George R.R. Martin's Blog, page 35

The world is changing so quickly around us these days that it is hard to keep up.

New Mexico has requested that all non-essential businesses close, to help fight the spread of the coronavirus.   Accordingly, we are going to go ahead and shutter our bookstore, Beastly Books, on Montezuma Street in Santa Fe.   As with the adjoining theatre, the Jean Cocteau Cinema, the store will remain closed until April 15, at which point we will re-evaluate and act accordingly.

 

I am going to continue to...

Strange days are upon us.   As ancient as I am, I cannot recall ever having lived through anything like the past few weeks.

Were taking steps here in New Mexico, like everywhere else.

Meow Wolf is closed.  A wise precaution, given the huge size of the crowds that customarily gather daily to see the House of Eternal Return.   MW draws people from all over the country, indeed all over the world, and it is very much a hands-on exhibit where visitors are encouraged to touch everything and go...

The year was 2007 when twenty-eight aces from all over the United States gathered in Hollywood to compete for a million dollars in the first season of the hit television series American Hero. Men and women, young and old, all gifted with astonishing powers, they were divided into four teams: Hearts, Diamonds, Clubs, and Spades. Each week they were sent out to face an amazing array of challenges to test their courage, their resourcefulness, their teamwork, and their cunning. The winning team...

Odyssey, held each summer in the ghastly haunted mountains of New Hampshire, is an intensive six-week workshop for aspiring writers of science fiction, fantasy, and horror. I taught there once, years back, and witnessed first hand what an amazing experience it was… and in more recent years, I have sponsored an annual scholarship for a promising writer of Lovecraftian cosmic horror.

Applications for the workshop and my scholarship… and a wide range of other scholarships and financial aid...

This is really too cool.

A new genus of pteradon has been discovered, and named after the dragons of House Targaryen.

I am delighted, needless to say. Especially by the kind words of the discoverer, paleontologist Rodrigo Pegas, who is solidly on my side about dragons having two legs, not four, and pfui on those medieval heralds with their wyvern talk.

Alas, there is no...

It’s that time of year again, where we here at Fevre River get to reveal next years ultra awesome brand spanking new Song of Ice and Fire calendar cover art! As always we like to bring you a variety of styles from an assortment of freaky talented artists and this year is no different as we feature the work of Sam Hogg.

Here is our calendar cover featuring poor youngQuentyn’s attempt to tame a dragon:

…and here is a little about Sam and her work:

‘With a love of fantastical and narrative...

Jalic Blades has just opened pre-sales for these lovely new swords from Jalics official World of Ice and Fire and GoT licensed replica shop Valyrian Steel. Both are limited edition, we have listed details below: Heartsbane Stainless – Limited Edition of 3000 http://www.valyriansteel.com/shop/swords/heartsbane/prod_100.html Heartsbane Damascus – Limited Edition of 1000 http://www.valyriansteel.com/shop/swords/heartsbane-damascus/prod_101.html Here’s their official copy announcing this...

I was deeply saddened this week to read of the death of Mike Resnick, one of the true giants of contemporary science fiction. Mike has been battling serious illness for some time, so the news did not come as a complete surprise… but it came too soon, too soon, and our field and our community will be the poorer for his absence.

I don’t recall when I first met Mike, but it was a long, long time ago, back in the 1970s when both of us were still living in Chicago. I was a young writer and he was...

CoNZealand, this year’s World Science Fiction Convention, has announced that nominations are now open for the 2020 Hugo Awards. To nominate, you need to be a member of either this year’s worldcon, or last year’s Dublin convention. You can nominate either electronically, or with a paper ballot (though very few chose the latter method these days).

Details can be found at https://conzealand.nz/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/2020-Hugo-Nominations-Ballot-Printable-US-Letter.pdf

Members can nominate...

Walter Jon Williams informs me that he is now taking applications for the 2020 version of the Taos Toolbox, his “graduate level” workshop for aspiring writers of science fiction and fantasy. This year’s gathering will be June 7-20… not actually in Taos, confusingly, but nearby in Angel Fire, in the Land of Enchantment. Walter Jon and Nancy Kress will be the instructors, once again, and I’ll show up myself one day for a guest lecture and a meal. You can find all the information here: ...