I thought I might mention this, on the off chance that any of you might be interested....
What's this? An anthology of some sort? Nice cover by Dave McKean. Wow. It's got a story by Tim Powers. Oooh, one by Kage Baker, too. And another by... me?
Honestly, it's just weird to see my name included on the cover with these other folks.
So... yeah. There I am in a book that will be coming out in a couple months. And no, I haven't been dicking around, writing other stories instead of working on the second book. You see, the story included here is actually FROM the second book. It's called "The Road to Levinshir." It's an excerpt from "The Wise Man's Fear."
Not helping matters is the fact that I just found out that they're planning a sequel to the Hobbit. As frequently happens, Penny Arcade managed to sum up my opinions on the matter pretty succinctly. I'm assuming most of you already read their comic, but on the off chance that you haven't. Well... you're really missing out.
What's Penny Arcade you might ask? Well imagine a Geek Gazette, where they lovingly sift and pre-chew the news so it's easier for you to consume. Remove 95% of all the bullshit and pretention that would normally go hand in hand with that, then add some brilliant, ridiculous humor. Season with a witty turn of phrase and a rage garnish and there you are - Penny Arcade.
For the last couple months, I've been meaning to bring some books to your attention. I would think to myself: "Self, you should really mention this book to people your blog."
But then I'd get busy. Or some time-sensitive piece of news would come up, like a book signing or making the New York Times list. Or I'd be distracted by something shiny, or edible, or both.
So, without further ado, here are some authors that you might not be aware of.
I read David Keck's book couple years back and really enjoyed it, but there is a caveat: This is not your typical fantasy novel.
We all know most fantasy novels are set in fairly generic medieval settings. The world Keck creates is different. His world is dark ages. Mankind is not on the top of the food chain, and the world is full of dangerous, mythic forces that are not to be fucked with.
At the same time the story remains very realistic. I don't think I've ever read another book that does a better job of depicting the real hardships of a mercenary knight in the dark ages. His description of an injured knight going to a dentist was delightfully spot-on.
Keck's writing style is unique as well. His descriptions are brief, almost poetic in places. Very different than the long, ponderous description that is common with so many fantasy novels these days. To use an artistic analogy: this book is more like a Monet painting than a photograph.
Because of this, the story feels almost dreamlike at times, as the main character moves back and forth between the harsh realities of tournament combat and strange dealings with otherworldly powers. I think this element of Keck's writing caught a lot of readers unprepared, and let to some unfair reviews of his work. You don't bitch because a Monet painting is blurry. It's supposed to be that way, that's the effect the artist was trying to achieve....
The second book in Keck's series came out fairly recently (In a Time of Treason). But starting a series with the second book is not civilized behavior, and people who do it go to the special hell reserved for child molesters and people who talk in the theater.
Anyway, I really enjoyed liked it. But be warned: This is not your typical fantasy novel.
As a fellow fantasy author and one of the founding members of the League of Reluctant Adults, you would think that Anton Strout would be my friend. In fact, it would be reasonable for you to assume that he has my respect and admiration.
However, nothing could be further from the truth. Strout is, among other things, my mortal enemy. The sordid details of our long-standing feud are multifarious, and I cannot in good conscience list them in a blog that children might read.
Suffice to say that I have many worthwhile reasons to scorn the man, none of which have to do with the fact that he seems to have more luck with the ladies than I do. Nevertheless, I am a gentleman, so I'll mention his book here. Just to show that I am the better person.
I have not read his first book myself, for obvious reasons, but I've heard others say good things. They say that it's urban fantasy with a strong comic twist. Charline Harris gave him a glowing blurb, so if you like her stuff, you might like his too.
One of my favorite things is when fantasy authors play with the conventions of the genre. Joss Whedon, of course, is the champion of this. The whole premise of Buffy the Vampire Slayer starts with the question, "What if that ditsy, helpless blond who gets killed in the horror movie actually kicked some ass instead of running away then falling down?"
Hines is good at playing this game too, except he asks a different question: "What do Goblins do when they're not getting killed by adventurers?"
These are fun books. They're lighthearted, humorous, and have some good storytelling to boot. Best of all, Hines takes the time to actually create a well-developed world for the stories to take place in, complete with a fresh cosmology, and a unique goblin culture.
Added bonus? Hines has written the next two books in the series: Goblin Hero and Goblin War. They're already in print, so you don't have to wait to read the rest of the series, unlike... um... some other authors. Who will remain nameless.
I think I'll stop at three. If you want more, you can always check out my previous recommendations by clicking on the "recommendations" label down below. Elegant in its simplicity, isn't it?
A few of you have e-mailed me, commenting on the ad you saw over at Real Life comics. I like it too, it was written and drawn by the author of the comic, Greg Dean. He's a hell of a nice guy, and a good storyteller to boot.
So feel free to wander over there and check out the ad. It's worth a chuckle. I'm especially fond of the tagline for some reason. I'm not sure why, exactly. It just strikes me as catchy....
And while you're at it, you might want to give the comic a read too. It's good stuff.
In recent news, I got my first piece of hatemail the other day. The author, enraged by the fact that the second book wasn't going to be published on time, told me he wished a dog would bite me on the balls.
There was more to the letter, of course, but that was pretty much the gist of it.
For those of you looking to occupy yourselves in a more productive way while waiting for book two to come out, allow me to make a friendly suggestion: The Guild.
I stumbled onto the Guild about half a year ago and laughed my ass off. If you play computer games, or know anyone who does, odds say you'll laugh your ass off too...
Then, months later, one of my friends forwarded THIS LINK to me.
For those of you too lazy to click, it was a blog post someone made about my book. They liked the book, but they had some pointed comments about the sort of covers they put on fantasy novels these days....
Then I looked more closely, and I realized that the person writing the blog was actress Felicia Day. You've probably seen her in a bunch of things, but my personal geekery stems from the fact that she played Vi on season seven of Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
I know I should be cooler than this, but the truth is, I was overwhelmed with geeky joy at the thought of her reading my book and liking it.
It was only after looking over Felicia's blog, that I realized she was in The Guild too. Not only does she play Codex, but she actually writes the script for it too....
Anyway, here's the first episode of the guild to get you started.
So today someone came up to me and said, "Have you heard the news?"
"Yeah," I said.
"Yeah," he sighed, "the end of an era."
"To tell you the truth," I said. "I can't quite believe it. I'm a little shook up."
My friend looked at me, surprised. "I didn't know you were that into football. You never struck me as the the type."
"What does football have to do with this?"
"Brett Farve announced his retirement today."
"Fuck Brett Farve," I said. "Gary Gygax is dead."
"Who's that?" they said.
For those of you who don't know your roots, Gary Gygax created D&D. That means he pretty much created roll playing. It's fair to say that Gygax's work has had as much impact on the fantasy genre as anyone. He wasn't just a cornerstone, he was a keystone.
I found out about D&D back in the fifth grade. D&D has always been the refuge of the geeky and unpopular kids. But I was below even that low social strata. I was the kid that wasn't cool enough for the D&D kids to play with.
I checked out a copy of Advanced Dungeons and Dragons from the library and read it all the way through. That was back when AD&D was... well... Advanced.
Monsters and treasure and dungeons. Goblins. These days it all seems cliche, but back then.... it was all wondrous and strange. It wasn't just that someone had given you an world to play in, regular books do that. No, with D&D someone had given me the tools to make my own world, and I realized I liked doing that. I liked it a lot...
Eventually I found people to play D&D with. Some of my best memories from high school are playing D&D with my friends, Steven and Ryan. After all these years, they're the only two high school friends I really keep in contact with.
I remember getting the Master D&D rules for Christmas one year. I was maybe 10 or 12. Remember the black box? I read them at my Grampa's house the next day when we went there for breakfast on Christmas day.
"This game requires no gameboard because the action takes place in your imagination."
I learned what a ballista was, and a mangonel. I used to make maps on grid paper. I designed a huge walled city with elaborate fortifications. I made plans for trying to defeat a Tarasque. Instead of a high school graduation party, I asked my parents if I could go up to our cabin for a week with Steve and Ryan. For that week, pretty much all we did was play D&D.
What was my character's name that weekend? His name was Kvothe.
That early Kvothe really didn't have much in common with the modern version. Except, perhaps, that his wisdom was rather low. I started him at first level, too. You nerdcore folks out there know what I'm talking about. The rest of you can't know what that's like, playing a first level wild mage with three hit points and only two spells a day: both of them Nahal's Reckless Dwoemer. He spent a lot of time unconscious.
When I roll play these days, I use a different system. I know I can't go back. If I tried to play basic D&D again, it wouldn't work out. It would be like trying to hook up with my old high-school crush. But the truth is, you love best what you love first. And I loved D&D before I was cynical, before I knew what a cliche was, and before I understood about death. I can't go back. It wouldn't work.
But still, I wish I could.
One of my favorite comics, Order of the Stick, did a tribute strip to Mr Gygax, you can CHECK IT OUT HERE. It states the case pretty well. Thanks Mr. Gygax. I wouldn't be a writer if not for you... And even if I were, I wouldn't have written this book.
Rather than a moment of silence, why don't those of us who used to play the game share a little D&D story in the comments below.
Did I mention that Ursula K. Le Guin read my book?
Did I mention that Ursula K. Le Guin liked my book?
Did I mention that Ursula K. Le Guin agreed to provide a blurb for the book?
"It is a rare and great pleasure to find a fantasist writing not only with the kind of accuracy of language absolutely essential to fantasy-making, but with real music in the words as well. Wherever Pat Rothfuss goes with the big story that begins with The Name of the Wind, he'll carry us with him as a good singer carries us through a song."
Yeah. Can I get a "wow" from the audience?
On a closely related note, if you've never read her Wizards of Earthsea books, you really need to. Not only are they absolutely brilliant, but they're one of the cornerstones of modern fantasy.
If you have read the Earthsea books, you should make sure you've checked out her more recent stuff too. She writes at a consistently awesome level that I hope to emulate over the years.
I've got a cool announcement to make, but you'll have to wait for Friday. It's a leap-day announcement. It's nothing HUGE, but... well... I think it's pretty cool....
Oh, and lastly, the deadline for nominating books for the Hugo ballot is only a couple days away. So if you were planning on doing it, but you're like me and you tend to forget what day it is, don't be caught unawares....
I was hoping to make an announcement about something cool tonight, but I got caught up working on a project and I don't have the energy to do it justice right now. Tomorrow for sure...
However, It's been a little while since I've answered the perennial question, "What should I do until your next book comes out?" Luckily, a friend dragged me to see Cloverfield on Saturday, and a good time was had by all.
Am I saying you should rush out and see it? No. But I will say the following...
1. I very much enjoyed it.
2. I suspect that people will either love the movie, or hate it. I don't think many folks will be in the middle.
3. I expect that people who like my book will have a greater chance of liking Cloverfield than the general population.
Why?
Hmmm... That's hard to say....
You remember those SAT questions they used to give? Like this?
Apple is to Pie, as Nathan Fillian is to _____
A) More different pie. B) Duck. C) Firefly. D) All of the Above.
I don't do reviews because I detest spoilers. (Speaking of which, feel free to give your own opinions of the movie in the comments below, but I'm declaring it a strict spoiler free zone. Prosecutors will be violated.)
But while I don't review, I can give you an impression of the movie using this SAT format.
The Wheel of Time is to the Name of the Wind, as King Kong is to Cloverfield.
Not entirely accurate, but I think it gives a general feel for the flavor of the movie.
Maybe it's the sleep deprivation talking, but these word puzzles are kinda fun. Now I can see why they constantly gave us those tests. Here's one you can finish on your own.
Kvothe is to Harry Potter, as _____ is to _____.
Oh yeah. This seems like a really funny idea right now, but I know as soon as I open my eyes tomorrow I'm going to cringe in anticipation of what'll be waiting for me in the comments...
What should I do #4 - Homestar Runner and Friends.
Okay, forgive me if I'm a little brief here, but it's right at the end of the semester for me. I had a final yesterday, and I have one tomorrow. My end-of-semester grading looms on the horizon like a great looming damn squelchy thing. My Christmas shopping isn't done by half either, which means that the next handful of days are going to be rough...
There are still announcements on the horizon. But they'll have to wait until I have more time to type them up properly.
It's been a couple of weeks since I did an installment of "What should I do while I'm waiting for your next book to come out." Or, as I like to think of it, "Uncle Pat helps find things to read that aren't total crap."
First on the list:
The Dresden Files books by Jim Butcher.
I first became aware of these books when my own book came out back in April, and I was obsessively watching my numbers on Amazon. Butcher's Ninth book had just come out in hardcover, and... well... It was kicking the ass off my book in the rankings. Even when my sales rank jumped up, his was always doing just a little bit better.
So I hated him. Not, y'know, a lot. Just in a kinda vague, grumbly, third-grader way. I'd see his book there, a few places above mine on Amazon's fantasy list. And I'd think things like, "Stupid urban fantasy bullshit. Stupid looking cowboy wizard. Ooohh.. Look who has a staff. How dumb. Grumble grumble."
Then I went out and bought a copy of the first book in the series, Storm Front. And it was REALLY GOOD.
Simply put, these books rocked my socks. I read all nine of them in less than three weeks.
And really, what's not to like? First person story about a clever magicy-type guy who leads a rough life. His magic is gritty and realistic. The author has a vast and eclectic knowledge base that adds nicely to the books. Honestly, I think Butcher might be my long lost twin. I'd love to meet him and talk shop some day.
Butcher writes great action scenes, and his characters change, grow, make mistakes, and reap the consequences of their own actions.
What I'm saying is that it's really good stuff, folks. Read it.
Second, I'd like to bring a book to your attention that probably has been under your radar....
I ran into this book way back I went to a convention in my hometown of Madison. My book had only come out a month or so beforehand, and nobody knew who I was. Or, if they did know, they didn't care much.
While wandering the dealer's room, I had picked up a little promo thing from the Prime Books table. It was one of those things where they print out the first chapter of the book as a teaser.
So I took one and read it at lunch. It hooked me in, and I went back to the table to buy the book. But... alas... the book wasn't going to be released for several months yet, not until November. Lifetimes away for someone with a memory like mine.
But then something magical happened. A person behind the table looked at my convention badge and said, "Wait, I've heard about you. You can have an early copy of the book if you want."
I tried to pay for the book, but they wouldn't let me. It took me a while to realize that they were just GIVING me a copy of the book because I was an author, and they were hoping, if I liked it, then maybe I would say nice things about it and help them spread the word to promote it.
Eventually I realized what was happening. It was like that scene from 2001 where the ape holds up the bone. Except I didn't club anyone to death with my free book. I pretty much just legged it away before anyone tried to take it away from me. It was my first, sweet taste of delicious authory fameperks.
Anyway, the end of the story is that I did read the book and I very much enjoyed it. It reminded me of Neil Gaiman's Neverwhere, but set in Moscow instead of London. And Sedia draws more on the Russian mythic tradition instead of the western stuff that Gaiman used. That was really interesting, and I learned some cool new stuff because of it.
I'm assuming most of you already know about it. But if you don't, then you're really missing out and I would be remiss in not bringing it to your attention.
You'll need to watch a little bit of it before it starts to make sense. After a while, it becomes like a new religion.
That's all for now folks. I've got to grab a little sleep before I head out to my final.
This might be old news for some folks, but for the rest of you I feel morally obliged to point out Flight of the Chonchords. I lack the words to describe how cool they are. All that springs to mind is "awesome to the max," and honestly, I don't feel comfortable saying that. At all. In fact, I'm resisting the urge to go back and delete this entire paragraph just to get rid of those words. ...
Hmm.... How to describe them....
Oh! Remember those logic puzzles in the SAT tests? Here's one that describes Flight of the Conchords.
Hard Rock is to "Tenacious D" as X is to "Flight of the Conchords."
What is X?
A) Folk B) Rap C) Children's stories D) Barry White E) All of the Above.
Hiphopopotamus vs. Rhymenoceros
Albi the Racist Dragon
Business Time
They have an HBO show and the first season is coming out on DVD soon. Just in case you're into that sort of thing...
Today was a glorious day, my friends. A day I have long dreamed of. A day that was foretold in the.. um... earliness. Of the world. Forsooth.
Today is the day I received my first royalty check.
Now I hope this doesn't make me seem shallow, but the honest truth is that I've been more excited about this check arriving than I was to see the first copy of the book. Not that I wasn't all tingly over the book, mind you. But things have been pretty tight lately around the house of Pat. Ramen has been on the menu again.
What's more, my personal gaelets, Visa and Mastercard, had stopped sending letters and decided instead that it would be better to hire burly men to stand across the street from my house, clutching broken pool cues and giving me meaningful looks.
But now I am safe from them. For a while at least.
For this week's What-Should-I-Do Tuesday, let me (hopefully) introduce you to a few new people.
First is an author I expect many of you already know, especially if you make a point of reading high-quality fantasy: Tim Powers.
While all of his books are good, my personal favorites are Last Call and Declare. Though a friend of mine swears that an earlier work of his, Anubis Gates, is the best thing ever.
The second author is someone much newer to the scene: Brandon Sanderson.
I read his book Mistborn recently when I was on a trip, and I enjoyed it so much that I went out and bought the sequel, The Well of Ascension, in hardcover at full price. Twenty seven bucks that I could not really afford, despite the fact that credit card thugs were standing across the street from my house. But it was money well spent.
Dark, sarcastic, cynical humor at its finest. Not for the easily offended or the faint of heart. But in addition to the humor that's scattered throughout his comic, I have to say that Randy Milholland really knows how to tell a good story, parts of his comic are really poignant, heart touching, and true.
And, in the interest of full disclosure, a while back he was nice enough to mention me in some fairly good company.
Lastly and leastly, today (the 10th) is the last day you can vote for Name of the Wind for to win "Book of the Year" in the Quill awards. If you're interested, you should HEAD OVER HERE and click on "Vote Now!" link.
Welcome to the first instalment of something I'm going to call "What-Should-I-do Tuesdays."
Over the last several months I've received many e-mails where at some point the person says something very similar to this:
[...] I can't wait for the sequel. Write faster! I don't know what I'm going to do with myself until your next book comes out. [...]
I usually thought of this a just a rhetorical comment until I got this e-mail:
Hi, Pat!
I was catching up on your blog and realized that one thing that would make it even better would be a list of your favorite authors, movies, games, etc... Clearly, you are a Joss Weedon fan, adore Orson Scott Card, and so on. It's likely you could turn us, your humble audience, on to some other great stuff you like. I'd love to read your recommendations.
Kelly,
So I thought, why kill two birds with one stone. I turn you on to some good authors AND keep you from wasting away while you wait for book two.
Since this is the first week, let's start at the top.
If you like good fantasy, you have to read Neil Gaiman.
If you're into novels, I suggest starting with Neverwhere or Stardust. If you like comics, I suggest reading his Sandman series. Read it in the proper order too, or the continuity gods will strike you down.
Another of the best and brightest in the fantasy Genre is Terry Pratchett. He has written a metric ton of novels over the years. A few of them are merely great, but most of them are hands-down excellent. It isn't that vital that you read them all in order, but I still recommend trying to start with some of the earlier books first, as there are continuing characters and plot lines.
And finally, a webcomic that I'm guessing many of you have never heard of. It's not fantasy, but it is one of my favorites. It's funny, clever, and has healthy doses of social satire. Other comics out there might be funnier, or have more stylish art. But Cat and Girl is possibly the smartest comic I've ever read. And it does it without getting snobby or preachy, and it makes me laugh too. It may not be for all of you, but I'm guessing that some of you will really dig it. Browse the archives and find out.
In other news, I'm going to be down at a new convention in Madison this weekend - Geek Kon.
Details are on the tour schedule page, but here are some of the panels I'll be doing....
SATURDAY, 4pm - Lord of the Rings 6pm - Defining the Genres
SUNDAY 12 noon - SF/F Roundtable 1pm - The 36-Hour Day in Flatland
On Sunday I'm also have a reading/booksigning at Room of One's Own just off State Street. It's at 3:00.
Note: Those of you sending books out to me to get them signed, please remember to pack them carefully. One showed up today that had just been dropped in a box with no padding at all. It was banged up pretty badly and the dustjacket was in shreds. If you want specific advice about packaging, check out the details at the end of the blog I wrote on the subject.
I hate to be the bearer of bad news. But I just found out that Madeleine L'Engle died.
When I was a kid, I read a Wrinkle in time and all the later books in the series. They were my favorites. I wanted to *be* Charles Wallace.
(The newer versions have a different cover. But this is the version I read.)
I even wrote her a letter. She was the first and only author I ever wrote to. I think I was in the fourth grade.
And she wrote back to me. Madeleine L'Engle hand wrote me a letter thanking me and telling me she was glad I liked her books. She also told me that she thought it was great that I wanted to be a writer, and that I should do it.
I always hoped that I'd get a chance to meet her, now that I was finally published. I wanted to give her a copy of my book and say, "Thanks for being nice to me when I was a kid. I really needed it back then. And by the way, I really did do it. See?"
Oh Madeleine. I'm sorry I never got the chance to meet you. Thank you for everything.
