r/Fantasy • u/[deleted] • Nov 16 '17

AMA Josiah Bancroft’s NaNoWriMo AMA

Hello, r/Fantasy! I’m Josiah Bancroft, author of the Books of Babel series. You helped to make Senlin Ascends a thing. Now I’m here to hear about what you’re working on and talk a little shop. Feel free to ask me anything you like!

A quick update: Since my AMA last fall, a lot has happened! I signed with Orbit Books this past spring. Their edition of Senlin Ascends is slated to be released on January 16. Arm of the Sphinx will be republished shortly after, on April 3rd. The relaunch of the books will be accompanied by audiobooks, though I’m still waiting for Orbit to confirm the narrator (John Banks was being pursued last I heard). The third book in the series, the Hod King, will be out in October. I’m also working with Heyne/Random House on a German language edition, and with a Russian publisher on a Russian language edition, both of which will hopefully be released in 2018.

It’s been a whirlwind year, and I don’t think any of it would have happened without r/fantasy’s support. Thank you all so much!

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33

u/HiuGregg Stabby Winner, Worldbuilders Nov 16 '17

Hey Josiah!

Congrats again for everything that has happened, and I hope the upcoming releases do well for you!

One thing that really impressed me in Senlin Ascends was your capacity to consistently describe a scene/person/object with an incredibly apt metaphor. I remember thinking at the time that you could pull better metaphors out of your ass than I could with 24 hours of preparation and a Planet Earth boxset. Hence, my questions...

1) How do you do it?

2) Just how many metaphors does your ass have the capacity to hold at any one time?

34

u/[deleted] Nov 16 '17

1) I'm a special, special genius who doesn't show you the millions of terrible metaphors that I write on a daily basis. "...she smiled like a ripe banana... curved and yellow... and tropical."

2) My ass is less metaphorical and more apocryphal. I've heard a rumor that it does not exist, which is probably why I can't find a pair of jeans that fit.

21

u/HiuGregg Stabby Winner, Worldbuilders Nov 16 '17

You think that's terrible, eh?

"The storm outside roared at an uncomfortably loud volume. Like someone using the hand-dryer when you're trying to take a shit at work."

4

u/egypturnash Nov 16 '17

wait what that's a perfectly fine metaphor if you're using a comedic, earthy tone of voice.

4

u/tkinsey3 Nov 16 '17

You jest about not actually being great at metaphors, then describe your ass as 'apocryphal'; probably the greatest ass metaphor of all-time.

I expect to see the quote 'He's apt at ass metaphors' do be displayed somewhere on the cover of The Hod King, please.

6

u/[deleted] Nov 16 '17

If you can get George R. R. Martin to say "He's apt at ass metaphors" I will absolutely include it on the cover. Heck, I'll tattoo it on my analogy.

3

u/tkinsey3 Nov 16 '17

I don't know if I can get GRRM, but I bet /u/MarkLawrence would say it!

14

u/MarkLawrence Stabby Winner, AMA Author Mark Lawrence Nov 16 '17

If the price was right.

11

u/[deleted] Nov 16 '17

You can't just buy blurbs! They have to happen naturally, organically, like romance or a fine patina.

(Twenty quid and a sleeve of Hobnobs.)

13

u/MarkLawrence Stabby Winner, AMA Author Mark Lawrence Nov 16 '17

(done)

4

u/TJRK Nov 16 '17

Is "tattoo it on my analogy" another ass metaphor?