Search Results for: ready player one blurb

Games, Books, and a Video from Neil Gaiman

On Wednesday afternoon, Worldbuilders crossed the $600,000 mark on our fundraiser.

On Wednesday night, this happened:

neil jabberwocky tweets(There are some days I almost believe I’m one of the cool kids.)

Then, early yesterday morning, this happened:

Thank you, everyone for donating.

Thank you Neil for being your lovely, generous, kindhearted self.

We’ve got four days left in this year’s fundraiser, where every $10 you donate to Heifer International on our team page gives you the chance to win thousands of cool books and games in our lottery. (You can calculate the exact odds of winning something using the widget above.)

Now, on to today’s additions to the fundraiser. First the games:

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Munchkin is all of the fun of playing D&D with a lot more snark, sarcasm, and backstabbing. Plus, it’s a lot simpler, and you get to fight the Dread Gazebo.

If you’ve never played Munchkin, you really really should. These are all going into the lottery, so if you choose to receive games as a prize option when you donate, you might just get the chance.

  • Auction: Munchkin Game with signed Luggage Card

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In case you already know and love Munchkin, let’s sweeten the deal by adding the rare promotional Luggage card, signed and doodled by John Kovalic and signed by Steve Jackson. The Luggage, from Terry Pratchett’s Discworld series, is a semi-intelligent trunk with lots of little feet that acts as both luggage and bodyguard for the clueless, hapless, and a few other -lesses tourist, Twoflower. Twoflower eventually gives it to Rincewind, and along those lines, the Luggage in Munchkin will bounce from player to player depending on dice rolls.

Of course, just like in the book, you can never really get rid of it.

The Luggage card is *very* rare, so we’re auctioning it off with a signed copy of the game over here.

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This game is a nice twist to your traditional deck building game. In addition to buying and using new cards, the segments that make up the game board get removed from one side and added to the other during play, giving a videogame-like side scrolling feel, and challenging players to remain aware of things that had been visible and aren’t any longer.

Coolest thing of all? This game isn’t even out yet, so if you donate and win it in the lottery, you’ll be able to taunt your friends.

  • Auction: Hardcover copy of Magic the Gathering: Complete Collection. Signed by Matt Forbeck.

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This book contains 16 issues of the IDW “Dack Fayden” comic series, and it’s signed by Matt Forbeck with a sweet Worldbuilders inscription to boot. If you’re even a little into MTG worldbuilding, this is right up your alley.

You know you want it, so go bid on it here.

  • Copies of  Quarantine, including the First Aid Expansion. Signed by Mark Klassen.

Quarantine

While the gameplay and rules are simple, this game will never be played the same way twice. Players are trying to build the biggest and most efficient hospital while taking care of the patients as they arrive and preventing those patients from spreading disease through the hospital.

Hospitals are built with an interesting “price-drafting” mechanic that requires some serious strategy to get the rooms you want for a reasonable price without losing them to the other players.

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Level 99 games is one of our newest sponsors, and we’re excited to have them. This game is a bit of a rarity as it’s two gaming elements I’ve never seen combined before. It’s a character-driven game with a physical element, so dexterity actually plays a part in your success.

All of these are going into the lottery where anyone who donates can win a copy.

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Here we have a real-time card game that simulates a chaotic bar brawl. It’s a simple game to pick up, but can be played as strategically or casually as the group wants. It’s all the fun of a bar fight without having to worry about the bloody knuckles! These are going into the lottery as well….

  • Auction: Full Name of the Wind Poker Box Set: 2 card covers, all 3 playing card decks, 300 poker chips, and a signed bookplate, all in a heavy wooden display case.

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This was a Kickstarter-exclusive item, so there’s nowhere to get them any more. Well… except from me, because I bought a few extras and hoarded them.

We put a few into our IndieGoGo fundraiser over the summer, where they sold out really quickly for 600 bucks each. Since then we’ve had more than a couple people come asking if there’s any other way they can get hold of one.

To see more detailed pictures of my chips, box, and other art, you can head over here.

  • Auction: Rare Tyranny of Dragons Pinny Arcade Pin.

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Some events at PAX will get you cool, rare pins. This one is from 2014. You got one if you attended the live show of Acquisitions Incorporated. I traded to get an extra one, and we’re auctioning it off over here.

  • A full set of Cards Against Humanity.

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I kind of assume all of you already know about CAH. It’s described as “A party game for horrible people” and that really says it all. I’ve played this game many, many times, always with horrifying and hilarious results.

What some folks don’t know is that folks at CAH are as lovely as their game is fun and horrible. They do a lot of charitable work, and happily donated two full sets of their game to us this year. (The base game, expansions 1-5, the 90’s pack, the 2012 and the 2013 holiday packs, and The Bigger Blacker Box.)

Due to the nature of this game… we’re probably going to call the winner before we put it in the mail. If you’ve played it, you know why.

  • Auction: The full set of CAH, including rare add-on packs and pins.

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This set has everything above, *plus* four of the rare, hard-to-come by expansion packs that only tend to get handed out at special events.

As an added bonus, I’m throwing in my own personal set of the pins they gave away at PAX Prime this year. You won’t see many of those around….

Head over here for more details, or to place your bids.

And now some lovely books. Some of these are going up for auction, but many of them are going into the lottery instead where if you donate, you can win them.

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I am a big fan of  The Oatmeal’s work. And if you’re not, you should be.

This year The Oatmeal (Matt) donated a bunch of stuff to the fundraiser, so we’re putting 4 of his books together in a bundle for you in the lottery.

The books are 5 Very Good Reasons to Punch a Dolphin in the Mouth, How to Tell if your Cat is Plotting to Kill You, Why Grizzly Bears Should Wear Underpants, and My Dog: The Paradox.

With titles like that, how could you *not* be intrigued?

  • A bundle of coolness from The Oatmeal: I <3 Tesla mug, I <3 Tesla Pin, and a rare signed original printing of 5 Very Good Reasons to Punch a Dolphin in the Mouth.

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We’ve also got a different Oatmeal bundle going into the lottery that has a mug, pin, and the much-more rare edition of Punch a Dolphin. This edition was printed before The Oatmeal started to make it big, so it’s a bit of a collector’s item.

One of these is going to a lucky winner in the lottery, but we’re putting a second set up for auction over here for those of you who want to get a hold of this rare early version of his book

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This YA novel won the 2012 Young Writers Prize. It’s an up and comer, and doing pretty well for itself. Plus, it’s written by a long time fan, our very own Captain Joe, winner of the previous photo contest and all-around awesome person.

Joe also pitched in a handmade quill from his desk, which is up for auction, but these copies of his book are going into the lottery.

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This is a great steampunk series, and Liesel was kind enough to send a signed ARC of the first book for the fundraiser. It’d be awesome to receive if you’ve never read it before, or if you’re a huge fan and want to start a collection, so we’ve got it in the lottery for you.

“Schwarz’s debut blossoms with possibilities for a future hinging on the brave and determined Elle, who both loves science and wields Light’s magic” – Publishers Weekly

  • Two Hundred and  Twenty-One Baker Streets: An Anthology of Holmesian Tales Across Time and Space. Signed by Jamie Wyman.

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Here’s a fun little anthology, which allowed authors to write about Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson in any time or place they’d like. There are stories all over the world, written from all different points of view, and lots of other twists you wouldn’t expect.

  • Auction: Unveiled. Signed by Jamie Wyman and comes with two bookmarks and two challenge coins.

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This is a signed copy of book 2 in Jamie’s Etudes in C# series, and comes with a couple of thematically-appropriate challenge coins..

“Quirky, unique, fast-paced, and with enough geek homages to make me feel at home, it’s a Puck-load of fun.” – Delilah S. Dawson

If you want to bid on the coolness, you can do so over here.

  • A set of The Portals Series: Heart of Briar and Soul of Fire. Both signed by Laura Anne Gilman.

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Laura Anne Gilman is a longtime supporter of Worldbuilders, so we’re happy to be putting her books into the lottery. As it is, her Deadline Cat is up for auction for those of you who love her work and need a little help dealing with deadlines of your own.

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Charitable work seems to come pretty naturally for Eric. All of the royalties he receives from sales of this book are donated to his local food bank. He inscribed these for Worldbuilders, so you’ll be reminded of both charitable actions. All it takes for the chance is your own $10 charitable donation

  • Copies of Little Brother. Signed and inscribed by Cory Doctorow.

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I want to gush about this book, but Neil Gaiman has written one of the most beautiful blurbs for it I’ve ever seen.

“A wonderful, important book…I’d recommend Little Brother over pretty much any book I’ve read this year, and I’d want to get it into the hands of as many smart thirteen-year-olds, male and female, as I can. Because I think it’ll change lives.  Because some kids, maybe just a few, won’t be the same after they’ve read it. Maybe they’ll change politically, maybe technologically. Maybe it’ll just be the first book they loved or that spoke to their inner geek. Maybe they’ll want to argue about it and disagree with it. Maybe they’ll want to open their computer and see what’s in there. I don’t know. It made me want to be thirteen again right now, and reading it for the first time.” – Neil Gaiman.

They’re all in the lottery, to spread the love as much as possible.

  • A copy of Stardust. Signed and doodled by Neil Gaiman.

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This copy of Stardust was donated by some awesome fans. Even if you don’t win the Fabled Stardust ARC, you might get your hands on this awesome-and-doodled copy, since it’s in the lottery as well.

  • Copies of Angels & Visitations. Signed by Neil Gaiman.

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We’re tossing one of these awesome, illustrated collections of short stories into the lottery.

This collection has some of Gaiman’s earliest writing in it.  It was published before American GodsNeverwhere, even Smoke and Mirrors, and it was published by Dreamhaven. This is the only place you can find some of his non-fiction from the late 80s and early 90s.

There’s also a copy up for auction, since these are fairly collectible. If you want it, you can bid here.

  • Sets of novellas: Emperor’s Soul and limited edition Legion. Both signed by Brandon Sanderson.

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Brandon’s novellas are great, and these are both stand-alone or first in a series. Legion is one of only 1000 limited editions from Subterranean Press, as well, so it’s a great kit for reading up on some Sanderson.

We’ve also got a set up for auction, so you can bid on those over here.

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Many of you know about Malala Yousafzai already, but for those who don’t: she has been championing women’s rights, human rights, and education since she was 11 years old, writing blogs and giving interviews  She rose to worldwide fame after an assassination attempt in 2012 that left her in critical condition.

After she recovered, she went back to doing her thing again, except twice as hard as before.

She is a bit of a hero of mine. Someone shot her in the head for speaking out, and she got back up and kept trying to change the world.

I’m happy to say that Ms. Yousafzai collected her first Nobel prize just last Wednesday. We’re auctioning off a signed, first edition copy of her book over here.

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Ending this blog with Malala Yousafzai, makes me realize I haven’t talked about one of my favorite things that Heifer does.

Heifer International - Bangladesh. January 2013. Increasing Community Capacity for Holistic Development (ICCHD) Project –I  (Project # 22-0620-08).  Bangladesh, which is a county about the size of Iowa, has around 162 million people.  Nearly 43 percent o

Heifer helps young girls get to go to school.

If your family is poor enough that food is hard to come by, you can’t even consider paying for school fees and books. If a family can only afford to send one child to school, they will almost always choose a boy over a girl. In some places, schooling isn’t even considered for women.

And personally, I think that sucks. If you haven’t noticed, most of the Worldbuilders team is composed of women, and the only reason this whole shindig happens is because of them. They’ve turned this fundraiser from a hot mess of catastrophe-curve enthusiasm into something that works. I never could do this without them.

I think about Malala, and my sister, and Charlotte from the video I posted in yesterday’s blog. I think about my mom. I wish you all could have met her. She remains one of the most generous, kind, and *capable* people I’ve ever known….

And then I think: what would these women have been like if they’d been denied an education because of prejudice or poverty?

Honestly? It horrifies me to think of it. I don’t want to live in that world. Beyond that, I wouldn’t be the person I am if my mother hadn’t raised me. And she wouldn’t have grown into the person she was if she’d never had the chance to go to school.

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Heifer International has long understood that the best way to create sustainable growth is through teaching, and for $275, you can send a young girl to school. $275 dollars gives gives a family the tools, livestock, and training so that they can generate enough income to pay for their daughter’s school fees and supplies.

And that’s not just for a year of school. What Heifer provides a family doesn’t just last, it grows. Chickens produce more chickens. Goats produce more goats. That means that all the years and years to come that family will have the money to pay for tuition, books, paper and uniforms. That one time donation sends a girl to school forever.

Remember Malala Yousafzai up there? One of the reasons someone tried to kill her is because her family runs a chain of schools in a region that frowns on the education of women. Hell, that wins the award for my biggest understatement ever. People went looking for her and shot her in the head so they could send the clear message that women shouldn’t be educated.

Heifer International is changing those attitudes.

With the help of Heifer’s education programs, we’re working to change how people view the value of education for everyone. Ms. Yousafzai is fighting for an important cause. And I’m proud to be part of that fight.

You can be part of it too.

Donate here.

Posted in Worldbuilders 2014 | By Pat7 Responses

Signed Books from Cool Authors

This is a Worldbuilders Blog.

Every year, we get a bunch of books donated by the authors themselves. And this year is no exception…

All of the books below are signed by the authors. What’s more, some of them are limited edition, rare, or cool in their own beautiful snowflake way.

As always, most of them are going in the lottery, so you can win them if you donate at least ten bucks over on the Worldbuilders Team Page.

But we’re throwing a few of them up into into our auctions too, in case you’re into that sort of thing.

This is a pretty, pretty book. One of the limited editions Subterranean Press put out that’s now out of print. I was going to throw it up in an auction… but then I decided to leave it in the lottery, where anyone can win it. Because I love you.

“Vivid, brutal, and thematically rich, this captivating title is sure to win teen fans for the award-winning Bacigalupi.” – Lynn Rutan

This book is a little extra cool because it’s an ARC (Advance Reader’s Copy). These books tend to be pretty collectable especially when they’re signed by the authors. (As you can see from the auction we’re currently running with some of Abercrombie’s books.)

“Beautifully written, filled with high-octane action, and featuring badly damaged but fascinating and endearing characters, this fine novel tops its predecessor and can only increase the author’s already strong reputation.” – Publishers Weekly (starred review)

Honestly, after reading these blurbs, I’m going to have to check these books out for myself. Obviously I’ve been missing something good….

Lost Everything doesn’t offer sermons or solutions, just a poignant, poetic, devastating way of pondering the questions. Grade: A” – Jason Heller, Onion A.V. Club

“[Liberation is] a heady stew, a road novel shot through with mysticism and a love of freedom that soars over the pages.” – Cory Doctorow

  • A paperback set of Agents And Adepts, Talking to Trees, and The Crystal Throne. Signed by Kathryn Sullivan.

“Great characters, a fascinating world, a scary villain, griffins and talking trees, what more can a reader ask for…?” – Carrie Masek,

  • A set of Rats and the Ruling Sea, The River of Shadows, and The Red Wolf Conspiracy. Last two signed by Robert Redick.

I got to meet Robert this year at World Fantasy in Toronto. We had a great panel together where we talked about the wanderer as archetype, and he impressed me enough that I’ll admit to having a bit of an author-crush on him right now. It happens.

“Insane god-kings, miniature warriors and sentient animals fight over a powerful ancient artifact in Redick’s dramatic, complex debut. Both adult and young adult readers will find much to enjoy in this tale of sea-faring and bloody diplomacy.” – Publishers Weekly

“Readers with the fortitude to take the plunge stand to be rewarded with what may go down as one of the most ambitious, redefining forays into epic fantasy of all time.” – Eldon Thompson, author of The Divine Talisman

  • White Dragon, The Destroyer Goddess, and In Legend Born. Signed by Laura Resnick.

“[About In Legend Born] For action-packed storytelling filled with prophecies, plot reversals, and conflict-haunted heroes, this is as good as it gets.” – Philadelphia Inquirer

  • VamparazziUnsympathetic Magic, Doppelganangster, and Disappearing Nightly.  Signed by Laura Resnick.

“Fans of Charlaine Harris’ Sookie Stackhouse series will appreciate this series’ lively heroine and the appealing combination of humor, mystery, and romance.”- Library Journal (starred review)

  • A hardcover set of Metal Fatigue and The Resurrected Man. Signed by Sean Williams.

“Once you step into William’s meticulously, but effortlessly, created world, you will not be allowed to leave until the danger is past. Don’t worry, though, you won’t want to, no matter how complicated things get.” – Lisa DuMond

  • Fatal Alliance and The Force Unleashed II. Signed by Sean Williams.

“[About Fatal Alliance] With so much riding on its shoulders, the book demands an unusual gift for cracking good space opera, and that Williams possesses in full measure.” – Roland Green, Booklist

  • Auction: A set of Fatal Alliance and The Force Unleashed II. Signed by Sean Williams.

Sean was nice enough to send us two copies of these, so one’s going into the lottery, and putting the other up in an auction.

So if you have a rabid Star Wars fan in your life, you might want to head over there and make a bid. Christmas is right around the corner…

  • A paperback set of Iron Druid Chronicles: HoundedHexed, Hammered, Tricked, and Trapped. Signed by Kevin Hearne.

“Kevin Hearne breathes new life into old myths, creating a world both eerily familiar and startlingly original.”—Nicole Peeler, author of Tempest Rising“A witty new fantasy series.”—Kelly Meding

  • Auction: A paperback set of Iron Druid Chronicles: HoundedHexed, Hammered, Tricked, and Trapped. Signed by Kevin Hearne.

For those of you that have a thing for sexy redheaded protagonists, we’re throwing a second set of Kevin’s books up for auction over here.

  • A paperback set of The Tainted City and The Whitefire Crossing. Signed by Courtney Schafer.

“In every way more robust and assured, [The Tainted City] doubles down on grand stakes while keeping the pressure on personal ones….Schafer’s definitely a writer to watch, and I for one look forward to doing so.” – Liz Bourke

  • Auction: A paperback set of The Tainted City and The Whitefire Crossing. Signed by Courtney Schafer.

Look how sweet… she even said thanks for supporting us!  Now you know you have to have it, so to place your bid, head over here.

  • A first edition copy of Ready Player One. Signed by Ernest Cline.

I’ve talked several times about on the blog about how much I enjoyed this book, so I won’t go on and on…

Suffice to say that I’m terribly fond of both Ernest Cline and his book, and not just because he’s the reason I first got invited to Wootstock…

“Enchanting…Willy Wonka meets the Matrix. This novel undoubtedly qualifies Cline as the hottest geek on the planet right now. [But] you don’t have to be a geek to get it.”—USA Today

  • Auction: A first edition hardcover of Ready Player One. Signed by Ernest Cline.

Did I already mention that Ernest Cline gave away a freaking Delorean with clues hidden in his books? Yeah. He did.

Given that, I suppose it’s not a huge surprise that he was willing to donate these lovely first edition hardcover copies of Ready Player One. They can easily go for more than 200 dollars to collectors right now. Imagine what it’ll be worth when the movie finally comes out…

So go on, head on over to the auction and make a bid. You’re not just supporting a worthwhile cause and getting a cool book, you’re making a sound financial investment.

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Remember, for every 10 dollars you donate on our Team Page, you get a chance to win these books and many, many more.

If you’d like to see all the auctions Worldbuilders is currently running, you can find them over here.

Or, 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 the main page here.

Posted in Worldbuilders 2012 | By Pat3 Responses

Two great books, and a chance to win a free DeLorean

Commander Harken: Seems odd you’d name your ship after a battle you were on the wrong side of.
Captain Reynolds: May have been the losing side. Still not convinced it was the wrong one.

That’s all I feel like saying on the subject of the recall election right now.

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There are two things happening this week that all proper geeks should be aware of.

First off, Redshirts, is hitting the shelves.

I know, I know…. you can’t really judge a book by its cover. In my opinion, if you’re going to judge, you should do it by the blurbs on the back:

(Click to Embiggen.)

As I mentioned on the blog a couple months back, I got an early read of the book early on this year. As a result, I ended up laughing my ass off at a local restaurant, while everyone stared at me like I was a crazy person. Which is fair enough, I suppose.

If you’re interested, you can read the review I wrote, including the bit where I threaten Scalzi with violence, over here.

The second piece of vital geek news today is the fact that Ernest Cline’s Ready Player One, went on sale in paperback this week.

Now this would be news enough by itself, because honestly, Ready Player One was probably the best book I read last year. (And I read a lot.)

But no, the REAL news is that to celebrate the paperback release, Ernest is giving away a DeLorean. Which is somehow manages to be the coolest AND the geekiest promotional thing that I’ve ever run into.

(Seriously, he’s giving away a DeLorean.)

How can you win it? Well, he’s hidden clues in his book. You find the clues, you play some games, you can win his sweet ride.

For the details, you can head over here.

I’ll also mention, just as an aside, that both John Scalzi and Ernest Cline were very cool about donating stuff to Worldbuilders last year. So if you were right on the edge, and just needed one more reason to rush out and buy their books, there it is…

pat

Posted in contests, cool news, geeking out, recommendations | By Pat28 Responses

Jayne Hats, Cool Art, and Stein with a Freaking Bear

This is a Worldbuilders blog.

First, some good news.

Yesterday we hit $50,000 on our Team Heifer donation page. It only took us two weeks to hit our first goal.

As promised, I’ve bumped up our donation thermometer to $100,000, and I’m putting together a bonus blog full of cool stuff I will personally add to the lottery. I’ll post that up on Monday.

But today we have a different sort of blog….

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Over the years, a lot of people have offered to donate things to Worldbuilders.

Generally speaking, I try to keep the charity book-focused. We’ve had a few notable exceptions, like a signed Brett Farve jersey and a guitar signed by Creed. But generally speaking, I’m reluctant to stray too far from the book-centered thing that we have going on.

But earlier this year, an awesome reader named Amanda sent me an e-mail. She liked to knit, she told me. If she made a bunch of Jayne hats for Worldbuilders, would I like to sell them in the store?

How could I refuse?

So this year, in addition to our gorgeous Literary Pin-up calendar, we’re going to try selling a few non-book things in our store. If you order now, we’ll get them in the mail right away, so you have a good chance of seeing them in time for Christmas. We’re launching a few more auctions too, to  keep Neil Gaiman’s limited edition screenplay company.

Keep in mind that items in the store are limited. Once they’re gone, they’re gone.

  • Cunning knit Jayne Hats.

A person walks down the street in a hat like this, you know they’re not afraid of anything.

This hat will not damage your calm, though wearing it may cause you to look as sexy and badass as Sarah.

These hats were all hand-knit by the lovely Amanda and donated specially for Worldbuilders.

You can view more pictures or buy the hats here.

Okay, most of us are proper geeks. That means we’ve read a lot of fantasy. And, as we all know, most of the best fantasy starts in an inn, preferably inns full of people eating stew and quaffing ale.

But the truth is, it’s really difficult to quaff without the proper equipment. You cannot quaff out of can or a bottle. An ordinary glass doesn’t work either. Tankards work passably well, but to properly quaff, you really need a big fucking hand-crafted pottery stein.

Where can you find such a thing? Well, funny you should ask, because Charley at Sea Bear Pots has donated six awesome steins to Worldbuilders.

You can see more pictures of the pots and read Charley’s descriptions over here.

Or you can hurry over and buy the steins in our store.

These were donated from the creatively awesome folks at Fancy Fortune Cookies.

I’ve talked about their cookies on the blog before on more than one occasion. Not only can you customize your fortunes, but the cookies themselves are delicious.

You can get them in flavors like Cappuccino, Cherry, Chocolate, Peppermint, Raspberry, Green Apple, Toasted Coconut, Orange, Banana, Fruit Punch, Blueberry, Graham Cracker, or Lemon. Then you can have them dipped in caramel, almond bark, or chocolate.

Erin has donated six different kinds of cookie packages. You can check them out here.

  • AUCTION: Giant Fortune Cookie with a preview of The Kingkiller Chronicles, Day 3.

(Auction does not include baby)

Tired of Fortune cookies that don’t actually come true? Wish you could *really* see the future?

Well look no further. This cookie holds a piece of the future. Specifically, it contains a sneak peek of book 3, written by my own hand.

Now first off, let’s be clear. This cookie is legitimately huge. It’s as big as your head. It’s the sort of cookie you want to bring out when you have friends over so you can share it.

Secondly, you can get it customized. The folks at at Fancy Fortune Cookies will tailor this cookie to your particular taste.

Third, it will have a piece of book three inside. That means it will taste of delicious secrets.

This is an auction item, and it will be ending on Dec 23rd.

To bid on this auction, follow this link.

  • AUCTION: Chocolate-Covered Cookies with Fortunes from Patrick Rothfuss.

These cookies contain personalized fortunes written by me (Patrick Rothfuss.) They will make you laugh, they will make you cry, they will leave you a shattered, gibbering wreck of a human being. Or something.

To bid on this auction, click here.

  • Signed Ernest Cline vs. Patrick Rothfuss Posters.

(Click to Embiggen)

Back at the end of August, I did a team reading/signing with Ernest Cline at McLean&Eakin’s in Petoskey Michigan. This poster was designed especially for that event.

Ernest is the author of Ready Player One, a book that I enjoyed with every square inch of my geeky, geeky heart. It’s one of the few books that I’ve  given a blurb.

After our epic battle, Ernest and I signed a few extra posters for posterity. Given that this was Ernest’s very first ever signing, these things are sure to be worth millions of dollars some day. Especially after Ernest’s movie comes out and I spiral into methadone-fueled madness.

You can view or buy the poster here.

If you’re a map geek like me, then you have to love this map of Alera. Not only is it extremely posh, but it’s signed by both author Jim Butcher and the illustrator, Priscilla Spencer.

The wonderful Priscilla Spencer has donated this piece to Worldbuilders. You may find more of her work at her website.

To see more pictures, or bid on this auction, you can follow this link.

  • Signed Kvothe Giclees by Donato.

This is the original artwork for the first Name of the Wind bookcover by artist Donato Giancola, the “Fabio” cover as I like to call it.

This print is a 13″ by 17″ giclee, which is way better than just an ordinary print, apparently.

(Valerie’s note: this is pronounced “zhee-clay” for everyone like me who is going to pronounce it wrong and feel dumb, as opposed to the people like Pat who will pronounce it wrong and not give a damn.)

It is signed by Donato. If you want, I’ll write my name on it too.

You can view or buy the giclees here.

  • AUCTION: Signed, numbered gilcee of Kvothe by Donato.

Donato has also donated a signed, numbered edition of the Kvothe picture. This one is larger than the one above. It is a 24×18 giclee and numbered 21/1000.

If you win the auction, I’d be happy to sign it too. Or not. Whatever you’d prefer.

To bid on this auction, you can follow this link.

  • AUCTION: Signed, numbered Neil Gaiman print: “The Day the Saucers Came.”

(Click to Embiggen)

In this print, Jouni Koponen illustrates Neil’s poem: “The Day the Saucers Came.” It’s hand-printed on a semi-matte silky smooth paper stock.

This signed, limited edition print was specially donated to us from Neverwear. This 10″ x 29″ print has everything you could ever want, zombies geniis, UFOs, giants, fairies… even killer bees.

To bid on this auction, you can follow this link.

*     *     *

As always, all the money we raise from auctions and sales in The Tinker’s Packs goes to Worldbuilders.

You can follow this link to look at all the Worldbuilders auctions. Please keep in mind that all auctions listed on this page end on Dec 23rd.

To see more donated books, as well as other auctions and the items we’re selling in the store, you can head over to the main Worldbuilders page.

Posted in Worldbuilders 2011 | By Pat18 Responses

San Diego 2011: Thursday Part II – Wootstock

This is part of my San Diego ComicCon diary from 2011. It’s sort of the middle of the story.

If you want the whole story, you might want to start reading at the beginning. Other parts include: Wednesday, Thursday Part I, and Friday Ad Infinitum.

*     *     *

Before I tell the story of Wootstock, I should give you a little background so things will make sense.

A stab at definition.

For those of you that don’t know about it, Wootstock is….

Wootstock is….

Well, it’s just Wootstock.

It’s sort of like a modern variety show. (Except nobody knows what a variety show is these days.)

Imagine A Prairie Home Companion if it was run by a bunch of sci-fi nerds. (Man, that’s no good either, does anyone else other than me listen to A Prairie Home Companion?)

Okay. How about this. There’s music. There’s comedy. There’s music-comedy. There’s skits. There’s cussing and nerd humor and poetry and, well…

It’s pretty much a big geek performance orgy.

Honestly, I’ve wanted a piece of Wootstock for ages. Ever since I first heard about it, I wanted in.

Now did I get a piece of the action?

I got an invitation from Ernest Cline.

I mentioned his book on the blog a while back. It’s called Ready Player One. And not only did I like it enough to give it a blurb. I liked it enough to dig up his e-mail address and gush to him directly about how much I loved it.

I think the entire content of my first e-mail was, “Your book is fucking awesome.”

I tried to get them to use that for the blurb on the back, (“This book is fucking awesome.” — Patrick Rothfuss) But their marketing people wouldn’t go for it.

Anyway, Ernest got an invite to Wootstock from Wil Wheaton, who is narrating the audiobook of Ready Player One. Ernest, being a generous human being, asked if I’d like to share some of his stage time.

I said yes. I said it in a firm, manly, baritone. Then I hung up the phone and laughed my most maniacal laugh.

Right. So. We all on the same page here?

7:00 – Backstage.

I walk up to the side door of the Balboa Theater in San Diego. Someone was waiting for me at the door, where they gave me this:

My very first All Access pass. It makes me feel like a rockstar.

I go backstage and down into the secret parts of the theater. It’s a magical sort of place. It’s a secret place that only the performers get to see, and it’s electric in a way that’s hard to describe. Everyone there is getting ready for the show. They’re excited, and a little nervous, and happy to see each other. Plus it’s comic-con, so we’re all a little exhausted. And a few of us are slightly tipsy, too… (Though not me, as I’m not much of a drinker.)

There’s a blur of people all over the place. Some of them I recognize, like Adam Savage from Mythbusters. And the guys from Rifftrax (who used to do MST3K.)

I’m introduced to a few people in a whirlwind fashion. I shake hands and nod at names. But they all run out of me like water. If I say, “someone said” or “someone did” I’m not trying to protect anyone’s identity, or snub them. It’s because a lot of the evening is a blur to me. I suck at meeting people, and I only have space in my head for about 5 new names.

Then I turn around and Wil Wheaton is there.

It’s weird meeting someone you kinda already know. And I kinda know Wil from a bunch of different directions. From his blog, from Star Trek, from his books, and from the Guild.

Plus we e-mailed just a little a day or two before Wootstock. I won’t bullshit you, that made me kinda tingly.

Anyway, we’re introduced, and we shake hands. He thanks me for the nice things I said about his book on my blog. And I’m a little surprised that he’s read it, though I shouldn’t be, I suppose. I tell him that I loved it.

That’s all we have time for. The stage manager is gathering everyone up to make some announcements before the show.

We all jam into a room and Liz is introduced. She is the boss. She tells us how it’s all going to work. She tells us we can watch from backstage, and that we should, so that we don’t miss our cues. She tells us to stick to our allotted time. She tells us where the beer and pizza are.

Everyone else nods attentively. There are a few jokes. But all of this is old hat for most of them.

Me? I’m grinning like an idiot. The show hasn’t even started yet and I’m having the best time….

*     *     *

I should explain something. I used to do lots of group-performance type things. I used to sing in choirs. I used to do radio comedy. I used to act a little, and did a few plays, a musical or two.

I even used to do a little improv comedy. Which is like a trial by fire. Once you do improv comedy, no other type of performance will ever truly frighten you.

Now I didn’t do a lot of these things seriously. But I did them. I enjoyed them.

And I miss them.

You see, one of the downsides of being a writer is that it’s a very solitary occupation. If everything is going well with my writing, I’ll spend 10-12 hours a day alone, and the rest of my time sleeping. (Also alone, usually.)

When I do get out to do a reading or a convention, I have a lot of fun. I enjoy meeting fans and signing books. I enjoy doing Q&A and reading stuff to an audience. It’s a nice opportunity for me to go out and be social.

But while it’s social, it’s a very solitary type of performance. I’m up in front of 200-600 people talking. There’s just me and the audience.

I’d forgotten what it was like to be part of a group of performers. To be a piece of a WE.

It feels great.

*     *     *

Liz makes one last announcement. They’ve gone to the worst seat in the house and borrowed the person’s camera. They’re going to pass it around backstage and we’ll all take pictures with it. That way the poor schlub with the worst seat will have a cool memento of the show and, as a bonus, the pictures will go online so everyone can use them.

It’s only because of the photoset that I have a shot of Ernest and me backstage, wherein I am getting my Kawaii on.

The show kicks off, and after cadging a piece of free pizza, I head upstairs we head up onto stage and watch the show from the wings. The theatre is gorgeous. A place with some real style to it.

It’s certainly the biggest house I’ve ever played to, and I’m a little nervous. But despite the fact that I’m anxiously fretting over what exactly I’m going to read, I can’t help but get pulled in by Molly Lewis playing the ukulele.

Her songs crack me up as I watch from backstage, and it helps me relax a bit.

Then, as I’m watching her play, a little motion catches my attention from the corner of my eye. So I look over and see Wil Wheaton dancing.

Before that point, I liked Wil Wheaton. I knew he was cool. I respected him as a writer, enjoyed him as a performer, and admired him as a strong, smart, outspoken member of the geek community.

But backstage in the Balboa theatre, I watched Wil Wheaton do a happy, goofy little dance, and that was when I started to love him.

Soon afterwards, Ernest gets his cue and heads out onto stage. He reads some hardcore geek poetry. Good stuff. He’s a good performer, too. Gets a good reaction from the crowd.

Then he introduces me. I’m a surprise guest of sorts, as I’m not on the program. People cheer when they hear my name, which is kind of a shock. It’s then that I decide what I’m going to read. I’m not going to try to follow Ernest’s poetry with more poetry. I think he’s got me beat in that regard.

I’m not going to read a piece out of my book, either. Too clunky. I even decide against reading a piece of a short story I’m working on.

No. A whole theatre of people cheering and my new man-crush Wil Wheaton watching from the wings means I go straight to my best material. The piece I keep in my back pocket whenever I do a reading. My sure-fire winner. My big gun.

I pull out The Guinea Pig Story.

Those of you who have seen me at a live reading might have heard it. Most of you have not.

It’s one of of the humor pieces I wrote back in college. Theoretically I was writing an advice column, but realistically I was making fun of people and telling incriminating stories about my life.

Here’s the only video I was able to find of the performance. The first little bit of my performance is cut off there, but it’s only about a sentence of the letter someone wrote in, asking for advice about keeping pets in their dormroom.

[Edit: After searching around a bit, I found another video from farther back in the audience that shows my performance AND Ernest’s with Wil Wheaton’s introduction.]

I got a great reaction from the audience, and left the stage feeling roughly ten thousand feet tall.

8:00 – Random House Party

After hanging around for a while and watching a few more acts, Ernest said he was going over to the Random House party and asked if I’d like to come along.

Though I was loathe to leave, I figured I should go and rub some elbows with some more bookish types. That’s kinda my job in some ways.

So I went to the party, hung out with some folks, and ended up riding a mechanical bull.

Why? No. Why is not the right question. I was at San Diego ComicCon. The proper question is “why the fuck not?”

That party was fun, but after about 45 minutes, I made my excuses and headed back to Wootstock. Because, y’know, Wootstock.

9:00 ish – More Wootstock.

I got back just in time for intermission, where I amused myself by handing out copies of the Chick Tract Dark Dungeons to members of the audience. I hope nobody thought I was serious….

After all my tracts were gone, I used my fancy pass to get backstage, feeling rockstar all over again. I wandered down to the dressing rooms and bumped into Felicia Day, who was also a surprise guest. I got a free hug and we chatted for about forty-five seconds before someone tells her she’s about to miss her entrance cue.

Somehow, someone managed to catch us on film during that brief moment. Proving that I’m not a big fibber.

I hang around and chat with folk, occasionally watching some of the show from backstage. I catch Jeff Lewis (Vork, for you Guildies out there) doing a piece of honest-to-god standup comedy. The man has amazing comic timing and delivery. As you’d already know if you were watching The Jeff Lewis 5-minute Comedy Hour.

11:30 ish – Autographing.

Eventually the show wraps up with a great closing number that I watch from the wings. Then I head downstairs to get my backpack and maybe another slice of pizza before I head out. When I’m gathering up my stuff, someone asks if I want to stick around and sign autographs. I shrug and agree, because I have nowhere else in particular to be.

Now over the last couple of years I’ve done a lot of signings. It’s old hat in a lot of ways. Usually I’m all alone. I’m a one-man-show.

But this one was different. A bunch of the performers were sticking around to sign posters and programs.

What’s more, at Wootstock, most of the people could give a damn about me. They’re there to see Wheaton, or Savage, or bask in the radiant glory of Paul and Storm.

And you know what? It was nice  doing a signing where most folks didn’t care who I was. It gave me a chance to goof off and get to know the people sitting on either side of me. To my left was the aforementioned Molly Lewis. And to my right was someone I didn’t know at all, but I quickly learned that she was Amy Berg, writer/producer for Eureka (among many other things.)

So we hang out and chat as the line of people slowly trickles past. I’m feeling pretty relaxed. I’ve had a good day. I was on a panel with George Martin, had dinner with Jim Butcher, and got to chat with Wil Wheaton. I went to a party with an actual velvet rope, and the bouncer nodded me through even though I wasn’t on the list. I rode the mechanical bull and didn’t hurt myself. I got a hug from Felicia day and made a thousand people laugh….

It’s  been a busy 14 hours, and I’m in that warm, happy place that comes when you know you don’t have to work any more. And, because I’m in a good mood, I start to joke around with the people coming through the line….

And that’s when I *really* start to get to know the people sitting on either side of me.  I draw a picture of a duck on someone’s poster, and they mock me for its utter terribleness. They mocked me with a sharp-tongued viciousness I haven’t experienced since most of my best friends moved away from Stevens Point.

So I abandoned drawing and started signing clever things on the posters. Then my neighbors started writing things on their posters that were clever-er. And I feel really put out by this, because normally *I* get to be the witty one, and they were out wittying me without hardly trying. I felt the sudden need to step up my game, to say nothing of wanting to buy some of Molly’s music and catch up on the current season of Eureka….

The signing went on for at least a couple hours, and it was the perfect end to the perfect day. As I left the theater I felt that strange, glowy feeling that comes when you level up. It wasn’t until I got home that I found out where the XP boost had come from:

Best of all, I’d made it through two entire days at the convention without making an ass of myself in front of anyone.

But then again, it was only Thursday….

*     *     *

Sorry this one was so long delayed. More soon…

pat

Posted in a billion links, College Survival Guide, Consistent Verb Tense Is For Bitches, conventions, Felicia Day, meeting famous people, my rockstar life, the longest fucking blog ever, videos, Wil Wheaton | By Pat37 Responses

Upcoming Events in Reno and the UP

I hate posting updates while I’m away from my home computer.

I’m up in the north woods right now, a lovely place, isolated. Great for a little family vacation. It’s the sort of place where you can only get cell phone reception if all the local bears are standing in the right places so the radio waves reflect the signal in the right way.

But it’s hell on internet, too. Not only do I have to leave behind my lovely clicky keyboard behind, but I have to use a borrowed computer. Last night I typed up a post three separate times, only to have my dad’s computer erase it, rather than saving it.

This I do not love.

Anyway, I’m at the local library right now, and I’m posting to let y’all know about some reading and signings that are coming up in the next couple weeks.

*     *     *

Note: This first event is in less than a week. Tell your friends….

Next week I’ll be in Reno for Worldcon. (My schedule for the convention is posted on the events page and on facebook.)

But since I’m going to be in the area for the first time, I thought I’d do a signing for people who live nearby but are unable to attend Worldcon.

So Sundance Books & Music is hosting the event which will be held next door at the Nevada Museum of Art. I’ll be doing my standard reading, Q&A and signing. The store will be selling my books and you can contact them at 775-786-1188 or on their website or facebook. I’ve put up a facebook event as well if you’re interested.

[Edit: Because the theater we’re having the reading in only has about 200 seats, the bookstore is suggesting that you call ahead and reserve your place. That way you can be sure to have a seat waiting for you when show up.]

RENO, NV
August 18 at 6:30pm
Sundance Books & Music
Reading/Q&A/Signing
Nevada Museum of Art
Wayne and Miriam Prim Theatre
160 West Liberty Street
Reno NV 85901

*     *     *

The last weekend of August, I’ll be doing an “Author vs. Author” event at McLean & Eakin Booksellers with Ernie Cline, whose first book, Ready Player One, is coming out on the 16th.

It’s Awesome. How Awesome?

This Awesome:

(Click to embiggen.)

The bookstore is requesting reservations for this (free) event and you can contact them at 231-347-1180.

And there’s an Awesome poster.

Details:

PETOSKEY, MI
August 27 at 6:30pm
Reading/Talk/Q&A/Signing
McLean & Eakin Booksellers
307 E. Lake St.
Petoskey , Michigan 49770
Facebook event

*     *     *

Since I was going to be driving through the UP on my way back from Petosky, I thought I should take the time do do a signing. Luckily, the lovely people at Snowbound Books were willing to accommodate me.

I’ll be doing my typical reading/Q&A/and signing. Hardcovers of NOTW and WMF with be available at the store, as well as copies of The Adventures of the Princess and Mr. Whiffle. I’ll also have copies of the promotional sticker with me.

For more info, or to reserve a copy of the book, call: 906-228-4448.

Details:

MARQUETTE, MI
August 28 from 3pm to 6pm
Reading/Q&A/and Signing
Snowbound Books
118 N. Third St.
Marquette, MI 49855
906-228-4448
snowboundbooks.com
Facebook event

That’s all for now, folks. Sorry the post isn’t prettier and wittier, but the library is about to close.

New post on Monday.

pat

Posted in appearances | By Pat38 Responses
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