As an author who grew up reading famous authors' works, I sometimes go online and have a look what they are up to lately. Some of them have twitter feeds, which makes it easy to follow. Others have decided not to take the popular social media platform and only blog on an official website (usually through someone else who manages the site).
So today I have decided to share my journey with you, inform you the inspiration they given me for my writing, and tell you what they are up to lately. Sorry, Emma Watson, as much as I love you and your whimsical book droppings all over London, I am waiting for you to write a fiction novel too. :D
Alan Dean Foster
http://www.alandeanfoster.com/
Image Source: Goodreads
When I was but a teen (dramatic music here), Foster's Spellsinger series was one of my favourite fun, action, comedy, fantasy books that I just loved to read over and over again. Each book has such a major cliffhanger that you really want to get your hands on the next copy to continue reading.
I have the full Spellsinger series at home in my bookrack and digitally on my phone and tablet. I am too afraid to read it again though. I'm worried if I do it will change the story and magic as I remember it. So I have the books, I just choose not to read them again.
I believe his other books are better, but Spellsinger will always be my favourite.
What I love about Foster's website is that he provides an update at the beginning of every month. On the 1st of April, during the Easter Weekend, Foster had this to say on his website:
I'm about a third of the way into the new stand-alone novel PRODIGALS (formerly "The Horde"). No timeline for completion. Like an old clock, I'm just slowing down. I suppose everything is relative (no pun intended). The energy that drove me (or the compulsion, if you prefer) back when I was in my twenties and thirties these days seems to be devoted to more homely tasks (i.e., real life). With (currently) six cats and a dog, there's a lot to look after (I should have bought stock in a cat litter mine...could have received dividends in the form of product). Ever since the maid, butler, and chauffeur quit (har-de-har, as Jackie Gleason was wont to exclaim) I've had more to do than in earlier times. The house is too big for us, but after living in it for 38 years there seems no point in moving. And to where? Tahiti is too far away, New York is too busy, Anchorage too cold (although that is...changing), Palau too small, South Africa short on water...I reckon we'll just stick where we are. Besides, if we moved I'd have to box up all the books (although strangely, totally unknown folks as well as friends have repeatedly offered to kindly relieve me of any need to hang onto them).
RELIC'S release date is right around 17 August.
NXS WORLD (nxsworld.com) is an experimental biannual publication out of Amsterdam (yes, the Netherlands). To quote from their webpage, "NXS explores "the self" in the age of digital technology". Prompted by whatever Einsteinian machinations I know not, they asked if I would write a comparatively short story for them based on one question extracted from a Q&A conducted with the Instagram avatar known as Lil Miquela, the idea being that each contributor's contribution follows and comments upon one that precedes it. I'm often up for a challenge, I accepted, and the story (presumably accompanied by some kind of explanatory context) will appear in NXS WORLD #3. I have no publication/appearance date for that, but since they wanted the story by 26 March (this week), I'm assuming it will be fairly soon. When time allows and interest evolves, I love doing stuff like this. You can't buy a dinner for two at the Five Crowns restaurant in Amsterdam with the proceeds, but it lets you explore. And I love exploring.
First off... Yay for the honourable mention of my home country South Africa! Yes, we are short of water but the rains and winter are only starting now. Still... best you stay away from this country, with its politics and poor economic status. And man, I hear ya about finding time to write. I have actually resigned from my day job to run my private publishing company full time and write my novels on a more permanent basis, but yes there's the cats, dogs, wife, children, bonsais... life goes on.
Now, if you haven't been following Foster as much as I have, let me tell you. He loves traveling. I remember photos of all his journeys he shared. The last email he sent me (yes, I have his personal email address), he was telling me his latest journeys, sharing some of the photos with me, and discussing a book he wanted to write that takes place in South Africa. Fair enough, that was in 2009 (haha), and I think it's about time I sent him a new one to see how he is doing on a personal level. His last update screams for me to contact him again.
Stephen R Donaldson
http://www.stephenrdonaldson.com/
Image Source: Goodreads
To say that Donaldson's Chronicles of Thomas Covenant was a major inspiration, together with Lord of the Rings, for my Celenic Earth Chronicles is an understatement. Besides the fact that the word Chronicles is in both of them, the character Thomas Covenant has such an effect on my youthful mind at school. It would shape the way I saw villains and heroes, and that even the good guy can get it wrong multiple times over. Like Lord of the Rings, there was also a ring with major power in it. But with Thomas Covenant, he had to learn that the ring was just a conduit for the power actually within himself.
I'm saddened by the bad reviews the final Chronicles have been receiving. Many of the reviews are by readers who do not have the patience to sit and read through Donaldson's style of writing. To me, the style is exactly as it was in the original two sets of books in the series. So I am not sure why they are complaining. They want him to rush and get to the point, but with these Chronicles it is all about the climb, as Miley Cyrus would say.
I actually meant to try and get hold of him to find out if I can adapt the Chronicles to films. Thanks for the reminder.
So, what is Donaldson up to lately?
Well... his gone a bit quiet. The last update on the official website, run by someone else, was 27 October 2016.
Version 6 (!) of SEVENTH DECIMATE (Book One of THE GREAT GOD'S WAR) has finally achieved "delivery and acceptance." At the same time, both Berkley in the US and Gollancz in the UK have decided to postpone publication for a month. The book is now scheduled for November 2017. Hardcover, e-book, and audio; paperback eventually.
I've had a look on Goodreads and see that the book was actually published November 2017. However, if I read through the reviews it seems as though fellow Covenant followers like myself have not been too pleased with his latest fantasy novel, the debut of the Great God's War series. There are some bad reviews there, but as usual I think I will get the book myself and see for myself.
Robert Rankin
http://www.farfetchedbooks.com/robert-rankin/
Image Source: Goodreads
Say hello to the master of comedic fantasy, or Far Fetched Fiction as he likes to call it. Now, he doesn't really have a blog that he keeps updated, but he is available on Facebook. This is how I stay in contact with him, and our last discussion was on whether we would ever see any of his books as films (hoping I could actually score that opportunity). He mentioned to me that a certain director from a production company (won't name which one incase this is still confidential) is hoping to start shooting Alice on Mars book, but people have been promising him something for 30 years. That update was given to me on January this year.
As for his books, if you ever wanted to know who inspired some of my humour in Celenic Earth Chronicles, it was Rankin. I think I have read every fiction book written by him, and almost died laughing the one time if it was not for my asthma pump. I had a quick look on facebook now to see if there are any updates on any future novels.
Mostly, the last few updates these last week's has been on his wife's pots. Haha. She makes them herself and they are actually quite stunning. On 31 March, he mentioned that he was busy writing about a centaur. There is actually a bit of excitement on 21 March when Disney issued a movieweb on Facebook called 'Toyminator', with their main character Woody on the poster. Now, Rankin had a book published with the same name in 2006, so you can imagine he meant it when he said:
Okay, Disney, now you are in for it!
Fun times indeed.
And that's it for my small amount of stalking today. I decided to do this just for a bit of fun, although I am sure those of you who follow them more regularly will know what they've been up to lately. I hope this has been entertaining at least. Stay tuned for my next episode where we look at what JK Rowling is up to, are there still James Bond book writers, and will we see another book from James Patterson soon.
Cover art from Pixabay
Kind regards
Shaun M Jooste
Joint-Owner: AIR Entertainment (https://airentertainment.biz)
Director: Celenic Earth Publications (https://celenicearthpublications.wordpress.com)
Author, Screenwriter, Gamewriter, Journalist (https://celenicearth.wordpress.com)