The Grantville Gazettes
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| 1632 | |
_-_cover-_0671578499.jpg/200px-N01-1632_(novel)_-_cover-_0671578499.jpg) First edition cover |
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| Author | Eric Flint |
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| Country | USA |
| Language | English |
| Series | 1632 series |
| Genre(s) | Alternate History, Anthology |
| Publisher | Baen Books |
| Publication date | Semi-periodic, and Periodic (bi-monthly) Various dates from February 2003 and from 2004 (in print as books) |
| Media type | e-zine and ebook Paperback and hardcover |
| Pages | Grantville Gazette I, 361 pp (first edition) |
| Followed by | Grantville Gazette II |
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The Grantville Gazettes are a set of collaborative writing works, mostly written by fans, that started as an experimental officially sanctioned electronically published "fan magazine" set within the 1632 universe created by Eric Flint in the trend setting book 1632. Separating 1632-verse history from the internet web fora at Baen Books web site Baen's Bar is impossible, for the forum has shaped the series, as the series has, in part, shaped the forum. Only the Honorverse web forums of best selling author David Webber have been busier than the eventual three special fora set up for 1632-verse topics since 2000, and according to Flint writing in 2005, over two hundred-thousand posts have occurred helping shape the universe on the forum 1632 Tech alone. Hence, while fan fiction, the Gazettes from the outset differed in important ways from most fan fiction:
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- 1) Flint himself had sought out and accepted ideas and input from fans when beginning the writing of the lead novel 1632. Some of those discussions became back plot for the series, and some were submitted to his author-based forum "Mutter of Demons" (or just "Mutter"—named from the title of his award winning first novel) as stories.
- 2) Flint, caught unawares and unprepared by the demand for a sequel, and the burgeoning internet buzz decided to open up the universe and invite other established authors to help shape the milieu. With all the internet buzz, and having already sought and gotten months of input from the new 1632verse business only forum "1632 Tech Manual", he and Baen agreed to include meritorious fan fiction in the collection envisioned. That anthology became Ring of Fire , but became delayed for 'smart business' reasons—sound marketing—proven repeat best selling author David Weber and Flint had threshed out a backplot and agreed to do a sequel as a novel, and it built upon and integrated the thoughts submitted for Ring of Fire. Jim Baen, sat on Ring of Fire, as anthologies in todays fiction market generally don't sell well, and a series with an anthology as its second work was virtually totally new ground.
- 3 It was professionally edited and produced by experienced persons in the publishing industry, and Flint as gate-keeper for the series canon was unhesitant in turning back poor writing for rewrite or just rejecting same.
- 4) If accepted and published, the story background and back plot thereafter was canon for the universe—if material was published in a Gazette, it became part of the bases of the series thereafter.
- 5) The fan readership were in general well established professionals,
- 6) Issued initially as an electronic quasi-magazine using the publisher's Advance Reader Copies distribution system, the original magazine came out only sporadically—as Flint and Baen copy editors had time to put early issues together. By the time of the seventh issue in June 2006, three years from the first volume, having proved to be a self-funding success, the publication changed. Along the way, Jim Baen had agreed to try another experiment, and brought out volume 1 in print as a paperback. The thirst for 1632-verse material was unslaked, and with a lag in the longer fiction in the series, when in March 2006 Baen published volume 2 in hardcover, it became a New York Times best seller.
- 1) Flint himself had sought out and accepted ideas and input from fans when beginning the writing of the lead novel 1632. Some of those discussions became back plot for the series, and some were submitted to his author-based forum "Mutter of Demons" (or just "Mutter"—named from the title of his award winning first novel) as stories.
No longer were issues serialized in three installments, the form of the promotional Baen Webscriptions value packs, but began coming out as a single ebook at a much greater regularity. By volume 10, the magazine had hit a regular publication rate of one issue every other month released the first day of odd numbered months, and migrated from being an offering within Baen's catalog of offerings (where they are still listed as ebooks) to having a subscription system administered and accessed from its own website. It is particularly notable in that is composed of short fiction which has spawned no less than three best sellers in an age when the market for short fiction (anthologies) of kinds is very poor. In addition, the Grantville Gazettes have served as the feedstock of new ideas and relationships which energize the popular series and find their way into the better know longer works of the series.
The Gazettes are initially published as e-books which are part of and canonical background for the other literatures (novels and anthologies) in the rapidly growing ongoing alternative-history series edited by Eric Flint and set in his ground-breaking 1632 Multiverse starting from May in the year 1631. Beginning in early 2007, the Gazette's publishers added an on-line web based edition published quarterly and moved the paper series to an annual "best of" volume. Additionally the publishers moved to paying full professional rates instead of the semi-pro rates that had been paid. After one year, the Gazette expects to be an SFWA qualifying market.
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[edit] The Anthology Authors Process
The various other author's featured in the Gazettes are part of Flints online experiment (Phase II) in developing a milieu in conjunction with many others on the webforum Baen's Bar, specifically the 1632 Tech Manual (oldstyle: '1632 Tech') sub-section of the Bar, and 1632 Slushpile. These authors first submit to a tough peer review process which is the provence and venue of the 1632 Slushpile sub-forum. Once critical reader have deemed the nascent story worthy, the work passes to an editorial board, which also consider how the work will fit into and impact on the milieu as currently planned out and plotted. Some stories have thus served as the genesis of their own 1632 universe sub-series or plot thread. This is chaired by Eric Flint, who retains veto power over all work in the 1632 verse, and Eric then decides in which issue or volume of the Gazette the story should be allocated. Authors get paid a sub-professional rate upon the acceptance of the work, and additional financial remuneration and considerations when the anthology reaches print at a later time.
The Gazettes thus contain short stories based in the world of Flint's 1632 series, and articles about the restrictions on technology available in the time stranded town and the plausibility of items and redeveloped technology within the milieu of the 1632 multiverse; these essays are written by a member of on findings and the results of a more formal subset of contributor-advisors known as the 1632 Technical board. Part of this group also sits on the 1632 Editorial Board
The first gazette was envisioned as an eMagazine experiment funded by Baen Books to be originally published solely as a monthly electronic serialized-book from Baen Books. The experimental joint venture between author-editor Flint and publisher Jim Baen was so successful that the eMagazine has become a sustained self-funding operation of its own, now with Grantville Gazette XI in pre-production and Grantville Gazette X released in December 2006 as a serialized eMagazine. Of particular note, the first and second gazette volumes have followed their publication as an ebook in print. The third is scheduled for publication as an hardcover book in January 2007
[edit] Importance of the Gazettes
The impact of individual stories in the Grantville Gazettes will likely never be truly known, because even the bad one's have shaped the action, commentary, and thought on the web-forums 1632 Tech and 1632 Comments, and even those that fail to meet the final test of espousing 'canon' developments in the neohistory, have influenced later written works, including those by Flint, who is the final determiner as the sole person involved in each work in the milieu of what is acceptable canon. Considered one way, each story written has the ability of setting a new Point of divergence, and the overall story arch told in the various threads. Several fan written stories have suggested major plotlines, even before the concept of the Grantville Gazettes eMagazine reached nomination to Jim Baen, and it's acceptance as an experiment, and those stories were published along established writers in Ring of Fire, and as you will read below in the Flint's own words, other main thread works like 1634: The Ram Rebellion.
But other Gazette stories have filled in important gaps in terms of economics, sociology, and technology: "The Sewing Circle" and its sequel "Other People's Money" which deals with four precocious teen friends and their stubborn insistence on making adult contributions, which end up shaking up the European stock markets when they succeed, and not inconsequentially, setting an example that ripples through Grantville's other youth, who suddenly begin to turn up-timer knowledge of theory and technology into bankable assets. Sociologically, their success doomed tailoring guilds, and spawned down-timer publication of popular fiction, inculcating up-timer sociology et cetera via modern novels, especially perhaps, Romance novels. Apparently even downtimers like their soaps! "A Lineman for the Country" along with a couple of other short stories created the forthcoming important Eastern European thread, and so on.
On another level entirely, the gazette stories are just stories. Since they tend to focus on the ground-level interactions of their protagonists, and those characters tend to repeat, not only in subsequent stories by the same author, but in stories by other, Flint has characterized them in part as soap-operas, then says this about such soap operas in the prolouge to Grantville Gazette IV :
| “ | There are times I think of just throwing up my hands and publishing all of the stories in the Gazette as "continuing serials." And, in my darker moments, contemplate changing the title of the magazine to The 1632 Soap Opera. That's because, like a soap opera, the characters just seem to go on forever and ever in one episode after another. Unless one of them is actually Killed Off—and then, sometimes, you don't really know For Sure–they'll keep re-appearing. Often enough, in somebody else's episode.
On the other hand, I'm not a snob about soap operas. I used to be, until many years ago my wife's work schedule required me to tape her favorite soap opera so she could watch it when she got home. Initially, I did so holding my nose—and bound and determined to watch only the first few minutes to make sure it was taping properly. This was back in the early days of VHS when I didn't trust the technology involved. (And still don't, but I admit I'm something of a technophobe.) |
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[edit] Print publication
Starting in November 2004, the first Gazette was also released experimentally in a paper edition with issue I as a paperback. The second volume was released in hardcover in March 2006, this and subsequent titles use Roman Numerals for titles such as are listed below in the section List of Gazettes, as appear on the print publication covers.
- Eric Flint (2004). The Grantville Gazette. Baen. ISBN 0-7434-8860-1. available as free ebook from the Baen Free Library, Paperback First printing, November 2004
- Eric Flint (2006). Grantville Gazette II. Baen. ISBN 1-4165-2051-1. was released in hardcover in March 2006
- Eric Flint (2006). Grantville Gazette III. Baen. ISBN 1-4165-0941-0. escaped to hardcover in January 2007
In March of 2007, beginning with issue eleven, the gazette moved to add a web-based subscription edition and moved to paying full professional rates instead of the semi-pro rates that had been paid. After one year, the Gazette expects to be an SFWA qualifying market.
[edit] List of Gazettes
The Grantville Gazettes are all edited by Eric Flint who maintains editorial control over the canon for the series on the 1632.org website in conjunction with the 1632 Editorial Board, and the various 1632 Research Committees, all being regular participants to the Baen's Bar forum 1632 Tech (now named 1632 Tech Manual). Gazettes include fact articles (see the research committee) and stories which are initially vetted through a tough peer review on the forum 1632 Slush (story material only, forum 1632 Slush Comments for feedback.), typically requiring several rewrites then are subsequently nominated by the Editorial Board, whereupon Flint chooses the stories for inclusion in which volume.
| Book Volume | e-zine Volume |
1st Serialed e-magazine Volume date |
e-book (Copyright) version |
Hardcover date |
Paperback date |
| The Grantville Gazette | Volume 01 | 2003-02 | 2003-04 | none | 2004-11-01 |
| Grantville Gazette II | Volume 02 | 2003-08 | 2003-10 | 2006-03 | 2007-10-01 |
| Grantville Gazette III | Volume 03 | 2004-08 | 2004-10 | 2007-01 | |
| Grantville Gazette IV | Volume 04 | 2004-10 | 2005-04 | 2008-06 | |
| Grantville Gazette V | Volume 05 | 2005-07 | 2005-09 | ||
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| Grantville Gazette VI | Volume 06 | 2006-01 | 2006-03 | ||
| Grantville Gazette VII | Volume 07 | 2006-02 | 2006-04 | ||
| Grantville Gazette VIII | Volume 08 | 2006-06 | 2006-08 | ||
| Grantville Gazette IX | Volume 09 | 2006-09 | 2006-11 | ||
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| Grantville Gazette X | Volume 10 | 2006-11 | 2007-01 | ||
| Grantville Gazette XI | Volume 11 | 2007-01 | 2007-03 | ||
| Grantville Gazette XII | Volume 12 | 2007-03 | 2007-05 | ||
| Grantville Gazette XIII | Volume 13 | 2007-05 | 2007-07 | ||
| Grantville Gazette XIV | Volume 14 | 2007-07 | 2007-09 | ||
| Grantville Gazette XV | Volume 15 | 2007-09 | 2007-11 | ||
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| Grantville Gazette XVI | Volume 16 | 2007-11 | 2008-01 | ||
| Grantville Gazette XVII | Volume 17 | 2008-01 | 2008-03 | ||
| Grantville Gazette XVIII | Volume 18 | 2008-03 | 2008-05 | ||
| Grantville Gazette XIX | Volume 19 | 2008-05 | 2008-07 | ||
| Grantville Gazette XX | Volume 20 | 2008-07 | 2008-09 | ||
| Grantville Gazette XXI | Volume 21 | 2008-09 | 2008-11 | ||
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* Suspected E-ARC (e-zine) versions release; earliest released versions have been overwritten and original web publication dates can no longer be confirmed without original research. Both listed dates after Grantville Gazette VIII become solid as the Gazettes began systematic bi-monthly regularity under the stewardship of assistant editor Paula Goodlett. |
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[edit] See also
- Ring of Fire (anthology)
- Ring of Fire II (anthology)
- 1634: The Ram Rebellion (melded novel/anthology)
[edit] External links
| Web page links: |
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| The official and official researching web sites, by Eric Flint's 1632.org, about 1632 universe run in conjunction with Eric Flint and the 1632 Research Committee, including the book series canonical references available for download and reference by any desiring to participate in the collaborative writing process in the series— to write a contribution to The Grantville Gazettes, these are necessarily must sites. Additional Tech articles are sometimes posted thereon before reaching any gazettes.
The 1632 Series Research Material includes a search engine, maps and so forth which enables checking a reference across all published 1632 works. |
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| Home page of the "continuing adventure that is "The Grantville Gazettes", homepage. "Current issue" is considered an e-ARC version and will be copyrighted as an e-book dated two months after the e-ARC/e-zine volume date on the 1st day of odd numbered months. | ||
| Home page of the publisher of the canonical e-book's in the series, includes the ability to buy any of the fifteen individual Grantville Gazettes, or other seven and ignore the subscriptions at www.grantvillegazettel.com entirely. | ||
| List of Eric Flint Ring of Fire series books published by Baens Books. Click on titles to get sneak peeks. | ||
| List of Eric Flint Books published by Baens Books. Click on titles to get sneak peeks. | ||
| Baen's Bar is an official forum with several sections (sub-forums) dedicated to the 1632 universe: 1632 Tech Manual, and 1632 Slush (Slushpile in publishing: Stack of manuscripts for vetting) and Peer review Comments on the slushpile are posted in 1632 Comments. | ||
| 1632-verse creator, arbitor of canon Eric Flint's website, which has much about his work currently in progress or upcoming (in publication, in planning, under contract, in process) matters in the publication cycle. | ||
| 1632 universe dedicated German Wikiproject organized to cross reference and encyclopediatize matters and characters pertaining to the 1632-verse. Another must browse for would be contributors to The Grantville Gazettes and students of collabortative writing projects. | ||
| on the complicated topic of Money, purchasing power, currency, and exchange rates in the days of 1632 | ||
| 1632verse Commonwealth of Two Nations Resource Page - a webpage about Polish-Lthuanian Commonwealth in the 1632 universe, but especially valuable for 1632 fans for it's many period maps and links to other resources. | ||
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Bibliographic data on all fiction in the overall series as listed by the Internet Speculative Fiction Database. | |
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Bibliographic data on all fiction in the Grantville Gazette sub-series as listed by the Internet Speculative Fiction Database. |
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