Worldcon Schedule

July 19, 2009 at 1:24 pm

I’ve received my preliminary schedule from Anticipation, next month’s Montreal worldcon.

Here’s what it looks like at the moment:

THURSDAY AUG 6
12:30 pm panel: Werewolves of Brigadoon

FRIDAY AUG 7
3:30 pm panel: Writing a Series

SUNDAY AUG 9
12:30 pm panel: Writing for a Living
4:00 pm autographing

MONDAY AUG 10
3:00 pm reading

Aside from these “official” appearances, of course, I will also be doing the usual worldcon stuff — hanging around the hotel bar, hitting the parties at night, attending the Hugo Awards ceremony and the Hugo Losers Party, trying some of this fabled Montreal cuisine. I expect the Brotherhood Without Banners will be throwing one or two of their fabled bashes, and I’ll be at those as well.

See you all in Montreal!

Current Mood: null null

Tags: conventions

Battling Babes of Westeros

July 18, 2009 at 2:38 pm

Here’s a sneak peak at two new Ice & Fire figures from Dark Sword Miniatures — a couple of the battling babes of Westeros, the wildling spearwife Ygritte (‘You know nothing, Jon Snow’)and the kraken’s daughter, Asha Greyjoy.

Both sculpts are by the talented Jeff Grace. They’re not available yet, but will be soon. Watch the Dark Sword website for further details and more pix.

Current Mood: null null

Tags: dark sword, miniatures

The Genius of Jack Vance

July 17, 2009 at 4:12 pm

Wonderful article in the NEW YORK TIMES about Jack Vance:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/19/magazine/19Vance-t.html?%20_r=5&partner=rss&emc=rss

It is nice to see one of our genre’s few authentic masters finally getting some recognition from the mainstream press. I agree with most everything that’s said here: Vance is not only a great SF and fantasy writer, he’s a great writer, period, and deserves a place in the canon of American literature.

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Tags: dying earth, vance

I love TIME magazine

July 17, 2009 at 3:25 pm

Great blog post from TIME magazine’s TV critic, urging HBO to pick up ICE & FIRE.

http://tunedin.blogs.time.com/2009/07/06/hbos-next-i-hope-great-drama

Needless to say, I share his hopes.

Current Mood: null null

Tags: a game of thrones, hbo

Home Again

July 17, 2009 at 2:27 pm

Back home, safe and sound. Finland was great and I enjoyed my visit to Estonia as well. More on both later. The journey home was endless and exhausting, and god, I hate the TSA, especially the ones at Chicago O’Hare. Petty pseudopolice drunk on their authority. But never mind.

Tons of emails, a mountain of mail, much sleep to catch up on. I’ll be digging out from under for a while. But lots of cool stuff happening too, on all sorts of fronts. I’ll post what I can when I can.

Next trip on the schedule is worldcon in Montreal. I have my program for that, and will post it here soon. I’m hoping to complete a few more chapters for DANCE before taking off. Still tugging, slashing, and cursing that Meereenese knot.

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Tags: everyday life

Farewell to Finland

July 15, 2009 at 7:45 pm

We’re back in Helsinki for one last night. Tomorrow at the crack of dawn (which cracks very very early here in Finland) we’re off again. Parris returns to Ireland, and I head home to the cats, the green chile, and A DANCE WITH DRAGONS. We’ll meet again in Montreal. Ah, the jet set life…

Estonia was great, and Turku was fun as well. I hope to write more about all these places once I’m home.

Thanks for all my Finnish friends, new and old, for making this is a wonderful trip. Finncon rocks.

Current Mood: null null

Tags: conventions

Off to Estonia

July 12, 2009 at 10:20 pm

Finncon is fini. Parris and I have just staggereed back to our hotel room from the dead reindeer party. The party is still going strong and we would love to have stayed longer… till sunset, at least… but we have to be up early tomorrow to catch a ferry to Estonia, where I’ll be doing a signing in Tallinn. Then the next day it’s back across the sea to Helsinki again, just long enough to set off for Turku, where I’ve got another signing.

Finncon was terrific. The warmth and hospitality we’ve found here has completely ruined my image of Finland as a frozen wasteland. Who knew? The sauna was fun too. And then there were all the cute anime girls in costume offering free hugs…

Thanks to all my Finnish friends. Now off to Estonia!

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Here in Helsinki

July 8, 2009 at 10:17 am

So we’re here in Helsinki, me from Santa Fe and Phipps by way of Ireland. Grey skies and rain, but the people are warm and friendly. Yesterday we visited Sveaborg, the great island fortress that I’ve written two stories about. “Gibraltar of the North,” it was dubbed by John Quincy Adams. I can only conclude that JQA had never actually seen the Gibraltar of the south, since the resemblence between the two is nonexistent. Sveaborg is pretty cool in its own right, however, and I’m glad to have seen it.

The con proper starts tomorrow. Some come to Finncon if you can. It’s free!

Current Mood: null null

Tags: conventions

Finncon Approaches

June 30, 2009 at 9:53 am

I am closing down book sales for a while, since I leave for Finland on July 5. Reopen in late July or August. If there’s a signed book you want, please wait till then.

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Tags: conventions

Stick Them With the Pointy End

June 28, 2009 at 10:33 pm

Just got word from the good folks at Valyrian Steel. They are now taking preorders for their full-size replica of Needle. (Arya not included).

To place an order or get more details, visit their website at http://www.valyriansteel.com/shop/swords/needle-sword-of-arya-stark/prod_3.html

And if you want be the first kid on your block to collect the complete armory, copies of Jon Snow’s Longclaw are still available as well.

Don’t be fooled by the pictures, the two swords are nowhere near the same size.

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Tags: valyrian steel

Not a Blog

Worldcon Schedule

Battling Babes of Westeros

The Genius of Jack Vance

I love TIME magazine

Home Again

Farewell to Finland

Off to Estonia

Here in Helsinki

Finncon Approaches

Stick Them With the Pointy End

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