A Dribble of Ink

Scoundrels! Grave-robbers! Spinsters! Heiresses! Hot on the heels of its decision to double the size of its list in the US, Orbit welcomes four new stars of fantasy fiction.
Orbit is pleased to announce the upcoming releases of four new books from four new stars of fantasy fiction: BEST SERVED COLD by Joe Abercrombie (June 2009); THE SAD TALE OF THE BROTHERS GROSSBART by Jesse Bullington (Sept. 2009); SOULLESS by Gail Carriger (Nov. 2009); and THE HUNDRED THOUSAND KINGDOMS by N.K. Jemisin (Sept. 2009).

When Joe Abercrombie burst onto the fantasy scene with his widely-praised First Law Trilogy SFF World called his books “compelling, character-driven, adult fantasy, for readers who want to be entertained as well as challenged.” BEST SERVED COLD will be his hardcover debut in the US. A stand-alone novel of mercenaries, gruesome deaths, and twisted plans, BEST SERVED COLD returns readers to the world introduced in the First Law Trilogy, but with an all-new cast of scoundrels.

Jesse Bullington came to the attention of the SFF world when author and critic Jeff VanderMeer posted on his blog about a novel handed to him by a young man in his local video store. That novel was THE SAD TALE OF THE BROTHERS GROSSBART, and VanderMeer wrote: “The odds of being handed a novel by a new, relatively young writer and being blown away by what you read are…very low. But that’s exactly what happened.” At Orbit we were blown away too. This tale of philosophical grave-robbers on the run is bloody, grim and thoroughly engaging.

Gail Carriger’s SOULLESS introduces Alexia Tarabotti, a spinster who foils an attack by a vampire (with a parasol, no less) only to be dragged into the supernatural politics of Victorian London (where parasols will become increasingly handy). A novel with equal parts wit and action, SOULLESS is a comedy of manners with vampires – a thrilling and hilarious debut.

THE HUNDRED THOUSAND KINGDOMS, by N.K. Jemisin, is a brilliantly original debut fantasy. A young woman vies to become the heir to the throne of The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms, and must bargain with the gods themselves to save her life – and her people.

To help promote authors and their work, I’ve decided to post sample chapters from time to time. As you can guess, this is the new feature I was talking about in my last update. At this juncture, it’s impossible to tell whether or not this will become a regular feature on the Hotlist or not, as there are copyright issues to consider. We’ll have to wait and see. . .

Thanks to the good people at Pyr, here’s a little teaser for the US readers who are about to read the final chapter in Joe Abercrombie’s The First Law trilogy, Last Argument of Kings

Thus, maybe it *would* be a good time for the blog-reviewers themselves to set some standards. And no, there really isn’t anything wrong with that, because what that allows is progress based on common vocabulary. That’s a hallmark of any important issue/discussion.

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By setting this kind of standard, I think that you can free yourself from feeling any guilt, or worry, about writing whatever you want. Just call it what it is. It’s actually kind of a simple solution. A lot simpler than trying to re-define what a review is, which is a pretty slippery slope. One I don’t think needs to be taken.

If you don’t read a book to the end, you aren’t in a position to review it. Period.

What makes a review a review? Aidan’s basically telling us what he thought about what he read, even though he didn’t make it to the end. He can’t say much, if anything, about the book as a whole (for obvious reasons!) but I’d say he’s in as good a position as anyone else to comment on what he did read. Does that count as a review though? Kinda, I think…

I’m finally able to announce that Acacia has been optioned by Relativity Media and they’ve hired a screenwriter who is going to work on the screenplay.

Relativity Media has acquired rights to David Anthony Durham’s epic fantasy novel “Acacia: The War With the Mein.”

Andrew Grant will adapt the first installment of a planned trilogy.

Story kicks off after King Akaran is assassinated and the kingdom of Acacia is overthrown by the warlike Mein tribe. Four Akaran siblings spend nine years in exile before reuniting as adults to retake their father’s kingdom.

Relativity’s Ryan Kavanaugh will produce alongside Michael De Luca. De Luca Prods.’ Zach Schiff-Abrams, who brought the project into Relativity, will exec produce along with Relativity’s Tucker Tooley.

Kavanaugh said “Acacia,” which was published by Doubleday in June 2007, has “great franchise potential.” “The book has already generated such a huge response across the world,” he added.

Book was one of Kirkus Reviews Ten Best Works of Fiction in 2007 and one of Publishers Weekly’s Best Books of 2007.

To date, Relativity has structured more than $8 billion in production slate financings. The company’s single-picture business has more than 30 films in various stages of production and release.

One recurring prompt in the reviewer/blogger discussion has been the factor of fatigue in maintaining a review blog. Some review bloggers have pointed out the distinction that reviewing is a hobby, but often and increasingly feels like work. I can’t argue with that; indeed, though this blog is only a month old, the labor of it is already telling.

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As mentioned above, I think we’ve seen already that online reviews are sustainable. Beyond the paying outlets Jonathan champions, there is a vibrant community of bloggers that has expanded rapidly in the past few years. And while maintaining a review blog may not be sustainable for individual bloggers, it seems that for every review blog that comes to an end, three more pop up to take its place. This reviewosphere isn’t going anywhere.

So what can make it sustainable for individual reviewers?

When Jonathan suggests ARCs and review copies “aren’t enough”, I think he’s right. Anyone devoting the time and intensive labor to maintain a review blog that serves a worthwhile purpose (that is, one which gains traffic) deserves a little extra scratch on the side. To think otherwise is downright demeaning. And the truth is, there are ways of earning money off a blog.

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Maybe I’m digging myself a hole by saying this, and maybe I’m pissing someone off by suggesting bloggers perform a service for publishers and readers that deserves payment. I hope not; I’d hate to suddenly flounder out here alone, with no relationships with the various publishers. But I wonder, is that a realistic fear? I somehow doubt it. And it’s just that unrealistic fear which drives review bloggers to burn out.

“Being read is a privilege. People spend time reading your blog while there are thousands others…”