Blog Without A Name

On the topic of space leathers

NOTE:  This is not a call to seek out the review cited below and castigate the reviewer, who is, after all, entitled to her opinion.  Indeed, I’m grateful to her for presenting a viewpoint that would have never occurred to me, and for presenting me with an opportunity to explain the origin of an important part of the Liaden Universe®

This is a riff off of a reader review of Carousel Sun.  I do read reviews, and sometimes I riff off of them.  Consider yourselves warned.  This particular review took exception to the appearance of the word “leathers” in Carousel Sun, when, if I understand the argument correctly, “leathers” had already been co-opted by the Liaden Universe® and ought never appear in any other work written by me or by Steve.

Even, apparently, when it is the correct word (i.e. the protective clothing worn by motorcyclists are referred to as “motorcycle leathers,” or “leathers.”  Here’s an example of cycling leathers.) used in the correct world, by the correct people.

Which is, IMHO, a. . .really interesting viewpoint.*

But!  It got me to thinking about the origin of “space leathers” in the Liaden Universe®.

Steve and I grew up in the 1960s, when the Great Public Mind was in the process of mythologizing World War II.  That meant that we saw a lot of war shows on television, including:  Combat!, McHale’s Navy, Twelve O’Clock High, The Rat Patrol, Hogan’s Heroes. . .among others, and a whole stack of movies:  The Longest Day, Dirty Dozen, The Great Escape, Bridge on the River Kwai, von Ryan’s Express, &c, &c

My dad used to make it a point to take me to see war movies, as a father-daughter bonding thing.  Most, if not all, of these movies, featured pilots.  And the pilots were. . .heroic. They wore their leather jackets with pride and with attitude.  The other characters might have reservations, but even those who did honored the pilots for their courage, derring-do, and amazing ability to pull things out of hats.

When it came time to write the Liaden Universe®, and fill in Clan Korval’s pilots-by-intention lineage, with a birthright of attitude, courage, and over-the-topness — we dressed them as they deserved — in space leather:  protective gear that was instantly recognizable, even by those who were not pilots (or Scouts), which not only protected them, but illuminated and increased their mystique.

—————

*Leather has, of course, been used throughout history as protective clothing; after all, it’s tough.  Conquistadors wore leather; American Indians wore leather; Vikings wore leather.  I speak here only of the leathers that influenced us.

Five Things Make a Post

Oh, let’s see. . .

1.  If you haven’t read “The Gift of Music,” set in Archers Beach back some few years, and concerning the doin’s of one Andy LaPierre, who appears in Carousel Sun — your time is running out.  On February 15, another yummy free story will come up at Baen.com, and “Music” will go away.

2.  Of course y’all have been reading Laura Anne Gilman’s Cosa Nostradamus novels right along.  (You haven’t?  The first one is Staying Dead.  . . .  Well? What are you waiting for?)  And I know you’re aware that last year Laura Anne Kickstarted and published two novellas in that universe, featuring justly-famous half-faun/half-human tough-PI-with-a-gooey-center Danny Hendrickson, and his human partner, Ellen — “Miles to Go” and “Promises to Keep” — which I, personally, enjoyed the heck out of.

What you may not be aware of is that she’s doing it again — two more novellas following Ellen and Danny as they try their damnedest to save people who need saving, whether they know it or not.  The Kickstarter only has another five days to go, so if you want in on this, Now is the Hour.  Here’s your link.

3.  Those who are going to Boskone, and who had hoped to have their copy of Carousel Sun signed — despair not!  Steve will be carrying signed bookplates and will happily give you one.  Don’t be shy; just step up and ask.

4.  If you have read Carousel Sun, please consider posting a(n honest) review on BN, Amazon, Goodreads, and/or the review site of your choice.  Thanks!

5.  I believe that Management does intend to issue an eArc for Carousel Seas.  I don’t know when, though typically eArcs seem to appear from three to four months in advance of the print edition.  Seas is a January 2015 book, so. . .September/October, 2014?

Mozart Report and Publishing Seasons

Steve and I took Mozart to the vet this morning; he was crying for food, but when offered, rejected it, except for a few cat treats.  Since we’ve been giving him medicine to increase his appetite and pain medicine, it seemed like either the appetite increaser had stopped working, or the pain (if he’s in pain, which we don’t know; we only know that the pain medicine seems to make him rest easier) was trumping the hunger-pangs.

I, being the pessimist in the family, didn’t expect to bring Mozart home with us today, and I’m very pleased to report that the vet had another plan of treatment, which includes increasing the pain meds, and stopping the appetite increaser.  While he was there, the vet also hydrated him and gave him a shot of something that will settle his stomach, in case that’s an issue.

Five minutes.  If he could just talk to us for five minutes…

Right now, he’s in his spot in my office next to the radiator, sleeping.

For those collecting all the cards, the diagnosis is kidney failure.  While Mozart’s numbers are nowhere near as Scary as Socks’ were when we lost him early last year, he is on a decline.  He’ll also be sixteen years old on the first of March.  What we’re doing here is palliative care; nobody expects to win; we’re aiming at keeping him with us for as long as is feasible, without subjecting him to cruelty or pain.

* * *

A couple days ago, I reported that my editor at Baen had let slip that Carousel Seas, the last book in the Carousel trilogy would be coming out in Fall, rather than in January 2015.

In one of those rare cases of mutual misunderstanding, we both happen to be right.

Simon and Schuster, which of course distributes Baen Books, has but three seasons in its year.  Happily for them, they have no Winter.

For future reference, here are the Publishing Seasons:

Spring: February through May
Summer: June through September
Fall: October through January

So!  Carousel Seas will indeed be published in January 2015, or Fall, according to Simon and Schuster.

Everybody confused now?

 

Clarifying Sub-genres

This is a continuation and expansion of a discussion started over on Facebook, which was kickstarted by this summary of Carousel Sun:

Urban fantasy novel, sequel to Carousel Tides (2010), about a woman who returns to a small town in Maine and becomes involved in a faerie war. (Locus Monitor — New Books, 4 February)

There are a couple of things wrong with the above.  Most notably, Carousel Sun isn’t Urban Fantasy, because it takes place in Maine, and it does not take place in Bangor, Lewiston-Auburn, or Portland, which are the three “urban” areas in the whole state, according to the Federal Government.

I’m also wondering where they got this “faerie war.”

We thought we’d be OK by calling the Carousel books “contemporary fantasy,” but apparently “contemporary fantasy” means something Very Definite to some people.  (To me, “contemporary fantasy” means “a fantasy story that takes place Right Now.”)

So, I’ve been giving some thought to how best to describe these books, as much in order to guide readers who would like this kind, as warn away those readers who come in thinking they’re getting A Specific Thing that the books don’t deliver.  (Like, oh, “faerie wars.”)

Now, the best I can come up with as a sub-genre is “mundane fantasy.” Kate, after all, doesn’t get a free pass on anything for being Guardian — it’s Added Responsibility for which she goes uncompensated (cue Superman’s Song). Fercryinoutloud, Gaby collects returnables, and I don’t see Borgan flyin’ no yacht. Felsic’s crew — wait, do you guys have Felsic yet? Anyhow, it’s not like any of these folks are living high in the fancy condos; they’re working people, doing their jobs.

So, like I said: “mundane fantasy” or maybe “blue collar” fantasy, though there has been some concern expressed that, while these come close, they don’t quite Nail It.

Summing up, the points for discussion are:

1.  What are your expectations of “contemporary fantasy”

2.  If you had to tighten the classification for the Carousel books (Tides and Sun), what phrase would you use?  Please try to avoid spoilers for the books.

Have at it!

Silly Season Redux: Locus Poll

The Locus Poll to decide the best works of 2013 has opened.  There are a couple of things you need to know about the Locus Poll:

1.  You do not have to subscribe to the paper edition of Locus to participate in the poll.

2.  You do have to fill in your name, age, gender, and provide a (working) email address.  Please be honest, particularly with regard to gender.

3.  Subscriber votes count DOUBLE; that means that the cards are already stacked against any book that has not “made” the list of works that Locus has already decided are the best of 2013, and which are already provided in the poll.

4.  You do not have to vote for the works Locus has already decided are the best of 2013, unless, of course, you agree.  A lot of fine work was done in 2013, and Locus doesn’t read everything.  If you have an opinion which is at odds with Locus, you may fill in your nominations for best works in the blanks that are helpfully provided.

5.  Lee and Miller published several works in 2013.  They are:

Novels:  Necessity’s Child, Trade Secret
Novelettes:  Eleutherios, Moon’s Honor
Short Story:  Out of True
Collection:  A Liaden Universe® Constellation Volume One

6.  Here’s your link

 

Let’s Dance

Today! is the Official Release Day of the trade paper edition of Carousel Sun, by Sharon Lee, the second in what Baen is calling the Carousel series. This means that the folks who waited patiently through eArc and electronic releases now get their turn.  Sun may be purchased anywhere paper books are sold.  If it’s not on the shelf, don’t be shy: ask the bookstore to order it in!

And remember!  If you’d like a signed copy, your source; your single source, is Uncle Hugo.

Carousel Seas, the final book in the Carousel Trilogy, is due to be published early next year in Fall 2014.

* * *

In other bookish news, we hear from a Reliable Source that Trade Secret hit the Number One slot in the Locus Bestseller Hardcover List for November 2013, reported in the February 2014 issue.  Thank you all!

* * *

And, just to give you a little taste of what’s coming in Carousel Seas, here’s a sneak peek at the cover art:

Carousel Seas
Cover art for Carousel Seas, by Sharon Lee, to be published Fall 2014
Art by Eric Williams

* * *

So, that’s two FOUR reasons to dance!  Who has more?

Well, I woke up this morning and I got myself a beer

I’m feeling significantly better this morning, which is typically the moment when I screw it up.  (Oh, are we done now?  Excellent!  I have so much stuff to catch — faceplant.)

So, in the spirit of getting some stuff done, but avoiding the faceplant, I have caught up the tax paperwork, insofar as it can be caught up (still waiting for a couple 1099s and 1099-INTs so I can finish properly and get the file off my desk and onto the desk of Deb the Accountant, and ain’t she gonna have fun?), and I am now sensibly retiring to the sofa to read for a bit before dinner.

See me be sensible.  Yeah, take a picture; you won’t see it again soon.

Hopefully, I will be able to get some Actual Work done this evening (by which I mean Writing, because in a writer’s life, All Work that Is Not Writing is Not Really Work). We shall see; it’s amazing how tiring simply sitting behind a desk and wriggling your fingers can be.

In other, completely unrelated, news, except that it happens to address a topic of interest to me, somebody posted a link to this article somewhere (Kathi Kimbriel?  Twitter?), and I commend it highly.  It’s about laying the ghosts of the 2011 Japanese tsunami — here’s the link.

What’re y’all doing that’s fun and interesting?

In which progress of a sort is made

Slept very late today, and arose from my bower able to Brain.  Yay!  Sadly, the big pile o’bills that I ignored last week had priority, so I dealt with them, and now I have no Brain.  The plan is to make some onion soup, have a nap, and see if the Brain comes back online.

All is not Totally Lost; I did, yesterday, hand-write the dialog for the next scene.  Dialog is easy!  Perhaps, if nothing else, I can write out the dialog for the scene after that this afternoon/evening, as no one here footballs.

Steve has caught an edge of this, but seems to have, so far, been spared the Full Aspect.  Fingers crossed that this remains so.

And, lest you think that the entire household is goofing off, I offer this picture of Trooper, hard at work:

Trooper is on the case. Or the printer. Whatever. Photo by Sharon Lee
Trooper is on the case.
Or the printer.
Whatever.
Photo by Sharon Lee