The Liaden Universe® didn’t start out as a Universe; it started out as one book. That book, a quirky little space opera called Agent of Change, was published by Del Rey as a paperback original, in February, 1988.
That would be, let’s see…
Twenty-five years ago, this February.
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Holy bananas.
You’d think that having a Silver Anniversary to celebrate in 2013 would be excitement enough for any pair of authors — but you’d be wrong.
Not only is February 2013 the Silver Anniversary of the Liaden Universe®, the sixteenth novel in the Universe, Necessity’s Child will be released on February 5, in hardcover, signed hardcover, ebook, and audiobook!
Also? Every single Liaden Universe® novel ever written is — at this very instant! — in print, as omnibus, hardcover, trade paper, mass market, ebook, and/or audiobook editions!
Having survived as writers for twenty-five years is an achievement by itself. To have all of our novels in print during that twenty-fifth year is. . .amazing. And humbling.
For those who are planning to attend Boskone, we’ll be hosting a dual Silver Anniversary/Book Launch party there. We’re also mulling over some web celebrations, because really — you’re only in print twenty-five years once.
Ahem.
Lucky 2013 will also bring to you the first Liaden Universe® Constellation — a collection of seventeen short stories. That will be available in trade paperback, and ebook editions, in July. The second Constellation will be along in January 2014.
This year will also see the mass market release of Dragon Ship, already available in hardcover, signed hardcover, ebook, and audio.
While you’re reading, we’ll be writing, not just because that’s, yanno, what we do, but because we have a contract.
That should, actually, be…
A Contract.
A contract, with Baen Books, for five Liaden Universe® novels, which together will comprise the sequel to Dragon Ship.
* * *
To recap, here’s the 2013/2014 publication schedule as presently known:
January 15: “Eleutherios,” short story, Baen front page
February 5: Necessity’s Child, hardcover, signed hardcover, ebook, audiobook
July 2: Liaden Universe® Constellation, Volume 1, tradepaper, ebook
August: Essay in Dragonwriter: A Tribute to Anne McCaffrey and Pern, Benbella Press
August 27: Dragon Ship, mass market
November 5: Trade Secrets, hardcover, ebook
January 5, 2014: Liaden Universe® Constellation, Volume 2, tradepaper, ebook
. . .and here’s our delivery schedule
February 14: Carousel Sun (contemporary fantasy by Sharon)
August 15: Carousel Seas (contemporary fantasy by Sharon)
May 15, 2014: First of Five Liaden Universe® novels
February 15, 2015: Second of Five Liaden Universe® novels
November 15, 2015: Third of Five Liaden Universe® novels
August 15, 2016: Fourth of Five Liaden Universe® novels
May 15, 2017: Fifth of Five Liaden Universe® novels
…please be aware that the above are turn-in dates; the publisher sets the publication dates and they are, therefore, A Mystery. One thing that we can say definitively is that the publisher will not publish any of the above novels before they’ve been turned in.
So, there you have it: 2013! And, err, beyond.
May we all continue to have reason to celebrate.
–Sharon Lee and Steve Miller
Cat Farm and Confusion Factory
Central Maine
January 11, 2013
View Comments (15)
Hurrah and, slightly early, Happy Anniversary!
Heartiest congratulations to you both... and to all of us who love the Liaden novels and are so excited there will be many more!
Congratulations on your Silver Anniversary, book release, and new contract! Woo hoo! A little security for you, lots of enjoyable reading for us! Anticipation! Hope it doesn't drive me crazy!
Congratulations!
Congratulations on all of the achievements, and thank you for sharing the great news!
What's happening with the sequel to balance of trade?
The only word-Wow! And thank you for your hard work in writing these wonderful books and stories.
Superb, I have loved and continue to enjoy reading your wonderful stories. They have brought joy and heartsease at many times in my life. Continue to live long and prosper! Kudos to to the cats too....
Does this mention of TRADE SECRETS in November mean it is finished and in the publisher's hands? Looking forward to that if that is the case.
Glad to see your continued success with Baen. I haven't seen any mention recently of Steve's project to craft a sequel to Balance of Trade. I think this "side book" is one of your best because it is such a good introduction for us Terrans to the customs of Liad. I've been long hoping for a book about Jethri's progress as a Terran trader to the worlds of Liad, to better understand the relationship between the cultures. The Waitley books have been good in this respect, but Jethri's pioneer status in Liad-Terran relations would help round out the earlier period of the history of the Liaden universe. On another tack, when I think of Balance of Trade, I remember Anne McCaffrey's plea to you to send some of the parts you had to leave out of the early books because of space concerns. Jethri's tale was 464 pages. The Waitley books have been in the 300s. I think they would have been even better if they had been longer.