The Dabels have posted information concerning how to order the first issue of the new, all-original Wild Cards comic miniseries, The Hard Call, from your local comic book shop as well as information on how to find shops in your area via Diamond Distributor’s Comic Shop Locator Service.
Inside Straight, the long-awaited new entry into the Wild Cards series, has just hit the shelves. With a number of positive early reviews already in its favor, it looks like it’s going to be a great new start to one of the best and longest-running shared world anthology series out there. To keep track of Wild Cards information, be sure to check the official website fort he series at Wild Cards Books.
GRRM’s official site has been updated with a new sample chapter (Jon’s first chapter) and a new update on the progress of A Dance with Dragons. In brief: the book is not done, but currently GRRM has set the goal of attempting to get it done and delivered by the summer. Moreover, he reveals that he’s adding a point of view character who has never had a POV before, and that it is one of the characters released in the first batch of miniatures from Dark Sword Miniature, which are pictured on the News page.
Tor has launched an official site for the Wild Cards series, in preparation for the release of Inside Straight. The site features an introducion by George R. R. Martin, interviews with contributing authors such as John J. Miller, Michael Cassut, Daniel Abraham, Carrie Vaughn, and more, and a special hidden feature—the first ever Wild Cards story, never before published—when you sign up for the e-mail list.
GRRM’s official site has been updated with new items in the “News” section, principally further information on the cross-genre Warriors anthology he will be co-editing with Gardner Dozois and the announcement of the delivery of the next Wild Cards novel, Busted Flush, to Tor.
Dabel Brothers Productions have plans to release officially licensed prints of characters and scenes from several different fantasy series (including A Song of Ice and Fire), and are asking you—the fans—for your opinion!
The poll can be found here at the forum, where you must be a member to participate. It is multiple choice, and you can check all the ones that apply (i.e. if you’re interested in all three, check all three). Included in the initial post are a pair of images from two of the three proposed series to get this treatment. As noted there, we’ve had a sneak peek at the proposed art for the Ice and Fire prints, and they are quite stunning.
Fans of George R.R. Martin should check out this contest for Advance Reading Copies of the newest Wildcards novel, Inside Straight, and this one for a copy of the audiobook for Dreamsong Volume I. The latter allows one entry each day, through the 22nd of December.
GRRM’s official site has been updated with a series of posts at “Not a Blog”, providing a brief report concerning the recent World Fantasy Con (so good that he and Parris plan to attend next year’s convention in Calgary), a lengthy (and very interesting) explanation of the role of himself and John J. Miller in a DC comic book that is now called Salvation Run and is being written by another writer, a mention of the forthcoming release of Inside Straight ,and a brief mutter regarding recent football games.
The limited edition of George R.R. Martin’s Fevre Dream, with illustrations by the award-winning Justin Sweet, is now at the printer. Bill over at Subterranean Press suggests that the slipcases will be ready by January, suggesting that as a probable shipping date.
John Jos. Miller, a long-time member of the Wild Cards writing team and currently writing the first Wild Cards RPG campaign book for Green Ronin, has revealed in this post that the rights to the first eight books in the series have finally been reverted to the creators after being in limbo following the collapse of iBooks. This means that with any luck they’ll soon be reprinted by a new publisher. Unfortunately, the two books written specifically for iBooks, Deuces Down and Death Draws Five, have not been reverted and remain with the publisher who bought up the iBooks catalog, BrickTower Press. Their intentions are unclear.
In other news, Tor will be preparing an official site for Wild Cards in the lead up to the publication of Insight Straight.
GRRM’s official site has been updated with a report that the Fevre Dream limited edition by Subterranean Press is nearing publication. Therei s also a new “Not a Blog” entry discussing progress on several fronts, including A Dance with Dragons. In comments, George also responds to an individual concerned with his level of enthusiasm for the series as well as the state of his health, and in the course of it references the fact that a chapter featuring Tyrion and the mysterious Shrouded Lord is one that will likely not be one included in the final book. This illustrates that the writing process for GRRM is one where he may explore particular ideas and then decide they’re not right for the story.
GRRM’s official site has been updated with news concerning the Italian edition of The Ice Dragon, which has specially-commissioned cover and interior art. GRRM points out sources for fans and collectors interested in aquiring it.
James Rigney, better known to many as Robert Jordan, bestselling author of The Wheel of Time series, passed away on September 16th after struggling with illness this past year. His cousin Wilson announced the news on Jordan’s blog. Responses have been pouring in from his fans, and others in the field have begun to comment such as Patrick Nielsen Hayden and George R. R. Martin.
Our deepest condolences to Jordan’s wife, family, and friends.
GRRM’s official site has been updated with the official announcement for Songs of the Dying Earth, a Jack Vance tribute anthology edited by George and Gardner Dozois. The announcement confirms the publishers as Tor and HarperCollins Voyager, and indicates that the Subterranean Press limited edition will feature illustrations by Charles Vess. GRRM intends to contribute a story, but it will not be written until after A Dance with Dragons is completed. Publication is expected for some time in 2009.
As previously reported, the Songs of the Dying Earth anthology co-edited by George R.R. Martin and Gardner Dozois has found U.S. and U.K. publishers, as well as a publisher for a more exclusive first edition in Subterranean Press. According to this unsourced report that the U.S. and U.K. publishers are, respecitively, TOR and Voyager.