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#UK Book Events
gollancz · 7 months
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That's right baybeeee - ten years after it first launched, Gollanczfest is back and it's bigger than ever!
WHEN?
16th March 2024
Leonardo Royal Hotel, London
Tickets go on sale Friday 6th October at 10am UK time!
Early presale for tickets available exclusively to our newsletter subscribers
WHO?
Our headliner? Only VICTORIA AVEYARD
Other confirmed authors: Joe Abercrombie, Natasha Pulley, Garth Nix, Dhonielle Clayton, Joe Hill, Ben Aaronovitch, @joannechocolat, Aliette de Bodard, Sarah Hawley, @jonnywaistcoat, Esmie Jikiemi-Pearson . . . and MANY more
Plus: YOU
PLUS
All tickets come with a goodie bag full of Gollancz goodies work at least £30
VIP tickets are available with access to the green room, priority tickets to panels, and additional goodies
FREE SFF quiz run by the greatest quizmasters (allegedly, this may be a title they've claimed themselves and I cannot verify) Joe Abercrombie and Garth Nix!
We'll be announcing panels soon, but this is going to be a fun, friendly and festive day, full of nerdery, excitement and probably a lot of harried looking Gollancz staff stuffing their faces with sandwiches and trying to find where distracted authors have wandered off to.
PARTY TIME
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littlehen · 2 years
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plaguedocboi · 1 year
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We all love the beach, right? I sure do. Where the sea meets the land is a magical place. It is the overlap of two very different worlds; our sunny, sandy, beautiful home and the alien waves that beckon you into the inhospitable wilderness of the ocean. When crossing that foam-fringed boundary, one must remember that you are no longer in your world. You are entering the sea, and the sea is vast and dark and dangerous. It is more untamed than the wildest jungle and full of creatures that can kill you in a hundred different gruesome ways. Every wave whispers to you that you do not belong here, you may only visit for a brief time if you want to leave with your life. Hold tight to the warm sunlit sand that fringes the barrier of this place, or you may never see it again. Welcome to the beach. Enter at your own risk.
1. Tamarama beach, Australia
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This is know as both the smallest and the most dangerous beach in NSW. There is a permanent rip current that runs along the rocky northern shore, but at any given time there could be more hidden in the surf. Large waves break just a little ways offshore, posing a hazard to swimmers but an attraction for surfers. Although there are rarely deaths here, lifeguards have to rescue multiple people a day. Interestingly, this beach is only around sometimes! Occasionally all the sand will wash away and all that’s left is a rocky outcrop. There’s no way to be certain when the beach will come back or how big it will be or what it might look like. I guess it never gets boring to visit.
2. Isle of Ré, France
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This island is not the only place you can go to see square waves, but it is one of the places most famous for this strange phenomenon. This is called a cross sea, and occurs when two opposing wave patterns intersect. Although this is certainly a tourist attraction, it is best to observe from a distance, as cross seas can be very dangerous to both ships and swimmers. Cross seas can cause powerful rip currents and walls of water up to 10 feet high, rolling ships and dragging people underwater. (As a side note, my mother thought I had made up cross seas as a freaky supernatural event in my book. Unfortunately, I did not.)
3. Dumas Beach, India
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This is supposedly one of the most haunted places in India. Although this beach is full of tourists during the daytime, no one remains after dark, for fear that they will become the next ghost to wander the sand. Apparently, this beach was once used as a burial ground, and said to be black due to the human ashes mixed in. At night, people report hearing voices and seeing apparitions, and even dogs behave strangely once the sun goes down. There have also been multiple unexplained disappearances and at least one recorded death. Whether you believe in ghosts or not, there definitely seems to be something eerie happening on this beach.
4. Morecambe Bay, UK
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This is an interesting one, as it’s not technically the water that’s dangerous. The ground is. This estuary features extreme tides, with the water level dropping and rising up to 32 feet twice a day. This exposes an expanse of mud flats and channels which are composed of loose, wet material that can absolutely suck you in and trap you. If this happens when the tide is coming in, it can quickly turn deadly. This has happened many times going back through history, including one incident in 2004 where 23 people died. Yes, all at the same time. No, I don’t want to delve into that incident too deeply in this list as it’s extremely horrifying and tragic. Feel free to research it yourself.
5. Monastery Beach, Oregon
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This has earned its nickname “mortuary beach” by being extremely dangerous. Over 30 people have died here, including people who weren’t even in the water. In 2015, a woman walking along the beach was dragged in by a wave and drowned. The beach has multiple factors that make it so deadly, including a steep drop off, unpredictable waves, and strong undertows. This beach isn’t even safe to walk on. I um. Don’t like that.
6. Hanakapiai Beach, Hawaii
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Despite its beauty, this Hawaiian beach is not recommended for swimming except for expert surfers. During the summer, this beach is a popular place for hiking, sunbathing and sightseeing, but during the winter the sand is washed away and the waves crash against the cliffs directly. Even in the relatively safe summer months, this beach has no barrier reef to break up the strong waves and powerful currents, which leads to a dangerous situation where swimmers can quickly be swept out into the open ocean and drown. At least 30 people have died here, and 15 of the bodies have never been recovered.
7. Lake Michigan. Just, all of it.
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Despite all the Great Lakes being somewhat terrifying, Michigan takes the title of the most dangerous lake in the country. Yearly, Lake Michigan has more drownings than all four other Great Lakes combined. The reason that Michigan is especially hazardous is that, well, it’s kind of weirdly shaped. Thanks to its 300+ miles of uninterrupted parallel shorelines running north-south, it forms huge waves and strong riptides and long shore currents. It is also a question of numbers; Lake Michigan has more public beaches and large population centers than the other Great Lakes. All in all, a recipe for disaster.
8. Playa Zipolite, Mexico
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This is also called the “beach of the dead”, so it’s inclusion on this list seems pretty self-explanatory. These waters have strong undercurrents that rotate in a circular pattern, either pushing you into shore or pulling you out to sea. There is a pervasive rumor that 50 people drown at this beach a year, although this is… somewhat exaggerated. In fact, very few people drown at this beach these days, as it has actually gotten less dangerous over the years. There used to be a steep drop-off that would catch people by surprise, but due to several severe storms in the early 2000s, the beach has eroded back and now gently slopes down instead. Although very few people die at this beach nowadays, multiple rescues are performed every day due to the dangerous currents.
9. Cyclops, Australia
This is a particular type of wave that forms off the coast of Esperance, Australia, as the sea floor rapidly goes from deep, open water to a very very shallow reef. It is… unsettling. The longer I look at it, the weirder it gets. It’s like an ai generated image. I couldn’t even pick one picture of it so I made you a collage.
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It is considered one of the most dangerous surf spots in the world, and can only be accessed by boat. To quote pacific surf dot com, “the reason the wave is dangerous is because it does not act like any other wave in the world. It engulfs itself due to the massive change in the ocean floor when the wave rolls up.”
10. Nazare, Portugal
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This area of Portugal is home to some of the biggest waves in the world. Just offshore is an underwater canyon, plunging down to 16,000 ft deep. This allows large, fast deep-water waves to move into shore unimpeded, and when they hit the shallows close to shore all the water gets suddenly pushed up, resulting in waves up to 80 ft tall. I think the picture speaks for itself in this case. Probably best to not get in the water if you see that shit.
That was fun, wasn’t it? Before I go, let me end this on a different note than the rest of my lists; some actual advice for if you should you ever decide to visit these beaches (or any beach, really). Rip currents are incredibly strong (believe me, I know) but very narrow currents that run perpendicular to shore. To get out of a rip current, swim parallel to shore. Trying to fight the current will just tire you out and eventually leave you exhausted and way the fuck out in the ocean, which is typically when you die. Swimming parallel to shore will get you out of the current, and once you’re free you can swim back in at your leisure. And, just in general, never fight the sea. The sea will win.
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danielhowell · 15 days
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This Night: Paperback Edition!
Hello BRITISH FOLLOWERS and YES this is DISCRIMINATING
It is my ecstatic joy to announce that I have been given the highest honour an author could ever hope for — my book about how to sort your shit out (take control of your mental health) You Will Get Through This Night, is being rereleased in paperback on May 9th in the UK! It will never be lighter, cheaper or more flexible.
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Look out for it in the hands of weary travellers standing listlessly in an airport WHSmith, about to lose their last glimmer of hope before this book instantly magically changes their life. This new edition of This Night features a new disturbingly optimistic and snazzy inverted cover design. It has new topics and chapters, new practical exercises you can do to make yourself feel better when you may need it - and a painfully sincere epilogue reflecting on the impact this book has had, and my gratitude for everyone that has read it. If you already read the hardback - this is a great update featuring even more tips and helpful breakdowns of why you have unhelpful breakdowns. If you are yet to read this book at all ...like... it's actually very useful. You might not think you have 'problems' but we all do, it's human nature. If you learn literally one interesting thing or tool to manage your own emotions from this book, is it worth buying to change your life forever? Just get it thank you okay that's it.
You can get this book anywhere BUT if you feel like supporting the nerd that wrote it, you can get en exclusive SIGNED copy only on the Daniel Howell Shop!
http://shop.danielhowell.com 
Also to be nice, the publishers over at Harper Collins are doing a contest to win a FREE beautiful enamel pin just for submitting proof of purchase.
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pin competition button →
Thank you to everyone, and I'll be yapping about this closer to release date with some exciting events and all the contractually obligated marketing and press you could dream of.
— Dan
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cl6teen · 5 months
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affection, ln4 ❀ chapter i. clueless
masterlist || chapter ii
in which everyone can’t believe that a certain mclaren driver and f1’s resident rich girl aren’t dating already
contains: smau, oblivious lando & oblivious reader
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liked by landonorris, carlossainz55, danielricciardo, and 223,211 others
yourinstagram a much needed vacay
view all comments
landonorris im still offended by the lack of an invite
yourinstagram thailand is for the girls, not sorry!
bsfsinstagram there was a strict no lando norris rule for yn
user i have gyat to go to thailand
liked by yourinstagram
carlossainz55 the book is upside down dummy
yourinstagram i’ll turn you upside down
oscarpiastri what an informative post yn
yourinstagram hehe, can’t wait to see you
user omg yn at the next race???
user literally what are all these f1 boys doing in her comments
user shes a nepo baby i think
user her dad is mclaren’s biggest sponsor so she’s able to attend a lot of f1 events
user my fav honorary f1 wag
yourinstagram wag?? i’m very much single thank you
daniel ricciardo 🌚
yourinstagram don’t give them things to read into daniel.
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lanny
i miss you
hey yn
miss youuu
when are you coming back
thailand can’t be that fun
y/n/n
thailand is totally that fun
in fact we’re about to go on a boat
lanny
you can go on a boat over here
y/n/n
it’s not the same 🙄
i don’t know why you’re so hung up about me taking a vacation
monaco gets boring sometimes
lanny
yeah but the second i get back from racing around the world you’re already gone
y/n/n
well i’ll be in the uk just in time for silverstone
lanny
you’re going back home?
y/n/n
my father said it’d be good to be around for a home race
so i’ll be in the uk for some time probably, it’s been a while since i’ve been back
lanny
okay good
i better see you cheering for me
it’d be embarrassing if my best friend was rooting for someone else
y/n/n
i’ve got my mclaren 4 cap ready to go
cant wait to see you ❤️
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liked by yourinstagram, oscarpiastri, maxfewtrell and 533,444 others
lando.jpg home dump
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yourinstagram and it’s all just a bit too much…for littol lando norris
lando.jpg im hiding in your walls
yourinstagram creep
maxfewtrell stream time? 🤔
lando.jpg let me race first bro
user not lando feeding yn pasta and lobsterrrr
carlossainz55 aye, was this a date??
yourinstagram he wishes, he got me from the airport & we went straight to eat
danielricciardo who’s that cutie?
yourinstagram i’m right here!
danielricciardo oh..i meant lando
oscarpiastri 😬
user im so confused, are they dating??
user no, but they’ve been like best friends since lando’s rookie year in mclaren
user shes better than me, i would have fallen in love…
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liked by mclaren, landonorris, oscarpiastri, and 745,234 others
yourinstagram couldn’t be prouder of my boys!!
tagged landonorris and oscarpiastri
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mclaren loving the love from our papaya girl 🧡
yourinstagram mwah
user yn ate today on the paddock
user she’s wearing lando’s hat im gonna cry
bsfsinstagram ugh get these men off my feed and show me ur pretty face
yourinstagram i was held at gunpoint and told to post this :/
landonorris the 6th photo…
yourinstagram ikr can you believe that loser got p2?
landonorris not too much now
oscarpiastri i look crazy
yourinstagram you look so cute??
oscarpiastri you shoved a camera in my face while i was eating
yourinstagram i did nothing wrong 🥰
user who was the man you were with on the paddock though?
yourinstagram my father!
user girl your daddy fine
liked by bsfsinstagram
bsfsinstagram user you have great taste
maxfewtrell send me that lando photo please
yourinstagram will do 🫡
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45 likes
onlyyn i luv a good arfter prty
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danielricciardo me when i’m on the hennessy
onlyyn hehe
landonorris im looking for you
bsfsinstagram please don’t do anything crazy babe 😭
onlyyn i’ll try
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lanny
y/n
where are you?
i thought you were with oscar
y/n/n
i let oscar leave! he looked tired
lanny
you should’ve told me that then
i would’ve kept an eye on you
are you drunk
y/n/n
i’m not a child oscar
lanny
*lando, but i’ll ignore that
and i’m not saying you are yn
there’s just people here that can be like
weird is all, who knows
are you drunk??
y/n/n
i don’t know, i’m not sober
are you drunk
lanny
i’m not sober
y/n/n
i thought you hated alcohol?
lanny
carlos convinced me to do some shots with him and max…
i regret it a little
do you wanna go home
y/n/n
yea
my feet hurt
lanny
i’ll carry you until we get to an uber
so can you tell me where you are now??
y/n/n
i’m in the bathroom
lanny
don’t move, i’ll come get you
y/n/n
god you’re the best ever lando
lanny
yeah i know 😁
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fuckyeahgoodomens · 9 days
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The PledgeManager has launched!
Thank you for bearing with us. We’re happy to say that, as promised, the PledgeManager has officially launched!
In case you missed it, we detailed earlier this week that the publication of the graphic novel has been pushed back from its original July 2024 estimate into Spring 2025 - you can read the full update here. We also want to take a moment to say that we have seen the outpouring of love and support on Kickstarter, and across various platforms, wishing Colleen well in her recovery and the time needed for the graphic novel - a huge thank you from all of the team for your understanding and patience, and for the genuine community and care we’ve seen these past few days. We appreciate you all.
PledgeManager
With this in mind, we think it’s important to underline: though PledgeManager has launched, you do not need to pay for your shipping fees immediately.
The PledgeManager is there for those who missed the campaign to order the graphic novel, and indeed for any backers who would like to upgrade, get some other add-ons, or the new items. You, as a pre-existing backer, should receive an email with information via Kickstarter and/or PledgeManager to inform you that this is now open to you - note, these are sent in waves of smaller batches, so if you don't get yours immediately, don't panic! It will likely take between 12-18 hours to process all the backers.
You are, of course, welcome to pay your shipping right away if you'd like, however we completely understand that you may want to wait until closer to the fulfilment time, or when more solid dates are confirmed, before actioning this.
For this stage, we have compiled a quick FAQ below covering some key questions:
Will the whole project be moving from Kickstarter to PledgeManager? No. This is just for the fulfilment side and logistics - all updates will still remain here.  
Do PledgeManager backers get everything that Kickstarter backers do? No. While the remaining tiers will be made available for those who missed it, with certain stretch goals (e.g. additions to the book, loot boxes, etc), Kickstarter backers have a number of exclusives such as the Good Omens HQ discount code for when the store launches, and the backers only events.  
My PledgeManager address will be different to what is listed on my Kickstarter. Is that fine? Yes. We are handling all logistics through PledgeManager and, as such, that is the only place where we will need your address. If you move or need to change any details, that will be the place to do so.  
Can I change my address? Yes. You can update your address until we are at the shipping stage. We will keep this option open for as long as possible to ensure maximum flexibility around this.  
How are shipping fees calculated? It is based on both weight and the country it is being sent to. We have been working over the past months to streamline processes and bring the costs down from their original starting point.  
Do I have to pay just now? You do not need to pay immediately, but payment will need to be made prior to your items being shipped. You now have a bigger window during which you can make payment. As above, we will keep updating you on the progression of the publication schedule, should you be waiting for firmer dates before doing so.  
What about taxes and import duty? UK: VAT is included in the costs UK backers pay, there should be no extra tax charges. US: We believe (but cannot guarantee) that imports under $800USD in value should not attract import duty, those pledges above may be taxed at import. EU & REST OF THE WORLD: If taxes or duties apply to your pledge, these will need to be paid at time of import into your country. We’ve spent months trying to integrate the costs at this stage, but in having the project open across the globe, it has proven too complex to be able to fully refine and cover all instances and locations, and we’ve been advised that this is the best route forward.  We know a lot of international backers, particularly in the EU – for example – will already be used to this process, and we will keep you all updated on any developments on this front. For all of our backers, we are working hard to make labelling and declaring all of the contents of your pledges as transparent as possible, in order to make taxing and importing as easy and affordable as possible.  
I want to buy the new items, but am waiting to pay shipping. Are they limited? The pins, mugs, notebooks - all the new items specifically added to the PledgeManager are not limited and will be available regardless of whether you get them now, or months down the road. The only limited items are the remaining tiers that have moved over from the Kickstarter (e.g. the Obsidian Tier) that were limited to begin with, and a very limited run of the Alien Parking ticket. Everything else is fully available, in perpetuity.  
Will you be adding extra items to the PledgeManager? No. What is there at launch is all we plan to include at this point - any new items afterwards will instead originate via the Good Omens HQ store.  
Will Kickstarter backers get items first? Yes. We will have a staggered approach for fulfilment: Kickstarter backers, then PledgeManager, then everything that is moving to the Good Omens HQ store will subsequently be made available.
You can also view the more general PledgeManager FAQ at terrypratchett.com.
We will keep PledgeManager and logistical notes present in all the monthly updates going forward, but felt this warranted a dedicated one-off. 
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These are available as part of the PledgeManager. Another beauty from our pin designer, Carl Sutton.
Thanks again for your patience. Back in the April monthly update.
In short: :)
The Good Omens Pledge Manager has launched:
those who missed the Graphic Novel Kickstarter: Now you can order the Graphic novel, not all things that were in the original Kicstarter are available but there is stil a lot of options and fuckton of lovely ineffable add-ons! :)<3
those who participated inthe original GO GN Kickstarter: you should an email (Dunmanifestin needs more information to fulfill your reward) with a link that logs you (if not log manually) into the pledgemanager and lets you edit the order (add new add ons) (yep, my wallet weeps :D<3)
The addons:
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I mean... how can one resist for example these I do not know... :D
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dduane · 6 months
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The Young Wizards series turns 40!
...And yes, we're having a sale to celebrate. But that can wait. :)
I'm sitting here looking at the date and considering how amazing it is that, despite the changes in the publishing world, anything can stay in print nonstop for forty years.
But this book has. Here's how it started:
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...Well, not how it started. It started with three things:
A newbie YA writer being deeply annoyed with a non-newbie one for (as she thought) stripping their teenage characters of their agency without good reason.
A suddenly-appearing joke involving two terms or concepts that wouldn't normally appear together: the 1950s young-readers' series of careers books with titles that always began So You Want To Be A..., and the word "wizard."
And the idea immediately springing from that juxtaposition. What if there was such a book? Not a careers book, but a book that told you how to be a wizard—maybe some kind of manual? One that would tell you the truth about the magic underlying the universe, and how to get your hands on it... assuming you felt you could promise the things that power would demand of you, and survive the Ordeal that would follow?
Six or seven months after that confluence of events, there was a novel with that joke-line as its title. A month or so after that, the novel was bought. So You Want To Be A Wizard came out as a Fall 1983 book, as you can see from the Locus Magazine ad above (from back when Locus was only a paper zine). The first reviews were encouraging.
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And by the middle of 1984, the publishers were asking, "So, what's next?" A question I'm still busy answering.
There's been a lot of water under the wizardly bridge since. In SYWTBAW's case, this involved a couple/few publishers, a surprising number of covers, a fair number of awards here and there; and lots more books. (I always knew there'd be more, but how many more continues to surprise me. Which is a bit funny, considering how much stuff that universe has going on in it.)
So here we are at forty, and looking ahead to The Big Five-Oh with some interest. More books? Absolutely. Young Wizards #11 is in progress at the moment, and YW #12 is in the late concept stages. More covers for So You Want To Be A Wizard? Seems inevitable. A TV series, perhaps? (shrug) Stranger things have happened: we'll keep our fingers (or other manipulatory instrumentalities) crossed. The New Millennium Editions in translation? and in international paperback? Working on that right now. The sky's the limit.*
And meanwhile, to celebrate, just for today we'll have a sale. (Except in the UK. To our British friends, the usual sad apology: the expensive bureaucracy of Brexit has made it impossible for us to sell directly to you any more. Details here, with our apologies.)
As has been mentioned before, changes are afoot at Ebooks Direct, so this kind of sale won't be happening again for the foreseeable future. (In fact I thought we were all done with them already. But the number 40 suggested one last opportunity that wouldn't be recurring, so I thought, "Aah, what the heck? Let's.")
New things first! Today, to mark this occasion, we're introducing the "All The Wizardry" Bundle. This is Ebook Direct's entire inventory of Young Wizards works; the contents of the bundle are listed on its product page. The $29.99 price listed there is for today only, to celebrate SYWTBAW's birthday, and will go up as of 23:59 Hawai'ian time tonight. As always, should you ever lose your ebooks or need to change reading platforms, we'll change your formats as necessary, or replace the books, for free.
Just click here, or on the image below, for the "All The Wizardry" Bundle. (Please ignore the category listings under the "Pay Using..." icons on the product page: they plainly think they're in a different universe. Kind of an occupational hazard around here...)
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The other, older kind of sale folks will have seen here is on the "I Want Everything You've Got" Bundle, which is the whole Ebooks Direct store—obviously including all the Young Wizards books as well: more than 2.5 million words in 36 DRM-free ebooks. Just for today, in honor of the birthday book, we're dropping the whole-store price to USD $40.00. This, too, will go away just before midnight Hawai'ian time tonight... and it will never be lower. So if you want everything we've got at that price, don't wait around.
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Make sure you use this link or the one associated with the image to get the baked-in discount at checkout. (If it fails to display correctly, use the discount code "40FOR40" in the checkout's "discount code or gift code" field.)
Meanwhile? Onward into the next decade. The new A Day at the Crossings novel unfortunately won't make it out before the end of 2023; other work in-house currently has taken priority. But as for early 2024... stay tuned.
And for those of you who're Young Wizards readers, and have kept this book, and its sequels, alive for pushing half a century?
Thank you, again and always!
*Though actually, it's not, is it? As the proverb has it, "Wizardry doesn't stop at atmosphere's edge..."
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akajustmerry · 1 year
Note
couldn’t find anything about the murdochs suppressing press freedom would you mind sharing links please
ooooooft okay. i do forget that not everyone is aware of these things. but!! if you wanna know why dominant news media in the global north sucks / wanna be more aware of media influence on politics / wanna appreciate succession more - here is a 'fuck the murdochs' reading list
a recent article on the current court case between Fox News (founded by Rupert Murdoch) and Dominion Voting Systems. Dominion is claiming defamation after Fox News pushed the lie the 2020 election was stolen from Trump, which led to the Jan 6 riots.
Opinion piece by former Aus PM Malcolm Turnball on why he's leading a campaign requesting a Royal Commission into Murdoch's monopoly over Australia's press and Murdoch's unjust influence on Australian politics
here is a podcast breaking down how Lachlan Murdoch (irl Kendall) is suing an independent paper here in Aus for connecting the Jan 6 insurrection to fearmongering of Murdoch press in the States. like, he is literally suing journalists for accurate reporting. that *is* suppressing freedom of the press by definition.
The Murdochs: Empire of Influence (2022). 6 part documentary featuring historians, journalists, ex-employees etc. covers everything there is to know about the family's role in press and politics from world war 1 up to 2022.
Book: Breaking News: Sex, Lies and the Murdoch Succession by veteran anti-Murdoch journalist Paul Barry. The book is from 2013, but is a thoroughly accessible analysis of on the family's rise
Vanity Fair also recently published this hugeeeeee investigation: Inside Rupert Murdoch's Succession Drama
The official Succession podcast is free and discusses the show's influences pretty openly. it doesn't go super in-depth (probably because they don't want to be sued) but it makes mention and discussion of real events and people that influence the show.
just for good measure: here is a list of every news outlet and publisher and media outlet the Murdoch family own across the US, UK, Europe and Asia. handy for when you do your own research, which you should so you're not reading from *their* sources. The whole reason you have trouble finding this kind of information on them is because they suppress it, or make it hard to find.
like... i know a lot of people don't know this, but Succession is a political satire and is about a very specific group of people who are actively shaping the world for the worst so they can become rich and never live with the consequences. the majority of Jesse Armstrong's work is about how internal dynamics between people in powerful institutions literally shape society. if you don't understand that's what Succession is then you're actually missing a huge part of it. so i hope you, and anyone else who needs it, take a gander at these resources because you won't only understand Succession more, but the state of your local politics and media too.
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gollancz · 1 year
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MANCHESTER (and surrounding county and metropolitan areas)! Do you love epic fantasy, with unique magic systems, phenomenal world-building, and rich characters? Do you love horror that is grounded in social issues, representative of the best and worst of society, and haunts the shadows in the corner of your brain? Do you love watching someone with mild-to-moderate social anxiety attempting to host an event?
On 31st May, @jonnywaistcoat - Jonathan Sims himself - and the wonderful Rebecca Zahabi will be chatting about their books at Blackwell's on Oxford Street. These two creative powerhouses will be sharing their wisdom from 6:30pm. Tickets are £3.00, or free with an order of THE HAWKLING or FAMILY BUSINESS.
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Rebecca Zahabi's first book in the series, THE COLLARBOUND, is also currently £2.99 on Kindle, so you can be ready and raring for THE HAWKLING and this event.
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Jonathan Sim's first novel, THIRTEEN STOREYS, is currently on Kindle at £4.99 as well, for getting your spooky on.
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mllersjoel · 2 months
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you're obsessed
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you're obsessed
Pairing: Jamie Tartt x fem!actress!reader
Warnings: swearing, no use of y/n
Summary: jamie tartt fic where he has a huge crush on an actress and sees her at a richmond event and she flirts w him he’s really shy bc he likes her but they hook up after idk
Wordcount: 1.6k
A/N: didnt manage to write any smut bc this was getting way too long teehee :D general warnings for swearing.
writing comms are open!
“Oi, Tartt! Stop stalking your actress and give me some laps,” Roy yells, shaking Jamie from his reverie. Jamie is not stalking her instagram. He’s just not; because a stalker would have notifications on as they obsessively checked their profile at least four times every minute. Jamie is only checking once every five minutes, and he doesn’t even have her notifications on. So there. Suck it, Roy.
“Fine, don’t give yourself an aneurysm,” he mutters, taking a quick minute to stretch before he’s running around the pitch. He just has a crush. That’s all. A little one. He first saw you in some thriller that came out last month, and something about you had him hooked. Initially he thought it was just the character you played, a regular yet charming civilian, pulled into the crime world. After watching (admittedly, way too many) interviews, he realised it wasn’t the character. It was you.
You with your witty remarks and comments. The way you laughed good naturedly and poked fun at your costars. The way you were clumsy and scatterbrained, in a terribly endearing way.
It didn’t help that you were also gorgeous.
So, yeah. Jamie had a slight crush. It was fine, though, because you were currently based in Los Angeles (you were in a new Marvel movie) and had no plans of coming to the UK anytime soon. 
“She’s right fit, though,” Isaac says, nudging Jamie as he runs past. 
Jamie feels his stomach tighten with jealousy before he catches himself. Why was he jealous? He didn’t know you and you probably didn’t even know he existed. Well, maybe you did, because he was sexy and a hot football player. Did you even watch football? Would you watch it if you knew he was in it?
Jamie remembers hearing something about a parasocial relationship from Keeley and resolves to not think about you.
At least while he was training.
***
He’s spraying on cologne in the locker room when Keeley bursts in, all smiles and pep.
“Oh. My. Fucking. God!”
“Is everything alright?” Ted asks, breaking away from Coach Beard who as far as Jamie could tell, hasn’t said anything but is managing to have a full conversation with Ted.
“You will not believe who I booked for this years’ Gala!”
Roy’s ears perk up at this as he slides into the conversation. “The Muppets?”
“No, Roy,” Keeley says, exasperated, “not the fucking Muppets. Only the hottest new actress on screen right now!”
At this point, all the boys have gathered around Keeley, jostling each other and trying to see the screen of her phone. Jamie fights his way to the front, and when his eyes focus on Keeley’s phone, he’s pretty sure his heart drops into his stomach.
It was you. There. With your smile and your eyes and your name and a headline.
You were coming to their Gala.
You.
He feels his heart drop into his stomach. This couldn’t be real. Maybe it was a mistype, or someone accidentally said they scheduled you but in reality you were on the other side of the globe. It was faked. It had to be.
He broke away from his team, practically running back to the changing rooms. Opening up your instagram, he pulled up your story. There, you had reposted the announcement.
Oh. Oh fuck.
***
On the day of the Gala, Jamie seriously considers hiring a stylist rather than just going with his gut. He needs to look good. Tonight is most probably one of the most important days of his life. His favourite actress, coming to his club’s Gala. Maybe, if he plays his cards right, you’ll bid on him.
Wait. Who was he kidding? He’s Jamie fucking Tartt. Of course you’ll bid on him. He could wear a trash bag and you’d bid on him, because he is just that fucking sexy.
Right?
He shoots a quick text to Keeley, desperate for a second opinion.
Me:
[image0.png]
thoughts? Xx
Keeley:
Ur hot babes!!
Gonna knock em dead xx
Lose the tie u look like a prick <3
He takes one last look in the mirror, running his hands through his hair. Yeah. He’s gonna show up and be so cool. He’s so cool.
***
They’re taking pictures on the carpet, and everyone can tell Jamie is not all there. He barely tells the paparazzi to take pictures of his good side, following it up with “And that’s any side.” His eyes keep darting around, every scream and shout of delight sending his stomach in knots in case you’re the one to step out of the limousine.
Maybe you just won’t show up. Maybe you were already inside.
He can’t decide which option is worse.
When he’s at the end of the carpet, about to head inside, he hears whistles and screams, different from the ones before. These sound a lot more excited, filled with more adrenaline and anticipation. Or maybe he’s just projecting. 
He turns, and sure enough, you’re there.
Stunning. That’s the only thing he can think of. You smile beautifully at the photographers, working the crowd with ease. It was as if you were friends, had a solid rapport with them with the way you were conversing back and forth.
“Close your mouth. You look like a fucking basking shark,” Roy says, elbowing Jamie in the stomach.
He flinches back, giving Roy a shove in return. “Oi, what was that for?”
“You’re not gonna make a good impression with you gawking like a fucking idiot. Go say hi or something. Be fucking normal.”
Jamie sends Roy an affronted look. “I am normal, you old bastard. Just because we don’t act like how you did in the 1800s doesn’t mean I’m being an idiot.”
Roy just growls, shoving past him into the building.
Jamie takes a step forward to follow when a voice catches his attention.
“Hey! You’re Jamie Tartt, right?”
He turns on instinct, a winning smile already plastered on his face. “I’ll do autographs once—you.”
You raise your eyebrows slightly, waiting for him to go on. “Once I what?”
“You’re, um, you’re her.” He says your name, almost reverently.
Your grin widens, almost giddy. “You know who I am?”
“I follow you—” before he could say more, your manager rushes in behind you, ushering you inside. You wince at him, apologetic, before heading inside.
Jamie stands there, dumbfounded. 
I follow you?  That’s what he had to say? Now he really does sound like a stalker. He scrubs his hand over his face, groaning in disappointment.
He’s gonna make it up to you. He has to.
***
Inside, he sees he’s sat with Ted and Roy as well as a few other people and an empty seat next to him. He largely ignores his own table, trying to catch sight of you and not succeeding in the slightest. He huffs a sigh of annoyance, sliding into his seat.
Ted notices his glum aura, nodding sagely. “It’s the oysters, isn’t it? Because I know they have to try to make the flavour appeal to everyone but adding this much lemon is just downright insultin’.”
“It’s not the oysters, coach.”
Ted frowns. “The placemats? I was never really an eggshell white person myself but—”
“Jamie’s pining over an actress he thinks I don’t see him stalk on insta when he’s supposed to be running drills,” Roy cuts in, tired of Ted’s guessing.
“I’m not pining,” Jamie pouts, crossing his arms in a decidedly not childish way.
Before Roy could get another rebuttal out, the seat next to him is being filled, and once again he sees you, smiling at him. “Actresses are overrated,” you say, placing your napkin over your lap, “trust me.”
Jamie’s blood runs cold, convinced the universe is playing a cruel trick on him. Running into you is an absolute dream, he’d never deny that, but running into you with both Ted and Roy there? He may as well be taken out back and shot.
He must’ve been sitting there agape for too long, because before he knows it, Ted is reaching a hand over and giving yours a shake.
“Ted Lasso, it’s a pleasure to meet ya’. I absolutely loved you in that thriller that came out last June. Had me on the edge of my couch! And I know Jamie here liked it as well, he was bawling a right mess by the end of it.”
You turn to look at Jamie, and having the full force of your attention on him made him nearly choke on air. “Were you really?”
Jamie licks his lips, trying to gain some composure. “Bawling is sayin’ a lot, really. More like a reasonable cry.”
You nod along, clearly not buying it. 
“I’ve been keeping up with your games this season. The goal you scored against West Ham the other day was seriously impressive. You were practically miles away from the net.”
Immediately, Jamie perked up. “You like football?”
“Well, I’m no expert, but I definitely try to watch all your games if I can.”
Jamie leans in, feeling bold and taking your hand in his. “Richmonds games? Or my games?”
You shrug. “Depends on the hair.”
He laughs, leaning back in his chair, body turned towards you. Maybe tonight won’t be so bad after all.
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johnbierce · 2 months
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Fantasy short story anthology time!
My new book, The Gorgon Incident and Other Stories: A Mage Errant Anthology, is out now on Amazon and Audible!
I absolutely love writing short stories. They push me as an author in ways that novels don't, and each one presents me with a unique, fascinating challenge. And, with this anthology, they allow me to explore parts of Anastis, the world of Mage Errant, in ways I couldn't in the main series. I get to travel to out-of-the-way corners, visit ordinary people to see how they get by in a world of giant monsters and ruthless archmages battling for control of petty territories, to explore secret conspiracies and legendary historical figures, and to flesh out Anastis' ecology, culture, and history.
If you haven't read Mage Errant yet, the first three ebooks are free for the next few days, and books four through six are on sale for $0.99 in the US and UK! Mage Errant is a completed, seven book magic school progression fantasy series, following the adventures of Hugh of Emblin as he goes from being a shy, neurodiversefailure of a student mage who struggles with anxiety and depression to being a shy, neurodiverse terrifying archmage who struggles with anxiety, depression, giant monsters, and magical superweapons. It features found family, giant monsters, a science-inspired hard magic system where you're as liable to run into hair or bismuth mages as fire mages, giant monsters, lots of queer characters, giant monsters (some of whom are also queer characters), kaijucratic systems of government, and sapient living cities. (Did I mention the giant monsters?)
The stories in the Gorgon Incident are written to be legible even to people who haven't read Mage Errant yet- though I think most people will get more out of them after reading the main series. The twenty-four stories, all originally published on my Patreon, span five centuries of history, from the last years of the Ithonian Empire up to the events of the series itself, even visiting another of Anastis' continents for the first time.
I also leaned hard into the science-inspired aspects of the setting with many of the stories, building what I like to call science puzzle stories, where the plot of the story revolves around the real-life behavior of various materials and natural processes, through a magical lens. (I had a lot of fun doing it, and it even let me include a whole additional appendix filled with notes on the science of the short stories- I love appendices.)
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(Art by Aaron McConnell and Lee Moyer.)
A fugitive child finds shelter with a monster of legend. A mind-blind scholar outwits the mages who disdain him. A gold mage must secure a bank vault from a monster capable of obliterating entire cities. An aging basketweaver wakes up one morning to find a brand new river in front of her house. A palace-sized octopus seeks to defend his city from a living fortress of bone— if he can get his arms to cooperate.
In these twenty-four short stories set in the world of Mage Errant, John Bierce explores the murky depths of history, forgotten corners of Ithos and beyond, and the strangest reaches of magic itself.
Gorgon Incident US link Gorgon Incident UK link Gorgon Incident CA link Gorgon Incident AU link
Gorgon Incident Audible US link Gorgon Incident Audible UK link Gorgon Incident Audible CA link Gorgon Incident Audible AU link
Amazon US series page Amazon UK series page Amazon CA series page Amazon AU series page
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theineffablecon · 3 months
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🚫 No Blue Monday here! 🚫
If you're feeling blue today, we have some ineffable Good Omens announcements for both our virtual and in-person attendees that might cheer you up...
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First up, we're delighted to announce two special guests - the wonderful Peter Anderson, who is joining us again for the FOURTH time to talk title sequences, and Colleen Doran, who showed us ALL OF THE ART from the graphic novel at TIC 4! 🥰
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📢 For those of you thinking of attending TIC 5 in person, we are down to our last few rooms at the convention venue 📢
We do have overflow accommodation available and you can find out more information here:
If you're thinking of joining us virtually, tickets range from £5 to £15!
If you're in a position to book early, it helps with our forecasting - if you're not, tickets will be available up to (and, tech permitting, including) TIC 5!
Any questions, you know what to do, do it with style!
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For our in-person delegates joining us on the Hambleden (aka Tadfield) trip, we have two treats to share...
We'll be travelling by vintage Routemaster bus and we'll be served dinner by Heavenly Crepes!
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A TIC thread wouldn't be a TIC thread without a plea for volunteers!
You can find out more about the auction, exhibitors, programme, zine, vid show and volunteering using the menu at the top of this page:
Finally, our 2024 JustGiving page is open!
As always, all TIC events raise money for Alzheimer's Research UK in memory of Sir Terry Pratchett.
The 2023 total is coming soon, but it's over £40,000 - let's get to £50,000 in 2024!
That's all, folks - have an apology dance for such a long thread!
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carpe-mamilia · 1 year
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AHHHHHHHHHHH
Bloomsbury has acquired a companion book to the BBC television series “Ghosts”. Katy Follain, head of Bloomsbury general, acquired UK and Commonwealth rights to Ghosts: The Button House Archives from Paul Stevens at Independent Talent. It is her first acquisition since she joined Bloomsbury. The companion book will be published on 26th October 2023. “Ghosts” was first broadcast in 2019 and has been nominated for multiple national comedy awards. It returns for the final season this September. The tie-in book is described as “a hilarious, colourful and entertaining compendium of surviving artefacts and documents relating to the ghosts of Button House’s past lives”. Ghosts: The Button House Archives will be written by Mathew Baynton, Simon Farnaby, Martha Howe-Douglas, Jim Howick, Laurence Rickard and Ben Willbond – six of the ghosts who also co-starred in the franchise Horrible Histories. They will be signing books at events around the country in the run-up to Christmas. They said: “We started kicking around the idea of a ‘Ghosts’ companion book quite early on in the life of the series and got very excited about how the characters could show up in all kinds of documents and artefacts. We’re delighted to finally be bringing this idea to life with Bloomsbury to produce something we hope fans will treasure.” Follain added: “To be working with this hugely talented group of writers on the tie-in book of such a massively popular comedy series is complete heaven. It combines everything I want the non-fiction Bloomsbury General list to be: quality and best-in-show entertainment with broad appeal. It is the perfect Christmas gift and I’m looking forward to seeing the fans dressed up in their favourite ‘Ghosts’ costumes for the events.”
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a-room-of-my-own · 9 months
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Family theme park apologises for drag queen act that left parents 'horrified': Boss confirms it will not take part in any future Pride celebrations after Ru Paul's Drag Race UK star used angle grinder on crotch during show
It showed drag queen Crystal, who performed on the first season of the BBC's Ru Paul's Drag Race and whose real name is Colin Munro.
He was seen wielding an angle grinder and wearing fishnet tights, a leotard and a pair of high heels as more than 50 people including several children watched the event, which was being held to close the park's Pride celebrations.
Performing to the tune of Scissor Sisters' hit Filthy/Gorgeous, Crystal made thrusting motions with his hips and ran his hand up and down the angle grinder while using it to make sparks fly from a metal plate fixed to his crotch.
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Philip Miller, executive chairman of Adventure Island, told MailOnline in a statement today that there had been 'confusion' as to 'what we would allow or not'.
He added that the 'grinding act' was 'definitely a nonstarter' because it was not 'family entertainment' and vowed that the park will not participate in any future Pride celebrations, nor will Crystal be booked again.
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hamishsteele · 9 days
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HI EVERYONE!
To promote the release of DeadEndia: The Divine Order, I am going on tour! I hope you can make it to one of these events!
MAY 2, 7pm Third Place Books, Seattle, USA MAY 3, 6pm Launch Event with Molly Knox Ostertag YALLWEST, Santa Monica Public Library, LA, USA (this event requires a Fierce Friday ticket) MAY 4 YALLWEST, Santa Monica Public Library, LA, USA MAY 11-12 TCAF, Toronto Reference Library, Toronto, Canada MAY 24-26 London MCM Comic Con, London, UK JULY 5-7 London Film and Comic Con, London, UK AUG 17-18 Flame Con, New York, USA AUG 31-SEPT 1 Helsinki Comics Festival, Helsinki, Finland NOV 17-18 Thought Bubble Festival, Harrogate, UK
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