Martha Wells's Blog, page 114
July 1, 2014
New books:* The Seat of Magic: A Novel of the Golden Cit...
New books:
* The Seat of Magic: A Novel of the Golden City by J. Kathleen Cheney I've read the first one and have been really looking forward to this one.
The mesmerizing sequel to The Golden City shows the deepening relationship between two non-humans living clandestinely in an alternate early-1900s Portugal.
* Changa's Safari: Volume 2 by Milton J. Davis
Black Gate has a review of this one and it sounds like a really good series.
Changa Diop, Swahili merchant and adventurer, continues his amazing adventures with his crew and companions. The hulls of his dhows laden with treasures of the Middle Kingdom, Changa sets sail for home. But adventure waits at every port, some deliberate, others totally unexpected.
* Exile by Betsy Dornbusch is out in trade paperback.
* Two collections by Theodora Goss are out in print and ebook.
* The Seat of Magic: A Novel of the Golden City by J. Kathleen Cheney I've read the first one and have been really looking forward to this one.
The mesmerizing sequel to The Golden City shows the deepening relationship between two non-humans living clandestinely in an alternate early-1900s Portugal.
* Changa's Safari: Volume 2 by Milton J. Davis
Black Gate has a review of this one and it sounds like a really good series.
Changa Diop, Swahili merchant and adventurer, continues his amazing adventures with his crew and companions. The hulls of his dhows laden with treasures of the Middle Kingdom, Changa sets sail for home. But adventure waits at every port, some deliberate, others totally unexpected.
* Exile by Betsy Dornbusch is out in trade paperback.
* Two collections by Theodora Goss are out in print and ebook.
June 30, 2014
Eddie Izzard in Austin
So Friday night we drove to Austin and to meet up with friends and see Eddie Izzard's new stand-up comedy show. I had never see a real live comedy show before, so it was both new and also awesome, because it was Eddie Izzard. We were sitting in the second-to-top balcony, which gave me some fear-of-heights issues because it was so steep.
My favorite bit has to be Mr. Stevens, head of catering for the Death Star, who has evolved into the most powerful being in the universe, and at one point solves a dispute between Darth Vader and God over spaghetti carbonara which is actually a metaphor for attaining world peace.
I almost missed the t-shirts, because between the crowds and the slightly confusing traffic pattern inside the Long Center, I didn't see them. Then on the way out, one of our friends disappeared. We waited a while, wondering if she was in the bathroom, having trouble with the stairs, waiting in line for an elevator, but she had actually stumbled on the sales table and was buying stuff. So I snuck back in and got a t-shirt.
The next morning we had brunch with friends, visited another friend's house and went swimming, and basically just hung out and relaxed before heading home.
I am going to be at Convergence in MN this weekend and that link has my schedule.
My favorite bit has to be Mr. Stevens, head of catering for the Death Star, who has evolved into the most powerful being in the universe, and at one point solves a dispute between Darth Vader and God over spaghetti carbonara which is actually a metaphor for attaining world peace.
I almost missed the t-shirts, because between the crowds and the slightly confusing traffic pattern inside the Long Center, I didn't see them. Then on the way out, one of our friends disappeared. We waited a while, wondering if she was in the bathroom, having trouble with the stairs, waiting in line for an elevator, but she had actually stumbled on the sales table and was buying stuff. So I snuck back in and got a t-shirt.
The next morning we had brunch with friends, visited another friend's house and went swimming, and basically just hung out and relaxed before heading home.
I am going to be at Convergence in MN this weekend and that link has my schedule.
June 26, 2014
We've been got a lot of rain lately, which is good, becau...
We've been got a lot of rain lately, which is good, because then we don't have to worry about fires, but it does make flash flooding a concern. There was a lightning clap so loud yesterday that the cats came into the room and stared at me like it was my fault.
I'm going to do something really fun tomorrow night, and I can't wait. I'll post about it either this weekend or Monday.
I still don't know what's going to happen with Emilie and the Hollow World and Emilie and the Sky World, with the closing of Strange Chemistry, the publishing line. Waiting to find out is kind of nerve-racking. If you were ever thinking of getting them, or any of the other Strange Chemistry Books, you might want to think about doing it soon.
For the heck of it, here's the first couple pages of Emilie and the Sky World:
Chapter One
Emilie took a deep breath and knocked on the door.
Twilight had fallen, and the quiet street smelled strongly of dinner. Karthea's house, like all the others, had a chunky stone facade and wood-framed windows with cheerful curtains and potted flowers on the stoop. The gas lamp on the corner had already been lit, glowing bright in the failing daylight.
There was no answer immediately and Emilie began to wonder if Karthea had closed the school temporarily and gone on some journey. If so, it was less of a disaster than it would have been a fortnight ago. Emilie had money enough for a room at an inn or boarding house, but it would be disappointing not to see her cousin. And wandering through town looking for a suitable place to stay was considerably less daunting than it had been a fortnight ago as well, especially considering that she had company.
"Maybe she didn't get my letter, or the package I sent," Emilie told Daniel, who stood patiently beside her. "Though I'm not arriving when I said I would."
"I think I hear someone inside," Daniel said. "It's nearly time for dinner, maybe she's just busy with--"
The door flung open, and Karthea stood there, wearing an apron and holding a partially peeled beet. "Emilie, you're days late! I was so worried!" Her eyes fell on Daniel, and she frowned in confusion. "Where have you been?"
"Karthea," Emilie said, smiling. "I have had an adventure!"
Karthea's eyes widened, then narrowed. She grabbed Emilie's arm and dragged her inside. To Daniel, she said, "Excuse us, please," and shut the door.
They stood in a dim hall, lit by a gas sconce and from brighter lights in the room at the far end. Emilie could hear the voices of young girls somewhere nearby, and a clatter of dishes. It smelled homey and comfortable, of books, dust, boiling beets from the kitchen. She took a deep breath. She had meant this place to be her refuge; it felt better to be coming to it as a guest.
Karthea still held her arm, and was trying unsuccessfully to look intimidating. Karthea was mostly Southern Menean like Emilie, with warm brown skin and dark eyes. She and Emilie looked a little alike in the face, though Karthea was taller and myopic and always wore eyeglasses. She had inherited their side of the family's somewhat unmanageable hair, and hers was just as frizzy and curling as Emilie's, in the process of escaping from the band she had tried to use to confine it. "Are you eloping?" Karthea demanded.
It was so unexpected, Emilie laughed. "Of course not!"
It was the laugh that convinced Karthea; Emilie saw the relief and chagrin in her expression. Karthea said, "Oh. But who's that young man?"
"He's Daniel, one of Dr Marlende's students. He needs a place here in town to stay while we're waiting for the doctor and Miss Marlende to get back from Meneport. I thought you would know of a boarding house."
"But who are the Marlendes?"
Emilie lifted her brows. "So can Daniel come in?"
"Oh. Oh!" Flustered, Karthea pulled open the door. "I'm so sorry. Please do come in."
Daniel stepped inside, smiling diffidently, trying to look harmless. He was only a few years older than Emilie, and Southern Menaen as well, with brown skin and curly dark hair. He had replaced his cracked spectacles with a spare pair kept on Dr. Marlende's airship, and looked much more respectable than when Emilie had first met him in a cell in the sea people's fortress. Emilie said, "Daniel, this is my cousin Karthea."
"How do you do?" Karthea frowned again, but this time in concern. She nodded toward the sling Daniel wore. "Your poor arm. What happened?"
"He was shot in the shoulder," Emilie said. At Karthea's horrified expression, she explained, "It's part of the adventure. And it's a long story, so we should sit down."
***
I'm going to do something really fun tomorrow night, and I can't wait. I'll post about it either this weekend or Monday.
I still don't know what's going to happen with Emilie and the Hollow World and Emilie and the Sky World, with the closing of Strange Chemistry, the publishing line. Waiting to find out is kind of nerve-racking. If you were ever thinking of getting them, or any of the other Strange Chemistry Books, you might want to think about doing it soon.
For the heck of it, here's the first couple pages of Emilie and the Sky World:
Chapter One
Emilie took a deep breath and knocked on the door.
Twilight had fallen, and the quiet street smelled strongly of dinner. Karthea's house, like all the others, had a chunky stone facade and wood-framed windows with cheerful curtains and potted flowers on the stoop. The gas lamp on the corner had already been lit, glowing bright in the failing daylight.
There was no answer immediately and Emilie began to wonder if Karthea had closed the school temporarily and gone on some journey. If so, it was less of a disaster than it would have been a fortnight ago. Emilie had money enough for a room at an inn or boarding house, but it would be disappointing not to see her cousin. And wandering through town looking for a suitable place to stay was considerably less daunting than it had been a fortnight ago as well, especially considering that she had company.
"Maybe she didn't get my letter, or the package I sent," Emilie told Daniel, who stood patiently beside her. "Though I'm not arriving when I said I would."
"I think I hear someone inside," Daniel said. "It's nearly time for dinner, maybe she's just busy with--"
The door flung open, and Karthea stood there, wearing an apron and holding a partially peeled beet. "Emilie, you're days late! I was so worried!" Her eyes fell on Daniel, and she frowned in confusion. "Where have you been?"
"Karthea," Emilie said, smiling. "I have had an adventure!"
Karthea's eyes widened, then narrowed. She grabbed Emilie's arm and dragged her inside. To Daniel, she said, "Excuse us, please," and shut the door.
They stood in a dim hall, lit by a gas sconce and from brighter lights in the room at the far end. Emilie could hear the voices of young girls somewhere nearby, and a clatter of dishes. It smelled homey and comfortable, of books, dust, boiling beets from the kitchen. She took a deep breath. She had meant this place to be her refuge; it felt better to be coming to it as a guest.
Karthea still held her arm, and was trying unsuccessfully to look intimidating. Karthea was mostly Southern Menean like Emilie, with warm brown skin and dark eyes. She and Emilie looked a little alike in the face, though Karthea was taller and myopic and always wore eyeglasses. She had inherited their side of the family's somewhat unmanageable hair, and hers was just as frizzy and curling as Emilie's, in the process of escaping from the band she had tried to use to confine it. "Are you eloping?" Karthea demanded.
It was so unexpected, Emilie laughed. "Of course not!"
It was the laugh that convinced Karthea; Emilie saw the relief and chagrin in her expression. Karthea said, "Oh. But who's that young man?"
"He's Daniel, one of Dr Marlende's students. He needs a place here in town to stay while we're waiting for the doctor and Miss Marlende to get back from Meneport. I thought you would know of a boarding house."
"But who are the Marlendes?"
Emilie lifted her brows. "So can Daniel come in?"
"Oh. Oh!" Flustered, Karthea pulled open the door. "I'm so sorry. Please do come in."
Daniel stepped inside, smiling diffidently, trying to look harmless. He was only a few years older than Emilie, and Southern Menaen as well, with brown skin and curly dark hair. He had replaced his cracked spectacles with a spare pair kept on Dr. Marlende's airship, and looked much more respectable than when Emilie had first met him in a cell in the sea people's fortress. Emilie said, "Daniel, this is my cousin Karthea."
"How do you do?" Karthea frowned again, but this time in concern. She nodded toward the sling Daniel wore. "Your poor arm. What happened?"
"He was shot in the shoulder," Emilie said. At Karthea's horrified expression, she explained, "It's part of the adventure. And it's a long story, so we should sit down."
***
June 24, 2014
ConvergenceCon
On July 3-6, I'll be at Convergence Con in Bloomington, MN.
My schedule is:
Thursday July 3, 2014 2:00pm - 3:00pm
A live episode of the Skiffy & Fanty Show (skiffyandfanty.com) with guest authors CL Patel and Martha Wells. We'll discuss influences on SF/F lit from gaming, comics, etc. with authors who write SF/F fiction but have experience writing for other formats. Panelists: Michael R. Underwood (mod), Carrie Patel, Martha Wells, David Annandale, Shaun Duke, Paul Weimer
Thursday, July 3 5:00pm - 6:00pm
Reading - Martha Wells
Friday July 4, 2014 7:00pm - 8:00pm
Where's the Magic?
Increasingly, writers feel the need to include a scientific (or pseudoscientific) explanation for strange events and objects, rather than simply having a fantastical or magical explanation. Why is this the case? Does it work? Panelists: Kameron Hurley, Kelly McCullough, Sean M. Murphy, Doug Hulick, Martha Wells
Friday, July 4 • 8:30pm - 9:30pm
Signing - Martha Wells / David Annandale
Saturday July 5, 2014 11:00am - 12:00pm
Once Upon a Story: Exploring Fairy Tales in Popular Culture
What do NBC's Grimm, Willingham's "Fables" and Disney have in common? They all propel fantastical stories of antiquity into modern times. Explore where we've come from and where we're going in myth, fairytale, and folklore. Panelists: Dana Baird, Christine Norris, Emma Bull, Roy T Cook, Martha Wells
Sunday July 6, 2014 2:00pm - 3:00pm
Women in Genre Not Talking about Women in Genre
Panelists talk about everything EXCEPT what it's like to be a woman working in genre! Which is better, Star Wars or Star Trek? What YA series will be made into a TV show next? Audience questions will be drawn randomly and answered by the panelists. Panelists: Martha Wells, Damarra Atkins, Lynne M. Thomas, Danielle Indovino, Naomi Kritzer
My schedule is:
Thursday July 3, 2014 2:00pm - 3:00pm
A live episode of the Skiffy & Fanty Show (skiffyandfanty.com) with guest authors CL Patel and Martha Wells. We'll discuss influences on SF/F lit from gaming, comics, etc. with authors who write SF/F fiction but have experience writing for other formats. Panelists: Michael R. Underwood (mod), Carrie Patel, Martha Wells, David Annandale, Shaun Duke, Paul Weimer
Thursday, July 3 5:00pm - 6:00pm
Reading - Martha Wells
Friday July 4, 2014 7:00pm - 8:00pm
Where's the Magic?
Increasingly, writers feel the need to include a scientific (or pseudoscientific) explanation for strange events and objects, rather than simply having a fantastical or magical explanation. Why is this the case? Does it work? Panelists: Kameron Hurley, Kelly McCullough, Sean M. Murphy, Doug Hulick, Martha Wells
Friday, July 4 • 8:30pm - 9:30pm
Signing - Martha Wells / David Annandale
Saturday July 5, 2014 11:00am - 12:00pm
Once Upon a Story: Exploring Fairy Tales in Popular Culture
What do NBC's Grimm, Willingham's "Fables" and Disney have in common? They all propel fantastical stories of antiquity into modern times. Explore where we've come from and where we're going in myth, fairytale, and folklore. Panelists: Dana Baird, Christine Norris, Emma Bull, Roy T Cook, Martha Wells
Sunday July 6, 2014 2:00pm - 3:00pm
Women in Genre Not Talking about Women in Genre
Panelists talk about everything EXCEPT what it's like to be a woman working in genre! Which is better, Star Wars or Star Trek? What YA series will be made into a TV show next? Audience questions will be drawn randomly and answered by the panelists. Panelists: Martha Wells, Damarra Atkins, Lynne M. Thomas, Danielle Indovino, Naomi Kritzer
June 23, 2014
Monday Monday Monday
If you missed it Friday, there was some very bad news for authors and publishing staff when the Strange Chemistry publishing line shut down.
Sarah J. Schmitt has a good description of what this is like for the debut authors.
I didn't do much this weekend. I took cat photos of Tasha and Jack and made some more progress on the pond.
Book links:
* There's a novelette by Laura Lam, author of Pantomime and Shadowplay: The Snake Charm
* The Kindred of Darkness by Barbara Hambly is out.
Sarah J. Schmitt has a good description of what this is like for the debut authors.
I didn't do much this weekend. I took cat photos of Tasha and Jack and made some more progress on the pond.
Book links:
* There's a novelette by Laura Lam, author of Pantomime and Shadowplay: The Snake Charm
* The Kindred of Darkness by Barbara Hambly is out.
June 20, 2014
Bad News
Terrible news for a lot of people yesterday: Strange Chemistry (who did my Emilie and the Hollow World and Emilie and the Sky World books) has shut down. None of the upcoming books will be published, and there's not word yet on what's going to happen with the books that were already out. (Basically if you wanted any of the Strange Chemistry titles, now would be a good time to get them, and the authors would really appreciate it.)
Here's the formal notice.
Here's the list of books Strange Chemistry published. (The "coming soon" section won't be published.)
The mystery line, Exhibit A Books, was also cancelled.
This is really depressing news. I've had nine total publishers (eighteen counting foreign language reprints) and this is the fourth one shot out from under me. A lot of young authors had their books cancelled, and people lost jobs, so it's always a miserable situation when this happens.
Here's the formal notice.
Here's the list of books Strange Chemistry published. (The "coming soon" section won't be published.)
The mystery line, Exhibit A Books, was also cancelled.
This is really depressing news. I've had nine total publishers (eighteen counting foreign language reprints) and this is the fourth one shot out from under me. A lot of young authors had their books cancelled, and people lost jobs, so it's always a miserable situation when this happens.
June 19, 2014
Thursday Links
Links:
* Book View Cafe: Don’t Crush That Writer! (Hand Me the Duct Tape) – One on Writers' critique groups
During the critique group, the other writers made suggestions that changed the entire thrust and scope of the story. The fantasy writers wanted it to be more fantastic; a writer who also wrote romance thought it should have a romance element; other people seized on this or that plot element and ran with it. The critique was often in the form of "I think you should...". A couple of the writers gave commentary that seemed unusually acerbic.
* Meridian Six by Jaye Wells novella is out in paperback.
* An excerpt from The Time Roads by Beth Bernobich
* Catherine Lundoff: On Valuing Women and Others - thoughts in progress
Here is a thing that I have been thinking about for a long, long time.I live in a patriarchal culture, one that only gives a little bit here and there, then takes back what it has given and then takes more. I survive in a patriarchal culture as white and cis and university educated, but also as queer and middle-aged. My perceived cultural worth as a woman, as a creator, drops over time as I age. And I resent the hell out of that.
* Kari Sperring: Collateral damage
I'm seeing older women -- whether women of colour or white women, lesbian, bi or straight, trans or cis forgotten, or only considered relevant once they're dead or long out of print and the limelight (if they ever had any share of the latter to begin with). I'm seeing women writers who debut later -- and women writers, along with writers of colour and writers with disabilities often face additional challenges which mean that they are more likely to debut later -- being written off with no or few reviews, dismissed unread as predictable.
* Book View Cafe: Don’t Crush That Writer! (Hand Me the Duct Tape) – One on Writers' critique groups
During the critique group, the other writers made suggestions that changed the entire thrust and scope of the story. The fantasy writers wanted it to be more fantastic; a writer who also wrote romance thought it should have a romance element; other people seized on this or that plot element and ran with it. The critique was often in the form of "I think you should...". A couple of the writers gave commentary that seemed unusually acerbic.
* Meridian Six by Jaye Wells novella is out in paperback.
* An excerpt from The Time Roads by Beth Bernobich
* Catherine Lundoff: On Valuing Women and Others - thoughts in progress
Here is a thing that I have been thinking about for a long, long time.I live in a patriarchal culture, one that only gives a little bit here and there, then takes back what it has given and then takes more. I survive in a patriarchal culture as white and cis and university educated, but also as queer and middle-aged. My perceived cultural worth as a woman, as a creator, drops over time as I age. And I resent the hell out of that.
* Kari Sperring: Collateral damage
I'm seeing older women -- whether women of colour or white women, lesbian, bi or straight, trans or cis forgotten, or only considered relevant once they're dead or long out of print and the limelight (if they ever had any share of the latter to begin with). I'm seeing women writers who debut later -- and women writers, along with writers of colour and writers with disabilities often face additional challenges which mean that they are more likely to debut later -- being written off with no or few reviews, dismissed unread as predictable.
June 17, 2014
Lots of News
News:
* Stories of the Raksura is available for Nook preorder on Barnes and Noble. Both the Nook and paperback versions are cheaper there than at Amazon.
* Blade Singer the children's book I co-wrote with Aaron de Orive, is available in Nook, Kindle, and Kobo, and the people who signed up for the kickstarter should have gotten their ebook copies.
Other people's news:
* The Cipher by Diana Pharaoh Francis is available.
* The Whitefire Crossing by Courtney Schafer is an ebook daily deal for $1.99 on Nook, Kindle, and Kobo! This is a great fantasy novel, with adventure, diverse characters, and very scary magic. I gave it a blurb when it first came out in paperback in 2011. It's the first of a trilogy, with the second book already available and the third is coming out soon.
* Cibola Burn by James S.A. Corey, the fourth book in the Expanse series, is available today in ebook and trade paperback. This is one of the books Amazon refuses to sell, so at that link there's a long list of alternate sites where you can get it, including Mysterious Galaxy and other indies, and Barnes and Noble, etc.
* Kickstarter: Gates of Midnight, a graphic novel.
This supernatural thriller pits Raven, a combat medic recently returned from Afghanistan, against creatures from another world. Barbara Hambly, one of my favorite ever writers, is associated with this project.
* Don't forget the Reading Rainbow Kickstarter. If they get one more million, they can put reading Rainbow into 7500 schools for free.
* Stories of the Raksura is available for Nook preorder on Barnes and Noble. Both the Nook and paperback versions are cheaper there than at Amazon.
* Blade Singer the children's book I co-wrote with Aaron de Orive, is available in Nook, Kindle, and Kobo, and the people who signed up for the kickstarter should have gotten their ebook copies.
Other people's news:
* The Cipher by Diana Pharaoh Francis is available.
* The Whitefire Crossing by Courtney Schafer is an ebook daily deal for $1.99 on Nook, Kindle, and Kobo! This is a great fantasy novel, with adventure, diverse characters, and very scary magic. I gave it a blurb when it first came out in paperback in 2011. It's the first of a trilogy, with the second book already available and the third is coming out soon.
* Cibola Burn by James S.A. Corey, the fourth book in the Expanse series, is available today in ebook and trade paperback. This is one of the books Amazon refuses to sell, so at that link there's a long list of alternate sites where you can get it, including Mysterious Galaxy and other indies, and Barnes and Noble, etc.
* Kickstarter: Gates of Midnight, a graphic novel.
This supernatural thriller pits Raven, a combat medic recently returned from Afghanistan, against creatures from another world. Barbara Hambly, one of my favorite ever writers, is associated with this project.
* Don't forget the Reading Rainbow Kickstarter. If they get one more million, they can put reading Rainbow into 7500 schools for free.
June 15, 2014
Pond Progress Again
Finally, pond progress pictures. The first three are various views of digging the new pond and shoring up the sides. The next one is the old pond/swamp/bog with the water lily taking over. The next is this morning, after pulling the water lily out. The last two are the still-in-progress new pond, which is looking more like a water feature now and less like a hole in the ground.
Pulling the water lily out was pretty horrible. Below the pretty leaves are a matted mass of slime, leaves, dirt, rot, and roots. It had dragged its original container from one side of the pond to the other, and the main roots were a good inch thick. We had to use a shovel, a trowel, branch clippers, and a thing with a blade on the end that's actually used for scraping linoleum off concrete.
Pulling the water lily out was pretty horrible. Below the pretty leaves are a matted mass of slime, leaves, dirt, rot, and roots. It had dragged its original container from one side of the pond to the other, and the main roots were a good inch thick. We had to use a shovel, a trowel, branch clippers, and a thing with a blade on the end that's actually used for scraping linoleum off concrete.
June 11, 2014
If you missed it yesterday, The Cloud Roads paperback is ...
If you missed it yesterday, The Cloud Roads paperback is being reprinted.
link
* If Strangers Talked to Everybody like They Talk to Writers
"So Chet tells me you’re a bartender. Would I have tasted any of the drinks you make?"
Book Links
* An excerpt from Shield and Crocus by Michael R. Underwood
* The Leopard by K. V. Johansen
* California Bones by Greg van Eekhout
In van Eekhout's (Norse Code) first hardcover for adult readers, a combination of caper novel and urban fantasy packs a wallop. Daniel and his team banter even while up to their necks in danger, and the magic system in which eating the bones and flesh of creatures can grant you their power is unique and fascinating (if a little icky). Highly recommended. - Library Journal
* A review of Osiris by E.J. Swift
link
* If Strangers Talked to Everybody like They Talk to Writers
"So Chet tells me you’re a bartender. Would I have tasted any of the drinks you make?"
Book Links
* An excerpt from Shield and Crocus by Michael R. Underwood
* The Leopard by K. V. Johansen
* California Bones by Greg van Eekhout
In van Eekhout's (Norse Code) first hardcover for adult readers, a combination of caper novel and urban fantasy packs a wallop. Daniel and his team banter even while up to their necks in danger, and the magic system in which eating the bones and flesh of creatures can grant you their power is unique and fascinating (if a little icky). Highly recommended. - Library Journal
* A review of Osiris by E.J. Swift
