News Post: Brent Weeks at World Fantasy, The Infocom Game
If ignorant of infocom games, the young are excused, kinda. Read about infocom here, the venerable Zork I here, *play* Zork I here, or listen to Strongbad explain about text based adventures hereith.
Hotel Bar
You are standing in the primordial soup of the World Fantasy Convention 2009 bar. Exits are north and west. The bar is dimly lit. You are likely to be eaten by a grue.
There are fantasy authors here.
>Look at primordial soup.
It is strongly alcoholic.
>Look at fantasy authors.
They are strongly alcoholic.
>Which fantasy authors are there?
I don’t understand that.
>Talk to fantasy authors.
They’re talking to each other.
>Join fantasy authors.
I don’t understand that.
>Introduce self to fantasy authors.
I don’t understand that.
>Dance like a drunken gorilla.
The fantasy authors throw peanuts at you.
>Wait…how did you know ‘dance like a gorilla’ but not ‘Join fantasy authors?’
I don’t understand that.
>Fuck!
Such language in a high-class establishment like this!
>God, I forgot how annoying infocom games are about obscenities.
I don’t understand that.
>Listen to Fantasy Authors.
They are complaining about continuity errors, late royalty checks, and Margaret Atwood.
>HAHAHA! Give them a high five!
You’re standing there with your hand up. They’re looking at you.
>Put hand down.
Smart move.
>Befriend fantasy authors.
After the high five incident?
>Network with fantasy authors.
You’d like that, wouldn’t you?
>Charm fantasy authors.
You don’t have the necessary CHA.
>Bitch, please. This isn’t Dungeons and Dragons.
Just…deal with it.
>How do I get fantasy authors to accept me?
I don’t understand that.
>Buy fantasy authors drinks.
You are sitting at a table with BRENT WEEKS, PETER V. BRETT, and THE LOVELY AND PATIENT MRS. WEEKS.
PETER V. BRETT has a video camera and is looking to start trouble.
>Wait, Brent Weeks?
Yes, the New York Times Best-seller of the Night Angel Trilogy.
>Is Brent Weeks wearing a robe with a hood?
Not at World Fantasy Convention. That’s a different Con, man.
>Is Brent Weeks the reason why everyone pokes fun at my UK cover?
Yep.
>Be dramatic.
YOU’RE THE FRACKEN REASON THERE’S A HOODED GUY ON MY UK COVER!!!
BRENT WEEKS points and laughs nefariously. THE LOVELY AND PATIENT MRS. WEEKS pats him on the arm and reminds him to be less nefarious.
>Give Brent Weeks Advance Reading Copy of Spellwright.
He takes it.
>Wait 5 months.
BRENT WEEKS has enjoyed your book. He gives you a quote.
>Read quote.
“Read Spellwright for its words, magic, word-magic, and wordplay. Inventive, but in a traditional vein: good vs evil, deathmatch.”
>Promote Brent Weeks quote on internets.
**RECURSION ERROR**
You have been eaten by a grue.
**GAME OVER**
ANCILLARIA
As is likely obvious from the above post, New York Times Bestseller, Brent Weeks has given Spellwright a quote. There has been much rejoicing.
I some how snuck my snark onto The Big Idea feature on Demigod of the Internet John Scalzi’s uber-popular blog Whatever.
The book tour is gathering steam. Would love to see you at any of the events.
The book launched in the US last Tuesday. Shawn Speakman at Suduvu.com did a fun, quick launch day interview. Thereafter, I dropped by a few bookstores to see the hardback in the wild. Very exciting.
Dyslexic Advantage featured me in a recent post, which is wonderfully flattering.
Harry Markov at Temple Library Reviews took the time to interview me (during which I spilled the first beans about Spellbound). And then reviewed the book and found Spellwright to be “February’s top read and in my list of all-time favorites.”
Carmen Ferreiro-Esteban over at MyShelf.com reviewed the book: “Spellwright puts a new spin in the epic battle of good versus evil by creating a unique system of magic that works from languages. The worlds, past and present, that Blake Charlton describes are richly imagined, and the complex plot advances at breakneck speed without leaving the reader behind…[H]ighly recommended for all fantasy lovers.”
SFRevu.com examined Spellwright and noted that the book “develops a magic system sure to surprise and delight readers.”
Comments
18 Responses to “News Post: Brent Weeks at World Fantasy, The Infocom Game”
Annette
1:53 pm Mar-5-2010
Love the game!! LOL
My fresh copy of Spellwright arrived yesterday and I’m hoping to get reading shortly
blakecharlton
7:46 pm Mar-5-2010
i think it’s time infocom made a come back
very happy Spellwright made it safely there. hope the words come alive for you!
Tyson
7:04 pm Mar-5-2010
Hahaha! This may be my favorite post of yours yet.
blakecharlton
7:46 pm Mar-5-2010
*bows*
Kendall
7:06 pm Mar-5-2010
Hahahahaha…that was great. I’m an old Infocom game geek.
Spellwright arrived today; I hope to find the time (eek) to start it soon!
blakecharlton
7:47 pm Mar-5-2010
it’s hard to explain how awesome the old games were. there was another, almost text based game, called Wizardry i loved
wow! Spellwright after how many years! phew. hope it proves worth the wait!
Ali
7:33 am Mar-6-2010
Congrats on the quote! The book is lovely so far (can you describe a book as “lovely” in reference to the writing?) I picked up a copy yesterday and I was too excited to put it on my “to be read” pile…
And Strongbad…*swoon*…woohoo!
blakecharlton
10:44 am Mar-6-2010
of course you can describe a (esp my) book as lovely. feel free to do so with reckless abandon
i know about Strongbad…i can’t remember why i stopped watching the SBmails. maybe i should fix that.
Kenny
12:48 pm Mar-6-2010
I’m not sure where exactly I should have posted this but this will have to do. I just finished your novel and it was inspiring. I’m not sure quite how to put this, as your novel left me mostly speechless. I have a disability myself, though I won’t go into it, it was amazing seeing a book that centered around a main hero that had a disability. When I neared the end of the novel I was scared that you were going to deus ex machina away the disability, but I was thrilled…no, I was inspired that you did not (I don’t think thats too much of a spoiler, sorry if it is).
).
Beyond that, your worldbuilding was flawless. The magic system was incredibly thought out (and I could always see that it built off that one professors lecture you had in medical school, you must thank him for me;) the rich history of your world left me wanting more, and the twists and turns were thoroughly entertaining.
I must mention one thing more. I am not sure if it was because it was 2: 30 in the morning, but near the climax of the story the story was literally coming to life for me. Usually when I read a novel the images bring to mind rough images that resemble an Impressionist painting. However, at 2:30 in the morning, your novel was the equivalent of watching Avatar. I am being totally honest when I say that when the Kobold jumped out and tackled Nico, I literally jumped out of the way of a superimposed Kobold-like image that came off the page (and no, no narcotics were involved
What this is all comes to is this: thank you for writing this novel. I loved it and it inspired me. I hope that it sells many, many copies and that you stay a writer and don’t just write this series and go on to become a successful doctor. All I ask of you is to keep writing. As long as you do that, others like myself will continue to be inspired by your words.
(excuse my grammar related mistakes, I’m not very good with punctuation.)
blakecharlton
7:18 pm Mar-6-2010
Kenny, thank you so very kindly for this response. Reading it has been one of _the_ most rewarding aspects of writing this book! One of the things I have been most nervous about is what other people with disabilities would think about the book. Of course, I’ve run it by various friends with disabilities, but still they are friends and it’s hard to know how their reaction is changed by knowing me. As a result, reading this comment out a grin on my face that isn’t going anywhere any time soon. I’m so glad you found something inspiring in the book, and that you appreciated my attempt to show that in the end disabilities don’t simply vanish. And rest assure that no matter what course my life takes, I’m not going to stop writing (don’t think I could stop if I tried)! Thank you again for your kind words. They’re inspiring me as I work hard on book two! Take very good care, -blake
The Lovely and Patient Mrs. Weeks
8:28 pm Mar-8-2010
Blake,
Thank you for your recognition of my great patience and attempt to help my husband make friends, not enemies, at WorldCon. It is wonderful to *finally* see the fruits of your labors, no? Bask in it, my friend!
blakecharlton
3:12 pm Mar-10-2010
awww! i have been graced by the presences of TL&P herself! thanks so much for the kind words
Skaldi
7:01 am Mar-10-2010
Had a copy of Zork II/III as a kid and we used to swear at it. At the time it was so funny.
blakecharlton
3:12 pm Mar-10-2010
haha. actually, on the link to play it now…i spent like twenty minutes swearing at it and laughing. somethings never grow old.
limewire
3:16 am Apr-30-2010
shoot amazing story man.
blakecharlton
12:24 am May-5-2010
thank you, wire of the lime. it was fun to write
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