Not A Blog

Back from Montana

Wed, 30 May 2012 17:10:59 GMT

Back home again from Missoula, Montana, where I spent the weekend as GOH at Miscon 26.

'twas my first trip to Montana, and I can't say I really saw much of it, but Missoula was a pleasant little city, and the con itself was great. They drew 1300 people, I'm told, a record for Miscon, and I think all of them had a great time. I know I did. Miscon fen party like we did in the old days, and the hotel -- Ruby's, a small indy with local ownership -- was really great. None of the nonsense with noise complaints and shutting down parties and elevators that has plagued so many cons of late. In fact, some of the hotel management partied with us.

So a tip of the hat to Justin, Cthulhu Bob, Clay, and the rest of the Miscon Miscreants, and to Tim, Dustan, and Vicky from Ruby's. You were great.

Best TV Program

Thu, 24 May 2012 05:59:27 GMT

Hey, listen up, true believers.

GAME OF THRONES won the Stan Lee Award for Best Television Program.

http://robot6.comicbookresources.com/2012/05/scott-snyder-and-sara-pichelli-dominate-stan-lee-awards/

It's not a No-Prize, but it's pretty cool.

'Nuff said.

Social Gaming

Tue, 22 May 2012 16:22:01 GMT

I don't know much about social media. I don't have a facebook or twitter account. But I've been told a few people have them, and that some of those people like to play social media games. I'm told the biggest social media game involves running a farm.

Surely, I thought, there must be something one could do on social media that would be more fun that growing turnips and feeding chickens. Like, say, scheming and plotting, murders and marriages, contesting for power.

HBO shared the feeling, and together we have granted the license for a social media game based on GAME OF THRONES to a great new start-up company called Disruptor Beam ((http://disruptorbeam.com/ )) Game development is already well under way.

Jon Radoff, CEO of Disruptor Beam, says:

"This will be the first Facebook game based on the TV series and books and, trust me, this game isn’t just going to be another Farmville! George RR Martin is working very closely with Disruptor Beam to ensure the game will deliver an authentic experience. I can tell you that it will not only be highly story and character-driven, but Game of Thrones Ascent will give you the chance to experience the world from your own perspective and with your own friends."

"Sounds fun, right!? Want to know more? Well, additional information about the game will be released in the coming months, including details about how to participate in a pre-release beta program. To follow its progress, be sure to “like” Game of Thrones Ascent on Facebook (http://facebook.com/gameofthronesascent) or follow on Twitter (https://twitter.com/#!/GoTAscent)."

I saw several early versions of the game demonstrated, and Jon and his designers took great pains to make sure the flavor of the novels is here. I saw alliance building, treachery, marriages, murders, and most of all the constant struggle to be the greatest house in Westeros.

So create a character, pick a liege lord to swear to, and start playing the game the way Tyrion would, because in this game you win or you die.

(No turnips will be involved).

Next Sunday

Mon, 21 May 2012 23:46:17 GMT

Coming next Sunday, to a television near you.

I'll be watching from Montana.

Last Chance for Longclaw

Mon, 21 May 2012 17:46:06 GMT

Just got a note from Chris Beasley at Valyrian Steel.

He writes, "Just wanted to let you know that Longclaw is almost permanently sold out. I do not expect it to last through the month of June."

So if perchance you're one of the folks who has been saving your dimes and nickles to pick up one of the Longclaw replicas, act now, or you may soon be out of luck. These swords are limited editions, so once they are gone, they are gone. Valyrian Steel will not be making any more.

(I should add that Valyrian Steel has obtained a license from HBO to produce replicas of the weapons seen on the TV series, so they will be producing a "show Longclaw" at some point down the line. I don't believe that one will be a limited run. This post relates only to their current version of Jon Snow's blade, produced under a direct license from me -- the "book Longclaw," that is. That's the one that is almost sold out).

To order, head over to the Valyrian Steel website at
http://www.valyriansteel.com/shop/

Extras, Extras

Fri, 18 May 2012 17:26:11 GMT

I get emails all the time from fans who want to be on GAME OF THRONES.

Here's your chance. The call has gone out for extras for season three.

https://www.extrasni.com/news

Of course, it helps if you actually live in Northern Ireland.

Or the Republic of Ireland.

Or Scotland or England or the Isle of Man... y'know, someplace where you can actually get to the shoot. If you're in South Africa, Brazil, or Japan, your chances of getting a call are not good, alas.

On the other hand, if you're a bearded long-haired amputee from Derry, you should be gold.

Game of Thrones RPG

Tue, 15 May 2012 18:07:14 GMT

Cyanide http://www.cyanide-studio.com/games/got/ has released their new Game of Thrones Role Playing Game today, on Xbox, PlayStation 3, and PC. I'm excited because this has been a long journey, from concept art and story outlines, to the demo I was shown a year ago, to what is now a complete game getting some positive notice http://www.forbes.com/sites/erikkain/2012/04/24/five-reasons-cyanides-game-of-thrones-rpg-actually-looks-pretty-awesome/

I admit, I haven't played a lot of the newer games, but I liked the look of the demo a lot. The armor is battered, the weapons are scarred, and the towns looked muddy and lived in.

Here's a short behind the scenes video detailing some of the process.

I got to approve a lot of concept art and story choices ahead of time, and I hope the players will feel like the final result fits in well with the story I've told in the books.

Speaking of Limited Editions...

Sat, 12 May 2012 21:25:45 GMT

(Which we were, a couple posts down)

... Subterranean Press will soon be published a new signed, limited, slipcased limited edition of my first novel, DYING OF THE LIGHT, lavishly illustrated by the amazing Tom Kidd.

You can order your own copy from the SubPress website, here:

http://www.subterraneanpress.com/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=martin10&Category_Code=PRE&Product_Count=24

Also, Pat's Fantasy Hotlist is giving away a copy for FREE in one of their contests. To enter, go here:

http://fantasyhotlist.blogspot.ca/2012/05/win-copy-of-limited-edition-of-george-r.html

Good luck to all, and enjoy the read.

Odds and Ends

Sat, 12 May 2012 07:12:11 GMT

I have been buried in work since getting back from England and Portugal. So much stuff piles up when I am away for any length of time, and there are only so many hours in the day. There were a number of subjects I wanted to make long Not A Blog posts about... but the time just wasn't there, and I needed my energy for other things.

Anyway, it's too late to do the posts now, but let me at least touch on a number of the things I would have talked about at length, if I had found the time.

The Hugos. A DANCE WITH DRAGONS made the Hugo shortlist for Best Novel. I am very pleased by that. DANCE has received a number of awards and honors since it was published, not to mention the best reviews of my career (and I have always been pretty well reviewed), but I'm an old fanboy, and the Hugo is special to me. It's the Big One: the oldest award in the field, and the most meaningful, since it's voted by the fans. So I am thrilled to be on the ballot. And I'm just as thrilled... well, no, not really, ALMOST just as thrilled... that one of the books DANCE will be contending against is LEVIATHAN WAKES, by James S.A. Corey, who is really my friends Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck. LEVIATHAN's a terrific read as well. So congrats to Corey, and to the other books on the ballot. And to Anne Groell and Michael Komarck, nominated for the first time for Best Editor (Long Form) and Best Professional Artist, respectively. Long deserved. Finally, there's Best Dramatic Presentation, Long Form, where HBO's GAME OF THRONES is a finalist. I'm pleased by that as well. Congrats to David Benioff and D.B. Weiss and their terrific team at HBO. Now all we have to do is beat four major motion pictures with budgets that dwarf ours... though that's probably an easier go than winning in Short Form, where I think the double juggernaut of the Neil Gaiman episode of DR. WHO will steamroller all opposition. Anyway... win, lose, or draw, it IS fun to have a horse in the race. Thanks to everyone who nominated.

The NFL. Yes, I did watch the rest of the draft. Every bloody round. Of course, since I do not follow college football, the deeper we get into the draft, the more the names are just names to me. Overall, I came away with the feeling that the Giants had a better draft than the Jets, but only time will tell. I was interested to see how many second generation players came out this year... the sons of players I once cheered on. Dave Meggett's son. Al Toon's son. And I see the younger son of Phil Simms has just been signed by the Jets as a free agent. Talk about making me feel old. I remember when their fathers were rookies. sigh

The TV show. I finished and delivered my script for season three of GAME OF THRONES. It's episode 307, with the working title "Autumn Storms." David and Dan seem to like it. Casting is in full swing for the new season, so I'm watching auditions every night. Froggy may be turning up soon, but don't hold your breath. I'm too busy to devote much time to whipping up obscure clues.

New deals. Gardner Dozois and I have sold three new original anthologies: a big crossgenre anthology called ROGUES, in the tradition of our old WARRIORS anthology, and a set of paired Retro-SF anthologies called OLD MARS and OLD VENUS. Or did I mention that already? Sorry, all you aspiring writers out there, they are by invitation only. I wish I had time to read unsolicited submissions, but I don't.

Old deals. Our DANGEROUS WOMEN anthology is edging toward completion. Waiting on some rewrites and one last major story. We'll likely be late delivering that one.

WILD CARDS. Close to a deal for a new original and four more reprints. Meanwhile, Melinda Snodgrass and I are working on volume twenty-two, LOWBALL, a sequel to FORT FREAK. And speaking of FORT FREAK, that one is out in paperback. Melinda is also scripting the Wild Cards movie for SyFy films. And a new Wild Cards comic miniseries is in the works.

Next trip. Seems like I just got home, and I don't believe all my suitcases are unpacked yet, but Miscon in Missoula, Montana is coming up soon, so I'll be hopping on a plane again in a couple of weeks. I hope to see some old friends there, and make some new ones.

Reading. I just finished THE KING'S BLOOD, the second volume of Daniel Abraham's "Dagger and Coin" series. Books like this remind me why I love epic fantasy. Yes, I'm prejudiced, Daniel is a friend and sometime collaborator... but damn, that was a good book. Great world, great characters, thoroughly engrossing story. The only problem was, it ended too soon. I want more. I want to know what happens to Cithrin, and Marcus, and Geder, and Clara. And I want to know NOW. God damn you, Daniel Abraham. I know for a fact that you are writing more Expanse books with Ty, and more urban fantasies as M.L.N. Hanover, and doing short stories for some hack anthologist, and scripting some goddamn COMIC BOOK, and even sleeping with your wife and playing with your daughter. STOP ALL THAT AT ONCE, and get to writing on the next Dagger and Coin. I refuse to wait.

(Yes, for the irony impaired, the paragraph above is me being snarky. I WAS disappointed when Daniel's book was over, though... and the moment the next volume is available, I intend to snatch it up at once. Meanwhile, there are other good books to read).

Calendar. Just got advance copies of the 2013 Ice & Fire calendar, illustrated by Marc Simonetti. My, but it's gorgeous. The rest of you will be able to buy calendars in July. As in previous years, the calendar will debut at the San Diego Comicon. And yes, I will be at the San Diego Comicon again. Not for the whole thing, no. San Diego was not on my schedule this year, but HBO wants me there for the GAME OF THRONES panel, so I'm going to squeeze in a quick visit on my way to Spain.

More calendar. I've been seeing some preliminary sketches from Gary Gianni for the 2014 calendar, and that one is going to be a knockout as well.

THE LANDS OF ICE & FIRE. Map book. In the pipeline. My part is done, now the mapmakers and artists are doing theirs.

THE WORLD OF ICE & FIRE. Concordance. Working on it. Just sent a big chunk to Bantam.

WINDS OF WINTER. Yes, I'm working on that too. At the moment, I am writing about the Dothraki. More than that, I sayeth not, you know I don't like to talk about this stuff.

Other stuff? Yes, lots of other stuff... but it's late and I'm tired, so this will have to hold you for now. More odds and more ends another day. Talk amongst yourselves.

Limited Editions

Sat, 05 May 2012 22:26:16 GMT

From time to time I get emails from readers wanting to know how they can purchase copies of the signed, illustrated limited editions of the Ice & Fire books published by Meisha Merlin and Subterranean. The short answer is, they can't. Those were limited editions, they were fully subscribed, Meisha Merlin is out of business, and SubPress has no extra copies for sale.

(Yes, I have a few extra copies myself, but they are not for sale).

However, I've just happened to notice that there are presently not one but two (2!) sets of said limited up for bid on ebay. These are the numbered editions (not the rarer lettered), and both have matching numbers.

The ebay item numbers are 221012911878 and 150806055324.

I don't know the sellers, and I can't vouch for them or the condition of their books. (I will vouch for the fact that these are gorgeous books, lavishly illustrated by Jeff Jones, John Howe, Charles Vess, and Tom Canty, respectively). These ebay sales have nothing to do with me, and I cannot tell you more than I just have. If you have questions, you will need to contact the sellers. But considering how often I get asked about those books, I thought I'd mention it, if any of you are interested.

Please be advised: these sets are not cheap. The books have appreciated quite a bit in value since publication.

Dark Sword Does Jon & Arya

Thu, 03 May 2012 21:02:29 GMT

Here's a great new 54mm release from my friends at Dark Sword Miniatures: a Winterfell set with Jon Snow and Arya Starrk, before time and chance sent them on their separate paths.

The sculpts are from the incomparable Tom Meier.

For more shots of this set, and a lot of other great miniatures in the Ice & Fire range (not to mention the ranges based on the art of Jim Elmore, Keith Parkinson, etc), visit Dark Sword's own website at http://darkswordminiatures.com/

GOT RPG "Looks Pretty Awesome"

Thu, 03 May 2012 20:08:10 GMT

Nice piece from FORBES on the GAME OF THRONES video RPG. Check it out:

http://www.forbes.com/sites/erikkain/2012/04/24/five-reasons-cyanides-game-of-thrones-rpg-actually-looks-pretty-awesome/

RIP, Junior

Thu, 03 May 2012 05:06:47 GMT

Very sad news today: the death, seemingly by suicide, of Junior Seau, one of the all time greats of American football.

Junior never played for any of my teams... but he always played hard, with as much joy as ferocity. He was still a young man, only recently retired, and in a couple more years he is sure to be inducted into the Hall of Fame.

It's a sad day for all football fans.

Rest in peace, Junior.

NFL Draft, Round One

Fri, 27 Apr 2012 15:18:27 GMT

Obviously, I should never go on long trips just before the NFL draft. I was woefully unprepared this year, having barely glanced at the stack of pre-draft magazines I always buy, and I'd hardly seen any mock drafts at all.

And I fear, without the help of my telepathic advice from Santa Fe, that Rex Ryan and Mike Tannenbaum may have made a terrible mistake. I am not at all happy with their choice of Quinton Coples. Yes, we needed a pass rusher, sure... but there were a lot of them on the board when the Jets turn arrived at 16, so I cannot understand why they chose a kid that all the draftniks seem to agree is a physically gifted underachiever who gives minimum effort and does not really love the game. Coples has Vernon Gholston II written all over him.

And I fear that Evil Little Bill, picking later, got a much better prospect at a lower slot. Actually Evil Little Bill and the despised Pats got TWO terrific players, who will vastly improve the Pats D (of course, bad as it was, there was no place to go but up). How does he DO that, year after year? A Satanic pact, methinks...

The Giants, picking last in the round, had fewer great options, and ended up choosing a running back. Well, okay... with Big Brandon gone, we need a new RB to spell Ahmad. This Wilson guy has blazing speed and is very elusive, they say. That's good. Maybe he can return punts and kickoffs. The G-Men have sucked at both for the past couple of years. On the other hand, they also say he fumbles a lot. That's less good. I have to hope Tom Coughlin can fix his fumbling, the same way he once fixed Tiki Barber's.

Cleveland had a good first round, I think. Miami picked their latest QB bust, by all reports. And reached for him as well. From everything I read about this Tannehill kid, they will do better sticking with Matt Moore.

Based on this single round, though, looks as though Belichick tightened the Pats grip on the AFC East for years to come. The Jets, Bills, and Dolphins did nothing to improve their teams, while the Pats got significently better on D. mutter mutter mutter

The Panthers got the player the Giants really needed.

Home Again

Thu, 26 Apr 2012 16:46:23 GMT

Got home last night, and slept and slept and slept.

This morning I feel almost human.

It was a great trip, but a long one. I am glad to be home.

Tons and tons of stuff to catch up on, of course. So much email... so much mail mail...

Best get to it.

Signed Books for Britain

Mon, 23 Apr 2012 18:24:23 GMT

Back in London again, doing more interviews and signing more books.

if you didn't get to any of my previous events, I did a couple of drop-in stock signings today at two London bookshops, Foyle's in Soho and Forbidden Planet on Shaftesbury. While the supply lasts, both of them should have plenty of autographed copies of my novels.

Last Day in Lisbon

Sun, 22 Apr 2012 08:33:00 GMT

Portugal was grey and rainy, but the fans here could not have been warmer. We had amazing turnouts in both Lisbon and Porto, I did a hundred interviews and defaced thousands of books, stocked up on port and ginja, and now itºs back to London for a few more days. Come Wednesday I will be flying home... just in time for the NFL Draft!

Off to Portugal

Tue, 17 Apr 2012 06:36:10 GMT

See you in Lisbon.

And/ or Porto.

Last Day in London

Mon, 16 Apr 2012 08:13:25 GMT

Today's my last day in London (for this part of the trip). I'll be turning up at the London Book Fair and taping some interviews there for HBO, then heading back to the hotel to pack for Portugal. Off to Lisbon in the a.m.

Was down on Oxford Street yesterday afternoon, and I popped into the Waterstone's there and signed all their stock. So if any of my UK readers want a signed copy or three, that's where you'll find 'em... while the supplies last.

The day before, we caught WAR HORSE on stage. AMAZING show. More impressive than the film, I think. The puppetry is magical. We also got to meet several of the actors. My thanks to my friends at HBO for getting us the tickets, and to John Bradley West for helping set up the backstage visit.

ANd before THAT was our after-hours HarperCollins party at the Tower of London, else wise known as The Publishing Event of the Year. Turns out I have readers amongst the Beefeaters.

So, yes, you can say, this has been a swell trip.

Season Three

Tue, 10 Apr 2012 23:21:47 GMT

Yes, it's official.

HBO has ordered a third season of GAME OF THRONES.

Like the first two seasons, it will be ten episodes long. This one will cover (roughly) the first half or thereabouts of A STORM OF SWORDS, the third novel in the series.

I'll be writing the seventh episode, with the working title "Autumn Storms."

Full details can be found at a dozen other places on the web, so I won't rehash 'em here. Just wanted to pass along the news to my faithful readers.

We had a grab event tonight at the Bloomsbury Theatre. Now I'm tired. night, all.

London Towne

Tue, 10 Apr 2012 12:38:45 GMT

Busy, busy... still in England, now in the heart of London... we had a smashing visit to Bath, with a great event at Toppings and tourist visits to the Roman Baths, the spa, the Assembly Rooms, and the Royal Crescent... then it was back to Heathrow for the (sold out) Eastercon. Biggest and best Eastercon ever, by all reports. It was great to see so many old friends, and to make some new ones.

Meanwhile, back at home, GAME OF THRONES won the prestigious Peabody Award.

This evening is the big London signing and interview at the Bloomsbury Theatre. See (some of) you there!

In the Land of Fish and Chips

Thu, 29 Mar 2012 09:16:55 GMT

Made it across the pond safely. Parris got her first platter of fish 'n chips last night, and pronounced it ghood. Today we're recovering from jet lag.

My Return to Portugal

Tue, 27 Mar 2012 14:35:42 GMT

For my readers in Portugal... some details of my visit there...

See you in Lisbon! See you in Porto!

Off Again

Tue, 27 Mar 2012 05:24:45 GMT

Seems as though I just got back from Toronto, and tomorrow I am off again -- this time for England and Portugal.

The UK comes first. Signings in Bath and London (details on my website), a visit to the London Book Fair, and best of all, EASTERCON at Heathrow. I hope I will see some of you there, and we can hoist a pink or three.

And from there it's on to Portugal, and appearances in Lisbon and Porto. Not nearly as long as visit as I'd like, but I'm looking forward to it.

I don't often log on while on the road, so posts here will be few and far between for the next few weeks. Though Ty may drop in from time to time with some announcements.

Back home just in time for the NFL Draft!

I expect that the UK will be a No Tebow Zone. That will be a relief.

It's NEXT Sunday

Sun, 25 Mar 2012 16:14:08 GMT