Martha Wells's Blog, page 147
October 26, 2012
Friday Jack Pictures and Books
It's rainy and cool today! We'll see how long it lasts before it goes back to 80s.
My books:
The GoodReads giveaway drawing for The Serpent Sea ends October 31, and the one for The Siren Depths will start on Nov 1. (Periodic reminder: leaving reviews of books you read (whether you liked or disliked or found them so-so) really does help the authors. Especially when you leave them on places like Amazon, where the number of reviews received affect how often the book is recommended in Amazon's system.)
Other people's books:
In Waders From Mars by Joe R. Lansdale and illustrated by Doug Potter, written with Keith and Karen Lansdale. This is a picture book for younger readers. Ducks from Mars!
Wild Things by A. M Dellamonica This is a fantasy novelette: “Wild Things” is set in the same universe as my first novel, Indigo Springs, and its sequel, Blue Magic. Timewise, it happens between the events of the two novels, and it’s set here in the Lower Mainland of B.C. and in the wine country around Oliver and Osoyoos.
The last book of the Chathrand Voyage Quartet by Robert V.S. Redick is out.
From the cover: Six hundred years old, the Imperial Merchant Ship Chathrand is a massive floating outpost of the Empire of Arqual. And it is on its most vital mission yet: to deliver a young woman whose marriage will seal the peace between Arqual and its mortal enemy, the Mzithrin Empire. But Thasha, the young noblewoman in question, may be bringing her sword to the altar.
ETA: The Book Smugglers are doing a special Halloween Week
My books:
The GoodReads giveaway drawing for The Serpent Sea ends October 31, and the one for The Siren Depths will start on Nov 1. (Periodic reminder: leaving reviews of books you read (whether you liked or disliked or found them so-so) really does help the authors. Especially when you leave them on places like Amazon, where the number of reviews received affect how often the book is recommended in Amazon's system.)
Other people's books:
In Waders From Mars by Joe R. Lansdale and illustrated by Doug Potter, written with Keith and Karen Lansdale. This is a picture book for younger readers. Ducks from Mars!
Wild Things by A. M Dellamonica This is a fantasy novelette: “Wild Things” is set in the same universe as my first novel, Indigo Springs, and its sequel, Blue Magic. Timewise, it happens between the events of the two novels, and it’s set here in the Lower Mainland of B.C. and in the wine country around Oliver and Osoyoos.
The last book of the Chathrand Voyage Quartet by Robert V.S. Redick is out.
From the cover: Six hundred years old, the Imperial Merchant Ship Chathrand is a massive floating outpost of the Empire of Arqual. And it is on its most vital mission yet: to deliver a young woman whose marriage will seal the peace between Arqual and its mortal enemy, the Mzithrin Empire. But Thasha, the young noblewoman in question, may be bringing her sword to the altar.
ETA: The Book Smugglers are doing a special Halloween Week
October 24, 2012
Still here
I realized it's been a while since I posted, mostly because I've just been working and don't really have anything interesting to report. I'm working on the SW book, and the edit of Emilie and the Hollow World. The cover of Emilie should be done soon and I'll post here when the publisher posts it. The Siren Depths will be out in about a month. And we'll be decorating for Halloween this weekend, so I'll post pictures of that.
Link:
Creepy, neat photos of vintage Halloween costumes.
Link:
Creepy, neat photos of vintage Halloween costumes.
October 20, 2012
October 17, 2012
Women and Fantasy
Another quickie post:
Stumptown Books: Guest post by Courtney Scafer: Broaden Your Horizons
Not long ago I was idly browsing an SFF forum thread on epic fantasy, and came across this statement (made in apparently perfect seriousness): “Hardly any women write epic fantasy.” I was so flabbergasted all I could do was stare at my screen saying “WHAT.” Even if the poster wasn’t merely using “epic fantasy” as a shorthand for secondary-world fantasy (as so many people do), and meant specifically Big Fat Multivolume Sprawling Epics…well, I’m pretty sure Kate Elliott, Janny Wurts, Michelle West, Sherwood Smith, Jacqueline Carey, and a whole host of other authors would beg to differ. Epic fantasy and its more general cousin secondary world fantasy are my favorite genres, and I’d say about 70% of the books on my shelves are written by women, without any conscious decision on my part to seek out female authors.
Includes reviews of Range of Ghosts (Eternal Sky #1), by Elizabeth Bear, The Killing Moon (Dreamblood #1), by N.K. Jemisin, The Cloud Roads (Books of the Raksura #1), by Martha Wells, The Drowning City (The Necromancer Chronicles #1), by Amanda Downum, Alamut (Alamut #1), by Judith Tarr, and Tales from the Flat Earth by Tanith Lee.
And in the same theme:
Violette Malan: So, Why Do I Write Sword and Sorcery?
I have a PhD in 18th-century English literature. Most people don’t care (hell, most of the time, I don’t care), but those who do invariably ask me why I write fantasy novels. The implication, as you might guess, is that I should be writing something more important, or more literary, or more “real”. I used to fob these people off with some answer designed to appease them (and change the subject).
Retro link:
I did a post earlier this year called Erasing Women that was sparked by the "women don't write epic fantasy" thing.
***
Guys Lit Wire extended their Book Fair for Ballou SR High School in Washington DC a few days, but it ends today. They also posted some photos of the new books arriving: Along with librarian Melissa Jackson, the kids are tracking the wish list to see what is purchased and eagerly awaiting the boxes. More than a few books are being checked out before they even hit the shelves.
Stumptown Books: Guest post by Courtney Scafer: Broaden Your Horizons
Not long ago I was idly browsing an SFF forum thread on epic fantasy, and came across this statement (made in apparently perfect seriousness): “Hardly any women write epic fantasy.” I was so flabbergasted all I could do was stare at my screen saying “WHAT.” Even if the poster wasn’t merely using “epic fantasy” as a shorthand for secondary-world fantasy (as so many people do), and meant specifically Big Fat Multivolume Sprawling Epics…well, I’m pretty sure Kate Elliott, Janny Wurts, Michelle West, Sherwood Smith, Jacqueline Carey, and a whole host of other authors would beg to differ. Epic fantasy and its more general cousin secondary world fantasy are my favorite genres, and I’d say about 70% of the books on my shelves are written by women, without any conscious decision on my part to seek out female authors.
Includes reviews of Range of Ghosts (Eternal Sky #1), by Elizabeth Bear, The Killing Moon (Dreamblood #1), by N.K. Jemisin, The Cloud Roads (Books of the Raksura #1), by Martha Wells, The Drowning City (The Necromancer Chronicles #1), by Amanda Downum, Alamut (Alamut #1), by Judith Tarr, and Tales from the Flat Earth by Tanith Lee.
And in the same theme:
Violette Malan: So, Why Do I Write Sword and Sorcery?
I have a PhD in 18th-century English literature. Most people don’t care (hell, most of the time, I don’t care), but those who do invariably ask me why I write fantasy novels. The implication, as you might guess, is that I should be writing something more important, or more literary, or more “real”. I used to fob these people off with some answer designed to appease them (and change the subject).
Retro link:
I did a post earlier this year called Erasing Women that was sparked by the "women don't write epic fantasy" thing.
***
Guys Lit Wire extended their Book Fair for Ballou SR High School in Washington DC a few days, but it ends today. They also posted some photos of the new books arriving: Along with librarian Melissa Jackson, the kids are tracking the wish list to see what is purchased and eagerly awaiting the boxes. More than a few books are being checked out before they even hit the shelves.
October 16, 2012
I'm going to be frantically busy today, and probably for ...
I'm going to be frantically busy today, and probably for the next week or so, so I might not be around much online.
Quickie post: I updated the Buy Books Online page of my web site, mostly adding or fixing links to buy ebooks, etc, and adding the ebook preorder links for Emilie and the Hollow World.
Quickie post: I updated the Buy Books Online page of my web site, mostly adding or fixing links to buy ebooks, etc, and adding the ebook preorder links for Emilie and the Hollow World.
October 15, 2012
Next Big Thing Meme
The weekend was pretty good. I mostly worked, but we got some great rain all Saturday night. Though while we were watching DVDs on Friday night, Jack jumped up onto the couch and managed to land on my face, neatly puncturing my lower lip. We both lived.
I also bought a new blanket at a discount close-out place. It's upcycled (which is where you take something that's useless and make it into something useful) from textile mill shavings. It's the color of dryer lint, but it's very pretty dryer lint and very soft and thick.
Next Big Thing Meme
Jessica Reisman tagged me for the Next Big Thing meme which is 10 questions about a WIP. (And I've read the book she is talking about in that post, and it is awesome. It's everything I like in a fantasy.)
1. What is the title of your Work in Progress?
I'm working on something else right now, but I'm going to talk about Emilie and the Hollow World, which I'm due to revise soon.
2. Where did the idea come from for the book?
The original idea was for an adult fantasy novel, but it just wasn't working. I wanted to do something with the characters using a steamship to exploring a strange alternate world. Once I made the protagonist younger, it suddenly started to work.
3. What genre does your book fall under?
Fantasy. Steampunk-ish, sort of. It's more like the fantasy-with-1920s-tech that I did in The Wizard Hunters, The Ships of Air and The Gate of Gods.
4. Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?
I don't know enough about actors that age to pick, though I have a very clear picture in my head of the main character, Emilie. Maybe Alfre Woodard back when she was sixteen or seventeen.
For Professor Marlende, I want Bill Nighy, because, basically, Bill Nighy. For Lord Engal, an older version (say 50s or early 60s) (and he'd need a beard) of
5. What is a one-sentence synopsis of the book?
Young girl from the country goes on a Jules Verne-esque fantasy adventure.
6. Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?
It was sold by my agent to Strange Chemistry, the YA line of Angry Robot Books, and will be out next April.
7. How long did it take you to write the first draft of the manuscript?
About five months, altogether.
8. What other books would you compare this story to in your genre?
Oops, already answered this one. The Fall of Ile-Rien trilogy.
9. Who or what inspired you to write this book?
I wanted to write a YA, mostly, and wanted something different from the Books of the Raksura. (I was working on The Serpent Sea while I was writing Emilie, and The Cloud Roads hadn't sold yet.
10. What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?
Hollow worlds, and magic steamships and airships and underwater worlds.
I also bought a new blanket at a discount close-out place. It's upcycled (which is where you take something that's useless and make it into something useful) from textile mill shavings. It's the color of dryer lint, but it's very pretty dryer lint and very soft and thick.
Next Big Thing Meme
Jessica Reisman tagged me for the Next Big Thing meme which is 10 questions about a WIP. (And I've read the book she is talking about in that post, and it is awesome. It's everything I like in a fantasy.)
1. What is the title of your Work in Progress?
I'm working on something else right now, but I'm going to talk about Emilie and the Hollow World, which I'm due to revise soon.
2. Where did the idea come from for the book?
The original idea was for an adult fantasy novel, but it just wasn't working. I wanted to do something with the characters using a steamship to exploring a strange alternate world. Once I made the protagonist younger, it suddenly started to work.
3. What genre does your book fall under?
Fantasy. Steampunk-ish, sort of. It's more like the fantasy-with-1920s-tech that I did in The Wizard Hunters, The Ships of Air and The Gate of Gods.
4. Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?
I don't know enough about actors that age to pick, though I have a very clear picture in my head of the main character, Emilie. Maybe Alfre Woodard back when she was sixteen or seventeen.
For Professor Marlende, I want Bill Nighy, because, basically, Bill Nighy. For Lord Engal, an older version (say 50s or early 60s) (and he'd need a beard) of
5. What is a one-sentence synopsis of the book?
Young girl from the country goes on a Jules Verne-esque fantasy adventure.
6. Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?
It was sold by my agent to Strange Chemistry, the YA line of Angry Robot Books, and will be out next April.
7. How long did it take you to write the first draft of the manuscript?
About five months, altogether.
8. What other books would you compare this story to in your genre?
Oops, already answered this one. The Fall of Ile-Rien trilogy.
9. Who or what inspired you to write this book?
I wanted to write a YA, mostly, and wanted something different from the Books of the Raksura. (I was working on The Serpent Sea while I was writing Emilie, and The Cloud Roads hadn't sold yet.
10. What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?
Hollow worlds, and magic steamships and airships and underwater worlds.
October 12, 2012
It's Friday
It's Friday, so all you have to do is claw your way through the day until 5:00. Unless you have to work tomorrow. Or you're freelance and you have to work all the time.
We got rain late yesterday afternoon, and we're supposed to get more on Sunday. This is good, because after the drought and the fires last summer (and the drought that's predicted for next summer) we need all we can get.
* The GuysLitWire Book Fair for Ballou SR High School Library ends this Sunday, October 14, and there are still over 300 books on the list. There are a lot of manga and YA paperbacks on the list for $9.95 (these are great for kids who think they don't want to read, until they find something they want to read) and some hardcovers and paperbacks with great sale prices. If you can afford it, please think about sending a book; if you can't afford it, please pass the link on.
* James Enge: Aged in Oaken Heroes: Heroic Fantasy & Imagined History
In truth, what most people think of when they hear "medieval" is some sort of Neverneverland of knights in chrome armor clanking around in a thickly-beprincessed landscape that may or may not contain dragons. That Middle Ages certainly never existed, and few if any fantasy stories actually use such a setting.
* Neat art-photo technique: Artist's Little Planets Re-Imagine Houston, Galveston
We got rain late yesterday afternoon, and we're supposed to get more on Sunday. This is good, because after the drought and the fires last summer (and the drought that's predicted for next summer) we need all we can get.
* The GuysLitWire Book Fair for Ballou SR High School Library ends this Sunday, October 14, and there are still over 300 books on the list. There are a lot of manga and YA paperbacks on the list for $9.95 (these are great for kids who think they don't want to read, until they find something they want to read) and some hardcovers and paperbacks with great sale prices. If you can afford it, please think about sending a book; if you can't afford it, please pass the link on.
* James Enge: Aged in Oaken Heroes: Heroic Fantasy & Imagined History
In truth, what most people think of when they hear "medieval" is some sort of Neverneverland of knights in chrome armor clanking around in a thickly-beprincessed landscape that may or may not contain dragons. That Middle Ages certainly never existed, and few if any fantasy stories actually use such a setting.
* Neat art-photo technique: Artist's Little Planets Re-Imagine Houston, Galveston
October 10, 2012
Wednesday!
Wednesday! Um, that's about it. Oh, apparently Locus magazine used a photo of our Night Shade party, taken by Al Bogdan, so yay!
links:
* I had good news about four new Raksura novellas here!
* Black Gate Magazine is posting free fiction online. The latest story is by Harry Connolly: The Whoremaster of Pald. The posts with the other stories are listed here.
* Humble eBook Bundle: Pay what you want for eight ebooks, and pick how much of the price goes to charity. Also, you can pay more than the average donation and get two bonus books.
The new season of The Guild has started!
* And I'm putting this here so I can find it again: A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Thor's Hammer with Agent Coulson.
links:
* I had good news about four new Raksura novellas here!
* Black Gate Magazine is posting free fiction online. The latest story is by Harry Connolly: The Whoremaster of Pald. The posts with the other stories are listed here.
* Humble eBook Bundle: Pay what you want for eight ebooks, and pick how much of the price goes to charity. Also, you can pay more than the average donation and get two bonus books.
The new season of The Guild has started!
* And I'm putting this here so I can find it again: A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Thor's Hammer with Agent Coulson.
October 9, 2012
Good Raksura News!
It looks like from here that I've been posting a lot today, though from my perspective I've been writing or staring bleakly at the laptop or waiting in line at the pharmacy.
But: the good Raksura news: I will be doing four Raksura-related novellas for Night Shade Books, to be released as ebooks! The first three are due next year, but I'm not sure when they'll be released. The first two will have Moon, Jade, Chime, Balm, etc, but I'm not sure about the second two yet.
Yay!
(And remember The Three Worlds Compendium for all your Raksura needs, as long as those needs are free short stories, fan art, sample chapters, etc. And that The Siren Depths is coming out in December.)
But: the good Raksura news: I will be doing four Raksura-related novellas for Night Shade Books, to be released as ebooks! The first three are due next year, but I'm not sure when they'll be released. The first two will have Moon, Jade, Chime, Balm, etc, but I'm not sure about the second two yet.
Yay!
(And remember The Three Worlds Compendium for all your Raksura needs, as long as those needs are free short stories, fan art, sample chapters, etc. And that The Siren Depths is coming out in December.)
Meant to put this on the morning post and forgot:This is ...
Meant to put this on the morning post and forgot:
This is Jack the feral land piranha, soon to be all grown up.
This is Jack the feral land piranha, soon to be all grown up.
