Martha Wells's Blog, page 124
November 17, 2013
We went to the Texas Renaissance Festival again yesterday...
We went to the Texas Renaissance Festival again yesterday, one last trip before it's over in a couple of weeks. We met up with two friends out there and wandered around a lot and ate a lot of food. It was hugely crowded, like a three-ring circus going on around you all the time. Lots of people wear costumes, everything from very accurate Elizabethan outfits to pieces of Halloween costumes. Lots of pirates, lots of people with wings. People pretty much wear whatever they want out there, like a comic con dialed up to 11 with lots of daytime drinking. Plus, it was barbarian weekend, so there was a lot of Conan-style outfits. And there's the Sea Devil tavern, which after a certain point in the day starts to get like one of those dangerous, scary taverns from fantasy novels, except with much better music.
Sherwood Forest Faire in February is a lot of fun too, and in a completely different way. The way the site is designed, it never seems crowded, and it's much more relaxing.
Sherwood Forest Faire in February is a lot of fun too, and in a completely different way. The way the site is designed, it never seems crowded, and it's much more relaxing.
November 15, 2013
Links
N.K. Jemisin: Contemplation, at the end of a season
This isn’t something writers talk about when a novel first comes out, note. Bad marketing mojo; the last thing an author wants to do is suggest that their brand-spanking-new book is an old trunk novel dusted off and given new life. Still, the sad fact is that very few writers break in with the actual first novel that they’ve written, and many of those authors later sell the older ones. Were those older novels bad novels? Sometimes. Sometimes not. Sometimes they just weren’t what the industry was willing to accept at that time.
The Toast: A Female Author Talks About Sexism and Self-Promotion
It's absurd to pretend that getting letters detailing what a worthless person you are doesn’t exacerbate anxiety and depression. And it's absurd to pretend this doesn't come from an environment of internalised, sublimated, or simple overt misogyny.
I have seen male authors, people who work in publishing, and readers make fun of women who talk about such feelings (yes, including suicide attempts). These women feel they had to give up creating what they love, in order to make their lives livable. I know many more who are persisting, but whose health and happiness and creative energy is being severely compromised. Neither I nor anyone else will ever know how many female creators will never share what they've made with the world, because they have been scared off.
The Toast:
A Second Female Author Talks About Sexism and Self-Promotion
Maureen Johnson: On Being a Female Writer. What are the Perks?
Huffington Post: On Labeling Women 'Crazy'
This isn’t something writers talk about when a novel first comes out, note. Bad marketing mojo; the last thing an author wants to do is suggest that their brand-spanking-new book is an old trunk novel dusted off and given new life. Still, the sad fact is that very few writers break in with the actual first novel that they’ve written, and many of those authors later sell the older ones. Were those older novels bad novels? Sometimes. Sometimes not. Sometimes they just weren’t what the industry was willing to accept at that time.
The Toast: A Female Author Talks About Sexism and Self-Promotion
It's absurd to pretend that getting letters detailing what a worthless person you are doesn’t exacerbate anxiety and depression. And it's absurd to pretend this doesn't come from an environment of internalised, sublimated, or simple overt misogyny.
I have seen male authors, people who work in publishing, and readers make fun of women who talk about such feelings (yes, including suicide attempts). These women feel they had to give up creating what they love, in order to make their lives livable. I know many more who are persisting, but whose health and happiness and creative energy is being severely compromised. Neither I nor anyone else will ever know how many female creators will never share what they've made with the world, because they have been scared off.
The Toast:
A Second Female Author Talks About Sexism and Self-Promotion
Maureen Johnson: On Being a Female Writer. What are the Perks?
Huffington Post: On Labeling Women 'Crazy'
November 14, 2013
Podcasts and Book Rec
I had bad headache/allergies for the past couple of days, so I've been moving pretty slow. Maybe someday I'll actually have time/feel well enough to read some books. It feels like it's been ages since I've been able to but I think it's only about a week or so. All my coherent thought time is going to writing. I have a bunch of articles I want to link to also, but I'll do that tomorrow, hopefully.
***
This actually came out on November 4, but I missed it: I was on the radio show/podcast Fictional Frontiers with Sohaib talking about Razor's Edge.
I've also done interviews on a couple of other podcasts, the Temple Archives and Coffee with Kenobi, and I'll post links when those are up.
(And if you read Razor's Edge book and have time/chance/inclination, please consider leaving a review on Amazon or B&N or Powells or wherever you bought it, if you bought it online. The reviews really do have an impact on their system, especially Amazon's. (And I don't know if that will encourage the publisher to do more Leia books, or books by women authors, but it sure won't hurt.))
Book rec
Another one I've been looking forward to: Fiddlehead by Cherie Priest
This is the latest book in the Clockwork Century series:
Young ex-slave Gideon Bardsley is a brilliant inventor, but the job is less glamorous than one might think, especially since the assassination attempts started. Worse yet, they're trying to destroy his greatest achievement: a calculating engine called Fiddlehead, which provides undeniable proof of something awful enough to destroy the world. Both man and machine are at risk from forces conspiring to keep the Civil War going and the money flowing.
***
This actually came out on November 4, but I missed it: I was on the radio show/podcast Fictional Frontiers with Sohaib talking about Razor's Edge.
I've also done interviews on a couple of other podcasts, the Temple Archives and Coffee with Kenobi, and I'll post links when those are up.
(And if you read Razor's Edge book and have time/chance/inclination, please consider leaving a review on Amazon or B&N or Powells or wherever you bought it, if you bought it online. The reviews really do have an impact on their system, especially Amazon's. (And I don't know if that will encourage the publisher to do more Leia books, or books by women authors, but it sure won't hurt.))
Book rec
Another one I've been looking forward to: Fiddlehead by Cherie Priest
This is the latest book in the Clockwork Century series:
Young ex-slave Gideon Bardsley is a brilliant inventor, but the job is less glamorous than one might think, especially since the assassination attempts started. Worse yet, they're trying to destroy his greatest achievement: a calculating engine called Fiddlehead, which provides undeniable proof of something awful enough to destroy the world. Both man and machine are at risk from forces conspiring to keep the Civil War going and the money flowing.
November 11, 2013
How to Help the Philippines
CNN has this article with a round-up of organizations.
One big one to consider is the Philippines Red Cross. You can donate through Paypal, but the site uses the Philippines currency of pesos, so $1 = around 43 pesos. (So 1000 pesos is about $24.00US.)
There's also IFAW International Fund for Animal Welfare.
One big one to consider is the Philippines Red Cross. You can donate through Paypal, but the site uses the Philippines currency of pesos, so $1 = around 43 pesos. (So 1000 pesos is about $24.00US.)
There's also IFAW International Fund for Animal Welfare.
November 8, 2013
Friday
Feeling very down and depressed today, again. It's sort of the new normal, or back to the old normal. I've been very stressed out and anxious lately, and in a way it feels like it's erased the emotional progress of the past few years. Anyway.
It rained so much this week that our roof leaked a little. It came down through a wall all the way to a doorframe on the first floor. I'm going to have to deal with that soon.
I am looking forward to seeing Thor, but we won't be going until Tuesday. I'm trying to avoid spoilers, as usual.
And I am almost done with the second Raksura novella. It's not going to be as long as the first one, which went long for a novella. (The length of a novella is usually between 17,500 and 39,999 words.) This one is a story from the past, about how Indigo and Cloud got together back before the court left the Reaches. It's sort of turning out to be like Pride and Prejudice in a Raksuran colony tree.
links:
* The Box of Crazy
So a friend of mine found this box by the trash, it is full of wonderful, crazy illustrations. Clearly something happened to this guy that was very memorable. It measures roughly 29" by 38" and almost all the drawings are very large.
* An Imperial Underworld
A group of Italian caving enthusiasts, investigating a small hole in the ground concealed by bushes, discovered surprising information about the inner workings of ancient Rome’s most impressive imperial residence.
Story rec
How the Milkmaid Struck a Bargain With the Crooked One by by C.S.E. Cooney
my links
* I have a section on my site that lists all the ebooks I have available that are DRM-free. Some of them are pretty cheap.
* Speaking of cheap, there are some discount copies of the trade paperback of The Siren Depths for $6.00 on Amazon US. (Christmas present, hint, hint.)
* I have a novella, "Holy Places," in this month's ebook-only issue of Lightspeed Magazine.
* I have a boatload of audiobooks out now, including the Star Wars book, all three Raksura novels, and four of my older fantasy novels, with three more on the way. Here's the list at audible.com.
It rained so much this week that our roof leaked a little. It came down through a wall all the way to a doorframe on the first floor. I'm going to have to deal with that soon.
I am looking forward to seeing Thor, but we won't be going until Tuesday. I'm trying to avoid spoilers, as usual.
And I am almost done with the second Raksura novella. It's not going to be as long as the first one, which went long for a novella. (The length of a novella is usually between 17,500 and 39,999 words.) This one is a story from the past, about how Indigo and Cloud got together back before the court left the Reaches. It's sort of turning out to be like Pride and Prejudice in a Raksuran colony tree.
links:
* The Box of Crazy
So a friend of mine found this box by the trash, it is full of wonderful, crazy illustrations. Clearly something happened to this guy that was very memorable. It measures roughly 29" by 38" and almost all the drawings are very large.
* An Imperial Underworld
A group of Italian caving enthusiasts, investigating a small hole in the ground concealed by bushes, discovered surprising information about the inner workings of ancient Rome’s most impressive imperial residence.
Story rec
How the Milkmaid Struck a Bargain With the Crooked One by by C.S.E. Cooney
my links
* I have a section on my site that lists all the ebooks I have available that are DRM-free. Some of them are pretty cheap.
* Speaking of cheap, there are some discount copies of the trade paperback of The Siren Depths for $6.00 on Amazon US. (Christmas present, hint, hint.)
* I have a novella, "Holy Places," in this month's ebook-only issue of Lightspeed Magazine.
* I have a boatload of audiobooks out now, including the Star Wars book, all three Raksura novels, and four of my older fantasy novels, with three more on the way. Here's the list at audible.com.
November 7, 2013
Ran a bunch of errands, and finally got the recycling dow...
Ran a bunch of errands, and finally got the recycling down to the recycling center. (I was driving around with it in the back of the car because it was raining too much to take it in.)
Another new book out:
Royal Airs (An Elemental Blessings Novel) by Sharon Shinn
I've been really looking forward to this one.
"Filled with vivid details of everyday life, a strong and admirable heroine, and a plot with as many twists and turns as the mighty river that threads through the story, Shinn’s latest novel should appeal to her avid readership and to lovers of the genre. Highly recommended."--—Library Journal (starred review)
links:
Tor.com: The Status Quo Does Not Need World Building by Kate Elliott
Apex Magazine: The SF/F Community: An Essay by Lynne M. Thomas and Michael Damian Thomas
AsiaObscura: Sifting Through Arthur C. Clarke’s DVD Collection in Colombo
Tumblr: Big Huge List of Some Amazing Women Artists! by Julie Dillon
Another new book out:
Royal Airs (An Elemental Blessings Novel) by Sharon Shinn
I've been really looking forward to this one.
"Filled with vivid details of everyday life, a strong and admirable heroine, and a plot with as many twists and turns as the mighty river that threads through the story, Shinn’s latest novel should appeal to her avid readership and to lovers of the genre. Highly recommended."--—Library Journal (starred review)
links:
Tor.com: The Status Quo Does Not Need World Building by Kate Elliott
Apex Magazine: The SF/F Community: An Essay by Lynne M. Thomas and Michael Damian Thomas
AsiaObscura: Sifting Through Arthur C. Clarke’s DVD Collection in Colombo
Tumblr: Big Huge List of Some Amazing Women Artists! by Julie Dillon
November 5, 2013
New Books
New books out today:
* The Golden City by J. Kathleen Cheney
For two years, Oriana Paredes has been a spy among the social elite of the Golden City, reporting back to her people, the sereia, sea folk banned from the city’s shores....
When her employer and only confidante decides to elope, Oriana agrees to accompany her to Paris. But before they can depart, the two women are abducted and left to drown. Trapped beneath the waves, Oriana’s heritage allows her to survive while she is forced to watch her only friend die.
Vowing vengeance, Oriana crosses paths with Duilio Ferreira—a police consultant who has been investigating the disappearance of a string of servants from the city’s wealthiest homes. Duilio also has a secret: He is a seer and his gifts have led him to Oriana.
* Palace of Spies by Sarah Zettel
A warning to all young ladies of delicate breeding who wish to embark upon lives of adventure: Don't.
Sixteen-year-old Peggy is a well-bred orphan who is coerced into posing as a lady in waiting at the palace of King George I. Life is grand, until Peggy starts to suspect that the girl she's impersonating might have been murdered. Unless Peggy can discover the truth, she might be doomed to the same terrible fate. But in a court of shadows and intrigue, anyone could be a spy—perhaps even the handsome young artist with whom Peggy is falling in love...
*
Daylighters (Morganville Vampires Series #15) by Rachel Caine
While Morganville, Texas, is often a troubled town, Claire Danvers and her friends are looking forward to coming home. But the Morganville they return to isn’t the one they know; it’s become a different place—a deadly one .
Something drastic has happened in Morganville while Claire and her friends were away. The town looks cleaner and happier than they’ve ever seen it before, but when their incoming group is arrested and separated—vampires from humans—they realize that the changes definitely aren’t for the better.
* Among the Anthropophagai! A Story of Gorillas and Gasbags by Bill Crider
A fast-paced pulp adventure novella (about 9500 words) of exploring an impenetrable forest and the horrors that exist there. Zeppelins! Gorillas! Anthropophagai!
* The Golden City by J. Kathleen Cheney
For two years, Oriana Paredes has been a spy among the social elite of the Golden City, reporting back to her people, the sereia, sea folk banned from the city’s shores....
When her employer and only confidante decides to elope, Oriana agrees to accompany her to Paris. But before they can depart, the two women are abducted and left to drown. Trapped beneath the waves, Oriana’s heritage allows her to survive while she is forced to watch her only friend die.
Vowing vengeance, Oriana crosses paths with Duilio Ferreira—a police consultant who has been investigating the disappearance of a string of servants from the city’s wealthiest homes. Duilio also has a secret: He is a seer and his gifts have led him to Oriana.
* Palace of Spies by Sarah Zettel
A warning to all young ladies of delicate breeding who wish to embark upon lives of adventure: Don't.
Sixteen-year-old Peggy is a well-bred orphan who is coerced into posing as a lady in waiting at the palace of King George I. Life is grand, until Peggy starts to suspect that the girl she's impersonating might have been murdered. Unless Peggy can discover the truth, she might be doomed to the same terrible fate. But in a court of shadows and intrigue, anyone could be a spy—perhaps even the handsome young artist with whom Peggy is falling in love...
*
Daylighters (Morganville Vampires Series #15) by Rachel Caine
While Morganville, Texas, is often a troubled town, Claire Danvers and her friends are looking forward to coming home. But the Morganville they return to isn’t the one they know; it’s become a different place—a deadly one .
Something drastic has happened in Morganville while Claire and her friends were away. The town looks cleaner and happier than they’ve ever seen it before, but when their incoming group is arrested and separated—vampires from humans—they realize that the changes definitely aren’t for the better.
* Among the Anthropophagai! A Story of Gorillas and Gasbags by Bill Crider
A fast-paced pulp adventure novella (about 9500 words) of exploring an impenetrable forest and the horrors that exist there. Zeppelins! Gorillas! Anthropophagai!
November 4, 2013
Back Home, Story Reprint, and Audiobooks
I'm back from Octopodicon and still playing mental catch-up. I had a good time hanging out and talking to people, and an very thankful to the friends who carted me around all weekend.
Stuff I have published this month news:
I have a novella, "Holy Places," in this month's ebook issue of Lightspeed Magazine. It's a reprint of a Giliead and Ilias prequel story which originally appeared in Black Gate Magazine #11 in 2007, and it's available in the ebook only version here.
Summary: Ilias is abandoned by the Finan family and finds Andrien, just as the house is attacked.
The Ships of Air is now available in audiobook. The Wizard Hunters was released earlier in October and The Gate of Gods audiobook will be available on November 25.
Summary: To save the remnants of her country, former playwright Tremaine Valiarde undertakes an epic journey to stop the Gardier. Rescuing the proud ship Queen Ravenna from destruction, Tremaine and a resolute band of warriors and mages set sail across magical seas on a voyage of danger and discovery.
I think that's it so far.
Stuff I have published this month news:
I have a novella, "Holy Places," in this month's ebook issue of Lightspeed Magazine. It's a reprint of a Giliead and Ilias prequel story which originally appeared in Black Gate Magazine #11 in 2007, and it's available in the ebook only version here.
Summary: Ilias is abandoned by the Finan family and finds Andrien, just as the house is attacked.
The Ships of Air is now available in audiobook. The Wizard Hunters was released earlier in October and The Gate of Gods audiobook will be available on November 25.
Summary: To save the remnants of her country, former playwright Tremaine Valiarde undertakes an epic journey to stop the Gardier. Rescuing the proud ship Queen Ravenna from destruction, Tremaine and a resolute band of warriors and mages set sail across magical seas on a voyage of danger and discovery.
I think that's it so far.
October 29, 2013
New books out Today:Allegiance by Beth BernobichKing Leos...
New books out Today:
Allegiance by Beth Bernobich
King Leos of Károví, the tyrannical despot whose magic made him near immortal and who controlled a tattered empire for centuries through fear and intimidation, is finally dead. Ilse Zhalina watched as the magical jewels that gave him such power reunited into a single essence, a manifestly God-like creature who then disappeared into the cosmic void. Ilse is now free to fulfill her promise to Valara Baussay, the rogue Queen of Morennioù, who wants to return to her kingdom and claim her throne.
The Deaths of Tao by Wesley Chu
The sequel to The Lives of Tao. The Prophus and the Genjix are at war. For centuries they have sought a way off-planet, guiding humanity's social and technological development to the stage where space travel is possible. The end is now in sight, and both factions have plans to leave the Earth, but the Genjix method will mean the destruction of the human race. That's a price they're willing to pay. It's up to Roen and Tao to save the world. Oh, dear...
Horde (Enclave Series #3) by Ann Aguirre
The epic conclusion to Ann Aguirre's USA Today bestselling trilogy. The horde is coming.
Salvation is surrounded, monsters at the gates, and this time, they're not going away. When Deuce, Fade, Stalker and Tegan set out, the odds are against them. But the odds have been stacked against Deuce from the moment she was born. She might not be a Huntress anymore, but she doesn't run. With her knives in hand and her companions at her side, she will not falter, whether fighting for her life or Fade's love.
And Jaye Wells has a new novella out especially for Halloween: Rusted Veins
Halloween in New Orleans is usually a treat. But for Sabina Kane and the rest of Team Awesome, this year’s celebration has its share of nasty tricks. When Brooks’s new waitress goes missing, the Changeling asks Sabina to help him find her.
Allegiance by Beth Bernobich
King Leos of Károví, the tyrannical despot whose magic made him near immortal and who controlled a tattered empire for centuries through fear and intimidation, is finally dead. Ilse Zhalina watched as the magical jewels that gave him such power reunited into a single essence, a manifestly God-like creature who then disappeared into the cosmic void. Ilse is now free to fulfill her promise to Valara Baussay, the rogue Queen of Morennioù, who wants to return to her kingdom and claim her throne.
The Deaths of Tao by Wesley Chu
The sequel to The Lives of Tao. The Prophus and the Genjix are at war. For centuries they have sought a way off-planet, guiding humanity's social and technological development to the stage where space travel is possible. The end is now in sight, and both factions have plans to leave the Earth, but the Genjix method will mean the destruction of the human race. That's a price they're willing to pay. It's up to Roen and Tao to save the world. Oh, dear...
Horde (Enclave Series #3) by Ann Aguirre
The epic conclusion to Ann Aguirre's USA Today bestselling trilogy. The horde is coming.
Salvation is surrounded, monsters at the gates, and this time, they're not going away. When Deuce, Fade, Stalker and Tegan set out, the odds are against them. But the odds have been stacked against Deuce from the moment she was born. She might not be a Huntress anymore, but she doesn't run. With her knives in hand and her companions at her side, she will not falter, whether fighting for her life or Fade's love.
And Jaye Wells has a new novella out especially for Halloween: Rusted Veins
Halloween in New Orleans is usually a treat. But for Sabina Kane and the rest of Team Awesome, this year’s celebration has its share of nasty tricks. When Brooks’s new waitress goes missing, the Changeling asks Sabina to help him find her.
October 28, 2013
Monday Again
* I'm interviewed on FanGirlBlog: Linda Interviews Martha Wells
* There's a GoodReads giveaway for the audiobook of The Wizard Hunters, which came out on Oct 21. (The Ships of Air and The Gate of Gods will both be out in November.) Five copies will be given away and it'll run until November 7.
* I will be at OctopodiCon in Norman, Oklahoma this weekend, November 1-3. I'm on a few panels and I have a reading/signing at 9:00 am on Saturday.
***
* Kids Need to Read - the Nathan Fillion Donation Page
* Study finds TV shows with ethnically diverse casts, writers have higher ratings
This really doesn't surprise me. The trend where shows cast clones of the same two or three white people over and over again is getting really, really boring, and it makes all the shows look alike, no matter what they're about.
* From the Attic: An Introduction
There are several overpowering myths about women in SFF, the oldest being that women don’t really write SF. Joanna Russ wrote scathingly about these myths in How To Suppress Women’s Writing and has almost come to represent one of her own examples. She’s rightly acclaimed for her feminist SF but it is as though she was an anomaly as from the same era Vonda McIntyre, for instance, is rarely mentioned.
As Sarah Lefanu asserts, SFF seems well suited to women authors, and indeed many have been instrumental in most of the genre’s movements, subgenres and trends, usually without due credit.
* There's a GoodReads giveaway for the audiobook of The Wizard Hunters, which came out on Oct 21. (The Ships of Air and The Gate of Gods will both be out in November.) Five copies will be given away and it'll run until November 7.
* I will be at OctopodiCon in Norman, Oklahoma this weekend, November 1-3. I'm on a few panels and I have a reading/signing at 9:00 am on Saturday.
***
* Kids Need to Read - the Nathan Fillion Donation Page
* Study finds TV shows with ethnically diverse casts, writers have higher ratings
This really doesn't surprise me. The trend where shows cast clones of the same two or three white people over and over again is getting really, really boring, and it makes all the shows look alike, no matter what they're about.
* From the Attic: An Introduction
There are several overpowering myths about women in SFF, the oldest being that women don’t really write SF. Joanna Russ wrote scathingly about these myths in How To Suppress Women’s Writing and has almost come to represent one of her own examples. She’s rightly acclaimed for her feminist SF but it is as though she was an anomaly as from the same era Vonda McIntyre, for instance, is rarely mentioned.
As Sarah Lefanu asserts, SFF seems well suited to women authors, and indeed many have been instrumental in most of the genre’s movements, subgenres and trends, usually without due credit.
