I was browsing through SF Signal’s latest books received post and I was happy to notice an anthology of urban fantasy containing stories by two of my current favorite authors: Jim Butcher (of The Dresden Files) and Simon R. Green (of The Nightside). This is in addition to stories by two authors (Kat Richardson and Thomas E. Sniegoski) I have not yet read, but I would certainly be willing to try out if they are included with the previous two.

That one went right on my wishlist. It’ll be out in a few days and I may just have to snag it.

From Pat’s Fantasy Hotlist: ASOIAF on HBO: It’s a go!:

Martin fans rejoice! ;-)

Well, let me get things started by saying “Yippie!”

More information at The Hollywood Reporter: HBO conjuring fantasy series.

The television series based on the first novel of Terry Goodkind’s Sword of Truth series, Wizard’s First Rule, premieres this weekend in syndication.

There are a number of folks out there that are very much not fans of Terry Goodkind, but I enjoyed the novel when I read it years ago; it was hardly the best novel of the 20th century to be sure, but I liked it. Between that and the fact that Sam Raimi is involved with it as executive producer, I am more than willing to give this series the benefit of the doubt and watch a few episodes before I decide to give up on it. If nothing else, I hope this will be at least a marginal enough success so that other great fantasy novels could be serialized into season (or longer) television programming.

xkcd: Fiction Rule of Thumb:

Fiction Rule of Thumb

Forever will the term ‘younglings’ make me want to vomit, wherever I happen to find it.

Not a Blog News from HBO:

HBO has just exercised its option, and purchased the television rights to A GAME OF THRONES.

For those of you who don’t know Hollywood, an option gives a production company the right to buy a property (a book, a screenplay, whatever) at a certain agreed-upon price for a certain period of time (a year, six months, whatever). When that time runs out, they can let the option lapse, renew the option, or exercise the option and buy the property. The last is what HBO has just done.

What they have NOT done is greenlight the project. A GAME OF THRONES remains in development. They’re still budgeting, still looking at locations (Spain and the Czech Republic at present, I hear). No decision has been reached, so any celebration would be premature. In Hollywood it is always best not to assume something is going to happen until it actually happens.

If anybody is going to give this novel the treatment it deserves, it would be HBO. Here’s hoping this keeps making forward progress!

Pat’s Fantasy Hotlist: THE NAME OF THE WIND is now available in paperback:

Only the Bookscan numbers are in (it will be a while before we get a full tally), but it looks as though The Name of the Wind has surpassed the sales of both George R. R. Martin’s A Game of Thrones and Terry Goodkind’s Wizard’s First Rule.

Woah! If it beat out A Game of Thrones and Wizard’s First Rule, I am going to have to check this book out. I really enjoyed those two books, especially A Game of Thrones.

According to the Associated Press, Arthur C. Clarke has passed away.

[HT: Charles Stross]

Last Wish Giveaway!

Well, somebody else is giving away a copy of The Last Wish. Over at Pat’s Fantasy Hotlist, there are four copies of the book available. I’ve already sent in my entry!

I am really looking forward to The Last Wish finally being available in the US. I have heard nothing but good things about the series.

Thanks to Orbit Books for linking to the giveaway, and for both getting the book to the states and making it available through a fellow blogger!

From Neil’s Journal Kids! Free! Book!:

For the next month, your free copy of American Gods is waiting for you at http://tiny.cc/WRiXE

Feel free to spread the link as widely as possible around the web. If it works, and people read it, then a) we may be able to put up another book and b) sooner or later they’ll simply let us give away the book in electronic form….

There is some follow-up discussion of the pros and cons of making a book freely available if you check out the free book section of Neil’s Journal.

There’s even a fancy little flash widget you can stuff onto your own sites.

Gaiman on Lovecraft

One of my favorite authors talking about another of my favorites.

Recent Comments

  • I saw the email on the PBS Yahoo Group and I had to come over and check out your blog. Just wanted ...

  • I've read this book and loved it. I think it might be his first go at writing too, so he will defini...

    toni.hambilton.myopenid.com
    The Name of the Wind in paperback
  • Thanks for letting my know about this! I like fantasy, sci-fi, horror, etc. Are you going to Horrorf...

  • I remember being my excitement when this book came out (I think I was 15), buying it in hardcover, a...

  • Dave The Bond books are fantastic. Most of the films have been very good, though some have been bet...

    Michele Neylon
    Casino Royale
Close