Rothfuss Scores a Multi-Platform Deal for Kingkiller Chronicle

Eppu

Author Patrick Rothfuss is known for the charity Worldbuilders and his Kingkiller Chronicle – a trilogy of The Name of the Wind (published 2007), The Wise Man’s Fear (2011), and a thus far unnamed, unpublished final installment.

Rothfuss Book Covers Fall 2015
Patrick Rothfuss / DAW.

Rothfuss just shared some great news: The Chronicle was signed by Lionsgate for a “big narratively intertwined multi-platform development deal” (in Rothfuss’s words). The plan is to produce a tv-series with a connecting movie and a video game – how awesome is that?

But it doesn’t end there. Says Rothfuss:

“You see, I never expected a studio would treat me like a human being. But through this whole process, Lionsgate has treated me with amazing respect. I’ve made what to me seem like reasonable requests, and they responded to them… reasonably. And I’m not just talking about pretty words here, they’re making contractual agreements granting me control of things. They haven’t just been reasonable, they’ve been kind, and understanding. […]

“Lionsgate is making its own press release today and there will be stories in all manner of Hollywood news outlets pretty soon. It’s not a coincidence that my blog is launching up on the very same day as their big announcement. In the same hour, even. Lionsgate coordinated with me so I could share this news on my blog at the same time they’re launching their story.

“This was important to me because if you read my blog or follow me on social media… well… you’re a part of the reason my books are a big deal. A lot of you have been a part of my team for years, and I wanted the chance to tell you about this piece of news myself rather than have you hear it on the street.

The fact that Lionsgate was willing to go to some lengths to let me launch this blog simultaneously with their press release is another good sign, in my opinion. It shows they respect me, and it shows they respect you guys, too.”

Sounds good to me! Scratch that – it sounds great. Empathy and respect make valuable capital for businesses, too. I’ll surely be keeping an eye on this project. And the best of luck to Rothfuss in the development process!

The Martian Cast & ISS Crew Chat

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File 770 has a nice roundup of ten clips from and about The Martian, ranging from teasers and trailers to interviews and talks. The coolest is perhaps a 20-some minute call between two The Martian actors and two of six members of the International Space Station crew:

Space Station Crew Members Talk to Cast of The Martian

From the ISS, Expedition 45 Commander Scott Kelly and Flight Engineer Kjell Lindgren were on the horn; from the movie cast, Sebastian Stan and Mackenzie Davis during a visit they made to Mission Control at the Johnson Space Center in September.

Hey, look! We found a thing on the internet! We thought it was cool, and wanted to share it with you.

Supermoon Lunar Eclipse

Eppu

We happened to have excellent conditions for the 2015 supermoon lunar eclipse: clear skies, warm weather, and a dark backyard for early night viewing. The best shot I got is from the beginning of the eclipse (with a little computer enhancement).

Very neat. And, although celestial photography won’t become a part of my skills in a hurry, it was nice to try.

Image by Eppu Jensen

 This post has been edited.

Out There is an occasional feature highlighting intriguing art, spaces, places, phenomena, flora, and fauna.

Quotes: Wheresoever Is Learning, There Is Controversy

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“The truth is, said she, wheresoever is learning, there is most commonly also controversy and quarreling; for there be always some that will know more, and be wiser than others; some think their arguments come nearer to truth, and are more rational than others; some are so wedded to their own opinions, that they never yield to reason; and others, though they find their opinions not firmly grounded upon reason, yet for fear of receiving some disgrace by altering them, will nevertheless maintain them against all sense and reason, which must needs breed factions in their schools, which at last break out into open wars, and draw sometimes an utter ruin upon a state or government.”

– Margaret Cavendish, Duchess of Newcastle, The Blazing World and Other Writings

There is nothing new under the sun, not even disagreements.

Cavendish, Margaret, Duchess of Newcastle. The Blazing World and Other Writings. Edited by Kate Lilley. London: Penguin, 2004 [originally published 1666; reprint with a new chronology and further reading], p. 202.

(This quote comes from my 21 new-to-me SFF authors reading project.)

This post has been edited for clarity.

Serving exactly what it sounds like, the Quotes feature excerpts other people’s thoughts.

Downton Wars, Episode I and II

Eppu2 Comments

Rob James-Collier certainly knows how to put fun in fundraiser! For his London Marathon fundraiser run, the actor (who played the sly footman Thomas Barrow in Downton Abbey) wrote and directed an exclusive Downton Abbey clip to benefit the Chiltern MS Centre. Filmed on his smartphone in between takes, the spoof features other Downton actors and lightsabers!

Downton Wars: Episode 1 – The Phantom Valet

(“Mmmm, cheese!”)

In the end, James-Collier raised more than £15,000 and created a second episode as a thank you. In this second installment, the whole house gets in a Star Wars mood with even more lightsaber action! The absolute best, though, is when the two venerable old ladies, the Dowager Countess and Mrs. Isobel Crawley, played by Maggie Smith and Penelope Wilton, pick up lightsabers!

Downton Wars: Episode 2 – The Evil Butler Strikes Back

(“I would not do that if I were you!”)

Cheers!

Hey, look! We found a thing on the internet! We thought it was cool, and wanted to share it with you.

Race: Fundamentals

Erik3 Comments

150914BuryThis is a very, very, very basic introduction to the question of race from a historical perspective. If you’ve studied any world history, human genetics, or even just had your eyes open in the past decade, there’s probably nothing here you don’t already know. Everything I have to say has been said before, so why say it again? I have two reasons.

First, there are some more obscure and complicated things I want to talk about concerning race and history and it would be useful to have some basic points covered for future reference.

Second, there are some people who don’t know the basics of race, even some very intelligent people (even some Supreme Court justices), so it can’t hurt to say these things again.

Race is like money.

No, really, hear me out on this.

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The Story of Kullervo: Tolkien Inspired by the Finnish Folk Epic

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J. R. R. Tolkien’s The Story of Kullervo edited by Verlyn Flieger will be published only a few weeks from now in the U.S. The October release was preceded by a late August launch in the U.K.

HarperCollins.
HarperCollins.

According to the publisher’s statement,

“Kullervo son of Kalervo is perhaps the darkest and most tragic of all J.R.R. Tolkien’s characters. ‘Hapless Kullervo’, as Tolkien called him, is a luckless orphan boy with supernatural powers and a tragic destiny.

“Brought up in the homestead of the dark magician Untamo, who killed his father, kidnapped his mother, and who tries three times to kill him when still a boy, Kullervo is alone save for the love of his twin sister, Wanona, and guarded by the magical powers of the black dog, Musti. When Kullervo is sold into slavery he swears revenge on the magician, but he will learn that even at the point of vengeance there is no escape from the cruellest of fates.

“Tolkien wrote that The Story of Kullervo was ‘the germ of my attempt to write legends of my own’, and was ‘a major matter in the legends of the First Age’; his Kullervo was the ancestor of Túrin Turambar, tragic incestuous hero of The Silmarillion. In addition to being a powerful story in its own right, The Story of Kullervo – published here for the first time with the author’s drafts, notes and lecture-essays on its source-work, The Kalevala, is a foundation stone in the structure of Tolkien’s invented world.”

As The Kalevala is my national epic, it feels odd to see the storylines and names used with little or no change by a celebrated international author. I’m used to thinking of my country and culture as small and unimportant. Perhaps that is our strength, after all – we’ve managed to hold on to some unique features in our little corner of Europe.

If the original folk epic interests you, an English-language version of The Kalevala is available for free at Project Gutenberg.

This post has been edited for formatting.

World of Thrones

Erik

What happens when the World of Warcraft meets Game of Thrones? Wonderful, wonderful things. Check out Marc Ottensmann’s beautiful intro to Azeroth, GoT-style.

Game of Thrones Intro: World of Warcraft (World of Thrones) via Marc Ottensmann

Thunder Bluff is my favorite (but then Thunder Bluff has always been my favorite city in WoW).

Hey, look! We found a thing on the internet! We thought it was cool, and wanted to share it with you.

 

Where Are the Muppets of Yesteryear?

Erik

The wisest thing I ever heard said about the Muppets (and just how often do you get to use that phrase, anyway?) came from a college classmate. This was back in the heyday of Muppet movies based on classic literature: you know, Muppet Treasure Island, Muppet Christmas Carol, Muppet Wizard of Oz, and the like. One evening over zucchini and pasta in the dining hall a bunch of us were complaining about how the contemporary Muppet oeuvre was so disappointing to those of us who had grown up watching the original Muppet Show on tv.

“I don’t want to see Muppets be actors,” someone said. “I want to see Muppets be Muppets.”

Well, there’s a new Muppet show on tv this fall. I haven’t seen any episodes, but here’s the trailer for the show.

The Muppets – Official Trailer via ABC Television Network

I know a lot can happen between the proof-of-concept pitch for a show and when it actually goes on the air, but to me this looks like Muppets being actors. It’s Muppet The Office. Muppet 30 Rock. That’s not what I’m interested in watching.

Now, to be fair, the old Muppet Show was far from perfect. We’ve been rewatching some of it via Netflix lately; a lot of the material was already dated at the time and it hasn’t aged well. On the other hand there are things that transcend time and shine as brightly now as they did forty years ago. Mahna Mahna, for instance, is one perfectly formed comic gem.

Mahna Mahna via Constantine Trayanov

I’ve been giving this some thought recently and I think I’ve identified three essential elements of fundamental Muppetosity.

1. Muppets push the limits of what you can do with puppetry

Take a look at the Swedish chef making donuts and consider the technical artistry that went into designing and performing even such a simple sketch.

Swedish Chef – Donuts via SUBSCRIBE! (Y)

2. Muppets have emotional reality

Check out this Hugga Wugga sketch and watch how even a fuzzy purple alien can experience pride, anger, confusion, exasperation, smugness, surprise, fury, and shock.

Hugga Wugga via GreenGimmick

3. Muppets live on the verge of chaos without ever quite succumbing

Watch the madness unfold in the background as the estimable Dr. Honeydew continues to calmly explain his latest inventions.

Muppet Labs – Fireproof Paper via dorcm1973

The Muppets just aren’t what they used to be, but don’t despair. There are other places to find the three keys of Muppetociousness. Here are some of the true heirs to the Muppet mantle:

Community

Ostensibly a sit-com about community college students, Community flirts with chaos and pushes the boundaries of what a sit-com can do while staying grounded in the emotional reality of the characters. Here’s how a friendly game of paintball goes down at Greendale Community College.

A Fistfull of Painballs via thanatos101b

Aardman

The claymation studio that brought us Chicken Run and The Curse of the Were-Rabbit knows how to make wonderful comedy out of such ordinary things as a dog who’s at the end of his rope trying to deal with mischievous little bunnies.

Wallace and Grommit: Curse of the Were-Rabbit via Aardman Animations

Pixar

I don’t think all of Pixar’s work quite measures up to the best of the Muppets, but sometimes they can really deliver the goods. Here’s one to take you all the way back.

Luxo Jr. via Lukas blalbla

What do the rest of you think? Think the Muppets have still got it, or is there someone else who’s doing what the Muppets used to do?

In the Seen on Screen occasional feature, we discuss movies and television shows of interest.

Add Eight Ostrich Teams and Call It a Procession

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Or: Some History behind Ostrich Riding, Part 3 of 7

Background: I ran into two historical images from California with ostriches used as transportation. That got me wondering about the history of ostrich riding. And that lead me down quite a rabbit hole.

I’ve divided my findings into separate posts (find them with the ostrich riding tag). Warning: serious early history and language nerdery ahead in Serious Academic Voice.

TL;DR – Tracing ostrich riding to a 3rd century BCE tomb find (a statue of Arsinoe II) from Egypt doesn’t hold up. The use of various ostrich products in human material culture dates back thousands of years. A few ancient depictions involve humans handling ostriches; however, extant sources don’t tell us whether ostriches were merely hunted or whether they were also tamed in the ancient world. The most promising source seems to be a description of a magnificent parade put together by Arsinoe II’s husband-brother Ptolemy II. This Grand Procession included eight chariots drawn by pairs of ostriches, and the ostriches may have been ridden by boys in costumes.

Below is the long story.

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