Winds of Dune: a complete non-event

[Robspierre]

Plus no mention of the Hugo awards at all, damn, being snubbed must really of hurt his poor wittle feelings

Rob

[SandChigger]

God, I hope it burns.

Anyone bothered with this postcast yet?

Free Library Philadelphia: http://libwww.freelibrary.org/podcast/?podcastID=427" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

It's a rude 76.8 MB, so there's no way I'm downloading it until Monday. Blurb from the RSS feed:

Brian Herbert and New York Times bestselling writer Kevin Anderson collaborate on expanding the beloved Dune series using detailed notes left behind by legendary series creator Frank Herbert. The Winds of Dune begins after the events of Dune Messiah, in which the empire begins to crumble after the reign of Muad'Dib. Herbert and Anderson ''draw emotional power from every character to fuel the complex political tale they tell,'' writes Booklist. Both authors have been nominated for numerous awards, including the Hugo, Nebula, and Bram Stoker. Author Darrell Schweitzer will interview Brian Herbert and Kevin Anderson.

I simply love this: "Brian Herbert and New York Times bestselling writer Kevin Anderson". Oh, BoBo! The fuzzy humanity!

"...expanding the beloved Dune series using detailed notes left behind by legendary series creator Frank Herbert." NOT for this new piece of shit they ain't!

"Herbert and Anderson 'draw emotional power from'" the thought of actually making money from what essentially amounts to shitting on paper.

"Both authors have been nominated for numerous awards" but never won any of real note.

"Author Darrell Schweitzer will" no doubt gently tongue the two to their great satisfaction.

[TheDukester]

And that's why the alleged "notes" are such a killer: uniformed or lazy reviewers will not question their validity or press Hacky and Whatshisname for details. These clowns could release 50 books and the vast majority of idiots out there will continue to bleat, "Yeah, man, they've got, like, Frank's notes!"

I also think it's pretty much official that the HLP will never approve of anyone ever seeing any of these alleged "notes." If they ever did become public, there would be uproar once it was determined how little bearing they had on these annual pieces of fanfic that Idiot 1 and Idiot 2 write.

[SandChigger]

http://torforge.wordpress.com/2009/08/1 ... estseller/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

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Sandworms debuted at #4.

Paul at #11.

Now Winds comes in at #15?

Better get Berg and Paramount moving on that movie to keep interest up or Throne is going to tank. (As in septic, not axlotl!)

[Hunchback Jack]

Free Library Philadelphia: http://libwww.freelibrary.org/podcast/?podcastID=427" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

It's worth listening to, I think. The interviewer is hopeless, but he challenges them on a few things, and KJA got very defensive in a couple of places. Some info about later book they're planning, too. Very quoteworthy.

"Leto of Dune" may be called "The Golden Path of Dune" by the way, which lends itself nicely to parody, along the same lines as Winds and Throne. The Great Houses Trilogy will be "Sisterhood of Dune", "The Mentats of Dune", "The Swordmasters of Dune".

Then graphic novels, God help us.

Brian talks much more than Kevin in this one, partly because some of the questions are more about his father than about the Twain. I had mixed feelings about him - sometimes I wish I could sit down with him and talk about FH, since he clearly knows a lot about him. I think he really believes they're carrying on his father's work, at least in spirit. He also mentions his own early novels, but usually in relation to writing or his father, not really to plug him.

KJA was his usual unbearable self. He tries to sound modest, but he just can't pull it off. Plugged his own books shamelessly too.

HBJ

[SandChigger]

Ah, cheers, HBJ. I'll be sure to grab it Monday, then.


Shit ... they've actually named the Great Schools(?) trilogy? That's a bad sign. But no mention of the CET/OCB? I guess they'll spread it through the three? Ugh.

The Golden Path of Dune ... The Golden Stream ... The Golden Shower ... My Name Writ Golden in the Sands of Dune. Hmm ... years to develop it.

[Serkanner]

http://torforge.wordpress.com/2009/08/1 ... estseller/

Your comment is awaiting moderation.
Sandworms debuted at #4.

Paul at #11.

Now Winds comes in at #15?

Better get Berg and Paramount moving on that movie to keep interest up or Throne is going to tank. (As in septic, not axlotl!)

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1.
Serkanner, on August 13th, 2009 at 10:14 am Said: Your comment is awaiting moderation.

Entering the list based on pre-orders on #15 is NOT that big a deal is it? Sandworms entered on #4 and Paul on #11 … can you will the draft from this one sliding into oblivion already? Woooooosh!

[Mr. Teg]

Did I hear correctly in the podcast that pinky and the brain wrote the buttlerian jihad based on the Dune appendix then the 2 sloppy disks were recovered which lead to Hunters and SoD?

The justification for the buttlerian jihad was to set up for SoD, no?

Their interviews always have a defensive tone.
Anyone else think so, too?

(Also, I'm starting to get the strong impression that they do follow what we post.)

Btw, their explanation about when they first met is not entirely accurate.
Brian Herbert had written a glowing review of Ai!Perdito which was the book Kevin collaborated with L-Ron Hubbard.
The fact Brian Herbert said great things about that book should tell you something about his standards and how all the famous guys (and several old friends of Frank's) were left in the cold...literally.

[Nekhrun]

Why would they acknowledge the Golden Path when they clearly don't think it mattered anyway. The undid all of that complicated Leto shit in Snadworms anyway. They can't even keep their own bullshit straight.

[GamePlayer]

Their interviews always have a defensive tone.
Anyone else think so, too?

Oh, hell yeah! The interviews they give are so culpable, they stop just short of flat out apologizing for the books they write. If the police were investigating KJA and BH for exploitative fiction, they'd be convinced the two were guilty after one interview

[TheDukester]

Not worth a new thread of its own, but ... has anyone heard of any official NYT data for the paperback edition of Pauline?

It's listed as having the same publication date as the Winds hardcover, so, by my logic, if Tor got an advance look at the lists for this next week (that data is still not out there for the public, BTW), wouldn't they have taken a moment to congratulate Hacky and Fuzzy if Pauline was also on the charts?

I think they would have.

Man, I hope I'm right. Not making the charts at all would be an Epic Fail.

+++++

Late add: Pauline's Amazon rank? #1,543! Holy gom jabbar, that is not good!

[HoryThory]

Some tool over at dumbnovels just posted something about The Winds flatulating all over the New York Times list. Who gives a rat's ass?

Good question... So why you bringing it up?

The NYT Bestseller list is based off of pre-orders, not actual sales.

Paul of Dune 'debuted' at #11.

Winds of Dune 'debuted' at # 15

Booksellers ordered less of this title, probably from less than stellar hopes for sales.

My point exactly.

[Frybread]

WoD bounced up to #488 last night before dropping down to #638 today. What's going on I wonder?

[Hunchback Jack]

Chig, "Golden Showers of Dune" was my first thought. Although I'm not sure I should admit that.

The Great Houses titles are probably just in their head; I don't think they're even contracted.

Sometimes they sounds fairly defensive (KJA went almost ballistic when he thought the interviewer was implying that writing the House books was a mistake), but I was actually surprised that BH sounded almost *smug* about the books they'd written. e.g. "Frank Herbert tried to explain the difference in Paul's character between Dune and Dune Messiah for twenty years. We did it in one book - Paul of Dune. Heh".

I think he's pretty pleased by their success, and in his mind, that may translate into proof that their carrying on FH's work. Dunno.

HBJ

[TheDukester]

The Great Houses titles are probably just in their head; I don't think they're even contracted.

Only the next two are under contract, according to TheJacket.

It does make you wonder if he and Bobo are trying to pre-sell a new contract to a publisher out there. "Hey, look, we've already got it thought out; someone hire us!"

[SandChigger]

Chig, "Golden Showers of Dune" was my first thought. Although I'm not sure I should admit that.

Ha ha! Made you!

I'm with Dukester, no contract that The Hack has mentioned ... and you know he wouldn't keep quiet about something like that, the way he worked himself into a froth last night over NYT #15.

Hmm ... any reason to think that TOR wouldn't pick up the next series? Besides PLUMMETING sales?

[Nebiros]

Still one more week of the winds tour. That means there will still be many more public appearances and blahgs. Let's see if sales Winds will be up by the time the tour is over.

Hopefully by August 20th when the tour ends, there will be some Youtube videos of Kevin to comment on.

edit:
I just read KJA's blahg and he says that Winds has made the new youk times best seller list at no. 15. They are celebrating a 'win' with champane. We spoke too soon when we said that it did not make the bestseller list.

[HoryThory]

The Great Houses titles are probably just in their head; I don't think they're even contracted.

Only the next two are under contract, according to TheJacket.

It does make you wonder if he and Bobo are trying to pre-sell a new contract to a publisher out there. "Hey, look, we've already got it thought out; someone hire us!"

I'm sure they're prancing their dainty little asses around in front of their publisher, dangling the fact that they hit the New York Times list. I smell another series coming. And the smell is getting worse!

[Frybread]

Still one more week of the winds tour. That means there will still be many more public appearances and blahgs. Let's see if sales Winds will be up by the time the tour is over.

Hopefully by August 20th when the tour ends, there will be some Youtube videos of Kevin to comment on.

edit:
I just read KJA's blahg and he says that Winds has made the new youk times best seller list at no. 15. They are celebrating a 'win' with champane. We spoke too soon when we said that it did not make the bestseller list.

Let's just wait and see how long WoD stays on the NYT Bestseller List before tanking.

[TheDukester]

For references purposes, Pauline of Dune's weekly NYT rankings were:

11
18
18
25
... and off the list.

I see no indication whatsoever that Jessica's Wind will fare any better. Pauline at least had some buzz — the whole "direct sequel to Dune!" thing snared a few unwary journalists — but the only people even bothering to talk about Winds are the hard-core faction of KJA's Zombie Army.

And us, of course.

[Drunken Idaho]

Anyone know where I can get a hi-res version of the cover of WOD? Got an idea for a sweet new avatar...

[Sev]

Let's just wait and see how long WoD stays on the NYT Bestseller List before tanking.

A debut of only 15 is already a tanking in my book, it's the lowest debut yet. Here's the facts:*

*The bestseller list archive I've seen only goes down to #15

House Atreides: debuted at 13, peaked at 12, weeks on chart - 4
House Harkonnen: debuted at 11, peaked at 8, weeks on chart - 4
House Corrino: debuted at 8, weeks on chart - 4
Butlerian Jihad: debuted at 9, peaked at 7, weeks on chart - 3
Machine Crusade: debuted at 7, weeks on chart - 2
Battle of Corrin: debuted at 10, peaked at 9, weeks on chart - 4
Hunters of Dune: debuted at 3, weeks on chart - 3
Sandworms of Dune: debuted at 4, weeks on chart - 4
Paul of Dune: debuted at 11, weeks on chart - 1

Winds of Dune: debut at 15?, weeks on chart - 1?

[SandRider]

Anyone know where I can get a hi-res version of the cover of WOD? Got an idea for a sweet new avatar...

I was just fixin' to suggest that ....

[TheDukester]

510 x 680 is the best I can find at the moment ...

http://images.contentreserve.com/ImageT ... Img100.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[TheDukester]

Oh, crap ... didn't see that Scott Brick's name is on there. That kind of ruins it.

I'll keep looking.