Too much to do, too much to do.<\/p>\n
Things are hopping, as my frogs told you down below.\u00a0\u00a0 I could be writing long posts here about a dozen things, but I am sure most of you would sooner I were writing fiction, producing films and television shows, editing anthologies.\u00a0\u00a0 Y’know.<\/p>\n
But let me say a few quick words about matters various and sundry.<\/p>\n
We have a new book coming out from Ten Speed in October: THE RISE OF THE DRAGON, an illustrated history of the Targaryen dynasty from Aegon the Conquerer to the regency of the boy king Aegon III.\u00a0\u00a0 I could show you the covers (British and American) but my mighty minions have already done that in the post below.\u00a0\u00a0 Just scroll down and enjoy.\u00a0\u00a0 The official announcement lays out the basic facts about the book as well, so I won’t repeat that here.\u00a0\u00a0 I just want to clear up a possible areas of confusion.\u00a0\u00a0 In my blog post of 3\/9 (scroll further down), I made mention of “a lavish coffee table book coming later this year, an illustrated, condensed version of FIRE & BLOOD done with Elio Garcia and Linda Antonsson (my partners on THE WORLD OF ICE AND FIRE).”\u00a0\u00a0 Yes, I was speaking of THE RISE OF THE DRAGON.\u00a0\u00a0 The same book.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 There has been some mention of RISE being an “encyclopedia,” but I do not think that is accurate… not unless the definition of “encyclopedia” has broadened considerably.\u00a0\u00a0 It’s a history… covering the same years and events as FIRE & BLOOD… but not written “in world” by Archmaester Gyldayn, and much condensed\u00a0 from Gyldayn’s original text.\u00a0\u00a0 My friends Elio Garcia and Linda Antonsson of WORLD OF ICE & FIRE fame handled the abridgement.<\/p>\n
We needed a shorter book to make room for all the art.\u00a0\u00a0 That’s the big thing about THE RISE OF THE DRAGON:\u00a0 it’s not an encyclopedia, it’s an art book<\/em><\/strong>.\u00a0\u00a0 And a gorgeous one, I think.\u00a0\u00a0 RISE will include 180 brand new illustrations from some of the finest fantasy artists in the world.\u00a0\u00a0 Some of them will be full page.\u00a0\u00a0 Many will be in gorgeous living (and dying) colors.\u00a0\u00a0 Dragons, knights, battles, lords and ladies, castles… all the good stuff.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 So if you’re a fan of fantasy art, you may want to pre-order your copy now.<\/p>\n The other book\u00a0 mentioned in that post of 3\/9, the Who’s Who of Westeros, is coming as well, but not this fall.\u00a0\u00a0 That one is a way off.\u00a0\u00a0 Might be a year or two.\u00a0\u00a0 Lot of work to be done.\u00a0\u00a0 (As my editors complain, it is hard to do a who’s who when I keep inventing characters).<\/p>\n There will be a second book coming out this year, to tie in with the debut of HOUSE OF THE DRAGON.\u00a0\u00a0 But it won’t be a new book, just an old one with a new cover.\u00a0\u00a0 That’s FIRE & BLOOD, of course, the original (unabridged) version by Archmaester Gyldayn, with new cover art from the HBO series.\u00a0\u00a0 When I have seen the new cover, I will be sure to post it here.<\/p>\n Oh, and as long as I am setting stuff straight, there’s a weird story all over the internet about how I “hid” my initials in ELDEN RING because… ah.. some of the characters have names beginning with R, or G, or M.\u00a0\u00a0 To which I say, “Eh?\u00a0 What?\u00a0 Really?”\u00a0\u00a0 This was news to me.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 I have been writing and publishing stories since 1971, and I suspect that I have been giving characters names beginning with R and G and M since the start.\u00a0\u00a0 Along with the other twenty-three letters of the alphabet as well\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Coming up with names is hard, especially since A SONG OF ICE & FIRE uses so many of them, and I am fond of giving family members and close kin names that have something in common… but really, why would I have to hide my name inside the game?\u00a0\u00a0 My name is right there ON the game, as one of the creators.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Hey, ELDEN RING is exciting enough, no need to make up stuff.<\/p>\n