Writers Drinking Coffee (audio)
Annie’s Book Stop of Worcester (video)
Baen Free Radio Hour (video)
Speculative Fiction Showcase (text)
Paul Semel Interviews Lee and Miller (text)
Under the Radar SFF Podcast (audio)
Author’s Outpost (video)
Portland Press Herald (text)
LegendariumPodcast (video)
40 Black Sheep, Georgette Heyer (re-re-&-read) (e)
39 A Tempest at Sea, Sherry Thomas (Lady Sherlock #7) (e)
38 The Warrior’s Apprentice, Lois McMaster Bujold (re-read) (e)
37 Nimona, ND Stevenson (graphic novel)
36 A Queer Trade, KJ Charles (A Charm of Magpies World #2) (e)
35 Rag and Bone, KJ Charles (A Charm of Magpies World #3) (e)
34 Jackdaw, KJ Charles (A Charm of Magpies World #1) (e)
33 The Grand Sophy, Georgette Heyer (re-re-&-read) (e)
32 Spring’s Arcana, Lilith Saintcrow (The Dead God’s Heart #1) (e)
31 Emily of New Moon, L.M. Montgomery (e)
30 Witch King, Martha Wells (e)
29 This Immortal, Roger Zelazny (re-read) (e)
28 God Stalk, P.C. Hodgell (re-read) (e)
27 The Fair Miss Fortune, D.E. Stevenson (e)
26 Who Cries for the Lost, C.S. Harris (Sebastian St. Cyr #18) (e)
25 Charlie All Night, Jennifer Crusie (re-read) (e)
24 A House With Good Bones, T. Kingfisher (e)
23 The Gentle Art of Fortune Hunting, KJ Charles (re-read) (e)
22 Like a Thief in the Night, KJ Charles (e)
21 Hellspark, Janet Kagan (re-re-re-&c-read) (e)
20 The Soulmate Equation, Christina Lauren (e)
19 Artfully Yours, Joanna Lowell (e)
18 Bridge of Birds, Barry Hughart (re-re-&c-read) (e)
17 The Magician’s Daughter, H.G. Parry (e)
16 The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen, KJ Charles (Doomsday #1) (e)
15 A Conspiracy of Truths, Alexandra Rowland (e)
14 A Tangled Web, Lucy Maud Montgomery (e)
13 Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day, Winifred Watson (re-re-re-&c-read) (e)
12 It Takes Two to Tumble, Cat Sebastian, (The Sedgewicks #1) (e)
11 Faking It, Jennifer Crusie (e) re-read
10 Getting Rid of Bradley, Jennifer Crusie (e) re-read
9 Spinning Silver, Naomi Novik (e) re-read
8 Masters in this Hall, K.J. Charles (Lilywhite Boys) (e)
7 Storm Echo, Nalini Singh (Psy-Changeling Trinity Book 6) (e)
6 Magic for Marigold, L.M. Montgomery (e)
5 The Harbors of the Sun, Martha Wells (Raksura #5) (e)
4 The Edge of the World, Martha Wells (Raksura #4) (e)
3 The Blue Castle, L.M. Montgomery (e)
2 The Raven Tower, Ann Leckie (e)
1 Salvage Right, Sharon Lee & Steve Miller (Liaden Universe® 25) (unedited manuscript) (e)
Writing, pretty much. With a side order of interviews/pr in support of Salvage Right, which debuted as the Bookscan Number Two new sf book — everybody give yourselves a hand! Good work.
We are officially On Deadline for Ribbon Dance — Steve is reading the first +/- 106,000 words, while I’m finishing up the Thrilling Conclusion. Just this morning, I made the Command Decision to remove a scene of about 6,000 words. Said scene has been rewritten three times; it still doesn’t work; and it’s time to stop deluding myself that it actually belongs in this book.
A bit of background on Ribbon Dance — it’s based on an unpublished short story, which, being a short story, had a far simpler trajectory than a novel will inevitably have (short stories are Roman Candles; novels are Chrysanthemums — everybody clear now? Good.).
I rather liked the short story, and wanted to preserve the centerpiece scene, but — the novel wanted to talk about other things, like when does protection become oppression; who gets to decide who is Civilized and who is not; ghost routes; what’s love got to do with it; and so on.
Thus, the hard decision to excise 6,000 words from a book that’s due Realsoonnow.
What will probably happen is that Splinter Universe will publish the origin story, and the pulled scene, after Ribbon Dance publishes. So! Something to look forward to.
For those who may have missed them, below is a list of interviews in support of Salvage Right (yes, we’re still building the Big List of All Interviews Ever, but compiling it is going to have to wait until after Ribbon Dance leaves Maine for Madame’s desk in the south).
Writers Drinking Coffee (audio)
Annie’s Book Stop of Worcester (video)
Baen Free Radio Hour (video)
Speculative Fiction Showcase (text)
Paul Semel Interviews Lee and Miller (text)
We’ve got a couple more interviews upcoming; I’ll post links when they go live.
In Real Life, we did take a day off last week to visit Stonington, and of course there was the gala celebration of Sprite’s 11th birthday, the week before that. Oh, and I got fitted for a heart monitor — about the size of thumb-drive, with attendant phone — that I’ll be wearing into the middle of August. Steve’s birthday is coming up at the end of this month, and we hope to steal another day away from the keyboards to have a proper celebration.
Here’s a picture from the Stonington adventure.
39 A Tempest at Sea, Sherry Thomas (Lady Sherlock #7) (e)
38 The Warrior’s Apprentice, Lois McMaster Bujold (re-read) (e)
37 Nimona, ND Stevenson (graphic novel)
36 A Queer Trade, KJ Charles (A Charm of Magpies World #2) (e)
35 Rag and Bone, KJ Charles (A Charm of Magpies World #3) (e)
34 Jackdaw, KJ Charles (A Charm of Magpies World #1) (e)
33 The Grand Sophy, Georgette Heyer (re-re-&-read) (e)
32 Spring’s Arcana, Lilith Saintcrow (The Dead God’s Heart #1) (e)
31 Emily of New Moon, L.M. Montgomery (e)
30 Witch King, Martha Wells (e)
29 This Immortal, Roger Zelazny (re-read) (e)
28 God Stalk, P.C. Hodgell (re-read) (e)
27 The Fair Miss Fortune, D.E. Stevenson (e)
26 Who Cries for the Lost, C.S. Harris (Sebastian St. Cyr #18) (e)
25 Charlie All Night, Jennifer Crusie (re-read) (e)
24 A House With Good Bones, T. Kingfisher (e)
23 The Gentle Art of Fortune Hunting, KJ Charles (re-read) (e)
22 Like a Thief in the Night, KJ Charles (e)
21 Hellspark, Janet Kagan (re-re-re-&c-read) (e)
20 The Soulmate Equation, Christina Lauren (e)
19 Artfully Yours, Joanna Lowell (e)
18 Bridge of Birds, Barry Hughart (re-re-&c-read) (e)
17 The Magician’s Daughter, H.G. Parry (e)
16 The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen, KJ Charles (Doomsday #1) (e)
15 A Conspiracy of Truths, Alexandra Rowland (e)
14 A Tangled Web, Lucy Maud Montgomery (e)
13 Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day, Winifred Watson (re-re-re-&c-read) (e)
12 It Takes Two to Tumble, Cat Sebastian, (The Sedgewicks #1) (e)
11 Faking It, Jennifer Crusie (e) re-read
10 Getting Rid of Bradley, Jennifer Crusie (e) re-read
9 Spinning Silver, Naomi Novik (e) re-read
8 Masters in this Hall, K.J. Charles (Lilywhite Boys) (e)
7 Storm Echo, Nalini Singh (Psy-Changeling Trinity Book 6) (e)
6 Magic for Marigold, L.M. Montgomery (e)
5 The Harbors of the Sun, Martha Wells (Raksura #5) (e)
4 The Edge of the World, Martha Wells (Raksura #4) (e)
3 The Blue Castle, L.M. Montgomery (e)
2 The Raven Tower, Ann Leckie (e)
1 Salvage Right, Sharon Lee & Steve Miller (Liaden Universe® 25) (unedited manuscript) (e)
38 The Warrior’s Apprentice, Lois McMaster Bujold (re-read) (e)
37 Nimona, ND Stevenson (graphic novel)
36 A Queer Trade, KJ Charles (A Charm of Magpies World #2) (e)
35 Rag and Bone, KJ Charles (A Charm of Magpies World #3) (e)
34 Jackdaw, KJ Charles (A Charm of Magpies World #1) (e)
33 The Grand Sophy, Georgette Heyer (re-re-&-read) (e)
32 Spring’s Arcana, Lilith Saintcrow (The Dead God’s Heart #1) (e)
31 Emily of New Moon, L.M. Montgomery (e)
30 Witch King, Martha Wells (e)
29 This Immortal, Roger Zelazny (re-read) (e)
28 God Stalk, P.C. Hodgell (re-read) (e)
27 The Fair Miss Fortune, D.E. Stevenson (e)
26 Who Cries for the Lost, C.S. Harris (Sebastian St. Cyr #18) (e)
25 Charlie All Night, Jennifer Crusie (re-read) (e)
24 A House With Good Bones, T. Kingfisher (e)
23 The Gentle Art of Fortune Hunting, KJ Charles (re-read) (e)
22 Like a Thief in the Night, KJ Charles (e)
21 Hellspark, Janet Kagan (re-re-re-&c-read) (e)
20 The Soulmate Equation, Christina Lauren (e)
19 Artfully Yours, Joanna Lowell (e)
18 Bridge of Birds, Barry Hughart (re-re-&c-read) (e)
17 The Magician’s Daughter, H.G. Parry (e)
16 The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen, KJ Charles (Doomsday #1) (e)
15 A Conspiracy of Truths, Alexandra Rowland (e)
14 A Tangled Web, Lucy Maud Montgomery (e)
13 Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day, Winifred Watson (re-re-re-&c-read) (e)
12 It Takes Two to Tumble, Cat Sebastian, (The Sedgewicks #1) (e)
11 Faking It, Jennifer Crusie (e) re-read
10 Getting Rid of Bradley, Jennifer Crusie (e) re-read
9 Spinning Silver, Naomi Novik (e) re-read
8 Masters in this Hall, K.J. Charles (Lilywhite Boys) (e)
7 Storm Echo, Nalini Singh (Psy-Changeling Trinity Book 6) (e)
6 Magic for Marigold, L.M. Montgomery (e)
5 The Harbors of the Sun, Martha Wells (Raksura #5) (e)
4 The Edge of the World, Martha Wells (Raksura #4) (e)
3 The Blue Castle, L.M. Montgomery (e)
2 The Raven Tower, Ann Leckie (e)
1 Salvage Right, Sharon Lee & Steve Miller (Liaden Universe® 25) (unedited manuscript) (e)
37 Nimona, ND Stevenson (graphic novel)
36 A Queer Trade, KJ Charles (A Charm of Magpies World #2) (e)
35 Rag and Bone, KJ Charles (A Charm of Magpies World #3) (e)
34 Jackdaw, KJ Charles (A Charm of Magpies World #1) (e)
33 The Grand Sophy, Georgette Heyer (re-re-&-read) (e)
32 Spring’s Arcana, Lilith Saintcrow (The Dead God’s Heart #1) (e)
31 Emily of New Moon, L.M. Montgomery (e)
30 Witch King, Martha Wells (e)
29 This Immortal, Roger Zelazny (re-read) (e)
28 God Stalk, P.C. Hodgell (re-read) (e)
27 The Fair Miss Fortune, D.E. Stevenson (e)
26 Who Cries for the Lost, C.S. Harris (Sebastian St. Cyr #18) (e)
25 Charlie All Night, Jennifer Crusie (re-read) (e)
24 A House With Good Bones, T. Kingfisher (e)
23 The Gentle Art of Fortune Hunting, KJ Charles (re-read) (e)
22 Like a Thief in the Night, KJ Charles (e)
21 Hellspark, Janet Kagan (re-re-re-&c-read) (e)
20 The Soulmate Equation, Christina Lauren (e)
19 Artfully Yours, Joanna Lowell (e)
18 Bridge of Birds, Barry Hughart (re-re-&c-read) (e)
17 The Magician’s Daughter, H.G. Parry (e)
16 The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen, KJ Charles (Doomsday #1) (e)
15 A Conspiracy of Truths, Alexandra Rowland (e)
14 A Tangled Web, Lucy Maud Montgomery (e)
13 Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day, Winifred Watson (re-re-re-&c-read) (e)
12 It Takes Two to Tumble, Cat Sebastian, (The Sedgewicks #1) (e)
11 Faking It, Jennifer Crusie (e) re-read
10 Getting Rid of Bradley, Jennifer Crusie (e) re-read
9 Spinning Silver, Naomi Novik (e) re-read
8 Masters in this Hall, K.J. Charles (Lilywhite Boys) (e)
7 Storm Echo, Nalini Singh (Psy-Changeling Trinity Book 6) (e)
6 Magic for Marigold, L.M. Montgomery (e)
5 The Harbors of the Sun, Martha Wells (Raksura #5) (e)
4 The Edge of the World, Martha Wells (Raksura #4) (e)
3 The Blue Castle, L.M. Montgomery (e)
2 The Raven Tower, Ann Leckie (e)
1 Salvage Right, Sharon Lee & Steve Miller (Liaden Universe® 25) (unedited manuscript) (e)
For those looking for something to read, I recommend the July 10 & 17 2023 issue of The New Yorker (the one with Patience, or possibly Fortitude, reading over the young lady’s shoulder, on the cover). Not only does it include an excellent profile of Chip Delany (“Galaxy Brain: Samuel R. Delany’s pioneering science fiction,” Julian Lucas), it also includes a fascinating discussion of the upcoming Barbie movie (“Toy Story: Mattel’s movie ambitions go beyond Barbie,” Alex Barasch).
From the Barbie article, I learned the word “pre-awareness,” which is said to be the ruling aesthetic governing entertainment in this, our brave new world. The core of this philosophy is that people will not spend their time or, more importantly of course, their money on a Totally New Story. They want stories told about things of which they are already aware. Barbie, for instance, or Wolverine; this is also why we see endless remakes of old films.
Yes, there is a certain irony that this discussion would be happening in the same issue featuring Chip Delany and his work.
Anyway, as a writer, this concept of “pre-awareness” concerns me, as it also explains a few things Steve and I, as authors of a body of work set in a fictional universe, have run into with potential readers.
Potential readers are immediately worried that they have to commit to 24 books in order to read, say, the 25th. No amount of Auctorial Reassurance can convince them that they don’t have to start with Book One — which is terrifying to them. Who has the time? (I sympathize; I haven’t had the time to re-read the entirety of our back-list in — ever.) There also seems to me to be a sense that potential readers are worried they’ll . . . get it wrong, if they haven’t done all the homework.
This timidity is bolstered by long-time readers, who greet each new book with really gratifying enthusiasm, and then say, “But new readers need to start at the beginning.” This kind of ignores the fact that, in 1988, when the Very First Liaden novel, Agent of Change, hit the stands, nobody knew who Miri and Val Con were — there was no pre-awareness. Six months later, when the second Liaden novel, Conflict of Honors, was published, nobody knew who Priscilla and Shan were. And yet, the stories (apparently) made sense and left readers with a need to know more.
You see this in other spheres, as well, where newcomers to the science fiction genre are told by old hands that they have to start with the classics, going back, now, seventy years, and I gotta tell you, as someone who read the classics when they were new? Some of them are “classic” only in the sense that they’re old. Really, a newcomer to the genre can do what I did when I was first reading SF — pick a book, any book. Read it. Do it again. Again. By this process, a reader can establish a baseline of Stuff I Like, the same way you arrive at your favorite flavor of ice cream.
Now, yes, I’m skating on thin ice here, as an author working in a long-established universe. After all, one of the reasons that readers invest in “series” entertainments is because they “know” the characters, the setting, the arc. But that doesn’t mean that all newcomers need to do the homework. Or, indeed, that there is homework.
Here’s a secret: Stories explain themselves as they unfold. That’s how they work. If the authors are doing their job, a new reader ought to be able to open any Liaden book (for instance) and come away with a perfectly intelligible story. They may, after reading, want to know more — that, as far as we’re concerned, is a Feature, not a Bug — and there’s plenty more for them to dig into, if that’s the case. Or they may decide not to go on, and that’s perfectly valid, too.
But the point is, you can’t get it wrong, there’s no report card, no one will laugh at you (well, OK, I’ll laugh at you, if you write to tell me that I’m “ripping off” an idea that you read in a book published 20 years after our book, but I’m old, and make my own fun).
Readers can, in a word, suit themselves. It’s their life, and indeed, pleasure reading isn’t meant to be work — it’s meant to be fun. To be an escape from work. Escapism. It’s what we write. We’re not ashamed to own that, and we think we’re pretty good at it.
So, anyhow, those are my thoughts on pre-awareness, for what they’re worth. And now it’s time for me to go to work on Ribbon Dance, a new book set in the Liaden Universe®.
36 A Queer Trade, KJ Charles (A Charm of Magpies World #2) (e)
35 Rag and Bone, KJ Charles (A Charm of Magpies World #3) (e)
34 Jackdaw, KJ Charles (A Charm of Magpies World #1) (e)
33 The Grand Sophy, Georgette Heyer (re-re-&-read) (e)
32 Spring’s Arcana, Lilith Saintcrow (The Dead God’s Heart #1) (e)
31 Emily of New Moon, L.M. Montgomery (e)
30 Witch King, Martha Wells (e)
29 This Immortal, Roger Zelazny (re-read) (e)
28 God Stalk, P.C. Hodgell (re-read) (e)
27 The Fair Miss Fortune, D.E. Stevenson (e)
26 Who Cries for the Lost, C.S. Harris (Sebastian St. Cyr #18) (e)
25 Charlie All Night, Jennifer Crusie (re-read) (e)
24 A House With Good Bones, T. Kingfisher (e)
23 The Gentle Art of Fortune Hunting, KJ Charles (re-read) (e)
22 Like a Thief in the Night, KJ Charles (e)
21 Hellspark, Janet Kagan (re-re-re-&c-read) (e)
20 The Soulmate Equation, Christina Lauren (e)
19 Artfully Yours, Joanna Lowell (e)
18 Bridge of Birds, Barry Hughart (re-re-&c-read) (e)
17 The Magician’s Daughter, H.G. Parry (e)
16 The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen, KJ Charles (Doomsday #1) (e)
15 A Conspiracy of Truths, Alexandra Rowland (e)
14 A Tangled Web, Lucy Maud Montgomery (e)
13 Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day, Winifred Watson (re-re-re-&c-read) (e)
12 It Takes Two to Tumble, Cat Sebastian, (The Sedgewicks #1) (e)
11 Faking It, Jennifer Crusie (e) re-read
10 Getting Rid of Bradley, Jennifer Crusie (e) re-read
9 Spinning Silver, Naomi Novik (e) re-read
8 Masters in this Hall, K.J. Charles (Lilywhite Boys) (e)
7 Storm Echo, Nalini Singh (Psy-Changeling Trinity Book 6) (e)
6 Magic for Marigold, L.M. Montgomery (e)
5 The Harbors of the Sun, Martha Wells (Raksura #5) (e)
4 The Edge of the World, Martha Wells (Raksura #4) (e)
3 The Blue Castle, L.M. Montgomery (e)
2 The Raven Tower, Ann Leckie (e)
1 Salvage Right, Sharon Lee & Steve Miller (Liaden Universe® 25) (unedited manuscript) (e)
Today is the official release day of the hardcover and ebook editions of Salvage Right, the newest Liaden Universe® novel, by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller.
Below, for your reading pleasure, is a letter we wrote to accompany the eARC sent by Baen to industry professionals, which kind of puts Salvage Right into perspective, in our career, and explains why we’re quite so excited about this release.
#
Dear Readers,
We hope that 2023 has so far treated you well, and that as it continues to unroll, you will have many opportunities to share happiness, and to celebrate.
We’re writing because we have something to celebrate.
In July, Salvage Right, our one hundredth collaboration, also the twenty-fifth novel set in our original Liaden Universe® will be published. This is kind of a big deal for us, given that, after the publication of our third book, in 1989, our editor at the time told us that we had “no career,” going forward.
However, our current publisher, Baen Books, thinks that one hundred collaborations is a reason to celebrate.
When we first started out, intending to write seven novels, we made a solemn and serious agreement: If this thing we’re doing stops being fun, we’ll quit.
Thirty-five years, twenty-nine collaborative novels, and great sweeping swathes of shorter works, clearly, Lee and Miller have been having fun.
A little about Salvage Right – it is a space opera in the Lee-and-Miller style, which is Action! Adventure! Romance! Salvage Right comes complete with malevolent intelligences from a former universe, mad scientists, extended family, AIs, secret organizations bent on taking over everything, snarky dialog, and a morally gray group of unlikely heroes, who have come together to make the universe a better place, though none of them would exactly say that, if you asked them.
Although twenty-four books set in the Liaden Universe® have been published prior to this one, it is not a strict, in-line series that must be read in order. It’s a universe in which a large cast of characters interact as they see fit, and have adventures.
In many ways, Salvage Right is the quintessential Liaden Universe® novel. It was, first, a brainstorm – not the book we had been supposed to be writing at all (we’re writing that one now). Secondly, the characters took over at a very early stage. They were going to Tinsori Light, and it was going to be the party of the decade.
We do know better than to argue with our characters, so we let them have their head, and they did have a most wonderful party, which we were delighted to chronicle.
And here it is, for you. We hope you have as much fun reading it as we did, writing it.
Thank you for reading.
Sharon Lee and Steve Miller
The Cat Farm and Confusion Factory
February 2023
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Buy links:
Amazon
BN
Kobo
Baen
35 Rag and Bone, KJ Charles (A Charm of Magpies World #2) (e)
34 Jackdaw, KJ Charles (A Charm of Magpies World #1) (e)
33 The Grand Sophy, Georgette Heyer (re-re-&-read) (e)
32 Spring’s Arcana, Lilith Saintcrow (The Dead God’s Heart #1) (e)
31 Emily of New Moon, L.M. Montgomery (e)
30 Witch King, Martha Wells (e)
29 This Immortal, Roger Zelazny (re-read) (e)
28 God Stalk, P.C. Hodgell (re-read) (e)
27 The Fair Miss Fortune, D.E. Stevenson (e)
26 Who Cries for the Lost, C.S. Harris (Sebastian St. Cyr #18) (e)
25 Charlie All Night, Jennifer Crusie (re-read) (e)
24 A House With Good Bones, T. Kingfisher (e)
23 The Gentle Art of Fortune Hunting, KJ Charles (re-read) (e)
22 Like a Thief in the Night, KJ Charles (e)
21 Hellspark, Janet Kagan (re-re-re-&c-read) (e)
20 The Soulmate Equation, Christina Lauren (e)
19 Artfully Yours, Joanna Lowell (e)
18 Bridge of Birds, Barry Hughart (re-re-&c-read) (e)
17 The Magician’s Daughter, H.G. Parry (e)
16 The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen, KJ Charles (Doomsday #1) (e)
15 A Conspiracy of Truths, Alexandra Rowland (e)
14 A Tangled Web, Lucy Maud Montgomery (e)
13 Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day, Winifred Watson (re-re-re-&c-read) (e)
12 It Takes Two to Tumble, Cat Sebastian, (The Sedgewicks #1) (e)
11 Faking It, Jennifer Crusie (e) re-read
10 Getting Rid of Bradley, Jennifer Crusie (e) re-read
9 Spinning Silver, Naomi Novik (e) re-read
8 Masters in this Hall, K.J. Charles (Lilywhite Boys) (e)
7 Storm Echo, Nalini Singh (Psy-Changeling Trinity Book 6) (e)
6 Magic for Marigold, L.M. Montgomery (e)
5 The Harbors of the Sun, Martha Wells (Raksura #5) (e)
4 The Edge of the World, Martha Wells (Raksura #4) (e)
3 The Blue Castle, L.M. Montgomery (e)
2 The Raven Tower, Ann Leckie (e)
1 Salvage Right, Sharon Lee & Steve Miller (Liaden Universe® 25) (unedited manuscript) (e)