What are you looking forward to in 2009?

[Tillane]

Now now, Gollum. Drop the mask and lock-picks and step away from the charter jet.

 

[nj1]

Just to reply on the signed book thing. Unfortunatley for me, living in Wales generally means that authors stay well away when doing a promotional/signing tour, Take Fiest for example, he didn't come to Wales but did go to Bristol (about 40miles from me) across the border during a week day. Getting time off work for me is really hard so I don't get to go to these things.
Secondly I like to collect books, i like to see first editions on my bookcase and if possible a signed copy, which for me adds to the book and in some cases can be a bt of a small investment.
Perhaps I'm just a bit wierd, but then who isn't

 

[Ian Whates]

I like to collect books, i like to see first editions on my bookcase and if possible a signed copy, which for me adds to the book and in some cases can be a bt of a small investment.
Perhaps I'm just a bit wierd, but then who isn't

Not weird at all, nj1 -- I enjoy seeing signed editions on my shelves so much that I started up an independent publisher, NewCon Press, in order to publish and so collect limited edition anthologies signed by most of the UK's top genre authors (Steve Baxter, Ken MacLeod, Tanith Lee, Jon Courtenay Grimwood, Ian Watson, Neal Asher, Pat Cadigan, Brian Stableford, Liz Williams, Storm Constantine, John Meaney, Hal Duncan, Adam Roberts, Chaz Brenchley, Tony Ballantyne, Juliet McKenna etc etc...)

So how weird does that make me?

 

[Althain's Warden]

Nice Ian that's pretty awesome going ! dedication in the extreme lol
I would love to have some signed books, unfortunatley i always just miss out, missed Feist by one day ! He was in Manchester UK on a tuesday night and i had uni ! Only found out after returning from lecture On a slightly different theme i missed out of meeting Gary Gygax and getting his signiture, my mate went and got to spend about two hours in a bar with him having a few beers and a chat about d & d ! Gutted ! Envy is a terrible thing The only way i'm going to get any signed books is to buy them ! Doh

 

[iansales]

You can often find copies of signed books for sale on eBay. also worth trying is Cold Tonnage.

 

[GOLLUM]

.....The only way i'm going to get any signed books is to buy them ! Doh

OR join me in my travels around the globe to attend WorldCons.....

 

[Althain's Warden]

Thanks for the info ian i'll check that out !
Lol Gollum, i've been hearing bits about these world cons, they sound pretty good. How many of the big names turn out at these events? Who have you met ?!
The next time its in europe i might manage to make it, just have to convince the other half its a worthwhile use of my time off and money lol she already thinks i spend too much on books !

*OMG ian, Cold Tonnage rocks ! that website is ace thank you again !

 

[GOLLUM]

Lol Gollum, i've been hearing bits about these world cons, they sound pretty good. How many of the big names turn out at these events? Who have you met ?!

UM....like how long is a piece of string?....

OK, I exaggerate perhaps just a little. I've met several authors, gotten signed copies from, hung out with etc...but I'll list that later or PM you on it.

The WorldCon usually attracts around 5,000 visitors Worldwide including locals and generally has a lot of the big name authors depending upon location thrown in with local authors.

Very good SFF convention running since 1939 (New York) with only a few interruptions during the war years to present.

There's a very interesting book I have featuring a number of the WorldCon Guest Of Honour keynote speeches from '39 to present (2005). I'll PM details to you on that as well if you like?

WorldCon is also where the Hugo awards take place. I was more recently involved in voting in '07 in Yokohama Japan and Denver Colorado in '08 but it's hard work, something like 17 categories to assess nominees from PHEW!...

My home of Melbourne, Australia will host WorldCon 2010 (no. 4 for Melbourne, Australia previously '75 '85 & '99).

Cheers...

 

[Frozeninja]

Funnily enough I bought a signed copy of Lynch's first two books late last year, the price of the first one rose from £35 to £125, so I'm now terrified to read it in case I damage it.
I will probably pick up some trade paperbacks when i find one as i do want to try out Lynch

I picked up a signed copy of Red Seas straight off the shelf in Waterstones ~one month after it first came out for the usual RRP. I count myself damn lucky.

 

[Althain's Warden]

Nice Gollum, i'm impressed! Also well done on your comittment to helping judge, that sounds like a lot of work ! Do you know when world con is next coming anywhere near england? Anywhere in europe would do really, Melbourne sounds really good but it would cost me a small fortune just to get there ! And yes please do pm me with details of the keynote speeches book, could be quite interesting.
Thanks

 

[GOLLUM]

Nice Gollum, i'm impressed! Also well done on your comittment to helping judge, that sounds like a lot of work ! Do you know when world con is next coming anywhere near england? Anywhere in europe would do really, Melbourne sounds really good but it would cost me a small fortune just to get there ! And yes please do pm me with details of the keynote speeches book, could be quite interesting.
Thanks

Well, the frequency of WorldCons outside of the US isn't great but has been improving with 05 in Glasgow, Scotland (shame you didn't attend that one), 07 in Yokohama, Japan, 09 in Canada and 010 in Australia.

However given that as a general rule of thumb Europe gets WorldCon every 10 years or so, as does Asia Pacific with the US getting the bulk of the remaining venues in any 10 year period (except as you can see of more recent times) I wouldn't think it likey that a European city will get WorldCon before 2013/14 maybe?

I can tell you that Reno, Nevada is the only city now part of the bid process for 2011 AND that Chicago (who are as strong or successful a bidder historically as you can get other than Australia or L.A. ) is bidding for 2012. I also know that China, who had a presence (as I met both their press and authors) at the first ever Asian city to bid Worldcon in Yokohama, Japan want their hat in the ring and throw in the fact that no African country (e.g. South Africa) is yet to get a Guernsey and it starts to get interesting.

HOWEVER Zagreb are bidding for 2013 but as they're up against Texas my money at this stage would be Texas, especially as UK is bidding for 2014, which I think is the most likely date and as you can see fits quite nicely into the 10 year rule of thumb (Glasgow in 2005).

Sorry I don't have better news for you mate.

I'll PM you over the weekend on those other details.

Cheers.....

 

[Ian Whates]

Thanks for the info ian i'll check that out !
i've been hearing bits about these world cons, they sound pretty good. How many of the big names turn out at these events?

To give an indication of what Gollum's talking about at Worldcons, I got many of the authors at the 2005 event in Glasgow to sign my program book. I didn't catch everyone present but I got a fair few (excuse the capitals, but it's how they appear in my list and I've copied and pasted):

CHRISTOPHER PRIEST, CONNIE WILLIS, LEIGH KENNEDY, CECILIA DART THORNTON, IAN WATSON, ALASTAIR REYNOLDS, JAMES BARCLAY, CHAZ BRENCHLEY, ROBIN HOBB, JAMES SWALLOW, DIANA L. PAXON, DAVID LANGFORD, JOE HALDEMAN, HAL DUNCAN, BRIAN ALDISS, MICHAEL G. COBLEY, KEITH BROOKE, ROBERT SILVERBERG, ESTHER M. FRIESNER, TRUDI CANAVAN, GRAHAM JOYCE, HARRY HARRISON, KATHERINE KURTZ, KIM STANLEY ROBINSON, TERRY BROOKS, KEN MACLEOD, DIANA PHAROAH FRANCIS, JUSTINA ROBSON, JOHN CLUTE, PETER WESTON, PETER F. HAMILTON, JANE YOLEN, CHARLES STROSS, LIZ WILLIAMS, KEVIN J. ANDERSON, PAUL McAULEY, IAN MCDONALD, STEPHEN BAXTER, TERRY PRATCHETT, STEPH SWAINSTON, MICHAEL SWANWICK, GEORGE R.R. MARTIN, IAIN M. BANKS, TANYA HUFF, GREG BEAR, SUSANNA CLARKE, JODY LYNN NYE, ANNE McCAFFREY, PAT CADIGAN, JOHN MEANEY, IAN R. MACLEOD, KATYA REIMANN, FARAH MENDLESOHN.

Which didn't seem a bad haul...

 

[GOLLUM]

Wow Ian! That's quite a list of scalps you accumulated there.

I have some of those myself but not in such a large scale but that certainly does emphasize both the importance writers in our field treat WorldCon and some of the greats you can get to rub shoulders with. This has often been, along with the Hugos and meeting fellow fans, amongst the key highlights of a Worldcon.

Any chance you will be attending Melbourne 2010?

 

[K. Riehl]

I'm bummed. It looks like no Scott Lynch or Patrick Rothfuss title this year. Quit teasing me! Don't publish early release dates anymore! Grrrr

 

[GOLLUM]

Well great news for those who loved Carlos Louis Zafon's brilliant Shadow Of The Wind and its memorable City Of Forgotten Books nestled within the labyrinthine streets of Barcelona.

June 2009: The Angel's Game - Carlos Louis Zafon....

In an abandoned mansion at the heart of Barcelona, a young man - David Martin - makes his living by writing sensationalist novels under a pseudonym. The survivor of a troubled childhood, he has taken refuge in the world of books, and spends his nights spinning baroque tales about the city's underworld. But perhaps his dark imaginings are not as strange as they seem, for in a locked room deep within the house are letters hinting at the mysterious death of the previous owner. Like a slow poison, the history of the place seeps into his bones as he struggles with an impossible love. Then David receives a letter from a reclusive French editor, Andreas Corelli, who makes him the offer of a lifetime. He is to write a book with the power to change hearts and minds. In return, he will receive a fortune, perhaps more. But as David begins the work, he realises that there is a connection between this haunting book and the shadows that surround his home. Set in the turbulent 1920s, The Angel's Game takes us back to the gothic universe of the Cemetery of the Forgotten Books, the Sempere and Son bookshop, and the winding streets of Barcelona's old quarter, in a masterful tale about the magic of books and the darkest corners of the human soul.

 

[Siberian]

re: Zafon - awesome news, GOLLUM!
My Spanish is still not up to the task of reading Zafon, so it will be nice to have an English version.

 

[GOLLUM]

re: Zafon - awesome news, GOLLUM!
My Spanish is still not up to the task of reading Zafon, so it will be nice to have an English version.

Yes it's awesome indeed!

He's No. 2 behind Cervantes as Spain's most published author (no. of copies) to date.

Here's some compelling stats...

THE ANGEL'S GAME was massive in Spain. 600,000 copies were sold in the first week, and it went straight in at number one. Spain's first print run was one million copies and the launch was the largest ever seen. The book has sold almost 1.6 million copies in Spain to date and has also been number 1 in Italy, Germany, Portugal, Norway and much of Latin America.

 

[Siberian]

Great news for Senor Zafon! It's especially remarkable considering that The Shadow of the Wind was his first 'adult' book and became popular purely on the word of mouth.

 

[Allegra]

Transition by Iain Banks in September.

Amazon Description:

A world that hangs suspended between triumph and catastrophe, between the dismantling of the Wall and the fall of the Twin Towers, frozen in the shadow of suicide terrorism and global financial collapse, such a world requires a firm hand and a guiding light. But does it need the Concern: an all-powerful organisation with a malevolent presiding genius, pervasive influence and numberless invisible operatives in possession of extraordinary powers? On the Concern's books are Temudjin Oh, an un-killable assassin who journeys between the peaks of Nepal, a version of Victorian London and the dark palaces of Venice; and a nameless, faceless torturer known only as the Philosopher. And then there's the renegade Mrs Mulverhill, who recruits rebels to her side; and Patient 8262, hiding out from a dirty past in a forgotten hospital ward. As these vivid, strange and sensuous worlds circle and collide, the implications of turning traitor to the Concern become horribly apparent, and an unstable universe is set on a dizzying course.

Sounds devilish.

 

[AE35Unit]

That doesn't sound like a Culture novel Allegra