Liaden Universe InfoDump #66

[kinzel]

Liaden Universe® Infodump # 66

* Jan. 13th, 2008 at 7:12 PM

In which we discuss anniversaries, Theo Waitley, travel plans, book stuff, webstuff, and ... stuff. all related to Sharon Lee and Steve Miller's Liaden Universe® and other Lee and Miller creative endeavors.

20 Years and counting: Happy anniversary to Val Con and Miri!
We'd like to ask you to help us celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Liaden Universe®, as brought to the world through Agent of Change from Del Rey. This 247 page book changed the world for some of us (notably Sharon Lee and Steve Miller!) but also started a long-and-winding path that so far includes a couple million words of Liaden fiction, closets full of fading t-shirts and work shirts, an audio book, a serial podcast, silver pins, some good and some not so good buttons, some great book covers, avatars and islands in Second Life, and readers around the world, reading books and stories in multiple languages.

So far this year we're planning:

BOSKONE hook-up ....
As usual when we're not being guests elsewhere, we'll be at Boskone (that's in Boston) ... this year that dates are February 15 -17 and David Weber is Guest of Honor. We're both set to be on the program, but we're not sure what we'll be doing yet, though there will be a Liaden 20th Anniversary event of some kind. See http://www.nesfa.org/boskone/

We're hoping for a Friends of Liad breakfast, and we expect to debut the new mass-market-sized edition of Liaden Universe(r) Companion Volume 1 as well, with the assistance of Pandemonium Books. The con committee has helped us snag a suite for a party, details TBD. If anyone's interested in helping with/occupying such a party suite, please let us know.

A trip to Denver ...for the WORLDCON NAMED DENVENTION ... here we've also asked for suite information. Anyone want to go? Anyone want to help with a suite? We've got the time blocked out, the trip planned, and we're setting up a visit to a couple of carousels along the way.
Details at http://www.denvention3.org/

A trip to ALBACON in October, Albany, New York, USA .. where long-time Liaden fan, first reader, and general nice lady Anne McCaffrey is GoH, along with her co-author and son, Todd. We're not sure what we'll be doing there besides being there. I note that if you're close to Albany and would like to get involved, the committee has openings for everything from gophers to department heads. Details: http://www.albacon.org/

Dragon Tide
Due to some unfortunate planning on Steve's part (sigh), Dragon Tide was delayed until after Christmas -- next time he'll read the email from the printer that says "Renovations coming in December." Dragon Tide is now literally in house, and the first 225 copies signed. We only have another equal amount to sign and then Steve starts packing and shipping. The first of those pre-ordered chapbooks should be reaching readers by Saturday, January 19. Watch the skies.

Speaking of Renovations...
Our web presence is changing. Not only is the SRM Publisher catalog moving to a new location but we're working on things behind the scenes for the general Liaden website on korval.com. This will be the first attempt at a complete site rebuild since 1995 or 1998(!) so features may come and go for awhile. Both the catalog and the Liaden page side of things may experience interruptions during these rebuilds. Please be patient.

News: Theo Waitley Flies Again -- Saltation
Check here for info: http://www.korval.com/saltation/Theoconnect.html
anytime, but know that starting January 21, around noon Eastern Time, we'll post the first installment of the nearly weekly Theo Waitley novel, Saltation. We're not going to give an exact schedule this time -- because it was a very difficult thing to keep up with.

We will use most of the same arrangements as Fledgling, basically planning one installment a week until the story is done near the end of the year, assuming reader support warrants. We're shooting for a world count of around 111,111 words; we note that various word processors give different word counts for the same body of text.

We're not going to attempt to predict a chapter count this time -- we learn by doing. Saltation will have a pay button that should go live about the time the first installment is posted. We are still accepting donations toward Fledgling; please do not combine Fledgling and Saltation donations: our accountant hates that!

To visit Fledgling, now complete in rough draft, see _http://www.korval.com/fledgling/_

In Other News
We'll be taking part in another event as part of the online Second Life community -- The SL Literary Festival, Saturday, 2 February 2008 will be going on at Info Island. Check in at InfoIsland or watch our blogs for update.

Blogs of Note
Steve Miller's blog, Journeyman: http://kinzel.livejournal.com/
Sharon Lee's blog, Eagles over the Kennebec: http://rolanni.livejournal.com/
Theo_Waitley, the discussion group for readers of _Fledgling_: http://community.livejournal.com/theo_waitley/
Where Dragons Rest, a Liaden Universe® readers group:
http://community.livejournal.com/liaden_readers/

Disclaimer Stuff
This InfoDump is a product of the Liaden Universe®, accept no imitations. You have received this message because you asked for it. If you don't want to receive these mailings anymore, unsubscribe here:
_http://www.fireopal.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/liadenuniversenews_

Comments

[liamstliam.livejournal.com]

Alethea and I would love to help with the breakfast.

Are you a filk fan? The filk guest of honor is a good friend and is terrific.

[kinzel.livejournal.com]

Let's see... on my way to Montreal for my most recent convention I had for music, among other things, Parody Violation --- know it?

But to pull back from that -- yes, I like music and wit. But ... I've not been able to spend much time among filk and filkers as the writing business stuff has interfered. I could use a list of top 5 *available* filk CDs ... since so many of the ones I've looked for have been mentioned lovingly...but aren't on sale at the cons I go to. Heck, if there was a reliable a source, I'd sell filk on the SRM Publisher website..

I'll try to recall your offer -- we're still in early palnning mode at this point.

[keristor.livejournal.com]

I certainly understand the time problem, when I go to general SF cons (as opoposed to filkcons) I often don't get to the filk items and I know several other filkers who find the same. There are so many other things to do and people to talk with.

Of course everyone's "top 5" is going to be different! But for parody I'd recommend Tom Smith and Bob Kanefsky, both of whom have CDs available (and any filk dealer should have copies). If you're interested, I'll have a look at what's available in UK and German filk CDs at the UK filkcon (3 weeks time, eep!) and arrange to send you some. What sort of thing do you like? Parody, I gather, how about original (non-parody) music? Any particular styles you do or don't like? Filk includes everything from rock to gregorian chant, rap to folk; pure vocal to orchestral; humour and parody to serious...

I don't know of any recorded Liaden filk (I do remember hearing a song about Miri and Val Con fairly recently but unremember who sang it), this may be a niche which needs filling. If I remember I'll post a query about that on the FoL list.

[kalimeg.livejournal.com]

I suspect that Theo financing will be safe -- so far it has been a delightful excursion. I *still* don't have a job. Soon, I hope.

[kinzel.livejournal.com]

Jobs can be hard. I went through a spot where I was nearly unemployable on account of having too much experience for my age...and another where my eduction level was a mismatch for the jobs I was applying for. Good luck ... and keep on reading!

[debmats.livejournal.com]

I'm planning to be at Denvention and would be willing to play minion. =)

Re: LUC mass-market

[kinzel.livejournal.com]

This is good ... experienced minions are hard to come by. Thanks!

LUC mass-market

[(Anonymous)]

re this part of the infodump: "We're hoping for a Friends of Liad breakfast, and we expect to debut the new mass-market-sized edition of Liaden Universe(r) Companion Volume 1 as well, with the assistance of Pandemonium Books."

---for those of us who would like to buy this, what's the best way to go about doing it? I won't be at Boskone but a friend will be, so if the best way is "purchase it at the con", that would be fine.

Re: LUC mass-market

[kinzel.livejournal.com]

Eventually we'll get them on the catalog website, but since the catalog website is being revamped and moved RSN we're holding off ..
Purchasing at a con isn't a bad way to show support -- it helps the bookstores folks know they need our books!

[mardott.livejournal.com]

I'm setting a goal to make it to a convention. Just not sure if it's this year or not. Are there any conventions out *west*? Do you ever make it out to the Pacific coast?

Speaking of rennovations: Any update on LUC2 books that still haven't arrived?

[kinzel.livejournal.com]

first ... send me a note to the regular srm email address on the books.. I thought I was basically caught up on those.

And we've been to a couple of left coast cons ... a Worldcon a few years ago.. .and we were Guests of Honor at a con more than a decade ago. Aside from worldcons we generally can't do long distance travel without support from the cons and some advance notice. We've been to Cosine in Colorado Springs and Utah's Conduit ... and we'll be in Denver. We generally travel by train, and that's 3 days out and 3 days back... and 3 days or more on site... so we'd need to figure close to 2 weeks out of schedule, which is hard to do.

[saruby.livejournal.com]

I'll be a Denvention and live in the area, so I am happy to act as chauffer, gofer, travelguide and all around help, but I have no experience with suites and lounges. However, I'm willing to apprentice if there is a master out there who needs one. Anh? Deb?

The link to the completed version of Fledgling is not working.

[(Anonymous)]

Burton from Montreal

Some of the weblinks might have un-intended underscore character before and after the weblink. Check if the URL in the browser location bar (address bar for IE)have an underscore character at the end. If it's there, delete it and load again.

[threeringedmoon.livejournal.com]

I love the graphic on the Theo teaser page.

Glad to hear that you will be at the Denver Worldcon. Hard to believe there is just half a year to go before it happens.