Category Archives: Worldbuilders 2011

Published: January 6, 2012

100K Blog – Signed Books by Pratchett, Gaiman, and More (and Moore)

This is a Worldbuilders blog.

Okay. I’ve had my holiday break. I’m relatively rested and recharged.  You’ll be seeing more blogs than normal in these next couple weeks. Not just fundraiser stuff, but some other blogs that I’ve been meaning to post for some time.

We hit our 100K target a week or so back. So, as promised, here’s a bonus blog full of books I’m personally adding to the lottery. A lot of these I’ve collected over the last year while attending conventions. Most of them are first editions and signed by the authors.

I’ll be doing another bonus blog when we hit 150K. Which, judging by the look of that thermometer over there, is probably going to happen pretty soon….

Recently someone wrote me an e-mail asking, “What do you do when your life sucks and you don’t want to write any more?”

I replied, “I read Terry Pratchett.”

It amazes me that there are some fantasy readers out there that still haven’t read Pratchett. I can’t fix that for everyone, but one person in the lottery is going to win the chance to read all the Pratchett their geeky little heart desires….

I got to meet Terry Pratchett this year, though only very briefly. In this blog I told the story of how I was lucky enough to get him to sign one book for me.

This was that book. I could probably auction it off for a pretty penny. But I’d rather put it in the lottery where anyone can get it.

Honestly, I don’t have any idea where I got these ARCs. But I figured I’d throw them into the mix, too. Thud! is one of my very favorite Discworld novels.

  • One first edition hardcover copy of The Emerald Atlas by John Stephens. Signed by the author.

“This fast-paced, fully imagined fantasy is by turns frightening and funny, and the siblings are well-crafted and empathetic heroes. Highly enjoyable, it should find many readers.” – Publishers Weekly

“This book has it all: a creepy setting, a deadly curse, reincarnation, spells, witchcraft and voodoo, plus characters that simply will not let the reader put the book down until finished…Who could ask for more?” – VOYA

  • One first edition hardcover copy of Akata Witch by Nnedi Okorafor. Signed by the author.

I’ve already gushed about Nnedi a couple times here on the blog in this last month. So I won’t bother repeating myself. Besides, why would you bother listening to me when Ursula K Le Guin is vouching for her…?

“There’s more vivid imagination in a page of Nnedi Okorafor’s work than in whole volumes of ordinary fantasy epics.” – Ursula K. Le Guin

“Romantic and blood-streaked, and infused with magic so real you can feel it on your fingertips – Deathless is beautiful.” – Cory Doctorow

  • One first edition hardcover copy of A Dance with Dragons by George R. R. Martin. Signed by the author.

“Martin’s love for sophisticated, deeply strange fantasy permeates “Dance” like a phantasmagorical fever dream.” – L.A. Times

“A grand adventure and an inspiration that is not to be missed.” – Kirkus Review

  • One first edition hardcover copy of Ghost Story by Jim Butcher. Signed by the author.

Pat’s Note: I make no bones about my love for Jim Butcher. The Dresden Files is possibly my favorite current series that I’m reading.

“Think Buffy the Vampire Slayer starring Philip Marlowe.” – Entertainment Weekly

  • One first edition hardcover copy of The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman. Signed by the author.

How much do I like this book?

Well… last year at House on the Rock, me and my crew dressed up as the ghosts in the book. Because that’s how we roll.

(As you can see, Oot was Bod.)

We almost won the costume contest too….

…but that, as they say, is another story.

“The Graveyard Book manages the remarkable feat of playing delightful jazz riffs on Kipling’s classic Jungle Books. One might call this book a small jewel, but in fact it’s much bigger within than it looks from the outside.” – Peter S. Beagle

  • One hardcover copy of The Boy at the End of the World by Greg van Eekhout. Signed by the author.

“The Boy at the End of the World is both moving and full of adventure. This remarkable survival story will change the way readers think about themselves and the world they live in.” – Sarah Prineas, author of The Magic Thief

From outrageously funny New York Times bestselling author Christopher Moore and award-winning screenwriter and director Ian Corson, THE GRIFF: A Graphic Novel is about an alien invasion of Earth and the motley crew of humans who save the world—sort of . . .

  • One leather-bound, gold-leaf paged copy of Lamb by Christopher Moore. Signed by the author.

This year when I was at San Diego Comic Con I got to meet Christopher Moore. While I was there, I got lucky and bought two copies of the special gold-leaf edition of Lamb. The first one was for me, of course, but the second one I’ve been holding on to so I could put it in the fundraiser.

It’s a pretty book, gold leaf around the pages. This edition also has the faux leather cover, so it’s extra valuable, as faux are now endangered species and can’t be hunted for their skins any more.

It also has a little bookmark, so you know it’s posh.

All joking aside, this is a great book.Laugh-out-loud funny in places, sweet and touching in others. If you haven’t read any Moore before, this is a good place to start.

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Remember, for every 10 dollars you donate on the Worldbuilders Team Page, you get a chance to win these books and hundreds of others.

What’s more, Worldbuilders will match 50% of your donations. So if you chip in before January 31st of 2012, you get a bigger bang for your buck.

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

Posted in Worldbuilders 2011 | By Pat45 Responses
Published: January 3, 2012

More Signed Books From Cool Authors

This is a Worldbuilders blog.

So over the last week the fundraiser galloped madly forward to the point where we’re already within spitting distance of 150K. So in addition to seeing the 100K bonus blog later this week, you’ll probably be seeing the 150K pretty soon too. That’s in addition to all the other coolness we already have lined up.

I’m hoping  beyond hope that we might make it all the way to 250K this year. I’d really love be able to say, “We raised a quarter million dollars for Heifer international.”

Okay. Moving on. Today’s books.

I have a working theory that sci-fi and fantasy authors are among the coolest people around.

As proof of this, here’s a blog full of books donated by the authors themselves. Many of them signed, and with additional promotional items included.

  • Three first edition hardcover copies of Ready Player One by Ernest Cline. Signed by the author.

Pat’s Note: I’ve already talked about how much I love this book. So I won’t go on and on again.

Except to say that I really loved it. And it’s awesome. And you should read it.

“Triggers memories and emotions embedded in the psyche of a generation…[Cline crafts] a fresh and imaginative world from our old toy box, and finds significance in there among the collectibles.” – Entertainment Weekly

  • Six hardcover copies of Ready Player One by Ernest Cline. Signed by the author.

“The science-fiction writer John Scalzi has aptly referred to Ready Player One as a “nerdgasm” [and] there can be no better one-word description of this ardent fantasy artifact about fantasy culture…But Mr. Cline is able to incorporate his favorite toys and games into a perfectly accessible narrative.” – Janet Maslin, The New York Times

  • One rare out-of-print first edition hardcover copy of Curse of the Mistwraith: The Wars of Light and Shadow, Vol. 1 by Janny Wurts. With matching laminated bookmark. Signed by the author.

“Curse of the Mistwraith continually takes turns that leave the reader excited and lost. But not in a bad way; there are only so many books you can read where you know exactly what will happen before boredom sets in. With Wurts’, you are forever left guessing at the turn of events.” – UK Fantasy Book Review

  • Two hardcover copies of To Ride Hell’s Chasm by Janny Wurts. Signed by the author.

“Janny Wurts writes with astonishing energy… it ought to be illegal for one person to have so much talent.” – Stephen R. Donaldson

  • Two hardcover copies of Eon’s Door by J. G. McKenney. Signed by the author.

“A captivating storyline with a lovely surprise at the end…beautiful imagery, and a great read.” – Sift Book Reviews

“Bear’s ability to create breathtaking variations on ancient themes and make them new and brilliant is, perhaps, unparalleled in the genre.” – Library Journal

This ARC will be published on March 27, 2012.

  • Three copies of The Cloud Roads by Martha Wells. Signed by the author.

“Wells…merrily ignores genre conventions as she spins an exciting adventure around an alien hero who anyone can identify with.” – Publishers Weekly (starred review)

  • One ARC of Shadow Ops: Control Point by Myke Cole. Comes with Supernatural Operations Corps collectible coin. Signed by the author.

Pat’s Note: This is an ARC of a book that won’t be coming out until the end of the month. As an extra bit of  coolness, it comes with a challenge coin created specifically to promote the book.

“Cross The For­ever War with Witch­world, add in the real world mod­ern mil­i­tary of Black Hawk Down, and you get Control Point, the mile-a-minute story of some­one try­ing to find pur­pose in a war he never asked for.” – Jack Camp­bell, New York Times Bestselling Author of The Lost Fleet series

“Moses is a fine writer and is deserving of success, and I think that it will follow. I really enjoyed Moses’s work.” – David Farland, New York Times Bestselling Author

  • One set of Cold Magic and Cold Fire by Kate Elliott. Signed by the author.

Pat’s note: Includes a signed printed pamphlet of Bonus chapter 31.5 which is currently online on Kate’s website or as one of 100 printed pamphlets.

“Elliott has concocted something very special and original here, with elements to tweak sci-fi and fantasy fans of nearly any stripe, from alt history and steampunk aficionados, to lovers of intrigue, romance, and swashbuckling adventure.” – New York Journal of Books

  • One set of the Crossroads Trilogy by Kate Elliott: Sprite Gate, Shadow Gate, Traitors’ Gate. Signed by the author.

“Elliott crafts complex…characters, including strong women who persevere in repressive, non-egalitarian societies. She is equally adept at outlining intricate religions and myths. This promises to be a truly epic fantasy.” – Publishers Weekly

  • One hardcover copy of The Wooden Man: A Twenty Palaces Omnibus by Harry Connolly. Signed by the author.

Pat’s Note: We actually have two copies of this book, but we’ll be auctioning the other one off in a couple weeks. Stay tuned for that.

“Excellent reading…a truly dark and sinister world, delicious tension and suspense, violence so gritty you’ll get something in your eye just reading it.” – Jim Butcher

  • Two copies of Imperium: A Caulborn Novel by Nicholas Olivo. Signed by the author.

“The right amount of Gore, Humor, Love and Good vs Evil.” – Badass Book Reviews

“An aggressively dark, highly original SF-fantasy novel with tight, cutting prose and some of the most inventive world-building I’ve seen in a while.” – FantasyLiterature.com

  • Two copies of The Seventh Tower: The Fall by Garth Nix.

“[Garth Nix is] the coolest read in the playground.” – Amanda Craig

  • One hardcover copy of Abhorsen by Garth Nix. Signed by the author.

“Nix’s storytelling is never less than commanding, and his precision plot stays tightly focused. The icing on the cake, and a mark of a good writer becoming great, is the care taken to make peripheral characters into real people.” – SF Site

*     *     *

Remember, you for every 10 dollars you donate on the Worldbuilders Team Page, you get a chance to win everything here, not to mention the hundreds of other books that have already been donated.

What’s more, if you donate before January 31st of 2012, Worldbuilders will match 50% of your donation.

Spread the word…

Posted in Worldbuilders 2011 | By Pat26 Responses
Published: December 30, 2011

Still More Books from DAW

This is a Worldbuilders blog.

So while I was away at my extended family Christmas, we managed to hit $100,000.

We did more than hit it, in fact. We knocked it down and then kicked it rudely while it was on the ground.

I’ll be getting the 100K bonus blog up early next week. I didn’t expect to need it this soon….

This is our third blog full of books from DAW, my lovely US publisher.

In addition to these books, and the one’s they’ve already sent, when DAW heard we needed Mercedes Lackey’s Unnatural Issue and The Gates of Sleep to have a complete set of the Elemental Masters series (we posted up a partial set in a previous blog) they sent us two lovely hardcover copies.  Likewise for Kristen Britain’s Blackveil from her Green Rider series.

Pat’s Note: As I mentioned in the last blog, Nnedi won the World Fantasy Award for this book just a couple months back. She wasn’t at the ceremony, but I was.

I felt like a proud grampa when the book won. Or maybe some sort of benevolent fairy god-uncle or something. Not only have I known Nnedi since back when we were both newbie writers. Not just because Who Fears Death is one of the few books I’ve actually blurbed. But I kinda helped this book get published, because I introduced Nnedi to Betsy, my editor at DAW.

So yeah. Good book. Enough said.

“Nnedi Okorafor continues her epic journey into literary greatness. She manages to create worlds within worlds, stories that feel timeless, in language and settings we have not seen before.” — Luis Alberto Urrea, bestselling author and Pulitzer Prize finalist.

  • A first edition hardcover set of: Joust, Alta, and Aerie by Mercedes Lackey.

“It’s fun to see a different spin on dragons…and as usual Lackey makes it all compelling.” – Locus

  • A hardcover set of Green Rider, First Rider’s Call, The High King’s Tomb, and Blackveil by Kristen Britain.

“Kristen Britain’s Blackveil has everything that Green Rider fans could hope for including romance, adventure, humor, time travel, dark magic, entertaining drama, ghosts, prophetic visions, and much more.” – Fantasy Book Critic

  • A set of Green Rider, First Rider’s Call, and The High King’s Tomb by Kristen Britain.

“Britain has written, what I think is, a series which not only compels you to keep reading, but leaves you thinking about it once you’ve finished.” – Fantasy Book Review

  • A first edition hardcover copy of The Diviner by Melanie Rawn. Includes a bookplate signed by the author.

“Melanie Rawn is an amazingly talented writer who is capable of some of the most direct and clearest fantasy writing I’ve had the pleasure of reading in quite some time.” – Book Critics

  • A trade paperback set of: Dragon Prince, The Star Scroll, and Sunrunner’s Fire by Melanie Rawn

“Rawn’s lush world of princes of dragons, sun-born magic, and tangled politics comes to life in this romantic fantasy saga.” – Library Journal

Pat’s Note: Because we’ve got so many books this year, we’re going to start grouping some of them into collections. For example, we’re bundling the next several sets of books together because they’re all first books of series. It’s like a Whitman’s sampler of starter books.

“Easily one of my favorite books of the year.” – Charles de Lint about The Enchantment Emporium

This set has everything: princesses, magic, trolls and aliens. Really, what else could you ever ask for?

Pat’s Note: I really want to read “White Trash Zombie.” You should really click the picture up there to embiggen it so you can get a better look at the cover.

  • A first edition hardcover set of Foreigner series: Foreigner, Invader, Inheritor, Precursor, Defender, Explorer by C.J. Cherryh.

“A seriously probing, thoughtful, intelligent piece of work, with more insight in half a dozen pages than most authors manage in half a hundred.” – Kirkus Reviews

  • An out of print, non-mass market edition of The Silver Metal Lover by Tanith Lee.

Pat’s Note: This is an older, out of print edition of the book.

“This is quite simply the best sci-fi romance I’ve read in ages.” – New York Daily News

Pat’s Note: This is a beautiful copy of one of Dick’s classic stories. Better yet, it’s one of the old, yellow-spine, vintage DAW paperbacks.  It’s a lovely book….

“… a masterpiece of sorts, full of demonic intensity.” – Robert Silverberg

  • A numbered, two-volume hardcover edition of 30th Anniversary DAW Fantasy and 30th Anniversary DAW Science Fiction Edited by Elizabeth R. Wollheim and Sheila E. Gilbert. This set is numbered 52 out of 350.

To celebrate the 30th anniversary of DAW Books, editors Betsy Wollheim and Sheila Gilbert asked each and every author published by DAW thoughout its history if they would like to contribute a new story for a special commemorative anthology.

This is the special edition printing of that collection.

These are gorgeous books that I seriously covet. They’re slipcased, leatherbound, and numbered. Gold leaf and everything. I was thinking of auctioning this off. But I like to keep cool things in the general lottery so anyone can win them, not just folks with the most money….

Thanks for all the lovely books, DAW.

*   *   *

Remember, for every 10 dollars you donate on the Worldbuilders Team Page, you get a chance to win these books and hundreds of others like them.

Plus there’s the whole helping make the world a better place thing. That’s nice, too.

And don’t forget, Worldbuilders is matching 50% of all donations until January 31st. So there’s several good reasons why you’d want to head over to our Team Heifer page and chip in.

Or, if you want to go back to the main page for Worldbuilders, you can click HERE.

Share and enjoy….

Posted in Worldbuilders 2011 | By Pat13 Responses
Published: December 28, 2011

ARCs from DAW

This is a Worldbuilders blog.

Today we’ve got some more prized donated by DAW, my publisher.

All of these books are ARCs. ARC stands for Advance Reader Copy. They’re the books that publishers print *before* they print the book. They send them to reviewers, bookstores, and other Very Important People in the publishing world in order to give them an early taste of what’s coming out.

They usually don’t print very many of them, and because of that, a lot of times ARCs are actually much rarer than first edition books.

Also, because they’re printed earlier in the editorial process,  they’re almost always based on the uncorrected proofs of the books. So when you read them, you get to laugh up your sleeve at all the author’s typos and generally feel superior.

Some ARCs are have more substantial differences. In the black-bound ARC of The Name of the Wind, for example, there are several chapters that are dramatically different than what showed up in the finished book.

Best of all, some of these ARCs are for books haven’t actually hit the shelves yet. Which means if you win them, you get to be one of the cool kids and read the book before all your friends.

So here we go: ARCs.

“The plot gallops, the mysteries matter, and the secret at the heart of it all just whets my appetite for more.” – Kate Elliott, author of Crown of Stars

“Katharine Kerr creates a host of interesting characters… The setting is fun; Kerr makes great use of San Francisco landmarks… the reader feels like he or she is right there in the city with the characters.” – FantasyLiterature.com

Pat’s note: This one caught my eye when it showed up, and I really wanted to read it. Because the official version won’t be out until March. Not because of short pink skirt. Mostly.

“Seanan McGuire’s Discount Armageddon is an urban fantasy triple threat – smart and sexy and funny. The Aeslin mice alone are worth the price of the book, so consider a cast of truly ORIGINAL characters, a plot where weird never overwhelms logic, and some serious kickass world-building as a bonus.” – Tanya Huff, author of The Wild Ways

“The Gales are an amazing family, the aunts will strike fear into your heart, and the characters Allie meets are both charming and terrifying.” – #1 New York Times Bestselling Author Charlaine Harris

“City of the Lost is the best kind of paranormal noir: gritty, breakneck- paced, and impossible to put down. Joe Sunday is a new antihero to watch, and the next installment can’t come soon enough.” – Caitlin Kittredge, author of The Iron Thorn

“The Ninth Circle is an immensely readable book that flows very quickly and draws you in with sharp little hooks that demand you finish the book before you dream of beginning any other.” – Blog Critic

“Lackey combines the intensity of a young man’s agonized coming of age with a tale of love, honor, and sacrifice. Essential for series fans, this title belongs in most fantasy collections.” – Library Journal

“Lackey’s talent for evoking the youthful passions of her heroes and heroines brings life to this creation. Recommended.” – Library Journal

“A nifty combination of police procedural and urban fantasy.” – Charlaine Harris, New York Times Bestselling Author

  • Two ARCs of Alien Proliferation by Gini Koch.

“…great fun, with lots of quirky characters, witty dialogue, a bit of romance, some hot sex, and oodles of action.” – Booklist

One ARC of The Compass of the Soul by Sean Russell. Includes a signed blookplate.

“A strange and beautiful book that offers an unusual depth and nuance of character, set forth in lustrous dialogue and prose the texture of honeyed silk.” – Kirkus Reviews

“Three hundred years in the future, the Tyr, a hivelike alien race, have subjugated the peoples of Earth. Daetrin, an ancient vampiric shapechanger, uses his unique talents to battle the aliens while trying to understand and accept himself. Intriguing plot and excellent characterization combined with good writing … make for an original science fiction romp.” – School Library Journal

“Hauntingly memorable protagonists, high drama, and vivid world-building mark the beginning of what promises to be a magnum opus of the imagination. A priority purchase for fantasy or sf collections.” – Library Journal

“A wonderfully captivating heroic fantasy adventure.” —Terry Goodkind

“This promising debut offers a glimpse of a dusty and wonderful fantasy city through the eyes of three engaging, unconventional protagonists.” – Elizabeth Bear, Hugo Award-winning author

Two ARCs of Foreigner by C.J. Cherryh.

“Veteran sf/fantasy author Cherryh plays her strongest suit in this exploration of human/alien contact, producing an incisive study-in-contrast of what it means to be human in a world where trust is nonexistent.” – Library Journal

Pat’s Note: Not only is this a great book, but Who Fears Death won the World Fantasy Award in October, so this one is extra cool….

“Both wondrously magical and terribly realistic.” – The Washington Post

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Remember, you for every 10 dollars you donate on the Worldbuilders Team Page, you get a chance to win everything here, not to mention the hundreds of other books that have already been donated.

What’s more, if you donate before January 31st of 2012, Worldbuilders will match 50% of your donation.

Also, every dollar donated brings us closer to $100,000. Once we hit that, I’ll post up another blog with more personal additions to the fundraiser.

Spread the word…

Posted in Worldbuilders 2011 | By Pat17 Responses
Published: December 19, 2011

50K Blog – A Few of my Favorite Things

This is a Worldbuilders blog.

Over the last couple years, I’ve been cautious about the donation goals I set for Worldbuilders. I set my sights on a goal I’m pretty sure we can hit, and only after we get there do I bump up the target number on our donation thermometer. Some years I’ve done this eight or nine times.

I do it this way because back in 2008 when I started all this, I thought to myself, “I wonder if I could get people to donate 5000 dollars if I gave away prizes and offered to match donations?”

When I raised that much in just a couple of days, I was stunned. So I moved it up to $10,000 dollars, worrying that I was overstepping myself, not really believing that we could raise that much….

Three years and 600,000 dollars later, I still feel the same way. Every year I find myself thinking, “Will publishers help out again? Will authors care enough to send me books? Will people tweet and link and spread the word to their friends? Will geeks of all creeds and nations step up to the plate one more time?”

Then it all comes together, and I’m full of stunned, warm-fuzzy joy all over again.

This year, I decided to try something different. Rather than move our donation goal around all higgledy-piggledy, I decided to set some target levels. Something we could shoot for as a team. Then, if people are awesome enough to help me hit those goals, I’d put extra stuff into the fundraiser as a way to thank everyone for contributing.

We hit our first goal of 50,000 last Friday, so today you get the first of these blogs. I’ve got four more planned, each with increasingly cool additions to the fundraiser.

This is the one I like to think of as the AV blog. Where I share some of my favorite non-book media with with y’all.

  • A complete DVD set of Buffy and Angel.

Over the years, I’ve made no secret of my love for Joss Whedon. I started watching Buffy seriously in 2002, right when I was seriously starting revision on The Name of the Wind. Watching this series changed how I thought about storytelling, and the tricks I learned from it taught me a lot about plot and characterization.

Simply said, I think this is the finest television show ever produced. So I’m adding it to the prize lottery.

  • Two DVD sets of Red Dwarf including Back to Earth: The Director’s Cut.

I started watching Red Dwarf way back in the day. Back when it was on VHS tapes, and you couldn’t find copies for love nor money in the US.

This is the full eight seasons and the recent three-part: Back to Earth.

In my opinion, you aren’t a real sci-fi geek if you haven’t watched this. It’s one of the classics. Best of all, because the show relies on the cleverness of the writing rather than special effects, it holds up very well these days even though the first season was more than 20 years ago.

  • Two DVD sets of Firefly.

I will never get over the cancellation of Firefly. Not in a hundred years. And I meant what I said earlier in the year when I wrote an open letter to Nathan Fillion.

If you don’t like this series, odds are we can’t be friends. I’m sorry. That’s just the way it is.

  • Two DVD sets of Dollhouse.

Some people didn’t like Dollhouse. Then again, some people are idiots who drink their own pee.

[P.S. If y’all in the marketing department at Fox would like to use this as a promotional quote for the series, feel free. Just spell my name right.]
  • One audio cd of Telling Tales by Neil Gaiman.

This is one of the CD’s that you can get from Dreamhaven. It’s one of the earlier recordings of Neil Gaiman reading his own work. Good stuff.

  • One audio cd of Speaking in Tongues by Neil Gaiman.

Like the above, but different. If you catch my meaning.

  • One copy of Warning: Contains Language by Neil Gaiman.

This is a two-CD set also features music by Dave McKean and the Flash girls. It features Gaiman reading poems and stories from Angels and Visitations.

As an interesting aside, in the liner notes, it reads:

Unauthorized Copying of this CD is not only forbidden, but will prey upon your conscience, spoil your sleep, destroy your complexion, and eventually will wind up turning you into the kind of person who drinks methylated spirits out of a bottle hidden in a brown paper bag and who lives under bridges, burps noxiously, and prays day and night for release from the unsupportable burden their life has become. We thought you’d appreciate the warning.

  • Three audio cds of 3 doz Poems read by Garrison Keillor from The Writer’s Almanac.

Some people think that I hate poetry, not realizing, perhaps, that Kvothe and I are actually two different people.

Believe it or not, we are separate entities with different thoughts and emotions. Other telltale differences include hair color: Mine is brown. His is red. He is mostly a fictional character, and I am mostly real. He is a better singer, while I am a better kisser.

We also radically differ on our opinions of poetry. He has an irrational loathing of it, while I myself quite enjoy it.

Well…. some of it. The good stuff.

This is the good stuff. Lovely poems selected and read by America’s greatest living storyteller: Garrison Keillor.

  • Two audio collections of Good Poems by Garrison Keillor.

You can also tell that these are good poems. Because, well, it says so right there: Good Poems. You can’t get much clearer than that.

This is a 4 CD set, containing a marvelous selection of poetry read by a number of wonderful readers, including Keillor himself. Honestly, I would listen to the man read a phone book. Getting to hear him read some of the finest poetry ever is just a bonus.

  • One set of The First and Second Seasons of Flight of the Conchords and an audio cd of The Distant Future.

I loved Flight of the Conchords before they were cool. If you haven’t watched their HBO series, you really need to.

  • Five copies of The Adventures of Sexton Blake.

I raved about this BBC Audio production last year on the blog.

And you know what? Everything I said about it then is just as true today. I listened to this a couple weeks ago and laughed my metaphorical ass off. If anything, I think it’s funnier the 20th time around.

  • A copy of The Ultimate David Sedaris Box Set.

While Garrison Keillor is my favorite living storyteller. David Sedaris takes a close second place.

I only discovered him a couple years ago when someone recommended I listen to “Six to Eight Black men.”

They were really insistent, so I looked it up on Youtube just to shut them up about it.

The next day I went out and bought this box set, which contains 20 CD worth of David Sedaris reading the entirety of Me Talk Pretty One Day, Naked, Holidays on Ice, Barrel Fever and Other Stories, and Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim.

I’ve been a fan of The Guild since back in 2008 when I interviewed Felicia Day and we became BFFs.

Because I love spreading the word about cool indi geekery like this, I picked up several sets of the first two seasons of The Guild when I was at San Diego ComicCon with the sole purpose of giving them away to people and getting them hooked on the series.

Felicia was nice enough to sign them for me. She’s just an all-around nice person.

*     *     *

Remember, you for every 10 dollars you donate on the Worldbuilders Team Page, you get a chance to win everything here, not to mention the hundreds of other books that have already been donated.

What’s more, if you donate before January 31st of 2012, Worldbuilders will match 50% of your donation.

Also, every dollar donated brings us closer to $100,000. Once we hit that, I’ll post up another blog with more personal additions to the fundraiser.

And lastly, don’t forget about the auctions Worldbuilders is running right now. Some of them will be ending soon…

Spread the word…

pat

Also posted in buffy, Felicia Day, Firefly, Joss Whedon, The Guild | By Pat21 Responses
Published: December 16, 2011

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
Published: December 15, 2011

Books from Dreamhaven

This is a Worldbuilders blog.

Those of you who live in the Minneapolis area probably already know about Dreamhaven Books. For those of you that don’t know about it… well… there’s a reason I just posted that link up there. It’s for clicking. By you.

Dreamhaven is the sort of bookstore I dream about having in my town. Not only do they carry great sci-fi and fantasy, but Dreamhaven has acted as a publisher of some original works, too. They produced some of the first audio cd’s that Neil Gaiman ever recorded, as well as stuff from Peter Beagle, Larry Niven, and Gene Wolfe.

And signed books? Yeah. They have signed books.

In addition to donating a blog full of books to Worldbuilders this year, (I’ll get to those in a second) they’ve also given us a special treasure. Something rare and cool.

  • A signed, numbered, hardcover copy of A Screenplay by Neil Gaiman.

This is a screenplay Neil Gaiman wrote a long time ago. It’s an adaptation of the novel Good Omens which he co-wrote with Terry Pratchett.

This thing is a true rarity. It is the First and Only Edition of this work, numbered 409 out of 500.

According to Neil Gaiman in his introduction, this screenplay was revived from “a dusty and cobwebbed place on my hard disk, where people never go.”

Personally, I can’t think of a better item to start this year’s auctions.

This auction will run for 7 days, ending on the evening of December 22nd.

To see more pictures, or bid on this piece of raw, crystalline awesome, you can follow this link.

And now, on to the books….

  • A first edition hardcover copy of The Prince and the Pilgrim by Mary Stewart.

“Returning to the era of Arthur and his Camelot, Stewart has given life to two lesser-known characters from Malory’s Le Morte d’Arthur. She enlarges upon and gives wonderful detail to Alexander, a young prince who sets off on a quest to avenge his father’s assassination and to Alice, a gentle young lass who accompanies her father on pilgrimages to Holy shrines.” – School Library Journal

  • A first edition hardcover copy of Libyrinth by Pearl North.

“A unique world with two quick-witted heroines, an excellent book to get lost in.” – Maria V. Snyder, Bestselling author of Fire Study

  • A first edition hardcover copy of Reiffen’s Choice by S.C. Butler.

“Reiffen’s Choice will likely be a popular fantasy for years, or generations, to come.” – SCIFi.com

“Gill scores big in this action-packed, power-punch of a debut…All readers can do is buckle their seatbelts, close their eyes and take the plunge.” – Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

  • A first edition hardcover copy of Radio Freefall by Matthew Jarpe.

“It’s the soul of rock and roll that saves the soul of humanity in this fun-house ride through the very near future. Jarpe has definitely got my attention!” – Karl Schroeder

  • A set of Wolfbreed and Wolf’s Cross by S. A. Swann.

“Vivid and visceral, dark and delicious, this one kept me turning pages from start to finish.” – George R. R. Martin

  • A hardcover copy of The Stones of Green Knowe by L. M. Boston.

“Stands on its own as an intriguing time-shift fantasy, deftly blending the real and the fantastic . . . written with grace and conviction.” – The Bulletin

“Young’s prose is simple and graceful, and her depictions, including several freakishly authentic New York neighborhoods, are subtly drawn.” – School Library Journal

  • A hardcover set of Gerald’s Game and Misery by Stephen King.

Pat’s note: Misery. The book Stephen King wrote in an attempt to keep other people from becoming authors.

“Set in the same universe as Weis’s “Star of the Guardians” series, this effort by the popular sf/fantasy author and first-timer Perrin is a fast-paced galactic adventure designed to introduce the motley crew of antiheroes known as the Mag Force 7. Spiced with humor and a dash of romance, this space opera should appeal to most fans of sf adventure.” – Library Journal

“The best science fiction writer to come out of Britain in the past fifteen years.” – Locus

“Croft’s ACRO series is fascinating to say the least and features an endless supply of agents just waiting to have their story told by this talented author! The multiple characters in Tempting the Fire keep the reader engaged as each facet of the action-packed, scorching plot is revealed!” – Reader to Reader Reviews

“There’s nothing ordinary about Ordinary Farm, a place filled with strange creatures and dangers around every corner. Readers will identify with Tyler and Lucinda and wish they were there with them. This is a rousing tale that should and will find a wide readership.” – Terry Brooks

  • A first edition hardcover of Here, There Be Dragons by James A. Owen.

“Is there anyone who wouldn’t enjoy reading Here, There Be Dragons?” If there is such a person, I haven’t met him, and I doubt that I would like him if I did. I am only disappointed that, because this book is so new, I’ll have to wait too long to read the sequels.” – Orson Scott Card

“Two words on the cover—Fiona McIntosh—always let me know that I’m in for a good read.” – Robin Hobb

  • A copy of the 2009 Nebula Awards Showcase edited by Ellen Datlow.

“An essential index of one year in SF and fantasy.” – Booklist

  • A hardcover copy of The Hunt for the Eye of Ogin by Patrick Doud.

“A thoroughly enjoyable adventure from first page to last.” – Midwest Book Review

  • A first edition hardcover copy of The Tale of the Swamp Rat by Carter Crocker.

“Crocker has created a realistic fantasy world, set in the swampland of Florida and populated with the animals that reside there. This timeless tale of an unexpected hero is narrated in a traditional folklore style by a mole who tells “every bit, just as it was. The rest I made up, as best I could.” With Southern flavor, adventure, and environmental drama, Ossie’s tale of finding his own way in the world will hit close to home for many.” – School Library Journal

“With a Kim Harrison novel, I expect action, humor, world building, strong female characters, true friendships, and a bit of realistic romance. I found it all right here.” – Melissa Marr, New York Times bestselling author of Wicked Lovely

*     *     *

Remember, for every 10 dollars you donate on the Worldbuilders Team Page, you get a chance to win these books and hundreds of others.

What’s more, Worldbuilders will match 50% of your donations. So if you chip in before January 31st of 2012, you get a bigger bang for your buck.

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

Posted in Worldbuilders 2011 | By Pat16 Responses

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