Just back from Brisneyland (being Brisbane for the uninitiated) having attended the Aurealis Awards night where, if you'll recall, Lamplighter was shortlisted in the Best Young Adult Novel category. Alas alak, I have to content myself with the shortlisting for I can reveal to you all now that Melina Marchetta's (of On the Jellicoe Road and Looking for Alibrandi fame) first foray into the spec fic world, Finnikin of the Rock (Penguin/Viking) took the honours.
Congrats to her - I'd be lying if I did not admit I was a tad bummed, but I got over myself and and very happy to have Lamplighter on a shortlist.
The other winners of the 2008 Aurealis Awards by category were:
best science fiction novel
K A Bedford, Time Machines Repaired While-U-Wait
(Edge Science Fiction and Fantasy Publishing)
best science fiction short story
Simon Brown, ‘The Empire’, Dreaming Again
(Harper/Voyager)
best fantasy novel
Alison Goodman, The Two Pearls of Wisdom
(Harper Collins)
best fantasy short story
Cat Sparks, ‘Sammarynda Deep’, Paper Cities
(Senses 5 Press)
best horror novel
John Harwood, The Seance, Jonathan Cape
(Random House Australia)
best horror short story
Kirstyn McDermott, ‘Painlessness’, Greatest Uncommon Denominator (GUD), #2
best anthology
Jonathan Strahan (editor), The Starry Rift
(Viking Children's Books)
best collection
Sean Williams & Russell B Farr (editor), Magic Dirt: The Best of Sean Williams
(Ticonderoga Publications)
best illustrated book/graphic novel
Shaun Tan, Tales From Outer Suburbia
(Allen & Unwin)
best young adult short story
Trent Jamieson, ‘Cracks’, Shiny, #2
best children’s novel
Emily Rodda, The Wizard of Rondo
(Omnibus Books)
best children’s illustrated work/picture book
Richard Harland & Laura Peterson (illustrator), Escape!, Under Siege, Race to the Ruins, The Heavy Crown, of The Wolf Kingdom series
(Omnibus Books)
Peter McNamara Convener's Award for Excellence
Jack Dann
Well done to everyone (with an especial cheerio to Sean Williams, Richard Harland, Laura Peterson, Shaun Tan and Omnibus!) and thank you to the organisers for a great event.
And just to turn all the attention back to MBT for a moment, the paperback of the English language editions of Lamplighter will be released this year in May, which is something to loo forward to.
Answer time!
Probing questions from Differlot:
"[Do you] know what planet is the half continent?"
The world of the Half-Continent is called the Harthe Alle (at least by some) or the Alt Gird (though not so often). Tungolitrists (what we would call astronomers) name it Deuter Diana or just Deuter. Of course other races have other names, but these three will do for now.
"I wonder what Europe does in her free time, hmmm?"
Europe would not admit to having such a thing as we would call "free time" - her oppinion on the matter would be to use time as usefully as possible; "sitting about only makes for darkened and uselessly bedizzened thoughts," is how she would put it, I reckon.
"What happens if a wit or fulgar gets turned into a monster do the monsters learn how to use the artificial organs, or since they have been put in maybe they are dead and the monster only posses natural parts since it probably wont be able to take treacle till found by somebody. They might just die from not having any."
Now here's a question I'd not considered! Monsters would not ever become lahzars, and since the whole system of treacles and surgeons is a totally human system, so you are right, even if a monster could become lahzarine, they would die from lack of treacle and such things.
Also, for those of a praying persuasion, I would very much appreciate your prayers as I struggle to get the final two chapters of Book 3. Typically I tend to have a vision of what a scene will look and feel like, a sketch - if you like - in my head, from which I spring forward to actually explore and fill out with words. Right now, however, my soul is being very reluctant to cough up a clear view of the end.
Who'd be a writer, hey?
49 comments:
Good luck with the final chapters of the book! Try not to melt in that interesting Adelaidean climate...
Alison Goodman's book is awesome. But MBT should have won in whatever category it was place. Good luck with the last chapters of the book!
Cheers, guys. I am feeling the love. ;)
Well done my friend! You made the shortlist and that is an accomplishment in itself! Perhaps book 3 will bring that coveted award!
I hope the last 2 chapters work out for ya! Looking forward to the good read!
Word Verification - taicar: a treacle that has been improperly prepared.
Certainly will pray for you Master Cornish, hope you keep well in the extreme heat.
Mr. Cornish-
Good Luck with the last bit of Factotum. If I can make a suggestion, once the book is finished, and publishing and everything is well on its way, do you think you could spare a moment to make another poll? Polls are one of my favourite internet things.
Klesita- The dicussion was not about why monsters should not have basic mammal features, it was about how Rossamund passed as human without a belly button and whether or not he had one. It seemed that, seeing as he spawned from the mud from human remains, his navel would look different from a cut umbilical cord. Sorry for any misunderstandings.
School starts tomorrow, so I need something to come home to. Does anyone know a book that you just get sucked into?
Aww :( too bad on the award. But ellorneo is right in saying that by making the shortlist you have accomplished a lot! And book 3 better be getting some awards, or I will be very unhappy with the judges. lol
Goodluck with your last chapters! My friend and I started writing a book last year (as I think I've said a million times by now)lol anyway... we sorta lost our steam, and are now in the middle of a big climax, but neither of us knows, or has the motivation to finish it XD. But one day I believe I will get back into it and finsih it... then start the gruelling editing phase. So I commend you on reaching as far as just two chapters from the end. A much further strive than what we accomplished. lol
And can I ask, am I the only one who started school on Tuesday? It seems everyone has started either on Thursday or Friday in other schools/states.
tedness- A problem, usually only lasting a short period of time, where everyone mistakes you for being called Ted, whether you are a girl or a boy.
eg. Sam says: "Hey Ted! Howzit goin?"
Sarah: "I'm Sarah, not Ted. I think I'm suffering from tedness"
Portals- I can recommend Nightwatch by Sergei Lukyanenko if you want a good book to read. Dont know how old you are though, so it might not be appropriate.
I haven't contributed to the varificon for a while now, shame on me.
Sicke- an archaic form of sick. eg. thou art moste sicke, praye seek thee an apothecare with diligent haste.
Aw bummer - I haven't read that book, so I can't offer an opinion. Maybe I should read it, I've been neglecting the world of fantasy lately...still trying to slog my way through "Atlas Shrugged." I have never read a book so slowly in my life.
Congratulations anyway.
Hate to start this up again, but Portals - a bellybutton looks more or less the same whether it has been cut or falls off by itself.
Calic: a nasty, bitter kind of hard liquor that tends to make the drinker suddenly and violently ill at the smallest mouthful. Being able to drink calic without retching will earn a man much esteem; "He holds his calic" is a compliment of the highest degree.
Good luck with the new and final chapters. I could not fathom writing a book... writing a small paragraph is difficult for me sometimes. You are fantastic!
I do have a H-c question and I am not sure it has been answered before, but... Does H-c have air transportation? Eg. Hot-Air Balloons, Airplanes, Blimps.. gliders? Or has that technology not been developed in H-c? Are there monsters that have air-flight capabilities, so humans cannot take to the skies?
ithberries - berries that take away the effects of whortleberries. Somewhat the opposite of whortleberries, they make the person eating the berries feel drowsy/sleepy. Good to use when on long trips.
Erin Montemurro
It's a pity you didn't win. There's still the Cybils shortlist, though, so winning is possible. And I hope you get sudden inspiration with the end of Factotum. I hate writing conclusion for anything, so mine end up pithy and/or plain stupid. Ah well, at least I'm not writing a great American novel just yet.
mying: combination of me and trying. Used to describe anything or anyone who is so vain it is especially annoying (e.g. "Carly thought he was mying enough that she wrote a song *not* about him.")
All power to you Mr Cornish! Working your way toward the 'the end' is daunting - but channel the focus that got you there the last two times, and you'll be fine!
Good luck! Sending the positive vibes!
Noelle-
Sorry. Wasn't trying to start arguing again. Just explaining to Klesita what we were arguing about before.
Mr. Cornish,
You have no idea how your books make me feel. It leaves me speechless even when I'm not talking to amaze at the absolute depth and detail you strive to achieve. I see this in things like your maps with names of roads and rivers and places that Rossamünd will never even see and your explicarium, appendices, etc that are tediously updated and ever-changing. If I can word this rightly... it makes me feel proud (?) to read them. As if I share the respect and awe-inspiring nature of your creations. Sorry about that. :)
So I'd like to say thank you for writing a series that is unbelievably intelligent and challenging and immensely satisfying.
I always think that authors regret the first novel in their series - that they'd love to go back in time and write more backstory, include more hooks, etc. I can safely say, however, that Foundling was nothing short of a masterpiece and I hope, so very much, that the series continues past Facotum (i.e. please give us more books! (and long ones at that :D)).
Please accept my sincere thanks.
Rowan
P.S. As an author you do one thing that I would love to convince all authors to do: you don't spend the first 5 chapters retelling what we'd read before. It is unbelievably satisfying to read a book and actually read when the last one left off. I know it's selfish of me to be unaccommodating to readers who pick up the book, but if all authors could be like you in this matter, I'd be a very happy man.
Mr Cornish-
*Presumptous little literary cough* I have trouble finishing things, too, even if I know exactly how they are going to end, but it does feel so so nice to put in that last period. keep writing! yr amazing! the end is in sight! don't give up! woot! *enthusiastically waves arms in the air due to lack of pom-poms*
coquenst: an item of clothing that simultaneously covers every bit of immodest skin and clings in such a way that it really doesn't leave anything to the imagination anyway
Waiting, waiting, waiting......sigh. waiting, waiting....(I really need a book to read...)Waiting, waiting....
I can't say I find finishing something a drag. I usually procrastinate like there's infinite tomorrows so starting is usually the problem.
Funny thing is, I'm now Head of the Concept division for a project, illustrating a friend's story and finally started writing the story that I've been illustrating for the last two years. I started it yesterday and I'm finishing chapter two now... That's over one and a half thousand words a day. Who am I and where's the real me?!
My money says it's the finishing of it all that'll be the problem...
As for the award I'm going to go and say it:
That sucks!People don't know a good story when they read it. Just look at Twilight's publicity.
[I said I would say it, don't take it the wrong way]
For the meantime I might spend my spare time with Anna over there...
**Whistles impatiently**
By the way, had the image linking to the fan forum always been that way? Or is that just me?
E N Reinmuth- Yeah, I think it was like that from the beginning.
jazedest- Jester with alto sax?
E N, you´re welcome. The more people that are waiting for something good the merrier (?). At least we have something to chat about, lol.
It just feels so long to be waiting over a year...lets hope we can find something to read in the meanwhile.
(gee, my english sucks.)
Anna- Your English is fine.
Heck I was born into the language and I still mess things up.
Once I was meant to say 'Cerebral' cord and ended up saying 'Cervical'...
That's how bad I can get. I do pick up on them right after I make the mistakes, so it shouldn't be too bad.
Portals- Are you sure? I don't remember the red outline of the figure and the smoke...
And does this post say 'Lamplighter' where it should say 'Factotum'... Only picking that up now 'cause....well....Lamplighter's already out...
5:30 am.... not my hour.
By the way, I was researching for specific terms for particular traits of a personal character of mine and came across 'Teratological' deformation. It relates to deformities of the body in tie with their reputation as 'Monsters'.... I Thought that was cool...
And just to make this comment longer and raise conversation, for what else ought I do in the early hours of the day? After that patch of research, the Chinese have some really wack practices...
The 'Lotus Gait'.... Do you wish for me to explain?
Anna, your English is better than many people who speak it as their native tongue.
EN Reinmuth: I think you're right. I don't remember the smoke rising from the pistols either.
I have a question for everyone: what is your favorite kind of monster? Half-continental or otherwise. (Is that the proper adjective form of the word?)
Ingypo: a fictional character who is the butt of many jokes and rude stories which poke fun at his idiocy. An "Ingypo" joke could be compared to a modern-day blond joke.
I know my spelling is up the wall sometimes but I know how the word sounds in my head but am to lazy to pick up the very thick dictionary.
you should hear me talk....what a swenglish!
E N Reinmuth and Noelle-
Yeah, now that you mention it I dont actually think that there was the smoke or the outline before.
Acita- A drink containing so much enery that it nearly drives the drinker insane.
The red outline was definetly not there before.
Favourite monster? Probably a good vampire. Not like those in twilight, more like something from nightwatch.
Although its hard to go past a good dragon.
And rever-men are pretty cool.
So I'm not crazy, good to know.
Awe geez.....
Hokay, HC-wise I guess Freckle is the loveable favourite, Cinnamon the curious favourite, and the hord of Wormstool Nickers as my favourite in the sense that we should hang some time, same goes for the Gudgeon.
Non-HC-wise, it's very scattered...
Ent-Wives kick butt, but that's only in the sense that I saw Iron Henry's artwork on DeviantArt. Not really a monster, but eh...
The werewolf guy from Vampire Hunter D. The whole interpretation of his Lycanthropy being demonic was very well executed. Benji was cool also, but he had an annoying voice.
I could go on, but I think the idea was to announce one favourite, and I've already passed that well enough.
Have fun with the last 2 chapters!
Susan- Down in Tassie we dont start till the 9th Feb.
Mr C, an possible end: ... Rossamund swung his bag over the shoulder and started to walk. After a few steps he paused and turned to look at his friends. He saw the sadness in their eyes and faces but also the acceptance. He raised his hand and waved and started to walk again. The rising sun was lightening up the surrounding nature, waking every living creature.
little did he know about what was expecting him around the bend in the road. Or the adventures that was lurking in the horizon....
Thank you so much Rowan for your rousing encouragement; sincere thanks heartily accepted! I too find over exposition to get one back in to flow from one book to the next annoying. Indeed, my thinking for each of the MBT 'books' is not that they are individual items but one story serialised. I have done it this way because it is the way the path has gone not because I have some 'ploy' (as critics are constantly suggesting) to sell books but because I have been allowed to explore one story that happens to be going over three volumes. In that sense I look very much forward to a single bound up volume where the text should flow on from one part to next without clunk back telling. Here's hoping, hey...
As for the forum image, Ms Reinmuth, I have figured out how to do animated .gifs and made one with glowing bits and moving smoke but Blogger TM does not seem to like them and refuses to show you all the fruit of my labour - dang it!
Anna! Your Swenglish would be better than my Engdish any day. What is more, you are multi-lingual! *stares with secret envy at any person in possession of more than one language*
Ok, and now I am going to be annoying: favourite MBT monster, kraulschwimmen, particularly the bizarrely whale like grindewhals and the magpie man - the beastie who helps Mama Lieger, Aubergene and co out in Lamplighter(but I haven't shown these to you yet... told you I was going to be annoying); non-MBT would be anything troll- or scarecrow like, Ithaqua, Shub-Niggaurath, Cthuhlu, Dimensional Shamblers... heck anything invented by HP Lovecraft.
Verificon word: "grated" - the feeling you get when you have been cheated of a great verificon word.
Mr. Cornish.
As a deluded, aspiring author currently trying to augment and refine my own little tale, I'd like to hear a lot about the editing and re-writing phase of Factotum. I've been praying for your inspiration and the LORD to do His work through your writing.
On a related topic, please make this one long. That way, we can spend endless hours analyzing its contents waiting for you to write some more.
Anna.
I know people who use such constructions as 'redunculous' commbined with excessive amounts of 'likes,' 'yah knows,' and the like butcheries of the language. I also envy bi-linguals.
Noelle.
My favorite little beastie would be the manticore.
Munkey: (how I hate it when the site does this to us. Well, I can try.) [MOON kA] verb. To promote one's own agenda verbally by decieving another. This is accomplished by using alternate, personal definitions to make it seem as though both agree, though both mean entirely different things.
-Ben.
Do u ever leave any Easter eggs in your books, like if anything having to do with real or personal things in your life you put in your books?
they are always interesting to learn.
Are any of your friends fans of the books?
any of you guys heard of DOCTOR WHO? interesting show
Ah, Doctor Who. I've only seen a couple of episodes but they were absolutely amazing.
I like humanoid monsters like changelings or doppelgangers especially. I read a creepy article once about "vardøgers" - a manifestation of yourself that goes before you, doing all your actions ahead of you. Catching sight of yourself in this way is an omen of doom - apparently it happened to President Lincoln before his assassination. I avoided mirrors for a week!
That said, my favorite h-C monster is the Rossamunderling. I love the idea of a monster that doesn't know it's a monster.
Mationi: a child employed by rich folk to retrieve and carry away their dirty laundry. (The mationi may or may not do the actual washing - all the rich folk know is that they give him their dirty laundry and he brings it back clean.)
Mr. Cornish,
You are most welcome for the compliment and totally deserving. It still utterly amazes me that such a profound author is humble enough to talk with us, a regular 40 or so, as if we're your friends and in some cases (of aspiring authors) colleagues. I just can't believe that an author whom I hold in the same esteem of authors of Rowling and Nix (or even more-so) is talking to US and actively sharing ideas with US. It's like what we say to you can influence your writing. Wow, that's an amazing thought and it's been on my mind all day. Plus being an Australian helps :D
Oh and the plan to make a giant book out of the please-tell-me-there-will-be- more-than-the-at-the-moment-three-planned-volumes could be quite cumbersome to read :D
I have a major dillemma. Call me lackbrained (had to use it) but I just did something disastrous! Having only just re-bought the entire series in hard-cover because they are so sexy! (I love the styling just as much as the Series of UE books and they are the definition of sexy books) but the stupid bookshop put a sticker on the back of them. Book 2 was fine when I peeled it off but Book 1 had a residue on the back so in my idiocy I though 'I'll just gently wipe it off with a damp cloth'. Mistake! I now have a beautiful Foundling with a big white spot. Aaah I'm so depressed. Ruined :'(
As for the existing discussion, I don't have a favourite monster in the series but my favourite type of person (without resorting to surgery I think) is the Falseman. I really like Sebastipole. Not only does he have an awesome name, but his character is just so 'immensely wanted' by my brain when almost all the other characters are sinister.
My favourite altered person would easily be a wit. A wit version of Europe would be like my dream come true. Speaking of which, what frustrates me most is that (like in Harry Potter where in all my spare time I'd be practicing and researching to be the best wizard I could be (seriously, there are only so many times you can use expelliarmus and stupefy against the Dark Lord!)) Threnody doesn't practice! If she keeps whinging about how bad she is I'll hit her! Practice you silly girl!
Anyway, enough of my ramblings.
Goodnight to all,
Rowan
ditto on Rowan's first paragraph. we feel honored.
fave monster?
darn it, this is HARD...
Ok: from MBT I would have to say the rever-men. a very cool, very original take on a very old idea. tho the handsome grackle will always hold a place in my strange little heart
from the vast hordes of our world: er...werewolf [again, the earliest versions, not the hollywood variety] or anything shapeshift-ey, because they are physically impossible and that is so, so much more fun
encess: an ending to something, real life or fictional, that just won't end
Favorite monster....hmm, in MBT I liked Herdebog Trought.
General, that´s easy, vampires! Just loves the fangs, all from The Lost Boys to my cat´s fangs. Although Í don´t like when my cat bites me til it bleeds. Lovebites is ok.
I wonder if their is a monster stock market?
If so i wonder what they would sell hmmm?
that would be strange!
What is a monster exactly?
I wonder if rosamund goes through puberty?
Hey i wonder if regular monsters go through puberty?
well here is a go!
"welcome class take your seats. we are going to learn about puberty.lesson 1 is that gudgeons don't. blah blah blah! and so on
that is what i think it would be like???
let see if my pic worked
darn not appearing
Hmmm, noelle's favorite monsters reminded me of how much golems interested me after I read "Feet of Clay." But my favorite monsters of the moment are vampires (Bela Lugosi's Dracula is my favorite since vampires of late are not my cup o' tea) and banshees. MBT-wise, I second Rowan about Sebastipole and falsemen and I also want to add in the Sparrow-king. Can't say I remember anything much about him (or it), but I would like to see more of him, that's for sure.
Rooting for you on those final chapters! Can't wait to find out what's in store :-)
Someone mentioned DeviantArt earlier...I would just like to say...I have one as of right now!
http://figpeep.deviantart.com/gallery/
Pyhenide: a poisonous chemical that causes a person to become increasingly more intelligent before they die a slow and painful death.
The more DA members, the better!
...
As long as it's not manga.
Welcome to the crew Noelle :D
Dedicut: A hair style of the HC, very much like the Mullet. Here it is referred to as Business up front, Party in the back, but in the HC it is the Calm before the Storm.
The style has never picked up well in the HC.
Sorry I haven't been on for a while. Ok, I didn't finish the book for this reason:
I didn't have enough time to read it as I have too many other books to read, so now I have mixed all my series and I forget what happens, it's time for me to get back on track.
I WILL READ IT, IT IS GOOD SO FAR.
Don't get me wrong, great book so far but I need more time to read it as I am currently reading and writing book reviews for my blog, have a look at them if you like:
http://pizzasbookdiscussion.blogspot.com
Sorry you didn't get the award Mr. Cornish.
Pizza.
I've never been one to post on messageboards, but I was just telling my wife last night how incredible it is to know that an author I enjoy is, RIGHT NOW, working on the last chapters of his next book. Yes, Mr. Cornish, I will be _praying_ for you. Best wishes.
A DJ on a talk radio station here in Minnesota recently said that only about 5% of the people who regularly listen to talk radio actually call in, ever, to put in their two cents. I don't know the conversion rate of talk radio listeners to fiction readers (or to blog posters who are also fiction readers), but I would guess that there's a lot of us out here in the world that are really excited to read Factotum, even if you never hear from us. Hey, you've inspired me chime in anyway.
Thanks, and we appreciate your work,
-- Peter
Well schucks and a very big cheers, Peter! Books are a werd thing ain't they, by which I mean, there is a timelessness to them that does make the notion of them actually being written even right now somehow odd - remarkable even...
I have to admit this can spoil the effect for me, that stuff is being made up as I live and breathe. Maybe that is why I read a lot of dead authors; their words are fixed now, their notions part of the passage of history... (aren't being all dour and negative).
Having said that I am very happy you dig it, so please, ignore my strange snobbery and continue as you are!
What you folks say does most definitely influence me, Rowan - though I hold my own course little notions and tweeks occur based on what I see here. In the end though I write what I reckon is best and truest, even if it is at odds with notions expressed here... I am still trying to work a couple of verificon words into the tale.
Sorry about your Book 1 sticker misshap - I usually use an eraser to gently rub the residue off, but even this leaves scuff marks; very unhappy about that, too (as you have discovered, words were had with printers and they used a better glue with Book 2).
I off to comb my dedicut...
My favourite monster would be the yet-to-be-seen Duke of Crows. I have a theory about this particular corvid, and danged if I won't owe me a coke if it's right.
I feel slightly cheated as my varificon is "write".
i cant wait until factotum, it's going to be so good!! i have already been asked when it is coming out by a couple of people. i was so sure that lamplighter would win and if i were you i would feel a little bummed as well! good luck with the final chapters, there going to be great!!!
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