News on Agent to the Stars, Android’s Dream and The God Engines
Posted on September 29, 2010 Posted by John Scalzi 23 Comments
A quick housekeeping post here to tell you news about books and stuff:
1. If you follow the Twitter feed, you may have noticed me retweeting a Tweet from Wil Wheaton, in which he announced that he was currently busy performing the audio book version of Agent to the Stars. What he didn’t reveal, but which I am revealing right now, is that when he’s done with Agent to the Stars, he’ll keep on going and perform the audiobook version of The Android’s Dream as well. Personally, the idea of Wil narrating Android’s first chapter fills me with unmanly squee. It will be awesome in a way few things are in fact genuinely awesome.
The best news out of all of this? That both Agent and Android are scheduled for release in audiobook form this December — yes, just in time for the holidays. So those of you yearning to hear Wil’s voice all over my words, and yes it does sound dirty when I put it that way, won’t have to wait too long.
2. But wait, there’s more! For those of you who yearn for the more familiar printed book form, I’m happy to announce that also just in time for the holidays, Tor will be releasing Agent to the Stars in mass market paperback, making it the perfect stocking stuffer and/or cheap Hanukkah gift and/general inexpensive gift for someone you love/like/are in some way obliged to. The specific release date will be November 30. Mark it on your calendar.
3. Those of you hankering for the electronic edition of The God Engines but can’t find it in whatever very specific store for your e-reader, here’s a good general solution: Buy it from Baen’s Webscriptions site, which offers the novella in various formats, for the same $4.99 price it is available elsewhere. You can download it in either ePub or Mobi formats and then upload it to your reader, whatever dedicated e-reader you prefer. So now you have absolutely no excuse for not owning it electronically. None at all.
While on the subject The God Engines, I’ll also note to you that the audiobook rights to the novella have been sold and the folks putting it together are laboring hard to get it done quickly; it’s possible that it may be available before the end of the year (Holidays! Holidays!), but I need to confirm that. As soon as I do, I’ll let you know.
There, now we’re all caught up. And now you know what to expect from me for the holidays.
Ok, awesome. I don’t listen to too many audiobooks, but I’m totally buying those two.
Terrific! Now I know what I’m getting myself as a reward for finishing NaNoWriMo this year — Agent to the Stars, of course. (A gift-giving opportunity that you somehow neglected to include in your list.)
I don’t buy audiobooks… but for these two, I absolutely will! I can’t wait to hear Wil reading these two most excellent books!! Squeeeee!
This is just a whole bunch of awesome. One question, though. Is the new edition of Agent to the Stars exactly the same as the original, or did you go back and tinker with it any?
It was updated when the Tor edition came out in 2008. I assume Wil is reading from that version.
I’m not sure that there’s anything at all unmanly about squee… but if there is, I completely embrace it when I go, “SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEE! ZOMG this is too cool!” Because, y’know, it is.
Woot! on The God Engines. It’s been on my mind every since you teased us so cruelly with a couple of chapters.
Guess that’s the sign of a good book. I just might d/l it tonight.
Awww… and I didn’t get you anything…
Excellent! I needed a good excuse to get Android’s Dream. God Engines blew me away! Excellent ending, and while I wished I could see more of the universe it was in it wasn’t too short. It was just perfect.
So much awesome in one post! I am very much looking forward to the audiobooks. AND to finally getting to read The God Engines on my Nook!
A tip in case others experience the problem I had with the download – for some reason, the epub format did not work when loaded onto my Nook. The book would open, but as soon as I tried to turn the page past the copyright page, it would jump back to the My Documents screen. After a bit of trial and error (and an unsuccessful attempt to Google the problem), I downloaded the .mobi version instead, used Calibre to convert that to epub, and loaded it onto the Nook. Success!
I will send a note to webscription.net about the issue – as soon as I finish reading the book…
The God Engines just shot to the top of my ‘to read’ list.
I can’t wait!
YAY! Awesome Baen is AWESOME!
My most excellent bookstore has been aware of the Agent for at least some weeks now… but I can’t find an entry for the sequel to the Dreaming Android. Did I dream that was happening? Or is it not known to by bookstore? (Blasphemy!)
Or is that a future project, like Beach 2011?
(What? It’s on the subject of John’s books. Close enough.)
Ah, good. I’ve been wanting an ebook of the God Engines for a while now.
I do like Baen’s site for ease of use and their stance on DRM, even though the politics of several of their authors does veer into somewhat wingnuttery, libertariany, the-Demoncrats-want-to-put-everyone-in-camps territory.
An audiobook version of The God Engines would be cool, especially with the right reader.
Two words: Moar Wheaton.
Seriously, the dude is an awesome audiobook narrator. Go listen to his narration of Peter & Max. Seriously, go now. I’ll wait.
There, wasn’t that awesome?
Are the audiobooks going to be available through audible.com, or somewhere else?
Yes!
Yippeee for Agent to the Stars! I had downloaded it, printed it and put it in a 3 ring binder which is definitely not a convenient way to read a book. A smaller, more portable version will be great to have.
I read Agent to the Stars sometime in the last year (the Tor release, I mean) and don’t have my copy handy, but I remember noting a name discrepancy, which I hope is fixed now — the wife of the boss of the narrator is called Susan (?) in one place and something else in another. Sorry if this has been mentioned ad nauseam already, but it bothered me quite a bit when I read it.
Of course, it will be rather embarrassing if it turns out that I just somehow misread things and there’s no discrepancy.
Bought God Engines yesterday. Finished it this morning. I really enjoyed it. I bet I read it again at some point. Thanks for the update
That is definitely squee worthy in general, but especially for that first chapter.
I just wrote a mini review and posted it to my website. I finished Agent to the Stars last night. The final few chapters kept me up way past my bedtime.
http://masteranthonystevens.com/2010/12/23/agent-to-the-stars/
Thank you, John! That was a most enjoyable read.