For fans of the most errant knight around, I thought I'd let you know that a new "Sir Apropos of Nothing" novelette will be featured in the forthcoming short story anthology, "Heroes in Training." Edited by Martin H. Greenberg and Jim C. Hines, it will be published by Daw. No finalized pub date yet, although they're hoping for 2007.
The story, "Sir Apropos of Nothing and the Adventure of the Receding Heir" takes place late in Apropos' career, when he's actually managed--through his customary combination of deceit, skill, and luck--to become ruler of his own complete country, and circumstances require him to find someone sufficiently harmless that he can put into a position to take over for him. Also making his literary debut in the same story: Schlepper the Leper, the character first incarnated by Ariel during a convention masquerade. She won the prize for most humorous, so I figured that's a reasonable pedigree for Schlepper to join the Apropos Universe.
PAD
Posted by Peter David at April 16, 2006 10:32 AM | TrackBack | Other blogs commentingYou mean I won't be able to buy this before next weekend?
I guess if you insist on continuing to write, I will have to find you at another convention in the future with another stack of books.
Nice news. Not as nice as a full Apropos novel or a new ST novel or a new Knight novel. Sometimes I fear that those of us who are not comic fans are treated as second class readers.
Nevertheless, I shall look forward to it. Please remind us again when it comes out.
I just finished reading Missing in Action. It was your usual high level combination of humor,excitement, intrigue with a little sadness--in a word, excellent. Thanks for the hours.
Happy Passover.
Very cool news, both the new Apropos story, when it looked as though we might never get another, and the debut of an Ariel David character! By the time this comes out, I'm sure I will have read _Woad to Wuin_ and _Tong Lashing_ - my local Waldenbooks always has _Sir Apropos_ and _Tong Lashing_ but never _Wuin_. (They may have more Peter David novels overall than Robert Heinlein, if that's any consolation, PAD.) A good reason for a trip to Border's, I guess...
To your point about "second class citizens," Lee Goodman - I have occasionally thought that there might at times be a bit of a lack of threads for the novel-only PAD readers. But I think it's just the nature of the beast. Comic books are much more quickly produced than novels, so they come out much more often, and the taking-on of more comic projets more often is much easier than adding, say, another three novels. So, while PAD may have several monthly comics and several one-shots and limited seires each year - and several dozen potential discussion threads - the amount of months necessary to complete each novel makes the amount of possible discussion topics for novel-only readers, by necessity, much smaller. I'm sure that Mr. David appreciates the readers of his novels at least as much as his others; but a daily blog will, by nature, just not be able to have THAT much to say about such long-term projects as novels are.
(You could always pick up Fallen Angel: you need NO knowledge of comic books to understand the story [especially now that it's clear that it has nothing to do with Supergirl] and it would give you a much more frequent PAD dose...)
That's amazing. Love the Apropos books!
How long will the story be? Will it inherit the great mix of humor and drama?
that's great to hear. I'm assuming th novellette takes place so late is so that the plot won't interefere with any other novels for apropos? should you be able to get pocket to release it?
"That's amazing. Love the Apropos books!
How long will the story be? Will it inherit the great mix of humor and drama?"
It's about 9500 words, I believe, which will make it one of the longer pieces in the book. And that's certainly my intent, to mix humor and drama. I always consider the books to be grand tragedies laced with puns, so the story will be no different.
PAD
More Apropos, huzzah! Peter, you just made my day.
Will we see Entipy? How I miss Entipy!
Will Apropos have a son? I want to know if Apropos' son will want to kill him.
What's life like with only one ear, is it hard? Anyone know?
Very good. Please keep us up to date so we can grab it when it's published.
Well, it's not a full length novel, but it deserves a heary "Huzzah!" nonetheless.
-Rex Hondo-
If you write either a happy ending for poor Apropos, or even just a very final ending (such as dead), perhaps that will ease any "please write more about Apropos" requests or even make them go away entirely....
Many people are optimists and just want a happy ending and for Apropos to "grow up right", although arguably that may not be right for Apropos. I suspect that they are not the right audience for a Sir Apropos of Nothing story/book.
I think Apropos has reached a decent enough stage in his character development to actually deserve better karma than he gets, maybe, one day. I don't like the ending to Tong Lashing, but it was probably one that Apropos deserved morally.
And he's never going to be a hero, so perhaps happy endings just aren't in his future. Maybe next incarnation.
AWESOME!!!!!!!
This is honestly one of the best pieces of news I've read on any kind of comic book related site in a while.
Fantastic news! I’ve been eagerly awaiting a new Apropos Story.
GREAT news. I have loved the Apropos novels, simply because they are a good fantasy series that I don't have to read 3 - 9 books to get a complete story. Any word on any future novels?
Great news Peter.
Please keep us posted so that we can get this when it hits the stands.
Regards:
Warren S. Jones III
Okay, here's something: PAD, have you thought about an Apropos graphic novel? I was thinking about Steve Dillon, but his work tends toward the darkly humorous, a la Preacher or the first year of Punisher, or possibly Rebecca Guay, since much of her art has a medieval feel, but I don't know how she'd do with visual puns. Just something to think about.
Never read any Apropos books - will grab one as soon as I finish the latest New Frontier book. On a separate (but related) subject, what is involved in getting a book submitted (?) for a movie treatment? The Knight books are screaming for a feature film and would be much more welcome than Scary Movie 45 or Basic Instinct 7. Please have a word with your agent!
Cheers.
Bel
Best news I've heard in awhile. Guess I will start rereading the Apropos books now.
"Okay, here's something: PAD, have you thought about an Apropos graphic novel?"
As nice as it may be to see an Apropos graphic novel, I think it may wuin...I mean ruin the individual imaginative context to it.
The same with a film on the Apropos series, I would hate to see my favourite books be turned into a deadbeet commercialised movie that isn't true to Apropos' cynical view.
I have just finished buying the series after reading them several times and very much look forward to a novelette, even though I desperately wish there was another novel.
I guess, beggars can't be choosers.
Is there a slightest chance of another Apropos novel ever being written?
I think "Sir Apropos" is the most underrated of PAD's output, and I'm totally jonseing to read a new one, short story or no. The whole "grad tragedies laced with puns" really crystallizes *why* I like them so much... something I never could quite put my finger on till he actually labeled it as such. I guess that's why I like ém - for all the goofy humour, there's a sad core to it all.
Is this anthology gonna be easy to pick up, or will I have to hunt it down? Who's putting this bad-boy out, anyways?
"published by Daw"
Whoops. Nevermind. Forget I said anything.
Wonderful news, Peter!
Now I don't feel so bad about not finishing "Tong Lashing!" I can add it to my summer reading list as well as the last Knight Life book. If your book about writing comes out before the novella, I won't be lacking for PAD literature to read.
Huzzah!
BTW, did you ever plan to do a sequel to Howling Mad? I may have to look for my original copy to see how that one ended.
The Knight books are screaming for a feature film and would be much more welcome than Scary Movie 45 or Basic Instinct 7
I think those two films could be the same one, really...
TWL
I have a comment to make on Sir Apropos of Nothing...you see I have this severe medical condition called Arnold Chiari malformation, and it's pushing my brain into my skull causing immense pains in my head, and causing me to lose feeling in my hands and feet. Not to add pain to confusion over this, but every time I laugh LOUD, or even NORMAL (in my case) I get the feeling that someone is hitting a machette in center of my forehead to the middle of my skull and whacking it with a sledgehammer. Now what did all that have to do with Sir Apropos Of Nothing? Well, until I get the surgery to fix this malformation, I have to stop reading any works by Peter David (he makes my head hurt REALLY BAD from all the laughter going on with his wittiscism). By the way, with Apropos's ear gone, does he have the urging to paint, and find the missing ear to be sent to Entipy? I heard that's called Van-Gogh's syndrome..or Vincent's screwy gift mixup...I'm sure his doctor was impressed with dozen roses he recieved, but couldn't understand why he wanted them sewn on his head?
If you think about why we do things...I'll give you a story to think about why choices in life is better than no choice at all. I knew a man who was serving with me in Bosnia. He was stationed over there for about 5 months and was looking forward to seeing his wife and children. That night I overheard from others that he recieved bad news concerning his wife and family. It seems she took all his money and left him for his best friend who was to take care of her and the kids while he was away. So in the terms of friendship, I was entering his 'hut' to talk to him, and found him when I got to the door with a M-16 under his chin and a stick in the trigger - with his feet above the stick..just as I went to say STOP, he fired away. Now what kind of choice did he make for his children to live with? Or for this instance what choice do you think he knows now of what he did was wrong enough? I'm sure in the future, during the next turn on the Wheel of Life, that he'll realize his error, and stop spinning on that BANKRUPT spot...sorry I got Wheel of Life, and Wheel of Fortune confused again..
Remeber...in life we are given 3 options on dealing with a problem...the right solution, the wrong choice, and not making one. In any case, not making one is the worst...
Talk to you in the past..when I find that flux-capacitor that takes 21 Gigawatts of power, and a good deal on a used Delorian car...any takers?
Peter was good enough to share this story with us at ShowMe Con this weekend in St. Louis. Very much what you would come to expect with Sir Apropos, very very funny. I won't spoil the jokes, but...well, I really can't say anything that won't spoil any jokes or the ending itself. Schlepper has become my favorite Apropos character, I will say that.
Loved hearing this story at ShowMe Con also.
Having not yet had the opportunity to read a Sir Apropos story yet ( I know, me bad) found this weekend to be a great intro and enjoyed the opportunity to pick up my first Apropos book and have it autographed at the same time.
Enjoyed having you in town Peter! Hope to see you again some time. Hope Aril had fun too!
Today I read you picaresque (as I named it for me) novel "Sir Apropos of Nothing-1" in Russian and like it very much.
I want to say: Thank you!
I hope to read and other stories about Sir Apropos in Russian.
BTW, hero's name in Russian the translator transmited as "Nevpopad" (out of place; not to the point; inopportunely). IMHO, it is not quite precisely... in any case, I'm glad to read the book.
(Sorry my poor English...)
Hello, Huge fan of the work.
Will I be able to buy this new Apropos book(?) At a Barnes and Noble store?
And I know you have heard it before,
...but
Can we expect another full Apropos Novel?
Hello, Huge fan of the work.
Will I be able to buy this new Apropos book(?) At a Barnes and Noble store?
And I know you have heard it before,
...but
Can we expect another full Apropos Novel?
Hello, Huge fan of the work.
Will I be able to buy this new Apropos book(?) At a Barnes and Noble store?
And I know you have heard it before,
...but
Can we expect another full Apropos Novel?