I have just read A Storm of Swords, and it was wonderful...well, beyond wonderful, really, but there aren't enough words to describe it properly. I cried at least three times.
I always strive for emotional impact. Laughter and tears are the most sincere praise... but your kind words are welcome too.
would ask two questions, if I may. First: Do people ever recognize you at bookstores or the mall?
Well, it happened once... but no, not very often...Second: In the very last Arya chapter, we see her gain passage using the iron coin. I would assume this ship is going to Eastwatch, her intended destination. Would I be correct in this assumption?
No, the captain is sailing for home.
[Summary: Lommy compliments GRRM on A Storm of Swords and asks what the chances are at getting a look at the lyrics to the song about Jenny of Oldstones.]
The chances are not good.
I did write a few verses, but they were cut. I wanted that particular song to be very haunting and evocative, and I don't think I quite achieved that.
I have just received my schedule next month's worldcon in Chicago. If there are any readers who plan on attending Chicon and would like to meet me or get an autograph, they will be able to find me at the following events:
FRIDAY Sept 1
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11:30 am Panel Discussion: BEYOND THE GENERIC MIDDLE AGES w/ Robert Jordan, Sean McMullen, Dennis McKiernan, Jane Routley
SATURDAY Sept 2
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1:00 pm KAFFEKLATSCH (note: attendance at these kaffeeklatsches is limited, and requires advance sign-up at the con)
4:00 pm panel discussion: THE IDEAL LENGTH FOR SCIENCE FICTION w/ Robert Reed, Adam Troy-Castro, Nick DiChario, Dennis McKiernan
SUNDAY Sept 3
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10:00 am - 11:15 am AUTOGRAPHING
2:30 pm - 3:35 pm READING from A STORM OF SWORDS
Other items may be added later, and of course all these are subject to change, but this is my worldcon schedule as it stands at present.
I hope to see many of you in Chicago.
George R.R. Martin
[Summary: Rania asks GRRM about the Westerlings and which of them knew of the plot (Rania assumes Jeyne was aware, but isn't sure about her brothers) and was Jeyne purposefully thrown at Robb?]
Interesting observations.
Sorry, no comment from this end.
I had forgotten that all the others signed and witnessed Robb's decree. Also, wasn't Robb a King when he signed the decree? Granted not king of much, with the North lost but he was a King wasn't he?
He was a king in his own eyes and those of his followers... in the eyes of the Lannisters and Stannis and =their= followers he was a rebel, traitor, and would-be usurper.
I have a question, since Robb actually legitimized Jon and named him his heir for Winterfell and the North before the Red Wedding (granted no one knows about this and is still alive or free, the Greatjon knows as does Edmure, but Idont see them getting out of the Twins any time soon and Catelyn would probably die before telling anyone) does this make Jon's rejection of Stannis' offer moot?
Edmure and the Greatjon are prisoners, true... but you are forgetting the envoys that Robb sent to Howland Reed... Galbart Glover, Maege Mormont, Jason Mallister... they are all alive and free.
As to what is and is not moot... the key point is, only a =king= can legitimize a bastard......
I was wondering if you could answer (or take the "fifth") one teeny little question I've been dying to ask for the past year: Are Aegon and Rhaenys, Elia's children, well and truly dead?
All I have to say is that there is absolutely no doubt that little Princess Rhaenys was dragged from beneath her father's bed and slain.
[Note: This entry combines two consecutive mails between Rania and Mr. Martin, edited together because of their nature.]
In a message dated 8/6/00 4:34:13 PM Mountain Daylight Time, RMelhem writes:
Who is Prince Duncan the Small? Did Egg name one of his sons after Dunk?
Well, that would be telling...
[Note: Second mail begins here.]
telling what? are we going to find out more about Dunk, Egg and Duncan the Small?
Yes, I hope to write more Dunk & Egg stories one day.
I have also come to the conclusion that the reported death of Bran and Rickon doomed Robb as much as anything else that happened. If they were known to be still alive then there wouldn't be much point in killing Robb.
Well, I'm not certain that's so. Robb was still the war leader, after all. Even if they were "alive," neither Bran nor Rickon is old enough to rule, or lead a host...
[Summary: The writer wonders at how the Stormlands could compare in any way with the other major regions, given its lack of cities, it's seemingly-average lands, and so on.]
Well, you're right that there are no major cities in the stormlands, but that doesn't necessarily mean the lands are poor. Cape Wrath, the rainwood, and the kingswood are all fertile enough, albeit somewhat rainy.
As for the marches, the marcher lords were for thousands of years the first line of defense against Dornish incursions, so they had a very strong martial tradition. Some strong castles, too. They had to be.
[Summary: This is a conversation between Mr. Martin and Rania through AOL's Instant Messanger service.]
Rania: Mr Martin, I noticed several references to Aerion Brightfire in A Storm of Swords. Who is he? Is he the same as Aerion Brightflame brother of Egg and Maester Aemon?
GeoRR: yes
Rania: so why the name change from brightflame to brightfire?
GeoRR: not a change, just a variant
To My Readers:
Tomorrow morning I fly off to Louisville, Kentucky to attend Rivercon XXV at the Executive West Hotel. I'm one of the convention guests, and will be doing the usual sorts of programming -- a reading, some panels, an autograph session.
Rivercon will also feature an auction on behalf of DUFF (the Down Under Fan Fund), a fannish charity that sends deserving SF/fantasy from the US to attend Australian cons, and Australian fans to American cons. I've always supported DUFF, and the auction will include some signed copies of my older novels.
My author's copies of A STORM OF SWORDS are newly arrived from my British publisher, however, and I have decided to bring a copy of the hardcover for inclusion in the DUFF auction. The book won't be out for another couple of weeks in England, and the American edition is not scheduled until October.
So if any of you are planning to attend Rivercon, and want to help support a good cause and get an advance copy of A STORM OF SWORDS at the same time, come to the DUFF auction and bid, bid, and bid.
And if there is anyone who is too far from Louisville, who nonetheless would like to bid... my lady Parris has offered to volunteer as a proxy bidder. Write her at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) and tell her how high you are willing to go, and she will attend the DUFF auction and bid for the book on your behalf, up to your limit.
It shouldn't be long now, at least for those of you in the UK.
The books are back from the printers, and my editor at HarperCollins was kind enough to overnight me the first advance copy. I am holding it in my hands right now. There are many rewards in being a writer, but none as sweet, I think, as opening the first copy of your latest book. Makes it all worthwhile.
The British bookshops should be getting their shipments in a week or two, I would estimate. Just when they put the copies out, I couldn't say.
To answer some of the questions that have arisen about my last news item --
"Path of the Dragon" will be the cover story in the December 2000 issue of ASIMOV'S. Readers can subscribe to the magazine by going to [url=http://www.asimovs.com]http://www.asimovs.com[/url] and filling in the appropriate form. If you want only the one issue, however, you'll need to find a newstand or bookstore where it's on sale.
Some people have inquired about obtaining "Blood of the Dragon," which appeared in ASIMOV's a few years ago.The magazine itself does not sell back issues, but occasionally they're offeredfor sale on a random basis on sites such as abebooks.com,bibliofind, and ebay.
I wanted to pass along the word that ASIMOV'S SF MAGAZINE will be publishing an excerpt from A STORM OF SWORDS, in the form of a novella entitled "Path of the Dragon."
As with "Blood of the Dragon," the novella excerpted from A GAME OF THRONES a few years ago, the story will consist of some of the Daenerys sections from the book. We could not include the entirety of Dany's story, for reasons of length; "Path of the Dragon" will cover roughly a third to a half of her portion of the book.
I am told that ASIMOV'S will feature the novella on its cover, with a painting by Bob Eggleton.
[Note: The precise date, beyond July 2000, is unknown.]