Martha Wells's Blog, page 76
June 1, 2017
Stuff
* Right now I'm working on the revision for The Murderbot Diaries: Artificial Condition, which is scheduled to come out from Tor.com in January.
* We've been getting rain still, which is really nice. Everything's really green, lots of plants still blooming.
* I still need to see Guardians of the Galaxy, but I'm so much looking forward to Wonder Woman this weekend.
* I'm on this episode of the Once and Future Podcast: http://www.theonceandfuturepodcast.com/the-once-future-podcast/2017/5/30/of-podcast-ep-154-martha-wells talking about writing, Doctor Who, Murderbot, Raksura, and all kinds of things.
* If you're in Austin, or can get there in August, the ArmadilloCon Writers Workshop still has seats open (and there are sponsored seats for writers of color, apply here: http://www.armadillocon.org/d39/writersworkshop.html). The deadline for manuscripts is June 11, and the convention is August 4-6, 2017.
Workshop teachers will be Nisi Shawl, Trevor Quachri, Don Webb, Martha Wells, Nicky Drayden, D. L. Young, Christopher Brown, E. J. Fischer, Jessica Reisman, Marshall Ryan Maresca, Stina Leicht, and Rebecca Schwarz.
comments
* We've been getting rain still, which is really nice. Everything's really green, lots of plants still blooming.
* I still need to see Guardians of the Galaxy, but I'm so much looking forward to Wonder Woman this weekend.
* I'm on this episode of the Once and Future Podcast: http://www.theonceandfuturepodcast.com/the-once-future-podcast/2017/5/30/of-podcast-ep-154-martha-wells talking about writing, Doctor Who, Murderbot, Raksura, and all kinds of things.
* If you're in Austin, or can get there in August, the ArmadilloCon Writers Workshop still has seats open (and there are sponsored seats for writers of color, apply here: http://www.armadillocon.org/d39/writersworkshop.html). The deadline for manuscripts is June 11, and the convention is August 4-6, 2017.
Workshop teachers will be Nisi Shawl, Trevor Quachri, Don Webb, Martha Wells, Nicky Drayden, D. L. Young, Christopher Brown, E. J. Fischer, Jessica Reisman, Marshall Ryan Maresca, Stina Leicht, and Rebecca Schwarz.
comments
May 29, 2017
Raksura Patreon
Since it's Memorial Day in the US (May 29, 2017) I'm leaving the Raksura Patreon story #36 visible to non-Patrons for the day. It's "Moon, Stone, and Ember, on the eve of a court visit."
https://www.patreon.com/user?u=2458567
comments
https://www.patreon.com/user?u=2458567
comments
May 28, 2017
Sunday
Good things that happened:
* My husband made short bread from scratch, and it was so delicious. Store bought shortbread is going to taste like cereal from now on.
* I cleaned out the guestroom closet and a friend took the debris away for her school's garage sale. Now you can walk into the closet and see all the stuff like sheets, coats, blankets, dining room table leaves, Xmas boxes, etc that needs to be in there. (One of the reasons we bought this old, comfortable, shitshow of a house is that it has closets in almost every room and they're huge. The downside of that is stuff gets put in them and you forget it's there and just put stuff in on top of it.)
* I also cleaned out and did some rearrangement of my office, mainly getting rid of the desk which wasn't being used since I don't have a desktop computer anymore. A lot of old publishing letters and paperwork went to my archive at Cushing Library, freeing up filing cabinet drawers for things to go into and I gave away some more stuff to the school garage sale. We're going to put a chair in there so people can actually go in, sit down, and read. (The process started with the realization that we didn't actually have to keep the door closed to keep the cats out since Jack and Tasha don't eat paper, plastic, and string like Harry did.)
* I love the new mattress. I'm actually having longer more detailed dreams, or at least remembering longer more detailed dreams, because I'm not constantly waking up trying to find a position that's not painful.
* I lucked into a half-price frame sale and got some prints we bought at Comicpalooza framed and hung up in the hallway.
* I've been gradually trying to get the choking vines out of the front flower bed, and it's sort of almost starting to look better.
* Doctor Who has been awesome. God, I love Bill as much as Donna. I want Donna to get her memory back and she and Bill have to find the Tardis and go off to rescue the Doctor.
Stuff I need to do today:
* Finish off the Raksura Patreon story (https://www.patreon.com/user?u=2458567) and get it posted. I'm almost done with it, I just need the concentration to finish a tricky conversation.
* Pull more vines out of flower bed.
Stuff I need to do this week:
* Re-paint the trim in the stairwell.
* Make some serious progress on Murderbot 4.
* more vines
Things I have coming up:
* I'm doing a signing with Rachel Caine at Murder by the Book in Houston, TX, on Saturday July 15, at 4:30
http://www.murderbooks.com/event/wells-caine
If you can't come in person, you can order signed copies of The Harbors of the Sun and The Murderbot Diaries: All Systems Red and Rachel's Ash and Quill, the latest in her Great Library series, and Stillhouse Lake. Plus whichever of our other books the store can order.
comments
* My husband made short bread from scratch, and it was so delicious. Store bought shortbread is going to taste like cereal from now on.
* I cleaned out the guestroom closet and a friend took the debris away for her school's garage sale. Now you can walk into the closet and see all the stuff like sheets, coats, blankets, dining room table leaves, Xmas boxes, etc that needs to be in there. (One of the reasons we bought this old, comfortable, shitshow of a house is that it has closets in almost every room and they're huge. The downside of that is stuff gets put in them and you forget it's there and just put stuff in on top of it.)
* I also cleaned out and did some rearrangement of my office, mainly getting rid of the desk which wasn't being used since I don't have a desktop computer anymore. A lot of old publishing letters and paperwork went to my archive at Cushing Library, freeing up filing cabinet drawers for things to go into and I gave away some more stuff to the school garage sale. We're going to put a chair in there so people can actually go in, sit down, and read. (The process started with the realization that we didn't actually have to keep the door closed to keep the cats out since Jack and Tasha don't eat paper, plastic, and string like Harry did.)
* I love the new mattress. I'm actually having longer more detailed dreams, or at least remembering longer more detailed dreams, because I'm not constantly waking up trying to find a position that's not painful.
* I lucked into a half-price frame sale and got some prints we bought at Comicpalooza framed and hung up in the hallway.
* I've been gradually trying to get the choking vines out of the front flower bed, and it's sort of almost starting to look better.
* Doctor Who has been awesome. God, I love Bill as much as Donna. I want Donna to get her memory back and she and Bill have to find the Tardis and go off to rescue the Doctor.
Stuff I need to do today:
* Finish off the Raksura Patreon story (https://www.patreon.com/user?u=2458567) and get it posted. I'm almost done with it, I just need the concentration to finish a tricky conversation.
* Pull more vines out of flower bed.
Stuff I need to do this week:
* Re-paint the trim in the stairwell.
* Make some serious progress on Murderbot 4.
* more vines
Things I have coming up:
* I'm doing a signing with Rachel Caine at Murder by the Book in Houston, TX, on Saturday July 15, at 4:30
http://www.murderbooks.com/event/wells-caine
If you can't come in person, you can order signed copies of The Harbors of the Sun and The Murderbot Diaries: All Systems Red and Rachel's Ash and Quill, the latest in her Great Library series, and Stillhouse Lake. Plus whichever of our other books the store can order.
comments
May 24, 2017
Wednesday
I don't have a New Book Wednesday yet, but here's some good stuff that happened:
* We got a new mattress! Our old mattress was sagging on each side and had a hump in the middle and was getting increasingly painful. The new one was delivered yesterday and so far, so good. At the store we looked at a fancy one that sucked the heat out of your body while you were sleeping, but it was more than twice what ours cost and I did wonder how comfortable it would be in the winter.
* The paperback edition of The Murderbot Diaries is back in stock at Barnes & Noble, Powells, Indigo, BooksaMillion, Book Depository, and Amazon US, if you were still looking for a copy.
* I cleared out our guestroom closet and my office and got rid of a lot of random crap.
* I've been trying to get Murderbot 4 started and for about two weeks and finally got the first scene written. It and Murderbot 3 are not sold yet, so keep your fingers crossed.
* I got a Raksura Patreon story started and about halfway finished.
* When we were at Comicpalooza, we walked past the end of the row where one of the big Star Wars cosplaying groups had their booth, and they had a full-size backdrop of a Death Star corridor for people to take pictures in front of. One of the people in a stormtrooper costume was standing in front of it, and as we slowed down to look at backdrop, and the stormtrooper did the voice-synthesizer "Move along, move along" bit. It was pretty hilarious.
* We also saw a full-size Taun-taun with rider costume.
comments
* We got a new mattress! Our old mattress was sagging on each side and had a hump in the middle and was getting increasingly painful. The new one was delivered yesterday and so far, so good. At the store we looked at a fancy one that sucked the heat out of your body while you were sleeping, but it was more than twice what ours cost and I did wonder how comfortable it would be in the winter.
* The paperback edition of The Murderbot Diaries is back in stock at Barnes & Noble, Powells, Indigo, BooksaMillion, Book Depository, and Amazon US, if you were still looking for a copy.
* I cleared out our guestroom closet and my office and got rid of a lot of random crap.
* I've been trying to get Murderbot 4 started and for about two weeks and finally got the first scene written. It and Murderbot 3 are not sold yet, so keep your fingers crossed.
* I got a Raksura Patreon story started and about halfway finished.
* When we were at Comicpalooza, we walked past the end of the row where one of the big Star Wars cosplaying groups had their booth, and they had a full-size backdrop of a Death Star corridor for people to take pictures in front of. One of the people in a stormtrooper costume was standing in front of it, and as we slowed down to look at backdrop, and the stormtrooper did the voice-synthesizer "Move along, move along" bit. It was pretty hilarious.
* We also saw a full-size Taun-taun with rider costume.
comments
May 18, 2017
New Book Wednesday on Thursday
Book Recs
(If you've been following my book rec and new book listing posts for a while, you may have noticed this already, but while most book lists emphasize books by popular straight white men, this one emphasizes everybody else. I include books by straight white men, but in about the same percentage that other book lists include everybody else. I also try to highlight books that are less well known.)
(I only link to one retail outlet in the book's listing, but most books are available at multiple outlets, like Kobo, iBooks, international Amazons, Barnes & Noble, etc. The short stories are usually on free online magazines.)
* Story: Ravana's Children by Ian Muneshwar
* Preorder: Jade City by Fonda Lee
When a powerful new drug emerges that lets anyone -- even foreigners -- wield jade, the simmering tension between the Kauls and the rival Ayt family erupts into open violence. The outcome of this clan war will determine the fate of all Green Bones -- from their grandest patriarch to the lowliest motorcycle runner on the streets -- and of Kekon itself.
* Shattered Warrior by Sharon Shinn, illustrated by Molly Knox Ostertag
It is eight years after Colleen Cavanaugh's home world was invaded by the Derichets, a tyrannical alien race bent on exploiting the planet's mineral resources. Most of her family died in the war, and she now lives alone in the city. Aside from her acquaintances at the factory where she toils for the Derichets, Colleen makes a single friend in Jann, a member of the violent group of rebels known as the Chromatti. One day Colleen receives shocking news: her niece Lucy is alive and in need of her help. Together, Colleen, Jann, and Lucy create their own tenuous family.
* Preorder: The Murders of Molly Southbourne by Tade Thompson
or as long as Molly Southbourne can remember, she’s been watching herself die. Whenever she bleeds, another molly is born, identical to her in every way and intent on her destruction. Molly knows every way to kill herself, but she also knows that as long as she survives she’ll be hunted. No matter how well she follows the rules, eventually the mollys will find her. Can Molly find a way to stop the tide of blood, or will she meet her end at the hand of a girl who looks just like her?
* Substrate Phantoms by Jessica Reisman
Jhinsei and his operations team crawl throughout the station, one of many close-knit working groups that keep Termagenti operational. After an unexplained and deadly mishap takes his team from him, Jhinsei finds himself—for lack of a better word—haunted by his dead teammates. In fact, they may not be alone in taking up residence in his brain. He may have picked up a ghost—an alien intelligence that is using him to flee its dying ship. As Jhinsei struggles to understand what is happening to his sanity, inquisitive and dangerous members of the station’s managing oligarchy begin to take an increasingly focused interest in him.
* The Girl From Everywhere by Heidi Heilig
As the daughter of a time traveler, Nix has spent sixteen years sweeping across the globe and through the centuries aboard her father’s ship. Modern-day New York City, nineteenth-century Hawaii, other lands seen only in myth and legend—Nix has been to them all. But when her father gambles with her very existence, it all may be about to end.
Other Stuff
My cold was better enough that we were able to go out last night and visit one of our friends in the hospital (we have a lot of friends in the hospital right now). He was doing really well for someone whose arm was broken in three places.
Murderbot still seems to be doing well (knock on wood) and I hope the second printing arrives soon. There's also going to be an audiobook (I don't have any other details yet).
Some reviews:
- LadyBusiness
- Pretty Terrible
- Amazon Book Review: The Best SF & F of May: 6 Top Picks
- The Qwillery
comments
(If you've been following my book rec and new book listing posts for a while, you may have noticed this already, but while most book lists emphasize books by popular straight white men, this one emphasizes everybody else. I include books by straight white men, but in about the same percentage that other book lists include everybody else. I also try to highlight books that are less well known.)
(I only link to one retail outlet in the book's listing, but most books are available at multiple outlets, like Kobo, iBooks, international Amazons, Barnes & Noble, etc. The short stories are usually on free online magazines.)
* Story: Ravana's Children by Ian Muneshwar
* Preorder: Jade City by Fonda Lee
When a powerful new drug emerges that lets anyone -- even foreigners -- wield jade, the simmering tension between the Kauls and the rival Ayt family erupts into open violence. The outcome of this clan war will determine the fate of all Green Bones -- from their grandest patriarch to the lowliest motorcycle runner on the streets -- and of Kekon itself.
* Shattered Warrior by Sharon Shinn, illustrated by Molly Knox Ostertag
It is eight years after Colleen Cavanaugh's home world was invaded by the Derichets, a tyrannical alien race bent on exploiting the planet's mineral resources. Most of her family died in the war, and she now lives alone in the city. Aside from her acquaintances at the factory where she toils for the Derichets, Colleen makes a single friend in Jann, a member of the violent group of rebels known as the Chromatti. One day Colleen receives shocking news: her niece Lucy is alive and in need of her help. Together, Colleen, Jann, and Lucy create their own tenuous family.
* Preorder: The Murders of Molly Southbourne by Tade Thompson
or as long as Molly Southbourne can remember, she’s been watching herself die. Whenever she bleeds, another molly is born, identical to her in every way and intent on her destruction. Molly knows every way to kill herself, but she also knows that as long as she survives she’ll be hunted. No matter how well she follows the rules, eventually the mollys will find her. Can Molly find a way to stop the tide of blood, or will she meet her end at the hand of a girl who looks just like her?
* Substrate Phantoms by Jessica Reisman
Jhinsei and his operations team crawl throughout the station, one of many close-knit working groups that keep Termagenti operational. After an unexplained and deadly mishap takes his team from him, Jhinsei finds himself—for lack of a better word—haunted by his dead teammates. In fact, they may not be alone in taking up residence in his brain. He may have picked up a ghost—an alien intelligence that is using him to flee its dying ship. As Jhinsei struggles to understand what is happening to his sanity, inquisitive and dangerous members of the station’s managing oligarchy begin to take an increasingly focused interest in him.
* The Girl From Everywhere by Heidi Heilig
As the daughter of a time traveler, Nix has spent sixteen years sweeping across the globe and through the centuries aboard her father’s ship. Modern-day New York City, nineteenth-century Hawaii, other lands seen only in myth and legend—Nix has been to them all. But when her father gambles with her very existence, it all may be about to end.
Other Stuff
My cold was better enough that we were able to go out last night and visit one of our friends in the hospital (we have a lot of friends in the hospital right now). He was doing really well for someone whose arm was broken in three places.
Murderbot still seems to be doing well (knock on wood) and I hope the second printing arrives soon. There's also going to be an audiobook (I don't have any other details yet).
Some reviews:
- LadyBusiness
- Pretty Terrible
- Amazon Book Review: The Best SF & F of May: 6 Top Picks
- The Qwillery
comments
May 16, 2017
Book Bundle
I have a massive post-con cold, but remembered I needed to post about this:
https://www.humblebundle.com/books/super-nebula-book-bundle
There's a Humble Book Bundle to support the Nebula Awards, and The Cloud Roads is part of it. Basically, you can pay anything over a $1.00 and get a large amount of DRM-free ebooks, and have part of your payment go to charity. As of today (May 16 2017) there are seven more days to buy the bundle.
comments
https://www.humblebundle.com/books/super-nebula-book-bundle
There's a Humble Book Bundle to support the Nebula Awards, and The Cloud Roads is part of it. Basically, you can pay anything over a $1.00 and get a large amount of DRM-free ebooks, and have part of your payment go to charity. As of today (May 16 2017) there are seven more days to buy the bundle.
comments
May 15, 2017
Survivor Stories Interview
I have an entry in the Survivor Stories Interview Project by The Pixel Project.
The Pixel Project is proud to present our fourth annual Survivor Stories Blog Interview Project in honour of Mother’s Day 2017. The annual campaign runs throughout the month of May 2017 and features an interview per day with a survivor of any form of violence against women (VAW)
http://www.thepixelproject.net/2017/05/14/the-survivor-stories-project-2017-martha-wells-52-usa/
comments
The Pixel Project is proud to present our fourth annual Survivor Stories Blog Interview Project in honour of Mother’s Day 2017. The annual campaign runs throughout the month of May 2017 and features an interview per day with a survivor of any form of violence against women (VAW)
http://www.thepixelproject.net/2017/05/14/the-survivor-stories-project-2017-martha-wells-52-usa/
comments
May 10, 2017
Wednesday
Well, this is an interesting Wednesday. I hope we still have at least a sort of democracy by this time next week. I feel like a screaming goat on an emotional roller coaster.
Anyway!
On the book front, Tor.com, the publisher of The Murderbot Diaries: All Systems Red announced a second printing on Monday. From what I can tell, the ebook sales are still going really well. Reviews help, so if you read it please consider giving it a review on Amazon, GoodReads, or whatever site. It's still 9 short of the magic 50 on Amazon. (Though since Amazon won't tell anybody how they do anything, I don't know if 50 is the number where Amazon will start recommending it or not. Trying to figure out what Amazon is doing is basically like divination using a random number generator. Magic 8-Balls make more sense.)
I'm behind on my book rec posts (see goat, screaming, roller coaster) so don't have one today, but I do have a Raksura Patreon story almost done and I'm going to try to get that finished and posted before we leave for Comicpalooza.
comments
Anyway!
On the book front, Tor.com, the publisher of The Murderbot Diaries: All Systems Red announced a second printing on Monday. From what I can tell, the ebook sales are still going really well. Reviews help, so if you read it please consider giving it a review on Amazon, GoodReads, or whatever site. It's still 9 short of the magic 50 on Amazon. (Though since Amazon won't tell anybody how they do anything, I don't know if 50 is the number where Amazon will start recommending it or not. Trying to figure out what Amazon is doing is basically like divination using a random number generator. Magic 8-Balls make more sense.)
I'm behind on my book rec posts (see goat, screaming, roller coaster) so don't have one today, but I do have a Raksura Patreon story almost done and I'm going to try to get that finished and posted before we leave for Comicpalooza.
comments
May 8, 2017
Murderbot Fact
Murderbot fact: All the shows Murderbot watches in the novellas are based on real shows. The Rise and Fall of Sanctuary Moon is the future version of How to Get Away With Murder.
I'm going to Comicpalooza in Houston this weekend, which is a giant fun comic con with a literary track.
My panel schedule will be:
Friday
1:00 to 2:00 Fan Roundtable: Fanfiction
4:00 to 5:00 Not Your Grandad's Epic Fantasy
K.J. Russell, Martha Wells, Tex Thompson, Barbara Ann Wright, Glenn Lazar Roberts
Saturday
11:30 to 12:30 Plotting and Pacing a Short Story
C. Stuart Hardwick, Martha Wells, Jake Kerr, Tony Burnett, John Moore
1:00 to 1:30 Booksigning (at the Barnes & Noble Booth in the Dealers Rom/Artists Alley)
4:00 to 5:00 Read and Critique
Martha Wells, Michael Ashleigh Finn
Sunday
11:30 to 12:30 Writing in the Fantasy Genre
Tex Thompson, Lev Grossman, Jim Butcher, Martha Wells, Carrie Patel
comments
I'm going to Comicpalooza in Houston this weekend, which is a giant fun comic con with a literary track.
My panel schedule will be:
Friday
1:00 to 2:00 Fan Roundtable: Fanfiction
4:00 to 5:00 Not Your Grandad's Epic Fantasy
K.J. Russell, Martha Wells, Tex Thompson, Barbara Ann Wright, Glenn Lazar Roberts
Saturday
11:30 to 12:30 Plotting and Pacing a Short Story
C. Stuart Hardwick, Martha Wells, Jake Kerr, Tony Burnett, John Moore
1:00 to 1:30 Booksigning (at the Barnes & Noble Booth in the Dealers Rom/Artists Alley)
4:00 to 5:00 Read and Critique
Martha Wells, Michael Ashleigh Finn
Sunday
11:30 to 12:30 Writing in the Fantasy Genre
Tex Thompson, Lev Grossman, Jim Butcher, Martha Wells, Carrie Patel
comments
May 7, 2017
Saturday
Went to Murder by the Book yesterday to sign the preordered copies of The Murderbot Diaries. (this was a preorder signing thing arranged by the publisher.) I found out they had ordered 20 copies and only gotten the books in Saturday morning. When their order hadn't arrived, they called the publisher and found out the book was sold out and someone else had gotten their order. So the publicist went around to the offices at the publisher and collected enough copies to fill the order to get it to them on time. Also, it looks like Barnes & Noble and Powell's sold out their orders.
(This sounds really good but I'm cautiously optimistic. I've been doing this for about 23-24 years, and there have been a lot of time when you get told things like this and it really doesn't amount to much in the end.)
Anyway, then we went to get Indian food for lunch and it was delicious.
comments
(This sounds really good but I'm cautiously optimistic. I've been doing this for about 23-24 years, and there have been a lot of time when you get told things like this and it really doesn't amount to much in the end.)
Anyway, then we went to get Indian food for lunch and it was delicious.
comments
