This is a Worldbuilders Blog.
Well folks, this is it. The final blog full of books. The final day of the fundraiser.
On January 21st at midnight, Worldbuilders will be over for another year.
We’ve had a really good week. Just to give y’all some perspective, Worldbuilders has raised more money in the last four days than we did in our our entire first year.
As I write this, our total is a little more than $392,000. So it looks like $400K is well within our grasp. When we hit that, I’m personally donating an extra $100,000 to Heifer International.
Our $450K goal is looking a little distant, though. Which is a shame, as I was really hoping to have an excuse to write a piece of erotica with Amber Benson.
Still, I’ve been surprised before in the final day of the fundraiser….
Remember that if you donate before midnight CST on Jan 21st, you’ve got really amazingly good odds of winning some cool books, including the new ones we’re listing below….
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Some of the coolest books Worldbuilders received this year came from the authors themselves. Today’s batch includes special editions, numbered editions, and a few copies of books that won’t even be hitting the shelves for a couple months.
Remember to thank these authors if you get the chance. They’re cool people, and they’re helping out Worldbuilders from the goodness of their hearts.
- A limited edition copy of The Windup Girl. Signed by Paolo Bacigalupi.
This is a publisher’s copy of the limited edition from Subterranean Press. There were less than 600 of these made, and they’ve been sold out for some time, but Paolo sent us one of his personal copies for the fundraiser.
“Not since William Gibson’s pioneering cyberpunk classic, Neuromancer (1984), has a first novel excited science fiction readers as much as Paolo Bacigalupi’s The Windup Girl…” – Washington Post
- A set of The Dreamblood Series. Signed by N.K. Jemisin.
“The world is so fully fleshed out that I could breathe its spices, while the story and characters are so much a part of the world that you could not pull this story or these people out and plug them into a different setting. Jemisin proves yet again that she is one of the important new writers in the sff scene.” – Kate Elliott
- 3 copies of Leader of the Tribe. Signed by Nicholas W. Fuller.
“Fuller rises to this challenge with great skill in this accomplished, atmospheric and thoughtful novel.” – Amazon.com
- A copy of Goblin Secrets. Signed by William Alexander.
This won the National Book Award. And with quotes like this from Peter S. Beagle, you can see why….
“Goblin Secrets is a knockout. It’s an original, owing absolutely nothing to Tolkien, or to any of his descendants, disciples or imitators.” – Peter S. Beagle
- An ARC of Red Moon. Signed by Benjamin Percy.
“Red Moon is a serious, politically symbolic novel – a literary novel about lycanthropes. If George Orwell had imagined a future where the werewolf population had grown to the degree that they were colonized and drugged, this terrifying novel might be it.” – John Irving
This one is a big deal, folks. This is an ARC of a novel that doesn’t come out until May 2013. He gets bonus points because he taught creative writing here at UWSP.
- A set of Onyx Court novels. Signed by Marie Brennan.
“Enchanting, fearsome faerie vistas and pinpoint character delineations make Galen’s absorbing quest one to savor and remember.” – Publishers Weekly
- A set of Devil Said Bang and Aloha From Hell. Signed by Richard Kadrey.
“Richard Kadrey’s Sandman Slim series is one of my favorite sets of fantasy books from the last few years…” – John Scalzi
- 3 copies of White Lies by Alice Sabo.
“While carefully piecing together the ravaged scraps of his life in a quiet suburb of LA, [Asher Blaine] is arrested for murder […] When he turns to the people he trusted most, he discovers he must convince them not only of his sobriety, but of his innocence.” – Book summary
- A set of The Fall of Ile-Rien novels. Signed by Martha Wells.
“Wells…has created a finely detailed world that echoes with not just one culture and people but many. …A story on many levels, part high adventure, part personal story. Tremaine is not a scream and clutch heroine; she is a fascinating character with many facets. Check it out.” – Tulsa World
- 3 copies of Let’s Pretend This Never Happened. Signed by Jenny Lawson (aka The Blogess).
Amanda’s note: I’ll admit that I didn’t know who Jenny Lawson was a few months ago. I’d vaguely heard the name “The Blogess” but hadn’t ever wandered over to check out her blog before. Then Pat had her on Storyboard, and from then on, I was hooked. She’s hilarious, and socially awkward in all the ways geeks like us can relate to.
We have 3 different copies of this book – two different paperbacks, and a CD audiobook, read by Jenny. Each one will be put into the lottery as its own prize, and believe me: you won’t be disappointed. Especially if you enjoy the F-word and stories about taxidermy.
- A set of The Wild Side, Tales for the Dead of Winter, Crimes by Moonlight, and Murder and Mayhem in Muskego. All signed by Dana Cameron.
Dana sent over a bunch of anthologies she’s been featured in, and signed the title page of each of her stories. It’s such a cool urban fantasy pack that we figured someone would appreciate having all four.
“This is a very good book, extremely engrossing and entertaining, including a couple of remarkable highlights of superior quality when compared with more celebrated anthologies.” – SF Site, about The Wild Side.
- 5 ARCs of A Consipiracy of Alchemists. Signed by Liesel Schwarz.
Here is a book that isn’t released until March. Liesel was kind enough to send over some ARCs, so if you win one, you can read it before your friends do, then taunt them with the fact.
“Urban fantasy, steampunk, and paranormal romance: if you want them, you’ve got them in this charged debut.” – Library Journal
- An ARC of Promise of Blood. Signed by Brian McClellan.
Another ARC, and this one doesn’t even come out until April.
“Promise of Blood is a hugely promising debut. Guns, swords, and magic together? What more could you want? How about tense action, memorable characters, rising stakes, and cool, cool magic? Not only the finest flintlock fantasy I’ve read, but also the most fun. Brian McClellan is the real thing.” – Brent Weeks
- 2 copies of Eon’s Door. Signed by J.G. McKenney.
“Wholly immersive and enchanting…J.G. McKenney has written a gem.” HopelessBibliophile.com
Amanda’s note: It’s also worth noting that J.G. McKenney offers a free novel study unit for Eon’s Door on his website for middle school teachers, which makes him extra cool in my book.
- 5 copies of Libriomancer. Signed by Jim C. Hines.
“All writers believe in the magic of books; Jim Hines has created a system where that magic becomes real, usable, and very definitely not always safe.” – Tanya Huff
Amanda’s note: If that blurb isn’t reason enough to love Jim Hines, you may want to check out what he, Pat, and a bunch of our favorite authors did at ConFusion for Jim’s fundraiser.
Yeah. You can never un-see that. You’re welcome.
- 5 copies of Troubletwisters. Signed by Sean Williams.
“[An] enjoyable romp […] satisfying to a wide range of middle school readers.” – Publishers Weekly
- 3 copies of The Wicked Game. Signed by Olivia Fuller.
“For someone who likes reading historical fiction with an intent to learn a little while being entertained perhaps this review will encourage you to give it a try. The author is articulate, imaginative and I hope to see her write more.” – Amazon.com
- 3 copies of Strangeness in the Proportion. Signed by Joshua Alan Doetsch. With toe tag bookmarks.
“Joshua Alan invites readers to the outer edge of surrealism where horror, mythology, stand-up, and Mother Angelica won’t agree to meet, but metabolize in a fantastical and satisfying gumbo. You don’t have a hair on your rumpus if you’re not hipwaggin’ it to be the first in line for the next ladleful.” – Joanna Beth Tweedy
- 2 copies of The Knights Tale. Signed by Colin McComb.
“Oathbreaker, Book 1: The Knight’s Tale … is a riveting debut fantasy from an author who knows what fantasy fans love (he wrote adventures for TSR, after all) – visceral prose; logically sound and creative world-building; and fascinating characters that do not follow genre conventions..” – The New Podler Review
- A set of The Nightrunner Series. Signed by Lynn Flewelling.
“A new star is rising in the fantasy firmament…teems with magic and spine-chilling amounts of skullduggery.” – Dave Duncan
- A limited edition, leather-bound copy of Legion. Signed by Brandon Sanderson.
Some of you have been waiting a long time for this one. There were only 1000 of these made, so we were excited when Brandon sent it, and we’re tossing it into the lottery where anyone who donates can win it.
“Reality and illusion, sanity and insanity, are but subjective labels in this thought-provoking foray into a world where ‘hallucinations’ abound like the Biblical demons the title evokes… The engaging if madcap events of this outre narrative unobtrusively prompt the reader to reflect on the nature of reality.” – Publishers Weekly
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And that’s it. Our last blog of the fundraiser. You’ve seen the books, DVDs, CDs, and comics that will be in the lottery, and you have the chance to win just by donating by January 21st at 11:59pm CST.
If you’d like to donate, head over to the Worldbuilders Team Page.
There are a couple of auctions left, including the Favor from Pat. Check out our current auctions over here.
If you want to see the other items that have been donated to Worldbuilders, or learn more about the fundraiser itself, you can head over to our main page.
30 Comments
Pat, kudos to you and the Worldbuilders team for running this successful fundraiser and helping so many people in need. I will try to spread the word as much as I can for the final day.
A great closing set of books! The photo of the Nightrunner series by Lynn Flewelling only shows books 2 through 5; is 1 included (just off-screen ;-)?
(I already own the series and it’s one of my faves; just curious.)
Er, I mean, it shows 2 through 6. Ahem. Math is hard, sorry
I’m hoping that I win the Nightrunner series while trying to figure out how to obtain them if I don’t. This is gonna involve some nightrunning.
A copy of book 1 is on its way, but we didn’t have it in time for the photo. No worries, it’s going to be the whole set :)
Whew! ;-) Heh, thanks for satisfying my curiosity (and glad it’ll be the whole-set-to-date–lucky winner, these books are great).
Helping the world while possibly winning books signed by Lynn Flewelling? Say no more.
I suddenly know what Dresden is talking about when he sees something with his Sight that’s then BURNED INTO THE VERY FIBER OF HIS BEING.
I am so pleased that I can be a part of, and contribute a little to this charity.
You guys have made it into something that really engages me.
Several times a day I check the scale to see how it goes, and each time I delight in seeing how much you achived to raise.
It is inspiring to see how people get involved, and how they contribute to make this a fun charity (like the Kvothe doll and the Stardust book).
It makes me strive to be a better person.
(typo: Leigon–>Legion)
Thanks! It’s fixed.
Another great fundraiser. Midnight January 21st has already come and gone.
We’re going until midnight tonight – 11:59pm if you will – so we’ve still got about 15 hours to go :)
Midnight which time zone?
Central – so you have approximately 13 hours from now to donate!
So this morning I couldn’t find my wallet and thought I had left it at a restaurant last night. No luck finding it there when I called, and I couldn’t imagine where I had put it this time. So I go about my day by logging onto Facebook where I see Pat’s post about the last day of Worldbuilders. At this point I think, “There is no way I’m going to let this year’s fundraiser go by without donating!” So I click the links to get to the donation page and figure that maybe I can remember my debit card info from memory. JUST as I get to the payment section I look down and BAM! There’s my wallet….under the coffee table. The Universe seems to be on our side :)
“Our 450K goal is looking a little distant, though. Which is a shame, as I was really hoping to have an excuse to write a piece of erotica with Amber Benson.”
But Pat – “So it looks like 400K is well within our grasp. When we hit that, I’m personally donating an extra $100,000 to Heifer International.”
Which will put the total at $500K, and therefore you have all the excuse you need ;o)
On a serious note though, well done to everyone for this. Sounds like a great charity and a lot of effort has gone into raising this money from a lot of people.
(Disclaimer – I haven’t donated this year – all my charity money is going to a friends efforts to send their child who has Cerebral Palsy to the US for life altering surgery. Shameless plug on the off chance anyone wants to know more: Abe’s Adventure)
Yay! So excited to see this message from my Mom! “OK I donated 250$ as you said it is a good place to donate and if you did and dont make alot I should. I could not get it to post on my facebook though. Love ya.” < This gives me a warm fuzzy feeling inside, since I wish I could have donated that much. Woot for the I am poor and I donated sales pitch! :-D Amazing job everyone! Keep up the good work!
Thank you Pat. I think I am now addicted to giving and World Builders and it is a great feeling.
I am beyond stoked to have been part of this. You guys have No. Freaking. Clue. how awesome you all are. Huge thanks to Brett, he knows what he did. :) Also, Maria has been the sweetest person ever. Pat, thanks for giving me the go, but I’m going to stab someone with my needles if I have to make another hat any time soon.
2 questions! 1 Does anyone know how much the favor from Pat went for? Last I saw it was at $10100.00
2 when does the lottery actually happen? Just curious because I’m sure there’s a lot that goes into ending the fundraiser.
I desperately want a lockless box I can’t wait until they’re made!
Sorry, not sure if question about when lottery drawing will happen was answered. I doubt the Worldbuilders team could give much of an estimate until they know just how many tickets/donations they end up with.
The favor ended at $10,100 http://www.ebay.com/itm/Favor-from-Pat-a-gold-Rothfuss-Severin-name-ring-from-Wise-Mans-Fear-/181062684060?pt=US_Fiction_Books&hash=item2a282d4d9c
Amazing to see that and all the other donations as well.
Hi Pat, Team,
Brandon Sanderson’s tweet reminded me of this, so sent in $100. btw, I also got my generous company Vmware to match $100, though that takes 1 month or so.
Regards
Amit
Considering when the blog was posted the $400,000 goal was within reach you guys had an amazing last 24 hours. Seeing things like this make me love humanity sometimes.
Unrelated to all of this I think a lot of people here would get a kick out of this (warning (or perhaps incentive, if you’re into that kind of thing): lots of pasty white sci-fi/fantasy author flesh): http://io9.com/5977394/scifi-authors-pose-half+naked-on-this-genderflipped-book-coverfor-charity?tag=this-is-awesome
hmmm, the donation bar keeps climbing…. maybe queued transactions catching up? Who knows, maybe we’ll hit 450K after all. Somebody’s gonna have some really tired arms, pulling almost 45000 raffle tickets out of a really big hat ;^P
Wow – $435k! That’s about 40% more than last year, isn’t it?
Great job, team!
Dammit, only $14,020 away from the goal that we all really, really wanted, deep down.
Guys, Pat Rothfuss is a master of conservation of detail. If that dude uses the term “shining man-member” in erotica then that thing is going to literally be glowing and I wanted to know WHY.
Not that I have any interest in their sordid pastimes ;) , but I can say with a reasonable level of certainty they’ll be reaching that goal in the afterglow. I mean the afterparty. So to speak. Ahem.
You’re welcome. {g}
Well it wasn’t much but I managed to donate two flocks of chicks :)
I am so glad I donated to this – I look forward to the lottery, but in any event hurrah for awesome fundraising! Thank you for organising this yet again Patrick. :) Oh, and as a long time fan of Jenny Lawson, I just wanted to point out that her tag name is actually spelt The Bloggess, with two g’s! Just so people can find her and her website if they hunt. Her book is frikken amazingly funny. It was my go-to present for everyone last year and across the board it was a hit.