The Folly Irregulars discussion

Got my copy of "Lies Sleeping" on Friday. The Waterstones special edition in the UK has a short story in it.

The ordinary Australian edition also has the short story. It's a little Abigail Christmas story.

Got my copy on Tuesday evening when I met Ben, he signed it, I started reading on the train home, and finished it on Friday afternoon. :)

Yay! I'm waiting for my Waterstones copy.

I'm on hold for my copy.

New news! The next RoL novella, "The October Man", is currently scheduled for release in June 2019.

Full details here - https://www.gollancz.co.uk/2018/11/26...

Happy dance...

I'm dancing, too! Actually, picture Snoopy in the Christmas special. That's me, right now.

Great news. :D

A bit later than I thought it'd be released, but nevertheless I'm excited to read it!

I kind of hope this means Ben will be a guest at the Edinburgh Book Festival next year.

Mark wrote: "A bit later than I thought it'd be released, but nevertheless I'm excited to read it!"

Yeah. When I asked Ben on Twitter he said spring. June is summer.

Oh, confusion all over the place. Just received the Subterranean Press announcement today, which says 'May,' (not quite 'spring,' not quite 'summer,') but here's the link for the official one:

https://subterraneanpress.com/october...

I like the cover.

Just a quick advisory folks.

Over in the Lord Grant's Irregulars group on Facebook, we're in the very very early stages of planning a meetup in the pub/walking tour of locations from the books, in London.

The only firm decision made so far, is that it'll be sometime during the summer.

A couple of local Londoners are going to get together in the meantime to plan things out a bit further.

Letting you know in advance, just in case any UK folk - or from further afield - are interested.

More news as get it.

Oh, fun!! Wish I was in the same hemisphere...

Man, so do I. It would be great to do a walking tour of the book's locations. Have a great time on the walk in the summer, Ronnie.

I'm still undecided.

I'd like to go, yes, very much so.

But since I'm carer for me wee elderly mum - who was 89 last birthday folks - who had a minor stroke two years ago, I'd need a fair amount of advance warning so I can square things with my brother, so he can keep an eye on her overnight.

I've only ever been in London three times in my life. Once in 1983 returning from a school trip of a week on a sailing barge in the Thames estuary. The other two times in 2003 and 2005 for Stargate conventions.

carol. wrote: "Oh, fun!! Wish I was in the same hemisphere..."

Field trip (wink).

Lata wrote: "Man, so do I. It would be great to do a walking tour of the book's locations. Have a great time on the walk in the summer, Ronnie."

Adding this to my London/UK bucket list (which is mostly bookshops and literary/theater locations). Perhaps the Lord Grant Irregulars can wrangle permission to publish the walking tour as a self-guided map; wouldn't that be magical?

Ronnie wrote: "I'm still undecided.

I'd like to go, yes, very much so.

But since I'm carer for me wee elderly mum - who was 89 last birthday folks - who had a minor stroke two years ago, I'd need a fair amount ..."

Sending wishes for a lovely weekend to you and your mom. Eldercare is a job for heroes! Here's to your next London adventure.

Bardbooks wrote: "carol. wrote: "Oh, fun!! Wish I was in the same hemisphere..."

Field trip (wink)."

I love the idea and have London on my own bucket list...

Also love the idea that they might do it as a brochure. Somewhere in these folders, I posted the links that Ben shared on Google for his first four or five books. He's so disorganized--they are not easy to find on his website! I saved them to my own group of Google maps.

From Waterstones blog:

https://www.waterstones.com/blog/what...

Hmm, that's a lot of summing off to announce a Nightingale graphic novel (must it be a graphic) and a new novel. No word on subject of the novel, though.

woo hoo! *jumping up and down in excitement*

carol. wrote: "Hmm, that's a lot of summing off to announce a Nightingale graphic novel (must it be a graphic) and a new novel. No word on subject of the novel, though."

It is a graphic novel.

As for the actual novel, well a few months ago he was complaining that Rose was banging on Mama Thames door! But he wouldn't say why!

Not wanting to go off topic, but - why is there such snobbery over the comics/graphic novels?

People looking down their noses at sci-fi and fantasy as not being "proper" writing, is the main reason I quit going to the local writers club.

I've been reading comics since I was a kid, though I did go through a spell for several years when I wasn't reading any. More because my library wasn't carrying anything interesting and sheer lack of time.

I have always loved them because I like the variety of artwork you find in them.

I really don't like the graphic novels. I don't think they contain the same level of sophistication and kind of storytelling that the novellas and full length stories do. There just isn't the same level of subtlety involved--you can't see Leslie hesitate or waver; a gun has to merely appear.
I'm also not that kind of a visual person--although I like art, it tends to be more abstract, not portraiture. Add to it that Kobna can't read it, and they are just a no-win for me.

Lata wrote: "I've been reading comics since I was a kid, though I did go through a spell for several years when I wasn't reading any. More because my library wasn't carrying anything interesting and sheer lack ..."

Shortly before Christmas, I stumbled upon a website where you can read comics for free.

It's not just your standard DC or Marvel superhero stuff either. There's some wonderfully obscure comics from independent publishers like Image, IDW, Dark Horse and so on.

https://readcomiconline.to/

Thanks, Ronnie. I'll check it out.

No problem. Happy to help. :)

It's very short, but here's a review for The October Man: https://locusmag.com/2019/03/adrienne...

The new novel due for release later this year (Ben said November earlier) has the title False Value according to an item on his facebook page today.

I'm still waiting for a Canadian ebook release date for October Man. :(

Blurb for False Value.
https://www.waterstones.com/book/fals...

Two things. Well; we now what happened to the Difference Engine mentioned in The Hanging Tree.

And, "Serious Cybernetics Company"? Really? Nice little tip of the hat to Douglas Adams Sirius Cybernetics Company. Wonder if Peter will tell someone to go stick their head in a pig. :D

Woah, has Peter quit the force; or do we think he is working undercover? Surely the latter?

I would suspect a dignified 'leave of absence' while things cool down.

Agree with Carol. Leave of absence whilst the events of the last book are investigated.

BREAKING NEWS!!!
The books have been optioned for TV adaptation by Simon Pegg and Nick Frost's production company.

Full story here - https://deadline.com/2019/04/simon-pe...

And they screw it up, it's gonna be angry mob with pitchforks time for the pair of them.

Yay!!!! *jumping up and down*

And agreed about the pitchforks!

heh. I assume all visual adaptations screw up books. *shrug*

I don't think they'll screw it up. Not with Simon Pegg being a fan. The casting will be interesting.

Anyone going to an evening with Ben Aaronovitch tonight at Waterstones bookshop in Newcastle upon Tyne?

I wish (says the American in the snowy Midwest).

https://www.gollancz.co.uk/news/2020/...

Link to other UK dates.

carol. wrote: "I wish (says the American in the snowy Midwest)."

Concurring (the Canadian in the snowy centre of Canada.)

Thanks for sharing, Mark.

There's a short story collection called Tales from the Folly that will be released this summer!!
This is an extract from the email I just received:

Each tale features a new introduction from Ben, filled with insight and anecdote offering the reader a deeper exploration into this absorbing fictional world. This is a must read for any Rivers of London fan.

Join Peter, Nightingale, Abigail, Agent Reynolds and Tobias Winter for a series of perfectly portioned tales. Discover what’s haunting a lonely motorway service station, who still wanders the shelves of a popular London bookshop, and what exactly happened to the River Lugg…

Huzzah! Do you know if this will include the short stories from certain special editions of the books that not all of us had access to?

Margaret, here’s some more info from the email I received:


This e-book collection will contain both previously published stories and brand-new material