Subterranean Press Prizes

This blog lists generous donations made to the Worldbuilders fundraiser by:


If you want details about the fundraiser itself, you should read the blog HERE.

I’ve known the folks at Subterranean Press for a long while. Bill Schafer contacted me barely two weeks after The Name of the Wind hit the shelves and asked if I’d like to contribute a story to an anthology. It was one of the first clues I had that I might have done something right with my first book.

Subterranean Press publishes gorgeous books. Beautiful paper. Beautiful bindings. Stuff by great authors. Stuff that’s out of print. Stuff by Neil Gaiman, Tim Powers, Robert Heinlein, Ray Bradbury….

The last time I bought stuff off their website, I looked at my shopping cart and found myself thinking, “Next time I sell them a story, I should just negotiate my contract in store credit and save them the trouble of sending me a check.”

Last year Bill stunned me with his generosity, donating over $8,000 in books to the fundraiser. This year, he stunned me again, donating almost three times as many books. Beautiful hardcovers. Many of them limited editions. Many of them signed.

What’s more, he’s helping Worldbuilders match donations this year. That’s right, Subterranean Press will be providing funds to match 50% of the first 10,000 dollars donated this year.

This has earned him an eternal place in my heart, because it makes it much less likely that I’ll have to sell my house to match the donations this year.

Alright. Enough ebullience. Let’s look at some books.

(Are these cool covers or what?)

I’m a huge Tim Powers fan. Last Call was the book that really convinced me how brilliant he was, and the sequels are just as good.

I have it on good authority that owning these books will give you the strength of ten men, cure any illness afflicting you, and grant you eternal youth.

If you don’t believe me, then how about trusting the Los Angeles Daily News when they say Last Call is “Riveting…lyrical and brutal…a thrilling tale of gambling, fate and fantastic adventure.”




Subterranean Press describes The Terror as “a rigorously researched historical novel and a compelling homage to one of the seminal SF/Horror films of the 1950s. It is popular fiction of the highest order, the kind of intense, wholly absorbing epic only Dan Simmons could have written.”



Joe Hill’s a new writer who already has more than a few accolades to his name, including beating me out for Best Debut Novel in the Locus Awards last year.

I really enjoyed his book Heart Shaped Box, and while I haven’t read Locke and Key, Publisher’s Weekly says that it “…delivers on all counts, boasting a solid story bolstered by exceptional work from Chilean artist Rodriguez.”


Library Journal says the Onion Girl is “set in a modern world that borders on a dimension of myth and legend, de Lint highlights the life of one of his most popular characters. A master storyteller, he blends Celtic, Native American, and other cultures into a seamless mythology that resonates with magic and truth.”

This is a collection of five stories written by King and adapted to film: Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption (film version: The Shawshank Redemption), 1408, Children of the Corn, The Mangler and Low Men in Yellow Coats (film version: Hearts in Atlantis). Each story includes an introduction and commentary by King himself.

I’m sure many of you already know about John Scalzi through his blog Whatever. If not, I’d suggest you read this book to get to know him, but you might not have enough light to make out the text where you live, under what is undoubtedly a heavy, heavy rock.

Publisher’s Weekly says: “If J. G. Ballard and H. P. Lovecraft had ever collaborated on a space opera, the results might have been like this: ferociously inventive, painfully vivid, dispassionately bleak and dreadfully memorable.”


Bookslist reports that, “Dahlquist’s sequel to The Glass Books of the Dream Eaters (2007) is dark indeed… fans of Tobsha Learner’s Soul (2008) and Jonathan Barnes’ Somnambulist (2008) will enjoy this surreal Victorian journey into the nightmarish possibilities of mind swapping”


Where Everything Ends
is a collection of three of Ray Bradbury’s classical detective stories: Death is a Lonely Business, A Graveyard for Lunatics, and Let’s All Kill Constance.

On a personal note, I have to tell you that when I read Death is a Lonely Business ten years ago, it rocked my world. I grew up reading Bradbury, and I expect a lot from his work. Even so, it still knocked me over.

I didn’t even know about the third book in this series right now. Is it legal for me to donate money to my own fundraiser with the hopes that I’ll win something? Probably not. I’m kinda dodgy, and I’d probably rig things so I’d win.

Anyway, you don’t have to take my word that this is an awesome book. Green Man Review says that it’s “a trio of fine detective novels (together with the short story that provided the starting point) from Bradbury in his inimitable style. He plays with the conventions, but since he so obviously loves the genre, this is easily forgiven — embraced, even — because the end results are, simply put, fine additions to the canon.”

Remember, every 10 dollars you donate gives you a chance to win these and hundreds of other cool prizes, so head over to my page at Team Heifer and chip in.

Want more details about how it all works? Check out the Worldbuilder’s blog HERE.

This entry was posted in Heifer International, recommendations, Subterranean Press, Worldbuilders 2009By Pat15 Responses

15 Comments

  1. marky
    Posted December 1, 2009 at 2:41 PM | Permalink

    Pat, some people would be getting their books in second hand condition, if it was me.;-)

    My donation will be with you soon.

    Oh, and if anybody has problems donating from the UK…Like I had last year, you’ll find it’s the bank putting a stop on the payment. If this happens, all you need to do is give them a phone and they’ll put the payment through.

    WV: pildcha – A rapping fish.

  2. LaurafromNY
    Posted December 1, 2009 at 3:13 PM | Permalink

    Some of those books look really cool. I’d sure like to read the Onion Girl. Seems interesting. That’s so nice they donated so much books AND they’re matching donations. Wish some of these nice people would visit my neighborhood and spread compassion and generosity towards the homeless/forsaken (animals, not humans). It’s tough and heartbreaking when people threaten you for showing compassion and generosity, (hence my growing hatred for indifferent/mean/selfish/jerkwads of a people)… ROCK ON WITH YOUR KINDNESS, GOOD SIRS!

  3. Sara
    Posted December 1, 2009 at 5:32 PM | Permalink

    I love Charles De Lint! I’m very excited :D

    -Sara

  4. Greg
    Posted December 1, 2009 at 7:24 PM | Permalink

    Mr. Rothfuss you are one awesome dude. I will surely be donating this year. And I am continually wondering about that ‘rockstar’s guitar’ you mentioned earlier…

  5. Anonymous
    Posted December 1, 2009 at 9:12 PM | Permalink

    I just finished reading the last couple blogs, and I would like to submit my humble thanks for not writing “whatever you want” in my book when I sent it to you to sign for my boyfriend’s birthday a while ago :D Well, technically I said to write “whatever bolt of creative genius strikes”, so thanks for not writing that! Though it would have been amusing. I realize now that it probably gave you a seizure when you read that in my note, so thanks for taking the time to write something awesome! As seen by the photo I posted, he was thrilled :D

    GO HEIFER!!!!
    ~Diana

  6. Tacroy
    Posted December 1, 2009 at 10:44 PM | Permalink

    Holy god. I didn’t even realize Dan Simmons had a new book out, and half of the other ones look like I need to read them.

  7. Alexis
    Posted December 1, 2009 at 10:47 PM | Permalink

    When do we get to learn about the lucky folks whose names are going into A Wise Man’s Fear?

  8. Chicobrew
    Posted December 1, 2009 at 11:25 PM | Permalink

    I love what your doing here with the fundraiser, and I love your book by the way. I’ve been checking in on your blog every now and again over the past year hoping for some info about Wise Man’s Fear. I’ve been patiently optimistic and I’ve seen all the hilarious comments you’ve made on the process you are going through,which I can appreciate, but (I’m sure you see where this is going), are you actually working on the book currently? I mean, where do you find the time to do all this blogging? And since I now know that someone who wins a drawing that ends in January will have their name in the book, I’m no longer laughing at the Amazon release date of 2025. I’m dying over here! Alright that’s all I’ve got. Please don’t make me wait for your children to put it together posthumously ala-Silmarillion.

    PS- I work for a kickass brewery by the way-can I bribe you?

  9. Robert J. McCarter
    Posted December 1, 2009 at 11:42 PM | Permalink

    So many choices on the incentives, how’s a boy to decide?

    Awesome effort Pat, way to use your celebrity.

    I have one Subterranean Press book, and another ordered. If they are this cool, I am going to have to consider getting more.

  10. Anonymous
    Posted December 2, 2009 at 2:56 AM | Permalink

    Any news on the Raffle Winners yet Pat?

  11. Kevin
    Posted December 2, 2009 at 2:28 PM | Permalink

    I was so happy last year when I won that signed gallery proof. I can’t wait to donate this year!!

  12. AC
    Posted December 3, 2009 at 3:29 PM | Permalink

    Yo Roth man, whats shakin? ^^
    Looks like you’ve already exceeded your first goal according to your team page and it’s only the first week! How exciting! I’m hoping to get a donation or 2 in soon, might have to wait until after I’ve bought xmas presents or I’ll break the bank :D

    I’ve never heard of Subterranean Press until now and they seem to be all sorts or epic win. *thumbs up* Hopefully I’ll win a few things *cough….Magicans…cough* Hell if you AND GRRM say it’s good then it must be good.

    Props to you guy and keep up the awsome work!

  13. Anonymous
    Posted December 5, 2009 at 11:42 PM | Permalink

    I love The Terror by Dan Simmons. Already bought a galley copy of Name of the Wind for my wife and I for Christmas (I still can’t believe it, not until it’s in my hands), but can’t wait to donate after Christmas with dreams of one of those Terrors (and maybe that favor, too.) I’m also eager to see the auctions as that signed Stardust sounds mighty awesome, but I’m sure it will go for more than I can pay…I think I might be parting with quite a bit of cash this month.

  14. Posted December 22, 2009 at 2:19 AM | Permalink

    Dear Pat: I was on Amazon poking around and checking on updates on “Wise Man’s Fear” when I saw the note about Heifer International. I would normally scroll on by but something made me click the site. Not only did their mission impress me but the TONS and TONS of swag you’ve gotten from publishers, authors etc… SUCKED ME IN! So, because you are donating to a great charity and because I might win some great stuff…. I donated! Keep up the good work.

    Sincerely,
    Chris Fuqua

  15. Ellen Breckenridge
    Posted January 8, 2010 at 11:11 PM | Permalink

    For Christmas this year, I promised to donate to Heifer International one goat in honor of each couple. Everyone was thrilled. What a bonus to go to their website and discover that my son’s all-time favorite author and press share our enthusiasm for Heifer Intl and are matching donations! Giving away prizes as well is just frosting on the cake.

    Now what I want to know is how I can make a donation for the auction for next year? Surely someone could be induced to donate a huge sum to Heifer Intl by bidding for technical/medical editing services or legal advice? I’m both a very experienced medical/technical editor and a lawyer (licensed in Texas, specializing in health law) and would be happy to donate some services for the auction.
    Ellen Breckenridge, PhD, JD, (and MPH in Dec 2010– just in time for the next auction)

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