The Misenchanted Guestbook
Hello, and welcome to the Misenchanted Guestbook! Please feel free to add your comments regarding any part of the Misenchanted Page or my work. A password is required now. Do not post the password anywhere; if you do, it will be changed. If you can't figure it out, e-mail me.
This an anti-spam measure. I apologize for any inconvenience.
The newest messages are at the top, older ones further down. I try to keep the active Guestbook to just a month or two of posts to save loading time, so older messages get moved to the Archives. At the moment the Archives are far behind, but the rest will theoretically be transferred when I find the time.
You might also want to check out my blog.
Thanks for coming!
-- Lawrence Watt-Evans
Illustration by Kiri Evans
[ Add an entry to the guestbook ] [ Refresh View ][ The Misenchanted Page ]Tuesday, February 02, 2010, 11:03:19 PM
Lawrence
IP: 96.255.71.221
I'm pretty much in agreement with the usual author position: Amazon screwed the pooch. John Scalzi's blog has a decent summation.
On the other hand, I'm not going to give up my Kindle or remove every Amazon link on my site; it's not worth the hassle. I did switch a couple of links to Barnes & Noble, but it was a purely symbolic gesture.
Tuesday, February 02, 2010, 8:30:56 PM
Goljerp
IP: 24.199.83.88
Do you have any thoughts you'd like to share with us about the Amazon/MacMillan tiff?
Monday, January 11, 2010, 2:19:25 AM
Lawrence
IP: 96.255.71.221
I don't have any plans at present for a story about Fendel; he leads a pretty quiet life.
Monday, January 11, 2010, 1:22:59 AM
tom
IP: 24.63.109.2
And by Fendel I mean the hermit you led us all to believe was Fendel. I think everyone would like to read about a wizard that can do eigth order spells with no ingredients.
Monday, January 11, 2010, 12:08:20 AM
tom
IP: 24.63.109.2
will you ever write a book about fendel the great?
Monday, January 04, 2010, 2:24:01 PM
Lawrence
IP: 96.255.71.221
Chapter Thirteen of Realms of Light is now online.
Wednesday, December 02, 2009, 11:48:54 AM
Lawrence
IP: 96.255.71.221
Oh, it's done and in production. I'm not sure why Tor didn't schedule it sooner.
Wednesday, December 02, 2009, 5:26:16 AM
Tobas
IP: 67.134.181.109
just send me a copy of the final draft when its done , i will proof read it for you free of charge. wont be a problem, heck i will even pay for shipping, thanks in advance .would make a great christmas gift or a birthday gift, dec 28
:)
Tuesday, December 01, 2009, 10:40:02 PM
Lawrence
IP: 96.255.71.221
Sorry, but ABOVE HIS PROPER STATION won't be out for eleven months. You'll just have to hang on.
Tuesday, December 01, 2009, 8:19:30 PM
Tobas
IP: 67.134.181.109
noooo i can not wait for the 2nd book, just finished the first one yesterday, your books are always a good read Sir.
Thursday, November 19, 2009, 10:46:25 PM
Lawrence
IP: 96.255.71.221
A YOUNG MAN WITHOUT MAGIC is now available.
Monday, November 02, 2009, 10:31:30 AM
Lawrence
IP: 96.255.71.221
Naah. I wore a pirate shirt and my fancy coat with velvet cuffs, but not really a costume.
Monday, November 02, 2009, 10:07:09 AM
RM
IP: 129.33.49.251
Did you go out in costume, and if so, what were you?
Saturday, October 31, 2009, 11:28:44 PM
Lawrence
IP: 96.255.71.221
Hope everyone had a good Hallowe'en.
Monday, October 26, 2009, 2:31:42 AM
Lawrence
IP: 96.255.71.221
Finished the first draft of REALMS OF LIGHT. Twenty chapters, 60,300 words.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009, 11:53:11 AM
Lawrence
IP: 96.255.71.221
I have an essay on James Bond on the Smart Pop site.
Friday, October 16, 2009, 2:00:41 AM
Lawrence
IP: 96.255.71.221
Posted Chapter Twelve of _Realms of Light_.
Thursday, October 15, 2009, 2:07:57 AM
Lawrence
IP: 173.79.152.20
Wrote five pages of Realms of Light tonight. I'm over 50,000 words.
Sunday, October 11, 2009, 1:01:21 PM
Lawrence
IP: 173.79.152.20
Sunday, October 11, 2009, 6:43:39 AM
Deadman
IP: 12.73.61.81
I started reading your books in the mid 1980s, alongside Piserchia, Cook, Farmer, and a few others. While you haven't replaced Heinlein as my favorite author - nobody ever will - your books have always been an enjoyment to me. Thank you for your work.
Friday, October 09, 2009, 10:10:50 AM
Lawrence
IP: 173.79.152.20
No problem; I deleted the duplicates. Gave me an excuse to do some trimming, as well -- hadn't done it in more than two years.
Thursday, October 08, 2009, 8:51:17 PM
Goljerp
IP: 24.199.92.250
Oops, didn't mean to comment so many times... sorry.
Thursday, October 08, 2009, 5:54:52 AM
Goljerp
IP: 24.199.92.250
A new edition after every book? Of course not. A new edition every few years... well, it works for textbooks :-)
Wednesday, October 07, 2009, 10:32:09 PM
Lawrence
IP: 173.79.152.20
Wednesday, October 07, 2009, 7:30:58 PM
Goljerp
IP: 24.199.92.250
I just noticed Prachett's new _Discworld_ book. Have you seen it yet? Do you think it will require major changes to _The Turtle Moves_?
Sunday, August 23, 2009, 4:17:37 PM
Lawrence
IP: 173.73.41.32
Thanks, Chris. Sorry it took me awhile to respond.
Friday, August 21, 2009, 2:43:38 PM
Chris Blake
IP: 38.104.7.190
I've been reading your work since the early 90s and am a big fan. I'm currently halfway through Dragon Society, after reading Night of Madness last month, Split Heirs a few months ago and Dragon Weather a year or so ago.
I read Out of This World at the Boston Public Library a few months ago, but didn't care for it. I love your other work, though.
Next I'm going to re-read the Lure and see what my Barnes & Noble has in stock.
Keep up the good work!
Tuesday, July 21, 2009, 11:23:29 PM
Lawrence
IP: 173.73.41.32
Young? I'm old enough to be your father. Maybe your grandfather.
How long an excerpt?
Tuesday, July 21, 2009, 11:21:53 PM
PJ
IP: 75.121.149.108
And silly young man, you didn't answer my question! :P lol
Monday, July 20, 2009, 10:31:30 PM
Lawrence
IP: 173.73.41.32
Hey, PJ! It's been awhile.
I still keep an eye on this place, but it kind of faded away -- traffic moved to the discussion page, or LiveJournal, or Facebook.
And lately I've been very busy with relocating; we moved to Takoma Park.
Monday, July 20, 2009, 10:19:37 PM
PJ
IP: 75.121.149.108
So LONG time no see, right? lol Hope you remember me, Lawrence! I've just been uber busy lately. Anyway, seems like last post was a few months ago so I hope yous till check here :( Was wondering if you'd mine me using an excerpt from Dragon Weather in my book. I'd cite it, of course, but I wanted to ask you as well.
Wednesday, May 13, 2009, 2:25:08 PM
RM
IP: 66.57.49.212
Gotcha. Oh well, will have to read my physical copies, I suppose.
Wednesday, May 13, 2009, 2:22:40 PM
Lawrence
IP: 208.58.10.48
Because Tor controls the electronic rights, and they haven't licensed them to Fictionwise. Or anywhere else that I know of. Same is true of ITHANALIN'S RESTORATION.
Sorry about that.
Wednesday, May 13, 2009, 2:16:25 PM
RM
IP: 66.57.49.212
I was re-reading all the Ethshar books in order of publication via my cellphone and Fictionwise, and I have hit a snag. Night of Madness does not appear to be available via Fictionwise. Why is that?
Sunday, March 29, 2009, 6:15:03 PM
Lawrence
IP: 208.58.10.48
You mean dustjackets?
No, there isn't.
Sunday, March 29, 2009, 4:55:56 PM
Tommy
IP: 75.185.216.179
Is there a way to buy the book covers for the Hardcover books?
Friday, March 20, 2009, 11:53:44 PM
Lawrence
IP: 208.58.10.48
You'd need to talk to my agent about the rights. I don't think they'd be cheap, though.
Friday, March 20, 2009, 11:50:50 PM
Tommy
IP: 75.185.216.179
You dont need to make 1 2 hour movie. Make it a trilogy like LOTR. Im more impressed with the Obsidian Chronicles then that. Whats it cost to get rights to your book? I'll make the movie happen one way or the other, lol.
Thursday, March 12, 2009, 2:16:45 AM
Lawrence
IP: 208.58.10.48
Sorry to be a bit slow in responding.
It really isn't up to me whether a movie gets made; it's a matter of a producer acquiring the rights and pursuing the project. So far, there's no hint that that will ever happen. I'd love it if it did, but it's not something I have any control over.
Well, I have control in the sense that I could prevent it, but not in the sense that I can make it happen. Rest assured, I wouldn't prevent it if the money was even remotely reasonable.
Could the story be done justice in a two-hour movie? Hard to say; it would need to be streamlined, certainly.
Wednesday, March 11, 2009, 7:07:31 AM
RM
IP: 129.33.49.251
I definitely would like to see The Obsidian Chronicles done up the right way in film. I'm not sure it could be done well given the current moviegoer mindset, however. Watchmen is considered to be a fairly long movie -- about an hour over the typical action movie, and a number of pundits are speculating that may well doom the movie after the initial buzz wears off.
I would be concerned that the story would suffer by being edited down to fit run time. Dragon Weather just has too much going on in it to be told well in under 2 hours. Several minor story plots would need to be trimmed, I would think.
What do you think, Lawrence? Do you think the story could be done justice, given the editing which would be needed?
Monday, March 09, 2009, 7:43:58 PM
Tommy
IP: 75.185.216.179
I read both Annals of the Chosen and The Obsidian Chronicles and would love to see it on Film. Any chance of that ever happening?
Thursday, January 01, 2009, 5:56:24 PM
EE
IP: 71.133.155.70
Happy New Year 2009 to all
Friday, December 26, 2008, 4:47:13 PM
Lawrence
IP: 207.172.90.131
Thanks!
I think _Dragon Weather_ may be the best thing I've ever written, but in general I think I've gotten better with practice.
Friday, December 26, 2008, 4:07:29 PM
Patrick Puckett
IP: 157.89.109.92
I ran across some of your books at the college library where I work (Eastern Kentucky University). The Cyborg and the Sorcerers, Lure of the Basilisk, the Seven Altars of Dusarra. Decent stories, a little "old-fashioned," I thought; then I read Dragon Weather. It was so much better than your previous stories--although they were good, Dragon Weather is just on another level entirely. I'm now looking for more of your books!
Thursday, December 25, 2008, 3:57:58 PM
EE
IP: 71.133.155.70
Lawrence, Merry Christmas to you and to all the readers of the Misenchanted Guestbook!
Thursday, December 18, 2008, 9:22:45 PM
Lawrence
IP: 207.172.90.131
Thursday, December 18, 2008, 8:34:05 PM
EE
IP: 71.133.155.70
Here is a link to image of the dust jacket at Amazon.
ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51KbdWqEh8L._SS500_.jpg
Thursday, December 18, 2008, 8:31:43 PM
EE
IP: 71.133.155.70
Lawrence, what is the source of the dust jack picture for the hardcover edition of the "The Vondish Ambassador"?
I like it very much, really adds a sense of mystery as to what the book is about.
I presume that the cover picture is of one of the Twin Towers that are in the book?
Wednesday, December 17, 2008, 8:22:44 PM
EE
IP: 71.133.155.186
Make that "Ethsharic"!
Cannot spell tonight. Good thing I am not a wizard!
Wednesday, December 17, 2008, 8:20:26 PM
EE
IP: 71.133.155.186
It made my day reading it. The story was light and fun to read.
I'm all for Estheric mysteries, either little or big! :)
Wednesday, December 17, 2008, 4:28:01 PM
Lawrence
IP: 207.172.90.131
Just one more little mystery about Ethshar's past, I guess.
Wednesday, December 17, 2008, 4:13:04 PM
EE
IP: 70.168.255.142
Lawrence, thanks for putting up "The God in Red" as a Christmas present for your readers.
Now, how in the world did "How to Win Friends and Influence People" get translated into Estharic?
Friday, December 05, 2008, 12:27:41 AM
Lawrence
IP: 207.172.90.131
It's been retitled at the publisher's suggestion because the original title has nothing to do with the story, and is misleading, since neither Captain Denner nor the original wreck play any part in the events therein. It's not obvious that it's just the name of the planet.
And using the name of the planet as the title isn't very evocative, anyway.
I never really intended to call it _Denner's Wreck_; that was the original editor's choice, not mine.
Thursday, December 04, 2008, 8:56:36 PM
Goljerp
IP: 69.86.169.175
Re: _Denner's Wreck_ -- I'm wondering why it's getting a rename? While I'm thinking of it, this was the first book of yours that I bought, and I didn't even really realize that I was buying it. You see, I was in college, and made the foolish mistake of bidding in a con auction without really paying attention to what was going on. I thought I was bidding on a T-shirt. However, I guess the going was slow, they threw in _Denner's Wreck_, and a book of Zelazny short stories, and some other stuff. Score!
Thursday, December 04, 2008, 10:33:27 AM
Lawrence
IP: 207.172.90.131
Anywhere would be fine, but if I had to give a preference I'd say to use the Serial Box.
Thursday, December 04, 2008, 8:36:02 AM
RM
IP: 129.33.49.251
Do you have a preference for Realms of Light comments? Would you prefer them to be attached to the Serial Box blog posts?
Tuesday, December 02, 2008, 11:43:29 PM
Lawrence
IP: 207.172.90.131
Chapter Two of REALMS OF LIGHT has been posted.
Wednesday, November 26, 2008, 12:15:54 AM
Lawrence
IP: 207.172.90.131
I've started my third serial. See the front page for more.
Monday, November 10, 2008, 1:14:55 PM
Lawrence
IP: 216.164.48.243
I'm only vaguely aware of what's happening there. I know that Google's recently reached an agreement with the Authors Guild and some publishers, but I haven't gotten around to checking out just what they've agreed to.
I do know that yes, they've agreed to pay royalties on copyrighted works.
Monday, November 10, 2008, 1:02:48 PM
Tom Gallier
IP: 63.249.43.155
Monday, November 10, 2008, 7:23:31 AM
RM
IP: 129.33.49.251
So, what is your opinion of the whole "Google as Publisher" development? It occurs to me that having Google printing out of print books and paying royalties to publishers/authors kinda violates the original terms under which the book was published, at least potentially, anyways. Have you heard how that is to work?
Sunday, October 19, 2008, 12:03:32 AM
Lawrence
IP: 207.172.90.215
Saturday, October 18, 2008, 12:27:17 PM
Simon D
IP: 66.167.14.114
I found With a Single Spell in the bookstore and was intrigued by the premise. I'm glad I picked it up because it is a great story! I've never read a book with a lazy, observant teen hero before. Nicely refreshing. I'll be looking for more of your work now. Many thanks!
Monday, October 13, 2008, 11:25:47 AM
Lawrence
IP: 207.172.90.215
Which reissues?
The Wildside editions all match except for _The Spriggan Mirror_, for which they used a different printer. The Misenchanted Press edition of _The Vondish Ambassador_ matches the standard Wildside editions, as well.
The Cosmos paperbacks will all match, however many of them there may eventually be.
Monday, October 13, 2008, 11:18:45 AM
zac weinmann
IP: 71.146.155.235
I was curious if the reissues of the Esthar novels are being printed in the same dimensions? I have the two novels from the online serials as well as an old trade paper copy I picked up of In The Empire of Shadow and they are all different sizes...I know it's kind of anal but I shelve the authors I read together accordingly and I prefer the sets and series novels to be the same size, like most hardcover editions...
Wednesday, October 08, 2008, 11:33:07 PM
Lawrence
IP: 207.172.90.215
Thanks! I'm glad you liked the series. They were fun to write, and I'm very pleased with how they turned out.
Wednesday, October 08, 2008, 3:44:49 AM
Benjamin Street
IP: 67.49.193.52
I finally was able to purchase Dragon Venom and thus finish the Obsidian Chronicles and I must say that I was impressed with the whole series. Most books about dragons are often cliche or are too confusing to even understand and end up as paperweights on my desk collecting dust. I was a bit upset to hear there would be no more books in the series but quite thankful that ended on such a high note. You have me intrigued on your other series now and I cant wait to read them, Thanks and good luck on the wring
Sunday, September 07, 2008, 8:48:19 PM
Lawrence
IP: 66.44.124.197
Thanks. I'm proud of that series.
Death Bredon, huh? A fellow Wimsey fan, then. At one point I was going to name a mystery series character D.B. Kraft, with "D.B." standing for "Death Bredon."
But then I started selling fantasy and not mystery and dropped the idea.
Sunday, September 07, 2008, 5:55:26 PM
Death Bredon
IP: 24.23.3.78
I absolutely loved the Obsidian Chronicles even though you're way over them. I have yet to check out your other books but I expect that I will enjoy them.
Saturday, August 30, 2008, 11:10:35 PM
Lawrence
IP: 66.44.124.197
Putting it with the Discworld stuff makes sense to me. I'm just glad to know it's out there.
Saturday, August 30, 2008, 10:06:20 PM
Goljerp
IP: 69.86.169.190
I saw _The Turtle Moves_ in the Border's bookstore near Madison Square Garden in NYC. Interestingly, they had shelved it next to Pratchett's Discworld books. I was tempted to move it to the Ws, next to your other books or to buy it, thus removing it altogether, but did neither. As far as the shelving position, I could see why they put it there -- it's *about* the Discworld, after all. I didn't buy it because I've gone through my book budget for now and the fridge just died. :-(
Friday, August 29, 2008, 2:47:33 PM
Lawrence
IP: 66.44.124.197
Friday, August 29, 2008, 2:28:24 PM
evan
IP: 68.88.74.59
Tuesday, August 12, 2008, 3:43:18 PM
Lawrence
IP: 66.44.124.197
Oh, and I have no plans for any more reader votes, but again, plans can change.
Tuesday, August 12, 2008, 3:42:33 PM
Lawrence
IP: 66.44.124.197
I'm not planning to add any more domains to the Misenchanted Page, but plans can change.
Monday, August 04, 2008, 9:17:57 PM
Lawrence
IP: 209.181.65.145
Wow. Thanks.
I'm afraid I don't have any further plans for Barokan at present; I've got a two-book deal with Tor for a new, unrelated series.
I hope THIS one will go a long, long time, though -- I have half a dozen volumes outlined.
Monday, August 04, 2008, 8:45:06 PM
Steve O
IP: 68.9.53.27
Why I Love Larry's Sci-Fi Fantasy...gers.
Hey, thanks so much for all of your stories. By far you are my favorite author. I like the way you avoid the fantasy story cliches and bust the seams off of the genre. It is also refreshing to read stories from an author who chooses to write from one character's perspective, instead of trying to follow six or seven character's perspectives.
I have read most of the stories you have written and am glad that you still have more in the works. In particular, I really like this new world you have created with "The Annals of the Chosen". I hope it has as much life as the Ethshar series, but am worried that the recent series seems to be ending at three books. I really like the way you have created a very wild and often dangerous wilderness. If you choose to set aside this world for a while, I hope that you can continue with the general theme of oasis communities in a wild world.
I'm looking forward to the third "Chosen" novel and the third and the tenth Ethshar novels. Again, thanks.
Steve O
Monday, June 23, 2008, 2:55:41 PM
Lawrence
IP: 66.44.124.197
Monday, June 23, 2008, 2:51:56 PM
Kevin
IP: 163.191.202.2
I picked up a copy of "The Summer Palace" in my local Barnes & Noble's the other day. It was hidden on the very bottom shelf, but it was there. I enjoyed reading it over the weekend.
Sunday, June 22, 2008, 11:19:57 AM
Lawrence
IP: 66.44.124.197
Sunday, June 22, 2008, 10:09:43 AM
Annette Bristol
IP: 74.192.212.232
Why don't you have any photos or kinescopes or tintypes or moom pichurs and even crayola renditions of yourself on your website??? Does your beauty outside the sun (humph) or do you frighten people away?? No middle ground! I am of course cute as can be. :}
Tuesday, June 17, 2008, 11:06:46 PM
Lawrence
IP: 66.44.124.197
Good! Thanks for letting me know.
Tuesday, June 17, 2008, 9:41:59 PM
Goljerp
IP: 69.86.169.213
I saw "The Summer Palace" in a Borders in NYC the other day, btw.
Thursday, May 22, 2008, 1:27:05 AM
Lawrence
IP: 207.172.90.155
Oh, and that second anthology is not a sequel to the first one; they're two different "best of" series.
Thursday, May 22, 2008, 1:21:07 AM
Lawrence
IP: 207.172.90.155
And yes, I got paid twice.
Thursday, May 22, 2008, 1:18:32 AM
Lawrence
IP: 207.172.90.155
Sorry I didn't respond sooner; I was traveling.
There is no such story as "Why I Left Harry's All-Night Diner." It's a mistake, plain and simple.
Monday, May 19, 2008, 3:18:06 PM
RM
IP: 129.33.49.251
I was over checking out Audible to see if they had enough stuff I might like to bother, and I saw two entries for Lawrence Watt-Evans. Both were in anthologies, but oddly they seem to be variants of the same story.
"Why I Left Harry's All-Night Diner" and "Why I Left Harry's All-Night Hamburgers." Are those really different stories? I am only familiar with the latter, but it seems very odd that the publisher would choose two editions of the same story for an anthology and the sequel of that same anthology.
I hope you got paid twice.
Monday, May 12, 2008, 12:10:12 PM
Lawrence
IP: 207.172.90.155
At this point I'm not thinking much yet about the next serial. There will be one, but not until I've delivered at least one of the two books under contract to Tor.
The next serial may be SF, rather than Ethshar. Haven't decided for sure.
Also, the set-up may change somewhat; I've been talking with some other writers about setting up a joint site for serials. That's not definite, but it's likely to happen eventually.
As for stuff with deadlines, the only thing I have with a deadline right now is the two-book deal with Tor -- well, that, and of course Helix is quarterly, so I need to write an editorial every three months. THE SUMMER PALACE will be out next month, THE TURTLE MOVES! in August, so they're all done.
The Tor deadlines are September 15, 2008 and September 15, 2009, and I expect to meet them both, though the first one may be close. I have 95,000 words of the first book written, and 45,000 words of the second. I'm not doing them one at a time, exactly, which is why it's only the first deadline that may be difficult.
I'm not mentioning titles because they're still subject to change.
I have several other projects in various stages of development, as well.
Monday, May 12, 2008, 6:39:44 AM
RM
IP: 129.33.49.251
Yeah, I had noticed it was pretty dead here, too. I had been trying to keep things going for a while there, but I didn't want it to seem like I was posting just to post. Work was busy, then I was on vacation, and now I'm back looking daily again.
So, any news on the next serial? How well are you doing on keeping to schedule on the books with deadlines?
Monday, May 12, 2008, 1:03:26 AM
Lawrence
IP: 207.172.90.155
Yes, Cosmos is Wildside's mass-market paperback line. Wildside uses several names, actually.
Sunday, May 11, 2008, 8:22:50 PM
goljerp
IP: 69.86.157.168
Oh, wait. Is Cosmos the same as Wildside? Never mind, then.
Sunday, May 11, 2008, 8:20:15 PM
goljerp
IP: 69.86.157.168
This probably won't amuse anyone else, but I just had to share: I got a gift card for Amazon the other week, and got 3 Ethshar books. I found it amusing that they were from 3 different publishers (_Ithanalin's Restoration_ from Tor, _The Misenchanted Sword_ from Cosmos, and _The Unwilling Warlord_ from Wildside). All of them were "new", not used.
Thursday, May 08, 2008, 7:18:38 PM
Chris
IP: 69.205.61.99
The real action is over on the newsgroup. I have good memories of the guestbook; I was one of the first to post to here. It was fun while it lasted.
Tuesday, May 06, 2008, 10:24:02 PM
Lawrence
IP: 207.172.90.155
Yeah, it's been pretty dead here for awhile. I'm not sure where everyone's gone.
Tuesday, May 06, 2008, 7:45:49 PM
Tom Gallier
IP: 63.249.43.155
I guess everyone's over in Discussions and Discursions, marveling over Trash TV and Sorcerer's Doom updates.
Surely everyone isn't still dumbfounded and confused, and still googling Celtic and Gothic, and trying to determine similarities and differences. I mean, I figured that all out by Cinco de Mayo.
I could be wrong
Friday, March 21, 2008, 11:31:29 AM
Lawrence
IP: 207.172.90.155
Not Gothic, Celtic.
The new cover designs were not my idea; I was startled to see the proofs. Someone at Wildside/Cosmos came up with the idea.
But yes, they _are_ trying to draw in a different segment of the reading public. Exactly.
We'll see how well it works.
Friday, March 21, 2008, 11:22:46 AM
RM
IP: 129.33.49.251
So, what's with the somewhat more (for lack of a better term - not an art major) gothic trend to the latest cover art? The reissue covers for _The Misenchanted Sword_ and _With a Single Spell_ don't seem to fit well with the stories.
Maybe I am biased from having bought the first paperback releases, but the covers don't draw me in like the first ones did. Are you, perhaps trying to draw in a different segment of the reading public?
Friday, March 14, 2008, 8:22:04 PM
Chris
IP: 69.205.61.99
And they are mass market paperbacks, easy to carry.
Friday, March 14, 2008, 8:20:21 PM
Chris
IP: 67.159.44.138
The Cosmos books are really easy to find, as well. Wildside does a good job of getting them in bookstores.
Tuesday, March 11, 2008, 10:38:36 AM
Lawrence
IP: 207.172.90.155
The new editions are from Cosmos Books. Cosmos is owned by Wildside Press, and the text in these editions is the same as the trade paperbacks, but without the bonus short stories. It's pretty darn close to the Del Rey editions, but not identical, as these were taken from my manuscripts, not from the published books.
As for how the rights work, when an author signs a book contract with any respectable publisher, it includes a "reversion clause," which explains how and under what circumstances the author can recover the rights to the text. Once the reversion clause is invoked and the rights recovered, the publisher loses all control over the property, though they usually retain the right to sell any copies they have on hand, and continue getting their share of any licensed editions, such as book club editions.
After Del Rey and I came to a parting of the ways in 1995 they took all my titles out of print in fairly short order, and I reverted all of them. They haven't had any say about any of them since, and never will again.
I've reverted my Avon titles as well, and a couple of those will be reprinted in the not-too-distant future by FoxAcre Press -- I don't have a date yet, which is why I didn't announce it anywhere until now.
I reverted THE NIGHTMARE PEOPLE from Penguin/NAL/Onyx ages ago, which is how the Wildside edition could happen.
Mind you, sometimes getting a reversion is difficult or impossible, but this is one of the things a good agent helps with, and I have a very good agent. Generally speaking, if a publisher doesn't keep a book in print, the author ought to revert it as soon as possible -- why let them sit on it?
Some publishers aren't very cooperative about this; Zebra used to be notorious for reversion clauses that couldn't be invoked until seventeen years after publication, for example. Del Rey, Avon, and Penguin/NAL are all much more reasonable.
In the music business reversions are much harder to come by, but they do happen, which is why, say, David Bowie's "The Man Who Sold the World" has been issued by three different labels since it was first recorded.
Tuesday, March 11, 2008, 8:04:45 AM
RM
IP: 129.33.49.251
So, are the new imprints of the original Del Rey Ethshar books substantially different than the Del Rey versions? Are these new editions, or just new printings from a different publisher?
How does that work? Did the old publisher actually care so little about them that they are letting you publish them elsewhere? That seems unlikely, at least given what I know about the music industry.
Guadalcanal Diary was under Sony's label when they originally hit their stride, but all of those albums are out of print, and despite the group's recent having gotten back together, they can't get Sony to let them reprint the old albums. Maybe it's less cutthroat in the book business, but I would find that somewhat hard to believe.
Wednesday, March 05, 2008, 12:22:52 AM
Lawrence
IP: 207.172.90.155
I'm not sure what the next serial will be, or even whether it'll be Ethshar. We'll see.
Tuesday, March 04, 2008, 10:21:23 PM
EE
IP: 71.129.51.61
Of course, if the next serial IS _The Final Calling_, I wouldn't mind that either. :)
Tuesday, March 04, 2008, 6:59:10 PM
EE
IP: 70.168.255.142
I would not mind if the next sequel wasn't _The Final Calling_.
Friday, February 29, 2008, 1:00:00 PM
Lawrence
IP: 207.172.90.155
Friday, February 29, 2008, 10:44:04 AM
Lawrence
IP: 207.172.90.155
Not really. I'm waiting to hear from Tor about the "Fall of the Sorcerers" series proposal. I'll have a story in HELIX, probably in the July issue -- not the next one, in April. The "Upcoming Books" page is pretty much up to date.
I'm planning to do another sequel, but not for several months. It may be handled a little differently this time, but that's not definite yet.
Mostly this month I've been catching up on stuff around the house.
Friday, February 29, 2008, 7:16:41 AM
RM
IP: 129.33.49.251
Any updates on stuff? New series in the works, new serial details, anything?
Thursday, February 14, 2008, 12:27:20 AM
EE
IP: 71.135.226.98
I like my Ethshar novels with a little ketchup.
Wednesday, February 13, 2008, 10:47:42 PM
Lawrence
IP: 207.172.90.155
Wednesday, February 13, 2008, 10:42:10 PM
Kenneth New
IP: 70.176.114.175
I received my copy of the Vondish Ambassador the other night. As I have done with every Ethshar novel, I devoured it in one sitting. The story was awesome. It has prompted me to begin rereading the entire series - yet again!
Saturday, January 19, 2008, 2:18:49 AM
Lawrence
IP: 207.172.90.155
By the way, if anyone out there would like to do something for me, and is eligible to nominate for the Hugos, I'd very much appreciate it if you nominated HELIX for semiprozine.
Saturday, January 19, 2008, 12:49:43 AM
Lawrence
IP: 207.172.90.155
Glad it got there safely!
Friday, January 18, 2008, 10:27:25 PM
Steven E
IP: 166.70.25.118
I got my copy of The Vondish Ambassador today. Along with the map and the bonus story. That was totally unexpected. Thank you so much! Just another reason you are at the top of my list of favorite authors. Perfect timing too, I has just run out of books to read and was headed to the library to find something to spark my interest.
Wednesday, January 16, 2008, 10:25:58 PM
Lawrence
IP: 207.172.90.155
The cover credit is on the back, below the UPC box -- "Cover art: Kiri Evans"
Kiri painted that as a class assignment when she was in college, actually. Got an A.
Wednesday, January 16, 2008, 8:57:46 PM
Jeff Abare
IP: 24.7.185.158
I received my copy of the Vondish Ambassador. I love the cover but I don't see anyone credited as the artist. And kudos to you on the map!
Thursday, January 10, 2008, 3:50:24 PM
Kevin
IP: 163.191.202.2
But be sure not to put a portable hole inside your magical bag of holding. It makes a rather nasty rip in the space-time continuum.
Sunday, January 06, 2008, 1:34:30 AM
Lawrence
IP: 207.172.90.155
Magical bags are hardly original with me; they've been around in fantasy for centuries.
Sunday, January 06, 2008, 1:28:50 AM
lusic is
IP: 75.50.184.171
i love the idea of the of the magical bag... at the ending, or is it in 2nd book "with a single spell", it gave me an idea to travel light...and have many implication in the digital world
Tuesday, January 01, 2008, 1:56:15 PM
Lawrence
IP: 207.172.90.155
The seventh issue of Helix is now posted at helixsf.com. Check it out.
Tuesday, January 01, 2008, 12:31:53 PM
Lawrence
IP: 207.172.90.155
Yup, you do. Congratulations!
Tuesday, January 01, 2008, 6:10:33 AM
Tom Gallier
IP: 66.170.255.252
Monday, December 31, 2007, 4:07:12 PM
Lawrence
IP: 207.172.90.155
Monday, December 31, 2007, 4:04:50 PM
Tom Gallier
IP: 66.170.255.252
Wednesday, December 05, 2007, 4:44:39 PM
Lawrence
IP: 208.58.10.90
Wednesday, December 05, 2007, 4:08:14 PM
Rick Hencken
IP: 24.24.226.149
Thank you for the writeup on World Out of Mind, by J.T. McIntosh. I read it when I was young and have been trying to find out the book title and author for decades. I immediately placed an order for a used copy through Amazon.com. I can't describe the great feeling I have from finding this information on your web site. Thank you so much! - Rick
Thursday, November 29, 2007, 9:13:03 PM
Christopher Turkel
IP: 69.205.61.99
They should have known better; Asimov was a story writing machine.
Monday, November 26, 2007, 8:47:32 PM
Sean
IP: 24.118.122.46
As a huge Asimov fan, I can't let EE's reference go without any further comment. In case anyone's interested, the story is "Insert Knob A In Hole B", and it's in NIGHTFALL AND OTHER STORIES.
The TV show was actually only thirty minutes, not sixty--but the story is only 350 words long.
Monday, November 26, 2007, 11:32:54 AM
Lawrence
IP: 208.58.10.90
Depends how you look at it, and how you define "writing." If you actually mean "putting words on paper," I only do that when I have access to a typewriter or computer, I don't ever write by hand, so that limits it pretty severely. Especially since I don't generally carry a laptop; at the moment I don't even _have_ a laptop.
Monday, November 26, 2007, 11:29:42 AM
EE
IP: 71.134.6.177
So, Lawrence, Where was the most unusual place where you found yourself writing?
Sunday, November 25, 2007, 8:57:46 PM
EE
IP: 71.134.6.177
Isaac Asimov once wrote a short story while he was appearing on a television interview show. It came about as a challenge that he could start and finish a story while on television. Asimov took up the challange and started at the beginning of the show, worked on it in the corner on-air while other people were being interviewed, and finished it just before the show ended!
One can only hope it was a 60 minute program.
Needless to say, Isaac probably didn't answer many questions on-air.
Sunday, November 25, 2007, 8:40:14 PM
EE
IP: 71.134.6.177
He wrote it in the elevator of their apartment??!!
Amazing! that kind of story one just can't make up!
This leads to a question to ask writer when they gather together, what was the most unusual place where you wrote a story?
Sunday, November 25, 2007, 8:27:42 PM
Lawrence
IP: 208.58.10.90
You know, I don't recall what novel it was, if I ever knew; I learned about the incident from reading Fred Pohl's memoirs, and I'm not sure whether he said.
Kornbluth wrote it in the elevator of their apartment building, so the noise of typing wouldn't keep anyone awake.
Sunday, November 25, 2007, 8:20:39 PM
EE
IP: 71.134.6.177
Thursday, November 01, 2007, 12:58:57 AM
Lawrence
IP: 208.58.10.90
So it would seem, yes -- at least, that series of e-books. Thanks for pointing that out; I'll want to update that Real Soon Now.
Thursday, November 01, 2007, 12:37:29 AM
RM
IP: 69.134.66.192
The ebook link for your books from Amazon, the one off of the spiffy page is dead. Did they stop selling ebooks?
Wednesday, October 24, 2007, 11:19:49 PM
Lawrence
IP: 208.58.10.90
Haven't a clue; it's provided by my webhost. I think it might be custom-written by Greyware, but I'm not sure.
Wednesday, October 24, 2007, 10:34:05 PM
Kevin Adams
IP: 74.136.4.83
Out of curiosity, what software does your guestbook run on?
Thursday, October 18, 2007, 3:44:23 PM
Lawrence
IP: 208.58.10.90
Mystery solved; there are two "About the Author" files, and one was updated, the other wasn't.
Fixed now.
Thursday, October 18, 2007, 3:01:26 PM
Lawrence
IP: 208.58.10.90
Well, when I try Firefox or Opera, I get "was."
E-mail me the exact URL you're looking at, please. To LWE@sff.net.
Thursday, October 18, 2007, 2:55:09 PM
RM
IP: 129.33.49.251
I have looked at the page from cache-cleared Firefox, IE (which I NEVER use, so no chance it was cached there), and my Nokia N75 phone browser. All show it as "He has been..."
Thursday, October 18, 2007, 2:42:03 PM
Lawrence
IP: 208.58.10.90
I don't know how you're seeing that; the current version says "was," not "has been." Could you be seeing a cached version?
Thursday, October 18, 2007, 2:38:07 PM
RM
IP: 129.33.49.251
The page I see has:
He has been an Active member of Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America since 1982, and has served as Eastern Regional Director and treasurer. He was nominated for the 1987 Nebula Award for short story.
"He has been" was what caught my eye.
Thursday, October 18, 2007, 2:36:19 PM
RM
IP: 129.33.49.251
I realize that you are well aware that there are portions of the site that are out of date, and I don't mean to inundate you with them, but unless you would like me to stop, I'll mention things that seem significant as I stumble across them. I won't point out every little thing, and I'm not reviewing the whole site or anything. I just like looking around from time to time.
Thursday, October 18, 2007, 2:32:53 PM
Lawrence
IP: 208.58.10.90
No, I take that back; I DID update it. It says I was a member from 1982 to 2006, which is correct.
Thursday, October 18, 2007, 2:30:30 PM
Lawrence
IP: 208.58.10.90
Good point. I need to update that. Thank you.
Thursday, October 18, 2007, 2:24:45 PM
RM
IP: 129.33.49.251
abouttheauthor.html still says you are an active SFWA member. Your blog indicates otherwise.
Tuesday, October 16, 2007, 12:13:56 PM
Lawrence
IP: 208.58.10.90
Thanks.
I'm gradually updating stuff, but haven't gotten to that page yet. I appreciate the heads-up.
Tuesday, October 16, 2007, 12:10:02 PM
RM
IP: 129.33.49.251
Hey there. Me again. Bored with the lack of discussion here in the guestbook, I decided, as I am wont to do, to look around the rest of the site again. I found this:
As a result, the Ethshar series is on hold until further notice.
I do hope to get back to it eventually, but I have no idea when or how.
I found it here: home/Nightofmadness.html (it won't let me post the actual URL)
Clearly you have a bit more of a plan today than you did when you last updated that page. I'm sure you have plenty to do more important than rifling through old web pages to make sure they are current, but in the interest of helping to draw in new readers who might be somewhat discouraged by the tone of the above lines, I felt I ought to point them out.
Friday, October 12, 2007, 11:42:09 AM
Lawrence
IP: 208.58.10.90
Well, thank you. Glad you like 'em.
Friday, October 12, 2007, 11:27:56 AM
Greg Nelson
IP: 205.132.248.2
Lawrence! My gods man! wonderful books! WONDERFUL. i first got into your books via my father giving me Dragon Weather. after reading that i finished society the next day and waited and longed for Venom. so i read the Ethshar series while i waited. Venom came out finished that. then Wizard Lord. bravo my friend! i wish to thank you for helping increase my love of books.
Im looking forward to Summer Palace.
I hope to be an Author someday and maybe be as good as you. I hope to talk to you some day.
-your Fan Author
Greg Nelson
Thursday, October 04, 2007, 4:56:53 PM
PFC Josh Stewart
IP: 155.8.89.2
Palahniuks work is pretty far removed from fantasy writing, but he has become one of my favorite authors over the last few years. I would say Lullaby would be a good place to start. Describing his work is however difficult. Very bizarre. If you do find time to check him out I certainly hope you enjoy it.
Thursday, October 04, 2007, 9:47:01 AM
Lawrence
IP: 66.44.124.69
Thursday, October 04, 2007, 4:14:52 AM
PFC Josh Stewart
IP: 155.8.89.2
I just had my first experience with your writing with your "Obsidian Chronicles." I was very impressed, although I am dissapointed that my enjoyment of reading about Arlians misadventures lasted less than a week. I suppose it is time to line your pocket book some more.
Have you read any of Chuck Palahniuks work? If so, what do you think about it?
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