March is upon us and, by heavens, I do declare that it will be the biggest month yet here at joeabercrombie.com. We’re all very excited. Well I am, anyway. There is no we. There’s only me here. But let’s not dampen the enthusiasm, but look forward, forward, to good things this month! Appearances on TV and in person! Releases by the bucketload! New books! Old books! You lucky f*ckers!
March 4th – Official release date of Before They are Hanged, US edition courtesy of the wonderful Pyr Books. The shine has been taken off this a tad because the book’s actually been available on amazon for about a month already. Will it stop me celebrating this very special day? No, it won’t.
March 5th – The Worlds of Fantasy on BBC4 at 9.00pm, repeated at midnight – proper television, mind you – will be on the subject of the creation of fantasy worlds, focusing on writers the likes of Tolkien and Peake. It will feature comments from, among other proper authors such as Philip Pullman, China Mieville, and Terry Pratchett, me. That’s right, if you’ve ever wanted to see me looking uncomfortable and talking bollocks in a darkened room, this is your chance.
March 12th – SFX 168 goes on sale, with a profile of that Joe Abercrombie guy – ha ha ha, that there is one rising star of the UK fantasy scene that always cracks me up – plus a lead review of his latest book, Last Argument of Kings. I’ve seen it already. It’s good. Very good. The review, that is, not the book. Though the book is also very good. But don’t take my word for it, take SFX’s. On March 12th.
March 13th – Release of the UK Mass-Market edition of Before They are Hanged. You like it small and floppy? Handbag size BTAHs should be available in all good bookshops from this date, in good time for…
March 20th – Here’s the big one, folks. It’s only the UK release date of the final thrilling installment of The First Law trilogy, Last Argument of Kings! 11,000 copies sold already, incidentally, and it isn’t even on the shelves yet. To mark the occasion I’ll be signing books at Forbidden Planet on Shaftesbury Avenue from 6pm to 7pm or even beyond, if necessary. If you’ve ever wanted to see me looking uncomfortable and talking bollocks in a well-lit cellar, this is your chance. If you want a book signed, this is your chance as well. Take those chances, people. Take them.
March 21st-23rd – Orbital. Eastercon will be taking place at the Radisson Heathrow, accompanied no doubt by the lilting purr of low-flying aircraft and the gentle whoop-whoop of drunken genre authors. I’ll be one of them. Authors, that is, not aircraft.
I’ll be there Friday, Saturday overnight, and Sunday, and I will be appearing on 2 panels, believe it or not. Adapting Tolkien from book to film, Tetworth Room, Saturday at 11.00 and Roughening up Fantasyland, Tetworth Room, Sunday at 21.00. All attendees are of course welcome to come along and see me make an ass of myself. Otherwise I’ll be attending other panels and listening to some of the guests of honour, hanging around the bar, or around Gollancz’s stand in the dealer room. If anyone wants anything signed, by all means come along to either of those panels or just collar me about the place. If anyone wants to buy any of my books, they should be available at the Gollancz stand, and of course I’m happy to sign those too. If anyone wants to attack me, not in the face.
And I think that will just about wrap it up for March. Are you as stoked as me? What’s that? You’re MORE stoked? Get out of here!
14 comments so far
I’m relieved you explained the nature of the panels, since my first thought was of some new art form featuring you – in the flesh – as part of a diptych.
I am WAY stoked that The Last Argument of Kings will be in my sweaty, trembling hands in just about three weeks. Reason tells me I couldn’t possibly be as stoked as you, though, with all the gigs you’ve got lined up. Hang ten, man.
Why not the face? It seems quite the appropriate body part to maim after what you did, you bastard.
taching,
We can both be equally stoked, how’s that?
jebus,
I’m not saying I don’t deserve it, but to damage my face would be a crime against the whole of humanity, like taking a blowtorch to the roof of the sistine chapel or something.
No book signing in any of the London Waterstones? We don’t go to Forbidden Planet any more…
Adapting Tolkien from book to film
Nice. That’s my specialist subject. I really must have a look at the programme for Eastercon.
All right then, throw in some top-notch curry, and we can be equally stoked. – Off-topic, but someday I will learn to leave “The” off Last Argument of Kings.
Possibly everyone else knew already, but after reading your reply to jebus, I’m no longer in doubt as to whom the character of Jezal dan Luthar was based on. 😉
Well now I know what to treat myself with for my b-day this month, just in time too as my unread book stock is running perilously low!
I might just bump TLAOK up to the top of the pile however, think I’ll skip trying to get a signed one as that added air fair might be a bit much…
beefeater,
If Waterstones ask, I’m not saying no. They haven’t asked.
Isis,
Oh god, you’re not saying there’ll be people in the audience that actually know what they’re talking about, are you? That might make me look bad.
Taching,
All the characters are based on me. I have the arrogance of Jezal, the temper of West, the culture of the Bloody-Nine, the patience of Ferro, the cynicism of Glokta, the discipline of Ardee, and the sense of humour of Black Dow.
the vlg,
What finer birthday present could there be…
What finer birthday present could there be….
Well that nice Scott-Lynch chap might publish a new book 😉
Aaaaaaaarrrrgggghhhhhh!
Get it off me! It burns! It burns!
I have. . .the sense of humour of Black Dow.
Really? I wouldn’t have expected that. I suppose, then, that we should credit Gillian for all the funny parts. She did quite a good job!
the-vlg said: Well that nice Scott Lynch chap might publish a new book 😉
Joe Abercrombie said…
Aaaaaaaarrrrgggghhhhhh!
Get it off me! It burns! It burns!
Plagiarist. *grins* But very funny nonetheless. 🙂
So there you was, on the box last night in all your erudite-ness. Good programme, I thought. Look forward to part 3.
Can I ask you something? The worldbuilding comments made me wonder how that worked in your case. What came first, the world or Glotka? Do you remember? (I’m sorry if you’ve answered this a thousand times before. Ignore me if I’m being obnoxious…)
2 weeks today until TLAOK, booyah!
taching up,
If I’m not supposed to steal my ideas, where the hell am I supposed to get them?
susanne,
World developed kind of in tandem with most of the characters. Glokta was actually much the most recent of the central ones to appear, though.