Escape Artists

PodCastle => Fantasy Discussion => Topic started by: Talia on March 20, 2008, 01:03:12 PM

Title: Mur Lafferty's Wasteland
Post by: 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! :)
Title: Re: Mur Lafferty's Wasteland
Post by: Russell Nash on March 20, 2008, 06:23:07 PM
"Is playing for keeps" done?
Title: Re: Mur Lafferty's Wasteland
Post by: Ocicat on March 20, 2008, 06:28:08 PM
Yes, all wrapped up.  And published in physical form, I think.
Title: Re: Mur Lafferty's Wasteland
Post by: 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). 
Title: Re: Mur Lafferty's Wasteland
Post by: Russell Nash on March 20, 2008, 09:17:53 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.
Title: Re: Mur Lafferty's Wasteland
Post by: Talia on March 20, 2008, 10:01:29 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 :D
Title: Re: Mur Lafferty's Wasteland
Post by: DKT on March 20, 2008, 10:37:50 PM
Yup :)  I'm a sucker for the Mur. 
Title: Re: Mur Lafferty's Wasteland
Post by: stePH on March 22, 2008, 03:45:32 AM
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"?)
Title: Re: Mur Lafferty's Wasteland
Post by: Talia on March 22, 2008, 05:02:15 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 :D 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.
Title: Re: Mur Lafferty's Wasteland
Post by: stePH on March 26, 2008, 04:30:43 AM
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.
Title: Re: Mur Lafferty's Wasteland
Post by: DKT on March 26, 2008, 04:51:57 AM
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. 
Title: Re: Mur Lafferty's Wasteland
Post by: stePH on March 26, 2008, 01:00:29 PM
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?
Title: Re: Mur Lafferty's Wasteland
Post by: 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/
Title: Re: Mur Lafferty's Wasteland
Post by: stePH on March 27, 2008, 03:51:27 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.
Title: Re: Mur Lafferty's Wasteland
Post by: 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.
Title: Re: Mur Lafferty's Wasteland
Post by: stePH on March 28, 2008, 01:05:51 PM
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.
Title: Re: Mur Lafferty's Wasteland
Post by: Audita Sum on March 29, 2008, 08:01:06 PM
Oh yay. I've become strangely addicted to Mur's voice.

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.
Title: Re: Mur Lafferty's Wasteland
Post by: 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. 
Title: Re: Mur Lafferty's Wasteland
Post by: stePH on April 10, 2008, 01:01:48 PM
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.
Title: Re: Mur Lafferty's Wasteland
Post by: Talia on April 11, 2008, 06:09:15 AM
I hate endings. I get so attached to characters. :/
Title: Re: Mur Lafferty's Wasteland
Post by: stePH on April 11, 2008, 03:45:40 PM
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.
Title: Re: Mur Lafferty's Wasteland
Post by: eytanz on April 11, 2008, 03:56:26 PM
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.
Title: Re: Mur Lafferty's Wasteland
Post by: wherethewild on April 12, 2008, 08:36:09 AM
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".
Title: Re: Mur Lafferty's Wasteland
Post by: birdless on April 12, 2008, 01:12:35 PM
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. ;)
Title: Re: Mur Lafferty's Wasteland
Post by: Talia 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. :)

Title: Re: Mur Lafferty's Wasteland
Post by: qwints 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.
Title: Re: Mur Lafferty's Wasteland
Post by: DarkKnightJRK 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? ;D
Title: Re: Mur Lafferty's Wasteland
Post by: MacArthurBug 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.
Title: Re: Mur Lafferty's Wasteland
Post by: CGFxColONeill on July 19, 2008, 07:34:16 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?
Title: Re: Mur Lafferty's Wasteland
Post by: stePH on July 19, 2008, 02:34:36 PM
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  :D
Title: Re: Mur Lafferty's Wasteland
Post by: Talia 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