I've received a couple of advance copies of the new issue of DRAGON, which contains "The Arms of the Kraken," the excerpt from the prologue from A FEAST FOR CROWS.
Looks pretty good, I think (whether it reads pretty good or not, I will leave it for the readers to decide), but in reading the story in magazine form, I came across an embarassing mistake that somehow slipped past me, despite the fact that I proofed the damn thing a dozen times on computer and at least twice on paper. There's one place in Victarion's section where two characters make reference to Lady Bolton... when it is actually Lady Glover that is meant. The only Lady Bolton at the moment is Fat Walda, who does not figure in the story at all.
This is my fault. Not the kind of glitch that I could expect the copyeditors at DRAGON to catch. I should have had you guys read the story in advance...
Anyway... please feel free to pass my "mea culpa" on to the fans on the boards and such. Let them know that I am aware of the slip, and am sorry for it. Elsewise I am going to get twenty emails pointing it out, I know. Sigh.
At least this allowed me to fix the error, so it will not be repeated in FEAST itself.
I've been informed that the Hebrew translation of A STORM OF SWORDS has won the Geffen Prize for the best fantasy book of the year in Israel. The award was announced at Icon 2002, the Israeli national SF convention. The Hebrew editions of A SONG OF ICE AND FIRE are being published by Opus Press.
I would like to thank you for your exceptional serie starting with A game of Throne.
I do not know if this will mean something to you, but I simply wish to tell you not to worry about us impatient readers *grin*. Most of us will always prefer a good book coming late rather than a rushed one :-) Keep up the good work, we are behind you :-)
Thanks for the kind words.
A FEAST FOR CROWS continues to grow, though slowly. I hope it will be worth the wait. There will be an excerpt from the new book published in the March issue of DRAGON magazine, available at most good newsstands and gaming stores. It's called "Arms of the Kraken."
I just wanted to ask, what are the chances of finally seeing Asshai/the Shadow in AFFC?
Very remote.
[Note: This is actually a Usenet posting to rec.arts.sf.written, regarding the Wild Cards series.]
ARMAGEDDON RAG was optioned for film shortly after it came out in 1983, by a writer/producer named Phil DeGuere. He did several drafts of a screenplay, but never managed to convince a studio to greenlight the picture. Phil was tight with the Grateful Dead, and planned to film the big Nazgul concert scenes at Dead shows.
No movie ever came of it... but a couple of years later, CBS tabbed Phil to revive THE TWILIGHT ZONE, and he asked me to do a script.
So in a sense, the unmade RAG movie was responsible for my career in television and film.
[Note: This is actually a Usenet posting to rec.arts.sf.written, regarding the Wild Cards series.]
Ah... WILD CARDS was just sleeping.
And now we've woken up. The old books are being reissued, a new one (DEUCES DOWN) came out in hardcover a few months ago, another new one (FIVE CARD DRAW) is being written, a new role-playing game should be released in 2003, and we're exploring some interesting possibilities in TV and film.
Definitely not dead.
FWIW, I will admit that we stumbled badly with the jumpers, way back when. If Jove can nod, so can I. I do think we came back strong afterwards, with the Card Shark triad. Creatively (if not commercially), those were three of the strongest volumes WILD CARDS ever had... but switching from Bantam to Baen Books was a big mistake on our part.
The Card Sharks triad was very dark, I will concede. Darkness was the complaint I heard most often about the later WILD CARDS books.
DEUCES DOWN is much lighter.
I know you are a busy man, especially since your trying to finish your long awaited new book. I just wanted to drop you a line and tell you that I am a huge fan of your work. I am currently about to complete my 2nd re-reading of your A Song of Ice and Fire series, its phenomenal stuff.
Glad you think so.
While I was reading A Storm of Swords last night (Arya has just been captured by the Hound), I had a thought. Since it would almost be impossible to make into a feature length film, A Song of Ice and Fire would be perfect for a HBO series. Each book could be an 8-10 episode season. Since it's on cable you wouldn't lose any of the grittier elements that would be lost if it was to ever be made into a network mini-series. Anyway just an idea, I m sure you ve considered it before, but just in case you hadn t I had to tell you about it.
Well, I'm game if HBO is, but the ball is not really in my court on things like that. All I can do is wait for the producers and studios to come to me. So far, we've had a few nibbles, but nothing serious.
Keep up the great work. I can t wait for A Feast for Crows.
You may have to. I'm still writing it.
Thanks for all the kind words.
Though Im sure you dont remember me we have corresponded a number of times and Im a great fan of your ASOIAF series. It is truly a modern masterpiece :)
Thanks.
But on to the questions lol Im sorry to bug you man, but gotsta ask! Hope it doesnt interfere with FFC
1)Ibben. Ibben has been a pet interest of mine for some time. I even have an EzBoard with an Ibben Theme. I was wondering when or if we would see Ibben or atleast learn more about them. It truly fascinates me. Does Ibben have a major city? Are they feudal as well? Do they have a king? Armies? What kind of soldiers do they field? Ever been to war with Westeros? And so forth.....
The major city is the Port of Ibben. The Ibbenese are a little far from Westeros to war with them, I think. They do have colonies on the mainland of the eastern continent, but mostly they live on a cold, mountainous, Iceland-sized island (and a couple much smaller ones) in the Shivering Sea. If you consider Westeros to be where the British Isles are in the real world, Ibben would be... oh, about where you might find Finland. But an island. The Shivering Sea has a large whale population, and many of the Ibbenses are whalers. They chew blubber and light the Port of Ibben with whale oil lamps. As to whether the action will ever go there... I don't know. Probably not.
2)Armor. Ive noticed that outside of Westeros and even in Dorne people use bronze armor pretty frequently. I was wondering about the metal working skills of these people. They use iron/steel in weaponry but use highly inferior armor.
The Dornish use a lot of copper, but mainly for ornamental purposes. It's very pretty flashing in the sun. As pretty as gold, but cheaper.
Understandably it is far lighter than platemail or something but It strikes me as a little wierd. An army armored in bronze going against an army in iron will inevitably lose... Sorry to nitpick, so tell me to shut up if Im out of line hehe
Dornish fighting tactics differ from those of the rest of the Seven Kingdoms. Saladin's warriors were pretty lightly armored when they went up against Richard the Lion Hearted and his Crusaders, but still did pretty well.
3)I am under the strong impressoin you openly indicated Dany would be traveliing east to Asshai and the Shadow lands, possibly to invade Westeros from the other side even... Everyone tells me im wrong, it doesnt fit into the time frame etc etc. Did you or did you not want us to get that impressioin by a)introudcing Quaithe b)the whole to go west you must go east under the shadow etc etc prophecy... c)Bran saw dragons in Asshai. Perhaps Danys dragons in the future? I doubt real dragons are in Asshai now or the whole magic leaving the world thing wouldnt have happened....
Sorry, these answers will need to wait for future books.
I hope all goes well with you and this finds you in good health. I was just wondering if you could settle something for me in relation to Valyrian steel and I I just wondering if I have taken you up correctly on the matter. I belive I'm right in saying it differs from say Mithril (from LOTR) in that it is not a material which in itself bears advantageous properties but rather ordinary steel which has been subjected to a process (the physical manipulation of the steel combined with spells) which embues it with the desired elements.
Yes, that is correct. You don't mine Valyrian steel (actually, you don't mine any steel), you make it.
What I'm less sure of is whether Valyrian steel ever exists as a raw material.
It does not.
I believe it doesn't but only as a finished blade, what I mean is that it is the actual process of making the sword from run of the mill steel which gives us a Valyrian weapon rather than Valyrian steel being made beforehand and then this product being used to make an item.
The closest real life analog is Damascus steel, but Valyrian steel is a fantasy metal. Which means it has magical characteristics, and magic plays a role in its forging.
Thanks for taking the time from your no doubt over burdened schedule to read this none too clear mail. May I take the opportunity to thank you for the enjoyment you've already given me and say I wait with eager anticipation for A Feast For Crows and The second Dunk & Egg tale.
I'm at work on both. Thanks for your enthusiasm, and your patience.
[Note: The following chat is currently unavailable, but we are seeking permission to repost our transcript.]
[Note: The following interview is made available through the Internet Archive.]
http://web.archive.org/web/20030704125949/http://www.dusksite.ukgo.com/article.php?53.0
[Note: This mail has been edited for brevity.]
. . . this is an inconsistency with ASoS more than an outright error. In ASoS, Sansa thinks that the Hound kissed her before leaving her room and King's Landing. In ACoK, no kiss is mentioned in the scene, though Sansa did think that he was about to do so.
Well, not every inconsistency is a mistake, actually. Some are quite intentional. File this one under "unreliable narrator" and feel free to ponder its meaning. . .
A quick question for you: Are there any plans to release computer/console games based on your books? I think they would lend themselves very well to a number of different genres. There's a game newly out on the PC called Medieval: Total War, which is an action/strategy game based on 400 years of European history from 1071 onwards. Playing this title the other day, I couldn't help but feel how exciting it would be to play a game involving similar gameplay mechanics based on the Westeros world.
I have had a few inquiries from game developers about rights to the series, so there is a possibility. At the moment, however, we're just talking. It's too early to know if anything will come of it.
I can confirm that GRRM did mention that Aerys was captured at Duskendale. But GRRM didn't go into much detail about how he was freed. Mainly he gave the background to the defiance. A wife with Free City ideas and Aerys wanting to prove that he was good as Tywin. That incident was the beginning of the end for Aerys.
What I would like to know was what Tywin would have done against the lord and how Aerys was actually rescued, ie. did Tywin seriously embarrase him by coming to his rescue. But GRRM did mention that it will be explained in the next book.
. . .
But one thing I did remember when reading the start of the Tyrion thread was that GRRM mentioned that Dragonstone was taken by the Valyrians not long before their doom.
. . .
Maia, I think GRRM said the defiance at Duskendale was the first time the split between Tywin and Aerys became so bad that he acted on his own. The jealousy that knawed at his heart finally caused him to act.
As for Illyrio. He was wealthy but not near as powerful as he is today. Only with the help of Varys did he reach a position where the daughter of a magister was willing to marry him.
Now, a lot of these I had heard before and are in the interviews so I'm not going to belabor those points but here are some tidbits of info I gleaned:
(1) In regards to Aggie's question, there are monkeys named in the series; a monkey was named at BITTERBRIDGE, apparently, in ACOK, I believe.
(2) MAPS: GRRM probably won't be doing maps of the whole world. REASON: in medieval times, they knew of no such things so he wants to keep it the same.
(3) AGGIE QUESTION: why are there no viewpoints of generals or cool swordsmen in the battles. Why are they always not so good warriors?
ANSWER: people in the trenches are more interesting than generals standing on Hills; GRRM considers it a tightrope to do it either way but seems to prefer the local soldier in the thick of things. Also, he implied that chaotic battles are more interesting to write.
(4) SOHP QUESTION: will we see Hot Pie in book #4.
ANSWER: No, but perhaps in later books.
(5) SOHP QUESTION: will we learn more of Rhaegar and will it be more than a paragraph?
ANSWER: Yes (I knew this already but was hoping he would expound which he did not).
(6) SOHP QUESTION: will we learn more about the Sword of Morning? And, can you tell me anything of Ashara Dayne to sock it to the R&L group?
ANSWER: Yes (regarding Sword of Morning); no comment about Ashara; and "Have some more cheetos." *GRRM grin*
(7) TREBLA COMMENT OF R&L THEORY TO PARRIS: Trebla proceeded to talk about the R&L theory and how he believes it, hoping for a tidbit.
HER REPLY (paraphrasing): Do you really think George would do something so basic as Jon being the son of R&L? *Trebla's jaw dropping open*
(8) LODENGARL ASKED: what made you NOT do the five year gap.
HIS ANSWER: mainly that the death of the Red Viper demanded an immediate reply. More importantly, he was doing too many flashbacks and couldn't get away with saying that nothing interesting had happened.
(9) DUNK AND EGG: there will probably be two more novelletes (his favorite medium).
GRRM noticed dealers getting him to sign and making hundreds at Ebay; he was charging regular retail; so, for AGOT, it was remaindered (means not all the books sold and went to him); he had over 500 hardcovers; he's got four left in his cellar and each is about $550.
As far as current popularity of fantasy series go, GRRM is very high; second; but a distant second to Jordan . .. heard that Tor marketed the first RJ book by giving out the first third for free .. . gutsy; but great marketing ploy, methinks.