First off, I did a podcast interview with Baen for the release of Monster Hunter Nemesis. I talked about how I write, why I do what I do, and upcoming goodies. http://www.baen.com/podcast/podcast.asp
Also, for those of you who aren’t on Audible, they’ve been serializing Hard Magic on the Baen Podcast, so you can go back and listen to it. If you haven’t, you should, because it is awesome. 🙂
I’m going to be the author Guest of Honor at OsFest in Omaha this weekend. http://www.osfes.org/larry-correia-author-guest-of-honor/ So if you are in Nebraska swing by and say hi.
I have read all of the short stories for the Baen Fantasy contest. Holy moly. There were a ton of good ones. I’ll be going over them with the Baen editorial staff and discussing each of our picks so we can notify the winner. All I can say is if you didn’t win, don’t feel bad, because the competition was stiff. We had over 500 entries, and they narrowed that down to 15 finalists, of which all of them were solid. All of the ones I read were enjoyable and every one of the writers showed enough skill and creativity that I’m sure we’ll all be reading them again in the future.
Once all of the judges are done arguing over it, the winners will be contacted. I’ll make the official announcement at GenCon.
I’ve been getting lots of emails with people asking me what I’m working on now. I’m currently 90k words into a fantasy novel (I think this one will end up at around 135k). I’ve been calling this one my Epic Fantasy, but after explaining the plot to some critics and other authors, it might actually be considered Heroic Fantasy, because I have no idea what the “rules” are, and as you know I don’t do very well coloring in the lines.
Either way I’m really pleased with how it is coming out, and I think you guys will like it. I didn’t get much done on it over the last month because I can’t write while on book tour. When I do have small bits of downtime during a tour, I usually find myself in a stupor on a hotel bed watching NCIS or something.
I have no idea on release date yet. It is also through Baen.
So when can we get an eARC?
🙂
Any chance you’ll post who the finalists were after the winner’s announced? You know, for those of us who didn’t win, to see if we at least got close?
The epic fantasy sounds cool. I’m nearly done with your existing books, so I’m looking forward to more. (Although I’m particularly looking forward to future Grimnoir books.)
Yes. I’ll talk about them after GenCon.
I’m swallowing minnows so I can wait with baited breath
I’d love to find out if I made it to the top 15 ([wishfulthinking]assuming I don’t actually place [/wishfulthinking])
I’m guessing Steve that they taste better than worms?
I’m looking forward to reading about it.
Being in the top fifteen would be fantastic! Swoon worthy, even.
I’m really looking forward to reading the winner, and the contest has been loads of fun.
I talked to Toni at ConGregate and she said they would pick the top 12, so if they had to extend it to 15 that means there was some god stuff.
I’ve seen and heard from some of the authors entering, lots of talent.
And Larry gets to read all the good stuff!
I know, right? I think this is the first short story contest I’ve ever entered, so I’m terribly excited to see what sort of stories win/place.
It’s outside the published rules of the contest, but I think it’d be cool to be able to read the top ten or so.
It’s a fantasy contest, so I can have my fantasies, right?
I’d be keen to know who were in the top 20 after the top 15.
and yeah, it’d be cool to read the top 13 who didn’t win. Heck, just reading that it’s a hard choice AND they had to expand from ‘top 12′ is really exciting!
Kinda wish they’d compile the rest (Top 20-25?) into an anthology so we could read ’em too, myself, but that’s well outside the rules of the contest and Baen’d have to pay those folks too, yeah? So I figure that’d water down the awesome of the first prize so it’d probably not happen.
…And I just noticed they have only a few days left to go to choose. Competition must be REALLY stiff!
I’m still totally paranoid that my glitching e-mail when I sent it meant it didn’t arrive. I wish there had been confirmation notices. (Hmmm, the WordPress Reader gives deeper reply options than the site itself does.)
Oooh, yeah, an Anthology would be awesome.
I’d buy an anthology.
Yeah, I’d totally buy an anthology too. Given such high praise, I think it’d be not just fun to read, but awesome!
Has anyone else noticed that the head of the Evil League of Evil is no longer just an ‘author’? He’s now:
Note “our” and “we”. Is Teri calling Moose Mountain “Baen West” yet?
Inside my head, epic fantasy is where the good guys are always good (think Aragorn in Lord of the Rings) and heroic fantasy is where the good guys have a mean streak (Conan).
Of course, mileage inside your own head may vary.
Mean streak… Well, the best way to describe the main character of this one over the trilogy is magical George Washington meets the Punisher.
I’m a bigger fan of fantasy than I am of labels, so let’s just say, “Epic, heroic… I’m the guy with the gun.”
George Washington is fairly magical in our world: http://www.cracked.com/article_20182_5-reasons-george-washington-was-either-lucky-or-wizard.html
Orcs with STEN guns.
George Washington, America’s first and best action hero. Seriously. If I were a writer / movie maker that’s a blockbuster worth doing.
Hrm, you coloring in the lines? I believe it is more along the lines don’t event exist for you, can’t even see them. Thank goodness….
Larry, glad to have you in Omaha! Looking forward to dropping in Saturday for a chance to say ‘Hi!’.
I just finished reading MONSTER HUNTER VENDETTA, and went out and bought the rest of the series.
Keep up the good work.
Don’t worry, John. They just keep getting better.
Just finished MH Nemesis — enjoyed it tremendously. Keep ’em coming, Larry!
I’ve been a fan of Audible for a while now, and was pleased-as-punch when your books started showing up. When I originally saw that Bronson Pinchot was the narrator of Hard Magic, my first thought was “Balki! No way!” But just a few minutes in, I knew he was a winner. With Oliver Wyman narrating your MHI books, and Bronson Pinchot doing the Grimnoir books, I can see why you’ve been winning Audie awards (I guess your writing had a small part to do with it, also 🙂 ). Thanks for your hard work!
Seconded on Bronson Pinchot’s reading skill. The first time I ever listened to an audiobook, the narrator had no life in his voice and he didn’t even differentiate the voices. But listening to Pinchot’s narration of the Grimnoir Chronicles has turned me back onto the format.
Good job to both of you, Larry and Bronson. 🙂
My first thought on seeing who narrated the Grimnoir books was “…Him??” Shortly thereafter it became “holy cap, this guy’s friggin awesome.”
And once I got sucked into the story, I had to start saying things to my girlfriend like, “Stop talking, woman! Faye’s on.”
Yeah… the Grimnoir books and then the MHI books were hell on my relationship for a while. Luckily, she’s a good sport about it.
Seconded again (fourthed?) on Bronson Pinchot. My first thought on seeing who narrated this book I was thinking about checking out was “… Him??” A few minutes into it, that shifted to “Holy crap, this guy’s friggin’ awesome.”
Once I got sucked into the story, I had to start telling my girlfriend things like, “Stop talking, woman! Faye’s on.”
The Grimnoir books and then the MHI books were kinda hell on my relationship for a while. Luckily, she’s a good sport about that sort of thing.
I’m sure you enjoyed all the non-binary-gender and send-a-message stories.
Interestingly enough, Damien Walter has been slagging off Heroic Fantasy several times the past few weeks.
Wait until he hears the “bad” news. 😉
Ugh, went over to see what kind of claptrap he’s peddling now, and I see the headline “I started a topless gun protest because the gutless ammosexuals won’t…”
Sagging from a lack of support. What a wonderful metaphor for the gun control lobby.
WTF is a “Topless Gun Protest”?
“Ammosexuals?” Holy crap, man. 😀
And when they get in the mood, they are said to be feeling Ammorous.
“What’s a topless gun protest?” It’s when the gun control movement goes full-Code Pink. (Protip: Never go full-Code Pink)
http://gunfreezone.net/wordpress/index.php/2014/07/29/moms-demand-supporters-counter-cati-demonstration-video-eye-bleach-warning/
There’s a logical disconnect to the idea that, if some woman shows me her bobbly bits, I’ll come around to her way of thinking on a practical political issue. I mean, is she assuming that I’m that desperate or that she’s that great?
I dunno, I find myself in absolute agreement with PETA that young liberal activist girls belong in cages wearing nothing but body paint. 🙂
Isn’t it funny how easy it is to watch NCIS? Especially when you are in a strange place without reading material? Even the weaker episodes can be better than most of the crap on TV.
Anyway, just finished both ‘Into the Storm’ and ‘Monster Hunter Nemesis’.
The fact that you have written Iron Kingdoms/Warmachine fiction is awesome in too many ways to count! I loved it.
Loved ‘Nemesis’ too! I have to say, whether it is the Grimnoire stuff or ‘Alpha’ and ‘Nemesis’, you are at your best when Owen Pitt isn’t center stage. Not that the others aren’t entertaining. I love them (they got me through the toughest times of my LEO Academy when I left my family behind). But the Earl and Franks stories are just so much stronger and Pitt just isn’t as interesting as they are.
That said, thanks for the great stories!
I think Earl and Franks are more interesting because they have a deeper back story. Owen and his brother are still growing into their hero-tude as it were. One of the Pitts brothers will still be central to the main story arc.
This is one rich universe of interesting characters to care about.
I’ve loved all the MHI and Grimnoir books, but “Alpha” is my favorite. Earl is such an interesting character, and then…Heather. I’m a sucker for petite redheads, and a petite redhead who can turn into a werewolf and rip the limbs off annoying door-to-door salepeople for ya? Heaven!
Just about done Nemesis myself. Great characterization and storytelling. Anyone who says Larry is just a simplistic action writer obviously hasn’t read him.
It’s gonna be way too long until the next MHI comes out. 🙁
Well, can’t wait for the Gen Con announcement. Best of luck to the contestants. Hope to be one of them next year! 🙂
Looking forward to it!
“I have read all of the short stories for the Baen Fantasy contest.”
You’re a wreckin’ machine!
All 500? That’s amazing.
Looks like I’m getting the full Con package and not just a day pass. I assumed (yes, THAT word) after reading about Larry’s earlier tour stops this was going to be a “fly by” signing. OMG, I grovel at the epic nature of my mistake!
Bring a video camera and record the fun if you are able to!
Sadly, lovely drow lady, I am functional illiterate with modern technology outside the limited realm of firearms.
That’s okay! ^_^ well hopefully someone else will record then!
Are ammosexuals people who like .45 and 9mm? Or black powder and smokeless?
Those would be biammosexuals, actually.
I thought that was “blammosexual.”
I thought Inverarity’s review was interesting. When it comes to this “high literature” thing, some people seem to have trouble distinguishing between “sober” and “serious.” I understand some people like a certain amount of gravitas in their stories but good storytelling should solve that. After all, fantastic literature has a high goofy factor built in. That didn’t stop me from seriously enjoying Lovecraft having a 1928 submarine torpedoing an undersea realm of fantastic fish-people. Lovecraft took his goofiness seriously and also scared the [redacted] out of me at night all alone in a big house.
For me a classic example of the sober/serious thing is the 1978 Oscars: Star Wars vs. Annie Hall. Star Wars might be kid stuff but the way it was constructed certainly wasn’t. Then there’s “serious” SF film like Oblivion which reads like a kid actually wrote it.
Please keep writing at this blazing pace so you can take more of my money. I would throw money your way just to help the creative process as long as I can benefit from another amazing read.