The Fireside

RPGs have always been a favourite type of game of mine - though it really depends on the plot, developer etc. One of my all time favourite RPGs was Knights of the Old Republic , as well as Morrowind (Elder Scrolls III) . I won't list a bunch of games here that I've played and enjoyed, but it looks like there are some good ones coming up.  

First, I'm not in a foul mood. I usually post about things I like and look forward to. Today, this is a bit of a pessimistic post in the sense that it's about things I don't like.  

As you may well know by following this blog, I adore reading and books. Yup, the actual printed, physical book. I love my ereader and have even purchased ebooks on it, but the vast majority of my personal library is printed books.  Not only that, I've opted to get specific editions of books in my library. Most ordinary or average reader will most likely get a book to just have it - "Oh I feel like getting Narnia by CS Lewis...ah, there it is!" in the book store.  Now, I only own a few books as 'collector's items' (not to be read but to 'kept', and I do read the books I own, but I still like to take care of them as best as I can. When it comes to getting a series of books (Harry Potter, A Song of Ice and Fire , etc..) to me, they all have to 'match'. I can't switch between hardback and paperback within a series - it just odd on the shelf to me. Also, preferably to have matching cover art. There are a number of factors th...

Good news for those wanting a re-issue of Windhaven by George R.R. Martin & Lisa Tuttle. Before I progress further I want to add that, by residing in Canada, we get either the American editions of books, or the UK. It depends really. Anyway, back in October of 2012, Martin's American publisher, Bantam, released a trade paperback re-issue of Windhaven , blending the cover art with the most recent artwork of his Ice and Fire books, as well as other re-issues from his back catalogue.   On February 19, 2015 , Gollancz (who I'm guessing is a UK publisher of fantasy. I know of them thanks to Joe Abercrombie, as well as searching for books by Patrick Rothfuss and Brandon Sanderson.   This ISBN for this new edition is 9781473208940   The islands of Windhaven, a forgotten planetary outpost, are held together by the flyers who travel between the various communities. Birth dictates who looks on in envy and who actually flies. Maris defies this law...

Looks there's a new beer coming out from Beau's B-Side Brewing Label - Kissmeyer Nordic Saison. It will be begin availability this Thursday , and here are the details: 5.2% alc/vol Kissmeyer Nordic Saison is brewed with a bouquet of organic sea buckthorn berries and rosehips, as well an infusion of fresh local rhubarb, for a fruity and distinctively Nordic character. Pale and slightly opaque, this Nordic Saison is medium-bodied, lively and effervescent, and deliciously dry. It offers medium bitterness along with spicy, floral and fruity aromas, and finishes slightly fruity, tart and crisp. Enjoy this first-ever single-release from the B-Side Brewing Label! http://www.beaus.ca/store/beer   

OK, so not long ago I did a blog post about the Game of of Thrones panel at Comic-Con. Today, George R.R. Martin postedn entry about him being there. see his post: http://grrm.livejournal.com/378521.html Here are the important parts in regards to George and Comic-Con, that is Ice and Fire / Game of Thrones related: Thursday, 2:30 to 3:30, I will be appearing in the main autograph area (the Sails) at Table 3, with DONATO GIANCOLA.  The two of us will be signing copies of the 2015 Ice & Fire calendar, which will be making its debut at the convention.   Friday, we have the GAME OF THRONES panel in Hall H.  I'll be there, with showrunners David Benioff and Dan Weiss and various members of our cast.  This year CRAIG FERGUSON will be moderating.  Hall H seats 7,000 people... but of course 150,000 people attend comicon, so if you want to see the panel, best get in line... ah... now.  Afterward I will join the cast for interviews and a poster ...

Today, Netflix has uploaded season 3 of Hell on Wheels . I'll be watching it, but not right away. After I finish the mini-series The Bible, it's on to season 2 of House of Cards , then I'll return to Hell.

This quick post is something I typically like to ask those who read. How do you like to read? What is your preferred format to get and read books in? - ebooks - hardbacks - 'trade' paperbacks - 'mass market' paperbacks. My least favourite is mass market. It's one of the reasons why I got an ereader.  So comment below, I'm curious what you all think.

http://metronews.ca/news/canada/1028145/are-we-witnessing-the-death-of-the-canadian-bookstore/ Worth a read. I certainly hope not. I myself do not like how books are disappearing in favour of the bookstores carrying 'other' items. Still keep your book stock and supply as per before, but perhaps add a section (physically) to the store? The bookstores should not get rid of books to make room for pillows.

Want to name the Lady of the Green Kirtle, Queen of Underland, and Queen of the Deep Realm in the fourth Narnia film, The Silver Chair? Well, you can! Should you have a great name for the female antagonist for The Silver Chair, it shall be used in the film. To enter and submit your name, head to https://www.narnia.com/us/sweepstakes

GAME OF THRONES®: THE COMPLETE FOURTH SEASON Nominated for 19 Emmy Awards® Including Outstanding Drama Series Available February 17, 2015 on Blu-rayTM with Digital Copy, DVD & Digital HD Loaded with Exclusive Bonus Content Including Comprehensive Guides & Illustrated Histories “The most epic, ambitious show on television” (Chicago Sun-Times) is back and bigger than ever when Game of Thrones: The Complete Fourth Season hits stores this winter. Season 4 of the hit HBO series, which broke ratings records and topped The Sopranos® to become the most popular show in the network’s history, was nominated for 19 Emmy® awards including Outstanding Drama Series, Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series (Peter Dinklage) and Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series (Lena Headey). One of the best-selling TV on BD/DVD titles in each of its years of release, Game of Thrones follows the noble families of Westeros as they battle for control of the Seven K...

Rothfuss: Heya Brandon.  Sanderson: Hey there, Pat. Nice talking with you again.  Rothfuss: Thanks for being willing to do this. I know you're insanely busy these days. Okay. Let me just jump right in here with a question. How long was Way of Kings ? I heard a rumor that the ARC I read was 400,000 words long. It didn't really feel like it…  Sanderson: Let me see. I will open it right now and word count it, so you have an exact number. It’s 386,470 words, though the version you read was an advance manuscript, before I did my final 10% tightening draft, which was 423,557 words. I didn’t really want it to be that long. At that length we’re running into problems with foreign publishers having to split it and all sorts of issues with making the paperback have enough space. I didn’t set out to write a thousand-page, 400,000-word book. It’s just what the novel demanded.  Rothfuss: Wise Man's Fear ended up being 395,000 words. And that's despite the...

GEORGE: — It has long been my contention that the historical novel and the epic fantasy are sisters under the skin, that the two genres have much in common. My series owes a lot to the work of J.R.R. Tolkien, Robert E Howard, Jack Vance, Fritz Leiber, and the other great fantasists who came before me, but I’ve also read and enjoyed the work of historical novelists like Thomas B. Costain, Mika Waltari, Alfred Duggan, Nigel Tranter, and Maurice Druon. Who were your own influences? What writers did you read growing up? Was historical fiction always your great passion? Did you ever read fantasy? BERNARD: You’re right – fantasy and historical novels are twins – and I’ve never been fond of the label ‘fantasy’ which is too broad a brush and has a fey quality. It seems to me you write historical novels in an invented world which is grounded in historical reality (if the books are set in the future then ‘fantasy’ magically becomes sci-fi). So I’ve been influenced by all three: f...