In early 2018, the writing team of Lee and Miller “threw away” the first 70,000 words of a Liaden novel. They weren’t bad words; merely, they weren’t the right words. The book that rose from the ashes of this failed draft, Accepting the Lance, was published by Baen Books. Some of the 70,000 words of failed draft found their way into that novel, but about 44,000–didn’t. They were still perfectly good words; strung together, they presented an interesting story, and an amusing look at what not to do when writing a direct sequel in a long-running-series. Lee and Miller decided to make these words available to their readers.
The Wrong Lance, as the failed draft was titled, was originally posted at splinteruniverse.com and at Lee and Miller’s Patreon page patreon/leeandmiller. The chapters have now been removed, and compiled into this volume.
The Wrong Lance is a non-canon Liaden story. This means that nothing that is reported in its pages actually happened in the Liaden Universe®. For an accurate report of what did happen at Surebleak during the TerraTrade Survey, please consult Accepting the Lance, by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller.
September means that annual genre award season is fast approaching, and alas, very often “Best of Year” lists start circulating by Halloween, with a quarter of the year yet to go! The problem for us is that with the recent 1) proliferation of awards and 2) proliferation of authors, and 3) multiple complications in our lives that have been quite distracting – we don’t know what awards (especially small press and convention awards) our work for 2020 may be/will be eligible for.
If you, dear readers, know of an award you think our work should be nominated for – can you do a favor for us and your fellow readers by making that nomination? If the nomination must come from a publisher (in some cases that’s us) let us know. If it must come from a nominator not yourself but who you know – please pass a suggestion on. If it requires submitting samples to specific readers, let us know.
So far we know that the Liaden novel Trader’s Leap will be out December 2. We also know we’ll have “Preferred Seating” a Liaden short story (5,065 words) at Baen.com in November. Those already suffer from the “late in the year syndrome” – so please watch out for them and consider them as is appropriate. Also, Pinbeam Books (that’s us) published “The Gate That Locks The Tree” – a novella at 21,818 words, number 30 in the Adventures in the Liaden Universe series – on February 20.
Aside those items, this year our publication lists includes two genuine oddities: Splinter Universe Presents — a chapbook of partials and odds and end. Not a novel, not a short story, a collection of splinters – maybe it could go under “Related works” category some awards allow … in any case, if you admired it and think it worthy, nominate or suggest it … it came out April 13, via Pinbeam Books. But wait, that’s not all! – another Splinter Universe Presents item via Pinbeam Books – The Wrong Lance – comes out October 27. That one is the “didn’t quite work” start to the book that became Accepting the Lance … again. Hard to know what award category it might come under, if any; I note it was published briefly online before moving to more formal publication status.
Thank you for listening. Thank you for your good will and your support of our work during this 30-odd year journey.
Pinbeam Books: an online catalog, with vendor links, to all Lee-and-Miller, Miller, and Lee self-published works
Splinter Universe: features outtakes, splinters, oddities from the Lee&Miller writing career, currently changes irregularly.
Welcome to Liad: The official homepage for Liaden Universe® news
Offworld Designs: Liaden gear
Sharon Lee’s Blog Without a Name mirrored at Eagles Over the Kennebec
Steve Miller’s blog, Journeyman
FACEBOOK CONNECTIONS
Steve Miller
Sharon Lee
Clan Korval
Friends of Liad
Flaran cha’menthi
TWITTER
Steve’s on Twitter : @bechimo
Sharon’s on Twitter, too : @clankorval
This InfoDump is a product of the Liaden Universe®, accept no imitations. You have received this message because you asked for it. If you wish to subscribe to the Liaden Universe® email list, to unsubscribe from the Liaden Universe® email list, or to change your delivery email address, go here
Well, I was not paying attention. Purchased Trader’s eARC & started re-reading Neo same day to be followed by Accepting to get me in the mood for Trader’s. GACK I should have started the re-reading binge with Alliance!
That said, after having been reading other authors for awhile, I found myself thinking “Ahhhhh…” [with accompanying pleasurable sigh] as I began Neo. Just something about Liaden books that put me in a better place.
Debated with myself about when to read Wrong – before Accepting, after Accepting, or after Trader’s. I guess it’s going to be the latter.
Much Obliged & Best Wishes, Bob