Book Trailers Still Suck

Fresh off this morning's cover debut from Orbit, Gollancz fires back with A RED COUNTRY book trailer.


When are publishers going to stop wasting their time on these?

Not only does it not convey Abercrombie's tone at all (unless A RED COUNTRY represents a significant departure from his style), it just looks awful. There is a static "texture" filter placed over some CGI nonsense cut from a 1997 PC game. And that scream?

Blegh.

Gollancz SF Masterworks - Late 2012 and Early 2013 Titles

The latest Gollancz catalog also included an update on their extensive SF Masterworks line.

H.G. Wells - The War of the Worlds
Pat Cadigan - Synners
Nicola Griffith - Ammonite
Karen Joy Fowler - Sarah Canary
D.G. Compton - The Continuous Katherine Mortenhoe
Mary Shelley - Frankenstein
Colin Greenland - Take Back Plenty
H.G. Wells - The Invisible Man
Russell Hoban - Riddley Walker
Connie Willis - Connie Willis Collection (hopefully to be retitled)
Eric Frank Russell - Wasp
Walter M. Miller - A Canticle for Leibowitz

An interesting mix there. On one hand, everyone is aware of Frankenstein, The War of the Worlds and A Canticle of Leibowitz. But on the other, I haven't even heard of a few of these books, much less read them.

Has anyone read Riddley Walker, Wasp, Take Back Plenty, or the wonderfully titled The Continuous Katherine Mortenhoe?

I'd be interested to hear some informed opinions.

Spoilerific Confirmation for Joe Abercrombie's RED COUNTRY

Caution: Spoilers Ahead...

According to the most recent Gollancz catalogue, Red Country is finally going to reveal the fate of Abercrombie's most beloved character, the Bloody Nine himself.

"His name is Logen Ninefingers. And he’s back for one more adventure... 

Joe Abercrombie is the most successful genre novelist of his generation, with a remarkable, cynical and powerful voice cutting through the clichés of the fantasy genre to create something compelling and exceptionally commercial. A Red Country is his most powerful novel yet."

Is it November yet?

Who am I kidding? I'll be importing this from the UK as soon as it is released in September.

Covering Covers: The Islanders - Christopher Priest

Cover Artist: Unkown

A tale of murder, artistic rivalry and literary trickery; a chinese puzzle of a novel where nothing is quite what it seems; a narrator whose agenda is artful and subtle; a narrative that pulls you in and plays an elegant game with you. The Dream Archipelago is a vast network of islands. The names of the islands are different depending on who you talk to, their very locations seem to twist and shift. Some islands have been sculpted into vast musical instruments, others are home to lethal creatures, others the playground for high society. Hot winds blow across the archipelago and a war fought between two distant continents is played out across its waters. The Islanders serves both as an untrustworthy but enticing guide to the islands, an intriguing, multi-layered tale of a murder and the suspect legacy of its appealing but definitely untrustworthy narrator. It shows Christopher Priest at the height of his powers and illustrates why he has remained one of the country's most prized novelists.

What else can I say? Gollancz gave Priest's latest a cover as impressive as he is. Will definitely be importing this one once Gollancz releases it in September.

Joe Abercrombie Confirms Speculated 4 Book Deal!

Thanks to the Mad Hatter, I learned that Joe Abercrombie has finally announced the signing of 4 more books in his First Law universe, more humorously referred to as "The Song of the Sword of Time of the Fallen."

I'm glad somebody let him know, I've been talking about it for months now. While I was wrong about it being a quadrilogy, I was right about the quantity of books and the time frame. I guess this proves scrounging around on Amazon isn't completely worthless. Here's what Joe had to say to confirm my suspicions:

"Therefore stand amazed as I announce that I last year signed a contract with my doughty UK publisher, Gollancz, for four more books set in the world of The First Law. That’s right. FOUR MORE BOOKS. Twice two. Or more accurately, one plus three, since at the moment, those books are looking like they’ll be another semi-standalone in the style of Best Served Cold and The Heroes, followed by another trilogy, though obviously I reserve the right to be coy and change my mind, possibly while flouncing out of a meeting. It’s a lady’s privilege, don’t you know.


In terms of timescale things are still a little hazy. I’ve been writing at the rate of about a book every 18 months or so, so one might reasonably expect the first of these books to appear on shelves sometime around the summer 2012 sort of a mark, but obviously I reserve the right to be coy and completely miss a date even that vague. I’ve barely started writing it, so we shall see whether, now I am installed in my new abode, the words fly from my fingertips like lightning or … not. As for the books after, there’s no point in even being vague at this stage. If they do end up as a trilogy, I might well aim to draft the whole thing before publishing the first book, which would leave something of a gap between the standalone and the first of the trilogy, but would hopefully ensure that the books of the trilogy could come out no more than a year apart, possibly less, and that they would form a coherent and cohesive whole. Or as coherent and cohesive as I am capable of producing. We shall see. It’s a long way off. Far enough for me to safely pretend that it’ll never happen."

While summer 2012 is a long way off, it's hard not to be excited by the promise of 4 more books in Abercrombie's First Law universe. Joe didn't say anything about the content of either project but my money stills on the return of the Bloody Nine.

As I've said in the past, Abercrombie is the reigning king of blood-soaked fantasy. Or at least the prince-in-waiting with a pile of gold, a hidden dagger, and an eye on the throne. Abercrombie's next book, The Heroes, comes out later this month in the UK and February in the US.

Hard Release Date set for Robert V.S. Redick's The River of Shadows

Publishing dates are subject to change. It's a fundamental tenet of the book industry and one painful obvious to any Rothfussian, GRRMiac, or Lynchette. While most delays are self-inflicted for one reason or the other, sometimes a finished book sometimes gets juggled. Such was the case for Robert V.S. Redick's The River of Shadows. A brief review of Redick's website and a few amazon sites suggest dates ranging from December 2010 to February 2011 and later. But Mr. Redick was nice enough to clear things up.

From Redick himself:

"I’ve just received a later-than-planned, but firm, publication date from both sides of the Atlantic. Del Rey will publish the book on April 19, and Gollancz will follow two days later."

So April 19th (US) / 21st (UK). While I'm not happy about the delay, I'm glad they closed the gap between the UK and US releases. Redick also provided a few more tidbits about the final two volumes of The Chathrand Voyages.

On The River of Shadows:

"Book III [The River of Shadows] is the wildest ride yet, and I can’t wait to get it out there."

On The Night of the Swarm [fourth and final book]:

"I can tell you that it will totally, calamitously finish the story. That is for the record and absolute. It will also bring the characters and the voyage full circle, in more ways than one."

Full circle, eh? What else could that mean? I'm glad to see that Redick is planning a hard stop to his series. While a delay in the series is not exactly awesomesauce, if it's not tied to an unfinished book it can often mean a smaller gap between books. I think the tentative release date for THotS is late 2011/early 2012.

The other benefit is that anyone not familiar with Redick's excellent nautical fantasy series has time to catch up. Book 1 is The Red Wolf Conspiracy is available in both HC and PB and Book 2 The Ruling Sea [titled The Rats and the Ruling Sea in the UK] is out now in HC with the PB due on Dec 28th. Both have gotten strong reviews from a number of sources so go check them out.

Covering Covers: The Heroes (w/ final summary)

  UK Cover                                                               US Cover

Map: Dave Senior                                                    Artist: Steve Stone

      Axe: Didier Graffet.                                           Design: Lauren Panepinto

Design: Laura Brett                                                                              

Coordination: Gillian Redfearn                                                                          

I have to declare victory for the team over at Gollancz for yet another great cover. The bloody US cover is alright (and much better than the atrocity that was their version of Best Served Cold) but Abercrombie covers have become synonymous with objects placed over a bloody map. It just conveys the tone of looming bloodshed so perfectly, and so much more subtly than the gorefest on the US cover.

Earlier this week, Abercrombie shared the final copy for The Heroes over on his blog:

“They say Black Dow’s killed more men than winter, and clawed his way to the throne of the North up a hill of skulls. The King of the Union, ever a jealous neighbour, is not about to stand smiling by while he claws his way any higher. The orders have been given and the armies are toiling through the northern mud. Thousands of men are converging on a forgotten ring of stones, on a worthless hill, in an unimportant valley, and they’ve brought a lot of sharpened metal with them.

Bremer dan Gorst, disgraced master swordsman, has sworn to reclaim his stolen honour on the battlefield. Obsessed with redemption and addicted to violence, he’s far past caring how much blood gets spilled in the attempt. Even if it’s his own.

Prince Calder isn’t interested in honour, and still less in getting himself killed. All he wants is power, and he’ll tell any lie, use any trick, and betray any friend to get it. Just as long as he doesn’t have to fight for it himself.

Curnden Craw, the last honest man in the North, has gained nothing from a life of warfare but swollen knees and frayed nerves. He hardly even cares who wins any more, he just wants to do the right thing. But can he even tell what that is with the world burning down around him?

Over three bloody days of battle, the fate of the North will be decided. But with both sides riddled by intrigues, follies, feuds and petty jealousies, it is unlikely to be the noblest hearts, or even the strongest arms that prevail…

Three men. One battle. No Heroes.”

More Black Dow! Very excited for that. Right now I plan on ordering the UK version for the cover art continuity but as I mentioned yesterday, The Heroes is probably my most anticipated fantasy tome for 2011. I may just defer to whichever method gets me the book faster.

The Heroes will be published by Gollancz in the UK on Jan 20th, 2011. Orbit will publish the US edition two months later in March. I don't think I'll be able to wait. 

Covering Covers: The Republic of Thieves - Scott Lynch

Cover Artist: Benjamin Carre

This. This is the cover of 2011's The Republic of Thieves. This is also gorgeous cover art. It plays to the sword and cloak crowd while managing to be vibrant and unique. The lettering in blood is a nice touch. But to be fair, the cover art should be fantastic, because they've had years to perfect it. I normally hate when cover art goes away from the series trend but The Lies of Locke Lamora and Red Seas Under Red Skies didn't really match anyway so my rage is already spent [as long as they don't change the size format of the book]

And here's the standard blurb

After their adventures on the high seas, Locke and Jean are brought back to earth with a thump. Jean is mourning the loss of his lover and Locke must live with the fallout of crossing the all-powerful magical assassins the Bonds Magi. It is a fall-out that will pit both men against Locke's own long lost love. Sabetha is Locke's childhood sweetheart, the love of Locke's life and now it is time for them to meet again. Employed on different sides of a vicious dispute between factions of the Bonds Sabetha has just one goal - to destroy Locke for ever. The Gentleman Bastard sequence has become a literary sensation in fantasy circles and now, with the third book, Scott Lynch is set to seal that success.

The Republic of Thieves is due for Spring 2011 from Gollancz [UK] and Ballantine Spectra [US]. Probably. I hope. Please?