A Song of Ice and Fire‘s Westeros meets Minecraft, births and awesome video. I don’t have much to saw other than, “Awesome.” Brandon the Builder would be proud (and probably perplexed by the computer running Minecraft.)
There’s a great video after the jump.
I might be late to the party here, but a few people have asked for my thoughts on this year’s Hugo ballot. A similar article last year inspired much conversation, particularly with regards to “Best Fanzine” and “Best Fan Writer.” So, then, here goes:
Bold is my choice of winner
Asterisk (*) indicates that they were included on my ballot
Best Novel
- Leviathan Wakes by James S. A. Corey
- Deadline by Mira Grant
- A Dance With Dragons by George R. R. Martin*
- Embassytown by China Miéville
- Among Others by Jo Walton*
I’m happy to see Leviathan Wakes on the list. It didn’t make my nominations, but only because of the last minute addition of The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern (which I’m sorry, but not surprised, to see miss the final ballot). It’s a fun science fiction adventure with noir undertones. Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck are both great guys and I’m excited for the work they’ve been doing recently. I wouldn’t be upset to see this win, despite it just missing my own ballot. Also interesting to note is that before Leviathan Wakes, Franck was best known as the personal assistant of George R.R. Martin, who also has a novel on the list. Has there ever been a case of an author and their PA being nominated in the same category at the Hugos? I’d love to be at breakfast the morning after the awards if “Corey” wins the award. Talk about awkward. ;)
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So, my new official bio:
Aidan Moher, erstwhile and infrequent contributor to the Hugo Award Nominated SF Signal, editor of A Dribble of Ink.
Thoughts?
You know, hooded figure aside, that’s pretty darn sexy and much preferable to the photorealistic cover for The Black Prism, while still retaining the same feeling for the series. This isn’t the final cover, but gives us a good idea of the direction that Orbit Books is taking with the series. I like it. Great colours. I’ll be sure to post the final cover when I get my hands on it.
Thoughts?
I like this new direction for the US editions of Abercrombie’s novels, even if I still prefer the UK covers. They’re well executed and take a familiar concept (dude with a sword), but inject some life into it. This will sit well along the trade paperback releases of Best Served Cold and The Heroes. So, good on Lauren Panepinto, art director at Orbit Books, for saving the series’ cover from their previous lows. I was hoping for something that would reflect the Western influence on the novel, like a pistol (do they exist yet in Abercrombie’s world?) or a dude with a mean handlebar moustache and a wide-brimmed hat, but, well, c’est la vie.
Panepinto’s brief thoughts on the cover:
I’m super excited to be able to continue our new US cover style from the trade paperbacks of The Heroes and Best Served Cold into the hardcover of Red Country. These have been the most epic photo shoots I’ve ever participated in, and Michael Frost and Gene Mollica have done an excellent job casting, styling, and producing fantastic images. The model for this shoot was particularly into the shoot, having been Pierce Brosnan’s Bond stunt double! Extra credit.
Last week, I gathered together everything we know about (A) Red Country into one handy post, so head there for a synopsis and some juicy analysis. And, if you’re into book trailers (for some reason…), you can find a short teaser for (A) Red Country at Fantasy Faction.
