Monthly Archives: June 2010

From Tor.com:

Winter's Heart by Robert Jordan (eBook)

Hmm. I’m not sure I love this one as much as I have some of the past covers. I like the style of Scott Fischer‘s art, and the balance between red and blue, but the image itself sits poorly with me. Is it a small guy looking up at a giant? Or a normal-sized guy sitting in front of a statue? Knowing the context of the scene, I can answer this question, but it’s still a little jarring.

Winter's-Heart eBook cover by Scott Fischer

I think this is more an issue with the final crop, rather than the art itself. The pulled back perspective of the full piece of painting works much, much better than the clipped image used on the cover.

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Terry Goodkind, writer and designerFound this at Only the Best Science Fiction & Fantasy (which was previously gathered from the Official Terry Goodkind forums):

Terry Goodkind’s new Richard and Kahlan novel will be called The Omen Machine (2011), according to the Fan Forum admin, who is actually Terry himself, sort of. Other relvelant facts about the forthcoming Sword of Truth book:

The official book’s title is THE OMEN MACHINE

The novel will be released simultaneously in all ebook formats, including iBooks, Kindle and Nook.

The novel takes place immediately following the end of CONFESSOR.

It is a Richard and Kahlan novel in the truest sense of the word.

The cover artwork will be revealed soon. It was designed by Terry Goodkind and Rob Anderson.

I don’t care about the title, nor that it takes place after Confessor (I mean, really, who cares about final volumes anymore? They’re so passe), the real news here is that Terry Goodkind helped design the cover for his next novel. Not only is he a writer non-Fantasy, a maker of violins and a collector of rare and exotic artifacts, he’s also now a graphic designer. As with his fiction, I’m sure he will produce a cover that transcends the genre and is nothing short of a piece of culture defining art.

I’ve never been more ravenous for a leaked cover.

Ghost Story by Jim Butcher

Not much to say. It’s par for the course, and will sit nicely alongside Butcher’s other Dresden Files novels, which all feature decent artwork by Chris McGrath. Curious to see Harry Dresden’s name on the tombstone, though I can’t quite make out what’s written below it:

He Died During/Doing (?) the XXXX (?)

Hmm.

The Hobbit by JRR Tolkien

From Deadline:

Here’s a glimmer of hope for those die-hard fans of The Lord of the Rings (like me) who hope that Peter Jackson will realize the best director for The Hobbit is the one he sees in the mirror each morning. My sources say that nobody has been offered the helming job — yet. Instead, Warner Bros and MGM brass are doing all they can to sell Jackson on the seemingly obvious notion that he should complete the franchise he started with three LOTR films that grossed $2.9 billion worldwide. Particularly since he co-wrote the scripts for the two Hobbit movies and already is producing and can shoot both in his backyard. One of the rumored reasons that prompted one-time director Guillermo del Toro’s recent exit, I hear, was the prospect of transplanting his family to New Zealand, where Jackson has his visual effects factory and is so comfortable shooting. Warner Bros and MGM braintrust will keep pursuing him until Jackson gives a definitive no.

Obviously it’s still just rumour and speculation, but it’s a rumour that just won’t go away. Jackson might be busy with Tintin, but how many zeroes will it take for him to helm The Hobbit in full writer/producer/director capacity? Though, Jackson already has a stake in the profits of the movie (along with the Tolkien estate, Saul Zaentz, and Harvey Weinstein, among others), so the question may be more of heart than cash. Still, with the project sitting there waiting for a director, it seems obvious for Jackson to take the helm, especially with MGM and Warner Bros poking and prodding him.

Other than Jackson, rumoured names include David Yates, David Dobkin, and Brett Ratner. My fingers remain firmly crossed for Jackson.

Just some food for thought.

Via Walker of Worlds:

Not a whole lot to sink our teeth into, but it’s the first real instance of holy-shit-this-is-really-happening! to hit me since filming of the pilot began! Sean Bean being cast as Eddard Stark looks more and more inspired all the time. It gives me high hopes for the rest of the cast. Ooh, what I’d give to see some early footage here.