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I don’t know if it’s possible for me to be more exicted about this than I already am…..
Teaser from Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog on Vimeo.
For the last couple months, I’ve been meaning to bring some books to your attention. I would think to myself: “Self, you should really mention this book to people your blog.”
But then I’d get busy. Or some time-sensitive piece of news would come up, like a book signing or making the New York Times list. Or I’d be distracted by something shiny, or edible, or both.
So, without further ado, here are some authors that you might not be aware of.
David Keck – In The Eye of Heaven.
I read David Keck’s book couple years back and really enjoyed it, but there is a caveat: This is not your typical fantasy novel.
We all know most fantasy novels are set in fairly generic medieval settings. The world Keck creates is different. His world is dark ages. Mankind is not on the top of the food chain, and the world is full of dangerous, mythic forces that are not to be fucked with.
At the same time the story remains very realistic. I don’t think I’ve ever read another book that does a better job of depicting the real hardships of a mercenary knight in the dark ages. His description of an injured knight going to a dentist was delightfully spot-on.
Keck’s writing style is unique as well. His descriptions are brief, almost poetic in places. Very different than the long, ponderous description that is common with so many fantasy novels these days. To use an artistic analogy: this book is more like a Monet painting than a photograph.
Because of this, the story feels almost dreamlike at times, as the main character moves back and forth between the harsh realities of tournament combat and strange dealings with otherworldly powers. I think this element of Keck’s writing caught a lot of readers unprepared, and let to some unfair reviews of his work. You don’t bitch because a Monet painting is blurry. It’s supposed to be that way, that’s the effect the artist was trying to achieve….
The second book in Keck’s series came out fairly recently (In a Time of Treason). But starting a series with the second book is not civilized behavior, and people who do it go to the special hell reserved for child molesters and people who talk in the theater.
Anyway, I really enjoyed liked it. But be warned: This is not your typical fantasy novel.
Anton Strout – Dead to Me.
As a fellow fantasy author and one of the founding members of the League of Reluctant Adults, you would think that Anton Strout would be my friend. In fact, it would be reasonable for you to assume that he has my respect and admiration.
However, nothing could be further from the truth. Strout is, among other things, my mortal enemy. The sordid details of our long-standing feud are multifarious, and I cannot in good conscience list them in a blog that children might read.
Suffice to say that I have many worthwhile reasons to scorn the man, none of which have to do with the fact that he seems to have more luck with the ladies than I do. Nevertheless, I am a gentleman, so I’ll mention his book here. Just to show that I am the better person.
I have not read his first book myself, for obvious reasons, but I’ve heard others say good things. They say that it’s urban fantasy with a strong comic twist. Charline Harris gave him a glowing blurb, so if you like her stuff, you might like his too.
Jim Hines – Goblin Quest.
One of my favorite things is when fantasy authors play with the conventions of the genre. Joss Whedon, of course, is the champion of this. The whole premise of Buffy the Vampire Slayer starts with the question, “What if that ditsy, helpless blond who gets killed in the horror movie actually kicked some ass instead of running away then falling down?”
Hines is good at playing this game too, except he asks a different question: “What do Goblins do when they’re not getting killed by adventurers?”
These are fun books. They’re lighthearted, humorous, and have some good storytelling to boot. Best of all, Hines takes the time to actually create a well-developed world for the stories to take place in, complete with a fresh cosmology, and a unique goblin culture.
Added bonus? Hines has written the next two books in the series: Goblin Hero and Goblin War. They’re already in print, so you don’t have to wait to read the rest of the series, unlike… um… some other authors. Who will remain nameless.
I think I’ll stop at three. If you want more, you can always check out my previous recommendations by clicking on the “recommendations” label down below. Elegant in its simplicity, isn’t it?
Later all,
pat
Over the last year, I’ve given a lot of interviews. I haven’t counted, but I’m guessing there have been somewhere between thirty and forty.
Generally speaking, I enjoy them. I have a strong oracular element in my personality, which means that when people ask me questions, I feel moved, compelled even, to answer them.
But that’s only half the story. I’m also a big asker of questions. I have a vast curiosity about all manner of things.
Combine this with my profound geekery, and you can understand why, when I got the opportunity to interview the fabulous and talented Felicia Day, I jumped at the chance.
Behold the result….
So tell us a little bit about yourself….
I’m a professional actor (meaning I pay the bills solely with acting work, cross fingers) and I’ve lived in Los Angeles for almost 8 years now. I moved here after going to the University of Texas at Austin and getting Mathematics and Violin degrees. Natural progression to acting, don’t you think?
I consider myself a “Jennifer of all trades” meaning I do a LOT of things PRETTY well. It’s not a good long-term plan, but it’s my personality.
Okay, I’ll take the bait. If you started as a mathematician and violinist, what prompted you to make the transition into acting?
I got a bad tendentious in my left pinky during college which caused me a lot of pain when I played. I had to get cortisone shots in the joint to keep playing. (It actually hurts when I play too much Guitar Hero now, LOL). That, combined with the narrow reality of a professional classical musician’s career choices, made me decide to focus on the other thing that brought me joy after college: Acting!
I also feel obliged to mention for all my fellow geeks out there, that one of your acting gigs was in Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Felicia here played Vi in season seven.
So what have you been up to lately?
Recently my focus has been on creating web content. I’m the creator of the web series called “The Guild,” which is about a group of online gamers.
It’s awesome on toast, and I’m not the only one who thinks so, as it recently won a bunch of fabulous awards, too. How did you get involved in working on that?
I created the show as a half-hour television pilot after I shook a two year addiction to World of Warcraft. People read the script, thought it was funny, but thought it was too “niche” for TV because it’s about a group of online gamers. My friend and producing partner Kim Evey had just had fabulous success with her own YouTube videos, so after reading my script, she suggested we do it for the internet. We shot the first two episodes with our producer, Jane Selle Morgan, on our own dime, and after that we’ve been wholly supported by viewer donations through Paypal! It’s pretty cool. Like PBS for online web series.
Hold on. You actually quit WOW? You don’t play at all anymore?
Well, up until a month or so I did. I actually re-upped my account to see if I could play a normal amount of time (and to do some “research” for the show, haha). I had to quit cold turkey in the beginning though, it was consuming my life. I would move any WOW related tasks to the front of the queue, over career and family even. It got bad. Thankfully, my experience playing now is much more casual. I’ve only logged on a few times in a the whole month and it was easy to log off again after a few hours, keeping it short and sweet and playing with friends. Cross fingers I can sustain that!
In addition to playing the female lead in The Guild (Codex) you also write the script. Is this your first experience with screenwriting? Is it something that you’re interested in pursuing more of in the future?
I have 4 or 5 scripts written… halfway. The Guild was the first one I actually finished and rewrote and polished. It took an amazing amount of sheer will to get it on the page because I haven’t been writing since I was a kid like most accomplished writers. I absolutely admire writers more because of the whole process. I can’t believe YOU got through so many HUNDRED pages with your book! Phenomenal!!
Well… I didn’t write the whole book straight through, you know. I stopped around page 450 to get a sandwich and use the bathroom.
How do you go about your own writing?
The key for me was letting myself write badly at first in order to have something to rewrite and make better later on. I constantly have to beat down a perfectionist voice in my head. It holds me back in a lot of areas. Thankfully, the success (and fun) of writing the Guild has encouraged me to start writing other things and pursuing writing more seriously. I have several projects in the works now for TV and film. Getting them done is my main goal this summer!
Ooooh. I’m all tantalized. Can you tell us anything about your other projects?
They’re still in the development stages, but one is a half-hour comedy, and the other is my ATTEMPT to add more fantasy into the hour-long genre. We’ll see if it works!
One of the hardest parts of being a writer is actually trying to sell the book. A lot of authors spend years racking up rejections. Is the auditioning process similar to that?
Ooooh yes. It’s even worse (well, from my perspective!) After you send in your book and get rejected, at least you get your book back and can take it other places. As an actor, you go in and do your interpretation of a role, and when you’re rejected, they give it to someone else. It’s not a judgment that you’re necessarily bad, you just aren’t what they’re looking for, but it’s hard not to take it personally. The mechanics of the actor’s audition process is grueling, and I never ever will get to the point where I’m not anxious and nervous when I go in to read for a part.
Though it fills me with shame, I constantly check my Amazon Sales rank to see how well my book is selling. Most authors admit to doing the same thing. Is there anything similar that actors do?
Of course! Ratings are a #1 topic of conversation with anyone in the industry! Personally, I check my hits on YouTube a lot, especially the first few days after we post a video. The immediate feedback of the internet is pretty gratifying (and horrific depending on the comments : ) ) I have Google Alerts set up on my name and the show name and other phrases to constantly update me on what the web is saying about me/the show. After a while you get a much thicker skin, haha.
What sorts of things have people said over the years? Can you give us an example of something that’s really gotten under your skin?
I really hate the racist comments against my cast members, I remove all those comments immediately. It’s surprising how many they actually are, especially after we get featured on the front page of YouTube.
I also am irritated when people make fun of us for only putting out an episode a month, implying we’re lazy or something. It touches on the part of me that is frustrated we don’t have the budget or means to do them any quicker, but also shows that a lot of people don’t understand what it takes to make a 5 minute short that looks much better than the average video. We don’t just have one guy holding the camera, we have a real crew, who are all professionals, and who are working for free or near free. Hopefully for the next season that will not be an issue, as we’re talking with several people who are interested in financing the show.
What’s the weirdest fan moment you’ve ever had?
Well, I actually interact with fans on an everyday basis because I’m so wedded to the internet, so fan communication is actually a two way street with me and I generally ask fans for more stuff than they do of me! But the best experience I’ve had recently is when I visited Austin, and my brother and Dad and I went to Bed Bath and Beyond together to get a bath mat of all things, and a guy who worked there came up and asked me if I was Codex. Right in front of my Dad, which was so cool because not only did I create that character myself from scratch, my Dad got to see the reality that what I’m doing is “known”. It was a great feeling.
You recently got to work with Joss Whedon on “Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog.” What can you tell us about that?
I can tell you that it’s going to be make a lot of people want to sing after hearing the music. Joss and his brothers Zack and Jed and Jed’s fiance Maurissa wrote the show together to go on the internet in three parts. Joss had seen The Guild and had been percolating the idea of an internet musical for a while, and he said that watching the Guild was a part of the inspiration to get it done; that and the strike.
Hold on. You inspired Joss Whedon?
He said it was a PART of what spurred the work on Dr. Horrible. Don’t make it seem like I’m claiming too much credit for it!! I worked with him on Buffy a few years ago and was crazy lucky enough for him to hire me for the part of Penny. I can’t tell you what a fabulous experience it was working on it, the script and songs are fantastic! For someone in Joss‘ position to do something this experimental is great because not only is it going to be a huge success, it’s going to make people look at internet content in a new way. I can’t wait for it to be released!
Do you have a date for that?
I believe he said it will be released on the internet before Comicon.
Okay. I have to ask. Is Joss Whedon as cool as I think he is?
Yes, he’s worthy of every kind of crush you could develop, I hate to say it. He’s one of the most creative people I’ve ever met and he has a good and true heart. A real gentleman and a pleasure to be around.
Oh good. I have such a crush. I’m one tiny step away from setting up a little shrine in my house. It’s only through a supreme effort of will that I’ve kept myself from doing something extreme to get him a copy of my book. I don’t want to be that guy….
Let’s say the impossible happens and The Name of the Wind gets made into a movie. We both agree it would be dreamy if Joss Whedon wrote or directed it, but what would your ideal cast be if you got your pick?
OMG that’s hard, I’d have to read it again to refresh (the paperback is by my bed just for that purpose actually, haha!!)
Kvothe = Damien Lewis or a young version of him. (Life cop show, Band of Brothers) Jesse Tyler Ferguson also came to mind? (The Class)
Bast = the guy from American Beauty, Wes Bentley (What happened to him?)
Denna = Kiera Knightly or Natalie Portman definitely. Or the girl from Serenity: Morena Baccarin?
Would you have any interest in playing a part yourself?
My dream role would be Auri. I like playing damaged goods, haha.
So you live in LA, where everyone is beautiful. What happens when you take a trip to somewhere like Wisconsin. Is it traumatic looking at us regular folks?
That’s funny! It is true that LA is filled with freakily beautiful people. I feel a lot prettier when I go out of town because the bar is set SOO high here! In LA I’m considered for the “plain” or “homely” characters mostly, I get called in for every one of those roles. They end up being more fun to play in the end, so I definitely don’t mind. But going back to Austin and dressing up and getting head turns, that’s pretty fun too, haha!
What’s the worst part of the whole actor gig?
Auditioning. It’s the most important part of the career, but you don’t know that going into it. You have to consider auditioning the sole (unpaid) function of an acting career. When you actually get hired, that’s the exception. And it’s the thing that keeps you going, of course: Those moments when you’re on set and working. There’s nothing like it!
Any advice for aspiring actors and actresses out there?
Don’t expect someone to pick you up off the street and make you a star: That’s like winning the lottery. Make your own work. It will fill your hours with fulfillment and also lead to things you’d never expect.
Like with The Guild?
Yes! Like me with “The Guild”!
In a gesture of inspiring largess, Felicia has said that she’s willing to give away 10 autographed photos to folks out there that would like one. Well, eleven pictures, if you’re counting mine….
If you’d like to be part of the random drawing for one of those pictures, why don’t you send me an e-mail at paperback.contest {swirly at symbol} gmail.com with your mailing address. We’ll leave the drawing open until… say… May 12th.
Lastly, today marks the end of the paperback photo contest. I have to say that the response has been beyond anything I could have reasonably expected. There have been so many submissions that it’s going to take me at least a week just to sort them out, judge the best of them, and award some prizes.
That means if you spaced out and forgot to send your entry in, you can probably sneak it in tomorrow and I’ll pretend to be too busy sorting to notice….
Later all,
pat
Words cannot describe my geeky shame at how much I want THIS.
It’s probably a good thing I haven’t recieved my advance money for my UK deal yet. Otherwise I would be tempted to do something delicious, charitable, but profoundly financially unwise….
Alas,
pat
The Day Has Come: Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog.
For you Whedonites out there, I just thought I’d remind you that the first part of Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along blog is now live.
This probably isn’t a big surprise for those of you who have been reading the blog for a while, as I’ve been geeking out about it for a while.
A couple months ago might remember me talking with Felica Day. She’s Penny, the female lead. On the offhand chance that you weren’t reading a couple months ago, and you’re interested, here’s a link to the interview I gave her. And, contrariwise, here’s a link to the interview she gave me.
If nothing else, they will give you something to read while you’re waiting for Dr. Horrible’s page to load. I’m guessing it’s going to get hit pretty hard today…..
pat
P.S. By the way, let’s keep the comments section spoiler free, shall we? Not everyone will be able to watch it right and nobody likes having the good bits given away before they’ve had a chance to watch something themselves.
While I understand the desire to talk about the awesomeness of something like this, we must restrain ourselves. Sublimate the urge to say something along the lines of, “That was so cool when he blew up the sun and died at the end.” Instead, say something gushy and loving about the show itself. Extra points given for odd-but-appropriate comparisons. For example: “That was so cool that I feel like I just got to hug a kitten and eat an entire ice-cream sundae.”
Remember folks, people who give away spoilers go to the special hell: one reserved for child molesters and people who speak in the theatre.