Category: Liaden Universe®

Steve and I had a fine time at Boskone this weekend. The Silver Anniversary panel was awesome.  Here’s a picture of everyone being awesome, to prove it:

The panelists, from left to right are:  Bob Kuhn (moderator), Sharon Lee, Steve Miller, Darlene Marshall, Tom Easton, Christopher Weuve.

…I also very much enjoyed the Spirit of the Place panel, of which I have no picture.

But, wait!  Daniel Pelletier took a picture of the Spirit of the Place panel, and here it is:

Panelists from left to right are:  Steven Popkes, Sharon Lee, Darlene Marshall, Margaret Ronald (moderator)

The Silver Anniversary party on Saturday night went off without a hitch, thanks to the tireless efforts, and organizational abilities of  Irene Harrison, Kevin Heald, Barbara Karpel, Debbie Matsuura, and David Decker.

The Friends of Liad gathering went into overflow space on Saturday morning, with about 20 brave people rising before breakfast in order to participate.  Here’s a picture of everybody being awake:

 

We are now back home, having stopped on our way through Waterville to pick up Socks.

Also! Continuing a tradition, while we were away, a piece of writing business landed.  In this case, the business is the galleys for the first Liaden Universe® Constellation.

So!  How was your weekend?

 

Today! is the Official Release Day* for Necessity’s Child
by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller.    

This is the book that nobly bore the working title of George, and which was pitched to Ms. Weisskopf at Baen, when was only a gleam in its authors’ eye as “a steampunk Liaden story, with space gypsies.”

Yeah, we almost hit that.

If you’re new to the Liaden Universe® — or if you’re an old-timer who’s on the fence about buying a “side book” — you may, if you like, read the first nine chapters, free, right here at the Baen webiste.

Necessity’s Child hardcover is available from your favorite bookstore, and also from these fine vendors:

Uncle Hugo’s Science Fiction Bookstore
BN.com
Amazon.com
And! in audiobook format from Audible.com

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*Yes, yes; I know some of you read it months ago.  You may dance, too!  No, really; I insist.

1.  “Eleutherios,” a short story set in a corner of the Liaden Universe® has been published to the Baen website, where it may be read for free!  It will be taken down on February 15 to make room for a new story by another Baen author, so if you haven’t read Niku’s story yet, now is the time.

2.  Moon’s Honor, a fragment of a Lute and Moonhawk novel begun in 1996 and never completed, is now on Splinter Universe, where it may be read for free! I think I’m seeing a pattern here…

3.  Tuesday, February 5 (that’s four days from now!)  will see the official! release of the hardcover edition of Necessity’s Child and the Audible edition.  Eileen Stevens voices the audio edition.

4.  SFSite has opened voting for the Reader’s Choice for Best Read of 2012.  Many fine books were published in 2012, including Dragon Ship by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller, and SFSite generously allows you to vote for your ten favorite titles.  Read all about it here.

5. We have received our pre-con Boskone Schedule.  Here it is:

FRIDAY
5-5:50 p.m. Will the Real Hari Seldon Please Stand Up?  Harbor III
Steve Miller (M), Charles Stross, S.C. Butler, Mark Olson

6-6:50 p.m. My Origin Stories, Harbor I
Steve Miller (M), Joshua Bilmes, Elizabeth Bear, Jim Frenkel

SATURDAY
8:30 a.m. Friends of Liad Breakfast, Saucity
Friends of Liad join Sharon and Steve for breakfast and catch up on what’s happened since last Boskone.  Friends of Liad pay for their breakfasts; Sharon and Steve pay for their breakfasts.

12:30-12:55 p.m.  Reading, Lewis
Sharon Lee, Steve Miller

2-2:50 p.m. Kaffeklatsche, Galleria-Kaffeeklatsch 1
Sharon Lee, Steve Miller

5-6:20 p.m. Silver Anniversary of the Liaden Universe®, Griffin
Bob Kuhn (M), Christopher Weuve, Walter H. Hunt, Steve Miller, Tom Easton, Elizabeth Bear, Sharon Lee, Darlene Marshall

10 p.m. (After the Awards Ceremony) Combined Liaden Universe® Silver Anniversary/Necessity’s Child publication party!

SUNDAY
11-11:50 a.m. The Spirit of the Place, Harbor I
Margaret Ronald (M), Alexander Jablokov, Sharon Lee, Darlene Marshall

12-12:50 p.m. Autographing, Galleria-Autographing
Jeffrey A. Carver, Sharon Lee, Steve Miller

2-2:50 p.m.  Exit, Stage Left, Burroughs
Walter Hunt (M), Myke Cole, Sharon Lee, Leona Wisoker

One of the interesting things about writing in a large-ish universe for, oh, a quarter-century, is that you’re pretty often meeting people who have read your work (or, even more interestingly, haven’t read your work), and who have formed opinions about the plot-line, the characters, the theme, the authors’ childhoods, and adult proclivities. . .

That being so, and because  people will say things either to me or within my hearing, I find myself with a question, which I will now throw out to you, the readers of the Liaden Universe®:

What is, in your opinion, the Big Story (also known as the Real Story) of the Liaden Universe® novels?

There are no right answers, or wrong answers.  Curious author is, as advertised above, curious.

This just in from alert Friend of Liad Judy Lauer, in New York State.  A photo from her local Barnes and Noble store:

* * *

And, while I’m making with the self-promotion, remember!

1.  “Eleutherios” a Liaden Universe® short story by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller is, through February 14 only!, presented to you for free on the Baen website.  No fee, no log-in, no waiting.  Here’s that link.  You need to scroll down to the start of the story.

2.  SFSite has opened the voting for the Best Read of 2012.  A lot of very good books came out in 2012 (including Dragon Ship, by Lee and Miller), and you can vote for ten of your favorites.  The rules can be found here.

3.  It’s not too late to pre-order a signed copy of Necessity’s Child (in hardcover) from everyone’s favorite Uncle, Hugo.  Also available from this link are signed copies of the hardcover editions of Ghost Ship and Dragon Ship.  Uncle Hugo’s ships worldwide.

4.  Necessity’s Child hardcover will be released on February 5, and will be available from All The Usual Suspects, including (as above) Barnes and Noble.

5.  Necessity’s Child ebook is on sale NOW from Baen eBooks (all formats) and from Amazon (Kindle only)