Just What The Hell Is Wrong With Us?

That's a question Richard K Morgan asked a while back in a rather heated article about backbiting factionalism in Sci-Fi and Fantasy. If you've been reading my posts for a while you've heard me say lovely things about my fellow spec-fic writers. Things are good. I like these people. They like me, it seems. But that may be a new arrival's rosy-eyed view of things.

If you've visited here in the past you may also know that I respect Mr. Morgan as a writer. I dig what he does. I'm interested in what he has to say, and I'm aware that I'll be thinking about his complaints in this essay often as I navigate my upcoming sci-fi/fantasy events (ReaderCon in July and Denvention in August).

Anyway, here's the post if you're interested. Let me know what you think...

Mary Robinette Kowal on NASA and Ball Gowns

The wonderful Jon Armstrong has been kind enough to invite his fellow (yes - he's in the running for this thing, with his debut novel Grey) John W Campbell Award Nominees to do podcast interviews for his show If You're Just Joining Us.

Mary Robinette Kowal was the first up. She talks about Ms Piggy's lack of moving eyelids and an embarrassing exhibition of puppet self-love, among other things. Listen here.

Is this an act of camaraderie, or is Jon trying to find ways to embarrass us publicly?...

I'm not asking that question seriously at all. Jon's clearly a great guy, another one of these individuals that makes you glad to be writing in this loosely inclusive genre.

BEA (Day 1)

Been there. Now I'm back. That's the important thing. (Yeah, I know. I got back a week ago, but here's my effort at a timely post anyway...)

The first day was really just travel and then heading out to the Random House Dinner. Ever gone out to function and realized you might be... um... under dressed? That's not exactly how I felt at the dinner, but it did feel like I was doing catch-up all night, only figuring out how things worked as the evening progressed...

Does this sound strange to you? The "Dinner" is really all about charmingly doing business. Each author has their own table in this super cool posh restaurant that we pretty much own for the night. Each author sits at said table with a hand selected group of editors, reviewers, publicists, book buyers and sellers, etc. You're supposed to hold court, field questions, convince these folks that you're awesome so that they'll do awesome stuff with your books. I guess that makes sense. It's just that nobody had told me ahead of time that that was in store for me!

I can't say if I achieved said goals completely, but I did blather away right through dinner, which seemed to be the right thing to do. The food was fabulous. Really, really good. I've got this thing where I don't usually eat much in situations like that, mostly for fear of ending up with bits of food prominently displayed across my front teeth. But, man, I had to have a feed this time. Stunningly good food.

So what about all these famous people I was supposed to hang out with? Well, it kinda happened. Thing is, once we were all situated at our tables I was caught up in that tight circle. So, while I was in paper airplane throwing distance of Barbara Walters, we didn't exactly have a sit down. I did smile at Mia Kirshner and sort of gawk at Ariana Huffington. (I mean that in the most favorable terms, of course.) Somehow, I managed not to even see Anne Rice or Jim Crace... I did actually shake hands and talk a bit with David Guterson. That was cool. It was some of the folks I didn't know as much of before that made the evening, though. For example...

Amada Boyden. Lovely. Used to be a contortionist and trapeze artist, you know. I don't know what she thinks of me, but I enjoyed our brief interaction. I hung on to the ARC of her new novel, Babylon Rolling, on my plane ride. She's a good writer, and brave. She writes about a very multicultural New Orleans and is willing to cross boundaries (and express an interest in) topics that few white American authors do.

Nick Harkaway – author of the forthcoming (and massively promoted) debut, The Gone-Away World – was great fun to hang out with. He emailed a few days after all this with a story that kept me smiling all day. Just before he left Britain for LA he’d bought a new fantasy novel. He read a few chapters and was enjoying it. When he flew, though, he packed light and decided to leave the book at home – especially considering the heft of the thing. I think he had a good, very busy time at BEA. It must have been quite overwhelming really, being dropped right into the book-pushing whirl of it all, suddenly a vip with the Random House machine behind you. Anyway, we got to spend time together on the Friday night. I liked him straightaway and we had some laughs. Talked all about our books, life in Britain and America, the weirdness of many things. On his return trip to the UK there was a glitch with the plane’s video system. He ended up with hours and hours of flight without anything to watch or much of anything to read. (I would have thought he’d have some free arcs with him, but who knows?) He got to thinking about that fantasy novel he’d left on his bed stand. It taunted him. Made fun of him, etc. He got home, eventually, and picked up the book, read a few more chapters. But only on closing the book and reading the cover did the title and the author’s name ring a bell. Yes, friends, he was reading Acacia by yours truly. Somehow, though, in the swirl of flights and LA and BEA he’d never connected me with the book! I actually understand exactly how this can happen.

You know who was a hoot to hang out with? Julia Glass, author of Three Junes (National Book Award Winner and Today Show Pick), The Whole World Over and the forthcoming I See You Everywhere. We were crossing the street from one bar to another restaurant when she introduced herself to me. I reverently said (yes, goofy things come out of my mouth when confronted with celebrities), "Oh, you're famous..." She forgave me that inauspicious beginning and we had some crack. (Don't gasp! I mean "crack" in the Irish sense of the word - craic - as in good, amusing conversation, a laugh, an easy social interaction. I could have said that in the first place, but good "crack" is what came to mind and describes the exchange. Anyway, don't say I didn't warn you about this word for the next time you head over Ireland...) She's got the coolest green glasses I've ever seen, and as others were dropping from fatigue she seemed content to chat away into the wee hours. (I'm clearly having a British moment, for some reason.)

There were some other great meetings that night. As I said, Nick Harkaway is getting a stellar launch in the UK and likely here as well, but Andrew Davidson, author of The Gargoyle, is one of those guys that's already "an international sensation" before his book has even pubbed. Hey, he was big even before his book was accepted for publication! Check out this article in the NY Magazine, with the title Agent Turns Down $1 Million Offer for First Novel. Geeze... And one of the editors mentioned there, Gerry Howard, in my editor. Apparently, Gerry did buy the book, for a whopping sum. (In case you're wondering - no, I've yet to have to struggle with whether to accept the Million $ book offer. Yet...)

I was reading through his arc, and noted that he'd sold the rights in twenty countries. I said, "Twenty countries, blimey." Andrew shrugged and said, "Actually, it's twenty-seven now." (Or some number higher than twenty. You get the point.) Yep, he's one of the "those guys" that arrives in a flurry of attention and makes jaws drop. I'm curious how this plays out. I liked him, so I'd like his book to do well. And I wish Gerry and Doubleday the best of course - they're my people. But these big deals are notoriously risky. Well see...

Also enjoyed a brief conversation with Nam Le, whose novel The Boat marks his debut. I enjoyed talking to him. I can't say much more than that, though, as my recollection of the evening starts to blur right around here...

I do know that I finished the evening by ordering late night room service and watching Fox News. (I know, I know... It's just this weird thing I do when staying in hotels by myself. Don't ask.) And that's about it, except that before I called it quits I checked my email and found a greeting from none other than John Scalzi, who wanted to meet up on the morrow out on the floor of the conference! Nice.

More on that soon...

The Times - You Mean the London Times?

I know I just posted some UK review news about SFX, but apparently last weekend was a doubleheader... I got an email from my British publicist this morning alerting me to "a rather good review" of Acacia in the Times. It was immediately like, "You mean, THE Times?" The answer, I believe, is "Yes, The Times."

I'm the second half of a review that begins with the latest Arthur C. Clarke novel, Firstborn. Rather heady company. The reviewer says some very nice things, including...

"David Anthony Durham has won acclaim for his historical novels, and brings his knowledge of the past and other cultures to create a rich and compelling world on his first foray into fantasy. His skilful storytelling, depth of characterisation, and an ability to unsettle reader expectations is reminiscent of George R.R. Martin, but his is a distinctive new voice."

Wow. I'm all goose pimply... Here's the whole thing.

Addendum: June 14th. I just realized something that makes me even more chuffed about this review. I was so focused on the London Times side of things that I forgot to pay attention to who the reviewer was. It's Lisa Tuttle, sci-fi/fantasy/horror writer of lots of books! That's cool to me for several reasons. One is that she's an American writer that lives in Scotland. I was once an American writer that lived in Scotland - and I hope to be again eventually. I'd noted that we had that in common a few weeks ago and actually looked her up, making a note to seek her out if we were ever at a convention together. I'd also noted that she was a Campbell Award Winner - something which I don't yet have in common with her but, you know... I think about the pending award thing every now and then. And the third thing - I'd knew that she'd written a book with George RR Martin! The book is Windhaven. It's cool to know that the person comparing me to GRRM actually knows him so well that they've authored a book together.

SFX

The "Earth's Greatest SF and Fantasy Magazine" (that's a quote but I don't doubt it) has given Acacia a rather lovely positive nod. The UK based SFX had nice things to say, including "This could be the arrival of a fantasy classic". But that's not even the best of it...

You can check it out here.

Some WisCon Connections

This is the post when I mention the fellow writers that I got to schmooze with. (I know, the conference is more than a week in the past, but I've been on the road and/or moving house since then. I'm behind. Here's an attempt to be a little less so.) I don’t mind admitting that this is a pretty big part/benefit to going to cons – making connections. I can't possibly manage to recall and mention everyone I spoke to at WisCon. As ever with these things, one does meet a lot of people. So, with no desire to slight anyone, I'll just mention a few folks that I had some in depth time with, especially those to whom I can point you in the direction of their work.

Let me begin with the Bearded One... Yes, once again I got spend time with Patrick Rothfuss! We’ve hung out of several occasions. Always a pleasure. I’d said in a previous post that I’d try to get Pat to pay for a drink. Considering that he’s a NY Times bestselling author now, one assumes he can afford it. But, yet again, he seemed completely oblivious to the process of paying the bill. I – perhaps being too aware of such things – jumped on it and, once again, the credit card flashed and swooped and that was that. Next time, though. Next time I’m gonna hold out…

On that note, I owe one to Ekaterina Sedia. I haven’t forgotten that, Kathy, and I’ll make it up next time.

Knowing that I was going to be on a panel recommending writers of color, I got my butt in gear (mostly) and read a few of the titles I’d had on my shelves. One of them that I really liked was The Shadow Speaker by Nnedi Okorafor-mbachu. I’ve mentioned Nnedi before, but I hadn’t dove in completely until recently. She’s really good. What she does, in some ways, is simple. She wrote a futuristic coming of age story in a world where national boundaries have collapsed, where many technologies have been lost and others developed, where environmental degradations and years of global war have reshaped nation states… Sound familiar? Okay, but The Shadow Speaker is set in West Africa. It’s about Africans! Amazingly, Africans are a part of the future too! And I don’t mean as computer geeks or medical officers in a future still predominantly white. In this case the novel is just about Africans, in Africa, infused with African folklore and religion and customs. It’s a novel of a brown segment of the earth’s future. Oh, and it’s well written, smart, fast paced and thoughtful on a variety of levels. Nnedi rocks, and I was happy to be able to tell her so in person. I also understand she has an adult themed novel completed. Perhaps we’ll see that before too long.

Meeting Tobias Buckell was a great treat, too. It was especially cool because just hours before meeting him I'd been ripping through his first novel, Crystal Rain, loving it. What do I like about it? Well, it's fast, smart, slick and well-written. You're dropped into the action straight away, and he manages to develop a rather complicated world while still keeping his foot on the gas. And... it's about a future on a planet settled by descendants of Caribbean and Aztec cultures. Cool. He followed it with Ragamuffin and a third, Sly Mongoose, is coming out soon. Check him out if you haven't already. I knew he had good taste - since he liked Acacia - but now I also know he's a skilled writer himself. Tells a good yarn, too. I mean a sitting over coffee type of yarn.

Mary Robinette Kowal is very cool also. She’s in the running for a Campbell Award – so we’re competitors of sorts – but I ended up feeling that was a point of camaraderie instead of competition. Wish we’d talked longer, and I plan to at Denvention! Not only is she a first rate writer, she's a puppeteer...



It was great talking with Alaya Dawn Johnson again. It was a treat when Elizabeth Bear made a point of introducing herself, and it was good catching up with Debbie Smith also (yeah Stonecoast!). Ah… it was fun in lots of ways. If you were there or have heard other folks write about it, you probably know there was a major stomach flu going around. It was ugly. I didn't want to mention it before because I was fully focussed on beating it back so that it wouldn't spoil my BEA trip. I'm glad to finally say that I managed that. Phew.

Soon I'll write up something about BEA. For the moment, though, I'm off to shift books and boxes and various other things... And then jump in the pool...

A Little About WisCon

Actually, the thing I wanted to mention most about WisCon is that I reconnected with some people and met some others - authors in particular - that I'm thrilled about. I'll mention that in another post.

I was a little thrown off that course, though, because I clicked over to see if the Angry Black Woman had posted about it. I knew she would. I knew she was there, and I had the pleasure of hanging out with her on a couple of occasions. She's been a great advocate for Acacia - even as she's always pushing me to become more properly a feminist writer. Thing is, what I found at her blog was a post called "What Rachel Moss Did". It's about another blogger that attending the con and chose to post - very negatively - about the event, the panels, and about many of the people that went to it. Yikes. You can check out ABW's post here, which references the original in depth. Claire Light has also written about it at her blog, SeeLight.

I don't even know where to start with addressing that and the response it's going to get in the days to come. My inclination regarding the scene at WisCon is to not say too much, not judge too harshly, and certainly not to belittle. It is a crowd unlike that at any other con. Many of the people that choose to go to WisCon do so because they're connecting with a network of people that share a complex variety of perspectives - and we're not talking mainstream perspectives. There were, in fact, many panels and many discourses going on that I really couldn't add to. I heard lots of things said that I didn't particularly agree with. And I heard lots of things that I just couldn't get purchase on. And I heard lots of things that added new insights to other people's perspectives. Although some of the discussions were hostile to a lot of things that I am - a heterosexual male that does have a lot of privileges - I never felt that I wasn't welcome. Just the contrary, many of the groups so passionate about the difficulties facing them do want allies. They just want many of those allies to be willing to shut up and listen a bit, because privilege does not equal wisdom.

I dig that, and instead of responding with public approval or disapproval, humor or malice or even complete praise I'm going to let some of it sink in. No doubt I'm better off for having gone to WisCon. I may not have sold a ton of books, but I'm a little less ignorant about a lot of things. That's what I'm taking away from it.

Salman Rushdie

You know, I bought The Satanic Verses back in the late 80's when it came out. Never read it, but there was a poster campaign at Johns Hopkins - where I was taking some classes - and it seemed to have a high cool factor. Don't know why I never read it, though. Nor am I quite sure why I haven't read him since then, either. I think I thought of him as kinda cranky or something, and got jealous that he hung out with U2 and dated models...

But that might have just changed. I heard a rather engaging interview with him last night on NPR. He was talking about his new novel, The Enchantress of Florence. He was light and witty and smart, and generally an old pro at the interview thing. He managed in eight minutes to convince me to give him and this new book a try. I may do that.

Here's the interview.

Heading to Wiscon

Just a brief message as I'm packing up, taking care of loose ends, etc...

I had a great day yesterday in San Francisco. I got to meet my new French publicist at . She was very cool and hip and French - all good things. She also has been lurking here on the blog, so "Hi, Carola!" if you are reading this. I took the whole family and she came with her son, so all told it was a family/business/sightseeing day all in one, complete with sea lions and cable car rides. Nice.

Without really having caught my breath, I'm heading to Wiscon tomorrow morning - dreadfully early in the am, of course. I've never been, but I've heard many, many good things about this con. I'll be reading, on a panel, and signing books (hopefully). If you happen to be there in Madison for the event please say hi!

Here's their site with all the info.

I Know A Cat That's Rocking the NY Bestseller List - But What Does That Actually Mean?...

I've been chatting with Patrick Rothfuss for about a year now. I dropped him an email after The Agony Column reviewed both our books way back in spring 2007. We've corresponded ever since, and got to hang out on a few occasions - World Fantasy, Fantasy Matters Conference. He's a great guy. He wrote a rocking book, The Name of the Wind, and it's sold really nicely as a hardback. And now it's a NY Times Bestseller in mass market paperback! For a while he was in the teens of the list, but a couple weeks back he cracked the top ten. Yowsers.

He's too nice a guy to hate on, so I can say that I am honestly happy he's done so well. It does make me wonder, though... Hmm... So how many books did Pat sell last week? I mean, really, what does it mean to make number ten on the Time's list? Think this question could be easily answered? Think again. It seems like there are so many factors that go into it that it's near impossible to come up with an answer - and it seems like the publishers of the list themselves aren't offering any hard numbers either. I do remember that when I lived in the UK the Guardian published a bestseller list that included copies sold that week. Now that was informative, but I've seen nothing like it over here.

And I'm not alone. Seems like authors, bloggers, editors all share in common the inability to find hard figures - or accurate ones. A few links as examples...

Tess Gerritsen had some thoughts on it.

And Slate had a rather more complex article on the subject.

Gawker had some thoughts... Well, mostly questions, actually, on how the Times comes up with it's titles.

Midwest Book Review has a few other things to say.

Here's one from the New York Sun.

Here's a NY Times article about Curtis Sittenfeld's Prep - mostly included because my Editor in Chief chimes in with some thoughts.

By the time you're finished reading all these you'll probably conclude that you've learned nearly nothing. Sounds like there are some pretty questionable methods employed - at least if you're thinking of any one list as definitive. With that in mind, I said, "Okay, lemme take a look at Publishers Weekly's bestseller list for the same week. That's another national publication. They likely pull from similar sources. I wonder how Pat's doing over there?"

Well, here's how he's doing - take a look.

Okay, you're back? Good. So if you are you noticed that The Name of the Wind wasn't anywhere to be seen on the PW list. I don't doubt that he's sold many units, so why isn't he in a comparable place on this other list? The lists don't even look much like each other... The Times #1 is PW's #6. Their #2 is PW's #7. Their #3 is #13. On the other hand, PW's #1 is the Times #5. PW's #2 is the Times #... Uh, well, actually it's not there at all. Nor does PW's #3 or #5 make appearances on the Time's list. Or something like that...

Why can't anyone give a straight answer on this? That's kinda a rhetorical question. I know why - because it's a funky, complicated business in which it's impossible to measure all units sold and - for that matter - hard to know when you can actually really call a unit sold even when you can track it. I've been asked quite often how a particular book has sold, and people seem surprised (or incredulous) by my claims that it's really hard to know. But it's the truth. I could tell you how many copies my publisher shipped out to bookstores, but that wouldn't mean a thing. (Any bookstore that orders a book can send it back.) A book - for royalty purposes - isn't really sold when a person walks out of the store with it. (Remember that anyone that buys a book can return it - and then the store can return it...)

It seems to me, from combing through several years of royalty statements, that a sale really only becomes a sale when the publisher is confident the book can't be returned to them anymore. That may seem weird, but if they didn't do it that way the publisher could find themselves paying an author royalties that they later discover the author never earned - once the returns roll back in. So, it's complicated in the long run, not to mention in the quick turn-around of ascertaining a weekly bestseller list.

What is concrete about all this? Pat has sold a lot of books. That's clear. He's sold a lot more books because he was on the list. And he will sell more books because of it for a long time, since he now bears NY Times bestselling author tattooed on his forehead. I have no such tattoo. I thought about putting "Briefly made the BookSense Extended Bestseller List" on mine, but it doesn't quite have the same effect. I've been known to say, "One week I sold more copies than any one JK Rowling title in Chile!", but people just look at me funny when I do that. I can also proudly declare that, "I'm big in Sweden!" That's pretty cool, admittedly, but if I told you how many copies I sold (maybe) over there it might take the shine off... Anyway, I'm rambling.

I do know this, though: if I see Pat at WisCon next week I'll not say no if he offers to pay for the coffee...

A Question And An Answer

Here's a question it might be nice to get asked by an interviewer at some point...

I was astounded to find that you've sold over 12,000,000 copies world-wide of the Sharpe Series, which is just a fraction of your catalog. Furthermore, the Boston Globe recently stated that you were perhaps 'the greatest writer of historical novels today." Are you a success by your own standard?

And here's the type of answer it would be nice to be able to give...

I'm a success inasmuch that I enjoy my life, which is an enormous blessing and that doesn't depend on commercial success (though I wouldn't be such a fool as to deny that it helps). What I mean by that is that the point of life, as I see it, is not to write books or scale mountains or sail oceans, but to achieve happiness, and preferably an unselfish happiness. It just so happens that I write books, and I'm amazingly lucky that the books sell well all across the world, but even the biggest financial success will not compensate for an ill-lived life. I'm fortunate that the books sell, but even more fortunate to live in Chatham, to be very happily married and to have, on the whole, a fairly clear conscience...

I want some of that.

The writer speaking is Bernard Cornwell, the historical novelist with about 50 books to his name at this point. I don't know exactly why I came across this interview, but that answer really struck me and I thought I'd share it. If you're interested in the rest of the interview you can check it out here. It's not new or anything, and it's actually done by a local website for the town he lives in. Interesting nonetheless.

Black Man Wins Arthur C. Clarke Award!

Oh, wait... Don't get the wrong idea. I don't mean a black man, as in a black author or anything. I just mean the novel Black Man, by Richard Morgan (who is not a black man), which was the novel Thirteen by Richard K. Morgan (not a black man over here either) in the US. It certainly would be cool if a black man (or woman) did win the Clarke Award, but I'm getting off topic...

Here's the Clarke Website Announcement.

Now, I know Richard Morgan isn't everyone's cup of tea, and I know this novel got a mixed reaction in the UK. I can say that I enjoyed it, though, that it was one of my science fiction reading highlights from last year. It's a solid book, sharply written, plenty of action and sex but with a good deal of thought mixed in there too.

Here's what Publishers Weekly had to say in a Starred Review.

This stellar new stand-alone from Morgan, known for his compelling future noir thrillers (Altered Carbon, etc.), raises tantalizing questions about the nature of humanity. Future governments have used genetic manipulation to create subhumans twisted to fit specialized tasks. Normal people are intrigued as well as repulsed, but they instinctively dread variation thirteen, an aggressive, ruthless throwback to a time before civilization. When a thirteen escapes from exile on Mars and apparently goes on an insane killing spree, Carl Marsalis, a soul-weary freelance thirteen hit man, is hired to help track him down. Morgan goes beyond the SF cliché of the genetically enhanced superman to examine how personality is shaped by nature and experience. Marsalis is more empathetic than the normal people around him, but they can see him only as an untrustworthy killer. At the same time, surveying corrupt, fractured normal society, the novel questions whether the thirteens are just less successful at hiding their motives. Without slowing down the headlong rush of the action, the complex, looping plot suggests that all people may be less—or more—than they seem.

Sounds good, and it is. I'm pleased that he won. Here's his Website, if you're interested.

Taos ToolBox

A friend of mine asked me to let folks know that there are still some slots left at the Taos ToolBox workshop this summer. I haven't had personal experience with this program myself, but for aspiring fantasy writers out there it looks pretty sweet. It's a "two-week Master Class in Science Fiction and Fantasy, June 8-21, 2008, taught by Walter Jon Williams, Kelly Link and special lecturer Stephen R Donaldson." Nice.

I know Kelly Link personally. She's great, and her work is super smart and funny and engaging. Stephen R Donaldson I'd like to meet one day, as the first Thomas Covenant series holds a prominent place in my early reading life. And Walter Jon Williams has published so many books that he must be able to tell others how to do it too! (Okay, that's me being overly optimistic about the process, but you know what I mean. This is a good group of authors to study with.) Here's how they describe it...

Taos Toolbox will be a "graduate" workshop designed to bring your science fiction and fantasy writing to the next level. If you've sold a few stories and then stalled out, or if you've been to Clarion or Odyssey and want to re-connect with the workshop community, this is the workshop for you!

If you're interested check out their website: Taos ToolBox.

1,000 True Fans?

A friend on my Forum mentioned this post to me (which I think he saw because of a Scalzi connection). It's on the 1,000 True Fans Theory - Kevin Kelly - The Technium.

So, 1,000, huh? Is that daunting or encouraging? Whadda ya think?

Orphaned Works Madness?

Recently, a student in my MFA program posted a link to our listserve concerning "Orphaned Works" legislation that's allegedly before Congress. The article she linked to was at Animation World Magazine, called "Mind Your Business: You Will Lose All The Rights to Your Own Art" by Mark Simon. I clicked over and read it, but quickly felt my suspicions rising...

The stuff he was claiming was about to happen was so absurd I couldn't imagine anyone reasonably thinking such legislation could become law. There's also the fact that he's so intent on scaring people, never states basic information like the Bill # and uses CAPS SO THAT YOU KNOW HE'S SERIOUS! I didn't get through the whole thing, but just thought it was strange. Totally frightening if it was true, but...

Fortunately, another student mentioned a follow up post, "Six Misconceptions About Orphaned Works", by Meredith L. Patterson on Radio Free Meredith. Now this one made some sense. She's a lucid writer that seems to stick to the details more than the hyperbole. I found it interesting, and reasonably comforting, actually. (Like, for example, this legislation doesn't really seem to be before Congress at the moment, much less in imminent danger of passing.) Clearly, this copyright stuff is an issue that artists have to be concerned about, but not in the frantic way that Mr. Simon was encouraging.

Anyway, poking through these articles and the comments managed to swallow an hour or so of my time. Just thought I'd share that with you...

The Webmaster

I'm pleased to mention that webmaster Shawn Speakman just updated my website. It's not like anything was really changed in terms of style or formatting, but he added new content to catch up with the months since the site was created! It's a much appreciated bit of work, and I thought I'd mention it. Shawn's good at this stuff. He writes, too, as he details on his WEBSITE.

Pat's ACACIA Giveaway

So here I was all proud of myself for offering up one signed edition of Acacia in a giveaway... (Nice of me, huh?)

Well, Transworld is being nicer. (Although they can't sign their copies.) They've set up a giveaway deal at Pat's Fantasy Hotlist. They're offering up five copies of the UK version of Acacia, which is pubbing in May. If you're interested, click over to Pat's and sign up!

Pat's Acacia Giveaway!

Oscar Wao

Just finished The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao. Really enjoyed it. Mr. Diaz doesn't need me to recommend him, of course. He's done very nicely for himself. This one walked away with the National Book Critics Circle Award, and was on tons of other top lists as well. (I wouldn't be surprised if we see his name linked to another award also...) I was a fan of his earlier collection of short stories, Drown. I've actually taught from it quite a bit, with an emphasis on his use of voice.

There's plenty of voice at play in Oscar Wao as well. Diaz's narrator is irreverent, profane, funny, over-sexed, learned, confessional, both a character in the book and overtly the writer of it. Diaz bends a lot of narrative rules here, but it works.

Partially, it works because he never looses sight of his characters and the power of their stories. Oscar Wao - fat, geeky, sci-fi/fantasy loving weirdo virgin at the center of this - is really just one character of importance. Diaz layers in the family history - particularly of the women - in a way that adds depth and complexity and unfolding surprises throughout.

It also works because of the historical/cultural setting that is so much a part of what this novel is about. What do you know about the Dominican Republic? Not much, huh? Do you know your fukú? Heard about President Rafael Leónidas Trujillo? Maybe a little? Well, reading this book provides a quick, subversive jaunt through that crazy time in a nation not really so far away from the Ole USA - a history we influenced in various unsavory ways.

And it works because... well, did I mention sci-fi and fantasy? Big part of this book. It often takes the form of asides that compare and contrast key moments with characters from genre classics like The Lord of the Rings and role playing games like and Dungeons and Dragons and Gamma World. It's clear the Diaz knows his stuff, and I'm happy to see what must have been early influences on him emerge in his writing. Will he ever really take the plunge and write sci-fi/fantasy - as opposed to just referencing sci-fi/fantasy? My guess is that's unlikely. A bit risky, you know...

Here's what the NY Times had to say.

And the Washington Post.

Here's a Bookslut interview with the author.

I came across this YouTube video also. It's long, but if you want to hear the guy talk a bit take a listen...

AudioFile Earphones Award

I just learned that the Audio version of Acacia has received a little love from Audiofile Magazine, in the shape of an Earphones Award. This isn't really an award for me (although I'm happy to have a little slice of it). It's one that goes to Dick Hill, the Golden Voiced narrator that brought it to life. Here's the snibbet I received on it:

ACACIA: Book One: The War With the Mein
David Anthony Durham
Read by Dick Hill

Written by noted historical fiction author David Anthony Durham (PRIDE OF CARTHAGE), this epic fantasy is rich with cultural detail. Against the backdrop of an imaginary world, the author explores the things that divide humanity, like race, language, culture, and religion. The story contains assassins and kings and children who grow up trying to make sense of it all. Dick Hill turns in a magnificent performance of this long novel, creating subtle yet distinct differences in the dialects of different peoples. The fluidity with which he is able to switch between these dialects is striking, and a perfectly timed sigh or pause further heightens the believability of the characters. S.D.D. ••• © AudioFile 2008

Congratulations Mr. Hill! (He's heard those words many time, of course, and he'll hear them many more, I'm sure.) If anyone out there wants to have a listen, think about requesting it from your library. Many of them will have it, but also many of them will buy it if you ask...

John W. Campbell Award for Best New Science Fiction Writer!

This year's list of finalists is out, and it includes me! Here's the gang...

Joe Abercrombie (2nd year of eligibility)
Jon Armstrong (1st year of eligibility)
David Anthony Durham (1st year of eligibility)
David Louis Edelman (2nd year of eligibility)
Mary Robinette Kowal (2nd year of eligibility)
Scott Lynch (2nd year of eligibility)

Just so you know, the Campbell is an award for the best new writer whose first work of science fiction or fantasy appeared during 2006 or 2007 in a professional publication. It's sponsored by Dell Magazines, but sort of managed and voted on along with the Hugo Awards. It's named after a prominent science fiction writer and editor of Astounding Science Fiction. He was a major figure in the "Golden Age" of Science Fiction, and he was a quirky character that seems to have riled some people with his opinions on several things. You can check his Wiki page for more information.

For my part, I'm thrilled by the nomination. I think it's quite a testament to the award and to science fiction readers that it's there to welcome such a broad range of writers into the community. (Click here for past winners.) I've got nothing but love for my fellow nominees - so check them out too, if you haven't already. Honestly. Winning would be great, but the nomination is reward enough...

Do you know what this means to me? It wasn't easy to shift from a pretty solid career as an historical novelist to try to break into another genre, seeking a largely new readership. It was risky - my agent and editors made that clear - and I didn't at all assume that I could just breeze in. So far, though, the reception has been terrific. And this award nomination makes me feel welcomed, part of the gang, and even invited to stay for a while. I love that. And, thank you, I will stay for a while. Maybe a long while.

The award winners will be announced at Denvention 3 this summer. Will I be there? You bet.

Oh, and I should mention that the entire Hugo Ballot has also been announced. Check it out here.

Pride of Carthage, Russian Style

What's that cover to the left, you ask? Believe it or not, it's the Russian edition of Pride of Carthage! I've just "discovered" it, after a good deal of searching.

I know, why do I need to discover it or search for it? I'm the author, right? I should be getting care-packages directly from Moscow, yes? It doesn't really go that way, though.

My Russian publiser, Eksmo, bought the book years ago, but I never really knew what happened with it. Doubleday got paid. They paid a bit less to ICM. ICM paid bit less to me. (THAT'S the way it goes.) And that's about it. Every now and then I'd do a Google search, but I could never find a sign of it. Until now...

The crazy thing is that I can barely tell it's mine. Seems like my name, in Russian, is Дэвид Энтони Дарем. And Pride of Carthage is Гордость Карфагена. Now, can you see why I had trouble tracking it down? (Oh, that and the fact that I'd been spelling their name wrong for the last two years...)

Here's a site that has it.

And here's another one.

The Terror

So here's a heartfelt, but qualified recommendation. I'll get to the heartfelt part later, but first the qualifications...

There are many reasons to read Dan Simmons' The Terror. Many. But don't - please, just don't - read it if you can't deal with multiple point of view characters. Don't read it if you have a problem with long books. Don't read it if you think historical novels have to follow some literal version of the truth. Don't read it if your such a buff on Sir John Franklin's last expedition that you're only looking to find fault in a novelist's version. And don't read it if you can't stomach scurvy, murder, amputations, cannibalism, and generally watching white guys flail...

And it's not that I look down on you if those things don't work for you in fiction. Honestly, I don't for a minute think that my wife would like this book. She gets my utmost respect, but the descriptions of scurvy alone would do her in. So, I'm just saying, if this book ain't for you it ain't for you...

Okay. If you're still here... The Terror is an amazing book. As a writer of historical fiction, I know exactly how complex and difficult it is to render historical material credibly. Simmons does that. Early on I forget that I'm reading an American author at all. His predominantly British characters are completely credible, rendered in a variety of formats, intimate third person, journal entries, omniscient and even fairly mystical moments.

This is, ostensibly, the tale of Franklin's 1840s expedition and its doomed search for the Northwest Passage. But Simmons doesn't let the sparsity of real historical detail - the fact that the expedition's two ships disappeared with very few signs of what might have happened to the crew - get in the way of his imagined history. Nor does he limit it to straight historical fiction.

Right from the start we are told of a "thing on the ice" that is tormenting the trapped ships. It's hard to know what it is exactly, but the wondering and speculating is part of what makes the novel so engaging.

No doubt, it is a long haul at 784 pages, but I'm not one to throw stones at large books. For me, this novel is a remarkable bit of detailed, nuanced historical fiction. It's also a work of Gothic horror. I'd argue that it's ultimately more mystical than horrific, but in order for that to make any sense you'd have to read it to the end. By the way, I rather liked the end. I won't say a thing about it, other than to note that I, for one, did not feel let down by how it all played out.

Okay, enough from me. I liked the book. If you want some other opinions there are many out there, including these...

Here's the New York Times Review.

Here's the Washington Post Review.

Here's the Agony Column Review.

About the Agents

A few people have emailed me privately to ask about how I got my agent. After answering a few times it occurred to me I could post about it here, and maybe answer the question for a few other folks that never got around the asking me about it. I am very happy with my agent, and happy to acknowledge the somewhat rocky road that led to that state of bliss...

I got my first agent (yes, this story features more than one) in the mid-90's, while I was a grad student. I attended a Washington Writer's Conference. There was a panel of agents, which I listened to with keen interest. After the panel, there was a session where you could meet the agents. I went up to two of them, presented myself, talked about my work, and - when they made polite noises of interest - I pulled out copies of my first novel manuscript. Both of them went home with it. One of them turned me down. One of the asked to sign me. So Marie Brown became my first agent.

Marie is a lovely person, with a long history as an agent. In particular, she specializes in work by African-Americans. That was appropriate for me because I am an African American and my first novel, Cicada, was a contemporary novel about an African-American family. Under Marie's wing I got a warm introduction to... well, to rejection letters. Yep. Rejection letters. Lots of them. Usually polite, but always rejections. I wrote a second novel, August Fury, that Marie also kinda represented. It was also contemporary and African-American, and likewise it never got anywhere. Didn't even make it as far as racking up rejection letters, really.

So... Time passes. I revise. I get rejected. I revise some more, get rejected some more. So it goes. By the way, I also lived and loved through all this. I paddled a lot of whitewater as a kayaker and raft guide, and I traveled in Latin America, the Caribbean, and in Europe. Met my wife in Scotland, got married, got pregnant... So life went on, as did the rejections.

Eventually, though, the leads Marie was working dried up. We went our separate ways. Time to give up? Nah, forget about it! I was a writer; the world just didn't know it yet! I began to work on an entirely new novel. What I ended up with was Gabriel's Story. I was still writing about black families, but this time I set it in the Old West, and shot it through with a good bit of drama, violence, movement. I was able to send it directly to a young editor at Doubleday, Debbie Cowell, who had liked my earlier novels. Actually, she had worked for Marie before moving to Doubleday, so she'd been an advocate for a few years already.

Anyway, I sent it straight to her. I knew she liked it, but she was going to have to convince the powers that be at Doubleday to agree - and they'd already turned down my earlier efforts more than once.

While they deliberated, Debbie suggested I look into getting a new agent. She put me in touch with one, actually, a guy that had placed a very, very (I mean very) successful book with Doubleday. (I'm not gonna say who, by the way, but believe me...) They had a great relationship, and they were making loads of money. I was thrilled. This is awesome, right? Here I'm getting an intro to a successful agent, and it's coming from a prospective publisher that has a great history with that agency. This guy calls me, chats, sounds great, and he says he'll read the book and get back to me.

Time passes. Deliberation continues. Agent-guy doesn't call. Eventually, I called him. What's up? Doubleday may make an offer any day now. Are you going to represent the novel if/when they do? Agent-guy says... "Ah, well... No. I'm got going to. I've thought about, and I see some problems with the novel that aren't easily fixable. I'm not confident Doubleday is going to buy it, and if they don't I'm not sure who would. So, sorry, but no."

Talk about ways to make a guy miserable. In the front of mind I thought his explanation of what wasn't working in the book was vague and silly and kind of a load of crap, but still, what if he was right? What if he knew stuff I didn't? What if Doubleday was going to say no yet again, and what if even my third finished novel wasn't going to see the light of day? What if I was actually going to have to keep my job selling Brit-pop at the Virgin Megastore? I did have a month old baby to support...

Okay, I won't wallow. Fast forward to the next week. Debbie calls me, Doubleday has finally had that big acquisitions meeting. They want to buy my book! (One week it's all misery; next week it's all joy - just like that.) Actually, they want to buy it and my next book. They lay down an offer, the terms, the money involved, and I - giddy, of course - agree to everything. (Not, by the way, a strategy I suggest.) Once that's done, then Doubleday suggests that I really might want to get an agent now.

They had a think on it, and connected me with Sloan Harris at International Creative Management. I couldn't have known it at the time, but Sloan was (and is) a guy on his way up. He's co-head of publications for ICM now, as described in this Variety Article. (Not bad for a guy that started in their mail room.) All I knew was that he read my book fast and called me with all the right kind of enthusiasm. He talked about the many things yet to come, and talked about the things I should think about long term. I suppose I could have looked into others, but I was sold. I knew of ICM as the agency of Cormac McCarthy and Toni Morrison and many more. If ICM is good enough for them... I signed on the dotted line again, and I've never regretted it.

You might ask, "Why get an agent when you'd already sold the book?" Answer: every reason in the world. Just selling a book - although a huge step - is only the beginning. It's like qualifying for the race, making the team, entering the game, etc. But there's so much to do thereafter that I can't imagine trying to navigate it all without a professional advocate.

ICM has a website, but before you rush off to contact them you should know that there's not much there other than a few addresses and a few contact emails. Not much. Nothing saying "Submit Here" or "Give Us A Call"! ICM is not really that type of company. While I'm talking them up, I'm not suggesting you start packing up your manuscript and call FedEx. Could I have landed Mr. Harris with a query letter before getting the offer? Nope. Not a chance. Actually, about the most detailed bit of information they have on the website is their "Unsolicited Submissions Policy". That goes as follows:

ICM has a policy that neither it nor any of its agents or other employees shall accept or consider any unsolicited material, ideas or suggestions of any nature whatsoever ("Unsolicited Materials"). Accordingly, you may not use this website or information obtained there from to submit Unsolicited Materials to ICM via any means (including, without limitation, via mail, fax or e-mail). Should you nevertheless contravene this express prohibition by sending Unsolicited Materials to ICM, please be advised that the Unsolicited Materials will not be considered by anyone at ICM, and if possible they will be returned to you with no copies kept. Unsolicited Materials will not be forwarded to or discussed with any third parties.

Ouch. That's not very friendly. What's up with these people? Well, what's up, I'd say, is that ICM is a very, very established agency. They have such an incredible client list that they won't even tell you who is on it. Snobby? Maybe, but I prefer to think that they've reached a position in the industry where they can be very selective. They just got it like that. They can find the clients they need through recommendations from existing clients, other agents, editors, etc. I couldn't have written to Sloan on my own, but with the Editor and Chief of Doubleday there to connect us, Sloan jumped on board with all the professional enthusiasm I could have asked for. I'm very pleased to have this particular agent and this giant company to look out for me, but I also know many authors that love being with smaller agencies. Both can advocate for you wonderfully - if the fit is right.

That's about my only piece of agent hunting advice - know that the fit really needs to be right, and know that that doesn't always happen quickly. My first agent might have succeeded with those early books, but if she had you might not be reading my blog now. I might not be here in the capacity that I am, or she might not have been the right fit as my interests diversified. And if that other unnamed agent had signed me just because of Doubleday's recommendation (without really believing in the book), what would it mean to be with a guy that didn't personally feel the material was publishable? Naw, I like the way things worked out, and can see now that the ups and downs were all formative in the right ways.

Oh, one last thing... Gabriel's Story was a bit more than just a publishable novel. Right from the start the reviews for it were great (three stars before publication, for example). It ended up being a NY Times Notable Book, on other best of the year lists, and won several national awards. It's been in film development for several years now, and just might make it to the big screen one day. It was a success in many ways. And it was the introduction of a writer that's done pretty well since...

So why didn't that agent see the potential? He claimed later - as I understand it - that he hadn't actually read the book. One of his readers did. It was that person that wasn't impressed. Maybe that's true. If so it was a mistake. Does this agent know that? Sure, he does. I happen to know that somebody made sure he got sent a copy of every positive review I received for a while thereafter...

Mini Essay at the Angry Black Woman

ABW asked me to write an essay as a visiting author on her blog. I did. She's just posted it. You can read it HERE.

And, don't worry, she's not really as homicidal as she looks here. For example, she calls me "one of the sweetest guys EVER". That, in itself, is a sweet thing to say. (Don't get me wrong. She does have a temper, but generally when the Tempest rages she's got good reason for it.)

Listen to George... You Know You Should!

George RR Martin has put up a string of Live Journal posts about voting for the Hugos. Today he did one encouraging people to vote for the John W Campbell Award, and - can you believe it? - he mentions me again! He writes...

"We have an especially strong crop of new young fantasists coming up of late, including Joe Abercrombie, David Anthony Durham, and Scott Lynch..."


That, friends, is the third time the man himself has mentioned me in writing. Hehe...

Oh, the post is here!

Visions of Nothing Obligatory

Just a couple of Acacia-related links that popped up this morning...

Visions of Paradise has taken that Locus "Books on Most Best of the Year Lists" a bit further. Looks like adamosf checked twenty different best lists. That's quite a bit more than Locus, although he doesn't say which ones. He has Acacia getting 9 mentions, putting me in fifth place behind Brasyl (16), The Name of the Wind (13), Thirteen (11) and