Category Archives: Worldbuilders 2013

Published: January 27, 2014

Art and Artistry

Here we are, folks, only a week out from the ending.  Pat is in San Francisco, hanging out with the likes of Paul and Storm and Vi Hart, so today’s only-a-little-envious blog comes to you courtesy of the Worldbuilders Team.

A lot of people see what Heifer does as simply bringing animals to those in need, and while that’s a part of it, there is so much more.  They work with the people in the community, to be sure they’re bringing the right sort of animals that will benefit everyone and work well with the local climate.

In Tanzania, they worked with people to introduce the zero-grazing method of raising livestock.  One of those people was Huruma Mhapa, pictured below, who had been living in poverty until 1993, when she received one Heifer dairy cow as part of a women’s group project.

Tanzania (2)

That’s her bringing a mountain of feed to her cows.

Zero-grazing is a process where livestock are kept in an enclosure and food is brought to them. The enclosure provides protection from the elements and other animals, while allowing room for roaming and exercise. Manure is sold or used as fertilizer, and land can be used for farming instead of grazing.

Today, Mhapa is a regular lecturer at the Sokoine University of Agriculture in Morogoro. She farms 11 acres and cares for four dairy cows — all descendants of that first cow.

“The cattle project brought love in our family, improved our livelihoods, and allowed our three children to go to school,” she says. “I consider these cows as part of my family. I wake up at 4 a.m. At that time, my children are not yet awake, so the first ones to be greeted by me in the morning are the cows.”

Mhapa is the ideal example of Heifer International’s cornerstone value, “Passing the Gift.” To date, she has trained more than 4,000 farmers directly, including those from Heifer projects in other countries, including Malawi and Kenya. Many thousands more have visited her farm to learn about zero-grazing and organic farming.

Mhapa’s hard work has also brought social change to her community. “The way the men in this village perceive women has changed,” she says. “They see us, the women, as very important and they now cooperate in increasing the income of our households.”

So much more than just giving a cow.

*  *  *

Today, we bring you some great fantasy and genre art.  Most of it is going to be auctioned, to be sure it goes to a good home – but we’ve got a couple in the lottery.

Fantastic Flying Books - large

This is a print of a still from the award-winning short film The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore, signed by the directors, one of whom (William Joyce) is also the author of the original picture book.  It’s a beautiful story, depicting the relationship between a man who loves his books, and the books who love their man.

This will be going into the lottery, for any book lover to possibly win.

  • A special edition print of  The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore.  Signed by illustrator Joe Bluhm.

Fantastic Flying Books Character

Also in the lottery, this is a great special-edition print of the character sketches made by artist Joe Bluhm for the film.  It’s not easy to come by, but the folks over at Moonbot Studios sent it over for the fundraiser, so we thought we’d make it available in the lottery.

Now, on to the auctions:

  • Auction: Numbered print of Miss Martin from the 2013 Literary Pin-Up Calendar.  Signed by artist Lee Moyer.

Wolf Lady

Like the one in our Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman blog, Lee has sent us a couple more of his beautiful limited edition prints of pin ups from the 2013 calendar.

This one is of Cersei Lanister, from George R.R. Martin’s pin up.  If you want a full sized print of this pin up, head over here and bid.

  • Auction: Numbered print Miss Carey from the 2013 Literary Pin-Up Calendar.  Signed by artist Lee Moyer.

Tattoo lady - full

Here we have the pin-up of Phèdre from Jacqueline Carey’s Phèdre Trilogy, looking beautiful as ever.  This is also signed and numbered, and available to bid upon over here.

  • Auction: Vincent Chong art pack: Prints of Saint Darwin’s Spirituals and Trick or Treat.  Both signed by Vincent Chong.

Vincent Chong Prints

Vincent Chong does some great cover art, a lot of which ends up on Subterranean Press’s books.  When his prints showed up, we were extremely happy to have them.

If you want these beautifully chilling prints, be sure to bid on them here.

  • Auction: Limited edition Wasteland video game cover art print.  Signed by artist Barry E. Jackson.  One of 500.

In Exile print

Here we have something extra cool:  Numbered 60 out of 500, this is a print of the original cover art for Wasteland.

Yeah.  Pretty sweet.

It’s signed by the artist, and there were (and will be) only 500 printed.  If you want it, you need head over and bid on it before it’s gone.

  • Auction: Framed Princess Leia Art Nouveau.  Signed and donated by Karen Hallion.

Hallion Leia

Karen Hallion has been pretty great to Worldbuilders.  Geeks everywhere can be seen with merchandise of her art, and she lets The Tinker’s Packs sell prints of it as well.

This is a particularly beautiful print, professionally framed, dated, and signed by Karen  herself.  It’s clever and fun, and would look great hanging on just about any wall.  If you want that wall to be yours, bid on it here.

  • Auction: Two tickets the Roundabout Theater’s revival of Caberet.  Includes a tour of the backstage.

cabaret-door

This is really cool, and when actor Bill Heck offered them up to us, we were floored.

Bill, who is playing the role of Cliff in this production, has offered up two tickets to see Caberet at Studio 54, also staring Alan Cumming and Michelle Williams.  He’ll take you on a tour of the backstage, and maybe go out for drinks with you afterward.

The date is negotiable, so if you live in or around New York, or would like to make plans for a trip out that way, you’ll be able to make it work for your schedule.

To bid on this awesome experience, head over here.

  • Three Auctions: “All Stories Are True” necklace, Filigree Dragon copper necklace, and a Copper Dragon shawl pin.  All handmade by Amber from Serpent’s Dance.

AllThreeCloseup

Finally, we have three auctions for you from one wonderful donor.  Some of you may recognize her style from last year, when she donated a beautiful Bookwyrm Pendant which sold out before we even posted the blog.

This year, she hedged her bets and sent us a few more things.  And we put them all up in auctions, so that more people who really want it could have a chance at them, as opposed to whoever happened to be up and on the store 10 minutes before we posted a blog.

So, if you’re interested in the “All Stories Are True” necklace: bid here.

If you would like the Filigree Dragon Copper necklace: bid here.

And if you would like the Copper Dragon shawl pin: bid here.

We’re in the final stretch folks.  Remember, all donations of $10 or more made before February 2nd at 11:59pm CST to our Team Page will be entered into the lottery for one of over a thousand prizes of books, games, art, and more.  Keep an eye out, because we’ve still got a lot to show you before that time comes…

 

Posted in Worldbuilders 2013 | By Amanda12 Responses
Published: January 24, 2014

Signed Rarities by Gaiman and Pratchett

Things are going really well over here at Worldbuilders. We’re closing in on the end of the fundraiser, so headquarters is a whirlwind of activity. Every day more books come in from authors and publishers, blogs are assembled by our team of indentured internet elves, and orders are packaged and shipped out from our online store.

Best of all, donations keep rolling in on the Worldbuilders Team page.

In fact, donations are coming in so quickly we’re having trouble keeping up with our stretch goals. As I write this, we’re at 347,000 dollars, which means if we raise another $3,000 Hank Green will record a video of himself seducing a tree.

Seriously.

If people continue to chip in, it looks like we’ve got a decent chance of hitting our $500,000 goal, where Neil Gaiman will record a video of himself reading Green Eggs and Ham.

You know you want to see that.

*     *     *

Today we’ve got works from two of my very favorite authors: Neil Gaiman and Sir Terry Pratchett.

These items have been donated by different folks over the last year. Some of them are going up for auction, and some of them you can win by donating directly to Heifer International on the Worldbuilders Team Page.

Let’s start with Terry Pratchett.

Last Hero cover

“A fable? Perhaps. Fabulous? Certainly” – The Times

This is a bit of an oddity, as it’s one of the few Discworld novels that’s illustrated. What’s more, the illustrator has signed this copy, making it increasingly awesome.

As with most of the books in today’s blog, we’re putting this one in the lottery, where anyone who donates at least $10 gets a chance to win it. (And if you donate more, your chances of winning improve too.)

My thought is this book will either find a loving home in the arms of a Pratchett fan, or it will brighten the lives of a person (a sad, lonely person) who hasn’t experienced the joy of Discworld yet.

  • Auction: A copy of The Art of Discworld. Signed by Paul Kidby.

Art of Discworld - lying

Paul Kidby has been doing the art for Discworld for about 20 years, and it’s always hilarious and beautiful. This book has full versions of some of the works he’s made for dust jackets and other prints, as well as some paintings that aren’t available anywhere else.

This book is also signed by Mr. Kidby, so we’re auctioning it off over here.

Daybreak Kidby Print - full

Here we have a great faerie print by Paul Kidby.  It’s a different side to his artwork, and was featured in a collection of art called La Royaume Enchante.

We have a print of it up for auction, so if you want in, be sure to go bid on it.

Greebo Rising

This is a really great print of Nanny Ogg’s cat Greebo, about to pounce on an unsuspecting little fellow.

It’s extra cool because it’s signed by both Paul and Terry Pratchett, and is numbered 696 out of 950.

If you want to hang this beautiful beast on your wall, go bid on it before someone else does.

Death Print and Book

We’re bundling both of these together for fans of Terry Pratchett’s Death character.

This is a great print signed by Terry and Paul, as well as an awesome mapbook of Death’s domain signed by the artist himself, Paul Kidby.

If you want to add these to your collection, you can bid on them over here.

*     *     *

Now on to the Neil Gaiman items…

  • Auction: Media print, modeled by Amanda Palmer. Numbered and signed by Lee Moyer.

Amanda P Moyer Pinup

 (Click to embiggen)

This is a numbered print of the pin-up Lee Moyer did for Neil Gaiman’s page in last year’s Pin-up-calendar.

Neils rockstar wife, Amanda Palmer, was the model for this delightfully meta depiction of Media. So this print is sure to please any fan of American Gods, Neil Gaiman, or Amanda Palmer herself…

To bid, head over here.

Fortunately the Milk - signatures

This awesome children’s book is Gaiman’s most recent publication, and this edition is signed by both him and the illustrator. That thing tucked in by Chris’s signature is a little metal bookmark with the Neil cartoon screened onto it.

We’re throwing it into the lottery, so anyone can share it with the kid (or child-like adult) in their life.

Stardust - standing

“A twisting, wondrous tale full of magic that only Neil Gaiman could have written.” – Chicago Tribune

If you don’t win our beloved Stardust ARC in the lottery this year, you still have a chance at winning this beautiful, signed copy.

  • First edition copy of Fragile Things.  Signed by Neil Gaiman.

Fragile Things - standing

“Half the pleasure of reading Gaiman comes from his lighthearted prose… the other half comes from Gaiman’s inventiveness.  His work resists categorization… Gaiman not only taps into our collective unconscious… but reinvents our myths.” – Houston Chronicle

This is a great collection of some of Gaiman’s short fiction and poetry.  If you haven’t read any of that before, you’re going to have to, and soon.

Melinda - standin

 

This is a beautiful story, and seriously hard to come by.  Most places, it goes for as much as $500. It’s printed on specially selected red-speckled paper with black and white illustrations and several color plates that were hand-set.

What’s more, It’s double signed on the first plate (once in silver marker and once in purple), which makes it double cool. Or maybe four times as cool. I’m not sure about the math here…

This one’s in the lottery too. So every $10 you donate on our Team Page gets you another chance to win it and all the other books we have in the lottery.

Dangerous Alphabet - cover

“Gaiman and Grimly have combined forces to produce an acrid, gothic confection that bubbles with vitriol and wit.” – ALA Booklist

  • Auction: A first-edition copy of Duran Duran: The First Four Years of the Fab Five. Signed by Neil Gaiman.

DuranDuran - Standing

I’ll say it before you do: What does a Duran Duran biography have to do with Neil Gaiman?

Well, this was actually the *first* book Neil Gaiman ever wrote.

It’s ridiculously rare, as the publisher went bankrupt after the book had only one small print run. Plus, people didn’t know they should be collecting their beloved Duran Duran biographies back in the 80s. Apparently, lots of people cut up their copies for the pictures.

So when Worldbuilders fan David saw a copy out in the wild, he felt he *needed* to pick it up. And when he got it signed, Gaiman wrote: “This is one from the vaults…”

Then David sent us to us. And we did a little dance.

For the truly avid Neil Gaiman collector, or someone who’s really into Duran Duran, this rarity is up for auction over here.

  • Auction: A numbered edition copy of A Screenplay.  Signed by Neil Gaiman.

Screenplay Cover

Another rarity, this is numbered 436 out of 500.  It’s a beautiful copy of the book which was never available for general sale, and hasn’t been read by many.

If you want one for your very own, you can bid on it over here.

  • A limited edition copy of The Ocean at the End of the Lane. Signed and inscribed by Neil Gaiman specially for Worldbuilders.

Ocean at - Standing

As I’ve mentioned before on my blog and in my goodreads review, I had a fairly major geek out over Ocean at the End of the Lane.

So I couldn’t be more pleased when, before we were even requesting donations, Neil offered to send this copy in for Worldbuilders this year.

It’s a lovely, slipcased, limited edition book, and Gamain added his own flourish to it.

Ocean at - inscription

Honestly? When I saw that, it made my heart a little melty.

This one’s going in the lottery too.

  • A complete set of  The Absolute Sandman Volumes 1-5.  Signed by Neil Gaiman.

Sandman - stack

I’m guessing most of you know about Sandman. It’s a comic series that finally convinced a lot of people (including me) that comics were a brilliant storytelling medium in their own right. That comics could be as marvelous and orchestral and clever as anything ever written by Shakespeare or Chaucer or Homer.

These are the Absolute editions of the entire Sandman series. The art has been retouched. And they’re collected into gorgeous, slipcased, hard-bound books.

Just calling these “books” doesn’t give the right impression. These are Tomes.

Sandman - towering

Here’s the thing. These weren’t originally going to be in the fundraiser.

You see, couple months ago I found these in a store. The whole set. Signed. And I love Sandman. And I love Gaiman. And I love beautiful books. I wanted them with a powerful powerful want. I coveted these books.

So I bought them. I spend kind of a lot of of money on them.

Then, a couple days ago, we were planning out the blogs. And we were putting a bunch of cool Neil Gaiman stuff in the blog, and I thought to myself, “If I put these into the prize lottery, anyone who donates to Worldbuilders will be able to win them.”

Sandman - signature

But they were my books. They were precious to me. My precious.

“They’ll make an awesome prize,” I thought. “Some book geek out there will win them. And they’ll love these books. And they’ll give them a good home. And they will be really, really happy.”

Sandman wall

But they were my books. I hadn’t even had a chance to read them yet.

“People will get excited about them,” I thought to myself. “And people will go in and donate a little more with the hope of winning them, because they are beautiful. And those people will have warm, fuzzy feelings because they’ve made the world a better place. And kids all over the world will have milk to drink and eggs to eat. Kids will get to go to school and have better lives.”

So. I’m putting them into the lottery.

For every ten bucks you donate, you get a chance to win. Not just the books we’re showing here, but over a thousand books donated by authors, fans, and publishers. Tens of thousands of dollars worth of books.

Here’s the link.

Also posted in Neil Gaiman | By Pat29 Responses
Published: January 23, 2014

Coinage from Game of Thrones and Wheel of Time

In the last four days, Worldbuilders has raised more than $45,000 for Heifer International.

That’s enough to give 150 communities the equipment and training they need to start farming fish.

Tanzania2

Heifer trains folks how to engage in sustainable fish farming, which gives families lean, healthy protein to eat. It also creates jobs and income for those who learn to farm the fish.

Best of all this knowledge is easily transferable, allowing farmers to pass on the gift to other communities quickly, spreading the wealth far and wide.

Tanzania4

Thanks for helping us make this happen.

*     *     *

Today we’ve got something near and dear to my heart: fantasy coinage.

Specifically, we’ve got some beautifully made coins from The Wheel of Time and Game of  Thrones.

These are donated by the inestimable Tom Maringer. And I have to say, folks. He does beautiful work. If you’re a bit of a coin geek like me, just looking at the stuff he does over at the Shire Post Mint will make your fingers itch.

How much do I like his stuff? I like it enough that we’re working together to make some of the currency from *my* world, and you know how much of an obsessive perfectionist I am….

Since I’m well aware that some people (some sad, misguided people) aren’t into coinage, we’re not putting these in the lottery. We’ve got them up for sale in The Tinker’s Packs, instead.

As always, all proceeds from The Tinker’s Packs go Worldbuilders.

Here’s He’s donated some Wheel of Time coins:

  • The Tar Valon Mark

Tar Valon Mark Front

These are officially licensed coins based on The Wheel of Time, and this one features the face of Deane Aryman, holding a flame on her open palm, flanked by seven stars and wearing the stole of the Amyrlin Seat, striped with seven colors.

Tar Valon Mark Back

The reverse side features the ancient symbol of the Ouroboros, the snake eating it’s own tail, used to symbolize eternity. In the center is the Flame of Tar Valon, official symbol of the White Tower and the Amyrlin Seat.

We have these available on The Tinker’s Packs individually over here.

  • Manetheren Golden Crown of Ellisande

Manetheren5

Here is a coin hailing from the town of Manetheren. The front features a bust of Eldrene ay Ellan ay Carlan, also known as Ellisande, Queen of Manetheren, who was pivotal in the Trolloc Wars.

Manetheren4

On the reverse we find a rendition of the Red Eagle and the inscription. CARAI AN CALDAZAR. The ancient warcry of Manetheren and its last king, whose queen, Eldrene, was called Rose of the Sun.

If you want this one, it’s available right here.

Or if you’d like both Wheel of time Coins, you can buy them at a bit of a discount over here.

Next, we have something cool from Game of Thrones…

  • Daemon Blackfyre Dragons

daemon blackfyre1

In the past of Westeros, Daemon Targaryen believed himself a king so deeply, he used his charisma to bring in followers to aid him in a rebellion against his scholarly brother, Daeron II.

During this rebellion, Daemon had the forethought to start producing his own coins, to mark his future ascension to the throne.

daemon blackfyre2

If you want to get your hands on these beautiful coins, we have them available over here.

If you buy two, you save $5, and if you buy three, you save $10, so they’re a steal.

So there you go.  Hopefully something tickles your fancy, but if it doesn’t, you can always go kick ten bucks into the Team Page for a chance to win one of the thousands of books up for grabs in the lottery, as well.

Thanks for being amazing and making the world a better place with us.

 

Also posted in cool things, The Tinker's Packs | By Pat14 Responses
Published: January 22, 2014

Signed Books, Doodled Books, First Edition Books….

We here on the Worldbuilders team know you guys like to hear stories about the people Heifer International is working with. Stories like the one Pat shared in yesterday’s blog.

We love these stories too. In fact, we published a calendar full of them for 2014.

B

(Bhumi Kumari Kathait helps her grandson drink a cup of milk in Nepal)

Of course, some of prefer hard facts and numbers demonstrating the work Heifer does. We can absolutely respect that. We actually encourage folks to check their facts instead of blindly throw their money at something.  So here’s some information from the Journal of MultiDisciplinary Evaluation.

“Due to Heifer International’s expenditure of about $7 million over six years, about 8,500 Ugandan families are likely to experience income gains exceeding $8.5 million a year on an ongoing basis and asset gains of about $17 billion.”

“About 5,500 of their children are likely to avoid stunting due to nutritional shortfalls. For each $1 expenditure by country programs in Albania, Nepal and Uganda, households can be expected to gain about $2.35, $1.19 and $1.25 in the respective country programs on an ongoing basis once the projects reach the maturity profile of those included in the evaluation.”

That means for every dollar put into one of these projects, the people involved gain the ability to earn more than a dollar on an ongoing basis.

If you want to read the full article, head over here.

Because of the way Heifer works, ten or twenty dollars can make a huge impact.

And since everything in this blog is going into the lottery, $10 can get you a chance to win. $40 gets you four chances to win, and not just these books, but thousands of others.

Plus, did we mention *everything* in this blog is signed? It’s a very win-filled situation.

  • Copy of Steelheart.  Signed by Brandon Sanderson. Includes a code to see a secret page on Brandon’s website.

Steel - all

Brandon’s a really cool guy and an excellent writer, as is evidenced by the live-streamed short story he wrote for our $100,000 stretch goal.  If you missed the live event, the video is online over here.

“Fantastic!  The suspense is relentless and the climax explosive, with a resolution that I’ll be thinking about for a long time.” – James Dashner, New York Times bestselling author of the Maze Runner series.

  • Copy of Evil Machines.  First edition, signed by Terry Jones.

Evil Machines - all

Here is a cool book by the awesome Terry Jones (of Monty Python fame), which was produced by Unbound.

For those of you who haven’t heard of it, Unbound is effectively a Kickstarter for book ideas.  They’ll publish, print, and distribute a book for you if your idea for a book gets funded.

There weren’t a lot of these made up, and this edition of the book sold out – but here we have a signed first edition up for grabs in the lottery.

Goblinproofing - all

“I had the most awful problems with goblins gobbling up my hens in the night.  Thanks to Mr. Bakeley’s new book, not only is my garden free of these pests, but my chickens have never been happier!” – Professor Elemental, adventurer, inventor, and tea enthusiast

In Goblinproofing One’s Chicken Coop readers will discover:
– Why a bustle in one’s hedgerow may be cause for alarm
– Why a garden fumigator may come in handy on evenings at the pub
– Why a toy merchant, a butcher, and a Freemason are among your best allies in the fight against the fey

This book is full of practical advice, which is always a good thing to get.

Pandoras - all

“Anyone who begins this won’t be able to put it down… Hamilton proves that “intelligent space opera” isn’t an oxymoron” – Publishers Weekly

So when a star just disappears, who wouldn’t dispatch a faster-than-light ship to investigate? But how smart is it to put a washed-up, centuries old, ex-NASA pilot in the driver’s seat? And on top of that, when a cult insists that this trip may be compromised by an alien race for their own plan, how can you tell if they’re not that crazy?

Pathfinder - all

“The implications of the boys’ power to manipulate the past unfold cleverly…, feeding into the Machiavellian political intrigue for a pulse-pounding climax….Card’s many fans will be thrilled by this return to his literary roots.” – Kirkus

  • Sets of The Darwin Elevator, The Exodus Towers, and The Plague Forge.  Signed by Jason M. Hough.

Darwin - MM - Stacked

“The best part about alien stories is their mystery, and Jason M. Hough understands that like no other. Full of compelling characters and thick with tension, The Darwin Elevator delivers both despair and hope along with a gigantic dose of wonder. It’s a brilliant debut and Hough can take my money whenever he writes anything from now on.” – Kevin Hearne

We auctioned off a signed copy of The Darwin Elevator to one lucky bidder, and we managed to dig up a whole set. This one’s for the lottery.

  • Set of The Dark Earth and Southern Gods.  Both first editions, siged by John Horner Jacobs.

Dark Earth - all

“Southern Gods is scary, smart, and effective both as Lovecraftian fiction and as a Southern Regional novel set in 1951.” – David Drake

  • Sets of The Twelve Fingered Boy and The Shibboleth.  First editions, signed by John Hornor Jacobs.

Twelve Fingered - Take 2

“A fast-paced, ferocious nightmare of a story – gritty, magical, and surprisingly tender.” – Brenna Yovanoff

Pat read The Twelve-Fingered Boy a while back and gushed about it on Goodreads, mentioning how he went out of his way to get hold of an Advance reading copy of the sequel, The Shibboleth, for himself.

What Pat didn’t mention is that he got a copy of the ARC for us too. So whoever whoever wins this in the lottery will get their hands on a rare early copy…

Creature from - all

This is a copy of a new printing of the incredibly-hard-to-find original movie novelization for Creature from the Black Lagoon, in a cool limited edition.  There were only 250 copies of this edition made, and we’ve tossed this into the lottery so that anyone with ten bucks has the chance to win it. The signatures are from Creature‘s leading lady Julie Adams and the Creature himself, Ricou Browning.

  • Copy of Prince of Thorns.  First edition, signed by Mark Lawrence.

Prince of Thorns - all

“Dark and relentless, Prince of Thorns will pull you under and drown you in story.  A two-in-the-morning page turner.” – Robin Hobb

Promise of Blood - all

“Promise of Blood is a hugely promising debut. Guns, swords, and magic together? What more could you want? How about tense action, memorable characters, rising stakes, and cool, cool magic? Not only the finest flintlock fantasy I’ve read, but also the most fun. Brian McClellan is the real thing.” – Brent Weeks

So you’d think a successful coup against a corrupt monarchy would improve life for everyone. Not so much.

  • Copy of Theiftaker.  First edition, signed by D.B. Jackson.

Thieftaker - all

“Thieftaker is a lean, elegant, intricate tale of a conjurer and a world on the brink of revolution.  Fabulous!” – Faith Hunter

D.B. Jackson did a read and critique of a manuscript for us earlier in the fundraiser, and here we have something extra special: a first edition copy of the first book in his current series. It’s signed, plus comes with a promotional postcard you can show off anywhere.

Red Country - all

“Abercrombie rings the changes with his sixth novel, tipping his hat to the Western genre but continuing his mission to drag fantasy, kicking and screaming, into the 21st century with his characteristic mix of gritty realism, complex characterisation, set-piece scenes of stomach-churning violence and villains who are as fully rounded as his flawed heroes … Abercrombie writes fantasy like no one else.” –  The Guardian

  • Copy of A Web of Air.  First edition, signed and doodled by Philip Reeve.

Web of Air - standing

“Beautifully written, grippingly paced, and filled with eccentric characters and bizarre inventions… this is a novel guaranteed to please Reeve’s fans… and very likely broaden their ranks.” – Publishers Weekly

Web of air - doodle

And by the way? That illustration? That’s not printed on the title page, that’s drawn by the author himself.

Yeah. This is a real one-of-a-kind item. You should probably click the image to embiggen it.

*   *   *

Remember, folks, it only takes a donation of $10 or more to be entered into the lottery. And for every 10 bucks you throw in, you get another chance to win.

 

 

Posted in Worldbuilders 2013 | By Amanda11 Responses
Published: January 20, 2014

More Awesome Games

Hey there everybody,

Before we show off today’s goodies. I’d like to share a little tidbit about Heifer.

The thing is, I talk about Heifer in general terms a lot, but I don’t often give specifics. And specifics are the meat of the thing. That’s where the real stories are.

Heifer International does a lot more than just give livestock to people. In Bangladesh, for example, the village of Bhairav is  flooded every year, making it impossible for children to travel to schools that are far away.

This is a problem, you see. If children miss out on a good education, it effectively cripples them for the rest of their lives. Without a good education, you can’t get a good job. Without a good job, you can’t make good money. Without money, your children end up hungry and they can’t get a good education….

To fix this problem, Heifer teamed up with a local women’s group to open the Bhawanipur education center so children have a school that’s closer to home.

But that’s only half the battle. You see, a school needs money to run. Heifer worked with the women’s group to set up a rice bank where donations of rice are sold and the money is put into a group fund that covers expenses like rent and the teacher’s salary.

The beauty of this system is that it’s self sustaining. Now that it’s set up, they no longer need Heifer’s support. They’re taking care of themselves.

Bangladesh story

Now, every year, thirty students aged 6 to 8 study in this school, including Morzina, age 6, pictured above.

They learn to read and write. They learn math. And their lives are better. And their children’s lives will be better.

This is what Heifer does.

And when you donate on the Worldbuilders team page, you’re helping them do it.

*   *  *

Today’s blog is full of games from a couple different sources. Some are going into auctions, some into our general prize drawing where anyone who donates can win.

The first of these games come from Cheapass Games. 

Here’s the thing: Don’t let their name fool you. I’ve been playing their games for twenty years, and they are fun as hell. More fun than hell, actually. A lot more.

And best of all, they’re games you can sit down and play with *anyone* at the drop of a hat. No huge rulebook. No elaborate setup. You just sit down, look things over, and in ten minutes you’re blowing up cows or setting up your villainous plans for world domination.

Because these games are so deliciously universal, we’re doing something we’ve never done before here at Worldbuilders and we’re putting a bunch of them in the general lottery.

Cheapass - Unexploded - Veritas - Dead Money

We here at Worldbuilders have learned to love games that come from James Ernest and Cheapass Games.  We have yet to find one we haven’t enjoyed, and we wanted to be sure to share that joy with some lucky donors.

This bundle has one of my personal favorites, Unexploded Cow, where you blow up mad cows, clear old mine fields, and make money while doing it.

  • Cheapass Game Bundle 2: Fish Cook, Diceland: Space, Ogre, Extra Space

Cheapass - Diceland Space - extra space - ogre - Fish Cook

This game bundle contains Fish Cook, as well as three Diceland games.

Diceland is the one that Amanda’s particularly fond of.  It’s a paper dice game, so you punch out and fold up dice which are effectively octahedron miniatures for your spaceships/tanks.  You then proceed to have a giant table-top battle, dictated by the sides of the die that you’re using.  It’s easy to learn, and awesomely fun.

  • Cheapass Game Bundle 3: Deadwood Studios, Captain Treasure Boots, Totally Renamed Spy Game

Cheapass - Deadwood - Spy Game - Treasure Boots

This bundle has the awesome Deadwood Studios game, with art by the beloved Phil Foglio.  It also has the cool Captain Treasure Boots.

Even more hilariously, it has the TOTALLY RENAMED SPY GAME. You see, it used to be called Before I kill You, Mister Bond until they got a Cease and Desist order.

As a bonus, all of these bundles have the game Light Speed added to them.  We took the time to play this one in the office last week.

IMG_20140114_170548731

It was a blast.  The point of the game is to lay your ships  wherever you can as fast as you can, so that your lasers are pointing at the asteroid, which you can mine, at everyone else’s ships, which you can destroy, and *not* at your own ships, which you can also destroy.

Amanda’s particularly fond of it because she likes to carry a game or two with her at all times for emergencies, and this one fits nicely into a purse or a pocket as it’s smaller than a deck of playing cards.

  • Auction: One of everything from 2013 from Cheapass Games: Deadwood Studios, Captain Treasure Boots, Fish Cook, Veritas, Diceland: Space, Ogre, Extra Space, Unexploded Cow, Dead Money, Totally Renamed Spy Game

Everything From Cheapass

We’re auctioning off a cool collection of all of the games made in 2013 from Cheapass games, including (though not pictured) Light Speed.

If you want the chance to own this awesome set, head over here and bid.

  • The Tinker’s Packs: An Ernest Games Bundle

Ernest Games Bundle

Here we have a collection of games from James Ernest and Cheapass Games, including Unexploded Cow, Deadwood Studios, Dead Money, Totally Renamed Spy Game, and Light Speed.

If you don’t want to leave the opportunity to get these games to chance, grab yours while you still can – we only have a few available.

Pathfinder book

Here’s an awesome book based on the incredibly popular Pathfinder games.  The folks at Paizo Games sent a bunch of copies of this, so we’re throwing them up in the lottery for some lucky donors. You don’t even have to be a fan of the Pathfinder games to enjoy this fantasy adventure.

  • Auction: Pathfinder Game Book bundle: The Inner Sea World Guide, signed by about a hundred people, Core Rulebook, crazy signed, and Stalking the Beast by Howard Andrew Jones.

Pathfinder Bundle

This is a really cool bundle: both of the game books are signed by a ton of people at Paizo Games.  Looking at the signature page is truly astounding.

Pathfinder singatures 1

 

Yep–those are the folks who worked on this game. This would be a great addition to the collection of any Pathfinder player.  If you want it, be sure to head over and bid.

  • Auction: The Art of Bioshock Infinite.  Signed and doodled by the folks at Irrational Games.

Bioshock

This is a truly beautiful art book, filled with intricate renderings of characters, locations, and costumes.  And as a bonus, it’s signed by about a billion people, some of whom took the time to doodle things as well.

Bioshock Signatures

There’s pretty much nothing but coolness about this.  If you want it, be sure to bid on it over here.

Auction: Fantasy Flight bundle: Eldritch Horror, Netrunner, Wiz-War, Ingenious, Descent: Journeys in the Dark, and A Game of Thrones.

Wall of Games 1 - Fantasy Flight

Here we have a collection of games that were donated by a group of fans at Fantasy Flight.

These are some seriously fun games for a group of serious gamers. I’m particularly fond of Decent, which I’ve played the hell out of.

If you want to add some grit to your game night, go bid over here.

  • Auction: Fantasy Flight and Mayfair bundle: Urbania, Giza, Empire Express, Catan – Cities & Knights, Eldritch Horror, Descent: Journeys in the Dark.

Wall of Gamesl 2 - Fantasy Flight

Here we have more cool donations from fans, which can help expand your game nights with friends.  To bid, go here.

  • Auction:  Roleplaying Books: Monster Hunter International, Star Wars Millennium Falcon Owner’s Workshop Manual, Star Wars Age of Rebellion, Star Wars Edge of the Empire – Core Rulebook, and Mistrunner by Glenn R. Buettner (signed).

Star Wars - Mistrunner - Millenium Falcon Haynes 1

Here are some more awesome role playing books, some of which are signed, and all of which will give you something awesome and new to do.

Bid on them over here.

  • Auction: Limited Kickstarter Edition of Boss Monster Game with Quothe Ladykiller card.

Boss Monster

A generous fan donated this awesome Kickstarter-exclusive edition of Boss Monster, and we have a beautiful Quothe Ladykiller the Polymath card to send along with it.

The game is awesome, with you playing as the boss monster in an old 8-bit video game, expanding your dungeon to attract and kill heroes.  Quothe was a special, limited edition hero that Boss Monster made just for us.

And, while we don’t have it yet, we’re gonna have something else to send soon…

Bast - Thief

That my friends, is Bast, as an ordinary hero in the game.  And that’s not all:

Bast - Epic Thief

The winner of the auction will be receiving both of these cards once they’re printed, in addition to the Quothe card and the Kickstarter-exclusive edition of the game.

And, just to calm your fears, we will be having them available in The Tinker’s Packs someday.  But the winner of this auction will get it well before anyone else. So they can be really smug.

So there you go. You can click here if you’d like to donate directly to Heifer and be entered into our prize lottery. Or you can see all the auctions that are currently running over here. 

 

Read More »

Also posted in gaming | By Pat19 Responses
Published: January 17, 2014

Even More Manuscript Critiques and Guest Appearances

Well folks, we’re in the last two weeks of Worldbuilders, and we’ve got a lot of things to show you before the end.

First off, at our last count, we’re already giving away more than 1,500 books in our prize lottery.

ShelfJanuary

A lot of those books are signed, limited edition, or otherwise rare. And we’re not even counting the books we’ll be announcing over the next couple weeks.

So remember that for every ten bucks you donate to Heifer International on our team page, you not only make the world a better place, but you get a chance to win these books and many more.

And now for today’s dose of awesome….

*     *     *

This year we’ve had a lot of professionals offering to read-and-critiques manuscripts for unpublished authors. Even more rare, we’ve had authors offering up cameo appearances in their books. We posted a blog full of them earlier in the fundraiser, and now we have some more.

As always, be sure to read each of the descriptions closely, since everyone is offering something a little different.

First the cameo appearances….

500xMary_Robinette_Kowal-370

Hugo-award winning author Mary Robinette Kowal will tuckerize your name into a forthcoming piece of fiction. What does this mean? It means that she will work your name into a story or novel depending on what your name is and which project it seems to fit best into. She’ll also send you a signed manuscript before publication.

If you want the joy of being in Mary’s work, head over here and bid.

  • Become part of a series about time travel by Wesley Chu.

Wesley 600x400

Find your place in science fiction immortality. Wesley Chu is pleased to offer one tuckerization in his upcoming series, Time Salvager, about a time traveler who jumps back in time to reclaim resources from more prosperous pasts.

Wesley Chu is the author of The Lives of Tao (Goodreads Choice Awards 2014 Finalist for Best Science Fiction) and The Deaths of Tao (Booklist and Shelf Awareness Starred Review). Time Salvager has been sold to Tor Books and Tor UK and is projected to release in 2015. All proceeds from the auction will benefit the 2013 Worldbuilders fundraiser.

To show that he’s such a cool guy, Wesley has stretch goals in place, making the character cooler (and more likely to survive) the more money it raises for us.

If you want to be a part of this series, be sure to go bid here.

And now the Read & Critiques….

Pat’s Note: Some of these auctions include feedback of your query letter and/or synopsis. I would like to say that I would have killed to get a professional’s opinion of those things back when I was trying to get published.

Well, maybe I wouldn’t have killed. But I would have maimed the hell out of someone.

Also, please only bid on these if your manuscript will be ready for critique in 2014.

  • A read and critique of the first 15,000 words of your manuscript, as well as your query letter and synopsis, by Cassie Alexander.

CassieAlexander

Cassie Alexander is offering a read and critique of the first 15,000 words of someone’s novel. You’re welcome to include your query letter and synopsis on top of that word count.

She’ll be critiquing for plot, pacing, readability, character arcs, voice, how well the opening works, and give overall, general impressions of the story.  All critiques will be done in MSWord via track changes, and will be done in under a month.

Cassie Alexander is the author of the five book Edie Spence urban fantasy series, comprised of Nightshifted, Moonshifted, Shapeshifted, Deadshifted, and Bloodshifted, and has been published in Germany, France, and the Republic of Czech. She’s an experienced workshopper, having attended Viable Paradise and Clarion West, and frequently is a writing workshop professional at conventions she attends.

To bid on this awesome chance, head over here.

jaimeLeeMoyer_logoFinal

Jaime Lee Moyer is offering a read and critique of the first 75 pages of your finished novel. While she won’t line edit for grammar, she will comment on plot, pacing, character arc, voice, how well the “hook” or opening works, how well the story sustains her interest, and give overall, general impressions of the story. Critique will be done in MSWord via track changes, but please use a readable font and double-space your work. The critique will be returned to you within three months, edit letters and deadlines allowing.

Jaime Lee Moyer is a speculative fiction writer, poet and recovering editor. Jaime is the author of Delia’s Shadow, the first in a three book series coming from TOR beginning in September 2013. Delia’s Shadow won the 2009 Columbus Literary Award for Fiction, administered by Thurber House and funded by the Columbus Art Council. She doesn’t take herself nearly as seriously as that credit implies.

Jaime’s short fiction has appeared in Daily Science Fiction, Lone Star Stories, and two of the well-respected Triangulations anthologies. She was the editor of the 2010 Rhysling Anthology for the Science Fiction Poetry Association, a poetry and short fiction editor for a semi-pro zine for five years. For a short period of time she read slush for a literary agent, and has critiqued more novels and short stories than she wants to count.

Get in on this one by bidding over here.

  • A critique and commentary on your complete submission packet by literary agent Jennifer Azantian.

Jen

Jennifer Azantian is a literary agent at the Paul Levine Literary Agency where she represents science fiction, fantasy, and smart, psychological horror. She began her career with the Sandra Dijkstra Literary Agency in 2011 where learned from the best and had the pleasure of working with some of the most prolific and talented authors around. In her limited free time, she is a published author of several short stories and brings to the agency her passion for literature born of a writer’s heart. Her personal tastes run toward all flavors of the fantastic. She believes that it is against the backdrop of fantasy and science fiction that basic human truths can be best examined, magnified, and delighted in.

Jennifer Azantian is offering a detailed critique and commentary of your submission packet (query, synopsis, and first three chapters up to 15,000 words) as someone who has worked as gatekeeper to thousands of submissions in her budding career. She’ll include her thoughts on pacing, impact, characterization, world-building, and more within three months of receiving your submission. Though she makes no promises, she would be a fool not to consider representing a project if it truly blows her away.

Getting in with a literary agent isn’t easy – bid for your chance over here.

Josh and Patricia

Joshua Palmatier and Patricia Bray (co-editors of the DAW Books anthologies AFTER HOURS: TALES FROM THE UR-BAR and THE MODERN FAE’S GUIDE TO SURVIVING HUMANITY) will each read and evaluate your short story (up to 7500 words in standard manuscript format) within six weeks of submission. Each author will write a general evaluation of the story and mark up the manuscript using comments and track changes in the document itself, although this will NOT be a formal line or copy edit, simply commentary at specific points in the short story. Patricia Bray is the author of six fantasy novels from Bantam Spectra and has published numerous novellas and short stories in various anthologies.

Joshua Palmatier has five dark, epic fantasy novels published by DAW and four short stories in various anthologies. Their experience is mostly with all forms of fantasy, science fiction, and horror. Their intent will be to offer editorial advice on how to improve your story and to use their experience as both authors and editors to make it the best it can be.

Joshua and Patricia have requested that you send them your manuscript no later than July 1, 2014.

To bid on Joshua and Patricia’s read and critique, head to the auction over here.

  • A critique of the first 10,000 words of a sci-fi/fantasy novel from urban fantasy novelist Michael R. Underwood.

Michael R. Underwood

Michael R. Underwood is pleased to offer a critique of an excerpt of up to the first 10,000 words of a fantasy/science fiction novel (adult or young adult) and offer critical feedback, covering how the excerpt opens, characterization, plotting, setting, and the expectations set for a reader by the excerpt, as well as an overview of strengths and weaknesses of the excerpt.

Mike will make notes throughout the manuscript and offer a formal overview of the manuscript in the form of a critique letter. This critique does not count as or entitle the winner to a submission to Angry Robot, an endorsement or a blurb, though if the sample is particularly strong, Mike may be willing to pass it along to someone. This auction is only for the critique.

Michael R. Underwood is the imprint-bestselling author of the comedic urban fantasy novels Geekomancy and Celebromancy (from Pocket Star Books), as well as the forthcoming Attack the Geek, Shield and Crocus, and The Younger Gods. Mike has been a bookseller, an independent sales representative, and is currently the North American Sales & Marketing Manager for Angry Robot Books. Mike is a graduate of the 2007 Clarion West Workshop, and his short fiction has appeared in Escape Pod and Crossed Genres.

Bid on this awesome opportunity over here.

  • A consultation about your query letter and synopsis, with a Skype discussion from Michael R. Underwood.

Michael R. Underwood

Michael R. Underwood will read and critique a query letter and short synopsis (2-5 pages) for a young adult or adult science fiction/fantasy novel, giving detailed written feedback.

In addition, Mike is offering a 20-minute Skype discussion about the query and synopsis. The discussion will also include advice on how to refine the pitch with an eye toward submission to agents and professional markets. This critique and consultation does not count as or entitle the winner to a submission to Angry Robot, an endorsement, or a blurb, though if the query is particularly strong, Mike may be willing to pass it along to someone. This auction is only for the critique and the consultation.

Michael R. Underwood is the imprint-bestselling author of the comedic urban fantasy novels Geekomancy and Celebromancy (from Pocket Star Books), as well as the forthcoming Attack the Geek, Shield and Crocus, and The Younger Gods. Mike has been a bookseller, an independent sales representative, and is currently the North American Sales & Marketing Manager for Angry Robot Books. Mike is a graduate of the 2007 Clarion West Workshop, and his short fiction has appeared in Escape Pod and Crossed Genres.

This is a great additional auction, especially if you’re more concerned about your submission packet than your manuscript.  If it interests you, head over and bid on it.

Peter and Friends

Head to Seattle to attend a full day of writing discussions and workshops. The Day of Narrative Design will consist of three parts throughout the day: Game Writing, Short Fiction Writing, and Novel Writing.

This event has not been scheduled for a specific date as yet, so that schedules can be worked through, but contributing authors have agreed to be flexible on date anytime between February 2014 – June 2014.

Peter Orullian, author and musician, finalist for the Compton Crook award and short-listed for the David Gemmel Morningstar award, will lead and participate in these sessions, having had a hand in each. Peter’s worked in the video game industry for ten years, and previously in the publishing industry for five.

 If you’re an established writer looking to branch out into another area of the field, or an aspiring writer looking for pro advice and instruction, or a reader interested in talking with writers working across these different mediums, then this will be a day to remember.

There’ll be a grab-bag of signed books from the cool folks you meet with throughout the day.

This is a really cool opportunity, and there are even more details over in the auction, so be sure to head over, check it out, and bid.

  • A read and critique of the beginning of your novel (up to 25,000 words) and pitch letter or summary, by Del Rey fantasy author Robert V.S. Redick.

Rob Redick

Currently based in Indonesia, Rob is the author of The Chathrand Voyage Quartet, described by Locus as “one of the most distinctive and appealing epic fantasies of the decade.” The series began with The Red Wolf Conspiracy and concluded in February 2013 with The Night of the Swarm. He is also a seasoned editor, international development worker and writing teacher. He loves all good storytelling but has a soft spot for the literary end of the SF/fantasy spectrum.

Rob is offering a critique of the beginning of your novel (to a maximum 25,000 words), and will also be glad to assess a pitch letter or brief summary of the same. He generally includes a few line edits, but concentrates on providing no-nonsense, no-attitude feedback. He seeks to balance a professional & analytical critique with his own spontaneous but self-aware response as a reader. And Rob’s always careful to remember that this is your book and your agenda, not his own.

You can bid on Rob’s auction right over here.

  • A read and critique of the first 150,000 words of your manuscript from the person who made Name of the Wind not suck, Brett Hiorns.

Brett Monkey

Brett has been one of Pat’s go-to beta readers since the beginning, and was even called in as an alpha reader for Wise Man’s Fear (the book really didn’t make sense at that stage). He’s currently the voice behind a lot of the Worldbuilders website content and auction descriptions, and has done webcomic work, amusing movie reviews and plenty of longer-form horror fiction. Pat keeps pestering him to publish a book or two, but apparently he’s afraid of success.

His preferred genre is horror, but he’ll tackle fantasy and science fiction, or anything that sounds interesting. He also enjoys young adult fiction for its brevity and creativity.

Brett can help you with character voice and dialogue, concise writing, and the nuts and bolts of grammar and punctuation. He’ll also analyze pacing and the consistency of world building, and he’ll do his best to poke holes in the book’s internal logic.

The critique will include reading up to 150,000 words, marking up the margins with suggestions, corrections, and random comments. He will also type up a detailed explanation of the manuscript’s strong points and possible weaknesses, as well as clarifications and expansions of his marginal notes.

A note from Pat Rothfuss:

Okay folks. Here’s the deal. When we were putting together this second batch of read-and-critiques. I said to Brett, “You give really good editorial advice. How would you feel about offering up a critique?”

“Nobody would bid on that,” he said.

“A chance to get feedback from the person who has been a pivotal part of my revision process?” I said. “I think people would jump at it.”

He just kinda shook his head at me, as if the extent of my dementia made him sad inside.

Still, he’s said he’s willing. So let me explain a few things about Brett, because he doesn’t feel entirely comfortable talking about how great he is.

I’ve known Brett for over 20 years. He was my first writing tutor back in college. He gave me advice on my first, horrible high-school novel. Later, he gave me feedback on a book I called “The Song of Flame and Thunder.”

That book changed titles several times, eventually becoming The Name of the Wind.

Brett read several drafts of The Wise Man’s Fear, too. Probably more drafts than anyone other than myself. More drafts than my editor. Not because Betsy isn’t awesome. It’s just that Brett started reading those drafts back in 1997.

Now is Brett a professional fiction writer? No.

But let me say this. Brett is a *great* writer. I know this because I’ve read his unpublished urban fantasy novel and it’s fucking brilliant. One of my greatest sources of guilt is the fact that his work here at Worldbuilders keeps him too busy to finish his final round of revisions and start submitting it to publishers.

Is Brett a professional editor? Also no. But he gives great feedback. He has the rare gift of not letting his ego interfere with his critique.

Let me say one last thing: Right now I’m writing a novella about Auri. I’m about a hair’s breadth from being done with the first draft, and I’ve never been so torn up and confused about anything I’ve ever written.

Part of me thinks this story is some of the best writing I’ve done: brave and different and brilliant. Another part of me thinks this story is… just the dumbest concept ever. Just vastly hugely embarrassingly stupid.

Brett is the first person I’ll be showing this story to. Because Brett is clever and honest and gentle. I know that after his critique, I won’t want to throw this story into a fire or put a gun in my mouth.

And even better, I know after Brett’s critique, I’ll understand my story better. I’ll be able to move forward and revise it in a productive manner.

So. If you’d like Brett to critique your stuff, you can bid on his auction over here.

*  *  *

There you have it, folks.  Another blog full of cool opportunities for aspiring writers.

You can also see *all* the current Worldbuilders auctions by clicking the link below.

Stay tuned to the blog, because we’re going to be posting up more and more marvelous things until the fundraiser ends….

 

Also posted in BJ Hiorns Art | By Pat14 Responses
Published: January 16, 2014

Tons of Books from Del Rey

Today’s blog comes again from the Worldbuilders Team, and everyone in the office is still basking in the glow of the stretch goals we posted up recently.  If you haven’t seen them yet, you can see our cool slider full of them here…

We’re pretty proud of it.  And as of right now we’re at $290,000, so we’re perilously close to our next stretch goal.

Either way, we thought we’d remind you of one of the added benefits of donating to help us reach those stretch goals: the awesome books you can win in the lottery. Donations of $10 or more on our Team Page get you the chance to win one of many hundreds of books we have here waiting for you.

Today’s batch of coolness comes from Del Rey, and they sent over a lot of great stuff that should appeal to a bunch of geeks.  There are multiple copies of almost all of them, and then a few special, signed ones you can win in an auction, should they pique your interest…

Darwin Elevator - all

“A brilliant debut, full of compelling characters and thick with tension.” – Kevin Hearne

Post-apocalyptic science fiction? Check. Mysterious alien technology? Check. Solid world building? So much check. The first book in the Dire Earth Cycle will have you turning pages fast enough to create friction.

  • Auction: The Darwin Elevator.  Signed and dated by Jason M. Hough.

Darwin Elevator - Signature

We also have a cool signed copy that we’re auctioning off, so if you don’t want to miss out head over here and bid.

Dark Legacy - all

“In time for the 35th anniversary of The Sword of Shannara (first published in 1977), Brooks opens up a new avenue for more tales of magic and epic adventure. His many fans will want this.” – Library Journal

This first book in Terry Brooks’s new Shannara trilogy hits the ground running. Get ready to jump back into this expansive world and dig into its tumultuous past. We can’t say a whole lot about this book without ruining it, but Brooks is in fine form here.

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“A completely authentic tale, brimming with all the detail and richness one looks for in military yarns as well as the impossible wonder of gilded fantasy.” – Entertainment Weekly

This is the first book in Naomi Novik’s brilliant Temeraire series. Napoleonic War + Dragon = Awesomeness. Nicole at The Tinker’s Packs was listening to this series most of last year and obsessing about it just a little.

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“Remarkable . . . Scott Lynch’s first novel, The Lies of Locke Lamora, exports the suspense and wit of a cleverly constructed crime caper into an exotic realm of fantasy, and the result is engagingly entertaining.” – The Times

If you like mystery stories and fantasy stories, why not combine them? Pat will tell you how awesome this book is in his Goodreads review, in no uncertain terms.

Plus, Scott is involved in our next stretch goal: he and Elizabeth Bear will be getting drunk and doing a review of The Desolation of Smaug.  So that’s going to be interesting…

Best of Connie Willis - all

“Ranging from the hilarious to the profound, these stories show the full range of Willis’ talent for taut, dazzling plots, real science, memorable characters, penetrating dialogue and blistering drama–and may guide inquisitive readers toward her equally accomplished and acclaimed novels.” – Kirkus Reviews

Connie Willis has been wonderful to us here at Worldbuilders. Last year alone, she donated quite a few rarities from her own personal bookshelf–she even sent a book on cassette! This year, she’s featured with this gorgeous collection of some of her shorter works. Connie Willis does it all, and since all ten of the stories in this collection have won either the Hugo or Nebula award (or both), you know you’re in good hands.

Children of Fire - all

“This intricately layered adventure breathes realism and overshadowing menace into ancient mythic archetypes, exposing the pain and wonder inherent in magic and the mingled hope and cynicism of modern fantasy.” – Publishers Weekly

You know Drew Karpyshyn from Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic and the Mass Effect series. This is his original material, an epic story about four orphans born with the individual traits of a hero-turned-destroyer. It’s their destiny to usher in a renewed era of peace or free their twisted forebear from his prison.

Game of Thrones - all

“Of those who work in the grand epic-fantasy tradition, Martin is by far the best…. [He] is a tense, surging, insomnia-inflicting plotter and a deft and inexhaustible sketcher of personalities…. This is as good a time as any to proclaim him the American Tolkien.” – Time Magazine

Unless you’ve been living under a particularly heavy rock, you’ve probably heard of Game of Thrones.   If you’ve only seen the HBO series, or haven’t had a chance to pick these up yet, we’ve got a chance for you to win some here.

And for those of you who already love the series, though, we’ve got some awesome auctions of limited edition weaponry and statues from Westeros.

 Feast for Crows - standing

“A story told with as much passion and humanity as Martin has brought to any previous volume. And it adds much detail and texture to an already rich and layered world.” – Thomas M. Wagner, SF Review

This one is volume 4 in A Song of Ice and Fire (Game of Thrones being the first), so we didn’t want to throw this in the lottery and annoy someone why may not have the first three.  Instead, and since it’s signed, we’re auctioning it off so someone who’s ready to add it to their collection can do so. If you’re that someone, head over and bid.

Star Wars Kenobi - all

“…so well written it’s disgusting. This is Star Wars fiction at its absolute best. It’s a Star Wars book that explores stories from the movies and television series, fleshes them out and adds further dimension to what we know or think we know.” — Bryan Young, Examiner.com

If you’ve ever wondered how the great Obi-Wan Kenobi became a crazy old hermit living on an insignificant desert planet, you’re about to find out. In the most difficult decision of his life, Kenobi must decide if the best thing he can do to save the galaxy might be nothing at all.

Warded Man - all

“The Warded Man works not only as a great adventure novel but also as a reflection on the nature of heroism.” — Charlaine Harris

Humans fight back against an onslaught of demons. But so much more. Traditional fantasy with some horror elements from the guy who shaved Myke Cole’s head with a straight razor. Knowing Peat like we do, it amazes us that such dark fantasy can come from such a nice guy.

Study in Silks - all

“Holloway stuffs her adventure with an abundance of characters and ideas and fills her heroine with talents and graces, all within a fun, brisk narrative.” — Publishers Weekly

A Study in Silks is set in a steampunk world filled with magic and intrigue, starring Sherlock Holmes’s very capable and engaging niece. If you’re not already intrigued, how about a touch of romance?

Red Rising - all

“Fast-paced, gripping, well written – the sort of book you cannot put down. I am already on the lookout for the next one.” – Terry Brooks

When we were digging around, trying to find a good review of the forthcoming Red Rising (it’ll come out at the end of the month), there was so much to choose from. The one, unifying word that seemed to appear in every last review was, “Wow!” Now all of us kind of want to read it.

  • Auction: Red Rising by Pierce Brown.  To be released January 28th, 2014.

Red Rising - standing

Since the lottery items won’t make it to the winners until after Red Rising comes out, we figured we’d auction off a copy and do our best to get it to the winner before its release date. Join the party and bid on this one for a chance to read it early.

*   *   *

Special thanks goes out to Del Rey, as well as all of our other donors so far.

We’re going to be really ramping things up these last two weeks, so be sure to check back often, and be sure to get your donations in before the fundraiser ends on February 2nd at 11:59pm Central Standard  Time.

Thanks for being awesome folks…

 

Posted in Worldbuilders 2013 | By Amanda17 Responses

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