The Swords Are Drawn
For all you fans of sword 'n sorcery, and/ or my own 'fake histories,' the new anthology from Gardner Dozois, THE BOOK OF SWORDS, has been scheduled for release on October 10, and is now available for pre-order from Amazon https://www.amazon.com/Book-Swords-Gardner-Dozois/dp/0399593764 and many other online booksellers. I imagine your favorite local bookseller is taking orders too.
This is NOT one I co-edited with Gargy (people keep getting that wrong), so I haven't read any of the other stories yet, but it looks to have a helluva lineup, with originals by Lavie Tidhar, Daniel Abraham, Scott Lynch, C.J. Cherryh, Robin Hobb, Ken Liu, Cecelia Holland, Walter Jon Williams, and many more. And of course it also includes "Sons of the Dragon," a chronicle of the reigns of Aegon the Conquerer's two sons, Aenys I Targaryen and Maegor the Cruel, for those who cannot get enough of my entirely fake histories of Westeros. That one has never been published before in any form, though I did read it at a couple of cons.
Speaking of fake history... regulars here may recall our plan to assemble an entire book of my fake histories of the Targaryen kings, a volume we called (in jest) the GRRMarillion or (more seriously) FIRE AND BLOOD . We have so much material that it's been decided to publish the book in two volumes. The first of those will cover the history of Westeros from Aegon's Conquest up to and through the regency of the boy king Aegon III (the Dragonbane). That one is largely written, and will include (for the first time) a complete detailed history of the Targaryen civil war, the Dance of the Dragons. My stories in DANGEROUS WOMEN ("The Princess and the Queen") and ROGUES ("The Rogue Prince") were abridged versions of the same histories.
No publication date has been set yet, but it's likely that we will get the first volume of FIRE AND BLOOD out in late 2018 or early 2019. The second volume, which will carry the history from Aegon III up to Robert's Rebellion, is largely unwritten, so that one will be a few more years in coming.
And, yes, I know you all want to know about THE WINDS OF WINTER too. I've seen some truly weird reports about WOW on the internet of late, by 'journalists' who make their stories up out of whole cloth. I don't know which story is more absurd, the one that says the book is finished and I've been sitting on it for some nefarious reason, or the one that says I have no pages. Both 'reports' are equally false and equally moronic. I am still working on it, I am still months away (how many? good question), I still have good days and bad days, and that's all I care to say. Whether WINDS or the first volume of FIRE AND BLOOD will be the first to hit the bookstores is hard to say at this juncture, but I do think you will have a Westeros book from me in 2018... and who knows, maybe two. A boy can dream...
Meanwhile, you'll have Gardner's anthology to fill the time. Keep your swords sharp!
This is NOT one I co-edited with Gargy (people keep getting that wrong), so I haven't read any of the other stories yet, but it looks to have a helluva lineup, with originals by Lavie Tidhar, Daniel Abraham, Scott Lynch, C.J. Cherryh, Robin Hobb, Ken Liu, Cecelia Holland, Walter Jon Williams, and many more. And of course it also includes "Sons of the Dragon," a chronicle of the reigns of Aegon the Conquerer's two sons, Aenys I Targaryen and Maegor the Cruel, for those who cannot get enough of my entirely fake histories of Westeros. That one has never been published before in any form, though I did read it at a couple of cons.
Speaking of fake history... regulars here may recall our plan to assemble an entire book of my fake histories of the Targaryen kings, a volume we called (in jest) the GRRMarillion or (more seriously) FIRE AND BLOOD . We have so much material that it's been decided to publish the book in two volumes. The first of those will cover the history of Westeros from Aegon's Conquest up to and through the regency of the boy king Aegon III (the Dragonbane). That one is largely written, and will include (for the first time) a complete detailed history of the Targaryen civil war, the Dance of the Dragons. My stories in DANGEROUS WOMEN ("The Princess and the Queen") and ROGUES ("The Rogue Prince") were abridged versions of the same histories.
No publication date has been set yet, but it's likely that we will get the first volume of FIRE AND BLOOD out in late 2018 or early 2019. The second volume, which will carry the history from Aegon III up to Robert's Rebellion, is largely unwritten, so that one will be a few more years in coming.
And, yes, I know you all want to know about THE WINDS OF WINTER too. I've seen some truly weird reports about WOW on the internet of late, by 'journalists' who make their stories up out of whole cloth. I don't know which story is more absurd, the one that says the book is finished and I've been sitting on it for some nefarious reason, or the one that says I have no pages. Both 'reports' are equally false and equally moronic. I am still working on it, I am still months away (how many? good question), I still have good days and bad days, and that's all I care to say. Whether WINDS or the first volume of FIRE AND BLOOD will be the first to hit the bookstores is hard to say at this juncture, but I do think you will have a Westeros book from me in 2018... and who knows, maybe two. A boy can dream...
Meanwhile, you'll have Gardner's anthology to fill the time. Keep your swords sharp!
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message 1:
by
SixTimes
(new)
Jul 23, 2017 10:14AM
I don`t care when Winds come out. It`ll worth the wait :)
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Who cares about TWOW coming out soon or not? A new short story, the first volume of another story set in your universe... You're spoiling us! Who could be unhappy?!
That's very uncalled for. He doesn't owe you anything. You dislike the way he does things? Don't buy his books, don't follow him on his social medias. Let the man live, and let us enjoy what he has to offer if we want to.
He should release the book as it is he cut out material from the last book for this one I rather have 2 smaller books than one larger book least that way we get some of the cliffhangers closed out.
@samhainNo, he doesn't owe me anything. No, he doesn't owe you anything. No, he doesn't owe the millions of nobodies that spent their hard-earned money on his work anything. Without those nobodies, he wouldn't be nowhere. You're telling me to let the man live? He's a millionaire over and over and he's been writing the book for going on a decade whilst working on other projects. My comment (something you're obviously not smart enough to not take offence to) does not prevent him from living nor should it prevent people like you from enjoying his work.
@Corinne
I'm calling him happily announcing other projects that nobody cares about in bulk compared to the core of his work and a seemingly lack of care for it a "pathetic effort."
"wtf have u done?" That's a stupid thing to ask, considering I'm not the one taking in millions for a project that's unfinished, as well as promised countless times on a deadline I've failed to deliver on. The side note holds true to more than just authors... Start something, finish it. Again, asking me what I've done is irrelevant and downright moronic, honestly. There is no rule for how a genius creates his work. Sure, there isn't a rule, but there's a thing called planning and respect, respect to the millions who dedicate time and money to your life. Grow up with your pansy whining. Honestly. If you can't take a comment, get off of social media.
What a charming person you are, Brandon! Calling people "morons" and "stupid" because they disagree with you, that's very mature and classy. I'm so very sorry I'm not "smart enough" to understand people who insult the people they want something from. "Give me the books you owe me because I once bought one of the countless stuff you've created, you [insert lovely terms such as "pathetic", "pansy" - which is homophobic and a slur, sorry to burst your bubble - and so on] excuse of an author!" sure sounds like something people would answer with "Oh you're perfectly right you wonderful reader, thanks for telling me what I'm supposed to do with my art, I'll publish TWOW right away (not giving a fuck about it being unfinished, and not as good as I want it to be, because artists do what people want and not what they think is right for their work). Bless you for harassing me and insulting me until I finally saw the light!"... Seriously, when has that ever worked out for you?You're very worked up for someone who doesn't care about those projects he's announced, but fine, let's admit you don't want the other stories. First of all, some of us want them and don't mind them being published before TWOW, so maybe don't act like we all agree with you on that ("nobody cares about"). As for your belief that Martin owes you because you've bought his previous books and because he's a millionaire... Surprisingly, people don't sell their souls to their readers along with their books. If he's not inspired to write TWOW at the moment, or if he feels other projects need to get out of his system before he can focus on that, it's his call to make. He's the one who knows how he produces his best work. And we all know what would happen if he were to publish something as soon as the fans want him to and not when he thinks it's ready : most people would attack him for not offering us his best! So yes, I insist on what I said before about this whole thing being quite easy to deal with. If you dislike the way he works or are pissed at him for whatever reason, don't support him by buying his books and/or following him on his social media accounts. Insulting him, harassing him, and then insulting some more people just because they've told you you were unnecessarily agressive, that won't make TWOW come any faster. If anything, you'll piss him off just like people have pissed off Patrick Rothfuss and he'll decide to keep this story to himself.
Which he would have every rights to do, by the way. It's his creation, and the fact that lots of us enjoyed it enough to give him our money doesn't change that. He didn't force you to support him, you made that call and you can also decide to stop supporting him if you're disappointed. That's fair. Spitting on him isn't.
Perfect example of what is wrong with social media. Grow up and find another outlet for your rage. This isn't the place.
The irony is that the rabid desire for new work that Martin has inspired in his readers is largely due to a meticulous process that ensures the quality of his work. He is unwilling to release his work until he gets it exactly how he wants it. This takes a lot of time. I'm disappointed that it takes so long, but it seems there are other things to read (some of which are very, very good). Who knew?
The problem that many of us see with a lack of a new book is the amount of non-Game of Thrones material that GRRM puts out. Maybe if he were to concentrate more on finishing the Winds of Winter, then we might have had it already. Supposing that Fire and Blood had been a project by other authors that he was choosing to authorize, then it would be fine. No complaints.The problem is all the blog posts, no apparent progress, and a non-Winds of War book. Complaining about it on the HBO website seems that it would be a counter-productive practice. Voicing complaint about the lack of a new book when the TV series is surpassing the written material seems like a fit here, on a website about reading and books.
While there is no contractual obligation between GRRM and the readership, there is an exchange that nonetheless takes place. He offered up a story, and we waiting for it to be told. This then extends to whether we want to read his next book, or look into his next project. I have friends who won't be reading Winds of Winter, as they are done with waiting for his writing. While I don't think their not getting the book will affect GRRM at the end of the day, it may have adverse effects on other writers who can ill-afford such negative feelings from the readership. The next large epic fantasy to come out might have a reluctant readership that are not wanting to jump into what might be another ever increasing wait for the next book.
Just, for a moment, ponder the idea that Winds of War isn't amazing. Will you have been happy that with the wait?
Doesn't matter what I say. It'll probably be misconstrued by morons, as usual.The fact is, if you write a book, focus on it, unlike some authors aforementioned... Sick of all these petty, unintelligent people spewing "he owes you nothing" and "patience is important" in these scenarios. He's just a slow, very slow writer that has severely damaged his reputation.
But hey, as long as he's making big bucks from it.
I'm sorry Mr. Martin, but I'm highly disappointed in you. I want "Winds of Winter" so badly. I refuse to watch your stupid HBO show, until I have READ all of the books. My boyfriend bought the show, but I WILL NOT WATCH IT! I read the book before watching it. I do this for all books with movies. I am a dedicated fan who spent 50 bucks to buy the book set to read. I started reading them in 2015 - YOU HAVE HAD PLENTY of time to finish WOW, focus on that.
I'm really sorry than an author that has gifted us with such an amazing content already has to deal with people so hostile and impatient on a daily basis.
@lavitz Sorry that I'm impatient, I am disappointed - I was so excited when the release date was approaching, but it got pushed and pushed and pushed. And now there is no release date. Excuse me for being frustrated with him. I started these books to WATCH the HBO show... and I can't do that until the series of books is finished. I'm mad that he is busy making millions with all this other garbage and treating his fans who GOT HIM THIS FAME FOR GOT like they don't matter or they should be patient.
Nah, sorry, but that's too bad. You can all wait. That's fine. Being patient is patient, but over 10 years of patience? 10 years is sometimes a quarter, sometimes a halve, and sometimes three quarters of someone's life. If it takes someone that long to write one book, especially in sequence and prepared after a number of books in the series thus far, you're doing something wrong, ESPECIALLY if you're knowingly, willingly, and unashamedly working on other pieces we ALL know the vast majority simply don't care about.He's turned into a terrible author who has lost respect for his co-workers and fans, and the respect of many fans, evidently. The random 1, 2, 5, or 10 riled fans that run to his side to defend him can do so; however, they'll be doing it without The Winds of Winter, ultimately... Who would know it would literally take almost 10 years and counting for it to finally arrive, huh? Winter, I mean...
Aw Brandon, your pep talk is so inspiring! Who wouldn't want to work harder to please people like you? I'm sure it'll prove extremely rewarding. Seriously, the man writes something which changes an entire genre and brings fantasy back to tv and this is how you appreciate his work? I'm not sure why he writes, but it sure as hell has nothing to do with people like you. Stop bitching and go explore the genre. There are a lot of great works out there if you're so damn impatient and entitled. Pick one that's finished so you don't have to wait.
Well, "extremely rewarding" is one way to put it, considering how it doesn't even matter if he finishes writing it anymore. He's made his money. His series has gone to shit. He's lost a ton of fans, and the respect of people in the industry... And yes, he definitely has changed the genre - he's made it a hell of a lot harder to get into it, thanks to his tardiness and apparent lack of care for deadlines and his fans. So yes, thanks for pointing out the obvious.I appreciated the work in the beginning, when he was hitting his targets and producing content. Now, not so much. And... it isn't so much "bitching" when it's telling the truth. It's funny how when someone's right they're suddenly bitching, but when they're wrong they simply make no sense.
You don't really make sense here, Chiron, but thanks for trying.
@Brandon - I still don't understand why you keep bothering with him... I mean this in a very serious way, I'm genuinely curious as to why you keep commenting on his updates and keep following him. You say yourself that you've lost all interest, that you don't like his work anymore, and you apparently think he's responsible for a lot of bad stuff. The logical course of action would be to stop bothering with him. Again, there's nothing wrong about that, as long as you're polite about it (no harassment, no insults) like Joseph and Mymymble. What I genuinely don't get is that you keep saying that he's made you lost all interest for his work + made you think he's an awful human being, yet you're very invested in everything he posts and apparently dead set on making us all think like you. Why bother so much if you dislike everything "Martin"? It's truly hard for me to understand why people address their insults directly to Martin or keep asking him for a new book every single time he posts something. I understand people's frustration with the delays, but why not express this like Joseph did? Or move on, if you really aren't invested anymore in the story because of the delays and the way he's dealt with them. I would get that, I think it's fair that people might decide to stop reading his books because of that. I also think it's fair to express these feelings in a polite message when he talks about asoiaf, but is it really necessary to always mention this to him, especially in such an agressive manner? I insist on this being a genuine question, not trying to alienate you or w/e, I'm just trying to understand here. @everyone in the thread - I understand people who are frustrated. I understand people who give up on him, or won't pay for the next books and just borrow them from friends/a library in order to not support him while still getting the end game. Actually, I think Joseph made some pretty valid points, and I get Mymymble's annoyance at GRR's previous promises of asoiaf being done by 2011. I personally think authors and artists in general shouldn't be expected to deliver something very precise at a very precise time because, to me, it limits creativity a lot. Also, sometimes, you do need to get some stuff out of your system because they're taking all the space in your imagination and make it impossible to create a single decent thing. Not to mention other projects and other activities usually strengthen one's imagination and work. Just look at the differences between A Game of Thrones and A Dance with Dragons! His writing style has benefited so, so much from all the years of work.
But that being said, I can see why some people think there should be some rules/structures, and I'm sure it does work for some artists :) The only difference is that I don't think artists owe that to their fans. When you buy a piece of art, or go to a concert or w/e, you're supporting this very precise piece of art, not everything the artist has created (or will create). Yes, sometimes the profits mean said artist can produce something new, but that's just a happy accident, and most artists do thank people a lot when this happens. The "He knew it was gonna be a trilogy (at least) when he started!" point is one I accept easily, although I don't personally agree with it (simply because a lot of the time, what artists think they're gonna do and what ends up happening is a surprise even to them). But even if we admit he owes us the books he has announced when he started... What of all the hazards of creativity? Of life? We all struggle to do stuff at times, we all have accomplishments that happened a lot later than we planned for. Creativity isn't a thing you can tame so it's only there for the things you want it to be. I'm not saying everyone should accept these delays. Again, some people made very valid points as to why they thought them unacceptable. But people shouldn't insult and harass artists because they've been inspired to write other things, or because they haven't been inspired to write the stories they want them to tell.
As for us being disappointed by TWOW and regretting our acceptance of the long delay... Well, I can't speak for other people but I know that it won't be a problem for me. I would be deeply annoyed if Martin (or any other artists) were to publish something he's not happy with, a story he thinks he could have written better. But me being disappointed with what he thinks is the best version he can come up with? That doesn't bother me. I'll be frustrated&sad it didn't do it for me, I might even rant about the things I disagree with or think could have been handled in a better way. But it will have nothing to do with the delay, and everything with what GRR thinks is the best story to tell/the best way to tell it. Those are a matter of personal tastes and expectations, whereas publishing a book he sees as unfinished would just mean he doesn't think his readers deserve his best work :) Again, that's my own personal opinion, and I only have a problem with insults and harassment.
@samhain: very well said. We're all frustrated that it's taken this long, but there's nothing we can do about it. Mr Martin has been writing for a very long time, and he knows what works best for him.
Oh no, sorry about this misunderstanding! I was talking to neither you nor Joseph in the entire first paragraph, but to Brandon. I'll edit that right away! He's the only one who has said he's lost interest in the books because of the delay. It would be quite hypocrite of me to think people can't be impatient for/still be in love with the books if they're annoyed by Martin: I can't stand Steven Moffat yet I love Doctor Who and I'm always excited to see what's gonna happen. So yeah, of course I agree that people can have negative feelings about someone and still love and care for their work :) Again, I'm very sorry I didn't make it clear the questions were for Brandon.Thanks Garrett! Can I add "a friend of Patrick Rothfuss complimented me once" to my resume? (just kidding, but damn dude!! I'm a bit envious). I agree with you, and I also doubt he feels good about the delay and the broken promises. Doesn't mean we have to excuse him, but I doubt adding insult to the injury will help.
His basic theory that Martin owes us and that artists should only work in a certain way, creative process be damned? I've discussed that already (tl;dr: I highly disagree but can see why people think this & w/e floats your boat, really). His basic theory that his harassment and insults are justified by the fact he's invested money in Martin's books? I don't even want to touch that anymore. As for my interest in his pov, I would be a very terrible ethologist/behaviorist if I refused to try and understand people's behaviors ;) Note that I didn't ask about his homophobic comments or his insults per se. I'm asking about why he's so invested in something he does no longer care about, written by someone he now despises. That's all.
It is a fair concern, book 5 was released July 2011 so we have now passed 6 years between books with vague hints that it might come out in 2018. George is 68, if he takes another 7 years to get book 7 out he will be in his late 70's. If the book splits into a book 8 (something he has said is possible depending on how large book 7 gets) then he will be in his mid-80's before he completes the series. He is elderly, overweight and at the speed he writes I'm really worried we will be left hanging...It really won't be the same if they have to get someone else to finish his series.
Emily wrote: "@lavitz Sorry that I'm impatient, I am disappointed - I was so excited when the release date was approaching, but it got pushed and pushed and pushed. And now there is no release date. Excuse me f..."
I wholeheartedly agree. I have given up on GRRM. I am glad I will watch a version of the story on HBO and I that's it.
He has no respect for his audience when he is announcing other content than Game of Thrones. Who cares about these other content. The fans want GoT and honestly I am afraid he will never be able to finish the last three books if he is supposed to take 8 years to finish each book.
Someone that makes a degree of sense other than me, Shervin. Good words. An author's work on the shelves for consumers to purchase is not for themself, but for their fans, followers, and friends to indulge in. People get attached, and the author knows this. For the author to know this, and from the way he's spoken in interviews he definitely knows this, they're showing little regard for their precious readership. Shame.
Apparently calling goodreads users morons, telling people they are not smart enough to be offended, telling people they are pansy whiners, telling people their wrong if they don't agree with you or if they do agree, they are the only other ones that make sense, is all within Goodreads Terms of Service. So enjoy Brandon Flannery, enjoy being rude as shit, spouting your superior attitude. There will be no repercussions. I'm gonna block you because I don't like reading your words. Your profile used to say that someday you want to be an author that helps people. I don't see how that matches up to how you talk here.
Interesting that your original comment calling GRRM pathetic did get deleted but users who disagreed with you and you insulted, those comments stay.
Interesting that your original comment calling GRRM pathetic did get deleted but users who disagreed with you and you insulted, those comments stay.
Seems George, or whoever runs this account, deleted the comment. How sad. "Free speech," lol.
Goodreads deleted the comment, not George. If you click the flag button underneath any comment, this is what you get:"Why are you flagging this comment?
• Inappropriate
The comment facilitates illegal activity, contains an image with nudity or excessive violence, or contains hate speech or ad hominem attacks on a Goodreads member or author."
Someone must have flagged you, and since your first comment was attacking G. Martin directly and by name, it logically got deleted. This is a private website, you don't follow their rules, you accept the consequences.
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