Jan 30, 2012

In Which I Threaten To Lose All Respect For The Hugo Award


Earlier today, I got the heads up via Twitter that GRRM himself referenced my blog in a LiveJournal entry about Hugo Award Nominees. (I think I might post that to Facebook and add it as a reference on LinkedIn just to round out the social media cycle.) He was writing about the controversy surrounding the Best Fanzine category. Last year the Hugo community voted to limit eligibility to traditional e-zines, ostracizing "new media" fan contributions like blogs and podcasts. The post has sparked some interesting discussion and I'd recommend you check it out. Particularly the point at which he says
"I think there are some great fannish blogs and e-zines and podcasts out there, I think they are the future, and I'm going to nominate a bunch of them. Some of my own favorites include PAT'S FANTASY HOTLIST, THE WERTZONE, MAKING LIGHT, THE BLOG OF THE FALLEN (okay, he doesn't like my stuff, but it's still a good read), STOMPING ON YETI, CHEESE MAGNETS, HATHOR LEGACY, and PUNKADIDDLE."
Blatant redaction aside, I am pretty excited to know that Mr. Martin is not only aware of this travesty I call a book blog, but that he felt it was worth nominating for a Hugo Award. Granted, it's not, but it's nice that he thought so. To put it in "gif" form, I would be Stephen Colbert to GRRM's no-nonsense Barney Frank.


It's pretty much the coolest thing that's happened to Stomping on Yeti since Neil Gaiman directly linked my blog from his. The traffic, my cthulu, the traffic...

I suspect it has something to do with my press release for A FLOOD OF FLAMES, the sixth and final book in the A Song of Ice and Fire series. Or maybe he just has a penchant for things which are released once every couple of years. (Sorry, couldn't resist). Either way, very cool.

That being said - please don't vote for me. I've been a really crappy blogger recently and I in no way deserve any attention for my work here. If I even found my way onto the ballot (I assure you I won't), I would lose 99% of my respect for the Hugo award.
If you're a regular reader, I hope to get back into the swing of things now that I've got a little bit more free time. I still owe you (and a lot of worthy authors) spotlight posts for November, December, and January. I've got them in various states of completion - I just need to get them posted.

Alternatively, if you've found this blog for the first time as a result of someone's GRRMblings, welcome! I hope you enjoy what you find here and if you want to find the good stuff, ignore the last month or so.

And for all, if you do like my writing and want me to keep doing this, I would encourage you to stop by often and contribute to the conversation through comments. And not just on Stomping on Yeti - this extends to the blogs of all my wonderful compatriots who send their words into the internet ether for the sheer satisfaction of doing so. The vast majority of us don't get paid for this (I sure as hell don't) and it really means a lot to know people are reading it and that they appreciate the effort - even if we don't get to have an official category at the Hugos.

Jan 23, 2012

Covering Covers: The Straits of Galahesh - Bradley P. Beaulieu

Cover Artist: Todd Lockwood
Cover Design: Claudia Noble
I suppose its okay. But it's no The Winds of Khalakovo.


If I saw both books on the shelf I would be drawn to Winds 10 times out of 10. It's unique, atmospheric, and clean. And the airship is awesome. The sequel is text heavy, blocky, and depicts a man about to lose his ability to have children after he slams his Galahesh into the title text box. Seriously though, he's both in front of and behind that thing. It's going to hurt.

But then again I'm not a marketing expert. If the new cover gets more people to buy into Brad Beaulieu's Cyrillic flavored fantasy series, great. A bad cover isn't going to stop me from reading it.

Here's the full layout.

Here's the back cover text blown up:
West of the Grand Duchy of Anuskaya lies the Empire of Yrstanla, the Motherland. The Empire has lived at peace with Anuskaya for generations, but with political turmoil brewing and the wasting disease still rampant, opportunists from the mainland have begun to set their sights on the Grand Duchy, seeking to expand their empire.

Five years have passed since Prince Nikandr, heir to the scepter of Khalakovo, was tasked with finding Nasim, the child prodigy behind a deadly summoning that led to a grand clash between the armies of man and elder elemental spirits. Today, that boy has grown into a young man driven to understand his past - and the darkness from which Nikandr awakened him. Nikandr's lover, Atiana, has become a Matra, casting her spirit forth to explore, influence, and protect the Grand Duchy. But when the Al-Aqim, long thought lost to the past, return to the islands and threaten to bring about indaraqiram - a change that means certain destruction for both the Landed and the Landless - bitter enemies must become allies and stand against their horrific plans.

Can the Grand Duchy be saved? The answer lies hidden within The Straits of Galahesh

From Bradley P. Beaulieu, author of the critically acclaimed debut novel The Winds of Khalakovo, comes Book Two of The Lays of Anuskaya, The Straits of Galahesh.
The 2nd book of Beaulieu's Lays of Anuskaya series will be out April 17th, 2012 from Night Shade Books.

Jan 22, 2012

Epically ConFused...


Much to the surprise of my Wednesday self, on Friday night I found myself braving the treacherous winter conditions en route to Detroit, MI to attend Epic ConFusion - my first ever con.
I really didn't know what to expect except that I would probably see a great line up of authors. Big names like Patrick Rothfuss, Joe Abercrombie, and John Scalzi as well as a few newer authors that I've chatted with including Saladin Ahmed, Kameron Hurley, Bradley Beaulieu, Myke Cole, Douglas Hulick. Throw in a few more-established favorites like Tobias Buckell, Jay Lake, Peter V. Brett, and  Brent Weeks and I couldn't not go. Plus this guy was going to be there.


As it turns out, the line-up and the winter storms combined to make for an incredible weekend. For every author that was there, there were ten fans that weren't, resulting in what had to be a 2:1 author to fan ratio. I couldn't stumble across the bar without falling into one of my favorite authors and every one of them was more than willing to sit down and have a drink or a bite to eat. I could go on and on but I don't think I could it justice. Here's a brief rundown of the things I learned this weekend:

  • Joe Abercrombie apparently refers to playing Skyrim as "writing RED COUNTRY." He's about 80% done.
  • As far as epic duels go, none would be as epically epic as a cute-off between Rothfuss's rugrat and the Buckell twins. If such an event were to occur, civilization as we know it would cease to exist.
  • One Cthulu is terrifying. Two Cthulu is barely comprehensible. An overweight woman wearing two stuffed Cthulu's as a bra and little else? THE HORROR. THE HORROR.
  • 100% of the women polled agreed that Joe Abercrombie was sexier than China Mieville. On a related note, while I listened to him give a Gaiman-caliber reading from THE HEROES, my wife watched him say something in a Britishy accent - she's not quite sure what.
  • A prophecy was spoken - 2013 will bring the reign of the Mormish One, who promises blood and guns and magic. More on this when things are officially announced.
  • Peter V. Brett believes its okay to comment on reviews. Except in the case of those posted on Staffer's Musings - Justin is huge and will kick your ass.
  • If Douglas Hulick is the Peter Mayhew of the SFF world, Myke Cole is the Kenny Baker.
  • John Scalzi is an ARC troll. He paraded his newly printed copy of REDSHIRTS around like a 2001 third grader with a Charizard foil card. I was sorely tempted to steal it from him when he let me hold it but my ethical side prevailed. (Okay, his wife might have tackled me when I was running from the room.) The prologue he read at his panel was incredible. When can I haz?
  • Saladin Ahmed inexplicably has an inferiority complex. THRONE OF THE CRESCENT MOON might only be 300 pages of words but it contains 600 pages worth of awesome.
  • The only thing cooler than having a book signed by an author is having a book signed by an author twice. Apparently, I grabbed the wrong copy of GOD'S WAR off the book shelf...luckily Kameron Hurley is awesome.
  • Joe Abercrombie is an Arkansawyer, a shameless self-promoter, and a huge fan of Two Truths and a Lie. This is not always popular.
  • There appears to be a correlation between authors who are very successful and authors who focus on story before world building.
  • Patrick Rothfuss's beard is to quiet contemplative brillance what Samson's locks were to strength. Hopefully his legend will end with all involved structures fully intact.

All in all - I laughed, I cried, I saw things I can never unsee, and I met some people I look forward to seeing again. Epic ConFusion lived up to its name and then some.
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