Martha Wells's Blog, page 97
September 9, 2015
Some things
* I am in this Mind Meld on SF Signal: "The Most Memorable Deaths in Science Fiction and Fantasy"
* Tansy Rayner Roberts is doing a blog series on SF Women of the 20th Century
Tea!
I've done two tea blends in a series called Teas of the Raksura at Adagio teas: Indigo Cloud and Opal Night.
I don't make any money if you buy them - I get points which will eventually add up so I can get coupons for buying tea at their site.
I got this idea from the Imperial Radch fandom tea blends, and I love the idea of being able to do tea blends for your books. (Or your fandoms; there are a whole bunch on this site.) It was fun and I really like how both Raksura tea blends turned out. Also if I ever have money to get a small supply of the sample tins, they'll make fun giveaways at a con. Maybe by the next Comicpalooza or WorldCon.
* Tansy Rayner Roberts is doing a blog series on SF Women of the 20th Century
Tea!
I've done two tea blends in a series called Teas of the Raksura at Adagio teas: Indigo Cloud and Opal Night.
I don't make any money if you buy them - I get points which will eventually add up so I can get coupons for buying tea at their site.
I got this idea from the Imperial Radch fandom tea blends, and I love the idea of being able to do tea blends for your books. (Or your fandoms; there are a whole bunch on this site.) It was fun and I really like how both Raksura tea blends turned out. Also if I ever have money to get a small supply of the sample tins, they'll make fun giveaways at a con. Maybe by the next Comicpalooza or WorldCon.
September 8, 2015
Books
* Gunpowder Alchemy by Jeannie Lin
Soling is caught and brought before the Crown Prince. Unlike his father, the Emperor, the Prince knows that the only chance of expelling the English invaders is to once again unite China’s cleverest minds to create fantastic weapons. He also realizes that Soling is the one person who could convince her father's former allies—many who have turned rebel—to once again work for the Empire. He promises to restore her family name if she'll help him in his cause.
* Tor.com free story: The Totally Secret Origin of Foxman: Excerpts from an EPIC Autobiography by Kelly McCullough
* Serpentine by Cindy Pon
Inspired by the rich history of Chinese mythology, this sweeping fantasy is set in the ancient Kingdom of Xia and tells the coming of age story of Skybright, a young girl who worries about her growing otherness. As she turns 16, Skybright notices troubling changes. By day, she is a companion and handmaid to the youngest daughter of a very wealthy family. But nighttime brings with it a darkness that not even daybreak can quell.
Soling is caught and brought before the Crown Prince. Unlike his father, the Emperor, the Prince knows that the only chance of expelling the English invaders is to once again unite China’s cleverest minds to create fantastic weapons. He also realizes that Soling is the one person who could convince her father's former allies—many who have turned rebel—to once again work for the Empire. He promises to restore her family name if she'll help him in his cause.
* Tor.com free story: The Totally Secret Origin of Foxman: Excerpts from an EPIC Autobiography by Kelly McCullough
* Serpentine by Cindy Pon
Inspired by the rich history of Chinese mythology, this sweeping fantasy is set in the ancient Kingdom of Xia and tells the coming of age story of Skybright, a young girl who worries about her growing otherness. As she turns 16, Skybright notices troubling changes. By day, she is a companion and handmaid to the youngest daughter of a very wealthy family. But nighttime brings with it a darkness that not even daybreak can quell.
September 6, 2015
We got a burst of actual rain yesterday, heavy and long e...
We got a burst of actual rain yesterday, heavy and long enough to actually do some good. It wasn't in the forecast but I feel the combination of a) being at a quilt show with people who were buying fabric and b) me leaving the car window open was enough of an elemental tug on the universe to make it happen.
September 2, 2015
Links and Question Answers
Links
* Six of the Weirdest Fantasy Worlds Ever Created The Cloud Roads is on this list.
* For Books' Sake: For Books' Sake Talks to Martha Wells
* Cushing Library Releases Digitized Media Fanzine Collection
Cushing Memorial Library and Archives is pleased to announce that it is now able to offer free, limited online public access to select titles in the Sandy Hereld Memorial Digitized Media Fanzine Collection. Since the collection was first initiated in 2013, access to its materials was previously restricted to only those with a Texas A&M-approved ID until additional permissions could be obtained from the fanzine creators who contributed to the collection.
New Books
* Ghost Summer by Tananarive Due
Tananarive Due, a winner of the American Book Award and an Essence and Los Angeles Times bestselling author, brings you her debut short fiction collection! The title novella, Ghost Summer, won a Kindred Award from the Carl Brandon Society (originally published in The Ancestors). This collection includes Patient Zero, The Lake, The Knowing, Herd Immunity, and many other stories.
* Temporally Out of Order edited by Joshua Palmatier
In this collection, seventeen leading science fiction authors share their take on what happens when gadgets run temporally amok. From past to future, humor to horror, there's something for everyone. Join Seanan McGuire, Elektra Hammond, David B. Coe, Chuck Rothman, Faith Hunter, Edmund R. Schubert, Steve Ruskin, Sofie Bird, Laura Resnick, Amy Griswold, Laura Anne Gilman, Susan Jett, Gini Koch, Christopher Barili, Stephen Leigh, Juliet E. McKenna, and Jeremy Sim as they investigate how ordinary objects behaving temporally out of order can change our everyday lives.
Raksura Questions
nthngtoseehere
asked:
1. Raksuran naming habits: generally Raksura like to give their clutches names that share a theme, but Jade and Moon gave their clutch generally unrelated names. Is it a 'rule' that doesn't apply to royal clutches? How did Jade come up with the names she chose?
It's not really a rule, it's more of a just a thing that's done sometimes. All the names Jade chose were from past queens and consorts of the court, except for Fern, who was the female Arbora baby that Sorrow saved along with Moon, and who he thought was his sister.
2. Are Pearl and Ember expected to have a clutch? There's been no mention of it, so I was wondering if they're waiting until he's a bit older, or if she's SO DONE with kids and doesn't want more, or they just haven't gotten around to it...?
They probably will, once Ember's a bit older. For one thing, they'll want to bring Ember's Emerald Twilight bloodline into the court.
3. Presuming at least one of Jade & Moon's boys is a consort, has Frost decided which one she wants yet? (I just imagined her hearing that there were two males in the clutch and going "FINALLY. I'VE BEEN WAITING FOREVER." And being very impatient while waiting to find out if one or both would be consorts because, like, really, why must they keep her in suspense?? Rude.)
That will probably be a whole story in itself! Though right now I think Frost is still at the age where she's not going to be too interested in them until they're old enough to play.
4. Flower mentioned, regarding the way past mentors caused the mountain tree to grow in certain ways, that their court had lost so much knowledge. Do Raskura do any kind of...study away type of thing? Would Heart or Merit go to Emerald Twilight, for example, to learn from their mentors how to manipulate the mountain tree? Or would another mentor come to them? Or is that just done via book exchange?
I think for that to happen the courts would have to very close allies. That might be something I'd address in a future story.
* Six of the Weirdest Fantasy Worlds Ever Created The Cloud Roads is on this list.
* For Books' Sake: For Books' Sake Talks to Martha Wells
* Cushing Library Releases Digitized Media Fanzine Collection
Cushing Memorial Library and Archives is pleased to announce that it is now able to offer free, limited online public access to select titles in the Sandy Hereld Memorial Digitized Media Fanzine Collection. Since the collection was first initiated in 2013, access to its materials was previously restricted to only those with a Texas A&M-approved ID until additional permissions could be obtained from the fanzine creators who contributed to the collection.
New Books
* Ghost Summer by Tananarive Due
Tananarive Due, a winner of the American Book Award and an Essence and Los Angeles Times bestselling author, brings you her debut short fiction collection! The title novella, Ghost Summer, won a Kindred Award from the Carl Brandon Society (originally published in The Ancestors). This collection includes Patient Zero, The Lake, The Knowing, Herd Immunity, and many other stories.
* Temporally Out of Order edited by Joshua Palmatier
In this collection, seventeen leading science fiction authors share their take on what happens when gadgets run temporally amok. From past to future, humor to horror, there's something for everyone. Join Seanan McGuire, Elektra Hammond, David B. Coe, Chuck Rothman, Faith Hunter, Edmund R. Schubert, Steve Ruskin, Sofie Bird, Laura Resnick, Amy Griswold, Laura Anne Gilman, Susan Jett, Gini Koch, Christopher Barili, Stephen Leigh, Juliet E. McKenna, and Jeremy Sim as they investigate how ordinary objects behaving temporally out of order can change our everyday lives.
Raksura Questions
nthngtoseehere
asked:1. Raksuran naming habits: generally Raksura like to give their clutches names that share a theme, but Jade and Moon gave their clutch generally unrelated names. Is it a 'rule' that doesn't apply to royal clutches? How did Jade come up with the names she chose?
It's not really a rule, it's more of a just a thing that's done sometimes. All the names Jade chose were from past queens and consorts of the court, except for Fern, who was the female Arbora baby that Sorrow saved along with Moon, and who he thought was his sister.
2. Are Pearl and Ember expected to have a clutch? There's been no mention of it, so I was wondering if they're waiting until he's a bit older, or if she's SO DONE with kids and doesn't want more, or they just haven't gotten around to it...?
They probably will, once Ember's a bit older. For one thing, they'll want to bring Ember's Emerald Twilight bloodline into the court.
3. Presuming at least one of Jade & Moon's boys is a consort, has Frost decided which one she wants yet? (I just imagined her hearing that there were two males in the clutch and going "FINALLY. I'VE BEEN WAITING FOREVER." And being very impatient while waiting to find out if one or both would be consorts because, like, really, why must they keep her in suspense?? Rude.)
That will probably be a whole story in itself! Though right now I think Frost is still at the age where she's not going to be too interested in them until they're old enough to play.
4. Flower mentioned, regarding the way past mentors caused the mountain tree to grow in certain ways, that their court had lost so much knowledge. Do Raskura do any kind of...study away type of thing? Would Heart or Merit go to Emerald Twilight, for example, to learn from their mentors how to manipulate the mountain tree? Or would another mentor come to them? Or is that just done via book exchange?
I think for that to happen the courts would have to very close allies. That might be something I'd address in a future story.
September 1, 2015
It's My Birthday, So You Get a New Book Post
It's My Birthday, So You Get a New Book Post:
Books mentioned in previous posts are shipping today, including Sorcerer to the Crown by Zen Cho and Updraft by Fran Wilde
* Not So Invisible Ninjas by Fran Wilde
Or: Recent and Upcoming Debuts in Fantasy and Science Fiction... that just happen to be written by women.
* Tor.com: Do Not Touch by Prudence Shen
This is a free short story, absolutely awesome.
* Twelve Kings in Sharakhai: The Song of Shattered Sands: Book One
by Bradley P. Beaulieu
Sharakhai, the great city of the desert, center of commerce and culture, has been ruled from time immemorial by twelve kings -- cruel, ruthless, powerful, and immortal. With their army of Silver Spears, their elite ompany of Blade Maidens and their holy defenders, the terrifying asirim, the Kings uphold their positions as undisputed, invincible lords of the desert. There is no hope of freedom for any under their rule.
* Deep Water by Nicola Cameron
Poseidon, God of the Sea, has spent millennia alone due to a single terrible act. His consort, Amphitrite, has sworn never to forgive him, and he’s forced to live with the knowledge that he drove an innocent girl to her doom.
* Chapelwood by Cherie Priest
Birmingham, Alabama is infested with malevolence. Prejudice and hatred have consumed the minds and hearts of its populace. A murderer, unimaginatively named “Harry the Hacker” by the press, has been carving up citizens with a hatchet. And from the church known as Chapelwood, an unholy gospel is being spread by a sect that worships dark gods from beyond the heavens.
* Sorcerer of the Wildeeps by Kai Ashante Wilson
Since leaving his homeland, the earthbound demigod Demane has been labeled a sorcerer. With his ancestors' artifacts in hand, the Sorcerer follows the Captain, a beautiful man with song for a voice and hair that drinks the sunlight.
* Avatars Dance by Laura J. Mixon
This is the omnibus edition of the complete trilogy: GLASS HOUSES, PROXIES, and BURNING THE ICE.
* Uncanny Magazine, Issue 6
Featuring all–new short fiction by Paul Cornell, Isabel Yap, Liz Argall, Kenneth Schneyer, and Keffy R. M. Kehrli, classic fiction by N.K. Jemisin, nonfiction by Diana M. Pho, Steven H Silver, Michi Trota, and David J. Schwartz, poems by Rose Lemberg, Dominik Parisien, Amal El–Mohtar, and Jennifer Crow, interviews with Isabel Yap, and Liz Argall and Kenneth Schneyer, and Matthew Dow Smith’s The Future Matters on the cover.
Books mentioned in previous posts are shipping today, including Sorcerer to the Crown by Zen Cho and Updraft by Fran Wilde
* Not So Invisible Ninjas by Fran Wilde
Or: Recent and Upcoming Debuts in Fantasy and Science Fiction... that just happen to be written by women.
* Tor.com: Do Not Touch by Prudence Shen
This is a free short story, absolutely awesome.
* Twelve Kings in Sharakhai: The Song of Shattered Sands: Book One
by Bradley P. Beaulieu
Sharakhai, the great city of the desert, center of commerce and culture, has been ruled from time immemorial by twelve kings -- cruel, ruthless, powerful, and immortal. With their army of Silver Spears, their elite ompany of Blade Maidens and their holy defenders, the terrifying asirim, the Kings uphold their positions as undisputed, invincible lords of the desert. There is no hope of freedom for any under their rule.
* Deep Water by Nicola Cameron
Poseidon, God of the Sea, has spent millennia alone due to a single terrible act. His consort, Amphitrite, has sworn never to forgive him, and he’s forced to live with the knowledge that he drove an innocent girl to her doom.
* Chapelwood by Cherie Priest
Birmingham, Alabama is infested with malevolence. Prejudice and hatred have consumed the minds and hearts of its populace. A murderer, unimaginatively named “Harry the Hacker” by the press, has been carving up citizens with a hatchet. And from the church known as Chapelwood, an unholy gospel is being spread by a sect that worships dark gods from beyond the heavens.
* Sorcerer of the Wildeeps by Kai Ashante Wilson
Since leaving his homeland, the earthbound demigod Demane has been labeled a sorcerer. With his ancestors' artifacts in hand, the Sorcerer follows the Captain, a beautiful man with song for a voice and hair that drinks the sunlight.
* Avatars Dance by Laura J. Mixon
This is the omnibus edition of the complete trilogy: GLASS HOUSES, PROXIES, and BURNING THE ICE.
* Uncanny Magazine, Issue 6
Featuring all–new short fiction by Paul Cornell, Isabel Yap, Liz Argall, Kenneth Schneyer, and Keffy R. M. Kehrli, classic fiction by N.K. Jemisin, nonfiction by Diana M. Pho, Steven H Silver, Michi Trota, and David J. Schwartz, poems by Rose Lemberg, Dominik Parisien, Amal El–Mohtar, and Jennifer Crow, interviews with Isabel Yap, and Liz Argall and Kenneth Schneyer, and Matthew Dow Smith’s The Future Matters on the cover.
August 27, 2015
WorldCon Report Part II and Question Time
I don't think I emphasized enough how bad the smoke from the forest fires was on Friday. My friend and I went out to get sandwiches, then had to go to the RiteAid and the streets were almost empty and the sky was brown. Lisa said, "Where's the sun?" and I said, "The sun's gone, Lisa! Get used to it! This is the end!" Fortunately the masquerade was a great mood-lifter.
After the panel on Saturday, I did my Koffe Klatsh, then we did another turn around the dealer's room. We went out to eat and found a Japanese restaurant that turned out to be both cheap and really good. (They had tatami mat rooms and everything.) Then we went back to the room and watched the Hugos on livestream. The beginning where Tananarive Due cosplayed Uhura fighting Death (the giant one from the Terry Pratchett exhibit) for the Hugos was the absolute best. David Gerrold cosplayed three of the Doctors and the bit with the Dalek was also great. We basically cheered a lot throughout the night and probably scared the neighbors.
Sunday Lisa went to spend the day with family in town, and I went back to the con and wandered around a little and caught the end of Ann Leckie's reading. Then I did a panel on Young Adults in Adult Fiction with Steven Gould, Nichole Giles, Shannon Page, and Fran Wilde. Then I went out to a very late lunch with a group, then wandered back to the hotel. It was late in the afternoon by that point, and I was worn out, so I just hung around the room and watched Acorn TV on the iPad. (I know, the excitement, the glamour.)
I also started to see tweets from people who were leaving, and having plane delays due to the smoke. In the morning Lisa had a much earlier flight than me, but I got a ride with her and her brother to the airport. My plane took off on time and everything seemed fine, but apparently there were problems in Seattle. I got to Salt Lake City, changed planes, and then to Houston, losing hours along the way, then had to drive home about an hour and a half.
WorldCon Photos on tumblr: http://marthawells.tumblr.com/post/127568633647/photos-from-worldcon-2015-in-spokane-wa-these and http://marthawells.tumblr.com/post/127569704947/more-worldcon-photos-from-the-exhibits-area
***
Question Time
I noticed I have some new people following me, so hello, new people! Information on my books is here: http://www.marthawells.com/ and I have written fantasy (both not very traditional and very untraditional), YA fantasy, media tie ins (Stargate: Atlantis and Star Wars) plus short stories and non-fiction articles.
If you're interested in my books and want to know where to start, you can ask me here, and it'll help if you tell me what kind of fantasy you like.
If you have a question about publishing in general, or the Raksura books, or the Ile-Rien books, or the media tie-ins, etc, etc, you can ask that here too.
After the panel on Saturday, I did my Koffe Klatsh, then we did another turn around the dealer's room. We went out to eat and found a Japanese restaurant that turned out to be both cheap and really good. (They had tatami mat rooms and everything.) Then we went back to the room and watched the Hugos on livestream. The beginning where Tananarive Due cosplayed Uhura fighting Death (the giant one from the Terry Pratchett exhibit) for the Hugos was the absolute best. David Gerrold cosplayed three of the Doctors and the bit with the Dalek was also great. We basically cheered a lot throughout the night and probably scared the neighbors.
Sunday Lisa went to spend the day with family in town, and I went back to the con and wandered around a little and caught the end of Ann Leckie's reading. Then I did a panel on Young Adults in Adult Fiction with Steven Gould, Nichole Giles, Shannon Page, and Fran Wilde. Then I went out to a very late lunch with a group, then wandered back to the hotel. It was late in the afternoon by that point, and I was worn out, so I just hung around the room and watched Acorn TV on the iPad. (I know, the excitement, the glamour.)
I also started to see tweets from people who were leaving, and having plane delays due to the smoke. In the morning Lisa had a much earlier flight than me, but I got a ride with her and her brother to the airport. My plane took off on time and everything seemed fine, but apparently there were problems in Seattle. I got to Salt Lake City, changed planes, and then to Houston, losing hours along the way, then had to drive home about an hour and a half.
WorldCon Photos on tumblr: http://marthawells.tumblr.com/post/127568633647/photos-from-worldcon-2015-in-spokane-wa-these and http://marthawells.tumblr.com/post/127569704947/more-worldcon-photos-from-the-exhibits-area
***
Question Time
I noticed I have some new people following me, so hello, new people! Information on my books is here: http://www.marthawells.com/ and I have written fantasy (both not very traditional and very untraditional), YA fantasy, media tie ins (Stargate: Atlantis and Star Wars) plus short stories and non-fiction articles.
If you're interested in my books and want to know where to start, you can ask me here, and it'll help if you tell me what kind of fantasy you like.
If you have a question about publishing in general, or the Raksura books, or the Ile-Rien books, or the media tie-ins, etc, etc, you can ask that here too.
August 26, 2015
New Books and Links
A couple of links:
* Whoa, Hugo: Women and Minorities Aren’t New to Sci-Fi
"It’s always been a known thing within the SFF (science fiction fantasy) community that women were the ones running the conventions," science-fiction writer N.K. Jemisin told me by email. It was women, she said, who were "writing the fanzines and organizing the don’t-cancel-Star-Trek letter campaigns and doing all the other things that have made this genre what it is — even as Isaac Asimov was running around groping women in elevators and Robert Silverberg was pompously declaring that James Tiptree couldn’t possibly be a woman, perish the thought. (She was.)"
* Welcome to the Hugo Nominees 2016 Wikia
In order for more people to vote in the Hugos, let's make a list of eligible works and people, with links to read where available. This isn't meant to be a database of everything in genre over a year, as that would be unmanageable, but if you read or see something that you think is worthy of an award, by all means add it! The rules for each category can be found on the category page, and you can read them in full in the WSFS constitution.
* Recommend Works for the 2015 James Tiptree, Jr. Award
Most of the books and stories that Tiptree Award jurors read to pick a winner are nominated by authors and readers. We need your suggestions. If you’ve read a work of science fiction or fantasy that explores or expands our notions of gender, please tell us about it by filling out the recommendation form below. If you have more than one, just fill out the form again with a new recommendation and submit it until you’ve told us about them all.
New Books:
* Camille and the Bears of Beisa Drafnel by Simone Salmon
Years of deception and suppressed trauma do not prevent secrets from unraveling when parallel worlds clash, intertwining families and exposing hidden agendas. An unwanted romance mirrored in an alternate universe has devastating consequences for an unsuspecting young woman and a mysterious stranger.
* Getting closer to home: a review of Milton J. Davis' Saga Changa's Safari
It’s no secret that Davis has been influenced by the father of the Sword and Soul brand of Heroic Fantasy, introduced to the world in the 1970s by the eminent author, Charles R. Saunders, creator of the Imaro novels, the first black, Sword and Sorcery hero and star of his own series.
* Updraft by Fran Wilde
The setting is marvelously unusual, a city grown from living bone and populated by everyday people who have left the ground far behind; though Wilde leaves many questions unanswered, this only adds to the mystery and delight, encouraging the reader to suspend disbelief and become immersed in Kirit’s story. This well-written and fascinating exploration of a strange land is an extremely promising start for an exciting new writer. Publishers Weekly
* Binti by Nnedi Okorafor
Her name is Binti, and she is the first of the Himba people ever to be offered a place at Oomza University, the finest institution of higher learning in the galaxy. But to accept the offer will mean giving up her place in her family to travel between the stars among strangers who do not share her ways or respect her customs.
* The Tale of Yin by Joyce Chng
The duology of Oysters, Pearls & Magic and The Path of Kindness sees the stories of Mirra and her daughter, Kindness, as they struggle to find their identities and selves on the planet they have called home. A feminist YA novella, the Tale of Yin looks at magic, privilege, the landscape and compassion.
* Whoa, Hugo: Women and Minorities Aren’t New to Sci-Fi
"It’s always been a known thing within the SFF (science fiction fantasy) community that women were the ones running the conventions," science-fiction writer N.K. Jemisin told me by email. It was women, she said, who were "writing the fanzines and organizing the don’t-cancel-Star-Trek letter campaigns and doing all the other things that have made this genre what it is — even as Isaac Asimov was running around groping women in elevators and Robert Silverberg was pompously declaring that James Tiptree couldn’t possibly be a woman, perish the thought. (She was.)"
* Welcome to the Hugo Nominees 2016 Wikia
In order for more people to vote in the Hugos, let's make a list of eligible works and people, with links to read where available. This isn't meant to be a database of everything in genre over a year, as that would be unmanageable, but if you read or see something that you think is worthy of an award, by all means add it! The rules for each category can be found on the category page, and you can read them in full in the WSFS constitution.
* Recommend Works for the 2015 James Tiptree, Jr. Award
Most of the books and stories that Tiptree Award jurors read to pick a winner are nominated by authors and readers. We need your suggestions. If you’ve read a work of science fiction or fantasy that explores or expands our notions of gender, please tell us about it by filling out the recommendation form below. If you have more than one, just fill out the form again with a new recommendation and submit it until you’ve told us about them all.
New Books:
* Camille and the Bears of Beisa Drafnel by Simone Salmon
Years of deception and suppressed trauma do not prevent secrets from unraveling when parallel worlds clash, intertwining families and exposing hidden agendas. An unwanted romance mirrored in an alternate universe has devastating consequences for an unsuspecting young woman and a mysterious stranger.
* Getting closer to home: a review of Milton J. Davis' Saga Changa's Safari
It’s no secret that Davis has been influenced by the father of the Sword and Soul brand of Heroic Fantasy, introduced to the world in the 1970s by the eminent author, Charles R. Saunders, creator of the Imaro novels, the first black, Sword and Sorcery hero and star of his own series.
* Updraft by Fran Wilde
The setting is marvelously unusual, a city grown from living bone and populated by everyday people who have left the ground far behind; though Wilde leaves many questions unanswered, this only adds to the mystery and delight, encouraging the reader to suspend disbelief and become immersed in Kirit’s story. This well-written and fascinating exploration of a strange land is an extremely promising start for an exciting new writer. Publishers Weekly
* Binti by Nnedi Okorafor
Her name is Binti, and she is the first of the Himba people ever to be offered a place at Oomza University, the finest institution of higher learning in the galaxy. But to accept the offer will mean giving up her place in her family to travel between the stars among strangers who do not share her ways or respect her customs.
* The Tale of Yin by Joyce Chng
The duology of Oysters, Pearls & Magic and The Path of Kindness sees the stories of Mirra and her daughter, Kindness, as they struggle to find their identities and selves on the planet they have called home. A feminist YA novella, the Tale of Yin looks at magic, privilege, the landscape and compassion.
August 25, 2015
WorldCon Report Part I
I got to the con on Wednesday (drove to Houston on Tuesday, stayed overnight with friends, got up at 5:00 am to get to the airport, flew to Salt Lake City, then on to Spokane) and then Cassandra Clarke and I got a ride with a guy who was a taxi driver but did not have a taxi, and I checked into the lavish but impractical Davenport Grand. Then I went over and got registered at the con, then met up with a group and had dinner at a sushi place. As we were going there, we got our first real look at the smoke from the terrible forest fires in the state. It just filled the air and turned the sky brown, and the sun was a little red dot. (Some people attending the con ended up in the hospital with respiratory problems.)
Main con area, opening to dealer's room, art show, and exhibits.
View with no smoke
View with smoke (this wasn't nearly as bad as it was later)
After dinner I just went back to the room and collapsed. I had two roommates, my friend Lisa who had flown in from CA to go to the con, and awesome writer Tex Thompson.
The con started officially on Wednesday, and just felt huge, with tons of people everywhere and lots of fun costumes. Thursday I had a Doctor Who panel with Jim Mann, Warren Frey, Steven Schapansky, and Charlie Reeves, on overrated and underrated favorite episodes and it was a lot of fun and a good way to start the con for me. (It had already started for a lot of other people.)
Then Lisa and I went to the DC in 2017 barbecue in the park, which had free grilled hamburgers and hot dogs, vegetable skewers, cole slaw and cold macaroni salad, and drinks. It inspired us to look for free food for the rest of the con. Japan in 2017 was also generous with the snacks and candy.
Then I had the writers workshop session for the rest of the afternoon, which went really well, and we had three great stories to critique, and I think we all had a good time. Then Lisa and I met up with Sharon Shinn and went to dinner and Lisa ordered a giant huckleberry daquiri.
Friday I did an autographing in the morning and signed way more books than I was expecting to, then we went to Sharon Shinn's reading, and then hung out and talked to friends in the main con area, and then I had a reading. It was a full room of about 23-25 people, and I read the first chapter of the second book in the new Raksura duology (the one after The Edge of Worlds). It seemed to go really well and I enjoyed it, so I hope everyone else did.
Then we went to Brad Foster's art presentation, and then did the art show. Lisa and I had an early dinner so we could get back in time for the masquerade, which was fabulous. I think the venue made them do assigned seating, so you had to pick up tickets for your party from the volunteers near the doors, but the upshot of that was Lisa and I got better seats than we ever had before. We were in the upper part of the auditorium, dead center, with a fabulous view of the stage. (Having it in a real theater rather than a ballroom with a precariously constructed stage setup made it better too.) There were so many great costumes, including a giant animated snowball person with giant arms, a full size Groot, and more others than I can remember. And the MC was dressed in a formal Centauri outfit, and he rocked it.
The Saturday morning Worldbuilding panel was From Middle Earth to Westeros: Fantasy Worldbuilding with me, Matthew Johnson, Mary Soon Lee, Michael Swanwick, and Pat Cadigan. It turned out to be in the large ballroom that was already set up to film the Hugo Pre-Show, so we were up on a huge stage, with cameras filming us to show on the big screen hanging to the left, and giant stage lights shining on us. (I was the moderator and had to ask them to turn the light down a bit so we could see the audience for questions.) There was a big audience and we got some good questions. I recommended Karen Lord, N.K. Jemisin, Judith Tarr, Kate Elliott, and Aliette de Bodard for various aspects of awesome worldbuilding. (I did more but I lost my notes.)
We got a question that was basically how to avoid writing Tolkien-derivative work when there's so much if it out there, and the answer is to broaden your reading, in both fiction and non-fiction. There's a ton of non-derivative work (both classics and older SF/F and brand new SFF) and it's not hard to find. Mary Soon Lee recommended The Tale of the Genji as a good foundation classic to read. (I have a short presentation on "what is SF/F" I've done where I start with The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter because of the Moon People, just to show how far back SF elements appear in fiction, but I forgot to mention that because brain failure.)
The House of Shattered Wings by Aliette de Bodard got a shout-out in particular by everybody as well as her shorter fiction, and audience members came up afterward to check the spelling of her name so they could get the book.
I'm going to stop here and call this part I, since it's gotten pretty long.
Main con area, opening to dealer's room, art show, and exhibits.
View with no smoke
View with smoke (this wasn't nearly as bad as it was later)
After dinner I just went back to the room and collapsed. I had two roommates, my friend Lisa who had flown in from CA to go to the con, and awesome writer Tex Thompson.
The con started officially on Wednesday, and just felt huge, with tons of people everywhere and lots of fun costumes. Thursday I had a Doctor Who panel with Jim Mann, Warren Frey, Steven Schapansky, and Charlie Reeves, on overrated and underrated favorite episodes and it was a lot of fun and a good way to start the con for me. (It had already started for a lot of other people.)
Then Lisa and I went to the DC in 2017 barbecue in the park, which had free grilled hamburgers and hot dogs, vegetable skewers, cole slaw and cold macaroni salad, and drinks. It inspired us to look for free food for the rest of the con. Japan in 2017 was also generous with the snacks and candy.
Then I had the writers workshop session for the rest of the afternoon, which went really well, and we had three great stories to critique, and I think we all had a good time. Then Lisa and I met up with Sharon Shinn and went to dinner and Lisa ordered a giant huckleberry daquiri.
Friday I did an autographing in the morning and signed way more books than I was expecting to, then we went to Sharon Shinn's reading, and then hung out and talked to friends in the main con area, and then I had a reading. It was a full room of about 23-25 people, and I read the first chapter of the second book in the new Raksura duology (the one after The Edge of Worlds). It seemed to go really well and I enjoyed it, so I hope everyone else did.
Then we went to Brad Foster's art presentation, and then did the art show. Lisa and I had an early dinner so we could get back in time for the masquerade, which was fabulous. I think the venue made them do assigned seating, so you had to pick up tickets for your party from the volunteers near the doors, but the upshot of that was Lisa and I got better seats than we ever had before. We were in the upper part of the auditorium, dead center, with a fabulous view of the stage. (Having it in a real theater rather than a ballroom with a precariously constructed stage setup made it better too.) There were so many great costumes, including a giant animated snowball person with giant arms, a full size Groot, and more others than I can remember. And the MC was dressed in a formal Centauri outfit, and he rocked it.
The Saturday morning Worldbuilding panel was From Middle Earth to Westeros: Fantasy Worldbuilding with me, Matthew Johnson, Mary Soon Lee, Michael Swanwick, and Pat Cadigan. It turned out to be in the large ballroom that was already set up to film the Hugo Pre-Show, so we were up on a huge stage, with cameras filming us to show on the big screen hanging to the left, and giant stage lights shining on us. (I was the moderator and had to ask them to turn the light down a bit so we could see the audience for questions.) There was a big audience and we got some good questions. I recommended Karen Lord, N.K. Jemisin, Judith Tarr, Kate Elliott, and Aliette de Bodard for various aspects of awesome worldbuilding. (I did more but I lost my notes.)
We got a question that was basically how to avoid writing Tolkien-derivative work when there's so much if it out there, and the answer is to broaden your reading, in both fiction and non-fiction. There's a ton of non-derivative work (both classics and older SF/F and brand new SFF) and it's not hard to find. Mary Soon Lee recommended The Tale of the Genji as a good foundation classic to read. (I have a short presentation on "what is SF/F" I've done where I start with The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter because of the Moon People, just to show how far back SF elements appear in fiction, but I forgot to mention that because brain failure.)
The House of Shattered Wings by Aliette de Bodard got a shout-out in particular by everybody as well as her shorter fiction, and audience members came up afterward to check the spelling of her name so they could get the book.
I'm going to stop here and call this part I, since it's gotten pretty long.
August 13, 2015
Query Letters
Inspired by Ann Leckie's post My Query Letter for Ancillary Justice I thought I'd post my query for The Cloud Roads.
Mine is a bit different in format because I was following my agent's guidelines. I've left off the first part of the letter that explained that I had left my former agent earlier in the year, and then I listed my past publications (which at that point was seven fantasy novels, two media-tie-ins, and some recent short fiction in anthologies and magazines.
The date on it was Tuesday, December 11, 2007. Jennifer Jackson asked for the full manuscript and agreed to represent it, and it went out on submission in 2008. It then visited many, many publishers who didn't much care for it, before finally finding a home and being published by Night Shade in February of 2011. (By that time I, being an optimist, had already written The Serpent Sea, and it was bought at the same time as The Cloud Roads.)
****
My new novel is a fantasy, with the working title _The Cloud Roads_, and will probably be about 120,000 words when complete. I'm currently about 77,000 words in, and think I should be finished with it by March, at the latest. I've copied in a brief description and the first five pages below. If you'd like to see more, I can send you a partial manuscript by mail, or email you chapters in Word, whichever you'd prefer.
Thank you very much for your time,
Martha Wells
Synopsis:
Moon is a shapeshifter, who can transform into a winged creature. He has been traveling the different lands of the Three Worlds, trying not to reveal his abilities to anyone while looking for a place to belong. He's also trying to stay ahead of the Fell, a race of large demon-like creatures who have been attacking the various kingdoms of the Three Worlds.
When the tribe Moon is living with accidentally see him in his other form, they think he is related to the Fell and try to kill him. He is rescued by another winged shapeshifter, Stone, who believes that Moon is a lost member of his people, a Raksura.
Stone convinces Moon to come back with him to Stone's Raksuran colony. But when they arrive, Moon discovers that what Stone didn't tell him is that Moon is not only a Raksura, he is a consort. A consort is the only kind of Raksura who can breed with the queens, and Stone is bringing Moon back specifically as a mate for the young queen Jade.
Stone is hoping that once Jade has a consort, she will be able to take control of the colony from the older and badly ill queen Pearl. Once Jade does this, the colony will be able to move to a better location, safer from the Fell.
Many of the other members of the colony think of Moon as an outsider, a dangerous solitary, and object to his presence, and Moon thinks it's impossible for him to belong there, and isn't certain he wants to be Jade's consort. Then they discover that the colony has already been infiltrated by the Fell. To save the colony, and his only chance at a home, Moon will have to help Jade and Stone gain control of the colony, and find a way to free it from the Fell invaders.
***
Mine is a bit different in format because I was following my agent's guidelines. I've left off the first part of the letter that explained that I had left my former agent earlier in the year, and then I listed my past publications (which at that point was seven fantasy novels, two media-tie-ins, and some recent short fiction in anthologies and magazines.
The date on it was Tuesday, December 11, 2007. Jennifer Jackson asked for the full manuscript and agreed to represent it, and it went out on submission in 2008. It then visited many, many publishers who didn't much care for it, before finally finding a home and being published by Night Shade in February of 2011. (By that time I, being an optimist, had already written The Serpent Sea, and it was bought at the same time as The Cloud Roads.)
****
My new novel is a fantasy, with the working title _The Cloud Roads_, and will probably be about 120,000 words when complete. I'm currently about 77,000 words in, and think I should be finished with it by March, at the latest. I've copied in a brief description and the first five pages below. If you'd like to see more, I can send you a partial manuscript by mail, or email you chapters in Word, whichever you'd prefer.
Thank you very much for your time,
Martha Wells
Synopsis:
Moon is a shapeshifter, who can transform into a winged creature. He has been traveling the different lands of the Three Worlds, trying not to reveal his abilities to anyone while looking for a place to belong. He's also trying to stay ahead of the Fell, a race of large demon-like creatures who have been attacking the various kingdoms of the Three Worlds.
When the tribe Moon is living with accidentally see him in his other form, they think he is related to the Fell and try to kill him. He is rescued by another winged shapeshifter, Stone, who believes that Moon is a lost member of his people, a Raksura.
Stone convinces Moon to come back with him to Stone's Raksuran colony. But when they arrive, Moon discovers that what Stone didn't tell him is that Moon is not only a Raksura, he is a consort. A consort is the only kind of Raksura who can breed with the queens, and Stone is bringing Moon back specifically as a mate for the young queen Jade.
Stone is hoping that once Jade has a consort, she will be able to take control of the colony from the older and badly ill queen Pearl. Once Jade does this, the colony will be able to move to a better location, safer from the Fell.
Many of the other members of the colony think of Moon as an outsider, a dangerous solitary, and object to his presence, and Moon thinks it's impossible for him to belong there, and isn't certain he wants to be Jade's consort. Then they discover that the colony has already been infiltrated by the Fell. To save the colony, and his only chance at a home, Moon will have to help Jade and Stone gain control of the colony, and find a way to free it from the Fell invaders.
***
August 12, 2015
New Books
New Book Wednesday:
* Falling in Love with Hominids by Nalo Hopkinson
Nalo Hopkinson (Brown Girl in the Ring, The Salt Roads, Sister Mine) is an internationally-beloved storyteller. Hailed by the Los Angeles Times as having "an imagination that most of us would kill for," her Afro-Caribbean, Canadian, and American influences shine in truly unique stories that are filled with striking imagery, unlikely beauty, and delightful strangeness.
* The Book of Phoenix by Nnedi Okorafor
The Book of Phoenix is a unique work of magical futurism. A prequel to the highly acclaimed, World Fantasy Award-winning novel, Who Fears Death, it features the rise of another of Nnedi Okorafor’s powerful, memorable, superhuman women.
* The Court of Fives by Kate Elliott will be out next week.
In this imaginative escape into enthralling new lands, World Fantasy Award finalist Kate Elliott's first young adult novel weaves an epic story of a girl struggling to do what she loves in a society suffocated by rules of class and privilege.
* Joy of Witchcraft Book 5 of Jane Madison Series by Mindy Klasky
Jane Madison’s school for witches is in session, and the first order of business is an intricate Samhain ritual. Alas, in the midst of a sudden, unseasonable deluge, a classic Greek monster is released into the magic circle.
* Stories for Chip edited by Nisi Shawl and Bill Campbell
Stories for Chip brings together outstanding authors inspired by a brilliant writer and critic, Science Fiction Writers of America Grandmaster Samuel R. “Chip” Delany. Award-winning SF luminaries such as Michael Swanwick, Nalo Hopkinson, and Eileen Gunn contribute original fiction and creative nonfiction.
* The Dark Forest by Cixin Liu
This near-future trilogy is the first chance for English-speaking readers to experience this multiple-award-winning phenomenon from Cixin Liu, China's most beloved science fiction author. In Dark Forest, Earth is reeling from the revelation of a coming alien invasion-in just four centuries' time. The sequel to The Three Body Problem.
* Falling in Love with Hominids by Nalo Hopkinson
Nalo Hopkinson (Brown Girl in the Ring, The Salt Roads, Sister Mine) is an internationally-beloved storyteller. Hailed by the Los Angeles Times as having "an imagination that most of us would kill for," her Afro-Caribbean, Canadian, and American influences shine in truly unique stories that are filled with striking imagery, unlikely beauty, and delightful strangeness.
* The Book of Phoenix by Nnedi Okorafor
The Book of Phoenix is a unique work of magical futurism. A prequel to the highly acclaimed, World Fantasy Award-winning novel, Who Fears Death, it features the rise of another of Nnedi Okorafor’s powerful, memorable, superhuman women.
* The Court of Fives by Kate Elliott will be out next week.
In this imaginative escape into enthralling new lands, World Fantasy Award finalist Kate Elliott's first young adult novel weaves an epic story of a girl struggling to do what she loves in a society suffocated by rules of class and privilege.
* Joy of Witchcraft Book 5 of Jane Madison Series by Mindy Klasky
Jane Madison’s school for witches is in session, and the first order of business is an intricate Samhain ritual. Alas, in the midst of a sudden, unseasonable deluge, a classic Greek monster is released into the magic circle.
* Stories for Chip edited by Nisi Shawl and Bill Campbell
Stories for Chip brings together outstanding authors inspired by a brilliant writer and critic, Science Fiction Writers of America Grandmaster Samuel R. “Chip” Delany. Award-winning SF luminaries such as Michael Swanwick, Nalo Hopkinson, and Eileen Gunn contribute original fiction and creative nonfiction.
* The Dark Forest by Cixin Liu
This near-future trilogy is the first chance for English-speaking readers to experience this multiple-award-winning phenomenon from Cixin Liu, China's most beloved science fiction author. In Dark Forest, Earth is reeling from the revelation of a coming alien invasion-in just four centuries' time. The sequel to The Three Body Problem.
