Results tagged “authors”

Conventions are great fun!

Del Rey Books editor-extraordinaire Chris Schluep has supplied Suvudu with a diary of sorts cataloging some of his adventures at last weekend’s World Fantasy Con.

Want to know how an editor spends some of his time?

Below is his account! Enjoy!

Greetings from San Jose!

World Fantasy 2009 is now in the books, and I am leaving, tired and slightly humbled by other people’s energy, but with spirits high. What a great time! After a several-year hiatus, I found that little has changed on the World Fantasy front (other than the host city). There were still lots of writers, editors, and agents on hand. There were fans and pros. There were seemingly endless conversations, meetings, parties, drinks, ad hoc meetings at parties, meals, meetings over meals, and more drinks. To be honest, I feel like the weekend lasted about a week and a half.

I flew into San Francisco on Friday afternoon, where I met my friend and fellow editor Fleetwood Robbins. We had decided to take CALTRAIN down to San Jose together. But first, there was time for the initial Mexican meal of the weekend. I have included documentation.

Welcome to California!

After carnitas, a short train ride, and an even shorter cab ride, we got to the Fairmont hotel. Almost immediately, we began to see old friends. We spent the afternoon catching up, and then a dozen or so of us headed out to find dinner. we ended up sitting outside, enjoying a pleasant evening, and eating Moroccan food. I have included a picture I took from the evening.

Authors and editors frequently become good friends. Both know that the professional relationship may not last forever—either can change publishing houses—but I’ve learned never to say a final goodbye, because the winds of change can bring people back together just as easily as it parted them. So has it been with me and Elizabeth Moon, whose Paksenarrion series (The Sheepfarmer’s Daughter, Divided Allegiance, and Oath of Gold) I edited at Baen Books lo these many moons ago.

These days Elizabeth is a Del Rey author, and recently she spent several days in Brooklyn with my husband and me. Elizabeth lives in a small town in central Texas, so New York was one big chocolate box to her. When she wasn’t running around the city, we talked. Aside from fine-tuning her new novel, which returns readers to the Paksenarrion universe (Oath of Fealty, coming next March), we discussed, and certainly not in this order: baking bread, Greek food, adoption, the New York subway system, attack squirrels, prairie management, restoring old houses, and visions from God.

And horses! Lots about horses! Take a look at this quick flick in which she tells us a bit about her own horse, Mac, and some of the horses that will appear in Oath of Fealty.

I shouldn’t admit this, but I am always a little surprised when an author meets a due date. Being a good writer requires a lot of thinking and planning, and those acts are often indistinguishable from their unruly stepcousin procrastination. So it should be no surprise that writers are late with their work sometimes.

When China Miéville delivered the manuscript to his newest novel, entitled The City & The City, I was much more than a little surprised. In fact, I was flabbergasted. First of all, I had no idea that he had been writing it. And secondly, he had just delivered a different manuscript—the one I had been expecting—the day before.

His reasons for doing so were simple, and they had nothing to do with proving that he was superhuman. China’s mother, who was terminally ill at the time, had always loved police procedurals—so China set out to write one as a kind of gift to her. But knowing that his reputation is as a fantasy writer, he wasn’t sure what his publishers or his audience would make of his attempt. He studied up by reading as much as he could in the mystery and thriller genre, and then he wrote the book during breaks from writing the fantasy that I was expecting from him. It’s an amazing feat by anyone’s standards.

Vito Delsante knows comics. To that end, he very nearly is comics. His 9-to-5 gig has him managing Jim Hanley’s Universe in Manhattan. Jim Hanley’s is one of those New York institutions, a trusted source of comics for a horde of fans both dedicated and casual. And, generally speaking, you don’t work there unless you know your stuff. So yes, there’s that. But it’s the other job that’s beginning to take over.

Delsante is also a writer with a growing list of credits to his name, including having written for properties in both the DC and Marvel lines*. Surfing his website you come across the following list of credits:

• Batman Adventures #9


• Batman Adventures: Volume 2: Shadows and Masks


• X-Men Unlimited (Volume 2) #5


• Reflux Comics #3


• Beowulf #7


• Hope: New Orleans GN


• Scooby-Doo #’s 109, 110, 126, and 128


• The Mercury Chronicles #0


• Savage Tales #7 & #8


• Cartoon Network Block Party #42


• Superman #676


• No Formula: Stories From The Chemistry Set Volume 1 GN

A war has begun in the streets of the internet(s).

And it is not pretty. As all terrible wars become.

Last month, several agents and editors put together a Twitter event called #queryfail. Twitter, another in a long line of social networking sites designed to move information quickly through the internet(s), hosted agents and a few editors to post what did not work with query letters they received. It began as a harmless helpful tool for both sides of the publishing coin. Writers got a rare opportunity to see what not to do while querying; agents got an opportunity to use a new possible marketing tool and educate writers who are sorely in need of it.

A couple thousand anonymous queries were rejected and told how they needed to improve.

For a month, nothing happened during the war.

Until now.

Writers have been given a forum called Agentfail to strike back at the agents who rejected their queries, in some cases with outright scorn. It is a natural reaction, I must admit. When I opened up the first three agent rejections I received for my first novel, Song of the Fell Hammer, my reaction was anger. It had no basis in logic. Given the internet(s) though, these people have the ability to respond to their perceived “attackers” in just as anonymous ways as Queryfail worked.

So, being in between both worlds and a writer trying to break into the business, where do I stand in this war?

I sit firmly on the side of the agents!

Now where’s my broadsword?

Dead writers hold silent pens.

Until a “long-lost” manuscript or “extensive” notes are found.

A few days ago, the estate of Michael Crichton announced the forthcoming publication of two posthumous novels—a pirate thriller titled Pirate Latitudes and a techno thriller sequel to Next.

Crichton, who passed away from cancer in November 2008 and who is best known for his novels Jurassic Park, Timeline and The Andromeda Strain, wrote Pirate Latitudes during the same writing period as Next. It was completed long before Crichton’s death.

The second novel, as yet untitled, will be a sequel to the 2006 bestseller Next. According to Crichton’s website, “the new novel will be based on the development of Crichton’s narrative on notes and files,” and will be published in Fall 2010. The estate of Michael Crichton and his agent Lynn Nesbitt are already looking for the co-writer this project will require to be written.

How do I feel about this?

How do you feel about this?

His career spanned decades, his influence on the genre has and will stretch farther than that. Author Philip Jose Farmer, 91, died in his sleep this morning.

Philip was best known for his Riverworld Saga, an intriguing collection of books that tells of an afterlife wherein historical figures mingle amongst each other as they are spawned along a world wrapping river. They make for interesting reading. Farmer’s storytelling earned him 6 Hugo Award nominations (three of which became Hugo Award wins), 2 Nebula Award nominations, the Damon Knight Memorial Grand Master Award, and the World Fantasy Award for Life Achievement.

Unfortunately, Philip J Farmer never reached the level of success here in the US that he enjoyed abroad. So, in tribute to him and in the vein of promoting interesting Science Fiction and Fantasy writing, perhaps you could keep your eyes out for his works.

Philip J Farmer leaves behind a large family of both relatives and fans around the world. Here’s hoping he’s enjoying good conversation at the shores of that mighty river that he so vividly brought to life.

The following is an original essay by Richard K. Morgan. I hope you enjoy:

“I tell you, it’s no game serving down in the city”

- Gorbag - forgotten orc captain from Minas Morgul

I’m not much of a Tolkien fan - not since I was about twelve or fourteen anyway (which, it strikes me, is about the right age to read and enjoy his stuff). But it would be a foolish writer in the fantasy field who failed to acknowledge the man’s overwhelming significance in the canon. And it would be a poor and superficial reader of Tolkien who failed to acknowledge that in amongst all the overwrought prose, the nauseous paeans to class-bound rural England, and the endless bloody elven singing that infests The Lord of the Rings, you can sometimes discern the traces of a bleak underlying human landscape which is completely at odds with the epic fantasy narrative for which the book is better known.

That little twist of urban angst quoted above is one such trace. It comes at the end of The Two Towers and is part of an on-going set of dialogues between two orc captains at the tower of Cirith Ungol. And for a while - until Tolkien remembers these are Bad Guys and sends the wearyingly Good and Wholesome Sam up against them - we get a fascinating insight into life for the rank and file in Mordor. The orcs are disenchanted, poorly informed and constantly stressed by the uncertainties that lack of information brings. They suspect that the war might be going badly for their side, and that their commanders, far from being infallible, seem to be making some serious errors of judgment. They worry that if their side loses, they can expect scant mercy from their victorious enemies. They mutter their misgivings sotto voce because they know that there are informers in the ranks and a culture of enforcement through terror bearing down from above. They also seem possessed of a rough good humour and some significant loyalty to the soldiers they command. And they’re not enjoying the war any more than Frodo or Samwise; they want it to be over just as much as anybody else.

Author Alex Irvine, whose new novel Buyout (learn more here), is a science fiction take on prison overcrowding: life-buyouts for convicted killers. He lists Philip K. Dick as an inspiration, so if you’ve read along those lines, you should be expecting a great read. I’m already looking forward to it.

The interview is forthcoming and I would keep an eye out for it.

Good stuff folks, good stuff.

The greatest cartoonist of all time (if we take his website at face value) Kyle Baker) stopped by our booth to do a quick Q&A. He was at Comic-Con to talk about his new book, How to Draw STUPID.. Kyle spoke about choosing his career, career advice, and some of the inspiration he’s had over the years. It’s a fun interview that we’ll be bringing you soon. In the meantime, why don’t you take a look at his work?

See? I wouldn’t lie to you, now would I? Robin Furth, Stephen King’s research assistant for The Dark Tower cycle and the writer/adapter of the upcoming graphic novel edition of The Talisman, was here doing an interview yesterday as a throng of people looked on. Robin is awesomeness personified and you’re sure to want to hear what she has to say. Check it out!

John Birmingham, author of the forthcoming Without Warning, the first entry in a new series, as well as Weapons of Choice, Designated Targets, and Final Impact stopped by to film an interview with us during the final day of Comic-Con. Mr. Birmingham, a native of Australia flew out speak to us to introduce his newest book, Without Warning.

Look for this interview to hit the web soon! In the meantime, you can check out John’s books by clicking here.

Cheers, Mates!

We’re interviewing Tony Shasteen in the booth. He’s the artist who’ll be bringing you the Talisman adaptation later this year. Keep an eye on us for the video!

The Hero Initiative is hosting another silent auction and art show at this year’s New York Comic-Con. In case you’re not familiar with the Hero Initiative and what it does, here’s the low down from their site:

The Hero Initiative is the first-ever federally chartered not-for-profit corporation dedicated strictly to helping comic book creators in need. Hero creates a financial safety net for yesterdays’ creators who may need emergency medical aid, financial support for essentials of life, and an avenue back into paying work. It’s a chance for all of us to give back something to the people who have given us so much enjoyment.

You see, for a long time, comic creators did not hold the copyrights to their characters or creations. They were the property of who ever they were working for at the time. So while they collected a paycheck, the would rarely, if ever, collect royalties. So, let’s say you create a megastar character, things are going well, then you’re fired. You company will continue to profit from your character, roll out new issues featuring your hero, and you aren’t entitled to a dime. This was a reality (and a travesty) for far too many comic creators, and the Hero Initiative was established, and granted Non Profit status, as a means to provide financial assistance to people who are in this position.

A worthwhile cause? You bet and it’s supremely easy and frequently enjoyable to help. You can visit their website and donate OR you can score yourself some artwork and let the proceeds go towards helping those whose pens, pencils, inks, and paints helped lay the foundation of this industry that we know and love. The auctions make appearances at many comic events, including the New York Comic-Con.

From the NYCC website:

Comic creator charity The Hero Initiative will roll out a massive original art auction at the 2009 New York Comic Con! Pieces from John Romita, Sr., John Romita, Jr., Darwyn Cooke, Jae Lee, Steve Rude, Jim Starlin, Terry Moore, Karl Kesel and MORE will be included! A live auction of major, MAJOR pieces will take place at the con on Saturday, Feb. 7 from 6:30 to 7:30 PM in room 1A14. More pieces will be available in a silent auction at the Hero Initiative booth (1762) on the convention floor.

Want to view a sample of the artwork up for auction? You can see a few examples after the jump.

If you haven’t checked out Baltimore: Or, The Steadfast Tin Soldier and the Vampire [view the book here], then you’re missing out on a good time. Mike Mignola and Christopher Golden created a slightly illustrated Gothic vampire story. As you’ll hear, it began as a graphic novel idea that brewed over into a novel collaboration.

It’s just deliciously creepy enough to make it a joy to read once the sun goes down.

Anyway, Mignola and Golden spoke about the book in the video below for Bantam Dell. Check it out and then grab the book. You’ll be glad you did.

The following was submitted by Todd McCaffrey on his experiences creating Dragonheart, his latest novel chronicling the land of Pern:

I started writing Dragonheart on the heels of Dragonharper. I wanted to continue the story of Kindan and Lorana, which had begun in Dragonsblood. But as I progressed, I realized that I wasn’t ready to tell that story and that, in fact, I had to lay some groundwork. A lot of this is because I realized that the story of Lorana and Kindan was a bigger story and needed more characters for the telling. Six months into the novel, I decided to scrap most of what I’d written—it just wasn’t working.

Having made that painful decision, I found that the book moved forward again, although it was much different from what I’d originally envisioned. For one, it was better. For two, it was bigger. And as I moved on with Dragonheart I realized that I didn’t have just one but three novels in a tight-knit arc. I was wrong. As it turns out, I’ve got four.

Dragonheart tells the story of Fiona, Lord Holder Bemin’s only surviving child, starting when she is almost fourteen, nearly twelve Turns (Pernese years) after the Plague. Of all the characters I’ve written so far, Fiona amazes me the most. She does things that I wouldn’t have imagined, and makes them work in ways that has my head shaking in surprise and admiration.

Dragonheart is the longest book I’ve written to date. It needed the length to get Fiona’s story told right. By the end of the book, I hope you’ll find that Fiona has found a place in your heart, perhaps even as dear a one as Lessa’s. And now that I’m nearly finished with the next book, I can tell you that Fiona’s story will continue even as we reunite with Kindan and Lorana and the three of them grope for solutions to the huge problem facing all Pern—too much Thread and too few dragons to fight it!

Todd McCaffrey appears courtesy of Del Rey’s DRIN newsletter. Read the current issue here.

To sign up for Del Rey’s DRIN newsletter where you will be updated on the latest Del Rey news and releases click here.

For Todd McCaffrey’s Del Rey page click here.

I was maybe ten at the time and a frequent library goer. The hometown library in the town where I grew up was nothing more than a converted farm house with an addition added on to the back and the librarians who worked there surely knew my brother and me by name. For as often as I was in there, my most vivid memory involves not finding what I was looking for.

I remember it was summer, it was sunny, and warm and my brother and I were trying to kill off a few more hours and stave away boredom in the middle of one of those long, drawn out summer afternoons. So we went to the library because we could get stuff there for free and it was air-conditioned. To this day, I have no idea why I asked for what I asked for, but I had a very specific subject in mind.

Up to the counter I strode, put my hands on the desk in front of the librarian, and asked, “Where can I find a book on Jack the Ripper?”

I think you know where this conversation went and our librarian didn’t waste time in going there. I was too young to be asking about such material, but they did have some books on ghosts that I might like. So what I ended up with was not Jack the Ripper, but a book of Edgar Allen Poe. My brother and I passed the day in our town park reading Poe’s stories to each other.

More after the jump…

The other day I was lucky enough to be able to sit down and Skype with Mur Lafferty, author of several podiobooks, including the award-winning Wastelands and Playing for Keeps, a full-case audio drama, The Takeover, and several other podcasts and columns. Her novel Playing for Keeps is now in print and will hopefully be followed by much much more.

We talked a lot about her Heaven series, The Takeover, and about breaking in and living the the writing life. I’ve written more than a few times about Mur’s work (which you need to listen to, I’m not playing anymore).

So without any further adieu, my conversation with Mur Lafferty…

More Mur:
All things Mur: http://www.murverse.com
Her print novel: Playing for Keeps
Her Podcast: I Should Be Writing
The AudioDrama: The Takeover
The Heaven Series (also on iTunes and hopefully coming to the bookshelf soon)
Look, I Googled her for you: Mur’s Googleverse

Here’s an early Halloween treat for you: Neil Gaiman has posted his reading of The Graveyard Book free online. And I am not talking about a few samples, I mean the whole fraking book!

I can’t think of a more technologically in-tune big name author than Neil Gaiman. Have you checked out his blog? He is posting frequently while still churning out an incredible amount of work. Let’s face it, being a Gaiman fan is like being hungry on Thanksgiving, you can’t stop yourself from reaching for more and, lucky you, there’s plenty to go around.

More after the jump…

It’s like two of my favorite things all rolled up in to one. In fact, it is two of my favorite things all rolled up in to one. Over this year’s Balticon*** Mur Lafferty and Connie Willis were able to sit down in front of a ton of fans and talk about anything and everything Connie Willis related. I think you’ll find that, as will all Connie Willis interviews, this one is supremely interesting and entertaining.

So, enjoy! This video is brought to us Via Mur Lafferty’s site, Murverse.com and I highly recommend you hop over and check out all things Mur (like her several audiobooks, blog, twitter, and links to her articles).

Mur + Connie = Awesome! Video one is below, you’ll have to follow the jump for the exciting conclusion.

More after the jump…