Tag Archives: Tad Williams

Still More Signed Books

This is a Worldbuilders blog.

Today we have another batch of books donated by the authors themselves.

Most of them, as always, are going into the general lottery. But we’re auctioning off a few treasures at the bottom of the list as well… So make sure to check those out, too.

  • One first edition hardcover set of Tome of the Undergates and Black Halo by Sam Sykes. Signed by the author.

Pat’s Note: I met Sam Sykes at Worldcon this year, and we spent the better part of two hours having an in-depth conversation about… things. Things which I realize now I really shouldn’t mention in a charity blog.

Suffice to say that it was a refreshingly deviant conversation. I had a great time, though we probably really freaked out the people sitting nearby….

“Sam Sykes is the Hot Young Turk of fantastic fiction.” – James A. Owen

  • One set of Shadowmarch: Shadowmarch, Shadowplay, Shadowrise, and Shadowheart and The War of the Flowers by Tad Williams. All books signed by the author.

“Packed with mind-blowing surprises… a brilliantly engaging fantasy.” – SFX

One set of 100 Stories for Haiti and 100 Stories for Queensland by Robert J. McCarter. Signed by Robert J. McCarter.

“One hundred beautiful stories. Our stories. When so much was lost or destroyed, this was created. That’s something that can never recede or wash away.” Kate Eltham, CEO of The Queensland Writers Centre

  • Two sets of Signing Their Lives Away: The Fame and Misfortune of the Men Who Signed The United States Constitution and The Fame and Misfortune of the Men Who Signed The Declaration of Independence by Denise Kiernan and Joseph D’Agnese. Signed by the authors.

“Readers will delight as they discover just which signer “was the first to die,” “slept in caves,” “had the worst penmanship,” and “went broke on shady land deals.” School Library Journal Starred Review

  • Two hardcover copies of Blockhead: the Life of Fibonacci by Joseph D’Agnese. Signed by the author.

“This lighthearted introduction to Fibonacci’s ideas will inspire young math lovers and perhaps point them toward more scholarly explorations.” – School Library Journal.

  • One set of The Iron Druid Chronicles: Hounded, Hexed and Hammered by Kevin Hearne. Signed by the author.

“A page-turning and often laugh-out-loud funny caper through a mix of the modern and the mythic.” – Ari Marmell

“It’s the best kind of story… and Susan M. MacDonald is the best kind of writer… You can hardly stand to put the book aside until you’ve finished.” – Orson Scott Card, author of Ender’s Game

  • One set of ARCS of The Adamantine Palace, The King of the Crags and The Order of the Scales by Stephen Deas. Includes signed postcard from the author.

“A fast, sharp, ruthless read.” – Joe Abercrombie

  • Two copies of Shuffled Off: A Ghost’s Memoir by Robert J McCarter. Signed by the author.

Shuffled Off is a first-person ghost story that follows JJ into the afterlife. As one reviewer put it: ” A fast paced enjoyable reading experience that held my attention to the very end and left me hoping for a sequel. Highly recommended!”

  • Two copies of Geek Dad by Ken Denmead. Signed by the author.

Pat’s Note: I really love this book. I’ve already ordered myself a copy, as I’m hoping to bring up Oot so he’s a proper Geek.

Supergeek and father of two, Ken Denmead is an engineer and editor of the incredibly popular GeekDad blog on wired.com.  Ken has created the ultimate, idea-packed guide guaranteed to help dads and kids alike enjoy the magic of playtime together and tap into the infinite possibility of their imagination.

Pat’s Note: If you click to embiggen the above picture, you will see that the blurb on the front of the book is mine. Go on. Click it and take a look.

I have to tell y’all, having my blurb on the front of this book is probably one of the cooler things that’s ever happened to me as a published author.

It’s also rather baffling though. Helping promote The Last Unicorn is like being asked to act as a character reference for St. Francis Assisi….

The Last Unicorn is the best I have ever read. You need to read it. If you’ve already read it, you need to it again.” – Patrick Rothfuss

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And now the auctions:

  • AUCTION: Signed First Edition hardcover of The Wooden Man by Harry Connolly. Includes ghost knife from the author.

Pat’s Note: Harry Connolly sent us two books, and several people e-mailed us, pleading that we put one of them up in an auction. Apparently he doesn’t do many appearances, so it’s really hard to get hold of his signature.

So we’re auctioning one off. Never let it be said that we ignored the will of the people.

“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

You can bid on this book over here.

  • AUCTION: Signed hardcover of The Onion: Our Front Page 1988 – 2008. Signed by the Onion Staff.

Pat’s Note: I was a fan of the Onion back before any of you even knew who they were. Because I grew up in Madison, where the Onion got its start.

About a year back, I met up with some of the Onion staff at a convention in Madison, and I had a good old fashioned geek out, because I’ve been reading their stuff since high school. It turns out they’d read my book, and we quickly decided to be Best Friends Forever.

This book is signed by a ton of the lovely folks on the Onion staff. Not just one or two of them, either. Check it out:

That’s a lot of satirical mojo right there….

You can check out the option and place your bids over here.

  • AUCTION: signed, leather-bound copies of The Gathering Storm and Towers of Midnight by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson with Wheel of Time jewelry.

These gorgeous gold-lettered books are leather-bound and designated “S” out of 26 lettered copies. The books come in their own matching leather slipcase, feature a facimilie of Robert Jordan’s signature, and are signed by Brandon Sanderson.

In addition to these stunning best-selling books, this auction includes three lovely pieces of jewelry inspired by Jordan’s series: an Asha’man Dragon Pin, a Dedicated Sword Pin, and a Great Serpent Ring.

We are very grateful to Brandon Sanderson for his donation of these rare books, and to the folks at Badali  for makinc things even sweeter with the addition of the jewelry.

To see more pictures of these gorgeous books, or to place a bid on the auction, click here.

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

Even better, if you chip in before February 7th of 2012, Worldbuilders will match 50% of your donation. So you’re making the world a better place by half again as much.

To see all the auctions Worldbuilders is currently running click over here.

If you want to see the other donations and learn more about the fundraiser itself you can head over to the main Worldbuilders page.

Later space cowboys,

pat

Posted in Worldbuilders 2011 | By Pat14 Responses

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

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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 Pat16 Responses

Books From DAW

This is a Worldbuilders blog.

DAW is my publisher, and understandably close to my heart. They’re the ones that took a risk on me back in the day, and decided to print The Name of the Wind. That also means, in a roundabout way, that if not for DAW, Worldbuilders wouldn’t exist, either.

As if that weren’t enough, they’ve also donated boxes of lovely books to the fundraiser as well….

  • A first edition, hardcover set of Shadowmarch by Tad Williams: Shadowmarch, Shadowplay, Shadowrise and Shadowheart.

“Tad Williams is already regarded as one of fantasy’s most skilled practitioners, and this latest work more than confirms that status.” – Amazing Stories

  • Two sets of Sorrow, Memory and Thorn by Tad Williams: The Dragonbone Chair, Stone of Farewell, and To Green Angel Tower.

Pat’s Note: Back when I was working on the early drafts of what would become the Kingkiller Chronicle, these books had a huge impact on me. They were huge, complex books, and seeing them in print gave me hope that someday I might actually be able to publish my book too….

“Epic fantasy you can get lost in for days, not just hours” – Locus

  • One first edition hardcover copy of This Alien Shore by C. S. Friedman.

“C. S. Friedman makes fantastic things — and frightening things — seem very real. Her characters are people, not just place-holders, and the worlds she creates are as tangible as a live feed from the battlefront or a crash-landing in a savage and unfamiliar wilderness. ” – Tad Williams

“Space opera with brains.” – Locus

  • A first edition hardcover set of Fool’s Gold by Jude Fisher: Sorcery Rising, Wild Magic, and The Rose of the World.

“The nerve-wracking, intoxicating conclusion of the Fool’s Gold series is the fabulous, multilayered, poetic story of a world, full of complex, painfully real, endearingly vulnerable characters, on the very brink of either enlightenment or extinction.” – Booklist (starred Review)

  • A first edition hardcover set of The Elemental Masters by Mercedes Lackey: The Serpent’s Shadow, Phoenix and Ashes, The Wizard of London, and Reserved for the Cat.

“Lackey is a spellbinding storyteller who keeps your heart in your mouth as she spins her intricate webs of magical adventure.” – Rave Reviews

“… blends historical fiction with folklore and mythology to create a fantasy suitable for all ages.” – The Barnes & Noble Review

  • A hardcover set of The Mage Winds Trilogy by Mercedes Lackey: Winds of Fate, Winds of Change, and Winds of Fury.

“Lackey’s talent for world building comes to the fore in her vivid description of the Hawkbrothers’ culture, while her strength of characterization remains constant. Fans of the popular Valdemar series will create a demand for this solid fantasy.” – Library Journal

  • A first edition hardcover set of Valdemar: Darian’s Tale by Mercedes Lackey and Larry Dixon: Owlsight, Owlflight and Owlknight.

“[Mercedes Lackey & Larry Dixon are] an unbeatable team in fantastic magic and adventure.” – Kliatt

“Prolific writer Lackey tackles the complex legend of King Arthur’s queens in this compelling and heart-wrenching retelling… Lackey reweaves old tales to create something new and powerful, with a compelling and sympathetic heroine, is this retelling’s strength.” – Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“Made with the active assistance of Mercedes Lackey, creator of the fantasy kingdom of Valdemar, and DAW editor Betsy Wollheim, this is about as official a companion as there could be. It is high time, too, since Valdemar is beginning to rival Darkover in the number of stories set there and in the multitude of its fans. ” – Booklist

  • A set of the collected volumes of The Novels of Tiger and Del by Jennifer Roberson: Sword-Dancer & Sword-Singer, Sword-Maker & Sword-Breaker, and Sword-Born & Sword-Sworn.

Sword-Dancer is an admirable introduction to the six-volume adventures of Tiger and Del, one of fantasy’s more popular and appealing odd couples…. Roberson comes out swinging and delivers some dramatically powerful sequences.” – SF Reviews.net

Original Stories Based on the Song of Janis Ian.

“This dazzling, highly original anthology, ignited by the meeting of songwriter Ian and a host of SF writers affected by her music at the 2001 Worldcon, showcases 30 mostly superior stories, each based on one of her songs.” – Publisher’s Weekly

  • One first edition hardcover set and one trade paperback set of the Coldfire trilogy by C. S. Friedman: Black Sun Rising, When True Night Falls and Crown of Shadows.

“Some of the best writing I have seen in quite a while, and the ending is excellent. Very highly recommended.” – Science Fiction Review

  • One first edition hardcover copy of The Collected Short Fiction of C. J. Cherryh.

“This massive and valuable collection reprints all of Cherryh’s short fiction, beginning with the contents of two out-of-print theme collections […] Cherryh crafts even less impressive stories well enough to verify her reputation for brilliance and versatility.” – Booklist

“Lackey’s latest juices up the plot of the ballet Swan Lake… This is well-crafted Lackey, which means well-crafted period, fully appreciable without any prior knowledge… Heartily recommended.” – Booklist

  • A hardcover set of the Smoke series  by Tanya Huff: Smoke and Shadows, Smoke and Mirrors, and Smoke and Ashes.

“A wild romp, full of dark humor, a delightfully twisted version of the usual haunted house story.” – Locus

“A master of urban fantasy.” – Library Journal.

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

Green Rider is a stunning first novel for what I hope will be a long career of story-telling and suspenseful intrigue. You’ve a really talented new writer here.” – Anne McCaffrey

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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 Pat21 Responses

Books from DAW, Penguin, and The Book Scouts.

This is a Worldbuilders blog.

Today we’ve got dozens and dozens of books. Signed books, sets of books, and Advance Reading Copies of books that won’t be published for months.

Let’s start with the ones donated by DAW. They’ve sent so many books that we’re going to start grouping a lot of them together, because listing them separately will take too long.

Some of these are obviously grouped together as books in a series. Others are grouped together by theme.

  • A hardcover set of Shadowmarch: Shadowmarch, Shadowplay, Shadowrise, and Shadowheart by Tad Williams.

“Impressive… packed with intriguing plot twists, this surreal fantasy takes the reader on a thrill ride… The author’s richly detailed world will enchant established fans and win new converts.” – Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“Epic fantasy you can get lost in for days, not just hours” – Locus

“With this volume, bestseller Hickman creates memorable characters and realms of immense richness, while holding the reader enthralled with exhilarating action.” – Publishers Weekly

  • A set of Green Rider, First Rider’s Call, The High King’s Tomb and an ARC of the latest book Blackveil by Kristen Britain. Set includes a signed bookplate.

The ARC of blackveil in this set is really cool, as that book won’t be hitting the shelves until Februar, 2011.

“A fresh fantasy.” – Kirkus Reviews

“This outstanding speculative novel is action-packed and fast-moving, and Duane’s lavish, expansive world building already seems eerily prescient.” –  Publisher’s Weekly (starred review)

“…one of the finest current writers of speculative fiction.” – Kirkus Reviews

Nnedi was one of the authors I interviewed last year. And Who Fears Death is one of the few books I’ve actually blurbed.

“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…. She is in the passing lane now, and she is starting to pull away. Catch her now.” — Luis Alberto Urrea, bestselling author of The Hummingbird’s Daughter and Pulitzer Prize finalist.

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

“History aficionado and champion fencer Aurelia Kim Murray investigates her taciturn grandmother’s European roots and her own identity in Smith’s sweeping, feminist Ruritanian romance. […] a lively heroine, mysterious ghosts, and a complex and intricate plot always get the action going.” – Publishers Weekly

“Brilliantly detailed worldbuilding and complicated characters makes this an engrossing read.” – Laura Anne Gilman

Here’s a group of three flavors of fantasy novel ranging from demons to Norse sword fighters to ghosts and haunts.

  • An urban-modern fantasy paperback set: The Enchanted Emporium by Tanya Huff and Trolls in the Hamptons by Celia Jerome.

Two modern fantasy books of actual fantasies: running a curiosity shop in a local community which includes the odd witch or dragon, and having one’s character come to life (pretty cool even if your character happens to be a giant red troll…)

Here we’ve got Sci-Fi that runs the gamut from genetically altered humans battling to control their planet, aliens visiting earth, or explorations into the furthest reaches of space.

Yeah. I said ‘gamut.’ You want to make something of it?

Personally, I love the title “Touched by an Alien.”

  • A copy of The Stepsister Scheme and an ARC of Red Hood’s Revenge by Jim C. Hines.

Jim Hines already donated a signed book earlier in the fundraiser. But this set is another chance to be reintroduced to fairy tale characters: warrior princess Talia (Sleeping Beauty), fellow princess-adventurers Danielle (Cinderella) and Snow (Snow White) and the shape-shifting assassin Roudette (Red Riding Hood).


A threesome of detective/gangster novels with more magic, demons and faeries than you can shake a stick at. *

*(Given certain pre-set standards for stick-size and shaking frequency.)

  • A set of sci-fi ARCs:  Conspirator by  C. J. Cherryh and The Wilding by C. S. Friedman. Set includes signed bookplates by C. J. Cherryh and C. S. Friedman.

A winning combination: C. J. and C. S. with two stories of war and diplomacy between races in a grand setting of powerful civilizations spanning worlds.

  • A Valdemar ARCs: Intrigues and Finding the Way by Mercedes Lackey. Set includes signed bookplate by Mercedes Lackey.

“Lackey is a spellbinding storyteller who keeps your heart in your mouth as she spins her intricate webs of magical adventure.”–Rave Reviews

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Next we have some lovely books and ARC’s donated by Penguin books.

I hadn’t heard of this book before, but now that I’ve read a little about it, I’m going to have to check it out. I like it when someone takes tired fantasy cliches and puts a clever, thoughtful spin on them…

“Turner’s debut is a massively entertaining and seriously revisionist zombie novel. How revisionist? Well, her characters communicate with each other eloquently (although, to humans, it sounds like a lot of grunts). They remember their past lives. They have thoughts and emotions, and when a new kind of creature, a sort of human-zombie hybrid, appears out of nowhere, they feel fear. The author has taken the familiar zombie clichés and given them a good shake. ” – David Pitt from Booklist (starred review)

This is an ARC for a book that won’t be hitting the shelves until the end of the year. Since the book isn’t out yet, there aren’t many reviews available. But I’m willing to go out on a limb and guess that there’s a griffin in the book….

  • A set of Destroyermen: Into the Storm, Maelstrom, and Distant Thunders by Taylor Anderson.

‘”Taylor Anderson and his patched-up four-stackers have steamed to the forefront of alternative history. All aboard for a cracking great read!” – E. E. Knight, Author of Fall with Honor

“I dipped my toe into Destroyerman: Into the Storm and when I looked up, it was two in the morning.” – S. M. Stirling

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This year a few bookstores were cool enough to help out by donating to Worldbuilders too. Here we have a bunch of lovely signed books from The Book Scouts.

  • A hardcover first edition of Worldbinder by David Farland. Signed by the author.

“The Runelords is a first rate tale, an epic fantasy that more than delivers on its promise. Read it soon and treat yourself to an adventure you won’t forget.”–Terry Brooks

  • A hardcover first edition of The Lair of Bones by David Farland. Signed by the author.

“David Farland’s Runelords books are among the best fantasies on the market today. Great characters, a fascinating concept, and some really nasty monsters make each novel a pleasure to read.” – Kevin J. Anderson

  • A hardcover first edition of Five Odd Honors: Breaking the Wall by Jane Lindskold. Signed by the author.

I like this one because it has a golden monkey on the cover. I have simple tastes. That’s all it takes to win me over: golden monkey.

“Fans of Charles de Lint and Jim Butcher will enjoy this intricate, beautifully written urban fantasy and will wait impatiently for the next installment.” – VOYA

  • A set of hardcover copies of Harbingers and Ground Zero, Repairman Jack Novels by Paul Wilson. Both signed by the author.

“Part hard-boiled detective novel, part “Matrix”and all fun, Wilson’s latest and, perhaps, greatest kept me up all night.  A pulse-pounding novel that grips you by the throat and doesn’t let go even when it’s over.” – Eric Van Lustbader, author of The Testament

  • A hardcover copy of The Dark-Eyes’ War by David B. Coe. Signed by the author.

“Coe manages to take several serious, weighty issues, approach them from distinctly different points of view and make you sympathetic toward characters who sometimes act selfishly or viciously.  He absolutely nails the plot and sequencing.” – Romantic Times 

  • A hardcover copy of Rules of Ascension by David B. Coe. Signed by the author.

“This sword and sorcery epic gathers momentum like a runaway moving van.” –  Publishers Weekly

“The consistent excellence of L.E. Modesitt makes him by far the most entertaining of today’s fantasy writers.” – Romantic Times

  • A hardcover copy 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

  • A copy of Traitor’s Knot by Janny Wurts. Signed by the author.

“Wurts is in fine form here, providing endless twists and turns of plot and an artful complexity that is marvelous to behold.”  – Booklist

  • A hardcover copy of Off Armageddon Reef by David Weber. Signed by the author.

“Altogether, there is enough conflict to allow a natural storyteller like Weber to make a large, splendid novel that opens another saga. The saga being Weber’s form of choice and high achievement, hopes for the rest of it are definitely elevated.” – Roland Green from Booklist (starred review)

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Remember folks, for every 10 dollars you donate to Heifer International, you get a chance to win these books and hundreds of others like them.

In addition to that, Worldbuilders is matching 50% of all donations made on our Team Heifer page.

For more details, or to see the other books you can win, you can head over to the main page HERE.

Posted in Worldbuilders 2010 | By Pat13 Responses

Still More Signed Books

This is a Worldbuilders blog.

Today we’ve got another batch of gorgeous books donated by generous authors.

As if I didn’t have enough reasons to love Peter S. Beagle.

Not only is The Last Unicorn my favorite book of all time. Not only is Peter nice enough to send along some signed copies with the cool new cover for the fundraiser. (Not only was he nice enough to send along a copy especially for me, too.) But we have a few other amazingly cool goodies from him that we’ll be auctioning off soon.

For this book, I will write the glowing blurb myself. Ready? Here it is.

“When people tell me The Name of the Wind is their favorite book, I’m always flattered. Then I encourage them to read The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle. It is so much better than my book. It is like a diamond. Like a pearl. It is the platonic form of Book. I read it once a year, and every time I cry.”

  • A hardcover copy of Caliban’s Hour by Tad Williams. Signed by the author.

A lovely donation from Tad Williams himself. I’m ashamed to admit that this book was below my radar until right now. I’ll have to go pick up a copy now….

“The best-selling author of To Green Angel Tower (1993) offers a fantastical sequel to Shakespeare’s The Tempest replete with elements of both Beauty and the Beast and Robinson Crusoe… A lyrically romantic voyage of discovery charting the mysterious depths of the human heart and soul.” – Margaret Flanagan for Booklist

“Kristopher Reisz’s Unleashed has one of the most unique takes on an established mythology that I’ve ever seen. Its twist on the werewolf tales will keep readers guessing right until the end.” – TeensReadToo

“Hot, wrenching, and wise, this book is fantastic!” – Holly Black, author of White Cat

  • A hardcover copy of The Darker Mask: Heroes from the Shadows. Signed by Doselle Young.

“Themed along the grayer areas of superhero fiction, this anthology of 18 original stories nonetheless covers a wide spectrum… Deceptively simple and entertaining while never skimping on serious topics, this tight anthology will satisfy any superhero enthusiast. ” – Publishers Weekly

  • A hardcover of The River King’s Road by Liane Merciel. First edition. Signed by the author.

“[An] impressive epic fantasy debut… Merciel has constructed an inspired new world where unexpected plot twists bedevil strong, clearly visualized characters, in a story that glints with intelligence and hums with life.” – Publishers Weekly, starred review

  • A hardcover copy of Otherland by Tad Williams. Signed by the author.

“The ultimate virtual-reality saga, borrowing motifs from cyberpunk, mythology and world history.” – San Francisco Chronicle

“One of the best works of science fiction I’ve ever read.” – Katharine Kerr

  • A set of The ThiefThe Queen of Attolia, The King of Attolia and A Conspiracy of Kings by Megan Whalen Turner. All signed by the author.

The Thief is a Newbery Honor Book, and that’s not something to take lightly. But if you need more convincing, here’s a starred review from Publisher’s Weekly: “Turner’s storytelling is so sure that readers will want to go along with her-and discover whatever it is that Eugenides will do next.”

  • Two UK sets of The Thief and The Queen of Attolia by Megan Whalen Turner. Signed by the author.

“Thoroughly involving and wholly satisfying on all fronts.” – The Horn Book

  • A set of the Kira Chronicles: The Whisper of Leaves and The Song of the Silvercades by K. S. Nikakis. Signed by the author.

For those of you who live here in the US, these books are a bit of a treat. This series isn’t even published in the US (yet) so if you win them, you’ll be on the cutting edge of fantasy chic.

“An impressive debut novel, which combines assured writing and well-paced storytelling. K.S. Nikakis is a welcome addition to the ranks of Australian fantasy authors.” – Juliet Marillier

“From New York Times best seller Elaine Cunningham comes a fantastic new adventure of swords and sorcery, set in the award-winning world of the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game.”

  • A set of Pathfinders Tales: Winter Witch and Prince of Wolves. Signed by Dave Gross.

From fan-favorite author Dave Gross comes a new fantastical mystery set in the award-winning world of the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game.

“Brilliantly detailed worldbuilding and complicated characters makes this an engrossing read.” – Laura Anne Gilman

  • Two hardcover copies of A Spider on the Stairs by Cassandra Chan. Signed by the author.

The Library Journal says that Spider on the Stairs “will appeal to fans of the traditional Golden Age British mystery. Her inclusion of humor and her well-drawn characters make Chan a good choice for readers of Martha Grimes.”

What’s more, Chan went above and beyond with her signature pages, too. Check them out…


(Click to Embiggen)


(Also Click to Embiggen)

I can never think of cool things to sign in books like this. And I certainly can’t do that three-dimentional shading thing she pulls off with the Worldbuilders 2010, either. Hell, I don’t think I even own a green pen….

Honestly, looking at these makes me feel more than slightly inadequate.

And just think, if she’s this creative when signing the books, imagine how original the books themselves must be….

*    *    *

Don’t forget, Worldbuilders is matching 50% of all donations made on our Team Heifer page. What’s more, every 10 dollars you donate to Heifer International gets you a chance to win these books and hundreds of others like them.

To see the other books and learn more about Worldbuilders, you can head over to the main page.

Posted in Worldbuilders 2010 | By Pat27 Responses

Books from DAW

This is a Worldbuilders blog.

Today we’ve got a ton of books donated by my lovely publisher, DAW.

Well… Okay. Not a ton. That’s just not true. But we do have dozens of lovely books from DAW.

Let’s take a look at them:

  • A hardcover copy of The War of the Flowers by Tad Williams.

I read War of the Flowers a couple years back, just before my own book came out. I enjoyed it, as I do with all of Tad’s work. I especially liked his take on Faeries. I really enjoy it when someone puts a fresh twist on that particular piece of folklore.

“Travel into another dimension is a popular fantasy ploy, but rarely accomplished with such humor, terror and even logic as in this stand-alone by bestseller Williams.” – Publishers Weekly

  • A hardcover set of Inda: Inda, The Fox, King’s Shield and Treason’s Shore by Sherwood Smith.

“The world creation and characterization within Inda have the complexity and depth and inventiveness that mark a first-rate fantasy novel… This is the mark of a major work of fiction…you owe it to yourself to read Inda.” — Orson Scott Card

  • A hardcover set of the Smoke series: Smoke and Shadows, Smoke and Mirrors, and Smoke and Ashes by Tanya Huff.

“A wild romp, full of dark humor, a delightfully twisted version of the usual haunted house story.” – Locus

“A master of urban fantasy.” – Library Journal.

“Sword-Dancer is an admirable introduction to the six-volume adventures of Tiger and Del, one of fantasy’s more popular and appealing odd couples…. Roberson comes out swinging and delivers some dramatically powerful sequences… There’s no denying that by the end of Sword-Dancer, Roberson will have fantasy fans dancing in the streets.” – SF Reviews.net

“With every book, the magic of Jennifer Roberson waxes stronger and stronger. Wrought with an epic mysticism and power, the continuing strands of the Cheysuli saga glimmer with the sheen of excellence as they weave their way into a landmark collection of fantasy literature.” – Rave Reviews.

  • A set of the Coldfire trilogy: Black Sun Rising, When True Night Falls and Crown of Shadows by C. S. Friedman.


I really liked these when I read them about five years back. Friedman does some cool worldbuilding. And best of all, it’s a complete series, so you can read the whole thing beginning to end.

“Friedman has produced a splendid hybrid of sf and fantasy in this first volume of a trilogy. 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

“One of the things I like best about MZB’s Darkover novels is the sheer humanity of the characters. It’s rare to find a dislikable character in her books, for even the villains are driven by ordinary, understandable, human emotions. Unlike many science fiction novels, love is central to most of her stories. She understands the motivational power of the love of parents and children, the love between siblings, and, of course, romantic love.” – SF Site Featured Review by Cindy Lynn Speer

  • A copy of The Transformer Trilogy omnibus edition by M. A. Foster.

“Solid, well-written, thoughtful.” – Locus

“Strikingly original.” – Science Fiction and Fantasy Book Review

  • A copy of The Book of the Ler omnibus edition by M. A. Foster.

“Sensitive yet full of action, rich in emotional textures and highly intelligent.” – Library Journal

“A scary and sexy modern-day vampire thriller.” – Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens.

  • A set of the Dragon Prince series: Dragon Prince, The Star Scroll and Sunrunner’s Fire by Melanie Rawn.

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

” …an exquisitely crafted novel that appeals not just to sci-fi/fantasy readers, but also to anyone who enjoys a deep study of human nature.” – Midwest Bookreview

  • A set of Esther Diamond novels: Doppelgangster and Unsympathetic Magic by Laura Resnick.


Okay. I know I’m not supposed to judge a book by its cover. But I have to admit that I’m curious to read these books after just looking at them. And no, it’s not because they have a pretty woman on the front. Well, yeah. That’s part of it. But it’s not all of it. These look like a fun read to me.

Plus you have to love the title of the second one….

“Esther Diamond is the Stephanie Plum of urban fantasy! …Unplug the phone and settle down for a fast and funny read. ” — New York Times bestselling novelist, Mary Jo Putney

  • A set of the Heralds of Valdemar trilogy: Arrows of the Queen, Arrow’s Flight and Arrow’s Fall by Mercedes Lackey.

Valerie says:

Arrows of the Queen was the first fantasy novel I ever read, after the Lord of the Rings of course. I must admit that as a nine year old girl, I initially picked up the book because of the cover with the pretty horse but then continued on to devour every single one of her books written in this world. Years later, Arrows of the Queen was the first book I read after arriving in Stevens Point. Pat had a copy in his library and I snitched it one afternoon for some quality comfort-fantasy reading while settling down in a new job and new town.

“The kind of novel that belongs on every fantasy lover’s bookshelf…carefully wrought, entertaining reading by a brilliant and dedicated author.” — The Midwest Book Review

  • A set of The Last Herald Mage trilogy: Magic’s Pawn, Magic’s Promise and Magic’s Price by Mercedes Lackey.

This is another series I read growing up. Then I re-read it again back around 2003. I was surprised how much I still enjoyed it. Unfortunately, that’s not always the case with books you read as a child.

“Lackey’s talent for characterization lends depth to this coming-of-age adventure.” – Library Journal

  • A set of Vows and Honor: The Oathbound, Oathbreakers and Oathblood by Mercedes Lackey.

Valerie says: Lackey uses standard fantasy elements such as the sword and sorcery team to create episodic adventures where bravery and justice triumph and the bad guys get what they deserve, often in humorous and awkward ways.

“…a new series involving a pair of likable, savvy heroines. Sword and sorcery with warmth and humor make this a story that will appeal to most fantasy fans.” – Library Journal

Valerie comment: This is a fun read for any Lackey fan; it takes some of her best elements and characters from the Valdemar series and focuses on the adventures of one particularly awesome female hero.

“Spellbinding storyteller” – Rave Reviews on Mercedes Lackey continuing her epic Valdemar series.

  • A set of Moontide and Magic Rise: World Without End and Sea Without a Shore by Sean Russell.

“Russell has the rare ability to immerse his readers so completely in his tale that reaching the end feels like waking from a particularly vivid dream.” – Nona Vero

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

That’s a great blurb. I hope someone uses the words “lustrous” and “nuance” when reviewing my next book.

“Fantasy at its best.” – Quantum

Cherryh is one of those authors I read all the time growing up. She’s got such a great grip on story. What’s more she’s one of the few authors I can think of that walks very lightly back and forth between Fantasy and Science Fiction and does a smashing good job in both genres.

“Cherryh has created her strongest character and her best novel in a story of space exploration, colonization, and war.” —Questar

Remember folks, for every 10 dollars you donate to Heifer International, 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.

Don’t forget, Worldbuilders is matching 50% of all donations. So why not head over to the Team Heifer page and chip in. C’mon. All the cool kids are doing it…

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

Posted in Worldbuilders 2010 | By Pat19 Responses

Books, and an Interview with Nnedi Okorafor

This is a Worldbuilders blog.

Nnedi Okorafor was one of the very first writers I met when I was starting my publishing career. We both won places in Volume 18 of Writers of the Future back in 2002, and we met out at the workshop in LA.

I think I even have a picture of us back then at the award Ceremony. Let me see if I can find it….

(Awww…. Look at us. We’re cute as fluffy puppies…)

Nnedi’s a dynamo, and way tougher than I am. After I got my master’s degree, I left academia behind me, shaking the dust from my feet. But Nnedi got her PhD.

In fact, she got her PHD, had a baby, and launched her writing career pretty much all at the same time. Like I said: Dynamo.

But in addition to that, she’s a lot of fun. So when I started thinking of doing interviews for Worldbuilders, I thought of Nnedi….

Heya Nnedi. Let’s say you’re at a party and you meet someone you wanted to impress. What sort of things about your writing career would you casually drop into the conversation to prove that you’re awesome?

I’d mention that I won some awards and stuff and that I like to write about a Nigeria enslaved by juju-powered computers.

Which awards have you won? Anything super-cool?

My novel, Zahrah the Windseeker, won the Wole Soyinka Prize for Literature. That was cool because not only did I win $20,000 but I was flown to Nigerian for a ceremony where I got to meet one of my greatest idols, Sub-Saharan Africa’s first Nobel Laureate Wole Soyinka. Coolest day ever.

My children’s book, Long Juju Man, won the Macmillan Writer’s Prize for Africa. Last month, the University of Illinois gave me a Special Recognition Award. I’ve also been a finalist for the Tiptree Award, Golden Duck Award, Andre Norton Award, WSFA Small Press Award, Theodore Sturgeon Award, Essence Magazine Literary Award, an NAACP Image Award, blah blah.

Wow. That’s a lot of mojo. Back in the sixth grade I won an award for doing the best lip sync in my com class, but you’ve totally got that beat.

Uh, dude, you also won the freakin’ Quill Award and were a NYT bestseller. Can’t forget those, man. ;-)

They just gave me the Quill because I’m pretty. What are you reading right now?

Otherland by Tad Williams. I read the series back when it first came out. My disgust with District 9 made me want to reread it; to wash away the grime. It’s working. Next up, King’s Under the Dome.

If you had to pick your favorite book of all time, what would it be?

The Talisman by Stephan King and Peter Straub. I first read it when I was twelve. That book unlocked a door in me that will never close. I still return to it every so often, despite the character of Speedy Parker being a “Magical Negro”, heh.

That’s a term I first heard of because of you, but not a lot of people know about it. Care to explain?

There are five points I came up with to spot a Magical Negro. Speedy Parker hits them all (well, number 3 is a little shaky until Black House). Here they are:

1. He or she is a person of color, typically black, often Native American, in a story about predominantly white characters.

2. He or she seems to have nothing better to do than help the white protagonist, who is often a stranger to the Magical Negro at first.

3. He or she disappears, dies, or sacrifices something of great value after or while helping the white protagonist.

4. He or she is uneducated, mentally handicapped, at a low position in life, or all of the above.

5. He or she is wise, patient, and spiritually in touch. Closer to the earth, one might say. He or she often literally has magical powers.

Check out my essay, “Stephen King’s Super-Duper Magical Negroes”, on the Strange Horizons website here.

If you lost a bet and had to stand under Neil Gaiman’s window at midnight and serenade him. What song would you pick?

Lady Ga Ga’s “Poker Face”, the acoustic version.

Which would you rather do: cut out 20% of your current book, or insert a wacky talking animal sidekick (a la Disney movie) into half the chapters because the marketing people think it would make the book sell better.

Hey, I write for Disney (The Shadow Speaker is published by Disney and I’m writing a Disney Fairy chapter book titled Iridessa and the Fire-Bellied Dragon Frog). :-P. Plus I love wacky talking sidekick animals! I’ve got one in The Shadow Speaker. Well, Onion (Ejii’s camel) speaks in monotone and with very very few words but yeah. :-D.

Heh. I’ve read Shadow Speaker, but I never thought of the Ejii’s camel in the same vein as the classic Disney animal sidekick.

True. Onion’s nothing like Abu in Aladdin or Mu-Shu the Dragon in Mulan. But I think the wacky Disney side-kick can be an asset when done with some finesse.

I like the idea of a sh*t-talking parrot or miniature hedgehog who makes no sense whenever she speaks. Or how about a jive-talking black monkey whose catchphrase is “AW DAAAYAUM”?

What’s the best compliment you’ve ever received?

At a book signing, a grown man once told me that my YA novel Zahrah the Windseeker made him see spiders and insects everywhere he went for days. Ha ha, he looked relatively sane, but I guess you never know.

What’s the most hurtful thing someone has ever said in a review of your book?

This white guy (won’t mention names), once wrote that he wouldn’t read my novels because it’s full of black people and had no white characters to “balance it out”. Nice.

If you could punch one literary figure, who would it be?

HA HA HA HA! OMG, dare I answer this…nah. My response would be absolutely SCANDALOUS.

Aww… Come on. You tell me yours and I’ll tell you mine…

Believe me, you wouldn’t believe who it is. It would be very very bad press for me to speak the name. It’s utter blasphemy. But it makes me giggle that this name was the first thing to instantly pop into my head when I considered your question.

Okay. I don’t want to get you in trouble…

The poet Edith Sitwell used to lie in an open coffin each day before she started writing. Do you have any little rituals that help you write?

I have a lot of rituals. An interesting one is that I must turn on my space heater and set it right beside me. Even during most of the summer days. I need to be hot when I write. Ok, that sounds kind of suggestive. Heh, you know what I mean.

Through an effort of pure will, I’ll resist the urge to make the obvious joke….

I recently made a joke about “transition putty” on my blog. That being, of course, the what we writers buy at Home Depot to smooth out our rough transitions.

If you could have some sort of handyman tool like that, something like Plot Spackle or a Character Level. What would it be?

Natural-Looking Filler for those tough glaring gaps between the exciting parts of the story where crazy sh*t happens.

You can just say shit if you want. We’re all friends here. Nobody’s going to judge you.

Yeah, I figured it was ok with you. It’s just that I judge myself. I was raised to never use profanity, so it’s still odd for me. Ironically, I’m a big fan of cursing; it’s one of the reasons I enjoy hip-hop so much. I do most of my cursing in my fiction. Like in my short story, “On the Road” in the Eclipse 3 Anthology.

Hmmm… Now that you mention it. I cuss a lot in real life, but not very much in my books. I wonder if there’s a connection.

There is!

Maybe I need to save some of my cussing, so I can put it into a book later. I didn’t know it was a finite resource…. Anyway, that’s all I’ve got. Thanks so much for the interview, and thanks for donating some books to the cause.

:-). And thank you for putting it all together. I’m happy to be a part of it.


“Okorafor-Mbachu’s imagination is stunning.” – the New York Times


Remember folks, for every 10 dollars you donate to Heifer International, you get a chance to win hundreds of books like these: some signed, some limited edition, some out of print. Plus there’s the whole helping make the world a better place thing. That’s nice too.

And don’t forget, I’m matching 50% of all donations made. So why not head over to my page at Team Heifer and chip in. Trust me. You’ll feel great afterward.

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

With thanks to our sponsor, Subterranean Press.


(I keep trying to write a limerick, but nothing rhymes with Subterranean.)
Posted in recommendations, Subterranean Press, Worldbuilders 2009 | By Pat21 Responses
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