My interview with John Scalzi from the Green Mountain Book Festival

This is something a little different for you this week: every now and again at the Day Job (the Vermont Historical Society), I get to curate an object case that we have at the Vermont History Museum in Montpelier. This month, with the Artemis II mission coming up, we wanted to bring out some really cool items in our collection: a pair of rock samples from the Apollo 11 and Apollo 17 missions. I wrote up the label for the exhibit, which I've since adapted into a blog post for the VHS website. * * * On July 20th, 1969, Astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin became the first humans to step foot on the Moon, a monumental scientific and engineering achievement that captured the world’s attention. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) landed five additional missions to the moon through 1972, before refocusing its priorities on other initiatives. Apollo 11’s official objective was to fulfill President John F. Kennedy’s goal of “landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to the earth,” and as part of the mission, Armstrong and Aldrin collected a total of 58 lunar samples, amounting to 21.5 kilograms, from Mare Tranquillitatis. __Astronaut Harrison H. Schmitt, Apollo 17 lunar module pilot, stands near the deployed United States flag on the lunar surface during extravehicular activity (EVA) of NASA's final lunar landing mission in the Apollo series. Image: NASA__ Three years later, the Apollo 17 mission, carrying Astronauts Eugene A. Cernan and Harrison H. Schmitt, landed at the Taurus-Littrow Valley on December 11th, 1972. This mission featured an extensive array of scientific objectives, and over the three days, both astronauts performed three moon walks, where they placed scientific stations, conducted seismic experiments, and collected 741 rock samples, totaling 110.5 kilograms. While NASA’s astronauts returned with samples of the moon, they also took part in a long-standing tradition of bringing commemorative items along for the ride. The Apollo 11 and 17 missions carried with them a “flag kit”, which included small, 4x6 inch flags of most of the world’s countries and each US state and territory, which accompanied them to the lunar surface. Following their respective returns to Earth, small pieces of the lunar samples and the flags were incorporated into commemorative plaques, which were then distributed to their respective states and countries. The Apollo 11 plaque features four tiny samples of lunar basalt embedded in a resin sphere, with the flight-flown Vermont flag mounted below it. Image: VHS The plaques were a goodwill gesture to the various states and countries around the world, on behalf of the Nixon Administration. The text reads "Presented to the people of the State of Vermont by Richard Nixon, President of the United States" and "This flag of your state was carried to the Moon and back by Apollo 11, and this fragment of the Moon's surface was brought to Earth by the crew of that first manned lunar landing." Many of these items ended up in a variety of state collections, and in 1970, Governor Deane C. Davis gifted it to the Vermont Historical Society's collection. The Apollo missions that followed might have flown some commemorative objects, but it wasn't until Apollo 17, the final lunar mission, that another plaque was commissioned and distributed to the states and countries in 1974. Image: VHS This plaque contains both a flight-flown flag and a lunar sample, and reads "This fragment is a portion of a rock from the Taurus Littrow Valley of the Moon. It was part of a larger rock composed of many particles of different shapes and sizes, a symbol of the unity of human endeavor and mankind's hope for a future of peace and harmony," and "This flag of your state was carried to the Moon aboard Spacecraft America during the Apollo XVII mission, December 7-19, 1972. Presented to the people of the state of Vermont by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration." The rock included in this object comes from a larger sample designated “70017,” and was recovered close to the lunar lander on December 14th. NASA describes it as a “medium-grained high-Ti basalt’ that formed 3.7 billion years ago in the Moon’s upper mantle, which was later deposited on the lunar surface around 220 million years ago. This sample is thought to be from the last rock picked up during that mission, known as the “Children of the World rock,” and was dedicated by Cernan and Schmitt, who said that “we hope that this will be a symbol of what our feelings are, what the feelings of the Apollo Program are, and a symbol of mankind: that we can live in peace and harmony in the future.” Image: VHS After the Apollo 17 mission, NASA cancelled the program, but repurposed some of its hardware for Skylab, the United States' first space station launched in 1973. When NASA gifted Vermont the Apollo 17 plaque, it was accompanied by another commemorative object: a poster signed to the people of Vermont by Skylab astronauts Alan Bean, Owen Garriott, and Jack Lousma, who wrote "to the people of the State of Vermont for their contribution to making the dream of a manned earth orbiting space station a reality," alongside an image of the space station and a flight-flown American flag and mission patch. While it's been nearly a half-century since humans have stepped foot on the Moon, that could soon change with the Artemis program. Artemis II's crew of four, astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen, won't step foot on the surface, but will instead orbit the moon and test out the hardware for the eventual Artemis III mission, which is expected to land humans on the Moon sometime in 2028. When Artemis II takes off, it will continue one tradition from its Apollo predecessors: NASA is packing along another goodwill kit that contains a number of historical relics, such as a swatch of fabric from the Wright Brothers' airplane, tree seeds, flags and images from other notable space missions, programs, and partners, and from all fifty states and territories, including at least one representing the State of Vermont.

<p>I feel like I've been in something of a book rut for the last couple of weeks. It's not a numbers game, but usually, I've worked my way through a handful of copies by this point in the year, but I've only managed to get through two. Maybe it's the length – <em>The American Revolution: An Intimate History</em> has a lot to go through, or maybe it's the fact that I've been working on catching up with some TV: I've finished Apple's <em>Mythic Quest </em>and <em>Murderbot</em> in recent weeks, and have been working my way through the second season of <em>Foundation. </em>But lately, the only thing that I've been able to process has been lighter and fluffier things, like Amazon's<em> The Grand Tour </em>or BBC's <em>Top Gear. </em></p><p>There's also a lot going on in the country. I try and and compartmentalize as much as I can, focusing on the little bits and pieces of good that I can meaningfully accomplish, rather than spin my tires in outrage and frustration at the state of the place. But some of that despair bleeds over, and I can't help but feel so very hopeless at times. </p><p>But I try to remember that history is long, and that as storytellers, we're often playing the very, very long game, planting seeds of stories and small acts that will hopefully grow with the proper nurturing. I hope it's enough.</p><p>So, I look for stories of people getting through big, insurmountable problems. Fiction doesn't always mesh onto the real world 1:1, but certainly, those authors and creators find their inspiration from somewhere, and try and <a href="https://www.andrewliptak.com/star-wars-manifesto-video-watch/">convey that hope in their words</a>. And even if that isn't the goal, stories can be a powerful thing in and of themselves, conveying worlds different from our own, and serving as a way to recharge our emotional batteries for whatever horrors the next day brings. </p><p>Okay, here are 16 SF/F books that caught my eye this month: </p><h3 id="columbus-day-by-craig-alanson-february-3rd"><a href="https://bookshop.org/a/6134/9798347023615"><em>Columbus Day</em></a> by Craig Alanson (February 3rd)</h3><p>Fellow Vermont author Craig Alanson has made a name for himself with his <em>Expeditionary Force</em> series, which turns ten this year. To celebrate, he's got a new edition of the novel coming out, which follows a group of humans who have to contend with an alien invasion and subsequent expedition into the depths of space. This edition features a new afterword from Craig. </p><figure class="kg-card kg-bookmark-card"><a class="kg-bookmark-container" href="https://www.andrewliptak.com/craig-alanson-expeditionary-force/"><div class="kg-bookmark-content"><div class="kg-bookmark-title">Expeditions in self-publishing</div><div class="kg-bookmark-description">How Craig Alanson forged a new path a a self-published author</div><div class="kg-bookmark-metadata"><img class="kg-bookmark-icon" src="https://www.andrewliptak.com/content/images/icon/favicon-309.ico" alt="" /><span class="kg-bookmark-author">Transfer Orbit</span><span class="kg-bookmark-publisher">Andrew Liptak</span></div></div><div class="kg-bookmark-thumbnail"><img src="https://www.andrewliptak.com/content/images/thumbnail/IMG_3522-2.jpg" alt="" /></div></a></figure><p>Also now out? The 19th installment of the series, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0GJV2ZGYG?ref_=dbs_m_mng_rwt_calw_tkin_18&amp;storeType=ebooks&amp;qid=1770051338&amp;sr=1-3"><em>Ground State</em></a>, in which the Merry Band of Pirates arrived too late to contain their enemies, and they're going to have to turn to some wacky ideas for out how to fight them off. </p><h3 id="the-art-of-star-wars-the-acolyte-by-kristin-baver-february-3rd"><a href="https://bookshop.org/a/6134/9781419777349" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>The Art of Star Wars: The Acolyte</em></a><em> </em>by Kristin Baver (February 3rd)</h3><p>I enjoyed <em>Star Wars: Acolyte</em> when it debuted on Disney+, and I was a bummed that the reception that it got, and that it isn't continuing beyond its first season. It was an interesting take on the <em>Star Wars</em> franchise, and while it didn't work all the time for me, I hope that Lucasfilm and Disney will take some cues from it moving forward. </p><p>There's a new art book about the series that's now on its way into stores, which should make for an interesting perusal: given that this series takes place a century before the Skywalker Saga, I'm eager to see how they went about designing the world and making it familiar-but-different, and what types of design choices went into it. </p><figure class="kg-card kg-bookmark-card"><a class="kg-bookmark-container" href="https://www.andrewliptak.com/star-wars-the-acolyte-series-review-jedi-storytelling/"><div class="kg-bookmark-content"><div class="kg-bookmark-title">Swinging for the fences</div><div class="kg-bookmark-description">Star Wars: The Acolyte felt like a bold experiment for Lucasfilm, one that didn’t quite work out. That shouldn’t stop the studio from trying again.</div><div class="kg-bookmark-metadata"><img class="kg-bookmark-icon" src="https://www.andrewliptak.com/content/images/icon/54948818650_d4d892e6db_w-44.jpg" alt="" /><span class="kg-bookmark-author">Transfer Orbit</span><span class="kg-bookmark-publisher">Andrew Liptak</span></div></div><div class="kg-bookmark-thumbnail"><img src="https://www.andrewliptak.com/content/images/thumbnail/the-acolyte-101-highlights-noodle-shop_8feb2237-2.jpeg" alt="" /></div></a></figure><h3 id="maria-the-wanted-by-v-castro-february-10th"><a href="https://bookshop.org/a/6134/9781803366722"><em>Maria the Wanted</em></a> by V. Castro (February 10th)</h3><p>Maria had been enjoying a quiet life: she was married, saving up to immigrate to America from Mexico, when everything changed: the factory where she works is attacked by a vampire, and she's turned in the process. Now, she has a new purpose: to serve as a protector for the innocent, and there are now a ton of people after her: an Aztec trafficker, a cartel boss, her employer, and others. She soon discovers that there's a much larger supernatural community in the world, and a simmering conspiracy that threatens all of humanity. </p><p><em>Publishers Weekly </em>says "Maria herself is a force to be reckoned with, and readers will gladly cheer her on her bloody way."</p><h3 id="star-wars-outlaws-low-red-moon-by-mike-chen-february-10th"><a href="https://bookshop.org/a/6134/9780593874493"><em>Star Wars: Outlaws: Low Red Moon</em></a> by Mike Chen (February 10th)</h3><p>Back in 2024, Ubisoft released a new <em>Star Wars </em>game called <em>Outlaws, </em>following a<em> </em>guy named Kay Vess shortly after the events of the Battle of Hoth, who puts together a team for a heist in order to escape from a crime syndicate. </p><p>In his latest book, Mike Chen sets up the events of that game: he follows an heir named Jaylen Barsha, who saw his family and riches stripped away from by the Empire. When the family is attacked by a battle droid, Jaylen is the only survivor, and manages to disable and reprogram the droid, ND-5. Now going under the name of Jaylen Vrax, he and his new companion set out integrate themselves into the galaxy's criminal underworld and find out who destroyed his family . </p><h3 id="a-day-of-breath-by-darby-cox-february-10th"><a href="https://bookshop.org/a/6134/9781836730026"><em>A Day of Breath</em></a> by Darby Cox (February 10th)</h3><p>Oly is a Champion: a warrior who protects Niawa by guarding the Edge, a rift between worlds from which demons come to try and destroy her home. Her powers are now failing, and she's worried that when the demons return, she won't be able to turn them back. </p><p>There's one day that might offer some reprieve: the Day of Breath, a sacred day when the rift if fully sealed, allowing her to leave and beg for her powers to be renewed. But when the day comes, there are new horrors arriving in Niawa, and she has to figure out how to stop the onslaught before the day ends, and when there won't be anyone to protect the kingdom. </p><h3 id="operation-bounce-house-by-matt-dinniman-february-10th"><a href="https://bookshop.org/a/6134/9780593820308"><em>Operation Bounce House</em></a> by Matt Dinniman (February 10th)</h3><p>Matt Dinniman is best known for his <a href="https://bookshop.org/a/6134/9780593820247"><em>Dungeon Crawler Carl</em></a> series (I've heard good things, and it's on my t0-read list), and while that series is still ongoing, he's got a new book coming. It follows a New Sonora colonist named Oliver Lewis who's enjoying a simple life: he's got a band, helps his sister mind a fleet of robots on their family ranch, and enjoys the shows and films that come from Earth when the transfer gate opens up. </p><p>Things soon get complicated. While Earth promised the colonists on New Sonora that they'd be left alone, the government struck a deal with a major corporation, and now they're trying to evict the colonists, using AI soldiers piloted by gamers who're piloting war machines from home. Now Oliver and his friends have to figure out how to fight back. </p><p><em>Kirkus Reviews</em> <a href="https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/matt-dinniman/operation-bounce-house/">calls it</a> "a disarmingly heartfelt space adventure that dares to suggest genocide might be a bad business."</p><h3 id="the-last-kings-of-hollywood-coppola-lucas-spielberg%E2%80%95and-the-battle-for-the-soul-of-american-by-paul-fischer-february-10th"><a href="https://bookshop.org/a/6134/9781250878724"><em>The Last Kings of Hollywood: Coppola, Lucas, Spielberg―and the Battle for the Soul of American</em></a> by Paul Fischer (February 10th)</h3><p>There are no shortages of books about the impact that George Lucas, Steven Spielberg, and Francis Ford Coppola have had on cinema, but this new book takes a look a the three of them in context: Paul Fischer looks at their entry into the film industry and how they came to know one another and become friends, and how their respective journeys reinvented American cinema. </p><p>Chris Vognar of the <em>Boston Globe</em> <a href="https://www.bostonglobe.com/2026/02/06/arts/last-kings-hollywood-paul-fischer/?p1=SectionFront_Feed_ContentQuery">describes it as a</a> "serious-minded film book that also happens to be a great deal of fun, carefully structured and well-reported."</p><h3 id="green-mountain-quartet-essays-on-antiquarian-vermontiana-by-j-kevin-graffagnino-february-10th"><a href="https://vermont-historical-society-museum.square.site/product/green-mountain-quartet-essays-on-antiquarian-vermontiana/2O5ZYPTIFCJAVCYKA3IS4O7D?cs=true&amp;cst=custom"><em>Green Mountain Quartet: Essays on Antiquarian Vermontiana</em></a> by J. Kevin Graffagnino (February 10th)</h3><p>This is the latest book that we're publishing through the Vermont Historical Society by our former director and prolific Vermont History scholar Kevin Graffagnino. This is a passion project that brings together the writings of four notable history scholars, and is something of a companion to his 2024 book <a href="https://vermont-historical-society-museum.square.site/product/vermontiana/1416?cp=true&amp;sa=true&amp;sbp=false&amp;q=false"><em>Vermontiana</em></a>. It's also a very pretty book: if you have anyone in your life that's a fan of Vermont's history, this would make for good gift for them. </p><h3 id="the-hospital-at-the-end-of-the-world-by-justin-c-key-february-3rd"><a href="https://bookshop.org/a/6134/9780063290488"><em>The Hospital at the End of the World</em></a> by Justin C. Key (February 3rd)</h3><p>Set in the near future, the world is run by a massive AI system that's controlled by a megacorporation, and the world's medical schools are overseen by the Shepherd Organization, save for one, a hospital in New Orleans, Hippocrates, which prioritizes human-led medical care. It's the school of choice for one ambitious New Yorker named Pok. </p><p>When his father mysteriously dies, Pok believes that it's connected to "the shepherds" and their CEO, and ends up following clues that lead to Hippocrates, where he finds that there's an epidemic underway that seems to be afflicting newcomers who grew up under the Shepherd's care. </p><p><em>Kirkus Reviews </em><a href="https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/justin-c-key/the-hospital-at-the-end-of-the-world/">says that it's</a> "an enjoyable tale about AI’s dark underbelly."</p><h3 id="the-forest-on-the-edge-of-time-by-jasmin-kirkbride-february-3rd"><a href="https://bookshop.org/a/6134/9781250376831"><em>The Forest on the Edge of Time</em></a> by Jasmin Kirkbride (February 3rd)</h3><p>Echo and Hazel are two time travelers recruited by a mysterious Project Kairos to help keep the timeline that we're on safe: the project's goal is to prevent ecological disaster, and the pair are sent off to opposite ends of the timeline: Echo is tasked with becoming a healer's assistant in ancient Greece, while Hazel finds herself the last human alive, working in a laboratory with only robots and an AI for company. </p><p>Each can't remember their past lives, but when they dream, they meet one another, and begin to discover the bonds that connected them, and what elements of the past have threatened humanity's future. </p><p><em>Library Journal</em> <a href="https://archive.ph/https://www.libraryjournal.com/review/the-forest-on-the-edge-of-time-100004773">says</a> "As harmonious as it is mysterious, Kirkbride’s time-traveling climate-fiction novel is recommended for fans of Annalee Newitz and will leave readers with hope and a call to action."</p><h3 id="she-made-herself-a-monster-by-anna-kovatcheva-february-10th"><a href="https://bookshop.org/a/6134/9780063436374"><em>She Made Herself a Monster</em></a> by Anna Kovatcheva (February 10th)</h3><p>A woman named Yana travels from village to village, taking care of problematic monsters that might be plaguing them, and telling stories of fantastical creatures and vampires, leaving behind a sense of hope when she leaves. When she arrives at the village of Koprivci, she finds that it's got some real problems: illness runs rampant, and most children don't survive infancy. While there, she meets an orphan whom the villagers blame for the curse, Anka. </p><p>Anka is about to be married off against her will, and when Yana arrives, the pair concoct a plan to blame a monster so vile that it'll give Anka cover to escape. But as they plot, their tale gains a life of its own. </p><p><em>Kirkus Reviews </em><a href="https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/anna-kovatcheva/she-made-herself-a-monster/">says</a> that "Kovatcheva excels when facing unpleasant details head-on, launching into descriptions of 'earth…warm with a cloying, unwashed sweetness,' and a spirit 'peel[ing] itself like a hangnail from the dark.'"</p><h3 id="boy-with-accidental-dinosaur-by-ian-mcdonald-february-2nd"><a href="https://bookshop.org/a/6134/9781250419538"><em>Boy, with Accidental Dinosaur</em></a><em> </em>by Ian McDonald (February 2nd)</h3><p>In a strange, nearish and post-apocalyptic future, introduces us to Tif Tamim, who's grown up wanting nothing more than to be a dinosaur handler. He's moved from circus to circus, hoping to finally get a chance to ride one of the creatures in the spotlight, but he's yet to be given the opportunity. </p><p>After freeing a dinosaur from an abusive owner, he heads into the American west, he's presented with the opportunity to shepherd an abused carnotaur back into the Cretaceous, and ends up joining a circus that brings them back and forth in time.</p><p>I've been reading this and have been enjoying it quite a bit, and <em>Publishers Weekly </em>gave it a <a href="https://www.publishersweekly.com/9781250419538">starred review</a>, saying "McDonald makes their trek exciting, thoughtful, immersive, and faintly absurd in the best way. It’s a joy to watch Tif come into his own and the found-family elements delight."</p><h3 id="isles-of-the-emberdark-by-brandon-sanderson-february-3rd"><a href="https://bookshop.org/a/6134/9781250415394"><em>Isles of the Emberdark</em></a> by Brandon Sanderson (February 3rd)</h3><p>Brandon Sanderson is back with a new standalone novel set in his larger world, Cosmere, <em>Isles of the Emberdark</em>. It follows Sixth of the Dusk, a trapper on the island of Patji, where he spends his time trapping supernatural birds called Aviar. When interstellar invaders arrive, looking to exploit the Aviar, he pushes his people into a race to modernize, and he soon realizes that he and his people could lose themselves in the effort. </p><p>Meanwhile, a dragon trapped in the form of a human, Starling, and her starship crew have found themselves in debt and could soon loose their freedom. When they find an ancient map to a portal that leads them into the world beyond the emberdark, they jump at the chance to clear their balance sheets. </p><p>When an opportunity arises to travel beyond his world to the emberdark, Dusk takes it, hoping to find a way to save his people. The two eventually find one another and could solve one another's problems. </p><figure class="kg-card kg-bookmark-card"><a class="kg-bookmark-container" href="https://www.andrewliptak.com/brandon-sanderson-cosmere-stormlight-archive-apple-tv-streaming/"><div class="kg-bookmark-content"><div class="kg-bookmark-title">Apple will adapt Brandon Sanderson’s Cosmere universe</div><div class="kg-bookmark-description">Another big adaptation from Apple</div><div class="kg-bookmark-metadata"><img class="kg-bookmark-icon" src="https://www.andrewliptak.com/content/images/icon/54948818650_d4d892e6db_w-45.jpg" alt="" /><span class="kg-bookmark-author">Transfer Orbit</span><span class="kg-bookmark-publisher">Andrew Liptak</span></div></div><div class="kg-bookmark-thumbnail"><img src="https://www.andrewliptak.com/content/images/thumbnail/IMG_2623-1.jpeg" alt="" /></div></a></figure><h3 id="the-glowing-hours-by-leila-siddiqui-february-3rd"><a href="https://bookshop.org/a/6134/9781641297011"><em>The Glowing Hours</em></a> by Leila Siddiqui (February 3rd)</h3><p>Leila Siddiqui looks back on the fateful summer of 1816 when Mary and Percy Shelley, Mary's stepsister Claire, John Polidori, and Lord Byron were holed up in Lake Geneva for the summer. The Shelleys are accompanied by Mehrunissa Begum, a newly arrived immigrant from India who arrived in London from India to deliver a letter to her brother, only to find him missing. She ends up taking a job with the Shelleys as a housekeeper.</p><p>After arriving at Lake Geneva, Mehr finds that strange things are occurring there: the weather is unsettling, portraits seem to be shifting, and while Shelley works on the story that she'll become most famous for, Mehr begins to worry that she'll be trapped and driven to madness in this strange place.</p><p><em>Publishers Weekly</em> awarded the novel a <a href="https://www.publishersweekly.com/9781641297011">starred review</a>, and says that "though the life of Mary Shelley has often been mined for material, Siddiqui brings a fresh perspective through the eyes of the witty and sullen Mehr, whose backstory and fraught relationships with the increasingly entangled Geneva party add to the intrigue."</p><h3 id="the-universe-box-by-michael-swanwick-february-3rd"><a href="https://bookshop.org/a/6134/9781616964504"><em>The Universe Box</em></a><em> </em>by Michael Swanwick (February 3rd)</h3><p>Acclaimed author Michael Swanwick brings together a number of his short stories (including a pair of new ones), in a new collection, <em>The Universe Box</em>. They include stories about a thief racing against time to defeat trolls, a scientist dealing with the consequences of AI, heists, strange technologies, and quite a bit more. </p><p><em>Publishers Weekly</em> gave it a <a href="https://www.publishersweekly.com/9781616964504">starred review</a>, saying "All of Swanwick’s stories awaken insights into the mystery of being human in an increasingly mind-bending technological world. This is an author at the height of his powers."</p><h3 id="the-best-of-adrian-tchaikovsky-by-adrian-tchaikovsky-february"><a href="https://subterraneanpress.com/tchaikovsky-tboat/"><em>The Best of Adrian Tchaikovsky</em></a> by Adrian Tchaikovsky (February)</h3><p>There's something that happens anytime I post up news about Adrian Tchaikovsky in the TO Slack: someone marvels at the guy's output. It's monumental. Here's the first book of his to come out this year: a collection of his short fiction from Subterranean Press. It's bringing together a ton of stories from all over the genre, from ants bent on taking over the world, to investigations, space operas, robots, and quite a bit more. It's limited to 1000 signed and numbered hardcover copies, and includes a foreword by John Scalzi. </p><hr /><p>As always, thanks for reading. This is the first of two book lists that you'll get this month: the next will drop in a couple of weeks. </p><p>Andrew</p>

<p>After a couple of teases in the last week, The Folio Society <a href="https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=1530597175738678&amp;set=a.688236196641451">unveiled</a> its upcoming Spring Collection on its social media this morning, and this batch includes a great lineup of science fiction and fantasy titles. </p><p>For decades, the publisher has been releasing special editions of classic books, usually with additional artwork, forewords/introductions/essays, and nice slipcases, and after a concerted push into science fiction and fantasy literature starting in 2015, <a href="https://www.andrewliptak.com/tag/folio-society/">I've found</a> that they make for excellent additions to one's bookshelves. </p><p>This latest batch has me thinking that I'm going to need to find some room for a couple of additional volumes. Here's what will be included: </p><ul><li><em>The Last Unicorn</em> by Peter S. Beagle</li><li><em>The Great Gatsby</em> by F. Scott Fitzgerald</li><li><em>The Iliad</em> by Homer</li><li><em>Conrad’s Fate</em> by Diana Wynne Jones</li><li><em>Station Eleven</em> by Emily St John Mandel</li><li><em>Perdido Street Station</em> by China Miéville</li><li><em>Masters of the Air</em> by Donald L. Miller</li><li><em>Jerusalem </em>by Simon Sebag Montefiore</li><li><em>The Martian</em> by Andy Weir</li></ul><p>Of those, <em>The Last Unicorn, Station Eleven</em>, <em>Perdido Street Station, </em>and <em>The Martian</em> look the most promising. I'm also happy to see that they're doing <em>Masters of the Air</em>, which looks like it'll be a good followup to <a href="https://www.andrewliptak.com/band-of-brothers-stephen-ambrose-folio-society-wwii-military-history/">their edition of Stephen Ambrose's <em>Band of Brothers</em></a>. <em>The Illiad</em> also comes right in time for Christopher Nolan's <em>The Odyssey</em> later this summer. It's a book that the publisher has released numerous times before, and last year, it was published alongside <em>The Odyssey </em>as a limited edition.</p><p>Another returning book is <em>Perdido Street Station</em>, which came out last year as another of its <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I7r3egTy20I">special, limited editions</a>. It came with a special case at the hefty price of $600. This'll be its regular "core" edition, and eyeballing the product pictures, it'll have a different cover (and should come at a lower price point.) </p><p><em>The Martian </em>comes with a familiar name attached to it: artist Dániel Taylor, who illustrated Folio Society's editions of Iain M. Banks' Culture novels. I was really impressed with the work that he did for those books, and I'll be really interested to see what he draws up for this book. </p><figure class="kg-card kg-bookmark-card"><a class="kg-bookmark-container" href="https://www.andrewliptak.com/iain-m-banks-culture-folio-society-daniel-taylor-art-interview/"><div class="kg-bookmark-content"><div class="kg-bookmark-title">Imagining The Culture</div><div class="kg-bookmark-description">An interview with artist Dániel Taylor about his work on the Folio Society’s editions of Iain M. Banks’ Culture series</div><div class="kg-bookmark-metadata"><img class="kg-bookmark-icon" src="https://www.andrewliptak.com/content/images/icon/54948818650_d4d892e6db_w-46.jpg" alt="" /><span class="kg-bookmark-author">Transfer Orbit</span><span class="kg-bookmark-publisher">Andrew Liptak</span></div></div><div class="kg-bookmark-thumbnail"><img src="https://www.andrewliptak.com/content/images/thumbnail/IMG_0832-2.jpeg" alt="" /></div></a></figure><p>This is actually the second special edition of Weir's novel: late last year, Penguin Random House <a href="https://www.andrewliptak.com/andy-weir-the-martian-deluxe-limited-edition-books-publishing/">announced</a> that it was releasing a deluxe edition of the book (it'll be released in May), which featured its own slipcase and sprayed edges. I'm a bit skeptical of what that will look like: I've been finding that most of the "deluxe" editions are essentially repackaged trade editions, and I've little doubt that while The Folio Society's version will cost more, it'll be a much better volume. </p><p>The publisher hasn't released prices, but has said that they will go on sale on March 3rd. </p>

<p>Welcome to another installment of Table of Contents: a roundup of the latest short fiction hitting the web for the SF/F world. </p><p>You can check out last month's installment <a href="https://www.andrewliptak.com/sci-fi-fantasy-short-stories-fiction-january-2026/">here</a> – it's been newly updated with the stories that came out over the course of January 2026, and you can check out prior installments of this column <a href="https://www.andrewliptak.com/tag/table-of-contents/">here</a>.</p><hr /><h2 id="apex-magazine-spring-2026-issue-152"><a href="https://www.apexbookcompany.com/a/blog/apex-magazine"><em>Apex Magazine</em></a> (Spring 2026, Issue 152)</h2><p>Subscribe <a href="https://www.apexbookcompany.com/products/apex-magazine-one-year">here</a>.</p><h3 id="fiction">Fiction</h3><ul><li><a href="https://www.apexbookcompany.com/a/blog/apex-magazine/post/unsettled-nature">"Unsettled Nature" by Jordan Kurella</a></li><li>"Piglet Delivers" by Maria Haskins — 2/17</li><li>"Shrinkage!" by Ashlee Lhamon — 2/10</li></ul><h3 id="nonfiction">Nonfiction</h3><ul><li><a href="https://www.apexbookcompany.com/a/blog/apex-magazine/post/musings-from-maryland-issue-152">"Musings from Maryland"</a> by Lesley Conner</li><li>"Intellectual Colonialism and the Erasure of South and Eastern European Writing Voices: Another Tikka-Masala" by Sophia-Maria Nicolopoulos — 2/5</li><li>Interview with Author Maria Haskins by Marissa van Uden — 2/19</li></ul><hr /><h2 id="clarkesworld-magazine-february-2026-issue-233"><a href="https://clarkesworldmagazine.com/"><em>Clarkesworld Magazine</em></a><em> </em>(February 2026, Issue 233)</h2><p>Subscribe <a href="https://clarkesworldmagazine.com/donate/">here</a>. </p><h3 id="fiction-1">Fiction </h3><ul><li>"<a href="https://clarkesworldmagazine.com/pauling_02_26">Remember Me in the Meat</a>" by Sarah Pauling</li><li>"<a href="https://clarkesworldmagazine.com/spires_02_26">Chip</a>" by D.A. Xiaolin Spires</li><li>"<a href="https://clarkesworldmagazine.com/alvi_02_26">Think of Me Before I Disappear</a>" by Raahem Alvi</li><li>"<a href="https://clarkesworldmagazine.com/jia-wen_02_26">A Sleeper Ship Is Like a Game of Go</a>" by Claire Jia-Wen</li><li>"<a href="https://clarkesworldmagazine.com/moore_02_26">The Iron Piper</a>" by Fiona Moore</li><li>"<a href="https://clarkesworldmagazine.com/larson_02_26">Painstaking</a>" by Rich Larson</li><li>"<a href="https://clarkesworldmagazine.com/hall_02_26">Three Fortunes on Alcestis as Told by the Fraud Baeliss Shudal</a>" by Louis Inglis Hall</li></ul><h3 id="nonfiction-1">Nonfiction</h3><ul><li><a href="https://clarkesworldmagazine.com/franklin_02_26">Will Tiny Black Holes Solve Dark Matter</a> by Terry Franklin</li><li><a href="https://clarkesworldmagazine.com/sallis_interview_2026">The Literary Buffet: A Conversation with James Sallis</a> by Arley Sorg</li><li><a href="https://clarkesworldmagazine.com/swanwick_interview_2026">The Wondrous Nature of Existence: A Conversation with Michael Swanwick</a> by Arley Sorg</li><li><a href="https://clarkesworldmagazine.com/clarke_02_26">Editor's Desk: 2025 Readers' Poll Finalists</a> by Neil Clarke</li></ul><hr /><h2 id="the-dark-february-2026-issue-129"><a href="https://www.thedarkmagazine.com/"><em>The Dark</em></a> (February 2026, Issue 129)</h2><p>Subscribe <a href="https://www.thedarkmagazine.com/support-us/">here</a>. </p><h3 id="fiction-2">Fiction</h3><ul><li>"<a href="https://www.thedarkmagazine.com/in-absentia/">In Absentia</a>" by<em> </em>Suzan Palumbo</li><li>"<a href="https://www.thedarkmagazine.com/na-he%ca%bbe/">Nā Heʻe</a>" by<em> </em>Wailana Kalama</li><li>"<a href="https://www.thedarkmagazine.com/hunger-2/">Hunger</a>" by<em> </em>Michael Kelly</li><li>"<a href="https://www.thedarkmagazine.com/within-the-pink-paisley-walls/">Within the Pink Paisley Walls</a>" by<em> </em>Kelsea Yu</li></ul><hr /><h2 id="dark-horses-magazine-february-2026-issue-49"><a href="https://darkhorsesmagazine.mystrikingly.com/?ref=transfer-orbit.ghost.io"><em>Dark Horses Magazine</em></a> (February 2026, Issue 49)</h2><h3 id="fiction-3">Fiction</h3><ul><li>"Helpless" by Andy Kumpon</li><li>"Whoever Said" by Stephanie Halldorson</li><li>"Harold The Harbinger" by Rain Sullivan</li><li>"02:28 Hours To Yuma" by Wayne Kyle Spitzer</li><li>"The Queen’s Justice" by Solar Hoàng</li><li>"I Miss You" by Jeremee Nute</li><li>"Islands In The Stream" by Zeke Jarvis</li><li>"Lifelong Sentence" by Robin J. Bartley</li><li>"A Full Moon Botheration" by Lesley L. Smith</li><li>"Long Ride Home" by John Tavares</li></ul><hr /><h2 id="the-deadlands-winter-2026-issue-41"><a href="https://psychopomp.com/deadlands/"><em>The Deadlands</em></a> (Winter 2026, Issue 41)</h2><p>Subscribe <a href="https://psychopomp.com/grave-goods/">here</a>. </p><h3 id="fiction-4">Fiction</h3><ul><li><a href="https://psychopomp.com/deadlands/issue-41/in-which-orpheus-is-a-hmong-daughter/"><strong><u>in which orpheus is a hmong daughter</u></strong></a>" by Phoua Lee (poetry; online 2/2)</li><li>"On the Anthology Entitled “Frames of Colour and Un-Colour" by Dmitri Akers (fiction; online 2/5)</li><li>"Mushaboom" by Jeremy Morris (fiction; online 2/12)</li><li>"Babe" by gray lindsey (poetry; online 2/16)</li><li>"A Woman Is Screaming" by Joe Koch (fiction; online 2/19)</li><li>"Sole" by Aliya Whiteley (fiction; online 2/26)</li></ul><h3 id="nonfiction-2">Nonfiction</h3><ul><li>Bible Verses for the Dying and the Heathen, Robin Wheeler (nonfiction; online 2/9)</li><li>Ask a Necromancer: C’est ici de l’empire de la Mort, Amanda Downum (nonfiction; online 2/23)</li></ul><hr /><h2 id="flash-fiction-online-february-2026-issue-149"><a href="https://www.flashfictiononline.com/"><em>Flash Fiction Online</em></a> (February 2026, Issue 149)</h2><p>Donate <a href="https://weightlessbooks.com/flash-fiction-online-12-month-subscription/">here</a>. </p><h3 id="fiction-5">Fiction</h3><ul><li>“Me an’ Streeter (an’ Vince) Chase a Comet” by Christopher Degni</li><li>“This Blue World” by Samantha Murray</li><li>“A Thimbleful of Need” by Christine Hanolsy</li><li>“Everyone Hates It When The Alien Shows Up At The Club” by Elijah J. Mears</li><li>“A Lesson On Learning Your Place In the Universe” by Thomas Price, and</li><li>“In Brightness and in Darkness, We Sit” by Christopher Blake</li></ul><hr /><h2 id="giganotosaurus-february-2026"><a href="https://giganotosaurus.org/"><em>GigaNotoSaurus</em></a><em> </em>(February 2026) </h2><h3 id="fiction-6">Fiction</h3><ul><li>"<a href="https://giganotosaurus.org/2026/02/01/the-winter-of-the-icebergirl/">The Winter of the Icebergirl</a>" by Renan Bernardo</li></ul><hr /><h2 id="lightspeed-magazine-february-2026-issue-189"><a href="https://www.lightspeedmagazine.com/"><em>Lightspeed Magazine</em></a> (February 2026, Issue 189)</h2><p>Subscribe <a href="https://www.lightspeedmagazine.com/store/">here</a>.</p><h3 id="fiction-7">Fiction</h3><ul><li>"Death Echoes Overlapping"<em> </em>by Megan Chee (2/5)</li><li>"Six Sides of a Fairy Tale" by Audrey Zhou (2/5)</li><li>"The Worldbuilder" by Phoenix Alexander (2/12)</li><li>Dream Destinations (From the Lost Traveler’s Tour Guide)<em> </em>by Alexander Weinstein (2/12)</li><li>"Sensor Ghosts<em>" </em>by Deborah L. Davitt (2/19)</li><li>"The Salt and the Cure<em>" </em>by Rukman Ragas (2/19)</li><li>"Warren’s Tentacle<em>" </em>by Susan Palwick (2/26)</li><li>"A Handbook to Spirit-Hunting<em>" </em>by Modupeoluwa Shelle (2/26)</li></ul><h3 id="nonfiction-3">Nonfiction</h3><ul><li>Editorial: February 2026<em> </em>by John Joseph Adams (2/5)</li><li>Author Spotlight: Megan Chee<em> </em>by Phoebe Barton (2/5)</li><li>Author Spotlight: Alexander Weinstein<em> </em>by Erik Grove (2/12)</li><li>Book Review: <em>The Best Weird Fiction of the Year Volume One </em>by Michael Kelly, ed.<em> </em>by Arley Sorg (2/12) </li><li>Author Spotlight: Deborah L. Davitt<em> </em>by Robin Jeffrey (2/19)</li><li>Book Review: <em>The Hospital at the End of the World</em> by Justin C. Key<em> </em>by Melissa A Watkins (2/19)</li><li>Author Spotlight: Susan Palwick<em> </em>by Delia Cullity (2/26)</li><li>Book Review: <em>Reliquary</em> by Hannah Whitten<em> </em>by Chris Kluwe (2/26)</li></ul><hr /><h2 id="nightmare-magazine-february-2026-issue-161"><a href="https://www.nightmare-magazine.com/"><em>Nightmare Magazine</em></a> (February 2026, Issue 161)</h2><p>Subscribe <a href="https://www.nightmare-magazine.com/store/">here</a>.</p><h3 id="fiction-8">Fiction</h3><ul><li>"The Ghost in Apartment 5K" by Everdeen Mason (2/4)</li><li>"Rest Stop" by Pedro Iniguez (2/11)</li><li>"Twelve Facts About the Dermestid Beetle" by Marisca Pichette (2/18)</li><li>"when i die" by Matthew Wollin (2/25)</li></ul><h3 id="nonfiction-4">Nonfiction</h3><ul><li>Editorial: February 2026<em> </em>by Wendy N. Wagner (2/4)</li><li>Author Spotlight: Everdeen Mason<em> </em>by Devin Marcus (2/4)</li><li>The H Word: Snakes Beneath the Kudzu by Elizabeth Broadbent (2/11)</li><li>Author Spotlight: Marisca Pichette<em> </em>by Carrie Finch (2/18)</li><li>Plumbing the Depths: Haunted Writers and Haunted Writings<em> </em>by Mike Thorn (2/25)</li></ul><hr /><h2 id="small-wonders-magazine-february-2026-issue-32"><a href="https://smallwondersmag.com/"><em>Small Wonders Magazine</em></a> (February 2026, Issue 32)</h2><p>Donate <a href="https://smallwonders.lemonsqueezy.com/checkout/buy/e180f9a3-2123-4cf2-a934-0457f6fc4cd7?embed=1&amp;logo=0">here</a>. </p><h3 id="fiction-9">Fiction</h3><ul><li>"<a href="https://smallwondersmag.com/piece/drinking-the-heron/">Drinking the Heron</a>" by RJ Aurand</li></ul><hr /><h2 id="the-sunday-morning-transport-february-2026"><a href="https://www.sundaymorningtransport.com/"><em>The Sunday Morning Transport</em></a> (February 2026)</h2><h3 id="fiction-10">Fiction</h3><ul><li>"<a href="https://www.sundaymorningtransport.com/p/wounds">Wounds</a>" by Celia Marsh</li></ul><hr /><h2 id="uncanny-magazine-issue-68-january-february-2026"><a href="https://www.uncannymagazine.com/"><em>Uncanny Magazine</em></a> (Issue 68, January / February 2026)</h2><p>Subscribe <a href="https://www.uncannymagazine.com/support-uncanny/">here</a>. </p><h3 id="fiction-11">Fiction</h3><ul><li><a href="https://www.uncannymagazine.com/article/words-that-wither-words-that-bloom/">Words That Wither, Words That Bloom</a>" by Jules Arbeaux</li><li>"<a href="https://www.uncannymagazine.com/article/the-memory-hounds-of-bak-ankham/">The Memory Hounds of Bak-Ankham</a>" by A. W. Prihandita</li><li>"<a href="https://www.uncannymagazine.com/article/this-story-does-not-exist/">This Story Does Not Exist</a>" by Kylie Lee Baker</li></ul><h3 id="poetry">Poetry</h3><ul><li>"<a href="https://www.uncannymagazine.com/article/a-field-guide-for-broken-sons-in-transit/">A Field Guide for Broken Sons in Transit</a> by Joemario Umana</li><li>"<a href="https://www.uncannymagazine.com/article/the-parsley-girl/">The Parsley Girl</a> by Theodora Goss</li></ul><h3 id="nonfiction-5">Nonfiction</h3><ul><li><a href="https://www.uncannymagazine.com/article/i-write-in-english-because-i-can/">I Write in English Because I Can</a> by Jana Bianchi</li><li><a href="https://www.uncannymagazine.com/article/frognative-dissonance/">Frognative Dissonance</a> by Riley Silverman</li><li><a href="https://www.uncannymagazine.com/article/interview-a-w-prihandita/">Interview: A. W. Prihandita</a> by Caroline M. Yoachim</li></ul><hr /><p>Remember to check back at the end of the month for updates as new stories come online, and to let me know in the comments what caught your eye!</p>

<p>There must be someone in Apple's streaming division who's really into science fiction and fantasy novels. Since it launched, it seems as though the company has been focusing on good storytelling over catalog size, and when they've been adapting existing genre books, they've been picking out some big names: <a href="https://www.andrewliptak.com/apple-isaac-asimov-foundation/">Isaac Asimov's <em>Foundation</em></a>, <a href="https://www.andrewliptak.com/hugh-howey-wool-silo-apple-tv-streaming-history/">Hugh Howey's <em>Wool</em></a><em>, </em><a href="https://www.andrewliptak.com/apple-tv-plus-murderbot-martha-wells-scifi-adaptation/">Martha Wells' <em>Murderbot </em>series</a><em>, </em>Lauren Beukes' <em>Shining Girls</em>, and <a href="https://www.andrewliptak.com/apple-tv-plus-neuromancer-adaptation-william-gibson/">William Gibson's <em>Neuromancer</em></a><em>. </em>This week, word broke that the company is adding another heavyweight author to the mix: Brandon Sanderson. </p><p>Per <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/brandon-sandersons-mistborn-stormlight-archive-movie-tv-1236487271/"><em>The Hollywood Reporter</em></a>, Apple has signed an "unprecedented" deal for his Cosmere universe, in the form of film adaptations for his <em>Mistborn </em>novels, and a television series for <em>The Stormlight Archive</em>. Sanderson will have "rarefied control" over the adaptations, and "will be the architect of the universe; will write, produce and consult; and will have approvals" – privileges that <em>THR</em>'s Borys Kit says that not even George R.R. Martin or J.K. Rowling enjoy. </p><p>This is a huge get for Apple, which hasn't really dipped its toes into the epic fantasy scene yet. <a href="https://www.andrewliptak.com/george-rr-martin-game-of-thrones-westeros-fantasy-history/">HBO has its Westeros franchise</a> (<em>Game of Thrones, House of the Dragon, </em>and <em>A Knight of Seven Kingdoms</em>), while Amazon has <em>Lord of the Rings</em>: <em>The Rings of Power </em>and had <em>The Wheel of Time </em>and Netflix has <em>The Witcher. </em>There's some dithering you can make about their respective qualities and impact, but collectively, they're big, enormous projects that have the potential to really make an impact on the cultural zeitgeist. </p><p>Sanderson is as big as you can go these days, and his <em>Cosmere </em>novels are not only big in size and scope, but they come with an enormous fandom. </p> <div class="kg-card kg-cta-card kg-cta-bg-blue kg-cta-minimal kg-cta-link-accent "> <div class="kg-cta-content"> <div class="kg-cta-content-inner"> <div class="kg-cta-text"> <p dir="ltr"><span style="white-space:pre-wrap">This is the type of piece that </span><i><em class="italic" style="white-space:pre-wrap">Transfer Orbit</em></i><span style="white-space:pre-wrap">'s supporting members regularly get: a deep-ish dive into genre news that seeks to go a little beyond the standard "this is what happened" post. </span></p><p dir="ltr"><span style="white-space:pre-wrap">They're designed to inform and provide context for why this sort of news matters, and if you want to help ensure that these pieces come out, please consider signing up as a member! </span></p> </div> <a href="#/portal/signup" class="kg-cta-button kg-style-accent" style="color:#FFFFFF"> Become a member </a> </div> </div> </div> <h3 id="cosmere">Cosmere </h3><p>Sanderson's began writing consistently while attending Brigham Young University (BYU) as an English major in the late 1990s: he wrote a novel called <em>Dragonsteel</em> for his Master's degree, and published his first novel, <a href="https://bookshop.org/a/6134/9780765381026"><em>Elantris</em></a>, in 2005. From there, he continued to write: he published <a href="https://bookshop.org/a/6134/9781250868282"><em>Mistborn: The Final Empire</em></a> the following year, and <a href="https://bookshop.org/a/6134/9781250868299"><em>The Well of Ascension</em></a> in 2007 and <a href="https://bookshop.org/a/6134/9781250868312"><em>The Hero of Ages</em></a> in 2008. </p><p>Early on, Sanderson was determined to make sure that his books fit together into a cohesive world. Inspired by author Isaac Asimov, who wrote two series, <em>Foundation</em> and <em>Robots </em>and later brought them together, he <a href="https://faq.brandonsanderson.com/knowledge-base/how-when-did-you-come-up-with-the-idea-of-the-cosmere/">explained</a> that it was probably better to build that into his plans from the onset. Cosmere isn't so much an ongoing series as it is a world: they share a broad mythology, but can stand on their own. <em>Elantris, Mistborn, Well of Ascension</em>, and <em>Hero of Ages</em> all fell into that larger world. </p><p>As he was doing this, he attracted the attention of Tor Books editor Harriet McDougal, who was married to fantasy author Robert Jordan. Jordan had been diagnosed with a terminal illness and was working to complete his own epic fantasy series, <em>The Wheel of Time, </em>ultimately putting together reams of notes in case he ran out of time. McDougal was impressed with <em>Elantris </em>and invited Sanderson to complete the series after his passing: the last book became three: <a href="https://bookshop.org/a/6134/9780765337832"><em>The Gathering Storm</em></a>, <a href="https://bookshop.org/a/6134/9780765337849"><em>Towers of Midnight</em></a>, and <a href="https://bookshop.org/a/6134/9780765337856"><em>A Memory of Light</em></a>. </p><h3 id="the-stormlight-archive"><em>The Stormlight Archive</em></h3><p>His work on <em>Wheel of Time </em>helped bring him to a much greater audience, and he turned his attention to his own fantasy epic, <em>The Stormlight Archive</em>. This was a series that he had been planning for years: he began writing it in 2003, and after writing and re-writing, he eventually published the first installment in 2010: <a href="https://bookshop.org/a/6134/9780765365279"><em>The Way of Kings</em></a>, a novel set on a harsh world called Roshar, and in which humanity endures constant threats from monsters known as the Voidbringers, and who've set up the Knights Radiant to protect them. </p><p>This is a massive novel in the tradition of Robert Jordan and George R.R. Martin: it's loaded with intersecting characters and lands, an elaborate magical system, and a long-running plot that Sanderson has said will run across ten novels. In 2024, he published the second installment, <a href="https://bookshop.org/a/6134/9781250166531"><em>Words of Radiance</em></a>, and followed it up with<em> </em><a href="https://bookshop.org/a/6134/9781250297143"><em>Oathbringer</em></a> (2017), <a href="https://bookshop.org/a/6134/9781250757302"><em>Rhythm of War</em></a> (2020), and <a href="https://bookshop.org/a/6134/9781250319180"><em>Wind and Truth</em></a> (2024), which made up the first arc of the epic. </p><p>Along the way, he's published a number of other novels, some set in the broader Cosmere world, such as <a href="https://bookshop.org/a/6134/9780765360038"><em>Warbreaker</em></a> (2009) and <a href="https://bookshop.org/a/6134/9781250860002"><em>Mistborn: The Alloy of Law</em></a> (2011), as well as some that stood on their own. In 2022, Sanderson <a href="https://www.andrewliptak.com/brandon-sanderson-community-fandom/">revealed</a> that he had written four novels during the COVID-19 lockdowns, and was going to publish them directly via Kickstarter, which included three Cosmere novels (<a href="https://bookshop.org/a/6134/9781250899668"><em>Tress of the Emerald Sea</em></a>, <a href="https://bookshop.org/a/6134/9781250899705"><em>Yumi and the Nightmare Painter</em></a>, and <a href="https://bookshop.org/a/6134/9781250899729"><em>The Sunlit Man</em></a>). Another novel in the world, <a href="https://bookshop.org/a/6134/9781250415394"><em>Isles of the Emberdark</em></a>, is due out next week. </p><h3 id="the-adaptations">The Adaptations</h3><p>There's been good amount of interest over the years in adapting Sanderson's books: in 2016, <em>Variety </em><a href="https://variety.com/2016/film/news/brandon-sanderson-cosmere-movie-adaptation-dmg-1201902500/">reported</a> that he had signed a huge deal for an adaptation of the Cosmere universe with DMG Entertainment, a US-based studio with a particular focus on the Chinese market. At the time, the plan was for a series of adaptations, starting with <em>The Way of Kings </em>(screenwriters Patrick Melton and Marcus Dunstan were tapped for the project) to be followed by an adaptation of <em>Mistborn</em>. </p><p>Not long after, DMG <a href="https://variety.com/2017/film/news/brandon-sanderson-cosmere-dmg-1202407849/">announced it was spending a significant amount of money</a> to produce a unique pitch for the projects: a 15-minute VR "experience" drawn from <em>The Stormlight Archives</em>, which would help demonstrate the look and feel of the world. It eventually <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Mplesv9U4g">released a look</a> at the experience in 2018, and my colleague Chaim Gartenberg, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20180304160857/https://www.theverge.com/2018/3/2/17071468/brandon-sanderson-stormlight-archive-vr-experience-way-of-kings-escape-the-shattered-plains-htc-vive">noted at the time</a> that it was a pretty faithful depiction of the world: "as someone who’s a fan of the series, it’s pretty great to see and experience some of the magic and locations from the novel, most of which have never had any real visualizations before beyond what I’ve imagined in my head."</p><p>The same year, Sanderson published his annual end of the year "State of Sanderson" roundup, in which he <a href="https://www.brandonsanderson.com/blogs/blog/state-of-the-sanderson-2018">noted</a> that things were moving along smoothly: the studio had commissioned scripts adapting <em>The Emperor’s Soul</em>, <em>Mistborn</em>, and <em>The Way of Kings</em>, and had been working on pitching those projects to various studios, particularly a film series based on <em>Mistborn </em>and a TV series of <em>The Way of Kings</em>. </p><p>He reported slow and steady progress over the next couple of years: he stepped in to write treatments and <a href="https://www.brandonsanderson.com/blogs/blog/state-of-the-sanderson-2024#part-six-hollywood-and-video-games">as of 2024</a>, it looks like <em>Mistborn </em>got pretty far along but ended up getting set back to square one, and it looks as though DMG ended up dropping the property altogether. In December, he <a href="https://www.brandonsanderson.com/blogs/blog/state-of-the-sanderson-2025#part-four-film-television-video-games">hinted</a> that there was news coming: he had been making pitches to studios starting in May, and that things looked promising. </p><p>As it turns out, Apple was one of the studios that was interested, and <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Cosmere/comments/1qps9wy/update_from_brandon/">in a post on Reddit</a>, Sanderson explained a bit more of the timeline: he had begun looking for a new partner in May, and that this time, he was being courted by a number of high-level executives. "Not just producers or low level executives. And this led to some really tough choices. I got the red carpet treatment, and liked everyone I met." </p><p>Ultimately, he went with Apple, saying that he was pleased with two things: the level of control that he'd get to have over the project, and their track record of quality programming. "I find virtually every thing of theirs I watch is excellent and creator driven." It looks like it'll be a major focus for him, and he says that he'll be devoting much of this year on writing the screenplay for <em>Mistborn</em>, to the point where he's setting aside work on the various novels that he has in the works at the moment. </p><hr /><p>There are a couple of things jump out at me about how this has progressed. First, Sanderson has enjoyed a pretty incredible career so far, and along the way, he's been able to really leverage a the opportunities that have come his way: getting plucked out of the pack to finish <em>A Wheel of Time</em> brought him a ton of name recognition, and his <em>Stormlight Archive </em>series has been steadily growing as he's been producing them. The Kickstarter project also seems to have had a huge knock-on effect: at nearly $42 million, it's currently the second biggest project ever on the platform's history, and while that undoubtably introduced him to a ton of new people because of that news, it also helped him build a company around his books. </p><p>In that time, he was also somewhat involved in Prime Video's <em>Wheel of Time</em> adaptation as a producer. I don't know to what extent he was involved in the day to day (it doesn't sound like much), but that, combined with the grind of pitching films and shows to Hollywood seems to have really given him a good idea of how the industry works, and that's something that he's used to his advantage this next go-around. While DMG doesn't appear to be involved in this new iteration of the project, it does seem to be following some of the same goals: a film series for <em>Mistborn </em>and a television series for <em>Stormlight Archive</em>. </p><p>Something that's impressed me with Sanderson is how he's been able to build a community around his books and the larger Cosmere world. It's a world that – much like other settings, contains depths and space for fans to engage with the lore, characters, and story, and keep them coming back over and over again. He also engages with those fans a lot: he's constantly on the road, holds an annual convention, and provides a lot of updates about his work and what he's up to on online through platforms like Reddit and his blog.</p><p>All of those factors have put him in a good place for a deal like this: it's clear that he's got a good team behind him to handle the management and logistics for getting his stories out to bookstores and reader, and he appears to have a clear vision for what he wants adaptations of those stories to look like. </p><p>And, it seems that for all of the talk about the streaming wars coming to an end with consolidation and <a href="https://www.andrewliptak.com/wheel-of-time-cancelled-prime-video-streaming/">the pullback of</a> <a href="https://www.andrewliptak.com/star-wars-andor-disney-plus-streaming-budgets-economics/">big budget projects</a>, there's still an appetite from places like Apple for a big swing like this. A fantasy television project – especially an ambitious one like <em>The Stormlight Archive</em>, is no small undertaking: it requires extensive behind the scenes work to mount these types of productions, and up until this point, most haven't really been able to justify those costs: using these projects to goose subscriber growth seems to have hit a ceiling. </p><p>I've always seen Apple as being something a little different from places like Netflix or Warner Bros.: Steve Jobs instilled a deep industrial culture of focusing on quality, something that you saw with his involvement at Pixar (I highly recommend checking out <a href="https://bookshop.org/a/6134/9780593594643"><em>Creativity, Inc.: Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration</em></a> by Ed Catmull and Amy Wallace for some insights there), and it feels like at times that most of the metrics that streaming services seem to live or die by take a second seat to devoting time and energy into producing something that's really good. </p><p>That seems to have convinced Sanderson that Apple was the right home for this, and that the wild popularity of his works will eventually translate into a solid offering to expand the company's suite of services and products on the creative side. Undoubtably, it'll be a while before we see anything – if it gets to the point where cameras start rolling.</p>

<p>My latest short story, "<a href="https://issues.org/futuretensefiction/fiction-deficiency-agent-liptak/">Deficiency Agent</a>" is now available on <em>Future Tense Fiction</em>, from Arizona State University’s <a href="https://csi.asu.edu/?ref=andrewliptak.com">Center for Science and the Imagination</a>! </p><figure class="kg-card kg-bookmark-card"><a class="kg-bookmark-container" href="https://issues.org/futuretensefiction/fiction-deficiency-agent-liptak/"><div class="kg-bookmark-content"><div class="kg-bookmark-title">Deficiency Agent | Future Tense Fiction</div><div class="kg-bookmark-description">Andrew Liptak’s story takes us to the front lines, where Marines fight alongside an unpredictable AI agent.</div><div class="kg-bookmark-metadata"><img class="kg-bookmark-icon" src="https://www.andrewliptak.com/content/images/icon/cropped-issues-favicon-270x270.png" alt="" /><span class="kg-bookmark-author">Issues in Science and Technology</span><span class="kg-bookmark-publisher">Cosplay: A History</span></div></div><div class="kg-bookmark-thumbnail"><img src="https://www.andrewliptak.com/content/images/thumbnail/deficiency2-socmed-1800x1013.png" alt="" /></div></a></figure><p>I am very, very happy that this is now out: it's a story that I've been thinking about for the better part of a decade, and I was thrilled that the folks behind <em>Future Tense</em> liked my pitch for it and decided to pick it up for the project.</p><p>The story follows a Surface Systems Support Officer (3S0) who's tasked with accompanying soldiers in the field as a sort of interpreter for an artificial intelligence system called TION (Tactical Intelligence Optimization and Navigation), which is a system that pulls in all sorts of information from across a battlefield – signal intelligence, satellite photos, internet traffic, you name it – and turns it into actionable directions for the folks in the field. But AI doesn't really operate like a person, so sometimes, what it's telling you doesn't make sense, and it doesn't bother to (or can't) explain its reasoning. </p><p>This story was inspired by something that happened while my wife and I were driving home from the holidays in Pennsylvania: we left early because of some bad weather, and halfway home, traffic hit a standstill. The route on Google Maps turned a dark red, and we could see that there were miles and miles of stand-still traffic ahead of us. We decided to pull off and drive along state roads, only to find that the system really didn't like that: it kept trying to put us back into traffic, and then began suggesting routes that took us really far out of the way, adding hours to our trip home. </p><p>While driving, I began thinking about why that was happening: Google Maps wasn't malfunctioning or anything, it was just trying to steer us onto a route that it thought was most efficient, but we had more information than it. We could see that the route it wanted to steer us onto wasn't a good one. Around this time, I'd been writing a lot about the military and artificial intelligence on the battlefield (which eventually led to <a href="https://www.andrewliptak.com/the-ai-nformation-battlespace/">this feature</a>), and I realized that there was an interesting nugget of a story here: a soldier recognizing that the directions that he was getting from a battlefield AI might not be the best. </p><p>I jotted the idea down in a notebook, and continued to mull over it for a while, and eventually began writing it in the summer of 2023 when I came up with the opening line. I eventually took it to the folks at <em>Future Tense</em>, and they liked the concept enough and after giving me some notes, I finished it. I feel like it's coming at a good time, given all the chatter and discussion and consternation about AI these days. </p><p><a href="https://issues.org/futuretensefiction/"><em>Future Tense</em></a><em> </em>is the perfect home for this sort of story, and I've long admired the fiction they've been publishing. I've found them to be thoughtful, interesting meditations on the near future of technology and how we use it, and I can't recommend their stuff enough. (Check out their anthology from a couple of years ago, <a href="https://bookshop.org/a/6134/9781944700959"><em>Future Tense Fiction: Stories of Tomorrow</em></a>.)</p><p>The other really cool thing that they do: they pair up stories with a companion essay, and they selected Candace Rondeaux, senior director of Future Frontlines and Planetary Politics programs at New America and professor of practice at Arizona State University’s School of Politics and Global Studies to write it. I was floored by it: she brought an incredible, real-world perspective to the world I imagined, and it's an enormous validation for this vision of the future that I've had in my head for so long. </p><figure class="kg-card kg-bookmark-card"><a class="kg-bookmark-container" href="https://issues.org/futuretensefiction/ai-combat-black-box-rondeaux/"><div class="kg-bookmark-content"><div class="kg-bookmark-title">The Algorithmic Fog of War | Future Tense Fiction</div><div class="kg-bookmark-description">Artificial intelligence is deeply embedded in military operations and decisionmaking. We’re ceding power to a black box we can’t interrogate.</div><div class="kg-bookmark-metadata"><img class="kg-bookmark-icon" src="https://www.andrewliptak.com/content/images/icon/cropped-issues-favicon-270x270-1.png" alt="" /><span class="kg-bookmark-author">Issues in Science and Technology</span><span class="kg-bookmark-publisher">Putin’s Sledgehammer: The Wagner Group and Russia’s Collapse into Mercenary Chaos</span></div></div><div class="kg-bookmark-thumbnail"><img src="https://www.andrewliptak.com/content/images/thumbnail/deficiency1-socmed1-1800x1013.png" alt="" /></div></a></figure><p>I have a couple of people from the team to thank: Joey Eschrich, Andres Martinez, Mia Armstrong-López, and Jay Lloyd, who all helped hammer this story into shape, and who made the entire process delightful. Rey Velasquez Sagcal created some fantastic images for the story and the companion essay. </p><p>I hope you read and enjoy it: I'm very pleased with the entire thing. Time to start working on the next one. </p>

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