposed to be epic? The action? The length of time depicted? The length of the actual books?

I've heard some people say that the difference is the detail involved in the description of the world. But that seems like a pretty weak defining characteristic to me. If that were the case, most science fiction would be epic. But people don't think of it that way.

I don't claim to know, myself. But I think the rule of thumb most people use is the length of the books. If a book is more than 500 pages long, most people call it Epic Fantasy.

The second part will be found in the next edition of Clarkesworld Magazine.

You can read this very interesting Q&A here.

The true price of publishing

Ebooks have reignited the question of what we're really paying publishers for – the physical product, or what's written inside? That's the question William Skidelsky explores in a recent article for the Guardian Book Blog. Here's a teaser:

For example, it turns out that "publishers only spend $3.50 to print and distribute a hardback". (Let's say it's £3 in Britain.) So when, this autumn, you go into your local bookshop and spend £30 on that gorgeous copy of Claire Tomalin's long-awaited Dickens biography, you really are just putting a large amount of profit into the hands of her publisher, with some knocked off for the retailer. Right?

Well, yes and no. If you think of books primarily as physical objects, then off course they'll seem a rip-off, because printing and distributing them is cheap. But as Levine points out, what you're really paying for when you buy a book is something different. You are buying the "text itself". And why is that so expensive? Because the publisher will, in many cases, have paid the author a considerable sum for the right to sell it. And because that same publisher will also (if they're any good) have ploughed considerable further resources into editing and marketing it.

In other words, publishing is a business that incurs high fixed costs. And it's this, to return to my initial question, that accounts for the high price of (indeed the very existence of) hardbacks. The publisher needs to maximise revenues in order to defray its outlay. Some people are prepared to pay top dollar to have the premium product – a hardcover copy that comes out, crucially, months before other versions. So it makes sense for the publisher to offer it to them.

Questions of this sort have become especially pertinent recently, of course, with the arrival of an entirely new publishing format: the ebook. Most people instinctively feel that ebooks should be substantially cheaper than paper books, because an ebook is not physically "made": there are no printing costs. But if, says Levine, the real value of a book resides in the "text itself", then the delivery method shouldn't much matter. The fixed costs – acquiring, editing, marketing – remain unchanged.

Follow this link to read the full piece.

A bit of humor. . .

Best Skittles commercial ever! So funny! :P

Win a copy of FORT FREAK edited by George R. R. Martin

I have three copies of the newest Wild Cards novel, Fort Freak, edited by George R. R. Martin up for grabs, courtesy of the nice folks at Tor Books. For more info about this title: Canada, USA, Europe.

Here's the blurb:

In 1946, an alien virus that rewrites human DNA was accidentally unleashed in the skies over New York City. It killed ninety percent of those it infected. Nine percent survived, mutated into tragically deformed creatures. And one percent gained superpowers. The Wild Cards shared-universe series, created and edited by New York Times #1 bestseller George R. R. Martin (called “the American Tolkien” by Time), is the tale of the history of the world since then—and of the heroes among the one percent.

Now, in the latest Wild Cards mosaic novel, we get to know the hardbitten world of Manhattan’s Fifth Precinct—or “Fort Freak,” as cops and malefactors alike call the cop-shop where every other desk sergeant, detective, and patrol officer is more than human.

Featuring original work by writers such as Cherie Priest, author of the bestselling Boneshaker; Paul Cornell, Hugo–nominated comic book and Doctor Who writer; David Anthony Durham, winner of 2009’s John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer; and many others, Fort Freak is one of the strongest offerings yet in the ongoing Wild Cards project.

The rules are the same as usual. You need to send an email at reviews@(no-spam)gryphonwood.net with the header "FREAK." 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!

Jim Butcher interviews Patrick Rothfuss

From Suvudu:

It's Jim Butcher's turn to interview #1 New York Times bestselling Patrick Rothfuss.

Jim Butcher Interviews Patrick Rothfuss from Suvudu on Vimeo.

Should editors/authors respond to negative and/or lukewarm reviews???

Jane Johnson, an editor from Voyager, responded to a review of Mark Lawrence's Prince of Thorns (Canada, USA, Europe) on tor.com.

Here's an extract from Liz Bourke's review:

In my experience, you have to be either especially clueless, or trying very hard, to achieve that level of misogynist creepy.

I’m not going to stand here and insist on high feminist standards in every work of fiction I read (much as I’d appreciate it if more books had them). I don’t have very high expectations to start with. But a certain indication that the author sees women as people, and doesn’t leave me trying hard not to throw up because I can’t see very much in his book that undermines his protagonist’s view of the world — from where I’m standing, that indication is a minimum requirement.

While I didn’t like Prince of Thorns very much at all, that doesn’t necessarily make it a bad book. Problematic, but not necessarily bad. If you like bleak, bloody, and gruesome novels about cold-blooded unprincipled sociopaths who achieve their murderous dreams, then this book will be perfect for you. I wish you joy of it, because for all its flaws, Prince of Thorns has some damn good writing.

Me, I need to go scrub out my brain.

And here's the editor's response:

Liz is of course entitled to her own opinion, but I did find this rather a bizarrely skewed review, until I realized that it's appearing on the website of a rival publisher who failed to win the book at auction. Funnily enough, all of Mark Lawrence's editorial team in the UK and US are women, and none of us (hope you don't mind my speaking for you, Ginjer?) found the book misogynistic. Yes, it's grim and nihilistic in places, but also beautiful, uplifting and laugh-out-loud funny; and in the end Jorg emerges as - at the very least - an anti-hero (and develops further in the second novel, as the onion layers of his persona are peeled back one by one). He's a damaged boy, and for very good reason. This is dense, clever, beautifully written and highly rewarding fantasy for readers with a strong stomach, a love of language and the desire to read something a bit more challenging in the genre. But don't take my - or Liz's - word for it: read it for yourself and see what you think.

Although I don't necessarily agree with the tor.com review, I'm not sure Mrs. Johnson should have responded at all. For, no matter how valid the criticism of the review, I feel that editors usually look bad when they publicly make a stand like that.

This brings to mind the incredible amount of crap generated by what was a good-natured back-and-forth between Gollancz editor Simon Spanton and I following the posting of my review for Richard Morgan's The Steel Remains. After exchanging a few emails on the subject, Spanton suggested that I post our correspondence on the Hotlist on the eve of my departure for Poland. Needless to say, by the time I landed in Warsaw (comments were not moderated back then), things had taken a turn for the worse. . . And it was all over the SFF message boards to boot.

In case you missed it, we called our argument The Hype Files.

What do you guys think? Should authors and editors respond publicly to such reviews?

New blurb for Scott Lynch's THE REPUBLIC OF THIEVES

There is a new blurb out there for Scott Lynch's eagerly anticipated The Republic of Thieves (Canada, USA, Europe):

Scott Lynch continues to astound and entertain with his thrillingly inventive, wickedly funny, suspense-filled adventures featuring con artist extraordinaire Locke Lamora. Now, in his most captivating novel yet, readers reunite with Locke – and meet the only female Gentleman Bastard. . .

George R. R. Martin has called Lynch "a bright new voice" and his hero, Locke Lamora, "a charming rogue." In THE REPUBLIC OF THIEVES, having pulled off the greatest heist of their career, Locke and his trusted partner in thievery, Jean, have escaped with a tidy fortune. But, poisoned by an enemy from his past, Locke is slowly dying. And no physiker or alchemist can help him.

Yet just as the end is near, a mysterious Bondsmagi offers Locke an opportunity that will either save him – or finish him off once and for all. Magi political elections are imminent, and the factions are in need of a pawn. If Locke agrees to play the role, sorcery will be used to purge the venom from his body – though the process will be so excruciating he may well wish for death.

Locke is opposed, but two factors cause his will to crumble: Jean's imploring – and the Bondsmagi's mention of a woman from Locke's past: Sabetha. The love of his life. His equal in skill and wit. Locke was smitten with Sabetha from his first glimpse of her as a young fellow-orphan and thief-in-training. But after a tumultuous courtship, Sabetha broke away.

Now they will reunite in yet another clash of wills. For the opposition knows of Locke's recruitment and has cleverly secured Sabetha as their countermeasure. Faced with his one and only match in both love and trickery, Locke must choose whether to fight Sabetha – or to woo her. It is a decision on which his life may depend.

Can't wait to read this book!!!

Patrick Rothfuss interviews Jim Butcher

From Suvudu:

Patrick Rothfuss interviews fellow #1 New York Times bestselling author Jim Butcher!

Patrick Rothfuss Interviews Jim Butcher from Suvudu on Vimeo.

New cover art for the limited edition of Steven Erikson's DEADHOUSE GATES

Subterranean Press just unveiled the new J. K. Drummond cover art for their limited edition of Steven Erikson's Deadhouse Gates.

This one captures the essence of the book a lot more than the cover that was released last month. The end of Coltaine and the Chain of Dogs makes for a much more appropriate cover, no question about it!

You can pre-order Deadhouse Gates here.

Mark Lawrence contest winners!

Thanks to the generosity of the folks at Ace, these three winners will receive a copy of Mark Lawrence's fantasy debut, Prince of Thorns. For more info about this title: Canada, USA, Europe.

The winners are:

- Mike Favreau, from Cornwall, Ontario, Canada

- Michelle Thomas, from Houston, Texas, USA

- Gregory Ames, from Albany, New York, USA

Many thanks to all the participants!

Vote for the Top 100 Science Fiction and Fantasy Titles of all time

This from NPR Books:

Last month we asked you, our audience, to nominate titles for a top-100 list of the best science fiction and fantasy ever written. The response was overwhelming — almost 5,000 of you posted to the NPR site alone, and many thousands more offered suggestions on Facebook.

We've tabulated those suggestions and, with the help of an expert panel, narrowed the list to a manageable field of a few hundred titles.

Scrolling through the list of great science fiction and fantasy reads below will feel like a journey back in time for some of us, a voyage of discovery for others. But novice or veteran, everyone loves a contest. So, let the voting begin!

Follow this link to place your votes.

Daniel Abraham on the graphic adaptation of George R. R. Martin's A GAME OF THRONES

MTV Geek has a new interview with Daniel Abraham. The SFF author talks about bringing the opening chapter of George R. R. Martin's signature series to comics. There is also a 5-page preview of the first issue.

Here's a teaser:

The novels are pretty dense in terms of defining the world of its characters, fictional histories, genealogies, etc. To what degree were you looking to bring some of that to the book?

To the degree that we could without bogging down the story. Prose novels are always going to be better at some things than a visual medium can be, and the depth of what George did in the book I hard to translate. It’s more important to me that the comic book have clarity than encyclopedic depth. But that said, there are also times when knowing that history is necessary for the story to have the impact that it does. Making sure it’s as simple as it can be, but not simpler is the tricky part.

Follow this link to read the full Q&A.

Extract from Tyra Banks' MODELLAND

That's right, folks.

You eyes are not deceiving you. There is indeed an excerpt from Tyra Banks' Modelland available online. Here's a teaser:

Thousands of girls stampeded to the square all at once. Heels clacked. Dresses swished. Hairdos wobbled. The T-DOD theme song boomed a pulsating beat.

There was one rule and one rule only: a girl must be walking in order to be chosen.
Other than that, there was no prearranged runway on which the girls could walk, so everyone created invisible ones wherever they were standing. Violence was not encouraged nor was it condemned, and some girls' parents insisted on adding martial arts training to their walking lessons in preparation for the big day. T-DOD Square was an every- man- for- himself or, more precisely, an every- girl- for- herself event.

Scores of girls marched down their own stretches of the square, paused, posed for the cameras (real and imaginary), and then turned around. Trains of walking girls intersected with others. One area behind Tookie was so crammed with street vendors, it bottlenecked into a slow, shuffling line. Some walkers had only enough space to take a few steps before they had to stop and turn. Tookie's heart went out to a young girl in a ruffled pink dress who seemed way below the unofficial thirteen- year-old age requirement. She marched in place as if she were on a drill team.

Riiiip. A girl stepped on the train of a walker a few feet from Tookie and tore the fabric right off the dress. Both girls fell forward into a heap. The walkers behind them stepped over their bodies and continued.

Crash. The De La Crème white and cream blow-up tent went down as two brawling girls entered it. Oof. A girl who looked as if she had never walked in heels before stumbled, breaking the tips of both stilettos. Two girls got into a fight at the end of their makeshift catwalk, rolling to the ground. "Kenya, use the Gyaku Zuki move!" her mother screamed. "Reverse- punch the hairy hag! But watch your hair, sweetie!"

Tookie wheeled around. The hairy hag was Abigail Goode, sideburns in full glory, faint mustache above her upper lip, unshaven leg hair coating her calves, underarm hair swaying in the wind, and a DOWN WITH RAZORS! picket sign still in her hands. The girl she was fighting with tried out a karate move on her, but Abigail expertly evaded her blow.

Tookie's jealousy meter skyrocketed. Even Abigail was competing? She looked around some more. Actually, not only were eligible girls walking, but lots of other people were too. An elderly man on a power scooter shot a gap- toothed smile to the crowd as he steered his vehicle with his hands on his hips. Two down- ontheir-luck women dressed in trash- bag dresses and beat-up sweat suits walked while pushing everything they owned in shopping carts, heckling every girl who passed. "Honey, you wish you had it like I do." "Get back, spring chickens age before beauty, ladies!" Tookie chuckled when she noticed that even some of the protesters ditched their RUN AWAY, DON'T WALK signs and sashayed energetically while chanting, "Women, let's walk! Smile for the cams! T-DOD, it rocks. Crank the music, let's jam!"

A few drunken boys from outside the gates got into the action, strutting next to the girls in exaggerated, long- legged lopes. One guy snaked an arm around a girl's waist, but she swatted him away. The photographers and cameramen scrambled to catch every moment, projecting various images onto the screens next to the stage.

Thump, thump, thump. The music beat on. The largest screen showed the remaining time left for walking. Twelve minutes, twenty seconds.

"Go, Myrracle, go!" Mrs. De La Crème shouted. Myrracle had staggered a few feet away from the fallen tent and was standing there staring at the melee, eyes bugged, frozen in place. "Don't freeze up! Wake up, baby. You have to do this!"

"Yeah, Myrracle. You can do this. Come on!" Tookie urged, holding her sister by her arms and staring into her eyes, trying to spark a connection. "Dance in your spirit, but not with your body," she repeated over and over. Then she turned Myrracle around, placed Myrracle's hands on her hips, and whispered in her ear: "Left, then right, then left, then right . . ."

Myrracle suddenly broke out of her trance and began to follow Tookie's instructions. Tookie jumped out of the way to watch her sister. Halfway down her imaginary runway, Myrracle began to wiggle her hips and shake her shoulders to the infectious music that swelled over the sounds of the crowd.

"Don't dance!" Mrs. De La Crème bellowed, giving Myrracle a pinch. "If you sway one more time, you'll get way worse than a little pinch! If I have to beat the last pas de bourrée out of you, I will! Now walk, walk, walk like an Intoxibella!" Myrracle snapped back to focus. Her arms swung gently. She thrust her hips forward, as she'd learned to do in hours upon hours of walking class. She reached the end of her catwalk and came face to face with Abigail Goode. Both girls vied for the same spot to pose. Myrracle stuck out her pointy elbows, bumped her hip, and shoved Abigail hard out of the space. Abigail teetered over in her high shoes, hit her head on the footrest of the old man's motorized scooter, and passed out cold.

Almost immediately a siren sounded and Tookie heard someone yell, "Girl down! Girl down!"

Follow this link for the full extract.

Christ. . . :/

Terry Goodkind on THE OMEN MACHINE

Terry Goodkind wrote a piece on his upcoming SoT novel, The Omen Machine (Canada, USA, Europe), on the Macmillan website. Here's an extract:

The Sword of Truth series was a story in and of itself. It spanned a dozen books. That story, that conflict, ended. But that does not mean that the lives of the characters ended. When you graduated High School that was certainly the climax of a chapter in your life, but that was not the end of your story. Great things lay ahead and you went on to live those trials, challenges, and triumphs. It’s the same with Richard and Kahlan and all the rest of my characters. Their story goes on. There are people in their world who would very much like to destroy them, or worse. Evil will always exist, as will the struggle to overcome it.

The last thing I would ever do to readers would be to leave them out of experiencing that story. I want them to be there with their friends, traveling the road with them, facing the challenges and the terrors, fighting the fights, sharing their tears, cheering their victories.

Follow this link to read the whole piece.

Why do I get the distinct impression that this article was aimed at an adolescent public, one that is probably too young and/or too naïve to realize that Goodkind is returning to fantasy (sorry, the man writes about the triumph of the human spirit) where he can milk his popularity for all it's worth after a failed stint as a maintream author???

Jeff Somers contest winner!

Our lucky winner will get his hands on a set of Jeff Somers' Avery Cates novels, compliments of the good folks at Orbit!

In addition to The Final Evolution (Canada, USA, Europe), the prize pack includes:

- The Electric Church (Canada, USA, Europe)
- The Digital Plague (Canada, USA, Europe)
- The Eternal Prison (Canada, USA, Europe)
- The Terminal State (Canada, USA, Europe)

The winner is:

- Matthew Stangl, from Kingfisher, Oklahoma, USA

Many thanks to all the participants!