July, 2011 - Tor/Forge Blog

Download Tor/Forge Author Voices Volume #2

July 26, 2011May 16, 2024torforge

Now available as a free download wherever ebooks are sold!

Do you have the guts to steal from the Queen of England? Or the survival instincts to survive a zombie apocalypse? Have you ever wondered what your cat is staring at in a seemingly empty room? In this collection you can experience this all and much more.With this sampler, Tor and Forge Books proudly present a one-of-a-kind collection of articles written by our authors, along with excerpts of forthcoming books. We’re highlighting a cross-section of our exciting new and popular titles in science fiction and fantasy, steampunk, young adult fiction, and your favorite video properties with a look at Tor’sHalo™, Dragon Age™, Dead Space™, and EVE™ tie-in novels.

Also included in this collection are articles and essays on the craft of writing and reflections on the many worlds of genre fiction.

In this collection . . .

GREG BEAR gives us a look at what it is like to write in the Halo universe with the newest entry into the Halo series, HALO: Cryptum. Read an excerpt of HALO: Cryptumand begin discovering the mysteries of the Forerunner society, the architects of the Halo rings.

ORSON SCOTT CARD returns to fantasy with The Lost Gate and gives us a tour of the worlds connected to the Mithermages.

BRIAN HERBERT and KEVIN J. ANDERSON launch an epic new science fiction series with Hellhole. KEVIN J. ANDERSON also provides us with a personal essay about his appreciation for the science fiction genre as an escape for the imagination.

The long awaited sequel to Fire Upon the Deep by VERNOR VINGE releases on October 11th. In the meantime, check out a sneak-peak of TheChildren of the Sky.

Award-winning author of the Fables comics, BILL WILLINGHAM, gives us a look at a new prose novel for middle grade audiences, Down The Mysterly River – to be released with interior art from Fables artist, Mark Buckingham

With more features and novel previews by:

STEVE ENGLEHART
BRIAN EVENSON
DAVID GAIDER
FELIX GILMAN
TONY GONZALES
L.E. MODESITT, JR.
CHERIE PRIEST
CARRIE VAUGHN
KENDARE BLAKE
LISA DESROCHERS
RHIANNON FRATER
KIKI HAMILTON
DAVID WEBER

Amazon | B&N | iBooks | Kobo | Sony

PDF | EPUB

What's New

Download Tor/Forge Author Voices Volume #1

July 21, 2011May 16, 2024torforge

Now available as a free download wherever ebooks are sold!

Ever wanted to hunt a notorious ghost through the halls of a spooky old house? Be swept away at a Regency ball? Solve a murder mystery, Vegas style? Then Tor and Forge might have the perfect summer read for you.

With this sampler, Tor and Forge Books proudly present a one-of-a-kind collection of articles written by our authors, excerpts of forthcoming books, and unique content. We’re highlighting a cross-section of our exciting new titles in urban fantasy, paranormal romance, young adult fiction, science fiction and fantasy, historical fiction, women’s fiction, and mysteries and thrillers.

In addition to short articles written by our authors and excerpts from some of our forthcoming titles, this sampler includes a special roundtable discussion between five of the Tor / Forge editors. From submission guidelines to eBooks (and more!), this roundtable offers a wealth of invaluable advice to new and aspiring authors.

In this collection . . .

DEBORAH COONTS gives readers a taste of Vegas nightlife in “Casual Sex,” an all-new short story featuring the irrepressible Lucky O’Toole from the recent novel, Lucky Stiff.
CARRIE BEBRIS provides the discerning reader an informative and entertaining Field Guide to Regency Men. You simply mustn’t attend another ball until you’ve read this!
A special preview of New York Times bestselling author W. BRUCE CAMERON’s next book, Emory’s Gift, provides a glimpse into a heartwarming new novel about a boy and his bear.
Debut author NICOLE “COCO” MARROW takes readers on a genre-bending thrill ride in the first chapter of her novel, Angel.
New York Times bestselling author CARRIE VAUGHN writes candidly about reaching a milestone ten books in her long-running urban fantasy series. Also included is a special preview of the next Kitty Norville adventure, Kitty’s Big Trouble.

Tor and Forge editors discuss writing, publishing, and falling in love in a candid editorial roundtable revealing what editors are—and are not—looking for in a submission.

With more features and novel previews by:

KENDARE BLAKE
REBECCA CANTRELL
LISA DESROCHERS
CAROLE NELSON DOUGLAS
RHIANNON FRATER
KIKI HAMILTON
MARY ROBINETTE KOWAL
L. JAGI LAMPLIGHTER
JON LAND
J. A. PITTS
CHERIE PRIEST
GABI STEVENS
PATRICK TAYLOR
F. PAUL WILSON

Amazon | B&N | iBooks | Kobo | Sony

PDF | EPUB

Download Volume #2 on Tor.com today!

Sweepstakes

Not at San Diego Comic-Con? Sweepstakes

July 20, 2011May 10, 2024torforge

Tor Books is heading to San Diego Comic-Con!

We hope to see many of you there. Stop by Booth #2707 to chat or participate in one of our many events and signings.

But for those of you who couldn’t make it out to California, we wanted to offer you the chance to grab some of the same awesome swag and books that we’re promoting at #SDCC. And better yet…here’s your chance to win some special prizes that SDCC attendees won’t be able to pick up. (Why yes, that is an ARC of The Alloy of Law that you see there and several more fun prizes exclusive to this giveaway.) To enter for the chance to win one of these five prize bundles, leave a comment on this post telling us one fabulous thing that you’ll be doing this week while you are #NotAtComicCon. Whether you’re bringing down a dragon or Chasmfiend in far off lands, zipping across galaxies at light speed, or just babysitting your kid sister, we hope that you have a great week.

Here’s a peek at the books included in this sweepstakes:

Place holder of - 76
For a full list of prizes included in this bundle, please see the official rules . There are eighteen books in all!

An ARC of The Alloy of Law by Brandon Sanderson
Halo: Evolutions Vol. 1
Halo: Evolutions Vol. 2
Dragon Age: The Stolen Throne by David Gaider
Eve: The Empyrean Age by Tony Gonzales
Bioshock: Rapture by John Shirley
Dreadnought by Cherie Priest
A Fire Upon the Deep by Vernor Vinge
Kitty Goes to War by Carrie Vaughn
The Unremembered by Peter Orullian
The Half-Made World by Felix Gilman
7th Sigma by Steven Gould
The First Days by Rhiannon Frater
Personal Demons by Lisa Desrochers
Amnesia Labyrinth Vol. 1 by Nagaru Tanigawa, Art by Natsumi Kohane
Toradora! Vol. 1 by Yuyuko Takemiya; Art by Zekkyo
Vampire Cheerleaders Vol. 1 by Adam Arnold; illustrated by Shiei and Comipa
A Certain Scientific Railgun Vol. 1 by Kazuma Kamachi, Art by Motoi Fuyukawa

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. You must be 18 or older and a legal resident of the 50 United States or D.C. to enter. Promotion begins July 18th, 2011 at 10 a.m. ET. and ends July 25, 2011, 12:00 p.m. ET. Void in Puerto Rico and wherever prohibited by law. Please see full details and official rules here. Sponsor: Tom Doherty Associates, LLC.

More #NotAtComicCon Fun: Join us next Thursday for July’s #Torchat! We’ll be tweeting live from the showroom floor, reporting back on what we’re looking forward to at the Con. And bring you own convention memories or horror stories to share.

What's New

Brandon Sanderson’s Tour for New Mistborn Novel The Alloy of Law

July 19, 2011May 10, 2024torforge

Brandon will be touring this November to promote the release of his new Mistborn novel, The Alloy of Law. He’ll also be at Comic-Con for a panel and signing. Here are the dates:

Comic Con

Thursday, July 21
12:00 PM
“Putting the ‘Epic’ in Epic Fantasy” panel (Room 6A)
Panelists: Brandon Sanderson, George RR Martin, Patrick Rothfuss, Christopher Paolini, Peter Orullian, K.J. Taylor, & Kevin J. Anderson. Moderated by Michael Spradlin

2:30 PM
Signing & giveaway at Tor booth (#2707)
48 copies of MISTBORN (mm) to be given away along with ALLOY broadsheets and a handful of ALLOY galleys

Alloy of Law Tour

Tuesday, November 8
12:00 AM (Midnight)
opens in a new windowBYU Bookstore
Provo, UT

Wednesday, November 9
7:00 PM
opens in a new windowMysterious Galaxy Books
San Diego, CA

Thursday, November 10
7:00 PM
opens in a new windowBarnes & Noble
Huntington Beach, CA

Friday, November 11
7:00 PM
opens in a new windowUniversity Book Store
Seattle, WA

Saturday, November 12
Vancouver, BC
(TBA)

Tuesday, November 15
7:00 PM
opens in a new windowJoseph-Beth Booksellers
Lexington, KY

Wednesday, November 16
7:00 PM
opens in a new windowBarnes & Noble
Brooklyn, NY

What's New

Tor Books Reveals Second Halo Novel by Greg Bear

July 19, 2011May 30, 2024torforge

Book two in the New York Times bestselling Forerunner Saga

A long time ago, I was a living, breathing human being. I went mad. I served my enemies. They became my only friends…

Cover of HALO: PRIMORDIUM by Greg Bear New York, NY – July 19, 2011 – Tor Books, an imprint of Tom Doherty Associates, LLC – the largest publisher of science fiction in the world – is excited to reveal the title, cover, and release date for the second novel in the Halo Forerunner Saga, HALO: PRIMORDIUM, written by legendary science fiction author Greg Bear. Book one of the Forerunner Saga, Halo: Cryptum, is currently available in hardcover, and will release in trade paperback this fall. Book two, HALO: PRIMORDIUM, will release January 3, 2012 alongside a simultaneous audio edition.

The New York Times bestselling Halo®series, based on the hugely successful Halo videogames franchise for the Xbox 360, has sold millions of copies, part of a global phenomenon that has dominated the science fiction landscape over the last decade.

In Halo: Cryptum, Greg Bear began a three-book arc set in the era of the Forerunners, the ancient and enigmatic creators and builders of the Halos, that continues in HALO: PRIMORDIUM. In Halo: Cryptum, a young, rebellious Manipular began a dangerous search for artifacts of the Precursors — long-vanished superbeings of unknowable power and intent — setting off a devastating chain of events that nearly ended the Forerunner empire. Now two humans, former companions of the Manipular, find themselves captives and strategic pawns in a cosmic game whose madness knows no end — a game of ancient vengeance between the powers who seeded the galaxy with life, and the Forerunners who expect to take up their sacred Mantle of duty to protect all living things.

“I’m having great fun working through the action and growing mysteries in HALO: PRIMORDIUM, as humans engage in an epic odyssey across a damaged, war-torn Halo, facing the Flood, rogue AIs, and the stunning testament of the Last Precursor,” says author Greg Bear. “This is classic SF territory for me, and it’s a terrific opportunity to work with the 343 team, and to contribute through these books to both future games and the Halo universe in general.”

“In Cryptum, Greg began an exploration of a vast and imposing part of the Halo universe,” says Frank O’Connor, Franchise Development Director for 343 Industries. “In PRIMORDIUM, he takes that story closer to the ground, exploring characters, motivations and mysteries that began in Cryptum and continuing a journey that’s fascinating, horrifying and inspiring, all at once.”

Tor Books has proudly partnered with Microsoft and 343 Industries to publish every book set in this iconic universe. Along with the first two books of the Forerunner Saga, Tor has also announced another all-new Halo trilogy penned by Karen Traviss that will explore the Halo Universe in the wake of the final events of Halo 3. Traviss’s first novel, Halo: Glasslands, will come out October 25, 2011.

The Halo franchise is an award-winning collection of properties that have grown into a global entertainment phenomenon. Beginning with the original “Halo: Combat Evolved” for Xbox in 2001, the rich fiction of the franchise has since inspired a series of blockbuster Xbox and Xbox 360 video games, New York Times best-selling novels, comic books, action figures, apparel and more. To date, sales in the Halo franchise have eclipsed $2.3 billion. Microsoft recently dropped a bombshell on Halo fans at E3 with two big announcements. Coming Nov. 15 2011, Microsoft will release “Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary,” a spectacularly remastered version of the original “Halo” campaign bundled with some of the most beloved multiplayer maps in “Halo” history – all created in celebration of the 10th anniversary of one of the greatest franchises in gaming history. Also announced was “Halo 4,” the hugely-anticipated next blockbuster instalment that will mark the beginning of a new Halo trilogy when it releases in-stores during the 2012 holiday season.

HALO AT SAN DIEGO COMIC-CON

Friday July 22 from 10 AM to 11 AM — “Writing in Videogames: In-Game, Novels, Comics, and Other Franchise-Building Offshoots” (Room 32AB)

Panel featuring Greg Bear, Karen Traviss, Frank O’Connor, & Kevin Grace

Friday July 22 from 11:30 AM to 12:30 PM —“Halo Universe” (Room 6BCF)

Panel featuring Greg Bear, Karen Traviss, Frank O’Connor, & Kevin Grace

Friday July 22 from 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM — Giveaway and signing of Halo: Evolutions books, totebags and posters with Greg Bear, Karen Traviss, Frank O’Connor, & Kevin Grace in the Tor Books booth (#2707)

What's New

July’s #Torchat Live from San Diego Comic-Con!

July 13, 2011May 10, 2024torforge

2011Featuring Tweets from Tor staff @tdelucci, @Laura_FitzG, @opattyg, and @jgolenbo at a special date and time, Thursday, 7/21 10AM – 11AM (PST)

New York, NY – Wednesday, July 13, – Tor Books (@torbooks) is thrilled to announce the theme and participants for July’s #Torchat, part of a monthly series of genre-themed, hour-long chats created by Tor Books and hosted on Twitter. This month’s chat takes place at a special time, Thursday, July 21^st, 10am – 11am PST, live from the Tor Booth (#2707), the show floor and elsewhere at San Diecgo Comic-Con.

In honor of this infamous and legendary convention devoted exclusively to all the things we geeks love, the #Torchat will take a look at goings on within the Tor Booth, panels and everything else we think is exciting and interesting. We just hope we can cover it all in an hour! Four members of the Tor staff will be Tweeting: Tor Books Ad/promo Manager Theresa DeLucci, Digital Marketing Coordinator for Tor; Laura Fitzgerald, Director of Publicity Patty Garcia, and Senior Publicist Extraordinaire Justin Golenbock. Fans are invited to follow or join in using the Twitter hashtag #torchat.

Not at the Con? Follow @torbooks throughout the week, July 20th – 24th, for their 2nd annual “Not at Comic-Con” sweepstakes via the Tor/Forge blog.

About the Staff

Theresa DeLucci (@tdelucci) is the Ad/promo Manager at Tor Books and also a blogger at Tor.com where she writes about television among other things. An avid gamer, DeLucci is also a graduate of the 2008 Clarion West Writers’ Workshop. She can also be found working on the perfect cup of homemade chai tea and mouth-watering brunches.

Laura Fitzgerald (@Laura_FitzG) is the Digital Marketing Coordinator for Tor and self-proclaimed Anime nerd. She keeps up a blog in her copious amounts of spare time where she writes about publishing, marketing, Anime, YA, “fantasay” and other things that rhyme with “A” and end in “ing.” She is a force to be reckoned with.

Patty Garcia (@opattyg) a.k.a. yours truly, is Director of Publicity. She likes the hard stuff, both sci-fi and otherwise, and has one of the best offices in the Flatiron building thanks to her meticulousness/borderline obsessiveness. She is also the bass player for The Rats, a NYC garage punk band, and is proud owner of a 1977 Rickenbacker 3000 and a 1976 Fender Musicman.

Justin Golenbock (@jgolenbo) is Senior Publicist and works with some of the bigger authors and campaigns on the Tor list including The Wheel of Time® series and Brandon Sanderson, Cory Doctorow, Vernor Vinge as well as our gaming properties comprised of Halo®, CPC Games, Bioshock and Dragon Age, to name a few. He is a beer aficionado, baseball enthusiast, Thundercats devotee, and general all around nerd. #Torchat was his brainchild; watch out for this one.

About #Torchat

#Torchat is a genre-themed, hour-long chat series created by Tor Books and hosted on Twitter. Guest authors join fans in lively, informative and entertaining discussions of all that’s hot in genre fiction, 140 characters at a time, from 4 – 5 PM EST on the third Wednesday of every month. Each #Torchat revolves around a different genre topic of interest, often of a timely nature, and strives to provide a new media opportunity for readers to connect with their favorite authors.

About Tor Books

Tor Books, an imprint of Tom Doherty Associates, LLC, is a New York-based publisher of hardcover and softcover books. Founded in 1980, Tor annually publishes what is arguably the largest and most diverse line of science fiction and fantasy ever produced by a single English-language publisher. In 2002, Tor launched Starscape, an imprint dedicated to publishing quality science fiction and fantasy for young readers, including books by critically acclaimed and award winning authors such as Cory Doctorow, Orson Scott Card, and David Lubar. Between an extensive hardcover and trade-softcover line, an Orb backlist program, and a stronghold in mass-market paperbacks, books from Tor have won every major award in the SF and fantasy fields, and has been named Best Publisher 24-years in a row in the Locus Poll, the largest consumer poll in SF.

What's New

Tor Books Announces Programming for San Diego Comic-Con 2011

July 11, 2011May 10, 2024torforge

Our biggest year yet, with 13 authors in attendance and two panels devoted exclusively to Tor!

We’ve outdone ourselves this year with 13 authors in attendance including science fiction icon Vernor Vinge, fan favorites Brandon Sanderson & George R.R. Martin (Wild Cards series), and new to our list, legendary creator of Fables franchise and New York Times bestselling author, Bill Willingham!

This year at the Tor Booth (#2707), we’ll not only have our popular *in-booth signings and giveaways, but you’ll also have a chance to download exclusive content via QR codes and win a tablet from our friends at Tor.com!

And finally, our esteemed Tor Staff will participate in our popular #Torchat series on Twitter, live from the con on Thursday the 21^st from 10am – 11am PST. Read on for all the details!

Thursday, July 21^st

10am – 11am #Torchat, live from Comic-Con! With @tdelucci (Theresa Delucci, Ad/promo Manager & Tor.com blogger), @Laura_FitzG (Laura Fitzgerald, Digital Mktg Coordinator) @opattyg (Patty Garcia, Director of Publicity) and @jgolenbo (Justin Golenbock, Senior Publicist Extraordinaire)

12pm Tor Booth signing with Carrie Vaughn, author of New York Times bestselling Kitty Norville series, signing copies of Kitty Goes to War. Booth #2707

12pm – 1pm Putting the “Epic” in “Epic Fantasy: Writing to excite! Room 6A

With Brandon Sanderson (The Way of Kings), Peter Orullian (The Unremembered), George R.R. Martin, Patrick Rothfuss, Kevin J. Anderson and others. Moderated by Michael Spradlin.

1:30pm – 2:30pm Signing in the autographing area, AA8

2:45pm Tor Booth signing with Brandon Sanderson, signing Mistborn. Five lucky fans will win an Advanced Readers Copy of his new book Alloy of Law, coming in November. Booth #2707

4pm – 5pm No Damsels in Distress Here: Female voices in sci-fi/fantasy create kick-ass heroines. Room 25ABC. With Carrie Vaughn (Kitty’s Big Trouble), Seanan McGuir, Sherrilyn Kenyon and others. Moderated by Maryelizabeth Hart of Mysterious Galaxy.

5:30pm – 6:30pm Signing in the autographing area, AA2

5pm Tor Booth signing with Tony Gonzales, IP Development Manager at CCP Games and author of EVE: The Empyrean Age and the upcoming EVE: Templar One(December). Booth #2707

Friday, July 22^nd: Videogame Day

Tor has positioned themselves as the industry leader within this burgeoning subgenre of science fiction via an expanded program of stand-alone novels that flesh out virtual worlds with original stories through partnerships with industry-leading videogame developers, established writers, and prominent gaming studios. This year we take over and get our own panel! We’ll also be giving away Halo and Dragon Age messenger bags all day!

10am – 11am Writing in Videogames: In-game, novels, comics, & other franchise-building offshoots. Room 32AB. With Greg Bear (Halo: Cryptum), Karen Traviss (Halo: Glasslands), David Gaider (Dragon Age: The Stolen Throne, Dragon Age: The Calling), John Shirley (Bioshock: Rapture), Tony Gonzales (EVE: The Empyrean Age, EVE: Templar One), Frank O’Connor (Chief of 343 Industries, Halo: Evolutions) and Kevin Grace (Managing Editor of 343 Industries, Halo: Evolutions). Moderated by Matt Staggs of Suvudu.com.

11:30am – 12:30am Signing in the autographing area, AA2

12pm Tor Booth signing with Bram Stoker Award winner John Shirley, signing copies of Bioshock: Rapture, the prequel story to the award-winning and bestselling video game franchise. Booth #2707

2pm Tor Booth signing with multiple Hugo and Nebula Award winner Greg Bear, #1 New York Times bestselling author Karen Travis, Frank O’Connor, Chief of 343 Industries, and Kevin Grace, Managing Editor of 343 Industries, signing copies of Halo: Evolutions. Booth #2707

5pm Tor Booth signing with David Gaider, lead writer on the award-winning role-playing game Dragon Age: Origins among others, signing copies of Dragon Age: The Stolen Throne. Booth #2707

Saturday, July 23^rd

12pm Tor Booth signing with the iconic Vernor Vinge! This fall will finally see the release of The Children of the Sky, the long awaited follow up to Hugo Award winning A Fire Upon the Deep. Never read it? Stop by the booth and get a copy signed by the wonderful author himself! Booth #2707

3pm The Long Mangive-away by comic legend, Steve Englehart. Booth #2707

5pm Tor Booth signing with legendary George R.R. Martin! Originally created in 1987 and long before Martin became a household name, George R. R. Martin and Melinda Snodgrass’ Wild Cards series earned a reputation for its smart reimagining of the superhero idea. Martin & Snodgrass will be joined by other contributors including Carrie Vaughn, Carolyn Spector and Daniel Abraham. Note: Martin will only sign copies of Inside Straight; limit one copy per person. Booth #2707

Sunday, July 24^th

10:30am Wildcards Sunday Morning, Moderated by George R.R. Martin & Melinda Snodgrass. With Paul Cornell, David Anthony Durham, Carrie Vaughn, Daniel Abraham & Caroline Spector. A Tor exclusive!

12pm – 1pm Signing in the Autographing area AA8

12pm Dreadnoughtgiveaway by steampunk high priestess, Cherie Priest. Booth #2707

12pm – 1pm Speculative Fiction: Space odyssey, alien encounters and future worlds Room 25ABC. With Vernor Vinge (The Children of the Sky), Greg Bear (Halo: Cryptum), Timothy Zahn and others. Moderated by Maryelizabeth Hart of Mysterious Galaxy.

1:30pm – 2:30pm Signing in the autographing area AA8

2pm – 3pm Tor Booth signing with comic legends Bill Willingham and Mark Buckingham! We’re proud to announce the publication of Down the Mysterly River, Willingham’s first book for young readers to be published by Starscape (Tor’s younger sibling) this fall. Willingham & Buckingham (hey that rhymes!) will sign one of four specially designed postcards featuring art from the upcoming book. A Comic-Con exclusive!

Thanks for voting us “Best Publisher” in the Locus Poll for 24 straight years!

All Tor Booth signings are on a first come first serve basis and while supplies lasts. Limit one book per person.

Author Features

Another Method

July 11, 2011May 10, 2024torforge

By David Drake

Last year when Tor asked me for an essay to accompany the publication of The Legions of Fire, the first of my Books of the Elements fantasy series, I explained that riding a motorcycle focuses my conscious mind and thus frees my subconscious. Plotting isn’t simply an intellectual activity for me. The really subtle, really complex structures come from my subconscious.

For this year’s essay to accompany Out of the Waters, the second book of the series, I’m going to write about how translating Latin helps me plot.

Okay, I know that motorcycles are sexier than Latin translation. Bear with me, though, because where I’m going with this may not be the place you expect.

I like to base my fiction on existing literature and historical events. Because I read Latin (basically to take myself out of the present) I frequently use classical settings. Sometimes I do it directly, as when I turned the Odyssey into the plot for the space opera Cross the Stars, but mostly it’s indirect. For example, Philip the Fifth’s invasion of Southern Greece at the end of the Third century bc became the template for my Military SF novel Paying the Piper.

But that sort of thing is minor: my interest in history and literature isn’t limited to the Classical Period. I based the Northworld Trilogy (an SF—basically space opera—series) on the poems of The Elder Edda, and many other non-classical sources have given me plots and settings.

Because The Books of the Elements are set in a world very similar to Rome in 30 ad, it’s only reasonable to assume that there’d be a direct connection between the plot and the Latin translations I’m working on at the same time. With a tiny exception, though, that hasn’t been the case.

Ovid is the only author I’m translating on my website. Specifically, I’m working with lyric poems from the Amores and also with sections of the Metamorphoses.

The lyrics are witty and often self-mocking. They’re not so much love poems as poems about love (broadly defined). They show the first-person viewpoint character (he certainly isn’t a hero) courting a woman, watching her go off with another man after a night of hard drinking, seducing the woman’s maid, and many similar slices from the life of a man who likes women.

Now, this gives me bits of business for my fiction (and not just my Rome-based fiction). Clearly, though it doesn’t help with plots for the action/adventure stories that I write.

The Metamorphoses is a wonderful ramble of epic length through Classical mythology. The title comes from the fact that the stories generally involve a change of some sort, but Ovid allows himself as much leeway in definition as the editor of a modern theme anthology would. For example, the attempt of Nessus to carry off Deianira, the wife of Hercules, doesn’t involve any change whatever (unless you want to count Nessus changing from centaur to fertilizer).

The Metamorphoses contains many connected narratives of some length. The Hercules Cycle runs for almost three hundred lines, and there are a number of longer threads. Even so, none would serve as the plot for an entire novel.

The unique thing which I gain from translating Ovid over reading an author in English of comparable quality (Kipling, say; or if I were a different person, Henry James) is the concentration which the task demands. When I put translations on line, I’m displaying my level of skill for the world to see–and to mock me if I screw up.

That doesn’t mean I won’t screw up, but it does mean that I’ll put everything I’ve got into the job. I kept working for a week on the description of Arachne’s tapestry until finally I realized that the rainbow wasn’t a literal image: Ovid was using it as a simile for the subtlety with which the weaver blended colors together.

When my conscious mind is focused that sharply on a translation, my subconscious can get on with working out plot problems. That’s how the Hercules Cycle helped me to plot Out of the Waters.

I said there was a tiny direct connection between my plot and the translation I was doing at the time. I needed an opening scene for Out of the Waters to set up the action to come. It occurred to me that I could use a stage show, a lavishly expensive mime of the sort that was popular in the Early Empire… and come to think, episodes from the life of Hercules–though not the same ones as in the Metamorphoses–would work perfectly for the purpose.

And so they did. Thank you, Ovid.

…………………………

From the Tor/Forge July newsletter. Sign up to receive our newsletter via email.

…………………………

More from our July newsletter:

Author Features

At the Abyss

July 11, 2011May 10, 2024torforge

By David Hagberg

More than thirty years ago a young scientist by the name of Amory Lovins argued that the U.S. had reached a crucial energy crossroads: the path we were taking guaranteed an ever-increasing demand for and reliance on nuclear fission and dirty fossil fuels.

Lovins warned that burning coal to produce electricity would double the atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations by early in the next century—THIS CENTURY. Unless something changed, we were headed for a possible alteration in the global climate that could become practically irreversible.

Lovins called this road the “Hard path,” and proposed an alternative which he called the “Soft path.” Renewable energy–sourced from the sun and the wind–along with conservation and new, energy-efficient technologies, would bring about a cleaner, healthier environment. The energy wars of the near future could be avoided.

But the U.S. and rapidly emerging economies, such as those of China and India, continue to race down the hard path, heading for an abyss at the bottom of which might lie the extinction of all mammalian life on the planet.

So what’s to be done? Nuclear energy can be dangerous—witness the recent meltdown in Japan. A partial solution, of course, would be to design site-specific nuclear plants.

Wind power generators can be an unsightly blight on the landscape, noisy, and inefficient.

Solar power is still in its infancy—and the sun doesn’t shine 24 hours per day. One solution would be to place solettas—gigantic sails—in geo-synchronous orbits to catch sunlight and direct the power back to earth in the form of microwave beams.

Petroleum and natural gas now fill a little more than 20 percent of the U.S. energy needs, but continuing to rely on these resources puts us at the mercy of foreign governments. And this, according to former Senator Byron Dorgan, could easily become a major security issue. Remember, for the most part, our military runs on petrochemicals.

Then there’s coal. There’s enough coal inside the continental U.S. alone to supply all of our predicted energy needs for the next four centuries.

Right now, nearly half of the electrical energy produced in the U.S. comes from coal. But burning coal produces more CO₂than all other energy sources combined.

What’s left? The ocean tides and wave actions—which show some promise. But even more important are the great ocean currents—the Gulf Stream in the Atlantic, the Agulhas along Africa’s coast, the Humboldt along the west coasts of north and South America, and others, including the Arctic Drift.

The Gulf Stream alone produces more than one hundred times the power needed by the entire planet, so tapping just one percent of it for electricity would solve the problem of greenhouse gas emissions, the danger of nukes, and the inefficiencies of wind and solar.

It’s possible that removing energy from the Gulf Stream and other ocean currents could modify the earth’s weather. By changing the distribution of heat between the tropical and polar regions, hurricanes and tropical cyclones and anti-cyclones might be controlled or at least mitigated.

The technology is fringe, but sound, and in my new thriller, Abyss, I wonder what the producers of fossil energy, the proponents of nuclear power, and the powerful forces whose goal is to generate massive amounts of money by maintaining the status quo, might do if such a project were ever to come to fruition. Sabotage, murder, or worse?

Abyss (978-0-7653-2410-8; $24.99) by David Hagberg released June 21, 2011, from Forge.

…………………………

From the Tor/Forge July newsletter. Sign up to receive our newsletter via email.

…………………………

More from our July newsletter:

Author Features

A Brief Interview with Rhiannon Frater

July 11, 2011May 10, 2024torforge5 Comments

Q: The First Days has been heralded as ‘one of the girls in a sea full of boys.’ How does it feel to be writing in a subgenre that is predominantly occupied by men?

A: When I wrote The First Days I was aware of the lack of both female characters and female authors in the genre, but frankly, I just wanted to write the story that was in my head. That the two lead characters, Jenni and Katie, are women didn’t really personally strike me as odd, but the reaction from the readers told me that I had broken new ground. I have had some negative comments from male readers and authors, but it’s been pretty miniscule. I would say a vast majority of my fandom is male and they are incredibly supportive. Sometimes I have felt like the only girl on the playground, but more women are coming into the genre and that is good.

Q: The novel begins ‘somewhere in Texas.’ Can you describe what that location may be and how the state’s geography influenced your writing of the novel?

A: It starts in a Texas city that could be San Antonio, Austin, or the Fort Worth/Dallas area. Since Jenni and Katie end up in the Texas Hill Country, those are the three most likely suspects for their city of origin. The story takes place in just one area close to the center of the state and I tried to relay how massive the state actually is.

Q: You initially wrote The First Days as well as its subsequent sequels online. How did transitioning to book format change the story, if at all?

A: I was writing it while on the road for work, so I didn’t always have access to what I had posted the day before. There were continuity issues with the first version and I dropped the ball on some characters. Going back and revising the books has given me a chance to rectify my former mistakes. I think the plot is sharper, the characterization richer, and the book overall is just a lot more solid.

Q: How did you create the mythology for your version of the zombie?

A: Since the story is in Texas, I needed to take into account the fact that Texans have guns. Slow zombies wouldn’t be a huge threat in Texas. I had to make them fast so society would collapse. It made sense to me to slow the zombies down as their bodies were ruined by decay, the elements, and the fact that zombies don’t feel pain. For example: A zombie gets caught in a gate. Its arm is tangled up in the barbed wire. It wants to get free, so it pulls and pulls until its arm finally tears off. It doesn’t feel pain and it just made itself a much less effective eating machine.

Q: What can readers expect in future sequels to The First Days?

A: Zombie mayhem, character deaths, solid action, emotional moments, and Jenni and Katie being at the center of it all.
…………………………

From the Tor/Forge July newsletter. Sign up to receive our newsletter via email.

…………………………

More from our July newsletter:

Posts navigation