Author Topic: Mur Lafferty's Wasteland (Read 19645 times)

Talia · **on:** March 20, 2008, 01:03:12 PM

In case anyone didn't see it on BoingBoing, Mur Lafferty has released the fourth novel in her 'Heaven' series, 'Wasteland.'

http://murverse.com/2008/03/19/wasteland-is-live/

Like just about everything she's written, its an excellent series and absolutely worth checking out. I can't wait to start this one!

Russell Nash · **Reply #1 on:** March 20, 2008, 06:23:07 PM

"Is playing for keeps" done?

Ocicat · **Reply #2 on:** March 20, 2008, 06:28:08 PM

Yes, all wrapped up. And published in physical form, I think.

DKT · **Reply #3 on:** March 20, 2008, 08:26:14 PM

I listened to the first episode this morning and really enjoyed it. I liked Playing for Keeps a lot, but I love the Heaven series.

Question for people more tech savvy than I am -- it looks like the book is all up on podiobooks now. Is there a way to drop the whole thing into my itunes? There's no manual button I can find, and it's not showing up in the itunes store, so right now, I'm waiting for each individual episode on a daily basis (which is actually okay, I think. I probably can't listen to much more than one a day).

Russell Nash · **Reply #4 on:** March 20, 2008, 09:17:53 PM

Quote from: DKT on March 20, 2008, 08:26:14 PM

Question for people more tech savvy than I am -- it looks like the book is all up on podiobooks now. Is there a way to drop the whole thing into my itunes? There's no manual button I can find, and it's not showing up in the itunes store, so right now, I'm waiting for each individual episode on a daily basis (which is actually okay, I think. I probably can't listen to much more than one a day).

Go to your "My subscriptions" page. A few lines down from the iTunes icon is the drop down menu where you can change how often the feed updates. Two lines below that is a link that says, "Release all episodes now". Click that and you're in business.

Talia · **Reply #5 on:** March 20, 2008, 10:01:29 PM

Quote from: DKT on March 20, 2008, 08:26:14 PM

I listened to the first episode this morning and really enjoyed it. I liked Playing for Keeps a lot, but I love the Heaven series.

Question for people more tech savvy than I am -- it looks like the book is all up on podiobooks now. Is there a way to drop the whole thing into my itunes? There's no manual button I can find, and it's not showing up in the itunes store, so right now, I'm waiting for each individual episode on a daily basis (which is actually okay, I think. I probably can't listen to much more than one a day).

hehehe DKT, I KNEW I spotted a familiar name on her blog comments

DKT · **Reply #6 on:** March 20, 2008, 10:37:50 PM

Yup

I'm a sucker for the Mur.

stePH · **Reply #7 on:** March 22, 2008, 03:45:32 AM

Quote from: Talia on March 20, 2008, 01:03:12 PM

In case anyone didn't see it on BoingBoing, Mur Lafferty has released the fourth novel in her 'Heaven' series, 'Wasteland.'

http://murverse.com/2008/03/19/wasteland-is-live/

Like just about everything she's written, its an excellent series and absolutely worth checking out. I can't wait to start this one!

Awesome. I'd never have known about it if I hadn't checked here. Thanks for the heads-up.

(WTF is a "boingboing"?)

Talia · **Reply #8 on:** March 22, 2008, 05:02:15 AM

Quote from: stePH on March 22, 2008, 03:45:32 AM

Awesome. I'd never have known about it if I hadn't checked here. Thanks for the heads-up.

(WTF is a "boingboing"?)

boingboing.net is a REALLY fun, excellent blog about all sorts of random crap. It's great for people with short attention spans and eclectic interests like me

Check it out. They occasionally link to Escape Pod stories too (and EP periodically runs stories by one of the editors, Cory Doctorow. Those are always a treat to read, as he is awesome).

As an aside, i just finished 'playing for keeps' and am now desperately itching for a sequel.

Man I loved that story.

stePH · **Reply #9 on:** March 26, 2008, 04:30:43 AM

Quote from: Ocicat on March 20, 2008, 06:28:08 PM

Yes, all wrapped up. And published in physical form, I think.

Where? I've been saying for months that I would buy a paper copy of teh Heaven series. (I've only just started Playing for Keeps today, so I can't say the same for it yet.)

I was just at my local B&N today and saw a rather sad vacancy, between Mercedes Lackey and Keith Laumer, begging to be filled.

DKT · **Reply #10 on:** March 26, 2008, 04:51:57 AM

Quote from: stePH on March 26, 2008, 04:30:43 AM

Quote from: Ocicat on March 20, 2008, 06:28:08 PM
Yes, all wrapped up. And published in physical form, I think.
Where? I've been saying for months that I would buy a paper copy of teh Heaven series. (I've only just started Playing for Keeps today, so I can't say the same for it yet.)

I was just at my local B&N today and saw a rather sad vacancy, between Mercedes Lackey and Keith Laumer, begging to be filled.

No, I'm pretty sure Heaven has not been published in any kind of print form. Actually, I think Mur's doing an agent hung (as we type) for a print novel of Heaven and Hell.

stePH · **Reply #11 on:** March 26, 2008, 01:00:29 PM

Quote from: DKT on March 26, 2008, 04:51:57 AM

No, I'm pretty sure Heaven has not been published in any kind of print form. Actually, I think Mur's doing an agent hung (as we type) for a print novel of Heaven and Hell.

So where's PfK available?

Talia · **Reply #12 on:** March 27, 2008, 03:27:50 PM

Steph: Look's like Mur is selling it on her website (check the right hand sidebar)

http://www.playingforkeepsnovel.com/

stePH · **Reply #13 on:** March 27, 2008, 03:51:27 PM

Quote from: Talia on March 27, 2008, 03:27:50 PM

Steph: Look's like Mur is selling it on her website (check the right hand sidebar)

http://www.playingforkeepsnovel.com/

OK. I'm about halfway through the 'cast as of this morning.

Leon Kensington · **Reply #14 on:** March 28, 2008, 03:27:05 AM

Wasteland is probably my fav of the Heaven series. Great stuff, I just can't get enough of it.

stePH · **Reply #15 on:** March 28, 2008, 01:05:51 PM

Quote from: Leon_Kensington on March 28, 2008, 03:27:05 AM

Wasteland is probably my fav of the Heaven series. Great stuff, I just can't get enough of it.

I'm probably starting it as soon as I'm done with PfK, especially since Earth was the first of the series to really end with a cliffhanger.

Audita Sum · **Reply #16 on:** March 29, 2008, 08:01:06 PM

Oh yay. I've become strangely addicted to Mur's voice.

Quote from: stePH on March 28, 2008, 01:05:51 PM

Earth was the first of the series to really end with a cliffhanger.

I totally don't remember that, but then I guess it's been a while. I should probably read the chapter summaries.

Russell Nash · **Reply #17 on:** April 10, 2008, 11:27:09 AM

When will this series end?

I keep listening to each season expecting a story. I never get it. It never has an ending.

stePH · **Reply #18 on:** April 10, 2008, 01:01:48 PM

Quote from: Russell Nash on April 10, 2008, 11:27:09 AM

When will this series end?

I keep listening to each season expecting a story. I never get it. It never has an ending.

Lafferty says at the end of Wasteland that the final season is forthcoming.

Talia · **Reply #19 on:** April 11, 2008, 06:09:15 AM

I hate endings. I get so attached to characters. :/

stePH · **Reply #20 on:** April 11, 2008, 03:45:40 PM

Quote from: Talia on April 11, 2008, 06:09:15 AM

I hate endings. I get so attached to characters. :/

Agreed, but what I hate worse than leaving those characters, is having them outstay their welcome.

eytanz · **Reply #21 on:** April 11, 2008, 03:56:26 PM

Quote from: stePH on April 11, 2008, 03:45:40 PM

Quote from: Talia on April 11, 2008, 06:09:15 AM
I hate endings. I get so attached to characters. :/

Agreed, but what I hate worse than leaving those characters, is having them outstay their welcome.

In my opinion, they did long ago. At least in the story's current form.

I listened to the first three parts, and I have no intention of listening to part 4 or 5. What I heard felt like a decent rough draft (not a first draft, but far from a final draft) - the plot stutters and stops, the characters seem to change personality every other episode, things happen for no reason. There is a lot of cool stuff here, but there is no cohesion, and it really feels like the story started in one direction, and that the author decided to shift direction about 3 or 4 times since then (in the first three parts. Maybe more by now). There's a good story here, at some point, but it requires heavy editing.

wherethewild · **Reply #22 on:** April 12, 2008, 08:36:09 AM

Quote from: eytanz on April 11, 2008, 03:56:26 PM

I listened to the first three parts, and I have no intention of listening to part 4 or 5. What I heard felt like a decent rough draft (not a first draft, but far from a final draft) - the plot stutters and stops, the characters seem to change personality every other episode, things happen for no reason. There is a lot of cool stuff here, but there is no cohesion, and it really feels like the story started in one direction, and that the author decided to shift direction about 3 or 4 times since then (in the first three parts. Maybe more by now). There's a good story here, at some point, but it requires heavy editing.

I never would have dared to be the first person to voice that opinion in these forums... but I'm very glad someone has so that I can say "Yep, me thinky that too".

birdless · **Reply #23 on:** April 12, 2008, 01:12:35 PM

Quote from: wherethewild on April 12, 2008, 08:36:09 AM

I never would have dared to be the first person to voice that opinion in these forums.

LoL! I thought the same thing. I haven't made it through the first Heaven series, yet, but I'm with eytanz. I listened to PfK and enjoyed it, but, well, she's not made goddess status with me yet.

Talia · **Reply #24 on:** May 01, 2008, 07:56:43 PM

I've only gotten more into the Heaven books as they've progressed, myself. I donno. They work for me, what can I say.

qwints · **Reply #25 on:** May 02, 2008, 07:22:07 AM

I loved the first two seasons, but the whole god-mode plot of season 3 kinda lost me. (Though the hobos were pretty funny.)

I agree with the comments about it not being a finished draft - I've kinda had that opinion about most long fiction I've heard on podcasts.

DarkKnightJRK · **Reply #26 on:** June 10, 2008, 05:20:41 AM

The only bit of criticism I've noticed in the Heaven series is specifically with season three, in which Daniel turned from a strong, prophetic character into an inconsistant douche in a fashion that didn't really work for me. The rest is pretty solid though.

The fourth season did get a lot better though--I love this new world that they "built." I mean, steampunk meets dinosaurs? Who the hell wouldn't?

MacArthurBug · **Reply #27 on:** July 19, 2008, 04:36:49 AM

I agree that these could indeed use the heavy editing hand. That said, I like them quite a bit. I'm along for the ride, and I devoured them wholesale within hours of finding them posted on itunes. Mur can keep writing and I'll keep listening. Plus- I fully plan on investing in PFK if and or when it hits "real book" publishing status.

I have noticed in Murs books that most of her male charactosr have some douchbaggery about them. Humm.

CGFxColONeill · **Reply #28 on:** July 19, 2008, 07:34:16 AM

Quote from: Talia on March 22, 2008, 05:02:15 AM

As an aside, i just finished 'playing for keeps' and am now desperately itching for a sequel.

She really left it hanging at the end there didnt she?

stePH · **Reply #29 on:** July 19, 2008, 02:34:36 PM

Quote from: MacArthurBug on July 19, 2008, 04:36:49 AM

I have noticed in Murs books that most of her male charactosr have some douchbaggery about them. Humm.

I've noticed that a male character invariably calls the female lead "dude" at least once in the course of the story

Talia · **Reply #30 on:** July 20, 2008, 05:49:45 AM

on a tangenally related topic, Mur apparently has a new audiodrama project going on on her website. About zombies. Working in a business office :p