George R.R. Martin's Blog, page 142

Breaking Bad

Amazing series.  Amazing episode last night.  Talk about a gut punch.

Walter White is a bigger monster than anyone in Westeros.

(I need to do something about that).

This is the final season of BREAKING BAD.  I think GAME OF THRONES may have a shot at upsetting BB for this year's Emmy (only a shot, though, I think they are the clear favorite), which pits us against their previous season...  but there's no way in hell that anyone is going to defeat BREAKING BAD next year, when their last season is the one in contention.

Admittedly, trying to handicap the Emmys is a mug's game.  You never know.  But for what it's worth, I think this year is our best chance of actually winning one.  Given the splash the Red Wedding made, our profile is likely as high as it is ever going to be.  We had a great season.  If the Academy is ever going to give their ultimate accolade to a fantasy show (something that is by no means certain), it's going to be this year, I think.

But we'll see.  BREAKING BAD, MAD MEN, DOWNTON ABBEY, HOMELAND, and HOUSE OF CARDS will have something to say about that as well.  All good shows, I think.  A couple are great shows.  HOMELAND is the defending champ, MAD MEN's won four, and HOUSE OF CARDS has that whole "gamechanger" thing going for it.  Should be an interesting race.  We'll all know on September 22.

Manning Bowl 3

Life is meaningless and full of pain.

And interceptions.

Next Up: Neil and Amanda

New Mexicans, mark down Sunday, September 29 in your calendars.

That's the date of our next big special event at the Jean Cocteau Cinema: the Neil and Amanda Show
 
Neil Gaiman and Amanda Palmer are coming to Santa Fe, and we've got them!



What actually goes on during the Neil and Amanda Show, you may ask?  Well, there will be music, stories, autographing, and... you'll need to come and find out.

That's Sunday, September 29, starting at 7:00 pm.  Tickets are on sale RIGHT NOW.

Admission will be $75, except for the nine (9) seats in our front row, which will go for $100.

This is a charity event, and one hundred per cent of the box office will be split between two worthy causes: Warehouse 21 and its youth programs http://www.warehouse21.org/ , and the Food Depot, which helps feed hungry New Mexicans http://www.thefooddepot.org/   So help us raise some much-needed funds for these great causes, and spend a Sunday evening with Neil and Amanda.

(Yes, they will gladly sign your books and CDs, and we'll have lots of both for sale on site).

We expect another sellout for this one, so if you'd like to attend, get your seats early.  You can get a ticket via the Jean Cocteau website, or by calling us at 505-466-5528.  (Have your credit card ready).  No more than four (4) tickets per customer, please.

Remember, the Cocteau only seats 120.

See you at the show.

Great Night at the Cocteau

We had a great time last night at the Jean Cocteau with the first of our author events.

Hugo-, Nebula-, and Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist Michael Chabon was on hand to sign books and read from his latest, TELEGRAPH AVENUE.  Before that part of the program, however, I inteviewed Michael for ninety minutes or so about his life, career, books, and views on writing and literature.  The Cocteau was packed, our first "sell out" crowd since we stopped giving away free tickets.  We  had to turn away about twenty people, sad to say (next time, guys and gals, get those tickets in advance).  Those who got in were glad they did.  Popcorn, pizza, and talk about books, can't beat it.

Michael is a great guy and a great writer, and a delightful conversationalist.  We were thrilled to have him.  He's on his way to Pittsburgh right now, and will be reading and signing at a B&N tonight, so if you're in the Pittsburgh area, still time to attend.  In subsequent days he'll be appearing in Cleveland, St. Louis, and Kansas City as well.  Be sure to see him if you get a chance... and snatch up a copy or three of TELEGRAPH AVENUE, KAVALIER & CLAY, GENTLEMEN OF THE ROAD, or one of his other titles.

Oh, and I also wanted to mention Michael's limited edition Brokeland t-shirts.  You can snag one of them here:

http://teespring.com/brokeland

All the money raised by the t-shirt sales is going to 826 National and their youth literacy programs (http://826national.org/ ) and the McDowell Colony and their writers' retreats (http://www.macdowellcolony.org/ ), both worthy causes. 

Paperbacks Are Coming

Yes, it's true.  Your wait is over.  A DANCE WITH DRAGONS will finally be published in paperback, next month.

(Have you guys really been waiting?  Really truly?)

The paperback release has been delayed again and again, I know.  (Believe me, I've received a lot of emails about it).  This was done largely at the request of the bookstores.  The hardcover was still selling strongly (still is, actually), so they wanted the paperback delayed.

But no longer.  On October 29, Bantam Spectra will release DANCE simultaneously in trade and mass market paperback editions.



And yes, the paperback will include a preview chapter from THE WINDS OF WINTER.  (Though at this point it has been so long that I've forgotten which one it is).

October, by the way, looks to be a huge month for me.  Besides the DANCE paperbacks, I also have OLD MARS coming out that month, and the MEATHOUSE MAN graphic novel, and a little Xmas book called THE WIT AND WISDOM OF TYRION LANNISTER.  But more about that one later.

At the Jean Cocteau

We had a cool event at the Jean Cocteau last night... the Santa Fe premiere of a locally made independent film, BLAZE YOU OUT, filmed and set in Espanola, just a half hour north of the City Different.  The producers, writers, directors, and several of the cast members attended the screenings and answered questions afterward, and we had a crowded and enthusiastic house.

Indy films don't get the nationwide multi-million dollar advertising campaigns of major studio releases, but the best of them are as good or better than most of what the majors churn out.  You probably haven't heard of BLAZE YOU OUT, but it's a good one.  Check out the trailer:



BLAZE YOU OUT has three more screenings at the Cocteau, if you're in Santa Fe.  If not, well, watch for it if it shows up at a theatre near you.

This week's other new offering at the Cocteau is I DECLARE WAR, another indy.  This one I haven't seen myself yet, but I hope to catch it later this week.



See you at the movies.

Not A Blog Rules

I seem to have quite a few new people visiting here, which reminds me that maybe it's time to lay down the Not A Blog rules again.  I have not done that for a couple of years.

There aren't many.

I want no flamewars on this site.  Debate and discussion are fine, name-calling and abuse are not.  I ask that you be respectful in your comments, not only of me but of the other posters.

No spam, obviously.

I also ask that commenters STAY ON TOPIC.  I do close and lock the comments thread on most of my posts as they get old and discussion dies down, but I usually have three or four posts open at any one time.  Please place your comments under the appropriate subject, instead of just adding them to whatever is the most recent post.  Football threads are for the discussion of football, not writing.  Writing threads are for discussion of writing, not football.  If I post about OLD MARS, I welcome discussion of the anthology, anthologies in general, the participating writers, other books about Mars, even SF in general... but not about the GAME OF THRONES tv show, or the Jets, or how the novel is coming.  Political discussion should be restricted to political posts.

If you want to write me a fan letter, send it via email.  My address can be found on my website.  Don't post it here.  (And, sadly, don't expect a reply.  I am about three thousand emails behind at the moment).

Thanks.

Jetting In the Rain

Life is meaningless and full of pain.

The NFL is back.  And with it, the weekly torment that is the lot of all New York Jets fans.

Gang Green has played two games now.  They are 1-1.  And they hung in with the Patriots until the last minute of tonight's game.  Doesn't sound too bad.

Except it is.  That record is deceptive.  The Jets had lost that Tampa Bay game.  The clock was running out, and the Bucs had the W safely in hand when a Tampa Bay linebacker gave the Jets an inexplicable gift, committing an egregious and entirely unnecessary out of bounds hit that moved Nick Folk into range for the winning field goal.  Tampa had actually tried to give away the game half a dozen times before that, committing one blunder after another in the first quarter, but the Jets never cashed in... until the last second, and that was enough.  "We'll take it," Rex said.  Okay, I'll take it too.  But I won't crow about it.

And tonight?  Oh, god.  What a wretched game.   The Patriots looked as bad as I have ever seen them.  Tom Brady has no wideouts but Edelman.  His receivers were dropping balls all over the field.  We should have been able to beat him tonight.  We didn't.  For every ball the Pats dropped, the Jets dropped two, and added a fumble and an interception.

The Jets have a new GM, a new offensive coordinator, and a new quarterback... but they're still the same team we saw last year.  Staunch defense, one of the best in the league.  Pathetic offense.  Our RBs looked good... but the passing game isn't any better than it was when Mark Sanchez was under center and Tony Sparano was calling the plays.  Geno Smith was 15 for 35 with 3 INTs.  Those are grim numbers.  Last year, Mark Sanchez led the NFL in turnovers.  If Geno keeps throwing to the other team at the present rate, he may earn that same dubious honor.  He was sacked three times as well.  In at least two of those cases, it was because he held the ball way too long.  The only bright spot was that Geno did not lose the ball when sacked, which is more than you can say about Mark.

I wish I could be more optimistic.  But I fear this is going to be a long, painful season.

And the Giants?

No, please, don't ask me about the Giants.

Podcast Honored

A somewhat belated congratulations to Kyle, Mimi, Ashley, Amin, and the many other co-hosts, guests, and visitors at A Podcast of Ice and Fire, who just won the "Geekie Award" for Best Podcast.



I've never actually met the folks from the Podcast of Ice & Fire... well, most of them, anyway, I may have run into one or two on book tours... but I have listened to them from time to time, and they seem to have a lot of fun.  They are not always right, but they are [almost] always interesting, and worth the listen.  So give them a try, if you're a fan of podcasts.  You can find them at http://podcastoficeandfire.com/ talking about the show, the books, and... for reasons I am not entirely clear on... House Manwoody.

Congrats on the honor, guys.  Take a bow.

Somewhat Surreal Department

Given the popularity of HBO's GAME OF THRONES, it is only to be expected that various costume companies would be offering GOT-themed costumes for Halloween this year.  So, unsurprisingly, you can go trick-or-treating as Arya, Daenerys, Melisandre, Jon Snow, and sundry other characters from the show.

Rather more unusual, however, is the outfit selling grisly Red Wedding costimes, complete with buckets o' blood:

http://www.halloweencostumes.com/blog/p-420-diy-game-of-thrones-red-wedding-costumes-spoiler-alert-.aspx

Even those outfits are not the most surreal offering for All Hallow's, however.  Stranger still, you can also attend your favorite Halloween party as...

... me.

http://carboncostume.com/george-r-r-martin/

I am not entirely sure how I feel about being a Halloween costume.  It does suggest a plan, however.  Perhaps I should buy several of these outfits, and send forth my minions, appropriated costumed, to all my public appearances and booksignings for the next couple of years, while I stay home and write.