It’s the Pits

January 21, 2013 at 4:16 pm

Son of Homer.

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Football Ruminations

January 20, 2013 at 11:02 pm

So the AFC and NFC championship games have been played, and it turns out this year’s Superbowl will be the Bro-Bowl. Say, are there any other Harbaughs at home? I know plenty of NFL teams in need of better coaches.

With both of my beloved New York teams out of the playoffs, I have a lot less emotionally invested in the games, but I still watch. I am a fan of good football… especially good defense… no matter who is playing. This year’s playoffs did not feature much in the way of defense, sadly, but there have been some very exciting games, for those who enjoy a lot of scoring. Today’s championship games were both terrific. I can’t believe that Atlanta blew the morning game after opening up a 17-0 lead, must confess… if it had been the Giants or Jets, I would still be frothing at the mouth. I did enjoy the late game. Though I no longer have anyone to root for in these playoffs, so long as the Patriots were in the hunt I had a villain to root against… and now they are gone, thanks to Flacco and Ray-Ray. Goodbye, Evil Little Bill.

(The real stunner was last week’s Denver-Baltimore game. It still boggles me that the Ravens tied that one and won it in OT. I mean, down a touchdown, no timeouts, only 35 seconds left, on their own twenty. All the Denver D needed to do was make sure no one got behind them for a touchdown. Even if Flacco had tossed a 70-yard bomb, so long as they kept the receiver out of the endzone, the Broncos were fine… with the time remaining, the clock would have run out before the Ravens could sprint downfield and set up for another play. But no, somehow, somehow, they give up the tying TD. Sigh. Whatever happened to DEFENSE??? No one plays it any more).

The other unbelievable NFL news comes from my Jets. So at the end of the season they fire Mike Tannenbaum, their GM. Tanny was a salary cap specialist, and everyone says Gang Green’s draft and free agent moves suffered as a result. They needed a real football guy to evaluate personnel, supposedly, not a bean counter. So the Jets interview half the bloody league, candidate after candidate, many with great credentials in personnel, and what do they finally do?? They hire another bean counter, a salary cap specialist from the Seahawks. Oh, he has “attended some personnel meetings,” we are told. Only the Jets.

They also fired Tony Sparano as offensive coordinator, because, after all, the Jets were 6-10. To replaced him, they bring in the OC from the Eagles, who finished 4-12. Only the Jets.

And then there is Manti T’eo and his imaginary girlfriend. The way things are going, the Jets are probably going to take him with their first round pick in the draft. You saw it here first.

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Tags: nfl

Another Taste of Season Three

January 20, 2013 at 10:46 am

Here’s yet another season three preview, courtesy of HBO.

An “invitation to the set” from HBO GO.

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March isn’t that far off now. Winter is coming… this spring.

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Tags: game of thrones, hbo

The World Is Mine

January 18, 2013 at 3:46 pm

My slow conquest of the world continues, nation by nation and language by language.

Just signed contracts for an Icelandic edition of Ice & Fire, the first time I’ll be published in that language, and now my agent informs me that he’s closed a deal for a Persian (Farsi) edition as well… a first for him as well as me.

WILD CARDS is marching on as well, with new deals for the first seven books in Mexico and Russia.

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Tags: foreign editions, song of ice and fire, wild cards

Brian Cogman Speaks

January 17, 2013 at 11:05 pm

With a few glimpses of season three.

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Our first look at the Queen of Thorns as well…

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Tags: game of thrones, hbo

Curveball Is Here

January 16, 2013 at 1:32 pm

And Bugsy too.

For those of you jonesing for your Wild Cards fix, Daniel Abraham’s brand new never-before-published “When We Were Heroes” is now available on Tor.com. Cover art by John Picacio, Hugo winner and all-around great artist.

You can download and read it for free here: http://www.tor.com/stories/2013/01/when-we-were-heroes

Then you can run right out and buy every Wild Cards book you can get your hands on.

Don’t worry, we’re making more. (Books and stories both).

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Tags: tor, wild cards

Season 3 Is Coming

January 11, 2013 at 11:30 pm

HBO is teasing us again.

(Yes, me too).

Here’s their latest teaser for Season 3:

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Tags: game of thrones, hbo

Sad News

January 10, 2013 at 6:50 pm

We have had some sad news from the UK, regarding one of our stalwarts from HBO’s GAME OF THRONES.

I will let the press release speak for itself:

“WILKO JOHNSON !“ IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT

I am very sad to announce that Wilko has recently been diagnosed with terminal
cancer of the pancreas. He has chosen not to receive any chemotherapy.

He is currently in good spirits, is not yet suffering any physical effects and
can expect to enjoy at least another few months of reasonable health and
activity.

He has just set off on a trip to Japan; on his return we plan to complete a new
CD, make a short tour of France, then give a series of farewell gigs in the UK.
There is also a live DVD in the pipeline, filmed on the last UK tour.

Wilko wishes to offer his sincere thanks for all the support he has had over his
long career, from those who have worked with him to, above all, those devoted
fans and admirers who have attended
his live gigs, bought his recordings and generally made his life such an
extraordinarily full and eventful experience.

Thank you.

Robert Hoy
(Manager)”

(GRRM back). I never had the chance to meet Wilko Johnson during any of my visits to the set, but I certainly liked what he has been doing in the role of our silent headsman, Ser Ilyn Payne. He will be missed.

About a dozen people have sent me that press release above, by the way. (The story appeared in the GUARDIAN and other UK newspapers). Many of them want to know if the part of Ser Ilyn will be recast. I’m sorry, but I have no answer. At this juncture, it would premature even to discuss the issue, I think. Anyway, no one has discussed it with me, nor would I expect them to.

Thanks for the good work, Wilko… and for all the joy your music gave your fans. You’ll leave the world a richer place than you found it, and more than that cannot be asked of any man.

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Tags: game of thrones, hbo

Title Change

January 10, 2013 at 9:42 am

The episode I scripted for the third season of HBO’s GAME OF THRONES has been retitled.

It was formerly “Autumn Storms,” which I never much liked… but the episode did have a lot of rain in it.

The rain went away. So did the title.

The episode is now “Chains.” I like that better. And it works on both a literal and metaphorical level.

It will still be the seventh show of the season, episode 307.

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Tags: game of thrones, hbo

A Taste of Winter

January 8, 2013 at 4:55 pm

For all of you who have been clamoring, I have a somewhat belated Xmas/ New Year’s gift, a new sample chapter from THE WINDS OF WINTER. You can find it on my website.

This one features Arianne Martell, Princess of Dorne.

(And here she is, couresty of Fantasy Flight Games and Magali Villeneuve)

Read, enjoy, discuss, and speculate to your heart’s content… but not here, please, there are better places for that, like the forums at Westeros and Tower of the Hand.

Me, I have a lot more writing to do. On WINDS, and half a dozen other projects.

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Tags: the winds of winter, website, writing

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It’s the Pits

Football Ruminations

Another Taste of Season Three

The World Is Mine

Brian Cogman Speaks

Curveball Is Here

Season 3 Is Coming

Sad News

Title Change

A Taste of Winter

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