Patrick Rothfuss

Fanmail Q & A: Advice For New Writers

prothfus@uwsp.edu (Pat) — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 09:07:00 +0000

Pat,

I know you're busy, so I won't take up much of your time. I want to be a writer (Don't worry, I'm not going to ask you to read anything of mine.)

I was just wondering if you have any advice for new writers. Just one piece would be really helpful…

Love the book,

Becky

Heya Becky,

Over the last few years, I've heard this question a lot. It comes up in e-mails and interviews with clockwork regularity.

Despite that, it's a question I never mind answering. I like giving advice, and I like talking about writing. So this one's a twofer for me.

That said, my answer tends to change. If I'm reading something that irritates me, my advice might center around how to avoid that particular irritation. Sometimes it just depends on my mood, or what I'm working on in my own revisions.

But I've also noticed a slow change in how I think of this question as time goes on. Sometimes my answer centers around the nuts and bolts of the craft: revision, or character, or how to comport yourself professionally at a convention.

But more and more, I tend to answer this question in more practical terms. While these snippets of advice tends to be much more universal and useful that talking about managing POV, interviewers seem to be put off by it.

I've come to realize that when an interviewer asks me, "Can you give one piece of advice for new writers?" what they're really looking for is something pithy and encouraging. They want me to say "Reach for the Stars!" or "Never give up!"

But that's not really good advice. I mean, you could really hurt your shoulder reaching for the stars. Good advice is occasionally disheartening. "Come to grips with the inevitability of rejection." Or "Don't quit your day job."

Once, I had a lovely 30 minute phone interview that ended roughly like this:

Thanks for the interview, Pat.

My pleasure.

In closing, if you could give one piece of advice to new writers, what would it be?

Live somewhere cheap.

I beg your pardon?

Odds are, it's going to take you a long time to finish your novel. Then it's going to take you a long time to break into the publishing world. That means you're effectively going to be working at a job that will pay you nothing, and you're going to be doing it for years. So you should live somewhere cheap.

I was thinking something more along the lines of worldbuilding….

If you live somewhere like Seattle or Manhattan or LA, you're going to have to shell out thousands of dollars just in rent. If you have to work three jobs just to pay your rent, when are you going to find the time to write?

Do you know how I managed to keep working on my first novel for 14 years without starving to death?

Student loans? Some sort of trust fund?

Shit no. I learned how to live cheap. Up until 2005, I never paid more than $225 a month for rent.

Wh-- how?

I'm a good bargainer. And I had roommates. And small-town Wisconsin is a cheap place to live.

Also, I lived in some real shitholes from time to time. But you know what? You can write in a shithole. You can't write when you're working 70 hours a week.

[chuckles nervously] Well, I think that's about all the time we have….

Hell, I was so poor for a while I qualified for low-income housing back in 2004. Those places were pretty nice, actually.

Remember to turn in next week, folks. Thanks again, Pat.

Did you know that if you boil a paper shopping bag long enough, it makes something that's almost like soup?

[Cut to static]

Okay, I made up the part about paper bags, but the rest of it is true.

The nice thing about being a writer is that you can do it pretty much anywhere. If you want to be a Hollywood actor, you have to live in LA. If you want to be a professional pianist or a ballet dancer, your options are pretty limited. But if you want to write, you can live whereverthehell you want.

For example, back in 1994 I lived in a one-bedroom apartment with a shared bathroom down the hallway. The rent was $135 a month, everything included. My friends called the place: "The Pit."

I was really poor back then. I was working three little part-time jobs and paying my own tuition. I didn't even have a telephone because the 30 bucks every month for basic service was money I could really use for other things. Like food. You can eat for a month on 30 bucks if you're careful.

Was the place a shithole? Absolutely. Was it inconvenient not having a phone? Of course. Hell, at one point my parents took out a classified add in the college newspaper because they had no other way to get in touch with me.

But I had time to write.

In fact, I distinctly remember writing Kvothe's first admissions interview while living there. And his first class with Hemme. I was pretty proud of those scenes, and they didn't change all that much between there and the final version of the book.

Best of all, living cheaply is a skill that will serve you well *after* you're a published writer too. Especially if you're writing Fantasy or Sci-fi. Tobias Buckell did some research into the advances a new writer gets for a first novel. And, on average, it's not a ton of money.

So there you go, Becky. My advice for a new writer. Live somewhere cheap. Sorry if it's not the gem of wisdom you were looking for, but really, what would you do with a gem of wisdom anyway? This is more like a muffin of wisdom. Everyone likes muffins.

Later all,

pat

Elodin Enterprises: Making Tomorrow's Mistakes a Reality Today.

prothfus@uwsp.edu (Pat) — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 07:10:00 +0000

Over the years, I've learned a lot about women.

When I was younger, I was the guy all the girls came to for relationship advice. Don't ask me why. I'd never actually had a relationship. But I was thoughtful, and a good listener, and I didn't openly gawk at their breasts. (I did gawk, of course, I just wasn't rude about it.)

These three things may not seem like much, but from what I understand they rarely come together in a 16 year old boy. The result was that most girls found me to be trustworthy, fun to be around, and neuter as a Ken doll.

But I learned a lot by listening to their relationship problems. I learned what irritated them, what they really wanted in a relationship (or said they wanted, anyway), and the sort of jerky things guys were capable of.

Eventually I started to develop a list of things you should never do in a relationship. Rules of conduct that should never be broken. I continued building that list all through college.

Now I'm not talking about the obvious stuff here. Rules like, "Don't sleep with your girlfriend's sister." or "Don't jab her in the eye with a pointy stick." Shit like that is obvious.

My rules were more specific, but other people had paid for them in blood.

A few real examples:

* Never tell a woman she looks like her pet.

* Never compare a woman to a cow.

* Never compare a woman to any sort of cheese.

Maybe those last two don't happen so much outside of Wisconsin. But trust me, you really can't pull them off. Dairy products are fine. If you're careful, you can use creamy or milky. You can even, depending on the situation, get away with buttery. But cheese is right out. It can't be done in a good way.

Later on in life, as I started to date more, I began to add new rules based on my own experiences. Things like:

* Don't break up with a girl then send her roommate a love letter.

* Don't invite four different women to the same poetry reading. Especially if one of them is your ex-girlfriend, one is your current girlfriend, and one is the girl who kinda wants to be your girlfriend.

That last one might seem a little specific, and it is, I suppose. But if I can keep even one other person from making that mistake, I will be doing the world a very big favor.

Now some of you may scoff at my list of rules. Thinking them bizarre and overly specific. I don't really feel the need to defend myself or prove the efficacy of my system. Simply look at me, then look at my past girlfriends, all of whom have been lovely, intelligent, and sexy as hell. My results speak for themselves.

I'm not claiming to have it all figured out. Far from it. I'm still adding things to my list all the time.

For example, the other day I'm laying in bed with Sarah and little Oot. Because Oot is a happy little bundle of cute, Sarah experienced a moment of what I call Mom Bliss. I'm pretty sure this is an evolutionary thing. Specifically, it's a rush of endorphins designed to make moms adore their children, rather than devour them.

So we're all on the bed and Oot kinda squirms around, looks up at us, and gives us one of his trademarked triple-distilled cuteness grins. Then he makes a happy little shriek that sounds like he's trying to speak dolphin.

This presses Sarah's mom button, and the endorphins hit her brain like a pixie stick dissolved in a jam-jar full of heroin.

"Oh!" Sarah says, her eyes all dewy with Agape-style love. "This is so great! I'm in bed with my two favorite people!"

"Yeah," I say, pretty much agreeing with her. "It's kinda like a lame three-way."

New rule: Do not refer to quality time with mom and baby as "kinda like a lame three-way."

Here endeth the lesson.

pat

Interesting times....

prothfus@uwsp.edu (Pat) — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 11:08:00 +0000

I really don't go in for talking about current events on the blog. The main reason for this is the fact that I am profoundly out of touch with the outside world. I don't have cable and I don't watch the news. On the rare occasion I miss the news and feel the need to absorb some fearmongering bullshit, I just drop a tab of acid and read a Lovecraft story. There's less pretense that way.

I generally assume that if something really interesting happens, one of my friends will tell me, or it will show up in some of the webcomics I read. In a pinch, I assume I'll simply absorb the knowledge through the aether, have it beamed into my mind with alien space rays, or apprehend it directly through examination of my Socratic soul using the dialectic.

I'm well aware that this isn't the most efficient or comprehensive way to aggregate information. But it still beats the hell out of watching Fox News.

The other reason I don't talk much about the issues on here is that when things are big enough to be interesting, they also tend to be so big that it's hard for me to form easily encapsulated opinions about them.

For example, when there was the big kerfuffle about Google digitizing a shitload of books and thereby egregiously violating international copyright law, I was interested. Anything dealing with intellectual property rights effects me personally and professionally. So I read a bunch of stuff about it, thought some thoughts, and had a few really good conversations with a few of my librarian friends.

The upshot of my research? It's a really complicated issue, and I have mixed feelings about it. Is Google being a bit of a dick and doing morally questionable stuff? Absolutely. But.... Well.... It's more complicated than that.

See? Any blog I wrote on the issue would be nothing more than a long-winded shrug. Not terribly fun to write, and not particularly entertaining to read.

That's my recent take on the current Amazon dealio.

For those of you who haven't heard. Amazon (the bookseller) recently got into a bit of an argument with Macmillan (a book publisher) about e-book pricing. As a result, Amazon pulled all of Macmillan's books off their website. Not just the e-books. All the books.

I've done some research and talked to some people and my conclusion is that.

1. This is a big deal.

2. Amazon is being a bit of a dick, and attempting to bully folks in order to get more of the publishing pie than is really fair.

This feels weird for me to say, because honestly, Amazon has been good to me over the years. They gave me good reviews and really helped promote my book early on. It was really nice.

But it really doesn't matter how good they've been to me in the past. If you're nice to me, then beat up my neighbor for his lunch money, you're still a bully. I'm afraid there's just no way around it.

3. This whole thing is pretty complicated, and I'm not well informed enough make any real intelligent assessment of the overall situation or what it might mean for publishing, DRM, or the future of e-books.

If you're interested in that sort of thing, you might want to check out this blog written by the lovely and talented Charles Stross. He understands the landscape of publishing WAY better than me and does a great job of summing things up.

Amazon, Macmillan: an outsider's guide to the fight.

Here's also a blog from Tobias Buckell that has more technical details. He does some of the math for you and explains what all this really means in a delightfully low-bullshit way.

Link to Buckell's blog.

Here's the public statement from Macmillan too.

I'm bringing this to your attention because if you're like me, you sometimes miss things like this unless someone points them out. Also, I'm guessing most of you kinda like books.

I like books too, and while two companies having a corporate slapfight might seem far removed from the book you pick up, read, and enjoy, the truth is that these corporate manoeuvrings have very real effects on which books get published in the future, their quality, and how well authors get treated in the process.

If anyone else has relevant links they'd like to post in the comments below, please feel free to do so. I'm way too tired to dig up more stuff right now. I've got to go to bed.

We're living in interesting times, folks....

pat

A few updates: Coolness and Prizes

prothfus@uwsp.edu (Pat) — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 21:52:00 +0000

Those of you who read last week's blog about the Gaiman-Day scale of coolness might be interested in this picture:

(Click to Embiggen)

These are just the weekly stats, and my numbers are artificially inflated by my recent blog post. But still, if you're like me, it's nice to get to play with the cool kids, even if it's just for a week or so.

In other news, we're still dealing with the aftermath of this year's fundraiser. It's going a lot slower this year because we've got WAY more stuff to sort, package, and ship out.

Just to give you a basis for comparison, this was our prize shelf last year:

I was really proud of that shelf and all the authors that contributed to it. But still, you can see that a lot of the books on there are mine.

These are our prize shelves this year...

(Click to Embiggen)

Huzzah.

This doesn't even include all the swag from Subterranean Press, as they're shipping out their own books. (God bless them.)

Try not to be distracted by the extreme coolness of my brick-and-board shelves which, I would like to mention, I put up by my very own self.

As you can see, a *lot* more authors chipped in this year. Which gives me a warm, glowy feeling of goodwill toward the entire sci-fi & fantasy community. It goes without saying that the donations from DAW and Gollancz made a world of difference, too.

And just so you know, we're not contacting all the winners beforehand. It would be *way* too much work. You'll know you've won something when a package shows up in the mail. Please don't e-mail to ask if you've won....

[Edit 2-2-10 Answers to a few questions:

I'm not going to post up a list of everyone's names that that won, because not everyone wants their name posted up on the internet. Just in case any of you were wondering, it's not cool to post personal information about people on the internet without asking first.

I'm not going to e-mail everyone asking if I can post their info up on the net either. Because, well... duh.

What I will be doing is asking folks to take pictures of themselves and their prizes, then we'll post them up here. That way, even if you didn't win something yourself, you can live vicariously through the joy of others. That's kinda what worldbuilders is all about.

The big winners I've already contacted personally. The people who won Gaiman and Sanderson's books, as well as the guy who won the golden ticket. I'll be putting up some information about them, if they're cool with it.

We can ship to PO boxes just fine. Don't worry about it. If something is strange or confusing about your address, rest assured that we'll contact you to sort it out.
End edit.]

More blogs on the way....

pat

Fanmail Q & A: Coolness

prothfus@uwsp.edu (Pat) — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 05:49:00 +0000

It's been a while since I answered an e-mail from a reader. How about we do that?

Pat,

I just wanted to say I've loved The Name of the Wind for over a year now, but I just recently found your website. Your blog has kept me laughing for almost two solid weeks as I go back and read the archives. That's something I've never done with a blog before.

Even better, your fundraiser was seriously amazing this year.

Seriously, how cool are you?

Jake

Jake,

You strike on a topic I've been curious about for some time. How cool am I?

As I've mentioned before in the blog, growing up, I wasn't one of the cool kids. But things change, and these days geek is chic. I'm willing to admit to the fact that these days, I might actually be a little cool.

Your letter poses an interesting problem though. If you'd simply asked, "Are you cool?" I could have gotten away with answering "maybe" or "kinda." But you've asked for a _degree_ of coolness. What's more, you've requested that I *seriously* consider the problem.

That means we need to use science and shit. We need quantifiable units of coolness that we can plug into formulas. We need to be rigorous.

Unfortunately, to the best of my knowledge, the BIPM hasn't established a standard unit by which we can measure coolness. I can't just tell you that I'm say, 85 pascals of cool. Or 158 newtons. Or whatever.

That means if we want to determine how cool I am, we have to measure me against some sort of universally accepted standard of cool. We need to develop our own yardstick, as it were.

So, let's pick two people who are undeniably cool. The king and queen of geek cool: Felicia Day and Neil Gaiman.

Now we need some numbers. While popularity isn't quite the same thing as cool, you have to admit they're closely related. Since I don't have access to things like book sales or website hits, we'll have to go to the lowest common denominator: Facebook.

(Yes, I know. Technically, Myspace would be the lowest common denominator. But there's only so low I'm willing to go, even for science.)

A quick search of fan pages reveals the following stats.

Felicia: 192,000 fans.

Neil: 90,000 fans.

Me: 10,000 fans.

Now we could stop here and say, that I'm about .05 as cool as Felicia. Or that I'm roughly .11 of a Gaiman. Or something like that.

But drawing data from only one source strikes me as slipshod. To round things out, why don't we take a look at Goodreads rankings?

Here's a screenshot of their list of most-followed people.

[Edit: Yes, I know these numbers have changed since I took the screenshot. I'm not redoing the math.]

(Click to Embiggen)

As a side note, you can see that according to Goodreads, I'm ever-so slightly cooler than Wil Wheaton. I like how it looks like his little Lego man is pissed at me for being above him.

"Curse you, Rothfuss," Lego-Wheaton says. "How dare you get between me and Felicia day?"

"Takest not that tone with me," Russian-dictator-looking-Rothfuss glowers from above. "Lest I crush you with my manly, blue-lit beard."

"Bring it Hagrid," he replies. "I'll beat you like a redheaded stepchild."

"What are you going to use?" I say. "Your kung-fu grip? Hell, you don't even have any elbows!"

Wait... Sorry, what was I talking about again?

Oh. Right. Coolness. I guess I lost a few points just there.

Anyway, as you can see things stand like this:

Me: 383 friends, 308 people following my reviews.

Felicia: 2,710 friends, 380 people following her reviews.

Not pictured above, Neil Gaiman sits at #1 on this list. Topping the chart on a mountain of cool with 5,175 friends and 3,133 people following his reviews.

Let's just combine these for simplicity's sake:

Gaiman: 8308

Felicia: 3090

Me: 691

Because the Facebook numbers are really high compared to Goodreads, we have to normalize them by multiplying by .045. (Don't ask how I got there. It's boring. If you understand statistics, you know how it works.) That gives us:

Gaiman: 4050

Felicia: 8550

Me: 450

So we add these together and apply the bonus multipliers.

Gaimain:
Medium Bonus - Novels, Comics, Movies, Audiobooks: *1.4

Association Bonus - Engaged to Amanda Palmer *1.5

Flair Bonus - Accent *1.4

Appearance Bonus: Sexy *1.5

12358 *1.4 *1.5 *1.4 *1.5 = 54499

Felicia:
Medium Bonus - Television, Webisodes, Comics: *1.3
(The Guild comic is coming out soon, in case you didn't know.)

Association Bonus - Works with Joss Whedon *1.6

Flair Bonus - Smells like flowers and PS3 *1.3

Appearance Bonus: Sexy *1.5

11640 *1.3 *1.6 *1.2 *1.5 = 47212

Me:
Flair Bonus: Beard *1.2

Penalty: Engaging in imaginary smack talk with Lego-Wheaton. *.09

1141 *1.2 *0.9 = 1232

You still with me? Now we have to create our yardstick for the measurement of geek-coolness. Imagine if Neil Gaiman and Felicia Day were somehow alchemically combined into one creature. Some ubercool, sexy, hermaphroditic, webisode-creating, rockstar, gamer, author thing.

I think it's safe to say that godlike creature would be the ultimate amalgam of geek cool.

So if we add together the scores of Neil Gaiman and Felicia Day, we get roughly 100,000 units. These I hereby term Gaiman-Day units. They will hereafter be used to determine how cool someone is. 100,000 Gaiman-Day units is the coolest you can be without collapsing into some manner of singularity.

So there we go. Now we have a way to quantify how cool I am, Jake. I am exactly 1232 Gaiman-Day units of cool. Only about one percent as cool as it's possible to be.

I hope this answers your question, Jake.

pat

Aftermath and an Introduction

prothfus@uwsp.edu (Pat) — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 14:27:00 +0000

Y'know, as much as I love doing the fundraiser, I'm glad it's over.

I started writing this blog mostly to relax, share interesting news, and amuse myself. I like to cuss in my posts and make the occasional odd joke about clown sex. But, strangely enough, I don't feel comfortable doing those things in the middle of a charity fundraiser.

Now that we're done being all charitable on the blog, I can get back to buisiness as usual here. Which is to say I can get back to not doing business and start screwing around instead.

Rest assured that in a week or so I'll post up some final details about the fundraiser, and some exciting news about a few things that happened right at the end. But right now we're dealing with the aftermath, assigning prizes, waiting for checks to clear, and preparing to wrap and package roughly a zillion books.

[Editorial note: Don't email me asking if you won anything. Seriously.]

As many of you might remember from last year's fundraiser, Sarah was my plucky assistant who worked tirelessly behind the scenes, helping me manage donations, take pictures of books, and package all the prizes.

This year, however, she's been absolutely no help at all. When I asked her why she was being such a slacker, she reminded me that we had a baby now, and that boobing him took priority over pretty much everything else.

What's that? Can I post a picture of him? You bet your ass I can....

(Click to Embiggen.)

Here Oot accompanied by one of his compatriots: Friendly Carrot. Not pictured here are Crazy Chicken, Subtle the Colorful Not-Mime, and Perverted Elephant.

Anyway, since Sarah is busy cooing and gurgling, I needed someone else to help me tend to the shop, as it were. That meant that until little Oot is old enough to copyedit, I needed an assistant.

So, without any further ado, I'd like to introduce you to Valerie:

(Say it with me now, "Hi Valerie!")

Valerie has been helping me take care of a lot of the epiphenomena that tend to clutter up my life. She does research, organizes stuff, takes care of mail, runs errands....

Generally speaking, she takes care of a bunch of stuff for me, leaving me more time to work on the book.

Over the last two months, that means Valerie has been doing a lot of the heavy lifting behind the scenes of Worldbuilders. She takes pictures of the donations and has managed all the personalized books and posters people bought to support the cause.

She's also been stockpiling the materials we'll need to package up this year's prizes.

(It's fun to play with big rolls of bubble wrap.)

Suffice to say that without her help, Worldbuilders would have been a chaotic mess, and I wouldn't have gotten a lick of work done on my revisions.

Anyway, she's been working really hard on all this stuff. So I figured it was high time I introduced her...

Say hello Valerie.

Hello.

No. Sorry. That won't work. You can't be purple, Sarah's purple. There will be mass confusion. You'll have to pick a different colour.

I like green. Can I be green?

That suits you, but it's a little too bright. Could you bring it down a bit?

How about this?

Perfect.

Everyone, meet Valerie. Valerie, this is everyone.

Say hello, everyone.

pat

Books from Peter V. Brett - Plus an Interview

prothfus@uwsp.edu (Pat) — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 12:03:00 +0000

This is a Worldbuilders blog.

Well folks, here's the last of the prizes, and the last of the author interviews.

Read on, and find out why Peter V. Brett is my new best friend.

*****

Heya Brett. Before we start, could you give us some of the details about how awesome you are? Y'know, awards, how many foreign countries your books have sold in. Stuff like that. Dazzle us.

Awesome, right. Let's see... The Warded Man (AKA The Painted Man) was written on my cellphone during my subway commute to work. In many circles, I am more famous for that than the book itself.

No, seriously:

(You can read articles about it: here, here or here.)

Despite having been written with my thumbs, it was named one of Amazon UK's 10 Best Science Fiction and Fantasy Books of 2008, and has since sold in 18 countries and 17 languages so far (closed a deal in Turkey just a couple of days ago. Very excited about that for multiple reasons). It has been a bestseller in the US, UK, Poland, and Germany that I know of.

The series has been optioned for film by Hollywood director Paul WS Anderson and producer Jeremy Bolt, who have done such movies as Event Horizon, Death Race, Pandorum, and the Resident Evil franchise.

Er... I am also devastatingly handsome, and make babies with the kind of auburn hair I am told women pay vast amounts of money to their colorists for. I drew the little chapter avatars in the US version of The Warded Man myself.

And he also makes julienne fries ladies and gentlemen. Order yours today!

Let's start with an easy question. If you were a cake, what sort of cake would you be?

The kind that's been sitting on the counter a long time and is sort of stale so you don't really want to eat it right this second but keep it around in case you suddenly wake up desperate for cake in the middle of the night.

What are you reading right now?

I just got over the flu, so I got a lot of reading done, including Brandon Sanderson's new Wheel of Time book, The Gathering Storm, which I admit I really enjoyed even though Brandon is my nemesis. I think Jordan's spirit is pleased. I also read Shadow's Edge by Brent Weeks and Legend by David Gemmell. I'm trying to decide between starting Mistborn by Sanderson or Acacia by David Anthony Durham next. In the meantime I am reading a bunch of comic books I've accumulated over the last few weeks.

All this reading feels good. For the last couple of years I've been too focused on my own writing to read much else, and I think that was unhealthy. I also had trouble turning off my internal editor, which sucks a lot of the fun out of reading.

If you had to pick your favorite book of all time, what would it be?

Ugh. Hard. Favorites shift with my moods. Let's broaden a bit. My Personal Top 5:

The Hobbit by JRR Tolkien
The Elfstones of Shannara by Terry Brooks
A Game of Thrones by George RR Martin
The Shadow Rising by Robert Jordan
Shogun by James Clavell

You're relatively new to the publishing world. How has getting your book published changed your life?

Man, you have no idea...

Oh, wait. Yes you do.

I sold in mid 2007, and since then, pretty much EVERYTHING in my life has changed. One minute I was begging someone, anyone, to please read my book, and the next I'm answering fan mail from Australia and Japan. In addition to selling and deciding to write full time, my wife lost her job, we had a baby, and bought a new apartment.

Even though it's mostly been great stuff that I always dreamed about, I really felt like the rug was pulled out from under me, as all the constants in my life up to that point vanished. I didn't know which way was up, and felt an incredible pressure to write a sequel that wouldn't let down the readers who loved the first book. It was doubly hard because I was doing much of it as a zombie on the baby's bi-hourly feeding schedule while we fretted over money, the cost of health insurance, etc.

Your blog helped me a lot as I adjusted to the change. Seeing someone else going through many of the same things (and coming out the other end of it) made it a little easier for me.

That's nice to hear. Sometimes I would write some of those blogs and then think, "Why am I telling people this? Why am I burdening people with my emo bullshit?"

I know that feeling well, but the people who would feel burdened by hearing about your life probably don't read your blog. I've found that blogging about my life helps me order my thoughts and keep things in perspective.

How often do you check your amazon sales rank?

Far too often. It is a sick, sick obsession. I also have google scour the internets and read every single review, no matter how nut-crunching.

Oh man. Google Alerts? I've avoided that particular madness by the clever application of my own ignorance. I don't know how to set it up. I just trust that if something important enough happens, someone will e-mail me.

That is probably wise of you. Google alerts takes about 3 seconds and the internet know-how of a shoe to set up, but it's probably best you never open that door.

How many copies of your own books do you currently own?

I have two shelves of my own books. One has two copies of each version/translation for my personal collection. So far that is 16 distinct volumes, so there are 32 books in my personal collection. These books are precious to me, and I guard them like my young.

The other shelf has books I am free to give away, and I try to run contests and things on my blog to keep those moving. That shelf has another 47 books at the moment, in various languages.

Wow. Specific numbers. Nobody else has been that forthcoming yet.

What are they hiding, do you think? Secret bunkers of their books in case of apocalypse?

Absolutely. I assume everyone buys their own first book obsessively, usually in conjunction with checking their Amazon sales rank.

Okay. Before this interview goes any farther, I have a confession to make.

You were one of the first people to send your books into the fundraiser, and while I was sitting up with my baby one night, I didn't have anything to read. Your books were sitting right there.... So I read one. That's not something I normally do with donations, but it was just sitting there. Taunting me.

Admission of guilt is the first step towards absolution, my friend. I think if you put a note in the front of the book saying "I read this one; the cookie crumbs and coffee stains are mine. Love, Pat" whoever wins the book will forgive the fact that it is second-hand, since they will probably get a lot more for it on eBay.

Boy, are you sure? I never write in books other than when I sign my own for people. I think it's a sin, isn't it?

This is a special case. Anyone who wins it in the Heifer fundraiser will probably be more a fan of yours than mine, anyway, and I give you leave to illuminate my book with your delicate cursive... or deface it with your chicken-scratch, if your handwriting is anything like mine. (Thank goodness we live in the computer age.)

Okay. If you're sure...

A copy of The Warded Man by Peter V. Brett. Signed by the author... and another author who read it.

Feel free to add "It didn't suck" to your note...

Man, way better than that. I have to say, your book was really fucking good.

!! Do go on...

Okay, to be completely honest with you, I was really ready to dislike it. I'm not proud of this... but, I'd heard you'd already got a movie deal going, so I was a little jealous. And you wrote it on the subway, so I was ready to be all snarky about that, too.

I was kinda expecting you to be Paolini of the F-train. His book got popular because he was so young, and I assumed yours just got attention because of the subway gimmick.

I should know better than jump to conclusions like that, of course. But I can be just as ignorant and petty as the next guy... And I was totally wrong, your book is, like .5 of a Whedon on the coolness scale.

Firefly Whedon or Dollhouse Whedon?

There is only one Whedon, and I am his prophet.

Did you see that time in Astonishing X-Men when he made xxx Xxxxxx Xxxx xxxxxxxx? That was AWESOME.

That was awesome. He caught me off guard like he always does. That's one of his gifts, in my opinion. He's exceptionally good at coming at any sort of story from a fresh direction.

Sorry I xxx-ed out your potential spoiler, by the way. I have issues.

Back to the point though. I really dug your book even though I didn't want to like it at first...

I understand completely. So long as we're being honest, I felt the same way about you at first. When my book first came out last year, it seemed like every other review was referring to it as "The best new fantasy since The Name of the Wind". I know it was meant as a compliment, but after it happened a few times, it started to stick in my craw. My inner insecurity began translating that as "this is a good book, but TNotW is a better one." Grr.

I didn't know anything about you or TNotW at the time, so I picked up a copy to see what all the fuss was about. Admittedly, I went in with more than a little bias, ready to pounce on any flaws I could find just to make myself feel better.

Of course, I ended up utterly charmed, and when I started reading your blog and saw what a nice guy you were, I realized I was being a bit of a dick.

Heh. The same thing happened with me when my book came out. Everyone was like, "Pat Rothfuss is the next Scott Lynch!" I remember thinking, "Can't I just be the first Pat Rothfuss? I've got a lot more experience being that."

Ha. I just feel sorry for the poor schmo who gets saddled with being the next Peter Brett. That's no prize.

So.... Now that we're friends and all, is there any chance I could get an early look at Desert Spear? I'll do just about anything to get a copy. I'm not joking here. I'd choke a nun.

Hrm. Well, here's the thing. I only have 4 advance read copies, and two of them have been promised to fans as prizes in an ongoing contest on my blog. The other two are my personal copies, on the aforementioned "precious" shelf. They are so beautiful, the paired books on that shelf, like a little Noah's Ark of books. Even my mom doesn't have a Desert Spear ARC.

But that said, maybe if there were a way to make the copy eventually go to charity...

I wouldn't want to steal one of your personal copies. Like I said, I understand the book-hoarding impulse....

Actually, I made a plea to Del Rey, and they shook loose another copy for me to send you. You know. For charity.

Muahahahaha! Witness my power! No. Wait. I mean... that will be a great addition to the fundraiser. This is all about charity you know...

Just put it and The Warded Man in a plain brown box labeled "Pat's used books" and add it to the lottery.

Done:

An ARC of The Desert Spear by Peter V. Brett.

What's the most shameful self-promotional thing you've ever done?

I brought chocolate cake with icing wards to a signing at ComicCon just to entice people over. In my defense, it was my birthday.

You were at Comic-Con this year?

New York, not San Diego. I usually go to SDCC, but my daughter was born on that exact weekend in 2008, so I think I may miss it until she is old enough for me to convince her that an airplane hanger full of 200,000 cosplayers is a birthday treat.

If you play your cards right, you should be able to convince her that it's a special birthday party just for her.

That's the plan.

What is the best compliment you've ever received?

Milla Jovovich hugged me and told me she loved my book.

Oh man. Now I'm filled with terrible rage and jealousy. I think I might hate you again....

Uh-oh.

What's the most hurtful thing someone has ever said in a review of your book?

A lot of readers try to pinpoint my personal morality and politics from the book. Sometimes they are wrong and say terrible things about my beliefs that are really upsetting. A few times I have tried to engage those critics in a polite, calm, and non-confrontational manner, just to set the record straight. Sometimes that helps. Sometimes it is a clusterfuck.

Two extra points for use of the word 'clusterfuck.' Do you have a particular piece of grammar that you screw up regularly?

I grew reading a lot of British fantasy (Tolkien, CS Lewis, Lewis Carroll, etc.) so there are a lot of Britishisms I use without realizing it. My copyeditors hate me.

If you could punch one literary figure in the face, who would it be?

I challenged Brent Weeks to a knife fight at the World Fantasy Convention this year, Beat It style, but he'd left his switchblade in his room so we just drank scotch instead.

Rumor has it that Voltaire wrote on the naked backs of his lovers. Do you have any little rituals that help you write?

I write very long books, so I would need many lovers.

That's what I keep telling Sarah, but she isn't buying it. How long was the Warded Man, anyway? It didn't feel very long at all....

The Warded Man was 163,000 words, give or take. The first draft was closer to 180,000, but I cut a lot in the final editing pass. The Desert Spear, however, weighs in at a hefty 240,000 words, and that's AFTER the heavy cutting. It's no Wise Man's Fear, but the hardcover will still make an effective bludgeon.

I hear you about the cutting. Over the years I'm guessing I cut over 100,000 words out of The Name of the Wind.

Speaking of which, I had an idea when I was interviewing Weeks a while back. It turns out he cuts a lot of stuff too. I'm thinking it would be cool to collect some deleted scenes from some other fantasy authors, put them into an anthology along with some commentary by the authors.

We could call it Worldbuilders, and some of the money it made could go to help match funds for the Worldbuilders fundraiser. I'll admit it's just a pipe dream so far, but what do you think?

It's a good dream.

I saw that interview, where you both were talking about having cut the first sections from your books. I don't know if this is just the case for all new writers, but the Prologue to The Warded Man was cut just prior to publication as well. I have a whole page of my website devoted to excised material, along with essays as to why things were cut. If you ever want to do a Worldbuilders anthology, I will be happy to contribute.

Rock. On. I'm so going to make this happen.

In the meantime, I still need to make a donation to Worldbuilders for this year. I don't feel right about entering the lottery, though. Would it be possible for me to made a modest addition to the pool helping to match donations?

Oh merciful Buddha, are you serious? Some cash to help match donations would be the best thing ever.

Last year the fundraiser really tapped me out financially, so I was trying to be more careful this year when I said I'd only match 50%. But we've ended up raising WAY more than I expected. We're already over 115,000 dollars. Even with Subterranean Press matching the first 10,000, that still leaves me stretched really thin.

I never planned on Worldbuilders being a one-man show. I'd always hoped some other folks would offer to help match donations, or maybe do fundraisers or auctions of their own to help Worldbuilders raise funds to match donations....

But you're the first to actually offer.

Anyway, the short answer is "Yes." I'd love to have you onboard helping to match donations.

You are now officially my new best friend.

*Ahem.* Anyway... back to the pre-tangent question. Do you have any weird writing habits?

Sometimes when I have writer's block I will sync whatever chapter I am working on to my phone and write on the subway. For some odd reason, that always clears the block. No idea why.

That's another reason the Voltaire thing wouldn't work for you. It'd be hard to get properly intimate on the F-Train. People would complain about how many seats you were taking up.

You'd be surprised what you can get away with on the F...

I recently made a joke about "transition putty" on my blog. That being, of course, what we writers buy at Home Depot to smooth out our rough transitions. If you could have some sort of handyman tool like that, something like Plot Spackle or a Character Level. What would it be?

I wish I could go buy a box of minor character names like I can a box of nails. Look at all the trouble it's causing you. You had to start a whole contest to get some ideas.

Heh. You detected my clever scheme, did you? Keep quiet about it and I'll cut you in for 10% of the names.

Mum's the word.

Those are all the questions I have. Thanks much for the interview, and double thanks for being willing to help out Worldbuilders as our first official author Sponsor. I can't thank you enough for that.

Oh, and next time you see Milla, give her a hug for me....

Will do. Thanks so much for having me on the blog, and for all the great work you're doing with Heifer. I'm glad I could do my own little part to help.

*****

Personally, I can't think of a better way to end the last post of the fundraiser: our first author sponsor. Hopefully the first of many.

Four copies of The Warded Man by Peter V. Brett. Signed by the Author.

Not only is Brett's debut novel a smashing good read, but owning a copy will bring you good luck, protect you from the swine flu, and make you roughly 33% more attractive to the opposite sex.

Plus Brett has hugged Milla Jovovich. That means if you win one of these books that he's touched with his own hands, it's like you're getting to hug her too, albeit twice removed.

Well folks, this is the last of the prizes. You have until midnight on January 15th to get in on the action. For every $10 you donate on my Team Heifer page you get a chance to win books like these and many, many others.

If you want to know more about what you can win, or if you'd like more info about Worldbuilders itself, you can head over here for all the details.

With thanks to our sponsor, Subterranean Press.

(Ahhh... Last post of the fundraiser. Now can relax a bit....)

Music, Miscellany, and Signed Copies of The Guild.

prothfus@uwsp.edu (Pat) — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 18:19:00 +0000

This is a Worldbuilders blog.

So Worldbuilders is almost at an end for this year. We've got one last blog full of prizes. We've got music and some other cool miscellanea, including some signed DVD copies of The Guild.

But first, news:

First and foremost, the deadline: The fundraiser ends on January 15th. You have to donate before then to have a chance at winning the fabulous stuff we're raffling off.

Second, as I'm writing this, we've already raised over 110,000 dollars. That means people have donated twice as much as last year.

This is empirical evidence that y'all are awesome. Seriously. Before I was just guessing, but now I can prove it with math and such.

Thirdly and lastly, a tiny story:

Yesterday Sarah was busy feeding the baby when I walked past her bedroom.

"Sweetie?" she called. "Can you do me a favor?"

"You can't afford it," I said.

I am, of course referring to the recently completed auction for the Golden Ticket. Apparently the thought of winning a favor from me was worth over 15,000 dollars to someone.

This leaves me stunned and more than slightly frightened. If someone paid, like, seventeen bucks for it, I'd feel free to tell them to go screw if they asked for something unreasonable. But for 15,000 dollars, I worry that I might end up being pressured into something morally reprehensible, like kicking a koala bear.

Anyway, I hope the favor granting goes smoothly. Unlike the uncannily timed comic that just came up on Cyanide & Happiness...

Cyanide & Happiness @ Explosm.net

Okay. Enough news. On to the prizes....

Two CDs of Manticores and Owlbears: Songs of Dragons and the Dungeons in which they dwell! by Daniel Marcotte.

I met Daniel Marcotte at Gencon this year. He was strolling the halls all minstreled up, and carrying a gorgeous lute.

We got to talking and quickly established our mutual geek cred. He gave me a CD. I gave him a book. The rest, as they say, is history.

This particular CD is a bunch of D&D songs played on classical instruments. Fun stuff. Plus, I've heard it rumored that listening to Dan the Bard's CD gives you +1 on your next encounter. So you might want to look into it.

Two CD's of Unicorns and Dragons: Love Songs, Drinking Songs, and Fighting Songs from the Bristol Renaissance Faire! by Daniel Marcotte.

More from Dan. I'd already have a sample of his music up on my webpage right now if I weren't so busy with book and baby. Hopefully soon.

Two CD's of To Walk the Land by Daniel Marcotte.

Not all of Dan's music is steeped in modern-day Geekery. Some of it is old-school geekery as well. This CD is "Tales of Wizards, Knights, Pirates and Princesses, set to music of the Ap Huw Manuscript (16th c Welsh Bardic Tradition) and transcribed for Renaissance Lute."

A CD of Side by Side by Duo Siqueira Lima.

Those of you who have been reading my blog for a while might remember these folks from a previous post. If you never saw that blog, you should really click over here and watch the little video. It's short, and I guarantee you've never seen anything like it.

After I gushed about how awesome they were, we actually got in touch. I sent them a copy of the Brazilian translation of the book, they sent me some CDs for the fundraiser.

"They are considered a new phenomenon in the Brazilian guitar. With a mix of perfect technique, infallible repertory and a lot of charisma Fernando Lima and Cecilia Siqueira are winning admirers where they go" Published on "Violao Pro" Magazine, Sao Paulo – Brazil

You can also catch their music on their website and myspace page.

Six copies of Only Ghosts Remain by Fermata.

I caught Fermata playing about a year ago at the Afterdark, the local coffee shop here in Stevens Point. It was cool stuff, and it gave me some ideas about what type of music a group of eclectic troupers might play.

I'd have a sample of their stuff up on my webpage too if I wasn't so swamped...

Review from Sepiachord.com, "Fermata are not most bands and make the smooth mixing of pop elements and folk elements seem easy.There's a confidence here that makes what they do feel light, effortless. Despite the somber mood they evoke this confidence gives a sense of hope and positiveness to the work. "Only Ghosts Remain" is a chamber pop album for goths-who-smile. This collection proves that all "gothic Americana" doesn't have to be gutter tales of depravity and desperation."

You can listen to the music of Fermata at their myspace page.

A CD of I Was Already Too Late by Eli August.

Another Wisconsin musician was nice enough to kick in a CD of his work:

From Eli August's myspace page: "Eli August creates music with zeal and energy, focusing on mood, tonality and lyricism. The songwriting mines memories of past regrets and failures to create melancholy aural set pieces that are sincere, passionate and some times dark, but never completely devoid of redemption."

Five copies of Carrot Carrot! by db pedersen.

I guarantee you've never heard anything like this stuff. I could try to explain it to you, but I just don't have the words for it...

Description from SkullsofHeaven.com, "db is a self-taught throat singer, nature mimic, and multi-voiced performance artist [...] He has rolled up his sleeves and written lyrics for some of the songs, though he still keeps the emphasis on wordless imaginary flight with his vocal gymnastics. Playing bass, bansuri flute, and percussion he creates menageries of animal worlds with minimal looping effects and expressive feats of multi-tonal singing."

Three CD's by Janis Ian, Folk is the New Black, The Best of Janis Ian: The Autobiography Collection and Billie's Bones.

Most folks know about Janis Ian because she's a Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter who's been making music for over 40 years. Fewer people realize that in addition to being a talented musician, Janis is also active in the Sci-fi community.

She contacted me after reading my The Name of the Wind and said some very flattering things. Then, despite her disappointment that book two wasn't finished yet, she was nice enough to donate some CDs to Worldbuilders.

Blogcritics.org say, "Best Of Janis Ian: The Autobiography Collection is a two-disc retrospective of Janis Ian’s career. All of her hits and well know songs are included as well as some of her equally impressive but not as famous new material."

Two copies of Soul Catcher by Leigh Bridger (pseudonym for NYT bestselling author Deborah Smith) with signed bookplates.

"Now I can add another favorite to my Hall of Urban Fantasy Fame: Deborah Smith writing as Leigh Bridger... tense, heart wrenching and lovely." - Pam Headrick, bookseller - A Thirsty Mind

Two copies of Once Bitten by Kalayna Price with signed bookplates.

"Once Bitten is a solid urban fantasy debut with enough original ideas and twists to satisfy readers looking for something different and fresh." - SciFi Guy Blog

One set of the first two books in the Unbidden Magic series, Moonstone and Moonrise by Marilee Brothers with signed bookplates.

"Marilee Brothers' novel stands out for its humor and Allie's strong point-of-view as an underdog finding her place in the world. This is another good choice for public library teen/fantasy collections. I look forward to the next title in this series." - Grinnell College Libraries

A copy of Mutant Chronicles by Matt Forbeck. Signed by the author.

From the back of the book: "It will be a dangerous mission. I don’t expect that any of us will survive. But it’s a chance to save mankind, to save our world. Maybe the last chance."

A copy of Blood Bowl: Rumble in the Jungle by Matt Forbeck. Signed by the author.

"The action begins in the very first paragraph. From then on it is non-stop action, adventure, humor, and blood." — Huntress Reviews

A set of two books in Knights of the Silver Dragon, Prophecy of the Dragons and The Dragons Revealed by Matt Forbeck. Signed by the author.

"A thrilling series of adventures that will not only get kids interested in fantasy, but also the Dungeons & Dragons game as well." — Tim Janson

Two sets of the first two seasons of The Guild. Signed by members of the cast: Felicia Day, Sandeep Parikh, Jeff Lewis, Vincent Caso, Amy Okuda, and Robin Thorsen.

I'm guessing most of you already know about Felicia Day. She was Penny in Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along blog, after all.

However, I'm guessing some of you might be woefully ignorant about the The Guild: Felicia's brilliant mindchild.

I got these copies of The Guild signed when I was out at San Diego Comic-con this year. I was doing it for Worldbuilders, of course. Not because I have a thing for Felicia Day, and certainly not because of my my burgeoning bromance with Sandeep Parikh.

Whatever my motivation, the result is the same: delightfully signed swag available if you donate at least 10 on my page at Team Heifer before January 15th.

Do it. You know you want to make the world a better place.

Want more details about the Worldbuilders fundraiser? Click HERE.

With thanks to our sponsor, Subterranean Press.

Seven Stories Concerning Joss Whedon - or - The Road to Damascus

prothfus@uwsp.edu (Pat) — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 18:10:00 +0000

This is a Worldbuilders blog.

Ladies and Gentlemen, it's come to my attention that some of you out there might not know about Joss Whedon. This worries me.

Even more troubling is the thought that some of you might know of Whedon, but still haven't taken him into your heart or witnessed his glorious work.

I used to be like you. I used to live in darkness. Let me share my story with the hope that you might come to know him as I do....

* * *

It's 1999. Home from college, I go to a New Year's party with some old friends. Halfway through the evening, someone mentions Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

"Never seen it," I say.

Suddenly they're all bleating like sheep about how much they love the show. Everyone feels compelled to tell me their favorite line. Their favorite part. The time this character did this thing in this place.

"Yes yes," I said. "I've heard it all before. Honestly, it sounds pretty dumb to me."

Things get heated. It turns out I'm the only person there not actively following the show. They can't believe how ignorant I am. How can I not be watching it?

Finally I've had enough. I hold up a hand to get everyone's attention. "Listen," I say. "I'm a huge geek. I've written a fantasy trilogy that will never be published. I once dressed up as Pan for Halloween. I have LARPed." I looked at them all seriously. "And you people embarrass me. I am ashamed to be standing close to you right now. Kindly shut up about your stupid vampire cheerleader show."

It's 2002. I'm in grad school, covered in a thick, greasy layer of drudgery and helpless rage. I'm fighting as hard as I can, only to realize that academia is a tarbaby made out of bullshit and willful ignorance.

One of my friends buys the first season of Buffy on DVD and leaves it in my house. That's it. No sales pitch. I just come home from class and it's sitting on my coffee table.

And that's where it stays. I've made my feelings clear. I'm getting my Masters in English Literature. I'll be god-damned if I watch a show called Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

But, eventually, there's nothing else to watch in the house, so I plug it one evening while I eat my dinner.

And it's exactly what I expected. It's trash. It's heavy handed. The plot is predictable.

Worse of all, there's a showdown between the plucky blond eye-candy and the bad guy at the end of the first episode.

Buffy: Well you forgot about one thing!
Vampire: Whats that?
Buffy: Sunrise!

She breaks a window behind the vampire and rich amber light pours in, making the vampire howl in fear.

I roll my eyes. I've seen this cliche a dozen times before. I'd be bored if I wasn't so insulted. I reach for the remote.

But it isn't sunlight pouring through the window. It's just a lightbulb in the alleyway. The vampire looks out the window, confused.

Buffy: Its not for another 9 hours, moron.

I start to laugh, realizing whoever wrote this knows exactly what he's doing. This isn't cliche. This is whatever the opposite of cliche is.

I watch the second episode.

It's 2003. I'm out of grad school and teaching my own classes for the very first time.

I've made contact with a big-name New York literary agent. He's read my book and thinks it has potential. He says I'm a good writer, but my book has structural problems. There are plot issues. Am I willing to revise?

I am. But I have no idea where to start. I read a book called Writing the Blockbuster Novel and it makes no sense at all to me. I re-read my novel and realize I don't have the slightest fucking idea what I'm doing.

Fall semester ends, and the university tells me enrollment is down. Quick as that I'm unemployed.

So I go out and buy my very first home theater system. Bose speakers. Subwoofer. I fill up the credit card, figuring that if I'm going to be unemployed, I might as well enjoy my free time. Besides, it's not like I'm going to be able to get any writing done....

The first thing I watch is the second season Buffy.

It opens a window in my head. It changes the way I think about stories.

It's 2004. Despite the fact that I'm not really interested in space cowboys or whatever, I buy a copy of Firefly.

It's 6:00 AM when I sit down to watch it. After half an hour, one of my roommates wanders blearily into the living room.

"Wassis?" he asks.

"Firefly," I say. "First episode. I can start it over if you want..."

He lays down on the other couch and we re-start the episode.

Ten minutes later he looks at me. "They canceled this?" he asks.

"Apparently."

He looks at the screen, then back at me. "I'm so fucking pissed!"

I nod.

Six years later I'm still pissed. I'll probably be pissed about Firefly until the day I die.

It's 2006, and I'm attending one of my first conventions. I've sold my book, so now my job is to make friends in the fan community. Mingle. Rub elbows. Network.

I get invited to a party. I drink a drink. I end up talking with a beautiful young woman in a tight red dress.

"I don't know what all the fuss is about," she says. "I watched some Buffy, couldn't get into it. Firefly was boring. I just don't get what I'm supposed to be missing."

"Well..." I said thoughtfully. "Have you ever considered the fact that you might not actually have a soul?"

It's 2008. Dr. Horrible goes online. I'm giddy as a schoolgirl. I write a blog about it. I bring my friends over to watch. I leave it playing on my computer while I do work around the house, while I check my e-mail, while I eat lunch.

This continues for weeks.

Then one day while I'm singing "A Man's gotta Do..." in the shower, I have an idea for a short story. This is a rarity. I don't do short stories. Better yet, it's a short graphic novel.

So I sit down and start to write it out. It's fun. I've never written a script for a graphic novel, and it's tricky thinking in terms of page layouts, paneling, and dialogue placement. I break out my copy of Understanding Comics and start making notes for a friend who could do the illustrations.

Two hours later I realize I'm writing Dr. Horrible fanfiction.

Four hours later I'm still writing it.

It's 2009. While playing Guest of Honor at a convention, I end up on a panel about Joss Whedon.

Much to my surprise, I hear people nitpicking. They say, "Buffy was great until season four." "I got bored with Dollhouse after two episodes." "Angel was too dark." "Buffy got weird in season five...."

Finally I've had enough. I hold up a hand to get everyone's attention.

"Listen," I say unto them. "You're all a bunch of whiny little titbabies. Joss Whedon is a storyteller and you're upset because he isn't acting like a music box, playing you your favorite song again and again.

"Joss Whedon made me care about the X-men, even Cyclops. He sold me on space cowboys. He made me sing in the shower and write fanfiction for the first time in my life. He told me a subtle story with Dollhouse and gave me the best character arc I've ever seen with Wesley Wyndam-Pryce."

"Why don't you marry him?" someone shouts from the audience.

"Because of Proposition 8," I shot back. "And because he never returns my calls."

* * *

So that's the story of my conversion to Whedonism. I've pulled a Saul of Tarsus and these days I'm a full-blown missionary. In fact, Sarah has informed me my man-crush is about to step from being cute to creepy, so I'm trying to reign myself in a little bit here.

For example, I'm not going to post up any of my Whedon-tribute macaroni art. Neither will I trouble you with any of the sonnets I've composed.

Instead, I'll add some Whedon stuff to the Worldbuilders lottery. That means if you donate money to Heifer International before January 15th, you have a chance of winning this stuff in addition to all the other cool prizes.

All seven seasons of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, the five seasons of Angel, and the first five graphic novels composing "Season Eight"of Buffy.

About a year ago, I went to talk to a bunch of high-schoolers as part of a book festival.

As per usual, I read a bit, then did some Q&A.

One of the kids asked a question about character building. I thought of the perfect example that would answer his question and said, "Have you seen Buffy the Vampire Slayer?"

I meant it to be a rhetorical question. I mean, everyone's seen Buffy, right?

He hadn't. I was a little surprised. So I asked the whole auditorium, "Who here has watched Buffy?"

Only about three hands went up.

I shouldn't have been surprised, I suppose. But I was. What's more, I was actually mad. I turned to the teacher that had arranged for me to come out and talk to the kids and demanded, "What the hell are you teaching these kids?"

Both hardcover volumes of the Astonishing X-Men, containing the entire story arc written by Joss Whedon.

Even if you don't read comics, you will enjoy this. Even if you don't care about the X-Men, you will like this story. It's wonderfully self-contained, so you don't need to know the last 40 years of x-history to follow what's going on.

The complete series of Firefly and the sequel movie Serenity.

If I ever get to teach a creative writing class, I'm assigning Firefly as a textbook. Everything you need to know about storytelling is right there in the pilot episode.

Side note: if you watch the movie before watching the series, I will magically appear and choke you.

The first season of Dollhouse.

Some people I normally respect are all snarky about Dollhouse.

Fie, I say unto them. If you can't handle a subtle story, feel free to go watch MTV cribs. The rest of us will be right here, enjoying the awesome.

It's a different sort of story. That means, of necessity, it has a different tone. But it's still Whedon, and that's all that matters.

Two copies of Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog.

For concentrated cool, it's hard to beat this disk. Not only is DR. Horrible like a primer on how to create a realistic villain, but the commentary track is a musical too. I'm not even kidding.

God. Just looking at the cover makes me want to listen to it again....

That's all for now folks. Remember that the fundraiser is over on January 15th. So if you want to get in on the action, you better do so soon.

Money raised by Worldbuilders goes to Heifer International, which helps people all over the world raise themselves out of poverty and starvation. If you'd like to donate directly you can head over to my page at Team Heifer and I'll match your donation by 50%. Trust me. You'll feel great afterward.

Or, if you want more information about the Worldbuilders fundraiser itself, you can head to the main page HERE.

With thanks to our sponsor, Subterranean Press.

Mark Tremonti Signature Guitar - Signed by Creed

prothfus@uwsp.edu (Pat) — Sat, 09 Jan 2010 13:30:00 +0000

This is a Worldbuilders blog.

If you want details, click here.

Back in September, I got a piece of fanmail.

By itself, this isn't that strange. A lot of folks contact me using the form on my website. A lot. While there are too many for me to reply to personally these days, I do read them all.

One thing I've learned by reading these messages is that a lot of different people read my book. Subconsciously, I always expect my readers to be like me. That's to say I expect them to be youngish college students who are... well... kinda geeky.

(I know that I'm not *really* a college student anymore, but that's still how I think of myself in my head. After spending 11 years in college, then teaching for a couple years, I don't know if I'll ever be able to think of myself as anything other than a college student. In my head I'm also still in my twenties. And I'm thinner, too.)

But in the last couple years I've learned that not everyone who reads fantasy is a geek. Or at least not the sort of geek that I am. I've been contacted by soldiers in Iraq, lawyers, carpenters, politicians, a cage fighter, police, and aerospace engineers.

Well, the last one isn't so surprising, actually. One of my my best friends in high school grew up to be an aerospace engineer, and we played D&D like nobody's business.

The point is, by this point I should know better than to judge people by their profession. Geeks come in all shapes and sizes, and people aren't defined by their jobs.

So back to the story: It's September of last year, and I get an e-mail from Michael Tremonti. He tells me he's Mark Tremonti's brother and publicist. Apparently, Creed was going to be playing a show in Milwaukee, and they knew I lived in Wisconsin. So Michael was just dropping me a line to see if I'd like to come down, catch the show, and maybe hang out a little.

To be honest, at first I was pretty sure one of my friends had made a fake e-mail account and was screwing around with me. That seemed a lot more likely to me than a rockstar out there reading fantasy books. Aren't Geeks and Rockstars diametrical opposites? Aren't we supposed to be natural enemies in the wild?

It turns out we're not. While e-mailing back and forth with Michael, he told me he and his brother used to play D&D in the basement just like the rest of us.

Again, I didn't believe him. So they sent me this picture.

I am cowed by the might of your geekery, Mark. And I hereby promise never to question anyone's geek heritage ever again. Not just D&D. But AD&D. That's the real stuff. Back when the game was badass and you had to roll for things like parasitic infection when you traveled through a swamp.

Unfortunately, I couldn't make it down to the show. This was back in September, and Sarah was big with baby. I knew if I drove down to Milwaukee, she'd go into labor. I was absolutely sure of it.

Still, we stayed in touch, and when I was starting to gather prizes for Worldbuilders, I dropped Michael a line and asked if they might be interested in donating a couple of signed CDs or something.

He replied, "How about we just give you a guitar instead?"

"What?" I said.

One Mark Tremonti Signature Guitar. Signed by Creed.

Thanks so much, Michael and Mark. This is really going above and beyond...

I have to say, all rockstar coolness aside, this is a really gorgeous guitar. Holding it, I was filled with a great desire to rock out.

Here's the link to the auction.

This sort of thing is kinda unexplored territory for the fundraiser, as until now we've focused mostly on books and book-related stuff. So I'd appreciate it if y'all could help me spread the word a little bit. And sooner would be better than later, as the auction ends on January 15th.

Money raised by Worldbuilders goes to Heifer International, which helps people all over the world raise themselves up out of poverty and starvation. If you'd like to donate directly you can head over to my page at Team Heifer and I'll match your donation by 50%. Trust me. You'll feel great afterward.

Or, if you want more information about the Worldbuilders fundraiser itself, you can head to the main page HERE.

With thanks to our sponsor, Subterranean Press.

Books from Brent Weeks - Plus an Interview

prothfus@uwsp.edu (Pat) — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 06:25:00 +0000

This is a Worldbuilders blog.

Time for another interview folks, this one with Brent Weeks author of the Night Angel Trilogy.

Heya Brent. Let's say you're at a party and you meet someone you wanted to impress. What sort of things about your writing career would you casually drop into the conversation to prove that you're awesome?

Oh, I'd definitely drop the NY Times bestselling author bit, though with a self-deprecatory asterisk.

Yeah. That carries a ridiculous amount of weight. A couple months after I hit the Times, an editor at Penguin asked me, "How do you like your new first name?"

I gave her a dumb look.

She said, "You're not Pat Rothfuss anymore. Now you're New-York-Times-bestselling-author-Pat Rothfuss."

And it was totally true. That's how everyone introduced me at conventions for almost a year.

What's your asterisk, by the way?

There are more NY Times lists than people think. There's a fiction hardcover list, a fiction mass-market paperback list, non-fiction lists, self-help lists, and children's lists. The list goes to 35, but due to... well, heck, I dunno, the cost of paper? the lists that get printed go only to 20.

I was on the list for 3 weeks, but I topped out at 29. One publisher who I gave a blurb to said, "Oh, we only count authors who hit the printed list as NY Times bestsellers." Oh. I feel snobbed on.

Thus: Hi, my name is New-York-Times-bestselling-author-but-only-on-the-internet Brent Weeks.

Oh man... you're only on the extended list? Good lord, why I am I even bothering to talk to you?

I kid, I kid...

If you had to pick your favorite book of all time, what would it be?

The Name of the Wind?

Ahh... That's why I'm talking to you. You've got me all blushy. Seriously though. What would your favorite be?

The monstrous compendium of Calvin & Hobbes.

Good choice. You're relatively new to the publishing world. How often do you check your amazon sales rank?

Oh, hells, busted. I used to check it all the time. Then I found this service that would do the dirty work for me...free. Check out titlez.com. Then I would check that sucker every couple of days. But I can proudly say that I've been Amazon sober for several months--with only a teeny little bit of backsliding.

What's the most shameful self-promotional thing you've ever done?

I joined Twitter? No, wait, I've done worse than that. I made some Stormtroopers pose with my books.

How about you?

Oh man. I don't know if it's the *most* shameful, but I have a bad habit of sending copies of my book to anyone I think might be remotely interested in it. Bloggers. Webcomic artists. Other authors. Everyone.

When The Name of the Wind was first published, I shotgunned books at least a hundred books out there, desperately hoping someone would read it, like it, and tell their friends.

What's your revision process like? How many drafts do you go through? What's the biggest cut you've ever made to a manuscript?

I cut the first thirty thousand words of The Way of Shadows. Then, much later, my agent told me to cut ten thousand words from Shadow's Edge. I went through seven hundred pages with a red pen, hacking out everything that wasn't necessary, and cut twenty thousand words. (Possibly a hundred pages, depending on spacing.)

I actually like revising. When you finish the first draft, a novel's such a rough stone, flawed and ugly, with only little glimmers of what it could be. Revising makes it a polished stone, flawed and ugly, with medium-sized glimmers of what it could be.

We sound pretty similar there. I actually cut the first chapter of Name of the Wind before we published it. It was cool worldbuilding, but it slowed the book down too much.

How about this? We take both of our cut beginnings, polish them up, then find a few other authors and start an anthology. How does that sound to you?

Man, I dunno. I mean, you HAVE a reputation to crap on. Me? If I sink any lower, I'll be the William Shatner of epic fantasy.

No... hold on a minute. I think this is a workable idea. If we got a few other authors who were willing to kick in their discarded chapters, it would be a cool collection that would give a peek into the creative process. It would show some of the behind-the-scenes worldbuilding we do that never makes it into the finished product.

Hell, we could call the anthology Worldbuilders. Then maybe donate some of the money it makes to next year's fundraiser...

C'mon. Say you'll do it. Remember: "The good of the many outweighs the good of the few..."

After computer switches and computer crashes... Man, I have no idea where that chunk is. Believe me, I'm all about cashing in for work I've already done, and giving proceeds to charity sounds good, too, but even if I found it... there's polishing a raw gem, and there's polishing poo. No matter how long you do the latter, it ain't gonna shine.

Maybe it isn't as bad as I remember. If I find it, I'll let you know.

I'll hold you to that. I like this idea....

What's the most hurtful thing someone has ever said in a review of your book?

It wasn't a review, but on a forum, someone posted a topic of "Brent Weeks raped Robert Jordan." That was pretty cool, especially because RJ was pretty much a hero of mine.

Will you tell me yours?

I think it might have been the Amazon reviewer who said all my female characters were whores or June Cleaver clones. That stung a bit.

If you could punch one literary figure in the face, who would it be?

Hold it, you never said you were going to ask about Twilight. Bollocks to Team Edward. Come here, you shiny pansy! Oh, um... I mean, not gonna go there.

Author D. H. Lawrence confessed that he enjoyed climbing mulberry trees while naked. Do you have any little rituals that help you write?

He did that first? Ah, man... You're telling me I have to come up with a new zany writer quirk for people to share about me?

I'm afraid so. You don't want people starting a forum thread titled: Brent Weeks raped DH Lawrence.

Seriously though. No little quirks about your writing process? No little superstitions or foibles?

I have these three balls, labeled 1000, 1500, and 2000. I juggle them in increasingly difficult patterns until I drop one. Whichever one I drop is the number of words I have to write that day.

I also make up lies to tell on the internet.

I recently made a joke about "transition putty" on my blog. That being, of course, what we writers buy at Home Depot to smooth out our rough transitions.

If you could have some sort of handyman tool like that, something like Plot Spackle or a Character Level. What would it be?

So you're the guy who's buying up all the transition putty? They keep telling me it's back ordered!

I do love !Vivify! brand Character Resurrection Screws. I had this guy who kept falling off my plot by dying, and a few of those suckers put him right back in place. I also have six--nope, nope--seven Plot Hole Shovels. I might need more...

Thanks again for agreeing to the interview. And for all the lovely swag you've donated to the fundraiser. You're a champ.

* * *

As you'll see below, Brent really went above and beyond in his donation, sending along a bunch of different signed versions of his Night Angel Trilogy. Ready for them all? Here we go....

Two boxed sets of the Night Angel trilogy. Signed by the Author.

Two sets of The Way of Shadows, Shadow's Edge and Beyond the Shadows. Signed by the Author.

Two hardcover collections of the Entire Night Angel trilogy. Signed by the Author.

An ARC of The Way of Shadows. Signed by the Author.

Two sets of the audio books The Way of Shadows and Shadow's Edge. Signed by the Author.

As you can see, Brent Weeks is one of those fancy lads who have already finished their trilogy. Three books, no waiting. Unlike some slackers out there...

A lot of folks have been raving about his books, but I'll just stick to Terry Brooks when he says: "I was mesmerized from start to finish. Unforgettable characters, a plot that kept me guessing, non-stop action and the kind of in-depth storytelling that makes me admire a writer's work."

Remember folks, the fundraiser is over on January 15th. Until then, for every 10 dollars you donate to Heifer International, you get a chance to win these books and hundreds of others like them.

I'm matching 50% of all donations made. So the money you kick in goes farther if you donate before the 15th. So why not head over to my page at Team Heifer and chip in. Trust me. You'll feel great afterward.

Or, if you want to go back to the main page for Worldbuilders to read the details and see all the cool prizes, you can click HERE.

With thanks to our sponsor, Subterranean Press.

A Veritable Cornucopia of Signed Books

prothfus@uwsp.edu (Pat) — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 13:31:00 +0000

This is a Worldbuilders blog.

Here's some more books, folks. And as you can see, we've been saving some of the best for last.

Also, in the interest of complete honesty, I'm over-tired and over-caffeinated right now. This makes me punchy, which means I probably shouldn't be doing anything delicate like writing book descriptions.

Still, the fundraiser ends on January 15th, which means I really need to get these posted sooner rather than later. So I'm going to apologize in advance for anything bizarre or inappropriate I might say below.

Sorry.

An Advance Reading Copy of Neil Gaiman's American Gods. Signed by the author.

A great book, and I'm not just saying that because a chunk of it is set in Wisconsin. I'm saying that because I'm a complete geek for Neil Gaiman *and* a big chunk of it is set in Wisconsin.

"Original, engrossing, and endlessly inventive; a picaresque journey across America where the travelers are even stranger than the roadside attractions." - George R. R. Martin

A hardcover copy of Small Favor - a Novel of the Dresden Files by Jim Butcher. Signed by the author.

Jim Butcher is another one of my favorite authors. In fact, he was one of the first authors I wrote about on the blog a long while back. I continue to love him despite the fact that writes two extremely well-crafted novels every year, thereby making me look like a chump.

From Publishers Weekly, "Butcher smoothly manages a sizable cast of allies and adversaries, doles out needed backstory with crisp efficiency and sustains just the right balance of hair's-breadth tension and comic relief."

A copy of Crystal Rain by Tobias S. Buckell.

"Crystal Rain is refreshing and imaginative, an exotic stew of cultures, myths, and technology." --Kevin J. Anderson

An ARC of Kevin J. Anderson's Fantastic Voyage. Signed by the Author.

Anyone who's read the acknowledgments in NOTW knows I owe Kevin Anderson a great debt of thanks, as he helped get me started in the publishing world. On top of that, I now owe him even *more* thanks for donating this lovely ARC...

Publisher's Weekly says, "Anderson's sizzling sci-fi thriller resurrects the technology of miniaturization introduced in the 1966 film Fantastic Voyage. [...] Casual sci-fi fans as well as newcomers to the genre will enjoy this well-paced, energetic narrative."

A set of Jonathan Green 's Pax Britannia: Unnatural History, Leviathan Rising and Human Nature. Unnatural History and Leviathan Rising are signed by the author.

From the back of the book: In two scant months the nation, and all her colonies, will celebrate 160 years of Queen Victoria's glorious reign. But all is not well at the heart of the empire of Magna Britannia. A chain of events is about to be set in motion that, if not stopped, could lead to a world-shattering conclusion. It begins with a break-in at the Natural History Museum. A night watchman is murdered. An eminent Professor of Evolutionary Biology goes missing. Then a catastrophic Overground rail-crash unleashes the dinosaurs of London Zoo!

A copy of Just Desserts by Simon Haynes. Signed by the author.

Signed by the author, the merest touch of this book will cure scrofula. At least that's what the promotional blurb says.

The Specusphere urges readers to "enjoy another fast and furious ride with the zap-happy, zany rapscallions."

A copy of Space Magic, stories by David D. Levine. This special signed hardcover edition is limited to 100 numbered copies; this book is copy number AC-6.

Like Nnedi, David Levine is one of the folks I met when we got published in Writers of the Future Volume 18 together. David writes short stories like I'll never be able to, and over the years his advice about how the publishing world works has been invaluable to me.

Space Magic is his first short story collection. His "Tk'Tk'Tk" won the 2006 Hugo Award for Best Short Story and "The Tail of the Golden Eagle" was a previous Hugo nominee; it also appeared on the Nebula preliminary ballot and was a finalist for the Sturgeon Award and Locus Award.

It's also important to note that this limited edition harcover of the book is numbered AC-6. Which means that it's harder to hit than AC-10.

A copy of Saundra Mitchell's debut novel, Shadowed Summer. Signed by the author.

Booklist says that Shadowed Summer is, "Highly atmospheric, with pulse-pounding suspense and an elegiac ending."

You hear that? Elegiac. How come nobody calls my book elegiac? I'm all kinds of elegiac.

A copy of The Six Sacred Stones by Matthew Reilly. Signed by the author.

"The wildly imaginative Reilly has taken inspiration from comics, video games, thrillers and Code-style puzzle novels to create this rocket-fueled sequel to his 7 Deadly Wonders [...] A tongue-in-cheek quality will help readers find this outlandish adventure thrilling." -- Publishers Weekly

A hardcover copy of The Third Sign by Gregory A. Wilson. Signed by the Author.

"Wilson's fantasy debut recalls the complexity of classic epic fantasy in the tradition of Robert Jordan. Combining adventure with mystery and memorable characters, this is a good choice for committed fantasy fans." —Jackie Cassada, Library Journal

Two hardcover copies of To Ride Hell's Chasm by Janny Wurts. Signed by the author.

"Janny Wurts writes with astonishing energy... it outght to be illegal for one person to have so much talent." - Stephen R. Donaldson

One set of Webmage, Cybermancy, CodeSpell and MythOS by Kelly McCullough. All signed by the author.

"The most enjoyable science fantasy book I've read in the last four years." - Christopher Stasheff

A set of Naked and Barrel Fever: Stories and Essays by David Sedaris. Both signed by the author.

David Sedaris is a brilliant author I only discovered a couple years ago when someone advised me to listen to his short piece "6-8 Black Men" on Youtube.

After less than a minute, Sedaris had a fan for life.

I've been meaning to post a blog recommending Sedaris' books for almost a year. But something always seems to get in the way. For example, the last time I sat down to write a post about it, I got hung up about whether or not I wanted to use the word "boner" in the blog. Then I started to write a blog about how avoiding the use of the word "boner" revealed a lot about my revision process. Then I stopped writing that blog and did something else. True story.

Anyway, a couple months ago, I found out that David Sedaris was on tour here in the US. What's more, I found out that he was making at stop Stevens Point. I still can't imagine why he was here in Podunk, WI. His tour schedule was literally something like this: San Diego > San Francisco > Los Angeles > Salt Lake City > Stevens Point > New York. My suspicion is that he lost a bet with God.

Sedaris gave a great performance and was incredibly gracious in person, though I'm pretty sure I made a bit of an ass of myself when I got to the front of the signing line. I bought a couple of his books and rather than have him sign them to me, I had him just sign his name so I could use them for this fundraiser. Also a true story.

Washington Post Book World describes Sedaris as "Shrewd, wickedly funny [...] one of America's most prickly, and most delicious, young comic talents."

There we go. Now I can go to sleep. Hopefully I didn't say anything too awful.... If I did, enjoy it while it lasts, because I'll probably just delete it when I wake up later today...

Remember folks, for every 10 dollars you donate to Heifer International, you get a chance to win these books and hundreds of others like them. Plus there's the whole helping make the world a better place thing. That's nice too.

And don't forget, I'm matching 50% of all donations made. So why not head over to my page at Team Heifer and chip in. Trust me. You'll feel great afterward.

Or, if you want to go back to the main page for Worldbuilders, you can click HERE.

With thanks to our sponsor, Subterranean Press.

Auctions: Golden Ticket and an ARC of the Princess and Mr. Whiffle

prothfus@uwsp.edu (Pat) — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 03:20:00 +0000

This is a Worldbuilders blog.

Let's deal with the simpler auction first, shall we?

An ARC of The Adventures of the Princess and Mr. Whiffle: The Thing Beneath the Bed by Patrick Rothfuss and Nathan Taylor. Signed by the Author.

(I think of it as Coraline meets Calvin and Hobbes.)

I've already talked about the Princess book over on this blog. If you'd like more details on it,you can head over there.

Simply said, if you win this auction, you can get an Advance Reading Copy of this book now, rather than having to wait until July when it's coming out through Subterranean Press. I'll sign it for you too.

Interested? Here's the link to the auction.

Note: for those of you interested in buying a copy of this book, you might want to do so sooner rather than later. Last I heard the print run was already more than half sold out...

The Golden Ticket.

(Note, contains no actual chocolate.)

Ever since I mentioned I was donating the Golden Ticket in one of the early posts of the fundraiser, people have been asking me questions about it.

Now that I'm auctioning one off, I should clarify a few things to make sure there's no confusion or hurt feelings after the bidding's done.

In the previous post about the golden ticket, here's what I said.

"If you win this prize, I will owe you one (1) favor. You can cash it in however you like.

You want your name in book two? We can do that. You want me to read your book and give you some criticism? No problem. You want me to attend your local convention, perform your wedding ceremony, or just give you a nice backrub? Consider it done.

A few stipulations:

* The favor has to be legal. (More or less.)

* It has to be something I can actually do. (Duh)

* I can't make anyone fall in love.

Other than that, I'll do my best to grant your wish…."

Aside from the last two sentences (which were really just a joking reference to Aladdin) I thought this was pretty clear. But since then, people have sent me e-mail asking questions that made me realize the wide scope of things people *could* ask for as a favor.

So here's a few more formal guidelines.

Examples of things you could use the golden ticket for:

You could ask for one of the original manuscripts I used while editing The Name of the Wind. Some folks consider them kinda collectible.

If you missed the previous auction, or just didn't manage to win, you could ask me to read and critique your manuscript.

You could get your name in my second book, as per the raffle we held a couple months ago.

You could ask for one of the numbered museum quality copies of the Luring the Draccus posters. Phil was nice enough to give me a couple, and I'd part with one for this.

You could ask to get an early look at The Wise Man's Fear. (As soon as it's ready to show around.)

Examples of things you *can't* use the Golden Ticket for:

I won't give out details about what happens in the third book. I don't go in for spoilers.

You can't ask to change the course of the book so that, say, Kvothe and Elodin have a sex scene. Or Kvothe and Ambrose have a sex scene. Or so that someone dies, or doesn't die, or has a threesome with Bast and Chronicler, or whatever. Sorry.

I won't blurb your book. I'd gladly *read* your book and consider blurbing it, but that's not something you can buy, at least not from me. I decided years ago that I didn't want to be a blurb whore, and that I'd only blurb books I truly enjoyed and could recommend wholeheartedly.

I won't re-name my child, buy you a car, beat up your ex-boyfriend, or become physically intimate with you.

Well... let's call that last one a maybe. Anything more than a kiss and backrub would have to be approved by Sarah.

As you can see, there's a lot of room between these two extremes. Someone asked if I would come out to their house, make them dinner, and tell them a story. My response was that that sounded fine to me so long as:

1) They didn't mind waiting until I can work it into my travel plans.
2) They like pasta.
3) They don't kill me and wear my skin like a coat.

See how easy I am to work with?

Here's the link to the auction.

Remember folks, for every 10 dollars you donate to Heifer International, you get a chance to win fabulous prizes. Plus there's the whole helping make the world a better place thing. That's nice too.

And don't forget, I'm matching 50% of all donations made. So why not head over to my page at Team Heifer and chip in. Trust me. You'll feel great afterward.

Or, if you want to go back to the main page for Worldbuilders, you can click HERE.

With thanks to our sponsor, Subterranean Press.

Sanderson, Gaiman, and a piece of iron that fell from the sky...

prothfus@uwsp.edu (Pat) — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 07:38:00 +0000

This is a Worldbuilders blog.

Those of you who have been following the fundraiser closely will know that I've been debating what to do with a few of the books that were donated.

Specifically, I've been wondering what to do with two very lovely, very collectible books given to us by Neil Gaiman and Brandon Sanderson.

After reading the hundred plus suggestions that were made on the blog and doing a lot of thinking, I've decided *not* to auction these books off. I'm going to enter them into the general lottery instead.

I'm not going to witter on about all the pros and cons I weighed to come up with this decision. Suffice to say that:

1. I think the books will be a nice draw for the lottery, and will help tempt people to donate a little more for a chance to win something so cool.

2. It's nice to have a couple super-rare prizes in the mix.

3. The lottery appeals to my egalitarian nature. Everyone has a chance to win.

That said, here are the two new additions to the lottery:

A first edition hardcover of The Gathering Storm, signed by Brandon Sanderson, Harriet Jordan, and many others.

Brandon was nice enough to take some time out from his crazed touring schedule to send us this copy of The Gathering Storm, signed by himself, Harriet Jordan (Robert Jordan's wife) and many of the people who made the book possible, including his agent and some of the production staff at Tor.

A signed, numbered ARC of Stardust. Hardcover in its own slipcase. Signed by Neil Gaiman.

This is a gorgeous book. I covet it to an almost ridiculous degree.

It's a numbered ARC of Stardust: number 28 of 250. Signed by Neil Gaiman.

Also, because I'm a bit of a geek, I'll donate a little extra something to go along with Gaiman's book. I happen to have a piece of the Gibeon meteorite laying around the house. It seems like an appropriate addition to this book, as it's an actual piece of iron that fell from the sky.

Here's a picture:

(Click to Embiggen)

I'm sorry it's not a very good picture. I can't find my camera, and I had trouble making Sarah's focus in on it properly. For reference, it's about an inch and a half on a side and weighs about 60 grams.

Gibeon meteorites are one of the rarer types, made almost entirely of nickel and iron. The top of the piece you see here is covered in a black coating called the fusion crust, caused by the surface of the meteorite getting really hot as it passes through the atmosphere.

You can see a better example of it in this picture:

(That's not my hand.)

The smooth faces where the meteorite has been cut show one of the cooler things about the Gibeon irons. There's a pattern embedded in the iron that looks like frost. And in some ways, it is like frost. Except frost shows up when water freezes, and these marks show up when iron and nickel slowly cool down over millions of years.

It's called a Widmanstätten pattern. And it forms because the different alloys of nickel and iron cool at slightly different rates while the molten iron is in space. The effect can't be duplicated on earth, so it only shows up in iron-nickel meteorites.

Each different meteorite fall has a different mix of iron and nickel, so they each have a slightly different pattern. In my opinion, the Gibeon's is one of the coolest looking.

Here's a better picture if you want to see what it looks like:

That's not my hand either, and the photo is actually from a site called Arizona Skies. If you're curious to get more information about meteorites, or just look at some cool pictures, they're a good place to start.

Okay. Enough meteoriticist geekery. I need some dinner.

Remember folks, for every 10 dollars you donate to Heifer International, you get a chance to win these books and hundreds more like them. Plus there's the whole helping make the world a better place thing. That's nice too.

So why not head over to my page at Team Heifer and chip in. Not only will you be automatically entered in the lottery to win these books and more. But I'm matching 50% of all donations made. Trust me. You'll feel great afterward.

If you want all the details about the Worldbuilders fundraiser, you can read all the details HERE.

Oh, and Happy New Years...

pat

Books, and an Interview with Nnedi Okorafor

prothfus@uwsp.edu (Pat) — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 04:26:00 +0000

This is a Worldbuilders blog.

Nnedi Okorafor was one of the very first writers I met when I was starting my publishing career. We both won places in Volume 18 of Writers of the Future back in 2002, and we met out at the workshop in LA.

I think I even have a picture of us back then at the award Ceremony. Let me see if I can find it....

(Awww.... Look at us. We're cute as fluffy puppies...)

Nnedi's a dynamo, and way tougher than I am. After I got my master's degree, I left academia behind me, shaking the dust from my feet. But Nnedi got her PhD.

In fact, she got her PHD, had a baby, and launched her writing career pretty much all at the same time. Like I said: Dynamo.

But in addition to that, she's a lot of fun. So when I started thinking of doing interviews for Worldbuilders, I thought of Nnedi....

Heya Nnedi. Let's say you're at a party and you meet someone you wanted to impress. What sort of things about your writing career would you casually drop into the conversation to prove that you're awesome?

I'd mention that I won some awards and stuff and that I like to write about a Nigeria enslaved by juju-powered computers.

Which awards have you won? Anything super-cool?

My novel, Zahrah the Windseeker, won the Wole Soyinka Prize for Literature. That was cool because not only did I win $20,000 but I was flown to Nigerian for a ceremony where I got to meet one of my greatest idols, Sub-Saharan Africa's first Nobel Laureate Wole Soyinka. Coolest day ever.

My children's book, Long Juju Man, won the Macmillan Writer's Prize for Africa. Last month, the University of Illinois gave me a Special Recognition Award. I've also been a finalist for the Tiptree Award, Golden Duck Award, Andre Norton Award, WSFA Small Press Award, Theodore Sturgeon Award, Essence Magazine Literary Award, an NAACP Image Award, blah blah.

Wow. That's a lot of mojo. Back in the sixth grade I won an award for doing the best lip sync in my com class, but you've totally got that beat.

Uh, dude, you also won the freakin' Quill Award and were a NYT bestseller. Can't forget those, man. ;-)

They just gave me the Quill because I'm pretty. What are you reading right now?

Otherland by Tad Williams. I read the series back when it first came out. My disgust with District 9 made me want to reread it; to wash away the grime. It's working. Next up, King's Under the Dome.

If you had to pick your favorite book of all time, what would it be?

The Talisman by Stephan King and Peter Straub. I first read it when I was twelve. That book unlocked a door in me that will never close. I still return to it every so often, despite the character of Speedy Parker being a "Magical Negro", heh.

That's a term I first heard of because of you, but not a lot of people know about it. Care to explain?

There are five points I came up with to spot a Magical Negro. Speedy Parker hits them all (well, number 3 is a little shaky until Black House). Here they are:

1. He or she is a person of color, typically black, often Native American, in a story about predominantly white characters.

2. He or she seems to have nothing better to do than help the white protagonist, who is often a stranger to the Magical Negro at first.

3. He or she disappears, dies, or sacrifices something of great value after or while helping the white protagonist.

4. He or she is uneducated, mentally handicapped, at a low position in life, or all of the above.

5. He or she is wise, patient, and spiritually in touch. Closer to the earth, one might say. He or she often literally has magical powers.

Check out my essay, "Stephen King's Super-Duper Magical Negroes", on the Strange Horizons website here.

If you lost a bet and had to stand under Neil Gaiman's window at midnight and serenade him. What song would you pick?

Lady Ga Ga's "Poker Face", the acoustic version.

Which would you rather do: cut out 20% of your current book, or insert a wacky talking animal sidekick (a la Disney movie) into half the chapters because the marketing people think it would make the book sell better.

Hey, I write for Disney (The Shadow Speaker is published by Disney and I'm writing a Disney Fairy chapter book titled Iridessa and the Fire-Bellied Dragon Frog). :-P. Plus I love wacky talking sidekick animals! I've got one in The Shadow Speaker. Well, Onion (Ejii's camel) speaks in monotone and with very very few words but yeah. :-D.

Heh. I've read Shadow Speaker, but I never thought of the Ejii's camel in the same vein as the classic Disney animal sidekick.

True. Onion's nothing like Abu in Aladdin or Mu-Shu the Dragon in Mulan. But I think the wacky Disney side-kick can be an asset when done with some finesse.

I like the idea of a sh*t-talking parrot or miniature hedgehog who makes no sense whenever she speaks. Or how about a jive-talking black monkey whose catchphrase is "AW DAAAYAUM"?

What's the best compliment you've ever received?

At a book signing, a grown man once told me that my YA novel Zahrah the Windseeker made him see spiders and insects everywhere he went for days. Ha ha, he looked relatively sane, but I guess you never know.

What's the most hurtful thing someone has ever said in a review of your book?

This white guy (won't mention names), once wrote that he wouldn't read my novels because it's full of black people and had no white characters to "balance it out". Nice.

If you could punch one literary figure, who would it be?

HA HA HA HA! OMG, dare I answer this…nah. My response would be absolutely SCANDALOUS.

Aww… Come on. You tell me yours and I'll tell you mine…

Believe me, you wouldn't believe who it is. It would be very very bad press for me to speak the name. It's utter blasphemy. But it makes me giggle that this name was the first thing to instantly pop into my head when I considered your question.

Okay. I don't want to get you in trouble...

The poet Edith Sitwell used to lie in an open coffin each day before she started writing. Do you have any little rituals that help you write?

I have a lot of rituals. An interesting one is that I must turn on my space heater and set it right beside me. Even during most of the summer days. I need to be hot when I write. Ok, that sounds kind of suggestive. Heh, you know what I mean.

Through an effort of pure will, I'll resist the urge to make the obvious joke....

I recently made a joke about "transition putty" on my blog. That being, of course, the what we writers buy at Home Depot to smooth out our rough transitions.

If you could have some sort of handyman tool like that, something like Plot Spackle or a Character Level. What would it be?

Natural-Looking Filler for those tough glaring gaps between the exciting parts of the story where crazy sh*t happens.

You can just say shit if you want. We're all friends here. Nobody's going to judge you.

Yeah, I figured it was ok with you. It's just that I judge myself. I was raised to never use profanity, so it's still odd for me. Ironically, I'm a big fan of cursing; it's one of the reasons I enjoy hip-hop so much. I do most of my cursing in my fiction. Like in my short story, "On the Road" in the Eclipse 3 Anthology.

Hmmm… Now that you mention it. I cuss a lot in real life, but not very much in my books. I wonder if there's a connection.

There is!

Maybe I need to save some of my cussing, so I can put it into a book later. I didn't know it was a finite resource.... Anyway, that's all I've got. Thanks so much for the interview, and thanks for donating some books to the cause.

:-). And thank you for putting it all together. I'm happy to be a part of it.

Four copies of The Shadow Speaker by Nnedi Okorafor-Mbachu. Signed by the author.

"Okorafor-Mbachu's imagination is stunning." - the New York Times

Remember folks, for every 10 dollars you donate to Heifer International, you get a chance to win hundreds of books like these: some signed, some limited edition, some out of print. Plus there's the whole helping make the world a better place thing. That's nice too.

And don't forget, I'm matching 50% of all donations made. So why not head over to my page at Team Heifer and chip in. Trust me. You'll feel great afterward.

Or, if you want to go back to the main page for Worldbuilders, you can click HERE.

With thanks to our sponsor, Subterranean Press.

(I keep trying to write a limerick, but nothing rhymes with Subterranean.)

Still even yet more books from DAW

prothfus@uwsp.edu (Pat) — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 06:03:00 +0000

This is a Worldbuilders blog.

Third time's a charm folks. Here's the third and final blog full of books from DAW. We've got stuff from some big-name authors. Both ARCs and some hardcover sets.

Share and Enjoy.

An ARC of The War of the Flowers by Tad Williams.

From Publishers Weekly, "Travel into another dimension is a popular fantasy ploy, but rarely accomplished with such humor, terror and even logic as in this stand-alone by bestseller Williams."

An ARC of Crown of Shadows by C.S. Friedman.

"Truly one of the great voices of speculative fiction, C.S. Friedman winds up her highly original Coldfire trilogy in brilliant fashion in CROWN OF SHADOWS... The sheer imaginative genius, not to mention incredible power, of Ms. Friedman's formidable storytelling gift is indescribable-you simply just have to experience it." -Romantic Times Magazine

A stunning novel, it combines good historical world-building, vampires, religion, and transcendence in a tale that is both entertaining and cathartic... A feast for those who like their fantasies dark, and as emotionally heady as a rich, red wine." -Locus

A set of the first two books in the Magister Trilogy, Feast of Souls and Wings of Wrath by C.S. Friedman.

"C.S. Friedman makes fantastic things-and frightening things-seem very real. Her characters are people, not just place-holders, and the worlds she creates are tangible as a live feed from the battlefront of a crash-landing in a savage and unfamiliar wilderness. She also writes bright, clear prose taht can shine like gemstones or cut like broken glass. If you haven't read her work you need to do something about that right now." - Tad Williams

An ARC of Owlknight by Mercedes Lackey & Larry Dixon.

From Library Journal, "Continuing the tale begun in Owlflight and Owlsight, Lackey's latest novel set in the world of Valdemar exhibits the author's characteristic attention to detail and character development. This welcome addition to the series belongs in most fantasy collections."

An ARC of Brightly Burning by Mercedes Lackey.

From Library Journal, "In the latest in her popular Valdemar series, Lackey combines the intensity of a young man's agonized coming of age with a tale of love, honor, and sacrifice. Essential for series fans, this title belongs in most fantasy collections."

An ARC of Flights of Fantasy, edited by Mercedes Lackey.

SFsite reviewer Georges T. Dodds says, "Flights of Fantasy contains 10 original tales of birds of prey (plus one about crows) ranging from humorous to dark fantasy. There are tales of falconry, Native American tribal totem birds, Arthurian reincarnations, along with stubborn princesses and nasty sorcerers. There is also a novella by Mercedes Lackey which further develops one of the neglected characters of her recent novel, Black Swan [...] If you are a fantasy reader and bird-lover -- in particular of birds of prey -- you will likely enjoy much of the material in Flights of Fantasy."

An ARC of Joust by Mercedes Lackey.

From Publishers Weekly, "This uplifting tale, which contains a valuable lesson or two on the virtues of hard work, is a must-read for dragon lovers in particular and for fantasy fans in general."

An ARC of The Black Swan by Mercedes Lackey.

From Library Journal, "Basing her latest fantasy on the tragic ballet Swan Lake, Lackey adds her own embellishments and interpretations to provide the story with a new ending."

A hardcover copy of Starfinder by John Marco.

From sffworld, "If the richness of the world and pacing are the best qualities of the book, these two come together quite strongly in the climax of the novel. Gods and men fighting in fantastical ships with magic and humanity’s freedom at stake – sure, a small encapsulation, but Marco builds to it quite well and the payoff is solid."

An ARC of The Eyes of God by John Marco.

"This epic fantasy novel, first in a brand new series, is a well-crafted addition to a much-beloved genre. The book's characters are well-drawn, and although the plot is fairly dense, the story moves along at a smart pace...the author creates a compelling and entertaining read." - Voya

A hardcover set of John Marco's trilogy: The Eyes of God; The Devil's Armor; and The Sword of Angels.

"Mr. Marco has delivered an epic fantasy with heart and pathos. His characters are flawed and believable, wholly sympathetic to the reader. He paints a landscape of palace grandeur and desert desolation where magic is a reality and winning a battle is not winning the war." - Romantic Times

An ARC of Sorcery Rising by Jude Fisher.

From Publishers Weekly, "Jude Fisher inaugurates his Fool's Gold series with Sorcery Rising, the story of a rebellious young knife maker's adventures at the great Allfair, held yearly in the shadow of a sacred rock that her people, the Eyrans, call Sur's Castle, and the Istrians (their former enemies) call Falla's Rock. Though Katla Aransen's boldness in climbing the mount puts her in grave danger, old feuds and strange sorcery seem equally threatening in a tale that asks as many questions as it answers."

A hardcover set of the Jude Fisher's trilogy Fool's Gold: Sorcery Rising, Wild Magic, and The Rose of the World.

From Booklist *Starred Review* "The nerve-wracking, intoxicating conclusion of the Fool's Gold series is the fabulous, multilayered, poetic story of a world, full of complex, painfully real, endearingly vulnerable characters, on the very brink of either enlightenment or extinction."

A hardcover copy of The Collected Short Fiction of C.J. Cherryh.

From Booklist, "This massive and valuable collection reprints all of Cherryh's short fiction, beginning with the contents of two out-of-print theme collections [...] Cherryh crafts even less impressive stories well enough to verify her reputation for brilliance and versatility."

An ARC of Chanur's Legacy by C.J. Cherryh.

From Publishers Weekly, "In the fifth entry in her chronicles of the Chanur clan, space-faring members of a catlike alien race called the hani, Cherryh includes more humor than previously while demonstrating a remarkable ability to imagine alien psychologies."

ARCs of Precursor and Defender by C.J. Cherryh.

From the Booklist review of Defender: "This excellent and intelligent book by one of sf's most powerful imaginations sports a plot that is always complex, occasionally convoluted, and seldom independent of that of Precursor, to which it is the direct sequel, continuing another of Cherryh's sagas of human-alien interaction. Like its predecessor, it is a good read, too."

A hardcover copy of Regenesis by C.J. Cherryh.

From the Publishers Weekly Starred Review, "The long-awaited, intricate sequel to Cherryh's Hugo-winning Cyteen (1989) brings events full circle. [...] Complex and rich, with beautifully rounded characters, this novel can stand alone, but will delight fans of Cyteen with extra layers of meaning that resonate between old and new."

This is the third blog with DAW's donations to the fundraiser. You can find the first one HERE and the second one HERE.

Remember folks, for every 10 dollars you donate to Heifer International, you get a chance to win hundreds of books like these: some signed, some limited edition, some out of print. Plus there's the whole helping make the world a better place thing. That's nice too.

And don't forget, I'm matching 50% of all donations made. So why not head over to my page at Team Heifer and chip in. Trust me. You'll feel great afterward.

Or, if you want to go back to the main page for Worldbuilders you can click HERE.

As always, with thanks to our sponsor, Subterranean Press.

More books from DAW

prothfus@uwsp.edu (Pat) — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 06:01:00 +0000

This is a Worldbuilders blog.

Okay folks, time for the rest of the DAW books. This blog has mostly ARCs. (Advance reading copies)

ARCs are cool because sometimes they're different from the original published book, and quite frequently they're "Uncorrected" which means that you can find typos in them. Remember, nothing makes you feel more superior than catching an author using "it's" when it should be "its."

An ARC of Lady of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley.

From Kirkus Reviews, "This smoky mix of magic, legend, people both mythic and real, and the ancient savageries of war supplies a chronological link between Bradley's The Forest House, set in first-century Britain, and her Arthurian saga, The Mists of Avalon. [...] The prose is as smooth as those sacred stones on which so many interesting things take place."

Three copies of the ARC for Exile's Song, A Novel of Darkover by Marion Zimmer Bradley.

From Kirkus Reviews, "Bradley poses her heroine a fine set of problems and supplies satisfying answers."

Two copies of the ARC of Rediscovery, A Novel of Darkover by Marion Zimmer Bradley and Mercedes Lackey.

From Library Journal, "Coauthors Bradley and Lackey combine their considerable talents to illuminate a seminal event in Darkover's long histroy from both the Terran and Darkovan perspectives. Series fans will welcome this title."

ARCs of The Fall of Neskaya and Zandru's Forge, books one and two of The Clingfire Trilogy by Marion Zimmer Bradley and Deborah J. Ross.

From VOYA, "As her health declined, Bradley invited coauthor Ross to join her, not in a continuation of her 'modern' Darkover novels, but in a return to the Ages of Chaos in The Clingfire Trilogy. This riveting page-turner, full of action and suspense, fleshes out the characters introduced in previous books. Bradley, who died in 1999, could not have left her Darkover creation in better hands. Fans will be pleased, and those new to the world of Darkover have a treat in store for them."

An ARC of The Shadow Matrix, A Novel of Darkover by Marion Zimmer Bradley.

Booklist calls it, "a high-class addition to Bradley's Darkover saga."

An ARC of The Burning Heart of Night by Ivan Cat.

SFsite says, "The Burning Heart of Night is a classic-style space opera, with plenty of suspense, sympathetic characters both human and alien, and interesting world building [...] It's entertaining, and the various concepts -- the biology of the fugueship, the ecology of New Ascension, the pathology of Scourge -- are credibly integrated into the plot."

An ARC of Mars Probes, edited by Peter Crowther.

Library Journal says, "From Ray Bradbury's gentle tale of love's conquest of fear ("The Love Affair"), never before published in the United States, to Michael Moorcock's ebullient homage to the Mars fiction of Leigh Brackett ("The Lost Sorceress of the Silent Citadel"), the 16 original stories in this collection capture the eternal fascination with the red planet. Including tales by Ian McDonald, Gene Wolfe, and other veteran sf authors, the stories in this volume range from science fantasy to high-tech adventure and belong in most libraries' sf collections."

An ARC of Space Inc. edited by Julie E. Czerneda.

From the back of the book: "What does the future hold for humankind? When we finally break free of this planet to launch ourselves into space on a more permanent basis, what will the classifieds of tomorrow read like? What will be the hottest jobs? Which positions will offer the chance for adventure, advancement, discovery, travel to distant worlds, and the accumulation of wealth?

Here are fourteen stories that answer these questions, tales of the challenges, perils, and responsibilities that workers of the future may have to face – from a librarian who could determine the fate of an alien race ... to a pair of space mechanics assigned a repair job for a species that despises humankind ... to a ballet instructor who must find a way to tailor human dance forms for a multilimbed sentient being ..."

An ARC of Heir of Stone by S.L. Farrell.

Booklist gave this one a Starred Review, saying, "Farrell's smashing series outdoes itself with each new volume. This one constitutes a wonderful tale of transformations, personal for Sevei and Kayne, global for the evolving consciousness of two species in conflict. Good enough to be cast in gold."

An ARC of Magic's Silken Snare by Elizabeth Gilligan.

From Booklist, "Gilligan's adventure-romance begins a new series, Silken Magic, set in an alternate seventeenth-century Europe [...] Gilligan creates an interesting world and develops it well, fills it with well-constructed characters, and engages them in a plot that definitely keeps one turning pages."

An ARC of Knight Fantastic, edited by Martin H. Greenberg & John Helfers.

"these excellent newly made legends are as entertaining and imaginative." - Booklist

An ARC of Past Imperfect, edited by Martin H. Greenberg & Larry Segriff.

SFsite review by Rich Horton, "Past Imperfect is a themed original anthology on the subject of time travel. The dozen stories included ring some mostly familiar changes on the time travel idea: variations of visiting yourself in the past and fixing things, of falling in love with someone in the past, of visiting the past to collect something valuable when it is still cheap, and of tangling past events into paradoxical knots that seem cleverly resolved to the reader even as the participants are confused."

One ARC of Mind Snare by Gayle Greeno.

VOYA reviews the book, saying that "this futuristic tale, set in the year 2158, is more of a thriller than a sci-fi adventure.[...] Interesting characters, many of them teenagers, populate the story. The dialogue is quite realistic, and Greeno makes good use of romance, humor, and action to keep the story fast paced. The violent action is graphic. Young readers might get bogged down by political intrigue involving the pope and the ayatollah (don't ask). But the book is exciting, and each chapter's log entry format-date, time, location-is enjoyable."

One ARC of Long Hot Summoning by Tanya Huff.

"Fresh, witty and amusing. Great reading for a hot summer night." -Science Fiction Chronicle

An ARC of Creature Fantastic edited by Denise Little.

VOYA, "This collection of original short stories about dragons, unicorns, and other legendary creatures finds well-established fantasy authors, such as Jody Lynn Nye, alongside others, including Pamela Luzier McCutcheon, who have never published fantasy fiction. This book will appeal to teens who read fantasy fiction, and it has the potential to be popular with mature Harry Potter fans."

Includes all-new, original stories by Jody Lynn Nye, Michelle West, Kristine Kathryn Rusch, Josepha Sherman, P.N. Elrod, Rosemary Edghill, Gary A. Braunbeck and others."

One ARC of Familiars edited by Denise Little.

From Booklist, "Although the emphasis is on humor throughout the collection, there is enough variety in it to please a broad range of fantasy readers."

One ARC of The Sorcerer's Academy edited by Denise Little.

From Booklist, "Given the career of an English boy named Harry, the creation of an American school for magic-workers was inevitable. Not inevitable was that the place be a fount of intelligent, if sometimes lightweight, entertainment."

An ARC of Guardian of the Promise by Irene Radford.

"This entertaining blend of fantasy and history...invites comparison with Mary Stewart and Marion Zimmer Bradley." - Publishers Weekly

An ARC of Women Writing Science Fiction as Men edited by Mike Resnick.

Cynthia Ward says, "When an anthology is titled Women Writing Science Fiction as Men, readers expect either stories on the cutting edge of feminist/gender theory, or a tribute to the late James Tiptree, Jr., the female author everyone thought was male. However, the anthology meets neither expectation. It has a different mandate. [...] Ccontributors include some big names and hot up-and-comers, among them Kay Kenyon, Mercedes Lackey, Susan R. Matthews, Terry McGarry, Severna Park, Laura Resnick, Jennifer Roberson, Kristine Kathryn Rusch, Karen E. Taylor, and singer-songwriter Janis Ian."

An ARC of The Riven Shield by Michelle West.

From the back of the book: "In the fifth novel of the Sun Sword series, acclaimed author Michelle West returns to a war-torn world of noble houses divided and demon lords unleashed..."

One ARC of The Plutonium Blonde by John Zakour & Lawrence Ganem.

I actually read this one a couple years ago and really enjoyed it...

"Fast-paced, witty and shrewd ... futuristic pulp for the thinking reader ... No one who got two paragraphs into this dark, droll, downright irresistible novel could ever bear to put it down until the last heart pounding moment."- SF Site

"A tongue-in-cheek hardboiled attitude .. good fun for those who can handle the concentrated doses of humor." - Locus

ARCs of Green Rider and First Rider's Call by Kristen Britain.

"Terrific! It's going to be classic..." - Marion Zimmer Bradley

This is the second blog with DAW's donations. You can find the first one HERE and the third one HERE.

Remember folks, for every 10 dollars you donate to Heifer International, you get a chance to win hundreds of books like these. Some signed, some limited edition, some out of print. Plus there's the whole helping make the world a better place thing. That's nice too.

And don't forget, I'm matching 50% of all donations made. So why not head over to my page at Team Heifer and chip in. Trust me. You'll feel great afterward.

Or, if you want to go back to the main page for the Worldbuilders fundraiser you can click HERE.

With thanks to our sponsor, Subterranean Press.

Signed books from DAW

prothfus@uwsp.edu (Pat) — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 09:47:00 +0000

This is a Worldbuilders blog.

It should come as no surprise that DAW has a special place in my heart. They are my publisher, after all. And without my lovely editor Betsy, I wouldn't be where I am today.

Continuing a long chain of generosity and kindness, the folks at DAW have donated boxes and boxes of books to Worldbuilders this year: signed books, out of print books, ARC's....

The truth is, they sent so many books that I can't fit them all into one blog. So this first one will just be the signed copies.

Hardcover copies of City of Golden Shadow, River Blue Fire, and Sea of Silver Light by Tad Williams. Signed by the author.

Back in the day, when I was toiling away on an early version of my book, reading Tad's stuff gave me hope. I knew my book was going to be Big, and it reassured me that big, thick fantasy novels like The Dragonbone Chair had a place in the publishing world.

These days, Tad Williams and I share both an agent and an editor. In the publishing world, that makes us the equivalent of half-brothers. I met him one week before my own book hit the shelves, and I wrote one of my very first blogs about it. Here's a link, if you're interested.

Suffice to say that I'm fond of Tad for all sorts of reasons, so you really shouldn't trust my opinion about his books. I'm biased.

Instead why don't you trust the San Fransisco Chronicle when they describe the Otherland books as, "The ultimate virtual-reality saga, borrowing motifs from cyberpunk, mythology, and world history."

A hardcover copy of Tad Williams' Shadowmarch with signed bookplate.

"Packed with intriguing plot twists, this surreal fantasy takes the reader on a thrill ride." - Publishers Weekly

A hardcover copy of Tad Williams' The War of the Flowers with signed bookplate.

A modern faerie tale. Reviewing this book, Publishers Weekly said, "Williams's imagination is boundless..."

A hardcover copy of The Hidden City by Michelle West with signed bookplate.

Michelle West is another person that I'm hopelessly biased toward. Not only did she write my favorite review ever for my book, but she's a profoundly lovely person on top of it.

So instead you should listen to John Ottinger when he says that Hidden City..."is a worthy addition to the fantasy canon, both for its unusual nature, and its deep meanderings into the human psyche on the subjects of pain, loss, and hope in adversity."

An ARC of Prophets by S. Andrew Swann with signed bookplate.

SF Signal says, "A perfectly balanced combination of political intrigue, fast action and meticulous world building [...] never fails to involve the reader."

An ARC of Flight of the Renshai by Mickey Zucker Reichert with signed bookplate.

Harriet Klausner says Flight of this book is, "a terrific entry into the wonderful swashbuckling fantasy world of Mickey Zucker Reichert."

A copy of Stronghold by Melanie Rawn with signed bookplate.

According to The Midwest Book Review, Stronghold "will delight any enthusiast of dragon fantasies and complex fantasy worlds [...] a stunning world replete with romance, power struggles, unexpected controntations between individuals and beasts, and political intrigue."

An ARC of The Cracked Throne by Joshua Palmatier with signed bookplate.

"This novel grips the reader with a swift-moving tale of political intrigue and economic survival in a world where the most dangerous secrets are never forgotten." - Publishers Weekly

Two sets of Owlflight and Owlsight by Mercedes Lackey and Larry Dixon.

"Owlsight will bring new fans into the fold, and please those who already love the land of Valdemar."-Starlog

A copy of Gwenhwyfar: The White Spirit by Mercedes Lackey with signed insert.

From Rave Reviews, "Lackey is a spellbinding storyteller who keeps your heart in your mouth as she spins her intricate webs of magical adventure."

A copy of the ARC for Foundation by Mercedes Lackey with signed bookplate.

From Booklist, " Thanks to court intrigues and an attempt by foreign infiltrators to trick Valdemar to its disadvantage, Lackey makes a real page-turner out of Mags' and the collegia's development [...] this book’s outstanding characters, especially Mags, will greatly please Valdemar fans."

ARCs of the first two books in C. S. Friedman's Magister Trilogy: Feast of Souls and Wings of Wrath, both with signed bookplates.

A copy of the ARC of The Wilding by C. S. Friedman with signed bookplate.

The Barnes & Noble Review, "richly detailed characters; complex, emotionally absorbing themes; and singularly original settings. In a genre where the inundation of mediocre story lines is like so much white noise, Friedman is a unique voice singing out loudly and clearly above the din."

A hardcover copy of King's Dragon by Kate Elliott. Signed by the author.

From Booklist, "The first volume of Crown of Stars, another complex fantasy saga of political and magical intrigue, bodes extremely well [...] The saga's world is exceedingly well built (including a working economy, for instance), its pacing is brisk enough to keep the pages fluttering, and its characters are, at this stage, at least archetypes who may develop into more. This certainly could become one of the best multivolume fantasies--fans, take note!"

A hardcover copy of The Burning Stone by Kate Elliott. Signed by the author.

From Kirkus Reviews, "Third entry in the Crown of Stars series following Prince of Dogs (1998) and King's Dragon (1997). The kingdoms of Wendar and Varre are riven by sorcery and strife [...] A solid addition to this respectable series. And, at this whopping length, it should keep the most avid fans happy for a few days."

A copy of the ARC for Crown of Stars by Kate Elliott with signed bookplate.

Library Journal says, "Continuing her epic tale of kings and common folk, warriors and priests, Elliott demonstrates her talent for combining magic and intrigue with grand-scale storytelling."

A copy of the ARC for Rift in the Sky by Julie E. Czerneda with signed bookplate.

Publishers Weekly says, "Czerneda's world-building flair and fascinating characters set this intricate story well above most SF series prequels."

A copy of the ARC for Conspirator by C. J. Cherryh with signed bookplate.

"A large new Cherryh novel is always welcome [...] a return to the anthropological science fiction in which she has made such a name is a double pleasure [...] superlatively drawn aliens and characterization." - Chicago Sun-Times

A copy of the ARC for The High King's Tomb by Kristen Britain with signed bookplate.

"Kristen Britain is a very talented author who appears destined to be one of the genre's superstars." - Midwest Book Review

A copy of The Golden Key by Melanie Rawn, Jennifer Roberson and Kate Elliott. Signed bookplate by all three authors.

From Booklist, "This three-way collaboration is original in concept and superior in execution, notably better than anything any of its authors, which include Jennifer Roberson and Kate Elliott as well as Rawn, has produced on her own. [...] Characterizations and world-building are finely realized, Rawn and company have done their homework on art, the pacing is respectable, and overall, the romance justifies every one of its nearly 800 pages and demands its place in most fantasy collections."

There are two more blogs full of books that DAW has donated to Worldbuilders. Here's the second and third one. if you're interested.

Remember folks, for every 10 dollars you donate to Heifer International, you get a chance to win hundreds of books: some signed, some limited edition, some out of print. Plus there's the whole helping make the world a better place thing. That's nice too.

And don't forget, I'm matching 50% of all donations made. So why not head over to my page at Team Heifer and chip in. Trust me. You'll feel great afterward.

Or, if you want to go back to the main page for the Worldbuilders fundraiser and read all the details, you can click HERE.

With thanks to our sponsor, Subterranean Press.

Joy to the World.

prothfus@uwsp.edu (Pat) — Fri, 25 Dec 2009 18:10:00 +0000

Hello everyone,

I've been letting things lull a bit over the holidays. I'm busy with family stuff, and I'm guessing most of you are too. Rest assured that in a couple of days Worldbuilders will be rolling along, strong as ever, and I'll be posting up more donations, auctions, interviews, and general coolness.

I might even be reading y'all a story, if I can figure out how to work my new video camera and post things on Youtube...

For now, I'll just pass along a few pieces of of good news:

Donations:

Over the last few days, we've raised over 12,000 dollars. We've shot past our most recent $50,000 goal, and well beyond $53,000 that we raised last year. I don't know about you, but this sudden burst of donations is the best Christmas present I could get. (I know not everybody celebrates Christmas, but I do. So for me, this is a Christmas present.)

Click Here to Donate

I'll raise the limit on the thermometer later. For now, let's just bask in the warm glow of our collective awesome.

And yes, I'm still matching 50% of all donations.

Update from Peru:

For those of you who are curious about the specifics of what Heifer does. Here's a link to a file they sent me a couple months ago. It gives details about a project in Peru that Heifer funded with some of the money we raised last year.

Heifer Peru Project.doc

While it's a fairly technical document, it's worth a quick read through. It shows how Heifer is really taking the long view with these projects. They focus on education, ecological sustainability, and giving communities the tools they need to improve - and eventually thrive.

We're doing a good thing here folks. We're changing the world.

pat

This is a Worldbuilders blog.

Want details? Click here.

News, FAQ updates, and a Question

prothfus@uwsp.edu (Pat) — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 20:11:00 +0000

Alright folks. Today we're going to take a break from listing prizes. Instead, I'm going to pass along some Worldbuilders news and answer a few questions that have cropped up.

Lastly, I'd like to get everyone's opinion on what to do with few of the rockstar prizes that have been donated by Neil Gaiman and Brandon Sanderson.

News

Donations and book totals:

The big news is that we're only 18 days into the fundraiser and we've already raised over 36,000 dollars. That's not counting the any of the matching donations from Subterranean Press or myself.

In short, I think it's safe to say that we are pretty frikkin cool.

Donations keep arriving from authors and publishers. As of right now we have more than a thousand books worth over 30,000 dollars.

Miscelaneous News:

I found a cheaper way to mail the Draccus posters internationally. So I'm dropping the shipping price from 28 dollars to 15 dollars. If you paid the old price, don't worry. I'll send you a paypal refund soon.

A cool bookstore called The Bookloft out in Massachusetts has started fundraiser of their own. For every copy of my book people buy, they're donating money to Worldbuilders. Needless to say, I'm flattered and thrilled. Next time I'm in the neighborhood, I'm going to stop by and take you all out to lunch, especially the brilliant employee who spearheaded the idea....

Lastly, don't forget the auctions for getting your manuscript critiqued are ending this Sunday. So if you've got a fledgling story you'd love some feedback on, don't miss out.

Also, I know the tendancy on e-bay acutions is to wait until the last 45 seconds of the auction then bid your ass off with the hope of getting the item cheap. While those tactics tend to work pretty well in general, remember that these auctions in specific are meant to raise money for Heifer international. So bidding early really wouldn't be a bad thing, would it?

FAQ

I ordered a book/galley/poster from you. When will I get it?

Man. I've got no idea. We've been getting things out the door as quickly as possible. But the mail is really slow this time of year because of the holidays. My advice is to be patient. Sending me an e-mail isn't going to make the package move any faster, it's just going to make me slower in mailing out everyone else's packages.

What are my odds of winning something if I donate?

As I said above, we've got over 1000 books. But because a lot of them are grouped into trilogies or sets, it breaks down to there being over 500 prizes.

That means if you donate 10 bucks, right now you've got about a 1 in 70 chance of winning something.

If you donate enough for a goat ($120) that means you have about a 1 in 6 chance of winning something. Pretty sweet odds, you have to admit.

Keep in mind these are rough estimates. And the odds will shimmy around a bit as new books come in and donation totals rise.

Can I still donate a signed copy of my book for the fundraiser?

Sure. But I'd get it in the mail quickly if I were you.

How come you're donating all these different versions of your book, but not the audio version?

Honestly, I just didn't think of it, the audiobook version is pretty new. I've got hardcovers of NOTW laying around the house, but I didn't have a spare audiobook sitting on my shelf.

But it's a good idea, so I went out bought one.

That this isn't *quite* the right picture. I bought the CD version, not the MP3 version. I figured anyone can use the CD version.

My uncle/mom/grampa speaks Polish/Spanish/Japaneese. If I donate double the cover price, can I buy a signed copy of one of those books directly from you?

Hmmm… I don't have all that many copies of some of my foreign translations. (Except for Spanish, I have a ton of those.) If you're really interested, drop an e-mail to paperback.contest [squigly atsign thinger] gmail.com and we'll work something out.

I wanted to get one of those Heifer Gift cards, that show you've made a donation in someone's name, but I couldn't find a way to get on the Team Heifer site. Can you help me?

I can. Heifer is sending me a bunch of the gift cards. If you've donated on my page and you want one of the cards. Drop us an e-mail at the address I just listed in the previous answer and we'll mail one (or more) out to you.

Is there a facebook event for the fundraiser that I can invite my friends to?

There is now.

Invite away. Thanks for helping to spread the word.

If I want to send you a cheque in the mail rather than donating directly on the Team Heifer site, do I send it to your PO Box?

Sure. Send it to:

Pat Rothfus
PO BOX 186
Stevens Point, WI 54481

Two Questions

1) Would people like it if I put a second "Golden Ticket" up for auction? More importantly, would you bid on it?

2) This year we have a couple extra-cool books that have been donated. Take a look:

A first edition hardcover of The Gathering Storm, signed by Brandon Sanderson, Harriet Jordan, and many others.

A signed, numbered ARC of Stardust. Hardcover in its own slipcase. Signed by Neil Gaiman.

This is a gorgeous book. I covet it to an almost ridiculous degree.

So. Should I put these books up for auction, or should I add them to the general lottery?

The auction would be nice, because between the two of these I expect we'd raise at least a couple thousand dollars for Heifer.

But adding them to the general lottery would be cool too. That way everyone has a chance to win them, and it might make more people enthusiastic about donating.

What do you think? I'm really on the fence about this. Let me know what you think in the comments below.

Remember folks, for every 10 dollars you donate to Heifer International, you get a chance to win hundreds of books: some signed, some limited edition, some out of print. Plus there's the whole helping make the world a better place thing. That's nice too.

And don't forget, I'm matching 50% of all donations made. So why not head over to my page at Team Heifer and chip in. Trust me. You'll feel great afterward.

Or, if you want to go back to the main page for the Worldbuilders fundraiser and read all the details, you can click HERE.

pat

A Plethora of Signed Books

prothfus@uwsp.edu (Pat) — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 16:30:00 +0000

This is a Worldbuilders blog.

That's right. I said plethora. You want to make something of it?

Today we have even more delicious books as prizes for the fundraiser. All of these have been donated by the authors themselves. This means two things:

1. All these books are signed.
2. These authors are cool as hell.

Oh sure, I know. You're thinking that ALL fantasy and Sci-Fi authors are cool as hell. And yeah, that's pretty much true. But these folks have taken it to the next level. They're doubleplus good. They're hoopy. They're, like, Fonzie cool.

Alright, on to the books:

Two copies of The Rhinoceros Who Quoted Nietzsche and Other Odd Acquaintances by Peter S. Beagle. Signed by the author.

Anyone who knows me, knows I'm a huge fan of Peter S. Beagle. This is a collection of some of his short fiction, including one of my favorite short stories of all time, "The Rhinoceros who Quoted Nietzsche." Man, just thinking of that story makes me want to go and read it right now....

Locus describes this book as, "a definite must for Beagle fans and lovers of fine fantasy."

Two copies of The Line Between by Peter S. Beagle. Signed by the author.

This collection includes the Hugo Award-Winning story "Two Hearts," which is a sequel to The Last Unicorn. If you haven't read it, you don't know what you're missing.

I'm not the only one that's gushy over Beagle. Ursula K LeGuin herself says that he's "...An expert on those heart's reasons that reason does not know."

Two copies of We Never Talk About My Brother by Peter S. Beagle. Signed by the author.

Want a few more Beagle Quotes? Fine. Here you go...

"Peter S. Beagle has both opulence of imagination and mastery of style." - New York Times Book Review

"At his best, Peter S. Beagle outshines the moon, the sun, the stars, the entire galaxy." - Seattle Times

If all that doesn't convince you to give him a read, I don't know what will...

Hardcover copies of Acacia and The Other Lands by David Anthony Durham. Signed by the author.

I've known David for a while, and talked about him and his first book at some length in a blog called, How David Anthony Durham Saved my Life.

But if you don't care what I think, (and why should you, really?) then you can trust Kirkus when they say that The Other Lands "boggles the mind and transcends genre."

A copy of A Taste of Magic by Andre Norton and Jean Rabe. First edition hardcover signed by Jean Rabe.

I've gotten to know Jean Rabe pretty well over the last couple years. In addition to being a truly prolific writer, she runs the writer-track programming at Gen-Con in Indianapolis. There's some great programming there with some authors that I've really come to love over the years.

This book is something special, as it's Andre Norton's last book. Jean and Andre were frequent collaborators, and Jean says "This was an honor--to finish Andre Norton's last manuscript."

A copy of When the Husband is the Suspect by F. Lee Bailey with Jean Rabe. First edition hardcover signed by Jean Rabe.

Something a little outside our normal Fantasy and Sci-fi bounds here. Jean notes that "This was my first true-crime endeavor with F. Lee Bailey!"

A copy of Dragon Mage by Andre Norton and Jean Rabe. First edition hardcover signed by Jean Rabe.

Jean Rabe says, "I had great fun plotting this with Andre. I picked the Wisconsin place-she picked the historical setting."

A set of Martha Wells' series, The Fall of Ile-Rien: The Wizard Hunters, The Ships of Air, and The Gate of Gods. First edition hardcovers, signed by the author.

Locus says that Martha Well's books are, "Fascinating…A vastly entertaining and refreshingly different fantasy adventure with a surprisingly satisfying conclusion."

A copy of The Words of Their Roaring by Matthew Smith. Signed by the author.

From the back of the book: "London is now a city overrun by the zombie hordes. Most of the human survivors live from day to day, scraping together an existence among the ruins, avoiding the shambling, flesh-hungry undead that still stalk the streets. But for others this gruesome situation is an opportunity, a chance to establish a power base within the capital, now that authority has collapsed. For gang lord Harry Flowers, the plague is his chance to finally rule the city unopposed."

A set of Wanderlust and Doubleblind by Ann Aguirre. Signed by the author.

National bestselling author Sharon Shinn says that these books are, "An irresistible blend of action and attitude..."

Two copies of the Silver Phoenix by Cindy Pon. First and second edition copies, both are signed by the author.

I met Cindy out at Comic Con this year. And she was very helpful during this year's fundraiser, helping me to spread the word to other authors who then donated books. Silver Phoenix is her first book, and I've heard nothing but good things about it.

Booklist gave her a starred review, and said: "If the cover image of a fearless Chinese heroine reminds readers of such films as Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, that's intentional; the story inside will too. Pon's writing, both fluid and exhilarating, shines whether she's describing a dinner delicacy or what it feels like to stab an evil spirit in the gut."

A set of The Onyx Court series: Midnight Never Come and Ashes Lie by Marie Brennan. Signed by the author.

I haven't read these, but after checking out these two blurbs, I think I might wander over to Amazon...

"Stunningly conceived and exquisitely achieved... Brennan's myriad fantastical creations ring as true as her ear for Elizabethan and faerie dialogue" - Publishers Weekly

"...firmly rooted in real history, set in a convincingly-constructed Elizabethan England, but with a secret faerie court existing beneath London ... a political thriller, with conspiracies, spies and shady machinations..." - SFX Magazine, four-star review

A set of the series Doppelganger: Witch and Warrior by Marie Brennan. Signed by the author.

Dave Duncan says, "Doppelganger is a great read. The characters are admirable people, the magic is unconventional and unobtrusive, the pace never flags, and the plot will keep you turning pages right to the wholly satisfying finale."

A copy of The Clockwork King of Orl by Mike Wild. Signed by the author.

From the back of the book: "There's a whole world out there, and it isn't ours! The words of her mentor inspire Kali Hooper to explore the lost places of Twilight, unearth the secrets of the past, and discover the fate of the vanished Old Races. Including the mysterious construct known as the Clockwork King of Orl."

A copy of Child of Fire by Harry Connolly. Signed by the author.

Child of Fire was on Publishers Weekly "Best 100 Books of 2009" list. And Sherwood Smith says that, "Harry Connolly's story jets from 0 to 60 in five pages and never lets you brake for safety. He's a fantastic new voice."

A copy of Terribly Twisted Tales edited by Jean Rabe and Martin H. Greenberg. Signed by author Kelly Swails.

Kelly is one of the authors I know from the Gen-Con writer's track. Notw only is she a complete sweetheart, but Tor.com has called her writing "ingenious" and "thoroughly inventive."

A set of the Blue Kingdoms anthologies: Shades & Specters, Buxom Buccaneers and Pirates of the Blue Kingdoms. Signed by Kelly Swails.

How can you not want a book with the word Buxom in the title? It's just a fun word. Say it. "Buxom."

These Blue Kingdom anthologies are full of award-winning fantasy authors like Lorelei Shannon, Robert E. Vardeman, Kathleen Watness, Marc Tassin, Paul Genesse, Jean Rabe, Stephen D. Sullivan.... and, of course, Kelly Swails herself.

A copy of Black and White by Jackie Kessler and Caitlin Kittredge. Signed by the authors.

Publishers Weekly weekly says that Kessler and Kittredge, "create a dark world where the narrow line between hero and vigilante is defined by corporate interests [...] Jet and Iridium's multifaceted relationship will appeal to all who have come to want more from their superheroes than good vs. evil and mindless battles."

A set of Doctrine of Labyrinths: Melusine, The Virtu, The Mirador and Corambis by Sarah Monette. Hardcover first editions signed by the author.

Jacqueline Carey says that Malusine is, "A lush novel, rife with decadent magic, dehibilitating madness, and dubious deeds."

And in a starred review, Publishers Weekly speaks highly of Monette, calling her, "...a highly original writer with her own unique voice."

A copy of The Bone Key by Sarah Monette. Signed by the author.

From Publishers Weekly: "Monette reconstructs the traditional English ghost story—insinuated horror, no gratuitous sex or violence—with a decidedly modern-day approach in this laudable collection of 10 necromantic mystery stories featuring introverted museum archivist Kyle Murchison Booth. [...] Cerebral, ethereal and stylishly understated, this entrancing collection will appeal to fans of literary horror, dark fantasy and supernatural mystery."

And remember, if you like Monette's stories, she's donated a signed manuscript of four uncollected Booth stories to the fundraiser. The auction is over later today, so if you don't bid soon you're out of luck...

A set of Kristen Britain's series: Green Rider, Rider's First Call and The High King's Tomb. Signed by the author.

In addition to donating a handwritten page of her fourth book's manuscript to the auctions, Kristen has given us a signed set of the first three Green Rider books. (The auction ends later today [Dec 16th] so if you're interested you'd better hurry...)

Anne McCaffrey called GREEN RIDER "a stunning first novel," and this trade edition of Green Rider features a 10th Anniversary introduction by the author.

Remember folks, for every 10 dollars you donate to Heifer International, you get a chance to win these books and hundreds of others like them. Plus there's the whole helping make the world a better place thing. That's nice too.

And don't forget, I'm matching 50% of all donations made. So why not head over to my page at Team Heifer and chip in. Trust me. You'll feel great afterward.

Or, if you want to go back to the main page for the Worldbuilders fundraiser and read all the details, you can click HERE.

With thanks to our sponsor, Subterranean Press.

(Did I mention Subterranean is printing a new book of mine? I think I did...)

Bad Moon Books

prothfus@uwsp.edu (Pat) — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 18:09:00 +0000

This is a Worldbuilders blog.

Imagine my delight when, for the second year, we received several hefty boxes of donations from Bad Moon Books.

Want to see them? Of course you do...

You'll forgive me if I'm not my normal verbose self today. Little Oot is sick, and I've got a lot of Christmas-is-coming things going on right now. Next year, I'm definitely starting the fundraiser earlier....

Three signed limited editions, one in traycase cover, of The Adventures of Mr. Maximillian Bacchus and His Travelling Circus by Clive Barker.

DAVID NIALL WILSON on Barker's new book: "From the first story, in which Indigo Murphy, the best bird handler in the world leaves the show to join in matrimony with the Duke Lorenzo de Medici, to the fabled court of Kubla Khan, the magic never stops. You will meet a young apple thief named Angelo with magic eyes, an orang-outang named Bathsheba, and a host of other amazing characters with names and personas cut like a patchwork quilt from the mythologies and dreams of the world. Though written forty years ago, these pages are littered with the same magical side steps that have always been woven into Clive Barker’s fiction."

An uncorrected proof of The Adventures of Mr. Maximillian Bacchus and His Travelling Circus by Clive Barker. Signed by the author.

As above, but in sexy ARC form.

A signed, numbered, limited edition of Shadow of the Dark Angel by Gene O'Neill.

"When is a serial killer novel about much more than just the murders? When the psychopath is in the skilled hands of a master storyteller. In Shadow Of The Dark Angel Gene O'Neill has crafted yet another multi-genre, mind blowing adventure into the dark heart of humanity. Part horror, part psychological thriller, and part police procedural, Shadow is sure to thrill his growing legion of fans. Highly recommended." - Gord Rollo, author of The Jigsaw Man

A signed numbered limited edition of Doc Good's Traveling Show by Gene O'Neill.

"Listen up. I've been a Gene O'Neill fan since reading his daring and disturbing 'The Burden of Indigo' several years back. Gene is not just a good writer, he's a student of good writing, and has the kind of talent that just gets better with age and exposure to the elements." -Harry Shannon, author of Dead and Gone.

A signed, PC limited edition of Plague Monkey Spam by Steve Vernon.

How can you not want to read a book called Plauge Monkey Spam? The title alone says it all...

"Steve Vernon has tapped the strange fiction vein like never before." - Hellnotes

A signed, illustrated, limited edition of The Not Quite Right Reverend Cletus J. Diggs and the Currently Accepted Habits of Nature by David Niall Wilson.

Description from Bad Moon Books: "From the moment Cletus and Sheriff Bob drag the corpse from the fishing hole to the final moments of terror, the action is non-stop, tense, and filled with surprises. Between the Reverend Dozier and his church, the swamp witch, the albino twins, and the local lodge's well-hidden secrets, the strange events in Old Mill, NC are pretty much out of control." Featuring illustrations by Zach McCain.

Two signed, limited editions of Wings of the Butterfly by John Urbancik.

"With Wings of the Butterfly, John Urbancik infuses his tale of shapeshifters, romance and pack rivalry with some unexpected and welcome surprises. Fluid prose, gore galore and all-too human characters make this unusual, fast-paced novella a must for fans who like their horror served blood-rare." - Bram Stoker Award winner Kealan Patrick Burke.

Two signed, limited editions of Necropolis by John Urbancik.

Promo copy: "In the great city of the dead, a dollar coin might buy your dearest wish. A photographer might capture her own heart. A breeze might reveal a raven. Listen to the sounds of the flute, listen to the soundless fireflies, listen to the ravensong. It's not only ghosts that wander the Necropolis."

Two signed, limited edition copes of House of Shadow & Ash by John Urbancik.

When his shadow cuts itself free, Philip discovers he absolutely needs his shadow to survive.

One reviewer says the book has "…subtle allusions to Shaherazade, some Ray Harrhausen skeltonic scenarios, and a tinge of Edgar Rice Burroughs…"

Two copies of The Day Before by John Skipp & Cody Goodfellow

"The end of civilization has never been so much fun." - Sarah Langan

A signed, numbered, limited edition of Vampire Outlaw of the Milky Way by Weston Ochse.

Brian Keene says: "Vampire Outlaw of the Milky Way is what would happen if Ray Bradbury and Lin Carter got together to write a space opera. Only Weston Ochse could write something like this. In lesser hands, it would fall apart. Weston is one of the best authors of our generation."

Two signed, limited editions of The Lucid Dreaming by Lisa Morton.

"A cold, calculating nightmare. Sharp as a finely honed blade. 'The Lucid Dreaming' cuts, separating the flesh before you even know you've been injured. It makes you bleed as a reader." - Del Howison, Bram Stoker Award-winning editor.

Two signed, limited editions of The Better Year by Bridget Morrow.

Horror Mall says this book is "A haunting tale of troubled youth, love gone bad, and demons both real and perceived."

Two signed, limited editions of The Watching by Paul Melniczek.

Gene O'Neil says this book has, "slow but efficient creation of mood and unsettling spooky plot developments just out of clear sight, in many ways reminiscent of the 20th century classical stories... Do yourself a favor and read The Watching."

A signed, limited edition of The Gray Zone by John R. Little.

From the Bram Stoker award winning author of Miranda comes this new novella of love and terror and the mysteries of time.

A signed, limited edition of Johnny Gruesome by Gregory Lamberson.

Bram Stoker Award winner Kealan Patrick Burke says "Sex, drugs, and rock n' roll are back, in the Death Mobile drivin', leather jacket-clad corpse of Johnny Gruesome, a man who lives up to his name in every sense of the word. The reader is advised to put some Alice Cooper on high volume, crack open a can of beer and dive right in."

A signed, numbered, limited edition of The Scrubs by Simon Janus.

"The Scrubs is one merciless piece of work, and in both the setting of the Wormwood Scrubs Prison and its colorful, even tragic, inmates, Simon Janus has created a terse, tense, and powerful novella [...] An excellent achievement, and a real milestone in Janus' career." -Bram Stoker Award-winner Gary A. Braunbeck.

Two signed, limited editions of Restore from Backup by J.F. Gonzalez & Michael Oliveri.

Restore From Backup is a cautionary tale of the careful balances that exist between nature, magic, and technology... and the forces that bring them together.

A signed, numbered limited edition of The Bitchfight by Michael A. Arnzen.

"The Bitchfight is like a nesting doll of depravity--every time you think Arnzen has maxed-out the possible weirdness level, he pops open another doll and there's something even more fucked up inside. [...] Another twisted classic from one of my all-time favorite authors." -Jeff Strand, author of PRESSURE

A signed, numbered, limited edition of The Hunger of Empty Vessels by Scott Edelman.

"Like some creature out of Star Trek, Scott Edelman projects a zone of distortion that elevates all existence within its influence to the realm of the surreal." - Adam-Troy Castro

Five signed, limited editions of This Ghosting Tide by Simon Clark.

Richard Laymon calls Simon Clark, "a master of eerie thrills."

A signed, limited edition of You In? by Kealan Patrick Burke.

"...one of the most clever and original talents in contemporary horror." - Booklist

A signed, limited edition of Little Graveyard on the Prairie by Steven E. Wedel.

"Little Graveyard on the Prairie begins with a kind of homespun and cuddly feel--a father playing with his young daughter on a farm. But something isn't quite right out there in the Oklahoma boondocks at night. A nerve begins to twitch near the reader's left eye. The creepy feeling spreads, becomes more unsettling as one suspects something bad is going on. The slowly revealed reality of what is actually happening is truly chilling, but at the same time heart rending." - Gene O'Neill

Two signed, hardcover, limited editions of As Fate Would Have It by Michael Louis Calvillo.

Adam Groves says the book is, "...dark, and extremely so, but also oddly revelatory, literate and provocative."

That's all for today, folks. We'll be bringing you more donated books tomorrow.

If you want to head back to the main Worldbuilders page, click HERE.

With thanks to our sponsor, Subterranean Press.

Auctions: A Professional Critique of Your Manuscript.

prothfus@uwsp.edu (Pat) — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 13:55:00 +0000

This is a Worldbuilders blog.

Last year, as part of the fundraiser, I offered to read people's manuscripts and give them feedback if they made a sizable donation to the Heifer.

The response was much more enthusiastic than I expected. Several people took me up on the offer, with some donations going over three thousand dollars.

So this year I decided to expand things a bit. I've gathered a few professionals willing to donate their critiquing skills to the cause. We're auctioning off one read-and critique from each of them.

My thought is this, with different people to choose from, everyone has a better chance of winning the critique that suits them the best. Also, since we're offering several options, the overall prices should probably be lower this year.

All auctions are starting at the price of one (1) penny. So go ahead and make a bid. Who knows, you might get lucky...

And remember folks, all the proceeds go to improving people's lives all over the world with Heifer International. Personally, I think these would make great Christmas gifts for that hard-to-shop for writer in your life...

[Edit: If your manuscript won't be ready to read for a month or two, that's fine. It's not like you win the auction and have to drop your book in the mail the very next day.

On the other hand, if your manuscript won't be ready for 8 or 9 months. You should probably wait and hope we do this again next year.]

A read-and-critique of your manuscript by novelist and industry insider Anton Strout.

I've known Anton for years, and though he happens to be my mortal enemy, I appreciate his willingness to help out Heifer International by donating his time and energy to the cause.

Official description of his critique is as follows:

Anton Strout (author of the Simon Canderous urban fantasy series for Ace Books) will read your manuscript and mark it up as he would his very own, probably with less swearing. He will make notes giving his approach to what you are trying to convey, offer critical suggestions and comment on what you've sent. Please bear in mind that this is in no way a promise or guarantee that your work will be published. What you're paying for is the opinion of someone who has worked for over a decade as a published author.

Anton has worked in both the writer's workshop environment as well as the business side of the industry at one of the major New York publishing houses. He will strive to return his critique to you in a timely fashion which is dependent on his availability due to deadlines with his publisher.

Interested? You can bid on the critique by Anton Strout over here.

A read-and-critique of the first 20,000 words of your manuscript by agent Matt Bialer.

Matt is my agent, and I love him to pieces. He worked with me on my book back before we had a publisher. He's all kinds of smart, understands stories, and I can honestly say that if it wasn't for him, I wouldn't be where I am today.

You can get more of his professional information HERE.

Matt Bialer (literary agent) will read and evaluate the opening chapters of one manuscript (up to 20,000 words) within three months of submission, not including the last few weeks of December. He will read and critique, and help the author think about the issues that could be raised by editors at publishing houses. He will write a general evaluation of the book, both strengths and weaknesses, but line editing is NOT included. If the book is fantastic or has the potential to be fantastic then offering representation is not out of the question -- but representation is not a guarantee.

Interested? You can bid on this critique from Matt Bialer over here.

A read-and-critique of the first 20,000 words of your manuscript by Lindsay Ribar.

(Bam!)

Lindsay is Matt's assistant. That means she reads a lot of manuscripts and works intimately with the publishing world every day. What's more, she does work as a freelance editor. In short, she knows about stories, what sells, and how the industry works. What more could you ask for, really?

Here's the offical description of what she's offering:

Lindsay Ribar (assistant to Matt Bialer, freelance editor) will read and evaluate the opening chapters of one manuscript (up to 20,000 words) within six weeks of submission. She will write a general evaluation of the book, with a focus on character, language, and story structure. Line- and copy-editing are not included. Representation is not a guarantee, but not out of the question either. Lindsay is open to editing all genres of fiction, but keep in mind that the bulk of her experience lies in the realm of YA, fantasy, SF, thrillers, and mysteries.

Interested? You can bid on the critique by Lindsay Ribar over here.

A read-and-critique of your manuscript by Pat Rothfuss.

(Me.)

Man. It's hard for me to do these promotional write-ups for myself. Let's see...

Before I became a published writer, I was a teacher for five years. Before that, I was a writing tutor for nine years. So I know something about giving productive feedback on a piece of writing. I've read roughly ten thousand novels, and my first book, the Name of the Wind, is published or forthcoming in 30 languages.

I think about stories all the time and am obsessive about revision. I also have a soothing baritone voice, an IQ in the 160s, and the ability to steal any other mutant's power just by touching them.

Ah hell... See? I can never take these things seriously. Just read the official description below for the details:

Patrick Rothfuss (international bestselling author, lover of women, and hirsute iconoclast) will read your manuscript and give you critical feedback. We'll schedule this based on when your manuscript will be ready and my own schedular constraints.

I'll read through your manuscript, scrawling notes and dirty words in the margins, then I'll call you on the phone and we can discuss it. I won't write you up a detailed critique because that's not how I roll. But we'll probably chat on the phone for a couple of hours discussing the various strengths and weaknesses of the book, your writing craft, and I'll offer any suggestions I might have.

If I think your book is super-awesome, I might be willing to pass it along to someone. But be very aware that what you're buying here is a critique, not a blurb or an introduction to the publishing world. A critique.

Interested? You can bid on the critique by Pat Rothfuss over here.

Remember folks, all these auctions will be ending next Sunday night (December 20th). Time is limited, so if you know someone that might be interested, I'd appreciate you spreading the word...

If you want to head back to the main Worldbuilders page, click HERE.

With thanks to our sponsor, Subterranean Press.

Auctions from Doodled Books

prothfus@uwsp.edu (Pat) — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 17:20:00 +0000

This is a Worldbuilders blog.

Normally I like to wait at least a day between posts here on the blog so that one post doesn't accidentally bury another.

Fair warning, I'm breaking that rule today. That means if you're not careful you might miss yesterday's post that shows all the lovely books my UK publisher donated.

Okay. On to the new stuff. The time-sensitive stuff, we've got some auctions and they've only got five days left....

Last year when we ran the fundraiser, we had a few donations outside the realm of the free book.

My thought is this, everyone likes winning a free book. Even if it's not a book you'd ordinarily read, it's still nice to have. Maybe you try something new and expand your horizons a little. You can give it to a friend, donate it to the library, or sell it on e-bay. If nothing else, you can just put it on a prominent shelf so the world will think you look one book smarter.

But other donations aren't as universally cool. Manuscripts, for example. If you're a collector, or a huge fan of the author, odds are you'd love Love LOVE to have one. But if you aren't one of those things, winning a manuscript is going to leave you with a profound "meh" feeling.

Last year I just threw everything into the lottery because I didn't have time to figure out anything better. But this year I've decided to try a few auctions to see how they work out. Claire Main who runs Doodled Books over in the UK is handling the auctions for me, so I have one less thing to worry about.

This first batch of auctions will be some rare manuscripts and books. In a little while we'll be posting up some specialized services, like getting your own manuscript read and critiqued by industry professionals.

I'm mostly going to be putting up links and some very brief descriptions here. More detailed information and more pictures are available over on e-bay.

Keep in mind that the auction prices are all in pounds, since Doodled books is based in England.

An amazing signed original manuscript from Katharine Kerr. The Black Raven, a Deverry novel.

Katharine has already donated some lovely books to the fundraiser, but this is a real treat: the original editorial manuscript of The Black Raven. As you can see if you click on any of the above pages, it's full of the original copyedits, notes and changes.

There's only one of these in existence, folks.

To bid and see more pictures you can head over to the auction HERE.

A signed copy of John Jackson Miller's Star Wars story - Lost Tribe of the Sith: Precipice.

This story has only been e-published so far, and it hasn't been collected into a print volume yet. So a print copy, let alone a signed one, is a bit of a rarity.

A great gift for the Star Wars geek in your life, you can see more pictures and bid on it HERE.

A signed copy of John Jackson Miller's Star Wars story - Lost Tribe of the Sith: Skyborn.

Thanks again to John for donating another signed manuscript copy of one of his Lost Tribe of the Sith stories. Remember, these have only been e-published so far, so a signed print copy is a bit of a rarity.

A great gift for the Star Wars geek in your life, you can see more pictures and bid on it HERE.

A signed hardcover of the illustrated Finnish version of George RR Martin's A Game Of Thrones. Signed by the Author.

When I was out at Worldcon this year, I ran into my Finnish publisher and we started to talk about my plans for the upcoming fundraiser. They were nice enough to donate one of their new illustrated copies of Martin's A Game of Thrones. And even tracked him down to get him to sign it.

Just to be clear, this book is in Finnish. But on the plus side, it has some really cool pictures. So even if you can't read it, you can still enjoy it.

For more pictures or to bid in the auction, click HERE.

Signed manuscript collection of four Booth stories by Sarah Monette.

These are signed manuscript copies of the four published but uncollected Booth stories by Sarah Monette, including The Replacement. If you're a fan of her books and haven't had a chance to get hold of these stories yet, you've got a rare chance here.

For more details and pictures, you can head over HERE.

A handwritten manuscript page from Kristen Britain's upcoming novel: Blackveil.

(Click to Embiggen and read Kristen's note yourself.)

Kristen describes the page thusly:

One handwritten, messy, doodled-upon page of draft from the manuscript of Green Rider #4: Blackveil, by Kristen Britain.

Will this snippet of timeless prose make it into the final book? That's up to the Great Editor. In the meantime, enjoy a sneak preview, *if* you're the highest bidder.

Link to the ebay auction is HERE.

The clock is ticking on all these auctions, folks. So if you know of anyone that might be interested I'd tell them soon. By next Thursday it will be too late.

If you want to head back to the main Worldbuilders page, click HERE.

As always, with special thanks to our sponsor, Subterranean Press.

(I'm proud I haven't misspelled Subterranean yet. It's a tricky word.)

Many lovely books from Gollancz Publishing

prothfus@uwsp.edu (Pat) — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 21:49:00 +0000

This is a Worldbuilders blog.

Well folks, the fundraiser's been going for just a little more than 10 days, and we've already hit 25,000 dollars. I think that means that we are awesome.

Well... almost. We're just a couple bucks short, but I'm calling it 25,000. Because that gives me an excuse to post up a celebratory blog full of more donated books.

Gollancz is my UK publisher. It is there, in ye olde London, where Gillian, my lovely UK editor, works.

When I was setting up this year's fundraiser, I dropped Gillian a line to see if they might be interested in donating a few books to a good cause. I'm pretty midwestern about these things: I never want to come across as pushy. "Just if you want to." I said. "No pressure. A couple books would be great. Whatever you have laying around the office..."

So imagine my delight and amazement when Gillian starts shipping over boxes and boxes of books, over 150 total. I so owe her a footrub.

Let's list them off, shall we?

Five sets of the first eight books by Charlaine Harris: Dead Until Dark, Living Dead in Dallas, Club Dead, Dead to the World, Dead as a Doornail, Definitely Dead, All Together Dead, From Dead to Worse and Dead and Gone.

Booklist says that "Charlaine Harris is a superstar in the paranormal fantasy field- Just the right mixture of humour, intrigue, and excitement."

How's that for cool. These books don't just have humor, they have humour. Which is way better. Because it's Brittish.

I've actually read the first four of this series and was pleasantly surprised. They're a nice change from the dark, gothic drama of some of the urban fantasy out there. And now, thanks to Gollancz, you can own the whole set.

Five hardcover first editions of the collection of short stories of Charlaine Harris' heroine Sookie Stackhouse in A Touch of Dead.

This is a nice hardcover collection, and while I haven't read it personally, Bookpage says, "It's impossible not to love the wry, sexy Sookie, surely one of the most winning heroines to guide us through the dark side in a long time - maybe ever!"

Five copies of the Commemorative Edition of the Necronomicon: The Best Weird Tales of H.P. Lovecraft.

(Ia! Ia! Ia!)

This is a gorgeous book. If you've never read Lovecraft, you really should. He's one of the cornerstones of modern fantasy and horror, and his stories still pack a punch.

Don't believe me? Well, maybe you'll trust Steven King when he says, "Lovecraft opened the way for me, as he had done for others before me."

Still not convinced? How bout this quote blurb from Neil Gaiman:

"H.P. Lovecraft built the stage on which most of the last century's horror fiction was performed. As doomed as any of his protagonists, he put a worldview into words that has spread to infect the world. You need to read him-he's where the darkness starts."

Man, Gaiman's way better at this than me. I'm all, "Cornerstone of fantasy... blah blah blah." But that up there is a serious quote. I suck at blurbing.

Five copies of The Centenary Edition of The Complete Chronicles of Conan by Robert E. Howard.

Back before Conan the Barbarian was govenor of California, he was a character written by Robert E. Howard. Collected here, in the chronological order they were first published, are the definitive stories of Conan, exactly as Howard wrote them.

This is another one of those books that made me wish I wasn't a moral person. If I wasn't a moral person, you see, I could just take one of these for myself and nobody would ever know the difference.

Brain Williamson says, "The energy of the writing practically thrums off the page and often the sense of tension and unease invoked is genuinely unsettling. Read it, then use the weighty tome to smite your enemies, drive them before you and hear the lamentation of their women!"

Five Advance Reading Copies of Jacqueline Carey's Naamah's Kiss.

Jacqueline Carey is bringing sexy back to epic fantasy.

Want to read the best plot synopsis ever? Here's what Publisher's Weekly has to say about this book, "The seventh installment in Carey's bestselling Kushiel series follows its youthful protagonist, Moirim, from bed to bed as she worships sexuality goddess Naamah."

There's more of course. But would you really bother reading it? Don't you already know enough to want this book?

Six ARC and five hardcover copies of The Cardinal's Blades by Pierre Pevel.

It's rare that a book gets translated from French into English. So you should probably sit up and take notice when it happens.

The Cardinal's Blades is part historical novel, part old-fashioned swashbuckling high-action adventure, and part classic fantasy. Award winning novelist Pierre Pevel has woven some of the best-loved fantasy tropes - musketeer-style adventuring, daring swordsmen, political intrigue, non-stop action and dragons - into a stunning new fantasy series set during the reign of Louis XIII.

Five copies of Retribution Falls by Chris Wooding.

I've heard this book described as, "an entire season of Firefly all in one book." Honestly, you don't get higher praise than that.

"Retribution Falls picks you up, whisks you swiftly and entertainingly along, and sets you down with a big smile on your face." - Joe Abercrombie

Five copies of The Stranger by Max Frei.

Kirkus reviews says, "If Harry Potter smoked cigarettes and took a certain matter-of-fact pleasure in administering touch justice, he might like Max Frei."

Five copies of Fire by Kristin Cashore.

Kirkus gives Fire a starred review, and says that Cashore's book is "Fresh, hopeful, tragic and glorious."

Four copies of the ARC of Horns by Joe Hill.

Since he's Stephen King's son, Joe Hill must have absorbed some of his dad's mojo. Publishers Weekly calls him, "One of the most confident and assured new voices in horror and dark fantasy."

Five copies of the ARC of Retromancer by Robert Rankin.

First off, Retromancer is a cool title. Second off, I have never, ever seen a book that color before. Then I hear this book has, "beautiful spies, advanced alien technology, killer robots, death rays, and a battle with an ancient god."

It sort of makes me wonder if my own books might be a little boring, honestly.

Five copies of the ARC of Terminal World by Alastair Reynolds.

According to Daily Mail, "Those who like their sci-fi on an epic scale will be impressed by Reynolds' hugely imaginative, sprawling space adventure. Magnificent stuff."

Five sets of Alastair Reynolds' books: Revelation Space, Redemption Ark, Absolution Gap, Chasm City, Century Rain, Pushing Ice, The Prefect, House of Suns, Galactic North and Diamond Dogs, Turquoise Days.

This is a hefty stack of books. We've got five sets of all ten books. Yet another collection I'd love to keep for my own shelf.

According to The London times, "Reynolds's narrative is truly breathtaking in scope and intricate in detail, making him a mastersinger of the space opera."

And Publishers Weekly says, "It's rare to find a writer with sufficient nerve and stamina to write novels that are big enough to justify using words like 'revelation' and 'redemption.' Reynolds pulls it off."

Remember folks, for every 10 dollars you donate to Heifer International you get a chance to win these books and hundreds of others. So why not head over to my page at Team Heifer and chip in?

Or, if you want to go back to main page for the Worldbuilders fundraiser, you can click HERE.

As always, with special thanks to our sponsor, Subterranean Press.

(I just noticed that little face in the "S" up there. Creepy...)