News!
As I posted on the News section of my main website, the first novel of my upcoming fantasy series has been sold to Hachette Livre Australia.
The series is planned for four books, and though the series itself remains unnamed, the first novel is called 'A Princess of Lenayin'. At the moment, the plan is for it to be released in Australia in June 2007. I'm hoping other countries will follow.
I recall telling a fellow science fiction writer that I was working on fantasy, and he gave me a look like I'd turned to the dark side. I don't want to get into a post about the relative merits of fantasy versus science fiction, save to say that whatever work has been published before, in either genre, has a very limited impact upon my decision of which I'd rather write. Or in other words, I don't follow trends, and my work is sometimes difficult to place within any simple genre boundaries. 'A Princess of Lenayin' is not a traditional fantasy in the sense that it has no magic, no wizards in pointy hats, no elves, no dragons, etc. Not that there's anything wrong with that. That kind of fantasy has its place, and I've read and enjoyed my share (although not an especially large share, I'll admit).
But I didn't want to write that kind of fantasy. The stuff I write, science fiction or fantasy, is heavily character based, and everything else comes from that focus on character. I'm interested in what makes humans human... which is in turn why politics interests me, not because political issues themselves are inherently interesting, but because ultimately, it's about people, and the choices they make. 'A Princess of Lenayin' is about culture, identity, wars of religion and ideology, and the clash of civilisations on the grand scale. I'm particularly pleased for it to be coming out in Australia with Hachette Livre, because I think they can reach a broader market than a specialised fantasy imprint might, and my plan was always more to write 'a good book', rather than 'a good fantasy book'. I've never liked labels much, and I see no reason why people who don't read much fantasy shouldn't like this one.
But then, I would say that, wouldn't I?
The series is planned for four books, and though the series itself remains unnamed, the first novel is called 'A Princess of Lenayin'. At the moment, the plan is for it to be released in Australia in June 2007. I'm hoping other countries will follow.
I recall telling a fellow science fiction writer that I was working on fantasy, and he gave me a look like I'd turned to the dark side. I don't want to get into a post about the relative merits of fantasy versus science fiction, save to say that whatever work has been published before, in either genre, has a very limited impact upon my decision of which I'd rather write. Or in other words, I don't follow trends, and my work is sometimes difficult to place within any simple genre boundaries. 'A Princess of Lenayin' is not a traditional fantasy in the sense that it has no magic, no wizards in pointy hats, no elves, no dragons, etc. Not that there's anything wrong with that. That kind of fantasy has its place, and I've read and enjoyed my share (although not an especially large share, I'll admit).
But I didn't want to write that kind of fantasy. The stuff I write, science fiction or fantasy, is heavily character based, and everything else comes from that focus on character. I'm interested in what makes humans human... which is in turn why politics interests me, not because political issues themselves are inherently interesting, but because ultimately, it's about people, and the choices they make. 'A Princess of Lenayin' is about culture, identity, wars of religion and ideology, and the clash of civilisations on the grand scale. I'm particularly pleased for it to be coming out in Australia with Hachette Livre, because I think they can reach a broader market than a specialised fantasy imprint might, and my plan was always more to write 'a good book', rather than 'a good fantasy book'. I've never liked labels much, and I see no reason why people who don't read much fantasy shouldn't like this one.
But then, I would say that, wouldn't I?
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