|
|
2010-07-30 — Psycho 60s Podcast #4 is now available
A new edition of Robert McCammon's Psycho 60s
podcast is now available. Join DJ Rick on the special "Unknowns"
edition---songs from '60s bands that are pretty much unknowns. DJ Rick
guarantees you'll like these songs, even if they're from bands you don't know.
There's also a special treat inside....
DJ Rick's Psycho 60s Podcast
|
|
2010-07-15 — New interview on Italian site and blogs around the 'net
-
The Italian website ThrillerCafé has posted a new interview
with Robert McCammon regarding the recent release of Mary Terror
(MINE) from Gargoyle Books.
An English version of the interview can be found
here.
-
A review of Mary Terror was recently posted to the Italian site
Ca' delle Ombre.
A translation of the review via Google Translate can be found
here.
Here is a quote from the review:
"Perhaps the most beautiful and complete novel by Robert McCammon never
published in Italy, Mary Terror has an intrinsic message of rare beauty
and magnificence...."
-
Author Bob Ford recently posted an
open letter to Robert McCammon on his blog. Magic
Among Pages describes his thoughts after recently reading Boy's Life for
the first time.
-
Publishers Weekly recently posted a
profile
of Subterranean Press that mentions the release of Mister Slaughter as an ebook.
-
The website E-zine Articles recently posted a new review of The Queen of Bedlam:
A
Summer Must-Read: The Queen of Bedlam. Here is a quote from the review:
"Again, Robert McCammon showcases his versatility and amazing talent
in crossing genres directly into a suspense novel. This page
turner is set in early Eighteenth century Manhattan. There is a serial
killer on the loose and Matthew must find him. Then, the book morphs
into a journey of... rich characters, hairpin turns, unexpected surprises,
and a bunch of 'wow, who would have thought that.'"
-
Author
Alison Kent blogs about Swan Song and concludes with:
"Bottom line, McCammon is an incredible storyteller. There's a reason
this book is still in print twenty-five years later. I loved it!"
|
|
2010-06-23 — Robert McCammon to attend and lead workshops at SIWC 2010
Robert McCammon will be a guest at the Surrey
International Writers' Conference in Surrey, British Columbia,
Canada, from October 22–24, 2010. While the conference is geared toward
writers, there is a signing event that's open to the public on Saturday,
October 23, 2010, from 5:30 to 7:00 PM.
This year, Mr. McCammon is scheduled to
conduct two workshops and to particpate in a panel discussion.
- Page One
Speaker: Robert McCammon
Time: Friday 1:30pm
How to (really) get started. What do you need? How far along do you need to be
on an outline or plot? Time to stop wasting time and get started on your
writing project...but exactly how? And how important is Page One, anyway?
That's what we'll be covering. (Come prepared to write in class).
- An Eye and an Ear For Dialogue
Speaker: Robert McCammon
Time: Sunday 9:30am
Dialogue can make or break any writing project. How do you know it's any good?
Learn to see good dialogue on the page as well as hear it in your head. Come
prepared to write in class.
- A Sense of History
Moderator: Jeffery McGraw
Panel: Anne Perry, Jack Whyte, Robert McCammon, Diana Gabaldon
Time: Friday 3:30pm
Writing historical fiction poses unique challenges and offers unique rewards.
Our panel gives some insight into the process of crafting stories set in the
past that appeal to modern readers.
|
|
2010-06-18 — Blue World movie, French Boy's Life, revised artwork
|
|
2010-06-16 — Psycho 60s Podcast #3 is now available
A new edition of Robert McCammon's Psycho 60s
podcast is now available. Join DJ Rick as he spins some forgotten songs and
discusses the bands and their music. The featured music includes songs from
The Spiders, Gonn, Arthur Brown, The Avengers, Bread, Mountain, and more.
DJ Rick's Psycho 60s Podcast
|
2010-06-05 — A note from Robert McCammon
An EyePopping Blast From The Past
Hi again, guys. I wanted to check in and thank you for all the kind
comments about Swan Song. I'm glad you enjoyed that book and
certainly glad you still have an interest in it.
I see that James
Melzer's review of Swan Song includes a picture
of the original cover, and I have a story to tell you about that.
When that original cover was presented to me at Pocket Books, I hit the
roof. I begged and pleaded for them not to use what I considered to be a
"cartoon" depiction of evil. I offered all sorts of options. I
even drew my own picture of what I wanted the cover to be, which was a
nuclear cloud with a barely-defined "face" within it.
(Actually, that picture was used in a reprint edition).
Anyway, I went around and around with the publisher at Pocket over what
I thought was a "comic-book" cover. Basically, I was patted on
the head and told to go away, because the art director knew what sold
and he knew what the market wanted to see.
I asked to speak with the art director.
He walked into the office wearing, as I recall, a hot-pink tie with a
sickly-green coat. Looking at his mismatched and garish clothes made me
feel a little sick. But I realized, this is why the garish colors are on
the cover of the original Swan Song...art is in the eye of the
beholder, even if that eye is nearly half-blind or otherwise unable to
see anything but a blast of miasmic and frenetic hues.
So...that's why the incandescent red-and-orange clown face is on the
cover. They came to their (color) senses only years later at Pocket,
with the latest edition that I think looks very good. But that first
cover...OMG!!!
Again, thanks for the comments!
Best Wishes,
Rick
|
|
2010-06-03 — Artwork for The Wolf's Hour Limited Edition
-
Subterranean Press has posted the following update on their site:
Have a look at Robert McCammon's The
Wolf's Hour page, where we've just posted two of the full-color interior
illustrations, including the foldout death train scene. The book is progressing
nicely, on schedule for its fall release. We've designed the book and proofread
it once, and are going through it a final time. Now that all of the art is in,
we'll be ordering Advance Reading Copies in the next week.
Speaking of the art for The Wolf's Hour, Vincent
Chong blogged
a bit about the influences behind his striking cover for the book.
|
|
|
2010-05-31 — A new Robert McCammon update
Where I'm "At"
Hi everyone, and as always thank you for taking the time to check in,
see what's going on and make comments on my work. Your input is always
appreciated.
I'd like to talk about a few subjects near and dear to me this time out.
First up: work-in-progress. I'm very excited about what's coming up in
the future, namely the really beautiful edition of The Wolf's
Hour and of course The Five, which I believe (or would like
to believe) is the best book I've ever written. So I personally am
"stoked" about what's ahead.
I guess you know by now about the new Michael Gallatin novelette, The
Room at the Bottom of the Stairs. Well, I had a lot of fun writing that
and I started thinking...you know, Michael's story is far from being
told.
So...while The Wolf's Hour is fresh on my mind, I'm doing a new book of
short stories about Michael Gallatin. The reason (well, one reason) I
never went back to do a Wolf's Hour sequel is that I figured I'd said
everything that needed to be said. I mean, really, The Wolf's Hour is
packed with just about every World War II situation I could think of.
What else could I write that wouldn't be repeating myself?
I started thinking...maybe short stories would be the way to go. And I'm
not usually into writing short stories because I prefer the longer
form, but in this case I was thinking I could do some different things
in different (and experimental) ways and see what happens. So right now
I'm doing this book of Gallatin short stories and including probably
another novelette. I hope also in this book to answer some of the
questions that have been posed about...well...about a lot of Michael
Gallatin's past and future.
Okay. That said, I'm working hard also on the next Matthew book. So
don't worry, The Providence Rider is trotting along.
Now...another thing near and dear to me. The podcasts.
Oh, the humanity! Also...listen to all that silence in the room.
Guys, the podcasts are really mostly for me because I enjoy doing them.
If I hadn't become a writer (and I didn't have much of a choice on that
one), I probably would have gone into sound production and become a
recording engineer. I really, really do enjoy working with music and
sound. Also, for me it's a bigtime stress reliever and I do need that.
So...I'm going to do two more Psycho 60s podcasts (the last one being
our time machine trip to the Northern Soul dance club in July) and then
shift the format to what I call Radio 678. I'll be broadening the focus
of the show to include songs from the 70s and 80s. I plan to do one of
these a month.
Guys...I'm not taking any time away from my writing. I know you don't
necessarily want to hear music or hear me talking about music on the
website, but this is all for the good, believe me. So I hope you give
them a listen and I hope you enjoy them and...you know what?...you
might glean from them some better understanding of me and why I write
what I do.
Now, I have to address a comment that was made by an Irish gentleman on
Facebook. The comment being that I am arrogant because I don't want the
first four (actually, I believe it's the first three) books I wrote to
be re-published. The idea is that I'm arrogant because I say they're not
good enough to be published again and I supposedly should let the
readers decide that.
Well, the books are available. They're on eBay and other places, I'm
sure. They're in used book stores, yes they are. I'm not trying to
destroy all the old copies of those books. They're out there. I just
think my writing has progressed over time and I don't think those books
need to be published in large quantities with my name on them saying I'm
the writer of the Matthew Corbett series or The Five or some future
novel. Those books are starter novels. They got me going, but I'd like
to think I've come a long way since. In essence, they've done their
job.
Am I arrogant for this? For deciding that readers should not buy those
early books expecting the quality of the new work? I'm trying to save
people some money! Is that arrogant?
Gee, I kinda got my feelings hurt over this one.
If deciding that I require excellence in my work now, and that if
someone sees my name on a book they know they will hopefully get as
close to an excellent experience as I can give them...yeah, I'm as
arrogant as I can be.
And I guess I'm proud to be arrogant.
See, I made the decision that these books are not up to my current
standards so you guys wouldn't have to.
Sir, when I come visit Ireland you owe me a brew.
Onward.
Summer's here! Have fun and keep reading!
Best Wishes,
Robert McCammon
|
|
2010-05-29 — Professional and fan artwork updates
|
|
|
2010-05-17 — Subterranean Press to publish The Five in early
2011!!
From Subterranean Press:
Just off the phone with Robert McCammon's agent with
most welcome news. In early 2011, we'll be releasing The Five, one
of Robert McCammon's most ambitious
novels to date, a mammoth 180,000 word epic thriller with a very dark fantastic
backbeat. More news on the limited and trade editions soon.
|
|
|
2010-05-14 — Subterranean Press: The Wolf's Hour Approaches!
Subterranean Press has unveiled
the cover art for their upcoming limited edition of Robert McCammon's classic
WWII thriller, The Wolf's Hour. This is from their site:
As you can see, SubPress favorite Vincent Chong has created
an utterly perfect cover for Robert McCammon's classic WWII adventure novel, The
Wolf's Hour. Now that the dust jacket is completed, Vinny has turned his
attention to the interior art, including a full-color pull-out illustration
of one of the novel's high points—the death-train scene.
If the illos and a sturdy signed edition of Hour aren't enough to
convince you to unlimber your wallet, don't forget "The Room at the Bottom of the
Stairs," a new 36,000 word Michael Gallatin mission, debuts in the limited
edition.
Pre-order
The Wolf's Hour from Subterranean Press
|
|
|
2010-05-04 — Photos from Oneonta Public Library fundraiser
On April 20, 2010, Robert McCammon attended a conference/fundraiser for the
Oneonta Public Library in Alabama. Photos from the event can be found here. Thanks to the Oneonta Public Library
for the photos.
|
|
2010-04-29 — Psycho 60s Podcast #2 is now available
A new edition of Robert McCammon's Psycho 60s
podcast is now available. Join DJ Rick as he spins some forgotten songs and
discusses the bands and their music. The featured music includes songs from
The Birds (not The Byrds), The Paniks, Ed Pauling, Shotgun Express, The
Hangmen, and others.
DJ Rick's Psycho 60s Podcast
|
|
2010-04-23 — New Robert McCammon channel on YouTube
|
|
2010-04-21 — An update from Robert McCammon: A new Wolf's Hour story!
- Here is a new update from Robert McCammon with some very exciting news!
Hi, everyone, and as always, thanks very much for all the comments.
Big news today!
I've been meaning to answer more of your questions but I've been very
busy for the last month. Subterranean Press is doing what I consider the
definitive edition of The Wolf's Hour in November or thereabouts,
and I was asked to do an introduction.
So I started thinking about what I could say in this introduction. It
would most likely be something boring, like talking about my interest in
the werewolf legend and in World War II history and how I decided to do
the mash-up.
But, I didn't think that would be good enough, so I thought...okay, I'll
write a new Michael Gallatin short story.
What started out as a short story ended up as 123 pages of new Michael
Gallatin material. I guess this would be called a "novella".
Anyway, the story takes place after the events depicted in The Wolf's
Hour. It's also made me start thinking about writing some more
Gallatin material in the short form (say, a book of two novellas and
three short stories) because my problem with writing a Wolf's
Hour sequel is that I don't want to repeat myself. In the shorter
form, it might be possible to do some different things that I couldn't
do in novel length.
The new Michael Gallatin story is done and will appear in all editions
of The Wolf's Hour published by Subterranean Press.
So, for all who've been asking about a Wolf's Hour sequel, this
is probably the best I can do right now. More stories may come later.
We'll see what the response is and if it's strong enough there will
definitely be more Michael Gallatin.
Okay.
Working now on The Providence Rider. Moving pretty well there but
I did devote the last month, as I said, to the Gallatin story. The
Five is still making the rounds of publishers but no offers yet. The
question was asked if The Five is a "dark" novel, and
though it does have supernatural and "dark" elements it also
has "light" elements, so it's not strictly along the lines of
my earlier work.
You know, I've been puzzled as to why The Five hasn't been picked
up by someone, because I think it's the best book I've ever written. But
tonight I kind of came to this conclusion:
I was at a library benefit tonight and had the opportunity to speak with
a couple of other writers, and we were talking as writers do about the
business, and publishers, and genres and such.
Never in the history of publishing (at least never in my thirty years of
being in the business) has the role of "genre" been so tight.
I mean, everything has to fit a category.
That's just the way it is. People in publishing are very afraid of
losing their jobs these days, so what's going to be bought and pushed is
usually the "safe"—meaning "it's been successful
before"—choice.
So I was thinking on the drive back how the one thing I've always wanted
to achieve and feel I have achieved is a double-edged sword.
The Five is unlike anything else being published today. There is
absolutely nothing else like it out there. Also, the same can be said of
the Matthew Corbett series.
What I've worked very hard to achieve is being unique. Being the kind of
writer who does work that no one else does. Of going my own way, on my
own road, and feeling I'm doing the right (or write) thing.
I think I've created my own genre that no one else shares. For instance,
a woman came up to me and asked me to describe Boy's Life. Is it
"horror", is it "fantasy", is it
"literary", or "mystery"...or what?
My answer to that was: you know, I think it's something altogether
different.
My trials and tribulations in the publishing business began with Boy's
Life. I think I created something that no one else could do. Which kind
of astounds me when I think about it, but Boy's Life follows no
publisher's model of success. That's also true of the Matthew Corbett
series and certainly true of The Five.
So I think I've achieved my desire to be unique. Now...in this world
nothing is free, so if you walk to a different drummer you might find
yourself on the path that no one else wants to walk. But still...this is
something I should be very proud of, I think. I believe what I'm doing
is good and important, or obviously I wouldn't want to be doing it, and
because it has no previous "model" it stands on its own.
I think that's what I've always wanted to achieve. So here it is, but
again the world being what it is, a price must be paid for everything.
Now...don't worry about The Five. It's going to find a good home
and I think it'll have a strong future. You know, the plans you make
don't always work out but I'm here to tell you, guys, there is
always...always...another plan.
So thanks again for your comments. I have to say, I'm writing this late
night near two o'clock and I'm pretty tired after the library benefit,
but I got one question from a gentleman who lives in Charleston (and I
tried to go back and look up his name on the Facebook page but I
couldn't find it, I guess my eyes are going too) concerning the fact
that there's mention of a "lightning rod" in Speaks the
Nightbird when that particular item wasn't invented until much
later.
I wanted to address this because I don't want to "duck" a
research question. The answer is, this is one of those things that
invariably will bite you. And there will be more than one in each book.
Writing about history is fraught with research perils. You can take care
of a thousand things (and there really will be thousands of things to
take care of) but a few are going to get past you, no doubt about it.
I don't have a research assistant or staff. It's just me. And, I have to
say, I've gotten more careful about researching as the series has
progressed, because I'm aware of earlier mistakes I've made. I hate
making mistakes, but after they're made and in print all you can do is
grit your teeth and hope you won't make any more, which is kind of the
impossible dream.
As I've said before, you're never going to write a perfectly accurate
historical novel. I think I threw in that "lightning rod"
comment just as an aside, and this is where you can get hammered because
I was probably too busy researching a dozen other things to think about
an aside. My bad, and I hope it won't happen again but I know it will. I
will never, ever tell you all the mistakes I've made in this series so
far because some of them are real screamers. At least, I screamed when I
realized they were in print, too late to be removed from the eyes of
experts who know everything under the sun about a single subject. I just
have to do the best I can do in any book, which will certainly fall
short of being perfect.
Did you guys like the podcast? I'm getting ready to do a second one. I
really enjoy doing them, and some of the songs and bands you'll be
hearing are mentioned in The Five by the character Terry
Spitzenham, who plays keyboards and is the band's retro freak and
encyclopedia of, as the drummer Berke Bonnevey puts it, "the moldy
territory".
Lots of good things ahead, guys. Very excited. Oh! Almost forgot! How
about Chuck Hartsell's video for Mister Slaughter? We're doing
videos also for Speaks the Nightbird and Queen of Bedlam.
Chuck also wants to do a video for The Wolf's Hour.
And...we're planning on doing a longer form music video for The
Five. I've written the words for some of the songs in The
Five, so what we might do is put music to one of them and fire that
up with a band doing the original song in the video.
How about it? Summertime is coming, guys!
Thanks for all your support and good wishes, and I'll check in with you
a little later on.
Best,
Rick
-
Subterranean
Press has also posted an update about their edition of The Wolf's
Hour:
April 21, 2010
Robert McCammon has
just turned in a brand-new 36,000 word novella, "The Room at the Bottom of the
Stairs," about a further WWII adventure of Michael Gallatin that will be
included in The
Wolf's Hour, pushing the book to just shy of 700 pages. We expect the
inclusion of this major piece of new fiction will drive sales of this limited
edition, making it a must have for every serious McCammon fan.
To accommodate the expected demand for The Wolf's Hour—this novella
was a last-minute addition, long after the book was announced—with
Mr. McCammon's
permission we've decided to increase the print run to 750 copies, to cover the
increased printing costs, to compensate the author for a significant new piece
of fiction, and to give his many fans a chance at this important collectible
edition.
|
|
2010-04-14 — Mary Terror released in Italy this month!
|
|
|
2010-03-30 — Photos of the Mister Slaughter Limited Edition
-
Subterranean Press shipped out all of the limited editions of Mister
Slaughter last week, and readers are reporting receipt of their books this
week. Photos of the limited have been added to the Mister Slaughter Book
Cover Gallery.
|
|
2010-03-29 — Mister Slaughter eBook and Psycho 60s Subscriptions
|
|
|
2010-03-26 — DJ Rick's Psycho 60s Podcast Debut
Robert McCammon's latest novel, The Five, is centered
around a rock'n'roll band named The Five. It's the culmination of his
lifelong interest in music, especially the rock'n'roll of the 1960s.
Mr. McCammon is a great fan of the obscure rock bands of the
1960s—the bands that may have released only one single or album
and then disappeared into the mists of time. We're launching what is
planned to be a monthly feature here: DJ Rick's Psycho 60s Podcast!
Join Robert McCammon as he spins some forgotten songs and discusses the
bands and their music.
DJ Rick's Psycho 60s Podcast
|
|
2010-03-23 — Mister Slaughter Limited Edition Shipping Later This Week
Subterranean Press posted this
update today:
The time's come to unleash Robert McCammon's Mister
Slaughter on the world again—this time, the limited edition. Our
driver is picking up copies today, and we're bringing in extra help to
start sending copies out later this week.
We just did a tally, and we're down to the last 25 copies. The book and
slipcase are both leatherbound, with the case sporting foil stamping on both
the spine and one side, making it a nifty, if bloody, addition to anyone's
collection of limited editions.
Posted on Tuesday, March 23rd, 2010 at 8:22 am.
|
|
|
2010-03-19 — Newspaper article about Robert McCammon's Jasper signing
|
Robert R. McCammon, the author best known for his 1991 effort Boy's Life,
signs autographs Tuesday following a speaking engagement given in conjunction
with Read Alabama! Photo By: David Lazenby
|
|
2010-03-11 — Mister Slaughter update from Subterranean
-
Subterranean Press posted this update regarding Mister Slaughter:
Robert McCammon MISTER SLAUGHTER Heads
to a Fourth Printing, Plus Award News
Much like its titular character, the juggernaut that
is Robert McCammon's Mister
Slaughter just keeps on going. One large online retailer recently ran
completely out of copies, as did several of our wholesalers. We went through
the entire third printing resupplying them, so have ordered a fourth printing
of McCammon's historical thriller.
If that's not enough good news, we received notice yesterday that the novel
is up for an American Library Association Reading Award in the Thriller
category. Why not pick up a copy and see what all the fuss is about?
Posted on Thursday, March 11th, 2010 at 9:44 am.
|
|
|
2010-03-08 — Mister Slaughter Signed Limited Editions shipping soon
-
Subterranean Press posted this update regarding the signed limited editions of
Mister Slaughter:
Slipcases for the Signed Limited Edition are due to ship to our offices on
3/12. We'll start shipping that version as soon as the cases arrive.
-
If you missed out on the hardcover edition of Speaks the Nightbird,
copies of that book are still available from River City Publishing. For more
information, contact J. Gilbert
or Carolyn
Newman at River City Publishing.
|
|
2010-03-07 — Mister Slaughter in EW and an update from Subterranean
-
Robert McCammon's Mister Slaughter is briefly mentioned in the March 12,
2010, issue of Entertainment Weekly. It appears at position 8 in
"The Chart" among the week's horror best-sellers at Dark Delicacies
bookstore. Click here to see
a scan of "The Chart."
-
Author Framen Stewart recently
posted a blog about how much Robert McCammon and Boy's Life have
influenced him. You can read "A
Storyteller's Voice" on Framen's website.
-
A longer version of Wayne C. Rogers's review of Mister Slaughter can be
found on Horror World.
A shorter version was previously published by the Las Vegas Review
Journal.
-
Subterranean Press posted this update on their
website this morning:
More MISTER SLAUGHTER News and a Creepy Video
We're about to start shipping the
third printing of Mister
Slaughter, Robert McCammon's historical thriller, out to our
large wholesale and retail accounts, so those should be able to advertise
"Ships within 24 hours" again shortly.
Please note that individual customers who order direct from SubPress will
still receive unsigned first printing copies.
In the meantime, in its "The Chart" section, Entertainment
Weekly has Mister Slaughter landing at number 8 among horror best sellers.
Finally, we haven't talked much about exactly what influenced the creation of
the characters Mister Slaughter and Matthew Corbett, so now's a fine time to
start.
Here's a short video of British character actor Tod Slaughter in all his
stropping glory.
You can read more about the real Slaughter over at his Wikipedia page, which
mentions his career making run as Sweeney Todd, appropriately enough.
Posted on Sunday, March 7th, 2010 at 10:50 am.
|
2010-02-22 — More from Robert McCammon, new audio recordings, and The Big Idea!
Hi everyone,
As always, thank you for your comments and questions and most of
all for your readership. I've said it before and I'll say it
again: a writer would be nothing without readers, and I
gratefully appreciate the time and effort you spend on my behalf.
I wanted to answer a couple more questions this time out, but
first I wanted to talk about some things I've seen remarked on:
the first being that the time between Matthew Corbett books seems
very long and the second being the idea that I get no "respect"
from the publishing industry.
The story behind Mister Slaughter (there's a story behind
everything, isn't there?) is that it was finished and turned
into my then-agent in April of 2008. I wasn't happy with the job
of promotion that Pocket had done with Queen of Bedlam. I was
balking at doing another book with Pocket, and I wanted an
"upgrade" in terms of what the publishing house (Simon and
Schuster) would do with Mister Slaughter. So my then-agent came
back to me with the revelation that Scribner (part of the Simon
and Schuster company) was going to publish Mister Slaughter in
hardback, everything was in place for that to happen, but we had
to wait for Susan Moldow, the head honcho (honchess?) at
Scribner, to sign off on the deal. That wouldn't happen, though,
until September because Ms. Moldow would be away during the
summer. But I was told not to worry about it, because the deal
was a "slam dunk".
Imagine what I felt like when I got a call from my then-agent in
October of 2008 saying he didn't know what had happened, but the
deal had blown up and Scribner would not be publishing Mister
Slaughter but I was welcome to go back to Pocket.
Still can't figure out if it was a setup to get me to go back or
if I was just plain lied to, but I fired my then-agent within a
couple of weeks after that and went on the search for a new
agent and, of course, a new publisher. That turned out in time to
be Subterranean Press, based in Michigan.
I was pretty down about things, but I started writing The Five in
February of 2009 and finished in October of 2009. That book is
making the rounds of New York publishers. I'm hopeful for a
quick result, but it might be months before the book is picked
up by anyone. So right there is an example of how you can finish
a book and it'll be a year or two before it comes out.
I'll begin The Providence Rider in March and intend to finish in
October. But what I'm trying to say is, the long lag between
books is not my doing. I want to get on a solid publication
track. So what might appear to you as an excessive time between
books is particularly frustrating to me. I'm trying to get the
corporate horses to pick up their speed, and the nags won't go.
Sometimes they refuse to move at all.
As for Pocket, my hope was that they'd see the potential in the
Matthew books and really go to work promoting them, but I think
my horror work still gets in the way there. One problem is: where
do they go on the shelves in a bookstore? My name is still in the
horror section, but the Matthew books are more Historical
Mystery. We all know Boy's Life was not
"horror", and neither was Gone South, yet those
two books are shelved in the horror section where booksellers
(particularly the big box stores) recognize my name from my
earlier works. That's one reason I caution beginning writers to
be very, very careful how they start out, because if you begin as
a genre writer you're going to find it a very hard, torturous
journey to be able to do what a writer ought to feel free and be
encouraged to do: write about any subject, in any timeframe, that
appeals to the creative nature. But I think Pocket just couldn't
get a handle on the Matthew books, and I probably stayed at that
particular party too long.
Now to the part about "respect". Again, we're talking about
corporations. They respect money. Can you ask for respect from a
building? From stones and bricks? You might, but you're not going
to get it.
I get the respect I need from you guys. I re-read something I
wrote awhile back, the introduction to my short story collection
Blue World. I was talking about fast cars, the idea of moving
forward, and in it I kept coming back to the phrase "Trust me",
in regards to letting me take the wheel and steer the ride.
That's what I feel you do, in allowing me freedom of the
creative nature. You do trust me, and right there is the best
respect anyone could ask for.
I will tell you that I think The Five is the best book I've ever
written. All-in-all the book is exactly what I hoped it would
be. The Five is something I have needed to say for a long
time, but it took me awhile to know how to say it.
I feel like there are great things ahead. I have ideas stacked up
and ready to go. There are things I could tell you now that would
make you jump with joy, if you've liked my work up to this point.
All I can say is...trust me.
I hear you when you say the wait between Matthew's stories is
long, and I wanted you to know it's a problem I'm actively
trying to solve. I think Subterranean Press has done a fantastic
job with Mister Slaughter, and I have no hesitation in saying I
hope they will publish the rest of the series.
Okay...onward, then.
Denise Quinn and Mike Wilkerson (among others) have both asked
about sequels to Swan Song and The Wolf's Hour.
I'm thinking of (maybe) a sequel to The Wolf's Hour, but I have
so much on my plate yet to do that I want to keep on my schedule.
Now, that's not to say that if The Wolf's Hour actually becomes a
movie and does well that I wouldn't really really give some
thought to continuing the story, but...
My take on sequels is that they're never going to be as good as
the original book. Yet my intention is for you to actually want
me to write a sequel. Does that make sense? If you want me to
write a sequel, it means you enjoyed the book and the characters
enough to want to keep going with them. That's a very high
compliment to a writer, but sometimes (I think particularly in
the case of Swan Song) the story is told and if there's any
continuing story it should be written in the reader's own
imagination.
I don't consider Matthew's stories to be "sequels", but rather
one continuing book. His story is not finished yet, and won't be
until we get to the last book in the series. But everything else
I've done, I kinda figure those stories are finished. Having said
that, though, it's really a good thing that you want me to write
sequels because it's an indication of how much you enjoyed the
original work.
Hope that makes sense.
I know there've been some questions about the availability of
e-books. Believe me, this is an area of chaos and confusion for
the book industry. I find it very interesting that Amazon
promoted the Kindle as being able to download current bestsellers
within minutes of their pubdates, and then suddenly the
publishers are saying they want four or five months leeway
between the release of new books and the e-book version. So
that's why Amazon is plundering back-lists and the publishing
companies are trying to grab hold of as many older titles as
they can. It's a complicated issue. Amazon wants to be able to
set e-book prices and the publishing industry wants to be able to
set e-book prices. Chaos and confusion, added to by the huge
number of e-book readers on the market and soon to be on the
market. I have enough chaos in my day-to-day, so like you guys
all I can do is watch the circus parade go past and wonder
who'll be bringing up the rear with the brooms. No doubt it'll be
the writers.
Again, thank you so very much for your comments and I
particularly appreciate that you're reading and re-reading the
older books. I hope you've enjoyed Mister Slaughter. I will say
about The Providence Rider that not only do we leave New York in
this book, we also leave the colonies. But—no fear!—we'll return
to the familiar trappings of Number Seven Stone Street 'ere the
tale is through.
See? I'm getting back into the colonial mode after the rock'n
roll book!
Thanks for reading and for writing, and I'll talk to you again a
little further on.
Best Wishes,
Robert McCammon
-
Author John Scalzi often posts articles from other authors on his website.
One of this week's guests is Robert McCammon.
The
Big Idea: Robert McCammon
-
We also now have audio from Robert McCammon's reading and signing in Ann Arbor,
MI, on January 22, 2010, and from the ConFusion session the next day. The
recordings can be found below, as well as on the new Audio
Gallery page, which collects all of the audio available here. A Video Gallery has also been created.
Robert McCammon reads from Mister Slaughter
 |
00:34:14 |
Alternative content
|
The Q & A Session
|
00:16:44 |
Alternative content
|
"An Interview with Robert McCammon," 2010 ConFusion
This interview took place at ConFusion 2010 in Troy, MI, on January 23, 2010.
Originally planned as a one-on-one interview, it ended up being a roundtable
discussion with Robert McCammon, Hunter Goatley, and about a dozen fans.
|
|
00:51:41 |
ConFusion 2010 interview
|
|
2010-02-22 — The Wolf's Hour Limited Edition available for pre-order, new reviews
-
As we reported a few months ago, Subterranean Press will be producing a limited
edition of Robert McCammon's 1989 novel, The Wolf's Hour. The book will be
published in lettered and signed limited editions in November 2010. Here are the details
from
the Subterranean Press pre-order page:
The Wolf's Hour
By Robert McCammon
(pre-order — to be published in November)
Illustrated by Vincent Chong
Limited: $75
ISBN: 978-1-59606-315-0
Lettered: $250
Length: 560 pages
First published in 1989, The Wolf's Hour remains one of Robert
McCammon's most indelible creations. Ranging freely and with great authority
through realms of history, folklore, and myth, it combines two seemingly
disparate genres—the World War II action thriller and the paranormal
romance—into a seamless, irresistible whole.
McCammon's hero is Michael Gallatin, embattled inhabitant of two different
worlds. Born into the Russian aristocracy, but "changed" and raised
by a pack of werewolves, Michael's journey takes him from the wild regions of
his native Russia to the battle-scarred landscapes of a world at war. Offering
his unique talents to the Allied cause, Michael becomes a sort of secret weapon
aimed at the destruction of Hitler and his "Thousand Year Reich." His
adventures take him from the deserts of North Africa to the German-occupied
countries of Western Europe. There, with the aid of a vivid assortment of
friends, comrades, and lovers, he uncovers a horrific conspiracy known as
"Iron Fist," which threatens to disrupt the Allies long-planned
invasion of Europe and to alter the very outcome of the war.
Both a scrupulously researched historical thriller and a brilliant
re-imagining of the traditional werewolf tale, The Wolf's Hour offers
pleasure, excitement, and illumination on virtually every page. Exotic,
enthralling, and endlessly inventive, it is the work of a master storyteller in
full command of his matchless narrative gifts.
The Subterranean Press edition of The Wolf's Hour will feature an
original introduction by Robert McCammon, as well as a full-color dust jacket
and a number of color plates by Vincent Chong, including a gatefold
illustration depicting the novel's famous "death train" scene.
Limited: 500 signed numbered hardcover copies
Lettered: 26 signed leatherbound copies, housed in a custom trayase
To pre-order the book from Subterranean Press, click here.
The limited edition is also listed on
Amazon.com,
but the only way to guarantee receipt of a copy is to order it directly
from Subterranean Press.
-
A couple more recent reviews for Mister Slaughter have appeared:
-
Wayne
C. Rogers reviews Mister Slaughter for the Las Vegas Review
Journal site
"McCammon brings all of his creative talent to play in this grand
adventure. His characters and scenes are vividly drawn and come to life in ways
that profoundly touch the reader. This is writing at its absolute best, and few
can do it as well as McCammon."
- Dave
Nalle reviews Mister Slaughter for BlogCritics.org
"All of this is held together by McCammon's masterful writing skills,
which have evolved and adapted to his material, with undertones of James
Fenimore Cooper and Washington Irving which give the novel an authentic
period feel that should make better known and well established
historical novelists jealous."
|
|
|
|
 |
News archives
|
|
Other items
Check the links at the top of the page for all sorts of information related to the works
of Robert McCammon.
|
|
|
| |
Introduction
|
Robert McCammon is the award-winning author of 17 novels and numerous short
stories. In the 1980s, McCammon's horror novels were among the most popular
published, including such bestsellers
as Swan Song,
They Thirst, The Wolf's Hour, and
Stinger. In the 1990s, McCammon's
work turned toward the mainstream, with such novels as the phenomenal
Boy's Life, MINE, and Gone South.
After a ten-year hiatus, Robert McCammon returned with Speaks the
Nightbird, the first novel in the Matthew Corbett series, a new historical
fiction series set in early 18th-century America.
This web site is the official Robert McCammon web site. In addition to
information and news related to the Matthew Corbett books and other new novels,
you'll also find short fiction, a bibliography, interviews, and lots more.
|
|
|
| |
Visitor count
|
You are visitor  since 02/01/02
|
|
|
|
