David Anthony Durham's Blog, page 29
October 15, 2011
They Like Me In Frederickburg
And I consider that to be a very good thing. Among other things, their reviewer said:
"There were moments during "The Sacred Band" when I felt such enjoyment in the reading that I was transported back to summer days in the non-air conditioned house of my youth with no diversion beyond the book in my hands. In that regard, the book and the trilogy proved transcendent to me."
That pleases me greatly.
TSB Review HERE.
"There were moments during "The Sacred Band" when I felt such enjoyment in the reading that I was transported back to summer days in the non-air conditioned house of my youth with no diversion beyond the book in my hands. In that regard, the book and the trilogy proved transcendent to me."
That pleases me greatly.
TSB Review HERE.
October 14, 2011
Underwords Interview
Erin Underwood has just put up an interview she did with me on her website, Underwords.
I know I'm biased, but I think it's one of my better interviews. Erin asked really interesting questions - a mixture of serious ones and random ones. Want to know about the cows peering in my window or what my super power is? Want more on the Spartacus Bunny Wars?
Erin tried to get the answers out of me. Admittedly, I sometimes dodged.
But... you will find in the interview my most candid admission yet that I've been working on a fantasy series for kids! Oh my.
Go take a look. It's HERE.
I know I'm biased, but I think it's one of my better interviews. Erin asked really interesting questions - a mixture of serious ones and random ones. Want to know about the cows peering in my window or what my super power is? Want more on the Spartacus Bunny Wars?Erin tried to get the answers out of me. Admittedly, I sometimes dodged.
But... you will find in the interview my most candid admission yet that I've been working on a fantasy series for kids! Oh my.
Go take a look. It's HERE.
October 13, 2011
Clarion 2012
I really enjoyed teaching at Clarion last summer. It was awesome, and I was very, very impressed with the hard work the students put in. They performed like professionals, and you'll be seeing them in print soon.
Of course, Clarion goes on without me. I just got a gander at next year's Faculty line-up. It's way awesome: Jeffrey Ford, Marjorie Liu, Ted Chiang, Walter Jon Williams, Holly Black and Cassandra Clare. Are you kidding me? That's an absolutely terrific roster. I know most of these folks personally, and the rest through their work. They're people you want to know and learn from.
Aspiring sff authors? Start on those application stories!
Check out the website HERE.
Of course, Clarion goes on without me. I just got a gander at next year's Faculty line-up. It's way awesome: Jeffrey Ford, Marjorie Liu, Ted Chiang, Walter Jon Williams, Holly Black and Cassandra Clare. Are you kidding me? That's an absolutely terrific roster. I know most of these folks personally, and the rest through their work. They're people you want to know and learn from.
Aspiring sff authors? Start on those application stories!
Check out the website HERE.
October 12, 2011
Acacia Trilogy Week!
The insightful and intelligent Fantasy Matters blog has done something I'm very pleased about. They are featuring not just The Sacred Band, but the entire series on their website. Apparently, it's Acacia Trilogy Week!
What a fine thing.
They have posted a piece by yours truly which you can go directly to HERE.
They also have a recap review The War With The Mein and The Other Lands.
They've weighed in on The Sacred Band soon too. You can read that review HERE.
And the Fantasy Matters website address in general is HERE. It's a worthy one to have bookmarked!
What a fine thing.
They have posted a piece by yours truly which you can go directly to HERE.
They also have a recap review The War With The Mein and The Other Lands.
They've weighed in on The Sacred Band soon too. You can read that review HERE.
And the Fantasy Matters website address in general is HERE. It's a worthy one to have bookmarked!
October 11, 2011
An Autumn Morning
Alone at Upper Park this week. Gudrun and the kids are up in Shetland for the first week of the school holidays. I stayed on the farm to get some work done. I have a little set of stories to write for George RR Martin. The deadline is looming! So it's work for me.
I don't much like being without my family, but this was a lovely morning. It began with a little bit of fun with the dog and cat. When we feed Saba (the dog) we always make him sit on his mat until the food is measured out and ready for him, and then we put it down and release him to Hoover it up.
This morning, I put him in stay and had just about finished preparing his bowl when the phone rang. I set the bowl down on the counter and answered it. As I walked around the house speaking with the lady that lives down the hill about construction that was going to block access to the house that morning, Saba began to whine and jitter and sound terribly distressed. I chalked it up to impatience and finished the phone call in the other room.
When I walked back into the kitchen Saba was on his mat, looking desperately at me. Eighty-five pounds of shivering distress. On the counter... the cat was casually feasting from his massive bowl of food. Oops. My bad. Good dog, though. Good dog.
I made it up to him with a great walk up the hill. It was clear and bright, with a nip of autumn in the air. Beautiful views before my eyes, lots of stories rolling through my head. A good morning.
This photo is my wife's, from a few days ago when one of the hills across from us was snow covered. So, not actually, today, but a similar view to what I had this morning...
Now, to work!
I don't much like being without my family, but this was a lovely morning. It began with a little bit of fun with the dog and cat. When we feed Saba (the dog) we always make him sit on his mat until the food is measured out and ready for him, and then we put it down and release him to Hoover it up.
This morning, I put him in stay and had just about finished preparing his bowl when the phone rang. I set the bowl down on the counter and answered it. As I walked around the house speaking with the lady that lives down the hill about construction that was going to block access to the house that morning, Saba began to whine and jitter and sound terribly distressed. I chalked it up to impatience and finished the phone call in the other room.
When I walked back into the kitchen Saba was on his mat, looking desperately at me. Eighty-five pounds of shivering distress. On the counter... the cat was casually feasting from his massive bowl of food. Oops. My bad. Good dog, though. Good dog.
I made it up to him with a great walk up the hill. It was clear and bright, with a nip of autumn in the air. Beautiful views before my eyes, lots of stories rolling through my head. A good morning.
This photo is my wife's, from a few days ago when one of the hills across from us was snow covered. So, not actually, today, but a similar view to what I had this morning...
Now, to work!
October 10, 2011
Why He Left Fantasy...
...And Why He Came Back!
Blogger Justin Landon recently did a guest post at yet another blog, A Dribble of Ink.
It's a frank, honest description of one person's relationship with fantasy. He is kind enough to mention my work as being a force that helped pull him more fully back to being a fantasy reader. I like that, of course. It's fitting, too, since in many ways I had the same journey away from fantasy and then back toward it later - just from the writer's perspective.
Anyway, the post is HERE.
Blogger Justin Landon recently did a guest post at yet another blog, A Dribble of Ink.
It's a frank, honest description of one person's relationship with fantasy. He is kind enough to mention my work as being a force that helped pull him more fully back to being a fantasy reader. I like that, of course. It's fitting, too, since in many ways I had the same journey away from fantasy and then back toward it later - just from the writer's perspective.
Anyway, the post is HERE.
October 7, 2011
Radio Scotland Weather
And I quote, from today's forecast:
"The showers will die out before the bands of rain move in."
"The showers will die out before the bands of rain move in."
October 6, 2011
And Then Back To The Sacred Band...
Erin Underwood has posted a lovely essay on being a beta reader for... me! Yes, she was one of the few folks I asked to read the novel in its early forms. Her feedback made the book much stronger, and I'm grateful for it.
Read the piece here, at Underwords.
Read the piece here, at Underwords.
On A Non-Sacred Band Note...
There's a nice review of Fort Freak, the Wild Cards novel that I'm included in, at Val's Random Comments.Read the review HERE.
October 5, 2011
The OF Blog on The Sacred Band
There's a terrific review of the new book up at the OF Blog. Larry makes lots of insightful points and - as far as I'm concerned - is really sharp in his analysis. But, that may be because he clearly liked the book a lot!
His piece does include some significant plot details, so be warned. I can happily quote his conclusion, though:
The final pages bring full circle the promise of the earlier volumes, making The Sacred Band one of the most satisfying and fulfilling epic fantasy conclusions that I have read in recent years. The Sacred Band is easily one of the best 2011 epic fantasy releases and it is one that I highly recommend to readers here.
The full review is available HERE.
His piece does include some significant plot details, so be warned. I can happily quote his conclusion, though:
The final pages bring full circle the promise of the earlier volumes, making The Sacred Band one of the most satisfying and fulfilling epic fantasy conclusions that I have read in recent years. The Sacred Band is easily one of the best 2011 epic fantasy releases and it is one that I highly recommend to readers here.
The full review is available HERE.
