George R.R. Martin's Blog, page 146
July 8, 2013
Dany and the Dragons
What's that, you ask? Dany and the Dragons? A forgotten rock group of the doo-wop era?
NO! It's a special variant cover for issue #15 of the GAME OF THRONES comic, available only (or so we are told) at the San Diego Comicon, as a comicon exclusive.
This special alternate cover was requested and commissioned by our friends at Mile High Comics, in cooperation with Dynamite Comics. It is my understanding that it will be available only at the Mile High booth. (Though of course the same issue, with the regular cover, will be available from numerous dealers at the con).
The artist is Fritz Casa.
((Before you all start posting messages and sending emails... yes, we're well aware that the scene depicted does not actually occur in this issue. In fact, Dany's dragons have not even hatched yet in the comics, that's a good ten issues in the future. And even when they do hatch, the dragons won't be that big until, oh, STORM OF SWORDS or so. [A couple of other things here are also bigger than I'd envisioned]. No need to point all this out. My editors and I pointed it all out already to Dynamite and Mile High, but this is the cover they wanted. Artistic License, and all. The Mike S. Miller cover, with a completely different scene, will also continue to be available.))
I am told that Dynamite printed 1500 copies of these for Mile High... but with 150,000 fans at comicon, there's no telling how long they will last. So if you want to snag one, I'd advise you to hit the Mile High booth early.
(Yes, that's Froggy. No, there's no casting clue in this post. I just missed the lil' guy. Hiya, kids, hiya, hiya.
NO! It's a special variant cover for issue #15 of the GAME OF THRONES comic, available only (or so we are told) at the San Diego Comicon, as a comicon exclusive.
This special alternate cover was requested and commissioned by our friends at Mile High Comics, in cooperation with Dynamite Comics. It is my understanding that it will be available only at the Mile High booth. (Though of course the same issue, with the regular cover, will be available from numerous dealers at the con).
The artist is Fritz Casa.
((Before you all start posting messages and sending emails... yes, we're well aware that the scene depicted does not actually occur in this issue. In fact, Dany's dragons have not even hatched yet in the comics, that's a good ten issues in the future. And even when they do hatch, the dragons won't be that big until, oh, STORM OF SWORDS or so. [A couple of other things here are also bigger than I'd envisioned]. No need to point all this out. My editors and I pointed it all out already to Dynamite and Mile High, but this is the cover they wanted. Artistic License, and all. The Mike S. Miller cover, with a completely different scene, will also continue to be available.))
I am told that Dynamite printed 1500 copies of these for Mile High... but with 150,000 fans at comicon, there's no telling how long they will last. So if you want to snag one, I'd advise you to hit the Mile High booth early.
(Yes, that's Froggy. No, there's no casting clue in this post. I just missed the lil' guy. Hiya, kids, hiya, hiya.
July 4, 2013
Coming to San Diego
The next convention on my calendar is the San Diego Comicon.
My dance card is already almost full. Yes, there will be a GAME OF THRONES panel, and I'll be on it. It is scheduled for Friday, July 19, 2:50 to 3:45, in Hall H To be followed by an autographing at the WB booth. Of course, I'll be joined on the panel by half a dozen cast members (no, don't know which ones yet) and David and Dan.
I will also be doing a signing on Saturday, July 20, from 11:00am to noon, in the official autograph area. That one is for Bantam.
Working on two more signings: one for Avatar Comics, which will be launching their new comic of THE SKIN TRADE (based on my novella, scripted by Daniel Abraham) at the con, and one with the marvelous Gary Gianni, the artist for the 2014 ICE & FIRE calendar, which will debut in San Diego. Details on those when I have 'em.
I am not on any panels besides the one for GAME OF THRONES, nor will I be doing any readings (come to worldcon for that), but there should be plenty of chances for anyone who wants me to deface their books, maps, games, videotapes, or body parts with my illegible scrawl. But PLEASE, if you want my autograph, come to one of these four signings. Don't stop me in the hotel lobby or on the street or in a restaurant when I am trying to have dinner.
My dance card is already almost full. Yes, there will be a GAME OF THRONES panel, and I'll be on it. It is scheduled for Friday, July 19, 2:50 to 3:45, in Hall H To be followed by an autographing at the WB booth. Of course, I'll be joined on the panel by half a dozen cast members (no, don't know which ones yet) and David and Dan.
I will also be doing a signing on Saturday, July 20, from 11:00am to noon, in the official autograph area. That one is for Bantam.
Working on two more signings: one for Avatar Comics, which will be launching their new comic of THE SKIN TRADE (based on my novella, scripted by Daniel Abraham) at the con, and one with the marvelous Gary Gianni, the artist for the 2014 ICE & FIRE calendar, which will debut in San Diego. Details on those when I have 'em.
I am not on any panels besides the one for GAME OF THRONES, nor will I be doing any readings (come to worldcon for that), but there should be plenty of chances for anyone who wants me to deface their books, maps, games, videotapes, or body parts with my illegible scrawl. But PLEASE, if you want my autograph, come to one of these four signings. Don't stop me in the hotel lobby or on the street or in a restaurant when I am trying to have dinner.
July 3, 2013
Old Movie Theatres
So... as I mentioned in a previous post, somewhere down below, a couple of months ago I bought the Jean Cocteau Cinema, a small movie theatre in Santa Fe that has been dark since Trans-Lux closed it down in 2006. We've been busily restoring it ever since, and hope to reopen in August. More news on all that will be forthcoming, as we get closer to the grand re-opening. My builders and designers assure me that all is going well, even though the place looks a total mess right now. That's the way it goes with construction; it has to get a lot worse before it gets better.
But I don't want to talk about the Cocteau just now, but rather theatres in general. I've always loved old theatres, especially the grand movie palaces of the 20s and 30s (the Cocteau, I hasten to add, is not one of those, as it was built in 1984), and the vaudeville halls that came before them. Buying the Cocteau, and putting its restoration into motion, has rekindled that old love. We've lost way too many of these beautiful buildings in the past half-century. Today's multiplexes are, with a few rare exception, soulless sterile cubicles with neither beauty nor personality. Sure, they are functional... but for me at least, they will never match the old halls.
I was born and raised in Bayonne, New Jersey. In my childhood, Bayonne had five movie theatres, every one with its own distinctive character. Four of them were on Broadway, Bayonne's main drag. The Strand burned down when I was very young, so I have no clear memories of it... but I recall the DeWitt, the Lyceum, and the Plaza vividly... and even the Victory, a gargantuan mausoleum the old timers all called "the Opera House," since that's what it had been. All of them are gone now. Bayonne has no movie theatres at all at present. The DeWitt, the best of them, has been a McDonald's for a quarter century. Whenever I go back to Jersey to see my family and see the golden arches where the theatre once stood, I want to weep and gnash my teeth.
The Bayonne theatres were not the only places I saw movies as a kid, however. Jersey City is just north of Bayonne, and at the heart of Jersey City is Journal Square, where three huge movie theatres once stood. The Loew's Jersey, the State, and the Stanley were true movie palaces, dwarfing Bayonne's smaller and less ornate theatres. That's where my family would go (by bus, of course, we did not own a car) once or twice a year to see the BIG pictures. They had huge screens, huge lobbies, huge auditoriums with seating for thousands. And my god, but they were ornate. Cathedrals of the cinema... they impressed me more than any of the [many] real cathedrals that I've visited since
But sad to say, Journal Square fell into decay in the 60s and 70s, and people stopped coming there as they once had. Inevitably, that took its toll on movie attendance, and one by one, Jersey City's three great movie palaces ran into trouble. The Loew's Jersey was mutilated and turned into a triplex, its huge auditorium divided down the center aisle to make two halls, while the balcony became the seating for a third. Even that did not arrest the decline; the Loew's closed all the same, and sat empty for years. At one point it was almost knocked down, but thankfully some preservationists stepped in and saved it. It has now been restored as a performing arts center, and still screens movies from time to time. Next time I'm back in Jersey, I'd love to visit it again.
The State's fate, alas, was crueller. That one the vandals cut up into a six-plex. Which did not work either. Urban decay took its toll, the theatre closed its doors, developers got hold of it, and they knocked it down. Offices and shops now fill the space where it once stood. The State was never quite the equal of the Loew's or the Stanley, but I probably saw more films there than in the other two. I mourn it.
And the Stanley... well, that's what prompted this long, rambling, nostalgic post of mine. The Stanley was not quite as ornate as the Loew's, but it was, I think, more beautiful. Sitting in its auditorium, beneath a ceiling painted to resemble sky, you almost felt as if you were outdoors. I always loved seeing films at the Stanley, and I was heartsick when it closed. Unlike the State and Loew's, however, the Stanley was never cut up into a multiplex. Instead, purchased by the Jehovah's Witnesses, it became a church and meeting hall. And it continued to decay...
Until now. For while blundering about the internet, I discovered that the Witnesses have recently restored the Stanley... adding a few religious touches that were not part of the original decor, to be sure (there were no murals of Jehovah in a chariot when I saw LAWRENCE OF ARABIA there), but otherwise coming damn close to bringing this magnificent building back to its original glory.
Do I wish the Stanley was still showing movies, rather than being a church? Sure, I do. But it still gladdens my heart to see it returned to such splendor.
I'm not a religious guy (unless you count movies as a religion), but this makes me wish the State, the Lyceum, the DeWitt, the Plaza, and the Victory had all been turned into churches too. At least we'd still have them.
But I don't want to talk about the Cocteau just now, but rather theatres in general. I've always loved old theatres, especially the grand movie palaces of the 20s and 30s (the Cocteau, I hasten to add, is not one of those, as it was built in 1984), and the vaudeville halls that came before them. Buying the Cocteau, and putting its restoration into motion, has rekindled that old love. We've lost way too many of these beautiful buildings in the past half-century. Today's multiplexes are, with a few rare exception, soulless sterile cubicles with neither beauty nor personality. Sure, they are functional... but for me at least, they will never match the old halls.
I was born and raised in Bayonne, New Jersey. In my childhood, Bayonne had five movie theatres, every one with its own distinctive character. Four of them were on Broadway, Bayonne's main drag. The Strand burned down when I was very young, so I have no clear memories of it... but I recall the DeWitt, the Lyceum, and the Plaza vividly... and even the Victory, a gargantuan mausoleum the old timers all called "the Opera House," since that's what it had been. All of them are gone now. Bayonne has no movie theatres at all at present. The DeWitt, the best of them, has been a McDonald's for a quarter century. Whenever I go back to Jersey to see my family and see the golden arches where the theatre once stood, I want to weep and gnash my teeth.
The Bayonne theatres were not the only places I saw movies as a kid, however. Jersey City is just north of Bayonne, and at the heart of Jersey City is Journal Square, where three huge movie theatres once stood. The Loew's Jersey, the State, and the Stanley were true movie palaces, dwarfing Bayonne's smaller and less ornate theatres. That's where my family would go (by bus, of course, we did not own a car) once or twice a year to see the BIG pictures. They had huge screens, huge lobbies, huge auditoriums with seating for thousands. And my god, but they were ornate. Cathedrals of the cinema... they impressed me more than any of the [many] real cathedrals that I've visited since
But sad to say, Journal Square fell into decay in the 60s and 70s, and people stopped coming there as they once had. Inevitably, that took its toll on movie attendance, and one by one, Jersey City's three great movie palaces ran into trouble. The Loew's Jersey was mutilated and turned into a triplex, its huge auditorium divided down the center aisle to make two halls, while the balcony became the seating for a third. Even that did not arrest the decline; the Loew's closed all the same, and sat empty for years. At one point it was almost knocked down, but thankfully some preservationists stepped in and saved it. It has now been restored as a performing arts center, and still screens movies from time to time. Next time I'm back in Jersey, I'd love to visit it again.
The State's fate, alas, was crueller. That one the vandals cut up into a six-plex. Which did not work either. Urban decay took its toll, the theatre closed its doors, developers got hold of it, and they knocked it down. Offices and shops now fill the space where it once stood. The State was never quite the equal of the Loew's or the Stanley, but I probably saw more films there than in the other two. I mourn it.
And the Stanley... well, that's what prompted this long, rambling, nostalgic post of mine. The Stanley was not quite as ornate as the Loew's, but it was, I think, more beautiful. Sitting in its auditorium, beneath a ceiling painted to resemble sky, you almost felt as if you were outdoors. I always loved seeing films at the Stanley, and I was heartsick when it closed. Unlike the State and Loew's, however, the Stanley was never cut up into a multiplex. Instead, purchased by the Jehovah's Witnesses, it became a church and meeting hall. And it continued to decay...
Until now. For while blundering about the internet, I discovered that the Witnesses have recently restored the Stanley... adding a few religious touches that were not part of the original decor, to be sure (there were no murals of Jehovah in a chariot when I saw LAWRENCE OF ARABIA there), but otherwise coming damn close to bringing this magnificent building back to its original glory.
Do I wish the Stanley was still showing movies, rather than being a church? Sure, I do. But it still gladdens my heart to see it returned to such splendor.
I'm not a religious guy (unless you count movies as a religion), but this makes me wish the State, the Lyceum, the DeWitt, the Plaza, and the Victory had all been turned into churches too. At least we'd still have them.
June 29, 2013
We're Number One...
... in graphic novels.
The second volume of the GAME OF THRONES graphic novel debuted at #1 on the New York Times bestseller list:
http://www.nytimes.com/best-sellers-books/2013-06-30/hardcover-graphic-books/list.html
(And, hey, the following week's list is out, and we're still number one).
My thanks and congratulations to Daniel Abraham (who wrote the script) and Tommy Patterson (who drew the pictures) and Mike S. Miller (who did the covers). They do all the real work on this one. This is their triumph, much more than mine.
I'm glad so many of you are enjoying the funny book.
The second volume of the GAME OF THRONES graphic novel debuted at #1 on the New York Times bestseller list:
http://www.nytimes.com/best-sellers-books/2013-06-30/hardcover-graphic-books/list.html
(And, hey, the following week's list is out, and we're still number one).
My thanks and congratulations to Daniel Abraham (who wrote the script) and Tommy Patterson (who drew the pictures) and Mike S. Miller (who did the covers). They do all the real work on this one. This is their triumph, much more than mine.
I'm glad so many of you are enjoying the funny book.
June 20, 2013
Shocked and Saddened
I was saddened this morning to hear about the sudden death of James Gandolfini in Italy, of an apparent heart attack. He was only fifty-one.
I don't recall that I ever met Gandolfini, though we may have been present at one or more HBO events over the past couple of years (those are large gatherings), but I was huge admirer of his acting. THE SOPRANOS was "must watch TV" for us every year it was on. A terrific show, with a terrific cast... Gandolfini first and foremost among them. It was the show that redefined drama on television, proving once and for all the audiences would gladly follow a flawed, grey, violent character, provided he was interesting enough. A ground-breaking show, an important show, it helped define HBO's "brand," and set the tone for many of the great HBO dramas to follow, including DEADWOOD, ROME, THE WIRE, BOARDWALK EMPIRE... and GAME OF THRONES.
Gandolfini was a fellow Jersey boy and Jets fan as well.
A huge talent. I never knew him, but I will miss him all the same.
I don't recall that I ever met Gandolfini, though we may have been present at one or more HBO events over the past couple of years (those are large gatherings), but I was huge admirer of his acting. THE SOPRANOS was "must watch TV" for us every year it was on. A terrific show, with a terrific cast... Gandolfini first and foremost among them. It was the show that redefined drama on television, proving once and for all the audiences would gladly follow a flawed, grey, violent character, provided he was interesting enough. A ground-breaking show, an important show, it helped define HBO's "brand," and set the tone for many of the great HBO dramas to follow, including DEADWOOD, ROME, THE WIRE, BOARDWALK EMPIRE... and GAME OF THRONES.
Gandolfini was a fellow Jersey boy and Jets fan as well.
A huge talent. I never knew him, but I will miss him all the same.
June 11, 2013
Back From LA
Just back from a week in LA.
I did Conan (the O'Brien, not the Cimmerian) and the Today Show, and taped a segment for a BBC special about Machiavelli... along with the usual dozen or so meeetings.
Also, while in town, swung by the Bookstar in Studio City and signed all their stock of my books, which was considerable. So if you're an Angeleno or just visiting LA, and want to snag an autographed copy of one of my novels, get yourself to Studio City while the supply lasts.
And now I'm back in the land of wolves and savage dust storms, digging out from under.
I did Conan (the O'Brien, not the Cimmerian) and the Today Show, and taped a segment for a BBC special about Machiavelli... along with the usual dozen or so meeetings.
Also, while in town, swung by the Bookstar in Studio City and signed all their stock of my books, which was considerable. So if you're an Angeleno or just visiting LA, and want to snag an autographed copy of one of my novels, get yourself to Studio City while the supply lasts.
And now I'm back in the land of wolves and savage dust storms, digging out from under.
June 3, 2013
Aces and Elephants
Aces, elephants, actors (well, understudies)... oh, my.
There's a new Wild Cards story up on Tor.com. This one is by the amazing Paul Cornell, and features Abigail the Understudy, Elephant Girl, and Croyd (the Sleeper) Crenson. What more could you want?
Oh, art by John Picacio? It's got that too.
You can read it here:
http://www.tor.com/stories/2013/05/the-elephant-in-the-room
Enjoy... and spread the word.
There's a new Wild Cards story up on Tor.com. This one is by the amazing Paul Cornell, and features Abigail the Understudy, Elephant Girl, and Croyd (the Sleeper) Crenson. What more could you want?
Oh, art by John Picacio? It's got that too.
You can read it here:
http://www.tor.com/stories/2013/05/the-elephant-in-the-room
Enjoy... and spread the word.
June 2, 2013
Swords for Sale
The intrepid armorers and brawny blacksmiths at Valyrian Steel have been busy of late. Valyrian has just rolled out two weapons in their new HBO-licensed line of replicas -- the Catspaw Dagger used by the rogue sent to kill Bran in his bed, and the Sword of Robb Stark.
(For those of you who have been collecting Valyrian's replicas of the weapons from the novels, yes, that line is continuing as well, but Jalic has also entered into this deal with HBO to produce limited edition replicas of the blades from the show. So it is entirely possible that eventually there will be two variant 'editions' of the same blade, though it has not happened yet).
Here's the Catspaw Dagger:
A handsome blade, I think. Though rather completely different from the dagger in the books, which was far plainer (though made of Valryian steel, with a dragonbone grip). It can be ordered here:
http://www.valyriansteel.com/shop/swords/catspaw-blade/prod_20.html
The Sword of Robb Stark is never described in any detail in my novels... but if I ever had paid it any mind, it probably would have looked quite a lot like the one seen in the show, which Valyrian Steel has replicated. So this one can almost be considered "novel authentic" as well as "show authentic." Here 'tis:
You can order Robb's sword at http://www.valyriansteel.com/shop/swords/robb-stark/prod_21.html
Both weapons come with a Certification of Authenticity -- though, please note, not a SIGNED CoA, since these derive from the TV show, not the books. The weapons from the ICE & FIRE range, as opposed to the GAME OF THRONES range, are the only ones that include my illegible scrawl.
Speaking of which, I should also note that Valyrian Steel's replica of Needle, the sword of Arya Stark, is now SOLD OUT, like Longclaw and Ice before it (a second version of Ice, based on the HBO version, is forthcoming, but the novel version is all gone). These blades are all limited editions; when they are gone, they are gone, and the price on ebay and other collector sites tends to skyrocket. Robert's Warhammer and the Night's Watch dragonglass dagger set remain available from Valyrian Steel, but stocks are dwindling, so if you want one, don't wait too long.
(For those of you who have been collecting Valyrian's replicas of the weapons from the novels, yes, that line is continuing as well, but Jalic has also entered into this deal with HBO to produce limited edition replicas of the blades from the show. So it is entirely possible that eventually there will be two variant 'editions' of the same blade, though it has not happened yet).
Here's the Catspaw Dagger:
A handsome blade, I think. Though rather completely different from the dagger in the books, which was far plainer (though made of Valryian steel, with a dragonbone grip). It can be ordered here:
http://www.valyriansteel.com/shop/swords/catspaw-blade/prod_20.html
The Sword of Robb Stark is never described in any detail in my novels... but if I ever had paid it any mind, it probably would have looked quite a lot like the one seen in the show, which Valyrian Steel has replicated. So this one can almost be considered "novel authentic" as well as "show authentic." Here 'tis:
You can order Robb's sword at http://www.valyriansteel.com/shop/swords/robb-stark/prod_21.html
Both weapons come with a Certification of Authenticity -- though, please note, not a SIGNED CoA, since these derive from the TV show, not the books. The weapons from the ICE & FIRE range, as opposed to the GAME OF THRONES range, are the only ones that include my illegible scrawl.
Speaking of which, I should also note that Valyrian Steel's replica of Needle, the sword of Arya Stark, is now SOLD OUT, like Longclaw and Ice before it (a second version of Ice, based on the HBO version, is forthcoming, but the novel version is all gone). These blades are all limited editions; when they are gone, they are gone, and the price on ebay and other collector sites tends to skyrocket. Robert's Warhammer and the Night's Watch dragonglass dagger set remain available from Valyrian Steel, but stocks are dwindling, so if you want one, don't wait too long.
June 1, 2013
Dangerous Women Coming
Take home a dangerous woman this Christmas.
DANGEROUS WOMEN, the latest big cross-genre anthology from Gardner Dozois and yours truly, has been scheduled for a December 3 release in hardcover, according to Amazon. (I assume that is correct. The date has not actually been confirmed for me by anyone at the publisher, but presumably 'twas Tor who gave Amazon their date. Sometimes, alas, the author is the last to know).
The cover looks like this (again, according to Amazon, who apparently know more than we do):
(I know, I know, some of you will not like the cover. Honestly, I am not a huge fan of the all-typographic approach myself, but it seems to be the lot in life for writers who reach a certain level of success, the thought being that the writer's name will sell more copies than any artwork, no matter how splendid. And DANGEROUS WOMEN contains stories by a LOT of brilliant famous award-winning bestselling writers, ergo the desire to trumpet their names. All understandable. Being an old fanboy at heart, however, I love great SF and fantasy art, and would have preferred to depict some actual dangerous women on the cover... but this one, I must concede, will probably sell better).
DANGEROUS WOMEN is our biggest anthology yet... yes, even more massive that WARRIORS (though still well short of the length of my fantasy series), with another all-star lineup. The table of contents will look like this:
INTRODUCTION, by Gardner Dozois
SOME DESPERADO, by Joe Abercrombie
MY HEART IS EITHER BROKEN, by Megan Abbott
NORA’S SONG, by Cecelia Holland
THE HANDS THAT ARE NOT THERE, by Melinda Snodgrass
BOMBSHELLS, by Jim Butcher
RAISA STEPANOVA, by Carrie Vaughn
WRESTLING JESUS, by Joe R. Lansdale
NEIGHBORS, by Megan Lindholm
I KNOW HOW TO PICK ‘EM, by Lawrence Block
SHADOWS FOR SILENCE IN THE FORESTS OF HELL, by Brandon Sanderson
A QUEEN IN EXILE, by Sharon Kay Penman
THE GIRL IN THE MIRROR, by Lev Grossman
SECOND ARABESQUE, VERY SLOWLY, by Nancy Kress
CITY LAZARUS, by Diana Rowland
VIRGINS, by Diana Gabaldon
HELL HATH NO FURY, by Sherilynn Kenyon
PRONOUNCING DOOM, by S.M. Stirling
NAME THE BEAST, by Sam Sykes
CARETAKERS, by Pat Cadigan
LIES MY MOTHER TOLD ME, by Caroline Spector
THE PRINCESS AND THE QUEEN, by George R.R. Martin
The Abercrombie is set against his RED COUNTRY backdrop, the Holland gives us Eleanor of Aquitaine, Jim Butcher returns us to Harry Dresden's world, Lev Grossman contributes a tale of life at Brakebills, Steve Stirling revisits his Emberverse, Diana Gabaldon's story features Jamie Fraser of OUTLANDER fame, the Spector is a Wild Cards story featuring Hoodoo Mama and the Amazing Bubbles, and mine own contribution... well, it's some of that fake history I have been writing lo these many months, the true (mostly) story of the origins of the Dance of the Dragons. The stand-alone stories, not part of any series, feature some amazing work as well. For those who like to lose themselves in long stories, the Brandon Sanderson story, the Diana Gabaldon story, the Caroline Spector story, and my "Princess and Queen" are novellas. Huge mothers.
You can preorder DANGEROUS WOMEN here:
http://www.amazon.com/Dangerous-Women-George-R-R-Martin/dp/076533206X
DANGEROUS WOMEN, the latest big cross-genre anthology from Gardner Dozois and yours truly, has been scheduled for a December 3 release in hardcover, according to Amazon. (I assume that is correct. The date has not actually been confirmed for me by anyone at the publisher, but presumably 'twas Tor who gave Amazon their date. Sometimes, alas, the author is the last to know).
The cover looks like this (again, according to Amazon, who apparently know more than we do):
(I know, I know, some of you will not like the cover. Honestly, I am not a huge fan of the all-typographic approach myself, but it seems to be the lot in life for writers who reach a certain level of success, the thought being that the writer's name will sell more copies than any artwork, no matter how splendid. And DANGEROUS WOMEN contains stories by a LOT of brilliant famous award-winning bestselling writers, ergo the desire to trumpet their names. All understandable. Being an old fanboy at heart, however, I love great SF and fantasy art, and would have preferred to depict some actual dangerous women on the cover... but this one, I must concede, will probably sell better).
DANGEROUS WOMEN is our biggest anthology yet... yes, even more massive that WARRIORS (though still well short of the length of my fantasy series), with another all-star lineup. The table of contents will look like this:
INTRODUCTION, by Gardner Dozois
SOME DESPERADO, by Joe Abercrombie
MY HEART IS EITHER BROKEN, by Megan Abbott
NORA’S SONG, by Cecelia Holland
THE HANDS THAT ARE NOT THERE, by Melinda Snodgrass
BOMBSHELLS, by Jim Butcher
RAISA STEPANOVA, by Carrie Vaughn
WRESTLING JESUS, by Joe R. Lansdale
NEIGHBORS, by Megan Lindholm
I KNOW HOW TO PICK ‘EM, by Lawrence Block
SHADOWS FOR SILENCE IN THE FORESTS OF HELL, by Brandon Sanderson
A QUEEN IN EXILE, by Sharon Kay Penman
THE GIRL IN THE MIRROR, by Lev Grossman
SECOND ARABESQUE, VERY SLOWLY, by Nancy Kress
CITY LAZARUS, by Diana Rowland
VIRGINS, by Diana Gabaldon
HELL HATH NO FURY, by Sherilynn Kenyon
PRONOUNCING DOOM, by S.M. Stirling
NAME THE BEAST, by Sam Sykes
CARETAKERS, by Pat Cadigan
LIES MY MOTHER TOLD ME, by Caroline Spector
THE PRINCESS AND THE QUEEN, by George R.R. Martin
The Abercrombie is set against his RED COUNTRY backdrop, the Holland gives us Eleanor of Aquitaine, Jim Butcher returns us to Harry Dresden's world, Lev Grossman contributes a tale of life at Brakebills, Steve Stirling revisits his Emberverse, Diana Gabaldon's story features Jamie Fraser of OUTLANDER fame, the Spector is a Wild Cards story featuring Hoodoo Mama and the Amazing Bubbles, and mine own contribution... well, it's some of that fake history I have been writing lo these many months, the true (mostly) story of the origins of the Dance of the Dragons. The stand-alone stories, not part of any series, feature some amazing work as well. For those who like to lose themselves in long stories, the Brandon Sanderson story, the Diana Gabaldon story, the Caroline Spector story, and my "Princess and Queen" are novellas. Huge mothers.
You can preorder DANGEROUS WOMEN here:
http://www.amazon.com/Dangerous-Women-George-R-R-Martin/dp/076533206X
May 29, 2013
A Sad Day for SF
It is a sad day for fans of science fiction and fantasy.
Word has just gotten out that Jack Vance, one of the grandmasters of our genres, and IMNSHO one of the greatest writers of our times, passed away on Sunday. He was 96.
I had the honor of meeting Jack a few times, but I cannot claim to have known him well. But he had a huge influence on me and my work, and for the past fifty-some years has ranked among my very favorite writers. Every time a new Jack Vance book came out, I would drop whatever else I was doing and read it. Sometimes I did not mean to, but once you cracked the covers of a Vance book, you were lost.
It pleases me no end that Gardner Dozois and I were able to do our tribute anthology, SONGS OF THE DYING EARTH, when Jack was still alive, so he could hear how many of today's fantasists he had inspired. Vance's Dying Earth ranks with Howard's Hyborian Age and Tolkien's Middle Earth as one of the all-time great fantasy settings, and Cugel the Clever is the genre's greatest rogue, a character as memorable as Conan or Frodo (either of whom Cugel would likely swindle out of their smallclothes, had they ever met).
Vance was equally adept at writing SF and mystery, and will be remembered as one of the very few writers ever to win an Edgar Award along with Hugos and Nebulas. The output was prodigious, and there is scarcely a bad book among them. If you haven't read Jack Vance... well, I pity you, but I envy you as well. You have some amazing adventures ahead of you. The Dying Earth, Lyonesse, the Demon Princes, BAD RONALD, Liane the Wayfarer and Chun the Unavoidable, Emphyrio, Showboat World, Big Planet, the Dirdir and the Pnume and the Chasch and (yes) the Wankh, the Last Castle, the Dragon Masters, the Moon Moth... the list goes on and on and on and on.
Jack Vance left the world a richer place than he found it. No more can be asked of any writer.
Word has just gotten out that Jack Vance, one of the grandmasters of our genres, and IMNSHO one of the greatest writers of our times, passed away on Sunday. He was 96.
I had the honor of meeting Jack a few times, but I cannot claim to have known him well. But he had a huge influence on me and my work, and for the past fifty-some years has ranked among my very favorite writers. Every time a new Jack Vance book came out, I would drop whatever else I was doing and read it. Sometimes I did not mean to, but once you cracked the covers of a Vance book, you were lost.
It pleases me no end that Gardner Dozois and I were able to do our tribute anthology, SONGS OF THE DYING EARTH, when Jack was still alive, so he could hear how many of today's fantasists he had inspired. Vance's Dying Earth ranks with Howard's Hyborian Age and Tolkien's Middle Earth as one of the all-time great fantasy settings, and Cugel the Clever is the genre's greatest rogue, a character as memorable as Conan or Frodo (either of whom Cugel would likely swindle out of their smallclothes, had they ever met).
Vance was equally adept at writing SF and mystery, and will be remembered as one of the very few writers ever to win an Edgar Award along with Hugos and Nebulas. The output was prodigious, and there is scarcely a bad book among them. If you haven't read Jack Vance... well, I pity you, but I envy you as well. You have some amazing adventures ahead of you. The Dying Earth, Lyonesse, the Demon Princes, BAD RONALD, Liane the Wayfarer and Chun the Unavoidable, Emphyrio, Showboat World, Big Planet, the Dirdir and the Pnume and the Chasch and (yes) the Wankh, the Last Castle, the Dragon Masters, the Moon Moth... the list goes on and on and on and on.
Jack Vance left the world a richer place than he found it. No more can be asked of any writer.
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