Monstrous Musings

Game of Thones: Season 3, Episode 8: Tonight's Prediction

Sun, 19 May 2013 18:42:35 GMT

Jump to after the cut to see my prediction for the ending to tonight's episode as I feebly attempt to claw my way back to being .500 on correct guesses.

All right, I'm going to guess that tonight's ending will be something that we learn about in the books, but is never dramatized. In A Storm of Swords, at some point after Melisandre throws the ~~slugs~~ leeches in the flames to bring about the deaths of the three kings, we learn through a report that Balon Greyjoy died while crossing one of the wooden bridges that connect that towers of Pyke, that the wind basically ripped the bridge apart with him on it. It makes sense summing that up in the books, because there is no pov character to see what happens. But the HBO series has no such restrictions. So I'm going to guess that we're actually going to see that moment when the bridge is ripped apart with Balon Greyjoy on it. Failing that, I imagine they'll go with my failed prediction from last week, i.e. Melisandre throwing the ~~slugs~~ leeches into the flames.

Oz Reimagined: Daily Kindle Deal

Wed, 15 May 2013 07:10:23 GMT

Oz Reimagined has been selected for today's Daily Kindle Deal for science fiction & fantasy. Until midnight Pacific time, you can buy the entire book for your Kindle for $1.99. You're never going to have a better deal than this one for your Kindle. That's not even a sale's pitch--it's the plain truth!

Game of Thrones: Season 3, Episode 7: Quick Thoughts

Wed, 15 May 2013 00:23:14 GMT

OK, I got spanked again on my prediction about how the episode will end. So it goes. Let's get to the episode itself. Don't read after the cut unless you're cool with spoilers about future events.

Clearly I have to start with Robb. His wife being pregnant never happened in the books ...at least not as far as we know. In the books, Robb's wife is Lady Jeyne Westerling, and the Westerlings are loyal to House Lannister. When Robb marries Jeyne, most of Jeyne's family is on the betrayal of Robb at the Red Wedding. Later on, we learn that at Tywin Lannister's request Jeyne's mother saw to it that Jeyne would never conceive with Robb by slipping something into her drink, because Tywin is a stickler for detail like that. After the Red Wedding, we've seen precious little of Jeyne in the books, basically little more than a cameo in book four.

So this opens up all sorts of questions in the HBO series. Overall, I see two possible scenarios. Right now, Jeyne is on the way to Lord Edmure's wedding with Robb. This also never happened in the books. This could mean that Jeyne will also be killed at the Red Wedding, and making her pregnant in the HBO series will make the Red Wedding that much more tragic. There is also another scenario, though it strikes me as unlikely. If Jeyne is taken prisoner at the Red Wedding instead of being killed or if she manages to escape, this may mean that in the books Jeyne is in fact pregnant. It would mean that she defied the odds despite the machinations of her mother and Lord Tywin and conceived with Robb. This might explain why we've barely seen her in the books since Robb's death. And I also recall an offhand observation by Lady Catelyn at the end of one of her pov chapters that Jeyne has good childbearing hips.

What makes all this conjecture all the more interesting is the fact that George Martin wrote this episode, so you can't help but analyze everything that much more. Above all else though, I have to say that I'm hoping Jeyne's pregnancy in the HBO series does not continue. I don't think they would make her pregnant in the HBO series unless she's pregnant in the books, and that would be a spoiler for the books. I'd kind of be royally pissed if the HBO series spoiled things in the books for me. I care about the books WAY MORE than the HBO series. If HBO ever catches up with the books, I would stop watching the HBO series until the next book came out. I do think they've set up Jeyne to die in the HBO series as well, because there is little reason for her to come to the Red Wedding otherwise. The writers could have just left her in Riverrun. But I guess we'll have to wait and see.

I'm going at length about Robb here, but I'm also wondering what the deal is with Brynden Tully. Right now, they have him filling two roles, that of Brynden, but also that of Greatjon Umber (in the books, it's the Greatjon who punches Rickard Karstark in the face for wising off to Robb, not Brynden). We saw Umber in season one and much to my dismay the Awesomejon has been absent ever since. At the Red Wedding, the Greatjon is one of the few people from Robb's party that is taken prisoner instead of being killed. Is he suddenly going to be present again the Red Wedding, or have the written him out of the HBO series (which would be a massive suck-fest). Now if there is no Greatjon, does that mean Brynden Tully will be taken prisoner at the Red Wedding? This would create another ripple effect since he also stays at Riverrun in the books, and holds out long afterward out of loyalty to Robb before ultimately escaping. He's still on the prowl as of the end of book five, and no one knows where he is. Perhaps he'll escape the Red Wedding then? So many variables! It's driving me crazy.

Barring small deviations and filling in the cracks in Theon's story, everything else was more or less by the numbers this episode, except for the deviation with Melisandre/Gendry and of course the fact that Rickon and Osha are still with Bran. So I'll close things out this week by sharing a potential revelation regarding the books and a possibility regarding the HBO series. Revelation first: while watching that scene with Melisandre and Gendry, as they talked about how King's Landing was Gendry's father's house, I suddenly realized what the probably endgame for Gendry will be: whoever sits on the Iron Throne come the end of the story will grant Gendry the name of Baratheon, and he will become lord of this house. It makes perfect sense. Robert is gone and left no legitimate heirs. Renly is gone and left no legitimate heirs. Stannis only has a female heir. When Stannis dies and she marries, the name of Baratheon will die ...unless a bastard Baratheon is granted this name. I'd be utterly shocked if Stannis is alive by the end of the series--he's done way too many horrible things in the name of justice. I think the only question is whether he'll realize his humanity (perhaps in noble fashion) before his death. But that leaves the question of who will lead House Baratheon. Gendry strikes me as the perfect candidate. How all of this will come about, I have no idea. But that is now my theory for Gendry, meaning he's one of the few characters I'm betting on to be alive come the end of the series.

And finally, the possibility for the HBO series: in the books, Bran parts ways with Osha and Rickon at the end of book two. Since book three is being split into two seasons, I wouldn't be terribly surprised if this same scenario comes about in the final episode for season three. Perhaps Ramsay is hot on their tail with a hunt and the princes part to better their chances that one of them survives. Regardless, the idea that they part ways at the end of this season would create the illusion of a full arc for Bran's story this season.

And that's it for this week ...and good God, these quick thoughts are becoming WAY too long. I'll have to work on that (and probably fail miserably).

ETA: Two more episodes until Twitter loses its shit.

Interview: Odyssey Writing Workshop

Mon, 13 May 2013 16:44:43 GMT

I have been interviewed by the Odyssey Fantasy & Science Fiction Writing Workshop, which I attended back in 2000. Lots of editorial questions in there, including Oz Reimagined and the dearly departed Realms of Fantasy. You can read the interview here.

Game of Thones: Season 3, Episode 7: Tonight's Prediction

Sun, 12 May 2013 20:22:52 GMT

See after the cut for my prediction to the ending to tonight's episode of Game of Thrones. I'm currently three for six. I miss this one and I drop under .500. No pressure.

OK, GRRM wrote this episode, so I'm sure it'll be great. My prediction for the ending is that Melisandre throws three slugs into the fire, promising Stannis that the three kings will die.

Realms of Fantasy: October 2008 (Issue 85)

Sat, 11 May 2013 23:05:57 GMT

Part eighty-five in my comprehensive retrospective as I read the fiction in each issue of Realms of Fantasy and offer my thoughts, right up to the present. This time I'll be delving into the October 2008 issue.

The cover to this one features the artwork of James A. Owen. This cover came out four issues before I started overseeing the magazine's artwork, but I nonetheless had a hand in some of this issue's artwork. Some months before this issue came out, James A. Owen had posted in-process sketches on his LiveJournal account. I enjoyed this post and mentioned as much in a comment on his blog. James replied that he'd be happy to have this whole sequence appear in Realms of Fantasy. I thought it was a great idea, so I emailed the publisher. I never heard back from him, so I assumed they weren't interested. Then later on I learned from James that this email set the wheels in motion to him before the featured artist in Artists Gallery. Then later on the stakes got upped once more when James's artwork appeared on the cover. Over the years, Realms of Fantasy has put out a lot of covers featuring or including dragons in one form or another (seventeen to be exact), but without a doubt this one is the most distinctive of the bunch. How often do you see a beautiful illustration of a bad-ass dragon drinking tea? Am I little biased toward this cover since I indirectly helped bring it about and I consider James a friend? You betcha. Do I still stand by what I say? Absolutely.

A rundown of this issue's nonfiction is as follows:

In the Movie/TV section, Resa Nelson writes about the rise of 3-D movies; in the books column, Paul Witcover reviews An Autumn War, volume three in the Daniel Abraham's Long Price Quartet, The Court of the Air by Stephen Hunt, The Hounds of Ash and Other Tales of Fool Wolf by Greg Keyes, Havemercy by Jaida Jones and Danielle Bennett, and Jeff VanderMeer reviews Artists Inspired by H.P. Lovecraft, edited Jerad Walters, Bring Down the Sun by Judith Tarr, Midnight Never Comes by Marie Brennan, Filter House by Nisi Shawl, and Too Many Curses by A. Lee Martinez; in Young Adult Books, Michael M. Jones reviews Generation Dead by Daniel Waters, Little Brother by Cory Doctorow, Nobody's Prize Esther Friesner, Percy Jackson # 4: The Battle of the Labyrinth by Rick Riordan, Princess Ben by Catherine Gilbert Murdock, Vampire Academy # 2: Frostbite by Richelle Mead, the dead & the gone by Susan Beth Pfeffer, and Alfred Kropp: The Thirteenth Skull by Rick Yancey; in Graphic Novels, Jeff VanderMeer reviews The Amazing Remarkable Monsieur Leotard by Eddie Campbell and Dan Best, Out of Picture 2: Art from the Outside Looking In by Jim Munroe and Salgood Sam, Rapunzel's Revenge by Shannon and Dean Hale with Nathan Hale, Dungeon: Monstres, Vol. 1, The Crying Giant by Joann Sfar, Lewis Trondheim, Mazan, Jean-Christophe Menu, and Nantier Beall, and Doctor Grordbort's Contrapulatronic Dingus Directory by Greg Broadmore; in Folkroots, Terri Windling writes about why myth and mythic fiction matter, and why they matter to her; in the Artists Gallery, Mia Nutick covers the aforementioned James A. Owen; and in Games, Eric T. Baker reviews Ninja Gaiden II for the Xbox 360, Okami for the Wii, Summon Night: Twin Age for the DS, Penny Arcade Adventures: On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness for the PC, Mac, Unix, and Xbox 360, and Kung Fu Panda for the Pc, DS, Wii, PS2 & 3, and Xbox 360.

It should also be noted that this issue marks the last issue with Folkroots being under the editorial direction of Terri Windling. Terri was the founding editor of this column after being recruited by Shawna McCarthy. She wrote or edited every single issue, an impressive run of eighty-five issues.

On the fiction ...

The lead story is "The Purple Basil" by M.K. Hobson, which marks her fourth appearance in the magazine. In this piece, we are given a detailed look at the life of a modern witch and the accompanying Satanic ceremonies. Along the way, we learn that for all their darkness, at heart they too are human beings with feelings. Art to this one was provided by Tiffany Prothero, which marks her fourth illustration in the magazine.

Next up we have "The Luckiest Street in Georgia" by Vylar Kaftan. This is another tale I pulled from the slush, and I worked with Vylar on some very light revisions before passing it up the editorial ladder. In this piece, an old woman on a certain street in Georgia (duh!) is able to see future events occurring on this street and impact the lives of those on the street--a peculiar but effective gift. She can't change the past though, where she has a sad history of being left at the altar. However, one man across the street remains a mystery to her, someone who she sometimes sees watching her through his window, and he seems strangely outside the established magical rules for her street. And it just might be that he can help fix the past the way she fixes futures. Art to this one was provided by Eric Dinyer, which marks his ninth illustration in the magazine.

After this we have "Under the Skin" by Greg O. Weatherford, another slush survivor of mine. It also marks Greg's first sale. This one is a rather unusual tale about a smart adolescent girl who lives with a controlling father who also happens to be a werewolf. While the werewolf side of him only comes out once a month during the full moon, the reality is that the werewolf side of him has come to dominate every aspect of their lives as he strives to maintain his secret. It's this secrecy that leads to him being so controlling, and ultimately our protagonist must face the difficult question of whether to betray someone she loves so she can have a life of her own. Art to this one was provided by Eric Westbrook, which marks his second illustration it the magazine.

Then we have "The Horned Toad in Hubcap" by Joe Murphy, which marks his fourth appearance in the magazine. It also marks his fourth tale about Sprokly, the wooden girl given life by the magical tinkerer, Grampser. This tale deviates some from the previous stories since it is told through the point of view of Walter, the autistic boy Sprokly befriended in her previous adventure, whom she helped gain the power of speech with some of the magic she'd learned from Grampser. In this piece, Walter's favorite toy is his hubcap, where he claims he can see a whole different galaxy of stars ...until the spirit of a horned toad gets inside his hubcap. When Spokly and and Walter set out to solve the mystery of the hubcap, they learn that Grampser has been creating wooden equivalents of the horned toads in his never-ending quest to create true life. These wooden horned toads are killing the real ones, and the only way for the real ones to contact Walter and Sprokly and get help is through the hubcap. Art to this one was provided by Lori Koefoed, which marks her fourteenth illustration in the magazine.

Following this we have "All Beautiful Things" by Sharon Mock, my third slush survivor tale to appear in this issue. In this decidedly dark tale, we are introduced to a fairy world that has been overrun by humans and their iron technologies, except for the Inner Court of the fairies. A spoiled fairy princess is interested in seeing the world beyond, and she seduces a human ambassador to spirit her away, with disastrous results. I have to admit that by the time I came across this one in the slush I was pretty burned out on fairy stories--we got so many of them. But I have a soft spot for dark fiction. Combined with the fact that the author subverted so many of the tired tropes that are prevalent in fairy fiction, it made passing this one along a no-brainer. Art to this one was provided by Dave Leri, which marks his eighth illustration in the magazine. This artwork was selected for inclusion in Spectrum 16: The Best in Contemporary Fantastic Art.

Finally we have "The Claw Unseen" by Euan Harvey, which marks his second appearance in the magazine. In this sword & sorcery piece, a thief in debt come across a trinket of treasure he believes will get him out of financial difficulties. However, it turns out to be a cursed item, one that fills him with steadily building rage. When his rage reaches certain levels ....he grows. It sounds like a simple enough premise, but the execution in this piece made it fascinating throughout. Art to this one was provided by Rob Johnson, which marks his fourth illustration in the magazine. I should also mention that this is the first time I'm writing about Euan's work in my retrospectives since he passed away from cancer. I never met him (he lives overseas, first in Thailand and then in the U.K. after his sickness worsened), but we got to be online friends, as our tastes in the genre were very similar. Come his unfortunate end, he was one of the magazine's most prolific contributors. He actually had two stories in inventory with us in inventory that would have been published posthumously had the magazine not closed down. His death is a shame--chiefly because he was a good and funny person who left behind a loving family--but also because it also deprived the community of a talented writer who was improving with every story he wrote. I still think about him and what might have been.

So that wraps up this issue. And my favorite story? We have one of those rare ties, this time between "All Beautiful Things" by Sharon Mock and "The Claw Unseen" by Euan Harvery. Two very different stories (although both are dark), but equally effective in their own distinct way. And my favorite artwork? Also a tie! This time the dual honors go to James A. Owen's cover with his tea-drinking dragon, and Dave Leri's illustration to "All Beautiful Things" by Sharon Mock.

Next time around I'll put a cap on 2008 when I dive into the December 2008 issue. Until then ...

Oz Reimagined: "The Great Zeppelin Heist of Oz" Now Available on PodCastle

Wed, 08 May 2013 16:41:13 GMT

"The Great Zeppelin Heist of Oz" by Rae Carson & C.C. Finlay is now available in free audio form on the PodCastle website. The story is read by Nick Podel and was first recorded for the Brilliance Audio Books version of Oz Reimagined. You can listen to the story here.

Game of Thrones: Season 3, Episode 6: Quick Thoughts

Tue, 07 May 2013 21:36:19 GMT

Some interesting stuff happened this episode. As always, beware of spoilers. First of all, I'm glad to see that the whore Ros died. Not that I have anything against her--it's more the principle of the thing. They've cut characters from the book like Strong Belwas, Lem Lemoncloak, Tom Sevenstreams, Shagwell, etc., but they see fit to add a character who never existed? That doesn't sit right with me. So, good riddance.

So while killing Ros may bring us closer to getting back to the original story line, it doesn't stop them from tweaking other aspects of the story, most notably the whole Gendry/Melisandre angle. There is no Gendry/Melisandre angle in the book. In the book, after Stannis and Melisandre seize the castle of Storm's End, they take Edric Storm into captivity, one of Robert Baratheon's bastards. Melisandre than uses the king's blood in Edric to cast her spells before Davos spirits him overseas to safety. Stannis is infuriated, but Davos get himself out of trouble by using his newly acquired reading skills taught to him by the maester to warn Stannis of a threat at the Wall.

In the HBO series, they've written out the maester who teaches Davos to read, handing that duty off to Stannis's daughter, Princess Shireen. They've also written out Edric Storm, but I'd been operating under the assumption that Melisandre would get her royal blood from Princess Shireen. HBO has other ideas though, choosing to have Gendry fill this role. I suppose it makes sense from a streamlining perspective, but it does create several interesting ripples. In the books, after Arya is kidnapped by Sandor Clegane, Gendry is still with the Brotherhood without Banners. As best I can remember, Gendry doesn't really come on the scene again until book four--when Brienne is being eaten by the cannibal Biter, Gendry kills Biter.

So if we assume that Davos follows the story in the book and helps Gendry escape Melisandre, what does this mean? Well, I don't think it impacts Brienne's story that much at all. She can still get bitten by Biter and kill him on her own, or someone else can easily fill in here. So the big question is what becomes of Gendry. After Arya and Gendry were separated, I think most readers assumed that at some point their paths would cross again. I still think this is the case, but now I'm starting to think it will go down differently in the HBO series than it does in the books. In the books, I expect them to meet again when Arya finally returns to Westeros. In the HBO series, I wouldn't be at all surprised if their paths cross in Braavos. Remember, Davos has his friends smuggle Edric Storm across the Narrow Sea Essos. In the HBO series, Gendry will no longer have any interest in returning to the Brotherhood, not after they sold him off. And Melisandre found him with ease, even though the Brotherhood are quite good at hiding themselves away. So it doesn't seem too safe for Gendry to hide elsewhere in Westeros. So given that HBO streamlines the books left and right in order to make them fit onto the small screen, it certainly stands to reason that if Gendry still has a role to play in the books, he and Arya will cross paths in Braavos in the HBO series. Just a theory, and it might be a couple of years at least before we learn if I'm right.

What else? The Wall scenes were somewhat different from the book, but I thought there were handled very well. I also really get a kick out of these scenes between Littlefinger and Varys, even if they don't exist in the books. They're really stretching out Bran's journey to make it seem like something is actually happening. Martin did this too to an extent, but he sucked you in with world-building and the beauty of his narrative. They're kind of marking time with Samwell as well until the Other attacks. But overall it was a solid episode.

Three more episodes until Twitter loses its shit.

Oz Reimagined Giveaway

Tue, 07 May 2013 17:13:37 GMT

Oz Reimagined contributor Seanan McGuire is conducting an Oz Reimagined giveaway over on her blog.

Game of Thones: Season 3, Episode 6: Tonight's Prediction

Sun, 05 May 2013 18:53:46 GMT

Check after the cut for my prediction to the ending to tonight's Game of Thrones. If I'm right, I'll be four out of six on the season.

For tonight's episode, I say it ends with Arya being captured by Sandor Clegane.

Game of Thrones: Season 3, Episode 5: Quick Thoughts

Sat, 04 May 2013 20:59:32 GMT

Yeah, I'm late in sharing my thoughts again. It was another crazy week. So I got absolutely reamed on my prediction over how the episode would end. Maybe I'll do better this week. I'll probably that prediction sometime tomorrow. As to the episode itself, read on after the cut. As always, spoilers abound if you haven't read the books:

1) New characters: So we met the Lady Selyse, Princess Shireen, Grey Worm, and the ex-Maester Qyburn. While they dropped the Bloody Mummers and Vargo Hoat is now Locke, it doesn't surprise me that Qyburn made the cut (pun not intended). His role in the future books is absolutely pivotal. Removing him would call for massive and unnecessary revisions. Speaking of removing characters, it appears Patchface--the addled fool who is the companion to Shireen--is another character that has been cut from the HBO show. In the books, he's the one singing the sad sea-song, not Shireen. This is very interesting, because while his role in the books has been rather small, it's also been established that Melisandre fears him for reasons that have not yet been explained. Clearly GRRM has something up his sleeve, so who knows what ripple this will cause in the HBO series. What else? Well, Shireen still has the grey scale. I'm glad to see that, since this disease pops up again later on in the books in interesting ways. And it seems she'll be replacing Dragonmount's maester as the one who teaches Davos to read. It makes sense, as it gives her more of a role and helps the viewers remember who she is. At this point, it's also starting to look like the royal blood for Melisandre's spells will be taken from the princess. There has been nary a mention of Edric Storm to date, who in the books was one of Robert Baratheon's bastards and the supplier of blood for Melisandre's spells until Davos had him spirited away. Selyse's character seems fairly in keeping with the books--preserving the stillborn children was a very nice touch. I don't remember if that's in the books--it's certainly not depicted in a scene, but it's possible this was something that Martin mentioned in passing that was expanded upon in the HBO series. It wouldn't be the first time.

What else? Well, the scene with Jaime and Brienne in the bathtub was brilliant. Very much in keeping with the books, which was critical, because it was one of those key moments that make you start viewing Jaime in an entirely different light. We're halfway through season three, and so far Nikolaj Coster-Waldau as Jaime Lannister is stealing the show.

I thought the Karstark beheading scene was also handled really well, though if memory serves correctly Robb used an ax in the book, not a sword. I've really come to appreciate Richard Madden as Robb Stark. His expression after he killed Lord Karstark was perfect.

Beyond the Wall, I forgot to mention a while back that it looks like we won't be meeting Varamyr Sixskins. Too bad, as I would have enjoyed seeing him walk around with his bear and his cats.

Across the Narrow Sea, I like how they addressed the fact that Ser Barristan Selmy was not part of Robert Baratheon's Small Council. In the books, he was, so this seemed like a needless incongruity. But at least now they took the time to explain his absence in a way that makes sense.

That's it for this week. Four more episodes until Twitter loses its shit.

Game of Thones: Season 3, Episode 5: Tonight's Prediction

Sun, 28 Apr 2013 18:02:00 GMT

Can I go four for five on the season? Perhaps. See after the cut to learn my prediction for the ending to tonight's episode:

They've gradually been building toward this scene, and it would represent a serious smack in the face for viewers unfamiliar with the books. So I'm going to predict the last scene revolves around Robb Stark beheading Rickard Karstark for his brutal slaying of the Lannister boys. Maybe there is a quick followup as Robb talks with some of his most trusted people and they discuss how screwed they are. But yeah, I say the ending revolves around the Karstark beheading.

Game of Thrones: Season 3, Episode 4: Quick Thoughts

Fri, 26 Apr 2013 22:59:28 GMT

Yeah, I'm very late offering my thoughts about this episode. It was a busy week. Anyway, I'm not 3 out of 4 on my predictions for episode endings this season. As to the episode itself:

--Wow, a rare episode without new characters.

--At the beginning of each episode, when they go though "Previously on Game of Thrones," it seemed a bit odd that they didn't show Ned Stark in season one instructing Beric Donadarrion to bring the Mountain to justice. I mean, I understood what was going on just fine, but it probably would've been useful to viewers who don't know the books as they become immersed in the Brotherhood without Banners. Maybe my feelings will change with the next episode, but right now Beric feels very watered down as a character. In the books, despite his brief page time, he was dynamic.

--Speaking of the Brotherhood without Banners, it really looks as though we're not getting anyone besides Beric, Thoros of Myr, and Anguy. Too bad, I loved the rest of the Brotherhood, especially Tom Sevenstreams and Lem Lemoncloak.

--And speaking of streamlining, it looks like they're doing that with the Tyrells. We still haven't met Mace Tyrell, and arranging to have Sansa marry Loras goes against the books. In the book, the Tyrells are trying to marry her off to Willas Tyrell, a cripple in Highgarden. There's also been no sign or mention of Garlan Tyrell, the second son.

--Varys and the sorcerer: never happened in the books, but it was a nice insertion. Nor did his whole conversation with Lady Olenna, but its inclusion makes sense. They need a way to dramatize some of the stuff that George covers in narration

--Well Dany has her army now. Hopefully that means we'll get to see Yunkai this week on the map. I love it when they add new locations during the theme music.

--Right now the whole Podric-is-a-sex-god angle still remains rather pointless.

That's it for this week.

Game of Thones: Season 3, Episode 4: Tonight's Prediction

Mon, 22 Apr 2013 00:46:26 GMT

Read after the cut for the prediction. As always beware of spoilers:

I considered Beric Dondarrion coming back to life before going to credits, but that might be a little abrupt. So I'm going to go with Dany taking over Astapor with her dragons and her new Unsullied army.

Game of Thrones: Season 3, Episode 3: Quick Thoughts

Tue, 16 Apr 2013 22:49:08 GMT

Let's see:

I nailed my prediction for the end of the episode. Now two out of three on the season. As to the episode itself (kind of spoiler-y):

1) At long last, Riverrun on the map.

2) New characters: Edmure Tully, Brynden Blackfish, and it seems that Vargo Hoat whom we glimpsed at the end of last episode is Locke in this show. Can't say I'm crazy about that ...does this mean no Bloody Mummers? Quite a few of them have a bearing on the plot later on. Guess we'll wait and see.

3) A good friend familiar with the books emailed me, asking what the hell is going on with Theon's story-line. I'm pretty sure I've got this one figured out, so in case anyone else is in the same boat, I'm going to copy in what I told him: the guy that saved Theon is the Bastard of Bolton, i.e. Ramsay. The guy who had been leading on Theon (i.e. the one who almost raped him) was Reek. When Reek died, he said "You little bastard" to Theon's savior. It was the most vile insult possible, because Ramsay has always hated being called "bastard"--he considered himself a Bolton. This is all part of an elaborate game on the part of Ramsay. We learned in Dance with Dragons that Ramsay set up several false escape attempts for Theon. It was an attempt to torture him with mind-games, to dangle freedom in front of him. Ultimately it got to the point that Theon wouldn't even try to escape anymore because of the punishments and such for trying to escape. Ramsay had broken him on the way to making him Reek. As to the Reek who'd been torturing Theon, everything was going according to plan until Ramsay killed them all. Basically Ramsay had grown tired of his current Reek and killed him off, with the intention of making Theon his replacement.

So Theon is still on the way to becoming Reek--Ramsay and Reek just haven't been named yet. They changed it around from when Reek dies in the book, but otherwise they're working with background material loosely established by GRRM and fleshing it out. I expected them to keep Theon around this year, so I'm all on board with this. I was under the impression they had written Reek out of the HBO series and the guy torturing Theon was Ramsay, but clearly this wasn't the case.

4) So either Pod is now some Lothario-in-the-making in the HBO series, or the whores are part of some elaborate plot on the part of Baelish and Roz to cozy up to Tyrion's squire in an attempt to wrangle information. Seems unlikely, but I'm considering all the possibilities.

5) The song during the closing credits: awful awful AWFUL rendition of The Bear and the Maiden Fair. I'd say they were being a bit tongue-in-cheek, going for something disconcerting after the shocking ending for those unfamiliar with the books. But while I understand the idea, I think think it was a horrible decision.

That's it for this week!

Realms of Fantasy: August 2008 (Issue 84)

Sun, 14 Apr 2013 00:21:15 GMT

Part eighty-four in my ongoing retrospective as I read the fiction in the back issues of Realms of Fantasy and offer my thoughts, right up to the final issue. This time I'll be discussing the August 2008 issue.

So obviously it's been a long time since my last retrospective, over a year and a half. When RoF was cancelled for the third and final time in early November of 2011, it had already been a month and a half since my last retrospective. The magazine's ending didn't exactly provide me an impetus to start writing them again. If the previous two cancellations were any indication, I was more inclined to take long breaks. On top of that, there has been a lot going on since then. Since I learned about the magazine's cancellation, I've started selling short stories with semi-regularity. I put out my first anthology (and working on making the second one happen). I finished my first novel and put it through several drafts (with another draft or two to come). Long story short, I had a lot of other stuff on my plate professionally speaking. I still do, but I always meant to return to this retrospective series and finish what I started. As I reminder to myself of my intentions, all this time I've kept the August 2008 issue on my dresser. The poor cover has actually become a little bit faded from so much exposure to sunlight, but it served its purpose. Every time I saw that issue, I knew I had unfinished business. I still don't have much time to work on these retrospectives, but I've found a way to budget a few minutes of reading time into my schedule each day. It's not even enough time to finish the shortest story in an issue in a single sitting, but right now it's all the time I can afford on this project. But even if I'm reading piecemeal going forward, I think the important thing is that I'll be reading and the project will finally reach its conclusion. Including this issue, there are nineteen retrospectives left, and since we shouldn't be counting on another RoF revival anytime soon, I can actually see the light at the end of the tunnel. So with this said, let's dive in.

The cover to this one features the artwork of Rebecca Guay.

A rundown of this issue's nonfiction is as follows:

In the Movie/TV column, Resa Nelson covers M. Night Shyamalan's The Happening; in the Folkroots column, Terri Windling writes about how the idea of heart and home permeates fairy tales, folklore, and mythology; in the books column, Paul Witcover reviews Black Ships by Jo Graham, Walking Brigid by Francis Clark, Pamela Freeman's Blood Ties, Book One of The Castings Trilogy, Wicked Game by Jeri Smith-Ready, and Jeff VanderMeer reviews Sharp Teeth by Toby Barlow, The Veil of Gold by Kim Wilkins, Renegade's Magic by Robin Hobb, God and Pawns by Kage Baker, and Elric: The Stealer of Souls, Volume 1 by Michael Moorcock; young adult books appears to be on hiatus this issue, but in graphic novels, Jeff VandeMeer reviews Amulet, Book One: The Stonekeeper by Kazu Kibuishi; in the artist gallery, Karen Haber covers the artwork of the aforementioned Rebecca Guay; in games, Eric T. Baker reviews The Experiment for the PC, Turok for the PC, 360, and PS3, Ninja Gaiden Dragon Sword for the DS, Devil May Cry 4 for Xbox360 and PS3, and Sins of the Solar Empire for the PC; and this issue also includes an article on faerie festivals by Robert Gould.

On to the fiction ...

The lead story this issue is "A Letter to Nancy" by Carrie Vaughn, which marks her sixth appearance in the magazine. In this quirky little tale, a nurse writes letters to on a wounded soldier's non-existent sweetheart on his behalf, and afterward she throws a bottle into the ocean with the letter inside ...and it leads to far more than anyone ever expected. Art to this one was provided by Laurie Harden, which marks her eighteenth illustration in the magazine.

Next up we have "Spiderhorse" by Liz Williams. It marks her tenth appearance in the magazine, and it is the 500th story to be published in the magazine. In this piece, a dead woman rides Sleipnir, the eight-legged horse--or Spiderhorse--in the Wild Hunt. She captures the attentions of Wotan, who impregnates our narrator, and come the story's end she has been carrying the child seventeen years with the birth drawing near. This story was selected for inclusion in Year's Best Science Fiction and Fantasy 2009 Edition, edited by Jonathan Strahan. Art was provided by Huan Tran, which marks his second illustration in the magazine.

After this we have "The Restroom Murders" by Peni R. Griffin, which marks her eighth illustration in the magazine. In this piece, rumor takes on a life of its own when temps at a bank make up stories about a ghost, and people's repressed emotions make the ghost a reality as it starts haunting the bank as a poltergeist. Art to this one was provided by Tony Shasteen, which marks his fifth illustration in the magazine.

Then we have "Daughter of Botu" by Eugie Foster, which marks her fourth appearance in the magazine. In this piece that delves into Chinese mythology, a rabbit becomes a human woman who ends of marrying and experiencing love. All the while, she must contend with her husband's stepmother, who like the protagonist herself is far more than she seems. A podcast of this story appeared on the 7/29/09 edition of PodCastle. Art to this one was provided by Jada Fitch, which marks her second illustration in the magazine.

Following this we have "Light of a Thousand Suns" by James Van Pelt, which marks his seventh appearance in the magazine. In this chilling tale, a security guard beset who has experienced nuclear nightmares stumbles upon a secret group that sacrifices willing victims in order to prevent a nuclear holocaust. Art to this one was provided by Dale Rutter.

Our penultimate tale is "Someone Desperately Needed to be Neil Gaiman" by Way Jeng, which marks his fourth appearance in the magazine. In this heartwarming tale, a father makes his best attempt to write a novel that seems like it was written by Neil Gaiman, all to satisfy his young daughter, who loves Neil Gaiman stories. Art to this one was provided by Natalie Pierandrei.

Last but not least we have "Our to Fight For" by Jim C. Hines, which marks his third appearance in the magazine. In this piece, elves are at war with men in the modern world and the Ku Klux Klan wields magic. Racism is explored as a confused adolescent wants to join the Klan, but things become further complicated when the Klan commits violence against his elven friend. Art to this one was provided by David Palumbo.

So that wraps up this issue, though with the magazine over and done I'm going to renew an old feature in the retrospectives, i.e. naming my favorite story and my favorite artwork. My favorite story this issue is "Daughter of Botu" by Eugie Foster. And my favorite artwork? Tony Shasteen's illustration to "The Restroom Murders" by Peni R. Griffin.

Next time around I'll dip into the October 2008 issue, which provided readers a glimpse of things to come in the magazine's future. Until then ...

Game of Thones: Season 3, Episode 3: Prediction

Sat, 13 Apr 2013 18:10:29 GMT

I'm batting .500 so far regarding the endings to this season's episodes. I nailed the first one, and just missed on the second one (what I thought what would be the last scene was the second-to-last). Check after the cut to see my prediction to the end of episode three:

Given how episode two ended, I think they're totally setting up Jaime to lose his hand at the end of episode three. We might not see it though--it could be a faded to black kind of deal with Jaime screaming, which would be the cinematic equivalent of how George R. R. Martin ended that chapter in the book. Regardless, Jaime gets maimed is my prediction.

Game of Thrones: Season 3, Episode 2: Quick Thoughts

Mon, 08 Apr 2013 16:41:30 GMT

I came close on my prediction for this episode's ending, but didn't quite get it. Maybe I'll do better next week. Anyway, some quick thoughts on this week's episode (BEWARE OF SPOILERS IF YOU'RE NOT CAUGHT UP ON THE BOOKS):

New characters of note: Meera and Jojen Reed (finally!), Orrell (the warg), Thoros of Myr, Anguy, the Queen of Thorns, and I think it's pretty obvious that the dude overseeing Theon's torture was Ramsay, the Bastard of Bolton. And I'll take a guess that the Bolton man talking to Jaime and Brienne at the very end of the episode is Steelshanks.

Other quick thoughts:

--The Brotherhood without Banners: We'll certainly meet Berric Dondarrion in short order, but I hope we also meet the other members of the group as time goes on, particularly Tom Sevenstreams (total fakeout with Thoros of Myr singing--Tom is the singer), Lem Lemoncloak, and Greenbeard.

--No big surprise that Theon is in this season. They weren't going to make him disappear, not if they decided to keep Rickon around as well. It just wouldn't translate well on the screen after how prominent they've made his character. And it looks like they're following the storyline established by Martin, they're just showing instead of telling it. I expected them to go this route (actually predicted it in a round-table about the upcoming episode) think this could actually be interesting.

--That whole tidbit with Catelyn Stark praying for Jon Snow to survive the pox is NOT in the books ...but I liked it. All it did was enrich Catelyn's character and her stormy relationship with Jon Snow.

--Diana Riggs was very good as the Queen of Thorns, but that scene is just not the same without Butterbumps singing "A Bear and the Maiden Fair."

--So Jaime and Brienne have been captured by Bolton's men instead of Vargo Hoat and the Bloody Mummers? Umm, all right ...but now I'm very curious how they plan to smoothly introduce Hoat and his mercenaries.

--I really like the way they're depicting Maegary's character, and the way she manipulated Joffrey was brilliant.

This season is off to a fairly promising start. I think it's going to be a lot better than season two. That's it for this week.

Game of Thones: Season 3, Episode 2: Tonight's Prediction

Sun, 07 Apr 2013 23:42:46 GMT

Tonight's prediction for the ending to the latest GoT episode (SPOILERS IF YOU DON'T KNOW THE BOOK):

I thought about going with Dany and the Unsullied. But if they want to split book three into two seasons, I feel like this might be rushing Dany's storyline a little bit. So instead I'm going to guess that the Brotherhood without Banners discovers Arya's true identity.

HBO's Game of Thrones: No More Detailed Write-ups

Tue, 02 Apr 2013 18:47:33 GMT

So for the first two seasons of HBO's Game of Thrones, I did these detailed write-ups, comparing and contrasting the episodes to the book, offering observations, etc. But after a lot of thought, I've decided I'm not going to do the write-ups this season. The level of detail and thought I have to put into these write-ups increases exponentially with each season as the story becomes more complex. And while they're kind of fun to write, they're also rather time-consuming. Considering that I'm not receiving financial compensation for putting these together, I feel like that's time that can be better spent working on my fiction writing, my editorial projects, or my RoF Retrospective project (which I plan to renew shortly). There is only so much time in the week, so I'm going to reluctantly retire these write-ups. Thanks to those who expressed their appreciation for my work on the first two seasons.

Now with this said, I do plan to keep one feature intact: I've made it a habit of predicting how each episode will end. I didn't post a prediction here for the first episode of season three, but that's because I was at a friend's place to watch the season premiere. Shortly before the episode premiered, I was reminded that I meant to do this and hastily got a prediction up on my Facebook account so I had something on record. I actually called this one correctly, as I wrote that the episode would end with the return of Ser Barristan Selmy. If you don't follow me on Facebook, you'll have to accept this on blind faith. But it made perfect sense. In the books, Selmy returns toward the end of book two. In the HBO series he was completely absent from season two. Book three has a lot of powerful moments, but not too many early on, so bringing back Selmy at the end of the season premiere was a chance for a nice reveal.

Going forward, I'll try to get in my predictions in a more timely manner. And again, sorry if you're disappointed that I'm discontinuing the write-ups. They're just too time-consuming. I'll spit out some condensed after each episode, but for the foreseeable future the lengthy write-ups are over, alas. But here are my condensed thoughts for episode one:

1) Opening credits: Winterfell burning and the harpy on the city of Astapor were both nice touches

2) Robb being at Harrenhal with Roose Bolton is a sure indication that they're going to continue to expand his storyline as compared to the books. But if they're doing that, give us more Greatjon!

3) New notable characters: Mance Rayder, Tormund Giantsbane, Missandei (though she wasn't named), and did Bronn called one of the Kingsguard Oakenheart? If so, that's the first time he's been mentioned by name.

4) They changed Dany's would-be assassin at the end of the episode. In book two, it's a Sorrowful Man.

And that's it! Brevity is the name of the game going forward!

Realms of Fantasy in Spectrum 19

Tue, 26 Mar 2013 17:19:46 GMT

So I haven't picked up the latest copy of the Spectrum Art series yet (shame on me since it came out in December), but I happened to be in a B&N the other day and noticed Spectrum 19 on the shelves. So I plucked it from the shelf for a look. In the Editorial section, David Leri's illustration to "Wreathed in Wisteria, Draped in Ivy" by Euan Harvey was selected for inclusion. I knew about this selection when it happened, and I wasn't surprised, because if you follow the link you'll see that this piece is utterly gorgeous.

I also had a chance to read and write down what Spectrum editors Cathy & Arnie Fenner had to say about RoF's art in their yearly roundup:

"In our little neighborhood, Realms of Fantasy was the fatality of 2011. Closed, sold, and restarted, it just did not have the steam (or deep pockets) needed to succeed. It did feature a last couple of excellent covers by Brom and Tom Canty though, so they went out on a high note. "

Seems like a fair assessment about why the mag closed. Everyone worked hard, but in the end there wasn't enough momentum (or steam) to keep it going, and yes, there was the whole pockets thing too. Still, I'm reasonably certain that this is the last venue to do coverage of RoF's final year. I'm thrilled to see another piece made it into Spectrum, and that they singled out two of the covers. So in roughly three years of overseeing the magazine's artwork--and only one year that allowed me to work on the full yearly six issues--five pieces of artwork in RoF appeared in the Editorial section in Spectrum, including one that snagged the Silver Award. There were some bumps and learning experiences along the way, but all things considered, I think I can look back and be proud of what I accomplished with the artwork.

The funny thing is that after RoF's closure, I didn't expect to be applying these skills again anytime soon. But then the Oz anthology ended up with interior illustrations, and I (working with John Joseph Adams and in-house editor, David Pomerico) had way more input on the interiors and the cover than I anticipated. I thought our artist, Galen Dara, did a wonderful job, and I was particularly thrilled with the cover. And I think it's fair to say that some of the suggestions that occurred to me were a result of my experiences with the artwork at RoF.

So I'm really glad that I had a chance to apply these skills again. And who knows? Maybe it won't be the last time ...

Story Sale

Tue, 19 Mar 2013 18:54:54 GMT

So I just realized I forgot to announce a story sale from October. Kind of odd to forget, I know, but I made the sale right around the time we went public with Oz Reimagined. In all the excitement of announcing my first book sale, it completely slipped my mind that I never actually announced the story sale, though I've been counting it among my fiction sales when talking about fiction sales in general. It doesn't mean I'm not thrilled about this sale though.

ANYWAY ...

I am pleased to belatedly inform you all that I've sold my sword & sorcery novelette "Queen of Queens" to Weird Tales. This is my third story sale to Weird Tales (all pending), and my second story sale set in the universe of the Fractured Lands (both pending in Weird Tales). This one is a mix of good fun and extreme darkness, and overall it was a blast to write--research involved rereading some of the Fafhrd & Gray Mouser tales by Fritz Leiber, and also reading up on honey and honeybees.

Thanks to T.L. Morganfield, Aliette de Bodard, Christopher Kastensmidt, and Adam Corbin-Fusco for their extremely helpful critiques.

Looking forward to seeing it in print!

Oz Reimagined Goodness

Sat, 16 Mar 2013 05:05:31 GMT

Two tidbits I'd like to share regarding Oz Reimagined:

1) Oz Reimagined is now part of the Kindle Select 25: http://tiny.cc/kyt0tw

2) Oz Reimagined is one of the features "Baker's Dozen" on Panera Bread's Book Club: mypanera.panerabread.com/community/bookclub/ …

My Updated Lunacon Schedule

Fri, 15 Mar 2013 04:35:37 GMT

Looks like the folks at Lunacon have updated the schedule. I'm posting a link to the updated version, as I simply went back and edited the last post. Hopefully this is the last time it undergoes any changes.

My Lunacon Schedule

Thu, 14 Mar 2013 20:24:08 GMT

So it took until the day before the convention is scheduled to start (yes, you read that right), but I finally have my Lunacon schedule:

Nothing for me on Friday, but I'll be around all afternoon and into the evening.

Saturday @ 10:30-11:00 a.m. Author reading in Bartell: I haven't decided which story I'm going to read from yet. Could be one of my forthcoming Weird Tales stories, could be my Alice in Wonderland/steampunk mashup in Fantastic Stories, it could be a WIP. I might do something crazy like bring a selection and put it to the vote. Just to stir things up. We'll see. I have two days to decide.

Saturday @ 12:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. Panel: Game of Thrones: TV vs. Books in Westchester Ballroom A2: Oh, you know I'll have something to say at this one!

Sunday @ 10:00-11:00 a.m. Panel: Memory of WOT in Westchester Ballroom A3: Apparently I'm moderating this one ...even though I didn't request it and don't want to ...I'm kind of stuck now though. I've never moderated a panel in my life. Should be interesting!

Sunday @ 11:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. Autographing session in Westchester Assembly: I'll be happy to autograph your copies of Oz Reimagined, or anything that contains my shorter works. I'll autograph stuff I'm not in too, but I'll also wonder what in the world you're thinking!

Sunday @ 2:00-3:00 p.m. Panel: Oz the Great American Fantasy in Westchester Ballroom A2: I'm sure I'll think of something to say ...somehow. ;)

If you see me at any point, please come say hi! As long as I'm not rushing to a panel or a meeting, I'm happy to chat for a bit.