Keeping y'all posted
There is, as y'all know, a bit of a calamity occurring throughout the world at the moment. In addition to the universal distraction, all of us also have personal, familial, professional, or just plain ol' whatever distractions of our own. I and RBE and RBF are no different. So as a universal update for all titles from both sides of RB - all works are still in progress, though that progress is even slower than it was.
Titles will come out. However -- RBF has already announced one delayed release -- probably not when anyone including me wanted them to. Particulars:
RBF
REH CHANGED MY LIFE: (apologies for only originally announcing this via Facebook on 3/18): I am disappointed to announce this, but unfortunately we are postponing release of REH CHANGED MY LIFE to 2021 as of now. In addition to Howard Days being cancelled, much of the funding this foundation was just about to receive toward this project has been 'delayed pending the economy.' Both events are understandable, but there really is no viable way for RBF to proceed on this title at this time. However, with a year+ for the funding to continue, RBF will publish this book in June 2021 with or without Howard Days. To that end, we have extended the Special Pre-Release Deal from RBF. Thank you for your understanding and continued support and encouragement. Y'all stay sane and healthy through these trying times.
THE LOST EMPIRE OF SOL: Will be released, intending by spring 2021. Special pre-release deal runs till the day before release.
RBE
WE WHO ARE ABOUT TO DIE:
I've had to expand our guidelines as we seem to be getting everyone's modern versions of S&S in all its varieties. I'm not looking for modern - keep the setting and story anywhere from 300,000,000 years before man warred with sharp steel to about 120 years before right now or, and this is a mighty fine line, put it 30,000 years after some post-apocalyptic event reverts mankind to a state similar to ... 300,000,000 years before man figured out how to make steel sharp. Seriously, while these are character studies, we still desire the bang-for-the-buck opening required of short story S&S heroic storytelling. If you're going to use your opening 500 words to set the scene, or you fill it with modernity, your story will not be read no matter if the rest of it delivers the best blue ribbon version of what we want -- we'll never know. Here's the additional info:
NO modern settings, vernacular, weapons, or concepts are sought for this title. Keep everything set on Earth or anything resembling it at least 100 years back, preferably not too much past 1901 and the closer to the post-Civil War/Old American West the better. Sword & Sorcery like REH's Kull; Sword & Planet like Leigh Brackett; Sword & Sandal like Ben-Hur; Sword & Soul like Charles Saunders' Imaro; Sword & Six-gun like H. Rider Haggard and Rafael Sabatini and Zorro. Please.
NO ORDINARY MORTALS:
still as scheduled
REACH FOR THE SKY:
Partially edited, intended to be the next book out.
AS YOU WISH!:
Will be edited and out after RFTS.
SLAUGHTER IS THE BEST MEDICINE:
Third in line after the previous two titles.
As RBE is so far behind and falling further, I am considering not announcing any new 2021 titles until all past due titles are released, not only all the above, but the STEALTH and SKOVOLIS and ASSASSIN titles, as well as the re-releases of DEMONS, DISCOVERY, and RETURN OF THE SWORD. RBE is me folks - I have a wonderful voluntary reading team that helps make selection decisions, but otherwise it is I and my coppers that float this boat and there are occasions I'm neither's master. Thanks for reading this and riding along - it'd be lonely without y'all.
Comments